Written Answers Nos. 150-163
150. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of Enterprise Ireland supported jobs by county; the number for Dublin city, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal and south Dublin in 2015, 2016 and 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2728/18]
View answer151. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of Enterprise Ireland clients on a county basis; the number in the case of Dublin between Dublin city, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal and south Dublin in 2015, 2016 and 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2729/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 150 and 151 together.
On 3 January 2018, Enterprise Ireland (EI) announced its 2017 end year results. The 2017 performance was strong, reporting the highest employment in the history of the agency, the highest net job creation in the history of the agency and the lowest number of job losses since 1998.
In 2017 EI supported client companies employed 209,338 people. 19,332 new jobs were created by EI backed companies in 2017.
This represents a net increase of 10,309 jobs for 2017, taking account of job losses. The job creation figures are up on 2016, despite the uncertainty that Irish businesses faced in 2017 in the context of Brexit.
Job creation was evenly spread across the country, with every county seeing job increases. Two thirds (64%) of the new jobs created were outside of Dublin. The West, Mid-West and North West saw the largest level of increases at 7% in 2017.
Enterprise Ireland attributes this strong performance by Irish businesses to the continuing growth of an entrepreneurial climate for start-ups, allied to strong jobs growth in the Construction (8% increase), Engineering (8% increase), Lifesciences (8% increase), Digital Technology (6% increase), Electronics (6% increase), Food (4% increase) and ICT sectors (5% increase).
2017 was the first year of EI’s strategy, Build Scale, Expand Reach 2017 – 2020. This Strategy is focused on:
- 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.
I am committed to work closely with Enterprise Ireland to drive this Strategy, to ensure that it continues to support companies in urban and rural areas to start, innovate, increase our exports and remain competitive in international markets, now and into the future. In recent months, with the support of my Department, EI has launched new measures to strengthen the rural and regional economy and to provide quicker access to innovation funding for exporting companies. This includes the new €60m Regional Enterprise Development Fund and a new fast-track Agile Innovation Fund.
Table 1 presents employment in Enterprise Ireland supported companies by county. Table 2 presents employment in Enterprise Ireland supported companies in each of the Dublin Boroughs.
Table 1: Employment in Enterprise Ireland Supported Companies by County
|
County |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
|
Carlow |
2,852 |
2,973 |
3,034 |
|
Cavan |
4,905 |
5,221 |
5,451 |
|
Clare |
3,255 |
3,444 |
3,709 |
|
Cork |
23,955 |
24,936 |
25,975 |
|
Donegal |
3,567 |
3,581 |
3,552 |
|
Dublin |
66,866 |
70,365 |
72,461 |
|
Galway |
7,278 |
7,294 |
8,103 |
|
Kerry |
4,678 |
4,677 |
4,866 |
|
Kildare |
8,308 |
8,632 |
9,134 |
|
Kilkenny |
3,921 |
4,167 |
4,276 |
|
Laois |
1,297 |
1,385 |
1,473 |
|
Leitrim |
820 |
922 |
559 |
|
Limerick |
6,777 |
7,954 |
8,269 |
|
Longford |
2,628 |
2,886 |
2,970 |
|
Louth |
5,600 |
5,819 |
6,121 |
|
Mayo |
3,667 |
3,856 |
4,118 |
|
Meath |
6,855 |
7,007 |
7,302 |
|
Monaghan |
4,819 |
5,168 |
5,366 |
|
Offaly |
3,794 |
3,941 |
4,281 |
|
Roscommon |
1,686 |
1,688 |
1,776 |
|
Sligo |
1,723 |
1,546 |
1,733 |
|
Tipperary |
5,264 |
5,352 |
5,907 |
|
Waterford |
5,561 |
5,721 |
6,359 |
|
Westmeath |
3,548 |
3,653 |
3,741 |
|
Wexford |
4,696 |
4,816 |
4,670 |
|
Wicklow |
3,903 |
4,104 |
4,132 |
|
Total |
192,223 |
201,108 |
209,338 |
Table 2: Employment in Enterprise Ireland Supported Companies in each of the Dublin Boroughs
|
County |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
|
Dublin City |
35,303 |
36,685 |
37,419 |
|
Dublin Fingal |
8,547 |
8,855 |
9,979 |
|
Dublin South County |
12,932 |
14,201 |
13,819 |
|
Dun Laoghaire - Rathdown |
10,084 |
10,624 |
11,244 |
|
Dublin |
66,866 |
70,365 |
72,461 |
Table 3 presents the number of EI clients on a county basis. Table 4 presents the number of EI clients in each of the four Dublin boroughs.
Table 3: Number of EI clients on a county basis
|
County |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
|
Carlow |
85 |
85 |
82 |
|
Cavan |
78 |
79 |
78 |
|
Clare |
139 |
143 |
131 |
|
Cork |
599 |
580 |
568 |
|
Donegal |
142 |
139 |
125 |
|
Dublin |
2073 |
2104 |
2197 |
|
Galway |
246 |
257 |
257 |
|
Kerry |
117 |
114 |
127 |
|
Kildare |
174 |
182 |
192 |
|
Kilkenny |
111 |
114 |
116 |
|
Laois |
56 |
54 |
55 |
|
Leitrim |
33 |
29 |
25 |
|
Limerick |
240 |
245 |
250 |
|
Longford |
45 |
49 |
50 |
|
Louth |
156 |
156 |
154 |
|
Mayo |
110 |
114 |
115 |
|
Meath |
164 |
169 |
170 |
|
Monaghan |
107 |
106 |
104 |
|
Offaly |
67 |
67 |
69 |
|
Roscommon |
51 |
53 |
51 |
|
Sligo |
69 |
69 |
69 |
|
Tipperary |
122 |
117 |
123 |
|
Waterford |
135 |
138 |
143 |
|
Westmeath |
100 |
99 |
114 |
|
Wexford |
123 |
123 |
122 |
|
Wicklow |
163 |
166 |
161 |
|
Total |
5505 |
5551 |
5648 |
Table 4: Number of EI clients in Dublin by Borough
|
Dublin Boroughs |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
|
Dublin City |
1,089 |
1,109 |
1,174 |
|
Dublin Fingal |
282 |
281 |
289 |
|
Dublin South County |
336 |
350 |
370 |
|
Dun Laoghaire - Rathdown |
366 |
364 |
364 |
|
Dublin |
2073 |
2104 |
2197 |
Data sourced from the Annual Employment Survey 2015, 2016 and 2017.
152. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of local enterprise office and previously county enterprise board supported clients on a county basis; the number in Dublin between Dublin city, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal and south Dublin for 2015, 2016 and 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2730/18]
View answer153. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of local enterprise office and previously county enterprise board supported jobs on a county basis; the number in Dublin between Dublin city, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal and south Dublin for 2015, 2016 and 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2731/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 152 and 153 together.
The Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) are the ‘first-stop-shop’ for providing advice and guidance, financial assistance and other supports to those wishing to start or grow their own business.
Details of the number of LEO supported clients and of the number of jobs in micro-enterprises supported by the LEOs for 2015 and 2016 are shown in the table on a county basis, including the four LEOs in Dublin.
Please note that the relevant details for 2017 will not be available until the results of the annual employment survey of LEO clients is completed in Q1 2018.
|
LEO |
No of LEO Clients 2015 |
No of LEO Clients 2016 |
|
Carlow |
217 |
221 |
|
Cavan |
205 |
208 |
|
Clare |
194 |
197 |
|
Cork City |
119 |
122 |
|
Cork South |
229 |
188 |
|
Cork W / N |
179 |
240 |
|
Donegal |
171 |
183 |
|
Dublin City |
298 |
349 |
|
DLR |
229 |
229 |
|
Fingal |
174 |
192 |
|
Dublin South |
250 |
261 |
|
Galway |
245 |
243 |
|
Kerry |
462 |
437 |
|
Kildare |
127 |
152 |
|
Kilkenny |
257 |
266 |
|
Laois |
90 |
102 |
|
Leitrim |
144 |
162 |
|
Limerick |
245 |
302 |
|
Longford |
238 |
242 |
|
Louth |
218 |
231 |
|
Mayo |
208 |
220 |
|
Meath |
205 |
207 |
|
Monaghan |
156 |
153 |
|
Offaly |
202 |
202 |
|
Roscommon |
146 |
155 |
|
Sligo |
213 |
215 |
|
Tipperary |
282 |
295 |
|
Waterford |
322 |
304 |
|
WestMeath |
255 |
265 |
|
Wexford |
185 |
187 |
|
Wicklow |
108 |
116 |
|
Grand Total |
6573 |
6846 |
|
LEO |
Total Jobs 2015 - (FT + PT) |
Total Jobs 2016 - (FT + PT) |
|
Carlow |
1029 |
1092 |
|
Cavan |
1110 |
1162 |
|
Clare |
1433 |
1110 |
|
Cork City |
696 |
633 |
|
Cork South |
1274 |
977 |
|
Cork W / N |
847 |
1393 |
|
Donegal |
1132 |
1358 |
|
Dublin City |
1572 |
1670 |
|
DLR |
1271 |
1308 |
|
Fingal |
723 |
831 |
|
Dublin South |
1105 |
1230 |
|
Galway |
900 |
962 |
|
Kerry |
1881 |
1962 |
|
Kildare |
770 |
881 |
|
Kilkenny |
1278 |
1500 |
|
Laois |
451 |
485 |
|
Leitrim |
378 |
422 |
|
Limerick |
1475 |
1856 |
|
Longford |
985 |
1061 |
|
Louth |
729 |
780 |
|
Mayo |
1141 |
1239 |
|
Meath |
876 |
927 |
|
Monaghan |
806 |
903 |
|
Offaly |
887 |
921 |
|
Roscommon |
666 |
704 |
|
Sligo |
1083 |
1095 |
|
Tipperary |
1319 |
1437 |
|
Waterford |
1721 |
1469 |
|
WestMeath |
1299 |
1375 |
|
Wexford |
1167 |
1192 |
|
Wicklow |
588 |
699 |
|
Grand Total |
32592 |
34634 |
154. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of additional staff to be taken on in her Department and all individual State agencies and bodies under her aegis in 2018; the cost of hiring additional staff in her Department and each individual State agency and body, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2732/18]
View answerThe 2018 Revised Estimates Volume – or REV - has been finalised, and is now available on the website of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
An additional €3 million in Pay was secured in Budget 2018 for my Department’s Vote to further assist in our response to the evolving Brexit scenario and dealing with regulatory challenges. It will enable the Department and its Agencies to recruit a further forty to fifty staff to supplement existing staffing numbers. Specifically, this additional €3 million pay allocation has been factored in to the respective pay ceilings for the Department and Agencies as follows:
• Enterprise Ireland (an additional €1.3m),
• IDA Ireland (an additional €700k),
• Science Foundation Ireland (an additional €400k),
• the Health and Safety Authority (an additional €400k)
• Department (an additional €200k).
Furthermore, in the 2018 REV process, an amount of €4m in the IDA’s capital monies has been reclassified to Pay to sustain the IDA’s “Winning Abroad Programme”. This further increases the IDA staffing numbers by 35 posts.
It is not possible to be specific on the distribution of the additional posts across my Department and each State Agency in 2018 as staffing resources are reviewed as 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.
My Department engages on an ongoing basis in workforce planning within the context of allocated funding, and with reallocation of staff across my Department as the needs of business units evolve. This will continue during 2018 with ongoing regular reviews of the appropriate staffing across my Department in response to emerging priorities.
I might also mention that my Department entered 2018 with a number of vacancies to be filled through recruitment in conjunction with the Public Appointments Service and/or advertising certain posts across the Civil Service to be filled under the Civil Service mobility programme. Therefore, it is difficult to be precise as to how staffing levels will move during the year. Nonetheless, I can inform the Deputy that staffing levels are closely monitored to ensure that we remain within pay-budget limits agreed with the Department of Public Expenditure & Reform having regard to key priorities and our workforce planning exercise.
Each Agency is provided with an overall Pay ceiling within which they have some flexibility to align their staffing resources to manage their overall operations and priorities. In addition, some Agencies also have Own Resource Income, such as Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, Health and Safety Authority and the National Standards Authority of Ireland, 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, to be agreed with my Department. As with the Department itself, responding to individual key strategic priorities and individual workforce planning exercises, each Agency works with my Department to ensure each remains within agreed pay-budget limits.
155. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of the recommendations which have been implemented from the report of the Government task force on non-EEA workers in the Irish fishing fleet in December 2015; the recommendations that have not been implemented to date; and the reason therfor. [2733/18]
View answer156. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation her views on the report on the position of non-EEA crew in the Irish fishing fleet under the atypical worker permission scheme by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Business, Enterprise and Innovation; and the timetable for implementation of the report's recommendations. [2734/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 155 and 156 together.
I would draw the Deputy’s attention to the fact that lead policy responsibility for the fishing sector resides with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the atypical work permission scheme referred to by the Deputy is administered by the Department of Justice and Equality and the Irish National Immigration Service (INIS) on behalf of that Department.
The 2015 Report by the Government Task Force on non-EEA workers in the Irish fishing fleet to which the Deputy refers was convened and chaired by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
My Department was a member of that Task Force and fully participated in its work and in the implementation of the Report’s recommendations impacting on aspects of policy responsibility for my Department. These arise in the context only of workplace inspections under employment law and health and safety activities, reflecting the respective responsibilities of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) and of the Health and Safety Authority (HSA).
The Deputy refers also to the Report published in December 2017 by the Joint Committee on Business, Enterprise and Innovation on non-EEA crew in the Irish Fishing Fleet under the Atypical Worker Permission Scheme. As outlined, I do not have lead policy responsibility for the fishing sector so the Report overall will fall to be considered by the Minister with responsibility for the fishing sector.
However, I can confirm that my Department is examining this Report carefully in the context of any recommendations that come within my policy remit. On a preliminary examination, the Report contains 12 recommendations of which 2 come within my area of responsibility and relate to the activities of the WRC. My Department will engage with the WRC in the context of pursuing these recommendations.
157. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of meetings she and her predecessor had with interest groups relating to the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015. [2735/18]
View answerNeither I nor my predecessor have had any meetings with interest groups relating to the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015.
158. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation when the 2018 Action Plan for Jobs will be published. [2744/18]
View answerThe Action Plan for Jobs is one of the Government’s key instruments to support job creation. As of Quarter 3, 2017, employment in the State is almost 2,207,000. Over four out of five additional jobs created since the Government was formed are based outside Dublin.
While unemployment has fallen significantly and employment continues to grow strongly, this Government’s goal is to have an additional 200,000 people at work by 2020, including 135,000 jobs outside of Dublin.
In July 2017 the Department of Business Enterprise and Innovation commenced the process to develop the Action Plan for Jobs 2018, receiving submissions from many stakeholders. Proposals for the 2018 Plan focus on new and more strategic actions that will have a significant impact on sustainable job creation.
The 2018 Action Plan for Jobs will be published in the coming weeks. I continue to work with Ministerial colleagues to ensure that the 2018 Plan is ambitious and impactful and keeps us on track to deliver on our 2020 targets.
159. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if her Department has sought permission from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to carry over unspent capital to 2018; if so, the amount sought as a carryover; the reason this was necessary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2745/18]
View answerGiven that my Department had a Supplementary Estimate package which totalled €40 million which was approved by the Houses of the Oireachtas in December 2017, the Department did not seek to carry over any remaining unspent capital monies at year end.
The provisional capital outturn figure for 2017, following the supplementary estimate, is approximately €546.53 million with an amount of €467,000 approximately being unspent.
The definitive 2017 year end expenditure figures for my Department’s Vote will be confirmed through the completion of the 2017 Appropriation Account in the first quarter of 2018.
160. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Health his views on member states proceeding with mandatory origin labels for food products at national level; and his further views on the steps that should be taken at EU level regarding such actions. [2663/18]
View answerRegulation (EU) No. 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council provides the legal framework for the labelling of food products. Under the Regulation, Member States are given the power to enact national legislation to provide for country of origin labelling of specific types or categories of foods. However, such national measures are only allowed, in accordance with Article 39(2), “where there is a proven link between certain qualities of the food and its origin or provenance”. Additionally, the Member State must notify such measures to the Commission and “shall provide evidence that the majority of consumers attach significant value to the provision of that information.” Under this notification procedure, Member States can only adopt the proposed measure if it has not received a negative opinion from the EU Commission.
A number of Member States, including France, Italy and Spain, have provided for national mandatory indications of origin for certain food products. The majority of these measures have been introduced on a trial basis and the Member States concerned have committed to report on the impact of these origin rules on the internal market. The European Commission has not as yet decided to set out its intentions on future policy concerning country of origin labelling. Ireland will contribute to any such discussions at EU level as appropriate.
161. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will receive a hospital appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2391/18]
View answerUnder the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.
The National Waiting List Management Policy, A standardised approach to managing scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures, January 2014, has been developed to ensure that all administrative, managerial and clinical staff follow an agreed national minimum standard for the management and administration of waiting lists for scheduled care. This policy, which has been adopted by the HSE, sets out the processes that hospitals are to implement to manage waiting lists.
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond the Deputy directly.
162. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health the timeframe for commencement and completion of a hospice suite (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2392/18]
View answerThe HSE have advised that they are now in a position to award the tender for this development. It is expected that construction will commence by the end of Q1 2018.
163. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the status of an appointment for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2394/18]
View answerUnder the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.
The National Waiting List Management Policy, A standardised approach to managing scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures, January 2014, has been developed to ensure that all administrative, managerial and clinical staff follow an agreed national minimum standard for the management and administration of waiting lists for scheduled care. This policy, which has been adopted by the HSE, sets out the processes that hospitals are to implement to manage waiting lists.
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
