Tuesday, 20 Mar 2018

Written Answers Nos 396-417

Work Permits Applications

Ceisteanna (396)

Seán Sherlock

Ceist:

396. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the critical skills permit. [12329/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation

An application for a Critical Skills Employment Permit for the person concerned was received on 1st February 2018. The Employment Permits Section of my Department is currently processing standard applications received on 25 January 2018 and this application should be processed within the next two weeks.

Industrial Relations

Ceisteanna (397, 398)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

397. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation further to Parliamentary Question No. 45 of 16 November 2017, her views on a situation in which a complainant is left without a decision, remedy or route to pursue a grievance through industrial relations mechanisms of the State, with particular reference to a case (details supplied). [12406/18]

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

398. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation further to Parliamentary Question No. 46 of 16 November 2017, if there are potential defects in the industrial relations mechanisms of the State, including the Workplace Relations Commission and Labour Court, by which a complainant may possibly end up without a decision made on a grievance, with particular reference to a case (details supplied). [12407/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation

I propose to take Questions Nos. 397 and 398 together.

As stated in my reply to the Deputy of 16 November 2017, the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) and the Labour Court are independent in the exercise of their quasi-judicial functions.

Section 13(2) of the Industrial Relations Act 1969 provides a statutory restriction on the types of Industrial Relations cases Adjudicators may hear. They may not investigate disputes connected with rates of pay, hours or times of work or annual holidays of a body of workers. Where the Adjudicator is of the view that the issue being raised is a “collective issue” and s/he has no jurisdiction to adjudicate, this will be brought to the attention of the parties.

Industrial relations disputes relating to the terms and conditions of employment of a body of workers can be referred to the Labour Court by the WRC under Section 26(1) of the Industrial Relations Act, 1946 where both parties agree to the referral. A worker or group of workers may make a unilateral referral of such disputes to the Court under Section 20(1) of the Industrial Relations Act, 1969 where an agreement to refer is not shared between employer and worker(s).

Ultimately, under the Industrial Relations Acts, responsibility for the settlement of a dispute rests with the parties. Recommendations are not binding on the parties.

Office of Government Procurement

Ceisteanna (399, 400)

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

399. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if her Department or agencies under its aegis have received reports or representations in respect of the impact on small and medium-sized enterprises of decisions made by the Office of Government Procurement; and if so, the action she has taken in respect of same. [12469/18]

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

400. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if her attention has been drawn to the disquiet among small and medium-sized enterprises engaged in the supply of goods and services to State entities of the impact on them of decisions made regarding the awarding of contracts by the Office of Government Procurement. [12470/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation

I propose to take Questions Nos. 399 and 400 together.

The State spends in the order of €12bn per annum on goods, services and works, and public procurement is a key element of the Government’s Reform agenda. Given the volume of spending, it is essential that a strategic approach is adopted and value for money is achieved.

The Office of Government Procurement was set up in 2014 to develop a more professional approach to procurement and to drive fair, transparent and open competition in the market place. My colleague Patrick O’Donovan, Minister of State at the Departments of Finance and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has responsibility for public procurement through the Office of Government Procurement.

Public procurement offers a very sizeable market to businesses in Ireland. Facilitating more Irish businesses, in particular SMEs, in winning opportunities within the State and in other States helps to create jobs in Ireland.

The Public Service Spend and Tendering Analysis for 2015 published in September 2017 shows that 94% of the State's expenditure is with firms within the State and that 52% of the State's expenditure is with SMEs. In any competitive process, there will be more losers than winners - that is the nature of competition. Such competition, however, can help make businesses healthier and more competitive.

My Department works closely with the OGP and with key stakeholders to ensure that the challenges faced by SMEs in accessing public procurement are acknowledged and addressed. Given that SMEs represent over 98% of our enterprise base, it is essential that the right supports are in place to assist SMEs to grow their business.

Since the establishment of the OGP, a small number of representations [and reports] have been received by my Department and Enterprise Ireland in relation to SME access to public procurement and the impact of decisions made by the OGP on small and medium enterprises. Any specific issue has been raised bilaterally with the OGP. Since the establishment of the OGP, a number of supports and initiatives have been implemented to remove the real or perceived barriers for SMEs to public procurement.

My Department is represented on the High Level Group (HLG) on SME Access to Public Procurement. The HLG consists of representatives from my Department, the OGP, Enterprise Ireland and InterTradeIreland (ITI). The focus of this group is to develop policies to support SMEs in accessing public procurement opportunities, and increase awareness and understanding of the public procurement process.

An SME Working Group, was established as a means of engaging with industry representative bodies to support SME access to public procurement and address any issues that are raised by SMEs regarding public procurement. Membership includes ISME, SFA, Ibec, Chambers, CIF, the OGP, DBEI, EI and ITI.

A Communication Strategy Subgroup, chaired by the OGP, was established in 2017 to work in partnership with industry representative bodies to improve understanding and awareness of public procurement in the target supplier community. A programme of workshops are underway as part of the Communications Strategy and a suite of explanatory animated videos has been developed to bring public procurement opportunities to a wider audience.

Specific measures to support SME participation in public procurement opportunities include:

-supports provided by Enterprise Ireland and InterTradeIreland to assist SMEs in preparing for public tenders, including events to foster awareness and encourage engagement such as Meet the Buyer events and Go2Tender events. For example, Enterprise Ireland hosted a Meet the Buyer event for the Social Housing PPP Bundle 1 on 14 March this year at which over 300 companies, mainly SMEs, had the opportunity to meet the construction and maintenance contractors tendering for the project;

-encouraging businesses to register on eTenders, The National Procurement Portal- set up by the OGP to advertise all procurement opportunities and to facilitate suppliers to register their interest in upcoming opportunities;

-the establishment of a Tender Advisory service to assist SMEs during the tender process

-Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) - procurement which seeks an innovative solution to specific public sector challenges and needs. (ie- Enterprise Ireland, SEAI and ESB eCars competition to develop smart technology solution to parking charges for electric cars);

-setting proportionate eligibility requirements, e.g. turnover and insurance;

-breaking tendering competitions into lots, e.g. by sector, region, value;

- Guidelines for Consortium Bidding, issued by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission as a resource to SMEs in accessing public procurement tenders.

Considerable work has been undertaken by Government Departments and agencies in recent years, including close consultation with SME representative bodies, to improve awareness of the opportunities available in public procurement and to develop improved tendering skills for businesses.

It is clear that there are enormous opportunities out there for SMEs. My Department and Agencies will continue to work with the OGP to enhance the supports that are there to help SMEs succeed in this space.

IDA Ireland Site Visits

Ceisteanna (401)

Niamh Smyth

Ceist:

401. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of site visits conducted by IDA Ireland in counties Cavan and Monaghan in each of the past three years; and the number of these visits that were to locations in the two county towns and other areas of the counties, respectively in tabular form. [12678/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation

IDA Ireland continues to highlight the benefits of expanding or locating in all of our regions, including in counties Cavan and Mongahan.

Site visits do represent an important tool through which investors can be encouraged to invest in regional areas and the IDA always does its utmost to ensure that overseas firms consider all potential locations when visiting Ireland. It is important to remember, however, that the final decision as to where to invest always rests with the company concerned. It is also the case that site visit activity does not necessarily reflect investment potential, as at least 70% of all new FDI comes from existing IDA Ireland client companies.

The IDA collates data on site visits on a countywide basis only. The following table sets out details on the number of IDA Ireland site visits to Counties Cavan and Monaghan between 2015-2017:

	2015	2016	2017
CAVAN	0	2	2
MONAGHAN	2	2	1

IDA Ireland Site Visits

Ceisteanna (402)

Niamh Smyth

Ceist:

402. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of IDA Ireland visits of prospective clients to each county in each of the years 2013 to 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12679/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation

The IDA remains committed to increasing foreign direct investment (FDI) in every region of Ireland by 30% to 40% by the end of the Agency's current strategy in 2019. Progress is being made towards that target, with half of all jobs created in the first three years of that strategy based outside of Dublin.

IDA Ireland continues to highlight the benefits of expanding or locating in the regions to its client base and it makes every effort to ensure that FDI is spread as widely as possible across the country. It is important to remember, however, that the final decision as to where to invest always rests with the company concerned. It is also the case that site visit activity does not necessarily reflect investment potential, as at least 70% of all new FDI comes from existing IDA Ireland client companies.

Site visits nevertheless do represent an important tool through which investors can be encouraged to invest in regional areas and the IDA always does its utmost to ensure that investors consider all potential locations when visiting Ireland.

The following table outlines IDA Ireland site visits by county from 2013 to 2017:

County	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017
Dublin	180	205	242	284	327
Kildare	1	1	7	8	10
Meath	1	2	7	8	3
Wicklow	1	4	7	5	2
Laois	2	0	4	6	4
Longford	0	0	2	6	7
Offaly	1	1	8	4	5
Westmeath	9	12	28	36	42
Clare	5	9	12	18	22
Limerick	23	22	40	49	42
Tipperary	4	3	12	8	8
Cavan	2	1	0	2	2
Louth	4	10	20	24	22
Monaghan	1	0	2	2	1
Donegal	7	6	5	7	2
Leitrim	1	2	8	8	5
Sligo	10	7	15	20	18
Carlow	1	2	1	9	8
Kilkenny	3	4	10	10	6
Waterford	14	11	31	17	11
Wexford	2	1	4	7	3
Cork	31	30	48	49	51
Kerry	1	3	6	3	9
Galway	15	19	41	42	62
Mayo	3	4	3	5	7
Roscommon	4	0	2	1	3
Total	326	359	565	638	682

IDA Ireland Data

Ceisteanna (403, 404)

Niamh Smyth

Ceist:

403. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of IDA Ireland supported jobs at the end of each year from 2013 to 2017, by county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12680/18]

Niamh Smyth

Ceist:

404. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of IDA Ireland supported jobs; the number of jobs created and lost respectively in 2017, by county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12681/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation

I propose to take Questions Nos. 403 and 404 together.

IDA Ireland’s performance in 2017 resulted in the third consecutive year of strong growth under the Agency's current strategy. By the end of last year, total employment in the Agency's client companies stood at 210,443, of which over 122,000 people are employed in IDA client companies outside of Dublin. I am working closely with the Agency and across Government to grow those numbers further in 2018.

The following tables provide details of employment by IDA Ireland client companies in each county from 2013 to 2017 and a breakdown of the number of jobs created and lost respectively in each county in 2017:

Employment by IDA Ireland Client Companies in 2017

2017	New Jobs Created (Gross Gains)	Jobs Lost	Additional Jobs Created (Net Change)	Total Jobs
Carlow	75	2	73	875
Cavan	31	79	-48	1,155
Clare	446	406	40	6,775
Cork	2,388	971	1,417	35,248
Donegal	375	25	350	3,389
Dublin	10,956	4563	6,393	88,318
Galway	1,281	517	764	17,696
Kerry	105	16	89	2,186
Kildare	275	1222	-947	9,282
Kilkenny	138	118	20	782
Laois	4	0	4	119
Leitrim	89	3	86	889
Limerick	1,028	178	850	10,677
Longford	77	275	-198	474
Louth	295	186	109	3,702
Mayo	272	44	228	4,462
Meath	71	106	-35	1,491
Monaghan	14	1	13	150
Offaly	74	48	26	940
Roscommon	153	10	143	1,128
Sligo	63	169	-106	2,184
Tipperary	341	44	297	3665
Waterford	682	85	597	6,850
Westmeath	235	14	221	2,794
Wexford	284	16	268	2,948
Wicklow	99	69	30	2,264
Grand Total	19,851	9167	10,684	210,443

Employment in IDA Ireland client companies from 2013 to 2017

County	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017
Carlow	735	749	768	802	875
Cavan	1,135	1,136	1,165	1,203	1,155
Clare	6,056	6,232	6,353	6,735	6,775
Cork	27,257	28,251	32,101	33,831	35,248
Donegal	2,382	2,607	2,918	3,039	3,389
Dublin	66,050	69,673	74,459	81,925	88,318
Galway	14,273	14,638	15,367	16,932	17,696
Kerry	1,659	1,895	1,948	2,097	2,186
Kildare	10,327	10,285	10,628	10,229	9,282
Kilkenny	617	716	650	762	782
Laois	106	87	105	115	119
Leitrim	606	682	745	803	889
Limerick	7,448	7,930	8,702	9,827	10,677
Longford	701	650	686	672	474
Louth	2,568	3,053	3,236	3,593	3,702
Mayo	3,728	3,932	4,070	4,234	4,462
Meath	1,540	1,536	1,533	1,526	1,491
Monaghan	365	275	146	137	150
Offaly	896	874	887	914	940
Roscommon	962	916	994	985	1,128
Sligo	2,230	2,219	2,221	2,290	2,184
Tipperary North Riding	306	298	318	328	335
Tipperary South Riding	3,055	3,246	3,215	3,040	3,330
Waterford	5,183	5,248	5,574	6,253	6,850
Westmeath	2,202	2,386	2,519	2,573	2,794
Wexford	2,402	2,547	2,527	2,680	2,948
Wicklow	2,348	2,324	2,199	2,234	2,264
Grand Total	167,137	174,385	186,034	199,759	210,443

Ticket Touting

Ceisteanna (405)

Maurice Quinlivan

Ceist:

405. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the company representatives her Department has met with regarding ticket touting and ticket touting legislation since the beginning of 2016; the number of meetings held with each company; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12710/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation

The information sought by the Deputy is set out in the following table:

Company/Organisation	Number of Meetings
Aiken Promotions	3
Consumer Association of Ireland	1
DoneDeal	1
Football Association of Ireland	1
Gaelic Athletic Association	1
MCD Promotions	1
StubHub	3
Seatwave	1
Tickets.ie	2
Ticketmaster	1
Toutless.com	1
Viagogo	1

Strategic Communications Unit

Ceisteanna (406)

Niall Collins

Ceist:

406. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if meetings have taken place between her departmental officials and advisers and State agencies under her remit with the strategic communications unit in the Department of the Taoiseach towards achieving this objective following the publication of Enterprise 2025 Renewed and the commitment given to accelerate efforts to diversify source markets for foreign direct investment supported by stronger cross-Government strategic communications; and the budget allocation for this objective in 2018. [12730/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation

Department officials and representatives of the Enterprise agencies have engaged with the Strategic Communications Unit as part of the wider development of the Global Footprint 2025 initiative. This process is still ongoing.

With regard to accelerating efforts to diversify source markets for FDI, IDA Ireland will establish a Pioneering Markets team within its Growth Markets Division, specifically targeting investment opportunities from Turkey, the Middle East and South Africa. The Agency also continues to utilise marketing and communications resources to highlight Ireland as an attractive destination to a wide range of global companies, including those from emerging markets.

The IDA's marketing and communications expenditure in 2017 totaled €5.035 million, with figures for 2018 expected to be broadly in line with this. More generally, the Government is continuing to explore how new means of communications can best be harnessed to raise Ireland's global visibility and profile and thereby attract new investment and employment opportunities here.

Strategic Communications Unit

Ceisteanna (407)

Niall Collins

Ceist:

407. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of meetings she, her departmental officials and advisers and State agencies under her remit have had with the strategic communications unit, SCU, of the Department of the Taoiseach regarding the plans by the SCU to coordinate a national Brexit preparedness public information and awareness campaign in 2018 as confirmed in Enterprise 2025 Renewed; the specific departmental budget allocated towards this objective in 2018; and the amount expended to date. [12731/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation

The Action Plan for Jobs 2018 sets out how the Strategic Communications Unit (SCU) of the Department of An Taoiseach will, in conjunction with my Department, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and other relevant Departments and agencies, coordinate a national Brexit preparedness public information and awareness campaign. This campaign has been discussed at a number of meetings between my officials and the SCU, and the budgetary allocation will be considered in due course. In addition my Department and its agencies are engaged in awareness campaigns around Brexit on an ongoing basis.

Employment Data

Ceisteanna (408)

Niall Collins

Ceist:

408. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if the target of having 2.3 million persons in employment by 2020 means attaining this figure at 1 January 2020 or before the end of the 2020 calendar year, that is, 31 December 2020, following the publication of Enterprise 2025 Renewed. [12732/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation

Enterprise 2025 Renewed was launched on 9th March 2018 and sets out the aim to have 2.3 million people in employment by 2020.  This will be measured by reference to average employment over the four quarters of 2020.

The objective is to ensure that, through the implementation of effective policies, we realise employment growth that is sustainable over the longer term and that job creation occurs in all regions.

Economic Competitiveness

Ceisteanna (409)

Niall Collins

Ceist:

409. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the reason page 41 of Enterprise 2025 Renewed ranks Ireland number six of the most competitive small countries in the world using the World Bank’s Doing Business ranking in view of the fact that the 2018 table ranks Lithuania, Estonia, FYR Macedonia, Georgia, New Zealand, Singapore, Denmark, Norway and Finland ahead of Ireland. [12733/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation

Ireland ranks 17th of 190 economies on their ease of doing business based on 11 different indicators using the World Bank's Doing Business competitiveness ranking.

The ambition in Enterprise 2025 Renewed is that Ireland's ranking according to this measure be amongst the top 5 small countries. For this purpose, Ireland is compared against other comparable high income countries, as designated by the World Bank, that have a population within 20% of Ireland's population.

On this basis, Ireland ranks 6th behind New Zealand, Singapore, Denmark, Norway and Finland.

Economic Competitiveness

Ceisteanna (410)

Niall Collins

Ceist:

410. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the reason Enterprise 2025 and the Action Plan for Jobs 2018 are using two different competitiveness ranking targets to be achieved by 2020; if the Enterprise 2025 target takes precedence as reaffirmed in Enterprise 2025 Renewed; and her views on whether the World Bank’s ease of doing business ranking of 190 countries is a better gauge than the IMD competitiveness scorecard ranking in view of the fact this only covers 61 countries globally. [12734/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation

Competitiveness is challenging to measure. The National Competitiveness Council uses three main competitiveness benchmarks - those of the World Bank, IMD and the World Economic Forum (WEF) which differ in terms of methodology, data sources and country coverage. These indices are not perfect measures of competitiveness and can be somewhat subjective in nature. It is also important to bear in mind that Ireland’s ranking can change based on other countries performance or methodology changes rather than any improvement or decline in our own absolute competitiveness.

Enterprise 2025 Renewed has used the World Bank ease of doing business ranking as it measures the competitiveness of the enterprise environment, which in turn points us to where an enterprise policy focus may be required.

The IMD’s World Competitiveness Yearbook used in the Action Plan for Jobs, 2018, offers a broader definition of competitiveness in advanced economies. It spans measures for how an economy manages its resources to increase the prosperity of its population (where the State plays a key role) and the wealth creation process.

My Department does not rely on any one benchmark in its ongoing analysis. While the measures are different in scope, coverage and methodology they are complementary and enable my Department to monitor competitiveness on the basis of a range of measures and input to the policy making process.

Employment Data

Ceisteanna (411)

Niall Collins

Ceist:

411. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the revised employment targets for each year up to 2020 and for the remainder of Enterprise 2025, in tabular form. [12737/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation

Enterprise 2025 Renewed, launched on 9th March, sets out a target to have 2.3 million people in employment by 2020. The objective is to ensure that, through effective policies, we realise employment growth that is sustainable over the longer term to 2025.

Enterprise 2025 Renewed does not set out annual targets. Nevertheless, the Action Plan for Jobs 2018 (launched together with Enterprise 2025 Renewed) that is focused on action to be taken across Government this year, targets the creation of 50,000 jobs in 2018.

Enterprise Ireland Investments

Ceisteanna (412)

Niall Collins

Ceist:

412. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if she will provide an overview of Enterprise Ireland’s capital investment initiative; and the number of small and medium enterprises that have applied to the initiative in each year since it was established in tabular form. [12743/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation

In early 2015, Enterprise Ireland launched the Capital Investment Initiative to assist client companies improve productivity and competitiveness through the acquisition of new capital equipment and technology. This initiative, which is targeted at manufacturing and/or an internationally traded services SMEs, provides grant aid of up to a maximum of €250,000. Approved funding under this initiative can be used to purchase new or second-hand equipment including reasonable direct installation costs - second hand equipment must be less than 7 years old and more than €10,000 in value. Refurbished equipment will be evaluated on a case by case basis by Enterprise Ireland Assessor.

In 2018 Enterprise Ireland will run 11 Capital Investment Initiative calls throughout the year. Submitted projects are assessed by the Capital Investment Initiative Committee based on the company's application, financial information and a Commercial Assessment of the project. The approval process takes approximately 8 weeks.

Since the Capital Investment initiative was launched in 2015 Enterprise Ireland has made 161 approvals to 151 SMEs. Enterprise Ireland do not report on the number of applications received in any of their competitions. Details of approvals are set out in the following table:

Year	Total Approved
2015	49
2016	63
2017	37
2018 (1 Jan to 16 March 2018)	12
Total	161

Enterprise Ireland

Ceisteanna (413)

Niall Collins

Ceist:

413. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if she will provide an overview of Enterprise Ireland’s Prepare For Brexit campaign; and the annual budget allocated in each year since the campaign was established. [12744/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation

Enterprise Ireland’s Strategy 2017-2020 represents a strategic response to Brexit aiming to grow more resilient Irish companies by building scale and expanding reach. To support its Strategy, my Department provided for additional capital monies in 2017 to enable EI implement a variety of initiatives and ramp up its supports to drive improvements in productivity, innovation, management capability and leadership skills, and to build the ambition of managers to look to other markets around the world.

Enterprise Ireland’s exchequer pay provision for 2017 included an additional €1.7 million to assist in the recruitment of an additional 39 Brexit specific posts. A further additional €3 million in Pay was secured by the Department in "Budget 2018" for this year to further assist with our Brexit response. Of this, Enterprise Ireland is being provided with an additional €1.3 million current funding to recruit additional Brexit related staff. This should enable EI to recruit approximately 18 additional staff during 2018.

In addition, Enterprise Ireland was provided with a €7m increase in capital monies to support a range of Brexit and enterprise development initiatives in 2017. This additional €7m was retained for the 2018 budget allocation.

As part of Enterprise Ireland’s strategic response to Brexit, several new initiatives were rolled out during 2017, including;

Feb - Global Ambition Campaign launched to get more companies exporting and encourage companies to enter Eurozone;

Mar - Launch of Brexit SME Scorecard, a new interactive online platform which can be used by all Irish companies to self-assess their exposure to Brexit under six business pillars.

Mar - A €5k “Be Prepared Grant” was also introduced that supports the costs of SME clients in preparing a plan to mitigate risks and optimise opportunities arising from Brexit;

Apr - Launch of new ‘PrepareforBrexit’ communications campaign to highlight action required by companies;

May - Launch of New Eurozone Strategy to increase exports to the Eurozone by 50%;

June - Prepare for Brexit Roadshows were rolled out nationally to engage with companies;

Sept - International Markets Week which included a Brexit Zone, and the #Irish Advantage Campaign was launched which will target Eurozone buyers to buy Irish innovation in key Brexit impacted sectors;

Nov - Launch of a fast track Agile Innovation Fund with a streamlined online application to give companies rapid access to innovation funding.

During 2017, EI also organised over 140 trade promotion events to help clients to maintain and grow the UK market and to find new markets outside of the UK.

Alongside the continuation of the Be Prepared Grant, EI will roll out their “Act On Programme” in 2018, which will provide an independent consultant to companies for a course of two half day sessions focusing on (1) Financial and Currency Management (2) Strategic Sourcing and (3) Customs and Logistics. This initiative will assist companies decide on specific actions over a short period to address some of the risks and opportunities from Brexit.

To date 86 companies have availed of the Brexit Be Prepared Grant. Enterprise Ireland’s Be Prepared Grant offers SMEs a grant of up to €5,000 to assist them in preparing an action plan for economic shocks, such as Brexit. The grant can be used to help cover consultancy, travel and travel expenses associated with researching the direction of their action plan. Enterprise Ireland is committed to processing all applications for the grant within eighteen days.

For example, this might involve investigating the feasibility of diversifying into new markets and market segments; investment in innovation; improvement in operational competitiveness; and/or enhancement of strategic financial capability.

To date 2,100 companies have availed of the Brexit Scorecard. EI has introduced a number of Brexit specific programmes to help Irish companies remain resilient in the face of uncertainty. One of these measures is an online “Brexit SME Scorecard” to help all Irish businesses self-assess their exposure to Brexit. The Scorecard generates a report on weak areas and suggests some initial next steps.

Competition and Consumer Protection Commission Reports

Ceisteanna (414)

Niall Collins

Ceist:

414. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation her views on the report by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission on the use of personal contract plans in the car finance market; and her further views on the recommendations including a public information and awareness campaign to be rolled out to ensure consumers are fully aware of their rights and obligations. [12745/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation

I welcome the publication on 6 March 2018 by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) of its report on the personal contract plan (PCP) car finance market. The report contains a number of recommendations, mainly for consideration by the Department of Finance and the Central Bank of Ireland, which, if acted upon, would afford additional protections to consumers in the PCP market, in the event that significant consumer issues arise in future. The CCPC, for its own part, undertook to review the information it provides to consumers in light of the findings of the report and continue to conduct public awareness initiatives.

As the Deputy may be aware, the CCPC has conducted several public awareness campaigns in relation to PCP car finance, including campaigns in 2016 and 2017. I understand from the CCPC that, following on from the publication of its report, it is currently developing a public information and awareness campaign on the PCP market for Q2 2018. The campaign is being designed to help consumers who may be considering PCP to finance the purchase of new or second-hand cars to be informed of the costs, risks and benefits of the product. In developing the PCP report, I understand that the CCPC commissioned the ESRI to undertake a series of behavioural experiments with consumers through its Programme of Research Investigating Consumer Evaluations (PRICE) Lab on the PCP market. The CCPC has informed my Department that it is currently conducting a full review of its consumer information on the topic in order to take account of the findings of that research: these findings will also inform the CCPC’s upcoming public awareness campaign.

Trade Agreements

Ceisteanna (415)

Niall Collins

Ceist:

415. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation her views on a European Court judgment (details supplied); if this judgment relating to bilateral investment treaties between European Union, EU, member states has no impact on EU trade agreements with third countries relating to arbitration; if Ireland is no longer party to bilateral investment treaties with other EU countries; and the number of such bilateral investment treaties that remain in the EU. [12746/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation

Ireland has no Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) since the termination of its BIT with the Czech Republic in 2011.

BITs set the terms and conditions for investments between two states. Most of the intra-EU BITs date back to the 1990s when one or both countries were not yet a member of the EU. Their aim was to strengthen investor protection in cases of potential unfair or discriminatory treatment through arbitration procedures for the settlement of investment disputes. There are still almost 200 bilateral investment treaties in existence between EU Member States and EU Commission policy is for these treaties to be formally abolished as the rules of the Single Market provide the regime governing the free movement of capital and for the settlement of disputes within the EU involving an EU Member State.

This judgement is specific to BITs between EU Member States and does not concern investment treaties with third countries.

Ministerial Meetings

Ceisteanna (416)

Thomas P. Broughan

Ceist:

416. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation when she last met formally with the chief executive officer and chairperson of Enterprise Ireland; when she will next meet formally with the chief executive officer and chairperson; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12890/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation

I am in regular formal and informal contact with all the Agencies under my Department’s remit.

I last met formally with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Julie Sinnamon, and the Chairperson, Terence O’Rourke, of Enterprise Ireland at the Enterprise Ireland Board meeting on 14 February 2018 and was introduced to the full Board.

Prior to this date, I met with the CEO and Chairperson of Enterprise Ireland on a number of occasions, since my appointment as Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation.

For example, I met with the CEO on 14 December 2017 and discussed a range of issues.

I also met the CEO at the following events:

- The Ergo jobs announcement on 7 February 2018

- The launch of Enterprise Ireland’s Northern Powerhouse Report on 8 February 2018

- The Decawave jobs announcement on 22 February 2018

- SXSW Texas Trade Mission on 11 – 13 March 2018.

I met with the CEO and Chairperson of Enterprise Ireland at the following events:

- The launch of the Regional Enterprise Development Fund on 11 December 2017

- The publication of Enterprise Ireland’s annual results on 3 January 2018

- Enterprise Ireland’s Start-Up Showcase on 14 February 2018.

The Chairperson was in attendance with me on the San Francisco Trade Mission from 14 – 16 March 2018.

National Development Plan Data

Ceisteanna (417)

Niall Collins

Ceist:

417. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the projects mentioned in the National Development Plan 2018-2027 that come under her Department's remit or bodies under its aegis; and the estimated completion dates for each project in tabular form. [12983/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation

The National Development Plan 2018-2027 sets out the significant level of investment which will underpin the National Planning Framework (NPF) and drive its implementation over the next ten years. One of the National Strategic Outcomes of the NPF is the achievement of a strong economy, supported by enterprise, innovation and skills.

Over the lifetime of the National Development Plan, my Department and the agencies under its aegis will maintain their focus on developing a competitive, innovative and resilient enterprise base to ensure that jobs and employment opportunities are available to people in all regions of the country.

Earlier this month, my Department also published Enterprise 2025 Renewed, which sets out the medium term national enterprise strategy, and how we intend to achieve a vision of making Ireland the best place to succeed in business. A number of short, medium and long term strategic actions to support delivery of these objectives are included in the National Development Plan and will be progressed over the lifetime of the Plan, subject to detailed appraisal, value for money tests, consultation with relevant stakeholders and agreement on timeframes.  As these aspects are developed further, details will be set out in the strategies of my Department and the enterprise agencies over the lifetime of the NDP.

Some projects and programme areas identified in the NDP, where my Department has a lead interest include;

- New Regional Sectoral Clusters to scale and internationalise enterprise in all regions

- New regional “Technology and Innovation Poles”, led through the Institutes of Technologies

- Brexit Business Transformation through firm level supports

- A National Design Centre

- Seed and Venture Capital Funding to support regional start-ups and growth

- eHubs for entrepreneurship and start-ups in every county

- Expansion of Advanced Manufacturing Supports, linking centres and capacity across all regions

- Expanding Enterprise Ireland budget for research and development

- New cycles of the Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions, benefiting Higher Education in all regions

- Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund

- Participation in EU High Performance Computing Programme

- Upgrading of the Tyndall National Institute in Cork

- New Space Technologies Programme, to the benefit of firms in the regions

- Membership of CERN

- Strengthened SFI Research Centres and EI Technology Centres in higher education in all regions

- Support for research, guided by Innovation 2020 – Ireland’s Strategy for Research and Development Science and Technology

- Expanding IDA Regional Property Programme, to attract investment to regions