On 28th June 2016, the Government made delegation of function orders to my Department's Ministers of State at my request.
Under S.I. number 333 of 2016, the Minister of State for Employment and Small Business, Mr Pat Breen T.D., was delegated responsibility for legislation relevant to employment rights and industrial relations, workplace health and safety, standards and metrology and certain responsibilities relating to business and small and medium enterprises.
Under S.I. number 334 of 2016, the Minister of State for Training, Skills and Innovation, Mr. John Halligan T.D., was delegated responsibility for legislation relevant to my Department's responsibilities for innovation, research and development and intellectual property.
As regards budgetary discussions, I would advise the Deputy that, in the months preceding Budget 2017, my officials were engaged in detailed discussions with their counterparts in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in relation to all aspects of expenditure under my Department's Vote, including those areas relating to the direct responsibilities of Ministers Halligan and Breen. Together with senior officials of my Department, I met with Minister Donohoe and officials of his Department on 28 September to finalise the details of my Department's current and capital allocations for 2017. Whilst neither Minister Breen nor Minister Halligan were present at the meetings with Minister Donohoe, all aspects of expenditure encompassed by the enterprise, innovation and regulation programmes for which I and Ministers Breen and Halligan are responsible were fully discussed in the course of those meetings. I would point out to the Deputy that arising from these budgetary discussions, a gross total of €858million in funding was secured for use by my Department in 2017. This represents an increase of €58million (i.e. 7%) on the €800m funding allocated to my Department in Budget 2016. This additional funding will help to ensure that I and my colleagues Ministers Breen and Halligan can continue the progress in encouraging the creation of quality and sustainable employment across all regions of the country whilst also supporting a competitive enterprise base and promoting fair and competitive markets.
