Written Answers Nos. 1-20
8. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of companies in each of counties Offaly, Laois, Longford and Westmeath that have applied for funding under the Irish Innovation Seed Fund Programme in tabular form; the number that have been successful in each county; and the total funding awarded in each county to date. [24977/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra11. Deputy James Lawless asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of companies in each of counties Kildare, Wicklow and Meath that have applied for funding under the Irish Innovation Seed Fund Programme in tabular form; the number that have been successful in each county; and the total funding awarded in each county to date. [24986/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra187. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of companies in each of counties Cork and Kerry that have applied for funding under the Irish Innovation Seed Fund Programme in tabular form; the number that have been successful in each county; and the total funding awarded in each county to date. [24975/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra188. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of companies in each of counties Limerick, Clare and Tipperary that have applied for funding under the Irish Innovation Seed Fund Programme in tabular form; the number that have been successful in each county; and the total funding awarded in each county to date. [24979/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 8, 11, 187 and 188 together.
On February 9th, the Irish Innovation Seed Fund Programme was launched by the Tánaiste and the Minister for Finance. This Programme has a strategic emphasis on attracting new fund managers to the Irish equity ecosystem and opening new pipelines for finance. It is a fund of funds, which is an indirect form of equity financing for SMEs. SMEs will not directly apply for funding through this programme. As the fund is at the processing stage, the information sought by the Deputy is not available.
The programme, which is being managed by the European Investment Fund (EIF), will provide vital venture capital to innovative Irish companies at seed stage. This is an important step in developing and expanding the pool of private capital available to early-stage companies wanting to grow in Ireland.
Totalling €90 million, the programme is made up of a €30 million contribution from my Department through our agency Enterprise Ireland (EI), whilst the EIF will match this investment by providing a further €30 million. The Irish Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) will co-invest a further €30 million. This €90 million, backed by these strong partners, will be an important cornerstone investment and will attract private co-investment.
Essentially, a pool of funding, drawn from multiple sources, provides capital for specialist fund managers, who will in turn then seek to invest that capital in SMEs, from areas that are often less well served across a variety of sectors and regions in Ireland.
The first call for expressions of interest from experienced fund managers was issued in February and closed on April 29th. It is expected that three to four successful funds will receive investment, and they will, in turn, invest in multiple SMEs from different sectors and regions across the State.
The programme partners, EIF, EI, and ISIF, have been processing and screening the applications, in line with the programme’s strategic goals. Once these are fully processed, the plan is to sign at least one fund before the end of 2022 with the remaining agreements to be signed in the first half of 2023. Once an agreement has been signed with a fund, the fund will then seek SME’s in which to invest.
9. Deputy Brian Leddin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the steps he is taking to decarbonise the freight sector as part of the Strategic Objective 2 of the recently published Mid-West Regional Enterprise Plan to decarbonise industry in the mid-west by developing the Shannon Estuary as a renewable energy hub; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25359/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAdvancing the transition to a low carbon economy is a policy priority for me and the Government.
My Department has overseen the development of nine new Regional Enterprise Plans to 2024, including for the Mid-West, which covers Counties Limerick, Clare, and Tipperary.
I was very pleased to launch the Mid-West Plan with Ministers of State, English and Troy, in Nenagh on the 18th February and was impressed by the ambition of the Mid-West to be a leading sustainable and low carbon region.
The Deputy will be aware that I recently established the Shannon Estuary Economic Taskforce following a commitment in the Programme for Government. I’m really happy with the membership of the taskforce. It’s a really good mix of expertise from research, academia and industry.
This Taskforce has got to work quickly. It is identifying specific economic development opportunities for the Shannon Estuary area, with particular focus on the significant potential of both offshore and onshore renewable energy to drive sustainable economic development, as well as opportunities across transport, manufacturing, and tourism.
In addition to its programme of stakeholder engagement, the Taskforce is expected to draw on existing development plans and initiatives, including the Mid-West Regional Enterprise Plan, and produce a masterplan for the Shannon Estuary area with an associated action plan detailing its proposed implementation. This work is expected to conclude by the end of November, at which point I look forward to receiving the Taskforce’s final report.
This potential to develop renewable energy through the Shannon Estuary will open up opportunities for a variety of green fuels such as hydrogen, ammonia, and electrofuels, all of which will play a role in the decarbonisation of the freight sector.
My colleague, Eamonn Ryan TD, Minister for Transport, leads on the decarbonisation of the freight sector. As in passenger transport, enabling the freight sector and businesses to avail of cleaner and more efficient delivery alternatives will be necessary to meet our climate goals and to reduce transport emissions in the Mid-West and in Ireland more generally. Currently, heavy-goods vehicles account for around 20%, and light-goods vehicles for 18% of national transport emissions.
12. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of vacant industrial buildings in Shannon, County Clare at this time; and the measures that his Department, in conjunction with the IDA and Enterprise Ireland, is doing to attract new companies to the area. [25009/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraClare has witnessed an 11% increase in employment in overseas companies since 2012. Over 680 net new jobs were added to the FDI portfolio during this period. There are now over 6,924 people employed across 71 multinational companies in Clare. Recent investments of scale have been in the Technology, Med Tech, Pharma and Financial Services sectors, with announcements from companies like Beckman Coulter, Edwards Lifesciences, Exida and Element Six.
There are currently no vacant IDA Ireland industrial buildings or landholdings in Shannon, but I am advised that IDA Ireland continues to market private sector offerings where these are available.
Clare benefits from direct and indirect employment generated by IDA Ireland client companies located in bordering counties, with over 150 IDA Ireland client companies in the Mid-West Region. Over the past five years employment among IDA Ireland clients increased by 27%, rising to 25,270.
IDA Ireland engages with Clare County Council, Shannon Commercial Properties and other property owners and stakeholders on their development plans, and markets sites and property solutions across the Mid-West region through its extensive overseas network.
Enterprise Ireland supports 94 companies in Clare, which employed 4,286 people in 2021, an increase of 8.8% on 2020 which makes the Clare the 6th best performing county nationally in terms of 2021 employment growth.
Enterprise Ireland administered funding of €11.8 million to companies in Clare in 2021, with €4.9 million approved for Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund projects, €1.4 million through the R&D Fund in 2021 and €1.1 million through the Sustaining Enterprise Fund.
Enterprise Ireland has invested €94,500 in Shannon Commercial Enterprises DAC, which provides a complete commercial property solution for businesses looking to locate their operations to the Mid-West. Under the Regional Enterprise Development Fund, Enterprise Ireland administered €350,000 of approved funding to the Emerald Aero Cluster in Shannon.
Both IDA and Enterprise Ireland work closely with all stakeholders, including the Shannon Group, the Shannon Chamber, Clare Local Enterprise Office, the University of Limerick and Regional Skills Mid-West to attract and develop enterprise in the Mid-West and Shannon region. This region is well positioned to retain and attract new investment and both agencies will continue to collaborate with all stakeholders in the region to achieve this objective under the Regional Enterprise Plan.
16. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will clarify the progress made to date or planned in enacting legislation to protect workers in cases of mass redundancies including a recent case (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25208/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFollowing extensive engagement with the social partners, the 'Plan for Action on Collective Redundancies following Insolvency' was published in June 2021. This sets out several commitments to safeguard further the rights of workers in these circumstances including:
1. amendments to company law and employment law,
2. establishing a new Employment Law Review Group, and
3. the provision of an accessible guidance document.
The Guidance Document was published in December 2021 and provides clear and accessible information in relation to the rights and remedies available to employees facing a collective redundancy situation following a company insolvency.
Work has commenced on the General Scheme of a Bill to amend the Protection of Employment Act 1977, in line with the changes set out in the “Plan for Action”. Once completed, it is intended to bring the General Scheme to Government before the summer recess. This will lead to improved employee consultation, amendments for temporary lay-off and access to social welfare, as well as better redress and enforcement.
Work has also commenced on the drafting of the Terms of Reference for the Employment Law Review Group and organising suitable membership. The immediate focus is to get the Group up and running, initially on a non-statutory basis, also before the summer recess.
Turning to Company Law:
Three recommendations were progressed in the Companies (Rescue Process for Small and Micro Companies) Act 2021, which was commenced in December 2021. These recommendations relate to:
- the liquidator’s power to defend proceedings before the Workplace Relations Commission and Labour Court.
- the liquidator or director’s obligation to make creditors aware of their right to form and participate in a Committee of Inspection, and
- the requirement for a Committee of Inspection, where appointed, to include at least one employee creditor member.
Further amendments were considered by the Company Law Review Group last year and it submitted its report in December 2021. The Group ultimately concluded that the incidence of abusive practices in corporate restructuring, while attracting significant attention, is in fact low. This conclusion is supported by the Office of Director of Corporate Enforcement which notes that its reviews of liquidations indicate that in over 90% of all liquidations, company directors had acted honestly and responsibly.
Notwithstanding this, the Group made eight recommendations for potential amendment to the Companies Act which are intended to further enhance the regulatory framework. The Report has been considered by officials from my Department in the context of the “Plan for Action”. My colleague, Minister Troy, has considered their analysis and proposals, and intends for proposed amendments reflecting the consequences of certain corporate liquidations and restructuring practices to be carried through a Companies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill.
17. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will provide an update on the progress made to date in the implementation in the Mid-West region of the IDA Strategy - Driving Recovery & Sustainable Growth 2021 – 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24978/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraRegional development is at the centre of IDA Ireland's current strategy “Driving Recovery & Sustainable Growth 2021-2024”. Of the target 800 investments in the Strategy, half are targeted at regional locations.
As the Deputy may be aware, IDA Ireland announces mid and end year results. The latest results, released last December, show a very strong first year of this Strategy. Highlights of IDA Ireland’s performance throughout 2021 include the creation of over 29,000 new jobs in IDA supported client companies, bringing the numbers directly employed in the multinational sector in Ireland to 275,384.
The net number of jobs created in 2021 was 16,826 demonstrating the continued resilience of the existing FDI base. This included 249 new investments with, 104 of these being new name investments.
More than half (53%) of investments in 2021 were in regional locations, with every region experiencing growth. There are now 150 IDA client companies in the Mid-West Region, employing 25,270 people, up 5% on the previous year.
Under their Regional Property Programme IDA will deliver an Advanced Building Solution in Limerick that is currently at construction stage. IDA has also recently completed construction of the Advanced Manufacturing Centre at the IDA National Technology Park, which is currently being operationalised. Significant infrastructure upgrade works are underway at Raheen Business Park and the National Technology Park to ensure a robust value proposition for clients. The Agency has also committed to work in partnership with Tipperary County Council for the delivery of a planning permit for an Advanced Technology Building in Clonmel, to advance the location from an attractiveness perspective.
The 2021 figures show a pattern of sustained, robust growth in FDI investment and employment over a continuous period of more than ten years. IDA Ireland is targeting 76 investments for the Mid-West region in the period 2021 to 2024.
I expect the IDA’s 2022 Mid-Year results to be announced in June.
18. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if there is a county breakdown of the 125 start-ups that were supported by Enterprise Ireland in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24957/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI thank Deputy Kehoe for his question. I know he is keen to promote job creation and enterprise in Wexford and we had a productive meeting earlier this year to see what more we could do to develop enterprise in the county.
As you know, in March we launched a new Regional Enterprise Plan to 2024 for the South-East. Its five strategic objectives are:
1. Start and grow – Encouraging entrepreneurship and enhancing the region’s start up ecosystem.
2. Green growth - Ensuring that the green economy becomes an engine for future job creation and economic growth in the region.
3. Smart specialisation and clustering - The principles of smart specialisation and clustering are critical for the region to create a resilient, inclusive, sustainable and competitive economy.
4. Innovate - Building on our existing RD&I capacity to place innovation at the heart of the South-East economy.
5. Place - Developing a region that is attractive to both domestic and international visitors and communicating the benefits of living and working in the South-East.
Over 5,000 jobs are supported by 87 EI-supported companies in Wexford. Over 1,500 jobs are supported by LEO-supported companies and 288 net jobs were added during 2021.
3,750 jobs are supported by 25 IDA-supported companies in Wexford and 162 net jobs were added during 2021.
Enterprise Ireland's new strategy includes a commitment to build a stronger start-up project pipeline across the regions, targeting an increase of 20% in the number of prospective and fast-growing high potential start-ups, including through commercialisation of research and innovation-driven entrepreneurship.
The breakdown by county of the 125 start-ups approved by Enterprise Ireland (EI) in 2021 is led by Dublin with 65 start-ups, Cork and Galway with 10 start-ups each and Kildare and Waterford with 5 start-up companies each. This accounts for 95 of the total 125 start-ups approved by EI in 2021.
Other counties with less than 5 start-up companies approved in 2021 comprised of Wexford with 4, Kilkenny, Limerick and Mayo with 3 start-ups each, Donegal, Kerry, Monaghan, Westmeath and Wicklow with 2 each and Carlow, Clare, Leitrim, Meath, Offaly, Sligo and Tipperary, all with one start-up company each.
19. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the steps that are being taken to clear the current backlog for work permits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25213/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department experienced a significant increase in applications for employment permits in the past year, impacting on processing times. From the start of January to the end of December 2021, some 27,666 applications were received, representing a 69% increase over the same period in 2020 (16,293) and a 47% increase on 2019 (18,811), which itself represented an 11 year high in applications. 16,275 employment permits were issued in 2021 out of a total of 17,968 applications processed, which represents a significant volume of activity.
The increased demand was also driven by the extension of categories of employment permits following the Review of the Occupational Lists in October 2021. Processing times were also impacted as a result of the HSE cyber-attack which had a direct effect on employment permit applications associated with the July 2021 Doctors rotation, which had to be processed manually.
From the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic all employment permit applications for medical personnel have been expedited in order to assist the State to respond to the threat of Covid-19.
My Department recognises the impact delays in the processing times for employment permits has for businesses and their workers. An internal plan of action has been implemented which has increased resources and implemented more efficient methods of processing applications in the permits system. Hundreds of doctors have already been removed from the employment permits system. The processing team has trebled in size and daily output has more than tripled compared to 2021 levels.
Since the implementation of this plan, the Employment Permits Unit has made positive progress by reducing the number of applications awaiting processing from about 11,000 in January 2022 to about 6,000 today, despite further strong growth in demand in 2022. As new staff were trained on Critical Skills and Intra Corporate Transfer Employment Permits, processing times for those permits have fallen from 21 weeks to 6 weeks.
My Department plans to maintain processing times for all CSEP and ICT applications at approximately its current level for all of Q2, on the assumption that demand remains at current levels.
The Employment Permits Unit is now coming to the end of processing the bulk of the 3,000 additional General Employment Permits applications made available to the meat and horticultural sectors, following the last review of the Occupational Lists, in addition to normal processing workload. Last week processing times for General Employment Permit applications for Trusted Partners fell from 22 weeks to 16 weeks. Processing times for General Employment Permit applications from Standard applicants remains at 22 weeks but should begin to fall from now on, with processing times considerably reduced by the end of Quarter 2.
20. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will outline the measures the Government is taking regarding job creation in counties Roscommon and Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25098/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI believe we can achieve a record 2.5 million people in work by 2024. That means full employment – a job for anybody who wants one. It also means ensuring job opportunities in all parts of Ireland to achieve balanced regional development.
The recently launched Regional Enterprise Plans will be working to meet these objectives over the coming years.
The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment working with our agencies Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, and the LEOs, help companies in every county of Ireland to start and scale, innovate, and remain competitive in international markets.
As the Deputy is aware, in December 2020, Harmac Medical Products announced a major investment in its facility at Castlerea to accelerate the manufacturing of surgical masks and non-invasive ventilation products, creating 60 new roles. In May 2021, Enterprise Ireland client company Chanelle Pharma announced plans for 60 jobs in Ballinasloe and a €5m investment.
Focusing on Galway, in 2021, over 8,000 people were employed across 215 Enterprise Ireland client companies. Over 1,000 jobs were created resulting in a net increase in employment of 714. In addition, there are 94 IDA supported companies in Galway City and County, employing over 22,000 people.
Between 2019 and 2021 €33m was invested by the Government through our agency Enterprise Ireland in their client companies in County Galway with a further €8.6 million toward infrastructural projects in County Galway facilitating new collaborative and innovative initiatives that can make a significant impact on enterprise development in the region.
LEO Galway provided priming and business expansion grants to 277 businesses across Galway County and city creating 221 jobs in 2021.
Focussing on Roscommon, in 2021, over 1,600 people were employed by 34 Enterprise Ireland client companies. During 2021, 154 new jobs were created resulting in a net increase in employment of 102 people. In addition, 10 IDA supported companies employ 1,473 in total.
In 2021, 940 people were employed in 167 LEO Roscommon assisted businesses with 104 net jobs created.
Between 2019 and 2021 €3.2m was invested by the Government through Enterprise Ireland in their client companies in County Roscommon. Funding has been approved for the development of Monksland Innovation Hub which will commence refurbishment in 2022 and will create over 50 jobs in 2023.
