Written Answers Nos. 278-293
278. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to provide an update on the work of the retail forum; the number of times the forum has met to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42416/24]
View answerThe Retail Forum, chaired by my colleague, Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail, Ms Emer Higgins, TD, was established in June 2014 to allow key issues of relevance to the retail sector to be discussed. The Forum supports the identification of practical actions which could be taken by Government, or by industry itself, to support the sector with particular emphasis on achieving sustainable jobs growth in the sector.
Retail Forum meetings are held on a quarterly basis and the three meetings held to date in 2024 were on 27 March, 19 June and 18 September. The final meeting for 2024 is due to be held on 4 December. To date 36 meetings of the Retail Forum have taken place.
The Retail Forum’s annual work programme is co-created and driven by Retail Forum members and includes issues that they have identified as being critical to examine.
The current priorities of the Forum include
• Supporting the sector to deal issues impacting the sector including the cost of doing business and retail crime.
• Addressing relevant policy and legislation impacting on the retail sector.
The Working Groups established that support the implementation of the Work Programme are the Green Transition Working Group, and the Digitalisation/Skills Working Group.
Information on the Retail Forum including minutes, membership and Working Groups can be found on my Department’s website: enterprise.gov.ie/en/what-we-do/the-business-environment/retail-and-locally-traded-enterprise/retail-sector/#forum
279. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment for an update on changes of funding eligibility for digital grants and consultancy to ensure more simplified, accessible, and broadly available funding supports for digitalisation for businesses; how many more businesses will qualify; the financial value of the proposed funding eligibility changes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42431/24]
View answerThe National Digital Strategy, Harnessing Digital, led by the Department of the Taoiseach, sets out this Governments commitment to Digital Transformation. This commitment is reflected in the White Paper on Enterprise which includes Placing Digital Transformation at the Heart of Enterprise Policy as one of the 7 key policy objectives.
My Department and our enterprise agencies continue to act as advocates for digital transformation. We are committed to accelerating the adoption of digital technologies across enterprise through capital grants, training and consultancy. For small businesses in particular, digitalisation can unlock new markets and customers, free up valuable time for business owners, and provide valuable data to help inform decision making.
I am pleased to inform the Deputy that my department has introduced a number of improvements to the Local Enterprise Office digital business supports ensuring that more businesses can benefit.
The Digital for Business programme has been opened up to businesses with up to 50 employees across all sectors. This programme provides small businesses with free consultancy from a digital expert to help small businesses prepare and implement a plan for the adoption of digital tools and techniques across the business.
Secondly, last month, the Grow Digital Voucher was launched. Under this new offer, the funding available has been increased to up to €5,000 and the eligibility criteria expanded to cover a wider range of digital interventions available to a broader range of businesses as compared to the Trading Online Voucher. Eligible expenditure has been modernised to include a wide variety of digital interventions, to support businesses on their digitalisation journey, and includes a wide range of elements such as e-commerce software, e-invoicing software, cyber security software, as well as analytics software including Artificial Intelligence systems.
CSO data suggests that there are over 20,000 enterprises in the State that employ between 10 to 49 people, that could avail of these supports. In Budget 2025 I have secured funding for Grow Digital to make it available to small businesses regardless of sector and funding for the free Digital for Business consultancy.
My Department is committed to driving increased adoption of technology among businesses, and views digitalisation as one of the most effective levers to narrow the productivity gap between multinational corporations and the indigenous SME sector. To assist these efforts, I recently launched the Grow Digital Portal which is a new free service that allows businesses to self-assess their digital capability and receive a scorecard identifying solutions to drive efficiencies. The launch of Grow Digital Portal is a key deliverable under the National Digital Strategy, to help achieve the targets of 90% of SMEs having at least basic digital intensity, and at least 75% take-up of AI, Cloud, and Data Analytics by 2030.
To further assist any businesses in identifying the supports available to them, in July I launched The National Enterprise Hub (NEH), which provides business owners with an easy entry point to the wide enterprise supports eco-system. The National Enterprise Hub provides a centralised signposting service for over 180 Government supports in areas such as decarbonisation, digitalisation, skills development and innovation.
To date, the National Enterprise Hub has attracted over 58,000 active users to its site and engaged with over 1,200 companies.
280. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the amount being allocated to the seed and venture capital scheme in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42454/24]
View answerIn Budget 2025, I secured €250 million for the next five-year iteration the Seed and Venture Capital Scheme which will run from 2025 to 2029 inclusive. This represents an additional €75 million, which is a 42% increase on the previous five-year allocation.
The Scheme is administered by Enterprise Ireland and the amount that is committed in any one of the five years of the programme is dependant on the results of competitive calls with a substantial portion of the €250 million expected to be committed in 2025.
281. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment how his Department is supporting job creation in Kildare, especially in rural areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42553/24]
View answerMy Department, in partnership with the enterprise agencies, provides a comprehensive range of supports for job creation and sustainable economic growth in County Kildare.
Enterprise Ireland offers financial support and grant aid to high-potential companies in Kildare that demonstrate the capacity for rapid growth and entry into export markets. This support is crucial for stimulating job creation and economic development in the region. There were 555 jobs created in Kildare in 2023 by 158 Enterprise Ireland assisted companies. Total employment within Enterprise Ireland assisted companies in the county was 9,436 in 2023, with employment growth for the year of 2%.
The Kildare Local Enterprise Office provides services directly to small businesses, promotes entrepreneurship and contributes to jobs growth within towns and communities across the county. Last year, LEO Kildare financially assisted 268 small businesses which helped them to support 1,309 jobs. LEO Kildare also provides assistance to small businesses to further develop and grow, through tailored training, development, and mentoring supports.
Over the last four years, Kildare County Council and LEO Kildare have led on a number of hub developments around County Kildare, supporting entrepreneurship, enterprise creation, innovation, decarbonisation, town centre renewal, digitalisation, and fostering strong entrepreneurial communities and local employment.
Ireland continues to be recognised as a highly stable and attractive location for Foreign Direct Investment. However, Government does not take our success to date for granted, and we remain committed to ensuring the right polices are in place to facilitate the development of appropriate skills, infrastructure, and innovation to facilitate strong levels of FDI into the future. My Department works with IDA Ireland to ensure a continuous flow of investment into Ireland. There are currently 45 IDA client companies in Kildare, employing 11,909 people.
The Regional Enterprise Plans are an integral part of Ireland’s enterprise policy, aimed at driving economic growth and sustaining better standards of living throughout Ireland. The Mid-East Regional Enterprise Plan (REP) covers counties Kildare, Wicklow and Meath.
A key strategic objective of the Mid East REP is the development of the Athy Food, Drink and Skills Innovation Hub. This project will deliver a commercial space dedicated to the growth of new food companies and the training and retraining of future employees in the food, hospitality and Foodtech/ Agtech sectors. Kildare County Council has been awarded €5.1 million under the Rural Regeneration Development Fund for delivery of this project.
The National Equine Innovation Centre has been established in Kildare through the Mid East REP, with programmes and training courses being developed to support our world class equine sector. The NEIC is home to a number of high potential start up companies in the sector and is based at the Irish National Stud.
282. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment whether his Department conceived the proposal to commission the delivery of a children’s museum/interactive science centre; and whether the now dissolved Forfás advised his Department on the ambition to deliver a children’s museum/interactive science centre (details supplied). [42694/24]
View answerForfás was dissolved on 1 August 2014 and its functions were transferred to my Department. Since then, responsibility for science and research was transferred to the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science with effect from 1 January 2021. All files held at that time in my Department relating to the policy areas covered under the Transfer of Functions Order were transferred to that Department in June 2021, which includes the files relating to a children's museum/interactive science centre.
283. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will provide the details of costings provided to the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, in the context of the National Development Plan 2021-2030 review conducted earlier this year; and to provide a breakdown of each project and its projected cost in each of the years 2025 to 2030. [42714/24]
View answerThe Department of Public Expenditure and Reform wrote to all Departments in late December 2023 advising of the intention to update the National Development Plan (NDP) ceilings out to 2026 and requested Departments should finalise their investment proposals by the end of January 2024. In this regard, the NDP as published provided my Department with total funding of €2.708 billion for the first phase of the Plan out from 2021 out to 2025. By way of a response, my Department identified additional funding beyond that already provided in the NDP of €91.4 million in 2025 and €222.6 million in 2026. The Department also set out some broader areas of expenditure that would need to be considered as part of future processes to determine capital allocations from 2027 onwards.
A breakdown of the additional requested funding together with the details of the programmes to be supported by this funding are set out in the Table below:
|
2025 |
2026 |
|
|
Climate Priority Proposals |
||
|
Environmental Aid |
€45 million |
€100 million |
|
Offshore Wind Centre for Excellence |
€8 million |
€12 million |
|
Digitalisation Priority Proposals |
||
|
Semiconductor and Chips Act funding |
€8.4 million |
€14.6 million |
|
Climate and Digitalisation Proposals |
||
|
Regional Property (including Next Generation Industrial Sites) |
€25 million |
€60 million |
|
Seed and Venture Capital and Scaling funding for Indigenous Enterprise |
€5 million |
€16 million |
|
Innovation Hub Ireland (Future Technologies & Innovation Support) |
€20 million |
|
|
Total |
€91.4 million |
€222.6 million |
Following this process, the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform (DPENDR) agreed capital ceilings for my Department of €611m in 2025 (an additional €27m compared with 2024) and €625m in 2026 (an additional €14m compared to 2025). The Department's allocation of its capital funding for 2025 will be determined in the coming weeks and published as part of the Revised Estimates Volume shortly.
In addition to this, the Expenditure Report 2025 advised that allocations from the Contingency Funds announced in the Budget, including the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund, over the period 2026 to 2030, would be the subject of engagements between the relevant Ministers in line with the Estimates processes.
In this regard my officials will be engaging with their counterparts in DPENPDR in relation to the allocation process of the Contingency Funds, including through the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund., to support the above mentioned DETE programmes that require additional funding.
284. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of WTE forensic accountants employed by IDA Ireland in 2023 and to-date in 2024, in tabular form. [42897/24]
View answerI can confirm that there were no forensic accountants employed by IDA Ireland in 2023 or to-date in 2024.
285. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of WTE forensic accountants employed by Enterprise Ireland in 2023 and to-date in 2024, in tabular form. [42898/24]
View answerEnterprise Ireland does not employ any forensic accountants.
286. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if consideration could be given to the introduction of a grant to aid disabled entrepreneurs in hiring appropriate assistance, in view of the challenges disabled entrepreneurs face managing the day-to-day aspects for running a business; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42980/24]
View answerWhile the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment is not responsible for direct support schemes for people with a disability, the Department is focused on ensuring that supports for entrepreneurs and enterprise are accessible to all, including people with disabilities.
Enterprise Ireland continues to invest in additional content available on the eiLearn platform and is working in conjunction with stakeholders in the LEOs and third level colleges to develop new programmes and initiatives. One such initiative is a course delivered by TU Dublin in conjunction with LEO mentors. This course is open to people with disabilities and who have a business idea that they wish to pursue as a sustainable enterprise.
The Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) are committed to being open, inclusive, and supportive of all individuals intending to start or grow a business and are the first-stop-shop for advice and guidance, financial assistance and other supports. The Local Enterprise Office grant supports are available to all entrepreneurs equally, provided their business meets the eligibility criteria of the support they are applying for.
In that regard, the LEOs provide a ‘signposting’ service in relation to all relevant State supports available through agencies such as the Department of Social Protection, Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, the Revenue Commissioners, Education and Training Boards, the Credit Review Office and Microfinance Ireland.
In addition, all entrepreneurs can avail of Local Enterprise Office training, mentoring and management development programmes. Furthermore, Local Enterprise Offices can provide additional support to entrepreneurs such as one to one mentoring or accommodations to assist with the completion of grant application forms or to complete training courses such as Start Your Own Business.
Work and Access is a set of supports put in place by the Department of Social Protection to help people with a disability get a job or stay in work. The supports aim to remove or reduce barriers in the workplace for people with a disability, including self-employed people and encompass a range of assistance such as a workplace needs assessment, communication support and workplace adaptation support.
287. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to provide a breakdown of the €644 million allocation in 2025 for capital expenditure under the jobs and enterprise programme of his Department; the programmes or agencies under the remit of his Department supported by this expenditure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42992/24]
View answerThe Revised Estimate Volume 2024, as published in December 2023, allocated total Capital funding of €644 million to my Department's Jobs and Enterprise Development Programme. The breakdown of this capital allocation is set out in the Table below:
Programme A Jobs and Enterprise Development
|
Subhead |
Capital Allocation |
|
€,000 |
|
|
A.4 Intertrade Ireland |
€8,900 |
|
A.5 IDA Ireland |
€204,473 |
|
A.6 NSAI |
€500 |
|
A.7 Enterprise Ireland |
€120,253 |
|
A.8 Local Enterprise Development |
€44,816 |
|
A.9 Temporary Partial Credit Guarantee Scheme |
€8,000 |
|
A.10 Matching Funding for Peaceplus |
€464 |
|
A.14 SBCI Loan Schemes |
€1 |
|
A.15 Humanitarian Relief Scheme |
€1 |
|
A.16 Micro Finance Ireland |
€1 |
|
A.17 National Design Centre |
€1 |
|
A.18 Increased Cost of Business Scheme |
€257,000 |
The details of the 2025 capital allocations to the Jobs and Enterprise Development Programme will be determined as part of the 2025 Revised Estimates process, which is expected to be finalised in the coming weeks.
288. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to provide a breakdown of the proposed €402 million allocation in 2025 for capital expenditure under the jobs and enterprise programme of his Department which was announced in the estimates published on Budget Day; the programmes or agencies under the remit of his Department supported by this expenditure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42993/24]
View answerThe Revised Estimate 2024, as published in December 2023, allocated total Capital funding of €644 million to my Department's Jobs and Enterprise Development Programme. The breakdown of this capital allocation is set out in the Table below:
Programme A Jobs and Enterprise Development
|
Subhead |
Capital Allocation |
|
€,000 |
|
|
A.4 Intertrade Ireland |
€8,900 |
|
A.5 IDA Ireland |
€204,473 |
|
A.6 NSAI |
€500 |
|
A.7 Enterprise Ireland |
€120,253 |
|
A.8 Local Enterprise Development |
€44,816 |
|
A.9 Temporary Partial Credit Guarantee Scheme |
€8,000 |
|
A.10 Matching Funding for Peaceplus |
€464 |
|
A.14 SBCI Loan Schemes |
€1 |
|
A.15 Humanitarian Relief Scheme |
€1 |
|
A.16 Micro Finance Ireland |
€1 |
|
A.17 National Design Centre |
€1 |
|
A.18 Increased Cost of Business Scheme |
€257,000 |
The details of the 2025 capital allocations to the Jobs and Enterprise Development Programme will be determined as part of the 2025 Revised Estimates process, which is expected to be finalised in the coming weeks.
289. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to provide a breakdown of the €221 million allocation in 2024 for capital expenditure under the enterprise, innovation and commercialisation programme of his Department; the programmes or agencies under the remit of his Department supported by this expenditure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42994/24]
View answerThe Revised Estimates Volume 2024, as published in December 2023, allocated total capital funding of €221.63 million to my Department’s Enterprise Innovation and Commercialisation Programme. The breakdown of this capital allocation is set out in the Table below:
Programme B Enterprise Innovation and Commercialisation
|
Subhead |
Capital Allocation |
|
€,000 |
|
|
B.4 Science and Technology Development |
€152,914 |
|
B.5 Subscriptions to International Organisations |
€26,216 |
|
B.8 Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund |
€42,500 |
The details of the 2025 capital allocations to the Innovation and Commercialisation Programme will be determined as part of the 2025 Revised Estimates process, which is expected to be finalised in the coming weeks.
290. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to provide a breakdown of the proposed €208 million allocation in 2024 for capital expenditure under the enterprise, innovation and commercialisation programme of his Department which was announced in the estimates published on Budget Day; the programmes or agencies under the remit of his Department supported by this expenditure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42995/24]
View answerThe Revised Estimates Volume 2024, as published in December 2023, allocated total capital funding of €221.63 million to my Department’s Enterprise Innovation and Commercialisation Programme. The breakdown of this capital allocation is set out in the Table below:
Programme B Enterprise Innovation and Commercialisation
|
Subhead |
Capital Allocation |
|
€,000 |
|
|
B.4 Science and Technology Development |
€152,914 |
|
B.5 Subscriptions to International Organisations |
€26,216 |
|
B.8 Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund |
€42,500 |
The details of the 2025 capital allocations to the Innovation and Commercialisation Programme will be determined as part of the 2025 Revised Estimates process, which is expected to be finalised in the coming weeks.
291. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will examine the case of an individual (details supplied) who has secured employment in Ireland and is currently waiting for a work permit to be approved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43117/24]
View answerThe Employment Permits Section of my Department informs me that they have checked the new Employment Permit applications received, and that the Employment Permit application in respect of the person concerned in the details supplied was submitted to them on the 7th of October 2024 and was placed in the processing queue on the 8th of October 2024.
All applications for employment permits are dealt with in date order. As of Thursday the 17th of October 2024, the Employment Permits Section are processing new applications in respect of Trusted Partner employers (the category to which this applicant belongs) which were received on the 18th of September 2024.
The Employment Permits processing times are updated on a weekly basis at the following link: enterprise.gov.ie/en/What-We-Do/Workplace-and-Skills/Employment-Permits/Current-Application-Processing-Dates/
There is also an Online Status Update Enquiry - where details on a particular application can be found on the following link: enterprise.gov.ie/en/What-We-Do/Workplace-and-Skills/Employment-Permits/Employment-Permit-Status-Form/
There is a dedicated mailbox available to answer TD queries in respect of Employment Permit applications - tdepqueries@enterprise.gov.ie
292. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment in relation to the €300 million to drive the decarbonisation of manufacturing sectors that he announced in June 2024, the amount allocated to date; the amount to be funded by his Department in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43118/24]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, last June I announced that €300 million will be available to drive the decarbonisation of Ireland’s industrial emitters over the coming years. The fund will be used by Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland to support client companies to reduce their industrial emissions between now and 2030 through the Environmental Aid scheme.
Enterprise Ireland is supporting client companies to adopt innovative decarbonisation technologies at scale. Since the launch of the fund, significant projects have been delivered throughout industries including Food & Drinks, Cement, and Dairy. The value of grant approvals in 2024 is €28.8 million. The amount to be approved by Enterprise Ireland in 2025, based on an identified pipeline of projects, is currently forecasted at €38.8 million.
Meanwhile, since last June’s announcement, IDA Ireland has approved a total grant aid of €6.63 million to five client companies to reduce their industrial emissions.
293. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of vacant properties owned by his Department; and the number of which are houses or residential properties. [43141/24]
View answerMy Department does not own property. Accordingly, there are no vacant or residential properties owned by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
