Written Answers Nos. 255-275
255. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the extent to which authorised officers under various legislation are protected under the whistleblowers' legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48197/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am satisfied that the Protected Disclosures Act, enacted earlier this year provides detailed and comprehensive protection for all workers. As the Deputy will be aware, the main objective of the Protected Disclosures Act 2014 is to provide protection for workers who make disclosures of serious wrongdoing that come to their attention in the workplace. The term "worker" is broadly defined in the Act and provided a person falls within that definition they are entitled to seek to benefit from the protections set out in the Protected Disclosures legislation. The Deputy may wish to note, that where a worker is not an employee, a judicial mechanism through a right of action in tort has been put in place to securing redress where the worker experiences detriment for having made a protected disclosure, as under the legislation only an employee can apply for redress from a Rights Commissioner or the Labour Court.
An authorised officer appointed under legislation, therefore, benefits from all of the safeguards available under the Protected Disclosures Act, providing the disclosure met all the relevant conditions for a disclosure to be a protected disclosure, with the specific redress mechanism on which he or she relies being dependent on the nature of the particular contractual arrangements under which the authorised officer was appointed to his or her statutory role.
256. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide protection for authorised officers who are not provided full protection under the whistleblowers' legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48198/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am satisfied that the Protected Disclosures Act, enacted earlier this year provides detailed and comprehensive protection for all workers. As the Deputy will be aware, the main objective of the Protected Disclosures Act 2014 is to provide protection for workers who make disclosures of serious wrongdoing that come to their attention in the workplace. The term "worker" is broadly defined in the Act and provided a person falls within that definition they are entitled to seek to benefit from the protections set out in the Protected Disclosures legislation. The Deputy may wish to note, that where a worker is not an employee, a judicial mechanism through a right of action in tort has been put in place to securing redress where the worker experiences detriment for having made a protected disclosure, as under the legislation only an employee can apply for redress from a Rights Commissioner or the Labour Court.
An authorised officer appointed under legislation, therefore, benefits from all of the safeguards available under the Protected Disclosures Act, providing the disclosure met all the relevant conditions for a disclosure to be a protected disclosure, with the specific redress mechanism on which he or she relies being dependent on the nature of the particular contractual arrangements under which the authorised officer was appointed to his or her statutory role.
257. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide on a county basis the total funding allocated to each local authority and the actual amount of funding which has been drawn down to December 2014 in respect of works associated with repairs of damage caused by the unprecedented storms of late December 2013 and early January and February 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48255/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government Decision of 11th February 2014 allocated total funding of up to €69.5 million for clean-up, repair and restoration works in relation to public infrastructure that was damaged in the period 13th December 2013 to 6th January 2014. Of this sum of €69.5 million, up to €19.6 million was allocated for repair of existing coastal protection and flood defences based on submissions and cost estimates made by the local authorities concerned to the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (DECLG). This funding for repair of damaged coastal protection and flood defence infrastructure is being made available to the local authorities via the Office of Public Works (OPW) based on programmes of works submitted by the local authorities. The Departments of the Environment, Community and Local Government (DECLG), Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTAS) and Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) are responsible for the approval of programmes of work and the disbursement of funding for repair of other damaged public infrastructure such as roads, piers, harbours and other community facilities and amenities.
To date, the local authorities have requested draw downs totalling €7.3 million from the OPW. Of this total of €7.3 million, the OPW has already disbursed €2.7 million to the local authorities and the balance of €4.6 million is expected to be paid over by the end of the year. The OPW does not have information of amounts drawn down by local authorities from DECLG, DTAS and DAFM.
The table gives the breakdown per county of the amounts approved and the amounts drawn down by local authorities from the OPW to date.
|
Local Authority |
Funding allocations for Approved Programmes of Work* |
Amount disbursed to Local Authority to date |
|
Clare |
8,276,433 |
1,020,477 |
|
Cork Co. |
1,057,000 |
0 |
|
Donegal |
662,000 |
0 |
|
Fingal |
200,000 |
159,007 |
|
Galway Co. |
1,144,800 |
233,842 |
|
Galway City |
105,000 |
105,000 |
|
Kerry |
1,226,920 |
861,361 |
|
Louth |
191,000 |
0 |
|
Mayo |
4,205,000 |
328,252 |
|
Meath |
75,000 |
0 |
|
Sligo |
1,200 |
0 |
|
Waterford |
650,000 |
0 |
|
Wexford |
1,277,000 |
0 |
|
Totals |
19,071,353 |
2,707,939 |
* Based on the programmes of works of repairs to coastal protection and flood defence infrastructure that were submitted by local authorities, total funding of €19.1 million approx. was approved by the OPW.
Information on the drawn down of funding by the local authorities from OPW in respect of the storm damage allocations is provided on the OPW website www.opw.ie . This information is updated on a monthly basis.
There was no allocation of funding by the Government in respect of storm damage other than occurring in the period mentioned in this reply.
258. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if civil servants with excessive sick leave due to critical illnesses prior to the change in sick leave policy in March 2014 will have some allowances applied to their total sick leave allowance in order to facilitate them until their four-year period has concluded, as some persons are being left without any allowance for at least another year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48361/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe new Public Service Sick Leave Scheme is a very significant reform introduced by my Department earlier this year. The significant reduction in access to paid sick leave is required to reduce the unsustainable costs of sick leave in the public service. The new scheme was finalised on the basis of two Labour Court recommendations following extensive negotiations with staff representatives. The new approach seeks to ensure more proactive management of absenteeism while providing appropriate protection and support for public service personnel who experience illness.
In the case of individuals experiencing critical illnesses or serious injury, substantial additional protection is provided by means of a Critical Illness Protocol (CIP) which provides the basis for access to extended sick leave. Under the CIP, public servants who suffer from a critical illness or serious physical injury may have access to extended sick leave of 6 months on full pay in a rolling 1 year period, followed by 6 months on half pay subject to a maximum of 12 months' paid sick leave in a rolling 4 year period.
An illness or injury may be classified as critical depending on the severity of the illness or injury which the staff member has suffered and it will be assessed against specific medical criteria. It is not possible to determine definitively whether a past illness was a critical illness as it was not assessed under the CIP criteria at the time of the illness. Notwithstanding this, transitional arrangements have been introduced for staff who suffered from a very serious illness prior to the introduction of the new sick leave scheme. In the Civil Service, HR managers have been advised that they can use the discretionary provision within the CIP to award extended sick pay to civil servants who have had a serious illness or injury in the year prior to the introduction of the new scheme. In such cases staff will have access to the extended sick pay limits normally given for critical illness/injury (i.e. 365 days of sick pay), even where they are not critically ill, provided that they had a serious illness in the previous 12 months before the introduction of the new scheme. Moreover, the discretionary provisions within the CIP mean that organisations can take into account all relevant circumstances of the case when awarding extended sick pay where the strict medical criteria have not been met.
I am satisfied that the new sick leave arrangements for the public service strike the appropriate balance between reducing the unsustainable costs of sick leave in the public service and safeguarding the interests of public servants who experience serious illness or injury.
259. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív den Aire Caiteachais Phoiblí agus Athchóirithe an bhfuil iniúchadh déanta fós ar na poist agus na réimsí oibre ina mbeidh státseirbhísigh atá inniúil sa Bhéarla agus sa Ghaeilge ag teastáil, de réir mar a thug an Roinn Caiteachais Phoiblí agus Athchóirithe treoir don Roinn a dhéanamh; má tá an t-iniúchadh déanta, cad é líon agus cad iad céimeanna na bpost atá i gceist; cén líon de na poist sin a bhfuil duine leis an gcumas cuí Gaeilge agus Béarla ann cheana féin; cén plean atá ann chun na poist eile a líonadh le daoine a bhfuil na cáilíochtaí cuí acu; cén cháilíocht Ghaeilge atá riachtanach do na poist sin; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [48379/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraMar fhreagra ar cheist an Theachta, is féidir liom a dhearbhú go bhfuil de chumas ag ochtar ball foirne obair na Roinne a dhéanamh trí Ghaeilge. B'fhéidir go bhfuil cuma íseal ar an bhfigiúr seo, ach is cinnte gur leor é chun freastal a dhéanamh ar riachtanais na heagraíochta. Mar gheall ar an ról ata aici, ni bhíonn mórán plé ag mo Roinn leis an ngnáth-phobal, cur i gcás i gcomhthéacs scéimeanna nó seirbhísí dírithe ar dhaoine aonair a sholáthar. Mar sin féin, déanann mo Roinn monatóireacht ar an éileamh atá ar a cuid seirbhísí trí mhéan na Gaeilge chun a chinntiú go gcomhlíontar é. Níl aitheantas tugtha do aon phoist nó réimsí oibre faoi mo chúram go mbeadh gá acu le oifigigh atá inniúil sa dá theanga.
260. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the payments that have been made to date by Premier Lotteries Ireland in respect of the national lottery licence; the schedule of payments due to be made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48434/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe licence to operate the National Lottery was granted to Premier Lotteries Ireland (PLI), a consortium comprising Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (the owner of the Camelot Group), An Post and An Post pension funds in February of this year. Half of the €405 million due from PLI in respect of the licence was received in the Exchequer at that time and the remaining half was received towards the end of November.
261. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his Department has conducted an assessment of the future pension liabilities of the State, in respect of public service pensions and social protection entitlements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48435/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn actuarial valuation was carried out earlier this year by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to update the accrued liability in respect of Public Service occupational pensions.
The key result of the exercise is that the total accrued liability in respect of Public Service occupational pensions is now estimated at €98bn as at December 2012. This compares with the previous estimate of €116bn for 2009 which was arrived at by the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG). Therefore, over the three years from 2009 to 2012 the liability has fallen by €18bn or by 16%. The main reasons for the reduction were the pay and pension cuts since 2009 and the freeze in pay and pension rates until after the Haddington Road Agreement.
This figure of €98bn represents the present value of all expected future superannuation payments to current staff and their spouses in respect of service to December 2012, plus the liability for all future payments to current and preserved pensioners and to their spouses. The pension payments to discharge this liability will therefore be spread over the next 70 years or so.
A report on the actuarial exercise is contained on the Department of Public Expenditure web site at http://www.per.gov.ie/public-service-pensions-accrued-liability/.
262. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the extent to which the levels of savings achieved through reform across the public sector has been quantified on an annual basis in the past three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48467/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra263. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the extent to which reform, as a component in economic strategy, has achieved savings in line with projections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48469/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra266. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the extent to which efficiency and cost effective targets continue to be met throughout the public sector; the extent to which this has benefitted the Irish economy in general; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48472/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra267. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will indicate by each Department, the extent to which costs have been reduced under the separate headings of public expenditure reduction and/or public sector reform in each of the past five years to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48473/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra268. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if any particular Department and respective bodies under its aegis are expected to improve their performance in respect of savings, cost-cutting or reform targets over the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48474/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra269. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the Government Departments or bodies under their aegis that have shown the least progress in terms of public sector reform in the past four years; the way this compares with those Departments that have achieved most in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48475/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 262, 263 and 266 to 269, inclusive, together.
As set out in the Government's Public Service Reform Plan 2014-2016, Public Service Reform has been, and will continue to be, a key element of the Government's overall recovery strategy. The Reform Plan and Progress Reports which set out the considerable progress that has been made can be seen at www.reformplan.per.gov.ie.
Overall, from 2009 to 2013, there was a reduction in gross voted expenditure of 14.5%, from €63.9 billion to €54.6 billion. At the end of last year, Ireland successfully exited the EU-IMF Programme with renewed fiscal credibility and access to international lending markets. Our success in returning the public finances to a more sustainable position is a result of the difficult but necessary decisions we have taken and the extensive reforms that we have implemented.
As the Deputy will be aware, staff numbers have been reduced by around 32,000 or 10% since 2008, and the pay-bill was reduced from €17.5 billion in 2009 to €14.1 billion in 2013, including the pension related deduction. Our programme of Public Service Reform has delivered significant efficiencies and increased productivity. It has also enabled us to maintain and improve public services in the face of the necessary reduction in staff numbers and budgets, while meeting increased demand for public services.
The Public Service Reform Plan 2014-2016 has a strong focus on service improvement and the delivery of improved outcomes for service users. In addition, it maintains the emphasis on efficiency measures which was a key element of our first Reform Plan. Implementation of the reforms set out in the overall Reform Plan and in Departmental / Sectoral Integrated Reform Delivery Plans, including measures under the Haddington Road Agreement, will facilitate ongoing cost savings in the coming years.
Examples of measures to reduce costs include reforms in the areas of public procurement, shared services, alternative models of service delivery, ICT/digital government and property management. A core principle of the Reform Plan is to use some of the 'reform dividend' from increased efficiency to invest in new or improved services. Savings made have already facilitated the recruitment of extra staff in key front-line public services.
Overall, I am satisfied with the progress that has been made on Public Service Reform. Our achievements to date and plans for further reforms are well regarded internationally, though I am very conscious that we need to maintain a strong focus on the delivery of reform to ensure that we have a sustainable Public Service. To this end, my Department will continue to work with all Departments and Offices, and particularly with the larger sectors, to ensure that services are delivered efficiently and that outcomes for services users are improved. Finally, it is important to acknowledge that the level of reform we have delivered could not have happened without the efforts and commitment of our public servants and I commend them for their contribution to date.
264. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the extent to which any further disposal of State assets remains included in the options for consideration by his Department; if sufficient funds have been raised from such disposals and with a view of ensuring that decisions taken are in line with the best interests of the country as opposed to enforced sale; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48470/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am happy to inform the Deputy that the programme of State asset disposals that I announced in February 2012 reached a successful conclusion this year. This will result in special dividends (asset proceeds) of some €1.4 billion being paid to the Exchequer to support stimulus measures and reduce Ireland's debt burden and no further State asset disposals are under consideration by my Department.
Throughout this process, the Government's overriding concern was to ensure that disposals were in the national interest, that value was secured for the Exchequer and that fire sales were avoided. To this end, disposals were transacted via open, transparent, and competitive processes and the Government was careful to safeguard the position of strategic infrastructure such as the electricity and gas networks. I am satisfied that the objectives of the programme have been met.
265. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he is satisfied regarding the extent to which core front-line services continue to be maintained in the wake of ongoing budgetary constraints; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48471/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe publication of the Comprehensive Expenditure Report 2015 2017 (CER) on Budget Day followed a process of evaluation and analysis of expenditure priorities over the coming years, and how best to accommodate the increasing demands on some public services in an affordable manner.
For 2015 in the CER, the Government approved expenditure increases amounting to €429 million in current expenditure and a further €210 million in capital expenditure over the 2014 Estimates. There were also some savings from the continuing reductions in the live register. This is the first time in many years that expenditure has been able to grow without posing risks to the State's overall fiscal policy objectives. This in itself is a considerable achievement.
The increases provided in the CER have been directed towards core front-line services.
- We have provided an additional €305m to the Health sector which will allow it to continue to deliver essential public services in 2015;
- An increase of €60m to the Department of Education & Skills will provide an additional 1,700 full-time places in the education sector to meet demographic pressures. This is comprised of 920 mainstream teachers, 480 resource teachers and 365 Special Needs Assistants; and Extra resources were provided to the Department of Social Protection to accommodate an additional 18,000 State pensioners next year.
Furthermore, our expenditure on the housing programme is increasing, reflecting the Government's priorities in respect of Social Housing, while we have also provided additional investment in the agriculture sector to co-fund the new round of the Rural Development Programme (RDP).
Our efforts in implementing prudent fiscal, economic and social policies are complemented by the ongoing public service reforms which will ensure that public services are delivered in a more efficient and effective manner and that key front-line services are prioritised.
270. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of persons who have left the public service in each of the past five years to date either by way of natural retirement or redundancy; the extent to which the national pay bill has been affected as a result; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48476/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraDetailed quarterly and annual statistics on Public Service staffing are available at http://databank.per.gov.ie. Based on the Databank information, the table outlines the annual net reduction in Public Service numbers during each year from 2009 to 2013. These numbers take account of exits through retirement and under voluntary redundancy schemes - some 2,500 staff left during the period under voluntary redundancy schemes. The table also reflects some recruitment of front-line staff, particularly in the health and education sectors.
|
2008-2009 |
2009-2010 |
2010-2011 |
2011-2012 |
2012-2013 |
|
-9,640 |
-4,780 |
-8,640 |
-6,454 |
-2,645 |
The reduction in the size of the public service contributed to a saving of more than €3 billion in the cost of the public service between 2009 and 2013. Further analysis of how the public service pay bill has been reduced during this period can be found in the report The Cost of the Public Service, which was can be found on the website of the Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service at http://igees.gov.ie/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/The-Cost-of-the-Public-Service.pdf.
271. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of trade deals involving investor State dispute settlement that Ireland is party to, the countries involved and if they are bilateral; if they are members of the EU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48329/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland is not currently party to any bilateral trade agreement containing investment protection provisions.
Following the Lisbon Treaty, investment is part of the EU’s common commercial policy. The EU-Canada trade and investment agreement, negotiations on which concluded this year, will be the first agreement with EU-wide rules on investment dispute settlement as part of a board trade agreement.
272. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if his Department held meetings separate to the management advisory committee meetings which were attended by either him or the Minister of State and the management advisory committee; if so, if he will provide, in tabular form, the number of such meetings that occurred in 2011, 2012, 2013 and to date in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47866/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra273. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will provide, in tabular form, the number of management advisory committee meetings which were held for each of the years 2011, 2012, 2013 and to date in 2014; if he will provide, in tabular form, the number of management advisory committee meetings that were attended by him, the Minister of State, the political adviser, the Secretary General and all other titles of attendees in the years 2011, 2012, 2013 and to date in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47882/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 272 and 273 together.
Material provided as follows is in respect of meetings held in 2014 only. In the time available since these Questions were tabled, my Department has not been able to compile the information in relation to all other years.
Once the available information is collated I will arrange for it to be forwarded to the Deputy.
I chair regular Ministerial Management Board meetings which are attended by myself, the Ministers of State in my Department, the Secretary General and members of the Departmental Management Board.
The number of Ministerial Management Board meetings for the years 2011, 2012, 2013 and to date in 2014 were as follows:
|
Year |
No. of Ministerial Management Board meetings |
|
2014 |
8 |
|
2013 |
8 |
|
2012 |
8 |
|
2011 |
15 |
The Department’s Management Board is a management advisory body established to assist the Secretary General in ensuring my Department is managed as a corporate entity. This envisages the Board taking a central role in the formulation of strategy, in the development and monitoring of the business planning process, deciding resource allocation and ensuring that issues of a key policy, strategic and management nature are discussed collectively before submission, as appropriate, to me and Ministers Nash and English for consideration at a political level.
My Department’s Management Board is comprised of the Secretary General, the Assistant Secretaries assigned to the Department and, until the integration of Forfás into my Department on 1st August 2014, the Chief Executive Officer of Forfás. The Principal Officer with responsibility for the Management Support Unit in the Corporate Services, EU Affairs & Trade Policy Division attends each meeting as an ex officio member and the Private Secretary to the Secretary General also attends to record the minutes of the meeting.
The Management Board of my Department drives and monitors the business planning process in the Department each year. It carries out a mid-term review of progress in quarter three of the business planning cycle and approves, in quarter four, new plans for the following year. In addition, the Board considers a wide range of issues which impact on the Department’s strategies, policies and practices across areas such as enterprise policy, labour market policy, trade policy, employment rights and industrial relations, science, technology and innovation, EU issues, company law, consumer and competition issues and many more. The Board also meets with all of the Offices and Agencies individually each year to review their performance.
I discuss decisions of a policy or strategic nature directly with Board Members and their colleagues on a frequent and ongoing basis. Neither I, nor my Ministers of State, are present at the Departmental Management Board meetings.
The number of Departmental Management Board meetings for the years 2011, 2012, 2013 and to date in 2014 were as follows:
|
Year |
No. of Departmental Management Board meetings |
|
2014 |
37 |
|
2013 |
20 |
|
2012 |
23 |
|
2011 |
30 |
Departmental Management Board Meetings 1st January – 31st December 2014
The date and attendance at each meeting of the Departmental Management board up to 9th December 2014 is set out in the tables in the following link:
[<ahref="/debates%20authoring/webattachments.nsf/0/00EE9829399B28D580257DB10052C80B/$File/PQ%20272%26273%2016Dec14.doc?openelement">Management Advisory Council meetings</a>]
274. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of Industrial Development Agency Ireland-supported jobs there were in County Carlow at 31 October 2014. [47893/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra277. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation his plans to attract a foreign investment company into County Carlow. [47896/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 274 and 277 together.
The Forfás Annual Employment Survey reports on the job gains and losses in companies that are supported by the enterprise development agencies. Data is aggregated at county level on an annual basis. Figures for 2014 will not be available until early next year.
I have been advised by IDA Ireland that in 2013, the latest year for which data is available, there were 735 people employed in 7 IDA Ireland client companies in County Carlow. In order to achieve regional economic development, IDA Ireland markets integrated regions with critical mass and markets specific locations within these regions in response to the requirements of mobile FDI.
Carlow is part of IDA Ireland’s South East Region along with counties of Carlow, Waterford, Wexford, Kilkenny and South Tipperary. The region has a strong cluster in Life Sciences with many prestigious brands in the sector located there. In addition, there is also a significant Financial Services cluster in the South East Region, which is home to the many major players in that sector including Unum located in Carlow.
The presence of international brands provides an attraction for additional companies to potentially locate in the South East Region including Carlow. Recent examples of where the cluster benefitted investment decisions in the Region were the announcements by Nypro and Sanofi Genzyme creating 200 jobs and investing a further €44 million respectively. These announcements provide potential employment for people in Carlow. It must also be noted that there is also a strong cluster of indigenous companies operating in the business services sector including Maven TM based in Carlow.
IDA Ireland recognises the challenges for Ireland and its regions in attracting FDI and, with this in mind, a new IDA strategy will be launched early in the New Year, detailing goals and the broad direction IDA will take to accomplish them over the next five years.
I have been working with my Department on the development on a framework for the formulation of Regional Enterprise Strategies that will enable us to identify the sustainable competitive strengths of each region and to better integrate the efforts of the enterprise development agencies and other regional stakeholders in supporting enterprise growth and jobs in areas of potential. It is my intention that this framework will be applied initially to produce action-oriented plans to support enterprise growth and jobs in the Midlands region and the South East region. Learning in these regions will inform any adaptations that might need to be made prior to the framework being applied to other regions in the course of 2015.
275. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of Enterprise Ireland supported jobs there were in County Carlow at 31 October 2014. [47894/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraEnterprise Ireland’s mission is to partner with entrepreneurs, Irish businesses, and the research and investment communities to develop Ireland’s international trade, innovation, leadership, and competitiveness. The ultimate objective is increased employment and prosperity in Ireland. The companies that Enterprise Ireland works with are a vital source of employment in every county in Ireland.
Enterprise Ireland clients are a vital source of direct and indirect employment. Employment data for Enterprise Ireland is collected annually as part of the Department of Jobs Enterprise and Innovation Annual Employment survey which measures the number of jobs in agency assisted clients. The number of Enterprise Ireland supported jobs in County Carlow at 31st October 2014 will be known when the results of the 2014 Employment Survey have been finalised in January 2015. The number of jobs supported in County Carlow at 31st October 2013 was 2,441 (2,227 Full time and 214 part time).
