Written Answers Nos. 240 - 246
240. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the menu of policy options her Department and Government are considering to attain the programme for Government target of at least 70,000 emigrants returning during this term; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28893/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe goal of this Government is to support the creation of an additional 200,000 jobs by 2020 with 135,000 outside Dublin. We also want to attract back at least 70,000 emigrants from aboard. This is a whole of Government effort and is delivered through our integrated Action Plan for Jobs. The Action Plan for Jobs is one of the Government’s key instruments to support job creation. The Action Plan for Jobs process is working. Since the first Plan was launched in early 2012, there are 176,800 more people at work bringing total employment in the State to 2,014,400 by end of June 2016. The unemployment rate has fallen to 7.9% in September 2016, down from a high of 15.1% in early 2012.
Action Plan for Jobs 2016 commits to 50,000 additional jobs this year. Good progress is being made with 36,000 additional people at work in the first six months of the year.
The 2016 Plan, the fifth such Plan, was launched in January 2016 and as well as building on reforms in previous years introduces new areas of focus such as: Step-Up in Enterprise Skills Supply which aims to build the skills for our growing economy; and new sources of employment growth such as the digital economy and aviation.
My Department and agencies, together with other Departments including the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade have a range of initiatives underway to connect with emigrants and other interested in a career in Ireland. IDA Ireland is actively promoting Ireland as a location for new investment and working with the diaspora to attract new investment. Enterprise Ireland has specific targets to attract entrepreneurs to Ireland and has a focused marketing programme underway in international markets in this regard. Science Foundation Ireland is actively promoting opportunities to leading researchers to move to Ireland and is engaged in a range of scientific networks internationally to raise Ireland's profile as a location for excellent research and career advancement.
At the end of June 2016, I launched Tech/Life Ireland, a new national initiative to brand Ireland as a top destination to pursue a career in technology. This new initiative is a focused international marketing initiative with a dedicated website, www.techlifeireland.com, to attract talented and experienced tech experts to Ireland and to promote top tech career opportunities here. Tech/Life Ireland, which is funded by my Department, will help attract up to 3,000 top tech professionals to Ireland each year. Industry is playing an important role in supporting the initiative and driving its development.
We will ensure a continued focus on maintaining and improving competitiveness, which is critical to attracting talent back to Ireland. We also have a range of measures to create a fertile environment for people who want to start their own business.
The process to develop APJ 2017 is currently underway. I want to ensure that the 2017 Plan is ambitious and impactful and keeps us on track to deliver on our goal of sustainable full employment by 2020.
241. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation her views on a matter (details supplied) regarding job decentralisation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28953/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am pleased that despite a fiercely competitive international investment environment, IDA Ireland continues to attract FDI to regional locations. Last year IDA Ireland client companies based outside of Dublin accounted for 59% (109,812 people) of total IDA Ireland client employment. In addition, IDA Ireland remains committed to increasing investment in each region by 30-40% by the end of 2019.
As part of its ongoing efforts to bring jobs to rural Ireland, the Agency supports client companies who wish to provide teleworking solutions for their employees. I understand that, while IDA Ireland does not gather specific data on teleworking practices in private companies, a number of its clients employ people on a home working basis.
The decision to facilitate working from home is an operational matter for an individual company. However, this decision is clearly dependent on the availability of adequate telecommunications facilities including broadband.
The availability of these facilities has been identified as extremely important to multinationals when it comes to choosing where to locate. That is partly why the Delivery of National Broadband Plan, which will accelerate and prioritise the roll-out of broadband in rural areas, is a top priority for Government, as reflected in the Programme for a Partnership Government.
242. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of persons outside the payroll shared service centre, in increments of €5,000, in receipt of lump sums on retirement from the public service; and the corresponding amount of the lump sum in each of the years 2013 to 2015 granted by her Department. [28762/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department does not make pension payments to retired civil servants. All Civil Service pensions are paid directly by the Paymaster General's Office which falls under the aegis of my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. As such I am not in a position to provide the information requested.
243. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of youth workers allocated per county and per service provision nationally in each of the years 2012 to 2015 and to date in 2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28955/16]
Amharc ar fhreagra244. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of youth workers allocated to drugs task forces per county and per service division nationally in each of the years 2012 to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28957/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 243 and 244 together.
My Department administers a range of funding schemes and programmes to support the provision of youth services to young people throughout the country including those from disadvantaged communities. The funding schemes support national and local youth work provision to some 380,000 young people and involve approximately 1,400 youth work staff in 477 projects and 40,000 volunteers working in youth work services and communities throughout the country. In 2016, funding of €51 million has been provided to my Department for these schemes.
From within this budget, my Department provides €18.9 million in funding to projects under the Young People's Facilities and Services Fund. Some 230 projects are supported by the Fund and provide a range of supports including targeted drug prevention and awareness programmes, educational supports, afterschool and homework clubs, social and personal development, Summer programmes and recreational activity. My Department also provides funding to 21 projects under the Local Drug Task Force (LDTF) Scheme amounting to €1.18 million. The projects provide a range of supports for young people by way of targeted drug prevention and awareness. This funding is administered mostly by the network of Education and Training Boards.
Services who seek funding from my Department must submit an annual renewal application for funding and an annual progress report in which they detail the target cohort of young people for their services, the programmes that are provided, their objectives for young people and the overall number of young people that have participated in services. In the relevant year the local Education and Training Board youth officer or liaison officer, where appropriate, has a role in recommending the relevant project for continued funding.
Funding is provided by my Department for the provision of youth services. The recruitment, employment and deployment of staff including youth workers are matters for the youth organisations and services themselves. Information about the number of youth workers employed by youth organisations and services by county is not readily available to my Department.
245. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of persons outside the payroll shared service centre, in increments of €5,000, in receipt of lump sums on retirement from the public service; and the corresponding amount of the lump sum in each of the years 2013 to 2015 granted by his Department. [28764/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe required information as requested by the Deputy, which covers retired members of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) and retired civilian employees employed with the PDF, is shown in the table. Their retirement lump sums were paid directly to them by the Department of Defence.
The data in respect of retired civil servants from the Department of Defence would be a matter for the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, and in that regard I would invite the Deputy’s attention to the reply to Dáil Question No. 508 on 27th September 2016.
|
- |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
|
Retirement lump sum band – for payments made in each of the years 2013, 2014 and 2015 |
Retired members of Permanent Defence Force |
Retired members of Permanent Defence Force |
Retired members of Permanent Defence Force |
|
€ |
Numbers |
Numbers |
Numbers |
|
5,000 or less |
5 |
1 |
1 |
|
5,001 to 10,000 |
20 |
9 |
13 |
|
10,001 to 15,000 |
7 |
9 |
29 |
|
15,001 to 20,000 |
19 |
12 |
75 |
|
20,001 to 25,000 |
27 |
21 |
7 |
|
25,001 to 30,000 |
31 |
20 |
19 |
|
30,001 to 35,000 |
21 |
25 |
31 |
|
35,001 to 40,000 |
23 |
25 |
20 |
|
40,001 to 45,000 |
37 |
43 |
43 |
|
45,001 to 50,000 |
30 |
21 |
31 |
|
50,001 to 55,000 |
24 |
19 |
22 |
|
55,001 to 60,000 |
11 |
20 |
11 |
|
60,001 to 65,000 |
8 |
14 |
10 |
|
65,001 to 70,000 |
2 |
3 |
8 |
|
70,001 to 75,000 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
|
75,001 to 80,000 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
80,001 to 85,000 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
85,001 to 90,000 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
90,001 to 95,000 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
95,001 to 100,000 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
100,001 to 105,000 |
7 |
6 |
2 |
|
105,000 to 110,000 |
1 |
4 |
3 |
|
110,000 to 115,000 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
115,000 to 120,000 |
10 |
9 |
7 |
|
120,000 to 125,000 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
125,000 to 130,000 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
130,001 to 135,000 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
|
135,000 to 140,000 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
140,000 to 145,000 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
145,000 to 150,000 |
3 |
7 |
1 |
|
150,000 to 155,000 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
155,000 to 160,000 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
160,000 to 165,000 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
165,000 to 170,000 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
170,000 to 175,000 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
175,000 to 180,000 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
|
180,000 to 185,000 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
185,000 to 190,000 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
190,000 to 195,000 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
195,000 to 200,000 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
200,000 or over |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Total number of lump sums paid |
292 |
278 |
340 |
|
Total value of lump sums paid |
€12,354,774 |
€13,743,831 |
€13,186,254 |
|
- |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
|
Retirement lump sum band – for payments made in each of the years 2013, 2014 and 2015 |
Retired Civilian Employees |
Retired Civilian Employees |
Retired Civilian Employees |
|
€ |
Numbers |
Numbers |
Numbers |
|
5,000 or less |
2 |
0 |
0 |
|
5,001 to 10,000 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
|
10,001 to 15,000 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
|
15,001 to 20,000 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
|
20,001 to 25,000 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
|
25,001 to 30,000 |
2 |
5 |
0 |
|
30,001 to 35,000 |
6 |
4 |
1 |
|
35,001 to 40,000 |
6 |
3 |
3 |
|
40,001 to 45,000 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
|
45,001 to 50,000 |
2 |
8 |
4 |
|
50,001 to 55,000 |
3 |
4 |
2 |
|
55,001 to 60,000 |
6 |
5 |
2 |
|
60,001 to 65,000 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
65,001 to 70,000 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
|
70,001 to 75,000 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
|
75,001 to 80,000 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
80,001 to 85,000 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
85,001 to 90,000 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
90,001 to 95,000 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
95,001 to 100,000 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Total number of lump sums paid |
44 |
46 |
25 |
|
Total value of lump sums paid |
€1,494,359 |
€1,786,960 |
€1,143,318 |
246. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the steps he has taken to respond to the issues raised by a person (details supplied). [28810/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraEx-Lieutenant Dónal de Róiste was retired by the President, acting on the advice of the Government, with effect from 27 June 1969. In the period since his retirement, Mr. de Róiste has continued to assert that the reasons for his retirement from the service were never made clear to him.
Following on from a full debate on 10 March 2010, Seanad Éireann adopted a resolution which included a provision that the Government would ask the Judge Advocate General to select a nominee to carry out a review of the documentation on Mr. de Róiste’s file to determine whether, on the basis of the documentation available to the Defence Forces at the time of the decision to compulsorily retire him, that decision was a reasonable one.
Following advice from the Attorney General, the then Minister for Defence twice wrote to Mr. de Róiste, via his solicitors, indicating that he proposed to establish the review on the basis of the Seanad motion and enclosing a copy of the proposed Terms of Reference. His solicitors replied indicating that they were concerned by what they termed the restricted nature of the draft Terms of Reference.
In 2015 following a review of the file, the Department sought further advice from the Attorney General. Based on the advice of the Attorney General, the Terms of Reference of the original review were revised. The then Minister for Defence, Mr. Simon Coveney, T.D., contacted Mr. de Roiste’s solicitors in this regard, who have not accepted the revised Terms of Reference.
The Private Secretary of Minister Paul Kehoe, T.D., wrote to Mr. de Róiste on 22 July 2016, requesting that he reply, through his Solicitors, within 21 days with a view to reaching agreement on this matter. In the absence of agreement on the proposed Terms of Reference, it is not practical to advance the matter any further.
