Written answers
Wednesday, 16 January 2013
Department of Environment, Community and Local Government
Action Plan for Jobs
Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the 2012 targets set for his Department for implementation of the Jobs Action Plan; if he will report on the attainment or otherwise of these targets; the reason targets were not met; the steps he is taking within his Department to create new jobs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1281/13]
Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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My Department's commitments in the Action Plan for Jobs – 2012, in some instances in cooperation with other Departments, local authorities and agencies are in relation to Actions 1.17, 1.22, 1.23, 1.47, 6.5, 6.6, 6.8, 6.9 and 7.3.2. Progress is set out in the following table.
Action | Measure | Time Frame for Completion | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
1.17 | Build on the positive response to date from Local Authorities to requests from Government to exercise restraint in setting rates for businesses, to minimise costs imposed on businesses and assist struggling firms in any way they can, with a need for continuing restraint and lower costs in the coming years | ||
- Encourage Local Authorities to exercise restraint in setting of commercial rates for 2012, which is a reserved function of Local Authorities. | Q1 | Delivered on schedule | |
- Require Local Authorities to consider the impact of development contributions on businesses and competitiveness generally. | Q2 | Delivered on schedule | |
1.22 | Encourage a competitive regime for waste services via careful design of the regulatory framework | ||
- Complete consultation process | Q1 | Delivered on schedule | |
- Submit proposals for Government decision on a new national waste policy | Q2 | Delivered July 2012 . Additional time for the submission of additional material was allowed, on account of the significant level of change in the household collection market proposed, to ensure the fullest information was available to Government in making its decision. | |
- Implement Government decisions in relation to waste policy and services | Q3 and Ongoing | Delivered on schedule and for 2012 | |
1.23 | Finalise the strategy for future structure for water services delivery to ensure an improvement in efficiency and delivery. | ||
- Complete internal assessment process | Q2 | Delivered on schedule | |
- Devise and roll out implementation strategy | Q4 | Delivered on schedule | |
1.47 | Integrate the foreshore consent process under the Foreshores Acts 1933 with the existing on-land planning system | ||
- Publication of Bill | Q3 | Bill to be published Q1 2013 Publication of the Foreshore and Marine Area Development Bill has been rescheduled from Q3 2012 to Q1 2013 t o allow sufficient time for public and stakeholder consultation | |
6.5 | Develop a new sectoral strategy to promote employment, and support local enterprise by Local Government, to include measures in the area of business charges, local enterprise and business support arrangements, procurement support, local development and community based initiatives, the Green Economy and local government participation in employment support schemes. These measures will complement, and assist in the delivery at a local level, of other actions set out in this Action Plan. | ||
- Establish Strategy Working Group | Q1 | Delivered on schedule | |
- Publish draft strategy for consultation | Q2 | Delivered on schedule | |
- Finalise and implement Strategy | Q3 | Delivered on schedule | |
6.6 | Align community-based endeavour with local government with a view to improving delivery of services to citizens at local level, achieving greater efficiency and effectiveness and enhancing the role of Local Authorities in the delivery of local and community development programmes and functions. The supports for business from both the Local and Community Development sector and local government will be re-configured to bring about maximum coherence at local level. | ||
- Implement the key recommendations of the report of the Department's Alignment Steering Group through ongoing engagement with Local Government, Local Development Companies and other stakeholders, and through monitoring and evaluating the relevant Programmes. | Ongoing | Delivered f or 2012 | |
6.8 | Implement the key recommendations of the report of the Department's Alignment Steering Group through ongoing engagement with Local Government, Local Development Companies and other stakeholders, and through monitoring and evaluating the relevant Programmes. | ||
- Establish the impact of enterprise supports provided by the Programme, through a national evaluation. | Q4 | Delivered on schedule | |
6.9 | Continue to support job creation in rural communities through the Rural Development Programme concentrating primarily on the provision of direct support for the generation and development of enterprise ideas and initiatives and the provision of support for initiatives that facilitate the development of sustainable rural communities | ||
- Ensure that the Programme continues to focus on enterprise generation and development in rural communities. | Ongoing | Delivered for 2012 | |
7.3.2 | - Implement the Green Public Procurement Action Plan to promote the development of a market for green products and services. | Q4 | Delivered for 2012 |
While neither my Department nor the agencies under its aegis including local authorities have a direct role in the creation of new jobs under the Action Plan for Jobs, they have a key role in supporting and stimulating economic activity, and aim to safeguard and assist jobs growth, including within the context of a sustainable environment and the development of the Green Economy in Ireland. Furthermore the Rural Development Programme (LEADER), delivered under my Department, aims to improve the quality of life and support the diversification of economic activity in rural areas. The Rural Development Programme (RDP) supports a broad range of activities including the creation and development of micro-enterprises in rural areas. The RDP for Ireland 2007- 2013 has a substantial budget of over €300m, which represents a significant lever to stimulate economic development in rural areas. Since it commenced in 2009 the RDP has supported over 3, 000 rural enterprise initiatives with the creation of over 1, 200 jobs.
Over the next three years, it is projected that the LEADER Programme will assist in the creation of up to 7 ,000 new jobs. In addition my Department's Local and Community Development Programme (LCDP), which commenced in January 2010, aims to tackle poverty and social exclusion through partnership and constructive engagement between Government and its agencies and people in disadvantaged communities. The Programme is underpinned by four high level goals, one of which, while not directly creating new jobs, is aimed at increasing peoples' work readiness and employment prospects. In this regard, the following table outlines the number of individuals supported into employment and into self-employment in 2011 and the target for 2012.
LCDP | 2012 Targets | 2011 Outputs | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individuals supported into employment | 966 | 5,613 | 1,121 | 6,163 |
| Individuals supported into self-employment | 4,647 | 5,042 | ||
Local authorities also have an important role in providing much of the physical and regulatory infrastructure essential to support enterprise and promote employment. They deliver essential services to business and are geared to respond to the needs of local communities, employers and entrepreneurs speedily and efficiently. Local authorities are very active in promoting the commercial and enterprise interests of their areas, working with other State agencies and local business across all areas that can benefit their local communities and the enterprise sector. Local authorities are acutely aware of the need to assist in the response to the jobs crisis at the local level, and assist and network with other agencies in the delivery of their responses to the crisis at the local level. It is in that context that achievement of measures in the Action Plan for Jobs will assist in creating a pro-enterprise supportive environment to generate new jobs and sustain existing ones.
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