Written Answers Nos. 248-261
248. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will provide the definition for an accountant under existing legislation; if he will outline the proposed changes for the definition of accounts, under the Companies Act 2014, that is due to be enacted at a later date; if accountants, under the legislation, must be recognised by a professional association; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6952/15]
View answerThe Companies Act, 2014 was signed by the President on 23 December 2014. It maintains the current legal position regarding accountants, in that it does not contain a legal definition of the term 'accountant', nor does it require that accountants must be recognised by a professional association/body. The Companies Act 2014 introduces a modern Company Law Code for Ireland and brings significant benefits to business.
The Company Law Review Group, in its 2007 report, recommended the regulation of the title “accountant. On foot of this recommendation, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation (as it then was), considered the matter and in particular noted the views of the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement and the Competition Authority. The Competition Authority took the view that there was no clear public interest case which would warrant the legal protection of the term accountant.
It should be noted that the Review Group on Auditing, which reported in 2000 also concluded that there was no compelling case for recommending statutory protection for the term accountant.
However, in light of concerns expressed by members of the professional accountancy bodies and Members of this House during the passage of the Companies Act 2014, I have requested the Department to undertake a consultation with all interested parties on the issue and it is hoped that this consultation will take place once the necessary preparatory work to commence the 2014 Act has been completed. To inform the consultation process the Irish Auditing and Accounting Supervisory Authority sought information from the nine Prescribed Accountancy Bodies ('PAB's) to establish whether the PABs have specific evidence or experience of adverse outcomes arising for members of the public from engaging the services of an unqualified person. In particular, they requested information the PABs may have in respect of individuals who are excluded from their membership for misconduct and who continue to provide services to the public.
Part 6 of the Companies Act 2014 collates the various requirements of different Acts in relation to accounting records, financial statements and the audit of those financial statements. To a large extent, the requirements are unchanged from existing law which has been substantially amended over the years. The relevant provisions have been redrafted in order to make them easier to understand and they have been restructured into a more easily readable format. It also covers other matters relating to auditors, particularly rules governing the appointment of statutory auditors and their removal from office.
Accounts are referred to as “financial statements” and references to “books of account" are referred to as “accounting records”.
249. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if his attention has been drawn to a decision by the principal contractor of a publicly funded college (details supplied) in County Dublin not to uphold a recent recommendation by the Labour Court; the confidence workers can have in the State’s industrial relations mechanism if a contractor, awarded multiple public works contracts, can choose to ignore Labour Court recommendations, with no admonishment by the State agency or Department to whom it is contracted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6954/15]
View answerI understand that a number of separate, but connected, issues are involved in the dispute at the school building site near Lucan, Co. Dublin, including allegations regarding non-compliance with statutory rates of pay, status of employees and the issue of subcontracting.
The dispute was the subject of a recent Labour Court hearing and subsequent Recommendation. I understand that the parties involved are actively considering the Recommendation of the Court.
I would encourage all parties to give positive consideration to the Labour Court's proposals. The experience and expertise of the Court offers the best avenue for resolving the issues in dispute.
However, Ireland's system of industrial relations is voluntary in nature and responsibility for the resolution of industrial relations issues lies ultimately with employers and workers and their respective representatives as appropriate.
250. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the extent to which jobs have been created in County Longford in each of the years 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and in 2015, to date, arising from small and medium enterprise investment; the efforts his Department is making to spread job creation to the midlands; and in particular to County Longford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7145/15]
View answer253. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the steps he is taking to secure jobs for County Longford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7148/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 250 and 253 together.
The Midlands has a strong cluster of Medical Technologies and Life Sciences companies (Abbott, Covidien, Integra, GeneMedix, Freund, Utah, KCI, AMS) and International Business Services companies (Teleflex, AXA, NPD Group and PPD). These international brands are an attraction for additional companies to potentially locate to the Midlands.
There are 35 IDA Ireland client companies based in the Midlands Region, employing in the region of 3,800 across the region. Of these, 6 IDA companies are located in Co. Longford and employ 650 people.
Set out in Table 1 is the number of jobs created by IDA companies in Co. Longford over the last four years.
Table 2 shows Enterprise Ireland's Full Time Job Creation in County Longford for the period 2010-2014.
There are 46 companies based in Co. Longford supported by Enterprise Ireland which employ 1,984 people. Enterprise Ireland companies have performed well and have added over 350 additional new jobs in the last 3 years.
As well as the day-to-day opportunity for entrepreneurs to apply for Enterprise Ireland start-up funding through the local regional office and compete for the national Competitive Feasibility Fund (CFF) and the Competitive Start Fund (CSF) that Enterprise Ireland run on quarterly basis, there are specific local activities planned this year for the midlands Region.
The Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) provide supports, both financial and non-financial (or “soft” supports), to micro and small enterprises in the start-up or expansion phase in manufacturing and services, subject to certain conditions. The soft supports include the provision of business advice, mentoring and training to all clients. This would include the provision of assistance in relation to all aspects of starting a business, such as preparing a business plan and accessing finance, etc. The LEOs also provide a referral or signposting service to other State Agencies, including Micro Finance Ireland, which may be in a position to provide assistance.
Figures for the number of jobs created by the LEOs are set out in Table 3. The Deputy should note that the figure for the net number of jobs is determined by the sum of the number of net full-time jobs and half of the number of net other-time jobs for each year in question.
Statistics in relation to the number of jobs created or sustained in 2014 through support provided by the LEOs are currently being compiled as part of the LEO Annual Employment Survey of client companies, and will be available later this Quarter.
Data on jobs created by the IDA, EI and the LEO's in 2015 will not be available until next year.
The Government is determined to ensure that every region will benefit from the economic recovery. Last week, along with the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste, I announced the details of a comprehensive new Strategy to support enterprise growth and job creation at Regional level. The Regional Action Plan for Jobs initiative seeks to build on the success of the annual Action Plan for Jobs process by developing locally driven plans that can build on the strengths and opportunities identified in each Region. The first Regional Plan will be published in the coming weeks for the Midlands Region (including County Longford) with 6 Plans published by July and all 8 in place by Quarter 3 this year.
Table 1: IDA Ireland job creation figures:
|
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
||
|
Longford |
Total Jobs |
658 |
696 |
701 |
650 |
|
Gross Gain |
6 |
44 |
25 |
10 |
|
|
Gross Losses |
-67 |
-6 |
-20 |
-61 |
|
|
Net Change |
-61 |
38 |
5 |
-51 |
Table 2: Enterprise Ireland job creation figures:
|
County |
2010 FT Gains |
2011 FT Gains |
2012 FT Gains |
2013 FT Gains |
2014 FT Gains |
2010 Other Gains |
2011 Other Gains |
2012 Other Gains |
2013 Other Gains |
2014 Other Gains |
2010 FT Loss |
2011 FT Loss |
2012 FT Loss |
2013 FT Loss |
2014 FT Loss |
2010 Other Loss |
2011 Other Loss |
2012 Other Loss |
2013 Other Loss |
2014 Other Loss |
|
Longford |
64 |
86 |
116 |
147 |
258 |
59 |
31 |
20 |
79 |
129 |
-180 |
-132 |
-88 |
-71 |
-25 |
-52 |
-42 |
-21 |
-11 |
-13 |
Table 3: Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) job creation figures:
|
Year |
Full Time Gains |
Full Time Losses |
Other Time Gains |
Other Time Losses |
Net Full Time |
Net Other Time |
Net(Full Time +(Other Time/2)) |
|
2013 |
121 |
-110 |
87 |
-92 |
11 |
-5 |
8.5 |
|
2012 |
79 |
-100 |
55 |
-38 |
-21 |
17 |
-12.5 |
|
2011 |
117 |
-130 |
81 |
-80 |
-13 |
1 |
-12.5 |
251. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will provide a list of vacant IDA Ireland sites in County Longford, which are available for potential inward investment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7146/15]
View answerI am informed by IDA Ireland that there are two IDA Ireland sites available for inward investment in County Longford; a 0.97 hectare site in Lisnamuck Industrial Estate and a 1.98 hectare site in Aghafad.
IDA Ireland positions the Midlands Region, which is comprised of counties of Longford, Westmeath, Laois and Offaly, as having a strong cluster in Medical Technology and Life Sciences. The Midlands is home to key clients such as Abbott, Covidien and Genemedix. In addition, it is home to other client companies such as Epicor, Cameron, Teleflex, AXA, NPD Group and PPD. All of the aforementioned international brands are an attraction for potential clients to locate in the region and both sites will be promoted as part of this marketing.
There are 35 IDA Ireland client companies based in the Midlands Region, employing 4,032 across the Region. Of these, 6 are located in Co. Longford and employ 650 people.
The Succeed in Ireland initiative, which was launched by the Government as part of the 2012 Action Plan for Jobs is designed to lead to additional job creation over and above IDA Ireland targets. The scheme is delivered on behalf of IDA Ireland by Connect Ireland to support any potential investors identified to locate here. One such success under the Scheme has been Arc Consulting, now located in Longford.
IDA Ireland is currently finalising its new strategy to cover the 5-year period from 2015. I look forward in the coming weeks to launching this strategy, which will detail the goals and the broad direction IDA Ireland will take to accomplish those goals over the next five years.
Finally, the fourth annual plan in the Action Plan for Jobs process, the Action Plan for Jobs 2015, was launched on 29th January. When the First Action Plan for Jobs was launched, unemployment stood at 15.1%. Today it stands at 10.6% and we are on track to exceed our target of 100,000 additional jobs by 2016. We are now setting a goal to bring employment to 2.1 million by 2018 – 2 years ahead of our original target.
My colleagues in Government and I determined that every region will benefit from the recovery and we will be announcing over the coming weeks and months a series of actions to help drive the achievement of this goal.
252. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the level of engagement with stakeholders in County Longford, in the preparation of the 2015 Action Plan for Jobs to the regions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7147/15]
View answerThe Action Plan for Jobs since 2012 has set a comprehensive set of measures agreed by Government to promote job opportunities and employment growth in all parts of the country. The 2015 Action Plan for Jobs was launched on January 29th. The 2015 Action Plan contains a suite of 380 actions to deliver an additional 40,000 jobs this year throughout the country. Specifically, in 2015, Enterprise Ireland will target the creation of 13,000 gross new full-time jobs in indigenous firms. IDA Ireland will target the creation of 14,000 gross new jobs in multinationals. It is estimated that every direct job created in agency assisted firms indirectly supports another job in the wider economy thereby making a strong contribution to the overall target of getting to full employment in 2018.
One of the factors that has made the Action Plan for Jobs (APJ) strategy such a success has been the engagement with stakeholders from across the country in throughout its preparation. Each year my Department actively seeks, receives and employs the input, support and partnership with business and others in developing and progressing the Plans. The process for APJ2015 was no different.
My Department formally began the process of developing the APJ in July 2014. The Action Plan is informed by my Department's ongoing research, the work of the National Competitiveness Council, information from the Enterprise Development Agencies, feedback from the new Local Enterprise Office network in the regions, and general interaction of my Department with stakeholders from every county over the year.
I have also convened a number of Action Plan for Jobs business forums to consult directly with industry and other stakeholders. These forums have been convened around the country since the launch of the Action Plan for Jobs process in 2012, including Co. Longford.
I personally held meetings dedicated to APJ2015 with representatives from IBEC, American Chambers, SFA, Chambers Ireland, ISME, ICTU, SIPTU, IMPACT, UNITE and the INOU, seeking their views on the shape and content of the Plan. I also held an APJ roundtable with entrepreneurs and small businesses. In many cases these discussions were followed-up with formal written submissions.
A written request for submissions was also issued to stakeholders to accompany the open-call for submissions on my Department's website, which facilitates input from every region of Ireland into the process. In all, 40 submissions containing over 500 actions were received from all quarters by the end-September deadline. These greatly informed the final APJ2015 strategy which was launched on January 29th last.
That Action Plan for 2015 has a strong focus on regional development and earlier this month the Government launched a €250 million plan to accelerate jobs growth in towns and villages across the country. Action Plan for Jobs - Regional is aimed at encouraging communities and agencies in each region to work together to support job-creation. The Regional Action Plans will be developed for regions, with Longford alongside Laois, Offaly, and Westmeath. As part of the development of the plans we will consult with businesses and representative groups and local authorities in Longford together with the Education and Training Boards and other relevant public and private sector bodies in the county. A Framework document (www.djei.ie/trade/competitiveness/regionalenterprisestrategies.htm) has been published to explain the approach to be adopted. The first of these plans will be published in the coming weeks for the Midlands and the Action Plans for all other regions will be published or in development by July. The first Regional Action Plan will cover the Midlands and is currently being finalised by my Department. Like the national Action Plan for Jobs process, a great deal of the value of the Plan will be in the contribution made by all stakeholders, with the sum of the parts making a greater impact than the individual elements could do on their own. The Action Plans will be flexible and dynamic to allow additional actions and ideas to be added as they emerge.
254. Deputy Michael Colreavy asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the projected cost to his Department to convert to using Eircode; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7609/15]
View answerMy Department anticipates that Eircode postcodes can be incorporated into address records on Department stationery with minimal costs. However, the level of stationery on hands at the time of introduction of the code will influence this basic cost.
It is anticipated that there will be some ICT development costs to integrate the Eircodes into my Department's differing registers and systems. These will be apportioned to the various Business Units/Offices involved and carried out in the normal course of business in conjunction with system developers as the need arises.
255. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a 2013 and 2014 grassland sheep scheme payment will issue to a person (details provided) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6600/15]
View answerApplications under the 2013 and 2014 Grassland Sheep Scheme were received from the person named on 15 May 2013 and 12 May 2014 respectively. Payment has not issued to the person named as the holding concerned has not satisfied the Scheme minimum eligibility requirements namely, the inclusion of breeding ewes on the annual sheep census.
256. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a payment under the Agri-Environment Options Scheme 2 will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6601/15]
View answerThe person named was approved for participation in the 2011 Agri Environment Options Scheme (AEOS 2) with effect from the 1st September 2011 and payment has issued in respect of the 2011, 2012 and 2013 Scheme years.
Under the EU Regulations governing the Scheme and other area-based payment schemes, a comprehensive administrative check, including cross-checks with the Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS), must be completed before any payment can issue. These checks have been successfully completed in respect of the 2014 Scheme year and payment will issue shortly.
257. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when, further to Parliamentary Question No. 319 of 14 January 2015, a payment under the agri-environment options scheme will be made in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6639/15]
View answerThe person named was approved for participation in the 2011 Agri Environment Options Scheme (AEOS 2) with effect from the 1st September 2011 and payment has issued in respect of the 2011, 2012 and 2013 Scheme years.
Remedial action was undertaken by the person named following issues identified in an on-farm inspection which was carried out on 16th September 2014.
Both the first payment of 75% and the second payment of the balancing 25% were processed on 12th February 2015 with both payments to issue to the person named this week.
258. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when, further to Parliamentary Question No. 320 of 14 January 2015, a payment under the agri-environment options scheme will be made payable in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6640/15]
View answerThe person named was approved for participation in the 2011 Agri Environment Options Scheme (AEOS 2) with effect from the 1st September 2011 and payment has issued in respect of the 2011, 2012 and 2013 Scheme years.
Both the first payment of 75% and the second payment of the balancing 25% for 2014 were processed on 12th February 2015. Both payments will issue to the person named this week.
259. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has analysed the historical impact of the European Union biofuels mandate on the availability and price of grain, including the impact on the cost of animal feed imported into Ireland; and if his Department has produced estimates of the likely impacts on animal feed availability and price on the various options for restricting the use of food for biofuels, currently being considered in the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers. [6663/15]
View answerEnergy policy and regulation falls within the remit of my colleague the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Mr. Alex White TD. Renewable energy policy and use within the European Union is covered by a number of Directives including the Renewable Energy Directive 2009/28/EC, the Fuel Quality Directive and the Biofuels Directive 2003.
As the grain and feed market is global, prices are established at world market level and not at individual state or even at EU level. My Department monitors global and national grain and feed prices. Availability of feed stocks is not significantly impacted by the production of biofuels and indeed the main co-products of the biofuel industry used in Ireland – distillers dried grains – are mainly sourced from North and South America.
Given the limited production of oilseeds in Ireland and the relative low use of cereals for biofuel production, it is not expected that current biofuels policy will have a significant impact on the availability or price of grain and feed in this country.
At present, Ireland's concentrate feed requirements are in the region of 4.7 million tonnes, of which 3 million tonnes is imported. Almost two-thirds of this is sourced from non-EU countries.
260. Deputy Brian Walsh asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a single farm payment for 2014 in respect of a person (details supplied) has not been granted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6671/15]
View answerAn application under the 2014 Single Payment Scheme was received from the person named on 15 May 2014. Following initial processing, over-claims were discovered in respect of three land parcels, one of which was a commonage parcel which required further investigation. This investigation has now been completed and processing of the application has recently been finalised. Payments will issue shortly, directly to the nominated bank account of the person named.
261. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if lowland farmers in marginal land areas could have access to the new green low-carbon agri-environmental scheme, as at present there is no category to cover these farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6702/15]
View answerLowland farmers in marginal lands can qualify for GLAS in any one of the three tiers planned. If they have a priority environmental asset, such as one of the identified bird species, Natura land, high-status water or keep rare breeds of cattle, sheep or horses, or farm organically, they will qualify for Tier 1 access to GLAS. If they have a vulnerable water course on their land and commit to protecting it, or if they commit to certain other actions, they can access GLAS through Tier 2. Finally, if they simply choose to select actions from the list of options in Tier 3, they can also apply to join GLAS that way.
