Written Answers Nos. 56-76
56. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the amount of funding allocated for Microfinance Ireland under the Supplementary Estimate for 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9132/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere have been no funds assigned to Microfinance Ireland for a 2023 Supplementary Estimate.
The Microenterprise Loan Fund, operated by Microfinance Ireland(MFI) assists businesses with fewer than ten employees. It provides much-needed funding to help microenterprises meet payments for stock, working capital requirements and other overhead expenses through the provision of low-cost lending facilities.
Microfinance Ireland provides vital support to microenterprises by filling the lending gap in the market by lending to business that cannot obtain loans from other commercial lenders. It provides loans of €2,000 up to €25,000 to businesses that do not meet the conventional risk criteria applied by commercial lenders and applies interest rate charges for its lending which are not reflective of its credit risk.
The loan term is typically three years for working capital purposes and can be extended to five years for capital expenditures. Interest rates range from between 4.5% for clients of Local Enterprise Offices and other partners to 5.5% for direct applications.
There is wide regional spread of loans across the country with 81% of loans approved in 2022 to microenterprises outside Dublin. The dominant sectors availing of loans from MFI have been the wholesale and retail sector (21%), accommodation and food services (11%), manufacturing (10%) and construction (9%).
The Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI) and MFI agreed in September 2021 a partnership enhancing the availability of lower-cost MFI loans for Irish microenterprises. The SBCI has committed €30 million to MFI which significantly increases MFI’s lending capacity and ability to support more micro enterprises. The lower cost of the SBCI funding will allow MFI to offer lower rates on its Start Up, Cashflow and Business Expansion loans.
From the 1st of Oct 2012 to 31st December 2022, the Fund approved loans to 4,635 micro-enterprises for a total value of €76.9million. These funds supported over 10,000 jobs.
61. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when Digital Portal is expected to be launched; the funding allocated for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9138/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the National Digital Strategy, Harnessing Digital – The Digital Ireland Framework, Government has committed to driving a step change in the digitalisation of enterprise right across Ireland. Growing the use of digital technologies by businesses will help us to build the resilience of our enterprise base, particularly as we look to future-proof our economy for the years ahead.
The strategy sets out specific targets for the digitalisation of enterprise, including achieving 75% enterprise take-up of cloud, big data and AI by 2030; ensuring that 90% of our SMEs have reached at least a basic level of digital intensity by 2030; and ensuring that at least 35% of State funding for start-up and early-stage businesses is invested in innovative digital businesses from 2022 onwards. It also sets a target of at least 800 businesses supported under the Digital Transition Fund by 2026.
The Digital Transition Fund is one element of Ireland’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan; it is an €85m fund that will run until 2026. Through this fund, we will increase the digitalisation of all businesses across their products, processes, supply chains and business models.
As part of the funding allocated to the Digital Transition Fund, work is under way on the Digital Portal. The portal will help to demystify digital and support businesses on the digital adoption journey. It will help businesses to self-assess their digital needs, as well as signposting to training, resources, and funding options that will help them to digitalise, and will be open to all businesses.
The tender process for the Digital Portal was initiated earlier this month. The deadline for tenders is 10 March. It is expected that the Portal will launch in 2023.
64. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the amount of funding allocated for the European Space Agency programme under the Supplementary Estimate for 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9142/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland has significantly grown its investment in the European Space Agency (ESA) in recent years in line with the National Strategy for Space Enterprise 2019 – 2025, which seeks to build an economically sustainable and expanding space-active industry, delivering quality jobs for the economy of tomorrow.
The supplementary estimate referred to in the Deputy’s question is determined towards the end-of year therefore, it is not possible to determine at this time what allocation, if any, may be made to ESA through the supplementary estimate for 2023. For 2023 the Department has allocated a budget of €22.87million to ESA mandatory and optional programmes.
Through increased funding of ESA over recent years we have seen the number of Irish based companies engaged with ESA increasing by 39% since the publication of the Strategy, growing from 70 in 2019 to 97 in 2022. In 2021 16 start-up companies secured ESA contracts and Industry co-investment also increased from €3.3m in 2020 to over €4.6m in 2021.
We are committed to continuing to engage with industry and researchers to ensure that we have a strong expanding space-active enterprise base in Ireland. The announcement last November of further funding for ESA of €125m up to 2027 is an important signal to the sector that we intend to support and grow the enterprise and research base to ensure that Irish enterprises are equipped to seize new opportunities promised by the evolving global space market for business, research, society, the economy and the environment.
65. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the amount of funding allocated for INTERREG under the Supplementary Estimate for 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9143/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe INTERREG VA Programme is one of 60 cross-border programmes operating across the EU which are designed to overcome issues that arise due to the existence of a border. The programme area includes the six border counties of Ireland, Northern Ireland and part of Western Scotland.
INTERREG VA focusses on four areas that are seen as crucial for job creation and growth: supporting cross-border initiatives to strengthen research and innovation; preserving and protecting the shared environment; promoting sustainable mobility across the borders; and enhancing cross-border collaboration for the provision of quality health and social care services.
The current INTERREG VA programme is due to conclude in 2023.
My Department has responsibility for funding projects under the Research and Innovation (R&I) strand of the current INTERREG VA programme, together with its counterpart in Northern Ireland, the Department for the Economy. The funding ratio is split on a 30% (DETE) to 70% (DfE NI) basis.
Total funding available for the R&I strand (funded by the EU and participating Member States) is just over €70 million up to the end of the programme. My Department's commitment is €21 million over the seven-year programme and its budget allocation for its INTERREG VA projects in 2023 is €1.389 million, which is all capital funding.
The 2023 allocation for INTERREG is based on forecasting from the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). The SEUPB has informed my Department that accurate forecasting for this programme can be difficult and forecasts provided can be subject to significant variation. The total funding required from the Department for the seven years of the programme has not changed and still stands at €21 million. This is the final year of the INTERREG VA programme, will fulfil the Department's commitment to the programme.
66. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the amount of funding allocated for restart grants under the Supplementary Estimate for 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9145/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Restart Grant Scheme and its successor Restart Grant Plus Scheme were operational in 2020. It was launched in May 2020 and closed for applications on 31st October 2020.
The 31 local authorities who operated the scheme received a total of 123,185 applications, of which 108,489 were successful. Overall Scheme cost was €632.4m, provided from the Department’s 2020 Vote. Of this total, €297,920 was made in 2021 on foot of finalisation of approved items. The Scheme was superseded by the CRSS, operated by the Revenue Commissioners.
As the Restart Grant Scheme was part of the Government's early response to assist businesses in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, and is now closed, no DETE funding has been sought in the supplementary estimate for 2023.
67. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the amount of funding allocated for the skills for better business scheme under the Supplementary Estimate for 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9146/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraSkills for Better Business comprises an Online Tool for management skills assessment, complemented by a sign-posting resource providing easy to access contact information for management education and training. The initiative was launched by my Department on 30 November 2022.
No supplementary funding has been sought for this initiative in 2023. I am satisfied that there is sufficient funding in my Department’s core budget and across the budgets of the partner organisations for the successful rollout of this initiative. Most of the resources for this project have been met directly by the fourteen partner organisations via the time and expertise they have devoted to the work, and this continues to be the case.
The 14 project partners are: Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment; Skillnet Ireland; Enterprise Ireland; SOLAS; the Small Firms Association (SFA); ISME; the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs); the Regional Skills Fora; the Higher Education Authority (HEA); the Higher Education Colleges Association (HECA); Chambers Ireland; Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI); the Irish Universities Association (IUA); and the Technological Higher Education Association (THEA).
The direct cost of the Online Tool, at €60,300, is only a small part of the resource input into the project. Different sub-groups of the 14 partners worked on the Online Tool, the Courses & Contacts pages, and the Comms Strategy for the project. The contribution in time and expertise from all involved was very substantial throughout. These organisations have therefore absorbed much of the cost of the project through their collaboration in its delivery. The project is set to continue in a similar manner in 2023, the focus being to maintain and promote the website on which the online tool is located.
The main message for SME owners and managers, which was emphasised in the EGFSN's Leading the Way report, is that prioritising management training and development is an investment in the success of a business. The OECD has highlighted that productivity is relatively low in Irish SMEs and one of the most direct ways to improve that is for management skills and practices to improve.
68. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the amount of funding allocated for the halo angel scheme under the Supplementary Estimate for 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9147/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Halo Business Angels Network is a joint initiative of Enterprise Ireland, InterTradeIreland (ITI) and Invest NI and is operated by ITI. It helps companies raise new equity capital in the early stages of their development. It also represents an alternative source of investment to venture capital funding.
The term 'Business Angels' refers to high net worth individuals who invest on their own, or as part of a syndicate, in high growth businesses. In addition to capital, they often make their own skills, experience and contacts available to the company concerned to help it grow and develop. The individual amounts invested by Business Angels are usually in the range of €25,000 to €250,000, although syndicated deals (where a group of angels invest together) can be up to €1m.
The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment provides joint funding, alongside the Northern Ireland Department for the Economy, to ITI. My Department's budget allocation for ITI in 2023 is €11.586 million, of which €8.9 million is dedicated to capital funding to allow ITI to operate its supports.
ITI uses this funding from both Departments to operate a wide range of supports to help promote trade and business on an all-island and cross-border basis. ITI is responsible for managing its individual programmes and utilising its overall budget allocation towards its supports.
ITI’s budget for the Halo Business Angels Network in 2023 is €351k, which will be used to help promote the initiative and link investors with high growth firms.
69. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will provide an update regarding the details of a remuneration and superannuation protocol; if this matter has been finalised and payment made (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8965/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn accordance with the relevant Code of Practice from the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, An Post must seek Ministerial approval to increase pensions and deferred pensions for members of the An Post superannuation scheme. Circular 16/2021 states that pension approval requests should be submitted for approval well in advance of any decision to implement changes in acknowledgement of the necessary processes that must be completed and in order to ensure that pension increases are not unduly delayed. It should be recognised that the time taken for the pension approval process is necessary to ensure that robust governance procedures are in place.
In May 2022, An Post, which is an independent commercial semi-state body, requested an increase of 2% with effect from 1 January 2022. Having sought the necessary advice from NewERA, my officials submitted their recommendation on 1 September, and I granted my consent on 2 September to the payment of an increase of 2% to An Post pensioners with effect from 1 January 2022. The consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform for the proposal was subsequently provided on 7 September. An Post was made aware of this and has communicated with the Group of Unions.
An Post has undertaken to submit a request for a proposed increase of up to 2% for An Post pensioners with effect from 1st January 2023. As per Circular 16/2021, such proposals require NewERA’s views, as well as a business case setting out the strategic, policy and financial rationale for the proposed increase. When the request and associated documentation is received from An Post, the standard process will have to be followed, with NewERA’s views and assessment by officials being required for the 2023 proposed increase prior to the consent of both Ministers being sought.
This is the same procedure that must be followed for any State body.
70. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will provide details of the turnover of staff in his Department for each of the years 2020, 2021 and 2022, in tabular form; and the percentage of total staff this represents in each category. [9277/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested by the Deputy can be found in the table below.
|
Year |
Exits |
Turnover % of all staff |
|
2022 |
58 |
10.62% |
|
2021 |
43 |
9.62% |
|
2020 |
37 |
9.00% |
71. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if the implementation of RED II criteria will be taken into consideration during the EU ETS emissions accounting process in 2023. [8967/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra72. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications given that under RED II, sustainability certificates are required for a business's biomass supply in order for the emissions to be considered carbon neutral, the action that is being taken to assist businesses that have to date not received certificates due to delays in the system; and the significant body of work required to implement all processes within the biomass supply chain to ensure robust compliance. [8968/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 71 and 72 together.
Directive (EU) 2018/2001 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources, requires certain economic operators to show that the sustainability and greenhouse gas emissions saving criteria laid down in Renewable Energy Directive (RED) II have been fulfilled. This requirement shall apply to installations producing electricity, heating and cooling, or fuels with a total rated thermal input equal to or exceeding 20 MW in the case of solid biomass fuels, and with a total rated thermal input equal to or exceeding 2 MW in the case of gaseous biomass fuels. The sustainability criteria are defined in RED II and were transposed into Irish legislation in July 2022 by S.I. 350 of 2022.
The Sustainability Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) have established and resourced a dedicated unit to implement a verification procedure to ensure that the relevant criteria laid down in RED II have been fulfilled. The SEAI will shortly be contacting these economic operators to advise them of their obligations under S.I. 350 of 2022 and the actions they need to take to ensure their biomass fuel meets the sustainability criteria.
With regard to the EU ETS, the emission factor for biomass is zero and no allowances for biomass emissions have to be surrendered where the sustainability and greenhouse gas savings criteria of the RED are met.
At this point in time, unless a voluntary national scheme is available through the relevant Irish legislation or by the EU Commission, the only method currently available to Irish EU ETS Operators to demonstrate compliance is by using a voluntary national (from other Member States) or international scheme recognised by the Commission. In December 2022 all Irish EU ETS operators were advised of these requirements.
73. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his views on the purchase of €4.1 million carbon credits from Slovakia; his further views on the increase in greenhouse gas pollution in Ireland in the third quarter of 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9029/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraEU Member States contributed collectively to the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol through the EU Effort Sharing Decision (ESD). The ESD set binding annual emissions reduction targets for each Member State and covered the sectors that do not fall under the EU Emissions Trading System; including transport, agriculture, buildings and light industry. The legislative framework of the ESD provided for a number of compliance options beyond direct emissions reductions, including using banked excess allowances from earlier years, purchasing international carbon credits, and trading surplus allowances between Member States. This approach provided flexibility among Member States to achieve targets as efficiently and fairly as possible – both in terms of their capacity to make the necessary reductions and the marginal abatement cost of doing so.
Ireland’s purchase of 4.15 million emissions allowances from Slovakia, at a cost of €2.9 million, enables us to close a gap to our 2020 compliance obligations in a way that maximises cost efficiency and secures the best possible value for the Irish taxpayer.
While final 2022 emissions data is not yet available, provisional data from the Environmental Protection Agency indicates that Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions increased by 4.7% in 2021 compared to 2020 and are now 1.1% above 2019 pre-COVID restriction levels. While an increase in emissions was anticipated, as the country emerged from the most severe Covid-19 restrictions, it is essential that we sustain our climate action ambition and accelerate full implementation of Climate Action Plan measures.
74. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his views on the 75% loss of wetlands in Ireland in 300 years; his plans for the preservation of wetlands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9030/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraWetlands include a wide range of habitats. Amongst these are peatlands and fens, which, from a climate action perspective, play an important role in carbon storage. Rehabilitated peatlands in particular have the potential to contribute significantly to reducing emissions within the Land Use, Land-use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) sector. Peatlands cover approximately 21% of Ireland’s landscape and contain approximately 66% of Ireland’s carbon stock.
The peatland rehabilitation measures set out in Climate Action Plan 2023 provide for the rehabilitation of 33,000 hectares of peatlands by 2025 (with a further target of approximately 70,000 hectares by 2030) and will contribute significantly to the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions for the land use sector. Additionally, Ireland’s Territorial Just Transition Plan will enable the rehabilitation of degraded wetlands across multiple sites including raised and blanket bogs, fens and other wetlands types mostly in the Natura network in the Midlands region. Finally, the EU Nature Restoration Law, as proposed, seeks to repair European habitats that are in poor condition and bring back nature to all ecosystems. The aim is for nature restoration measures to apply to a proportion of the EU's land and sea areas by 2030 and to eventually extend these measures to all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050. The draft EU Nature Restoration Law will see further targets for restoring drained peatlands under agricultural use and we are working closely on this with our colleagues in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage who are leading on this.
75. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of retired senior civil servants and public servants appointed by the officeholder of the day to State boards, authorities and other State-appointed bodies, after being recommended on draft lists submitted by the Public Appointments Service, in each of the past ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9050/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested by the Deputy is not held by my Department.
In making appointments to State Boards under my remit, my Department operates in accordance with the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform "Guidelines on appointments to State Boards", published in November 2014. The Public Appointments Service (PAS) has responsibility for managing an open, accessible and transparent system to support Ministers in making State Board appointments and it is open to the public to apply for positions advertised on the stateboards.ie website. PAS campaigns for Board members set out the skills and criteria required for positions on Boards and are not based on the current or former occupation of applicants, except where certain skills or experience are defined in legislation as requirements.
Information in relation to the members of the State Boards under the remit of my Department is available at www.stateboards.ie. Further information is also available on the Department’s website at: www.gov.ie/en/organisation-information/7125a-state-board-membership/
76. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of senior staff members of his Department or of State bodies under the aegis of his Department who are also on the boards of bodies registered for lobbying purposes under the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015, or on the board of bodies which have had to disclose that they engaged in lobbying State authorities; if it is intended to issue directions as to the appropriateness of such involvement in these bodies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9068/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) is responsible for the monitoring of the Ethics in Public Office Acts 1995 and 2001, as well as the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015.
It has published guidelines under which senior civil servants and officeholders are required to annually furnish a statement in writing of any interests that they, their spouse, or their children have which could materially influence the person in, or in relation to, the performance of the person's official functions.
A statement of interests is not legally required where the interests could not materially influence the person in, or in relation to, the performance of his or her official function.
Under Section 13 of the Civil Service Code of Practice, the use of their official positions by civil servants to benefit themselves or others with whom they have personal or business ties is not allowed. Civil servants are also forbidden to seek to influence decisions on matters pertaining to their official positions other than through established procedures.
The current register of lobbying on lobbying.ie contains 2,454 organisations and individuals, not including client companies/bodies. My Department does not monitor the register, instead relying upon the guidelines and rules set out by SIPO in relation to the Ethics in Public Office Acts.
The information requested in relation to the bodies under the aegis of my Department is an operational matter for each body. The Department will request the relevant bodies to reply directly to the Deputy with the information requested in respect of their organisations.
