Written Answers Nos. 298-310
298. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation her plans to legislate to extend the retirement age; and if such changes would apply to community employment participants. [31326/16]
View answerApart from public sector employees, where certain statutory retirement ages may apply, there is no statutory retirement age for employees in Irish legislation. A contract of employment will generally contain a retirement age but this is a matter of contract between the parties.
The upper age limit for bringing claims under the Unfair Dismissals Acts was removed by a provision in the Equality Act 2004. It is now the case that a person of any age, when dismissed, may take a case under the Unfair Dismissals Acts unless she or he has reached the “normal retiring age for employees of the same employer in similar employment”, if one exists. In such circumstances, the burden of proof is on the employer to prove the normal retiring age. Furthermore, the upper age limit of 66 years for receipt of statutory redundancy payments was removed by the Protection of Employment (Exceptional Collective Redundancies and Related Matters) Act 2007.
As the issue that arises around compulsory retirement at a given age is whether this entails discrimination on age grounds, the more usual avenue of redress for employees compulsorily retired is to take a claim, under the Employment Equality Acts, to the Workplace Relations Commission. Responsibility for employment equality legislation rests with the Minister for Justice and Equality.
I understand from my colleague the Minister for Social Protection that the retirement age for all Community Employment (CE) Participants and Supervisors is the age they can avail of the State Pension, therefore they can work on CE up to the working day before the relevant birthday providing they meet the CE eligibility criteria. Participation on Community Employment has an upper age limit of the age at which the State Pension becomes available to that person, as per Section 7 of the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2011, i.e.:
- 66 for those born before 1 January 1955.
- 67 for those born on or after 1 January 1955.
- 68 for those born on or after 1 January 1961.
The Deputy may be aware that an Inter-departmental Group (IDG), chaired by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER), was established by the Government earlier this year to consider policy around retirement age in both the public and private sectors. The IDG concluded its work during the summer and the Group’s report was published in August by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. The IDG made a number of recommendations, one of which related to my specific area of responsibility. On foot of that recommendation I wrote to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) to request them to prepare a Code of Practice under Section 42 of the Industrial Relations Act, 1990 around the issue of longer working, which should set out best industrial relations practice in managing the engagement between employers and employees in the run up to retirement, including requests to work beyond what would be considered the normal retirement age in the employment concerned.
299. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation when preliminary data will be available to report on progress on creating an additional 200,000 jobs by 2020 with 135,000 outside Dublin as per the programme for partnership Government; if this data will be made available before the end of 2016; if not, when in 2017 this data is expected; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31338/16]
View answerThe goal of this Government is to support the creation of an additional 200,000 jobs by 2020 with 135,000 outside Dublin. This is a whole of Government effort and is delivered through our integrated Action Plan for Jobs.
The Action Plan for Jobs is one of the Government’s key instruments to support job creation. The Action Plan for Jobs process is working. Since the first Plan was launched in early 2012, there are 176,800 more people at work bringing total employment in the State to 2,014,400 by end of June 2016. The unemployment rate has fallen to 7.9% in September 2016, down from a high of 15.1% in early 2012.
We use the CSO Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS) seasonally adjusted data to report on progress to meet national jobs targets. This data is published quarterly and the latest data available is for Q2 2016. There are 36,000 additional people at work in the first six months of the year. The target for the year is 50,000 additional jobs.
The Regional Action Plans for Jobs aim to have an additional 10 to 15% at work in each region by 2020. The first progress reports on the implementation of the eight Plans, covering the period to June 2016, are being finalised and will be published following presentation to the Cabinet Committee on Economy, Trade and Jobs, which will be held shortly.
The process to develop APJ 2017 is currently underway. I want to ensure that the 2017 Plan is ambitious and impactful and keeps us on track to deliver on our 2020 jobs target.
300. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation when preliminary data will be available to report on progress on regional job targets projected in the programme for Government for 2020 and in Enterprise 2025 by year in tabular form; the way she will achieve these and the monitoring and reporting mechanisms in place; her job targets up to 2020, by region; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31339/16]
View answer301. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation when preliminary data will be available to report on progress for each regional job target projected in Enterprise 2025; if this data will be made available before the end of 2016; if not, when in 2017 this data is expected; the reporting mechanisms that will be put in place to provide timely reporting and publishing of such data; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31340/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 300 and No. 301 together.
Ireland’s return to economic growth has demonstrated our ability, through concerted efforts across Government, to focus actions on those areas that help to create jobs. We have made substantial progress since the Action Plan for Jobs process was first introduced in 2012 with the unemployment rate falling from 15.1% at the start of the Action Plan for Jobs process to 8.6 percent in Q2 2016, and over 176,000 extra at work since early 2012.
The Programme for Partnership Government commits to maintaining the OECD-endorsed Action Plan for Jobs process and also sets out a target to create an additional 200,000 jobs over the period 2016 to 2020, informed by the statement on enterprise policy, Enterprise 2025.
Building on the success of the Action Plan for Jobs process, we are focused on ensuring that we can support new job creation in every region in the country, through the implementation of the Regional Action Plans for Jobs. A key objective of the plans is to have a further 10 to 15 per cent at work in each region by 2020, with the aim, as set out in Enterprise 2025, of having the unemployment rate of each region within one per cent of the national average.
The Regional Action Plan initiative brings the different stakeholders in each of the regions together to identify a range of innovative and practical actions, to be taken across a range of Departments and agencies, with clear timelines for delivery over the period 2015 – 2017.
Each Plan is being monitored and driven in each region by a Regional Implementation Committee, with membership drawn from industry, local authorities, Enterprise Agencies, education sector and other key stakeholders and agencies. Collaboration between the private and the public sector has been a core element in each plan’s development, and will be central to each plan’s delivery. The first Progress Reports on the implementation of the Plans, covering the period to end-June 2016, will be completed and published in Q4 2016.
The targets for additional jobs to be created in each of the 8 regions covered by the Regional Action Plan initiative are set out in the table below. By delivering on the full potential of the Plans, the aim is to deliver a total of 246,000 jobs by 2020. In keeping with the medium to longer term ambition of the Regional Plans, these plans are not broken down on a yearly basis.
Achieving these ambitious targets at regional level will require a renewed focus on collaborative efforts to build on regional strengths, assets and areas of competitive advantage to develop the attractive and competitive environments for business to start, grow and succeed on international markets and to attract inward investment.
|
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 |
302. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the advanced factory units that the IDA have in each county in tabular form; the factories to be built in 2017; the factories planned under each regional jobs action plan; the timeline for delivery; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31341/16]
View answerIn February 2015 the Government announced the Regional Action Plan for Jobs. This is a five year €250m investment strategy aimed at accelerating the jobs recovery in every part of the country. The plan includes the delivery of a €150m IDA Ireland property investment programme. This programme is designed to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) to the regions by providing an advance supply of suitable property solutions for potential and existing IDA Ireland clients.
Advance facilities were constructed and completed in Letterkenny, Athlone and Waterford in 2014 and early 2015. The builds in Letterkenny and Athlone are now occupied and the Waterford facility was sold in September 2016.
Under the property investment programme, the Agency plans to deliver a further nine facilities in Sligo, Tralee, Castlebar, Galway, Dundalk, Limerick: Athlone (2nd build), Carlow and Waterford (2nd build) by 2019. As part of Budget 2017 I secured a significant increase in IDA Ireland’s capital allocation, which will amount to €137 million next year. This increased funding will allow the Agency to continue to roll out advance facilities as part of its property investment programme. Further details on the status of these facilities can be found in the following table:
IDA Ireland Regional Property Investment Programme Advance Facilities
|
Action Plan |
Location |
Status |
|
North East / North West |
Sligo |
Under construction |
|
West |
Castlebar |
Under construction |
|
South West |
Tralee |
Under construction |
|
Mid West |
Limerick |
Design Stage |
|
North East / North West |
Dundalk |
Design Stage |
|
West |
Galway |
Design Team Appointment |
|
Midlands |
Athlone |
Design Team Appointed |
|
South East |
Carlow |
Concept & Site Selection evaluation ongoing |
|
South East |
Waterford |
Concept & Site Selection evaluation ongoing |
303. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the total amount of funding provided to the Low Pay Commission in 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31342/16]
View answerThe funding allocation for the Low Pay Commission next year will be determined during the 2017 Revised Estimates Volume process in the weeks ahead. This will be undertaken in conjunction with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and is expected to be concluded during November.
The 2016 allocation to the Low Pay Commission totalled €474,000 in Current funding. This is split between Pay of €244,000 and a Non-Pay allocation of €230,000 to cover various running costs associated with the Commission’s operations.
I will ensure that the 2017 provision to the Low Pay Commission is sufficient to enable it to fully carry out its mandate.
304. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the supports open to small businesses to offset the significant tax step effect experienced by businesses supplying services as their turnover rises above the €37,500 VAT registration threshold. [31346/16]
View answerAs Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, I provide a range of supports to micro, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) through my Department and its Agencies. The full range of Government supports for SMEs can be found on the supporting SMEs online tool – www.supportingsmes.ie.
The Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) are the ‘first stop shop’ for small businesses. Information on tax and training programmes run by the LEOs can be found on www.localenterprise.ie.
My colleague the Minister for Finance is responsible for all matters in relation to VAT. I understand from him that Ireland’s VAT registration threshold for small enterprises supplying services is the seventh highest in the EU, while the goods threshold is the third highest. I also understand that VAT is governed by the EU VAT Directive (Council Directive 2006/ 112/EC), with which Irish VAT law must comply.
305. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if her Department has applied for permission to engage outside public relations companies for the purposes of disseminating Government policy; the cost of each contract entered into; the name of the contractors; the duration of the contracts; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31683/16]
View answerMy Department has entered into the following contracts with public relations companies since January 2015:
2015
|
PR Company |
Purpose of Contract |
Cost of Contract |
Duration of Contract |
|
Atomic Advertising Ltd |
Campaign to raise awareness of a range of Government provided enterprise supports among business owners, and potential start-ups. |
€250,000 |
One year contract - commencing January 2015. |
|
Barberry Ltd T/A Keating & Associates19 Fitzwilliam PlaceDublin 2 |
To provide the National Employment Rights Authority (and from 1st October 2015, the Workplace Relations Commission) with Communications Services (including PR; Media Monitoring; advising on the design, content and production of reports & brochures). |
€553.50 |
1 year |
2016
|
PR Company |
Purpose of Contract |
Cost of Contract |
Duration of Contract |
|
Fuzion Communications |
Provision of communications services to the Workplace Relations Commission. |
Nil to date. |
1 year |
306. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if there is a source of funding within her Department's brief to which an organisation (details supplied) which provides therapy services to disadvantaged children could apply in order to maintain and address increasing demands on their services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31223/16]
View answerThe information sought by the Deputy has been requested from the Child and Family Agency and I will respond directly to the Deputy when the information is received.
The following deferred reply was received under Standing order 42A
I can confirm that Blue Box continues to receive €15,000 funding from Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, on an annual basis. This funding is for therapeutic services to children referred from Tusla's Child Protection & Welfare/Children in Care Services. In addition, in 2016, Blue Box also received a Tusla Counselling and Bereavement Grant of €22,600.
As the Deputy is aware, I recently announced a significant increase in the funding allocation to Tusla for next year. Tusla will have available to it some €713 million in funding, representing an increase of €37 million over 2016. The precise level of funding to be allocated to services in 2017 will be considered by Tusla in preparing its Business Plan for next year, which will be submitted to me for consideration.
307. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the capital funding that will be available in 2017 towards the provision of community child care facilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31234/16]
View answerProvision of €4.5 million has been made in Budget 2017 for Capital expenditure and my Department will bring forward proposals in this regard as soon as possible. The Department will communicate with the sector in this regard on an on-going basis.
308. Deputy Lisa Chambers asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence when the vacancy in Custume Barracks, Athlone, for a civilian foreman job will be filled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31251/16]
View answerThe post of Barrack Foreman of Works at Custume Barracks Athlone became vacant earlier this year. It has been filled since then by a serving employee in an acting up capacity. Following the lifting of the embargo on recruitment to the Public Service, the military authorities have identified a number of posts to be filled at various locations throughout the country. The post in Athlone is amongst those identified and a competition to fill it will be held as soon as resources permit. It is not possible at this stage to put a definitive timeline on the filling of the post.
309. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of persons who died through suicide or self-inflicted injuries with regard to deaths of Defence Forces personnel in the period 2000 to 2012, inclusive; of these deaths, the number that had previously been prescribed Lariam; and of those who had been prescribed lariam, the number that were reported to the IMB and HPRA. [31317/16]
View answerI am advised that the Defence Forces Personal Management System does not capture data on the number of suicides of serving members of the Defence Forces. However, I have been further advised that a review by the Defence Forces into 179 non-service related deaths among members of the Defence Forces in the period 2000 to 2012 shows that 30 were apparently of self-inflicted injuries. Of these 30 deaths by apparent self-inflicted injury, 14 had previously been prescribed Lariam, 16 were not prescribed Lariam and 4 of these had not served overseas.
The Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) has informed my Department that since Lariam was first licensed for use in Ireland in 1989, the HPRA has received a total of 120 reports of suspected adverse reactions/events associated with its use. The HPRA further advised that there is no requirement to provide information on a person’s occupation in reports of suspected adverse reactions submitted to the HPRA. Statistics on reports associated with either current or ex-members of the Defence Forces are not therefore available.
While there is no mandatory legal requirement on an individual or medical practitioner to report adverse reactions to any medication, it is open to anyone to report issues relating to safety and quality of healthcare products to the HPRA. This includes patients, carers, other members of the public and healthcare professionals. I can confirm that individual Defence Forces Medical Officers have reported adverse reactions to the HPRA in accordance with standard practice.
The health and welfare of the men and women of the Defence Forces is a high priority for me and the Defence Forces. The Defence Forces, through their Personnel Support Services (PSS), engage in extensive suicide awareness and education programmes for all members of the Defence Forces. These programmes include:-
- Issuing an “Information Guide on Mental Health and Well Being in the Defence Forces”;
- Issuing and giving presentations on “Defence Forces Guidelines on Suicide”;
- Running courses on “Suicide and Self Harm Awareness”;
- Providing access to “Mental Fitness” programmes through the Defence Forces Intranet;
- Providing WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan) training to all PSS personnel;
- Conducting STORM (Skills Training on Risk Management in suicide and self harm mitigation ) training with all overseas units;
- Providing ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) training in conjunction with the HSE;
- Conducting Safe Talk training within the Defence Forces;
- Providing CISM (Critical Incident Stress Management) training for all personnel; and
- Issuing a PSS Booklet entitled “Defence Forces Suicide and Self-Harm Prevention”
There is a PSS office in every major military installation, with one or more qualified Barrack PSS Officers. The role of the Barrack PSS Office includes providing information, assistance and counselling on a range of matters including interpersonal problems, stress , bereavement, housing, education, taxation, social welfare and retirement. As part of the PSS office civilian social workers are also available to support Defence Forces personnel and their families. In addition an independent and strictly confidential 24 hour care-line, manned by trained counsellors, is available to all Defence Forces personnel.
310. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if his Department has applied for permission to engage outside public relations companies for the purposes of disseminating Government policy; the cost of each contract entered into; the name of the contractors; the duration of the contracts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31674/16]
View answerI can confirm that my Department has not applied for permission to engage outside public relations companies for the purposes of disseminating government policy in the period from January 2015 to the present.
My Department is always mindful of the costs involved in engaging consultants. External consultants are engaged only when there is a clear need for specialised expertise and following a rigorous examination of skills and resources available in-house.
