Written Answers Nos. 622-643
622. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if a milking machine manufacturer (details supplied) is governed by any regulation by her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25878/17]
View answerRobotic milking machines fall within the definition of a machine under Directive 2006/42/EC of 17 May 2006 on machinery. This Directive contains provisions for the protection of persons and, in respect of machinery for foodstuffs, contains provisions related to avoiding the risk of infection, sickness or contagion. The provisions of this Directive have been transposed into law by the European Communities (Machinery) Regulations 2008 (S.I. No. 407 of 2008).
These Regulations set out the responsibilities on manufacturers, importers and distributors in making machines available on the single market and first putting into use. The market surveillance authority in respect of these Regulations is the Health and Safety Authority (HSA). The HSA operates under the auspices of my Department.
623. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the body which has responsibility for the regulation of robotic milking machines; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25880/17]
View answerRobotic milking machines fall within the definition of a machine under Directive 2006/42/EC of 17 May 2006 on machinery. This Directive contains provisions for the protection of persons and, in respect of machinery for foodstuffs, contains provisions related to avoiding the risk of infection, sickness or contagion. The provisions of this Directive have been transposed into law by the European Communities (Machinery) Regulations 2008 (S.I. No. 407 of 2008) "The Machinery Regulations".
The Machinery Regulations provide that the Health and Safety Authority is the competent authority and this includes responsibility for market surveillance and the monitoring of all aspects of the process of making the products available on the market in Ireland. The Regulations also provide the competent authority with extensive enforcement powers and penalties to be imposed for any failures in compliance.
624. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the degree to which she anticipates trade with the USA to improve; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25991/17]
View answerThe US remains one of Ireland’s most important partners for trade and investment. Goods exports from Ireland to the US in 2016, increased by 13% and imports increased by 14%. In fact in the last four years our goods trade with the US has increased by 54%. Data available for Q1 of this year, shows a further increase in the value of our goods trade with the US, when compared to Q1 last year.
The latest data available for Services trade shows a 34 % increase in services exports to the US in 2015 and a 20% rise in services imports from the US compared to the previous year.
I am hopeful that the value of Ireland-US trade will continue to increase and the general indicators are strong. However, the global trading environment is uncertain, particularly in light of Brexit and protectionist messaging from the new US administration.
The US is of course a key market in Ireland’s new Trade Strategy ‘Ireland Connected’ which seeks to expand Ireland’s export trade and to stimulate FDI. Our programme of trade and investment missions and high level visits to the US have provided a key foundation on which to further build our strong economic and trading links with the US and these will continue into the future.
Overall, export growth in Ireland in recent years has been exceptionally strong and exports continue to contribute positively to growth. In 2016, the value of exports from Ireland reached €249 billion, the highest on record. This was the seventh successive year for year-on- year export growth. Since 2009, the value of exports from Ireland has risen by over 60%.
625. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if, as Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, she met with a person (details supplied), the chief of the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement on 6 May 2015 to discuss the destruction of documents in the person's office that weekend; and if she made any decisions or made any follow up queries as a result of that meeting. [26025/17]
View answerThe then Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton T.D., met the Director of Corporate Enforcement with Department officials on 6 May 2015. At that meeting, the Minister was informed of the destruction of documents and other weaknesses in the investigation.
As the matter was before the courts, it was sub judice. It was considered that no steps should be taken that would interfere with the prosecution of the case and the separation of powers between the Executive and the Judiciary.
626. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the payments made by Enterprise Ireland under the headings of the beef fund, ESS, the community enterprise centre scheme and the community enterprise initiative scheme in each of the years 2010 to 2016. [25277/17]
View answerEnterprise Ireland supports companies throughout the country to start, innovate and remain competitive in international markets, now and into the future. In addition, with the advent of the network of Local Enterprise Offices, Enterprise Ireland now plays a critical role in driving and nurturing entrepreneurship all the way from an originating idea at local level, to taking on global markets.
Enterprise Ireland also has responsibility for the administration of a number of funds and Schemes which include the Beef fund, ESS, the Community Enterprise Centre Scheme and the Community Enterprise Initiative Scheme.
Table 1 below identifies the payments made to companies under these Schemes for the period 2010 -2016.
|
Summary Payments |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
|
€ |
€ |
€ |
€ |
€ |
€ |
€ |
|
|
Employment Subsidy Scheme Temporary |
79,981,335 |
1,988,791 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Beef Fund Grant Payments |
10,266,457 |
7,115,560 |
8,741,644 |
5,748,755 |
4,260,076 |
3,270,414 |
820,003 |
|
Grant Payments Community Enterprise Centre |
1,700,185 |
1,963,468 |
2,113,815 |
1,810,318 |
1,086,415 |
639,538 |
289,176 |
|
Community Enterprise Initiatives Scheme |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
371,238 |
627. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 213 and 214 of 23 March 2017, the amount in grants provided by Enterprise Ireland and the IDA to client companies that are among the Succeed in Ireland initiative companies credited with providing verified jobs; the amount provided for all companies that are in this scheme. [25281/17]
View answerNeither IDA Ireland nor Enterprise Ireland (EI) disclose information on grant approvals on account of commercial sensitivity.
Regarding EI client companies that have had jobs verified as having been created under the Succeed in Ireland (SII) Programme, the table sets out details of financial grant supports that these companies have received from EI:
|
Year |
Number of companies |
Amount paid in EI Support |
|
2014 |
1 |
245,000.00 |
|
2016 |
3 |
139,400.00 |
|
2017 |
2 |
81,000.00 |
|
Total |
6 |
€466,200.00 |
I understand that there is one IDA Ireland client company that has had jobs verified under SII and has also received a grant payment from the Agency. Details about this financial support will be available next month on publication of the IDA's annual report.
628. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation her views on the recent European Court of Justice decision and the possible impact on existing EU trade agreements and future ones (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25307/17]
View answerThe opinion of the ECJ was sought in relation to the competence of the European Union to sign and conclude the EU Singapore Free Trade Agreement. The ECJ’s Opinion issued on 16 May 2017, and found that the Free Trade Agreement between the European Union (EU) and the Republic of Singapore (EUSFTA) cannot be signed and concluded by the EU alone: it has to be signed and concluded both by the EU and by each of its Member States, i.e. that it is a ‘Mixed Agreement’.
The Opinion found that some aspects of the agreement fall within the EU’s exclusive competence while other aspects will require additional approval from national and regional legislatures. These are referred to as ‘shared competences’.
The competences shared between the EU and the Member States are provisions on investment protection in so far as they relate to non-direct foreign investment (i.e., portfolio investments); and provisions on Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS).
The Opinion means that those aspects of a trade agreement in respect of which the EU does not have exclusive competence, cannot be applied until ratified by Member States according to the requirements of their national law.
Consideration must now be given by both Member States and the EU Commission as to whether existing agreements which have yet to be ratified, or current agreements, which are under negotiation, should be concluded as ‘Mixed’ or ‘EU-only’ agreements. My Department is currently examining the Court's judgement including its implications for the ratification of future EU trade agreements.
629. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation her views on concerns raised by an organisation (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25308/17]
View answerJoint Labour Committees (JLCs) are provided for under the Industrial Relations Act 1946 and were reformed by the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act, 2012. A JLC is comprised of equal numbers of representatives of employers and workers in a sector. JLCs meet regularly, under an independent Chairperson to discuss proposals for terms and conditions to apply to specified grades or categories of workers in the sector. If agreement is reached the JLC publishes details and invites submissions from interested parties.
If, after consideration of any submissions received, the Committee adopts the proposals it will submit them to the Labour Court for consideration. The Labour Court will then make a decision on the adoption of the proposals. If the Court decides to adopt the proposals, a copy is presented to me and if I consider it appropriate to do so I will make an Order giving effect to the proposals. Such Orders are known as Employment Regulation Orders.
The Joint Labour Committee for the Security Industry was established in accordance with Statutory Instrument No. 377 of 1998 (as amended by Statutory Instrument No. 30 of 2014). The Deputy may be aware that the JLC structure has in recent years undergone an extensive overhaul as the result of a successful Constitutional challenge in 2011 and the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act 2012 addresses the shortcomings identified in the ruling on that challenge.
In relation to the membership of the JLC I am informed that, in accordance with the Statute, the Labour Court consulted with ICTU, Ibec and the two employer organisations most closely connected with the Security Industry, the National Union of Security Employers (merged with the Security Institute of Ireland in 2011) and the Irish Security Industry Association. Following consultation, these bodies nominated representatives of both employers and employees for membership of the Committee. The current members were appointed on 12 May 2014.
The Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson are Industrial Relations Officers from the Workplace Relations Commission and are appointed by me.
The constitution and proceedings of JLCs is set out in the Fifth Schedule to the Industrial Relations Act, 1990. The discussions within the Joint Labour Committees are not open to me nor to my Department.
I am informed that the draft proposals for an employment regulation order to replace the one that currently exists for the Security Industry and that you refer to were advertised as part of the public consultation process. The closing date for submissions on those proposals was 7 February last. I am also informed that the proposals have been adopted by the Labour Court and I expect to be in a position to consider the proposals shortly.
631. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation her Department's budget allocated to hiring staff on a Department wide basis; and the specific allocations provided to each State agency under her auspices in each of the years 2014 to 2016; and the budget allocation for 2017. [25374/17]
View answerThe annual Pay allocations for the Department, its Offices and Agencies for the period 2014 to 2017 inclusive are highlighted in the following table:
|
Pay Allocation |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
|
|
€m |
€m |
€m |
€m |
|
Department |
19.901 |
23.834 |
24.523 |
25.550 |
|
Forfás |
5.314 |
- |
- |
- |
|
Intertrade Ireland |
1.319 |
1.267 |
1.262 |
1.262 |
|
IDA Ireland |
21.800 |
21.475 |
21.382 |
22.454 |
|
Enterprise Ireland |
51.501 |
50.373 |
48.400 |
50.700 |
|
Local Enterprise Offices |
7.129 |
7.630 |
7.207 |
- |
|
National Standards Authority of Ireland |
4.333 |
4.287 |
4.113 |
4.353 |
|
Patents Office |
2.070 |
1.925 |
1.877 |
1.927 |
|
Science Foundation Ireland |
4.200 |
4.200 |
4.182 |
4.432 |
|
Workplace Relations Programme (for the WRC, Labour Court and Employment Appeals Tribunal) |
15.171 |
16.090 |
14.935 |
15.159 |
|
Health & Safety Authority |
10.331 |
10.750 |
10.287 |
10.587 |
|
Office of the Director for Corporate Enforcement |
2.465 |
2.884 |
2.808 |
2.838 |
|
Competition & Consumer Protection Commission |
7.319 |
7.220 |
7.014 |
7.114 |
|
Companies Registration Office including the Registry for Friendly Societies |
4.585 |
4.745 |
4.638 |
4.808 |
|
Irish Auditing & Accounting Supervisory Authority |
1.562 |
1.800 |
2.195 |
2.100 |
|
Low Pay Commission |
- |
0.270 |
0.244 |
0.247 |
|
TOTAL JEI Pay Ceiling |
€159m |
€158.75m |
€155.067m |
€153.531m |
It should be noted that the Department has delivered a significant amount of reforms over the period in question which have impacted on the annual Pay ceiling and distribution of Pay allocations across the Department’s Vote.
At the end of July 2014 Forfas was dissolved and integrated into the Department. The Forfás Pay allocation was absorbed into the Department’s Pay allocation from 2015 onwards.
In October 2014 the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission was formed through the amalgamation of the Competition Authority and the National Consumer Agency (NCA). The 2014 Pay allocation highlighted in the table above is the combined Competition Authority and NCA pay allocation for that year.
The Low Pay Commission was established with a Pay allocation from 2015.
In October 2015 the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) was established through the amalgamation of the Labour Relations Commission, Equality Tribunal and the National Employment Rights Authority. These entities, along with the Labour Court and the Employment Appeals Tribunal, were funded through a single subhead on the Department’s Vote, Subhead C3, under the heading “Workplace Relations Programme”. From 2016 the pay allocation in Subhead C3 covers the staff of the Workplace Relations Commission, the Labour Court and the Employment Appeals Tribunal.
The 31 Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) were established in April 2014 and these replaced the former City and County Enterprise Boards. A key element of this reform was to enhance the connectivity and synergies between micro-enterprise and the local authority sector to deliver more jobs regionally.
From 2017, in recognition that the LEOs, and the associated staffing cohort is now the responsibility of the Environment and Local Government Vote, the previous LEO’s Pay amount of €7.2 million has been reclassified as Non-Pay expenditure in my Department’s Vote this year. Therefore there is no longer a Pay line in Subhead A8 – Local Enterprise Development (LEOs) and the Non-Pay allocation in the subhead has been increased by the commensurate amount. This technical adjustment partly explains the reduced overall JEI Pay ceiling this year.
The other significant Pay adjustments in 2017 relate to the additional €3 million in Pay secured for Brexit specific posts across the Department and Agencies. In addition an amount of €2.67 million is included in the Department’s Pay ceiling this year relating to the technical adjustments specific to the Lansdowne Road Agreement.
Ordinarily there are 26 fortnightly and 52 weekly Pay runs which impact on the annual pay requirements across the Department’s Vote. In 2015, there was an extra fortnightly pay period, i.e. a 27th fortnightly payrun. In 2016 there was a return to the normal 26 fortnightly pay periods though there was also an extra weekly pay period, i.e. a 53rd weekly payrun. For 2017 there is a return to the norm of 26 fortnightly and 52 weekly pay periods.
Some Agencies, such as Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, National Standards Authority of Ireland and the Health and Safety Authority have access to Agency Own Resource Income which can be utilised to support of their overall operations, which may include Pay purposes. The retention and usage of Own Resource Income requires annual sanction from the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.
The Personal Injuries Assessment Board is another agency of the Department. It does not receive any Exchequer Pay allocation as its operations are self-funded from fees received from its operations.
632. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if her Department has identified the sectors most vulnerable to divergence of standards in the context of Brexit; if she has estimated the impact on each sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25413/17]
View answerThe United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union will have a significant impact on our economy and I have tasked my Department with making Brexit our number one priority. Central to this approach, is understanding those impacts, positive and negative, across all policy areas of my Department and at a sectoral level.
In this context, my Department has conducted a risk assessment of the potential impacts of Brexit across policy areas which has fed into the national level assessment led by the Department of the Taoiseach. My Department has been working with enterprise development agencies to mitigate risks and maximise opportunities.
In order for me, as Minister with responsibility for supporting business across all sectors, to develop any initiative to support businesses that are impacted by Brexit, I have taken every opportunity to hear the views of sectors and companies. I have met with a wide range of representative organisations. In addition, my Department held a large stakeholder engagement event in Carrick-on-Shannon in January to hear the views of all stakeholders.
In terms of our future trading relationships, our absolute preference is to maintain the closest possible trading relationship based on a level playing field between the UK and the EU, including Ireland. The EU Guidelines state that the EU welcomes and shares the UK’s desire for a close partnership in the future.
In regard to standards, the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) provides Ireland with the components necessary for an effective trading infrastructure for products and services to be developed, traded, and relied on nationally and around the world. This infrastructure of Certification, Standards and Agreement (building products and processes), also contributes positively to decisions on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), where, again, organisations rely on, a developed standards and conformity assessment infrastructure, to achieve their objectives, such as the medical devices sector.
The NSAI has informed me that Britain may well continue to play an active part in the European standardisation system post-Brexit. Membership of the European Standards Bodies - CEN, CENELEC and ETSI – is not confined to EU member states. In the case of CEN and CENELEC, which operate a National Standards Body (NSB) membership model, 34 countries are directly represented, including Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, Turkey, Serbia, FYROM (the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia). So Britain may, in practice, still conform to European Norms, the European standards developed in Brussels.
NSAI understand that BSI, the British Standards Institution, has striven to reassure its stakeholders that BSI intends to maintain membership of European Standards Institutions. For most sectors of British industry and society that would seem to be the most advantageous policy since it effectively minimises cost-increasing variances from the European Norms. In addition - European Norms are generally close to global ISO and IEC standards, which would still be followed in the UK market.
That said, Britain has always maintained a library of indigenous British Standards which supplement the European Norms. It is eminently possible that Britain might place more weight on indigenous British standards in certain sectors. However, that might not be a huge problem for Irish industry in those sectors. Irish industry would tend to have a good knowledge of British standards in their particular sector because of historical political links and traditionally strong trading links with the British market.
It is difficult to say definitively what sectors would be most vulnerable to pressures for divergent standards. However, many observers would say that the British sector most likely to diverge from the European model is the Construction sector, which has traditionally been considered to be slowest to embrace common solutions across Europe. The Irish Construction sector has close ties with the British Construction sector – so this may not be such a threat to Irish construction sector companies – indeed it could perhaps be an opportunity.
One issue for Irish stakeholders, in the event of divergent British Standards, would be continuing involvement in the standardisation process which would revise and update these distinct British Standards. The NSAI has an active Joint Cooperation Agreement with BSI, the British Standards Institution. This Joint Cooperation Agreement is under review at the moment. There could be a need to strengthen this bi-lateral agreement if standards divergence were to become an issue.
My Department, working in close cooperation with the NSAI, is monitoring the situation and will continue to monitor developments as Britain goes through the Brexit negotiation process.
633. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of applications made to date in 2017 for the be prepared grant; the number of drawdowns of this grant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25414/17]
View answer634. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of businesses that have completed the Enterprise Ireland Brexit scorecard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25415/17]
View answer635. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of meetings she has had with officials from Enterprise Ireland, the IDA and Science Foundation Ireland on Brexit-related matters in 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25416/17]
View answerI regularly discuss the challenges and opportunities associated with Brexit with the Agencies under my Department’s remit. This includes in the context of monthly Brexit meetings I chair with the IDA and EI as well as in frequent other exchanges I have with Agency staff every week. The challenges and opportunities associated with the UK's withdrawal from the EU also regularly feature as an item of discussion at job announcements, during overseas marketing programmes and in the margins of industry events.
As part of my Department's response to Brexit, I established a Co-ordination Group on Brexit, which I chair. This group consists of the representatives from IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland, and relevant enterprise, single market and trade officials from the Department. This Coordination Group has met on 13 occasions - both Agencies have had representation at all of these meetings. In addition, Science Foundation Ireland attended and presented to the Coordination Group meeting on 7 March.
To facilitate in-depth and frequent dialogue with our stakeholders on a range of policy areas which fall within our remit, I have established a Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Enterprise Forum on Brexit and global challenges. Representatives from IDA, EI and SFI participated in the two Forum meetings held to date (6 March 2017 and 24 May 2017).
In relation to other one-on-one meetings with SFI, I met with the Director General on 10 May 2017. The possible implications of Brexit were discussed, including mechanisms to develop increased collaborative arrangements with the UK research community and options for potential new joint appointments and studentships.
Of course Ministers Halligan and Breen also meet agency staff and discuss Brexit related matters.
Finally, I invited IDA, EI and SFI to discuss Brexit impacts on a panel as part of my Department's Brexit stakeholder dialogue in Leitrim on 30 January this year and as a follow-up to that they all participated in a panel discussion at the All-Island Civic Dialogue on Brexit Second Plenary on 17 February.
636. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of meetings which have taken place with the National Competitiveness Council in the context of Brexit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25417/17]
View answerThe National Competitiveness Council (NCC) reports to Government on key competitiveness issues facing the economy and offers recommendations on policy actions required to enhance Ireland’s competitiveness. The NCC is independent of Government and under its Terms of Reference is responsible for the management and direction of its own work programme.
Since the UK referendum, the NCC has met 3 times and considered the impact of Brexit on competitiveness at all of its meetings.
The NCC has addressed the implications of Brexit in a number of publications. The Council’s Competitiveness Challenge 2016 report published in December 2016 contained a specific chapter in relation to Brexit. This outlined a range of issues which will require policy attention to support Irish firms trading with or dependent on UK markets, and to ensure that Ireland is best placed to withstand the challenges posed by Brexit.
In April 2017, the Council published a report Benchmarking Competitiveness: Ireland and the UK, which provides an assessment of Ireland's current competitiveness performance with specific reference to the UK, to establish areas where policy attention could enhance Ireland’s competitiveness. These reports were considered by the Cabinet Committee on Economy, Trade and Jobs and noted by Government.
The NCC will continue to actively monitor Ireland’s international competitiveness performance with specific reference to the UK in its Costs of Doing Business in Ireland report which is due to be published shortly and its annual Competitiveness Scorecard report which will be published in Q3 2017. Actions to enhance Ireland’s competitiveness performance will be set out in the NCC’s Competitiveness Challenge 2017 report which will be published in Q4 2017.
637. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of times she has met an organisation (details supplied) on Brexit-related matters to date in 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25418/17]
View answerAs part of my Department’s extensive engagement programme following on from the UK vote to leave the European Union, my officials have met with colleagues from, amongst others, the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland to develop appropriate responses to address the needs of SMEs impacted by Brexit.
In April 2017, I secured agreement from the Cabinet Committee for Economy, Trade and Jobs to
- Continue work on developing a Brexit Working Capital Scheme
- Scope out the need for a longer term Business Development Loan Scheme
- Explore and scope the development of a Business Advisory Hub for SMEs
My Department is working alongside colleagues in SBCI, the Department of Finance, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and Enterprise Ireland in the development and scoping of these schemes and in the exploration and development of a Business Advisory Hub.
I expect that contact between officials in SBCI and officials in my Department will be ongoing as this work progresses.
638. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of vacancies for Brexit-related posts within the IDA, Enterprise Ireland and Science Foundation Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25419/17]
View answerAn additional €3million was secured in respect of Pay in Budget 2017 and is being targeted specifically to assist in our response to the evolving Brexit scenario. It is enabling the Department and, primarily, our Agencies recruit some 40 to 50 additional staff to supplement existing staffing numbers. These numbers may grow as Agencies allocate additional Own Resource Income, by agreement with the Department, to recruit further staff to work on "Brexit-related" activity.
Insofar as Enterprise Ireland (EI) is concerned, EI has sanction for an additional 39 posts with EI supplementing the “Brexit” pay allocation with additional Own Resource Income. 12 of the 39 posts have been filled. The remaining 27 vacancies are actively being sourced through recruitment processes.
In relation to IDA Ireland, it has official sanction to recruit 10 additional “Brexit” staff members. One of the Brexit staff members has been recruited with one other post close to being finalised. Filling of the remaining 8 vacancies is currently being progressed through recruitment processes.
For Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), SFI has designated three new posts to have specific Brexit related responsibilities and duties. Recruitment is currently underway to fill these posts.
In all of these agencies, the work of existing staff is also informed/impacted by the consequences of Brexit for clients.
639. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the progress that has been made in securing a replacement manufacturing industry for a site (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25532/17]
View answer640. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of site visits arranged by IDA Ireland in marketing County Kildare as a jobs location in 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25534/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 639 and 640 together.
Since HP Inc. made the regrettable decision to close its facility in Leixlip, the IDA has been actively promoting the site to existing clients and potential investors and will continue to do so in the time ahead. I am hopeful that a new investor will be identified in due course and that further employment opportunities will in turn be created for the people of Leixlip and the surrounding area.
While HP Inc's decision is very disappointing, there remain over 20 other multinational companies in Kildare that employ 10,139 people in total across a broad range of sectors. IDA Ireland continues to work with this client base to both sustain and grow employment further in the County.
In the first quarter of 2017, there were two site visits to Co. Kildare. It should be remembered that site visits are only one indicator of potential foreign direct investment activity. It is also the case that significant new investments are often made by companies already in place in a County.
641. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of companies that have made formal inquiries to Departments, State agencies or the Central Bank in regard to relocating here as a consequence of Brexit; the number of jobs that have been created here as a direct consequence of companies locating here as a result of Brexit; the number of jobs she expects to be created as a consequence of companies locating here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25566/17]
View answerThe IDA continues to work hard to secure new foreign direct investment (FDI) for Ireland, including from companies that may be attracted to locate or expand here on account of Brexit. Convincing these companies to invest in Ireland, however, can be a delicate process that requires perseverance and patience. This is especially the case with regard to Brexit-related investment. It is therefore not in the country’s interests to describe, in detail, the engagement to date between the IDA and new investors or any inquiries that the Central Bank may have received. In fact, to do so would risk both compromising the progress that has been made with prospective new clients of the IDA and losing the potential jobs that might accompany any such new future investment here.
It is not possible to quantify the precise number of FDI-related jobs that may have been created here on account of Brexit. That is partly because companies that have expanded or invested in Ireland over the last 12 months have done so for many different reasons, not simply because of the UK’s decision to withdraw from the European Union.
I am confident that Ireland will remain attractive to new investment in the time ahead, whether Brexit-related or otherwise, and that we will continue to see significant FDI-related job creation. That is because the attributes that have made this country one of the leading global locations for FDI – including our talented workforce, first-rate education system and pro-enterprise policy environment – continue to be highly valued by multinational companies.
642. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the specific actions she has undertaken under the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015 to contribute to the national mitigation plan. [25698/17]
View answerThe objective of Ireland’s first National Mitigation Plan is to set out a broad trajectory to compliance with EU targets on greenhouse gas reductions across all sectors of the economy, as mandated under the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act (2015).
My Department of Jobs, Enterprise & Innovation is continuing to play its part in the process behind the National Mitigation Plan by contributing specific areas for inclusion in the Plan that deal with enabling the transition and maximising enterprise opportunities. We are inputting in particular in areas of opportunity, including: resource efficiency, green public procurement, green finance, eco-construction and, importantly, research, development and innovation.
Maintaining and improving competitiveness in light of the climate change challenge is a critical consideration from an enterprise perspective. There are positive competitiveness opportunities, as well as threats. For example, improving access to quality rail freight services and further extensions of the natural gas grid will assist smaller, indigenous companies currently using oil as their primary fuel source to reduce their carbon footprint. Furthermore, measures focused on other EU targets with which Ireland must comply, such as renewable energy, will have positive spin-offs for industry: renewable heat options (e.g. biomass boilers, combined heat and power) are seen as key ways for both the commercial and industrial sector to decarbonise further.
In addition to contributing to the National Mitigation Plan, my Department is actively engaged on proposed revisions to the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), which covers over a quarter of Ireland's total greenhouse gas footprint. My officials are working closely with the Permanent Representation in Brussels to ensure that the various amendments proposed by the European Commission, European Council and European Parliament, to commence in Phase IV of the Scheme from 2020, do not harm Ireland's competitiveness, whilst ensuring the Scheme is strengthened going forward.
Following a public consultation in March and April, I understand that work on the development of the first National Mitigation Plan is now nearing completion, and it is intended to submit it to Government for approval in the next two weeks. The draft Plan has been prepared in close collaboration across all relevant Government Departments and, in particular, with the key Ministers responsible for the four sectors covered by the Plan: Electricity Generation; the Built Environment; Transport; and Agriculture, Forestry and Land Use. This work has been overseen by an inter-Departmental National Mitigation Plan Steering Group, on which DJEI participates, as well as by both a Senior Officials Group, and the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure, Climate Action and the Environment. Technical support has been provided by all sectors via the Technical Research, Analysis and Modelling (TRAM) Group on which my Department is also actively engaged.
Officials from my Department recently met with the Secretariat to the National Climate Change Advisory Council, following publication of the draft National Mitigation Plan. This was a fruitful discussion during which my Departmental officials set out a 'direction of travel' on climate change policy from an enterprise perspective, including a vision of the green enterprise opportunities that arise from the hugely challenging task of decarbonising our economy by as much as 80% of 2005 greenhouse gas levels by 2050. I understand that all input received from the Advisory Council has been considered in finalising the National Mitigation Plan.
My Department will continue to contribute to the National Mitigation Plan by ensuring that any actions that have a bearing on the enterprise sector are implemented with a view to maximising the enterprise and competitiveness opportunities. In addition, DJEI will continue to play a strong role in advising the Department of Communications, Climate Action & Environment on the ongoing revisions to the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.
643. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation when the competitive call for project applications under the €40 million regional action for jobs fund will be announced. [25796/17]
View answerI launched a new Regional Enterprise Development Fund yesterday (29 May 2017) along with Minister of State for Employment and Small Business Pat Breen TD.
This competitive funding will be provided by my Department through Enterprise Ireland and is a key action to support the Regional Action Plan for Jobs and the Action Plan for Rural Development.
Funding of up to €60m will be available over a period of four years to 2020.
The Fund is aimed at accelerating economic recovery in every part of the country by delivering on the potential of local and regional enterprise strengths. The Fund will support significant collaborative regional initiatives to build on specific industry sectoral strengths and improve enterprise capability, thereby driving job creation.
Under a competitive process, Enterprise Ireland is now seeking applications for funding under four streams with varying investment levels:
- Major Change Projects - €2m up to €5m per project,
- Regionally Significant Projects - €250,000 up to €2m per project,
- Local & Community Enterprise Development Projects - €50,000 up to €250,000 per project
- Industry Clusters- €50,000 up to €250,000 per project.
Competitive feasibility funding to support the development of high quality regional projects is also available as part of this initiative.
Applicants can be promoted by private or public organisations, which for example might include:
- Higher Education Institutes
- Semi State Commercial bodies
- Local Enterprise Development Groups
- Local Authorities.
