Written Answers Nos. 35-44
35. Deputy Helen McEntee asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation for an update on the Government's engagement with a company (details supplied) and a local authority in respect of a planned project that proposes to create a significant number of jobs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37150/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI met this company in June last to discuss their plans for a proposed Data Centre and shortly afterwards their planning application was lodged. Prior to that decision to proceed, IDA Ireland had worked closely with the company in support of its plans and I am very pleased that the company chose to commit to what is a very significant investment project. This company is a world leader in its field and already has a major facility in Ireland employing a large number of highly skilled staff. In this and other similar cases, there is constant State engagement, mainly through IDA Ireland, to work on any relevant ongoing issues and to promote new investment.
With regard to the planning process, this is obviously dealt with in an independent manner by the statutory authorities. It is very gratifying that Meath County Council, in granting planning permission, was able to process the application well within the prescribed timescale, despite the significance and complexity of the project. In addition, when an appeal was lodged with Bord Pleanála in mid-August last, that body was able to make a decision on the case in about half of its normal 4 month processing period. Its decision to approve the project was made on 23 October last and, in addition, Bord Pleanála at the same time also approved the electricity connection, which was required separately under the Critical Infrastructure planning provisions, and that decision was also made well ahead of the anticipated deadline.
I now look forward to the construction of this facility with the creation of a significant number of construction jobs and to the creation of permanent jobs when the facility is operational, and to its ongoing contribution to the development of the Digital Economy in Ireland.
36. Deputy Anthony Lawlor asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of visits by IDA Ireland to County Kildare in each of the years 2012 to 2014, inclusive, and in 2015 to date. [37948/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere was one IDA Ireland-supported site visit per year from 2012 to 2014 to Co. Kildare. So far in 2015, there have been 3 site visits to the county. It is important to note that data on site visits is not a true measure of the level of FDI activity in a region or county. Approximately 70% of all FDI investment won by IDA Ireland comes from its existing client base. My Department’s 2014 Annual Employment Survey shows that the number of jobs created in county Kildare was 637. Over the past 4 years, approximately 2,000 jobs have been created in the county. IDA Ireland’s focused strategy for Kildare has been to promote the county as part of an integrated East Region with access to a population base of 1.5 million people. At present there are 24 IDA Ireland supported companies in the County employing approximately 10,412 people.
Kildare has an enviable reputation as a location with a strong track record for attracting and retaining leading world-class manufacturing companies such as Intel, Pfizer, Braun, Hewlett Packard and Proctor and Gamble.
IDA Ireland’s strategy for the region has several aims including progressing the development of a knowledge-based economy to enable the region to compete both nationally and internationally for foreign direct investment; encouraging increased cooperation between foreign direct investment companies and the third level institutions in the region such as University College Maynooth; working with the existing client base in the region to ensure job retention, operational sustainability and potential expansion; influencing the provision of modern property solutions with supporting infrastructure; and working with local authorities and relevant infrastructure providers to influence the delivery of appropriate infrastructure in the region.
Finally, my Department has been working on the preparation of Regional Action Plans for Jobs as part of the drive to increase the level of job creation across the country. Eight Regional Action Plans will be delivered this year, building on the success of the national Action Plan for Jobs process, which has contributed to the creation of over 100,000 new jobs countrywide since 2012. Four of the Regional Plans have been published to date and significant progress has been made in preparing the Action Plan for the Mid-East region, in consultation with key stakeholders there, and I look forward to launching it later this year.
37. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the criteria required to make a claim for compensation by a person who has been affected by asbestos exposure; the legislation that covers such compensation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38450/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department manages the Occupational Injuries Benefit Scheme, a range of benefits for people injured or incapacitated by an accident at work or while travelling directly to or from work. The scheme also covers people who have contracted a disease as a result of the type of work they do. There are a number of benefits available – the principal ones being injury benefit and disablement benefit - and there are different conditions attached to each benefit. A person who develops asbestosis (pneumoconiosis), a prescribed illness, may claim injury benefit or, if they return to work, disablement benefit.
The scheme has its statutory basis in Chapter 13 of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 2005 and S.I. No. 102 of 2007, (main regulations).
Since 1990 the scheme has been funded from the general Social Insurance Fund and employers pay a certain percentage of PRSI to cover payments from this scheme.
Injury benefit is payable to an insured person who suffers a personal injury caused by an accident arising out of and in the course of his or her insurable employment. Payment is normally made from the 7th day of incapacity for work. Injury benefit can be paid for up to 26 weeks from the date of the accident or development of the disease. If the accident or disease causes a person to lose physical or mental ability he/she may apply for disablement benefit before injury benefit ceases. If a person is still unfit for work after 26 weeks he/ she may apply for illness benefit or disability allowance.
Disablement benefit is payable to an insured person who suffers a loss of physical or mental faculty as a result of an occupational accident or a prescribed occupational disease. It can be paid to a person who has a loss of physical or mental faculty because of an accident at work, an accident travelling directly to or from work, or a prescribed disease contracted at work. However, payment is only made where the level of disablement following the accident or disease is assessed at 15% or more.
38. Deputy Noel Harrington asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the cost of every additional 100 JobBridge places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38462/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraJobBridge, the National Internship Scheme, was introduced in July 2011 with the aim of providing unemployed people with the opportunity to secure work experience and to prove their competence to prospective employers, thereby breaking the vicious cycle of “no work, no experience; no experience, no work”.
Participants on JobBridge receive an internship allowance equivalent to their weekly social welfare payment plus an additional top-up allowance of €50 per week as a contribution towards possible expenses incurred arising from their participation on the scheme.
Therefore, the cost of each additional 100 internships is €5,000 per week (€50 top-up X 100). JobBridge internships can last for six or nine months, typically the latter. The total additional cost of 100 nine-month (i.e. thirty nine-week) internships would be €195,000.
41. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the estimated net cost to her Department of extending the carer's allowance from six weeks to 12 weeks, and a further extension from 12 weeks to six months. [38494/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe net cost of extending the payment of carer’s allowance, following the death of a care recipient, from six weeks to twelve weeks is approximately €1.4m, while a further extension from twelve weeks to six months is estimated to cost an additional €3.4m.
42. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she is aware that a person (details supplied) and several other recipients of the carer's allowance in County Wexford did not receive their weekly payment recently due to a glitch in the system; her views that it is appropriate that the choice they were given is to either wait a week for a repayment or to travel, at their own expense, to the local community welfare office, which for some is a round trip of up to 35 kilometres; if her Department plans any remedial action in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38519/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department apologises that, due to a technical issue, payment of carer’s allowance to the person in question for week commencing 29 October 2015 was delayed and cannot be paid until today, 4 November 2015 when she will receive 2 weeks payment for the 29th and 4th. The issue which caused this situation to arise is being resolved.
In the meantime, the person concerned was advised that if her means are insufficient to meet her needs until payment can be made she can avail of the option to apply for a means tested supplementary welfare allowance from her local community welfare service.
Again the Department apologises for this delay.
43. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the progress in determining an appeal in respect of a payment under the jobseeker's allowance scheme by a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38547/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person concerned is currently in receipt of jobseeker's allowance (JA) and is being paid the maximum amount allowable for his household. This Department has no record of an appeal lodged by the claimant.
44. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her plans to locate a social protection office in the Lucan area of County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38554/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs part of the plan for the roll-out of Intreo Centres, the Lucan/Adamstown and Clondalkin areas were originally designated by the Department for the provision of Intreo services in Dublin Mid-West. The Office of Public Works has been exploring options in both Lucan and Adamstown for an Intreo Centre over the past three years, but given the limited choice of suitably sized and located offices, this process has failed to identify any suitable sites or buildings for the provision of an Intreo service.
Clients from Adamstown/Lucan currently sign on in the Clondalkin Intreo Centre. Customers also travel to Clondalkin for community welfare services; however, the introduction of an email/postal/phone service minimises the need for customers to travel to Clondalkin. A call out/home visit service also is available for customers who are unable to travel. Similar arrangements have been put in place in respect of the Departments’s Inspectorate.
In light of the difficulty in identifying a suitable site/building and in light of the completion earlier in the year of the Clondalkin Intreo Centre, which included an extension into the adjoining and former Motor Tax Office, the need for a new office in the Lucan – Adamstown area was re-examined. The Department now believes that the scale of the operation in Clondalkin is capable of serving the population catchment of the Lucan-Adamstown area. The Department has no plans for an Intreo Centre in Lucan-Adamstown at the present time but the service will be monitored on an on-going basis to ensure that any negative impact on customers is minimised.
