Written Answers Nos. 317-340
317. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the criteria for applying to the immigrant investor programme; the amount of annual funding allocated to the programme; the status of the fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4461/18]
View answerI have been advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP) commenced in April 2012 to attract inward investment and as a result create business and employment opportunities in the State. The IIP is not a fund, nor is any funding allocated to the Programme.
The IIP is open to non-EEA nationals who wish to commit to an approved minimum investment of €1 million in Ireland for at least three years. Applicants must demonstrate that they have a legally required minimum net worth of €2 million and are of good character. Applications under the IIP may be to invest in projects such as social housing, nursing homes, primary care centres, hotels and other manufacturing and processing enterprises. All applications are examined by an independent evaluation committee which makes its recommendations to the Minister.
By of the end of 2017, applications for investments to the value of €570.7 million had been processed through the IIP.
318. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí serving in counties Longford and Westmeath in each of the years 2012 to 2017, in tabular form. [4464/18]
View answerAs the Deputy will appreciate, it is the Garda Commissioner who is responsible for the distribution of resources, including personnel, among the various Garda Divisions and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. Garda management keeps this distribution of resources under continual review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure that the optimum use is made of these resources.
The information requested by the Deputy in relation to the strength of An Garda Síochána by county is not readily available as gardaí are assigned to Garda Divisions which do not necessarily accord with county boundaries. The Garda strength of the Roscommon/Longford Division on 31 December 2017 was 310 with 9 Garda Reserves and 29 Garda civilian staff. The strength of the Westmeath Division is 270 with 13 Reserves and 24 Garda civilians. When appropriate, the work of local gardaí is supported by a number of Garda national units such as the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Armed Support Units, the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau and the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau.
As the Deputy will be aware, this Government is committed to ensuring a strong and visible police presence throughout the country in order to maintain and strengthen community engagement, provide reassurance to citizens and to deter crime. To achieve this, the Government has put in place a plan for an overall Garda workforce of 21,000 personnel by 2021 comprising 15,000 Garda members, 2,000 Reserve members and 4,000 civilians. We are making real, tangible progress on achieving this goal.
I am informed by the Commissioner that since the reopening of the Garda College in September 2014, just under 1,600 recruits have attested as members of An Garda Síochána and have been assigned to mainstream duties nationwide, of whom 15 have been assigned to the Roscommon-Longford Division and 32 to the Westmeath Division. I am pleased to say that Garda numbers, taking account of retirements, increased to 13,551 at the end of 2017 - an increase of over 600 since the end of 2016.
I am also pleased that funding is in place to maintain this high level of investment in the Garda workforce to ensure that the vision of an overall workforce of 21,000 by 2021 remains on track. This year a further 800 new Garda Recruits will enter the Garda College. Also 800 Garda trainees are scheduled to attest during the year which will see Garda numbers, taking account of projected retirements, reach 14,000 by the end of 2018.
In addition, a further 500 civilians will also be recruited to fill critical skills gaps across the organisation and to facilitate the redeployment of Gardaí from administrative and technical duties to front-line operational duties. There are plans to strengthen the Garda Reserve with new Reserves expected to commence training early in 2018.
This focus on investment in personnel is critical. The moratorium on recruitment introduced in 2010 resulted in a significant reduction in the strength of An Garda Síochána. We are now rebuilding the organisation and providing the Commissioner with the resources needed to deploy increasing numbers of Gardaí across every Division, including the Roscommon/Longford and the Westmeath Divisions.
For the Deputy’s information I have set out below in tabular form the number of Gardaí attached to the Roscommon/Longford and the Westmeath Garda Divisions from 2012 to 2017 as provided by the Commissioner.
|
GARDA STRENGTH BY DIVISION 2012 - 2017 |
||||||
|
DIVISION |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
|
Roscommon/Longford |
280 |
285 |
285 |
292 |
301 |
310 |
|
Westmeath |
254 |
245 |
245 |
246 |
242 |
270 |
319. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of dedicated community gardaí in the service of An Garda Síochána in each of the past seven years; and the number of dedicated community gardaí in each Garda district in each of the past seven years, in tabular form. [4472/18]
View answerAs the Deputy will appreciate, it is the Garda Commissioner who is responsible for the distribution of resources, including personnel, among the various Garda Divisions and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. Garda management keeps this distribution of resources under continual review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure that the optimum use is made of these resources.
This Government is committed to ensuring a strong and visible police presence throughout the country in order to maintain and strengthen community engagement, provide reassurance to citizens and to deter crime. To make this a reality for all the Government has in place a plan for an overall Garda workforce of 21,000 personnel by 2021 comprising 15,000 Garda members, 2,000 Reserve members and 4,000 civilians. We are making real, tangible progress on reaching this goal.
I am informed by the Commissioner that since the reopening of the Garda College in September 2014, just under 1,600 recruits have attested as members of An Garda Síochána and have been assigned to mainstream duties nationwide. Garda numbers, taking account of projected retirements, increased to 13,551 at the end of 2017 - an increase of over 600 since the end of 2016.
I am also pleased that funding is in place to maintain this high level of investment in the Garda workforce to ensure that the vision of an overall workforce of 21,000 by 2021 remains on track. This year a further 800 new Garda Recruits will enter the Garda College. Also, 800 Garda trainees are scheduled to attest during the year, which will see Garda numbers reach more than 14,000 by the end of 2018.
In addition, a further 500 civilians will also be recruited to fill critical gaps across the organisation and to facilitate the redeployment of Gardaí from administrative and technical duties to front line operational duties. There are plans to strengthen the Garda Reserve with new Reserves expected to commence training in 2018.
This focus on investment in personnel is critical. The moratorium on recruitment introduced in 2010 resulted in a significant reduction in the strength of An Garda Síochána. We are now rebuilding the organisation and providing the Commissioner with the resources needed to deploy increasing numbers of Gardaí across every Garda Division.
Community policing is at the heart of An Garda Síochána. It provides a means of recognising that every community – both urban and rural – has its own concerns and expectations.
I am informed by the Commissioner that the Garda National Model of Community Policing plays a key part in responding to crime by taking into account and responding to local conditions and needs. Clear objectives are set, such as high visibility in the community, ease of contact by members of the public, and enhanced support for crime prevention strategies. Community policing is not, of course, confined to dedicated Community Gardaí, all Gardaí have a role to play in community policing in carrying out their duties. In addition, the National Community Policing Office, attached to the Garda Community Relations Bureau, captures best practice in community policing initiatives and disseminates these practices through its communication network.
An Garda Síochána's Modernisation and Renewal Programme 2016-2021 places a strong emphasis on developing and supporting the community policing ethos of the organisation and enhancing the current delivery model so that Gardaí spend more time in the community, gaining public confidence and trust and providing a greater sense of security.
Undoubtedly, the ongoing recruitment process will support all Garda activities and will enhance Garda visibility within our communities and the provision of effective community policing across all Garda Divisions.
I am informed by the Commissioner that the information sought by the Deputy in not readily available by Garda District. By way of assistance I have set out below in tabular form the number of Community Gardaí by Division for the years 2011 to 2017.
Community Garda 2011-2017
|
Division |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
|
D.M.R.S.C. |
99 |
84 |
58 |
43 |
38 |
34 |
30 |
|
DMR NC |
140 |
143 |
152 |
139 |
121 |
110 |
90 |
|
DMR NORTH |
76 |
86 |
68 |
57 |
58 |
53 |
47 |
|
DMR EAST |
30 |
20 |
29 |
27 |
30 |
32 |
34 |
|
DMR SOUTH |
52 |
59 |
53 |
45 |
53 |
39 |
40 |
|
DMR WEST |
83 |
80 |
68 |
62 |
63 |
53 |
64 |
|
Waterford |
62 |
52 |
52 |
46 |
44 |
44 |
35 |
|
Wexford |
24 |
19 |
16 |
14 |
8 |
8 |
7 |
|
Tipperary |
104 |
99 |
85 |
80 |
77 |
71 |
68 |
|
Kilkenny/Carlow |
117 |
108 |
101 |
95 |
90 |
88 |
85 |
|
Cork City |
31 |
31 |
32 |
28 |
24 |
26 |
27 |
|
Cork North |
8 |
8 |
7 |
7 |
6 |
8 |
6 |
|
Cork West |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
6 |
4 |
|
Kerry |
9 |
10 |
9 |
8 |
7 |
7 |
9 |
|
Limerick |
73 |
67 |
61 |
58 |
58 |
42 |
38 |
|
Donegal |
35 |
24 |
29 |
26 |
24 |
2 |
2 |
|
Cavan/Monaghan |
9 |
8 |
7 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
2 |
|
Sligo/Leitrim |
9 |
8 |
9 |
9 |
9 |
8 |
6 |
|
Louth |
21 |
20 |
16 |
16 |
16 |
15 |
12 |
|
Clare |
13 |
8 |
7 |
6 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
|
Mayo |
8 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
|
Galway |
21 |
20 |
18 |
13 |
14 |
14 |
14 |
|
Roscommon/Longford |
8 |
9 |
8 |
6 |
9 |
10 |
10 |
|
Westmeath |
15 |
10 |
9 |
9 |
9 |
10 |
8 |
|
Meath |
16 |
14 |
12 |
9 |
8 |
9 |
7 |
|
Kildare |
6 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
|
Laois/Offaly |
19 |
18 |
8 |
18 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
|
Wicklow |
20 |
20 |
18 |
14 |
18 |
14 |
14 |
|
Total |
1112 |
1034 |
939 |
852 |
807 |
718 |
691 |
*Up to 31 December 2017
320. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of Garda patrol cars, vans, motorcycles, bicycles and other vehicles in each County Cork Garda division in each of the years 2013 to 2017, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4491/18]
View answerAs the Deputy will appreciate, decisions in relation to the provision and allocation of Garda vehicles are a matter for the Garda Commissioner in light of his identified operational demands and the availability of resources and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter.
However, the information requested by the Deputy, as provided by the Garda authorities, is set out in the following table.
Garda Fleet - Cork Divisions from 2013 to 2017
|
CARS |
||||||||
|
Marked |
Unmarked |
Vans |
Motorcycles |
4 x 4 |
Others |
Total |
||
|
Total |
58 |
74 |
37 |
8 |
5 |
9 |
191 |
|
|
Cork City Division |
21 |
54 |
20 |
6 |
2 |
7 |
110 |
|
|
Cork North Division |
16 |
10 |
10 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
39 |
|
|
2013 |
Cork West Division |
21 |
10 |
7 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
42 |
|
Total |
65 |
81 |
40 |
11 |
6 |
7 |
210 |
|
|
Cork City Division |
29 |
60 |
22 |
7 |
3 |
7 |
128 |
|
|
Cork North Division |
15 |
11 |
11 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
41 |
|
|
2014 |
Cork West Division |
21 |
10 |
7 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
41 |
|
Total |
83 |
83 |
40 |
7 |
4 |
6 |
223 |
|
|
Cork City Division |
35 |
60 |
21 |
4 |
2 |
6 |
128 |
|
|
Cork North Division |
22 |
13 |
10 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
48 |
|
|
2015 |
Cork West Division |
26 |
10 |
9 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
47 |
|
Total |
88 |
89 |
43 |
14 |
6 |
11 |
251 |
|
|
Cork City Division |
34 |
65 |
21 |
9 |
4 |
11 |
144 |
|
|
Cork North Division |
25 |
12 |
12 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
53 |
|
|
2016 |
Cork West Division |
29 |
12 |
10 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
54 |
|
Total: |
87 |
91 |
41 |
13 |
5 |
10 |
247 |
|
|
Cork City Division |
35 |
65 |
20 |
8 |
3 |
9 |
140 |
|
|
Cork North Division |
24 |
14 |
11 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
54 |
|
|
2017 |
Cork West Division |
28 |
12 |
10 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
53 |
The following mountain bikes issued to Cork
|
Year |
Area |
Amount |
|
2003 to 2013 |
Cork City Division |
23 |
|
2003 to 2013 |
Cork North Division |
10 |
|
2003 to 2013 |
Cork West Division |
6 |
|
2014 to 2015 |
All Cork Divisions |
Nil |
|
2016 |
Cork City Division |
5 |
|
2017 |
All Cork Divisions |
Nil |
321. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to undertake a review of the domiciliary clause which prohibits the recognition of pre-1986 divorces which were granted in the UK but are not recognised here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4502/18]
View answerThe recognition of foreign divorces that were obtained before the Domicile and Recognition of Foreign Divorces Act 1986 came into operation on 2 October 1986 is governed by common law rules on domicile. The judgment in the 2015 Supreme Court case of H v. H [2015] IESC 7 has confirmed that Irish law does not recognise the validity of a divorce lawfully granted prior to 2 October 1986 in a country where neither party to the marriage was domiciled at the date of institution of the divorce proceedings but where one party was resident on that date.
Where there is an issue as to whether a foreign divorce is entitled to recognition, section 29 of the Family Law Act 1995 allows a person to apply to court for a declaration as to marital status, including a declaration as to whether a foreign divorce is entitled to recognition in the State.
I have no plans at present to undertake a review of the law in relation to recognition of foreign divorces which were obtained prior to 2 October 1986.
322. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of Garda Reserve members as at the end of 2017; the percentage who completed the minimum of 208 annual hours per annum duty obligations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4607/18]
View answerAs the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of resources, including personnel, among the various Garda Divisions and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. Garda management keeps this distribution of resources under continual review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure that the optimum use is made of these resources.
I am advised by the Garda Commissioner that the strength of the Reserve on the 31 December 2017 was 589. It is regrettable that there has been a substantial reduction in the strength of the Reserve in recent years from a peak of 1,164 in 2013. The fall-off arises from a range of factors, not least the lifting in 2014 of the moratorium on recruitment of trainee Gardaí which has affected Reserve numbers in two ways - firstly some serving Reserves have successfully applied to become trainee Gardaí, and secondly, resources in both An Garda Síochána and in the Public Appointment Service have been focused on delivering an accelerated programme of recruitment of full time members of An Garda Síochána.
I am sure that the Deputy will agree, notwithstanding the very valuable contribution of Reserve members throughout the country, that it was the right decision, with finite resources, to prioritise the running of recruitment campaigns to replenish the full-time ranks of An Garda Síochána over the past three years.
The Programme for a Partnership Government includes a commitment to double the Reserve to act in a supportive role undertaking local patrols and crime reduction measures. In line with this, the Government has in place a plan to achieve a Reserve strength of 2,000 by 2021. With the plan to reach 15,000 Garda members well on track it was possible for the Commissioner and the Public Appointments Service to undertake a new recruitment campaign for Reserves last March which attracted 2,394 applicants. It is expected that applicants from this campaign will enter training in early 2018.
As the Deputy will be aware, service in the Reserve is voluntary and unpaid. However, an allowance is payable to Reserve members who complete a minimum of 208 hours of duty annually as a contribution towards expenses incurred in performing their duties. The allowance is currently set at €1,000 per annum. Reserves are also reimbursed for expenses incurred while attending court in respect of their service as a Reserve.
I have requested the details of the percentage of Garda Reserves who completed 208 hours of service or more in 2017 from the Commissioner and I will write to him on receipt of same.
A referred reply was forwarded to the Deputy under Standing Order 42A.
323. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons at assistant principal level under the aegis of his Department due to retire on age grounds in the next six months in counties Galway, Mayo, Roscommon and Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4977/18]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that there are no staff at Assistant Principal level in the organisations under the aegis of my Department who are due to retire in the next six months in counties Galway, Mayo, Roscommon and Clare.
324. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the position regarding blasting of rock with explosives in quarries; the guidelines issued to the relevant persons in relation to overseeing these matters; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4369/18]
View answerAll mining or quarrying for scheduled minerals requires either a Lease under the Minerals Development Act 1940 for minerals in State ownership, or a Licence under the 1979 Minerals Development Act for privately owned minerals, both are issued by the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and the Environment.
Under the terms of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, the Health and Safety Authority is responsible for the enforcement of health and safety in the workplace.
Specific requirements relating to the quarrying sector were introduced through the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Quarries) Regulations 2008 (S.I. No. 28 of 2008). Under these Regulations the quarry owner must formally appoint an operator for the quarry. This Operator assumes certain responsibilities including the formal appointment by of explosive supervisors and shotfirers at the quarry.
Part 5 of Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Quarries) Regulations 2008 provides for specific responsibilities, the Operator of the Quarry, the Explosive Supervisor and the Shotfirer as set out below:-
- The Operator of the quarry has overall responsibility in relation to health and safety and he has a duty to ensure that only competent people are involved in blasting operations.
- The Operator has to appoint a competent Explosives Supervisor to oversee blasting operations at the quarry and a competent Shotfirer to carry out blasting operations at the quarry. The Explosives Supervisor and the Shotfirer can be one and the same person and where the Operator is himself competent he can appoint himself to these roles.
- The Explosives Supervisor and the Shotfirer must each hold the relevant registration card issued by SOLAS in pursuant to paragraph (3) and Schedule 1 under the Quarries Skills Certification Scheme.
- Before any blasting operations can take place the Operator must prepare, of have prepared shotfiring rules specific to the quarry which set out the procedures for the following:-
(a) shotfiring operations at the quarry,
(b) appointing Explosives Supervisors, Shotfirers, Trainee Shotfirers and Storekeepers,
(c) authorising other persons who will be involved with the storage, transport, use or disposal of explosives,
(d) dealing with misfires,
(e) disposing of surplus explosives, detonators, accessories and packaging
- The Operator has a duty to ensure that the Explosives Supervisor prepares an adequate written blast specification for each particular blast that identifies the danger zone to ensure the shotfiring operations do not give rise to danger.
- The Explosives Supervisor and Shotfirer organise and supervise all work involving the storage, transport, use and disposal of explosives at the quarry and must ensure that no person carries out any work in relation to explosives unless they are trained, adequately supervised and instructed to do so.
- The Shotfirer must ensure that no one is within the danger zone when blasting is to take place and must ensure that a warning signal is given before the blast is initiated.
- The legal requirements of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Quarries) Regulations 2008 are further supported by guidance prepared by the Health and Safety Authority, ‘Safe Quarry Guidelines to the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Quarries) Regulations 2008-Part 5’, these guidelines were developed with the assistance and advice of a Working Group on Quarrying Safety, representative of a wide range of interests in the quarrying industry and are available from the Health and Safety Authority’s website (www.hsa.ie).
- The remit of the Health and Safety Authority does not extend to potential environmental issues associated with blasting that may occur at individual quarries. Such issues could include Air Over-Pressure, Noise, Dust and Ground Vibration are a matter for the relevant Local Authority where maximum levels would be set as part of the planning and licensing processes.
325. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the extent to which she expects Ireland's trade with other countries to increase after Brexit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4635/18]
View answerWith a small domestic market, further expansion in other markets is essential to Ireland’s continued economic growth. Overall, export growth in Ireland in recent years has been exceptionally strong and exports continue to contribute positively to growth and employment.
Promoting diversified export markets in light of the potential impacts of Brexit is a key priority for my Department. Through the Government’s Trade Strategy, ‘Ireland Connected: Trading and Investing in a Dynamic World’, we aim by 2020 to increase indigenous exports by Enterprise Ireland supported companies, including food, to reach €26 billion, achieve 80% of indigenous export growth outside of the UK market and secure 900 new foreign direct investments.
As well as the global efforts supported by Enterprise Ireland, key to our success has been our commitment to trade liberalisation in order to open new markets for our indigenous sectors. The EU suite of Free Trade Agreements (FTA’s) with third countries help to open new markets, break down barriers and provide new opportunities for Irish firms. Brexit has reinforced the importance of accelerating the delivery of EU trade deals with leading economies and regional blocs.
One such trade deal is the EU–Canada Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) which entered into force provisionally from 21 September 2017. Irish companies may now take advantage of the all-important provisions of CETA including the elimination of tariffs on almost all key exports, access to the Canadian procurement market, transparent rules for market access and the removal of red tape and other barriers to trade and investment.
More recently, on the 8th December 2017, the EU and Japan announced the successful conclusion of the final discussions on the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). The agri-food sector, in particular will see benefits from access to Japan’s highly valuable export market, with improved access for beef, pork, cheese and processed agricultural products. The EPA will remove the majority of tariffs and addresses many non-tariff measures including technical requirements and certification procedures that often make it difficult to export safe European products to the highly regulated Japanese market.
Moreover, the EU and Mexico hope to reach political agreement early this year on the modernisation of the EU-Mexico Global Agreement, to include provisions on regulatory cooperation, increased trade in agriculture and food, common sanitary standards and sustainable development. Ireland supports comparable trade conditions for investors and businesses across the Americas, making it easier for Irish businesses to trade in and enter these markets.
Currently, the EU is also negotiating an EU-Mercosur FTA which would be the EU’s largest trade deal to date, and is four times the size of the trade agreement with Japan. Irish exporters are currently subject to trade tariffs, barriers and restrictions, when exporting to Mercosur. The proposed FTA should make exports from Ireland more attractive and potentially increase demand for Irish products.
During his September 2017 State of the Union address, the President of the European Parliament, Jean-Claude Juncker, proposed opening trade negotiations with Australia and New Zealand. The draft negotiating mandates for Australia and New Zealand are currently being discussed by the Commission and Member States.
Ireland will continue to support the EU’s ambitious programme of negotiating new FTA’s giving Irish firms expanded market access and a predictable trading environment in third countries. To this end, my Department has commissioned a major examination of the economic opportunities and impacts for Ireland arising from EU FTA’s which we hope will be available later this year.
326. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the amount drawn down by Ireland from the Horizon 2020 fund to date; and the areas to which the funds have been allocated. [3993/18]
View answerIreland has won €475 million in Horizon 2020 to September 2017, the latest data release from the European Commission. Irish Higher Education Institutes have accounted for just under €255 million out of this funding, while industry won just over €160 million, of which €98.6 million was awarded to Irish SMEs.
The Horizon 2020 programme areas with largest funding to Ireland to date are:
1. Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (€77.5M)
2. Information & Communication Technologies (€75.5M)
3. Health (€65.2M)
4. European Research Council (€53.4M)
5. Agri-Food (€50.0M)
6. Nanotechnologies (€40.0M)
7. Energy (€27.5M)
8. Research Infrastructures (€15.6M)
9. Climate (€14.1M)
10. Transport (€12.2M)
11. Security (€10.2M)
327. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the estimated spend on basic research nationally in a given year. [3994/18]
View answerThe estimated spend on basic research in 2015 was €530 million, accounting for 17% of the total spend on R&D nationally.
Of the €530 million spend on basic research, almost two thirds is performed in the Higher Education sector, 31% in the business sector and 4% in the Government sector.
More detailed tables are attached.
Table 1: Gross Expenditure on Research & Development (GERD) by type of research, 2009-2015, €m (Estimate )
|
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
|
|
Basic research |
568 |
508 |
468 |
486 |
527 |
519 |
530 |
|
Applied research |
854 |
861 |
863 |
903 |
967 |
1,070 |
1,167 |
|
Experimental development |
1,314 |
1,331 |
1,347 |
1,348 |
1,354 |
1,399 |
1,437 |
|
All types of research and development |
2,736 |
2,700 |
2,678 |
2,737 |
2,848 |
2,988 |
3,134 |
Table 2: Share of GERD by type of research, 2009-2015
|
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
|
|
Basic research |
21% |
19% |
17% |
18% |
18% |
17% |
17% |
|
Applied research |
31% |
32% |
32% |
33% |
34% |
36% |
37% |
|
Experimental development |
48% |
49% |
50% |
49% |
48% |
47% |
46% |
|
All types of research and development |
100% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
Table 3: Total expenditure on basic research by sector of performance, 2009-2015, €m, (Estimate)
|
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
|
|
Business sector |
121 |
106 |
91 |
134 |
176 |
169 |
163 |
|
Higher Education Sector |
426 |
382 |
358 |
333 |
332 |
331 |
346 |
|
Government Sector |
20 |
19 |
19 |
20 |
19 |
19 |
20 |
|
Total expenditure on basic research |
568 |
508 |
468 |
486 |
527 |
519 |
530 |
Table 4: Share of basic research expenditure by sector of performance, 2009-2015
|
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
|
|
Business sector |
21% |
21% |
19% |
27% |
33% |
33% |
31% |
|
Higher Education Sector |
75% |
75% |
76% |
68% |
63% |
64% |
65% |
|
Government Sector |
4% |
4% |
4% |
4% |
4% |
4% |
4% |
|
Total expenditure on basic research |
100% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
Gross Expenditure on Research and Development (GERD) is the sum of:
- Total expenditure on Research and Development in the Higher Education Sector (HERD)
- Total expenditure on Research and Development in the Government Sector (GOVERD)
- Total expenditure on Research and Development in the Business Sector (BERD)
The sources of the data are as follows:
- Data for the business sector- CSO, Statbank - http://www.cso.ie/px/pxeirestat/Statire/SelectVarVal/Define.asp?maintable=BSA07&PLanguage=0
- Data from the Higher Education Sector – Survey of R&D in the Higher Education Sector 2014/2015. The data for 2015 was estimated and was the official figure provided to Eurostat
- Data for the Government Sector – official figures provided to Eurostat in May 2017 for years 2012 to 2015). The data for 2009 to 2011 is calculated using the same proportions for types of research as in 2012. Figures also include estimate for R&D undertaken in hospitals.
The official definitions of types of research according to the Frascati Manual 2015 are detailed below:
- Basic research is experimental or theoretical work undertaken primarily to acquire new knowledge of the underlying foundation of phenomena and observable facts without any particular application or use in view.
- Applied research is original investigation undertaken in order to acquire new knowledge. It is, however, directed primarily towards a specific, practical aim or objective.
- Experimental research is systematic work, drawing on knowledge gained from research and practical experience and producing additional knowledge, which is directed to producing new products or processes or to improving existing products or processes (where "product" refers to a good or a service and "process" refers to the transformation of inputs to outputs and to their delivery or to organizational structures or practices.)
328. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation her views on each recommendation (details supplied) as contained in the latest National Competitiveness Council report, Ireland’s Competitiveness Challenge 2017; her plans to implement the policy recommendations which she has statutory remit for; and the timeframe for implementation. [4045/18]
View answerDetails of measures being taken to address each of the recommendations contained in the National Competitiveness Council report which fall under the remit of my Department are set out below.
|
Recommendation |
Status |
|
Clarify the eligibility criteria for the Brexit Working Capital Scheme and engage with industry stakeholders accordingly to optimally develop the Scheme. |
The Brexit Loan Scheme will be available to eligible Irish businesses with up to 499 employees. To be eligible, businesses must be viable enterprises that have been demonstrably exposed to current or future negative impacts resulting from the Brexit vote. This will include businesses whose supply chain will be disrupted by Brexit or which are linked to businesses directly impacted. They must also provide a business plan demonstrating that they plan to innovate, change, or adapt in response to Brexit. The Scheme will be open to both State Agency clients and businesses that do not have any relationship with State Agencies. Sole traders may also apply. The Brexit Loan Scheme will be launched at the end of March 2018 and will run for two years. Extensive engagement with businesses was conducted as part of the development of the Scheme, both by the Departments of Business Enterprise & Innovation and Agriculture, Food & the Marine and by agencies including Enterprise Ireland and Bord Bia |
|
Develop a long-term Business Development Loan Scheme to support SMEs affected by Brexit. |
Officials in my Department are exploring the development of a longer-term Development Loan Scheme. While the Brexit Loan Scheme aims to provide relatively short-term credit to businesses coping with working capital challenges, a longer-term Business Development Loan Scheme would assist firms in long-term investing for a post-Brexit environment. It is intended that this Scheme would also be developed in cooperation with the EIB group. Engagement with key stakeholders is currently taking place. |
|
Continue to optimise the employment permits system by making further use of ICT in employment permits processes and review the effectiveness of online permits and the Trusted Partners initiative. |
A new Employment Permit Online System (EPOS) was introduced in September 2016. EPOS provides a great user experience, easy and intuitive to use, inbuilt form validation, multi country input to applications online, upload of supporting documentation and secure online fee payments. Since the introduction, over 95% of total applications are coming in online. The Department plans to extend the online system to include the remaining prescribed forms such as review requests. |
|
Continue to set an objective that Ireland’s medium term productivity growth as part of the renewed Enterprise 2025 Strategy. Reflecting the composition of Irish productivity growth, output per hour should also be measured relative to GNI*. Separate complementary targets should continue to be set and monitored at sectoral level. |
Enterprise 2025 (EP 2025) set out a range of cross sectoral initiatives across Government designed to support enterprise sector productivity. A review of EP 2025 is being undertaken by the Department in the context of global changes that are likely to have an immediate impact on Ireland’s enterprise development, specifically Brexit and potential relevant policy changes under the new US administration. The emphasis on productivity performance will be continued and strengthened in the revised EP 2025. This will also continue to be a core part of the NCC’s annual competitiveness benchmarking work. |
|
Ensure the work of the NCC has a greater emphasis on productivity analysis. Examine the Council’s Terms of Reference, reflect the European Council recommendation and ensure the NCC is adequately resourced to fulfil its mandate. The NCC should engage with the European Commission, OECD and Productivity and Competitiveness Boards to ensure its work in this area is in accordance with emerging trends and international best practice. |
Monitoring of productivity performance at macro and sectoral level is conducted annually by the National Competitiveness Council and reported in the Competitiveness Scorecard Report. Policy recommendations to enhance Ireland’s productivity performance are set out in the Council’s Competitiveness Challenge report. In 2017, the Council published a report Benchmarking Ireland’s Productivity Performance relative to other countries and the performance of individual sectors within Ireland. The report also considered specific areas of policy focus which have the potential to broaden and deepen Irish productivity growth in the medium term. Ireland joined the OECD Global Forum on Productivity in 2016. Secretariat to the Council participate in the Forum. |
|
Streamline the supports available for universities/industry collaborations. Increase awareness of and take-up of funding schemes promoting academia/industry collaborations, especially amongst Irish SMEs with a focus on firms that have not previously engaged in such collaboration. |
In 2017 over 1060 collaborative projects were supported between industry and academia by Enterprise Ireland. Take-up and awareness of the supports continues at pace with a 40% increase in the numbers of these projects in the last 5 years. Specific supports such as the Innovation Voucher scheme specifically target companies who are new to collaboration and innovation and the Enterprise Ireland Technology Centres and Technology Gateways are charged with continually increasing the number of SMEs they engage in collaborative RDI with every year. |
|
Continue to maximise the drawdown from Horizon 2020. In relation to Horizon 2020 funded research assess the potential opportunities and threats arising from the future disengagement of the UK from the EU. |
D/BEI continues to oversee the national strategy for engagement with H2020 through the High Level Group. D/BEI will continue to monitor Ireland/ UK participation and potential any opportunities and threats arising from the future disengagement as the work programme for 2018 – 2020 is rolled out The Horizon 2020 support network, based in Enterprise Ireland, will continue to drive a strong and continuously increasing drawdown from this important source of non-exchequer funding. To date, Ireland has won €475 million in competitive funding from the Horizon 2020 programme. More than 1,100 applications have been successful for 536 higher education researchers and 430 companies, placing Ireland’s success rate above the EU average. Science Foundation Ireland is undertaking considerable work in this area and has put in place specific targets with SFI Research Centres to maximise the drawdown from H2020 (data available is required) SFI has focused resources on planning for Brexit. UK will continue to be a power house of research excellence and all efforts must be made to continue the IE/UK collaborative relationships. SFI already has a significant number of partnerships with highly-respected international funding agencies. These include joint programmes with Wellcome (UK), the Royal Society (UK), the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, the UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and the Department for the Economy NI. These partnerships enable Irish researchers to access prestigious UK funding schemes and to undertake joint projects with their counterparts in the UK. In addition, they associate Ireland with important international researchers and research funders, thus demonstrating to global stakeholders, industry and the research community alike, the quality of Irish research. The agency is in negotiations with representatives within UK policy and academia to advance further partnerships to implement joint PhD, Joint Professorship recruitment programmes and bilateral research funding programmes. Horizon 2020 is the current EU framework programme for research and innovation. A hard Brexit is likely to have a much more significant impact on FP9 than it will on Horizon 2020. The overall FP budget may be reduced with the UK leaving. The monetary reduction for this is unclear as it will depend on negotiation outcomes. Until the buy-in from the UK to the EU following Brexit is clarified it is very difficult to clearly map the potential impact of the removal of EU policy and legislation. It is clear that Ireland must continue to collaborate closely with researchers and research centres of scientific excellence and strategic relevance in the UK to advance our research endeavours. Science Foundation Ireland requested an additional €6.5M capital budget in 2018 specifically to advance BREXIT related programme activity (this requested budget was part of a bigger budgetary ask of €53M). This BREXIT-related budget was not allocated to the agency which is limiting our ability to fully manage opportunities and risks associated with BREXIT. |
|
Based on the findings of the review of RD&I supports prepare an implementation plan to intensify business R&D activity. |
The Enterprise Ireland in-company RDI support for indigenous companies has been substantially improved and optimised in 2018. Changes include increased support for IP protection, improved flexibility to deal with specific client needs, quicker approval and turnaround times, more flexible financing options. An Agile Innovation Fund was also launched to support companies to respond more quickly to market opportunities and challenges, including those posed by Brexit. Offering fast-track approval and a streamlined online application process, companies can access up to 50% to support product, process or service development projects with a total cost of up to €300,000. This substantial redesign to Enterprise Ireland’s in-company RDI support has also been accompanied by a significant communications campaign to highlight the benefits of RDI and the support Enterprise Ireland can provide. |
|
Undertake an assessment from an enterprise perspective of the National Mitigation Plan to evaluate green economy opportunities as well as potential negative impacts on the enterprise sector, particularly potential costs implications for enterprise. |
DBEI will undertake a study to evaluate the potential cost implications for enterprise arising from the various proposals in the National Mitigation Plan. This study will be completed before year end. DBEI will also explore what opportunities exist for enterprise in Ireland as we transition to a low carbon, circular economy. |
|
Prioritise the recommendations and actions arising from the Mid-term Review of the National Policy Statement on Entrepreneurship. |
The Government’s National Policy Statement on Entrepreneurship in Ireland was published in 2014 as a comprehensive national Strategy for entrepreneurship over 5 years. We have reached the mid-point of the lifespan of the NPSE and the Department of Business has prepared a mid-term review and intends to publish it shortly. As a core part of the midterm review stakeholder’s engagement meetings were organised under three pillars: education; state bodies; and entrepreneurs with related representative bodies. These meetings were held between May and June 2017. Additional feedback was gathered from the participants of the Forum of the female entrepreneurship programme “Going for Growth” and the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Alumni Board. In addition to stakeholder consultation the mid-term review includes National and International Performance Indicators, an analysis of a Mapping of the Support Environment carried out by DBEI, a summary of key actions, and data on the creation of new businesses in Ireland. The monitoring of the 96 actions contained within the NPSE remains a priority and will continue throughout 2018. It is intended that a final review will be conducted on conclusion of the period covered by the NPSE in 2020 |
|
To ensure the impact of any new legislation or regulation does not create a disproportionate burden on SME’s, develop and implement the SME test. |
The advancement of the SME Test was included in the 2017 APJ as Action 107. The Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation developed the SME Test during 2017. The SME Tests includes a range of measures designed to ensure new regulations and legislation do not place a disproportionate burden on smaller businesses. Private sector consultation was carried out in 2017 through the Advisory Group for Small Business and through a wider public consultation that was open to all relevant stakeholders. The SME Test will be piloted within DBEI on two appropriate pieces of legislation in 2018 prior to a wider roll out across the various Government Departments. |
|
Supplement the Innovation 2020 expenditure target with a measure of R&D intensity relative to GNI |
DBEI is tracking R&D expenditure relative to modified GNI (GNI*) and reported on this metric to Cabinet in September 2017. |
|
Consider extending coverage of the Annual Business Survey of Economic Impact to benchmark the prevalence of management practices in Irish-owned and foreign-owned enterprise. |
DBEI agrees that improved collection of data on management practices would be hugely beneficial. Additional ABSEI questions on management training spend would be in keeping with the existing quantitative questions and could be relatively easily incorporated. Consideration is being given to the best way of capturing data on management practices and will require discussions with a number of different bodies. |
|
To drive greater economic impact from public investment in research and development progress proposals for a Research and Technology Office model to complement/add value to the work of Research and Technology Centres. |
In 2017 the Irish Manufacturing Research Technology Centre received an investment of €15 million under an Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland programme to create 40 hi-tech jobs. This centre is now a member of EARTO (the European Association of Research Technology Organisations). This Department, working with IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and Science Foundation Ireland is progressing proposals for the establishment of an Advanced Manufacturing Centre based on the RTO model. Deliverables of an Advanced Manufacturing Centre will include training, technology acceleration and adoption and service delivery. |
|
Examine enterprise RDI support programmes where necessary and appropriate to ensure their comprehensiveness and appropriateness to indigenous enterprise particularly SMEs. |
The Enterprise Ireland in-company RDI support for indigenous companies has been substantially improved and optimised in 2018. Changes include increased support for IP protection, improved flexibility to deal with specific client needs, quicker approval and turnaround times, more flexible financing options. An Agile Innovation Fund was also launched to support companies to respond more quickly to market opportunities and challenges, including those posed by Brexit. Offering fast-track approval and a streamlined online application process, companies can access up to 50% to support product, process or service development projects with a total cost of up to €300,000. This substantial redesign to Enterprise Ireland’s in-company RDI support has also been accompanied by a significant communications campaign to highlight the benefits of RDI and the support Enterprise Ireland can provide. |
|
Strengthen and intensify linkages between indigenous and multinational enterprises. This includes active engagement by the Enterprise Agencies to assist suitable indigenous firms to optimise supply chain business opportunities. Review the impact of the Global Sourcing Initiative. |
IDA Ireland has a continued strong relationship with the Global Sourcing Team in Enterprise Ireland (EI). Each of the operations departments works directly with the team to make introductions for Enterprise Ireland to our clients. EI’s Global Sourcing Team work to make sure the right Irish companies are introduced to IDA’s international MNC clients with a view to winning new contracts and the opportunity to partner over time with the MNC around new product/technology development. The Global Sourcing Team in EI also organise an annual Ireland Trade Mission led by the Minister. This involves strong collaboration between EI and IDA to make this happen particularly at a regional level. Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland are actively working to strengthen and intensify linkages between indigenous and multinational enterprises. Based on the Global Sourcing initiative, approximately 60 new contracts have been secured by Irish companies since 2013 totalling at least €20 million. As part of this, in 2017, both agencies held a two day Trade Mission to Ireland. At this event 470 one-to-one meetings were held between 167 Enterprise Ireland clients and 116 IDA Ireland companies. These meetings are invaluable to Irish companies seeking credible access to procurement teams in global MNCs. This was the biggest, most ambitious mission to date and will provide MNCs with direct access to potential suppliers, as well as raising awareness of the innovative capabilities of Irish SMEs across a range of sectors. A review of the Global Sourcing Initiative will be carried out in due course |
|
Recommend best international practice to enhance the claim process in Ireland and benchmark personal injury awards internationally. |
The Personal Injuries Commission produced its first report in December 2017 which was approved by Government and published on the 7th December 2017. The Report makes a number of recommendations including the adoption of a standardised and internationally recognised approach to the diagnosis, treatment and report of soft tissue injuries by practitioners who are appropriately competent and trained. The standardised approach should be along the lines of the South Australian guidelines for best practice management of acute and chronic Whiplash Associated Disorder (WAD). The Personal Injuries Commission has commenced the next phase of its work to benchmark compensation awards in Ireland against other jurisdictions. |
|
The relevant section of the Report for the Digital Economy and Digital Single Market Unit is pp 136-141. The following action, despite not being assigned to DBEI in the template, is one we are leading on as our Unit is responsible for the co-ordination of the Interdepartmental Committee Recommendation: Coordinate a whole-of-Government response to delivering the Digital Single Market as an enabler towards advancing Ireland as a leading global digital economy. Increase Government interaction and consultation with firms at the forefront of the digital agenda. |
The Committee’s agenda is geared towards advancing Ireland as a leading global digital economy and increasing digital competitiveness. Minister Breen, as Chair of the Committee, will meet with business representative groups on relevant issues arising from the Committee meetings. The first of these meetings will take place on 14th February 2018 |
329. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation her views on a matter (details supplied) raised in the National Competitiveness Council report, Ireland’s Competitiveness Challenge 2017 on research, development and innovation. [4046/18]
View answerA critical international measure of innovative activity is ‘R&D intensity’ (R&D expenditure as a percentage of GDP). Global Innovation leaders all have high intensity rates such as Finland (3.18%), Denmark (2.98%) and Israel (4.29%). The UK has a rate of 1.68% of GDP. Ireland, meanwhile, has a rate of 1.51% of GDP. As a result, it is very clear that companies in Ireland are not spending enough on innovation to ensure growth and insulation from future economic shocks.
Just over two thirds (68%) of Enterprise Ireland clients who responded to the Annual Business Review (ABR) Survey are RDI (Research, Development and Innovation) performing clients. However, this percentage needs to increase, and clients need to invest more in this area. As such, Enterprise Ireland continues to aggressively support Research Development and Innovation in all client companies.
One of the key pillars of Enterprise Ireland’s Strategy 2017-2020 is to ‘Place Innovation at Centre Stage’. This will help increase the level of innovation among client companies, increase connections between clients and the international innovation ecosystem and encourage more client company investment in R&D to help reach a target of €1.25 billion per annum by 2020.
For Irish businesses to remain sustainable and competitive, they need to ensure that their products and processes are leading edge. Enterprise Ireland works with companies to help them to innovate new products, processes and services by supporting them to do in-company RDI, helping them to access international sources of funding and expertise and to collaborate with each other and the higher education system.
EI’s own analysis shows that companies that are RDI active are higher performing in terms of employment, export sales and are more sustainable through recessionary and other economic shocks such as Brexit.
EI’s actions to drive innovation within its client base include:
1. Helping companies increase their investment in RDI (target is an increase of 50% by 2020) with the introduction of a new innovation toolkit which will include:
- the redefining of EI’s RDI offer;
- aligning EI innovation supports to in-house company needs which will include redeveloping financial offers and advocacy;
- continued support for process and business/organization innovation;
- driving healthcare innovation by enabling enhanced access to companies in Ireland through the National Healthcare Innovation Hub;
- support to provide multinational sub supply and partnering opportunities for SMEs;
- increase focus on assisting young Irish disruptive technology companies to access the significant EU Horizon 2020 SME instrument;
- support to enable Irish companies to access funding support and contracts from Horizon 2020 and the European Space Agency;
- extension of the campus incubation facilities;
- access key talent - EI will help with finding, hiring, growing and reaching impactful innovative people, particularly through the Marie Curie Co-Fund.
2. Helping companies develop their internal innovation capabilities and capacities through training (i.e. Innovation 4 Growth programme and Excel at Innovation programme) and assistance with new key hires and access to innovation expertise and capabilities and abroad.
3. Enabling companies to tap into external sources of innovation – locally through EI Technology Centres, EI Technology Gateways and the wider Irish Research System, as well as internationally. The Knowledge Transfer Ireland (KTI) office in EI plays an important role in this regard as a connector and will enable a smoother interaction between industry and academia. KTIs new online ‘Find RDI Funding’ tool enables companies find easier access to fund their R&D projects. Through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR), Ireland's national pre-procurement programme, EI facilitates and co-funds innovative solutions to specific public sector challenges and needs. SBIR Ireland’s aim is to drive innovation across all sections of the Irish Public Sector.
These enhanced activities, while serving to increase the diversity and scalability of clients will also serve to contribute to a key target in the Government’s Innovation 2020 Strategy, namely the doubling of business expenditure on R&D by 2020.
EI's innovation supports enable companies to develop new market opportunities and maximise their business performance. They provide a range of financial and non-financial supports to companies to drive innovative capability across the enterprise base. To ensure companies throughout Ireland are aware of, and can avail of, Enterprise Ireland innovation supports, the agency has:
- Launched a national media campaign, ‘Global Ambition’ , to drive awareness of the benefits of innovations via the use of real stories from real companies;
- Redesigned its R&D Fund. The new Agile Innovation Fund is more streamlined and responsive for companies, especially smaller companies;
- The agency’s new company-led diagnostics client engagement model permits Enterprise Ireland’s Development Advisors to direct companies to the most suitable innovation supports based on their business need, stage of development and global ambition.
Enterprise Ireland will continue to support companies with supports for innovation, competitiveness, management and financial capability to become more resilient in international markets and to compete with other economies as a location for investment.
In regard to innovation performance within FDI companies, today half of IDA Ireland clients invest in R&D and employ over 15,000 people directly in R&D. The challenge remains to increase the number of MNCs engaged in R&D activity in Ireland so that their activities move them up the value chain. At the end of the third year of IDA’s Strategy, 76 new companies had invested in R&D for the first time in Ireland.
In line with this, IDA Ireland’s strategy Winning FDI 2015-2019 outlines a plan to support clients in creating 80,000 new jobs and to win €3bn in new RDI investment projects, including in-house and collaborative RDI projects with companies and universities, and to encourage 120 additional companies across the FDI portfolio to engage in R&D for the first time.
Investment in R&D has the effect of anchoring FDI clients and securing sustainable employment and related benefits to the Irish economy. Half of IDA’s total grant-aid budget is allocated to RDI investments each year. This investment leverages RDI expenditure of €500 million by IDA clients for these approved investments and an overall annual spend by IDA clients of €1.65bn per annum on R&D.
IDA also have specific Research Development and Innovation Grants, which are open to all client companies planning or engaging in RD&I activities. These cover potential investments in research and development in areas such as:
- Manufacturing process development - application of combinations of science and technology tools (such as novel process analytical tools and new engineering solutions) to drive improvements in productivity/consistency where the company faces technical risk and uncertainty.
- New product development - application of combinations of science and technology (such as novel materials, novel code) to design, prototype and test new products where the company faces technical risk and uncertainty.
- Services innovation - application of science and technology (such as data analytics) to create new service offerings or radical re-engineer existing services where the company faces significant risk through technical risk and uncertainty.
330. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of research centres funded by Science Foundation Ireland in each of the years 2010 to 2017 in tabular form; the annual budget in this regard; and the 2018 budget allocation for same. [4047/18]
View answerThe following table provides the detail requested in regard to the number of SFI funded Research Centres and the annual budget in the years 2010 to 2017 and the 2018 budget allocation for same. It should be noted that seven research centres were commenced in 2013 (AMBER, IPIC, APC, MaREI, INFANT, INSIGHT and SSPC), followed by a further five in 2015 (ADAPT, CONNECT, CURAM, iCRAG and Lero), an additional 4 in 2017 (iFORM, CONFIRM, BEACON, FutureNeuro) and a 17th (FutureMilk) is to be commenced during 2018.
|
Year |
No of active SFI Research Centres |
Payments in Research Centres Programme |
|
2010 |
0 |
€0 |
|
2011 |
0 |
€0 |
|
2012 |
0 |
€0 |
|
2013 |
7 |
€48,186,875 |
|
2014 |
7 |
€44,926,089 |
|
2015 |
12 |
€44,909,000 |
|
2016 |
12 |
€42,890,000 |
|
2017 |
16 |
€67,083,476 |
|
|
|
Budget allocation for Research Centres Programme payments |
|
2018 |
17 |
€62,341,814 |
331. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the position regarding the national policy statement on entrepreneurship; the number of actions completed and not completed, respectively; and the timeframe for implementation. [4048/18]
View answerThe Government’s National Policy Statement on Entrepreneurship in Ireland was published in 2014 as a comprehensive national Strategy for entrepreneurship over 5 years. We have reached the mid-point of the lifespan of the NPSE and the Department of Business has prepared a mid-term review under Action 45 of the 2017 Action Plan for Jobs. It is intended that this mid-term review will be published shortly.
As a core part of the midterm review stakeholder’s engagement meetings were organised under three pillars: education; state bodies; and entrepreneurs with related representative bodies.
These meetings were held between May and June 2017. Additional feedback was gathered from the participants of the Forum of the female entrepreneurship programme “Going for Growth” and the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Alumni Board.
In addition to stakeholder consultation the mid-term review includes National and International Performance Indicators, an analysis of a Mapping of the Support Environment carried out by DBEI, a summary of key actions, and data on the creation of new businesses in Ireland.
Of the 96 Actions outlined in the NPSE, 60 have been completed and others are ongoing in nature. The monitoring of the actions contained within the NPSE remains a priority and will continue throughout 2018.
The NPSE covers the period from 2014 until the end of 2019. It is intended that a final review will be conducted in 2020 on conclusion of the period covered by the NPSE.
333. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the grants and funding streams available for co-operative start-ups; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4148/18]
View answerMy Department provides a range of grants and funding streams for ambitious start-ups, principally through the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs). The 31 LEOs are located throughout the country and provide a range of supports for the micro and small business sector. As the “first-stop-shop” for providing advice and guidance, financial assistance and other supports to those wishing to start or grow their own business, the LEOs:
- provide a sign-posting service to all relevant State supports
- offer direct grant aid to micro-enterprises (10 employees or fewer) in the manufacturing and internationally traded services sector which, over time, have the potential to develop into strong export entities
- offer “soft” supports in the form of training and mentoring
- assist with loan applications to Micro Finance Ireland.
Enterprise Ireland have a number of targeted supports for start-ups, including co-operative start-ups, that have global ambition the potential to scale and meet Enterprise Ireland’s eligibility criteria. Enterprise Ireland supports companies in regional and rural areas to start, innovate and remain competitive in international markets, now and into the future. Supports include competitive feasibility funding, mentoring grants and innovation vouchers.
In addition, Supportingsmes.ie is a cross-governmental initiative to help Irish start-ups and small businesses navigate the range of Government supports. By answering 8 quick questions in the Online Tool, a small business can:
- Find out which of the over 170 Government business supports from over 30 different Government Departments and Agencies are available to them
- Obtain information on the range of Government supports for accessing credit
- Locate their nearest Local Enterprise Office to discuss the outcomes of the guide.
334. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if the list of highly skilled and ineligible categories that applies to work permit applicants for asylum seekers will be reviewed in view of the fact that the current list indirectly discriminates against women (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4221/18]
View answerThe State's general policy in relation to economic migration is to promote the sourcing of skills needs from within the workforce of the State and other non-EEA states. Where specific skills prove difficult to source within the State and EEA, an employment permit may be sought by an employer to hire a non-EEA national.
Ireland operates a managed employment permits system which maximises the benefits of economic migration while minimising the risk of disrupting the labour market. To this end it operates an occupation lists system which responds as demand grows or recedes:
- A highly skilled occupation list in which skills identified as being in critical short supply and are professional positions in medicine, ICT, sciences, finance and business.
- An ineligible occupation list with employments where there is evidence that there are more than enough Irish/EEA workers to fill such vacancies.
- All other jobs in the labour market, where an employer cannot find a worker, may be eligible for an employment permit subject to a labour market needs test.
Applications for employment permits are made on the basis of job offers and as such, the system is vacancy driven. No weighting or preference applies to the non-EEA national who applies to take up the job offer – the criteria which the applicant must meet relate to skills rather than nationality, gender, age or any other personal characteristic.
As the State approaches full employment, I have asked my officials to undertake a review of the economic migration policies underpinning the current employment permits system, to ensure it is fully supportive of Ireland’s emerging labour market needs, be they skills or labour shortages in certain sectors.
From 9 February 2018, when section 16(3)(b) International Protection Act 2015 is struck down by the Supreme Court, until the date of entry into force of the EU (recast) Reception Conditions Directive, any eligible international protection applicants will be able to access the employment permit system on the same basis as other non-EEA nationals.
335. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of IDA site visits that have taken place in each county over the past five years; the confirmed visits to take place in each county in 2018; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4266/18]
View answerThe table below outlines the total number of annual site visits to each county since 2012. The figures for 2017 are only for the first three quarters of that year. Final figures for the totality of 2017 will become available next month.
For reasons of commercial sensitivity and client confidentiality IDA Ireland cannot provide details on possible future site visits by potential investors.
It should be remembered that the IDA always does its utmost to encourage investors to locate in regional areas. The final decision, however, always rests with the company itself.
|
County |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
Q1-Q3 2017 |
|
Dublin |
196 |
180 |
205 |
242 |
284 |
247 |
|
Kildare |
1 |
1 |
1 |
7 |
8 |
5 |
|
Meath |
0 |
1 |
2 |
7 |
8 |
1 |
|
Wicklow |
6 |
1 |
4 |
7 |
5 |
2 |
|
Laois |
0 |
2 |
0 |
4 |
6 |
2 |
|
Longford |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
6 |
6 |
|
Offaly |
3 |
1 |
1 |
8 |
4 |
5 |
|
Westmeath |
7 |
9 |
12 |
28 |
36 |
34 |
|
Clare |
14 |
5 |
9 |
12 |
18 |
20 |
|
Limerick |
30 |
23 |
22 |
40 |
49 |
27 |
|
Tipperary |
5 |
4 |
3 |
12 |
8 |
7 |
|
Cavan |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
|
Louth |
12 |
4 |
10 |
20 |
24 |
14 |
|
Monaghan |
0 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
|
Donegal |
1 |
7 |
6 |
5 |
7 |
2 |
|
Leitrim |
0 |
1 |
2 |
8 |
8 |
3 |
|
Sligo |
6 |
10 |
7 |
15 |
20 |
12 |
|
Carlow |
4 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
9 |
7 |
|
Kilkenny |
3 |
3 |
4 |
10 |
10 |
6 |
|
Waterford |
26 |
14 |
11 |
31 |
17 |
9 |
|
Wexford |
3 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
7 |
2 |
|
Cork |
38 |
31 |
30 |
48 |
49 |
38 |
|
Kerry |
1 |
1 |
3 |
6 |
3 |
6 |
|
Galway |
18 |
15 |
19 |
41 |
42 |
43 |
|
Mayo |
1 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
|
Roscommon |
0 |
4 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
|
Total |
378 |
326 |
359 |
565 |
638 |
507 |
336. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the amount of Exchequer funding expended on a project (details supplied); the details of the expenditure; and the number of staff directly or indirectly supported by the existence of this facility. [4275/18]
View answerI-LOFAR is the national LOFAR astronomy consortium in Ireland (I-LOFAR Consortium). The Low Frequency Array Telescope (LOFAR) is a collection of radio antennas distributed across Europe controlled by super-computing facilities in the Netherlands in such a way that the entire network acts as a single instrument. LOFAR is a radio telescope working at the lowest frequencies accessible from Earth to observe the Universe in unprecedented detail. LOFAR is one of the largest astrophysics projects in Europe.
The Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation funding agreement for I-LOFAR commits the Department to pay, subject to terms and conditions, the annual fee for the I-LOFAR consortium to be a member of the International LOFAR Telescope (ILT).
The agreement has been in effect from 1 July 2017 and will run until December 2021. Exchequer funding for I-LOFAR is exclusively spent on the membership fee. Expenditure to date is €44,500 paid in 2017 for a half year membership.
The Department makes an annual payment to Trinity College Dublin as the coordinator of the I-LOFAR Consortium of an amount equivalent to the I-LOFAR Consortium’s annual contribution to the ILT. The I-LOFAR Consortium is comprised of research teams from Trinity College Dublin, Armagh Observatory and Planetarium, University College Dublin, Dublin City University, Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies, National University of Ireland Galway, University College Cork and Athlone Institute of Technology.
The I-LOFAR consortium is led by TCD which has signed a membership agreement with the ILT on behalf of the I-LOFAR consortium. No staff costs are funded either directly or indirectly from the exchequer for I-LOFAR.
337. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the public private partnerships her Department is currently engaged in; the name, cost and timeframe of each; the names of all private parties involved; the nature of each project in terms of design, build, maintain and so on, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4428/18]
View answerMy Department and the agencies under its aegis are not currently engaged in any public private partnerships.
338. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if contingency planning has started for the implications of Brexit on data held by InterTradeIreland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4446/18]
View answerMy Department co-operates very closely with InterTrade Ireland (ITI), whether specifically on Brexit-related issues or on the other work the body undertakes to promote and support North-South commerce. We envisage that cooperation continuing in the future, notwithstanding the challenges that Brexit will present.
ITI has undertaken considerable contingency planning to ensure its services continue without disruption, as best as possible, following the UK's withdrawal from the European Union. In relation to issues associated with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), I understand that the Body has a strategy in place to ensure that it will also be compliant with GDPR's provisions.
339. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if her attention has been drawn to the fact that a company (details supplied) in County Limerick that is in receipt of public funds is refusing to recognise a union as the chosen trade union of persons. [4468/18]
View answer340. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation her plans to introduce a legal requirement for employers to recognise authorised trade unions in receipt of a negotiating licence for the purposes of collective bargaining and disciplinary matters. [4469/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 339 and 340 together.
Under Irish law, there is no requirement for an employer to recognise trade unions for the purpose of collective bargaining. Article 40 of the Irish Constitution guarantees the right of citizens to form associations and unions. It has been established in a number of legal cases that the constitutional guarantee of the freedom of association does not guarantee workers the right to have their union recognised for the purpose of collective bargaining.
I can assure the Deputy however that it has been the consistent policy of successive Irish Governments to promote collective bargaining through the laws of this country and through the development of an institutional framework supportive of a voluntary system of industrial relations that is premised upon freedom of contract and freedom of association. There is an extensive range of statutory provisions designed to back up the voluntary bargaining process.
Arising from an earlier Government commitment to bring Irish law on employees’ right to engage in collective bargaining into line with decisions of the European Court of Human Rights, the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act was introduced in August 2015. In the lead up to this legislation, in-depth consultations with stakeholders, including employer and worker representatives, took place.
The Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act 2015 which came into effect in August 2015 provides an improved framework in this area for employees’ right to engage in collective bargaining. The 2015 Act provides a clear and balanced mechanism by which the fairness of the employment conditions of workers in their totality can be assessed where collective bargaining does not take place.
The Act ensures that such workers, aided by a trade union, can advance claims about remuneration and conditions of employment and have these determined by the Labour Court based on comparisons with similar companies. It provides definitions of key terms as well as guidelines to help the Labour Court identify if internal bargaining bodies are genuinely independent of their employer, and policies and principles for the Labour Court to follow when assessing the comparability of the remuneration and conditions in dispute.
In addition to the improved framework introduced in the 2015 Act, a statutory Code of Practice on Victimisation was adopted in October 2015 that includes an explicit prohibition on the use by employers of inducements (financial or otherwise) designed specifically to have staff forego collective representation by a trade union.
The introduction of the 2015 Act, combined with the Code of Practice on Victimisation, provide strong protections in the area of collective bargaining in this country and I have no plans to introduce further legislation in this area.
