Written Answers Nos. 116-130
116. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the status of the Level Project Toolkit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60812/21]
View answerOn 23 November my Department, through Enterprise Ireland (EI), launched The Level Project: Accelerate Equality, Accelerate Success. The Level Project is a new initiative targeted at CEOs and managers of business in Ireland which has its origins in EI’s Action Plan for Women in Business, recognising that increasing the number of women in middle and senior management, as well as on boards, leads to more successful, sustainable, and profitable businesses. This is a long-term strategy requiring systemic change across the enterprise base.
The Level Project includes a suite of actions Enterprise Ireland is undertaking to influence and support change in Irish enterprise including providing companies with a toolkit resource that enables them to assess their current situation and put in place a strategy and Action Plan.
The Online Action Planning Toolkit is available free to all companies at www.levelproject.ie. This toolkit helps companies to assess their current situation and put in place practical actions to enhance gender balance in their senior teams. The output of the toolkit is a focused Action Plan which will help to signpost the way ahead for companies starting on this journey or to reinforce and accelerate the approach by companies already on a pathway to more diverse leadership.
117. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the way he plans to allocate the €100 million his Department has available for discrete Covid-19 measures in 2022. [60818/21]
View answer146. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the provision that is being made by his Department in 2022 for Covid-19 related measures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60793/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 117 and 146 together.
Budget 2022 provided my Department with €17 million in additional discrete Covid Capital funding for next year. This together with unspent capital appropriations carried over from this year will mean that the Department will have almost €100 million available in 2022 for Covid measures.
Whilst the detail of the programme by programme distribution of this Covid funding will be set out in the Revised Estimates Volume 2022 which will be published shortly, the discrete additional money secured in Budget 2022 will be allocated to specific programmes such as the Covid Products Scheme and the Covid Credit Guarantee Scheme.
The capital appropriations being carried over into next year will also ensure that the Department and our Enterprise Agencies, Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland, can continue to meet commitments under the various Covid Schemes rolled out to assist business in the fight against Covid such as the Sustaining Enterprise Fund, the Online Retail Scheme, the Covid Credit Guarantee Scheme.The Deputy will also be aware that in addition to the specific Covid funding provided to Departments, Budget 2022 also set aside contingency funding to allow Government flexibility to respond as required during 2022 should the situation with the virus deteriorate. Whilst the economy has begun to stabilise, I will continue to engage with colleagues across Government to ensure that funding for further supports is available should businesses require them.
118. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when the statutory sick leave scheme will commence; the way it compares to other such schemes in operation in Northern Ireland and Britain; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60673/21]
View answerWork is well underway on the Sick Leave Bill. The draft Heads of Bill have been published and are available on my Department’s website.
Our scheme compares very favourably with the UK scheme which uses a flat rate model rather than a percentage of the person's pay.
In the UK , employees are entitled to a flat £96.35 per week for 28 weeks. Our scheme will provide workers with an entitlement to 70% of the daily salary capped at €110 per day for an initial 3 days, which will rise to 10 days over time. Following this, an eligible employee may transition to illness benefit which for a full time employee is €203 per week, with possible increases for dependents, for a period of up to 2 years.
However, for those employers who are genuinely unable to cover the costs, we have, under Section 10 of the draft Bill, included a provision whereby an employer may seek an exemption from the Labour Court from the requirement to pay statutory sick leave for a period not less than three months and not more than twelve months.
Pre-legislative scrutiny commenced on 10th November. Once this process is complete and I receive the Committee's report, I will seek Government approval to present the Bill to the Houses, hopefully early in the new year.
119. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the policy instruments that are in place and available to Enterprise Ireland to stimulate industry in remote rural areas; if he plans to introduce other instruments in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60445/21]
View answerEnterprise Ireland (EI) helps companies across the country, in rural and urban settings to start, innovate and remain competitive in international markets, now and into the future. In 2020, EI assisted client companies employed 220,613 people nationally. Almost two thirds of the new jobs created in 2020 were in regions outside of Dublin.
The Local Enterprise Offices continue to provide a first stop shop to individuals who want to start or grow their micro enterprise in every county. Regional enterprise development and sustainable local job creation is a key policy priority of mine and this Government.
The Government has provided funding to assist enterprise development and regional jobs growth. For example, my Department’s Regional Enterprise Development Fund, Border Enterprise Development Fund, and recent Regional Enterprise Transition Scheme has allocated over €126 million across 79 enterprise strengthening projects in every region over a series of competitive calls since 2017, through Enterprise Ireland. These Funds enable significant collaborative and innovative regional projects to provide a timely impetus to job creation in regional locations.
My Department is currently overseeing the development of nine new Regional Enterprise Plans to 2024 and it is intended to publish and launch the Plans in early 2022. These are ‘bottom-up’ plans, developed by regional stakeholders working together to identify growth opportunities, recognise vulnerabilities and address ecosystem gaps, to enable sustainable job creation across the regions through collaborative actions. The new Plans to 2024 will complement and build on the core activities of the IDA, Enterprise Ireland, the LEOs and the wider range of State Bodies involved in enterprise development in the regions.
120. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the extra supports being put in place to deal with the crisis being faced by the hospitality industry. [60749/21]
View answerThe Government continues to support businesses through these challenging times and recognises the impact that the new measures will have on sectors such as hospitality, the arts and entertainment and the night-time economy sectors.
With this in mind, on Friday we announced a package of financial interventions for the hospitality, events and entertainment sectors. The package includes:
- a change to the CRSS or EWSS, details of which will be confirmed very shortly by the Minister for Finance
- an extension of the targeted commercial rates waiver at least until the end of March
- an extra €25 million from the Covid contingency fund applied to the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, in particular to assist the live entertainment, arts and performance sectors.
As the Deputy will be aware, the PUP has also been reopened for workers who lose their jobs or have lost their jobs as a result of the newly announced restrictions.
Details of existing supports can be found on my Department’s website: Government supports for COVID-19 impacted businesses - DETE (enterprise.gov.ie).
121. Deputy James Lawless asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he plans to bring forward legislation in 2022 to address insurance costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60847/21]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware the Cabinet Committee Sub-Group on Insurance Reform, which the Tánaiste chairs, published the Action Plan for Insurance Reform in December 2020. The Plan sets out 66 actions to bring down costs for consumers and business; introduce more competition into the market; prevent fraud and reduce the burden on business, community and voluntary organisations. This is one of the most important programmes of reform that this Government will undertake.
The Action Plan includes actions to be taken by my Department, the Department of Finance and the Department of Justice.
Following Government approval, the Department of Finance published the General Scheme of the Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021 (the Bill) on October 20, 2021, to enhance transparency and ensure consumer protection. The Bill covers a number of insurance-related matters. Drafting of the Bill has now commenced, and the General Scheme will undergo pre-legislative scrutiny in the coming weeks.
The Minister for Justice has noted to Government her intention to bring forward legislative proposals to reform the law with regard to Occupiers’ Liability and I understand that these proposals are at an advanced stage.
Regarding actions under the aegis of my Department, I am developing proposals to enhance and reform the Personal Injuries Assessment Board. Heads of a Bill have been developed in consultation with PIAB, which I am considering in consultation with the Attorney General’s Office. I expect to bring proposals for legislative reform to Government shortly.
I am also progressing legislation to strengthen competition law in Ireland. The legislation will break new ground in this area, giving competition authorities, such as the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), enhanced powers including administrative sanctions and other tools in dealing with anti-competitive practices.
The full implementation of the Action Plan for Insurance Reform will help to ensure that we have an insurance system which is both affordable and reliable and one which underpins a vibrant economy.
122. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the status of the implementation of the Duffy Cahill Report. [60787/21]
View answerThe 'Plan for Action on Collective Redundancies following Insolvency' was published on 9th June. This sets out several commitments to safeguard further the rights of workers in these circumstances including (i) a range of amendments to company law and employment law; (ii) setting up an Employment Law Review Group on a statutory basis and (iii) the provision of an accessible guidance document to help workers and their representatives navigate the existing legal framework.
The Guidance Document has just been completed and will be published shortly. It will provide clear and accessible information for employees facing a collective redundancy situation following a company insolvency.
Work on drafting the amendments to the Protection of Employment Act 1977 will commence in the first quarter of 2022.
The Employment Law Review Group will initially be established on a non-statutory basis as early as possible in 2022.
The following recommendations were progressed in the Companies (Rescue Process for Small and Micro Companies) Act 2021, which is due to commence shortly;
- Amendment to section 627 to clarify the liquidator has power to bring/defend proceedings before the WRC and Labour Court.
- section 587 to oblige the liquidator/director to ensure creditors are made aware they have the right to form and participate in a Committee of Inspection.
- section 666 to provide that where a Committee of Inspection is appointed it shall include at least one employee creditor member.
The remaining company law recommendations will be progressed next year. The CLRG is currently finalising its consideration of the issue of splitting of corporate operations from asset holding entities in group structures.
123. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the supports his Department is providing for businesses and organisations within the experience economy that are continuing to struggle in the face of ongoing Covid-19 restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60835/21]
View answerThe Government continues to support businesses through these challenging times and recognises the impact that the new measures will have on sectors such as hospitality, the arts and entertainment and the night-time economy sectors.
With this in mind, on Friday we announced a package of financial interventions for the hospitality, events and entertainment sectors. The package includes:
- a change to the CRSS or EWSS, details of which will be confirmed very shortly by the Minister for Finance
- an extension of the targeted commercial rates waiver at least until the end of March
- an extra €25 million from the Covid contingency fund applied to the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, in particular to assist the live entertainment, arts and performance sectors.
As the Deputy will be aware, the PUP has also been reopened for workers who lose their jobs or have lost their jobs as a result of the newly announced restrictions.
Details of existing supports can be found on my Department’s website: Government supports for COVID-19 impacted businesses - DETE (enterprise.gov.ie). For further details on the new scheme and the changes to the Pandemic Unemployment Payment please refer to the Department of Finance and the Department of Social Protection.
Government policy remains that there will be no cliff edge to the support. All business supports are being kept under review to ensure that they are timely and target those that need them the most.
125. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the additional supports that will be put in place which will be targeted for the hospitality sector considering the widely reported and significant impact the new wave of Covid-19 and the subsequent recommendations have had on their businesses in the run up to Christmas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60668/21]
View answerThe Government continues to support businesses through these challenging times and recognises the impact that the new measures will have on sectors such as hospitality, the arts and entertainment and the night-time economy sectors.
With this in mind, on Friday we announced a package of financial interventions for the hospitality, events and entertainment sectors. The package includes:
- a change to the CRSS or EWSS, details of which will be confirmed very shortly by the Minister for Finance
- an extension of the targeted commercial rates waiver at least until the end of March
- an extra €25 million from the Covid contingency fund applied to the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, in particular to assist the live entertainment, arts and performance sectors.
As the Deputy will be aware, the PUP has also been reopened for workers who lose their jobs or have lost their jobs as a result of the newly announced restrictions.
Details of existing supports can be found on my Department’s website: Government supports for COVID-19 impacted businesses - DETE (enterprise.gov.ie).
126. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his plans in relation to the sectoral employment order for the electrical contracting sector. [60395/21]
View answerFollowing my approval and submission of the draft Sectoral Employment Order to the Houses of the Oireachtas for consideration, the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise Trade and Employment also approved the SEO on the 1st December 2021. This will now be noted in the Dáil and Seanad in the coming days.
Once the matter has appeared on the order paper of both Houses, the Sectoral Employment Order can be given legal effect through an SI which I will sign into law as soon as practicable and in advance of the statutory deadline of 16th December, 2021.
This SEO is a significant step in ensuring that this important sector in our economy remains competitive, productive, and sustainable.
127. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the level of funding for Enterprise Ireland in each of the past ten years; the number of industries supported; and amount that was granted to each company in each of the years. [60754/21]
View answerThe funding provided by my Department to Enterprise Ireland for the past 10 years is as follows:
Enterprise Ireland Budget Allocation.
Incorporating allocations across the following DETE Programme Areas:
A – Jobs Enterprise Development
B – Innovation
|
Year |
Subhead |
REV Allocation(€,000) |
Capital Carryover(€,000) |
|
2011 |
Subhead A7 |
€140,259* |
|
|
Subhead B4 |
€130,580m |
||
|
2012 |
Subhead A7 |
€155,787m |
€13,125m |
|
Subhead B4 |
€139,942m |
€5,000m |
|
|
2013 |
Subhead A7 |
€135,841m |
€11,000m |
|
Subhead B4 |
€131,685m |
||
|
2014 |
Subhead A7 |
€125,218m |
€3,000m |
|
Subhead B4 |
€115,255m |
€8,000m |
|
|
2015 |
Subhead A7 |
€129,584m |
€6,000m |
|
Subhead B4 |
€117,568m |
||
|
2016 |
Subhead A7 |
€131,749m |
|
|
Subhead B4 |
€121,738m |
||
|
2017 |
Subhead A7 |
€143,254m |
|
|
Subhead B4 |
€126,248m |
||
|
2018 |
Subhead A7 |
€146,550m |
|
|
Subhead B4 |
€126,448m |
||
|
2019 |
Subhead A7 |
€153,077m |
|
|
Subhead B4 |
€126,741m |
||
|
2020 |
Subhead A7 |
€895,488m** |
€23,500m |
|
Subhead B4 |
€131,749m** |
||
|
2021 |
Subhead A7 |
€415,956m** |
€40,000m |
|
Subhead B4 |
€155,254m** |
€4,000m |
*Decreased through Further Revised Estimate
**Increased through Further Revised Estimate
The Table below outlines expenditure by Enterprise Ireland over the last ten years. The first column represents all expenditure which includes, capability building, the sustainable enterprise fund, disbursements to other state agencies, capacity building, technology and scientific infrastructure, equity, loans and venture capital funds, funds administered on behalf of third partied, and net operating costs. Expenditure over ten years on these items came to €4.36 billion.
The second columns refer to funding for enterprise development. This specifically mean expenditure on items such as technology and scientific infrastructure, the sustainable enterprise fund, equity, loans and venture capital funds, capacity building, and capability building. This amounted to €2.38 billion in the last ten years.
|
Total Spend |
Funding for Enterprise Development |
Number of Companies Paid |
|
|
2011 |
€336m |
€197m |
2,211 |
|
2012 |
€333m |
€194m |
2,139 |
|
2013 |
€321m |
€203m |
2,172 |
|
2014 |
€343m |
€219m |
2,163 |
|
2015 |
€355m |
€233m |
2,100 |
|
2016 |
€358m |
€244m |
2,075 |
|
2017 |
€369m |
€247m |
1,910 |
|
2018 |
€362m |
€237m |
1,900 |
|
2019 |
€403m |
€269m |
1,853 |
|
2020 |
€1,182m |
€339m |
2,327 |
|
2011-2020 |
€4,362m |
€2,382m |
7,929* |
*A number of companies were paid in multiple years
128. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the level of support provided under the trading online voucher scheme; the number of recipients over the past year in Dún Laoghaire Rathdown, County Dublin and by county in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60495/21]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the Trading Online Voucher Scheme is administered by the Local Enterprise Office network on behalf of my Department. This scheme aims to assist micro-enterprises in realising the potential of online trading and offers eligible businesses a voucher of up to €2,500 (50% co-funded by the recipient) to help them develop their online capacity.
This includes training sessions that cover various topics, such as developing a website, digital marketing, social media for business and search engine optimisation. The training and information provided is impartial and aims to help business owners decide on what trading online options, are right for their business.
The Scheme targets businesses with limited or no e-commerce presence and vouchers can be used towards adding payment facilities or booking systems to your website, developing new apps for your customers or towards subscriptions to low cost online retail platform solutions, which helps companies quickly establish a retailing presence online. There is also scope for the purchase of online advertising, but this cannot make up more than 30% of an approved voucher cost.
In response to the impact of COVID-19, previous voucher recipients are eligible to apply for a second voucher to further develop their online trading capacity.
Over the past two years, more than 1,000 vouchers have been approved by the Dún Laoghaire Rathdown Local Enterprise Office, to a value of €2.3m. This funding has had a significant impact on the recipient businesses, allowing them to continue trading in spite of the necessary restrictions.
So far this year the Scheme has seen 4,306 approvals, to a value of €9,323,886 in all LEOs, with 243 vouchers to a value of €495,479 in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown. The detail are set out in the following table.
|
Local Enterprise Office |
Approvals |
Value of Approvals € |
|
Carlow |
70 |
151,249 |
|
Cavan |
51 |
105,281 |
|
Clare |
115 |
287,500 |
|
Cork City |
231 |
500,468 |
|
Cork N/W |
176 |
387,668 |
|
South Cork |
74 |
142,048 |
|
Donegal |
130 |
279,883 |
|
Dublin City |
636 |
1,449,148 |
|
South Dublin |
138 |
345,000 |
|
Dun Laoghaire |
243 |
495,479 |
|
Fingal |
330 |
725,335 |
|
Galway |
301 |
752,500 |
|
Kerry |
182 |
372,673 |
|
Kildare |
121 |
210,390 |
|
Kilkenny |
86 |
190,330 |
|
Laois |
68 |
150,094 |
|
Leitrim |
29 |
72,500 |
|
Limerick |
121 |
246,180 |
|
Longford |
32 |
69,750 |
|
Louth |
107 |
226,781 |
|
Mayo |
152 |
316,278 |
|
Meath |
158 |
309,589 |
|
Monaghan |
24 |
46,567 |
|
Offaly |
37 |
83,334 |
|
Roscommon |
41 |
72,460 |
|
Sligo |
62 |
122,357 |
|
Tipperary |
84 |
151,143 |
|
Waterford |
91 |
182,209 |
|
Westmeath |
129 |
287,396 |
|
Wexford |
159 |
324,237 |
|
Wicklow |
128 |
268,059 |
|
TOTAL |
4,306 |
9,323,886 |
129. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will report on his recent trade mission to the Gulf region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60677/21]
View answerMinisterial-led trade missions support the Government’s major drive towards market diversification and export growth. In mid November, I led a 5 day trade mission to Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The trade mission was organised by Enterprise Ireland and saw participation by 60 Irish companies and organisations. This was the largest outbound trade mission from Ireland since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and had a particular focus on promoting Irish excellence in Education, Healthcare, ICT, Agritech, Equine Solutions, Infrastructure Solutions and Aviation and included trade engagements in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Dubai, UAE.
While in Saudi Arabia, I visited EI clients, had speaking engagements and attended two receptions in the Embassy of Ireland, Riyadh. I also had a series of bilateral meetings with the Saudi Arabian Ministers of Industry and Commerce, and Trade and Investment, and the Ministry of Transport, along with meetings with the Saudi Arabian Central Back and GACA, the Saudi Arabian Civil Aviation Authority.
The Dubai leg of the trade mission coincided with Enterprise Ireland’s participation in the Dubai Air Show together with 15 Irish companies, and was organised to complement Ireland’s participation in EXPO 2020 and our programme of cultural events, including the performance residency of Riverdance during November.
While in Dubai I had business engagements, attended a Trade Mission Networking Reception in the Irish Pavilion at EXPO2020 and took part in an event to promote Ireland as a premier location for English language study. I was also interviewed during the Tolerance & Inclusivity Thematic Business Forum for a Spotlight event in relation to Ireland's ongoing work in promoting Gender Equality in the Workplace.
130. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his views on the lack of IDA investment in counties Cavan and Monaghan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60816/21]
View answerThe Border Region consists of the counties Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Cavan, and Monaghan. IDA Ireland supports 66 client companies, through the agency’s offices in Sligo and Cavan, in this region who collectively directly employ 8,651 people.
The FDI performance in the region has been strong over the past five years with employment among IDA clients increasing by 18% as traditional strengths in sectors such as Engineering & Industrial Technologies and Medical Technologies were complemented by new investments from the Technology, International Financial Services and Life Sciences sectors.
The Border region includes the regional growth centres of Letterkenny and Sligo. The region has fostered strong collaboration, for example through Sligo Institute of Technology’s participation in NIBRT, the development of the Atlantic MedTech cluster, and Letterkenny Institute of Technology’s engagement with client companies on the formation of a North West chapter of Cyber Ireland. Cavan and Monaghan also benefit from the presence of the Dundalk Institute of Technology in County Louth. The recent designation of Atlantic Technological University (ATU) as a technological university by the Connacht-Ulster Alliance (CUA) of Galway Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT), Letterkenny Institute of Technology (LYIT) and IT Sligo in October 2021 is also a welcome development. The existing FDI base of companies in Cavan and Monaghan enjoy strong collaborative links with several third level colleges.
Key to the Border region’s success in the past, and essential to its success in the future, is strategic collaboration with national and local stakeholders on the enhancement of the regional value proposition for FDI. In this regard the significant funding both Cavan and Monaghan have received under the Urban Regeneration Development Fund (URDF) is to be welcomed, it will add to the placemaking successes and the value proposition of both counties.
IDA Ireland will continue to work closely with existing clients throughout the Border region to retain and strengthen their presence through continued company transformation as well as pursuing new areas of opportunity for client companies. The Agency will also continue to collaborate with Enterprise Ireland and its indigenous base of companies to identify synergies, enhance clusters, participate in site visits and maximise benefits for the region.
IDA Ireland has recently completed the construction of an Advance Building Solution in Monaghan which it is currently actively marketing to potential FDI clients and as part of its new strategy “Driving Recovery and Sustainable Growth 2021 to 2024”. IDA plans to deliver Advance Building Solutions in Letterkenny, Cavan, and Sligo over the strategy period of 2021-2024.
IDA will target 25 investments for the Border region in the period 2021 to 2024 and will continue to actively promote Cavan and Monaghan as part of the wider Border value proposition. IDA Ireland will build on the strengths and competencies of the region with a particular focus on opportunities arising in the sectors of Life Sciences, Technology and Services. The objective will be to take advantage of emerging technologies and business models, including home and hub working.
