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Thursday, 25 Mar 2021

Written Answers Nos. 1-7

Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland

Questions (1)

Brendan Griffin

Question:

1. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if additional funding will be provided to the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland Covid-19 loan scheme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16126/21]

View answer

Written answers

The Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland operates several loan guarantee schemes on behalf of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. These include three schemes with particular relevance to businesses that have been negatively impacted by the outbreak of COVID-19.

The Future Growth Loan Scheme makes lending available to SMEs and small mid-caps (businesses of up to 499 employees) seeking financing for long-term strategic investment, including in response to the impacts of Brexit and COVID-19.

The scheme was launched in 2019 and initially provided for up to €300m in long-term lending, however in July of 2020 it was expanded by €500m to make a total of €800m available through participating financial providers.

As of 22 March 2021, 3,246 loans have been sanctioned through the Future Growth Loan Scheme to the value of €675.61m.

Funding under the scheme is made available through participating finance providers: AIB, Bank of Ireland, Ulster Bank, Permanent TSB, KBC and Close Brothers. While the scheme is not fully subscribed as of yet, the scheme has seen rapid uptake and as such a number of the participating finance providers are currently closed to new applications as they process a “pipeline” of existing applicants. That pipeline is expected to amount to further tens of millions of lending through those participating providers.

At present, Close Brothers and KBC still remain open to new applications under the scheme.

The COVID-19 Credit Guarantee Scheme, which is the largest loan guarantee scheme in the history of the State, also provides for access to finance for investment purposes. The Scheme provides €2 billion in lending, for terms up to five-and-a-half years and offers a range of lending products between €10,000 and €1m and is available to SMEs and small mid-caps (business with less than 500 employees), including primary producers (businesses engaged in the farming and seafood sectors). I would strongly encourage businesses that are seeking funding for investment purposes in order to respond to, or to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 to consider this scheme as an opportunity for addressing their financing needs at this time.

To date (11 March), 3,575 loans have been drawn down by applicants to the scheme, to a total value of €214.73m.

For businesses seeking shorter-term working capital in response to the pandemic, the COVID-19 Working Capital Scheme facilitates loans to eligible businesses as they seek to innovate, change or adapt in response to COVID-19. Loans under this scheme are for terms of up to three years and range from €25,000 to €1.5m. This scheme is also open to SMEs and small mid-caps.

To date (19 March), 1,009 loans have progressed to sanction under this scheme, to a total value of €136.69m.

Departmental Communications

Questions (2)

Eoin Ó Broin

Question:

2. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the dedicated email addresses for Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas to contact his Department and bodies under its aegis as outlined in circular 25/2016. [16002/21]

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Written answers

The table below lists the email addresses at which members of the Oireachtas can contact the state bodies under the aegis of my Department, as required by circular 25/2016.

State Body

Email address

Personal Injuries Assessment Board

oireachtas@injuriesboard.ie

Irish Auditing and Accounting Supervisory Authority

oireachtas_members@iaasa.ie

Competition and Consumer Protection Commission

oireachtas@ccpc.ie

IDA Ireland

Orla.NicMhathuna@ida.ie

Mary.Seery@ida.ie

Intertrade Ireland

info@intertradeireland.com

Intellectual Property Office of Ireland

ipinfo@ipoi.gov.ie

Labour Court

info@labourcourt.ie

Workplace Relations Commission

customerservice@workplacerelations.ie

Health and Safety Authority

oireachtas@hsa.ie

National Standards Authority of Ireland

oireachtasmembers@nsai.ie

Enterprise Ireland

GovernmentRelations@enterprise-ireland.com

Protected Disclosures

Questions (3, 4)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

3. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of protected disclosures received by his Department in each of the years 2017 to 2020 and to date in 2021; the number that were accepted as a protected disclosure; the number that were in part or fully examined by a third party or consultancy; the number of protected disclosures under investigation over this period; and the number that were finalised and the contents accepted and acted on. [16028/21]

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Catherine Murphy

Question:

4. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of protected disclosures received by his Department in each of the years 2017 to 2020 and to date in 2021 from officials within his Department; the number of officials who made protected disclosures over the period and who are now not working in his Department; and the number of protected disclosures received from retired officials of his Department over the period. [16046/21]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 3 and 4 together.

I'm informed that my Department received three matters raised as protected disclosures and was copied on a fourth in 2017; one in 2018; two in 2019; two in 2020 and none to date in 2021. Following preliminary examination, six of these matters were considered protected disclosures. None of these six were raised by officials from the Department. In two of these cases the matters raised related to the business of the Department and were assigned for investigation by persons within the Department with the relevant expertise. These are finalised with no further action required. In the four other situations the matters raised were not the subject of areas of responsibility of the Department and had been also separately raised with the relevant Government Department.

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Questions (5)

Richard Boyd Barrett

Question:

5. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the pandemic supports available to businesses trading under €50,000 per year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16209/21]

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Written answers

I am keenly aware that businesses are continuing to make massive sacrifices to protect their communities.

Budget 2021 provided a significant package of tax and expenditure measures to build the resilience of the economy and to help vulnerable but viable businesses across all sectors. The measures in the Budget are in addition to those announced in the July Stimulus and include the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS), the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP), the COVID-19 Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS), low-cost loans, the deferral and warehousing of tax liabilities and the waiver of commercial rates.

These are in addition to financial assistance and other schemes provided to businesses via Enterprise Ireland, InterTrade Ireland and Local Enterprise Offices. Details of the wide range of supports available are on my Department’s website: Government supports for COVID-19 impacted businesses - DETE (enterprise.gov.ie)

As part of Budget 2021, the COVID Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS), operational through Revenue, offers a targeted, timely and temporary sector-specific support to businesses forced to close or trade at significantly reduced levels due to COVID of up to €5,000 per week.

Changes have been made to the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) and the EWSS. The new payment structure for the PUP includes the increase in the top rate to €350 for those who were earning in excess of €400 per week. This change to payment rates will apply in respect of all existing and new applicants. The EWSS is also being amended to align with the amendment to PUP, with the top payment increasing to €350 for those earning over €400.

I would urge business owners to seek the supports outlined above if they have not already done so. I would also suggest they contact their Local Enterprise Office who can signpost them and advise them of supports that may be available for their business.

The level of support now being provided to businesses across all sectors is unprecedented and ahead of that available in other jurisdictions. Our focus is to ensure the safety of our people and guide our economy towards recovery by ensuring that we have an appropriate mix of supports in place to support workers and businesses in moving between the levels of the COVID-19 Resilience and Recovery 2021- The Path Ahead.

The Government is very much open to hearing proposals as to how we can help further. Government schemes to support businesses are generally designed to help meet fixed costs that cannot be avoided, and it is not possible to provide compensation for loss of personal income or profits.

Enterprise Support Services

Questions (6)

Alan Dillon

Question:

6. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he plans to increase the ease of setting up new businesses (details supplied); if there are dedicated new business supports for such businesses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16262/21]

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Written answers

On 15 January 2021 last I published Ireland’s first ‘National Remote Work Strategy’ to make remote working a permanent option for life after the pandemic. A key action within the National Remote Work Strategy is to extend the mapping and classifications of hubs - as completed by Western Development Commission on the Atlantic Economic Corridor - across the country to develop national data on hub infrastructure. Enterprise Ireland is actively working to support the implementation of this strategy through mapping and classification of hubs; mapping regional and local need to inform future investment in enterprise centres/hubs; and investment in remote work hubs and infrastructure in under-served areas thus underpinning the development of the national hubs network.

On 20 November 2020, I announced €8.24m in grants for 95 Enterprise Centres around the country administered through Enterprise Ireland. The funding will ensure that the Enterprise Centres, many of which have been negatively impacted by COVID-19, can sustain their businesses, pivot and further develop their services to support the next wave of Irish start-up companies. Enterprise Centres provide important infrastructure for entrepreneurs and are an essential part of the start-up ecosystem across Ireland. The Centres, many of which are regionally based, provide space, mentoring and support to start-up founders and teams, helping them to scale internationally.

To date, my Department has provided funding of €250 million to support the establishment of approximately 270 enterprise centres throughout Ireland and administered by Enterprise Ireland. This investment has enabled the establishment of physical space for entrepreneurs, start-ups, scaling companies, SMEs and a balance of small scale FDI; delivery of enterprise relevant programmes to companies; and provision of physical space to support remote working.

Since 2017, Enterprise Ireland has administered Departmental funding to 91 projects totalling €16,434,595 under both the Regional Enterprise Development Fund and the Community Enterprise Centres Schemes. An emerging feature of projects funded under these schemes is the provision of physical space to support remote working.

Currently there is an Enterprise Ireland open ‘Regional Development Feasibility Fund’ that promoters, looking to scope out and investigate the viability of larger full-scale projects such as remote working hubs, can apply for. A feasibility grant of €15,000 or 50% of eligible costs, whichever is lesser, is available to qualifying applicants meeting the required criteria.

In addition, €5 million has been allocated to the Town and Village Renewal Scheme this year to support the development of remote working infrastructure at hubs and BCPs throughout the country and my colleague Minister Humphreys hopes to be in a position to announce details of this funding stream in the coming weeks.

Job Creation

Questions (7)

Denis Naughten

Question:

7. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his plans for replacement jobs at a company (details supplied) in County Galway; the steps he has taken to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16282/21]

View answer

Written answers

The job losses at Aptar were deeply disappointing and I once again express my sympathy and concern for the workers and families impacted by this decision and acknowledge the impact that this has had on Ballinasloe and the surrounding area.

IDA Ireland is working closely with the company to market the plant to potential investors, using the employee skills audit in their efforts to attract new investment to Ballinasloe. The IDA has introduced a number of companies who are interested in the Ballinasloe facility to the Aptar management team and has also arranged visits to the site. These discussions are ongoing. In the meantime, IDA Ireland continues to market the site to both IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland clients.

IDA, Enterprise Ireland and the Local Enterprise Offices continue to work with stakeholders in the region to secure sustainable employment opportunities in the West, including in Ballinasloe. IDA will promote the Aptar property to prospective foreign direct investment and indigenous companies. I was encouraged to hear that 60 former Aptar employees had already secured alternative employment by the end of 2020.

IDA is an active member of the West Regional Enterprise Steering Committee, which works collaboratively to focus on enterprise development in the West Region. The committee is comprised of representatives of various agencies, including Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, the local enterprise offices, the local authority chief executives, the regional skills forum manager, the Western Development Commission, higher and further education institutes, and Fáilte Ireland. I attended a virtual meeting with the Committee on 11 December 2020, which was focused on maximising enterprise development potential in the West, including Ballinasloe.

Following on from this meeting, I have appointed a new Chairperson to the Committee, Evelyn O’Toole of Complete Laboratory Solutions Galway. Along with the Chairpersons of all of the regional committees around the country, I have asked her to commence with the development of a new Regional Enterprise Plan to 2024 for the West region, working with my Department and the range of regional stakeholders on the Committee including IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, the Local Enterprise Offices and the Western Development Commission amongst others. Minister of State Robert Troy will lead on the development of the West Plan and has already met with the West Regional Enterprise Steering Committee on 2 March to get the process underway.

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