Written Answers Nos. 46-67
46. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Taoiseach the number of advisers and special advisers appointed by him since assuming office; the starting annual salary of each person appointed by him; if an open interview process was conducted for each appointee; the duration and terms of each contract issued to each adviser and special adviser; and if an advisory role has been split to facilitate job sharing in tabular form. [16570/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraHaving appointed Ministers and Ministers of State to their various portfolios across Government, I am also considering the advisory supports that I might need in my role as Taoiseach and Head of Government. The Public Service Management Act 1997, provides for the appointment of Special Advisers subject to specified limits. While I have not as yet fully finalised the make-up of my team, it currently consists of a Chief of Staff at Deputy Secretary level, a Deputy Chief of Staff at Assistant Secretary level and 3 Special Advisers at Principal Officer level all of whom work full-time. I have also recently recruited an economic adviser on a part-time basis.
It should be noted that all of the above appointments are subject to Government approval and relevant contracts will be laid before the Oireachtas in due course. All appointments will be made in line with the Public Service Management Act, 1997.
47. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Taoiseach the value of contracts awarded to a company (details supplied) and its subsidiaries by his Department and each body and local authority under his remit from 1 January 2016 to 14 July 2020, in tabular form [16848/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraNeither the Department of the Taoiseach nor the body under its remit have awarded any contracts to the company in question or any of its subsidiaries from 1 January 2016 to 14 July 2020.
48. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach if he will undertake to have his diaries published on his Department website on a monthly basis. [16916/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI intend to publish my diary on the Department of the Taoiseach website on a quarterly basis.
49. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach the divisional structure of his Department [16917/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe role of my Department is to assist my work as Taoiseach and the effective operation of Government. The Department’s staffing needs and structure are currently being reviewed in light of the priorities set out in the Programme for Government, including the range of Cabinet Committees outlined. A new Statement of Strategy setting out the strategic priorities of my Department will be finalised in line with statutory requirements before the end of the year.
My Department is currently structured around five main divisions:
- International, EU and Northern Ireland Division;
- Economic Division;
- Social Policy and Public Service Reform Division;
- Government Secretariat, Protocol and General Division; and
- Corporate Affairs Division.
The remainder of staff in my Department include those in Private Offices, Constituency Offices, the Government Information Service and Internal Audit.
The Department engages with the formulation and implementation of government policy, particularly through the system of Cabinet Committees, through which it is currently playing a central role in co-ordinating the State’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, planning for Brexit and the development of proposals for a July Jobs Initiative.
51. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Taoiseach the discretionary allowances provided to the Attorney General for staffing; the cost of such allowances; the number of staff who were employed by the previous Attorney General using such allowances; and if staff have been hired using such allowances by the incoming Attorney General. [17261/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are no discretionary allowances for staffing provided to the Attorney General.
52. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Taoiseach the number of staff to be appointed to the policy and programme implementation unit of his Department; if the staff will be redeployed from within the Civil Service; and if new hires, the number. [17265/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for Government sets out a number of reforms to be implemented in order to ensure openness and constructive cooperation within government. These include the establishment of an Office of the Tánaiste and an Office of the Leader of the Green Party within the Department of the Taoiseach, located in Government Buildings. The Office of the Tánaiste will consist of a private office and a policy and programme implementation unit.
The purpose of these offices is to support both the Tánaiste and the Leader of the Green Party in the coordination and implementation of policy within Government. In particular, the policy and programme implementation unit will assist the Tánaiste in work relating to Cabinet, Cabinet Committees and oversight of the implementation of the Programme for Government. The details of the roles and staffing of these offices, staffing have not been finalised to date. To date three Civil Servants have been redeployed from within my own Department to the Tánaiste Private Office. Appointments to these offices will be made in line with the Public Service Management Act, 1997 and will be published in due course.
53. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of whole-time equivalent inspectors employed by the Health and Safety Authority; his plans to recruit additional staff to the posts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17076/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Health and Safety Authority currently has 175.5 whole-time equivalent staff which is made up of staff in administration and inspector grades. Inspectors operate across all of the Health and Safety Authority’s statutory mandates covering occupational health and safety, chemicals and market surveillance of products. These inspectors may also be involved in either general inspection, specialist inspection or policy implementation at national, European and international level.
The current inspector headcount in the Authority is 105.3 whole-time equivalents. These inspectors operate on a regional basis throughout the country. To date in 2020, the Health and Safety Authority has recruited 7 Inspectors and there are currently 11 vacancies which it is intending to fill in the coming months.
In relation to the Return to Work Safely Protocol 67 Health and Safety Authority inspectors are available to carry out Protocol related inspections. However, the Health and Safety Authority inspectorate is being supplemented significantly by deploying other inspectors from across the system who already have an environmental health, agriculture or other workplace/business inspection responsibilities. These resources are being drawn from the Workplace Relations Commission, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the cohort of Environmental Health Officers. This has resulted in an additional 500 inspectors checking compliance with the Protocol as part of their normal inspection programme.
Separately, additional resources have been allocated by my Department to assist the Health and Safety Authority’s Workplace Contact Unit in providing advice and dealing with queries from employers, employees, safety representatives and others in relation to the Return to Work Safely Protocol. Additional resources for the Workplace Contact Unit are also being sourced through the Public Appointments Service.
The Health and Safety Authority will continue to review its inspection resources so that it can maximise numbers available to both check compliance with the Return to Work Safely Protocol and to also ensure that it can deliver on its overall mandate.
54. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the average length of time from referral to a hearing at the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC; his plans to recruit additional staff to deal with the backlog; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17077/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn June this year, the WRC reported a median time to a hearing of 3.5 months; this compares with 4 months for the same period in 2019. The emergency measures introduced in an effort to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus have imposed challenges on how to proceed with complaint adjudication in a fair and procedurally safe manner. This is likely to be reflected in median times later this year.
Nonetheless, the WRC, following a public consultation process, has put in place alternative options to provide an opportunity for parties to have complaints adjudicated by way of either written procedures or “virtual” hearings.
My Department has always and will continue to provide full support to the WRC in the provision of staffing and resources to assist in addressing their workload. To this end, an open competition to recruit additional in-house adjudicators will be advertised by the Public Appointments Service in the coming weeks. In addition, an open competition to establish a further panel of external adjudicators, to supplement the WRC's adjudication capacity on a contract for services basis, will be advertised towards the end of the year.
55. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the engagement he has had to date with workers representatives regarding the Covid-19 recovery and the July stimulus package; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17078/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Stimulus Package being announced by the Government is a culmination of work across a number of Government Departments . Each Government Department has carefully considered how the impact of COVID-19 along with associated economic challenges have affected the sectors under their remits. As part of this, Departments will have engaged across a range of stakeholders especially sectoral representative organisations. The Departments have reflected on the inputs received, as well as their own analysis, and brought the conclusions of same for discussion centrally at the relevant Senior Officials Group.
As I have said before, the Stimulus Package must be broad in reach to assist the variety of businesses most affected. I have also noted that the package is on a continuum of Government measures and represents the next step in how we stabilise the business impact. I have underlined that in developing the stimulus package, we must look ahead to ensuring economic recovery. The National Economic Plan, to be developed in parallel with the next budget, will be crucial in this respect. It will go beyond the issue of business supports and set out a range of actions to be developed across Government to realise economic recovery. All Government Departments will have a role in achieving this ambition. In developing contributions to the National Economic Plan, I would expect full engagement with stakeholders including worker representatives not only through fora such as the Labour Employer Economic Forum but bilaterally as well. Indeed, both I and my colleague Minister English have committed to meeting the unions to discuss a range of matters.
56. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if his attention has been drawn to situations in which a business pays rates to multiple local authorities under a single trading name; and if the qualification for the restart grant is based on the overall turnover nationally for the business (details supplied). [17241/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the terms and conditions of the current Restart Grant scheme and for further clarity, the qualifying criteria is essentially that the applicant business in its totality must not have more than 50 staff overall and have a maximum turnover of €5 million.
A business with a number of stores in one Local Authority region or in several, that each has a rates bill, is eligible to apply for the equivalent of the 2019 rates bill for each store, subject currently to the maximum of €10k grant for each store.
In addition, the local authorities have been instructed to consider applications on a case-by-case basis. The Scheme also provides for an appeal to the relevant Local Authority within 7 days of the the refusal of any application.
57. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the Minister with responsibility for the digital single market. [17359/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraMr Robert Troy, T.D., is the Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation and will chair the Inter-Departmental Committee on the Digital Single Market.
The key focus of the Inter-Departmental Committee is on ensuring effective whole-of-Government engagement with the Digital Single Market agenda, particularly in terms of developing a coherent and coordinated approach to matters that cut across the responsibilities of individual Ministers, Departments and European Council formations. Relevant Ministers and Departments will continue to lead on the key files in their respective areas of responsibility. However, there is also acknowledgement that many of the files have cross-cutting implications.
The Inter-Departmental Committee on the Digital Single Market includes representatives from the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation (DBEI); Department of the Taoiseach; Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment; Department of Justice and Equality; Department of Finance; Department of Public Expenditure and Reform; Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; Department of Education and Skills; Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine; and Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport.
58. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if he has considered recommendations by an organisation (details supplied) to make Covid-19 notifiable to the Health and Safety Authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16544/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am aware of the views of ICTU concerning the requirements around the reporting of COVID-19 to the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) and, indeed, I intend to meet ICTU soon.
Separately, I would like to advise the Deputy that COVID-19 has been included as a notifiable disease under the Infectious Diseases (Amendment) Regulations 2020. Any infectious disease pandemic is first and foremost a matter of public health for which a legal basis for reporting already exists under public health legislation. Notifiable infectious diseases are statutorily reportable under the Infectious Diseases Regulations 1981 to the Chief Medical Officer of the Department of Health for investigation and control.
At present, under occupational safety and health legislation, employers are required to report all workplace accidents that result in more than 3 days absence. This requirement to report accidents does not apply to a person who suffers from a disease, occupational illness or any impairment of mental health in the workplace.
There are some considerations to take into account in relation to introducing the mandatory reporting occupational diseases and/or illnesses to the Health and Safety Authority. These include the fact that many employers would not in a position to assess or attribute the diagnosis of an illness such as COVID-19 with any degree of reliability, to a particular workplace, since COVID-19 can be acquired in either a community or a workplace setting. Furthermore, it would also introduce an obligation on employees to provide detailed confidential medical information to their employer which could be seen as contrary to the protection of an individual’s right to the privacy of such information.
However, I understand that the Board of the Health and Safety Authority has requested a review of the reporting obligations concerning infectious diseases in the context of employer obligations under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005. The review will include consultation with a range of parties including the Department of Health and the State Claims Agency and will also examine if a proposed change can be achieved without increasing reporting requirements for employers outside the Health sector and can be aligned with GDPR requirements. It will also look at the practices in other European Countries for the reporting of infectious diseases by employers. The review should be complete in early September and I have asked that it also be submitted to my Department for consideration.
59. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of advisers and special advisers appointed by him since becoming Minister; the starting annual salary of each person appointed by him; if an open interview process was conducted for each appointee; the duration and terms of each contract issued to each adviser and special adviser; and if an advisory role has been split to facilitate job sharing, in tabular form. [16556/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn the commencement of every Dáil, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform issues guidelines setting out the arrangements for the staffing of Ministerial Offices. The Guidelines for the 33rd Dáil are currently awaiting Government approval.
It should be noted that the appointment of individual Special Advisers is a matter for each Government Minister subject to the terms set out in the aforementioned guidelines, although the appointments are also subject to formal Government approval. At this stage, no Special Advisers have been formally appointed to my Department by the Government.
60. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if legislation or measures to prevent tactical insolvency will be implemented in order to ensure that workers are better protected. [16591/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government has committed in the Programme for Government to:
- Review whether the current legal provisions surrounding collective redundancies and the liquidation of companies effectively protect the rights of workers;
- Review the Companies Act with a view to addressing the practice of trading entities splitting their operations between trading and property with the result being the trading business (including the jobs) go into insolvency and the assets are taken out of the original business;
- Examine the legal provision that pertains to any sale to a connected party following the insolvency of a company including who can object and the allowable grounds of an objection.
As part of its next Work Programme, I will be requesting the Company Law Review Group to examine these Programme for Government commitments.
Any changes to legislation must be pursued in a manner that guards against unintended consequences, particularly for affected stakeholders such as creditors, employees, other companies and the State. For example, I am mindful that other companies could include small suppliers who might go to the wall should debts owing to them remain unpaid.
Under the Companies Act 2014, if a company wants to initiate a liquidation while insolvent, it cannot do so via a voluntary liquidation. Insolvency and the inability to pay debts are both defined concepts under the Companies Act 2014 - a company cannot merely assert that it is insolvent. It must apply to and be supervised by the High Court. This helps ensure that the system is not abused to the detriment of creditors including employees. Indeed, the Companies Act provides a range of safeguards to prevent abuse of the liquidation process and protect the interests of workers and other creditors of a company.
Provisions already exist under the Act to reverse the impact of certain improper actions prior to insolvency. For example, section 608 provides for liquidators or creditors of an insolvent company in appropriate cases to obtain a court power to order the return of assets which have been improperly transferred. Section 599 concerns how a related company may be required to contribute to the payment of debts owed by the company being wound up. Such statutory provisions and the associated civil and criminal penalties also provide an important deterrent effect.
Furthermore, the liquidator of an insolvent company must report to the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) on the company’s demise and must also apply to the High Court for the restriction of each of the directors of the company, unless relieved of that obligation by the ODCE.
Turning to the protection of employees, the Protection of Employment Act 1977 imposes a number of obligations on employers who are proposing collective redundancies, including official notification to the relevant Minister and a thirty day consultation period to allow employee representatives adequate opportunity to consider the employer’s proposals and to make constructive proposals in response. While this legislation is currently the responsibility of my colleague the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, it will shortly transfer to my Department as part of a wider transfer of functions Order.
In relation to redundancy entitlements, it is the responsibility of the employer in the first instance to pay statutory redundancy and other wage related entitlements to eligible employees. However, the Social Insurance Fund, under the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection provides an important safety net for employees in situations where the employer cannot pay statutory redundancy due to financial difficulties or insolvency.
61. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the reason businesses that do not operate from commercially rateable premises such as tradesmen, service providers and so on are not eligible for the restart grant for small and microbusinesses affected by Covid-19; the grounds this decision is based on; the financial supports which will be provided to these business; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16657/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Restart Grant was launched on 22 May 2020 and is a critically important tool to support small businesses to reopen their doors and get back on their feet. The scheme was devised in recognition of the fact that micro and small businesses were and are particularly vulnerable to the economic effects of COVID19.
The Restart Grant is just one part of a wider assistance package for business and for firms of all sizes, which includes the wage subsidy scheme, the pandemic unemployment payment for the self-employed, grants, low-cost loans, write-off of commercial rates and deferred tax liabilities, all of which will help to improve cashflow amongst SMEs. The reason the scheme was linked to rate-paying businesses was that it was clear from the rate-payer databases within local authorities that this would make it possible to assist a very large number of small and micro-enterprises within a short period of time and with a minimum of bureaucracy.
We will be bringing forward an ambitious July Stimulus package in the coming days, which will include a range of measures to help SMEs across the range of sizes and sectors.
Currently, any business (Sole Trader, Partnership or Limited Company) with less than 10 full time employees and annual turnover of up to €2m may apply to Microfinance Ireland for funding from €5,000 – €50,000 where the business is not in a position to avail of finance from Banks and other commercial lending providers. The loan incurs 0% interest for the first six months and Zero repayments. Thereafter a reduced interest rate of 4.5% APR applies to loans applied for through the Local Enterprise Office.
All COVID19 Business Schemes are under constant review in terms of the evolving situation and will be adapted as circumstances dictate, including adaptations to the phased opening of our economy. In that regard, I can assure the Deputy that I will continue to work with my colleagues across Government and all stakeholders to examine how best to further assist businesses impacted by Covid-19 as part of the forthcoming Jobs Recovery Plan.
Full details on all COVID19 measures for business are available at: https://dbei.gov.ie/en/What-We-Do/Supports-for-SMEs/COVID-19-supports/.
62. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the value of contracts awarded to a company (details supplied) and its subsidiaries by his Department and each body and local authority under his remit from 1 January 2016 to 14 July 2020, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16835/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department complies with guidance from the Office of Government Procurement when seeking to enter into contracts for the procurement of goods, works or services and adheres to best practice in the application of public procurement rules in relation to the purchase of goods and services.
Details of the value of contracts awarded to the company in question, and its subsidiaries, by my Department and the agencies under its aegis from 1st January 2016 to 14th July 2020 are set out in the attached tables.
2016
|
Department or Agency |
Company |
Details of Contract |
Value of Contract |
|
Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation |
Aramark |
Catering Services |
€184.27 |
|
Science Foundation Ireland |
Aramark |
Catering Services |
€30,077.87 |
|
National Standards Authority of Ireland |
Aramark |
Facilities Maintenance and Management Services |
€420,023 |
|
Enterprise Ireland |
Aramark |
Facilities Management Services |
€1,145,000 |
|
IDA Ireland |
Aramark |
Estate Management |
€150,166 |
|
IDA Ireland |
Aramark |
Open Market Valuation |
€5,000 |
2017
|
Department or Agency |
Company |
Details of Contract |
Value of Contract |
|
Science Foundation Ireland |
Aramark |
Catering Services |
€24,659.19 |
|
Science Foundation Ireland |
Campbell Catering Ltd |
Catering Services |
€3,510.71 |
|
National Standards Authority of Ireland |
Aramark |
Facilities Maintenance and Management Services |
€23,978 |
|
Enterprise Ireland |
Campbell Catering Ltd |
Catering and Hospitality Services (2 year contract) |
€638,000 |
|
IDA Ireland |
Aramark |
Estate Management (4 year contract) |
€928,000 |
|
IDA Ireland |
Aramark |
Property Measurement |
€4,250 |
|
IDA Ireland |
Aramark |
Property Measurement |
€4,250 |
2018
|
Department or Agency |
Company |
Details of Contract |
Value of Contract |
|
Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation |
Aramark |
Catering Services |
€326.95 |
|
Science Foundation Ireland |
Aramark |
Catering Services |
€29,303.82 |
|
National Standards Authority of Ireland |
Aramark |
Facilities Maintenance and Management Services |
€4,920 |
|
IDA Ireland |
Aramark |
Facilities Management |
€881,246 |
|
IDA Ireland |
Aramark |
Property Measurement |
€4,950 |
|
IDA Ireland |
Aramark |
Property Measurement |
€4,950 |
2019
|
Department or Agency |
Company |
Details of Contract |
Value of Contract |
|
Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation |
Aramark |
Catering Services |
€5,870.20 |
|
Science Foundation Ireland |
Aramark |
Catering Services |
€34,446.97 |
|
Health and Safety Authority |
Aramark |
Catering Services |
€127.35 |
|
National Standards Authority of Ireland |
Aramark |
Facilities Maintenance and Management Services |
€1,484 |
|
Enterprise Ireland |
Aramark |
Catering and Hospitality Services (2 year contract) |
€657,600 |
|
IDA Ireland |
Aramark |
Catering Services (4 year contract) |
€1,509,859 |
|
IDA Ireland |
Aramark |
Property valuation |
€1,400 |
|
IDA Ireland |
Aramark |
Property Valuation |
€850 |
2020 (up to 14th July)
|
Department or Agency |
Company |
Details of Contract |
Value of Contract |
|
Science Foundation Ireland |
Aramark |
Catering Services |
€5,562.78 |
|
Health and Safety Authority |
Aramark |
Provision of professional services to the Health and Safety Authority in relation to the rent review and subsequent arbitration of the rent for one of the Authority’s field offices. |
€4,793.45 |
|
National Standards Authority of Ireland |
Aramark |
Facilities Maintenance and Management Services |
€510 |
|
IDA Ireland |
Aramark |
Estate Management |
€238,762 |
|
IDA Ireland |
Aramark |
Handover costs |
€4,880 |
|
IDA Ireland |
Aramark |
Review of service charge apportionments |
€4,875 |
63. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if urgent consideration will be given to the requests of a federation (details supplied) for specific supports for a sector in view of its importance for employment in counties Cavan and Monaghan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16987/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs stated in the Programme for Government, we will bring forward a Jobs Stimulus very shortly to boost our economy and help to maintain and restore employment. It will be of a scale to meet the challenge. Helping our SMEs is central to this, given their pivotal role in the economy and employment. This July Stimulus will extend, enhance and add to the existing actions for COVID-19 impacted businesses already announced.
In that regard, the effectiveness of the Restart Grant which was launched on 22 May 2020 and has proven to be a critically important tool to support small businesses to reopen their doors and get back on their feet, is being reviewed and that assessment will input into the Government's considerations for the soon to be announced Stimulus package.
Indeed, all supports are currently being reviewed and assistance in the form of grants, including in preparation for Brexit, will be considered.
Regarding any further targeted supports specifically aimed at the travel and tourism sectors, I welcome the recent establishment of a dedicated Tourism Recovery Taskforce, made up of leaders from varying sections of the industry, who will work together to deal with the many challenges ahead in a dynamic and innovative manner. It has been tasked with identifying measures required to enable Irish tourism to recover from the devastating effects of COVID19.
64. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation when the Covid-19 online retail scheme which offers grants to small businesses to help enhance their online sales capabilities will reopen. [17063/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation I am acutely aware that COVID-19 has brought particular challenges for retailers - large and small, across the country. Trading online is a very important route for retail businesses to grow and improve their business in the current crisis and will be an important element in their recovery over the longer term.
The objective of the COVID-19 Online Retail Scheme - a competitive scheme, administered on my Department's behalf by Enterprise Ireland, is to support companies in the indigenous retail sector who have already started an online journey, to further enhance and strengthen their online presence, which will have the most immediate impact enabling them to respond to both domestic and international consumer demand with a competitive online offer.
My Department proposed this Scheme in response to the COVID-19 crisis and the urgent need for retail companies to achieve a step change in online capability. Applicant companies must be an indigenous retailer, employing 10 or more people, have an existing online presence (e.g. website or social media), and have a retail outlet through which they derive the majority of their revenue.
The Scheme was launched with an initial fund size of €2m. Due to significant levels of interest for the Scheme from eligible retailers and the particular challenges facing the retail sector during the pandemic, the funding available was increased. On the 2 July 2020, I was pleased to announce that 183 retailers have been approved for €6.5m in funding as part of the scheme. They will receive funding of between €10,000 and €40,000 and the average size of grants awarded under the first Call was €35,500. The grant is calculated at a maximum of 80% of company expenditure of up to €40,000 incurred by the successful applicants. The 183 retailers awarded funding operate across a broad spectrum of sectors and almost three quarters are located outside Dublin.
A further call under the Scheme will be issued by Enterprise Ireland over the coming weeks.
Further details on this Scheme are available at
www.enterprise-ireland.com/en/funding-supports/online-retail/online-retail-scheme/online-retail-scheme.html.
The Deputy may be aware that there has also been a major expansion of the Trading Online Voucher Scheme to help small and micro enterprises, with no more than 10 employees, including those in the retail sector, to get online quickly.
The Trading Online Voucher Scheme is being expanded by €14.2m after the Local Enterprise Offices received 3 years’ worth of applications in 3 months following the outbreak of COVID-19 in Ireland. Following a previous expansion of the Scheme in early April, total additional funding for the Scheme is now almost €20m in 2020.
Under the Scheme, small businesses can claim up to €5,000 in two vouchers worth €2,500 each. The Scheme also facilitates subscriptions to low-cost online retailing platform solutions to quickly establish a retailing presence online.
I am committed to supporting the needs of the retail sector in developing their online capability and enhancing their competitiveness and will continue to review supports in this particular area, working with the industry through the Retail Forum.
65. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation his plans to ban below-cost selling for fresh foods; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17092/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have no legislative power to impose a ban on below-cost selling of any grocery good. The Restrictive Practices (Groceries) Order 1987 was revoked by section 4 of the Competition (Amendment) Act 2006 (No. 4 of 2006) because the Order was considered to be anti-competitive and therefore not in the best interests of consumers. Relationships between suppliers and buyers are based on commercial considerations and prices are determined through hard negotiations which is in the best interests of consumers.
Matters relating to food policy are the responsibility of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
66. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation when a start-up grant will be available for a company (details supplied). [17133/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe company in question made an application for Restart Grant funding to Fingal County Council.
It is my understanding that the applicant was informed that they were being awarded a grant on the 14th July 2020, with grant funds scheduled to be transferred to their bank account on 17th July 2020.
67. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation further to Parliamentary Questions on 14 July 2020, the reason for his refusal to agree to bring forward new legislation to protect the pay and conditions of workers affected by the recently struck down sectoral employment order; and his advice to new entrant workers and workers moving between employers whose pay and conditions are now under threat. [17144/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs set out in the House on July 9th and again on 14th, following discussion with Minister English and consultation with the Attorney General, it has been decided to appeal the High Court decision which maintains that the legislative framework governing the SEO process is unconstitutional because it delegates law making powers to others outside the legislature.
We have compelling grounds to appeal the ruling. The outcome of the Appeal will provide the legislative certainty that is required for us to secure robust and compliant wage setting mechanisms in law. It is premature to address this is issue by way of legislation.
This is an area of legislation that has proven very litigious over the past fifteen years. The Industrial Relations Act 2015 was a major piece of legislation that sought to deal with the important constitutional issues in question. I am hopeful that the appeal will confirm that the Oireachtas got it right in 2015.
