Written Answers Nos. 61-80
61. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will provide an update on Government supports for businesses that are impacted by the rise in fuel costs and the subsequent cost-of-living increases; the supports that his Department will provide in Budget 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44557/22]
View answerThe Government is acutely aware of the difficulties businesses have faced over the past number of years with the necessary COVID-19 restrictions and now with the increased cost of living and in particular energy costs.
The Government has already implemented measures to help ease the impact on enterprises of rising energy costs, including a temporary reduction in the excise duties charged, by 20 cent per litre of petrol, 15 cent per litre of diesel, and 2 cent in the excise duty charged on marked gas oil.
There are over 20 other government grants, vouchers and training available to help enterprises reduce their energy bills by reducing their use and becoming more energy efficient. Details of these are available on gov.ie. But we need to do more. We need a mix of broad based measures that will help all business and we also need targeted interventions for those most impacted.
The Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications and his Department are involved in the EU negotiations on energy and we are expecting to see a full set of measures to support enterprise. My Department is also working with the European Commission to allow us to grant state aid to certain businesses to help them with additional costs (both liquidity and energy costs) due to the Russian war on Ukraine.
The Government is fully committed to helping business particularly over coming months but also into next year as energy prices escalate and the cost of living increases. This will be central to our budget discussions and new measures will be announced on Budget Day. My officials are working with officials in the Departments of Public Expenditure and Reform, Finance and Environment, Climate and Communications and other relevant departments to develop proposals to assist all business. A priority is to deliver that assistance as effectively and efficiently as possible.
63. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will request his Department to place speech and language therapists and occupational therapists on the critical skills list; if the review of the occupations list has concluded; if he will report on same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44558/22]
View answerIreland’s employment permits system is managed through the operation of the Critical Skills and Ineligible Occupations Lists which determine roles that are either in critical short supply or are ineligible for an employment permit.
These lists undergo regular, evidence-based review, guided by relevant research, a public/stakeholder consultation and the views of the Economic Migration Interdepartmental Group and relevant policy Departments including the Department of Health.
In June this year I announced changes to help alleviate some of the ongoing skills shortages in the health sector by adding the occupations of Speech & Language Therapist and Occupational Therapist to the Critical Skills Occupations List. These roles are now eligible for the Critical Skills Employment Permit which is the employment permit type used to attract highly skilled professionals into the State to reside and take up employment in key occupations.
The Department continues to keep the employment permits system under review in light of changing labour market circumstances.
64. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will provide an update on plans to legislate for remote working; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45164/22]
View answerThe Right to Request Remote Working Bill is part of a broader Government vision to make remote working a permanent feature of Ireland’s workforce in a way that can benefit all – economically, socially and environmentally.
The Right to Request Remote Working Bill will, for the first time, provide a legal framework around which requesting, approving or refusing a request for remote work can be based. It will also provide legal clarity to employers on their obligations for dealing with such requests.
On 25th January the Government approved the priority drafting of the Right to Request Remote Working Bill 2022. Pre-legislative scrutiny of the General Scheme by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment commenced on 9th February and the Report of the Committee was published on 7th July.
Department Officials are now working on progressing the legislation with the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee in mind.
I intend to publish the Bill later this year and progress it through the Oireachtas as quickly as possible thereafter.
65. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will implement an immediate increase in the minimum wage. [45109/22]
View answerIreland has a well-established system for setting the minimum wage, based on the recommendations of the Low Pay Commission, and this system works well.
Since its establishment in 2015, the Low Pay Commission has delivered six consecutive annual increases in the minimum wage. 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. Even despite the high levels of inflation we have seen over the last twelve months, the minimum Wage has increased substantially in real terms over recent years.
Yesterday, I announced that the National Minimum Wage will increase by 80 cent from 10.50 euro per hour to 11.30 euro per hour, with effect from 1 January 2023. This increase is again based on the recommendation of the Low Pay Commission.
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. The Government respects the commission and its independence.
When considering the appropriate date for the implementation of an increase in the National Minimum Wage, it is important to take into the account the need to implement necessary budgetary adjustments in relation to tax and social welfare to avoid adverse consequences for minimum wage workers.
67. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if specific additional financial supports will be introduced in 2023 to assist in the development of enterprise centres, in view of their importance in providing workspace for start-up businesses and small enterprises; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44919/22]
View answerTo date, my Department has provided funding of €250 million, administered by Enterprise Ireland, to assist the establishment of some 270 Enterprise Centres throughout Ireland.
In 2022, €5 million in funding was made available to Community Enterprise Centres though the Regional Enterprise Innovation and Scoping Scheme.
Since 2017, Enterprise Ireland has administered Departmental funding to 91 projects totalling over €16 million under both the Regional Enterprise Development Fund and the Community Enterprise Centres Schemes with a further €8 million in grants administered through EI for 95 Enterprise Centres to sustain their businesses through Covid - 19 and to assist in the development of start-up companies and in the provision of remote working spaces.
A broad range of other hub-type facilities, both publicly and privately funded, exist nationwide, including Community Enterprise Centres and incubators and accelerators. The Department of Rural and Community Development has also invested significantly in remote working infrastructure and connectivity through the Broadband Connection Point Network initiative including the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund and the Leader Programme.
The first allocation of €3 million in Budget 2022 was announced for the European Digital Innovation Hubs. This is part of the EU Digital Europe Programme, which will provide over time, a total of €13 million in funding to Ireland. It is aimed at bringing digital technology to businesses, SMEs, citizens and the public sector.
Finally, I expect funding to be provided under the new co-funded ERDF Programmes in the coming years to, amongst other things, support collaborative and innovative regional projects, including the development of enterprise centres and hubs, across all regions.
68. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his plans to implement the European Directive for Corporate Social Responsibility in Ireland; and if it will be linked to the Pobal deprivation index in order to benefit communities who most need it. [45052/22]
View answerI understand that the Deputy is referring to the proposal for a EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive and how it might help support communities, particularly in areas of deprivation. The proposal sets out obligations for companies regarding adverse human rights and environmental impacts arising from their operations, their subsidiaries and their value chains. The proposal is at an early stage of discussions at Council Working Party.
The Deputy may also be interested in the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive. It achieved political agreement between the European Parliament and the Council in June and, when it is formally approved, Ireland will have 18 months to transpose the new rules.
The Directive is one of a number of measures under the European Green Deal and the Sustainable Finance Agenda. It requires all large companies, banks, insurance undertakings and companies listed on main stock markets including SMEs to report annually on their performance in respect of environment, social and governance matters including human rights. The reporting itself must be done according to mandatory EU sustainability standards which are being developed by the European Financial Reporting Advisory Group.
The Directive will support the objective of decoupling of economic growth from resource use, ensuring that all regions and citizens of the European Union participate in a socially just transition to a sustainable economic system so that no person and no place is left behind. It will reorient capital investment towards sustainable investment to achieve sustainable and inclusive growth.
By way of example in respect of reporting on social matters, the draft EU standards propose disclosures by companies on how they affect local communities through their operations and value chain and on business risks and opportunities related to their impacts and dependencies on local communities. The local community can range from those living close to the companies’ operations to those living at a distance.
It is reasonable to assume that both Directives will encourage more socially responsible behaviours which will benefit the local communities in which companies operate. The Pobal HP Deprivation index will likely be of relevance to companies consideration of the local communities in which they operate in Ireland.
70. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will report on the implementation of the insurance reform agenda. [45166/22]
View answerThe Cabinet Committee Sub-Group on Insurance Reform of which I am a member and 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.
The Subgroup on Insurance Reform met in July last to consider progress. 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) Act 2022 has been enacted.
- The Competition (Amendment) Act 2022 has been enacted.
- The Personal Injuries Resolution Board Bill has been published.
While progress on these actions is welcome, Government is committed to doing more to reduce insurance costs. The Minister for Justice is progressing legislative proposals to reform the law in the area of occupier’s liability. The Office to Promote Competition in the Insurance Market is working with the IDA to help leverage the ongoing insurance reforms with the aim of targeting new entrants to the Irish market, or persuading current incumbents to expand their risk appetite. In my own area, I am ambitious for the Personal Injuries Resolution Board Bill 2022 to be enacted by year end.
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.
71. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will report on the progress made in implementing and inspecting air quality standards in the workplace; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45104/22]
View answerThe Health and Safety Authority are currently drafting a Code of Practice on Indoor Air Quality following a comprehensive review of the existing provisions on workplace ventilation in the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 and to establish what further measures could be considered in relation to workplace air quality.
Following Health and Safety Authority Board approval, a public consultation on the draft Code of Practice on Indoor Air Quality will commence in October. The new draft Code of Practice will contain air quality standards relevant to workplace indoor air. An amendment to the Safety, Health and Welfare (General Application) Regulations will give effect to this new Code of Practice. It is expected that the new Code of Practice and Regulations to be in place in early 2023.
The Health and Safety Authority, through its ongoing inspection programme, continues to address air quality in workplaces where this is mandated in legislation, such as exposure to hazardous substances under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Chemical Agents) Regulations 2001, Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Carcinogens) Regulations 2001, Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2006 and Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Biological Agents) Regulations 2013.
72. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when the regional enterprise development fund will be open to new applications. [44888/22]
View answerBalanced regional development is a priority of mine and this Government.
The Government, through Enterprise Ireland, has provided over €126m in funding through the Regional Enterprise Development Fund, Border Enterprise Development Fund, and Regional Enterprise Transition Scheme to assist enterprise development and regional jobs growth across all regions. These Funds enable significant collaborative and innovative regional projects to provide a timely impetus to job creation in regional locations.?
Up to €180m is being made available over the coming months and years for the nine new Regional Enterprise 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.
Under the recent Regional Enterprise Transition Innovation Scheme 47 projects across all the regions secured funding of €3.45m to create a pipeline of projects for future funding calls.
€12m has been made available to assist existing Regional Enterprise Development Fund and Border Enterprise Development Fund which have incurred unforeseen additional construction costs to allow those projects to be completed as originally envisaged.
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.
My officials are working with Enterprise Ireland and relevant stakeholders on announcing a new regional enterprise funding call towards the end of the year.
73. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the steps that he is taking to improve the employment rates among persons with disabilities. [44963/22]
View answerMy Department is progressing a range of actions to promote the inclusion of people with a disability in the workforce. These actions cover issues such as Workplace Relations Commission referrals referencing disability grounds, the National Standards Authority of Ireland’s Excellence Though People certification scheme, and Enterprise Ireland’s (EI) collaboration with the National Disability Authority on a strategy that promotes and supports entrepreneurship and self-employment for people with a disability.
The Government's remote work strategy, "Making Remote Work" which we launched in early 2021, will also likely provide greater employment opportunities for people with disabilities and also increase the employment retention rate for employees who might acquire a disability whilst already in employment.
IDA Ireland, as part of its ongoing Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) initiative, has added Neurodiversity as a key demographic pillar. The EDI Team has arranged training sessions to promote understanding of neurodiversity and the advantages of having neuro-diverse colleagues in the workplace. IDA are developing a pilot initiative in cooperation with other stakeholders aimed at enhancing the ability of job candidates with diverse backgrounds to avail of employment opportunities in Foreign Direct Investment companies. This will commence in quarter three this year. EI hosts a number of webinars and podcasts on the eiLearn client portal focusing on opportunities for people with Autism. These initiatives introduce companies to training developed in conjunction with Autism action group AsIAM.
In addition, the Department has in place a Disability Consultative Committee whose role is to provide a focus for disability inclusion in respect of the policy work, schemes, and initiatives of the Department. The Committee also monitors implementation of our actions under the National Disability Inclusion and Comprehensive Employment Strategies and raises awareness of issues and initiatives around disability across the Department and its Offices and Agencies. The committee has representation from the Disability Stakeholders Group with members from disability representative groups and individuals with a disability.
74. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will report on the recent changes to employment permits with respect to doctors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44998/22]
View answerThe State's employment permit system is designed to supplement Ireland's skills and labour supply over the short to medium term by allowing enterprises to recruit nationals from outside the EEA, where such skills or expertise cannot be sourced from within the EEA at that time. The system is, by design, vacancy led and managed through the operation of the critical skills and ineligible occupation lists. These lists are usually subject to twice yearly evidence-based review, taking account of labour market research, a public consultation and contextual issues such as Brexit and Covid 19.
Doctors, including non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs), are on the critical skills list and are eligible for the Critical Skills Employment Permit. The Critical Skills Employment Permit is Ireland's premium employment permit and is targeted at highly skilled people in eligible occupations deemed to be critically important to growing Ireland’s economy, are highly demanded and highly skilled, and in significant shortage of supply in our labour market. This permit provides for immediate family reunification, broad access to the labour market for dependants, spouses and partners as well as fast tracking to long term residency after two years. The criteria attached to this permit type includes the requirement for the non-EEA national to have secured a job offer of two years.
In Q4 of 2021 my Department and the Department of Health announced changes to the employment permit system for Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors (NCHDs) in public hospitals or public health facilities. Going forward these NCHDs will receive a two-year multi-site employment permit, irrespective of the length of the initial employment contract. Subsequent employment contracts with a different public hospital or public health facility will be accommodated under this initial two-year multi-site General Employment Permit without the requirement to submit a new Employment Permit application. Doctors who obtain a new multi-site employment permit will be granted a new Stamp 1H from the Department of Justice. At the end of the 2-year period the NCHD will then be able to apply for Stamp 4 immigration permission. This will remove hundreds of doctors from both the Employment Permits and Immigration Service Delivery systems and reduce the administrative burden for the public hospitals or public health facilities as well as for the doctors concerned. This new change will also allow the spouse of doctors on Stamp 1Hs, to obtain a Stamp 1G which allows immediate access to the labour market. This will make Ireland a much more attractive location for internationally mobile doctors and will increase the supply of labour without creating additional housing demand.
In addition, in March this year, I along with the Minister for Justice and the Minister for Health announced further changes to allow non-EEA doctors currently in the State for 21 months or more, holding a General Employment Permit, to apply for a Stamp 4 immigration permission. A Stamp 4 permission allows the holder the right to work without the requirement to hold a valid employment permit. This scheme is currently open until 31st October 2022 and full details, along with the appropriate application form are available on my Department’s website. When this scheme was open earlier in the year, more than 800 doctors were successful in obtaining a Stamp 4 permission.
75. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will report on the recent acceptance of proposals for Employment Regulation Orders for the early years services sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44787/22]
View answerI was very pleased to accept proposals for the Employment Regulation Orders submitted for the Early Years’ Services Sector.
The proposals are a result of lengthy and detailed negotiations before a Joint Labour Committee consisting of representatives from both the employee and employer side, and their commitment to improved workplace relations is to be acknowledged.
This recognition of the crucial work that our childcare providers and their employees do, a majority of whom are women, is of importance to our whole society .
These Orders will commence today, 15 September 2022, and apply to a number of grades within the sector and will provide improved pay and conditions for the large majority of people working in the sector, as follows:
- €13.00 for Early Years Educators/ School-Age Childcare practitioners;
- €14.00 for Early Years Lead Educators / School-Age Childcare co-ordinators;
- €15.50 Graduate Early Years Lead Educators / School-Age Childcare co-ordinators
- €15.70 for Deputy Managers;
- €16.50 for Managers; and
- €17.25 for Graduate Managers.
The Orders are being supported by the Government’s €221m Core Funding Scheme, which was announced as part of Budget 2022. The administration of this Fund falls within the remit of my colleague Minister Roderic O’Gorman, Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth who has responsibility for the Sector.
77. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his attention has been drawn to a survey (details supplied) and in particular the finding that just 17% of firms in Ireland had set climate targets, compared to an European Union average of 42%; the mechanisms that are currently in place to ensure that all Irish firms track and measure their environmental impact; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45156/22]
View answerI am aware that Irish businesses have faced dual-challenges from Brexit and Covid, and that many are still at an early stage in understanding and mitigating their climate impact. For this reason, my Department has been working hard to assist enterprises understand their environmental impact, set clear climate targets and broaden their knowledge of the measures available to achieve them. Taking climate action will be critical to the resilience and long-term success of our enterprises; environmental sustainability and economic sustainability are now interdependent.
This summer I launched the €25 million Climate Planning Fund for Business that offers various schemes to help firms track and measure their environmental impact. The Climate Action Voucher offers consultancy assistance for businesses to develop an initial sustainability and decarbonisation action plan. The GreenStart scheme helps companies to introduce environmental best practice systems and structures, achieve cost and resource reduction targets and lay a foundation for future environmental improvement projects.
I also launched the Energy Monitoring and Tracking Systems scheme to help manufacturing clients of Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and Údarás na Gaeltachta account for the carbon footprint of their activities. Funded under the Enterprise Emissions Reduction Investment Fund , it offers businesses 50% grants of between €5000 and €50,000 toward the installation and commissioning costs for hardware equipment.
The Climate Toolkit 4 Business , a joint initiative between my own Department and the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, also provides a clear and accessible starting point for any business, pointing them to enterprise-specific climate action resources, including energy efficiency measures. Businesses can save their results and then monitor their performance over time.
There are also regulations on climate impact reporting being worked on at an EU level that will integrate with the Government’s enterprise policy. Key among them is the EU’s forthcoming Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive. Expected later this year, it will introduce mandatory EU sustainability reporting standards for a broader cohort of large Irish firms, and we will be encouraging and helping SMEs to report on a voluntary basis.
78. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the cross-Departmental discussions that his Department has undertaken regarding the critical skills occupation list; when the list will extensively address the widespread skills shortages across all industries which are required for the proper functioning of the economy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45120/22]
View answerIreland’s employment permits system is managed through the operation of the Critical Skills and Ineligible Occupations Lists which determine roles that are either professional occupations in critical short supply or those ineligible for an employment permit.
The regime is designed to facilitate the entry of appropriately skilled non-EEA nationals to fill skills and/or labour shortages required to develop and support enterprise for the benefit of our economy. However, this objective must be balanced by the need to ensure no suitably qualified Irish/EEA nationals are available to undertake the work and that the shortage is genuine one.
The lists are reviewed to ensure their ongoing relevance to the State’s human capital requirements, guided by available research undertaken by the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN), and the Skills and the Labour Market Research Unit (SLMRU) in SOLAS. Cognisance is also taken of education outputs, sectoral upskilling and training initiatives, and contextual factors such as Brexit, the ending of the COVID-19 unemployment payments schemes and the Ukrainian humanitarian crises and their impact on the labour market.
The views of the relevant policy Departments are taken into account as well as those of the Economic Migration Interdepartmental Group. My Department chairs the Economic Migration Interdepartmental Group to oversee the review process which includes membership drawn from senior officials of key departments including the Department of Justice, the Department of Social Protection and the Department of Education. The aim of the Group is to promote an integrated approach to addressing labour and skills shortages being experienced in the economy. This includes assessing proposals received through the public consultation for changes the Occupations Lists.
The public consultation process is an opportunity for stakeholders to provide additional information and potentially different perspectives on the nature and extent of skill shortages. Stakeholder submissions are a vital source of information, helping inform the Department’s final assessment of the status of occupations.
Changes to the employment permit occupations lists are made where there are no suitable Irish/EEA nationals available, development opportunities are not undermined, genuine skills shortage exists rather than a recruitment or retention problem and Government education, training and economic development policies are supported.
Employment permit policy is part of the response to addressing skills deficits which exist and are likely to continue into the medium term, but it is not intended over the longer term to act as a substitute for meeting the challenge of up-skilling the State’s resident workforce, with an emphasis on the process of lifelong learning, and on maximising the potential of EEA nationals to fill our skills deficits.
The Department continues to keep the employment permits system under review in light of changing labour market circumstances and the timing of the next Review of the Occupational Lists will be kept under consideration.
