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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 9 Feb 2017

Vol. 938 No. 2

Other Questions

Employment Rights

Bríd Smith

Ceist:

6. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation her views on the fact the 100 jobs announced at a company (details supplied) in County Limerick will in fact be subject to much poorer employment conditions than those previously practised at the plant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6200/17]

In January, the announcement of 100 new jobs at Element Six in the Shannon region was accompanied with great fanfare and joy. The Minister of State, Deputy Pat Breen, and Deputy Dooley were at the announcement. While I do not dispute the joy of job creation, is the Minister concerned about the quality of the jobs created and that their terms and conditions are much diminished compared with those which existed already?

The news that the company in question has committed to an additional investment and an increase by 100 in its workforce is a welcome development for County Clare and the wider region. It will create new employment opportunities for the people of the area as well as serving as a real endorsement of the Shannon area as an attractive destination for inward investment.

All companies operating in Ireland, including the business in question, are subject to a range of employment related legislation. Employees also have the benefit of various statutory protections and entitlements. This legislative framework provides certainty for all those in the country’s labour market and ensures workers are treated fairly under the law.

Beyond changes to minimum wage rates, the Government cannot specify remuneration levels for new hires in businesses, whether those are supported by our development agencies or otherwise. Private sector employers must retain flexibility to determine the appropriate pay levels in their respective businesses. We need to remember too that multinational companies in Ireland are operating in an increasingly competitive and challenging global marketplace.

Surrounding the fanfare, there is also the reality of workers’ lives. It is a long way from Clare to the Dublin South-Central constituency. While I do not represent Clare, I have had e-mails from workers in Element Six as I am on the Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. They have informed me that the majority of the workers of this subsidiary of the global company, De Beers, a hugely profitable company which made €1 billion in profit since 2014, are contracted to an agency known as eFlexes. This agency has driven down the pay, terms and conditions of its employees.

This should be a concern of this House and the Minister’s office. Her brief is for jobs, and the quality of jobs matters. On the one hand, it is wonderful we can celebrate the announcement of new jobs in Clare and elsewhere. On the other, we have to take in the human cost to the people who work there. I have spoken to some of the workers in the company. They are jaded and tired. The sorts of shifts they have to work through the night are poorly remunerated. They get little notice of their rotas. This is a very anti-social and anti-family way of conducting employment. It is increasing, however, particularly with multinational companies which we are so grateful to have in this country.

Many of the new jobs in question are senior positions, including supply chain, process and improving engineers who are paid the market rate. They are not paid below the market rate. In 2009, the company in question had to restructure and it nearly closed down.

However, as I said, the 100 jobs that were announced in the recent past are very well-paid and senior positions. While many of the employees are on contracts, many have also been working there for some time and are long-term employees of the company. The new jobs have the same starting terms and conditions as existing jobs although those who have long service with the company are paid more.

While I do not work there, I want to refute what the Minister has just said. Approximately 300 of the 500 employees work under the auspices of an agency called eFlexes. I have to hand copies of the contracts stating that eFlexes reserves the right to change a person's working hours at any time, provided the person is told about this and the company hears the person's reasonable objections. I have evidence that people who have objected to being told at the last minute that they must work for the next 15 hours have been threatened with the loss of their contracts. There is also an interesting procedure in the disciplinary section which I have never seen before in any contract of employment. It sets out that a person who is subject to a serious investigation of ill discipline may be suspended without pay pending the investigation. Garda Commissioner Nóirín O'Sullivan, should she be suspended, will be suspended with pay because that is in the contract of most employees in the country; the opposite is the case with this contract.

I argue that there are serious breaches of the concepts of work and lifestyle decency within these types of new jobs that we are celebrating. It is part of the Minister's brief to examine and watch over what is happening in the employment arena in this country.

I thank Deputy Smith. Again, many of the employees in the company to which the Deputy refers are long-term employees. I acknowledge that many are working on a contract basis. The company went down that route in 2009 because the plant was in danger of closing. I am happy that the employees are being paid the market rate.

I did not mention pay. I was speaking about the conditions.

Thank you Minister.

I did not mention pay. I only asked about the conditions of employment.

Does the Minister have nothing to say about the conditions?

Brexit Issues

Brendan Smith

Ceist:

7. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if she will direct the State's industrial promotion agencies to place a particular focus on the needs of the Border region, given the particular challenges that will arise for that region due to Brexit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6175/17]

As the Minister is aware, there are particular challenges facing business and commerce in the Border region due to Brexit. We need a particular focus by the State's industrial promotion agencies on assisting companies to maintain and, hopefully, to grow employment. There is a particular need to assist those companies to remain competitive. Many of the companies in the Border region, mainly small and medium enterprises, depend on the sterling area to which they export their products and currency fluctuations cause them particular problems. There is a need for the Government to introduce, as was done in 2009, particular measures to assist companies that are impacted by currency fluctuations.

Enterprise Ireland, EI, the local enterprise offices, LEOs, and IDA Ireland are engaging on a one-to-one basis with all client companies regarding the impacts being felt as a result of Brexit. All agencies have clear plans in place. In budget 2017, I secured additional moneys, both current and capital, to support the enterprise agencies' strategic response to Brexit.

More than €1 billion of Enterprise Ireland client companies' exports go to Northern Ireland and I am very conscious of the challenges that may be faced by companies operating in close proximately to the Border. My Department is funding a research project to inform future responses on a sectoral basis. That research is being conducted by InterTradeIreland. The LEOs are working in partnership with EI to roll out targeted initiatives to drive innovation, market diversification, cost competitiveness and business management. IDA Ireland has a clear Brexit plan which is being executed and includes one-to-one investor engagements, public relations and media campaigns and an international marketing campaign. InterTradeIreland also has a programme of initiatives to deal with the practical consequences of Brexit for cross-Border trade.

The regional action plan for the north-east-north-west region aims to support the creation of 28,000 jobs across counties Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Cavan, Monaghan and Louth by 2020. There has been strong progress to date, with 5,600 more people in employment across the region since the start of 2015.

I thank the Minister for her reply. As she is aware, for historical reasons during the awful period of the Troubles, it was extremely difficult to attract inward investment to the Border region, to places like Monaghan, Donegal and Cavan. We had to depend on indigenous industry. By and large the industries in the counties of the Border region, including my own constituency, are small and medium-sized enterprises. The briefing note prepared for the Minister by the various agencies states that they are engaged with all companies. However, there may be companies with half a dozen to a dozen employees that have not sought the assistance of Enterprise Ireland or any other statutory agency in the past. It is very important that all industries and enterprises are spoken to, involved in negotiations and given details of what assistance can be made available to them. I emphasise that many of the companies in my particular area are heavily or completely dependent on exports to the sterling area. There should be a plan in place so that if there is currency instability, a mechanism would be activated to support those enterprises that experience immediate problems in their export markets.

The Minister said earlier that there was a 10% increase in the budget for these agencies as a result of Brexit. Obviously we all welcome that. I have four very specific questions for the Minister. I am looking for specific figures which, I presume, the Minister will be able to give me off the top of her head or else they will be in her supplementary notes. What is the total number of additional staff members in the IDA to deal with Brexit? How many IDA staff members are there in Britain? How many staff members are in the London office? What is the total headcount of the IDA in February 2017 compared with February 2016? In summary, I want to know the number of extra staff members in the IDA to cope with Brexit, the number of staff members in Britain and in London and the total headcount this month versus this time last year.

It would be rather difficult, I suspect, for the Minister to produce that type of detailed information when it is not listed in the question. Perhaps the Minister has the information-----

First, the Deputy asked me how many extra staff are in IDA Ireland-----

I ask the Minister to respond to Deputy Brendan Smith first.

Certainly, but just to say there are nine additional staff in IDA Ireland and 39 in Enterprise Ireland.

Deputy Brendan Smith spoke about the Border and specifically about companies that are not under the auspices of Enterprise Ireland or IDA Ireland. There are two main agencies that can help such companies. The LEOs will speak to and advise small companies. The other relevant agency is InterTradeIreland, which has published a fact sheet for companies. A series of information sessions for companies has been held, with a further programme of such sessions planned. An initial series of meetings in eight different locations around the country are also being developed. One such meeting was held recently in the Border area. Further information and awareness events will be initiated in due course. InterTradeIreland will review and adjust its supports, if necessary, as new rules and regulations emerge. In the short term, InterTradeIreland is planning to put processes in place to ensure that it is in a position to provide information to small and medium-sized enterprises. InterTradeIreland will also monitor business needs and challenges through its business monitor survey process so that it is in a position to respond quickly to business concerns. My Department is establishing two initiatives to address cross-Border trade issues.

I thank the Minister for her response. I would like to record my appreciation of the work that InterTradeIreland has done since its establishment following the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. It is an all-Ireland body that does exceptionally good work. I hope it is adequately resourced to do the very important work that will be required over the next few years.

I have another issue, on which I do not expect a reply from the Minister, about two substantial landbanks. One is in Cavan town of 40 acres is owned by IDA Ireland. It is serviced and available for the location of industry. Similarly, there is a site in Monaghan town that is a substantial landbank owned by IDA Ireland. I would appreciate if the Minister could speak to the chief executive officer and the senior officials of IDA Ireland on the potential and the need to market those locations. It would be a timely booster of confidence for the Border region if we were to attract some industry to the area, be it the development of an indigenous industry or a foreign direct investor. I appeal to the Minister to speak to the senior people in IDA Ireland to put a particular focus on the needs of Cavan and Monaghan.

Has Deputy Kelly a further comment?

I just ask the Minister for a reply.

If Deputy Kelly has a biro he might just write down all the figures I am going to give to him. Enterprise Ireland has 570 staff in full-time equivalent posts before the Brexit-specific recruitment of 39 staff takes effect.

IDA Ireland had 268 staff - and I shall quiz Deputy Kelly on these figures - in 259 full-time equivalent posts before the Brexit-specific recruitment of upwards of 21 staff takes effect. Science Foundation Ireland has 47 staff, 46.5 whole-time equivalent posts, before Brexit-specific recruitment of two additional staff takes effect while the Health and Safety Authority has 167 staff, which we will be increasing by two additional staff to deal with specific Brexit issues. IDA Ireland has 21 additional staff resources to enable it to meet the jobs and investment targets, as set out in the strategy Winning: Foreign Direct Investment 2015-2019 and to meet the global challenges. The agency has also submitted a further staff resourcing strategy and has sought sanction for the retention of the 35 staff members who were hired on the three-year fixed term contracts under the winning abroad programme. An allocation of €2.75 million was made for extra staff, nine extra staff members for IDA Ireland and 39 extra staff members for Enterprise Ireland since Brexit was announced.

With regard to Deputy Smith's issue, I will talk to IDA Ireland. Deputy Smith was at the meeting held in my office with the Cavan-Monaghan Oireachtas Members, the county councillors and the Senators from the area.

I believe the Deputy would have heard IDA Ireland senior staff there give that commitment and we also spoke about those sites that are on sale and are marketable. As a result of that meeting, there is now a focus to ensure that jobs - and IDA Ireland jobs - are landed in Cavan and Monaghan.

I would appreciate if the Minister would bring it up again.

I will of course. Absolutely.

I think that the teacher was coming out in the Minister, Deputy Mitchell O'Connor.

Brexit Issues

Charlie McConalogue

Ceist:

8. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the specific plans she has in place to minimise the impact of Brexit in County Donegal; the engagement she has had with IDA Ireland to ensure it secures new investment in County Donegal in view of Brexit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6183/17]

Charlie McConalogue

Ceist:

16. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation her plans to minimise the impact of Brexit in County Donegal; the engagement she has had with the IDA and Enterprise Ireland to ensure they secure new investment in County Donegal in view of Brexit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6184/17]

I ask the Minister to update the Dáil on her work in relation to this issue.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 16 together.

Enterprise Ireland, the local enterprise offices and IDA Ireland are engaging on an ongoing basis with all client companies regarding the impacts being felt as a result of Brexit. They have clear plans in place to mitigate challenges and maximise opportunities arising from the UK decision.

In 2017, I secured additional moneys, both current and capital, as a strategic response to Brexit. I have a particular focus on the trade implications for the Border region and am heavily engaged with all stakeholders in the region on an ongoing basis.

InterTradeIreland also has a programme of initiatives to deal with the practical consequences of Brexit for cross-Border trade. The regional action plan for the north-east and north-west area, which has a strong Brexit focus, aims to support 28,000 new jobs across counties Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Cavan, Monaghan and Louth. There is strong progress to date, with 5,600 more people in employment across the region since the start of 2015. Brexit is a standing item in the implementation meetings on the regional action plan for jobs in the north-east and north-west area.

I thank the Minister for her response. It is particularly important that the Government is aware of the challenges posed by Brexit for counties such as Donegal because of its geographic location and the fact that over 95% of the county's border is with Northern Ireland as opposed to bordering the Republic. There is no doubt that Brexit poses a significant challenge for the whole island but especially for Donegal where the challenge is even more pronounced.

On the work of Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland, there must be a significant stepping-up of the efforts to attract employment into the county, particularly by IDA Ireland. The visit numbers in recent years have not been what they should have been. I would like to see the Government and the Minister work with IDA Ireland to ensure that at a national level, companies are given the opportunity and every incentive possible to invest in the county.

I want to raise a particular issue with the Minister concerning cross-Border workers. There are some 14,500 people who, on a daily basis, travel between the North and the Republic. More than 8,000 workers and students from Donegal travel into the North while some 6,500 people travel from the North to the Republic. Nearly 7% of Donegal's working population are employed in Northern Ireland. What is the Government doing to ensure that the issue of cross-Border workers can be safeguarded in light of Brexit and to address the concerns of those people?

I thank the Deputy. While he asked me to set up a committee to look at this issue, I can tell him we have a very strong regional action plan for jobs implementation group there. I have met them and they are absolutely working hard to ensure they land jobs in the region and that the jobs that are already there can be sustained. The Deputy made reference to IDA Ireland site visits. Of course, we all want site visits but it is very difficult to make chief executives and senior management go on site visits if they do not want to. It must also be remembered that when jobs are being created they are often within existing IDA Ireland companies. I assure the Deputy that IDA Ireland will work very hard to ensure those jobs are created in the north-west region. I do not believe we need a committee, as we have an excellent implementation group there that is making sure the regional action plan for jobs is implemented.

I am very aware of the cross-Border workers issue. I am sure the Deputy has heard the Taoiseach and Prime Minister Theresa May speak of the importance of the Border and to make sure it is frictionless. That is what we will be doing, to make sure it is easy for people to conduct business and for students to cross the Border on their daily school trips. We will ensure this will be a hugely important negotiating issue in the run-up to the Brexit negotiations.

With regard to the commentary we have seen so far on the Border issue, especially from Prime Minister May and domestically about not having a return to the borders of the past, it does not count for a lot. If one drills down, nobody is clear on what they are talking about. As I have outlined previously to the Minister, 7.5% of workers in Donegal actually work in Northern Ireland.

They have very real concerns about the post-Brexit scenario.

I have no doubt things will move very fast from now on, with the legislation having been passed last night in Westminster. The Government must make every effort to identify what the situation is likely to be in terms of cross-Border workings and put in place the resources to deal with that. Will the Minister undertake to consult strongly with the organisations that are already doing work in the area? Donegal County Council and Derry City and Strabane District Council, for example, have done a great deal of preparatory work and investigation regarding the impact of Brexit. We need a clear plan of action on which we can work in co-operation with our European and British counterparts to ensure that the agreement that emerges is suitable. I emphasise the importance of achieving a particular designation for Northern Ireland within the Brexit context, working with the State on the basis of an all-island economy. We must ensure counties like Donegal do not suffer as much as is likely if a hard Brexit takes place.

I assure the Deputy that these issues are very high on our agenda. I recently hosted a meeting near the Border at Carrick-on-Shannon at which the matters identified by the Deputy were raised. The meeting was attended by more than 250 small and medium business owners, as well as IDA Ireland organisations and representatives of IBEC and the Small Firms Association. We will be fighting hard to achieve a frictionless Border. As the Taoiseach has said, that is one of our main priorities as the negotiations on Brexit begin. I am very much aware of the concerns of the 7.5% of workers in County Donegal whose daily lives would become intolerable if there is a hard physical Border.

Health and Safety Regulations

Niall Collins

Ceist:

9. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the statutory role the Health and Safety Authority has in ensuring the health and safety of users of fairground equipment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6321/17]

My question relates to the remit of the Health and Safety Authority, HSA, in respect of funfair and fairground equipment. The funfair business is a huge industry which affects many communities as the operators move from town to village, and there are major implications for the health and safety of children arising from its activities. Does the Minister have any plans to review the role of the HSA in this regard?

I am pleased to have an opportunity to address this important question. Public safety as regards fairgrounds and theme parks is regulated by the Planning and Development Act 2000, which requires the owners of fairground equipment to have a valid certificate of safety under the aegis of the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government. The Minister, Deputy Coveney, is currently reviewing issues in regard to safety at funfairs, theme parks and community events. I look forward to the outcome of that review.

The Health and Safety Authority, which is under my remit, is the national statutory body with responsibility for ensuring the provisions on workplace health and safety set out in the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 are implemented so that those affected by work activity are protected from work-related injury and ill health. The 2005 Act places a range of duties on undertakings and individuals to ensure, as far as reasonably practicable, the safety, health and welfare at work of employees.

The authority does not have any statutory responsibility for ensuring the health and safety of users of fairground equipment. Nor does it have any role in the regulation of public safety where the operation of funfair equipment used by members of the public is concerned.

Last week, RTE's "Prime Time" reported on an individual whose serious injury was allegedly sustained on a roller coaster at an Irish funfair attraction. The report outlined the inadequate statutory provisions relating to the capacity of the HSA to investigate the incident. Has the Department initiated a plan of action to address this serious issue? In the United Kingdom, there is a large body of documentation setting out guidance on safety practices at fairgrounds and theme parks, which we do not have here. If we look at best practice abroad, there is clearly a gap between the standards applying in this State and what is being done in other jurisdictions. Do we have to wait until somebody dies or will the Department move to address this matter? Is the Minister of State aware that my party has published legislation which seeks to address concerns in this area?

I am aware of that legislation and look forward to reading it. The Deputy is correct that there is a gap in this area which needs to be addressed by all concerned. There are two relevant items of legislation here, namely, the Planning and Development Act 2000 and the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005. As I said, the Minister, Deputy Coveney, has initiated a review of the planning legislation. We sympathise with all those involved in accidents of this nature. Theme parks did not really feature when the legislation was introduced. I have written to the Minister, Deputy Coveney, and asked him to bring on board officials in the labour relations section of my Department and the HSA so that we can work together to see what can be done. These issues are relevant to other settings such as sports events and other public events. I expect to hear from-----

The Minister of State is over time, but he will have another opportunity to respond. I appeal to all Members to abide by the rules.

Local authorities are not capable of overseeing safety regulations in funfairs or theme parks. They need to focus on building housing and tackling homelessness. It is a pity they did not adequately oversee building standards when they should have done. I reiterate that this is a huge industry and our eyes have been off the ball for too long. It is particularly urgent given it is children who are most at risk. We have a range of policies on child welfare, including Children First and all that goes with it, and it is important we close this gap without delay. I hope our proposals will be brought to the House in the near future. I am asking the Minister of State to bring a degree of urgency to addressing this matter. Will he agree to meet representatives of the Irish Showmen's Guild, which is the representative organisation for funfair and theme park operators?

As Minister of State with responsibility for health and safety, I share the Deputy's concerns in this matter. That is why I have written to the Minister, Deputy Coveney, asking him to address the review of section 289 of the Planning and Development Act in an inclusive way which allows for input by my departmental officials and the HSA. We must work together to find a solution that addresses the concerns raised by the Deputy.

As the Deputy will be aware, the operator has to get a certificate every year and there are nominated engineering staff who provide that through the local authority.

There is a gap and it will be addressed. I am treating it as an urgent matter. I assure the Deputy it will be dealt with. I will keep the Deputy and the House updated on recent accidents. As the Deputy states, there are many funfairs, events and festivals all over the place. Accidents can happen and we need to deal with it.

IDA Ireland Site Visits

Niall Collins

Ceist:

10. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if she will provide an update on regional IDA site visits and vacant properties in 2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6319/17]

I ask the Minister to provide an update on the regional IDA Ireland site visits and the vacant properties in 2016.

Regional development is a top priority of mine and I am determined to help drive job creation all over Ireland. Increasing and sustaining foreign direct investment, FDI, outside of the main urban areas represents a vital part of this.

IDA Ireland's strategy for 2015-2019 includes a commitment to increase FDI in every region outside Dublin by 30%-40%. The 2016 results show that IDA Ireland is actively working towards this goal with 52% of all jobs created by the agency's clients last year based outside of Dublin. Site visit statistics also indicate that progress is being made towards this goal. In 2016, there were 638 IDA Ireland-sponsored site visits nationwide, up from 565 in 2015. Locations outside Dublin accounted for 55% of these visits.  It should, of course, be remembered that site visits are of limited value in projecting future investment, as most investment comes from an expansion of existing company activity.

To attract more FDI to the regions, IDA Ireland must maintain an adequate supply of marketable serviced land and buildings that can be offered to potential investors. There are currently 23 vacant IDA Ireland-owned properties which are available for investment. If such properties were not available it would significantly diminish the agency's ability to win mobile FDI, particularly for regional areas.

I emphasise that IDA Ireland is actively encouraging clients to locate in regional locations. The final decision, however, always lies with the company concerned and can be influenced by many different factors including access to talent, proximity to transport hubs and the suitability of local infrastructure.

The challenge is to promote job creation outside of the greater Dublin area. The Minister quoted some of the figures and I will rehearse a couple back to her. In 2016, County Cavan had only two site visits and County Roscommon had only one. These are two counties out of 26 and it is abysmal for them to receive only three site visits.

The greater Dublin area attracted 45% of all visits. The capital is effectively getting half of the attention from IDA Ireland. IDA Ireland's first objective is to try to get companies to come to Ireland and then it has to try to ascertain where can it fit them in or what location it can sell to them but we must focus on attracting companies to locations outside of Dublin. The spillover effect from Dublin will not wash for the communities outside of Dublin. We need more targeted measures.

The Deputy cited figures and I will cite some as well. For example, in 2016, the site visits to County Clare, about which the Minister of State, Deputy Pat Breen will be delighted, numbered 18; while those for counties Galway, Kildare, Kilkenny, Leitrim, Limerick - the Deputy's native county - Louth, Sligo, Waterford and Westmeath numbered 42, eight, ten, eight, 49, 24, 20, 17 and 36, respectively. The Deputy mentioned Cavan, for which there were two visits. Certainly, there are regional site visits but it is rather silly to be talking about site visits here as we should be talking about jobs created. As I noted earlier, jobs often are created in companies located in the county anyway. One should not equate a site visit with job creation.

I would not agree that it is silly. In fact, it is silly of the Minister to call it "silly". Site visits are the step on the road to new job creation.

There are 23 vacant IDA Ireland properties around the country. The availability of serviced sites was mentioned by the Minister but the availability of serviced office space is imperative and we are falling behind in that regard. IDA Ireland has an advance facility programme whereby it builds ready-to-go facilities. We need to ramp that up. We need to look at alternative mechanisms of funding that such as, for instance, a public private partnership or whatever the Minister can come up with to provide ready-to-go office space for these companies outside Dublin. It is a big challenge for these target FDI companies to come in and engage in the planning process and all the other headaches that go with that. I ask the Minister to talk to IDA Ireland about ramping up the advance facility programme and rolling out a far more ambitious building programme to have ready-to-go facilities for companies outside of Dublin.

The Deputy mentioned advance factories and those at Sligo, Castlebar and Tralee are all under construction. Those in Galway, Limerick and Dundalk, as well as a further one in Galway, will start their design stage in 2017. Those at Athlone, Carlow and Waterford will follow.

Returning to my earlier comment, job creation is far more important than any site visit. For example, in 2016, the number of jobs created in County Clare, which is a regional and rural area, was 295. The job creation figures in 2016 for counties Donegal, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Limerick, Louth, Mayo, Sligo, Waterford, Westmeath and Wexford were 145, 1,896, 186, 291, 1,634, 453, 181, 190, 697, 185 and 171, respectively. Those are only the IDA Ireland figures. I can also call out all the jobs that have been created in Enterprise Ireland's client companies. It is not a matter of site visits.

It starts with site visits.

It is a matter of what IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland are doing on the ground to create the jobs.

Film Industry

Richard Boyd Barrett

Ceist:

11. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if the State will maintain its current stake in a studio (details supplied) and ensure it is maintained as a going concern; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4122/17]

Richard Boyd Barrett

Ceist:

17. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the actions she will take to ensure that a studio (details supplied) is maintained as a working film studio; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4123/17]

The Minister was talking about creating jobs in the previous question. This question is about keeping jobs. We discussed this last week, both the future for Ardmore Studies and the jobs, hundreds directly and thousands indirect, that are dependent on the studio. I seek an update as to what the Minister has done and what she knows about the efforts to secure the future of Ardmore Studios as a working film studio and to maintain the jobs and its critical importance in the Irish film industry.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 11 and 17 together.

Ardmore Studios is a commercial entity, owned 68.33% by private interests and 31.67% by the State. The State's shareholding is managed by Enterprise Ireland, EI.

Enterprise Ireland inherited the stake from NADCORP, the former State investment agency, in 1986. As a passive investor, EI has no enterprise development role in Ardmore or any involvement in its day-to-day operations.

While Enterprise Ireland offers supports to exporting companies involved in film and the creative sector, policy responsibility for the development of the film industry rests with my colleague, the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Heather Humphreys.

The sale of the Ardmore Studios is a commercial decision by the owners of the studios. Ardmore Studios is being placed on the market for sale as a going concern.

Enterprise Ireland has not placed any preconditions on the pending sale of Ardmore Studios due to the existence of planning restrictions on the site which safeguard its use as a film-making studio into the future. Wicklow County Council has recently confirmed to me that it agrees to maintain the film-only zoning as a matter of policy. At the appropriate time, any proposal requiring a decision on the sale of Enterprise Ireland’s shareholding will be reviewed by Enterprise Ireland in consultation with me, as Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. In turn, I will consult the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.

I thank the Minister for her response. To take up the last point, will she give us a commitment that not only will she consult the Cabinet but she will also consult the Dáil on any decision about the disposal of Ardmore? While I welcome the fact the Minister is talking about it as a going concern, and I obviously welcome the commitment of the county council to retain the zoning, which would mean it cannot, for example, be sold off for housing, if we do not definitively secure its future as an operating film studio, zoning can change further down the line. That, in itself, does not secure its long-term future. While I take the point that Enterprise Ireland is not in the business of running film studios, the State has to make a clear commitment that it is going to maintain the studio. There needs to be joined-up thinking between Creative Ireland and the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs in terms of understanding that the Government has to guarantee its future. If necessary, if we cannot get a buyer, we should think about the workers buy-out proposal or the State buying over the rest of the shareholding.

It is for sale as a going concern. It is also zoned for film production. The only way that can change is if the councillors in County Wicklow vote for that rezoning to be changed. I held a meeting with the county manager and many of the representatives from Wicklow County Council, as well as with the Wicklow Oireachtas representatives. I also met the workers and I have given them a commitment that it is for sale as a going concern. I have also given them a commitment that the Action Plan for Jobs for that region contains a plan to develop film. If that is in the action plan, why would I make sure not to do that in regard to the sale of Ardmore Studios? I, like the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, want to see a viable film industry at Ardmore Studios.

It would be helpful if the Minister could let us know when the zoning is next up for review, if she has that information available. With regard to a different but linked enterprise, will the Minister revert to me with information on the level of support the Department or its agencies have given to the development of Troy Studios in Limerick, which is also in the film business?

I do not doubt for one second that the Minister and just about everybody else who is concerned with this wants to retain the studio as a going concern, so I am not questioning that. What I am saying is that while the retention of the film-only zoning is very much to be welcomed, in itself it does not guarantee that somebody will come in and buy it, and keep it as an operating studio. I would like to have further confirmation that, if some outside buyer does not come in with a guarantee to retain it as a working studio, the State will commit to do whatever is necessary to retain it as a working studio. I hope somebody comes in, and I know the workers also hope that, because the problem is then solved. However, if that does not happen, we could have a problem. We need to have a plan B, which means looking at options like the possibility of supporting a workers buy-out or, if necessary, the Government buying the rest of the share and having the studio retained and supported under public ownership.

In response to Deputy Niall Collins, while I do not have that information with me, I will be very glad to give it to his new colleague, Deputy Donnelly, in the next few days.

Why not give it to me? I asked for it.

I will give it to Deputy Niall Collins and to Deputy Donnelly. I have met him on two occasions already on the issue of Ardmore Studios. I will send Deputy Niall Collins the information in regard to Troy Studios.

In response to Deputy Boyd Barrett, we have a very viable film industry in Wicklow. For example, Irish films have taken an impressive €145 million at the worldwide box office in 2015 and 2016. Like Deputy Boyd Barrett, I hope some good, reputable film production company buys that site. I am not sure the State would be able to manage film production studios in any way.

What about a workers buy-out?

Foreign Direct Investment

Mick Wallace

Ceist:

12. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the measures her Department has planned in County Wexford in respect of the goal of increasing foreign direct investment in regional areas by 40% with regard to the recently launched Action Plan for Rural Development; her views on the low number of site visits made by IDA Ireland to County Wexford in the past two years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6353/17]

The Minister said we should be talking about jobs created rather than visits. At the end of November 2016 the unemployment rate in Wexford was 18.4% and it rose to 18.7% by the end of January 2017, so it is getting worse in Wexford while the national average is improving. The Minister might be planning to tell me about the 200 new jobs in the south-east but they are in other counties, not in Wexford. Is the State going to take hands-on action to deal with the fact Wexford is now one of the most deprived counties in the country?

The Action Plan for Rural Development is part of the wider cross-governmental Action Plan for Jobs process.  The regional Action Plans for Jobs, published by my Department, will feed into the Action Plan for Rural Development. Through these plans, IDA Ireland aims to increase foreign direct investment in each region by 30% to 40%.  In the south-east region, which includes Wexford, this will be achieved through measures including the development of advance facilities, new marketing initiatives and a campaign to encourage Dublin-based multinational companies to establish satellite offices in the region.

The number of IDA Ireland-supported site visits to Wexford has increased to seven in 2016. While this increase is news in itself and evidence of increased interest in investing in Wexford, it is important to note that data on site visits are not necessarily an accurate measure of the level of FDI activity in a region or county. A better measure of FDI activity is IDA Ireland’s record 2016 results. IDA client companies created 18,627 jobs during the year across a range of sectors. Every region of Ireland posted net job gains, with FDI jobs in Wexford increasing from 2,486 in 2015 to 2,630 in 2016, an increase of almost 6%. These were IDA Ireland-supported jobs.

As I told the Minister, the figures show unemployment is rising in the county. The Minister spoke about seven site visits, which is the lowest number of visits to any county in the south-east, even though Wexford has the worst unemployment in the south east and the second highest population.

There are ten FDI companies in Wexford, which is low. From 2010 to 2015, there were 12 IDA site visits to Wexford. It was easy to increase from there. We received fewer IDA visits than any other county in the south east, despite our terrible unemployment rate. People do not seem to realise that we have one of the highest unemployment rates in the country, the highest suicide rate, one of the highest rates of rent supplement payment, one of the highest percentages of people who have no formal primary education, and one of the lowest rates of people completing third level education. The Government must take positive action to deal with it. It is a special case. Wexford, Donegal and Longford are the three most deprived counties.

The numbers on the live register in County Wexford have fallen by over 1,800 during the past year. In County Wexford, the number of jobs created and supported by LEO is 1,167. Enterprise Ireland, that agency which nobody ever seems to ask a question about, has created 4,696 jobs in County Wexford and there are 2,630 IDA supported jobs.

The Minister can quote the figures. The point is that the unemployment rate in Wexford this week is 18.7%. Where in the country is there a worse rate. There is no point even talking about the youth unemployment rate. It is way up in the high 30s. It is madness. The Minister is living in cloud cuckoo land if she thinks the problem is being addressed. It is not. I am not saying it is the Minister's fault. For many years, the Government has neglected the country. Might the Government consider taking a different look at it, given that it needs special attention?

We have an implementation of an action plan. The last time the Deputy raised the question, I invited the Deputy to meet the implementation group. They are very willing to meet. The group includes the chief executive of Wexford County Council, representatives of the IDA and LEO, and business partners. It has helped create jobs across the county. We are focused on the south east. I am aware that it was a black spot, however jobs have been created. It is still 2% below the national average. We will ensure jobs will definitely be created. I ask the Deputy to work with the south east implementation group.

Written Answers are published on the Oireachtas website.
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