Written Answers Nos. 1-6
1. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the estimated cost of increasing funding to local enterprise offices by 10%, 15%, 20% and 25%, respectively in tabular form. [32894/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraA total of €43.781 million has been allocated by my Department to support the Local Enterprise Offices for 2022. The table below sets out the estimated cost of increasing funding to the LEOs by 10%, 15%, 20% and 25% respectively.
|
|
REV Allocation 2022 (€,000) |
10% Increase (€,000) |
15% Increase (€,000) |
20% Increase (€,000) |
25% Increase (€,000) |
|
Local Enterprise Offices A8 |
43,781 |
48,159 |
50,348 |
52,537 |
54,726 |
2. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the estimated agency own resource income that will be generated by agencies under his Department in 2022 and 2023, in tabular form. [32899/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraA number of Agencies funded under my Department’s Vote, most notably Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, National Standards Authority of Ireland and the Local Enterprise Offices, generate Own Resource Income (ORI) from a range of their activities. The Agencies may retain and expend the ORI that they generate on pursuing their mandates subject to the limits sanctioned by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.
A request to allow the Agencies concerned to retain and expend Own Resource Income generated in 2022 is currently under consideration by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. Accordingly, I am not in a position at this stage to confirm what the sanctioned levels of ORI will be in 2022. I would expect, however, that the 2022 levels will be consistent with the levels sanctioned in 2021. In terms of 2023, the permitted levels of ORI will not be considered until the beginning of next year. It is also envisaged that they too will be consistent with the 2021 levels.
The attached table below provides the Deputy with the sanctioned levels of ORI for the Agencies concerned for 2021.
|
Agency |
Own Resources Income (€m) |
|
Enterprise Ireland |
94.506 |
|
IDA Ireland |
25.684 |
|
National Standards Authority of Ireland |
27.200 |
|
Local Enterprise Offices |
1.300 |
|
Health and Safety Authority |
4.000 |
|
Total |
152.690 |
In addition to the foregoing, a number of the Department’s Agencies, the Irish Auditing & Accounting Supervisory Authority (IAASA) and the Competition & Consumer Protection Commission and the Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB), impose and receive levies to assist them in carrying some or all of their functions. These levies are determined in accordance with the terms of the relevant governing legislation and are intended to cover the costs of regulation.
3. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will expand the eligibility for the new €55 million Green Transition Fund to smaller businesses that are not supported through Enterprise Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32900/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy department is actively pursuing opportunities for decarbonisation across our entire enterprise base and we always aim to foster strong, resilient businesses, that are successful and sustainable, while meeting the enterprise sector’s climate objectives.
The Green Transition fund I launched last week has two elements, the "Climate Planning Fund for Business" and the "Enterprise Emissions Reduction Investment Fund".
The Climate Planning Fund for Business is targeted at companies of different sizes and at all stages of their zero carbon journey, and is open to all client and potential client companies of the enterprise development agencies. The Climate Planning Fund for Business is therefore available to all Enterprise Ireland, Údarás na Gaeltachta clients and potential clients, with certain programmes such as the GreenStart also available through the Local Enterprise Offices, which support all businesses with less than 10 employees.
The Enterprise Emissions Reduction Investment Fund provides grant aid to reduce the payback period on carbon reducing technologies in manufacturing processes, and is designed very specifically to achieve a core measure in the enterprise chapter of the Climate Action Plan 2021 to “accelerate the uptake of carbon-neutral heating in industry”. It is therefore targeted only at manufacturing businesses, the vast majority of which are, or are eligible to be, clients of Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland or Údarás na Gaeltachta. The Enterprise Emissions Reduction Investment Fund will provide manufacturing businesses the foundations they require to begin their transition to low carbon production processes and assist them to invest in carbon abating capital equipment and technologies.
To help all businesses get started on the transition to a low carbon economy, my Department, with Minister Ryan's Department, launched the Climate Toolkit 4 Business last year, which can assist all SMEs and microenterprises. The Toolkit provides an estimate of the carbon footprint of the business based on some simple information input and generates a tailored action plan and highlights relevant state programmes and funding that can assist in implementing the recommended actions. These actions will be in the areas of energy use, water use, materials use and transport. By implementing them, businesses will be well on their way to a greener future. I would encourage all enterprises that do not qualify for the Green Transition Fund to engage with the Climate Toolkit for Business as it will help them get started on their low carbon journey.
Our Local Enterprise Offices recently re-launched the “Green4Micro” programme. This programme offers green transition advice and technical support to micro-enterprises. The Green for Micro programme is open to all micro-enterprises, and not just agency clients, with up to ten employees. This programme is particularly suited to businesses in construction and the built environment, retail, manufacturing, textiles and fashion, food, electronics, plastics, and packaging. Qualifying SMEs receive two days of intensive mentoring, including a sustainability audit, and design an action plan to reduce their carbon footprint. With climate change, changing regulations, rising resource costs and changing customer expectations adopting an eco-friendlier approach is the best way forward for business.
4. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if section 137 of The Companies Act 2014 will be amended to allow for directors in Northern Ireland to establish and register a company with the Companies Registration Office without having to lodge a non-resident directors bond revenue bond; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32992/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAt the outset, I should clarify that there is no restriction under company law on residents of Northern Ireland either establishing or being directors of Irish registered companies. There is a requirement, as per Section 137 of the Companies Act 2014, that a company on the register of companies must have at least one EEA resident director. As an alternative, a company can either put a bond in place pursuant to Section 137(2) of the Companies Act 2014, or obtain a certificate, in accordance with Section 140, from the Registrar of Companies certifying that the company has a real and continuous link with one or more economic activities that are being carried on in the State.
As a consequence of the UK leaving the European Union, and the ending of the transition period on 31st December 2020, with effect from 1st January 2021, UK (including Northern Ireland) resident directors of companies registered in Ireland are not considered resident in the EEA for the purposes of Section 137. Companies that previously relied on having a UK (including Northern Ireland) resident director to meet the requirements of Section 137 are required to either appoint an EEA resident director or else pursue one of the alternative options.
I understand that the number of companies previously relying on UK resident directors to fulfil the EEA resident requirement is not readily available. However, I have been informed by the Companies Registration Office that in the region of 3,000 bonds have been received since 1 January 2021 in relation to the EEA residency requirement. In addition, 979 certificates have been issued. In the circumstances, there are no plans to amend Section 137 to alter the requirements relating to EEA resident directors.
5. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of claims submitted and the number of persons that have received enhanced illness benefit for Covid-19; the number of persons that were in payment for two, four, six, eight and ten weeks, respectively; the number of persons who transferred over to illness benefit after the ten week payment period had expired; the number of these claims that were in payment for more than two weeks; the number that were transferred over to disability allowance after the ten week payment period had expired; the number of these claims that were in payment for more than two weeks; the number of such claims that were rejected or pending; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33101/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraResponsibility for the administration and processing of COVID-19 illness benefit claims falls to my colleague, the Minister for Social Welfare and her Department. Therefore my Department is not in a position to supply any details on the matter.
6. Deputy Francis Noel Duffy asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the labour demand to meet retrofitting targets of 500,000 homes by 2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33048/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Expert Group on Future Skills Needs report‘Skills for Zero Carbon – the Demand for Renewable Energy, residential Retrofit and Electric Vehicle Deployment Skills to 2030” published in November 2021 indicated that the number of Full Time Equivalent workers carrying out retrofits will need to increase rapidly to approximately 4,000 and again to 17,000 by the middle of the decade to deliver on the Government targets.
The National Retrofit Plan includes supply chain development as one of its pillars and has a range of measures that aim to increase the capacity of the sector. The Plan also sets out the unprecedented level of funding to support the achievement of our retrofit targets – €8 billion of Exchequer funding to 2030. This funding gives confidence and certainty to the sector to grow, take on staff, invest and innovate.
The Government has also taken a number of tangible steps to ensure that we have the required number of skilled workers to deliver on our targets. These include:
- 4,550 retrofit and NZEB standard places this year as part of the Department of Further and Higher Education Green Skills Action Programme
- Three retrofit centres of excellence are in operation with 2 more to be in place by the end of the year.
- Supports available for employers to take on apprentices.
- The Housing for All “FutureBuilding” initiative to recruit construction workers was launched by Minister Humphreys and Minister Harris last month.
We also want to make it easier and more attractive for school leavers to take the option of a career in the new green economy. For that reason, the CAO website now includes information on apprenticeship options with a link to www.apprenticeship.ie.
