Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 244 to 249, inclusive, together.

A total of €858.5 million gross has been provided for use by my Department next year as per the 2017 Expenditure Report which was published on 11 October 2016. This compares to a provision of €800.47 million in the 2016 Revised Estimates Volume.

The 2017 Expenditure Report sets out the Capital expenditure allocation for my Department next year at €555 million. This is the highest capital allocation secured by the Department for over a decade. The €555 million compares to €503 million capital as provided in the 2016 Revised Estimates Volume.

The increased capital, which is a 10% increase over the 2016 level, will greatly assist in progressing the enterprise, regional and innovation agendas next year, including assisting the response on Brexit issues.

The distribution of all Capital and Current funding for next year across the 39 subheads of my Department's Vote will be finalised during the 2017 Revised Estimates Volume (REV) exercise in the weeks ahead. This is an extensive process which is currently underway through my officials in conjunction with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. The 2017 REV is expected to be concluded in early December. Therefore it is not yet possible to provide the specific breakdown of the 2017 funding across the Department, Offices and its Agencies.

It is important to recognise that the €555 million in capital funding next year is to cover the following Agencies, organisations and programmes.

- Enterprise Ireland

- IDA Ireland

- Science Foundation Ireland

- 31 Local Enterprise Offices

- The Programme for Research in Third-Level Institutions

- InterTrade Ireland

- InterReg Programme

- National Standards Authority of Ireland

- The Credit Guarantee Scheme

- Tyndall National Institute

- Ireland's membership of various international research organisations which include:

- the European Space Agency

- ELIXIR

- European Molecular Biology Conference

- European Molecular Biology Laboratory

- Eureka

- COST – Co-operation in Science & Technology

- CECAM – Centre Européen de Calcul Atomique et Moléculaire.

The €555 million in capital funding is directly supporting over 400,000 jobs across the clients supported by Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and Local Enterprise Offices. It is also assisting Ireland’s standing as a globally recognised research performing nation, ranked 14^thin the world.

Much of this funding is multi-annual in nature and is demand driven. To protect the Exchequer’s investment the funding is also contingent on various terms and conditions being met by the grant recipient, be it a company, organisation or higher education institution. In the context of the research and development funding, this is often subject to rigorous scientific peer review. Across certain agency grant programmes there are competitive funding calls.

It is also important to appreciate the scale of the enterprise agency client base being supported through the Department's capital funding. Combined the Department’s capital supports will cover in excess of 10,000 individual companies, higher education institutions and scientists. Accordingly it is not possible at this stage to provide a breakdown of the 2017 regional or sectoral funding that is being sought by the Deputy. Such a level of detail can only be done once expenditure has actually been incurred, verified by the Agency concerned and paid out to the grant recipients.

It is important to also recognise that Brexit is an evolving situation. As Chair of the Department’s Brexit Co-Ordinating Committee, and since the UK Referendum result in late June, I have been working very closely with my officials and the Enterprise Agencies to ensure an effective and co-ordinated Brexit response on the wide range of enterprise, trade, innovation and regulatory matters of direct relevance to the Department’s remit.

The additional €3 million in Pay that I secured in Budget 2017 is specifically to assist in our response to the evolving Brexit situation. It will enable the Department and its Agencies to recruit an additional forty to fifty staff. The additional staff will be specifically tasked with assisting companies adjusting to the challenges faced from Brexit, help enterprise clients to diversify into new markets, secure new business and explore innovation opportunities. I have established a specific Brexit Unit in the Department who, as well as assisting in the overall co-ordinated enterprise response, will also be directly involved in the extensive negotiations that will arise on foot of the UK's departure from the EU. Such extensive negotiations over the coming years will involve bilateral interactions with our UK counterparts as well as participation in EU specific negotiations.

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

250. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation her plans to meet businesses along the Border region, particularly in counties Cavan and Monaghan, ahead of Brexit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35307/16]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, I am continuing to focus on developments in the fallout from Brexit and am deeply engaged with Enterprise Ireland (EI) and IDA Ireland regarding the impacts being felt by client companies. I have ongoing communication with these Agencies through my chairing of the High level Group of Senior Managers which includes the CEOs of the Agencies. In addition, my officials are in daily contact with the Agencies and keep me informed of any issues arising.

I am monitoring the export and trading environment on an ongoing basis and have met with companies and other stakeholders from across the country to help inform our response. I will continue to meet with companies over the coming months.

Over €1 billion of EI exports go to Northern Ireland and I am very conscious of the challenges that may be faced by companies operating in close proximately to the border. EI is working with its clients, looking at the individual challenges faced by clients on a company by company basis in every county in Ireland and on a sectoral level as some sectors are more exposed than others.

I would urge any businesses who are experiencing difficulties to visit one of the 31 Local Enterprise Offices nationwide, or to contact Enterprise Ireland, for advice and support.

The exchange rate situation is an evolving one and we may not have felt the full effects of the weakening of the value of Sterling. In the immediate aftermath of the vote EI focused on reaching out to their clients by setting up a helpline, and:

- contacted all clients with a material exposure to the UK;

- developing a New ‘Guide to Exporting to the UK, post EU Referendum’;

- developing a Webinar on currency volatility and hedging;

- promoting global market opportunities in the media;

- preparing a Comprehensive Guide to Exporting to the UK with expert guidance and advice on diversification, competitiveness, tax, business planning and managing currency risk;

- publishing a revised schedule of Trade and Investment Missions.

The challenge ahead is significant. The vote of the UK to leave the European Union has created uncertainty in the short term and will lead to a structural shift in the international trading framework in which Irish companies operate. There is a whole of Government approach in place focusing on the issue of Brexit and my Department and its Agencies are to the forefront of this effort.