Friday, 16 Dec 2016

Written Answers Nos. 530 - 551

Appointments to State Boards

Questions (530)

Dara Calleary

Question:

530. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the gender balances on each of the State boards under her remit. [40730/16]

Written answers

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

The State Boards under the aegis of my Department are listed in the following table together with the make up of each board and the percentage of each board that is made up of women. The composition of the State Boards under the aegis of my Department including gender balance is listed on www.stateboards.ie.

Name of Agency	No of Members	Male	Female	Percentage of Men	Percentage of Women
Enterprise Ireland	12	7	5	58.3%	41.7%
IDA	12	8	4	66.7%	33.3%
Health and Safety Authority	12	9	3	75%	25%
National Standard Authority of Ireland	13	7	6	53.8%	46.2%
Irish Auditing and Accounting Authority	10	3	5	30%	50%
Personal Injuries Assessment Board	11	7	4	63.6%	36.4%
Science Foundation Ireland	12	7	5	58.3%	41.7%
Workplace Relations Commission	9	4	5	44.4%	55.6%
Low Pay Commission	9	5	4	55.6%	44.4%

Work Permits Eligibility

Questions (531)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

531. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation further to Parliamentary Question No. 329 of 10 November 2016, regarding the case of the person (details supplied), the exact procedure to be followed to legally enter the workforce, in view of the fact that a separate reply to a parliamentary question from the Department of Justice and Equality on 16 April 2016 indicated that the responsibility rests with her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40761/16]

Written answers

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

I note that the parliamentary question response you refer to from my colleague the Minister for Justice and Equality informed you that a decision letter from the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service issued to the person mentioned on 16 February 2016. The Tánaiste’s response went on to inform you that the same person was informed of their options in January 2013 and in February 2015.

I understand the individual has also been informed of the legal consequences of residing in the state without the permission of the Minister for Justice and Equality.

The Deputy will appreciate, that employment permits are normally applied for in relation to non-EEA nationals that are not resident in the State. Employment Permits applications can be considered for non-EEA nationals who are already lawfully resident in the State and hold a valid Certificate of Registration (GNIB card) with Stamps 1, 1A, 2, 2A and 3 immigration permissions. This policy is also available on the Irish National Immigration Service website. I expect the individual will be able to determine from the decision letter from the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service issued on 16 February 2016 if they comply with this requirement.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Employment Permits Act 2006, as amended and supporting regulations are the legislation under which the Employment Permit process is governed.

The Irish State’s general policy is to promote the sourcing of labour and skills needs from within the workforce of the European Union and other EEA states. Where specific skills prove difficult to source within the EEA, an employment permit, which falls under the remit of my Department, may be sought by an employer to hire a non-EEA national. A non-EEA national, unless exempted, requires an employment permit to work in Ireland.

In terms of the process, applications for Employment Permits can be made online via the Department’s website and applicants can track progress of their application via the Online Status Query webpage.

For the avoidance of doubt, applicants would need to regularise their position in the State by receiving immigration permission from the Minister for Justice and Equality that would entitle them to apply for an Employment Permit within the State.

Again, for the avoidance of doubt, an Employment Permit is not valid permission to reside in the State and immigration is a matter for the offices of both the Irish National Immigration Service (INIS) and the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB). As previously stated, it appears a decision letter from the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service issued to the person mentioned on 16 February 2016.

National Minimum Wage

Questions (532)

Niall Collins

Question:

532. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the position regarding the programme for Government commitment (details supplied); and the employers PRSI reductions foreseen in line with the increase in the minimum wage for 2017. [40838/16]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

The Low Pay Commission was established last year through the National Minimum Wage (Low Pay Commission) Act 2015. Its principal function is, once each year, to examine the national minimum hourly rate of pay and to make a recommendation to the Minister respecting the rate, ensuring that all decisions are evidence based, fair and sustainable, and do not create significant adverse consequences for employment or competitiveness.

The Commission submitted its first report in July 2015. Its recommendation to increase the minimum wage from €8.65 to €9.15 per hour was accepted by Government and the increase came into effect on 1st January last.

The Commission’s second report was submitted to Government in July this year and the recommendation made by the Commission for an increase to €9.25 per hour was approved by Government on 11 October.

I signed the Order on 13 October to effect the increase to €9.25 per hour from 1 January next.

This increase in the national minimum wage in conjunction with the tax changes provided for in Budget 2017 will assist lower paid workers.

I welcome the reduction in USC rates and the increase in the new 2.5% band to €18,772 to ensure minimum wage workers are kept within this new lower band.

Minimum wage employment will continue to attract the lower 8.5% rate of employer PRSI, and the PRSI credit applying to employee PRSI for weekly earnings between €352.01 and €424.00, means that the employee benefits from the earnings increase.

Low Pay Commission Remit

Questions (533)

Niall Collins

Question:

533. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation her views on the programme for Government commitment to increase the minimum wage undermining the independent and evidence based approach of the Low Pay Commission. [40840/16]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

The Low Pay Commission was established last year through the National Minimum Wage (Low Pay Commission) Act 2015. Its principal function is, once each year, to examine the national minimum hourly rate of pay and to make a recommendation to the Minister respecting the rate, ensuring that all decisions are evidence based, fair and sustainable, and do not create significant adverse consequences for employment or competitiveness.

The Commission submitted its first report in July 2015. Its recommendation to increase the minimum wage from €8.65 to €9.15 per hour was accepted by Government and the increase came into effect on 1st January last.

The Commission’s second report was submitted to Government in July this year and the recommendation made by the Commission for an increase to €9.25 per hour was approved by Government on 11 October. I signed the Order on 13 October to effect the increase from 1 January next.

The Programme for Partnership Government contains a commitment to reduce poverty levels by supporting an increase in the minimum wage to €10.50 per hour over the next five years and rely on the annual recommendations of the Low Pay Commission on the level of adjustment each year.

The independence of the Low Pay Commission is firmly established in the National Minimum Wage (Low Pay Commission) Act 2015 (the Act). The Commission can only operate in accordance with that statutory remit and make recommendations to the Minister in accordance with the criteria that are clearly and explicitly set out in the Act.

Employment Support Services

Questions (534)

Niall Collins

Question:

534. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the status of the programme for Government commitment to assist 50,000 long-term unemployed persons into jobs. [40841/16]

Written answers

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

My priority is to deliver on the Government’s goal to help create 200,000 additional jobs by 2020, including 135,000 jobs outside Dublin. The Government’s primary strategy to tackle long-term unemployment is to create the environment for a strong economic recovery through effective policies. In doing so it is hoped to promote competitiveness and productivity. I am working closely with the Minister for Social Protection to ensure we can provide every opportunity for those unemployed to secure a job.

Reflecting the impact of government policy, and the overall improvement in the labour market, long term unemployment continues to fall. The long-term unemployment rate peaked at 9.5% in Q1 2012 before falling to 4.4% in Q2 2016. At the latter date, the long-term unemployed accounted for 51.1% of all those unemployed, down from almost 65% in early 2012. The number of long term unemployed in Q2 2016 was 95,900; this compares to 204,300 in Q1 2012. Under the Programme for Government commitment to move 50,000 long-term unemployed at the start of 2016 into employment by the end of 2020, annual targets have been set. Indications are that the 2016 target will be exceeded by year end.

A range of measures were introduced under previous Pathways to Work strategies for long-term unemployed people. This included a structured process of engagement with long-term unemployed people being referred to the activation process (Group Engagement followed by regular one-to-one case officer contact); wage subsidies in JobsPlus; the roll-out of a payment-by-results contracted employment services in JobPath, to provide additional capacity in order to engage more systematically with long-term unemployed jobseekers; and reserved places for long-term unemployed jobseekers on a range of Further Education and Training (FET) and public employment programmes.

A core focus of Pathways to Work 2016-2020 is on consolidating and improving the quality and consistency of reforms undertaken in previous strategies, with continued prioritisation of those long-term unemployed.

Departmental Expenditure

Questions (535, 536, 537)

Niall Collins

Question:

535. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the total amount allocated in 2017 for export-led jobs growth across Ireland’s regions in view of the programme for Government commitment of €500 million to accelerate export led jobs growth across Ireland’s regions over 2017-2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40842/16]

Niall Collins

Question:

536. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the total amount allocated in 2017 to fulfil the programme for Government commitment of an extra €300 million in capital funding between Enterprise Ireland and Údarás na Gaeltachta over 2017-2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40843/16]

Niall Collins

Question:

537. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the total amount allocated in 2017 to fulfil the programme for Government commitment of an extra €200 million to the IDA over 2017-2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40845/16]

Written answers

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

I propose to take Questions Nos. 535 to 537, inclusive, together.

Since my appointment as Minister in May of this year I have secured an additional €100 million in funding for my Department's Vote for use in 2016 and 2017. It means that the Department will expend over €1.1 billion in capital supports in 2016 and 2017 for enterprise development, including supporting the regional jobs commitment, as well as supporting a range of innovation activities.

As explained to the Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation on 1 December 2016 the consequence of the Department’s Supplementary Estimate which was agreed in Dáil Éireann last Thursday, 8 December, sees the Department’s capital ceiling this year rising by €45 million to €548 million.

In 2017 the Department’s capital ceiling is rising from the €503 million capital base as published in the 2016 Revised Estimates Volume to €555 million next year.

This is the highest capital amount ever secured by the Department and is a €52 million (10%) increase on the 2016 Revised Estimates Volume allocation of €503 million.

The Deputy will also be aware that I secured an additional €3 million in Pay for 2017 for additional Brexit specific posts for the Department, Offices and Agencies.

The additional €100 million that I have secured in 2016 and 2017 is strong evidence of delivering on the Government’s regional jobs commitment.

Responsibility and the relating funding for Údarás na Gaeltachta falls to my colleague the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.

Health and Safety Inspections Data

Questions (538)

Niall Collins

Question:

538. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the amount the Health and Safety Authority spent on all safety initiatives in each of the years 2011 to date in 2016; the number of inspections it carried out in each of the years 2011 to date in 2016 in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40853/16]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

The Authority depends upon the annual exchequer allocation provided by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (DJEI) to fund the implementation of its programme of work. Within that context, and informed by its current three year Statement of Strategy 2016-2018, the Authority prioritises initiatives in those areas where there is greatest risk and the greatest potential to maximise its efforts to achieve a continued downward trend in workplace deaths, accidents, injuries and ill health, and to increase the safe use of chemicals.

The Authority has invested significant resources in recent years in enabling enterprises to achieve compliance in the simplest, most cost-effective manner. The Authority’s BeSMART.ie risk assessment and management tool for small enterprises has been developed and expanded for the construction and agri-business sectors. The Authority also ran safety awareness campaigns relating to farming, construction, vehicle safety and fishing safety, along with promoting the BeSMART safety management tool to small businesses.

The Authority uses its non-pay allocation to cover a range of administrative ICT, accommodation, and other running costs, in addition to providing funding for information and awareness activities, including safety initiatives. Consequently, the funding provision for particular programmes, including safety initiatives (see Table 1), fluctuates from year to year as the Authority decides how to prioritise its non-pay funding in order to implement its programme of work.

In 2015 the Authority’s exchequer Grant was increased by €250,000 during the course of the year (following re-allocations made in light of the Department’s 2015 mid-year expenditure review) to facilitate special safety initiatives aimed at Agriculture and Construction.

In the current year the Non Pay budget decided by the Authority included a reduction in the provision for "safety initiatives" in 2016 in order to address other priorities in its programme of work for this year. These included developments affecting office accommodation, a necessary business process review arising from the integration of the Irish National Accreditation Board (INAB) and the replacement of the current manual system used in the INAB accreditation process, as part of the development of a new Client Management System (a commitment in the Action Plan for Jobs, 2016).

In October 2016, I was happy to support the Authority’s application to my Department for additional supplementary support (€340,000) in the context of the Department’s mid-year expenditure review and these additional funds were used exclusively for safety initiatives. I also understand that in framing its budget for 2017 the Authority expects to be in a position to allocate some additional funding to safety initiatives resulting from some operational efficiencies achieved during 2016.

Table 1

Amount of money spent on safety initiatives, 2011 to 2016

Year	Estimated Spend on Safety Initiatives
2011	€1.567m
2012	€1.907m
2013	€1.595m
2014	€1.154m
2015	€1.776m
2016	€1.297 m

Health and Safety Authority Inspectors carry out inspections across all work sectors and work activities that come under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 (the 2005 Act) and the Chemicals Act 2008. Most inspections are targeted at the high risk sectors such as construction, agriculture, forestry, manufacturing, mines, quarries, transport of dangerous goods by road, or the chemical sectors. Other inspections can be part of a particular safety awareness campaign e.g. on manual handling, on slips, trips or falls or on compliance with the REACH Regulation. The Authority produces a Programme of Work each year setting out its plan for all areas of its work, including inspection targets.

The number of workplace inspections carried out from 2011 to 2016 (13/12/2016) is set out in the following table.

Table 2

Year	Number of workplace inspections and investigations
2011	15,340
2012	13,835
2013	12,244
2014	10,719
2015	10,880
2016 at 13 December	10,049

While the falling inspection rates between 2011 and 2014 in Table 2 can be attributed to the loss of inspection staff, the programme of inspections continues to be targeted at the areas of highest risk. The Authority’s 2016 Programme of Work set a target of 11,165 inspections and investigations. It is expected that 92% of this target will be achieved with an estimated 10,250 inspections and investigations being completed by the end of the year.

A range of administrative and organisational factors impacted on the Authority’s ability to meet its 2016 target. These included the retirement and resignation of inspectorate staff, and increasing demands in areas such as Freedom of Information. Following the end of the moratorium on public service recruitment, my Department has given the Authority sanction to replace the number of inspection staff who have left the Authority in 2016. These posts are currently in the process of being filled and I expect the additional inspectors to be recruited by the Authority early in 2017.

IDA Site Visits

Questions (539)

Niall Collins

Question:

539. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the total number of IDA Ireland sponsored visits in each county in each respective month of 2016, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40854/16]

Written answers

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

IDA Ireland maintains statistics of site visits by potential investors only on a quarterly basis. The latest data available covers the first three quarters of 2016, during which there were 489 site visits countrywide. The breakdown by county of those visits is provided in the following table. The table also shows, on a county-by-county basis, the total number of IDA Ireland client company supported jobs, the number of IDA Ireland client companies and the total number of site visits in 2015.

In 2015, 57% of site visits were to locations outside of the capital, up from 43% in 2014. Figures for 2016 shows that this upward trend is continuing, with 58% of visits conducted so far this year being outside of Dublin.

It should be remembered that the decision by a company as to where to locate can be influenced by a number of factors. These include access to qualified talent, proximity to transport hubs, the ready supply of suitable property and the availability of business support services. While IDA Ireland actively encourages its clients to locate or expand in regional locations, ultimately the final decision always rests with the company concerned.

IDA Ireland Jobs Statistics 2015: Site Visits 2015 and to end Quarter 3 2016 by County

County	Total Jobs 2015	Number of Companies 2015	Site Visits 2015	Site Visits end Q3 2016
Carlow	768	7	1	8
Cavan	1,165	7	0	1
Clare	6,599	68	12	13
Cork	31,900	148	48	43
Donegal	2,918	12	5	6
Dublin	77,244	652	242	204
Galway	14,297	60	41	33
Kerry	1,931	12	6	3
Kildare	10,313	22	7	7
Kilkenny	650	5	10	10
Laois	97	2	4	6
Leitrim	423	4	8	6
Limerick	8,849	52	40	39
Longford	686	5	2	5
Louth	3,245	21	20	17
Mayo	3,981	18	3	4
Meath	1,571	17	7	7
Monaghan	146	5	2	2
Offaly	902	10	8	4
Roscommon	936	9	2	1
Sligo	2,029	22	15	13
Tipperary	3,518	12	12	8
Waterford	5,662	33	31	15
Westmeath	2,529	16	28	24
Wexford	2,486	17	4	6
Wicklow	2,211	18	7	4
Total	187,056	1,254	565	489

IDA Portfolio

Questions (540)

Niall Collins

Question:

540. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the total number of vacant IDA Ireland site properties at present, by county, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40855/16]

Written answers

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

The availability of an adequate supply of marketable serviced land, as well as office and industrial/technology buildings, in advance of demand is a key element in IDA Ireland’s ability to compete for mobile foreign direct investment. If the Agency did not have available properties to offer prospective investors it would significantly diminish its capacity to attract and win new investments. Details of all vacant IDA Ireland sites are set out in the following table.

The portfolio of properties held by IDA Ireland is dynamic and changes to meet industry needs as they emerge. The number of available properties also depends on the level of demand by investor companies. It’s important to highlight as well that the Agency also helps to provide property solutions for Enterprise Ireland clients. The objective is always to ensure that companies are connected with the right property in the right place so that the business concerned can thrive and jobs can be created.

Available IDA Ireland Lands at end Q4 of 2015

Property Name	Property Town	Property County
Cavan B&T Park	Cavan	Cavan
Springfield Estate	Youghal	Cork
Foxhole	Youghal	Cork
Poundlick Estate	Skibbereen	Cork
Mallow B & T Park	Kanturk	Cork
Pulleen	Kanturk	Cork
Rathealy	Fermoy	Cork
Cork City Kilbarry B&T Park	Cork City	Cork
Carrigtohill B&T Park	Carrigtohill	Cork
Rathgoggan Estate	Charleville	Cork
Drombrow	Bantry	Cork
Laragh Estate	Bandon	Cork
Ringaskiddy	Cork City	Cork
Cork B&T Park	Cork City	Cork
Fermoy B & T Park	Fermoy	Cork
Cork Carrigtohill East	Carrigtohill East	Cork
Ballyshannon	Ballyshannon	Donegal
Lurganboy	Donegal/Tully/Clar/B	Donegal
Knocknamona	Letterkenny	Donegal
Letterkenny B & T Park	Letterkenny/Manorcun	Donegal
Letterkenny Lisnenan 2	Letterkenny/Manorcun	Donegal
Letterkenny B & T Park	Letterkenny/Manorcun	Donegal
Dublin 24 - Whitestown Ind Est	Dublin 24	Dublin
Swords - Barrysparks	Swords Gloghran Mala	Dublin
Dubl 11 - Poppintree Ind. Est.	Dublin 11	Dublin
Cruiserath	Blanchardstown	Dublin
Blanchardstown B & T Park	Blanchardstown	Dublin
Swords Bus. Park, Greenfields	Swords	Dublin
Belcamp - B & T Park	Dublin 5	Dublin
Dangan B&T Park	Galway City	Galway
Tuam Business Park	Tuam	Galway
Roundstone	Roundstone	Galway
Gort Business Park	Gort	Galway
Glenamaddy Business Park	Glenamaddy	Galway
Parkmore B&T Park (W&E)	Galway City	Galway
Ballygar Site	Ballygar	Galway
Ballinasloe B&T Park	Ballinasloe	Galway
Tuam Science & Technology Park	Tuam	Galway
Oranmore Science & Tech Park	Galway City	Galway
Athenry	Athenry	Galway
Farrantoreen	Killorglin	Kerry
Dingle	Dingle	Kerry
Killarney B&T Park	Killarney	Kerry
Tralee	Tralee	Kerry
Newbridge Business Park	Newbridge	Kildare
Naas Ind Estate	Naas/Kill	Kildare
Woodstock	Athy	Kildare
Kilkenny B&T Park	Kilkenny/Bennetsbrid	Kilkenny
Belview	Belview	Kilkenny
Purcellsinch Industrial Estate	Purcellsinch	Kilkenny
Portlaoise B&T Park	Portlaoise	Laois
Carrick-On-Shannon B & T Park	Carrick-On-Shannon	Leitrim
Manorhamilton	Manorhamilton	Leitrim
Carrickleitrim	Manorhamilton	Leitrim
Mohill	Mohill	Leitrim
The National Technology Park	Limerick	Limerick
Raheen Business Park	Raheen	Limerick
Aghafad	Longford	Longford
Longford Industrial Estate	Longford	Longford
Dundalk Finnabair B&T Park	Dundalk	Louth
Dundalk Mullagharlin East	Dundalk/Ravensdale	Louth
Dundalk Mullagharlin	Dundalk	Louth
Drogheda B&T Park	Drogheda	Louth
Castlebar B&T Park	Castlebar	Mayo
Ballina	Ballina	Mayo
Navan B&T Park	Navan Boyerstown Bro	Meath
Monaghan Business Park	Monaghan	Monaghan
Tullamore B&T Park	Tullamore	Offaly
Clara	Clara	Offaly
Roscommon B&T Park	Roscommon	Roscommon
Station Rd	Castlerea	Roscommon
Finisklin B & T Park	Sligo	Sligo
Tubbercurry Business Park	Tubbercurry	Sligo
Sligo - Oakfield Site	Sligo	Sligo
Clonmel Bus Park	Clonmel	Tipperary
Waterford Industrial Estate	Waterford	Waterford
Waterford B&T Park	Waterford	Waterford
Dungarvan B & T Park	Dungarvan	Waterford
Clonmore Ind. Est.	Mullingar	Westmeath
Athlone B&T Park Garrycastle	Athlone	Westmeath
Mullingar B&T Park	Mullingar	Westmeath
Wexford B&T Park	Wexford	Wexford
Wexford Whitemills	Wexford	Wexford
Greystones B&T Park	Greystones	Wicklow
Arklow B&T Park	Arklow	Wicklow

Departmental Expenditure

Questions (541)

Niall Collins

Question:

541. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the breakdown between current and capital expenditure allocated for all State agencies and bodies under her aegis in 2016 and 2017, including LEO offices, SFI, InterTradeIreland, IDA and EI, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40856/16]

Written answers

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

The distribution of Current and Capital allocations as per the 2016 Revised Estimates Volume for the Offices and Agencies under the aegis of my Department is set out in the following table.

-	Current (Gross figures)	Capital (Gross Figures)
Intertrade Ireland	€1.93 million	€5.53 million
IDA Ireland	€41.68 million	€112 million
National Standards Authority of Ireland	€5.73 million	€500k
Enterprise Ireland	€79.88 million	€173.6 million
Local Enterprise Offices	€10.43 million	€18.5 million
Science Foundation Ireland	€9.66 million	€157 million
Workplace Relations Programme (includes the Workplace Relations Commission, Labour Court and the Employment Appeals Tribunal)	€19.08 million	0
Health & Safety Authority	€17.544 million	0
Office of Director of Corporate Enforcement	€5.015 million	0
Competition & Consumer Protection Commission	€12.14 million	0
Personal Injuries Assessment Board	€224k (pensions)	0
Companies Registration Office and the Registrar of Friendly Societies	€7.31 million	0
Irish Auditing & Accounting Supervisory Authority	€2.39 million	0
Low Pay Commission	€4744k	0

On December 8 Dáil Éireann agreed to the provision of an additional €35 million in capital to my Department for expenditure in 2016.

The Deputy will be aware from my presentation of the Supplementary Estimate to the Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation on the 1 December 2016, that the additional €35 million formed part of an overall €60 million capital package for expenditure by year end. The distribution of the Supplementary Estimate capital package is set out in the following table.

-	Additional Capital	Total Capital expenditure in 2016
Science Foundation Ireland	€27 million	€184 million
Programme for Research in Third-Level Institutions	€20 million	€33.37 million
Microfinance Ireland	€10 million	€10 million
Ireland’s involvement in European Space Agency programme	€2 million	€19.7 million
Local Enterprise Offices	€1 million	€19.5 million

The Deputy will also be aware that a number of the Department’s Agencies, primarily Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and the National Standards Authority of Ireland, also have sanction to retain and utilise Own Resource Income to support the jobs, enterprise, innovation and regulatory agendas. The total Own Resource Income amount sanctioned by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform for my Department’s Agencies in 2016 is €116.3 million.

The following table sets out the Current and Capital allocations as per the 2017 Revised Estimates Volume relating to the Offices and Agencies under the aegis of my Department.

-	Current (Gross figures)	Capital (Gross Figures)
Intertrade Ireland	€2.26 million	€5.69 million
IDA Ireland	€42.264 million	€137 million
National Standards Authority of Ireland	€5.30 million	€500k
Enterprise Ireland	€84.50 million	€185 million
Local Enterprise Offices	€10.43 million	€22.5 million
Science Foundation Ireland	€10.13 million	€162.5 million
Workplace Relations Programme (includes the Workplace Relations Commission, Labour Court and the Employment Appeals Tribunal)	€18.73 million	0
Health & Safety Authority	€18.11 million	0
Office of Director of Corporate Enforcement	€4.89 million	0
Competition & Consumer Protection Commission	€12.14 million	0
Personal Injuries Assessment Board	€228k (pensions)	0
Companies Registration Office and the Registrar of Friendly Societies	€7.48 million	0
Irish Auditing & Accounting Supervisory Authority	€2.10 million	0
Low Pay Commission	€477k	0

Departmental Staff Recruitment

Questions (542)

Niall Collins

Question:

542. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of additional staff to be taken on in her Department and in all individual State agencies and bodies under her aegis in 2017; the cost of hiring additional staff in her Department and in each individual State agency and body in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40857/16]

Written answers

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

It is not possible at this time to be specific on the distribution of the additional posts across my Department and each State Agency in 2017 as the 2017 Revised Estimates Volume – or REV - is still being finalised, albeit that the 2017 REV will be published shortly by my colleague the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.

It is also important to note that each Agency will be provided with an overall Pay ceiling within which they will have some flexibility to align their staffing resources to manage their overall operations and priorities. In addition some Agencies also have Own Resource Income which they may wish to utilise to support their particular priority areas, be that to cover operational Pay costs or some Non-Pay costs, such as running promotional and awareness campaigns.

Staffing resources are an ongoing priority to ensure my Department’s continued ability to facilitate the wide mission and volume of work in a range of challenging policy areas. This will continue during 2017 with ongoing day-to-day review of the appropriate staffing across my Department in response to known and probable priority areas.

The additional €3 million in Pay that I secured in Budget 2017 is targeted specifically to assist in our response to the evolving Brexit scenario. It will enable the Department and its Agencies to recruit an additional forty to fifty staff to supplement existing staffing numbers. In this regard, it is proposed to distribute the additional €3 million pay allocation across Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, Science Foundation Ireland and the Health and Safety Authority, as well as to support the dedicated Brexit Unit within my Department, to be led at Principal Officer level with a team of three staff assigned, to be reviewed in line with the necessary workload as matters develop.

Health and Safety Inspections Data

Questions (543, 544)

Charlie McConalogue

Question:

543. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the amount spent by the Health and Safety Authority on farm safety initiatives and the number of inspections in each of the years 2011 to 2015 and to date in 2016, in tabular form; her views on the growing number of farm fatalities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40868/16]

Charlie McConalogue

Question:

544. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the amount allocated by the Health and Safety Authority for farm safety initiatives in 2016 and 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40869/16]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

I propose to take Questions Nos. 543 and 544 together.

The Health and Safety Authority initially allocated a budget of €244,000 for farm safety initiatives in 2016. These initiatives have included the organisation of, participation in, or support for a number of agriculture related events such as the Farmer of the Year Awards, Farm Safety Week, Teagasc Beef 2016, and the National Ploughing Championships.

The funding allocations that the Authority makes for particular aspects of its annual programme of work, including farm safety initiatives, can fluctuate from year to year as the Authority decides how to prioritise its non-pay funding in order to implement its programme of work.

Table of Expenditure on Farm Safety Initiatives 2011 to 2015

Year	Expenditure *
2011	€264,481
2012	€589,870
2013	€449,669
2014	€327,953
2015	€396,251
2016	€384,000 (estimated outturn)

*Note that annual figures for expenditure include some cross sectoral initiatives where the expenditure would also be relevant to other sectors – it is not possible to extract this so it has been included as the full figure. In addition, some of the advertising initiatives would cross years, so the yearly figure is an estimate of the expenditure relevant to that year.

In October 2016, I was happy to support the Authority’s application to my Department for additional supplementary support (€340,000) in the context of the Department’s mid-year expenditure review. These additional funds have facilitated a number of farm safety initiatives to be undertaken this year. The initial internal allocation made by the Board of the Authority was accordingly boosted by a further €140,000 specifically allocated to farm safety initiatives. This has brought the total funding available to the Authority for farm safety initiatives in 2016 to €384,000. I do not have information at this stage on any decisions made by that Authority with regard to its discretionary spending on farm safety initiatives in 2017.

Farm inspections and investigations 2011 – 2016

Year	Number of farm Inspections and Investigations
2011	3,058
2012	3,136
2013	2,784
2014	2,644
2015	3,056
2016 at 11 December	2,048

Visits to farms by inspectors include routine unannounced inspections to monitor compliance with the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005 and with other health and safety regulations and to investigate fatal and serious farm accidents. Typically in any one year there can be between 60 – 90 investigations on farms with the rest being unannounced inspections. Each year the HSA carry out a two week intensive farm inspection campaign in April and this year over 500 inspections were carried out during that period. Since 2014 the HSA has redirected some of its inspection resources to engaging directly with farmers on other accident prevention initiatives. In 2016 HSA inspectors have participated in over 24 farm safety walks and presentations to farmers, many of which are organised by the farming representative bodies. This has enabled the HSA to direct its message to over 2,000 farmers this year.

I am very concerned at the high level of farm fatalities since it goes without saying that safety in agriculture is a high priority for the Health and Safety Authority and for the Government. Since mid-November of this year there have been four people killed on farms, with 19 deaths in total so far this year. Many fatalities occur when farmers are doing jobs that are not part of their normal working day, e.g. maintenance or adjustment of equipment, maintaining or working on a building. No other sector is experiencing that level of fatal accidents and it is greatly concerning to me that so many families are losing loved ones due to work activity.

The Health and Safety Authority has sought, in consultation with the Farm Safety Partnership - an advisory committee of the Authority that includes representatives from a wide range of key farming stakeholders - to broaden the type of contact with farmers and to find the most effective means to spread the message of prevention within the farming community. I was pleased this week to have to take part in a Farm Walk near Kilrush in County Clare involving local farmers along with the HSA and Teagas. This is one of the farm safety initiatives developed by the Farm Safety Partnership and it provides opportunity for farmers to see first-hand the dangers and learn how to minimise the risks to themselves and their families.

The Authority’s Programme of Work for 2016 continues the emphasis on engagement with farmers through knowledge sharing groups. Priority tasks for the current year include:

- implementation of Year 1 of the Farm Safety Partnership Action Plan, 2016 to 2018,

- continuing awareness campaigns through the media, events and advertising targeted at agricultural sector,

- promotion of good health for farmers,

- publication of information sheets,

- reviewing and updating the Code of Practice on farm safety

- developing an e-learning tool on tractor and machinery safety,

- focusing on child safety on farms through programmes at primary and post-primary school level,

- increasing awareness of farm safety throughout the sector.

- ESRI research on farm safety.

I commend the Irish Farmers’ Association and the Farm Safety Partnership on their support for the 2016 Farm Safety Week 4 to 8 July. This is the fourth annual Farm Safety Week, an initiative launched in 2013 aiming to cut the toll of accidents which continue to give agriculture the poorest record of any occupation in Ireland. I particularly welcome this joint initiative which brings together the farming organisations from North and South and from the United Kingdom as well as the UK Health & Safety Executive, the Health & Safety Executive for Northern Ireland and the Health & Safety Authority, Ireland.

Job Creation

Questions (545)

Brendan Smith

Question:

545. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if her attention has been drawn to the urgent need to provide additional job opportunities throughout counties Cavan and Monaghan; the proposals her Department and the State's industrial promotion agencies have to assist in job creation and in the maintenance of existing employment; if she will direct the agencies to implement specific strategies for areas such as counties Cavan and Monaghan which will be impacted adversely by the British decision to leave the European Union; if her attention has further been drawn to the difficulties facing many local small, medium and large enterprises that are heavily reliant on the Northern Ireland and British market, taking into account currency fluctuations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40994/16]

Written answers

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

The North East/North West (NE/NW) Action Plan for Jobs is stimulating job creation across the region, including counties Cavan and Monaghan, by facilitating collaborative initiatives between the public and private sector, and through the provision of new competitive funds, awarded through Enterprise Ireland to support the regional enterprise projects.

The core objective of the NE/NW Action Plan is to have a further 28,000 at work in the region by 2020. We are aiming to ensure the unemployment rate is within the 1% of the State average.

The first progress report on the implementation of the Region’s Action Plan up to end-June 2016 will be published shortly and will show good progress being made.

6,200 jobs were created in the Border region from Q1 2015 to Q2 2016, representing good progress towards the 28,000 target of 2020.

While still above the State average, the unemployment rate in the region has fallen from a peak of 17.8% in Q3 2012 to the current rate of 9.2%. In addition, the number of persons on the Live Register in November in Counties Cavan and Monaghan has fallen by 835 and 780 respectively in the past year and now stands at 4,538 for County Cavan and 3,656 for County Monaghan.

IDA, Enterprise Ireland (EI), and the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) are making a significant contribution to employment in both counties.

The Cavan and Monaghan LEOs are fully engaged in supporting the micro-enterprise and small business sectors in their areas to create and sustain jobs. In 2015, a total of 223 new jobs were created by micro-enterprises that had been supported by LEO Cavan and 153 new jobs were created by micro-enterprises that had been supported by LEO Monaghan.

In 2015 EI clients supported 4,760 jobs in Monaghan and 4,911 jobs in Cavan. The Agency supports approximately 200 companies in Cavan and Monaghan and in 2015, payments of €6,058,747 were made by EI to companies in these two counties.

IDA is committed to targeting a minimum 30% to 40% increase in the number of investments for the region to 2019. There are currently 33 multinational companies employing 4,556 on the North East (Louth, Cavan and Monaghan).

I am continuing to focus on developments in the fallout from Brexit and am deeply engaged with EI and IDA Ireland regarding the impacts being felt by client companies.

I have ongoing communication with these Agencies through my chairing of the High level Group of Senior Managers which includes the CEOs of the Agencies. In addition, my officials are in daily contact with the Agencies and keep me informed of any issues arising.

I am monitoring the export and trading environment on an ongoing basis and have met with companies and other stakeholders from across the country to help inform our response. I will continue to meet with companies over the coming months.

I am very conscious of the challenges that may be faced by companies operating in close proximity to the border. EI is working with its clients, looking at the individual challenges faced by clients on a company by company basis in every county in Ireland and on a sectoral level as some sectors are more exposed than others.

I would urge any businesses that are experiencing difficulties to visit one of their Local Enterprise Offices nationwide, or to contact Enterprise Ireland, for advice and support.

State Bodies Property

Questions (546)

Brendan Smith

Question:

546. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation her proposals to utilise lands owned by the State's industrial promotion agencies in counties Cavan and Monaghan; the extent of such lands and the level of services on those properties; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41004/16]

Written answers

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

IDA Ireland markets Cavan and Monaghan as part of its North East region. Both counties have a business and technology park. In Cavan, there is a 41-acre park at Killygarry, 29 acres of which are available for investment. In Monaghan, there is a 42-acre park at Knockaconny, 18 of which are available for investment. IDA Ireland continues to seek new investors for both business parks. Enterprise Ireland does not own any land in either county.

Both business and technology parks are fully zoned and serviced and are promoted by IDA Ireland as suitable locations for foreign direct investment (FDI). It should be noted that these property solutions are also available to Enterprise Ireland client companies. The aim of both agencies is to maximise potential investment and job-creation opportunities, whether through FDI or indigenous enterprise.

School Expulsions

Questions (547)

Declan Breathnach

Question:

547. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the percentage of students suspended and-or expelled from schools in counties Louth and Meath for the past three years; if her Department has issued guidelines to all second level schools on developing their code of behaviour particularly regarding suspension and expulsion of students; if these guidelines advise that such measures should be a last resort after other interventions have been tried; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40548/16]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, under the remit of my Department, has a statutory responsibility to ensure each child attends a recognised school or otherwise receives a certain minimum education. The education welfare services of Tusla, comprising the statutory Education Welfare Service, the School Completion Programme and the Home School Community Liaison scheme are key supports for children who are vulnerable to early school leaving and educational disadvantage.

As required by Statute, schools must report to Tusla on any student missing for more than twenty days. Schools are required to report on the following categories of absence: illness, urgent/family reasons, suspension, expulsion, transfer, other and unexplained. Statistics regarding the analysis of school attendance data are published on the Tusla website. Tusla has confirmed that during the past three academic years a total of 26 students were expelled from school in Louth and Meath. It is not possible to supply a percentage figure as Tusla is not updated with yearly enrolment figures.

Schools are not obliged to report the numbers of students suspended to Tusla. From the information available to us the total number of days missed due to suspension from September 2013 to July 2016 in all Louth/Meath schools was 3712.

The National Educational Welfare Board developed the “Developing a Code of Behaviour: Guidelines for Schools Suspensions and expulsions” which inter alia, sets out the legal and procedural requirements for suspending or expelling pupils. The guidelines have been issued to every second level school in the country and Tusla continues to promulgate these guidelines.

Ministerial Travel

Questions (548, 549)

Niall Collins

Question:

548. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the total use her Department has made of the Government jet since coming into office; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40676/16]

Niall Collins

Question:

549. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the total use her Department has made of the Government jet per annum from March 2011 to February 2016, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40693/16]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

I propose to take Questions Nos. 548 and 549 together.

The Government jet has been used three times by my Department since 2011 as set out in the following table. The use of the Government jet in December 2016 relates to me accompanying the Taoiseach on his return flight from a British Irish Council meeting in Cardiff.

Year	Number of occasions Government Jet was used by Minister and officials of Department of Children and Youth Affairs
2011(from 1 March)	None
2012	None
2013	Once
2014	None
2015	Once
2016 (to 1 February)	None
2016 (from 6 May to 14 December)	Once

Appointments to State Boards

Questions (550)

Dara Calleary

Question:

550. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the gender balances on each of the State boards under her remit. [40722/16]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

I am responsible for the appointment of members to the boards of the Adoption Authority of Ireland, the Child and Family Agency (Tusla), Gaisce (the President's Award) and the Board of Management for Oberstown Children Detention Campus.

The following table sets out the information requested by the Deputy.

State Board	Number of positions on each Board	Positions Currently Filled	Number of Women on Board	Percentage of Women on Board
Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI)	7	7	4	57%
Gaisce	15	8	4	50%
Oberstown Children Detention Campus	13	12	5	42%
Child and Family Agency (Tusla)	9	8	5	63%

Youth Justice Strategy

Questions (551)

Anne Rabbitte

Question:

551. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the status of the bail supervision scheme for young offenders; her plans to extend this scheme beyond Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40741/16]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

The development of a Bail Supervision Scheme on a pilot basis was identified as a part of the Youth Justice Action Plan 2014 - 2018. The Bail Supervision Scheme has commenced on a pilot basis and began to accept referrals of children from 12 October 2016. The Scheme will provide more therapeutic supports in the community for children who are subject to bail conditions by providing a ‘wraparound’ type service to ensure that young people adhere to strict bail conditions as laid down by the courts. The normal rules around breaches of conditions of bail will be observed should a young person not comply, and the added supervision provided by the scheme will ensure greater compliance and closer monitoring.

It is envisioned that the scheme will offer greater options to the courts in the knowledge that closer monitoring will take place through interaction with the young people, their families and communities. This will ensure that detention as a last resort is possible and courts can make informed decisions on how a young person is doing and that the intervention will promote pro social behaviour.

The stakeholders in the Scheme are Oberstown Children Detention Campus, An Garda Siochana, the Probation Service and Extern. Progress reports will be made available to the court at subsequent bail appearances. From the court’s perspective the programme will be promoted primarily as a bail supervision scheme (incorporating the selected intervention programme) with the intent to closely monitor adherence with bail conditions.

This pilot scheme is operating in the Dublin area initially. There will be ongoing evaluation and review of the scheme and the intention is to replicate the scheme nationally (centred around major population areas) based on the results of the reviews. The initial period of the pilot is for a two year period.