Written Answers Nos. 41-60
41. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the work being done in his Department to promote the use of modern methods of construction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5719/24]
View answerModern methods of construction, or MMC, is a key way of helping to address Ireland’s housing needs. MMC has the potential to increase productivity and efficiency, improve delivery, and reduce cost and waste in construction.
My Department, alongside the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, published the ‘Roadmap for increased adoption of Modern Methods of Construction in public sector housing delivery’ in July last year. The 28-action Roadmap takes a holistic approach to improving the MMC ecosystem.
Coordination of activities to promote MMC development and adoption is being led under Housing for All by my Department which now chairs an interdepartmental MMC Leadership and Integration Group to drive government supported MMC-relevant initiatives.
These include:
• The ConstructInnovate Construction Technology Centre
• The National Demonstration Park for MMC
• The Build Digital project
• The Built to Innovate awareness campaign
• The Roadmap for MMC in public housing delivery (referred to above)
• An Introductory Guide to MMC for the non-technical reader/general public to enhance consistency of understanding and the use of MMC terminology
• Training for industry and procurers in MMC
In conjunction with the above initiatives, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is also facilitating MMC adoption in public housing. Additional resources have been deployed to support local authority delivery and the Department of Housing is working with Local Authorities to delivery approximately 1500 dwellings using Modern Methods of Construction through the Accelerated Housing Delivery programme. A specific focus for the Housing Agency is to incorporate MMC into the social housing build programme, and a guidance document now exists for the provision of “design and build” housing projects using MMC.
42. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of County Cork businesses that are likely to qualify for the increased cost of business grant; the discussions his Department has had with Cork County Council in relation to this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5555/24]
View answer48. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when the increased cost of business scheme will be rolled out to businesses and how local authorities will be advertising the scheme. [5665/24]
View answer54. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment for an update on the roll-out of the increased cost of business scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5666/24]
View answer61. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of businesses in Offaly that are likely to qualify for the increased cost of business grant scheme; what discussions his Department has had with Offaly County Council in relation to this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5448/24]
View answer63. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of businesses in South County Dublin that are likely to qualify for the increased cost of business grant scheme; what discussions his Department has had with South Dublin County Council in relation to this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5450/24]
View answer70. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment for an update on the supports available to businesses with the rising cost of energy in running a business, particularly those in the hospitality sector which has seen a number of closures recently. [5552/24]
View answer72. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of businesses in Dublin City that are likely to qualify for the increased cost of business grant scheme; what discussions his Department has had with Dublin City Council in relation to this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5442/24]
View answer73. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of Longford businesses that are likely to qualify for the increased cost of business grant; the discussions his Department has had with Longford County Council in relation to this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5507/24]
View answer83. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when the increased cost of business scheme payments will be made. [5670/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 42, 48, 54, 61, 63, 70, 72, 73 and 83 together.
The Increased Cost of Business (ICOB) grant was announced as part of the Budget 2024 package and is intended to particularly benefit small and medium sized businesses who operate from a rateable premises. The grant is only available to businesses who operate from a rateable premises and will not be available to vacant premises.
The grant is intended to aid firms who have been affected by increases in business costs but is not intended to directly compensate for all increases in wages, or other costs, for every business, nor is it intended to be a specific response to increases in the minimum wage. The total allocation for the ICOB grant is €257m.
Officials within my department are leading the introduction of this scheme and are working in conjunction with the Local Authorities, the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA), the County and City Management Association (CCMA) and the Department of Housing, Local Government, and Heritage. A Service Level Agreement (SLA) is currently being drafted between my Department and the Local Authorities, to underpin the operation of this scheme. This SLA will cover the delivery, funding, and oversight arrangements for the grant scheme.
The administration of the ICOB will be carried out by Local Authorities and it is intended that the grant will be provided to qualifying firms in the first quarter of this year. It is not intended that there be a formal application process, rather it is intended that the business will be contacted directly by their Local Authority. It is also intended that each Local Authority will take steps to raise awareness of the grant within its own operational area. This will be addressed in the SLA that will be put in place to govern the roll-out of the scheme.
The grant scheme has been set up in this way to ensure that the scheme is accessible to smaller businesses, who may have had difficulties availing of previous schemes. However, there is no intention to limit the scheme in any way related to employee numbers.
In order to qualify the ICOB grant, a business must also, at a minimum, meet the eligibility conditions set out below:
• The business is a commercially trading business operating directly within a premises that is commercially rateable by a Local Authority.
• The business has provided confirmation of its bank details to the respective Local Authority.
• The business is rates compliant, including those businesses with a phased payment arrangement in-place.
• The business is tax compliant, and in possession of a valid Tax Registration Number.
Estimates undertaken by my officials suggest that the ICOB grant will be available to up to 143,000 businesses operating from a rateable premises, or approximately 95% of all commercially trading business premises nationwide. This estimates were developed by my Department using rateable valuations data provided by Táilte Éireann. However, the final number of qualifying premises may differ, as exclusions for vacant premises, non-rates compliant businesses and non-tax compliant businesses are considered as the scheme is implemented.
Subject to these considerations, it is estimated that the number of business premises who are potentially eligible for the grant in each Local Authority is as follows:
|
Dublin City Council |
17,558 |
|
Offaly |
2,469 |
|
South Dublin |
6,126 |
|
Longford |
1,390 |
|
County Cork |
15,718 |
With regards to the specific query around energy supports, I would note that the ICOB is not specifically designed to offset rising energy costs. Previous schemes that were introduced in recent times to address rising energy costs include the Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme (TBESS) and the Business Users Support Scheme for Kerosene (BUSSK).
In terms of further supports for SMEs, the Local Enterprise Offices provides a suite of productivity and competitiveness supports to small businesses in the areas of Lean, Green and Digital. These include the Trading Online Voucher, Green for Business, and the Energy Efficiency Grant. The ‘All in a Day’s Work’ national campaign emphasises the benefits of these supports for businesses; namely saving them time, energy, and money.
The Government will continue to monitor what remains a challenging businesses environment and continue to support Irish businesses.
43. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will give and update on the work that is being done by his Department, with other Government Departments and State agencies; to find solutions for those who live in the North and work remotely for southern-based companies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5718/24]
View answerThe Government is committed to facilitating remote and flexible working in a way which maximises economic, social and environmental benefits.
The expansion of remote and hybrid working in recent years has significant potential to help create a more inclusive labour market, to widen access to talent for employers and to improve regional balance in the economy, including the Border region.
I am aware, however, of the concerns raised by the Deputy both today and last October in relation to the some of the challenges posed by the growth of remote and hybrid working for cross border workers, and for employers based in the State employing - or seeking to employ - workers residing outside the State, particularly in relation to taxation.
It is important to clarify that workers who live in Northern Ireland and work in the State are not precluded from working from home. The availability of remote working is primarily a matter between the employer and the employee.
An Irish private sector employer may allow an employee to work remotely in Northern Ireland, however, such arrangements may result in implications for the employer from a UK tax perspective. Therefore, I understand that the potential tax implications that may arise from such arrangements are outside the scope of the Minister for Finance’s direct remit and that of his Department.
More generally, it is worth reiterating that the State cannot move unilaterally on this issue since cross-border remote working has potential tax implications not only for this country but also on an international level. Consideration must be given to International Tax Law, Double Taxation agreements, and any changes are subject to international negotiation- matters that rest primarily with the Minister for Finance.
I understand however that discussions in relation to global mobility and the tax policy implications for cross border workers have already started at both the EU and the OECD and that the Department of Finance is fully engaging with all the relevant stakeholders and is contributing to the policy discussions on the issue.
In addition, my own Department continues to actively engage with colleagues across Government and other public bodies both bilaterally and through the Remote Work Interdepartmental Group and other fora to address this challenge. In this context, I would highlight the following:
- Agencies under the auspices of my Department are continuing to engage with their client companies, and with the relevant state bodies on matters relating to cross-border working, including remote and hybrid working.
- My Department is continuing to engage with the Department of Finance to obtain better data on the nature and extent of cross-border working. The Department of Finance has commissioned the ESRI to undertake research into the prevalence of cross-border working, including remote and hybrid working. This research is well advanced at present.
- I understand that Revenue is continuing to look at ways to minimise the administrative burden of cross-border working and recently introduced changes to alleviate the burden for non-resident employees of Irish private sector employers who exercise duties both inside and outside the State.
- The functioning of the all-island labour market is a priority for the Labour Employer Economic Forum (LEEF) Shared Island Working Group. The Shared Island Working is chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach and brings together Government, employer representatives and trade unions.
- The LEEF Shared Island Working Group met last October to discuss the policy challenges posed by cross-border remote working. Participants included my own Department, the Department of the Taoiseach, the Department of Finance, Revenue and the Department of Social Protection along with other stakeholders.
- The LEEF Shared Island Working Group has also recently commissioned research focused on the current conditions of the island of Ireland labour market, and challenges and opportunities for effective operation for workers and businesses across the island. It is intended that this research will be published in Q2 2024 and will help inform any future policy in this area.
My Department will continue to and assess any developments very closely, taking into account the cross-border nature of many people’s lives on the island of Ireland and the significant role that cross-border working plays in the all-island economy.
44. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment for a report on the implementation of the National AI Strategy: AI – Here for Good; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5512/24]
View answer52. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will report on the work of the Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5443/24]
View answer45. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his Department’s efforts to support the hospitality sector. [5300/24]
View answerThe Government is acutely aware that businesses in all sectors are concerned about the impact of rising costs.
As you are aware, I co-chair the Hospitality and Tourism Forum with my colleague Ms Catherine Martin T.D., Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. The most recent meeting was held on 24 January, where many issues affecting the sector were discussed including the return to the13.5% VAT rate for the hospitality sector, insurance costs, the increased costs in energy, the new employment rights legislation and associated costs, etc.
The Government has provided significant support to business throughout the period of increasing costs and has been proactive in limiting the fallout from higher rates of inflation in input costs and prices. However, it is not possible to insulate every business from the total impact of these costs.
Over the two-year period prior to Budget 2024 a total of €12 billion – 4½ per cent of national income – was provided in cost of living and doing business supports, comprising a mix of permanent and one-off measures, to ease the burden of inflation on households and businesses. The main programme introduced by Government to alleviate cost pressures for small businesses was the €1.3 billion Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme.
Budget 2024 also contained several measures which will support businesses facing increased costs. This includes, among others:
• The 9% VAT reduction for gas and electricity was extended for an additional 12 months, until the 31st of October 2024;
• The temporary excise rate reductions applying to auto diesel, petrol and marked gas oil were extended until the 31st of March 2024; and,
• There was an increase in VAT registration thresholds for SMEs to €40,000 for services and €80,000 for goods.
Also, as part of the Budget 2024 package, and in order to help businesses with their increasing overheads, the Government announced the introduction of the Increased Cost of Business (ICOB) grant, which is intended to aid firms with the challenge posed by increased costs. Officials in my Department are currently working with the Local Authorities on the administration of the ICOB grant to ensure that support can be provided in early 2024.
My Department, in collaboration with the Department of Social Protection, is also assessing the cumulative impact of forthcoming changes to working conditions, including Pension Auto-Enrolment, Parent’s Leave and Benefit, Statutory Sick Pay, the Additional Public Holiday, the Living Wage, and Remote Working. This follows a recommendation by the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council that a cumulative impact assessment be undertaken. The report is due to be finalised in early 2024 and will inform public policy in this area.
The Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs), also play an extremely important role as part of a supportive ecosystem, providing their services direct to small businesses and promoting entrepreneurship within towns and communities across the country. They act as a ‘first stop shop’ providing expert advice and guidance, financial assistance, and offer a ‘signposting’ service for all government supports available to business owners throughout the country.
The LEOs provide a suite of productivity and competitiveness supports to small businesses in the areas of Lean, Green and Digital. These include the Trading Online Voucher, Green for Business, and the Energy Efficiency Grant. The ‘All in a Day’s Work’ national campaign emphasises the benefits of these supports for businesses; namely saving them time, energy and money.
It is recognised that elements of the hospitality sector are an important part of the wider tourism ecosystem, hence the ongoing engagement of my Department and Minister Martin’s Department through the Hospitality and Tourism Forum.
Fáilte Ireland delivers varied supports to business which are set out on their website www.failteireland.ie and provide specific supports for restaurants and cafes. In particular, Fáilte Ireland continues to focus on the development and enhancement of the food experience for the wider domestic and international visitor audience. As such, food is incorporated into Fáilte Ireland’s overall Corporate Strategy and its Regional Tourism Development Strategies.
Fáilte Ireland’s work centres very much on those food businesses that are in tourism and focus on the visitor and engage at destination level in cross-promotion and selling with other tourism businesses, or those that market directly to visitors.
Failte Ireland is also engaged in ongoing work involving the outdoor dining capital funding programme, the Digital That Delivers Programme, and involvement with the Nighttime Economy Taskforce.
Earlier this week, Minister for Finance, Michael McGrath, announced significant changes to the Tax Debt Warehousing scheme with a reduction in the interest rate applying to warehoused tax debt to 0%. In addition, Revenue has confirmed that, where a business has already paid warehoused debt, which was subject to interest at 3%, it will get a refund of that interest. This will ensure that all taxpayers are treated fairly.
These changes to the scheme have been agreed in recognition of the unique nature of the warehoused debt and in light of the Government intention to support otherwise viable businesses to continue to trade while having the opportunity to reduce their warehoused liabilities in a structured and manageable way.
46. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of IDA supported jobs in Clare at the end of 2023; how this compares to 2020, 2021 and 2022 respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5562/24]
View answerIDA Ireland's strategy, Driving Recovery & Sustainable Growth 2021-2024, identifies opportunities for sustainable growth among its established base of clients and new investments. The strategy is delivered through a focus on five pillars: Growth, Transformation, Regions, Sustainability, and Impact, through a focus on transformative investments to increase the productivity of Irish operations and their workforce through RD&I, digitalisation, training, and actions on sustainability.
Despite the challenging global economic environment, over 19,000 new jobs were created in IDA supported client companies in 2023, maintaining the numbers directly employed in the multinational sector in Ireland at over 300,000 for the second consecutive year.
Regional development remains a top priority for my Department and for IDA Ireland. As part of IDA Ireland’s strategy, half of all investments to the end of 2024 are to go to regional locations outside Dublin. In this regard, IDA Ireland won 248 investments in 2023 of which 54%, or 132 projects, went to regional locations. The total number of regional jobs now stands at 163,471 with employment in the Midwest Region, across Limerick, Clare and Tipperary, up 2.6%. There are now 159 IDA client companies in the Mid-West Region, employing 27,257 people. 70 of these companies are in Clare with combined employment of 5,919 people.
The Mid-West has a significant ecosystem of well-established companies across Technology, Life Sciences, International Financial Services and Engineering & Industrial Technologies. It has also won significant investment in the Food and the Film sub-sectors. Counties in the Mid-West also benefit greatly from the direct and indirect employment generated by IDA client companies located in other bordering regions, including the cities of Cork, Galway, Kilkenny and Waterford.
Clare has seen investment announcements from IDA client companies like Beckman Coulter, Edwards Lifesciences, Element Six, Extreme Networks, IQEQ, Jaguar Land Rover, Lufthansa Technik Turbine Shannon, MeiraGTx and OLED Material Manufacturing PPG in recent years.
IDA Ireland also actively engages with Clare County Council, Shannon Commercial Properties and other property owners and stakeholders on their development plans, and markets sites and property solutions across the Mid-West region through its extensive overseas network to both existing and new investors. In this regard, the region is well positioned to continue to retain and attract new FDI investment and grow employment in existing companies and IDA Ireland will continue to collaborate with all stakeholders and parties in the region to achieve this objective under the Regional Enterprise Plan.
Finally, the number of IDA supported jobs in Clare, for the years 2020-2023, is set out in the table below. It demonstrates that FDI remains strong in Clare - 70 IDA client companies - against challenging international environment while acknowledging employment level reductions in 2022 and 2023:
|
- |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
|
Companies |
70 |
71 |
69 |
70 |
|
Jobs |
6,796 |
6,541 |
6,193 |
5,919 |
47. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of new IDA, Enterprise Ireland jobs created in each county for the past ten years. [5286/24]
View answer16,843 new jobs were created in IDA client companies in 2023. IDA Ireland now has over 1,800 client companies within its portfolio employing 300,583, accounting for 11.3% of national employment.
IDA client companies reported an additional 248 investments in Ireland during 2023 with 83 of these being new name investments by companies investing in Ireland for the very first time and 67 being expansions by companies already established here. 132 of the 248 investments were in the regions and IDA clients now employ 163,471 people regionally, which represents 54% of client employment.
The Midlands Region saw the strongest level of growth, up 5.8%. There was growth in the Border Region (up 2.7%) and Midwest Region (up 2.6%) with the Southwest and Southeast regions up by 1.2% and 1.4% respectively. Elsewhere, the West Region was down by 1.8% whilst Dublin and the Mid East Region declined by 1.2% and 4.8% respectively.
Employment in FDI companies now accounts for some 11.3% of the workforce. Additionally, my Department estimates that for every 10 jobs generated by FDI directly, another eight are created in the wider economy. This translates to over 540,000 direct and indirect jobs supported by FDI at the end of 2023.
The 2023 results reinforce the scale of the contribution of FDI to Ireland and the role that inward investment continues to play in providing jobs and opportunity for people right across the country. While these results are reassuring in the context of an increasingly challenging and competitive global environment for enterprise and for FDI, Government recognises that Ireland must stay agile and ambitious to win investment as we pursue implementation of the policy mix set out in the White Paper on Enterprise.
In 2023, employment in Enterprise Ireland supported companies increased to a record 225,495, the highest ever recorded. A total of 15,530 new jobs were created in 2023, of these 68% of new jobs created were regionally based. Eight out of nine regions recorded net jobs growth, with the West region, the North-East region and the North-West region performing particularly strongly.
Through the work of my Department and colleagues in Enterprise Ireland, figures show that Enterprise Ireland supported companies recording jobs growth for the third year in a row against a particularly challenging year for exporting Irish businesses with rising input costs, high interest rates and international instability among the challenging issues that impacted business performance. Government continues to be agile in our support of business facing these challenges and we continue to seek to create high-quality employment across every region in Ireland. To these ends, in addition to direct financial support, we are working with our enterprise agencies to ensure an increased focus on innovation, digitalisation and sustainability so that companies based in Ireland remain competitive in global markets.
Finally, the number of new IDA, and Enterprise Ireland jobs created in each county for the past ten years, is set out in the table circulated with this Reply.
49. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment for an update on the Midlands Regional Enterprise Plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5449/24]
View answerThe Midlands Regional Enterprise Plan is overseen and monitored at a regional level by a Steering Committee made up of stakeholders from Counties Laois, Offaly, Longford and Westmeath.
Dr Anne Cusack is the Chair of the Plan, with Sarah Morgan as Programme Manager.
My officials attended the last meeting of the Midlands Steering Committee on 24 November in Tullamore. At that meeting an update was provided on each strategic objective and associated actions.
The Midlands Regional Enterprise Plan Steering Committee and Working Groups continue to deliver on the agreed three strategic objectives for the region under the Chair, Dr Cusack.
My officials are currently reviewing nine REP progress reports which will document implementation to end of Q3 2023. These mid-term reports are expected to be published in Q1 this year.
Highlights to date include, under Strategic Objective One, the launch of calls under the EU Just Transition Fund, including the regenerative tourism scheme.
Under Strategic Objective Two, the Midlands ICT Cluster has been established and the inaugural meeting of the Midlands Regional Enterprise Plan Network and Cluster Exchange Forum has taken place.
Under Strategic Objective three, significant work has been delivered under Midlands Ireland, which promotes the Midlands as a destination of choice for living, learning, tourism, and investment and the membership of the Midlands Network of Co-working Facilities has expanded.
In recent months the Midlands Regional Enterprise Plan has, in partnership with regional stakeholders and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, held night-time economy workshops in Athlone, Tullamore, Portlaoise, Longford and Mullingar. These workshops were delivered by internationally renowned destination management expert Dr Terry Stevens and seek to enhance the night-time economy offering of principal towns in line with the Night-Time Economy Taskforce report.
The next meeting of this Midlands REP Steering Committee is scheduled for Friday 17 May in Mullingar.
My Department oversees implementation at the national level and I, together with Ministers Calleary and Richmond, attended the Regional Enterprise Plans National Oversight Group meeting on 26 October 2023. Two meetings of this Group are planned for 2024.
Regional Enterprise Plan Chairs were in attendance, together with representatives from the enterprise agencies, the Head of the LEO network, the County and City Management Association and other organisations with a focus on regional enterprise development.
A topic for discussion at that meeting was the provision of funding to implement enterprise projects aligned to the Regional Enterprise Plans.
As the Deputy will be aware, my Department has secured up to €145 million in funding to support projects aligned to these Plans. This builds on the €126 million my Department has already allocated in regional enterprise funding.
The first call of €35 million under the Smart Regions Enterprise Innovation Scheme, which is co-funded under the European Regional Development Fund, is now open on the Enterprise Ireland website and will close on 31 March 2024. There will be further calls under this Scheme over the coming years.
51. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment how many dual-use licences were issued to exporters to trade in dual-use items with Israel since October 2023; if he has any concern that duel use items being traded with Israel are currently being used against civilians and civilian infrastructure in the Israel-Hamas war; and what actions his Department will be taking under the Control of Exports Act 2008 to end this trade if these items are being used to target civilians and civilian infrastructure. [5574/24]
View answer58. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment how many dual-use licences were issued to exporters to trade in dual-use items with Israel since October 2023; if he has any concern that duel use items being traded with Israel are currently being used against civilians and civilian infrastructure in the Israel-Hamas war; what actions his Department has taken under the Control of Exports Act 2008 to end this trade if these items are being used to target civilians and civilian infrastructure. [5674/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 51 and 58 together.
My Department is the National Competent Authority with responsibility for Export Controls, including Controls on defence-related exports and exports of Dual-Use goods. Controls on the export of Dual-use items are administered by my Department, in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2021/821 of the European Parliament and of the Council setting up a Union regime for the control of exports, brokering, technical assistance, transit and transfer of dual-use items. Dual-use items are products and components, including software and technology, that can be used for both civil and military applications.
In conducting assessments of applications for export licences, my officials carry out a series of checks to ensure, as far as possible, that the item to be exported will be used by the stated end-user for the stated end-use and will not be used for illicit purposes.
As part of their assessment, my officials seek the views of the Department of Foreign Affairs in respect of all applications for export licences. Both my own Department and the Department of Foreign Affairs review all dual-use export licence applications against the eight assessment criteria set out in Council Common Position 2008/944/CFSP – including “Respect for human rights in the country of final destination as well as respect by that country of international humanitarian law” and "Internal situation in the country of final destination, as a function of the existence of tensions or armed conflicts".
In the period 7 October 2023 to date, my Department issued three individual dual-use export licences in respect of ICT hardware and software, to end users in Israel.
55. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he has liaised with the Garda Commissioner regarding safety measures for businesses employing members of the migrant community in the city centre following rioting in Dublin. [53624/23]
View answerFollowing the appalling events of Thursday, 23 November, in Dublin City Centre, I, along with Ministers Richmond and Calleary met with business and retail representative bodies, alongside Dublin City Council, on Tuesday 28 November 2023, to discuss how to best support the continued operation of businesses in the city centre.
Also, at the Retail Forum meeting in December 2023, concerns around workplace safety and retail crime were discussed. My colleague Minister Neale Richmond met with my colleague the Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee T.D., to share these concerns and to discuss available options.
As Chair of the Retail Forum, my colleague Minister Neale Richmond T.D., will continue to engage with Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee T.D., to continue to work to keep retailers, customers and crucially, workers safe.
The Government is committed to building stronger, safer communities in Dublin – and strengthening An Garda Síochána is at the core of that.
We will continue to provide An Garda Síochána with the resources it needs to ensure communities around Ireland are safe and feel safe.
I have spoken in depth to my colleague the Minister for Justice about the feedback and issues raised with me by business. Minister McEntee has also met business and is the appropriate contact between the government and the Garda Commissioner.
I would also urge workers who have specific concerns about their own workplace to bring those concerns directly to the Health and Safety Authority at contactus@hsa.ie or by LO-Call at 0818 289 389.
56. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment how many remote work places exist in each county in the country, for the past five years. [5287/24]
View answerThe Government published Making Remote Work, the National Remote Work Strategy, in January 2021. The Strategy sought to ensure that remote work is a permanent feature of the Irish workplace in a way which maximises its economic, social and environmental benefits.
My Department led the development and implementation of the Strategy through the Remote Work Interdepartmental Group during 2021 and 2022; the Group continues to meet to coordinate remote working policy across Government.
Actions within the Strategy included the launch of Ireland’s National Hub Network, and the ConnectedHubs.ie platform in May 2021, both of which are led by the Department of Rural and Community Development.
The Deputy will be aware that the Government’s ‘Our Rural Future’ policy recognises the opportunity for rural rejuvenation that remote working presents and commits to establishing a comprehensive and integrated national network of 400 remote working hubs by 2025.
The Department of Rural and Community Development has invested over €150 million in the development of remote working facilities through programmes such as the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund and Connected Hubs. Successful projects are developed in collaboration with local authorities and communities with many vacant and derelict buildings converted into remote working hubs.
In 2021, Minister Humphreys launched ConnectedHubs.ie, a shared online booking and payments platform for member hubs and their users. An interactive map shows the location and details of each remote working hub on the network. I understand from the Department of Rural and Community Development that as of 29 January, there are currently 343 facilities across the country on-boarded to the platform and a breakdown by county is provided below.
Following strong progress on the establishment of the Connected Hubs Network, and on achieving the initial critical mass, the initiative has moved to the next stage of development. The Department of Rural and Community Development, together with my Department, is leading development of the first National Hub Strategy in consultation with hub managers, local authorities, communities and other stakeholders. The Strategy is expected to be brought to Government this year.
My Department oversees development and implementation at the national level of nine Regional Enterprise Plans, a number of which champion the development and uptake of remote working space as part of the wider concept of placemaking.
ConnectedHubs.ie - Remote Working Hubs by County (as of 29 January 2024)
|
County |
Live on platform |
|
Carlow |
5 |
|
Cavan |
8 |
|
Clare |
13 |
|
Cork |
33 |
|
Donegal |
18 |
|
Dublin |
49 |
|
Galway |
29 |
|
Kerry |
20 |
|
Kildare |
9 |
|
Kilkenny |
5 |
|
Laois |
5 |
|
Leitrim |
11 |
|
Limerick |
15 |
|
Longford |
5 |
|
Louth |
10 |
|
Mayo |
22 |
|
Meath |
7 |
|
Monaghan |
9 |
|
Offaly |
9 |
|
Roscommon |
8 |
|
Sligo |
6 |
|
Tipperary |
14 |
|
Waterford |
9 |
|
Westmeath |
4 |
|
Wexford |
12 |
|
Wicklow |
8 |
|
Total |
343 |
57. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment position regarding the continuing decline in Irish overall exports over the past two years; what evaluation his Department is doing to understand any and what may be the main drivers of this export drop; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5745/24]
View answerThe Central Statistics Office (CSO) compiles statistical data in relation to Goods Exports and Imports.
According to the CSO, the value of our total goods exports was €166 billion in 2021 and €209 billion in 2022 which was the highest figure on record. The value of goods exports for the period January to November 2023 was valued at €183 billion. Statistics for the full year 2023 will be released by the CSO later this month.
The Central Bank publishes a quarterly report which analyses Ireland’s economic performance, including export performance. In its Q3 report 2023, the Central Bank reported that overall exports fell by 2.8 per cent in the first three quarters of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022. This was due mainly to lower activity in the pharmaceutical and ICT manufacturing sectors). The report notes that Pharmaceutical and Chemical exports from Ireland were boosted in recent years by Covid-19 vaccines and that this activity has declined in 2023 as expected.
While the value of pharmaceutical exports over the first nine months of 2023 was 5.5 per cent lower than in 2022, exports are 29 per cent above the level for the same period in 2021. Consequently, and with general prospects for the pharmaceutical sector remaining positive, once the exceptional pandemic-related export performance during 2022 drops out of annual comparisons, the Central Bank has commented that the outlook for growth in 2024 and beyond is favourable.
59. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment for an update on the south east enterprise plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5510/24]
View answerBalanced regional enterprise development continues to be a key focus of mine and this Government and is reaffirmed in the White Paper on Enterprise. My Department contributes to this agenda in several ways, including through the development, implementation and oversight of nine Regional Enterprise Plans.
The South-East Regional Enterprise Plan is overseen and monitored at a regional level by a Steering Committee made up of stakeholders from Carlow, Kilkenny, Waterford and Wexford.
Patsy Carney is the Chair of the Plan, with Richard Hickey acting as interim Programme Manager. Together they are driving implementation of the Plan on the ground.
There has been a lot of progress in the South-East and my Department, through Enterprise Ireland, is providing funding to support projects. Under the Regional Enterprise Innovation Scoping Scheme, funding totalling €785,000 has been secured for eight scoping projects across the Engineering, Financial Services, Sustainability and GreenTech, and Life Sciences sectors. Many of these projects are now preparing further applications for funding from the Smart Regions Enterprise Innovation Scheme.
A South-East Offshore Wind Stakeholder Group has been established to maximise the economic opportunity presented by offshore wind development and to facilitate meaningful engagement between ports, local authorities, industry and enterprise agencies alongside the Higher Education and Training Institutes.
Elsewhere, the South East Technological University has provided significant funding to lead four new pre-accelerators linked closely to the region’s Technology Gateways. This investment in pre-acceleration will be the nucleus for enhanced Smart Specialisation-based activities in the region.
My Department oversees implementation of the Plans at the national level and I, together with Ministers Calleary and Richmond, attended the Regional Enterprise Plans National Oversight Group meeting on 26 October 2023. Regional Enterprise Plan Chairs were in attendance, together with representatives from the enterprise agencies, the County and City Management Association, the Head of the LEO network, and other organisations with a focus on regional enterprise development. Two meetings of this Group are planned for 2024.
A topic for discussion at that meeting was the provision of funding to implement new enterprise projects aligned to the Regional Enterprise Plans.
As the Deputy will be aware, my Department has secured up to €145 million for the Smart Regions Enterprise Innovation Scheme to support projects aligned to those Plans. This builds on the €126 million my Department has already allocated in regional enterprise funding.
The first call of €35 million under the new scheme, which is co-funded under the European Regional Development Fund, is now open on the Enterprise Ireland website. I expect that there will be up to four calls under this fund over the coming years. I encourage innovative projects in the South-East to apply.
Finally, the Deputy may be interested to note that my officials are currently reviewing the nine REP progress reports, which will document implementation to end of Q3 2023. These reports are expected to be published in Q1 this year.
60. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the total amount of expenditure dispensed through the Red Cross to victims of flooding last year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5547/24]
View answerThe purpose of the Emergency Humanitarian Flood Relief Scheme administered by my Department is to provide urgent funding to small businesses (up to 20 employees), community and voluntary organisations affected by flooding who were unable, through no fault of their own, to secure flood insurance.
The Scheme provides a contribution towards the costs of returning such premises to their pre-flood condition including the replacement of flooring, fixtures and fittings and damaged stock where relevant.
The Irish Red Cross paid out a total of €3,300,428.18 in 2023 on behalf of my Department in respect of 3 severe weather events in 2023.
1. Severe weather event in Co Kerry and Co Wexford during the period 17th June 2023 to 26th June 2023.
2. Severe weather event in Co Donegal in July 2023.
3. Storm Babet, Storm Ciaran and Storm Debi during the months of October and November 2023, impacting Counties Cork, Wexford, Waterford, Limerick, Kilkenny and Louth.
Of the €3,300,428.18 paid out in 2023, €3,272,428.18 was paid out to 157 applicants in respect of flooding as a result of storms during the months of October and November 2023, the application process for which closed on 15 December 2023. The remaining payments for this Scheme are due to be paid out in the coming weeks.
