Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 11:

In page 49, between lines 27 and 28, to insert the following:"(3) The Minister commits to examining and reviewing the Employment and Investment Incentive and Seed Capital Scheme in advance of Budget 2014, in particular with regards to its effect on employment levels and new jobs created.".

The amendment relates to the employment and investment incentive and seed capital scheme and calls for a review thereof prior to budget 2014. Yesterday and today, the House has debated a Sinn Féin motion on job creation. It is one of the major issues which must be resolved to get our people back to work. Schemes like this one can play a central role to provide opportunities for businesses and for people to get back to meaningful employment. This scheme originated from similar schemes which first surfaced in 2003. Certificates must be issued in respect of all schemes. In respect of these schemes, 335 certificates have been issued. There is clearly an issue with all of the schemes. There have been reviews and evaluations of previous schemes but there is also an issue with this one. Sinn Féin has spoken to people at the coal face including on county enterprise boards who are unaware that the scheme exists. We are not seeking to have the scheme scrapped but rather to examine it to see what are its deficiencies, where we can strengthen it, how to get the best out of it and to determine if it is fit for purpose. The scheme is being extended in the Bill in small areas but before we look at it further we need a proper review. Given that the scheme commenced in 2011, sufficient time will have passed in the next year to have an evaluation to ground an informed decision as to how and where the scheme should be improved.

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