Written answers
Wednesday, 21 June 2006
Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Departmental Agencies
9:00 pm
Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Question 67: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of offices and agencies operating within his Department; the functions with which they are charged; and the budgetary allocation afforded to each. [23948/06]
Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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There are currently ten Agencies and twelve Offices operating under the aegis of my Department. Their functions, and their budgetary allocations for 2006, are as shown in the table.
| Agencies | ||
| Name of Organisation | Functions | Budgetary Allocation 2006 |
| € | ||
| Forfás | Forfás is the national policy and advisory board for enterprise, trade, science, technology and innovation. The broad functions of Forfás are to advise the Minister on matters relating to the development of industry in the State; advise on the development and co-ordination of policy for Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, Science Foundation Ireland and such other bodies (established or under statute) as the Minister may by order designate; encourage the development of industry, technology, marketing and human resources in the State; encourage the establishment and development in the State of industrial undertakings from outside the State; and advise and co-ordinate Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and Science Foundation Ireland in relation to their functions | 35,351,000 |
| FAS | FAS is Ireland's National Training and Employment Authority. The function of FAS is to provide training and re-training in and for employment; recruitment service; employment schemes; placement and guidance services; assistance to community groups; advice for people returning to Ireland, those seeking employment in Ireland or elsewhere in the EU; information, advice or research on labour market issues. | 974,375,000 |
| Health & Safety Authority | The Health and Safety Authority is the national statutory body charged with responsibility for the enforcement of occupational safety and health law; the promotion and encouragement of accident prevention; and the provision of information, advice and research. The Authority is a state-sponsored body, established under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 1989, formerly known as the National Authority for Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH). Since the passing in 2005 of the Safety Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 the Authority's remit is now based on the provisions of that Act. The Authority is the designated interim national competent body for the administration and enforcement of EU chemicals regulation in this country and it is also the national competent authority for the implementation of EU regulations concerning transportable pressure equipment. | 20,598,000 |
| The Industrial Development Agency (Ireland) (IDA Ireland) | The functions of IDA Ireland are to promote the establishment and development, in the State, of industrial undertakings from outside the State; to make investments in and provide supports to industrial undertakings which comply with the requirements of the enactments for the time being in force; to administer such schemes, grants and other financial facilities requiring the disbursement of European Community Funds as may from time to time be authorised by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment with the concurrence of the Minister for Finance; and to carry out such other functions as may from time to time be assigned to it by Forfás with the consent of the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. | 139,218,000 C3 (Property programme not included in Finance figure). |
| Enterprise Ireland (EI) | EI is the Irish state development agency focused on transforming Irish industry. The mission of EI is "To accelerate the development of world-class Irish companies to achieve strong positions in global markets resulting in increased national and regional prosperity". Its focus is on achieving export sales; investing in research and innovation; competing through productivity; starting up & scaling up and driving regional enterprise. EI also provides assistance for international companies who are searching for world-class Irish suppliers | 258,559,000 |
| SFADCo (Shannon Development) | SFADCo is responsible for Industrial & Tourism Development in the Mid-West region. Its primary focus is to lead and encourage the identification and development of solutions to the critical needs or obstacles to development in the region. SFADCo supports firms, which either currently or are likely to achieve significant sales growth of €1.3m and employ in excess of 10 people within 3 years of start-up. | 3,400,000 |
| National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) | The NSAI is Ireland's Standards body. NSAI facilitates the development of voluntary standard documents which manufacturers or service providers may use as an aid to meeting safety or customer requirements. The functions of the NSAI are specifically detailed within the NSAI and Legal Metrology Legislation. In summary the NSAI operates the following functions: | 6,891,000 |
| The 35 County and City Enterprise Boards (CEBs) | The 35 CEBs were set up in 1993 to meet a need which was identified for support targeted specifically at the micro-enterprise sector. The CEBs develop indigenous enterprise potential & stimulate economic activity at local level. CEB interventions are targeted at projects in the manufacturing and traded services sectors employing ten or less workers. | 31,180,000 |
| Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) | The function of the SFI is to build and strengthen scientific and engineering research and its infrastructure in the areas of greatest strategic value to Ireland's long term competitiveness and development. | 149,435,622 |
| Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB) | The PIAB is an independent statutory body. The function of the PIAB is to assess the amount of compensation due to a person who has suffered a personal injury | The PIAB's operational costs are funded by fees levied on claimants and respondents |
| Offices | ||
| Name of Organisation | Functions | Budgetary Allocation 2006 |
| € | ||
| Patents Office | The main statutory functions of the Controller of Patents, Designs & Trade Marks are concerned with the granting of Patents and the registration of Trade marks and Designs and the administration and maintenance of these industrial property rights. The Controller also has certain statutory functions under the Copyright and Related Rights Act, 2000. | Nil. (The running of the Patents Office is funded under the Administrative Budget of the Department Of Enterprise, Trade & Employment) |
| Labour Relations Commission | The Labour Relations Commission has general responsibility for the promotion of good industrial relations through the provision of a comprehensive range of services designed to help prevent and resolve disputes. The Commission provides an industrial relations Conciliation Service; an industrial relations Advisory Development and Research Service (ADRS); and a Rights Commissioner Service | 5,012,000 |
| The Labour Court | The Labour Court provides a comprehensive service for the resolution of disputes regarding industrial relations, equality, organisation of working time, national minimum wage, part-time work and fixed-term work matters. The Labour Court also supports the work of the Joint Labour Committees (JLCs) and makes Employment Regulation Orders on foot of proposals from the JLCs. | 3,464,000 |
| Office of the Director of Consumer Affairs (ODCA) | The Office of the Director of Consumer Affairs was established under the Consumer Information Act, 1978. The Director is an independent statutory officer, responsible for enforcing a wide spectrum of consumer protection legislation, including the power to seek court orders and to prosecute for breaches of the Consumer Information Act, Consumer Credit, Package Travel, Food and Textile Labelling, Price Display Orders, Product Pricing, Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts and Product Safety legislation. | 4,289,000 |
| National Consumer Agency (Board acting in an interim capacity until such time as the agency is established on a statutory basis) | The function of the National Consumer Agency is the promotion and protection of consumer interests including Advocacy, Enforcement, Education and Awareness, Information & Research. | 3,000,000 |
| The Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement | The Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement is responsible for encouraging compliance with the Companies Acts and investigation and enforcing suspected breaches of the legislation. | 4,713,000 |
| Competition Authority | The Competition Authority is an independent statutory body responsible for enforcing competition law in the State | 5,831,000 |
| Companies Registration Office | The functions of the Companies Registration Office (CRO) are | 9,308,000 |
| Registry of Friendly Societies (RFS) | The functions of the RFS are: The registration of Industrial and Provident Societies, Friendly Societies and Trade Unions. To ensure that various societies and trade unions comply with their statutory obligations. The provision of accurate information to the public about the affairs of Societies and trade unions supervised by the Registry. | The (RFS) is included in the main vote of the Department. It does not have a separate vote |
| Employment Appeals Tribunal (EAT) | The function of the EAT is to adjudicate, process and hear claims in employment rights disputes. | (The running of the Employment Appeals Tribunal is funded under the Administrative Budget of the Department of Enterprise, Trade & Employment) |
| InterTradeIreland, The Trade and Business Development Body | InterTradeIreland was established in December 1999, to promote all-island trade and business development. The statutory functions of InterTradeIreland are set down in the British-Irish Agreement Act, 1999 which defines the Body as one "to exchange information and co-ordinate work on trade, business development and related matters in areas where the two administrations specifically agree it would be in their mutual interest". | 10,025000 |
| Irish Auditing and Accounting Supervisory Authority | The function of the IAASA is to supervise the regulation by the accountancy bodies of their members. IAASA has a wide range of oversight functions in relation to accountancy bodies including the power to | 919,000 |
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