Written Answers Nos. 75-83
75. Deputy Gerald Nash asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will provide details on the Industrial Development Agency and Enterprise Ireland supported companies in County Louth in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 in tabular form; the number of jobs supported in County Louth by the agencies in the years concerned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26438/14]
View answerThe Forfás Annual Employment Survey reports on job gains and losses in companies that are supported by the enterprise development agencies. Details of the total number of people employed in IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland client companies in each of the years from 2010 to 2013, inclusive, are set out in the tabular statements. Figures for 2014 will not be available until year end.
I am glad to say that the numbers employed in County Louth in companies supported by the enterprise development agencies operating under the aegis of my Department, IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland, has steadily increased in the four year period 2010 to 2013 inclusive. Total employment in IDA Ireland companies has risen from 1,286 at end 2010 to 2,299 at end 2013, while total job numbers in Enterprise Ireland client companies rose from 4,962 at end 2010 to 5,032 at end 2013. County Louth together with Counties Cavan and Monaghan comprise the IDA Ireland North East Region. Across the region as a whole there are 36 IDA Ireland supported companies employing 3,981people with the highest concentration of companies located in Louth. The main clusters that have emerged in the North East are in international business services, mainly Financial Services, and consumer goods and manufacturing.
There have been a number of substantial FDI announcements for County Louth in recent years with the potential to create thousands of jobs. In 2012, Paypal announced the creation of 1,000 jobs over the next four years and as recently as yesterday the company announced that it will add two new strategic functions to the site which will create an additional 400 new jobs in Dundalk, County Louth over the next four years. During 2013 National Pen announced the creation of 200 permanent jobs over a five year period while eBay, Inc. announced 450 high quality new jobs at an Operations Centre in Dundalk. Also in 2013 Becton, Dickinson and Company announced a €3.5 million investment in its plant in Drogheda on new equipment to manufacture state-of-the-art safety needles designed to help protect healthcare workers and patients from medical sharps injuries. The investment has created 28 new jobs at the plant. More recently, the company further announced that €16 million has been invested to expand its production of BD Posiflush syringes. The investment has created an additional 20 new jobs at the plant.
A core focus for Enterprise Ireland is to support the internationalisation of indigenous companies in County Louth and indeed the Region. This involves working with both existing clients and new companies – on a one to one confidential basis and on a group basis – to help them grow internationally. In terms of infrastructure, Enterprise Ireland has supported five Enterprise Centres in County Louth, which include the Science Services Centre at Finnabair Business Park and more recently the Creative Spark Enterprise Centre on the Inner relief road at Muirhevnamor. As well as infrastructure, potential entrepreneurs need guidance and encouragement when exploring a new business opportunity. Dundalk Institute of Technology manages Enterprise Ireland’s New Frontiers Programme, a six month intensive programme for new potential entrepreneurs to research a project idea. Phase II of year 3 of the programme was launched at the beginning of June 2014 with 12 participants, 7 of which are from County Louth. Participants receive financial support of €15,000 from Enterprise Ireland as they focus on developing an investor ready business plan over a six-month period, during phase 2 of the programme. They are also given office space in the Institute of Technology’s incubation centre, mentoring and access to networking opportunities with potential investors.
Table showing the number of people employed in IDA Ireland Client Companies 2010 – 2013
|
- |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
|
No. of Companies |
20 |
20 |
23 |
23 |
|
Total Jobs |
1,286 |
1,453 |
1,795 |
2,299 |
Table showing the number of people employed in Enterprise Ireland Client Companies 2010 – 2013.
|
- |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
|
No. of Companies |
183 |
174 |
173 |
173 |
|
Total Jobs |
4,962 |
4,860 |
4,891 |
5,032 |
76. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the cumulative total of unapproved salary top-ups currently being paid under the remit of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27086/14]
View answerAll staff of my Department are paid in accordance with official Civil Service payscales and there are no circumstances in which unapproved top-ups are applied. I have asked the agencies within my Department's remit to revert to me with confirmation that the salaries paid to all staff have been properly approved and that there is no instance of unapproved bonus or top-up. I will revert to the Deputy on receipt of this confirmation.
77. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Social Protection the social welfare consequences for a person and the State of the wide-spread practice, especially in the pharma industry, of persons being engaged on a self-employed basis to perform duties similar to their company employee colleagues; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26378/14]
View answerAn individual's classification for social insurance purposes is important as it affects the rate of Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) which they pay on their salary or income. This in turn affects the social insurance benefits to which they are entitled. Generally an individual is classified for PRSI purposes as an employee or as self-employed.
Where an individual is classified as an employee PRSI is payable on their earnings by the employee and their employer. Generally employees pay class A PRSI at the rate of 4%. In addition, their employers make a PRSI contribution of 10.75% in respect of their employees, resulting in the payment of a combined 14.75% rate per employee under full-rate PRSI class A. Class A provides employees with entitlement to the full range of social insurance benefits including short term benefits in respect of illness, unemployment and maternity as well as long term benefits such as widow/widower's or surviving civil partner’s pension and State pension contributory. Where an individual is classified as self-employed, he or she pays class S PRSI at the rate of 4% on their earned income from self-employment. Those paying class S can have an entitlement to certain short-term benefits (i.e. maternity benefit) as well as long term benefits such as widow/widower's or surviving civil partner’s pension and State pension contributory. In order to determine an individual's correct rate of PRSI, my department uses the Code of Practice for Determining Employment or Self-Employment Status of Individuals.
The report from the advisory group on tax and social welfare, published in May 2013, identified trends in the labour market which have resulted in some workers being classified as self-employed, whereas their employment characteristics would properly determine them as employees. The report suggested that in some cases persons have falsely declared themselves as self-employed so as to avail of different tax treatment. In other cases, employees have been falsely declared as self-employed so as to circumvent employer obligations under labour legislation. If the Deputy can supply my department with the details of the specific case to which he is referring, I will be happy to have it investigated and the insurability determined under the Code of Practice for Determining Employment or Self-Employment Status of Individuals.
78. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection if there is back pay owed to a person (details supplied) due to underpayment of fuel allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26398/14]
View answerFuel allowance is paid for the heating season which generally runs from October to April. It is awarded from the first payday after the date of receipt of application. In this instance the application for the person concerned was received on 22 July 2013. The 2013/2014 fuel allowance season commenced on 11 October 2013 and the fuel allowance payment was made to the person concerned from 11 October 2013 up to and including 10 April 2014. I am satisfied that the person concerned received her full fuel allowance entitlement and that there are no arrears due.
79. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection if an exception can be made with rent allowance in respect of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26399/14]
View answerSpecial arrangements have been put in place in the Dublin area to protect existing rent supplement customers from entering homelessness under the Interim Tenancy Sustainment Protocol (ITSP). The Rents Unit has been advised that this claimant's landlord is increasing the rent in August 2014. This family has been living in their current address since 2010 and under the terms of the ITSP we have referred the claimant to the relevant Tenancy Sustainment Service. The Rents Unit will work in conjunction with the Service so that this family will not face the threat of homelessness. The rent supplement will also continue to be paid per the terms of ITSP.
80. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the circumstances for denial of social welfare in respect of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26401/14]
View answerThe application from the person concerned for disability allowance, based upon the evidence submitted, was refused on habitual residency grounds and the claimant was notified in writing of this decision on 30 April 2013. The person subsequently appealed this decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO). An oral appeal hearing was scheduled in this case and I am informed by the SWAO that the person did not attend the hearing. Based on the available evidence, the appeals officer found that the person concerned had failed to show that his main centre of interest was in this State and disallowed the appeal. The person concerned was notified by the Social Welfare Appeals Office of this decision in writing on 20 May 2014. An appeal’s officer's decision is final and conclusive in the absence of fresh facts or evidence not already taken into consideration.
81. Deputy Seán Conlan asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) in County Monaghan is in receipt of less money on the JobPlus scheme than on jobseeker's allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26406/14]
View answerThe person concerned is currently a participant on a Community Employment (CE) Scheme and is in receipt of €511.60 per week and the weekly PRSI deduction from this is €20.46. CE participants are the employees of schemes and are obliged to pay PRSI at the appropriate class (A8/A9). For the majority of CE participants who are earning €352.00 or less, there is no change as the 0% Class A8 rate of Employees PRSI applies. However, CE participants who earn in excess of €352 per week are subject to the Class A9 rate of Employees PRSI and will pay 4% on the total income. PRSI bands are applied on this basis to all persons in employment, including those on CE schemes and the payment carries the same benefits and entitlements under PRSI for all. The potential advantage to the CE participant, outside of the financial impact as outlined above in taking up a CE place, is access to funding for education and training and the opportunity to pursue a FETAC Major Award. This combined with the work experience will greatly enhance the opportunity to gain employment and exit the Live Register.
83. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will investigate and review the public phone lines for the disability allowance office and consider a free phone number in view of the delays and often unanswered calls which are costing the public an unacceptable amount of money on phone credit (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26412/14]
View answerDisability allowance receives approximately 13,000 telephone calls a month. The average time taken to answer a call in 2014, up to the end of May, was 3 minutes 55 seconds. The Department endeavors to provide the most responsive phone service possible to its customers. A call management system is in place across all headquarter buildings, including disability allowance, which allows managers to monitor and manage call volumes. It provides a flexible means of managing sudden peaks in customer demand and allows for the active management of calls by way of assigning, where feasible, more staff to the phone lines at peak periods. LoCall numbers have been in operation across the Department's scheme areas for many years. This system has worked successfully in conjunction with the Interactive Voice Response technology to facilitate customers making contact with the appropriate section of the Department, at a low cost to the caller. There are no plans to provide a single free phone number across the Department at this time. In addition to the telephone service the Department provides a range of contact channels for customers including e-mail, SMS (text), through our website www.welfare.ie and face-to- face. In line with the principles of quality customer service, the Department keeps its contact channels options under review in order to make full use of new and emerging technologies to broaden the choice of service delivery channels for customers.
Furthermore, to equip staff to deal effectively with customers, the Department provides training in customer service which includes communicating effectively with customers, effective telephone techniques, active listening and the importance of understanding and empathy. Training courses also include the raising of awareness of disability, mental health and diversity issues relevant to staff and customers.
