Written Answers Nos. 70-97
71. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his attention has been drawn to the recent European Parliament report (details supplied) and the opinions on the deterioration of the working conditions of many frontline and essential workers during the pandemic. [18628/22]
View answerThe short report emphasises the importance of social dialogue between employees and employers and their respective bodies. The report suggests that some essential workplaces - particularly in residential care and meat processing - saw deterioration in their working conditions during the pandemic. The report suggests that this was largely due to the fact that such workplaces lacked union recognition and calls for compulsory trade union recognition and the creation of new Joint Labour Committees for such sectors.
My clear view is that collective bargaining is an important element of ensuring industrial relations stability in Ireland. This stability comes from a voluntarist system where the State does not seek to impose a solution on the parties to a dispute but will, where appropriate, assist them in arriving at a solution. Should a group of employees and employers wish to establish JLCs for any sector for the purposes of engaging in collective bargaining, I trust the Labour Court will consider the matter and, where appropriate, issue establishment orders.
72. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the rationale for including only three statutory sick leave days in the Sick Leave Bill 2022 including lobbying by employers in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18780/22]
View answerThe Government is committed to introducing a statutory sick pay scheme and as such the Sick Leave Bill is being prioritised.
Ireland is an outlier among advanced European economies in not providing for any statutory employer paid sick leave. It is simply not right that people who are sick are often afraid to take time off for fear of a major reduction in their income and it's not good when it comes to public health. There's a risk of them infecting co-workers and customers as well.
The Bill is intended to provide a level of protection to low paid employees, who may have no company sick pay schemes and cannot afford to miss work. However, in developing the Bill, I was very mindful of the unique economic challenges faced by employers due to Covid-19 and Brexit related impacts. Imposing excessive new costs on businesses at this time could jeopardise jobs. As a starting point, this law will cover the three waiting days before eligibility for State Illness Benefit. This Bill will ensure that all employees are better off and will have financial protection from day one of a medically certified absence.
I have given a lot of consideration to the pressures on business at the current time, and the design parameters and the incremental approach to be taken are in recognition of this. Employers will have time to adjust to the associated costs. All employees will eventually be entitled to ten days, or two weeks, of sick pay per year.
Pre-legislative scrutiny has been completed and I have reviewed the Joint Oireachtas Committee's recommendations and made necessary amendments arising.
I am presenting the Bill for the second stage debate in the Dáil on Thursday April 7th and I hope to progress the Bill through all stages as soon as possible thereafter.
73. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the progress that has been made to date with the Insurance Reform Plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18640/22]
View answerThe Cabinet Committee Sub-Group on Insurance Reform, of which I am a member, published the Action Plan for Insurance Reform in December 2020. This is one of the most important programmes of reform that this Government will undertake.
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.
On the 1st of March 2022 Government published the second Implementation Report of the Action Plan showing that approximately 80% of actions in the Plan are now being delivered.
Principal actions delivered to date include:
- The Personal Injuries Guidelines have been given effect.
- Legislation to strengthen the laws on perjury has been enacted.
- The Office to promote competition in the insurance market has been established.
- The Insurance Fraud Coordination Office has been established.
- The Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill has been published.
Under the Guidelines award levels have reduced across nearly all ranges with the level of reduction ranging from 31% to 69% depending on the severity of injury. PIAB data shows a significant downward shift in award values which will reduce the cost of claims.
While progress on these actions is welcome, Government is committed to doing more to reduce insurance costs. The Minister for Justice is considering legislative proposals to reform the law in the area of occupier’s liability.
Regarding my own Department on the 9th of February, the General Scheme of the Personal Injuries Resolution Board Bill 2022 was published. The Scheme proposes to amend the Personal Injuries Assessment Board Act 2003-2019 in a number of ways including:
- PIAB will be given a new function – to offer mediation as a means of resolving a claim.
- PIAB will retain claims of a wholly psychological nature.
- PIAB will deepen its analysis, promote public awareness and conduct public information campaigns.
- PIAB will have additional time to assess claims where an injury is yet to settle rather than releasing to litigation.
Furthermore, on the 31st of January 2022, I published the Competition (Amendment) Bill 2022 to give more powers to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) and the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) to protect consumers and challenge anti-competitive practices by business. This Bill is currently before the House.
I am confident that through the implementation of the actions set out in the Action Plan we are delivering meaningful reform of the insurance market and creating the conditions for the provision of affordable insurance for consumers and business.
75. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his plans to assist hospitality enterprises; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18817/22]
View answerThere have been a wide range of measures taken by government to provide support for business during the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic. These supports include access to appropriate and affordable finance, and the Government, working with agencies, the banking sector and alternative finance providers offers additional targeted supports where there are market failures. Further information can be found on my Department’s website at: enterprise.gov.ie/en/what-we-do/supports-for-smes/access-to-finance/.
The COVID-19 Credit Guarantee Scheme makes €2 billion in lending available for working capital and investment purposes, the Brexit Impact Loan Scheme makes up to €330 million in lending available to Brexit impacted SMEs and the Future Growth Loan Scheme provides for €800 million in lending to SMEs for support strategic investment purpose.
In March 2021, the Tánaiste launched the Local Enterprise Office “Green for Micro” programme which offers green transition advice and technical support to a wide range of micro-enterprises with 10 or fewer employees, including those operating in the hospitality sector. This support is free of charge for eligible enterprises and represents the potential for increased efficiencies within companies that adopt these principles.
The Trading Online Voucher Scheme (TOVs) offers a voucher of up to €2,500 to help businesses develop their online trading capability, including training sessions. Funding can be used towards adding payment facilities or booking systems to their website or developing new apps for their customers. The Scheme is open to a broad base of businesses with fewer than 10 employees, including those operating in the hospitality sector.
The recently launched Climate Toolkit 4 Business is an important resource for SMEs and micro enterprises. The Toolkit directs users to advice, grants and other resources available from the LEOs, EI, SEAI, Irish Water, EPA, IDA and others.
In relation to specific supports for the hospitality sector the Government and my colleague, Minister Catherine Martin T.D., Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media responded to the COVID-19 crisis by establishing a Tourism Recovery Taskforce and Recovery Oversight Group, the introduction of business continuity supports, outdoor dining and urban animation schemes, as well as a range of horizontal measures to support tourism businesses survive the pandemic and reopen in a safe and sustainable manner. The 9% VAT rate for hospitality which remains in place until 31 August 2022.
In Budget 2022, €50 million was secured to provide financial supports to tourism businesses along with a €35m increase in the Tourism Marketing Fund to support the delivery of a marketing strategy to help restore inbound tourism to Ireland.
Further funding will also be invested in domestic marketing and festivals, the Digital that Delivers investment programme, skills development and staff retention and tourism product development (for the delivery of enhanced visitor experiences in line with the objectives of the National Development Plan 2021-2030).
76. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if consideration has been given to increasing the minimum wage given the rising cost of living. [18772/22]
View answerI have acknowledged the pressures people are feeling as the cost of living increases. I know these costs are increasing rapidly and that those on lower incomes are being disproportionately affected.
In relation to the minimum wage, since its establishment in 2015, the Low Pay Commission has been responsible for making annual recommendations to Government on the appropriate rate of the National Minimum Wage.
Since the establishment of the Low Pay Commission, the national minimum wage has increased from €8.65 per hour to €10.50 per hour between 2016 and 2022, a 21.4% increase. This compares with an increase in consumer prices of 7% in the 6 years to December 2021. The Minimum Wage has increased substantially in real terms over recent years.
The share of workers on the minimum wage in Ireland has also fallen consistently since the establishment of the Low Pay Commission. The share of workers on the minimum wage or less as a percentage of the total labour force has reduced from 9.3% in Q4, 2016 to 6.8% in Q4, 2020.
The Low Pay Commission is made up of an equal number of employer representatives, employee representatives, and independent members which helps to provide a balanced view when determining an appropriate rate for the National Minimum Wage. In addition, the establishing legislation requires the Low Pay Commission to give consideration to a range of issues when arriving at a recommendation for the appropriate National Minimum Wage rate. These issues include the cost of living, competitiveness and the likely effect that any proposed recommendation will have on future levels of employment.
When considering increases in the National Minimum Wage during a period of inflation Government must be is conscious of the need to avoid second round effects. Pumping more money into the economy could lead to further inflation.
That being said, I have been clear in my commitment to improving pay and terms and conditions for everyone, but particularly for those on low pay.
I am committed to progressing to a living wage over the lifetime of this Government. In doing so, we need to recognise that many businesses have been badly affected by the pandemic and are also facing rising costs. We need to make sure that we proceed in a way that does not adversely affect inflation or cause jobs to be lost, either in terms of the numbers of people employed, or the numbers of hours worked. To do so would be counterproductive.
While the living wage initiative is being considered, the Government will continue to be guided by the recommendations of the Low Pay Commission with regard to any future changes in the minimum wage. The Low Pay Commission is required to submit its annual recommendation on the National Minimum Wage to me on or before the third Tuesday in July.
78. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the position regarding the provision of a new advance technology facility for Tralee, County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18816/22]
View answerIDA Ireland is committed to building a new (second) Advanced Technology Building in Tralee. I am advised that the site selection process for this proposed building is still underway. Securing planning permission and the construction of the building will take time, but it is intended that the building will be delivered during the life of the current IDA Strategy to 2024. The advanced technology building, once completed may support either a new office or industrial investment given their flexible nature.
The 2021-2024 Strategy also states that IDA will continue to work closely with the private sector to secure the provision of appropriate and cost-effective building and property solutions for client companies and also that additional upgrade works and investment are planned for IDA Parks in the region.
IDA Ireland continues to engage with new companies on promoting Ireland as a location for their business and the Agency will continue to position County Kerry for virtual and in-person site visits over 2022 and beyond.
79. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will provide specific funding to support the recently published South East Regional Enterprise Plan given the historic funding deficit in the region and the national policy to support balanced regional development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18796/22]
View answerRegional enterprise development and sustainable local job creation is a key policy priority of mine and this Government.
On 24 March 2022, I launched the Regional Enterprise Plan for the South East Region in County Wexford, one of nine Regional Enterprise Plans. A key feature and strength of the Regional Enterprise Plans is that they are developed using a ‘bottom-up’ approach, developed by regional stakeholders who are keenly aware of the growth opportunities and vulnerabilities in their region.
I have been determined to ensure that funding is available to support these Plans. I can advise the Deputy that up to €180m is being made available for the nine regional plans to develop and implement collaborative and innovative enterprise projects – projects that will not just sustain but add to employment at county, regional and national level.
€6 million has been set aside in 2022 and a further €6 million over the following years to assist those projects which have been delayed and incurred increased costs in the delivery of their originally approved projects. Enterprise Ireland are in the process of contacting eligible projects regarding this fund.
To create a strong pipeline of projects for future funding calls, Enterprise Ireland has also announced a new competitive ‘priming’ and ‘feasibility’ scheme fund of up to €5 million. This Scheme is now open for applications and details can be accessed on Enterprise Ireland’s website.
Substantial funding will also be made available up to 2027 for regional enterprise projects under funding from the European Regional Development Fund and the Shared Island fund.
This funding is necessary for the development of collaborative regional projects that will drive delivery of the objectives developed in each of the Regional Plans.
The South-East region secured over €7.5 million for eight innovative enterprise focused projects under the Regional Enterprise Development Fund and Regional Enterprise Transition Scheme. The region is full of potential and is very well positioned to compete for the new funding schemes.
I strongly encourage all stakeholders to take advantage of this to develop quality projects for the South East region.
80. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment further to Parliamentary Question No. 33 of 9 February 2022, if he has received the report by the Low Pay Commission and the ESRI of a universal basic income; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18741/22]
View answer82. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if there will be impact on statutory redundancy for a worker from a company (details supplied) that takes up additional employment during the statutory redundancy consultation period provided they do not formally resign; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18681/22]
View answerI would like to again extend my sympathies to all employees who have been affected by the sudden closure of Roadbridge Limited. Since becoming aware of the closure, Government have been working in a coordinated way to support the employees in any way possible. The Department of Social Protection have already ensured that income supports will be made available to impacted staff during the consultation period.
There is no statutory restriction on employees taking up additional employment during the consultation period, in circumstances where they are not expected to attend the workplace. Provided they do not resign from their current employment, there should be no obstacle to retaining their statutory redundancy entitlements. The receiver clarified this matter to employees on 15 March 2022.
The Department of Social Protection will ensure that applications for statutory redundancy or other wage related entitlements from the Social Insurance Fund will be dealt with in a timely manner.
83. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will report on the efforts of the IDA to attract inward investment to counties Cavan, Monaghan and Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18735/22]
View answerCavan and Monaghan are included in the IDA Border Region (Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Cavan, and Monaghan). IDA Ireland supports 67 client companies in this region who collectively directly employ 8,721 people.
The FDI performance in the region has been strong over the past five years with employment among IDA clients increasing within the Engineering & Industrial Technologies and Medical Technologies sectors, complemented by new investments from the Technology, International Financial Services and Life Sciences sectors. The most recent announced investment was in March 2022, California headquartered Ultra Clean Holdings Inc. announced that it is establishing an Advanced Technology Cleaning Centre in Cavan, which will create approximately 100 jobs when fully operational.
The existing base of IDA Client companies (8 in Cavan employing 862 and 8 Monaghan employing 430 people in 2021) enjoy strong collaborative links with several third level colleges including Dundalk Institute of Technology as well as the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) and the Atlantic Technological University (ATU).
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 that Cavan and Monaghan have received under the Urban Regeneration Development Fund (URDF) to date will add to the placemaking successes and the value proposition of both counties.
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 plans to deliver Advance Building Solutions in Letterkenny, Cavan, and Sligo over the period of the current strategy.
IDA Ireland will continue to build on the strengths and competencies of the Border region with a particular focus on opportunities arising in the sectors of Life Sciences, Technology and Services.
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.
The objective will be to take advantage of emerging technologies and business models, including home and hub working.
IDA Ireland markets Meath as part of the Mid-East Region (Kildare, Meath, Wicklow, and Louth). There are 103 IDA client companies in the Mid-East Region, employing 18,894 people. Specifically, in 2021 there were 16 companies in Meath employing 1,911 people. The Mid-East has a significant ecosystem of well-established companies across Technology, Life Sciences, International Financial Services and Engineering & Industrial Technologies. It has also won significant investment in the Food and the Film sub-sectors.
Counties in the Mid-East also benefit hugely from the direct and indirect employment generated by IDA client companies located in Dublin. The region is strongly supported by third level education providers, including Maynooth University, Dundalk Institute of Technology, IT Carlow’s satellite campus in County Wicklow and Dunboyne College of Further Education.
The IDA will continue to market the Mid-East region drawing on existing assets, including property solutions and placemaking. IDA Ireland will focus on investment opportunities arising in services, high value manufacturing, and RD&I and will target 40 investments for the Mid-East region in the period 2021 to 2024.
IDA will deliver Advanced Building Solutions in Drogheda and Dundalk over 2021-2024. The Agency intends to partner with Meath County Council for the delivery of an advance planning permit for an Advanced Technology Building in Navan, Co. Meath to advance the location from an attractiveness perspective. Further upgrade works are designed and progressing on IDA Parks and the Agency plans to acquire additional strategic sites in the region for development.
IDA Ireland will continue to work with existing clients across these regions to retain and strengthen their presence through continued company transformation as well as pursuing new areas of opportunity for client companies, in addition to working closely with Enterprise Ireland and its indigenous base of companies to identify synergies, enhance clusters, participate in site visits, and maximise benefits for the regions.
84. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the way that he is supporting digital transformation in Irish enterprises; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18665/22]
View answerEmbracing digital technologies is crucial for our post pandemic economic recovery. A competitive, innovative and resilient enterprise base is essential to provide high-quality jobs and employment opportunities for people to live and prosper in all regions. Businesses can harness digital technologies in many ways – including to better understand their customers, reduce their costs and improve their products.
In February, the Government launched the new National Digital Strategy, Harnessing Digital: The Digital Ireland Framework. One of the key dimensions of this strategy is the digitalisation of enterprise, which sets out specific targets including: 75% enterprise take-up of cloud, big data, and AI by 2030; 90% of SMEs at a basic level of digital intensity by 2030; at least 35% of state funding for start-up and early-stage businesses invested in innovative digital businesses from 2022; and at least 800 businesses supported under the new Digital Transition Fund by 2026. This Digital Transition Fund (DTF) is part of Ireland's National Recovery and Resilience Plan. It is an €85 million multi-annual fund which will run until 2026. Under Budget 2022, €10 million has been allocated to the Digital Transition Fund. Through the DTF, we will increase digitalisation of all businesses across products, processes, supply chains and business models. The funding will be used to help companies at all stages of their digital journey – from the early days of simply going online to digitalisation of products and business processes, to facilitating exporting and to using digital technologies (such as AI, cloud, and big data) to develop new markets and business models. Officials in my Department are currently developing the funding scheme along with Enterprise Ireland and the first call will be announced by mid-2022.
My Department is also establishing an Enterprise Digital Advisory Forum, which will bring together representatives of indigenous Irish enterprise, multinational corporations and experts in digital to advise and work with Government to drive industry adoption of digital technologies by enterprise. I expect that Forum will identify more practical measures that Government can deploy to promote digitalisation.
As part of the Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL), the European Commission and EU Member States will establish and co-fund a network of European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs). These hubs will support digital transformation in SMEs and public sector organisations by encouraging the adoption of the latest advances in the three digital key technologies of Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence and High-Performance Computing. EDIHs will serve as “one-stop-shops” with a research performing organisation at the core, providing access to technical expertise and experimentation, as well as innovation services, and the training and skills development necessary for successful digital transformation.
In December 2020 Enterprise Ireland administered the national designation process for the EDIH network and will have operational responsibility for the EDIHs in Ireland. The expression of interest call for Irish EDIHs closed January 20th 2021, with nine entries received. As a result of that process, four candidate EDIHs from Ireland have been designated to go forward to the Commission restricted call for the EU-wide network. Evaluation of the applications commenced in March, with results expected in May. It is anticipated that the network of EDIHs will be operational in Q3 2022.
85. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will consider establishing a taskforce to identify innovation, investment and employment opportunities relating to offshore windfarms. [18473/22]
View answerI can advise the Deputy that a cross-departmental Offshore Renewable Energy Delivery Taskforce, chaired by the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, is being established to capture wider economic and business opportunities associated with the development of Offshore Renewable Energy in Ireland.
This will include the identification of supporting infrastructure development and supply chain opportunities as Ireland’s offshore wind industry is progressed. The Taskforce will develop a cohesive national strategy to build out the industry to decarbonise our energy system and move us towards a green hydrogen economy. It will accelerate and drive key actions in the plan and develop a system wide project plan to meet the overall objective for Offshore Renewable Energy.
The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment will actively participate in this group and ensure that the innovation, investment, and employment opportunities of the Offshore renewable energy sector are capitalised on.
The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment is already actively engaging with the renewable energy sector, both directly and through our agencies, to develop the sector in Ireland.
Enterprise Ireland continues to identify and work with those Irish companies with the capability to support the offshore wind industry’s growth through the Offshore Wind Industry Cluster. They will hold the Enterprise Ireland Offshore Wind Showcase Event this summer, convening delegates from across the Irish and UK offshore wind industry. For its part, the IDA is involved in facilitating and promoting links between large energy users, including data centres, and the renewable energy sector to help them align with and contribute towards emissions targets and future network needs.
The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and agencies recognise the significant job opportunities associated with the offshore renewable energy sector. The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN), the Secretariat for which is based in my department, undertook a study on the nature and quantity of skills required between now and 2030 to deliver on some of the key enabling measures in the Climate Action Plan.
The analysis found that demand for labour associated with offshore wind development is forecast to increase from a 2020 baseline of c.2,500 FTE to c.4,000 mid-decade, and to stand at c.3,500 in 2030. . My own department will work with the Department of Further and Higher Education and its agencies to follow through on these initiatives and secure the required workforce for the renewable energy sector.
86. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his views on the operation of sectoral employment orders; if legal challenges to their operation mean they are unenforceable by the State; if his Department has plans to ensure compliance by all employers to their terms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18765/22]
View answerThe most recent Sectoral Employment Orders (SEOs) for the Construction Sector and the Electrical Contracting Sector came into effect on 1 February 2022. These SEOs fix statutory minimum rates of pay and other conditions, including sick pay and pension entitlements, for these sectors. Any employer in a sector covered by an SEO has a legal duty to comply, at a minimum, with those terms.
I am aware that a fresh challenge to the SEO for the Electrical Contracting Sector has very recently been initiated and as the Deputy will appreciate, it would be inappropriate for me to comment further, given that the matter is sub judice.
However, it is important to be clear that the existing SEO for the Electrical Contracting Sector has not been struck down and the rates of pay and conditions set out in it continue to apply to all workers covered by its terms.
In relation to compliance, the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) is an independent statutory office under the aegis of this Department. The role of the WRC is to achieve compliance with employment legislation. Employees whose rights under an SEO have not been complied with can refer the matter to the WRC for investigation.
87. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will report on any engagement that he or his Department have had with the stakeholders affected by the job losses at a company (details supplied) in County Sligo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18755/22]
View answerOn 27 January, B.Braun announced its decision to wind up operations at their Collooney site in Sligo. The company said that it made this decision because it found it difficult to continue to scale its specific manufacturing operations in Ireland to remain competitive. IDA Ireland, worked closely with B.Braun to try to find a solution. Unfortunately, a solution could not be found, and the company made the decision to move a significant portion of its operations to third parties.
I understand the planned closure of B.Braun will take place in a phased manner and the first redundancies will not take effect until the end of 2022. In anticipation of this timeline, a series of initiatives are already underway. My Department through IDA Ireland activated the Job Loss Protocol which is a co-ordinated response plan implemented by an interagency group based in the region. The group consists of IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, Department of Social Protection, Local Enterprise Office, North West Regional Skills, Mayo Sligo Leitrim Education Training Board and IT Sligo.
An introductory meeting has taken place with B.Braun and representatives from the Department of Social Protection. Department officials outlined the variety of supports available to the company and affected employees in the short, medium and long term.
It is my understanding that B.Braun has also engaged with the North West Regional Skills Manager and Mayo Sligo Leitrim Education Training Board to discuss potential upskilling and reskilling opportunities. The company has been introduced to the Local Enterprise Office to help it get a better understanding of the supports available to employees.
IDA Ireland continues to market the available lands on the IDA business & technology park and Oakfield site in Sligo to potential investors. The creation of a talent profile of the site is currently underway which will be included to help market the site to new investors. It is important to note that Ireland is competing globally for investment and all local stakeholders have an important role to play in making Co. Sligo and the Border region as attractive as possible to investors.
88. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will consider a reform of the processing of work permit applications to allow for faster processing in circumstances in which there is a shortage of suitably qualified available labour in a sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18304/22]
View answerMy Department experienced a significant increase in applications for employment permits in the past year, impacting on processing times. From the start of January to the end of December 2021, some 27,666 applications were received, representing a 69% increase over the same period in 2020 (16,293) and a 47% increase on 2019 (18,811), which itself represented an 11 year high in applications.
My Department has issued 16,275 employment permits in 2021, and processed a total of 17,968 applications which represents a significant volume of activity. In addition, the extension of categories of employment permits following the latest Review of the Occupational Lists has increased the demand for employment permits.
My Department and I recognise the impact delays on the processing times for employment permits has for businesses and their workers and the Employment Permits team are committed to reducing these times.
A plan of action is being implemented by officials in the Employment Permits team. It has increased resources and implemented more efficient methods of processing applications, including removing hundreds of doctors from the permits system. The processing team has trebled in size and daily output has more than tripled compared to 2021 levels.
Since the implementation of this plan, the Employment Permits section has made positive progress to reduce the current backlog reducing the number of applications awaiting processing from 11,181 in January 2022 to 8,773 at the end of March 2022. Officials expect to see a further significant improvements in this backlog by the end of Q2 of 2022.
Waiting times for Critical Skills Employment Permits (CSEPs) have been more than halved in the past seven weeks. The Department plans to maintain processing times for all CSEP applications at approximately its current level for all of Q2, on the assumption that demand remains at current levels. The waiting time for other permit types will fall considerably in Q2.
89. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the details of any bilateral engagement he has had with his counterparts in Saudi Arabia in 2021 and to-date in 2022; if, in the course of this engagement, he has raised issues relating to Saudi Arabia’s human rights record and in particular the recent mass execution of 81 persons on 12 March 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18741/22]
View answer90. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the steps that his Department is taking to abolish mandatory retirement ages and stop older workers being forced out of their jobs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18812/22]
View answerA whole of Government response is required in order to respond to the recommendations of the Pensions Commission, of which the issue of mandatory retirement clauses is only one element. My Department is considering the Commission's recommendations in relation to mandatory retirement ages in certain contracts of employment.
There is no statutory retirement age for employees in Irish legislation, apart from for certain public sector employees where statutory retirement ages may apply. A contract of employment will generally contain a retirement age but this is a matter of contract between the parties.
Employment equality must be a core consideration in reforms to address mandatory retirement clauses, and the needs of both employees and employers will require consideration and further consultation. In this regard, it will be necessary to liaise closely with employer groups as any changes in this area have potential to have a significant impact on workforce planning, particularly for SMEs.
Other pension related reforms, such as the delivery of a national auto-enrolment pension scheme, will make it easier for people to access retirement savings options to help them meet their own income expectations for when they retire and is a current Programme for Government commitment.
