Robert Troy
Question:366. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when the funding will be available through the Shared Island fund for enterprise development across Northern Ireland. [36577/23]
View answerNorthern Ireland
Questions (366)
Written answers
The development of an integrated all-island economy is one of the key achievements of the peace process. The growth of the all-island economy over the past 25 years has helped to drive prosperity across the island, reinforcing the peace dividend for communities. Protecting and growing the all-island economy is a major priority for Government and this is reflected in the Shared Island initiative and revised National Development Plan.
Through the Shared Island Initiative, the Economic and Social Research Institute has undertaken a joint research programme on ‘The Economic and Social Opportunities from Increased Cooperation on the Shared Island’. Reports published to date have focused on cross-border trade in services education, foreign direct investment and productivity across the island. The Government commissioned this research programme to provide a high-quality evidence base to look, in real terms, at how the all-island economy can continue to be developed, accruing economic and societal benefits both North and South.
The Shared Island initiative is backed by Shared Island Fund, which will help to achieve the delivery of all-island investment commitments. In seeking to harness the opportunities offered by the Shared Island Initiative, my Department has been working closely with the Northern Ireland Department for the Economy as well as the three enterprise agencies on the island – InterTradeIreland, Enterprise Ireland and Invest Northern Ireland. Through collaboration we are best placed to deliver on advancing the all-island economy to the benefit of the people and businesses in both jurisdictions.
Discussions on the development of a potential Shared Island-funded scheme are ongoing. Officials from my Department continue to work closely with relevant stakeholders and the enterprise agencies will soon be in a position to submit a proposal for funding to the Shared Island Unit in the Department of the Taoiseach.
Trade Relations
Questions (367, 368)
Réada Cronin
Question:367. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the reason the Russian Federation remains by far the biggest market for Irish-refined alumina, in light of the fact that such exports are capable of assisting Russia in its invasion of Ukraine and its ongoing war on that territory. [35232/23]
View answerRéada Cronin
Question:368. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment whether, by continuing to supply the Russian Federation with alumina (figures to end March 2023), the State is in breach of its political commitment to its EU partners in both the matter of the war on Ukraine and global security. [35233/23]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 367 and 368 together.
The EU has adopted eleven packages of sanctions in response to Russia’s illegal and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine.
The EU trade sanctions currently in place in response to situation in Ukraine are broad-ranging. It is prohibited to sell, supply, transfer or export the following categories of goods to Russia, or for use in Russia:
Dual-use goods and technology,
Specified goods and technology which might contribute to Russia’s military and technological enhancement,
Specified goods, generators, toy drones, laptops, hard drives, IT components, night-vision, radio navigation equipment, cameras and lenses, chemicals, commodities and machinery that might contribute to the enhancement of Russia’s industrial capabilities,
Goods and technology intended for use in Russia’s energy sector,
Specified goods and technology, suited for use in oil exploration, production or refining; or for use in liquefaction of natural gas,
Specified goods and technology suited for use in aviation or space industry, including jet fuel and fuel additives,
Specified aviation navigation and radio goods and technology, including for placing on a Russian-flagged vessel,
Specified luxury goods,
Firearms, their parts and essential components and ammunition,
Electronic components, semiconductor materials, manufacturing and testing equipment for electronic integrated circuits and printed circuit boards, precursors to energetic materials and precursors to chemical weapons, optical components, navigational instruments, metals used in the defence sector and marine equipment,
Intellectual property rights used in connection with restricted goods to prevent the sanctioned goods from simply being manufactured outside of the EU.
There are corresponding prohibitions on the provision of technical assistance, brokering services or other services, including financial services, related to these categories of goods. Also, the transit of dual use goods and certain advanced technology and aviation-related materials, as well as firearms, via the territory of Russia to third countries is also prohibited. Where a good or service is not subject to these sanctions, individual companies are responsible for deciding whether to trade with Russia or not. The Government strongly supports strong sanctions and their effective implementation.
Exports of alumina are in compliance with the EU sanctions regime applying to Russia which have been reviewed, updated and revised on several occasions including on 23 June last, and which remain subject to ongoing, vigilant review at EU level, which Ireland fully supports.
Question No. 368 answered with Question No. 367.
Job Creation
Questions (369)
Ged Nash
Question:369. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of new net jobs created in IDA-client companies (broken down by client company name), in County Louth, in tabular form, for 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35630/23]
View answerWritten answers
The FDI performance in the Mid-East Region, which comprises counties Kildare, Louth, Meath and Wicklow, has been strong over the past five years with employment growing among IDA clients in the Engineering & Industrial Technologies, Medical Technologies, Technology, International Financial Services and Life Sciences sectors.
There are 113 IDA Ireland client companies in the Mid-East Region employing 21,861 people directly and supporting an additional 17,489 indirect jobs. IDA Ireland client employment in the region grew by 13% in 2022 with an additional 933 net jobs created. Moreover, County Louth is home to 36 IDA Ireland client companies directly employing 4,485 people.
In recent years, IDA Ireland supported companies including WUXI, Wasdell, PCI Pharma Services, Kaseya, IT Renew, Amazon Web Services and Simply NUC who have announced investments and expansions for Co. Louth which have driven the demand for property solutions. In June 2021, IDA Ireland acquired two landbanks in Co Louth. These land acquisitions, with a combined total of c.157 acres are situated in Drogheda and in Dundalk and form part of IDA’s long term strategic plan to position Louth and the wider region to compete for FDI investment.
While the IDA is unable to provide employment figures for individual companies for commercial confidentiality reasons, outlined below are the employment figures and announcements from IDA clients in County Louth over the period requested based on the Employment Survey 2022:
|
|
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
|
No. of Companies |
30 |
31 |
36 |
37 |
36 |
|
Total Jobs |
3,980 |
4,605 |
4,344 |
4,686 |
4,485 |
|
Gross Gains |
300 |
813 |
361 |
614 |
415 |
|
Job Losses |
-202 |
-188 |
-622 |
-272 |
-616 |
|
Net Change |
98 |
625 |
-261 |
342 |
-201 |
IDA announcements in Louth over last 4 years are as follows:
|
Company Name |
Date |
Brief Description |
Jobs/Investment |
Town |
|
ABB |
Feb 2023 |
ABB officially opens multi-million-dollar R&D centre to drive technological advancements in pulp and paper in Dundalk creating 30 research, engineering and sales jobs |
30 |
Dundalk |
|
Panasonic Avionics |
Oct 2022 |
Panasonic Avionics announced expansion of its European MRO (maintenance, repair & overhaul) facility in Dundalk. It will increase its workforce at the site to 60 people with 30 additional jobs over the next 3 years. |
30 |
Dundalk |
|
Kaseya |
Jul 2022 |
Kaseya, a US IT management and security software company announced plans to establish a new Centre of Excellence in Dundalk with the creation of 250 jobs over three years |
250 |
Dundalk |
|
Becton Dickinson |
Dec 2021 |
BD announced the creation of 100 jobs with a €62M investment in new equipment to expand its production of BD PosiFlush™ syringes |
100 Jobs
€62M |
Drogheda |
|
Hiab (Cargotec) |
Sep 2021 |
Hiab, a load handling equipment provider announced an investment of over €50M to develop a new Factory of the Future |
100 Jobs €50m |
Dundalk |
|
ITRenew |
Sep 2021 |
ITRenew, a global leader in circular cloud and sustainable data centre infrastructure announced it will establish an Ireland Headquarters & Logistics Centre in Drogheda |
40 Jobs |
Drogheda |
|
Simply NUC |
May 2021 |
Simply NUC, a systems integrator specialising in mini PCs established its EU HQ & manufacturing centre in Dunleer |
30 Jobs |
Dunleer |
|
TrustLabs Inc |
May 2021 |
TrustLabs, a privately held blockchain fintech company, announced the establishment of its European Headquarters in Dundalk |
20 Jobs |
Dundalk |
|
WuXi Vaccines |
Nov 2019 |
Vaccine Production Facility |
€202m and 200 jobs |
Dundalk |
|
Panasonic Avionics |
Oct 2019 |
Establishment of a repair shop, providing repair services of IFEC equipment to customers in Europe |
|
Dundalk |
|
Wuxi Biologics |
April 2018 |
A new biologics drug substance manufacturing facility |
€325 million and 400 jobs |
Dundalk |
|
PCI Pharma Services (PCI) |
April 2018 |
Announced the launch of its new contained packaging facility for the primary and secondary packaging of highly potent products |
30 jobs |
Drogheda |
|
Almac Group |
January 2018 |
Announced a further expansion in support of Clinical and Commercial drug supplies at its European Campus |
€34 million investment |
Dundalk |
Earlier this month Becton Dickinson announced that, following a slowdown and normalisation of global volume for a product line produced at the BD Drogheda site, the company has taken the decision to "right-size" its manufacturing operations to align with future demand. This will result in a reduction of 60 positions in Drogheda between now and September 2024. However, given the length of the time to implement the job losses, the company expects natural attrition and retirements can reduce the total number of employees affected. Our first concern is for those employees affected and their families. The IDA will work with the local leadership team on skills analysis and redeployment opportunities in the region, where appropriate.
Job Creation
Questions (370)
Ged Nash
Question:370. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of new net jobs created in Enterprise Ireland-client client companies (broken down by client company name), in County Louth, in tabular form, for 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35631/23]
View answerWritten answers
The table below, outlines the net change in employment recorded in County Louth, captured in the Annual Employment Surveys undertaken in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 for Enterprise Ireland – client companies.
|
County Level Data |
Employment Data |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
|
Louth |
Net Change |
-102 |
314 |
73 |
356 |
21 |
Please note that company names are not included in this PQ response for commercial sensitivity reasons.
Enterprise Ireland has supported and continues to work with a number of projects in County Louth, funded under either the Regional Enterprise Development Fund (REDF) or the Border Enterprise Development Fund (BEDF) with allocated funding of approximately €11.7 million. This is aimed at accelerating economic recovery by delivering on the potential of local and regional enterprise strengths. These funds will support significant collaborative regional initiatives to build on specific industry sectoral strengths and improve enterprise capability, thereby continuing to drive job creation in the region. In 2022, Enterprise Ireland made payments of €1,579,745 to client companies in County Louth.
Work Permits
Questions (371)
Jackie Cahill
Question:371. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will consider adding agriculture mechanics, construction plant fitters and heavy vehicle mechanics to his Department’s critical skills list so that these positions can be filled by non-EU nationals coming to work in Ireland, considering the shortage of qualified individuals to fill vacant positions in the country, and that the pipeline of those in apprenticeships will not match the numbers that are going to retire from these areas in the coming years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35765/23]
View answerWritten answers
Ireland operates a managed employment permits system, maximising the benefits of economic migration and minimising the risk of disrupting Ireland’s labour market. The regime is designed to facilitate the entry of appropriately skilled non-EEA nationals to fill skills or labour shortages in the State in the short to medium term.
The Occupational Lists (Ineligible Occupations List and Critical Skills Occupation List) for employment permits are subject to evidence-based review incorporating consideration of available research, and a public consultation which provides stakeholders with an opportunity to submit data on the extent of skills or labour shortages. Submissions to the review are considered by the Interdepartmental Group on Economic Migration Policy with membership drawn from key Government Departments.
An occupation may be considered for inclusion on, or removal from, the Occupations Lists where evidence supports that no suitable Irish/EEA nationals are available to undertake the work; development opportunities are not undermined; genuine skills shortages exist; and recruitment or retention issues are affected by factors other than salary and/or employment conditions.
I wish to advise the Deputy that the public consultation phase of the Review of the Occupations Lists is currently underway as of 26th June and will remain open until the 18th of August.
The occupation of Mechanic (agricultural or heavy vehicle) is currently on the Ineligible Occupations List and, as such, an employment permit cannot be granted at present for this occupation. There has been engagement between my Department and the Department of Transport in regard to the sector and we expect to receive a submission on mechanics to the Review of the Occupations Lists.
The occupation of Construction Plant Fitter, while not on the Critical Skills Occupations List, is eligible for a General Employment Permit subject to a labour market needs test.
The Department invites submissions from industry representatives and stakeholders on the nature and extent of labour and skills shortages. The submission process is a vital source of information and serves to inform the Department’s final assessment of the status of occupations.
State Bodies
Questions (372)
Paul Donnelly
Question:372. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to report on the work of Enterprise Ireland Office in Austin, Texas, since its establishment. [35797/23]
View answerWritten answers
Enterprise Ireland’s Austin, Texas office is one of six EI offices in the US and officially opened in May 2015.
The Austin office consists of four team members—a manager and three market advisors—dedicated to the support of client companies targeting the Texas, southern USA and Mexico regions, working in close collaboration with Team Ireland.
The Austin office covers the southern USA region (Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kentucky, West Virginia and Tennessee), as well as Mexico, supported where necessary by local specific subject matter expertise (i.e. Pathfinders, Business Accelerators).
Sectors of focus for the southern USA include Digital Technologies, HR/Talent Tech, Enterprise SaaS, Industrial Technologies, Aerospace, Energy & Cleantech, Equine and Agribusiness. The Austin office supports Enterprise Ireland clients in all sectors in the Mexico region.
Enterprise Ireland engages directly with local industry and trade stakeholders across the southern USA and Mexico to advance the development of Irish companies, including the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, the International Roundtable, the Irish Mexican Chamber, COMCE and the local business community.
The Enterprise Ireland Austin office’s market strategy has an emphasis on one-to-one engagement with Irish companies to provide meaningful business connections, impactful research and advising projects, and support them from start to scale in the southern USA and Mexican markets.
Other specific Austin office engagements include:
Participation in one of the country’s largest technology conferences, SXSW to give a platform to growth clients to connect with key stakeholders
St Patrick’s Day/week itineraries & Trade Missions across EI sectors
Education in Ireland key trade events across Mexico
Team Ireland collaborative Trade Visits to states in the region, such as Oklahoma (USA) and Nuevo Leon (Mexico).
Client Knowledge Forum Workshops tailored to support client growth and development in the US and Mexico
In market itineraries for a number of clients across sectors pre and post-COVID
The US is a key market of growth for Enterprise Ireland clients and was named as the top priority market for numerous EI clients.
Enterprise Ireland client companies’ total exports to North America increased to just over €5.5 billion in 2022 representing a growth rate of 13% year on year.
Equality Issues
Questions (373)
Michael Moynihan
Question:373. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the action his Department has taken to honour the Programme for Government pledge to ensure that Government Departments and public bodies take positive steps, including the use of correct pronouns and, where possible, making improvements on official forms, to assist non-binary people. [35826/23]
View answerWritten answers
Under the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014, as a public body my Department has a duty to eliminate discrimination, promote equality and protect the human rights of staff and the people availing of its services.
In February my Department published its first Equality, Diversity and Inclusion statement, which sets out the principles we work by, and the actions we undertake, to ensure compliance with this legislation and ensure we are promoting equality, diversity and inclusion as an employer and public body.
Under this Equality, Diversity and Inclusion statement my Department affirms that it does not discriminate on the grounds of an individual’s gender, gender identity and/or gender expression: female, male, non-binary; or where an individual is in the process of gender transition or where an individual has completed this reassignment or undergoing any associated medical supports.
Further to the publication of this Equality, Diversity and Inclusion statement, we are developing our first Equality, Diversity and Inclusion strategy, which will set out a vision for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in this Department and how that will be effected for both customers and staff of the Department. This Strategy will be completed by year end. The Department currently holds the 'investors in diversity silver award' from the Irish Centre for Diversity.
Employment Rights
Questions (374)
Bríd Smith
Question:374. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will detail his proposals in relation to the rights of retired workers' representatives to have greater access to the WRC or similar State arbitration bodies in the event of disputes relating to their occupational pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35865/23]
View answerWritten answers
In 2015, the 1990 Industrial Relations Acts were amended with the insertion of section 26A which allows for a retired person to access to Industrial Relations bodies in a period of 6-month (can be extended to 12 months in specific circumstances) post-retirement for work related matters arising pre-retirement.
If a person is in receipt of an occupational pension, their relationship is with the trustees of the pension fund. They no longer have an employment relationship with their former employer. Trustees have statutory and fiduciary duties to act in the best interests of all members of a fund. Trustees must always be consulted if a collective agreement refers to a pension matter.
It is the responsibility of the Office of the Pensions Ombudsman to act an independent and impartial means of resolving complaints alleging financial loss occasioned by an act of maladministration and disputes of fact or law in relation to occupational pensions schemes and Personal Retirement Savings Accounts.
Visa Applications
Questions (375)
Patrick Costello
Question:375. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his Department will provide funding for NGOs (details supplied) which deal with migrants needing help with visa-related issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35919/23]
View answerWritten answers
My Department has responsibility for the employment permits legislation providing the grant of permissions to take up employment in the State. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment does not provide supports to NGOs operating on behalf of migrant workers who are required to engage with the Department of Justice for permission to enter the State to take up that employment.
The Department of Justice operates the visa and immigration schemes providing permissions to migrant workers to enter the State for the purposes of taking up employment and/or seeking residency status.
I would advise the Deputy to engage with the Minister for Justice to identify any supports the Department of Justice may offer.
Work Permits
Questions (376)
Catherine Murphy
Question:376. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the amount of revenue generated through the issuing of general employment permits and critical skills employment permits in the years of 2022 and to-date in 2023, in tabular form. [35952/23]
View answerWritten answers
The Employment Permits Section of the Department has provided the following figures for the amount of revenue generated by the issuing of employment permits in the requested period:
|
1 Jan 2023 to 30 June 2023 |
€12,513,209.57 |
|
1 Jan 2022 to 31 December 2022 |
€27,672, 451.14 |
The above figures include all nine permit types. Due to the manner in which fees received are recorded on our system it is not possible to give a breakdown of the fees paid between each permit type.
Approximately 90% of all permits issued are either Critical Skills Employment Permits or General Employment Permits. The required fee for an employment permit is waived if the employer has charitable status confirmed by the Revenue Commissioners, if the application is in respect of a non-EEA national married to or in a civil partnership with an EEA national or for General Employment Permit renewal applications in respect of unlimited permits.
Where there is a fee due for a Critical Skills Employment Permit it is €1,000. The fee for a General Employment Permit however may vary depending on the duration of the validity period of the permit sought i.e. the fee can range from €500 up to €1,500 for periods covering 0-6 months or up to 2-3 years.
Details in relation to fees is available on the Department's website and can be accessed through this link: - enterprise.gov.ie/en/what-we-do/workplace-and-skills/employment-permits/fees/
EU Directives
Questions (377)
John Paul Phelan
Question:377. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when he intends to report on his Department's public consultation on the European Union's proposal for a directive on liability for defective products; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35957/23]
View answerWritten answers
The Department ran a public consultation on the EU proposal for a new directive on liability of defective products. This proposal revises the existing Product Liability Directive, adopted nearly 40 years ago during which time there have been several developments that have impacted the existing product liability directive, including changes in consumer expectations, the digital age, circular economy business models and global value chains.
The Department received eight responses to the public consultation, which closed on 26th April 2023. Officials are finalising their analysis of the responses and intend to publish a summary of the submissions received on the Department's website in the coming weeks.
Enterprise Support Services
Questions (378)
Jim O'Callaghan
Question:378. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the total number of people in each county employed by Local Enterprise Office-client companies in each of the years 2020, 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [35994/23]
View answerWritten answers
The Local Enterprise Offices' (LEO) most recent Annual Employment Survey for 2022 was published on 17 January. The Annual Employment Survey is conducted in Q4 each year and the results are normally announced in Q1 of the following year. They are included in the LEOs Annual Impact Report which can be viewed on the LEO's Website (www.Localenterprise.ie ).
This extensive survey is only conducted at the end of the year in order to capture the overall gains and losses for that year and as such we do not have any year-to-date data for 2023.
The number of jobs supported by LEO client companies for 2020 through to 2022 are shown in this table:
|
County |
Total Jobs - 2020 |
Total Jobs - 2021 |
Total Jobs - 2022 |
|
Carlow |
1219 |
1015 |
1101 |
|
Cavan |
1203 |
1327 |
1413 |
|
Clare |
1283 |
1330 |
1353 |
|
Cork |
3027 |
2847 |
3159 |
|
Donegal |
1283 |
1374 |
1346 |
|
Dublin |
5396 |
5282 |
5900 |
|
Galway |
1048 |
1187 |
1192 |
|
Kerry |
1135 |
1272 |
1248 |
|
Kildare |
1149 |
1156 |
1297 |
|
Kilkenny |
1058 |
1059 |
1077 |
|
Laois |
672 |
689 |
747 |
|
Leitrim |
416 |
417 |
435 |
|
Limerick |
1754 |
1825 |
1815 |
|
Longford |
1200 |
1245 |
1300 |
|
Louth |
884 |
898 |
913 |
|
Mayo |
1274 |
1164 |
1226 |
|
Meath |
1356 |
1509 |
1407 |
|
Monaghan |
1118 |
1050 |
1005 |
|
Offaly |
1049 |
1047 |
1196 |
|
Roscommon |
888 |
940 |
1032 |
|
Sligo |
930 |
995 |
998 |
|
Tipperary |
1365 |
1345 |
1528 |
|
Waterford |
1252 |
1199 |
1222 |
|
Westmeath |
1162 |
1272 |
1484 |
|
Wexford |
1474 |
1630 |
1773 |
|
Total |
34595 |
35074 |
37167 |
Job Creation
Questions (379)
Seán Sherlock
Question:379. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of jobs created by the IDA in rural hubs based on Our Rural Future. [36003/23]
View answerWritten answers
As the Deputy will be aware, ‘Our Rural Future – Rural Development Policy 2021-2025’ is being overseen by the Department of Rural and Community Development as a whole-of-Government policy for the sustainable development of rural Ireland. It was launched in March 2021 and contains more than 150 commitments for delivery across Government over a five year period as the most ambitious and transformational policy for rural development in Ireland for decades.
Regional Development is a key plank of the Government's enterprise policy, as set out in the White Paper on Enterprise, and is the key focus of my Department's leadership of the Regional Enterprise Plans. Similarly, the IDA’s strategy 'Driving Recovery & Sustainability, 2021-2024', has an ambitious target of 800 investments over the lifetime of its current strategy and it will target half of all investments to regional locations. In this regard, IDA Ireland continues to highlight flexible/remote working opportunities across its client base, to both existing and new IDA client companies, as vehicles for Job Creation and Investment into Regional locations across Ireland. IDA promotes flexible/remote working to their client companies by showcasing talent availability across Ireland’s regions and highlighting the availability of Ireland’s network of enterprise hubs.
IDA Ireland also continues to collaborate with regional stakeholders to drive greater take up of remote working opportunities across all regions. IDA continues to promote the Connected Hubs and the Community and Enterprise Association of Ireland networks to new and existing clients.
Moreover, IDA is also supportive of training initiatives undertaken by local ETBs and clients on how to operate and manage in remote working environments. In 2019, Laois Offaly Educational Training Board in partnership with IDA Ireland developed and launched a training programme for employers and employees to develop skills needed to lead remote teams and to thrive in a remote work environment. The programme has successfully trained over 2,000 individuals and has supported the creation of hundreds of jobs that can be performed from anywhere in Ireland.
Departmental Reports
Questions (380, 394)
Robert Troy
Question:380. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will publish the report commissioned by his Department on establishing an export guarantee scheme and if he will consider establishing an export guarantee scheme for businesses that export. [36059/23]
View answerRobert Troy
Question:394. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will consider establishing an export credit guarantee scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36575/23]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 380 and 394 together.
Over the last two years, with the assistance of an external export credit insurance expert, my Department has conducted an internal review to assess the potential need for a state-backed export credit insurance scheme. This review involved engagement with trade credit insurers, industry and other relevant stakeholders such as Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland.
Following this internal review, and on reviewing Ireland's strong trade export statistics over the last ten years, it was found that there was no clear demand or need for State intervention in terms of export credit insurance.
This internal review also concluded that sufficient levels of export credit insurance is available from the private market.
Unfortunately, as this report is based on information that was gathered, in confidence, by this industry expert, my Department will not be in a position to release this report.
Officials in my Department regularly explore ways to assist businesses and to create an environment that stimulates their growth. However, it is important that Government intervention is focused on those areas where there is a market failure.
My Department, working with Enterprise Ireland currently offers a range of supports for exporting businesses, such as training, in-market support, and trade missions. There are also a number of schemes which my Department has developed, working through SBCI, which provide financing support for businesses, including exporting businesses, including the Ukraine Guarantee Scheme and the Sustainability and Growth Loan Scheme, which will be launched in Q3.
Exports and international trade will remain central to Ireland’s growth model and economic strategy in the years to come.
As outlined in the White Paper on Enterprise, we have set the ambition of expanding our exporting base with 2000 additional exporting companies, and 50% more large Irish exporting companies, by 2030. To accomplish this, we will focus on enhancing productivity and developing an integrated system-wide approach to accelerating start-up growth and scaling.
In addition, the extension of the LEO mandate to work with prospective exporters, that have grown to between 10 and 50 employees, will bridge an existing gap and better integrate micro enterprises into the scaling loop.