Written Answers Nos. 406 - 426
406. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to ensure rent supplement addresses the needs of those who share custody of their children with a partner on a 50 50 basis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50643/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. The overall aim is to provide short term assistance, and not to act as an alternative to the other social housing schemes operated by the Exchequer. There are currently approximately 81,000 persons in receipt of rent supplement for which the Government has provided over €403 million in 2013.
Every claim for rent supplement is determined having regard to the particular circumstances of the applicant. Persons seeking a rent supplement must first satisfy the Department that they have a housing need which they are unable to meet from their own resources. In addition, the Department must be satisfied that the residence is reasonably suited to the residential and other needs of the claimant. The Department must also be satisfied that the rent payable is reasonable having regard to the nature, character and location of the residence. In a case where parents have joint custody of a child, the needs of both parents to have adequate accommodation are taken into account when an application for a rent supplement is being determined. In such cases, documentation is normally required showing that a joint custody arrangement is in place and being availed of before a decision can be made. The fact that one parent is in receipt of rent supplement would not, in itself, preclude the other parent from being entitled to assistance towards their rent.
410. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to include pensions in the Constitution; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50733/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Constitution of Ireland sets out the basic laws describing how Ireland should be governed, the main institutions of the State and the rights and fundamental freedoms of citizens. It also reflects the values at the heart of Irish society. The Constitution can be changed only by a referendum in which every citizen of Ireland, over the age of 18, is entitled to vote. Whilst there is no express reference to private pensions in the Constitution, there is no reason to conclude that private pension rights would not fall within the protection conferred by the right to private ownership provided for within the Constitution.
In 2012, a Constitutional Convention was established to discuss proposed amendments to the Constitution of Ireland. The Convention was established by Resolution of both Houses of the Oireachtas to consider and make recommendations on certain topics as possible future amendments to the Constitution. The Convention is not mandated to consider the area of pensions and there are no wider plans to specifically consider this subject for purposes of Constitutional change.
411. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the date for an oral hearing in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50740/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, decided to disallow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. Under Social Welfare legislation, the decision of an Appeals Officer is final and conclusive and may only be reviewed in the light of additional evidence or new facts.
I am advised that the person concerned has submitted additional evidence and that the Appeals Officer has agreed to review the case. As part of this review, the Appeals Officer will decide if an oral hearing of the case is warranted. The person concerned will be contacted when the review of her appeal has been finalised. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.
412. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans in terms of legislative reform to allow workers access to the State insolvency fund; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50561/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe purpose of the insolvency payments scheme, which operates under the Protection of Employees (Employers’ Insolvency) Act, 1984, which, in turn, derives from EU Council Directive 987/80, is to protect certain outstanding pay-related entitlements due to employees in the event of the insolvency of their employer. These entitlements include wages, holiday pay, sick pay, payment in lieu of minimum notice due under the Minimum Notice & Terms of Employment Acts, 1973-2001, and certain pension contributions. Various other statutory awards made by the Employment Appeals Tribunal, Rights Commissioners, etc., are also covered by the scheme.
Payments under the scheme are made from the Social Insurance Fund and the Minister becomes a preferential creditor against the assets of an employer in respect of most amounts paid under the scheme. Where a person’s former employer was a limited company, the company should be in liquidation or receivership in order for the person to be eligible to claim under the insolvency payments scheme. In such circumstances, the liquidator or receiver becomes the relevant officer for submitting claims under the scheme as he or she has access to the company records and can certify that the amounts claimed are in order.
I am aware that there are some cases where employers have ceased trading without engaging in a formal winding-up process. In some such cases, the company may have closed owing certain payments or statutory awards to its former employees. I have asked my Department to review the position to establish what, if anything, can be done to progress payments to individuals where no liquidator or receiver has been appointed and this work is on-going.
413. Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on the entitlement to rent supplement (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50784/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. The overall aim is to provide short term assistance, and not to act as an alternative to the other social housing schemes operated by the Exchequer. There are currently approximately 81,000 persons in receipt of rent supplement for which the Government has provided €403 million in 2013.
To qualify for rent supplement a person must be residing in private rented accommodation or accommodation for homeless persons (or any combination of these) for a period of 183 days within the preceding 12 months of the date of claim for rent supplement. A person may also qualify for rent supplement where an assessment of housing need has been carried out within the 12 months preceding the date of claim and the person is deemed by a local authority to be eligible for and in need of social housing support. In all other cases, a person who wishes to apply for rent supplement is referred, in the first instance, for an assessment of eligibility for social housing support by a housing authority. Only when the person has been assessed as being eligible for and in need of social housing support, does the person become eligible for consideration for rent supplement.
Policy in relation to the assessment of housing need is a matter for the Minister for the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government.
414. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide the up to date position on a social welfare appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50786/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the appeal from the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer who has decided to hold an oral hearing in this case on 6 December 2013. The person concerned has been notified of the arrangements for the hearing. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.
415. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection the average waiting time for the conclusion of appeals against the refusal of disability allowance. [50806/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that the current average time taken to process disability allowance appeals decided by summary decision is 29.7 weeks and 38.3 weeks for those requiring an oral hearing.
There has been a rapid and sustained increase in the number of appeals received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office since 2009 which has placed extraordinary pressure on the office. Up to 2009, the average number of appeals received was 15,000 per annum whereas in 2012, the office received 35,484 appeals. In order to manage this increasing workload, significant resources and efforts have been put into reducing backlogs and improving appeals processing times for appellants, including the assignment of 15 additional Appeals Officers, in addition to 10 former Community Welfare Service Appeals Officers who joined the appeals office in 2011, bringing the total number of serving Appeals Officers to 41; reviewing and improving business processes; and implementing a new operating model within the appeals office.
In addition, a major programme of process redesign and modernisation is underway in the Department in relation to many of its scheme areas, aimed at reducing backlogs and reducing the time taken by the Department to respond to requests from the appeals office for submissions in relation to appeals.
These measures have led to improvements in processing times and a significant increase in the number of appeals finalised from 17,787 in 2009 to 32,558 in 2012. The Chief Appeals Officer expects to finalise 6,000 more cases in 2013 than in 2012. Good progress is also now being made in reducing the number of appeals on hand from 20,414 at 1 January 2013 to 16,087 at 18 November 2013. In 2010 the average processing time for a disability allowance oral hearing was 51.1 weeks while a decision requiring a summary decision took an average of 30.8 weeks. This had improved to 40.6 and 34.2 weeks respectively in 2012 and has further improved (up to October 2013) to 38.3 and 29.7 weeks respectively.
Appeal processing times are calculated from the registration date of the appeal to the date of its finalisation. They include all activities during this period including time spent awaiting any clarification from the appellant, time in the Department for comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal put forward by the appellant, and any further investigation, examination or assessment by the Department’s Inspectors and Medical Assessors that is deemed necessary. A considerable period of time is added to the process when an oral hearing is required because of the logistics involved in this process. While this process carries an inherent delay in terms of finalising an appeal, it also crystallises the flexibility and accessibility of the appeals system.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.
Questions Nos. 416 and 417 withdrawn.
418. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will identify accommodation in Ashbourne or Ratoath, County Meath available to rent suitable for a couple/one parent family with three children for €650 as of today; if she will provide the same for a couple/one parent family with two children for €600; if she will acknowledge that there is a serious discrepancy between the rent supplement threshold and the actual cost of rent in these towns; if she will immediately address this situation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50854/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra420. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will identify accommodation in Ashbourne or Ratoath, County Meath, that is available to rent and suitable for a couple or one parent family with three children for €650 as of today; if she will provide the same for a couple or one parent family with two children for €600 and a couple or one parent family with one child for €550; if she will acknowledge that there is a serious discrepancy between the rent supplement threshold and the actual cost of rent in the towns in question; if she will immediately address this situation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50861/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 418 and 420 together.
The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. The overall aim is to provide short term assistance, and not to act as an alternative to the other social housing schemes operated by the Exchequer. There are currently approximately 81,000 persons in receipt of rent supplement for which the Government has provided over €403 million in 2013.
Revised rent limits under the rent supplement scheme have come into force with effect from Monday 17 June 2013 and will be in place until 31 December 2014. The new rent limits have been determined following an extensive review of the private rental market based on the most up-to-date data available. There have been increases in the maximum rent limits in Dublin and Galway while there have been some reductions across a number of counties, including some categories in County Meath, reflecting the conditions in the rental markets in those counties. Special provisions are made in exceptional circumstances including, for example, people with disabilities in specially adapted accommodation or homeless persons.
There are currently 1,981 rent supplement recipients in County Meath, of which almost 200 are in the Ashbourne and Ratoath areas. In arriving at the appropriate rent limits for County Meath rent levels in the major population centres in the county were tested. Analysis shows that there are properties available within the maximum rent limits for rent supplement recipients in County Meath. However, the number of rental properties available in the specific locations referred to by the Deputy is significantly lower than the numbers available in the rest of the county and therefore impacts on the number of accommodation units available for renting and their cost.
A search conducted on a leading property website shows that there are a total of 121 two and three bed properties for rent in County Meath, of which 12 were available in the Ratoath and Ashbourne areas. None of the 12 properties in these two areas were advertised below the rent limit. It must be stressed, however, that the purpose of the rent limit review was to ensure availability of accommodation for rent supplement tenancies and not to provide rent supplement tenants with access to all housing in all areas. The Department will continue to monitor rent levels throughout the country but at this point I have no plans to revise the rent limits at this time.
419. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the correct level of rent support payable in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50859/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe client is in receipt of rent supplement since 12/11/2012. The supplement is currently in excess of the maximum rent limit of €850 per calendar month, for her household composition and location. Consequently, she has been requested on a number of occasions to have her rent reduced or seek alternative accommodation. Following a review on the 12/07/2013 the client’s rent was temporarily suspended pending confirmation of a rent reduction. Her entitlement will be reassessed on receipt of same.
421. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Social Protection if any specific targets were set at the Youth Unemployment Conference in Paris; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50119/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra422. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Social Protection if any specific actions will be taken here to tackle youth unemployment following the Youth Unemployment Conference held in Paris; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50121/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra424. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will report on the special conference on youth unemployment in Paris; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50212/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 421, 422 and 424 together.
The Paris Summit was the second in a series of meetings of EU heads of state devoted to discussing youth unemployment. The purpose of the summit was to enable EU leaders and Labour/Social Protection Ministers to share national experiences in dealing with youth unemployment, take stock of the implementation commitments made in the Youth Guarantee and the associated Youth employment Initiative and discuss how to mobilise the European funding and support quickly and effectively. The summit reiterated the importance of member states completing national Implementation Plans to deliver the Youth Guarantee. An implementation plan for Ireland is currently in development and will be forwarded to the EU commission by the end of the year.
It was agreed that EU leaders and Labour/Social Protection Ministers will continue to meet at special summits to deal specifically with youth unemployment. The next summit is provisionally scheduled for Spring 2014 in Italy.
423. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on youth unemployment here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45859/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe most recent statistics available from the CSO’s Quarterly National Household Survey show the level of youth unemployment has fallen from an average of 75,000 in 2010 to 63,000 in the most recent twelve months for which data are available. The level of employment of young people appears to have stabilised, and indeed the employment rate (proportion of the population with jobs) for those aged 20-24 years rose from 46.5% in mid-2012 to 49% in the second quarter of this year.
In the first instance, the Government’s primary strategy to tackle all forms of unemployment, including youth unemployment, is to create the environment for a strong economic recovery by promoting competitiveness and productivity through the Action Plan for Jobs. Economic recovery will underpin jobs growth and thus reduce unemployment and long-term unemployment. Past experience suggests that youth unemployment, which tends to rise relatively rapidly in a downturn, can be expected to fall relatively rapidly during the recovery. The Government is also implementing a number of programmes to assist young unemployed persons and keep young jobseekers close to the labour market.
There are five main approaches being taken to tackle youth unemployment: education, training, job search assistance/guidance, work experience, and encouraging job creation. These actions range across a number of Departments and Agencies and include:-
- The Youthreach programme providing 6,000 integrated education, training and work experience for early school leavers without any qualifications or vocational training who are between 15 and 20 years of age;
- The Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme, which provides a range of courses to meet the education and training needs of unemployed people over 21 years of age, particularly focusing upon early school leavers;
- The Back to Education Allowance scheme run by the Department of Social Protection provides income maintenance for unemployed people returning to further or higher education. Over 6,500 young people participated on this scheme in the last academic year;
- Approximately 12,000 persons aged under 25 completed a training course with FÁS in 2012. This excludes apprenticeships and evening courses;
- MOMENTUM, a scheme for education and training interventions supports the provision of free education and training projects to allow 6,500 long term jobseekers to gain skills and to access work opportunities in identified growing sectors. Over 1,250 of these places are assigned specifically for under 25s;
- The JobBridge National Internship Scheme is focused on providing work experience to young people with the total number of placements of young people on JobBridge during 2012 at 2,700;
- Long-term unemployed youth will also benefit from the JobsPlus initiative which is designed to encourage employers to recruit long-term unemployed people. Under this scheme the State will pay circa €1 of every €4 it costs the employer to recruit a person from the Live Register.
Looking forward, in addition to current initiatives, policies to increase youth employment will be supplemented by additional measures under the Youth Guarantee which will be rolled out in 2014. The Department of Social Protection has set up an interdepartmental group with officials and programme managers from the Department of Education and Skills, Department of Jobs Enterprise and Innovation, and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, to review the current range of youth employment policies in Ireland to assess what measures will need to be taken to commence the implementation of the Guarantee. It is intended to produce a concrete plan for the implementation of the Guarantee for consideration by the Government in December before being transmitted to the European Commission by the end of 2013.
As an initial step towards preparing for implementation of the guarantee, provision was made in the 2014 Budget for:
- Changing the eligibility criteria for Jobs Plus to make it easier for young people to qualify for the scheme.
- an additional intake of 1,500 young people on to the very successful JobBridge scheme
- ensuring that 1,000 places on the Tús scheme are targeted at young people
- developing a pilot programme to support young unemployed people to take up opportunities under schemes such as Your First EURES Job
- ring-fencing a minimum of 2,000 training places for under-25s by the Department of Education and Skills, under a follow-up to the successful Momentum programme that operated in 2013, with income support for participants being provided by my department
- the Department of Jobs Enterprise and Innovation making funds available to young entrepreneurs via Micro finance Ireland and other business start-up schemes.
In total, the provision across these headings in the 2014 Budget comes to about €46 million.
425. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Social Protection the strategies her Department will be pursuing to reduce youth unemployment and to encourage young persons to start their own businesses. [50489/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe most recent statistics available from the CSO’s Quarterly National Household Survey show the level of youth unemployment has fallen from an average of 75,000 in 2010 to 63,000 in the most recent twelve months for which data are available. The level of employment of young people appears to have stabilised, and indeed the employment rate (proportion of the population with jobs) for those aged 20-24 years rose from 46.5% in mid-2012 to 49% in the second quarter of this year.
In the first instance, the Government’s primary strategy to tackle all forms of unemployment, including youth unemployment, is to create the environment for a strong economic recovery by promoting competitiveness and productivity through the Action Plan for Jobs. Economic recovery will underpin jobs growth and thus reduce unemployment and long-term unemployment. Past experience suggests that youth unemployment, which tends to rise relatively rapidly in a downturn, can be expected to fall relatively rapidly during the recovery.
The Government is also implementing a number of programmes to assist young unemployed persons and keep young jobseekers close to the labour market. There are five main approaches being taken to tackle youth unemployment: education, training, job search assistance/guidance, work experience, and encouraging job creation. These actions range across a number of Departments and Agencies and include:
- The Youthreach programme providing 6,000 integrated education, training and work experience for early school leavers without any qualifications or vocational training who are between 15 and 20 years of age;
- The Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme, which provides a range of courses to meet the education and training needs of unemployed people over 21 years of age, particularly focusing upon early school leavers;
- The Back to Education Allowance scheme run by the Department of Social Protection provides income maintenance for unemployed people returning to further or higher education. Over 6,500 young people participated on this scheme in the last academic year;
- Approximately 12,000 persons aged under 25 completed a training course with FÁS in 2012. This excludes apprenticeships and evening courses;
- MOMENTUM, a scheme for education and training interventions supports the provision of free education and training projects to allow 6,500 long term jobseekers to gain skills and to access work opportunities in identified growing sectors. Over 1,250 of these places are assigned specifically for under 25s;
- The JobBridge National Internship Scheme is focused on providing work experience to young people with the total number of placements of young people on JobBridge during 2012 at 2,700;
- Long-term unemployed youth will also benefit from the JobsPlus initiative which is designed to encourage employers to recruit long-term unemployed people. Under this scheme the State will pay circa €1 of every €4 it costs the employer to recruit a person from the Live Register.
Looking forward, in addition to current initiatives, policies to increase youth employment will be supplemented by additional measures under the Youth Guarantee which will be rolled out in 2014. The Department of Social Protection has set up an interdepartmental group with officials and programme managers from the Department of Education and Skills, Department of Jobs Enterprise and Innovation, and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, to review the current range of youth employment policies in Ireland to assess what measures will need to be taken to commence the implementation of the Guarantee. It is intended to produce a concrete plan for the implementation of the Guarantee for consideration by the Government in December before being transmitted to the European Commission by the end of 2013.
As an initial step towards preparing for implementation of the guarantee, provision was made in the 2014 Budget for:
- Changing the eligibility criteria for Jobs Plus to make it easier for young people to qualify for the scheme.
- an additional intake of 1,500 young people on to the very successful JobBridge scheme
- ensuring that 1,000 places on the Tús scheme are targeted at young people
- developing a pilot programme to support young unemployed people to take up opportunities under schemes such as Your First EURES Job
- ring-fencing a minimum of 2,000 training places for under-25s by the Department of Education and Skills, under a follow-up to the successful Momentum programme that operated in 2013, with income support for participants being provided by my department
- the Department of Jobs Enterprise and Innovation making funds available to young entrepreneurs via Micro finance Ireland and other business start-up schemes.
In total, the provision across these headings in the 2014 Budget comes to about €46 million.
Nurturing tomorrow’s entrepreneurs
With regard to young people and entrepreneurship, I am informed by the Minister for Jobs Enterprise and Innovation of a range of initiatives that exist to encourage young persons and others to start their own businesses. Sowing the seeds of entrepreneurship and exposing students to the fundamentals of business is an integral part of promoting an entrepreneurial culture. Enterprise Ireland coordinated and supported a number of the initiatives in 2012 to promote youth entrepreneurship and engagement in the world of hi-tech. These included CoderDojo, an Irish-led movement that is teaching kids globally to code software, and our annual Think Outside the Box awards, which aim to foster a spirit of entrepreneurship among third level students.
Competitive Start Fund
The purpose of the Competitive Start Fund is to accelerate the growth of start-up companies that have the capability to succeed in global markets. The fund is designed to enable those companies reach key commercial and technical milestones, for example:
- Evaluate overseas market opportunities and reach firm conclusions regarding the viability of the proposed business.
- Build a prototype.
- Secure a reference site.
- Develop a market entry plan for exploiting international opportunities.
- Secure partnership deal or strategic alliance.
- Identify suitable channels to international markets.
- Secure third party investment e.g. business angel, Venture Capital.
The CSF is open to entrepreneurs establishing early-stage businesses in the manufacturing and internationally traded services sectors. As with all EI supports, there are no set age limits, and there is a modest level of investment from the promoter required to avail of EI funding. As such, the CSF can represent an opportunity for youth entrepreneurs to avail of seed funding where the proposed project has international potential.
Think Outside The Box Awards
The Think Outside the Box Awards are aimed at third level students with a novel idea for a new business. Focusing on the development of business ideas with real commercial potential the provides cash prizes and the opportunity to avail of €30,000 worth of specialist advice and assistance to potentially help turn the enterprise idea into a business reality. The awards are sponsored by Enterprise Ireland, Invest Northern Ireland, Intel, Cruickshank Intellectual Property Attorneys and Grant Thornton. The Think Outside The Box Awards have an exclusive focus on third level students, from all academic disciplines and courses of study, and offer the opportunity to realise entrepreneurial ambitions. Given the focus of the Awards (third level), a significant number of the participants are in the youth entrepreneur cohort. Former winners have gone on to participate in business start-ups, and have availed of EI support.
New Frontiers
New Frontiers is Ireland’s national entrepreneur development programme that is delivered at a local level by the Institutes of Technology. For those with an innovative business idea and planning to establish and run your own company, the New Frontiers Entrepreneur Development Programme can provide a package of supports to help accelerate business development and to equip entrepreneurs with the skills and contacts needed to successfully start and grow your company.
New Frontiers provides Entrepreneurs with:
- Training in all areas of business including financial management, market research & validation, business process, patenting, product development, sales training;
- Mentoring from experienced business advisers and practitioners;
- Office and other business incubation facilities;
- €15,000 scholarship to cover full-time participation in the six month course;
- Networking with other entrepreneurs and business development agencies;
- Introductions to seed and early stage capital investment networks;
- Access to entrepreneurship best practice, both national and international;
- Peer-group learning from participants in the region and across the country;
- Access to the expertise in Enterprise Ireland through our Market Research Centre;
- Expertise from the Institutes of Technology and the supportive environment of their business incubation centres.
Launched in February 2012, the New Frontiers Entrepreneur Development Programme aims to support the creation of 100 high value, knowledge based, Irish owned businesses, each year. The programme can represent a good avenue for youth entrepreneurs with an innovative business idea to develop and hone their plans and develop an investor ready proposition.
FoodWorks
Bord Bia, Enterprise Ireland and Teagasc are working together on a food sector entrepneurship programme which offers access to a range of supports including assistance in developing the business proposition, market research, and advice on business financing and supplier development.
SME Input:
Successful entrepreneurship is critical to Irish economic development, and consequently, supporting entrepreneurship is a central part of our Action Plan for Jobs. 67% of all new job-creation comes from businesses in the first five years of existence. A continuous and steady flow of new business start-ups plays a crucial role in creating jobs and sustainable economic growth and will be central to Ireland emerging out of its current problems.
To assist entrepreneurial activity, work is ongoing to deliver a National Entrepreneurship Policy Statement for Q4 of 2013. This new policy statement will be focussed on entrepreneurship in terms of start-up companies and aims to ensure that the overall environment is conducive to increasing the levels of people starting up new businesses across all industry sectors, both domestically trading and export-oriented. Within this statement there will also be a focus on youth entrepreneurship. Following the publication of the Policy Statement, a number of specific actions will be included for immediate implementation in the Action Plan for Jobs 2014.
CEB Input:
The County Enterprise Boards (CEBs) throughout the country provide supports, both financial and non-financial or "soft" supports, to all micro-enterprises in the start-up or expansion phase in manufacturing, tourism and services, subject to certain conditions. The soft supports include the provision of business advice, training and mentoring to all clients. The aim is to develop indigenous enterprise potential, stimulate economic activity at local level and promote the establishment of micro-enterprises within their administrative area. These supports are available to everyone, regardless of age.
The CEBs are also active in engaging with schools to promote entrepreneurship within the education system, primarily through close engagement with second level schools throughout Ireland but are also active with primary schools and third level colleges. The flagship of these activities is the national second level Student Enterprise Awards which attracts the participation of over 15,000 students from schools throughout the length and breadth of the country.
The Department of Jobs Enterprise and Innovation, together with the Enterprise Ireland, is also examining options for CEB-led initiatives aimed at promoting youth entrepreneurship, including a mix of financial supports for business start-ups, feasibility studies and mentoring.
426. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if consideration will be given to submitting a request to the European Union not to renew the derogation which exempts the majority of documentation from being translated into the Irish language and thereby place a renewed focus on ensuring that the Irish language attains all full recognition and status enjoyed by official languages of the Union as well as promoting the language in general at European level. [50824/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra430. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding the EU Irish language derogation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50804/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 426 and 430 together.
I refer the Deputies to my reply to Question No. 131 of 21 November 2013. As I indicated in my reply, a decision on whether or not to extend the derogation regarding the use of Irish in EU institutions for a further period of time is required by December 2015 at the latest. My Department is engaged in discussions with various stakeholders, including the EU institutions, in order to formulate specific proposals on the optimal approach to the ending of the derogation. It is hoped to bring the matter forward for consideration by Government in early 2014.
It should also be noted that, as part of the Government's strategy to ensure that a sufficient number of qualified personnel are available to meet the needs arising from the recognition of Irish as an official and working language of the EU, my Department continues to provide substantial funding for a range of specialised third-level courses and for the development of Irish language terminology for the EU terminology database, InterActive Terminology for Europe (IATE).
