Written Answers Nos. 775 - 782
775. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of face-to-face or telephone conversations and the dates of these conversations she has had with companies currently based in Britain regarding the possibility of them moving some or all of their operations here post-Brexit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17947/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe IDA is working assiduously, on a daily basis, to pursue opportunities for new foreign direct investment (FDI) that may arise for Ireland on account of Brexit. This process involves engaging with potential clients, both at home and abroad, in connection with various issues associated with locating or expanding in Ireland. This work is highly sensitive in nature, given the commercial nature of the decisions these companies will ultimately take.
As Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, I work closely with IDA Ireland in support of their efforts to win new FDI - whether Brexit-related or not - for the country. This includes participating on Agency-organised marketing and investment programmes abroad, attending relevant industry events and promoting Ireland as an investment location.
Convincing companies to invest here can be a delicate process that requires perseverance and patience. This is especially the case with regard to Brexit-related investment on account of the various political considerations at play. It is therefore not in the country’s interests to set out, in detail, the specific engagement that has been undertaken with targeted new investors. In fact, to do so would risk both compromising the progress that has been made with prospective new clients of the Agency and losing the potential jobs that might accompany any such new future investment here.
776. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the status of the work of the IDA in marketing County Cavan as a jobs location in the past six years; the number of site visits that have taken place in that time; the other initiatives that have taken place to contribute to highlighting County Cavan as a destination for new businesses; the position regarding the IDA site at Killygarry, County Cavan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18045/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraOver the last six years there have been eight IDA Ireland-sponsored site visits by potential investors to County Cavan. It is important to remember, however, that site visits do not reflect the totality of efforts made by the Agency to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) to a particular region or county. It is also the case that site visits themselves are not an accurate measure of FDI given that the majority of new FDI secured by the IDA comes from its existing clients rather than new companies.
The wider strategy for increasing employment in the region is the Regional Action Plan for the North East/North West. This plan aims to support the creation of 28,000 new jobs across Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Cavan, Monaghan and Louth by 2020. Significant progress has been made to date towards reaching that objective, with 5,600 more people in employment across the region since the start of 2015.
As regards the status of the site in Killygarry, the IDA has advised that the lands are currently available for investment.
Employment Data for County Cavan 2011 - 2016
|
Cavan |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
|
No of Companies |
7 |
6 |
7 |
7 |
7 |
7 |
|
Total Jobs |
1,172 |
1,128 |
1,135 |
1,136 |
1,165 |
1,203 |
777. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if she will provide examples of appropriate identification as described in SI 291 of 2013 - Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2014 - Schedule 5 (2)(b); if examples of identification that would not be seen as appropriate can also be provided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18064/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2014 do not specifically prescribe a definition of appropriate identification.
For the Deputy’s information, in practice, an example of appropriate identification would be a letter from the employer stating the trainees name, what training the trainee is undertaking, when they began the training, the name of the competent person supervising the trainee together with some photographic identification (this photo identification could include the operative’s Safe Pass card).
Another form of acceptable identification would be a SOLAS ‘Trainee Card’ where the trainee had undertaken SOLAS new entrant training on the activity they are engaging in and are receiving training.
It is not possible to provide details of inappropriate identification but people are encouraged to use the forms of identification referred to above.
778. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the meaning of "competent person" as described in SI number 291 of 2013 - Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2014 - Schedule 5 (2)(a); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18065/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraA competent person is defined in section 2 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 as:
“(2) (a) For the purposes of the relevant statutory provisions, a person is deemed to be a competent person where, having regard to the task he or she is required to perform and taking account of the size or hazards (or both of them) of the undertaking or establishment in which he or she undertakes work, the person possesses sufficient training, experience and knowledge appropriate to the nature of the work to be undertaken.”
This definition is effective in regard to “the relevant statutory provisions” which relate to all Regulations made by the Minister under the provisions of the 2005 Act. Therefore, this can be related to Schedule 5(2)(a) of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2013 as follows, a person would be deemed competent to supervise somebody under training where he or she had sufficient training, experience and knowledge appropriate to supervise the trainee in the carrying out of the activity they are being trained in. This can include a person who themselves are trained and competent in the carrying out of the specific activity (e.g. a trained scaffolder might supervise a trainee scaffolder).
779. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of young persons under 25 years of age supported by the county enterprise boards youth entrepreneurship training and mentoring supports in 2015 and 2016, in tabular form. [18078/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraSince the dissolution of the County Enterprise Boards in April 2014, the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) are the ‘first-stop-shop’ for providing advice and guidance, financial assistance and ‘soft supports’ to those wishing to start or grow their own business. The LEO services include an extensive range of high-quality training and mentoring supports which are tailored to meet specific business requirements, regardless of age. LEO data is compiled in accordance with the supports provided and is not categorised according to specific age groups.
In addition to the standard LEO supports, the LEOs also run Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur (IBYE) Programme which is aimed at 18 to 35 year olds, with an investment fund of €2 million. Now in its third year, IBYE has attracted an increasing number of entries, and this year’s competition attracted 1,842 applications - a 32% increase on last year. In the course of the competition, participants benefit from business advice, mentoring, boot camps and the opportunity to compete for significant investment funding to support the development of their business or idea. The numbers of young persons under 25 years of age who received such supports in the course of the competitions in 2015 and 2016/2017 are set down in the table below.
Numbers of young persons who received business advice, mentoring and who participated in bootcamps.
|
IBYE |
2015 |
2016 |
|
|
400 |
548 |
780. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of young persons under 25 years of age supported by the county enterprise boards and Microfinance Ireland micro loans in 2015 and 2016, in tabular form. [18079/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraSince the dissolution of the County Enterprise Boards in April 2014, the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) are the ‘first-stop-shop’ for providing advice and guidance, financial assistance and ‘soft supports’ to those wishing to start or grow their own business. The LEO services include an extensive range of high-quality training and mentoring supports which are tailored to meet specific business requirements, regardless of age. LEO data is compiled in accordance with the supports provided and is not categorised according to specific age groups.
In addition to the standard LEO supports, the LEOs also run Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur (IBYE) Programme which is aimed at 18 to 35 year olds, with an investment fund of €2 million. Now in its third year, IBYE has attracted an increasing number of entries, and this year’s competition attracted 1,842 applications - a 32% increase on last year. In the course of the competition, participants benefit from business advice, mentoring, boot camps and the opportunity to compete for significant investment funding to support the development of their business or idea. The numbers of young persons under 25 years of age who received such supports in the course of the competitions in 2015 and 2016/2017, and the number of Microfinance Ireland (MFI) loans drawn down by persons in that age category are set down in the table below.
|
IBYE |
2015 |
2016 |
|
Business advice, mentoring and participation in bootcamps. |
400 |
548 |
|
MFI loans drawn down |
13 |
28 |
781. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the value of the commercialisation fund of Enterprise Ireland for each of the years 2006 to 2016, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18105/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra782. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the amount drawn down from the commercialisation fund of Enterprise Ireland for each of the years 2006 to 2016, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18106/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 781 and 782 together.
Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) is globally recognised as the key economic differentiator. RDI enables companies in Ireland to make products and services that are better, cheaper or more novel than those in global markets. Thus, in order to export, and to provide insulation from market shocks, such as those posed by Brexit, Irish companies must innovate.
Enterprise Ireland’s role in this regard is to support and de-risk such RDI either by supporting companies to (1) do RDI within the company (2) collaborate with Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) or (3) source or licence new technologies from HEIs which can provide a step change in innovative capabilities. These supports all help companies to develop new and improved products and services which serve as the basis for sustainable economic growth.
Enterprise Ireland works with researchers across the HEI sector to assist in maximising the commercial return from publicly-funded research. The Enterprise Ireland Commercialisation Fund provides supports for academic researchers to take research outputs with commercial potential and bring them to a point where they can either be transferred into industry or spun out into a new start-up company. In this way, the Commercialisation Fund helps to ensure that there is an avenue for ongoing research to be translated into industry relevant outputs which can drive company creation and growth. The programme funds the development of innovations at all stages of the commercial pipeline to the point where they can be commercialised as new products, services and companies.
The Commercialisation Fund, combined with Enterprise Ireland’s Technology Transfer Supports, facilitates the creation of 25 to 30 new spinout companies per annum (26 for 2016), approximately 15 of which become High Potential Start-Ups each year. They also generate more than 160 new commercially relevant technologies per annum (186 in 2016) that can be transferred to industry where they can achieve economic impact for companies.
1,518 Commercialisation Fund projects were approved in the period 2006-2016 of which 823 were Feasibility/Proof of Concept projects. These are feasibility grants to investigate, scope and develop a commercial case for an innovation in advance of submitting a full Commercialisation Fund support application to the programme.
Enterprise Ireland approvals and payments under the Commercialisation Fund in the period 2006 -2016 is presented in tabular format below.
Commercialisation Fund Approvals (€m):
|
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
|
28.79 |
27.28 |
21.54 |
12.55 |
7.71 |
15.87 |
23.71 |
17.05 |
19.41 |
15.59 |
13.62 |
Commercialisation Fund Payments (€m):
|
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
|
18.78 |
21.91 |
25.34 |
23.24 |
17.47 |
14.65 |
16.43 |
15.73 |
17.79 |
15.87 |
14.11 |
