Written Answers Nos. 624-647
624. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of applications received for the recently announced regional enterprise development fund, by county; and the location and name of applicants. [54717/17]
View answer625. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the criteria used for the regional enterprise development fund; and the steps available to persons who were unsuccessful in this round of funding. [54718/17]
View answer626. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if officials from her Department will meet with the unsuccessful applicants to advise them on applications for future rounds of funding in the REDF or similar schemes. [54719/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 624 to 626, inclusive, together.
On 11 December last, I announced the results of the first round of the new competitive Regional Enterprise Development Fund (REDF).
The REDF is a €60 million competitive fund launched by Enterprise Ireland in 2017, with funding being made available over the period 2017-2020 under two competitive calls.
The Fund, which is an open national competitive call to support regional projects, is 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.
Twenty-one successful applicants representing all regions of the country secured up to €30.5m in funding for their projects in the first competitive call.
75 applications were received by Enterprise Ireland in response to the first call, county locations of which are set out in Table 1.
Applicants are entitled to a certain level of privacy; therefore, Enterprise Ireland is not in a position to release the names of unsuccessful applicants.
A list of successful projects by region/county is detailed in Table 2.
Table 1: Number of Applications Per County
|
County |
No of Applications |
|
Carlow |
3 |
|
Cavan |
2 |
|
Clare |
1 |
|
Cork |
8 |
|
Donegal |
2 |
|
Dublin |
14 |
|
Galway |
7 |
|
Kerry |
7 |
|
Kildare |
2 |
|
Kilkenny |
2 |
|
Laois |
1 |
|
Leitrim |
2 |
|
Limerick |
7 |
|
Louth |
2 |
|
Mayo |
1 |
|
Meath |
1 |
|
Monaghan |
2 |
|
Roscommon |
1 |
|
Tipperary |
4 |
|
Waterford |
2 |
|
Westmeath |
2 |
|
Wexford |
1 |
|
Wicklow |
1 |
|
Grand Total |
75 |
Table 2: Successful Projects by Region/County
|
Projects Recommended for approval |
Location |
|
Northern & Western Region |
|
|
Monaghan County Enterprise Fund |
Monaghan |
|
Leitrim County Enterprise Fund |
Leitrim/Cavan/Longford |
|
Donegal Digital Innovation CLG |
Donegal |
|
BIA Innovator Campus CLG |
Galway |
|
Southern Region |
|
|
Irish Bioeconomy Foundation CLG |
Tipperary |
|
Emerald Aerocluster CLG |
Limerick/Shannon/National |
|
Insurtech Network Centre DAC |
Carlow |
|
ThreeD (Design Develop Disseminate) DAC |
Waterford |
|
Agritech Centre of Excellence CLG |
Kerry |
|
RDI Hub CLG |
Kerry/National |
|
Cork Urban Enterprises CLG |
Cork |
|
IT@Cork CLG |
Cork |
|
KerrySciTech CLG |
Kerry/Cork |
|
Sneem Innovation & Technology Services CLG |
Kerry |
|
MOL TEIC CLG |
Kerry |
|
Eastern & Midlands Region |
|
|
County Kildare Community Network Company CLG |
Kildare |
|
Dublin Enterprise & Technology Centre CLG |
Dublin |
|
Ghala DAC |
Dublin/National |
|
Social & Local Enterprise Alliance DAC |
Dublin |
|
BPO Cluster Ireland CLG |
Dublin/National |
|
Irish Manufacturing Research CLG |
Westmeath/National |
|
Total number of projects |
21 |
All applications were evaluated against the following criteria:
|
- |
Evaluation Criteria |
Weighting |
|
1 |
Impacts and value for money |
30% |
|
2 |
Collaboration and Participation |
20% |
|
3 |
Viability and sustainability |
20% |
|
4 |
Building Regional Strengths |
20% |
|
5 |
Significance for innovation and Capability Building |
10% |
|
|
Total |
100% |
Officials from Enterprise Ireland will meet with unsuccessful applicants and provide feedback on the application, aligned to the publicly referenced evaluation criteria. As this fund was administered as a competitive process, decisions are final. Enterprise Ireland will work with the applicant to advise them on a revised application if they decide to apply again under the second competitive call, and advise them on future rounds of funding and/or other schemes.
The second call under the REDF scheme is expected to issue in Q1 2018 and will fund projects from the remaining balance of the €60m budget available.
627. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the name and number of organisations here that are in receipt of funding from her Department that have expended resources seeking the repeal of the eighth amendment; the amount of funding these organisations have received from the State in the past five years; the amount of money they have spent on this particular campaign during that time; the number of organisations here that are in receipt of funding from her Department that have expended resources seeking the retention of the eighth amendment; the amount of funding these organisations have received from the State in the past five years; and the amount of money they have spent on this particular campaign during that time. [54759/17]
View answerMy Department provides funding annually to the following Agencies and bodies under my aegis: IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, 31 Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs), Intertrade Ireland, National Standards Authority of Ireland, Science Foundation Ireland, Health and Safety Authority, Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, Personal Injuries Assessment Board, and Irish Auditing and Accounting Supervisory Authority.
While my Department does not know the names of the organisations involved in seeking the repeal of the Eighth Amendment, I can confirm my Department has not provided any funding for such a purpose.
628. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if her attention has been drawn to the decision not to fund the north Dublin makerspace at Dublin City University, DCU, as part of the recent REDF (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54914/17]
View answerOn 11 December last I announced the results of the first round of the new competitive Regional Enterprise Development Fund (REDF).
The REDF is a €60 million competitive fund launched by Enterprise Ireland in 2017, with funding being made available over the period 2017-2020 under two competitive calls.
The Fund, which is an open national competitive call to support regional projects, is 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.
Twenty-one successful applicants representing all regions of the country secured up to €30.5m in funding for their projects in the first competitive call.
The REDF is administered by Enterprise Ireland as an open competitive call. The evaluation process was detailed in the publicly available scheme document. All applications underwent the same evaluation process.
Applications were evaluated against the following criteria:
|
- |
Evaluation Criteria |
Weighting |
|
1 |
Impacts and value for money |
30% |
|
2 |
Collaboration and Participation |
20% |
|
3 |
Viability and sustainability |
20% |
|
4 |
Building Regional Strengths |
20% |
|
5 |
Significance for Innovation and Capability Building |
10% |
|
Total |
100% |
Enterprise Ireland will provide feedback to Makerspace at DCU on its application, and will work with the group to advise it on a revised application if it decides to submit one under the second competitive call.
Enterprise Ireland will also publicly announce future call dates: the second call under the REDF scheme is expected to issue in Q1 2018 and will fund projects from the remaining balance of the €60m budget available.
629. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the status of the sale of studios (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55000/17]
View answerArdmore Studios is a commercial entity, owned 68.33% by private interests and 31.67% by the State. The State’s shareholding is managed by Enterprise Ireland.
Enterprise Ireland inherited the stake from NADCORP, the former State investment agency, in 1986. As a passive investor, Enterprise Ireland has no enterprise development role in Ardmore or any involvement in its day-to-day operations.
While Enterprise Ireland offers supports to exporting companies involved in film and the creative sector, policy responsibility for the development of the film industry rests with my colleague, Ms Josepha Madigan, TD, Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.
The sale of the Ardmore Studios is a commercial decision by the owners of the studios. Ardmore Studios is being placed on the market for sale as a going concern.
Enterprise Ireland has not placed any preconditions on the pending sale of Ardmore Studios due to the existence of planning restrictions on the site which safeguard its use as a film-making studio into the future. Wicklow County Council has in the past confirmed to my Department that it agrees to maintain the film-only zoning as a matter of policy.
As the former Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, I am aware of this case and have also been briefed by my officials since my appointment as Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation. Enterprise Ireland remains engaged with the company and their representatives. Any proposal requiring a decision will be reviewed by Enterprise Ireland in consultation with me, as Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation. In turn, I will consult the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.
630. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of jobs delivered by the Industrial Development Agency in south County Kildare and north County Kildare since 2010; and the number of site visits that have taken place in both areas since 2010. [55120/17]
View answerIDA Ireland remains focused on attracting job-rich foreign direct investment (FDI) to all regions of Ireland. Regional development is a key priority of the Agency, with a target set of increasing investment in every region of Ireland - including County Kildare - by 30%-40% by 2019.
Kildare is marketed by the IDA as part of the Mid-East region, together with Counties Meath and Wicklow. There are 28 IDA supported client companies, which collectively employ almost 10,000 people, currently in Kildare. The IDA is working hard to increase these numbers further. A dedicated Regional Business Development Manager for the Mid-East has been appointed, for example, to assist the Agency in winning more investment for the area. The Agency's staff, both at home and abroad, also continue to draw the attention of potential investors to the particular strengths of Kildare and the wider Mid-East region.
The following table sets out, in respect of Kildare, details of employment in IDA client companies there and site visits for the period between 2010-2017. Information is not available for particular parts of Kildare as the IDA collates data on a County-wide basis only.
|
Kildare |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
|
No of IDA Companies |
31 |
29 |
29 |
28 |
25 |
25 |
27 |
28 |
|
Total Jobs |
10,746 |
10,484 |
10,465 |
10,327 |
10,285 |
10,628 |
10,229 |
9,282 |
|
Gross Gain |
1,451 |
366 |
556 |
342 |
474 |
849 |
335 |
275 |
|
Gross Losses |
-352 |
-628 |
-575 |
-480 |
-516 |
-506 |
-734 |
-1,222 |
|
Net Change |
1,099 |
-262 |
-19 |
-138 |
-42 |
343 |
-399 |
-947 |
|
Site Visits |
2 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
7 |
8 |
5* |
* 5 site visits in Kildare to Q3 2017, details on the total number of site visits for 2017 will become available in February 2018.
631. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the vacant properties and land not in use, owned, rented or leased by her Department or by bodies and agencies under the aegis of her Department by square footage for buildings and acres for land, in tabular form; the address and location of these properties; and the last date of occupancy or use of these properties. [55205/17]
View answerAccommodation for my Department is provided by the Office of Public Works (OPW) in buildings which are either State owned or leased by OPW on our behalf. Therefore, my Department does not directly own, rent or lease any properties or land. None of the properties assigned to my Department are unoccupied.
Any such land or properties owned or leased by Agencies of my Department is a matter for the individual bodies concerned for which I have no direct function. However, I have asked all Agencies to advise me of any such details, and I will communicate that information to the Deputy as soon as it is available.
632. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation her plans to open a local enterprise office in Drogheda to service the significant catchment area of south County Louth and east County Meath (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1251/18]
View answerThe role of the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) is to promote entrepreneurship at a local level. The LEOs provide information, guidance and 'soft' supports to anyone seeking to start or grow a business. Subject to certain eligibility, they offer direct grant aid to microenterprises (10 employees or fewer) in the manufacturing and internationally traded services sector which, over time, have the potential to develop into strong export entities.
As previously stated, my Department has no plans to deviate from the current Local Enterprise Office (LEO) model that was put in place following a Government decision in April 2012. This decision, underpinned by primary legislation, provided for the dissolution of the 35 County Enterprise Boards. Subsequently, 31 LEOs were established in each Local Authority Area, with LEO Louth situated in the County Council Offices in Dundalk.
633. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the position regarding a vacant post for an IDA regional manager for the Border area; the length of time the post has been vacant to date; the salary details for the position; if she will prioritise filling the vacancy in view of the significant Brexit-related business risks for the Border region and the major role a regional manager would play in securing increased foreign direct investment for the Border counties; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1337/18]
View answerI am informed by IDA Ireland that the Agency currently has no vacancies for Regional Manager positions.
IDA Ireland's Regional Manager for the Border region is Mr. John Nugent, who is based in the Agency's Sligo office and has been in place for a number of years.
634. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the position regarding an application for a sport and cultural employment permit (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1450/18]
View answerAn application for a Sport and Cultural Employment Permit for the person referred to by the Deputy (details above) was received on 22 December 2017. The Employment Permits section of my Department is currently processing standard applications received on 13 November 2017 and I am informed that this application should be processed within the next 5 weeks.
635. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the properties owned by the IDA in County Laois; and the location of each. [1452/18]
View answer637. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of IDA visits to County Laois in 2017. [1482/18]
View answer638. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of jobs created by the IDA in County Laois in 2017. [1484/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 635, 637 and 638 together.
IDA Ireland remains focused on attracting job-rich foreign direct investment (FDI) to all regions of Ireland, including County Laois. The Agency continues to work towards its goal, set out in its current strategy, of increasing investment in every region by 30%-40% by 2019.
Laois is marketed by IDA as part of the Midlands Region, which also comprises counties Westmeath, Offaly and Longford. There are 34 multinational companies based in the Midlands - two of which are in Laois - employing a total 4,327 people. In 2017, a total of 119 people were employed in IDA client companies in Laois, representing a slight increase on the 2016 total of 115.
Site visits represent one tool through which the IDA has sought to encourage more investment in Laois. There were two such visits to the County in the first nine months of 2017. Details on the total number of site visits in 2017 will be available in February 2018.
The availability of property solutions for prospective investors remains important in helping to attract FDI to a particular region or County. In respect of Laois, the IDA has developed an 18-hectare Business and Technology Park in Portlaoise, at a cost of €3.2 Million. This Business Park is suitable for a range of clients and is being actively marketed by the Agency to potential investors.
636. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of jobs created by Enterprise Ireland in County Laois in 2017. [1475/18]
View answerMy Department, through its agency Enterprise Ireland, is committed to supporting Irish businesses to grow, innovate and perform strongly in global markets.
Earlier this month Enterprise Ireland presented its End of Year Statement. This showed strong performance by the agency, particularly in the area of job growth. Especially notable was the fact that all counties experienced net growth. Laois in particular saw a net employment increase of 8%, which is higher than the national average of 5%. 168 jobs were created by Enterprise Ireland in Laois throughout the course of 2017, giving a net gain figure of 109 when job losses are considered. This takes the number of Enterprise Ireland supported jobs in the county to 1,473.
Enterprise Ireland recognises the importance of strengthening employment throughout the country. Its Regional Enterprise Development Fund (REDF) has had one call to date, and is focused on supporting major new collaborative and innovative initiatives that have the potential to make a significant impact on enterprise development in the regions, sustain and increase employment at a national, regional and county level.
In December I announced the 21 successful companies under the REDF that were granted a combined €30.5 million. One of the projects granted funding is based in Laois. Call two of this fund will be announced in March, and I am confident that we will see a similar level of engagement throughout the country.
2017 was a good year for regional job growth in Ireland, with 65% of jobs created by Enterprise Ireland being located outside Dublin. It is important, however, not to become complacent and it is with this in mind that Enterprise Ireland will continue to implement its wider strategy contained in its Build Scale, Expand Reach 2017-2020 report, which includes aims such as:
- Assisting clients to create 60,000 new jobs by 2020 while sustaining the existing record level of jobs;
- Growing the annual exports of client companies by €5bn to €26bn per annum;
- Increasing the level of spend made by client companies in the Irish economy by €4bn to €27bn per annum by 2020; and
- Inspiring more Irish owned companies to have global ambition.
639. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the amount of moneys Enterprise Ireland has provided by way of either funding, as a contribution to Irish venture capital sector investments, seed and venture capital schemes, private equity funds and development capital fund schemes, or investment, as direct equity investments, early stage direct equity investments and so on, to start-up micro breweries and-or distillery businesses here for 2015, 2016 and 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1496/18]
View answerEnterprise Ireland supports companies, including micro-breweries and distilleries, in urban and rural areas to start, innovate and remain competitive in international markets. According to Bord Bia's 2017 Economic Impact Statement on Irish Craft Beer, the Irish craft beer sector is performing well across all fronts, from the number of production facilities to production output, market share and exports. The number of craft breweries in Ireland has grown by more than 500% in the last five years, with seventy two now in operation, up from just fifteen in 2012. Nationally, employment in these facilities exceeded 500 for the first time ever, increasing employment in local and rural communities.
In the period 2015 to 2017, Enterprise Ireland supported 16 micro-breweries and distilleries with the following grant and equity investment:
|
Year |
Grant Payments |
Equity Investment |
|
2015 |
€241,750 |
€435,000 |
|
2016 |
€335,599 |
€330,000 |
|
2017 |
€116,048 |
€240,000 |
In addition, the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) approved funding of €2.12m to 93 craft brewery or distillery projects between 2015 and 2017 through their priming, business expansion and feasibility grants, the LEO Innovation Investment Fund and the Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur (IBYE) competition.
640. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the projects undertaken to consolidate or amalgamate existing legislation, including the cost, the duration, the number of staff required and if this process was carried out by her Department or outsourced in each of the years 2007 to 2017 and to date in 2018, in tabular form. [1558/18]
View answerDetails of the projects undertaken to consolidate or amalgamate legislation in the period in question are set out in the following table.
|
Project |
Cost |
Date/Duration |
Number of Staff Involved |
Outsourced Yes/No |
|
Unofficial consolidation of the Patents Act, 1992. |
Staff time spent on producing the consolidations has not been costed. |
Unofficial consolidations were produced in 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2017 as a consequence of amendments to the Act |
2 |
No |
|
Unofficial consolidation of the Trade Marks Act 1996. |
Staff time spent on producing the consolidations has not been costed. |
Unofficial consolidations were produced in 2007, 2014 and 2016 as a consequence of amendments to the 1996 Act |
2 |
No |
|
Unofficial consolidation of the Trade Marks Rules 1996. |
Staff time spent on producing the consolidations has not been costed. |
Unofficial consolidations were produced in 2007, 2010, 2012, 2015 and 2016 as a consequence of amendments to 1996 Rules |
2 |
No |
|
Unofficial consolidation of the Patents Rules 1996. |
Staff time spent on producing the consolidations has not been costed. |
Unofficial consolidations were produced in 2008, 2009, 2011 ,2012 2015, 2016 and 2017 as a consequence of amendments to 1996 Rules |
2 |
No |
|
Unofficial consolidation of the Copyright and Related Rights Act, 2000 |
Staff time spent on producing the consolidations has not been costed. |
Unofficial consolidations were produced in 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2016 as a consequence of amendments to the 2000 Act. |
2 |
No |
|
Consolidation and reform of company law culminating in the Companies Act 2014. |
It is not possible to estimate the staff cost accurately as varying numbers of staff worked on the project over its duration, and the project was not their sole function. |
2000-2014 |
It is not possible to give a definite figure. The Companies Act 2014 is the largest Act in the history of the State and was a long-term project. The Bill was advanced by a team within the Company Law Unit of the Department with input, as appropriate, from other company law staff as well as the Department’s company law bodies.
Formal drafting of the Bill was undertaken by the Office of Parliamentary Counsel. |
No |
|
Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2014 |
Staff time spent dealing with this piece of legislation (in addition to performing other duties). |
2008-2014 |
Approximately 4 on this project (in addition to performing other duties). |
No |
641. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation her views on a report (details supplied) which states that up to 80,000 additional construction workers are required up to 2020; the measures her Department is taking in that regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1643/18]
View answerAs Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, I am aware of the challenges that we face in meeting the demand for construction workers. My Department works in conjunction with the Department of Education and Skills in developing the policies and interventions to address the skills needs of the economy but primary policy responsibility for this area rests with the Department of Education and Skills. For its part, my Department has consistently shown its commitment to meeting the requirements of the sector through our regular focus on construction needs in the Action Plan for Jobs.
The Department of Education and Skills have developed a number of apprenticeship and traineeship programmes spanning a wide range of both skills and sectors. They are developed in response to identified needs in the economy. In relation to the construction industry, two new apprenticeships have been approved for development this year in the areas of quantity surveying and scaffolding. The addition of these new apprenticeships will add to the suite of construction apprenticeships already in existence in the areas of brick and stonelaying; carpentry and joinery; painting and decorating; plastering; plumbing; stonecutting and stonemasonry; and wood manufacturing and finishing.
Springboard also provides courses to allow those both in the labour market and on the live register to upskill in areas where there are employment opportunities in the economy. All Springboard courses lead to qualifications in enterprise sectors which are growing and need skilled personnel. As a result of the current and future demand for construction jobs in the economy, Springboard offers courses including a MSc in Quantity Surveying and Postgraduate certificates in BIM technologies. A call for further proposals for Springboard 2018 is scheduled to be issued by the HEA in January 2018.
642. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of staff requests by each State agency under the remit of her Department in each of the years 2014 to 2017, in tabular form; the number of staff subsequently hired in each year in this period in each State agency under the remit of her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1648/18]
View answerIn 2015 my Department received delegated sanction, which remains in place, from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. The sanction delegates to my Department the management of its, and its Agencies, pay and staff allocation (up to Principal Officer standard) within an overall pay budget.
The number of staff in each of the Agencies under my Department’s remit from 2014 to 2017 is listed in the document that follows. The document also includes the number of staff requested, and the number of staff hired, within the period 2014 to the end of 2017.
The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission
|
Year |
No. of Staff at 1 January |
No. staff requested |
No. subsequently hired |
|
2014 |
84.5 FTE |
3 |
0 |
|
2015 |
83.5 FTE |
26 |
9 |
|
2016 |
83.6 FTE |
14 |
32 |
|
2017 |
82.9 FTE |
6 |
29 |
Enterprise Ireland
|
Year |
No. of Staff at 1 January |
No. staff requested |
No. subsequently hired * |
|
2014 |
648.5 |
21 |
28 |
|
2015 |
631 |
19 |
21 |
|
2016 |
563 |
39 |
43 |
|
2017 |
564 |
18 |
74 |
* The figures include all staff hired in Ireland & overseas excluding those hired in the Enterprise Ireland two-year Graduate Programme. The numbers provided are gross figures and do not take account of leavers in the same period. All staff hired are within EI approved headcount for Ireland based and overseas based staff.
Health and Safety Authority
|
Year |
No. of Staff at 1 January |
No. staff requested |
No. subsequently hired |
|
2014 |
162.4 |
4 |
1 |
|
2015 |
167.1 |
4 |
3 |
|
2016 |
166.2 |
12 |
6 |
|
2017 |
158.6 |
10 |
16 |
Science Foundation Ireland
|
Year |
No. of Staff at 1 January |
No. staff requested |
No. subsequently hired |
|
2014 |
49 |
1 |
2 |
|
2015 |
49 |
3 |
3 |
|
2016 |
49 |
21 |
5 |
|
2017 |
47 |
23 |
16 |
IDA Ireland
|
Year |
No. of Staff at 1 January |
No. staff requested |
No. subsequently hired * |
|
2014 |
282 |
19 + 35* ‘Winning Abroad’ *fixed term contracts for 3 years |
19 + 35 |
|
2015 |
262 |
38 |
38 |
|
2016 |
265 |
59 5 (graduates on rolling 3-year fixed term contracts) |
48 5 approved and hired during 2017 |
|
2017 |
268 |
255 (graduates on rolling 3 year fixed term contracts) |
25 |
*hired staff may also relate to replacing staff as opposed to increasing the staff complement.
Irish Auditing and Accounting Supervisory Authority
|
Year |
No. of Staff at 1 January |
No. staff requested |
No. subsequently hired |
|
2014 |
13 |
11 |
0 |
|
2015 |
13 |
1 |
5 |
|
2016 |
17 |
17 |
4 |
|
2017 |
20 |
0 |
7 |
National Standards Authority of Ireland
|
Year |
No. of Staff at 1 January |
No. staff requested |
No. subsequently hired |
|
2014 |
132 |
1 |
1 |
|
2015 |
133 |
8 |
2 |
|
2016 |
130 |
3 |
7 |
|
2017 |
129 |
9 |
15 |
Personal Injuries Assessment Board
|
Year |
No. of Staff at 1 January |
No. staff requested |
No. subsequently hired |
|
2014 |
67 |
13 |
0 |
|
2015 |
67 |
13 |
2 |
|
2016 |
66 |
14 |
16 |
|
2017 |
80 |
17 * |
17 |
* Includes sanction for 2 staff who are on secondment from PIAB to the Personal Injuries Commission.
643. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the amount of capital investment or grant assistance towards capital works by IDA Ireland by location in the Dublin region in each of the years 2014 to 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1649/18]
View answerThe following table provides a breakdown of grant aid provided by IDA Ireland to client companies in Dublin between 2014 and 2016. Details of grants paid in 2017 will be available in the coming weeks.
It is important to note that grants paid in a particular year are not necessarily linked to either the investments won or the jobs created in that 12-month period. Grants are generally drawn down over the lifetime of a project which is normally over a period of three to five years.
|
County |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
|
Dublin |
€19,952,938 |
€19,826,741 |
€20,136,706 |
644. Deputy Mary Butler asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the steps she has taken to avoid a threat to a company's (details supplied) operations in Waterford and Dundalk in view of the recent media reports. [1702/18]
View answerI am aware that the company in question has announced plans to restructure its global operations. I understand, however, that this process is still ongoing. The potential impact, if any, on the company's Irish operations is therefore still unclear.
I want to emphasise that as soon as details emerged about this planned restructuring, I asked IDA Ireland to engage with the company to help secure the best possible outcome for their workers in Ireland. The Agency has been in regular contact with the firm's management since and it will continue to work with the company to safeguard its continued presence in the State.
645. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of submissions that have been made to the regional jobs strategy; and when this strategy is expected to be published. [1766/18]
View answerThe Government is pursuing and preparing a number of complementary strategies which help promote job retention and creation across the regions. For example, since its launch in January 2015, the Regional Action Plan for Jobs (RAPJ) process - coordinated by my Department - is focused on ensuring that all regions of the country can fulfil their enterprise and job creation potential and contribute optimally to national economic performance. The Regional APJs are a central pillar of the Government’s ambition to create 200,000 jobs by 2020, with 135,000 of these located outside of Dublin. Regional employment has grown strongly and four out of five jobs created last year were outside Dublin. Over the same period, employment grew faster in the regions (2.8%) than in Dublin (1.5%).
In this context, my Department played a key role in developing the strategies in the first instance. A key strength of the RAPJs process is its 'ground - up' approach. Each Action Plan was developed following extensive consultation, including well attended regional stakeholder fora, where members of the public, private, and voluntary sectors, in addition to relevant Government departments and bodies were able to actively engage. Involvement of regional partners from both the private and public sector has fostered strong buy-in, a sense of ownership and a strong momentum.
Looking forward, the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government has prepared a draft National Planning Framework (NPF), the long-term, twenty-year strategy for the spatial development of Ireland. The draft was published for consultation in September last.
There is a strong interdependence between the planning and development of an attractive environment and enterprise development. The concept of 'Place-Making' is a core tenet of Enterprise 2025 - our national enterprise policy statement to 2025. My Department, at official level, is a member of the Inter-Departmental NPF Steering Committee and the NPF’s Econometric and Demographics Working Group. The NPF has also been the subject of discussions at the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure, Environment and Climate Action, of which I am a member.
My Department will contribute to the proposed new Regional and Spatial Economic Strategies (RSESs) being led by the three Regional Assemblies, based on Enterprise 2025 - and officials will be key members of the proposed Senior Advisory Bodies being put in place. My Department contributes in relation to the role of enterprise, the need to cater to the differing development potential and requirements across regions to optimise potential for growth, the importance of economic infrastructure to support economic development, and the combinations of infrastructure and factors that shape the potential of each region.
646. Deputy Margaret Murphy O'Mahony asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the proportion of employees in her Department or in organisations under its remit who are registered disabled. [1850/18]
View answerThe latest disability information relates to the end of 2016. Information relating to 2017 is currently being gathered and will be submitted to the relevant Monitoring Committee by the 31st March 2017 as required by the Disability Act 2005. The 2016 information for my Department (which was then called the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation) and its Agencies is listed in the following table.
|
Name of Public Body |
Total Number Of Employees |
Number of employees with disabilities under the definition in the Disability Act 2005 |
Percentage of employees with a disability |
|
Department of Jobs Enterprise and Innovation |
854 |
44 |
5.15% |
|
Enterprise Ireland |
587 |
20 |
3.41% |
|
The Health & Safety Authority |
167 |
6 |
3.59% |
|
IDA Ireland |
307 |
18 |
5.86% |
|
NSAI |
133 |
5 |
3.76% |
|
Personal Injuries Assessment Board |
80 |
1 |
1.25% |
|
Science Foundation Ireland |
48 |
2 |
4.17% |
|
Competition and Consumer Protection Commission |
88 |
4 |
4.55% |
|
IntertradeIreland |
38 |
1 |
2.63% |
647. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if her attention has been drawn to the fact that County Sligo has for the past three years been the county with the largest percentage of empty retail and commercial units in the country and that this percentage has grown in 2018 despite the improving economic circumstances nationwide; if her attention has been further drawn to the fact that according to the Western Development Commission, County Sligo has had the lowest rate of job creation in the country since 2012; her views on whether her Department's Action Plan for Jobs in its current format is delivering for persons in County Sligo and its environs; if there will be an investigation by her Department as to the reason County Sligo has not been better supported to recover from the downturn; her further views on whether a change of approach is needed for the north-west region in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1914/18]
View answerIn relation to the first point, the Deputy may be referring to data presented in the GeoView publication, the latest edition of which was published in the second half of 2017, and which notes Sligo's position relative to other counties in relation to commercial vacancy rates. The same publication also notes that all but two counties experienced a year on year rise in commercial vacancy rates to Q2 2017. Addressing town centre renewal is an important factor in sustaining the attractiveness of urban centres as places not only to live in, but to work in, do business in and invest in. My Department is supporting retail and town centre renewal through the Retail Consultation Forum. The ‘Framework for Town Centre Renewal’ was developed in 2017 by a Working Group of this Forum, setting out a practical step by step action plan for stakeholders to work collaboratively to enhance their local town or village, and encouraging towns and villages to establish a digital platform in response to the changing retail environment. It has also served as a support document for towns and villages applying for funding under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme.
I am aware of the Western Development Commission’s publication on the Western Region’s Labour Market which findings were based on the 2011 and 2016 censuses.
I expect to shortly publish Action Plan for Jobs 2018, following an intensive consultation process. This is the eighth such Plan at the national level since its commencement in 2012, which has over that time maintained a strong emphasis on stimulating regional growth.
It is important to acknowledge that while jobs are growing right across the country some regions are growing faster than others. That is why to complement actions at the national level, the Government launched the Regional Action Plan for Jobs in 2015. The Regional Action Plan for Jobs initiative is a central pillar of the Government’s national ambition to create 200,000 new jobs by 2020, 135,000 of which are outside of Dublin. A key objective of each of the plans is to have a further 10 to 15 percent at work in each region by 2020, with the unemployment rate of each region not exceeding one percentage point above the national average.
Each Regional Action Plan includes a series of practical actions to support enterprise growth and job creation in the region, within clear timelines for delivery. The Plans seek to build on the particular strengths and opportunities of each region and have been developed by my Department in close consultation with regional stakeholders from the public and private sectors. The Plans champion the concept of regional collaboration to achieve competitive advantage in each of the regions.
Of course, the Regional Action Plans on their own will not solve everything; they are complemented by other programmes that the Government is working on at national level, including the Action Plan for Rural Development, the Action Plan for Housing, the National Planning Framework and Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies as well as skills strategies and infrastructural projects.
Co. Sligo is part of the North East/North West Regional Action Plan for Jobs. This Plan is the key policy response for supporting employment growth in the Border region, with public and private stakeholders actively engaged. Sectors targeted as part of the plan include traditionally strong sectors for the region like agri-food, manufacturing/engineering and tourism. The core objective of the Plan is to see a further 28,000 at work in the region by 2020 and to reduce the unemployment rate to within 1 percentage point of the State average.
There has been a substantial improvement in the North East/North West region since the commencement of the National Action Plan for Jobs in 2012, with an additional 22,200 in employment in Q2 2017 compared to Q1 2012. There are now 6,000 more people in work in the region since the launch of the Regional Action Plan initiative in early 2015. Moreover, latest CSO figures show that the unemployment rate in the region has fallen from 10.2% in Q1 2015 to 6.6% in Q2 2017, compared to the then national rate of 6.4%.
The latest CSO figures show that there were 3,362 people on the Live Register in County Sligo in December 2017. This figure represents a decrease of 12.7%, or 492 individuals, over the previous 12 months. This reduction is to be welcomed and demonstrates that while there are still challenges to surmount in bringing down this figure further, the overall trend for County Sligo is one of steady improvement.
Progress Reports on the implementation of the Regional Action Plans across all regions show that good progress has been made in implementing the actions. Published reports are available on www.regionalapj.ie. The Plans have also helped to facilitate a strong foundation of collaboration among the enterprise champions, local authorities, enterprise agencies and other key stakeholders involved in the regions. My Department continues to work closely with the Regional Action Plan Implementation Committees in relation to the direction of the initiative to 2020.
This Government is conscious that ambitious regional targets must be properly resourced under the Regional Action Plans. To this end, additional funds to support regional employment are being made available through the enterprise agencies on a rolling basis out to 2020.
In June 2016 an initial allocation of €5m for 48 local and regional initiatives under two of these calls was announced: the LEO Competitive Fund and the Community Enterprise Initiative. All regions benefitted under this initiative.
On 11 December last, I announced the results of the first call under Enterprise Ireland’s €60 million Regional Enterprise Development Fund (REDF). This Fund is supporting the ambition, goals and implementation of the Regional Action Plans for Jobs through enabling the development and implementation of collaborative and innovative projects that can sustain and add to employment at a national, regional and county level. Twenty-one successful applicants representing all regions of the country have secured up to €30.5m for their projects in the first call. Over €5m has been approved for the Northern and Western region, subject to grant conditions. The second call under this Scheme will fund projects from the remaining balance of the €60m budget available and will be announced in Q1 this year. In order to ensure a balanced regional spread, Enterprise Ireland has targeted a minimum of €2m to be allocated for the best ranked project/s from each region across the entirety of the €60 million fund.
An additional €150m is also being made available to the IDA to support its Regional Property Programme and drive job creation in the multi-national sector. The agency has received over €90 million of this to date. This programme includes include the construction of nine new advance facilities around the country which will help draw more multinational companies to regional areas. So far, IDA has successfully secured tenants for the first buildings completed under its Regional property investment programme, one of which is in Sligo.
The enterprise agencies are working very hard towards the Government’s ambitious job creation targets at national and regional level.
Under IDA Ireland’s strategy "Winning - Foreign Direct Investment 2015, the Agency is targeting the creation of 80,000 new jobs and 900 new investments over this period. The Agency is also aiming to increase the level of investment by between 30% and 40% in each region. Since the launch of the Strategy, half of all jobs created by IDA client Companies have been based outside of Dublin. County Sligo currently has 23 IDA client companies supporting almost 2,200 jobs.
Enterprise Ireland recognises the need for the development of sustainable, quality jobs throughout the country – especially in areas that have had historically low job creation. Progress is being made in this regard. I was pleased to see that when Enterprise Ireland announced its End of Year Statement for 2017 earlier this month, all counties had experienced growth. Sligo performed particularly well in 2017, with Enterprise Ireland supported client companies registering an employment increase of 11%. This made Sligo the second best performing county in the country, coming second only to Leitrim at 12%. Sligo's performance in 2017 is also higher than the North-West regional average of 7%.
Enterprise Ireland is committed to developing employment growth – a fact reflected in the fact that 65% of jobs created by the agency in 2017 were outside Dublin. Enterprise Ireland will continue to work with its client companies to further support and develop employment throughout Ireland during 2018.
I would also like to draw your attention to the work of the Sligo Local Enterprise Office, which offers a wide range of business supports to entrepreneurs, early stage promoters, start-ups and small businesses in the Sligo area. In the three years from 2014 to 2016, a total of 487 jobs were created by companies supported by LEO Sligo. Feasibility, priming and business expansion grants totalling €1.1m were approved for 77 projects during this period, while 80 grants were issued to micro-enterprises in the County under the Trading Online Voucher Scheme.
It is the cumulative effect of all of these activities - and the collaboration which they will bring about in their delivery - which will make a real and lasting impact on the jobs potential of Sligo and the wider North-West.
