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Job Creation

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 September 2012

Tuesday, 18 September 2012

Ceisteanna (1167, 1168)

Dara Calleary

Ceist:

1167. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of new jobs created by his Department as a result of the jobs initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37281/12]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Dara Calleary

Ceist:

1168. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of new jobs created by his Department as a result of the action plan on jobs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37297/12]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1167 and 1168 together.

I wish to inform the Deputy that while my Department has no specific job creation targets as such, it plays its part in creating an environment for job creation by continuing to support economic growth, and working with other stakeholders both within Government and the private sector.

Immigration

Some recent specific initiatives of particular note are the Visa Waiver Programme introduced in 2011 and the new programmes for Immigrant Investors and Start-up Entrepreneurs which commenced earlier this year. The Visa Waiver Programme is aimed at tourists and business travellers to the UK who might wish to include a trip to Ireland in their overall travel plans. Under the programme, holders of certain types of short stay UK visas who have already been cleared to land by the UK's border control personnel may travel onwards to Ireland without the need to apply for a separate Irish visa. The programme applies to citizens of sixteen countries (soon to be extended to seventeen) mainly from Asia (including China and India), the former Soviet Union and the Gulf and Middle East regions all of which are regarded as key development markets for Irish business and tourism interests. The programme has been widely welcomed by the business and tourism sectors as an aid to developing important overseas markets.

To qualify for the Immigrant Investor Programme the migrant must make an investment of a designated type, ranging from a €2m specially created low interest Government Bond, a capital investment in an Irish business that creates or protects jobs to a €500,000 endowment in the cultural, sporting educational or health areas. Investment in property may also qualify in certain cases. The Start-up Entrepreneur Programme provides that migrants with a good business idea in the innovation economy and funding of €75,000 can be given residency in this State for the purposes of developing their business. Both the Immigrant Investor Programme and the Start-up Entrepreneur Programme are now operational and the first approval letters issued in the past couple of weeks. There is a significant level of ongoing enquiry in the programmes.

Legal Costs

I also wish to inform the Deputy that the Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011, which will modernise and open up the provision of legal services while providing a more transparent legal costs regime, was published within the exceptional EU/IMF/ECB Programme deadline which applied for the end of Quarter 3 of 2011. Earlier this year the Bill completed Second Stage in the Dáil. Important progress has been made in the development of the Bill and this work continues including in conjunction with the Offices of the Attorney General and Parliamentary Counsel. The aim is to commence Committee Stage before the end of this year with a view to the Bill's enactment in 2013.

JobBridge

I can inform the Deputy that as part of the Programme for Government my Department is actively engaging in the Government's new jobs activation programme the National Internship Scheme – JobBridge. This scheme provides work experience placements for interns for a 6 or 9 month period. The aim is to assist in breaking the cycle where jobseekers are unable to get a job without experience, either as new entrants to the labour market after education or training or as unemployed workers wishing to learn new skills. The Department has already advertised some 37 separate internship opportunities across a range of vocational areas including the legislative area, statistics, procurement, customer relations and general administration. There are currently 33 individuals on placements across the Department.

The Department cannot offer full-time employment at the end of an internship period, however, we do provide significant and in some cases challenging job experience opportunities to persons in need of such opportunities and better prepare them for either re-entry to the jobs market or a change in job direction.

Data Protection

The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner as the data protection regulator has no direct role in relation to job creation. However, given that data protection, in light of developments at EU level, is now viewed as an issue of Board level strategic importance in multinationals the Office and the Commissioner have made themselves available on an ongoing basis to the IDA, companies established here and companies considering establishing here to explain data protection requirements. It is understood that this assisted in relation to investment decisions for such companies.

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