Joan Collins
Question:648. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will address an issue (details supplied) regarding car insurance. [15014/16]
View answerMotor Insurance
Questions (648)
Written answers
My role in the matter of motor insurance relates to legislation under the EU Motor Insurance Directives and the Road Traffic Acts. The primary requirement of these is that the driver of a vehicle is covered by third party insurance. I have no role regarding the legal framework for insurance regulation, or for the regulation of insurance companies, which are matters for my colleagues, the Minister for Finance, and the Central Bank, respectively.
Insurance Ireland operates a free Insurance Information Service for those who have queries or difficulties in relation to obtaining insurance. If a person is unable to obtain a quotation for motor insurance, or feels that the premium proposed is so excessive that it amounts to a refusal to provide insurance, they should contact Insurance Ireland, 5 Harbourmaster Place, IFSC, Dublin 1, Tel: 01 6761820, emailiis@insuranceireland.eu quoting the Declined Cases Agreement. This Agreement exists to facilitate motorists to meet their obligation to have third party liability motor insurance.
Ministerial Correspondence
Questions (649)
Éamon Ó Cuív
Question:649. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of representations he has received from Members of the Oireachtas and the number of these to which he had not issued a substantive reply by 31 May 2016, by month of initial receipt, from 1 January 2015 to 30 April 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15045/16]
View answerWritten answers
The information requested by the Deputy will require some time to compile as the number of representations involved is substantial. I will send the information to the Deputy as soon as possible.
Motor Insurance Coverage
Questions (650)
Clare Daly
Question:650. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on car insurance companies discriminating on grounds of profession, age and gender regarding excessive charges for annual insurance cover. [15056/16]
View answerWritten answers
My role in the matter of motor insurance relates to legislation under the EU Motor Insurance Directives and the Road Traffic Acts. The primary requirement of in these is that the driver of a vehicle is covered by third party insurance. I have no role regarding the legal framework for insurance regulation, or for the regulation of insurance companies, which are matters for my colleagues, the Minister for Finance, and the Central Bank, respectively.
While I am, of course, concerned with recent trends towards increasing motor insurance costs, motor insurance is provided by private companies in an open and competitive market, and pricing is a matter for the industry.
It is advisable for people seeking motor insurance to shop around as the costs can vary dramatically. Some insurers and brokers specialise in certain areas, for example young drivers or vintage vehicles.
Insurance Ireland operates a free Insurance Information Service for those who have queries or difficulties in relation to obtaining insurance. If a person is unable to obtain a quotation for motor insurance, or feels that the premium proposed is so excessive that it amounts to a refusal to provide insurance, they should contact Insurance Ireland, 5 Harbourmaster Place, IFSC, Dublin 1, Tel: 01 6761820, emailiis@insuranceireland.eu quoting the Declined Cases Agreement. This Agreement exists to facilitate motorists to meet their obligation to have third party liability motor insurance.
Sports Capital Programme Applications
Questions (651)
Seán Sherlock
Question:651. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide a sports capital grant fund in 2016; the amount he will allocate; and when he will accept applications. [15061/16]
View answerWritten answers
No decision has been made on the timing of any future rounds of the Sports Capital Programme.
Any interested group should register online now at www.sportscapitalprogramme.ie as this portal will be the only way to apply under any future rounds of the Programme.
Job Initiatives
Questions (652)
Robert Troy
Question:652. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation her plans for the prioritisation of job creation in County Longford and surrounding regions. [14256/16]
View answerWritten answers
Supporting enterprise development in all regions of the country in order to support job creation is a key priority of the Government, with initiatives such as the regional Action Plans for Jobs seeking to build on the capabilities and strengths of each region to maximise enterprise growth and job creation.
The Action Plan for Jobs for the Midland Region was launched on June 29th, 2015, the first of 8 Regional Action Plans to be delivered. It contains 119 time-bound actions to be implemented by 2017 targeted at improving employment growth and enterprise development in the region as a whole, by leveraging collaboration within public sector organisations, and between the public and private sector, across the counties of Longford, Westmeath, Offaly and Laois. The plan is focused on the specific needs and strengths of the region, with actions targeted at sectors of potential competitive advantage such as manufacturing, tourism, food and energy.
Since the first National Action Plan for Jobs was launched in 2012 jobs have grown in the Midland region by 12,600. The Midlands Action Plan for Jobs targets further employment growth of between 11,400 and 17,100 additional jobs by 2020.
Since the Plan was launched, focus has been on putting in place a comprehensive implementation structure. A Regional Implementation Committee was established last year, composed of key stakeholders in the region who work in concert with Enterprise Champions - nominated senior private sector representatives - to oversee and monitor progress. This committee held its first meeting on March 2nd 2016, and will hold a further meeting in the coming weeks to review and assess progress on delivery of the Plan’s actions. The first Progress Report on the implementation of the Plan, covering the period to end-June 2016, will be completed and published in Q3 2016.
Key actions in the plan to be delivered over the period 2015-2017 include: Establishing a Midlands Manufacturing Technologies Campus; developing new cycling, walking and other recreational trails along the waterways of the region; developing a Regional Energy Hub; establishing new incubator spaces for entrepreneurs; attracting at least 25 additional multinational investment projects to the region by 2019; building two advance facilities for Athlone, and appointing an IDA Regional Manager for the Midlands.
Investment of up to €250 million was announced in February 2015, to be provided over five years to support and maximise the impact of all Regional Action Plans, including €150 million for a property investment programme by IDA Ireland.
A further sum of up to €100 million will be made available over the period through three competitive calls administered by Enterprise Ireland. These calls are being targeted at innovative and collaborative approaches to support job creation across the regions.
On June 1st of this year an initial allocation of €5m in competitive funding for local and regional initiatives was announced under two of these calls; the LEO Competitive Fund and the Community Enterprise Initiative. Among the successful projects are the Midlands Engineering Cluster Programme, which will create new synergy between engineering enterprises, educational institutions, and government agencies in the region; the enhancement of the Junction Business Innovation Centre in Tullamore through recruitment of a Business Development Manager; and the Midlands ‘One to Two’ Growth Initiative, which will assist solo entrepreneurs in the region in attaining employer status.
In addition, the Midlands Regional Skills Forum, which includes among other organisations the Longford and Westmeath Education and Training Boards and Longford Chamber, has been established to connect education providers with employers to build the skills of the region.
Cross-Border Enterprise Initiatives
Questions (653)
Peadar Tóibín
Question:653. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation to develop with the corresponding Department in Northern Ireland a Border economic development zone, as detailed in the recent all-party report of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation on the all-island economy; if her Department carried out a cost-benefit analysis of such a zone for the economic development of the Border-midland region; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14268/16]
View answerWritten answers
The Government is currently focussed on best utilising the mechanisms already in place for strengthening economic cooperation between both sides of the border. The work of InterTrade Ireland (ITI) is especially important in this context. ITI, which is jointly funded and overseen by my Department and the Department for the Economy in Belfast, provides a range of enterprise development initiatives and programmes to support commerce both in and between North and South. Our two administrations also work together in other ways, including through ongoing cooperation between Enterprise Ireland and its Northern Ireland counterpart agency Invest Northern Ireland on areas of mutual interest.
Over recent years, a range of projects under the enterprise development strand of the INTERREG IVA Programme (2009-2015) have had a particularly positive impact on developing small businesses in the region. My Department co-funded this strand, under which a total of 28 individual projects have been initiated. I now look forward to the roll out of the successor Programme for the period up to 2020, which will support research and innovation initiatives and hopefully help to foster further growth and economic development in the cross-border areas.
My Department has not carried out a cost benefit analysis to which the Deputy refers. Developing new economic structures such as this would represent a significant policy development and requires careful consideration. We should also bear in mind that any new structures would need the full agreement of the authorities both here and in Northern Ireland. The need to avoid duplication with the work of other existing bodies and mechanisms is also important.
I would also mention that the North East/ North West Action Plan for Jobs, launched on 30 November last, aims to deliver 28,000 extra jobs in the counties of Sligo, Leitrim, Donegal, Louth, Monaghan, and Cavan by 2020. Key targets in service of this overall goal are to achieve an increase of at least 25% in the number of start-ups in the region; a 25% improvement in the survival rate of new businesses; an increase in the number of IDA investments in the region by 30-40% up to 2019; and an increase of 300 to 500 in the numbers of Údarás na Gaeltachta supported jobs in the North West. Sectors targeted as part of the plan include traditionally strong sectors for the region like agri-food, manufacturing/engineering and tourism, as well as areas targeted for future growth like digital payments, cleantech and creative services.
Since the Plan was launched on 30 November last, focus has moved to putting in place a comprehensive implementation structure. A Regional Implementation Committee has been established, composed of key stakeholders in the region who will work in concert with Enterprise Champions - nominated senior private sector representatives - to oversee and monitor progress. This team will meet twice each year to review progress on the delivery of the Plan’s actions. The first Progress Report on the implementation of the North East/ North West Action Plan for Jobs will be completed in Q3 2016.
Cross-Border Enterprise Initiatives
Questions (654)
Peadar Tóibín
Question:654. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the State bodies under her remit which have developed memorandums of understanding with her counterpart in Northern Ireland with regard to the efficient delivery of services on the island of Ireland; if she has carried out a cost-benefit analysis of the development of further memorandums of understanding; the details of the cost benefit analysis; and the new memorandums of understanding she will be creating between State bodies under their remits during the lifetime of this Government. [14285/16]
View answerWritten answers
Both of our main economic development agencies, Enterprise Ireland (EI) and IDA Ireland, engage with relevant bodies in Northern Ireland to pursue areas of mutual interest.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is in place between EI and Invest Northern Ireland (INI) to enable clients of both agencies to access market services and each other’s trade events. There is also close collaboration between EI, INI and InterTrade Ireland (ITI) on the specific cross border programmes which are operated by ITI.
In relation to IDA Ireland, it cooperates with INI on appropriate regional and all-island economic development. An example of this cooperation was the jointly developed North West Business Technology Zone, which capitalised on the combined strengths of Letterkenny and Derry City as an economic corridor through the development of compatible infrastructure and property solutions. Where appropriate, IDA Ireland and INI also cooperate on company visits where both jurisdictions are being considered by foreign companies.
Science Foundation Ireland signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Education & Learning in Northern Ireland in respect of its Investigators Programme in 2014. This agreement allowed Queen's University and the University of Ulster to participate as full academic partners for the first time in the Programme.
I will keep the issue of new MoUs between Agencies of my Department and their counterparts in Northern Ireland under review. We should of course bear in mind that any new MoUs would need the agreement of the authorities in Northern Ireland.
Foreign Direct Investment
Questions (655)
Peadar Tóibín
Question:655. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the targets for FDI investment and jobs for each of the next five years in each of the State's regions. [14350/16]
View answerWritten answers
Since 2015 IDA Ireland has been working towards targets set out in their strategy “Winning Foreign Direct Investment 2015-2019” including the creation of 80,000 new jobs and 900 new investments, which would bring total FDI employment in Ireland to 209,000 by 2019. For the first time, the Agency aims to increase the level of investment by between 30% to 40% in each region.
The Government’s commitment to countrywide job creation is further illustrated by the Regional Action Plan for Jobs initiative. This initiative saw eight plans published throughout 2015 and 2016, which identified a range of actions aimed at supporting each region to achieve its economic potential and raise employment levels.
These new regional initiatives are already producing results. In 2015, IDA Ireland client companies created 18,983 jobs across a range of sectors, with every region posting net job gains. Moreover, 53% of those jobs are outside of Dublin, compared to 49% in 2014.
Employment in IDA Ireland client companies is now at the highest level in its 67-year history, with 187,056 people now employed in companies supported by the Agency. Of these, 59% (109,812) are employed outside of Dublin.
As part of the Regional Action Plans, IDA Ireland is set to invest €150 million over five years in property solutions designed to allow it to create opportunities to win additional projects for all regions. This will include the construction of nine new advance facilities around the country. This is a positive development for attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into regional locations. It will provide access to modern property solutions which, when combined with a strong local talent pool and existing FDI cluster, will give these locations an enhanced proposition to offer international investors.
Enterprise Ireland Investments
Questions (656)
Peadar Tóibín
Question:656. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the targets for Enterprise Ireland client company investment and job creation for each of the next five years in each of the State's regions. [14351/16]
View answerWritten answers
In 2015, EI client companies’ total employment topped 192,223, a record high for the agency. EI client companies, directly and indirectly, are supporting c.400,000 jobs which effectively translates into one in every five of Ireland’s workforce. I will shortly be announcing the outturn for client exports for 2015.
2016 is the final year of its 2014-2016 Strategy “Driving Enterprise, Delivering Jobs” and Enterprise Ireland (EI) is well on the way to creating the key target of 40,000 new jobs over the period.
In 2016, Enterprise Ireland is targeting its clients to deliver 12,000 new jobs, €22bn in exports (from 18.6bn in 2014) and €2.4bn in new exports.
EI’s new Strategy 2017-2020 will be finalised in 2016 and will contain ambitious new targets for supporting startups, exports and jobs across all regions. A consultation process is currently being conducted by Enterprise Ireland including client workshops, focus groups and one-to-one consultations with various stakeholders, including;
- non-EI clients
- Universities and Institutes of Technologies
- Client companies in overseas markets
- EI overseas staff
Further consultation will take place over the coming months to ensure input from as broad a range of interested parties as possible.
Enterprise Ireland will publish its strategy, including targets by the end of this year.
I should also point out that at regional level, the Regional Action Plan for Job’s contain targets for overall job creation in each region is contained in the following table:
|
Region |
Published Regional APJ employment targets by 2020 |
|
North East/North West |
28,000 |
|
Midland |
14,000 |
|
West |
25,000 |
|
Dublin |
66,000 |
|
Mid-East |
25,000 |
|
Mid-West |
23,000 |
|
South-East |
25,000 |
|
South-West |
40,000 |
|
Total |
246,000 |
Local Enterprise Offices Data
Questions (657)
Peadar Tóibín
Question:657. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the targets for local enterprise office client investment and job creation for each of the next five years in each of the State's regions. [14352/16]
View answerWritten answers
The Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) were established in April 2014 as the “First Stop Shop” support service for micro and small businesses in each Local Authority area. Their aim is to promote entrepreneurship, foster business start-ups and develop existing micro and small businesses to drive job creation and to provide accessible high quality supports for their clients’ business ideas.
Under the terms of the Service Level Agreement between Enterprise Ireland and each Local Authority, the LEOs are required to produce annual Local Enterprise Development Plans (LEDPs) setting out clearly what the LEO intends to deliver over the following 12 months. The Plans identify and prioritise the key enterprise sectors and entrepreneurial capacity challenges that need to be targeted in each LEOs’ functional area.
Based on the Annual Employment Survey, overall in 2015, LEO clients created a total of 7,122 new jobs (full- and part-time) in gross terms; taking into account losses, there was a net increase of 3,533 all jobs (full- and part-time). At the end of 2015, total direct employment among 6,573 LEO client companies stood at 32,592 (of which 23,641 were full-time and 8,951 were part-time).
In addition to direct financial assistance, the LEOs supported an even wider cohort of entrepreneurs and small businesses in 2015 through:
- 1,896 training programmes involving 27,185 participants;
- provision of one-to-one mentoring support to 8,175 participants;
- 399 referrals to Micro Finance Ireland of which 200 were approved; and
- promoting the Trading Online Voucher Scheme with almost 1,700 businesses participating.
In 2015, the LEOs provided a range of development supports aimed at building company capacity and performance among the micro-enterprise sector; in 2015 they paid out direct financial assistance to 984 business projects (against a target of 900), to the value of €10m. Of these, 400 were priming grants for start-up companies.
On the basis of the same allocation for 2016, the LEOs have again targeted the approval of a total of 900 projects to be funded and an overall total of 1,500 full time equivalent jobs associated with this direct financial support funding for the year. (The delivery of these jobs will be spread over 2016 and the coming years and will be supplemented by increased employment by companies that received LEO financial supports in previous years).
In addition, last week I announced further capital funding investment in the LEOs under the LEO Competitive Fund this year. As part of this scheme, an initial allocation of €2m is being made to support 16 collaborative job creation initiatives at local and regional level in support of the Regional Action Plans for Jobs. A further call for proposals later this year will aim to support more such initiatives to strengthen job creation in each region.
At regional level, the Regional Action Plans for Jobs (RAPs) aim to ramp up job creation by empowering the range of public and private interests, including Local Authorities, to deliver new job creation initiatives. The LEOs are a key player in many of the specific actions in the plans and the above competitive funds will enable them to deliver on their commitments under the RAPs.
|
Region |
Published Regional APJ targets by 2020 |
|
North East/North West |
28,000 |
|
Midland |
14,000 |
|
West |
25,000 |
|
Dublin |
66,000 |
|
Mid-East |
25,000 |
|
Mid-West |
23,000 |
|
South-East |
25,000 |
|
South-West |
40,000 |
|
State Total |
246,000 |