Written Answers Nos. 422-441
422. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform when the roof repairs to Store Street Garda station will be completed; and the estimated cost of these repairs. [28168/23]
View answerThe Office of Public Works can confirm that roof repairs to Store St. Garda Station are currently on site and are due for completion in July 2023.
The estimated cost of the works is €161,000 excluding vat.
423. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the number of staff seconded to his Department from a company (details supplied) in the past ten years to date; the title and/or role they filled; and the duration of same. [28183/23]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that no staff from the company in question have been seconded to my Department in the time period in question.
424. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the number of instances in which his Department availed of services and or consultancy and or advices from a company (details supplied) in the past ten years to date; the costs of same; the number of contracts between the company and his Department; and the duration and costs of same. [28202/23]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is set out in the table below.
|
Purpose of Contract |
Year |
Duration |
Cost |
|
Consulting support on Outsourcing |
2013 |
3 months |
€6,457 |
|
Review of the Department’s Organisational Model |
2013 |
2 months |
€30,826 |
|
HR Strategy Support and follow up to above review |
2013 |
1 month |
€6,027 |
|
Workshops with HR Team |
2013 |
1 month |
€5,000 |
|
Expert support for the implementation of Public Service Reform |
2013-2015 |
2 years |
€221,400 |
|
Baseline Research – usage, resourcing and costs of ICT across selected Public Service Bodies |
2015 |
12 months |
€160,904 |
|
Provision of operational and strategic advisory support to the Office of Government Procurement |
2017 |
1 Year |
€44,526 |
|
Review of Organisational Culture |
2020-2021 |
20 months |
€248,658 |
425. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if he will ask officials from the Office of Public Works when they will meet a delegation of Donegal County Councillors to discuss how to develop the full potential of Grianán of Aileach, County Donegal, as they have requested. [28279/23]
View answerThe Grianan of Aileach is a Hillfort, designated as a National Monument, protected under legislation and maintained by the Office of Public Works. Hillforts are generally considered to be a Late Bronze Age phenomenon (built ca. 1100 -800BC). and to have filled a wide range of functions, economic, ceremonial, ritual and domestic. The location of the site, at the summit of the Greenan Mountain, overlooking Lough Swilly and Lough Foyle, is intrinsic to all aspects of its significance.
For visitors, the cashel or built structure is the focus and while, in the past, restoration projects have concentrated on this element of the site, there are field boundaries and public access paths over the lines of the ramparts. Understanding and recognising the site in its entirety is paramount to the safeguarding of the sites significance.
To this end, a Conservation Management Plan, commissioned by the OPW, was published in December 2019. Its diverse objectives range from the establishment of an appropriate balance between the conservation of the monument, the site, its natural environment and biodiversity to interpretation and access for the public. The input of Donegal County Council will be central to achieving the objectives set out in the plan.
Officials from this office have communicated recently with Donegal County Council seeking formal engagement to discuss how mutual commitments set out in the management plan can be progressed. A meeting will be arranged as soon as practicable.
426. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform his views on the assessment by an organisation (details supplied) in its 2023 fiscal assessment report that the real value of proposed/planned capital spending under the terms of the National Development Plan out to 2025 is almost a quarter lower than had been expected in the original plan; if he agrees with this assessment; if he plans to review or revise elements of the plan on that basis; if so, the estimated additional cumulative cost involved up to 2030 to bridge that gap and maintain the originally planned level of investment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28540/23]
View answerAs Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, I am responsible for setting the overall capital allocations across Departments and for monitoring monthly expenditure at Departmental level. The responsibility for the management and delivery of individual investment projects, within the allocations agreed under the National Development Plan (NDP), rests with the individual sponsoring Department in each case.
The NDP published in October 2021 provides a detailed and positive vision for Ireland out to 2030 and delivers total public investment of €165 billion over the period 2021-2030. The NDP establishes the Government’s over-arching investment framework and broad direction for investment priorities for this decade. The capital expenditure ceilings detailed in the NDP are cognisant of the overall capability of the construction sector to deliver on the NDP and of the appropriate share of National Income being devoted to infrastructure. The levels of capital spending in the NDP, at close to 5% of GNI* on 2021 estimates, are already among the highest in the EU and are close to the limit of the overall capability to deliver in the coming decade. It remains the case that the nominal allocations set in the NDP out to 2030 are well above the EU average and continue to put Ireland well ahead of comparator countries in terms of public capital investment.
In 2023, over €12 billion will be made available from the Exchequer for investment in public capital projects, which will provide more schools, homes, hospitals and other pieces of vital infrastructure. This level of expenditure will be pivotal in consolidating the progress already made, and, most importantly, delivering the infrastructure to support our future climate, social and economic requirements.
In March 2023, I presented to Government a package of significant actions aimed at enhancing project delivery for the NDP. Among these actions, I committed to an independent mid-term evaluation of investment priorities and capacity of the NDP, focusing on the capacity to deliver current Government priorities, to utilise sectoral capital allocations and to estimate the impact of the NDP on key economic indicators. This analysis is ongoing, and will inform the forthcoming estimates process for Budget 2024 and the overall capital expenditure ceilings for 2026 to 2028.
427. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the supports that his Department or State agencies has provided to a factory (details supplied) at Carrickmacross, County Monaghan; if he will provide any interactions that his Department and State agencies has had with the company involved; when the factory will become operational; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27089/23]
View answerThe factory in question was officially opened in November 2019 when the fit out of the facility was completed. As a proposed manufacturer of infant formula supplying the Chinese market, the company is required to have their facility fully audited and approved for operations prior to the commencement of any production.
This process includes approval by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) and also inspection and approval by the Chinese authorities (GACC). Delays to this mandatory regulatory approval process were encountered due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and associated travel restrictions. The facility was approved by DAFM for infant formula production in mid-2021 and latterly approved by GACC for infant formula production in September 2022.
In addition to the approval needed to operate an infant formula plant as outlined above, recent legislation changes in China now requires that all recipes for supply into the Chinese infant formula market must also have Chinese authorities’ approval for production. The company, through their parent company in Shanghai, submitted their recipes for approval in January 2023 and anticipate a decision by mid-2023. Once that approval is received, the company can move to trial production stage.
Enterprise Ireland continues to support the company and are actively encouraging them to look at wider business opportunities across the nutritional powders market. Whilst the company are doing this, progress has been much slower than they had anticipated, driven largely by recent inflationary costs. Enterprise Ireland are also supporting them to explore the innovation networks and ecosystem available to them here in Ireland that can support their innovation journey.
Following the recent Trade Mission to China, EI intends to have further engagement with the company working with officials in DAFM, to determine the progress in respect of the original approved project.
There are currently 8 full time workers employed on site, across business development, HR and engineering, with an expectation to grow employment as the business builds.
428. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he intends to increase the minimum wage rate for those aged 20 years or younger; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27127/23]
View answerIn the past, the Low Pay Commission (LPC) was asked to examine the issues around subminimum (youth) rates under the National Minimum Wage Acts and reported on the matter in December 2017.
The LPC, having examined all available evidence and submissions, and having considered a range of options, made recommendations in its report to simplify youth rates based on age and to abolish training rates unless an employee is part of an apprenticeship programme already approved by the State.
In February 2022, the Low Pay Commission was asked by the Minister to re-examine the issues around retaining or removing the subminimum rates and to make recommendations on the subject. To inform its work, the LPC has asked the ESRI to conduct background research on this issue under the terms of the LPC-ESRI Research Partnership Agreement. The LPC’s report and recommendations on subminimum rates are expected in the second half of 2023.
While the issue of subminimum rates is being considered, the Government will continue to be guided by the recommendations of the LPC with regard to any future changes in the National Minimum Wage.
429. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will address a series of matters raised in correspondence (details supplied) concerning departmental projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27253/23]
View answerThe Government established the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF) in 2018 as one of four National Development Plan (NDP) 2018-2027 Funds under Project Ireland 2040. DTIF aims to encourage collaboration and innovation in developing and deploying disruptive technologies commercially to tackle national and global challenges. The Fund is managed by the Department and administered by Enterprise Ireland.
A total of 16 Call 4 projects have been approved funding of over €62 million to date, and staff in Enterprise Ireland are working with the lead partner of one further Call 4 project in exploring options to enable the project to meet the governance requirements for the Fund and be approved for funding. Eight of the 16 approved Call 4 projects have started, the consortia in six projects have yet to determine their start date and two projects have been invited to submit a revised project plan for review, following the loss of a project partner.
The announcement of successful DTIF Call 4 projects took longer than was anticipated, due to revised governance arrangements for the Fund to ensure compliance with the application of State Aid requirements under the EU General Block Exemption Regulation. To comply with the Regulation, it was necessary for Enterprise Ireland, to conduct Undertaking in Difficulty (UiD) assessments on the enterprise partners in the successful projects. While these assessments are an essential part of the due diligence of the Fund, my officials are aware of the burden that this placed on companies involved in the Call and are working with Enterprise Ireland to revise and streamline the process involved.
It should be borne in mind that, with DTIF, Enterprise Ireland is administering a complex funding initiative with a large volume of activity to a high standard of governance. The 16 Call 4 projects are among the 91 projects with 340 project partners that have been approved for funding of €306 million under Calls 1-5 of the Fund. Enterprise Ireland works diligently with project consortia to work through a range of multi-faceted issues to maximise the number of projects that commence and progress to completion.
The DTIF is an important Government initiative which supports a broad range of policy goals and it is continually being refined and honed following engagements with stakeholders. The officials in my Department will continue to work with Enterprise Ireland to ensure that the Fund continues to meet its objectives and the needs of participants, whilst also maintaining strong governance procedures.
430. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his views on the age-related rates of the minimum wage; his views on whether this is fair; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27322/23]
View answerIn the past, the Low Pay Commission (LPC) was asked to examine the issues around subminimum rates under the National Minimum Wage Acts and reported on the matter in December 2017.
The LPC, having examined all available evidence and submissions, and having considered a range of options, made recommendations in its report to simplify youth rates based on age and to abolish training rates unless an employee is part of an apprenticeship programme already approved by the State.
In February 2022, the Low Pay Commission was asked by the Minister to re-examine the issues around retaining or removing the subminimum (age-related) rates and to make recommendations on the subject. To inform its work, the LPC has asked the ESRI to conduct background research on this issue under the terms of the LPC-ESRI Research Partnership Agreement. The LPC’s report and recommendations on subminimum rates are expected in the second half of 2023.
While the issue of subminimum rates is being considered, the Government will continue to be guided by the recommendations of the LPC with regard to any future changes in the National Minimum Wage.
431. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the estimated first-year cost of hiring ten additional WRC inspectors. [27386/23]
View answerThe Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) is an independent, statutory body under the aegis of my Department, established on 1st October 2015 under the Workplace Relations Act 2015. The WRC’s primary functions include the inspection of employment law compliance, the provision of information on employment law, mediation, adjudication, conciliation, facilitation, and advisory services. WRC inspectors carry out inspections of employer records with a view to determining compliance with employment rights legislation.
The yearly cost of recruiting an executive officer inspector for the WRC would be approximately €68,667 PPC. This is based on the calculation of staff costs as set out in the Public Spending Code. The code sets out that the cost should be based on the midpoint of the salary scale and include employer’s salary related PRSI, imputed pension costs and overheads e.g., ICT equipment, legal costs, travel and subsistence. WRC inspectors also qualify for an allowance of €9,315 PPC, bringing the cost of recruiting one inspector to approximately €77,982 per annum.
Using the methodology as set out above, the full year cost of ten additional inspectors would be approximately €779,820.
432. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the total funding for Enterprise Ireland's market discovery fund in 2022; and the estimated cost of increasing this fund by 10% and 20%, in tabular form. [27387/23]
View answerThe total funding spend for Enterprise Ireland's market discovery fund in 2022 was €2,286,609. The table below illustrates the amount of 2022 spend and the estimated cost of increasing it by 10% and 20%.
|
Enterprise Ireland's Market Discovery Fund |
|
|
2022 Spend |
€2,286,609 |
|
10% Increase |
€2,515,270 |
|
20% Increase |
€2,743,931 |
433. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the total funding for Enterprise Ireland's enter the Eurozone programme in 2022; and the estimated cost of increasing this fund by 10% and 20%, in tabular form. [27388/23]
View answerThe total funding spend for Enterprise Ireland's Enter the Eurozone programme in 2022 was €336,065. The table below illustrates the amount of 2022 spend and the estimated cost of increasing it by 10% and 20%.
|
Enterprise Ireland's Enter the Eurozone Programme |
|
|
2022 Spend |
€336,065 |
|
10% Increase |
€369,672 |
|
20% Increase |
€403,278 |
434. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the total funding for Enterprise Ireland's post Brexit market growth and diversification grant in 2022; and the estimated cost of increasing this fund by 10% and 20%, in tabular form. [27389/23]
View answerEnterprise Ireland's Post Brexit: Market Growth and Diversification grant was launched in March 2023. This is a new initiative funded by my Department through Enterprise Ireland which will help Irish companies impacted by Brexit to explore international growth opportunities in new markets outside the UK.
As the initiative was launched in 2023, no expenditure was incurred in 2022.
435. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the reason there was an underspend of €38,250,000 for the disruptive technology fund in 2022. [27390/23]
View answerThe Disruptive Technologies and Innovation Fund (DTIF) was set up in 2018 as one of four National Development Plan (NDP) Funds established by the Government under Project Ireland 2040. It aims to encourage collaborative and innovative research to develop and deploy disruptive technologies commercially to target national and global challenges.
In 2022, my Department provided €28.75m of DTIF funding to Enterprise Ireland to meet the claims from partners in the 72 projects approved in the first three DTIF Calls. This additional spending brought the total expenditure to €89.5m since the Fund was initiated.
Expenditure during 2022 was less than profiled and this was due to a number of factors including, slower than expected claims from client companies, lower levels of project activity and no-cost extensions due to the limited access permitted to research facilities during COVID-19 and the termination of a small number of projects. Also, in 2022, to strengthen compliance with the General Block Extension Regulation (GBER), Enterprise Ireland introduced Undertaking in Difficulty (UiD) assessments which delayed the announcement of Call 4 projects in 2022. The combination of these issues resulted in a lower than expected drawdown of expenditure in 2022.
436. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment what Ireland's position is on the Net Zero Industrial Act regarding industrial planning. [27422/23]
View answerIreland welcomes the European Commission’s focus on our shared objective to spur the technological innovation and industrial investment in the key technologies that will allow Europe and the world to transition to a net zero economy and society. Indeed, Ireland’s own White Paper on Enterprise to 2030, which the Government launched last December, aligns with the objectives and ambition of the EU’s Green Deal Industrial Plan and the proposed Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA) and places decarbonisation and climate change as key drivers and determinants of industrial policy.
We must be cognisant that greater investment and manufacturing capability for these strategic net-zero technologies is crucial for our decarbonisation objectives. As such, it is important that we also position ourselves to take advantage of the opportunities presented by this new EU Industrial policy direction.
My officials have been examining the NZIA as discussions continue at working party level. As part of this, my Department has engaged directly with officials in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH), which has policy responsibility for planning and, therefore, the relevant planning and permitting articles contained in the draft NZIA. More time is needed to examine how the expected outcomes, as they relate to planning and permitting in Ireland, can be successfully achieved. My officials will continue to engage with DHLGH as the discussions and negotiations evolve at a European level.
437. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the engagement his Department, the IDA and Enterprise Ireland are undertaking to secure foreign and indigenous direct investment in County Westmeath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27450/23]
View answer438. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the engagement his Department, the IDA and Enterprise Ireland are undertaking to secure foreign and indigenous direct investment in County Longford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27451/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 437 and 438 together.
The IDA's Driving Recovery and Sustainable Growth Strategy for 2021-2024 aims to ensure that FDI can make a significant contribution to the recovery and future growth of the economy. Its targets include:
• To win 800 total investments, to support job creation of 50,000 and economic activity
• To partner with clients for future growth through 170 RD&I and 130 training investments;
• To win 400 investments to advance regional development;
• To embrace a green recovery with 60 sustainability investments;
• To target a 20% increase in client expenditure in Ireland to maximise the impact of FDI.
The strategy is delivered through a focus on five pillars: Growth, Transformation, Regions, Sustainability, and Impact. These interlinked pillars align with, and are guided by, the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). At a national level they reflect the approach and ambition of the Programme for Government and the White Paper on Enterprise.
Despite the difficult global economic environment, total employment in IDA client companies in Ireland reached 301,475 in 2022, a 9% increase on 2021. The best FDI employment figures in a single year were also recorded in 2022 – with over 24,000 (24,019) net new jobs created, which represented a 43% increase on 2021. In total, 242 FDI investments were won by IDA in 2022, of which 103 were new name investments. Regional employment now stands at 163,653 an increase of 7% on previous year, 127 projects (52%) of the 242 investments won, went to regional locations. Employment in IDA client companies grew in every region of the country, with the Midlands region showing growth of 10.5%.
The IDA Midlands region comprises of Westmeath, Offaly, Laois and Longford. There are 50 IDA client companies in the Midlands Region, employing 7,665 people. 27 companies in Westmeath employ 4,501 and 7 companies in Longford employ 1,620 people. The FDI performance in the region has been consistent over the past five years with employment among IDA clients increasing by 48% over that time. The region has an impressive range of companies across all industry sectors, with particular strengths in Life Sciences, Technology, Global Business Services, International Financial Services, and Engineering & Industrial Technologies. The existing FDI base of client companies in the region continues to perform well in terms of their operational sustainability, job retention and ongoing transformation.
Notwithstanding the serious global challenges and uncertainties on the path ahead, FDI is well placed to remain a vital contributor to Ireland’s prosperity and future success. The fundamentals of what investors are looking for in seeking to internationalize have not changed. They seek stability, consistency, a talented workforce and a business-friendly ecosystem. In this regard, Ireland's FDI value proposition remains strong. Moreover, Ireland is a stable investment location with access to the EU market, as the only native English-speaking EU Member State providing companies investing here with access to the EU market’s 450 million consumers.
From the perspective of the Enterprise Ireland (EI) mandate, EI client companies now employ 218,178 people, an increase of 5% on the 2021 outturn and 68% of these jobs are outside Dublin. The total number of jobs in EI companies in 2022 in Westmeath is 3,099, and in Longford is 2,223. Strengthening regional enterprise development is a central focus for EI in their Strategy 2022-2024 – Leading in a Changing World. Their response will reflect the varying needs and opportunities of enterprise across the different regions and encompasses working directly with companies in the regions.
EI also works with regionally-based partners through the Regional Enterprise Plan Steering Committees and related funding streams to strengthen the enterprise ecosystem. In this regard, infrastructure will drive increased enterprise collaboration, through cluster and network development, working in partnership with stakeholders across the regional enterprise ecosystem, including the Local Authorities, Údarás na Gaeltachta, Regional Assemblies, and higher and further education providers.
Specifically, insofar as Westmeath is concerned, the creation of a National Science Park on the old Mullingar Imperial Tobacco site as a hub for R&D and manufacturing companies to locate already has already secured several key tenants, including medical packaging company Steripak, Enterprise Ireland funded R&D organisation IMR (Irish Manufacturing Research) and technology accelerator venture company Zoosh Ltd. in addition, the tourism initiative, Destination Athlone, has significant local support and enterprise and employment potential. Improved road links between Athlone with other midlands towns key to winning support from other counties in midlands region.
From the perspective of Longford, both my Department and our development agencies are acutely aware that the Bord na Móna job losses will significantly impact Lanesboro in Longford as well as the wider Midlands region. In response, the Government's Just Transition Fund for the Midlands Region (also supported by the ESB) has been put in place to help alleviate this impact. Other important supports include:
• Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) as a not-for-profit CLG company that was formed in 2014 with the mission to facilitate significant growth and job creation in the Irish manufacturing sector, which aims to develop and commercialise next generation manufacturing technologies, deemed critical by Irish companies, through a collaborative industrial engagement business model. IMR will develop in the region a significant and important research and development capability in the areas of Collaborative Robotics and Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality in partnership with Industry.
• the Urban Regeneration Development Fund (URDF), under which, in 2021, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage announced a €25.8m stimulus package for four projects across the Midlands (Westmeath, Longford, Offaly and Laois), which will also support enterprise and employment potential.
439. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the engagement his Department has had with other Government Departments in relation to improving the delivery of the work permit system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27454/23]
View answerMy Department actively responds to the concerns raised by various sectors of the economy with regard to the critical short supply of skills in a number of roles. This has been highlighted by the number of amendments made to the Employment Permits Regulations over the last two years, with sectors, including the health sector, provided with increased access to employment permits.
Changes brought about to improve the delivery and effectiveness of the Employment Permits system are made following constructive engagement and consultation with relevant policy Departments as well as a review of the workforce challenges in the sectors in question.
For example, in December 2022 my Department announced the opening of a quota of 1,500 employment permits for the role of bus and coach drivers which was agreed following consultation with the Department of Transport.
Also in 2022, following constructive engagement between my Department and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the quota of General Employment Permits for the role of dairy farm assistant was increased by 500. This served to alleviate the pressures being faced by farmers in the dairy sector, who have struggled to source workers in the local economy.
Access to the General Employment Permit for the role of health care assistant was announced in June 2021 to address skills and labour shortages in the healthcare and nursing home sector. More recently, further changes introduced the opening of a quota of 1,000 General Employment Permits for the role of home carers in response to the severe shortage of workers in the sector.
The measures in respect of healthcare assistants and home care workers follow the establishment of the cross-departmental Strategic Workforce Advisory Group and its report published at the end of last year, tasked to examine strategic workforce challenges in publicly and privately provided frontline healthcare roles in home care and long-term residential care for older people.
An additional change made to alleviate workforce challenges in the health sector was the creation of a new permission for non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHD), introduced following engagement with the Department of Justice and the Department of Health. Non-EEA doctors already in the State for 21 months or more with a General Employment Permit may now apply for a new permission granting them the right to work without a permit. Their spouses or partners also receive a permission to work.
A public consultation launching the next Review of the Occupations Lists will take place in the coming weeks. The Review will take into account submissions made through the consultation process and will also be informed by research undertaken by labour market policy research bodies such as the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) and SOLAS, a State further education policy agency. The views of the Economic Migration Interdepartmental Group, which is chaired by this Department, will be central to the review process.
440. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when the Shannon Estuary Economic Taskforce final report will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27458/23]
View answerThe Shannon Estuary Economic Taskforce final report is due to be published on the 8th of July 2023.
As the Deputy will be aware, the Programme for Government 2020 committed to supporting the Shannon Estuary region in recognition that it had been expecting economic development arising from new fossil-fuel infrastructure. The establishment of an independent Economic Taskforce was designed to evaluate the region’s economic development potential and was formally established on 21 April 2022, with the twofold objective to create a long-term vision for the region and to outline a practical action plan to realise it.
I very much look forward to the publication of this report which is the product of extensive stakeholder consultations by the Taskforce across the renewable energy, transport, logistics, communications, and tourism sectors. The Taskforce also engaged with the relevant Government Departments, Agencies, Ministers, members of the Oireachtas, MEPs, and local elected officials across counties Kerry, Limerick, Clare, and Tipperary. In addition to this, my Department ran two public consultations on behalf of the Taskforce.
The Taskforce published its interim report in November 2022 in which it set out its ambition to begin supplying Atlantic Offshore Wind Energy through the Estuary by 2030, with the intention to significantly accelerating it up to 2050. It is anticipated that the final report of the independent Taskforce will contain detailed recommendations on what is required in terms of policy, regulatory reform, and infrastructure development to enable this vision to be realised.
The Taskforce report is also expected to set out a series of recommendations designed to bring more immediate economic and sustainability benefits to the region. It will outline actions required to develop and upscale the deployment of onshore sources of renewable energy such as biomethane. Specific recommendations on developing the region’s transport and logistics infrastructure, digital connectivity, as well as proposals around further developing the Estuary’s tourism offering are also expected to be included.
441. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if the WRC is no longer fit for purpose in the Government's eyes; the implication for all employees across all sectors, public and private, especially if they see Government bodies belatedly disrespecting the WRC; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27466/23]
View answerThe Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) is an independent, statutory body under the aegis of my Department, established on 1st October 2015 under the Workplace Relations Act 2015. The WRC’s primary functions include the inspection of employment law compliance, the provision of information on employment law, mediation, adjudication, conciliation, facilitation, and advisory services. WRC inspectors carry out inspections of employer records with a view to determining compliance with employment rights legislation.
Employment rights adjudication decisions issued by the WRC are legally enforceable. If an Employer or a Respondent fails to carry out a decision of an Adjudication Officer, or a decision of the Labour Court relating to an appeal against a decision of an Adjudication Officer, the Employee or Complainant affected, or his/her trade union, or an excepted body as defined under the Trade Union Act 1941 may apply directly to the District Court for an order directing the Employer or Respondent to comply with that decision.
If the Deputy is referring to Recommendations issued under the Industrial Relations Act 1969, these are not enforceable. The system of Industrial Relations in Ireland is essentially voluntary in nature and a recommendation made by an Adjudication Officer, or the Labour Court is not legally binding.
Therefore, it is not possible to compel a party to comply with a “recommendation” issuing from the WRC.
My Department works closely with the WRC to ensure that it is fully resourced to allow it to effectively carry out its statutory functions. The Workplace Relations Commission has the Government’s full support and backing as it fulfils its important mandate.
