Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 September 2012
957. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Communications; Energy and Natural Resources 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. [37273/12]
Amharc ar fhreagra958. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Communications; Energy and Natural Resources 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. [37289/12]
Amharc ar fhreagra959. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Communications; Energy and Natural Resources the number of new jobs created by his Department as a result of budget 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37305/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 957 to 959, inclusive, together.
The Action Plan on Jobs announced in February of this year is primarily the responsibility of the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. Under the Action Plan my Department is responsible for a range of measures and policies which will support the objective of promoting sustainable economic growth and fostering employment. Measures attributable to my Department under the Action Plan in many instances will assist the creation of the conditions for employment growth but it is not possible to estimate the precise total number of jobs which emanate from those specific measures.
The Action Plan emphasises the importance of investing in Energy Efficiency Measures which have a positive jobs impact. In this regard additional funding of €30m was provided under the 2011 Jobs Initiative facilitating total spend of over €91m on the Better Energy Programme, which is operated by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). This supported the retention of up to 5,700 jobs for 2011 as a whole. The Government has again committed significant funding of €76 million to the Better Energy programme for 2012, which is projected to deliver 597GWh in energy savings this year and is the equivalent of €34.2 million in the value of energy saved. The programme will continue to underpin economic activity throughout this year and is supporting the retention of jobs in the retrofitting sector and realising significant energy savings.
As part of the Action Plan my Department is also facilitating the provision of business supports to promote energy efficiency and reduce cost, including energy audits, energy management training, mentoring and advice. The Department also facilitates the Accelerated Capital Tax Allowances scheme which supports businesses in purchasing plant and machinery that are highly energy efficient.
The Action Plan also commits to developing a Pay As You Save (PAYS) scheme which will allow consumers to finance energy upgrades directly through the energy savings generated. Roll out will be developed following comprehensive consultation with all stakeholders and will aim to continue supporting jobs in green construction and retrofit.
Building on the work of the Next Generation Broadband Taskforce and as provided for in the Action Plan on Jobs, I recently announced the National Broadband Plan which will facilitate the provision of high speed broadband to every home and business in the State over the lifetime of the Government. Investing in high speed communications strengthens Ireland’s position as a leading location for foreign direct investment. It also boosts the export potential of our indigenous companies.
Other Action Plan measures include the ongoing investment in the 100Mb/s Schools programme as an enabler for eLearning and enhancing digital skills for school leavers. 200 schools will be completed in 2012, 200 in 2013 and the final 250 in 2014. This investment will improve the digital skills of future school leavers thereby improving their employability. In addition the Department continues to support digital start up companies through the Digital Hub Development Agency. There are currently 68 companies based at the Hub employing approximately 817 people. The National Digital Research Centre (NDRC) is also active in the area of digital technology and media, facilitating collaboration between third level institutes and commercial enterprises. NDRC projects and start-ups had attracted €5.565m in private follow-on investment by the end of 2011 with approximately 25 full time corporate staff and 160 temporary researchers working on these projects.
