Written Answers Nos. 315-327
315. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the relief available to businesses and residents who are unable to obtain flood insurance, pending the completion of the Douglas flood relief scheme in County Cork, which has been further delayed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23749/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Douglas Flood Relief Scheme is being progressed by Cork County Council as the Contracting Authority for the project as part of an overall scheme for Douglas and Togher, with funding being provided by the Office of Public Works (OPW). It is expected that the Scheme will be brought though Planning in the third quarter of this year. Subject to the proposed scheme being accepted, the detailed design will be commenced and it is anticipated that this will take until the middle of 2016. Procurement of a civil works contractor will then be undertaken by Cork County Council.
The Council expects construction to commence in the second half of 2016, subject to satisfactory completion of the necessary procurement and approval processes. The OPW is fully supporting the Council in the progression of this Scheme and has made provision for the cost of implementing the scheme in its financial profiles to 2017.
The OPW has no statutory responsibility for the provision of reliefs to businesses. In relation to the insurance element of the Deputy's question, insurance companies make commercial decisions on the provision of insurance cover based on their assessment of the risks they are prepared to accept on a case by case basis. The OPW has no role in relation to the oversight or regulation of the insurance industry or of insurance matters generally.
316. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide, in tabular form, the annual percentage increase which will accrue, under the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2013, and as referenced in the Lansdowne Road agreement, to those earning €65,000 to €80,000; €80,001 to €150,000; €150,001 to €185,000; and any amount over €185,000, on 1 April 2017 and 1 January 2018. [23828/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra317. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide, in tabular form, the annual monetary increase accruing from the implementations of the Lansdowne Road agreement, the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2013, and the Haddington Road agreement, starting with a pay-scale of €15,000 and increasing by €1,000, up to the maximum of €185,000 or over. [23829/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra318. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide, in tabular form, the annual percentage increase accruing from the implementation of the Lansdowne Road agreement, the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2013, and the Haddington Road agreement, starting with a pay-scale of €15,000 and increasing by €1,000, up to the maximum of €185,000 or over. [23830/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 316 to 318, inclusive, together.
The data sought by the Deputy is currently being collated and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.
319. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when works are due to commence on the upgrading of a slipway (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23854/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraTenders have been received for repair work to the slipway at the Great Blasket Island. It is hoped to place a contract within the next week.
320. Deputy Helen McEntee asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the average age of full-time staff across the Civil Service; the way this compares with the average age of public servants in each of the years 2005 to 2015 and in 2015 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23903/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAge related data on serving civil servants is readily available from 2006 onwards and it shows that over the period 2006 to 2015 the average age in the Civil Service rose from just over 43 years of age to almost 48 years of age, as presented in the table below. The Moratorium on Recruitment over much of that period will have contributed to this. Similar age related data on the wider Public Service is currently retained by the lead sectoral Departments - e.g. Health, Education, Justice, Environment and Local Government - but it is likely to show that the impact of the Moratorium will have had broadly the same outcome of an increase in average age, although there was considerable recruitment during the Moratorium in Health and Education, in particular.
As I announced at the time of the last Budget, the Moratorium on Recruitment in the Public Service has been lifted, and during 2015 new arrangements are being put in place which allow for increased levels of recruitment, particularly at the graduate level. This will impact on the average age, which should begin to show through from next year onwards. The Public Appointments Service has already held a number of open graduate recruitment campaigns for the Civil Service this year - for specialist and general administrative grades - and more is scheduled in the coming year.
In addition, Workforce Planning is now being carried out across the Civil Service, having been first introduced in 2011. Under this new management framework, Government Departments and Offices are analysing the current workforce, including age demographics, and defining future workforce requirements relative to their corporate strategy, budget and business planning process. It plays a critical role in identifying forecasted workforce gaps and designing and implementing HR strategies to address those gaps.
Further information on age, gender and other components of the Civil Service are available on the Civil Service Renewal area of my Department's web site http://www.per.gov.ie/civil-service-renewal/.
|
YEAR |
AVERAGE AGE |
|
2006 1 |
43.1 |
|
2007 |
43.2 |
|
2008 |
43.6 |
|
2009 |
44.3 |
|
2010 |
44.8 |
|
2011 |
45.5 |
|
2012 |
45.8 |
|
2013 |
46.6 |
|
2014 |
47.1 |
|
20152 |
47.9 |
1. The earliest data available relates to 2006
2. 2015 data relates to end Q1
321. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the actions taken from the recommendations made in the Moriarty tribunal report, which he received in March 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23083/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra322. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of meetings he has held in his Department in relation to the recommendations in the Moriarty tribunal report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23084/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 321 and 322 together.
The Moriarty Tribunal made two recommendations for changes to company law, as follows:
- That a provision similar to section 172 of the UK Companies Act, 2006 be adopted, together with the adoption of additional implementation or enforcement measures.
- That consideration be given by the Oireachtas, and/or by the Company Law Review Group, to enacting provisions similar to those contained in Part 14 of the UK Companies Act, 2006, governing the control of political donations and expenditure.
The Government considered that provisions contained in Part 5 of the Companies Act, 2014 meet the objectives of the first recommendation. Part 5 introduces, for the first time in codified form, the various common law and statutory duties of company officers. The Companies Act, 2014 was signed into law by President Higgins on 23 December 2014 and it commenced on 1 June 2015.
As the first recommendation was considered to be met by provisions already included in the then Companies Bill separate meetings on this recommendation were not held.
With regard to the second recommendation above, provisions restricting corporate donations are contained in the Electoral Amendment (Political Funding) Act 2012, which comes within the remit of the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government.
323. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will report on all public and private, official and unofficial, engagements and meetings with a person (details supplied), and with senior executives within the person's media companies here; and the outcome of such meetings. [23048/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have had no engagements or meetings, in any capacity, with the person referred to or with any of his senior executives.
324. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will provide, in tabular form, the annual number of direct jobs in Industrial Development Agency Ireland foreign-owned client firms, created between 2000 and 2014. [23267/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraData in relation to jobs created and lost in companies that are supported by the enterprise development agencies are tracked in the Annual Employment Survey, formerly known as the Forfás Annual Employment Survey. Data is gathered on an annualised basis and aggregated at county level. Data is maintained on a ten year period only.
Details of the total number of jobs along with the total number of IDA client companies from 2005 to 2014 are set out in the tabular statement.
Total Number of IDA Ireland client companies and direct Jobs 2005-2014
|
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
|
|
No of Companies |
1,135 |
1,126 |
1,139 |
1,114 |
1,094 |
1,093 |
1,096 |
1,136 |
1,192 |
1,195 |
|
Total Jobs |
159,193 |
162,773 |
162,876 |
159,556 |
144,612 |
146,628 |
152,223 |
159,191 |
167,357 |
174,488 |
325. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of visits made by the Industrial Development Agency to County Westmeath in 2014 and to date in 2015; the number of such visits during which entrepreneurs and investors examined the potential of Marlinstown Industrial Park in Mullingar, County Westmeath; the plans for visits within the next six months to the said site; the prospects of securing appropriate investment, in order to secure employment for this area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23325/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am informed by IDA Ireland that information in relation to sponsored site visits by potential investors is provided on a county by county basis only and that during 2014 there were 12 IDA Ireland sponsored site visits by potential investors to County Westmeath. In the first quarter of 2015, there have been 10 site visits to County Westmeath. For reasons of commercial sensitivity and client confidentiality IDA Ireland does not comment on upcoming site visits by potential investors.
Westmeath is marketed as part of the Midlands Region which also comprises counties Longford, Laois and Offaly.
IDA Ireland is and will continue to market the Mullingar Business and Technology Park through its network of overseas offices and present it to potential clients where the facility is considered to be a suitable property solution to meet their needs.
I understand from IDA Ireland that the office park in Marlinstown is not an IDA Ireland Business and Technology Park. However, I have been assured by the Agency that it is also happy to promote the property to a potential and suitable investor should the opportunity arise.
Earlier this year IDA Ireland launched its 5 year strategy for the period 2015 to 2019 which aims to create 80,000 new jobs in the economy over the period and increase investment into each region by between 30% and 40%. Additionally, a €150 million property investment plan, spread out over five years, will support the achievement of the organisation’s regional goals. The funding will be used to upgrade Ireland’s Business and Technology parks, make investments in a number of strategic utility-intensive sites and build new advanced technology buildings in a number of regional locations. An advanced office building is planned for 2017 for Co. Westmeath as part of the programme.
It is also important to recognise the vital role that Enterprise Ireland and the Local Enterprise Offices have in building an indigenous engine of growth by developing the capacity of indigenous companies to scale and create the jobs we need. There are more people employed in indigenous Irish companies backed by Enterprise Ireland than in multinational companies backed by IDA Ireland. In 2014, more jobs were created by companies backed by Enterprise Ireland than by companies backed by IDA Ireland.
In 2014, 72% of net new jobs created by companies supported by Enterprise Ireland were outside of Dublin. In 2014, the number of people employed in companies supported by the Local Enterprise Offices increased in every county with 80% of the net new jobs created being outside of Dublin.
Every region in the country saw jobs growth from IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and the Local Enterprise Offices. In total, 65% of the additional new jobs created in companies supported by my Department through the Local Enterprise Offices, Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland were outside of Dublin. For information, I have provided a regional breakdown of net new jobs created in 2014 by agency.
|
Local Enterprise Offices |
Enterprise Ireland |
IDA Ireland |
Total |
|
|
Border Total |
470 |
964 |
497 |
1931 |
|
Mid-East Total |
354 |
1,267 |
114 |
1735 |
|
Mid-West Total |
507 |
392 |
611 |
1510 |
|
Midlands Total |
263 |
787 |
113 |
1163 |
|
South-East Total |
827 |
747 |
186 |
1760 |
|
South-West Total |
634 |
1,680 |
1,382 |
3696 |
|
West Total |
164 |
302 |
509 |
975 |
|
Dublin Total |
793 |
2,337 |
3,719 |
6849 |
|
Grand Total |
4,012 |
8,476 |
7131 |
19619 |
326. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation his views on a report (details supplied) by the Young Workers Network, and especially the finding that 90% of those under 35 years of age struggle, due to low pay and zero hour contracts. [23326/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI note the findings of the survey which the Young Workers Network conducted on the working lives of the under 35s, with particular reference to low pay and Zero Hours Contracts. I understand that they have forwarded the findings to the University of Limerick for consideration in the context of the study I commissioned UL to carry out, following a competitive tendering process, into the prevalence of zero-hour and low-hour contracts and their impact on employees.
The study has a broad scope, covering both the public and private sectors, with a particular focus on the retail, hospitality, education and health sectors. It will fill the gap in knowledge that currently exists in terms of the hard data and information that is available concerning the prevalence of zero hour and low hour contracts in the Irish economy. The study will examine how such contracts operate in practice and assess the advantages and disadvantages from the perspective of employer and employee. It will also assess the current employment rights legislation as it applies to employees on such contracts, and consider recent developments in other jurisdictions, including the UK in particular. The findings will enable me to make any evidence-based policy recommendations to Government considered necessary on foot of the study.
A wide range of stakeholders is being canvassed to contribute to the study, which I expect to be completed by the end of the Summer. The Deputy will appreciate that I cannot anticipate the outcome of the study, or the Government’s consideration of the study’s findings.
Making work pay continues to be a cornerstone of this Government’s agenda. In this respect the Government has already introduced a number of measures to enhance workers’ rights, especially the most vulnerable workers in our society. In particular, the Government restored the cut in the national minimum wage initiated by the previous Government, thereby reaffirming that a statutory minimum wage is a statement of core values, providing a threshold of decency under which society agrees that workers’ wages should not fall. The national minimum wage in Ireland is relatively high by international standards. The most recent figures published by Eurostat show that Ireland’s rate is the fifth highest among the 22 EU Member States that have a national minimum wage. When the cost of living is taken into account, Ireland’s rate is the sixth highest. The Government also enacted the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act 2012, to reinstate the Joint Labour Committee system to support wage setting in sectors where workers are poorly organised and vulnerable and wages tend to be low.
The establishment of a Low Pay Commission (LPC) is one of the key commitments in the Statement of Government Priorities agreed in July last year. The National Minimum Wage (Low Pay Commission) Bill 2015 which provides for the establishment of the LPC on a statutory basis was published last month and is currently progressing through the Houses of the Oireachtas. I expect that it will be enacted by the end of next month.
The Industrial Relations (Amendment) Bill, which is also currently before the Houses of the Oireachtas, provides for a new statutory framework to replace the former sectoral Registered Employment Agreements (REAs). The Bill will also provide a mechanism for workers who seek to improve their terms and conditions in companies where collective bargaining is not recognised by their employer. When enacted it will ensure that such workers, aided by a trade union, can advance claims about remuneration, terms and conditions and have these determined by the Labour Court based on comparisons with similar companies. The Bill includes strong anti-victimisation protections.
The developments outlined above are all key elements of the dignity of work agenda which this Government is pursuing.
It is also worth noting that the most recent figures for youth unemployment show that the Government is succeeding in its twin track approach of creating the conditions for job growth and helping people back to work, including young people in particular.
For example, the under-25 age group had an unemployment rate of 20.3% at the end of 2014, down from a peak of 33% in early 2012. The absolute number of young unemployed people has fallen substantially – from close to 80,000 on average in 2009 to 47,000 on average in 2014. The most recent figures show youth unemployment down by 10,000 year-on-year to 39,000 in Q4 2014. As a result of this fall, young people now represent 19% of all the unemployed, down from a share of 35% in mid-2008. Based on current trends and projections, the youth unemployment rate should fall below 20% in 2015.
327. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will provide, in tabular form, the number of staff in his Department currently on a sabbatical or a career break, broken down by zero to six months, six months to 12 months, one year to two years, two years to three years, four years to five years and five years or more; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23407/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe number of staff of my Department currently on career breaks is set out in tabular format below. The “duration of break” refers to the length of time off requested by the applicant when applying for their career break, including any extension and/or waiting period before a return to work. Career breaks are available to staff of my Department in accordance with provisions set centrally by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
|
Duration of Break Requested |
Number of Staff |
|
0-6 Months |
0 |
|
6-12 Months |
1 |
|
1-2 Years |
4 |
|
2-3 Years |
2 |
|
3-4 Years |
4 |
|
4-5 Years |
1 |
|
5 + Years |
5 |
|
TOTAL |
17 |
