Written Answers Nos. 521-540
521. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the first- and full-year cost of increasing funding to the Director of Public Prosecutions by 10%, 25% and 50%, respectively, in tabular form. [33392/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe gross REV allocation for the Office of the Director of Prosecutions in 2024 was €62.149m. The estimated cost of increasing funding to the Office by 10%, 25% and 50% is set out below. Figures in €000s.
|
DPP REV Allocation 2024 |
€62,149 |
|
Cost of a 10% Increase |
€6,215 |
|
Cost of a 25% Increase |
€15,537 |
|
Cost of a 50% Increase |
€31,075 |
522. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the cost of abolishing admission charges for OPW heritage sites, in tabular form. [33394/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Office of Public Works (OPW) is responsible for caring, maintaining and operating the country’s most important heritage sites. The mission of OPW Heritage Services is to conserve and protect the nation’s built heritage in our care whilst providing public access, interpretation and encouraging the public to visit and engage with our Nation's heritage.
The Office of Public Works receives funding through the Oireachtas to fund the staff, operational, maintenance and capital costs of caring for our National Heritage portfolio.
The OPW charges admission fees to almost all sites where visitor services are provided i.e. sites that are staffed with a Guide service either year-round or seasonally.
Free admission is offered at Sceilg Michíl UNESCO World Heritage Property, however, private boat operators provide access to the island and visitors pay the service providers directly.
Free admission may be offered on occasion where part of an OPW site is closed for maintenance or for conservation works.
As such, there is no appreciable cost to the exchequer through loss of income from the provision of free admission in these limited instances.
Separately, the OPW cares for 780 National Monuments nationwide and there are a number of un-staffed monument sites across the country that are free to access by the public.
Information on OPW sites which offer guided services is set out in tabular form below, with the correlating admission charges.
523. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the cost of abolishing guided tour charges for OPW heritage sites, in tabular form. [33395/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Office of Public Works (OPW) is responsible for caring, maintaining and operating the country’s most important heritage sites. The mission of OPW Heritage Services is to conserve and protect the nation’s built heritage in our care whilst providing public access, interpretation and encouraging the public to visit and engage with our Nation's heritage.
The Office of Public Works receives funding through the Oireachtas to fund the staff, operational, maintenance and capital costs of caring for our National Heritage portfolio.
The OPW charges admission fees to almost all sites where visitor services are provided i.e. sites that are staffed with a Guide service either year-round or seasonally.
Free admission is offered at Sceilg Michíl UNESCO World Heritage Property, however, private boat operators provide access to the island and visitors pay the service providers directly.
Free admission may be offered on occasion where part of an OPW site is closed for maintenance or for conservation works.
As such, there is no appreciable cost to the exchequer through loss of income from the provision of free admission in these limited instances.
Separately, the OPW cares for 780 National Monuments nationwide and there are a number of un-staffed monument sites across the country that are free to access by the public.
Information on OPW sites which offer guided services is set out in tabular form below, with the correlating admission charges.
524. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the cost of purchasing the lands sought for community public access to the OPW property of Castletown House, in tabular form. [33396/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe OPW will respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.
525. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the reason Mogeely and Castlemartyr in east Cork have not been included in tranche 1 of flood prevention works. [33406/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra526. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform when flood defence works will commence in Whitegate village in east Cork; and the expected completion time of these works. [33407/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra527. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform when Moore's bridge in Midleton, County Cork, will be removed from the river Owenacurra. [33408/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 525, 526 and 527 together.
I witnessed at first hand the devastation that Storm Babet had on people, families, businesses and communities in East Cork including Midleton. Through the Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme, the largest study of flood risk was completed by the Office of Public Works (OPW) in 2018. This studied the flood risk for two thirds of the population against their risk of flooding from rivers and the sea. The Government’s Flood Risk Management Plans provided the evidence for a proactive approach to designing and constructing flood relief schemes for the most at-risk communities.
The delivery of the Flood Risk Management Plan is supported by €1.3bn through the National Development Plan. To date, 55 schemes have been completed, which are providing protection to over 13,000 properties and an economic benefit to the State in damages and losses avoided estimated to be in the region of €2 billion. It is not possible to progress all 150 flood relief schemes identified by the Flood Risk Management Plans simultaneously, due to the limited availability of the professional and specialised engineering and other skills that are required to design and construct flood relief schemes.
Since 2018, the OPW has trebled the number of flood relief schemes at design, planning, and construction to some 100 schemes. Prioritisation of these schemes has maximised local authority and OPW capacity and has also maximised the return to the state. So, while the State has commenced 60% of projects in the pipeline, it has work complete or underway to protect 80% of at risk properties.
As well as requiring financial commitment to meet the costs, progressing more flood relief schemes needs capacity and capability in this very highly specialised area of hydrological engineering. In the coming years, as schemes move through the pipeline into planning and construction, some of these committed specialist resources will be ‘freed up’, and this will allow for new schemes to advance. The OPW is keen to continue to find ways that it can advance new schemes, even at a time when the local authority and OPW resources to support their progression are stretched and are reliant on a small market of specialised consultants.
In Spring 2023, senior managers in OPW’s Flood Risk Management team met and discussed with Directors of Service of local authorities the experiences and challenges in delivering the flood relief schemes at design, planning and construction. The discussion also considered the opportunities to improve efficiencies and timelines with delivering the next round of schemes.
Arising from and informed by these meetings, the OPW announced in May 2023 that it is piloting a new delivery model for flood relief schemes in counties Donegal and Kilkenny. This new delivery model for flood relief schemes will better inform future Tranche II schemes' delivery and aims to match the return on investment from the available capacity in the local authorities and OPW. The Pilot will better inform the prioritisation of future schemes nationally and the scope of services required from consultants to design and construct flood relief schemes.
Cork County Council can introduce localised flood mitigation measures with funding from the OPW Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme for all locations ahead of the completion of a flood relief scheme for the community.
The purpose of this Minor Works scheme is to provide funding to Local Authorities to undertake short-term measures in the form of minor flood mitigation works to address localised fluvial flooding and coastal protection problems within their administrative area. The scheme applies, where a flood defence solution can be readily identified and achieved within a short timeframe. Under the Scheme, applications are considered for projects that are estimated to cost not more than €750,000. Funding of up to 90% of the cost is available for approved projects.
CASTLEMARTYR
Cork County Council submitted applications under the OPW's Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme for works at Castlemartyr. The OPW has issued approval for funding to the Council for works at Castlemartyr including, lowering the embankment at agreed locations to allow flood water storage for larger events, cleaning of the Kiltha river channel, and river dredging. The OPW recommended that Cork County Council engage with a local landowner to clear the river channel from the Castlemartyr Wood Footbridge to the confluence with the Womanagh of the heavy overgrowth and numerous fallen trees, which are currently an obstruction to conveyance.
MOGEELY
The OPW understands that Cork County Council has assessed a number of possible options for interim flood relief measures at Gleann Fia, Mogeely and is appointing consultant engineers in the near future to complete a detailed assessment that will include the impact on surrounding lands, given the karst nature of this area. The OPW will continue working with Cork County Council to identify viable interim measures for Mogeely, pending the completion of a scheme for this town, as part of the Castelmartyr Flood Relief Scheme.
MOORES BRIDGE
Storm Babet caused significant damage to Moore’s Bridge in Midleton that is privately owned. Cork County Council has recently reached agreement with the landowner for the Council to remove the portions of the old bridge which have partially collapsed into the river. The Council is engaging with contractors on these works and it is scheduled to have the works completed by the end of September 2024.
WHITEGATE
Flooding occurred in Whitegate during the Storm Babet event in October 2023, causing damage to approximately 5 commercial and 6 residential properties. Flood waters entered the properties with water levels of up to 500mm in some properties, and 1m in depth on the road. Local residents have also advised that tidal flooding frequently occurs in Whitegate.
Cork County Council is finalising a post flood event report for Whitegate. There is currently no flood relief scheme proposed for Whitegate. Cork County Council can apply to the OPW Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme for funding to introduce flood defence measures for the benefit of the community in Whitegate.
528. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to provide a breakdown of the expenditure from the contingency reserve assigned for temporary protection and international protection-related expenditure in each of the years 2025 to 2027. [33515/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraWhile we operate in an uncertain international environment with wars in Ukraine, Middle East and Africa, and deal with certain legacy impacts of the pandemic, it is appropriate to maintain a contingency reserve within the overall expenditure amounts across the years 2025 to 2030 in line with what was previously set out in the Stability Programme Update (SPU).
In Budget 2024 a sum of €4.5bn was allocated for non-core items that are now aligned with the contingency reserve. These reflect costs that driven by external developments or additional EU funded projects that must be taken account of in the expenditure ceiling. The allocation in 2024 covered pressures such as our humanitarian response to the arrivals fleeing war in Ukraine (€2.5bn), legacy Covid issues (€1.3bn) mainly in the Health area, EU funding related projects (€0.35bn) primarily under the EU National Recovery and Resilience Plan and certain other payments including under the Mother and Baby Home payment scheme.
The €4.5 billion provision outlined for the contingency reserve in the SPU will be fully utilised in 2025 in meeting current and capital needs, primarily across Health (and is included in the overall 2025 Health allocation set out in the SES), Ukraine and IPAS related costs. This will also provide for allocations related to certain EU funded programmes, broadly in line with this year’s amounts, and smaller demands across a limited number of other areas. In relation to the balance of the contingency reserve, it is expected that savings in expenditure in relation to Covid and other items funded within the overall amount for this year will arise and will be utilised to offset pressures on international protection expenditure.
The final amounts in relation to each area to be funded from the contingency reserve in 2025 will be determined as part of the estimates process. In advance of this it is not possible to dis-aggregate funding by programme type. Any allocations made will be included in the Estimates or Revised Estimate publications as appropriate.
The requirements in relation to expenditure in future years to be funded from the contingency reserve will be considered on an annual basis as part of the whole year budgetary process taking into account, in particular, developments in the international environment.
529. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to provide a breakdown of core expenditure allocated to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for temporary protection and international protection-related expenditure in each of the years 2025 to 2029. [33518/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 2024 Summer Economic Statement (SES) was published on July 9th. The SES sets out the Government’s medium-term budgetary strategy and outlines the fiscal parameters within which discussions will take place ahead of Budget 2025 in planning the fiscal and budgetary response for 2025.
An overall package of €8.3 billion is being made available, which will result in voted expenditure growth of 6.9 per cent. The package is composed of additional public spending amounting to €6.9 billion and taxation measures amounting to €1.4 billion. €90.9 billion is being provided for current expenditure, while €14.5 billion is being provided for capital expenditure under the Government’s National Development Plan.
Of the €6.9 billion expenditure growth, €5.1 billion is attributed to the costs of covering Existing Level of Service (ELS) requirements and increased capital spending in 2025. The remaining €1.8 billion will be subject to new measure announcements as part of the Budget 2025 package.
The distribution of funding across departments and policy areas will be determined as part of the Estimates process. In advance of this it is not possible to dis-aggregate funding by programme type. Any allocations made will be included in the Estimates or Revised Estimate publications as appropriate.
The requirements in relation to expenditure for specific departments or policy areas in future years will be considered on an annual basis as part of the Estimates process.
530. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the total revenue generated by admissions fees to OPW heritage sites each year for the past five years. [33522/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Office of Public Works (OPW) is responsible for caring, maintaining and operating the country’s most important heritage sites. The mission of OPW Heritage Services is to conserve and protect the nation’s built heritage in our care whilst providing public access, interpretation and encouraging the public to visit and engage with our nation's heritage.
The total revenue generated by admission fees, tour operator admission fees and heritage card sales in OPW Heritage sites each year for the past five years is set out in tabular form below.
*It is noted that free admission was in place in 2021 due to the circumstances of the Covid 19 pandemic
|
- |
|
|
Income on Admission Charges, Tour Operator Fees & Heritage Card Sales |
Year |
|
13,198,183 |
2019 |
|
1,801,227 |
2020 |
|
Free admission* |
2021 |
|
10,513,024 |
2022 |
|
13,783,051 |
2023 |
The Office of Public Works operates a number of schemes which are designed to facilitate strong community engagement and public participation in our shared heritage. These schemes include;
• Free Wednesday Scheme- free admission to individual visitors and families to participating OPW heritage sites on the first Wednesday of each month
• Free entry for those with disabilities and their accompanying carers at all OPW sites where an admission charge applies.
• Free Schools Scheme- Under this scheme, all primary and second-level pupils can explore OPW sites, free of charge.
531. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if the OPW has finalised its cost-benefit analysis for the court building in Wicklow town; its findings in relation to the viability of a court service in Wicklow town; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33764/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Office of Public Works (OPW) that Wicklow Town Courthouse is the property of the Courts Service.
Repair works are due to be carried out on the roof of the Courthouse by the OPW on behalf of the Courts Service. The purpose of the works is to commence addressing the dry rot which has spread throughout adjoining buildings. The works are subject to a competitive tendering process and it is expected that they will commence in the coming weeks.
The OPW has yet to finalise its cost benefit analysis report, to advise the Courts Service on the estimated budgets required to re-develop the complex and to support the decision making around the viability of reinstating the Court activity on site.
The re-instatement of the Wicklow Town Courthouse is ultimately a matter for the Courts Service to decide.
532. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the full-year cost of introducing three new bank holidays; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33751/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Finance operates a pre-budget costings service. The procedures for availing of this service are set out in a letter dated 1 July 2024 from the Secretary General of the Department to all recognised parties and technical groups in Dáil Éireann. Deputies are encouraged to engage with this service in relation to requests for costings at this time.
In a report published earlier this year, my Department, in collaboration with the Department of Social Protection, assesses the cumulative impact of changes to working conditions. One of the areas that this report examines, is the costs and benefits associated with the introduction of an additional public holiday. This assessment draws on the available international literature, and based on Ireland’s sectoral composition, the report estimates that a single additional public holiday would cost €355 million in 2023, representing approximately 0.09% of Gross Value Added (GVA) or 0.13% of Modified Gross National Income (GNI*).
The impacts of an additional public holiday are far-reaching, with implications for business costs, productivity, competitiveness, and other issues across multiple sectors. It can be argued that adequately spaced public holidays present only minimal industrial disruption. An additional public holiday can also lead to an increase in consumption, benefitting sectors such as retail and hospitality, and presenting significant well-being benefits to society, including increased recreational opportunities and reduced stress. In terms of the sectoral effects, those sectors where processes are not interrupted or can be resumed easily – such as the services sector, would be among the least affected, while manufacturing sectors would be impacted to a greater extent.
533. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when he commissioned the ESRI research on the impact of statutory sick leave; the scope of this research; the methodology; the timeline for completion; and any other information on the research he will review before deciding on any further increases in statutory sick days. [30879/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Sick Leave Act 2022 provided an initial statutory entitlement to up to 3 days’ employer-paid sick leave in 2023. This increased to 5 days on 1 January 2024. The sick leave entitlement could potentially increase to 7 days in 2025, reaching 10 days in 2026. A Ministerial Order to give effect to any decision to vary the number of sick leave days is not required to be made before 1 January 2025.
In order to inform the decision regarding the statutory sick leave scheme officials in my Department have been working with the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). The first stage of this work has been completed and certain informational and data gaps have been identified, including data required to identify workers and firms who are currently covered by a company sick pay policy.
The next stage of the research will aim to bridge some of these data gaps. This work will involve both quantitative and qualitative analysis and may require a firm-level survey representative of the sectoral and size distribution of Irish companies.
Additionally, it must be acknowledged that this is a relatively new form of research. The Sick Leave Act itself has only been in operation since January 2023 and a comprehensive analysis of the sick pay landscape has not been undertaken to date in Ireland.
It is hoped the research will provide evidence on the types of workers who are most likely to benefit from the statutory entitlement, as well as offering insights into any observable changes in the rate of absences due to sickness in Ireland.
534. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of Irish-registered companies, by sector, which traded with Germany in 2023, in tabular form. [30986/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Central Statistics Office publishes aggregate data on the number and type of enterprises who export goods to Germany. The CSO does not provide information on individual companies. The CSO does not yet have data available for our services imports and exports with Germany for 2023.
In 2022 there were 1,446 enterprises recorded as exporting goods to Germany.
Table A : Number of enterprises exporting goods to Germany by NACE sector.
|
Year |
Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing, Construction and Services, excluding Retail & Wholesale |
Industry |
Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles |
Total number of enterprises |
|
2020 |
456 |
754 |
707 |
1,917 |
|
2021 |
200 |
665 |
502 |
1,367 |
|
2022 |
231 |
668 |
547 |
1,446 |
Table B : Number of enterprises exporting goods to Germany by number of employees.
|
Year |
Number of enterprises with < 10 employees |
Number of enterprises with 10 – 49 employees |
Number of enterprises with 50 – 249 employees |
Number of enterprises with 250 and over employees |
Total number of enterprises |
|
2020 |
906 |
546 |
342 |
123 |
1,917 |
|
2021 |
503 |
401 |
325 |
138 |
1,367 |
|
2022 |
565 |
411 |
339 |
131 |
1,446 |
535. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the amount of work permits issued to bus drivers from non-EU and non-EEA states since the changes made in December 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30999/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn December 2022, changes to the employment permits system were announced to help address the skills shortages in Ireland’s Transport sector. These changes included the introduction of a quota of 1,500 General Employment Permits in respect of Bus and Coach drivers.
The Employment Permits section of my Department informs me that as of the 17th of July 2024 there have been a total of 314 general employment permits applications received in respect of this role. Of these 306 have been issued 3 were refused and 5 were withdrawn.
My Department continues to actively respond to the concerns raised by various sectors with regard to skills shortages in key roles across the economy.
536. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the estimated cost of increasing Enterprise Ireland funding by 5%, 10%, 20%, 25% and 50%, in tabular form. [31170/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe funding provision to Enterprise Ireland covers two subheads on my Department’s Vote, Subheads A7 and B4, which span general supports to indigenous firms and for research and development/innovation supports. My Department has allocated a total of €372.305 million in respect of these subheads in 2024. The cost of increases of 5%, 10%, 20%, 25% and 50% are set out in the table below:
|
- |
REV Allocation 2024 (€,000) |
5% Increase (€,000) |
10% Increase (€,000) |
20% Increase (€,000) |
25% Increase (€,000) |
50% Increase (€,000) |
|
Enterprise Ireland A7Jobs and Enterprise Development |
213,173 |
223,832 |
234,490 |
255,808 |
266,466 |
319,760 |
|
Enterprise Ireland B4Innovation |
159,132 |
167,089 |
175,045 |
190,958, |
198,915 |
238,698 |
|
Total |
372,305 |
390,921 |
409,535 |
446,766 |
465,381 |
558,458 |
The Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund is administered on behalf of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment by Enterprise Ireland. This fund has an allocation of €42.5m for 2024 which is not included in the 2024 total figure for Enterprise Ireland.
537. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the estimated cost of increasing IDA Ireland funding by 5%, 10%, 20%, 25% and 50%, in tabular form. [31171/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraA total of €265.993m has been allocated by my Department to support the Industrial Development Authority for 2024. The table below outlines the estimated cost of increasing IDA Ireland funding by 5%, 10%, 20%, 25% and 50%.
|
- |
REV Allocation 2024 (€,000) |
5% Increase (€,000) |
10% Increase (€,000) |
20% Increase (€,000) |
25% Increase (€,000) |
50% Increase (€,000) |
|
IDA Ireland A5 |
265,993* |
13,300 |
26,599 |
53,199 |
66,498 |
132,997 |
|
Total |
279,293 |
292,592 |
319,192 |
332,491 |
398,990 |
*The 2024 funding allocation is supplemented by Capital Carryover of €15.3m. IDA also generate own resource income.
538. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the estimated cost of increasing Local Enterprise Office funding by 5%, 10%, 20%, 25% and 50%, in tabular form. [31172/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraLocal Enterprise Offices (LEOs) play an extremely important role at local level, as part of a supportive ecosystem, providing their services direct to small businesses and promoting entrepreneurship within towns and communities across the country. LEOs are the first stop shop for every business in the country.
LEOs provide a signposting service for all government supports available to the SME sector and can provide information/referrals to other relevant bodies under agreed protocols. The LEOs’ range of competitiveness and productivity supports are designed to help businesses address some of their most challenging issues – namely saving time, money and energy.
Funding for the Local Enterprise Offices is provided by my Department through the A8 Subhead and is dispersed to the 31 LEOs to provide administration costs and to support businesses with grants, soft supports and national initiatives.
LEOs provide funding to businesses with direct grant supports, including Priming grants , Business Expansion grants, the Trading Online Voucher scheme and the Energy Efficiency Grant. LEOs also provide a range of productivity and competitiveness supports including the LEO Lean, Green and Digital consultancy supports and national initiatives such as the Student Enterprise Program, the National Enterprise Awards and the forthcoming Ireland’s Best Emerging Entrepreneur competition.
The estimated cost of increasing Local Enterprise Office funding by 5%, 10%, 20%, 25% and 50%, is set out in the table below.
|
- |
2024 Budget |
5% Increase |
10% Increase |
20% Increase |
25% Increase |
50% Increase |
|
Total |
56,797 |
59,637 |
62,477 |
68,156 |
70,996 |
85,196 |
539. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the estimated cost of establishing the co-operative development unit within his Department. [31173/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn terms of the co-operative sector, the focus of my Department is on completing work on the Co-operative Societies Bill. Drafting of the Bill, by the Office of Parliamentary Counsel, is nearing completion and it is expected that the finalised Bill will be brought to Government in Q4 2024.
The Bill provides for the most far-reaching reform of the legislation governing co-operatives in the history of the State. The Bill introduces a modern legal framework which will place the co-operative model on a more favourable and clear legal basis and encourage the consideration of the co-operative model as an attractive formation option for entrepreneurs and also for social and community activities. A modern legislative basis, including strong corporate governance requirements, will also provide confidence to stakeholders and help to encourage investment in co-operatives.
It should be noted that the co-operative model is one of a number of corporate options available to those considering establishing themselves in business. However, the choice of corporate model is a matter for the founders of any business and my Department does not promote any particular corporate structure over any other.
It is considered that the most appropriate way to raise awareness of the potential benefits of the modernised co-operative model will be through existing channels and structures and there are no plans to establish a dedicated unit for co-operative development.
540. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the estimated cost of increasing InterTrade funding by 5%, 10%, 20%, 25% and 50%, in tabular form. [31174/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraInterTradeIreland (ITI) is one of six North-South implementation bodies established under the Good Friday Agreement. It operates under the oversight of the NSMC and of its sponsor Departments, the Department of Enterprise, Trade & Employment and the Northern Ireland Department for the Economy. ITI works to promote trade and business on an all-island and cross-border basis. Through its range of programmes, the Body continues to support and develop cross-border trade and businesses as they face the challenges that have emerged in recent years, including Brexit and, more recently, Covid-19.
ITI is jointly funded by my Department and the Department for the Economy on a 2:1 ratio. For 2024 my Department has allocated a total of €11.625m to support ITI’s work. I have set out below the cost of increasing the Body’s budget at the different levels you have requested:
5% €12.2062m
10% €12.7875m
20% €13.9500m
25% €14.5312m
50% €17.4375m
Please note that the baseline figure includes pension payments.
As ITI is under the joint oversight of both my Department and the Department for the Economy, its budgets require approval from both Departments. This is normally set out in advance in InterTradeIreland’s three-year Corporate Plans. In its Corporate Plan for 2023-25, ITI anticipates an overall budget of approximately €17.44m in 2024 and €18.6m in 2025
