Micheál Martin
Question:11. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach the number of staff in his Department who provide supports for Independent Ministers in Government. [47126/18]
View answerDepartmental Staff Data
Questions (11)
Written answers
My Department, as outlined in the Strategy Statement, provides assistance to the Taoiseach and the Government, including the Independent Members of Government, through the Government Secretariat, the Parliamentary Liaison Unit, the Programme for Government Office and the Cabinet Committee structure, to ensure Government business is managed to the highest standards. The Chief Strategist for the Independent Alliance and the Political Coordinator for the Independent Ministers in Government are also based in my Department.
The Government Press Secretary acts as a spokesperson for the Taoiseach and the Government and is assisted by the Press Office in his role of co-ordinating the media relations of all Government Departments. The Deputy Press Secretary, who is also based in my Department, is tasked with coordinating communications for all the Independents in Government.
Questions Nos. 12 and 13 resubmitted.
British-Irish Council
Questions (14, 15)
Micheál Martin
Question:14. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the British-Irish Council meeting held on 8 November 2018. [49138/18]
View answer
Richard Boyd Barrett
Question:15. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his attendance at the British-Irish Council on the Isle of Man on 8 November 2018. [49533/18]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 14 and 15 together.
I attended the 31st British Irish Council (BIC) Summit in the Isle of Man on Friday 9 November, hosted by Chief Minister Howard Quale. I was accompanied by the Minister for Natural Resources, Community Affairs and Digital Development, Sean Canney TD.
The discussion at the summit covered political developments for Administrations since the last summit in June, including on the implications of Brexit, particularly for relationships across the islands. The Council also discussed the current political situation in Northern Ireland and endorsed plans for a future programme of work for the Council’s Digital Inclusion work sector.
I had side meetings with Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in which we exchanged views on issues of mutual interest and continued co-operation. These discussions focused mainly on Brexit and its impacts on business and citizens and on developments in Westminster and Brussels.
I also took the opportunity to speak with UK Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington on Brexit and on the absence of an agreement between the parties on re-establishing the Northern Ireland Executive. I underlined the importance of the restoration of the institutions in the context of full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, and undertook to continue to work with the British government to back the northern parties to achieve this outcome.
Departmental Staff Data
Questions (16)
Michael Moynihan
Question:16. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Taoiseach the number of officials in his Department who speak Irish. [48374/18]
View answerWritten answers
In keeping with the spirit of the Official Languages Act, my Department is committed to developing and maintaining a culture that encourages the use of Irish both within the Department and with our customers. To that end, my Department's Irish Language Scheme 2016 - 2019 contains a number of commitments designed to ensure that any customers of the Department of the Taoiseach who wish to conduct their business through Irish can do so.
The primary focus of my Department's work involves interaction with other Government Departments and Agencies. As a result, it does not experience a significant level of demand from the public for services in Irish.
That said, my Department recognises the importance of having staff fluent in and capable of providing services through Irish. Some staff working in my Department have indicated that they have proficiency in Irish and are competent to provide service to customers in Irish to varying degrees. Of these, two employees with a high level of proficiency in Irish have been designated to provide services to the public in Irish in accordance with my Department's Official Languages Scheme 2016 - 2019, and this number is sufficient to meet the existing demand.
Irish language courses are also readily available to all employees of the Department through the Department's Human Resources Unit.
Questions Nos. 17 to 51, inclusive, resubmitted.
Questions Nos. 52 to 60, inclusive, answered orally.
Brexit Supports
Questions (61)
Peter Fitzpatrick
Question:61. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if further initiatives are planned to assist small and medium enterprises to confront the threat of Brexit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50264/18]
View answerWritten answers
My Department and agencies provide extensive supports to ensure that businesses are prepared for Brexit and will continuously monitor the evolving Brexit impacts and requirements of businesses.
Enterprise Ireland offers a range of supports for small and medium enterprises to prepare for Brexit including the Be prepared Grant, a grant of up to €5,000 to assist in preparing an action plan for economic shocks such as Brexit. Enterprise Ireland has also held several Brexit advisory clinics throughout the country.
As a response to a key challenge cited by many companies, Enterprise Ireland will shortly be rolling out a new Customs Insight online support to demystify customs procedures. This will be available for any company to use whether they are Enterprise Ireland clients or not. The course will highlight the responsibilities of companies and will explain some of the main customs procedures and documentation involved.
As Chair of the Retail Consultation Forum, I have prioritised supporting the retail sector to develop their online capability and enhance their competitiveness, and I recently launched a new pilot Online Retail Scheme with a fund of up to €1.25 million which will be administered by Enterprise Ireland. The scheme will support retail businesses of 20 employees or more under the areas of research, strategy development, implementation and training who are ready to strategically grow their online capability. The first call opened on 24 October and will close on the 5 December. There will also be a second call in 2019.
The 31 Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) nationwide are the ‘first-stop-shop’ for anyone seeking guidance and support on starting or growing their business. The LEOs have organised various events to enable companies to learn about the potential impacts of Brexit.
An additional €5 million in Budget 2019 has been allocated to enable the LEOs to support a broad range of indigenous micro-enterprises prepare for Brexit. This funding will be used for complementary training and awareness programs to support firms throughout the country, in all regions, in the area of both import and export customs implications and procedures.
InterTradeIreland (ITI) is planning to expand the range of supports offered as part of their Brexit Advisory Service in 2019. The new initiatives will include a ‘Start to Act’ voucher, valued at €5,000, which will augment their ‘Start to Plan’ vouchers. The Brexit Advisory Service will also increase its digital learning delivery, making content available in an online training environment that can be conveniently accessed by SMEs.
An additional €1 million funding has been allocated to ITI in 2019 which will enable the body to engage with more of the companies that are seeking support through the Brexit Advisory Service, as well as meeting demand in existing programmes which are all designed to promote and support cross-border trade.
Job Creation
Questions (62)
Robert Troy
Question:62. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the actions she is taking to ensure greater regional spread, in particular for the midlands region, in view of a recent report which indicated 60% of new jobs created are created in the greater Dublin area. [50530/18]
View answerWritten answers
Since becoming Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, I have made regional development my top priority. Indeed, enterprise development and job creation in the regions of Ireland is a key policy priority of this Government.
We want to have a situation where all regions are enabled to realise their potential as contributors to economic recovery and growth, and thereby reduce regional disparities.
For the State as a whole, since the launch of the Regional Action Plan for Jobs (RAPJ) (Q1 2015 to Q3 2018) there has been an increase of 258,800 people in employment, with 163,500 of these located in the regions outside Co. Dublin – that’s 3 out of every 5 jobs created.
In the year from Q3 2017 – Q3 2018, just over half (51%) of the jobs created were outside of Co. Dublin.
Under the RAPJ, we remain committed to achieving an overall jobs uplift of between 10 and 15 percent in each region by 2020 and to bring and/or maintain unemployment levels in each region to within at least one percentage point of the State average.
CSO figures show that the unemployment rate in the Midlands Region is currently at 7.1% (Q3 2018), which is higher than the State average of 6% and continued focus is therefore required on regional enterprise development and job creation in the Midlands.
Earlier this year I asked the RAPJ Implementation Committees, including in the Midlands, to refresh and refocus their plans so as to ensure their relevance and impact out to 2020, especially in the face of current challenges, including Brexit. This work is ongoing and is expected to conclude by year end.
The Midlands has seen good progress under the RAPJ, with employment in the region increasing by 17.6% from Q1 2015 to Q3 2018. There are 19,100 more people in employment in the region from Q1 2015 to Q3 2018.
Live Register numbers have fallen in all three counties (Longford, Laois, Offaly, Westmeath) in the Midlands Region in the past 12 months. In 2017, both Enterprise Ireland and IDA reported job increases in the Midlands of 6% and 1% respectively. Through partnership between Enterprise Ireland and the Local Authorities, in 2017, the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) have 819 client companies in the Midlands employing 4,214 people. This is an increase of 372 jobs from 2016.
The Enterprise Agencies continue to work to contribute to employment and economic growth throughout all regions. Enterprise Ireland’s strategy for 2017-2020 aims to create a further 60,000 jobs, while sustaining existing ones, which will make an important contribution to jobs and economic growth across all regions.
The LEOs continue to play a vital role in providing advice and guidance, financial assistance and other supports to those wishing to start or grow their own businesses.
IDA meanwhile will continue to target a minimum increase in investment of 30% to 40% in each region outside Dublin to 2019.
On Monday, under the second call my Department's Regional Enterprise Development Fund (REDF), I announced an allocation of just over €29 million in funding that will support regions throughout the country to deliver on their economic and enterprise development potential.
21 projects from all over the country received funding. This is in addition to the €30 million in funding under Call 1 of the REDF that I announced in December 2017 that also funded 21 projects.
Questions Nos. 63 to 66, inclusive, answered orally.