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Thursday, 16 Jun 2022

Written Answers Nos. 150-160

Work Permits

Ceisteanna (150)

David Stanton

Ceist:

150. Deputy David Stanton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the current processing times for appeals of general employment permit and critical skills employment permit applications; the number of appeals received by his Department per month from May 2021 to May 2022, inclusive; the number of successful appeals per month during this period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31459/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The number of employment permit appeals received and the number of employment permit appeals accepted by my Department per month from May 2021 to May 2022 are set out in the tables below.

The processing dates for appeals are not separated by permit type. Appeals for all permit types are processed in date order. The Employment Permits Section inform me that they are currently processing appeals which were received on the 4th of March 2022.

Appeals Received 2021

Total

May

30

June

17

July

21

August

22

September

61

October

62

November

62

December

97

Appeals Received 2022

January

82

February

165

March

163

April

174

May

214

Grand Total

1,170

Appeals Accepted (successful) 2021

Total

May

22

June

9

July

13

August

7

September

21

October

26

November

20

December

25

Appeals Accepted (successful) 2022

January

55

February

60

March

49

April

39

May

74

Grand Total

420

Departmental Reports

Ceisteanna (151)

David Stanton

Ceist:

151. Deputy David Stanton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his views on the report entitled An Evaluation of the Impacts of Remote Working published by his Department; the actions, if any, he has taken as a result; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31080/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I welcome the findings published in the report, which provide further evidence that remote working will, on balance, change Ireland for the better. The research was conducted in line with the goals set out in Making Remote Work, Ireland’s National Remote Work Strategy, which I launched in January 2021, and the publication of this report is just one of the many actions that have been achieved in the Strategy to date.

The report is authored by an economist in my Department who is part of the Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service (IGEES). While research papers like this do not necessarily represent an official Government or Departmental view, I have welcomed the report and I believe the research is an important contribution to our evidence base as we continue to develop remote work policy to maximise the economic, social and environmental benefits that it can bring.

Remote working will continue to play a significant role as we emerge from the pandemic, giving workers greater work-life balance and flexibility while providing firms with increased pools of talent to choose from. Remote working will be a key mechanism for achieving our employment targets, helping those most distant from the labour force into work, and further contributing to achieving our ambitious climate targets. Female labour force participation in Ireland is currently at a record high, with over 1.2 million women in the labour force as of Q1 2022, an increase of over 100,000 from pre-pandemic levels. This is a development that is likely to be at least in part facilitated by the wider adoption of remote working arrangements.

The research also highlights how remote working can lead to more balanced regional development. My Department recently published new Regional Enterprise Plans to 2024 in which there is a focus on promoting remote working opportunities and investing in infrastructures across the nine regions. The plans were launched at regional locations during February and March 2022.

My Department co-ordinated the implementation of the National Remote Work Strategy’s actions through an Interdepartmental Group. There has been significant progress in implementing these actions, and some key achievements to date are outlined below:

- On 25th January, the Government approved the priority drafting of the Right to Request Remote Working Bill 2022. The new law will set out a clear legal framework around which requesting, approving or refusing such a request can be based. Pre-legislative scrutiny of the General Scheme by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment commenced on 9th of February, with three meetings having been held to date. Officials in my Department attended a further meeting on 18th May. The intention remains that the Bill will be progressed through the Oireachtas as quickly as possible. Following publication of the Joint Oireachtas Committee’s Report on pre-legislative scrutiny, any recommendations made will be reviewed and considered. I want to emphasise that I am happy to listen to proposed amendments to the Bill.

- The publication of the Code of Practice on the Right to Disconnect in April 2021 by the Workplace Relations Commission.

- An enhanced income tax deduction for remote workers amounting to 30 percent of expenses for heat, electricity and broadband was announced in Budget 2022.

- The Government is investing heavily in remote work infrastructure throughout the country to ensure that communities across Ireland are in a position to benefit from the opportunities presented by increased remote working.-

- The Connected Hubs Fund awarded funding of €8.9m to 117 remote working hub projects and Broadband Connection Points in July 2021 to upgrade Ireland’s remote work infrastructure. An additional €5m has been made available under the 2022 Connected Hubs Call. €18.5m in funding under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme was also announced recently, with successful projects including 28 remote working proposals.

- To date, a total of approximately €100m has been provided by the Department of Rural and Community Development through its various funding streams to support the development of remote working infrastructure across the country. This includes €76 million in funding for projects under the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF), many of which involved the regeneration of historic town centre buildings as enterprise centres and co-working hubs.

- In October 2021, over €9.3 million in funding was awarded to projects around the country through Enterprise Ireland’s Regional Enterprise Transition Scheme, with successful applicants including hubs and enterprise centres throughout the country.

- The publication of the Civil Service Blended Policy Framework by DPER in March 2022 will help deliver the Programme for Government commitment to move to 20% remote working across the sector.

- My Department is continuing to develop and promote its Guidance for Working Remotely webpage. This webpage acts as a central access point for employers and employees and brings together the existing State guidance, legislation and advice on remote work into one place. The webpage is a live resource and is updated regularly. The webpage includes an Employer Checklist to provide employers with a quick way to successfully navigate the adoption of remote working arrangements.

Departmental Policies

Ceisteanna (152, 153)

Holly Cairns

Ceist:

152. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his Department and public bodies and agencies that operate under his remit that operate in direct contact with members of the public have policies in place for members of the public to report instances of sexual harassment or assault that occur on the property of his Department or each public body and agency under his remit; if so, if these policies are publicly accessible on the relevant website; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31740/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Holly Cairns

Ceist:

153. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his Department and public bodies and agencies that operate under his remit have policies in place for employees to report instances of sexual harassment or assault that occur involving other employees or members of the public or on the property of his Department or public body and agency that operate under his remit; if so, if these policies are publicly accessible on the relevant website; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31759/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 152 and 153 together.

Protecting the health, safety and welfare of all staff and visitors to the premises occupied by the Department is of paramount importance. Depending on the specific circumstances, matters pertaining to assault and/or sexual harassment would likely require the direct involvement of An Garda Síochána.

There are various legislative requirements, policies and systems in place to underpin a safe working environment across each of the eleven buildings occupied by my Department and its Offices, which include the Companies Registration Office, the Intellectual Property Office of Ireland, the Labour Court, the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement and the Workplace Relations Commission. These include, but are not limited, to the following:

- Under the Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015, sexual harassment and harassment of an employee (including agency workers and trainees) in the workplace is against the law. This includes sexual harassment and harassment by co-workers; the employer; clients, customers or other business contacts of the employer. Information on the Employment Equality Acts can be found at www.workplacerelations.ie.

- The Safety, Health and Welfare Act 2005 deals with a range of issues, including setting out requirements and advice to employers to guard against inappropriate behaviour on their premises. Information on this legislation is available at www.hsa.ie, the website of the Health and Safety Authority of Ireland HSA), an agency under the remit of my Department. This legislation requires employers to report any accidents and dangerous occurrences to be reported to the H.S.A. State Authorities also have a statutory requirement to report any unplanned or uncontrolled occurrence or sequence of occurrences that caused or had the potential to cause injury, ill-health, disease, and/or damage/loss to property/service to the State Claims Agency.

There are also various Civil Service codes of conduct, procedures and internal processes to protect the health, safety and welfare of staff and visitors. The Civil Service Code of Standards and Behaviour is an important framework within which all civil servants are expected to work, and this includes observing appropriate standards of behaviour at work. This is available at www.sipo.ie.

The Civil Service is committed to protecting and promoting dignity and respect across the organisation. The Civil Service Dignity at Work 2015 policy aims to promote respect, dignity, safety, and equality in the workplace. Every member of staff is made aware that all forms of bullying, harassment, and sexual harassment are unacceptable, and every member of staff has a duty to behave in an acceptable and respectful manner towards other staff members and visitors alike. This policy can be found at www.gov.ie. Related to this, and at the same website, is the Civil Service Disciplinary Code, which is also underpinned by various legislative requirements. The Disciplinary Code sets out the various steps involved to investigate allegations of misconduct, which may include assault and or/sexual assault. Any disciplinary matters would be an internal matter for the HR Unit of the Department to consider.

Supplementing all of the above are internal Departmental policies such as the Department’s Health and Safety Statement; a Physical Access Policy which includes details regarding Departmental premises and a CCTV Policy. Such policies could also be used as part of any investigative requirement, either internally or with An Garda Síochána, in the event of an allegation being notified to the Department by a staff member or an external person.

My Department does not operate any public offices so the volume of members of the public onsite at Departmental premises is generally low. Nonetheless I can assure the Deputy that any allegations of assault or sexual harassment by a member of staff or of the public, would be treated with the utmost gravity and involve all appropriate mechanisms, legal and otherwise, to ensure that the matter was investigated in a thorough and proper fashion.

The specific day-to-day operations of the Agencies under the aegis of my Department are a matter for their respective Boards and Heads of Agencies. All of the legislative requirements referred to above are applicable to each Agency and the public sector codes of practice and requirements of the highest standards of behaviour expected of staff essentially mirror those of the Civil Service.

Question No. 153 answered with Question No. 152.

Waste Management

Ceisteanna (154, 156, 157, 158, 159)

Peter Burke

Ceist:

154. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the financial supports that are in place for retailers to encourage the reuse of infrastructure on their premises; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31421/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Peter Burke

Ceist:

156. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if a latté levy on single-use drinks and food containers will be introduced as part of the Circular Economy, Waste Management (Amendment) and Minerals Development (Amendment) Bill 2022 with the aim of reducing litter and the waste of resources; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31413/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Peter Burke

Ceist:

157. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if a requirement to commit 20% of a retailer’s floor space to reuse and refill options is being considered as part of the Circular Economy, Waste Management (Amendment) and Minerals Development (Amendment) Bill 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31414/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Peter Burke

Ceist:

158. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if a ban on plastic packaging on hardy fruit and vegetables is being considered as part of the Circular Economy, Waste Management (Amendment) and Minerals Development (Amendment) Bill 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31415/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Peter Burke

Ceist:

159. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he is considering a ban on single-use items such as wipes, free sample-size items and mono-dose sachets in conjunction with the Circular Economy, Waste Management (Amendment) and Minerals Development (Amendment) Bill 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31416/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 154, 156, 157, 158 and 159 together.

The Circular Economy, Waste Management (Amendment) and Minerals Development (Amendment) Bill 2022 (‘the Bill’) aims to support Ireland’s transition to a circular economy by providing the necessary legislative basis for several key measures including the Circular Economy Strategy, the Circular Economy Programme, the National Food Loss Prevention Roadmap and the Circular Economy Fund. 

The Bill will also provide the power to introduce environmental levies on certain single-use disposable items, including single-use disposable cups, containers and packaging, and to prohibit their placing on the market where a suitable re-usable alternative is, or could be made, readily available. These levies will work in a similar way to the plastic bag levy, which has been so successful in tackling plastic bag litter.  These new environmental levies will be introduced incrementally, with the initial focus on the introduction of levies on single-use disposable hot drinks cups later this year.

Amendments to the Bill at Committee Stage provide for the mandatory inclusion in the Circular Economy Strategy of sectoral targets in respect of, inter alia, the retail and packaging sectors. The targets to be set out in respect of a sector must include appropriate targets in respect of reductions in material resource consumption and the use of non-recyclable material; increases in the use of reusable products and materials; increased levels of repair and reuse; or improved maintenance and optimised use of goods, products and materials. The strategy must also set out the actions necessary to meet those targets. The Bill also provides that a report must be prepared by or on behalf of the Minister examining how single-use packaging used in the sale of fruit and vegetables can be reduced. The Bill does not contain provisions in relation to floor area use in retail outlets.

Through the Single Use Plastics Regulations 2021 some measures are already in place for certain single-use items and further measures will be introduced in the coming years which will significantly reduce the use of single-use plastic being placed on the market. Specifically in relation to wet wipes, compulsory marking requirements were introduced from 3 July 2021 and an extended producer responsibility scheme will be operational from 31 December 2024.

There are significant opportunities for the retail sector to play a leading role in the circular economy transition.  The Retail Forum, which is chaired by the Minister of State for Employment, Business and Retail, provides a platform to allow key issues of relevance to the sector to be discussed with a view to identifying practical actions which can be taken by Government or by industry itself to support the sector. Under the sustainability theme, which is a key focus for the Retail Forum, a Retail Forum Working Group ‘Future of Retail – Green Transition Working Group’ has been established. The Retail Forum will work with relevant stakeholders, including my Department, to progress actions identified by the Working Group and drive forward relevant Government policies.

There are a number of supports available to encourage and assist businesses, including retailers, implement circular economy practices:

- The Circular Economy Innovation Grants Scheme, launched by my Department in 2021, is designed to help advance the circular economy amongst local communities, NGOs and small businesses, and raise awareness of the need to transition to sustainable patterns of production and consumption.

- The Climate Enterprise Action Fund, administered by Enterprise Ireland, provides Climate Action Vouchers to assist businesses in identifying operational opportunities in a range of areas including the circular economy.

- Local Enterprise Offices are assisting small businesses through the Green for Micro Programme, which provides training and advice on a range of subjects including circular economy principles and the transition to a circular business model.

Departmental Transport

Ceisteanna (155)

Richard O'Donoghue

Ceist:

155. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the details of the car and driver expenses in his Department that were claimed by junior and senior Ministers in 2021, in tabular form. [31392/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

There are no Ministerial drivers appointed to my Department and therefore there are no related car and driver expenses.

Question No. 156 answered with Question No. 154.
Question No. 157 answered with Question No. 154.
Question No. 158 answered with Question No. 154.
Question No. 159 answered with Question No. 154.

Renewable Energy Generation

Ceisteanna (160)

Joe O'Brien

Ceist:

160. Deputy Joe O'Brien asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of public buildings in the State which have solar panels, heat pumps or mini-turbines installed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31465/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Information in respect of the public sector, as a whole, is not readily available and its compilation would involve a disproportionate amount of time and work.

The information requested, in so far as it relates to schemes under the remit of my Department, is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.

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