Written Answers Nos. 232-244
232. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the cost of implementing a living wage of €11.50 for all employees directly employed or in agencies funded by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46409/15]
View answerI can advise the Deputy that remuneration of the staff of the Department is as sanctioned by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in line with Government policy.
Within the time available it has not been possible to calculate an exact figure. However, I can advise the Deputy that the annual additional salary cost to the Department of introducing a minimum hourly rate of €11.50 per hour is estimated to be approximately €109,000 per annum based on current figures for 35 staff employed at Cleaner, Services Attendant and Clerical Officer grades.
I have asked all agencies under the aegis of my Department to advise me of the position insofar as it relates to their agency and will communicate this information to the Deputy as soon as it is available.
233. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the cost of prohibiting zero-hour and low-hour contracts in the workplace regulatory regime. [46414/15]
View answerGiven the lack of uniformity around the definition of zero hour contracts and low hour contracts and the limitations of the data that exists in relation to such contracts, as highlighted in the recently published University of Limerick (UL) study, it is not possible to put a figure on the cost of prohibiting zero hour and low hour contracts in the existing regulatory regime.
I am currently engaged in a public consultation on the UL study. The consultation process, which commenced on 9th November, will run to 4th January 2016. My Department has published on its website a Consultation Document designed to assist interested parties in making a written submission in response to the study. In addition to seeking written submissions from all interested parties, I have met with employer representative bodies, worker representative bodies and non-Governmental organisations to hear their views first hand and to impress on them the importance of receiving their detailed and considered responses to the study, including, where relevant, costings in support of their responses.
It is important to point out that this is an independent study and the conclusions being drawn and the recommendations being made in the study are those of UL. Therefore, it is essential that the various stakeholders who contributed to the study and indeed other interested parties who may not have had an opportunity to engage with UL, are given an opportunity to consider and respond to the findings and recommendations in the UL report. This will allow me to be more fully informed before formulating my own views on the policy recommendations that I should bring to Government arising from the study.
234. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the cost incurred to meet the regional job targets as outlined in Enterprise 2025. [46415/15]
View answerEnterprise 2025, the Government’s long-term enterprise policy was launched in November this year. It is an ambitious strategy, with the objective of delivering growth over the next decade that is sustainable, led by strong export performance, builds on our sectoral strengths, and that is underpinned by innovation, productivity, cost effectiveness and competitiveness. We aim to build resilience into our economy so that we do not suffer again as we have done in the past number of years.
We have 135,800 more people at work than when we launched our first Action Plan for Jobs in 2012. Our export performance has been exceptional, with exports by Enterprise Ireland clients at a record of €18.6bn last year. Employment in EI and IDA supported firms has grown by over 40,000 since 2012.
We set a target in 2012 to increase employment by 100,000 by 2016. We achieved that ambitious target and have now exceeded it. We want to go further and to replace all the jobs lost during the recession and to realise sustainable full employment over the longer term.
Enterprise 2025 is a strategy that aims to build an economy that will not just achieve full employment but will sustain it in the long term. It has the commitment across government to take focused actions to deliver growth that is sustainable, led by strong export performance and underpinned by innovation, productivity and competitiveness.
Enterprise 2025 sets out a clear statement of ambition, including that we will have 2.18 million people at work by 2020, with the unemployment rate down to 6 percent and that the unemployment in all regions not more than one percent above the national average.
Achieving this objective at regional level will require a renewed focus on building on the strengths of each region to develop the attractive and competitive environments for business to start, grow and succeed on international markets and to attract inward investment. We started the process of rebuilding the capacity of the regions with the launch of the Regional Action Plans for Jobs this year. In the case of six of the regions we are now firmly moving into the implementation phase of the process and I will be meeting with the enterprise champions in each of the regions early in the New Year.
Enterprise 2025 is a whole of enterprise strategy, aimed at delivering opportunities across all regions and across all sectors, including both manufacturing and services activities. Through a partnership approach with enterprise, representative bodies, the enterprise development agencies, Local Enterprise Offices and others, delivering a step change in enterprise performance and resilience will see a significant increase in Irish owned companies of scale, contributing to Ireland’s reputation for innovation in international markets. The enterprise agencies and the LEOs will use their budgets in the optimal way to deliver on the potential for enterprise growth in the regions. In addition, earlier this year, we announced additional funding to support implementation of the regional Action Plans of €250m over the coming years. This comprises €150m of investment by IDA Ireland in advanced property solutions in the regions and €100m in competitive funding through Enterprise Ireland to support community enterprise initiatives, innovative initiatives by the Local Enterprise Offices and to support regional collaborative and clustering initiatives by public and private sector bodies and enterprises.
Our objective is to establish vibrant ecosystems for entrepreneurship, to stimulate clusters of scale and international visibility in areas of strength and to ensure that Ireland and our regions continue to be the best places to succeed in business, delivering sustainable employment and higher standards of living for all and we will direct available resources accordingly.
235. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of properties that have been established as development units for enterprise start-ups and the costs incurred in acquiring these, by county. [46420/15]
View answerThere are a range of initiatives for the provision of space for start-up companies. These include community enterprise centres, incubation centres and business innovation centres.
I should point out that Enterprise Ireland does not have the management of a portfolio of industrial buildings available for leasing and letting within its remit. However to support the delivery of property solutions for entrepreneurs and micro-enterprises nationally, Enterprise Ireland, working with other enterprise partners such as the Local Authorities and other local community organisations, has co-funded the establishment of Community Enterprise Centres across Ireland. Since the launch of the first Community Enterprise Centre scheme in 1989, Enterprise Ireland has approved €64 million for the development of Community Enterprise Centres in towns and villages across the country.
The number of Centres is set out at Table 1.
Furthermore, I understand from Enterprise Ireland that there are currently 24 incubation centres for which Enterprise Ireland has paid capital grant funding of €48,398,830.
The number of incubation centres in each county is outlined in Table 2.
In addition, Business Innovation Centres located in Dublin, Galway, Cork and Waterford develop and manage incubation space to assist fledgling businesses start, establish and then to move on, so that vacated space can be used for other new start-up businesses.
IDA Ireland has no properties that have been established specifically as development units for enterprise start-ups. However, IDA Ireland does market the availability of privately-owned space to potential clients.
Table 1: Community Enterprise Centres
|
County |
No of Properties |
|
Carlow |
2 |
|
Cavan |
8 |
|
Clare |
1 |
|
Cork |
3 |
|
Donegal |
6 |
|
Dublin |
21 |
|
Galway |
7 |
|
Kerry |
2 |
|
Kildare |
3 |
|
Kilkenny |
4 |
|
Laois |
4 |
|
Leitrim |
5 |
|
Limerick |
5 |
|
Longford |
1 |
|
Louth |
4 |
|
Mayo |
7 |
|
Meath |
3 |
|
Monaghan |
6 |
|
Offaly |
1 |
|
Roscommon |
5 |
|
Sligo |
2 |
|
Tipperary |
6 |
|
Waterford |
5 |
|
Westmeath |
2 |
|
Wexford |
2 |
|
Wicklow |
2 |
|
TOTAL |
117 |
Table 2: Incubation Centres
|
County |
No. of Incubation Centres |
|
Donegal |
1 |
|
Sligo |
1 |
|
Leitrim |
0 |
|
Mayo |
1 |
|
Roscommon |
0 |
|
Galway |
2 |
|
Longford |
0 |
|
Westmeath |
1 |
|
Offaly |
0 |
|
Laois |
0 |
|
Monaghan |
0 |
|
Cavan |
0 |
|
Louth |
1 |
|
Dublin |
8 |
|
Meath |
0 |
|
Wicklow |
0 |
|
Wexford |
0 |
|
Waterford |
1 |
|
Carlow |
1 |
|
Kilkenny |
0 |
|
Tipperary |
0 |
|
Clare |
0 |
|
Limerick |
2 |
|
Kerry |
1 |
|
Cork |
3 |
|
Kildare |
1 |
|
TOTAL |
24 |
236. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will establish a stand-alone national office to support young business entrepreneurs of 18 to 25 years of age that would provide training, mentoring and financial assistance; and the cost of establishing such an office. [46424/15]
View answer237. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will establish a programme for first-time young entrepreneurs of over 18 years of age to provide training and counselling for persons interested in a self-employment career path and the cost of establishing such a programme. [46425/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 236 and 237 together.
The National Policy Statement on Entrepreneurship was published in October 2014. It sets out the Government’s strategic objectives as a facilitator within the Irish entrepreneurship ecosystem. It covers the six key elements that impact on entrepreneurs and start-ups and signposts the direction that policy will take in the coming years. This Policy Statement has as one of its stated high level objectives that "we will ensure that greater numbers of people, particularly in underrepresented cohorts such as females, youths and older persons, start and run their own business".
The Policy Statement sets out the six elements of the ecosystem for entrepreneurship as:
- culture, human capital and education;
- business environment and supports;
- innovation;
- access to finance;
- entrepreneurial networks and mentoring; and
- access to markets.
It contains 96 key actions across a range of Government Departments and Agencies, which are designed to deliver improvements across the entire ecosystem. The ambition of the Policy Statement is to increase the number of startups by 25%, to increase the survival rate in the first five years and to improve the capacity to scale by 25% and early indications are that progress is being made on this ambition.
In terms of my own Department and its Agencies a number of supports are available, for those considering starting a business, regardless of age. In relation to business start-ups and expansions in the micro and small business sector the 31 Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) are the First Stop Shop for access to advice and support for this business cohort. Supports available include:
- Start-your-own-business training courses,
- Market research information,
- Business planning advice and templates,
- Access to experienced business mentors, and
- Feasibility grants and co-investment for your plans.
In addition to accessing the mainstream supports from the LEOs – where eligible – young entrepreneurs were specifically targeted with the roll-out of the Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur (IBYE) competition in 2014 and 2015. The aim of IBYE is to promote entrepreneurship as a career choice and to encourage young people to set up new businesses which will ultimately create jobs.
The competition was open to people aged between the ages of 18-30. First time entrepreneurs were well catered for in the context of the IBYE programme. A €50,000 Investment Fund was made available to each of the 31 LEOs to run the competition in their area in line with the following three categories:
- Best Business Idea: companies that are not yet trading,
- Best Start-Up Business: companies that have already started trading but in business for up to 24 months, and
- Best Established Business: companies that are in business more than 24 months.
The National Final was held on 6th December last from which a national winner in each category was selected in addition to selecting an overall winner as “Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur 2015”.
The LEOs also run the highly successful and well established Student Enterprise Awards for second level students giving them the chance to set up and run their own business while at school. Students experience the realities of entrepreneurship from coming up with their business idea and writing a business plan to producing the product, research the marketing, promoting the business and managing the books. It opens up to second level student the possibility of starting their own business and seeing entrepreneurship as a career choice in years to come.
Enterprise Ireland (EI) offers a range of startup supports to entrepreneurs, regardless of age. In 2011, EI launched the Competitive Start Fund as a direct response to the needs of early-stage client companies regarding financing in the startup and market-launch process. 2011 also saw the introduction of EI’s High Potential Start-Ups (HPSU) Accelerated Growth Programme aimed at HPSUs to develop critical skills in international sales, raising finance and building teams. Another key programme is EI’s New Frontiers Programme which was developed to support entrepreneurs and accelerate the development of sustainable early stage businesses with strong employment and growth potential, and to provide a feedstock to EI’s HPSU programme. EI also regularly offers feasibility funding for business startups in various sectors and geographic regions to assist new startup companies or entrepreneurs, to investigate the viability of a new growth-orientated business proposition which has the potential to become a HPSU.
I have no proposals to establish a standalone national office to support young business entrepreneurs aged 18–25 years as I believe that the existing Agencies of the State, through a variety of programmes and supports, are best placed to deliver the objectives and targets of the National Entrepreneurship Policy Statement. The Supporting SMEs online tool is a valuable resource that will signpost the range of programmes and supports available, and can be found at: http://www.supportingsmes.ie/businessdetails.aspx
238. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 120 of 19 November 2015, if he has successfully raised the issue of strict new limits imposed on cadmium levels for live crab intended for export to China with the authorities in China; the level of dialogue which has taken place with the Chinese authorities; if the Chinese authorities have indicated that these new measures will be withdrawn; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45723/15]
View answerFurther to my reply to the Deputy’s question on 19 November 2015, the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) issued a formal response to the communication from the Chinese authorities on Friday 27 November and circulated a copy of the response to representatives of the Irish live crab export industry. The SFPA response, inter alia, puts forward Ireland’s views on the suitability of the European testing requirements for live crab and includes a comprehensive technical report on the matter compiled by relevant technical and scientific experts in the SFPA and the Marine Institute. In addition, the SFPA has offered to facilitate further dialogue with the Chinese import authorities in keeping with the Memorandum of Understanding I referred to in my reply of 19 November, and has invited the Chinese authorities to visit Ireland in 2016 to examine our official control systems, laboratories and crab production establishments.
I acknowledge the concerns live crab exporters have at this time and I note that the SFPA has provided regular updates to industry representatives on the matter. I remain satisfied that the procedures which are in place for monitoring the safety of Irish seafood, including live crab, meet the stringent European standards and consumers can continue to have high confidence in the quality of Irish seafood.
239. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount his Department has received in fees from freedom of information requests in 2014 and in 2015 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45752/15]
View answerThe fees received by my Department in respect of Freedom of Information requests in 2014 and in 2015 to date are set out in the following table.
|
Year |
Fees - € |
|
2014 |
1,180 |
|
2015 to date (15/12/2015) |
460 |
240. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of political staff working in his Department, including the role and salary of each staff member. [45779/15]
View answerThere are currently eight political staff working within my Department, as set out in the following tables. Minister Coveney
|
Name |
Role |
Annual Salary |
|
Aine Kilroy |
Special Advisor |
€87,258.00 |
|
Caitriona Fitzpatrick |
Special Advisor |
€78,670.00 |
|
Stephanie Kidney |
Personal Assistant |
€51,074.00 |
|
Mary Hartnett |
Personal Secretary |
€50,268.13 |
Minister of State Hayes
|
Name |
Role |
Annual Salary |
|
Vera O’Dwyer |
Personal Assistant |
€54,068.00 |
|
Philomena Byrne |
Personal Secretary |
€50,268.13 |
Minister of State Phelan
|
Name |
Role |
Annual Salary |
|
Margaret Whelan |
Personal Assistant |
€49,794.00 |
|
David Healion |
Personal Secretary |
€26,595.10 |
241. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of Bills his Department has published since 9 March 2011; the number and Title of those Bills that included a regulatory impact assessment in advance of publication; the regulatory impact assessments published; the number of promised Bills for publication; the Bills that will include a regulatory impact assessment; the regulatory impact assessments that will be published before publication of the relevant Bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45801/15]
View answerThere were a total of seven B ills published by my Department during the relevant period, of which six included a Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) and which were published in advance of the Bills being published.
There is one promised Bill, the Sea Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction (Amendment) Act, for publication. The RIA in this case was published in November 2014.
The Bills published are listed in the following table.
|
Year |
Title of Bill |
|
2011 |
Welfare of Greyhounds Bill |
|
2011 |
Veterinary Practise (Amendment) Bill |
|
2011 |
Foreshore Amendment Bill |
|
2012 |
Animal Health and Welfare Bill |
|
2013 |
Forestry Bill (enacted as ‘Forestry Act 2014 (Act No 31 of 2014) |
|
2014 |
Johnstown Castle Agricultural College (Amendment) Bill 2014 |
|
2014 |
Horse Racing Ireland Bill |
242. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has made a decision on an appeal of a decision on a non-compliance penalty by a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45849/15]
View answerThe penalty applied under the 2015 Direct Payment Schemes relates to breaches of Cross Compliance requirements. Under the Terms and Conditions of the Direct Payment Schemes, an applicant as well as meeting the Scheme criteria is required to comply with EU regulatory requirements relating to Cross Compliance.
A report detailing findings of an inspection carried out by Kerry County Council on 18 June 2015 was referred to my Department’s Cross Compliance Unit for attention. This report detailed breaches of the cross compliance requirements under the Nitrates Regulations and related to the spreading of slurry close to the water intake of a drinking water treatment plant. The breaches resulted in a 5% penalty being applied against the 2015 Direct Schemes payments.
The person named was notified of this decision on 15 September 2015. The person named has appealed this decision. This review is currently being examined and is nearing completion. The person named will be notified of the outcome as soon as possible.
In the event that the person named is dissatisfied with the outcome of this review, the decision can be appealed to the independent Agriculture Appeals Office, within 3 months.
243. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive a 2015 payment under the agri-environment options scheme; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45850/15]
View answerThe person named commenced their AEOS 2 contract on 1st September 2011 and has been paid in full for 2011-2014. The first instalment of 85% of the annual payment in respect of the 2015 scheme issued on 14 December 2015 and it is expected that the remaining 15% will issue shortly.
244. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine why a person (details supplied) in County Kerry who had land eligibility issues resolved has not received payment; if payment will issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45855/15]
View answerThe application of the person named was subject to a 2013 LPIS Review. As a result of this review the area of one specific land parcel was reduced. The person named was notified of this and of his right of appeal. Following an appeal the over claim was reduced. On foot of this decision a supplementary payment issued to the person named on 2 October 2014.
My Department will now conduct a full review of this case including an examination of land eligibility in earlier years in order to establish if additional monies are due to the person named. My Department has made direct contact with the person named outlining the situation and has indicated that we will revert to him as soon as possible with the outcome of this review.
