Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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168. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the extent to which her Department can improve the efficiency and efficacy of workplace issues, including health and safety, to give the workforce an edge in an increasingly competitive marketplace; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6354/18]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My view is that competitiveness continues to be an important issue for business in Ireland, just as it is for all firms operating in a global marketplace.  Improving competitiveness is a multi-faceted process that involves efforts from both the private and public sector.  Firms must ensure that they are operating in the most efficient manner possible, adopting the newest approaches and technologies, training staff, reviewing processes, seeking out the competitive edge in their chosen market.  However, they must also ensure that their workplaces are safe, and provide an appropriate environment for staff.

In Ireland, as in all European Member States, regulation should be put in place in ways that achieve desired policy goals both efficiently and effectively.  The interaction between business and Government should be smooth and efficient, with clear communication from both sides.  Where this is not the case, we must strive to improve it.  Unnecessary burdens should always be avoided, but some costs are to be expected when we are aiming for the highest standards of protection for our workers and the environment, for example.

Ireland is already known to have a low burden of regulation, across the board, when benchmarked internationally.  Individual departments and agencies across the system seek the most efficient and effective ways to implement standards wherever they are necessary.  However, risks must be planned for, and the appropriate steps taken to ensure that workplaces remain safe for employees.

While there has been a welcome increase in economic activity and employment in Ireland, rising employment, can, however, bring with it an increase in the number and rate of workplace injuries unless businesses invest in appropriate occupational safety and health measures.

Poor safety and health workplace practices ultimately cost not just the individuals directly affected by a workplace accident but negatively impact on a business in terms of key staff absences, lost productivity, damage to stock and equipment and diversion of management time to coping with the outcome of the incident. There is a cost too to the State. The State Claims Agency estimates that the true costs of injuries to the State are approximately three times the claims cost. According to CSO data, 1.72 million work days were lost due to work related injury and illness in 2016.

The Health and Safety Authority (HSA), which operates under the auspices of my Department, works to improve the management of safety, health and welfare in the workplace through a combination of promotional activity, workplace inspection activity and enforcement action.  The HSA enables employers and employees to improve safety and health in their workplaces with the provision of information and advice through helplines and the HSA website. The HSA also provides specific tools to employers and employees to assist them in managing safety and health. These tools include the BeSmart risk assessment tool and the e-learning portal HsaLearning.

BeSmart.ieis the HSA’s free online tool designed to help small business owners/managers to prepare risk assessments and safety statements for their own workplace.  The tool, now available to over 270 business types, aids compliance and saves time and money for businesses in meeting their legal obligations under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005.

The e-learning portal, hsalearning.ie, provides free to access short online courses which serve to upskill those entering the workforce and those at work.  Online courses are provided for employers and employees to enhance workplace learning in sectors such as farming, construction, healthcare, education and small business.  Other courses are available on a range of topics and will assist employers to manage safety including: Preventing slips, trips and falls, Managing chemicals safely, Managing Bullying Complaints, and, Safety representatives. The elearning portal also contains a group manager function which allows managers/supervisors to register groups of employees to take online courses and monitor their completion rates.  By downloading certificates of completion on passing the course assessment, employees can add to their training records.

In addition the HSA has a comprehensive programme of work planned for 2018 involving activities relating to farm safety, occupational health, vehicles and work at a height. The HSA will also be carrying out in excess of 10,000 inspections across a range of sectors and will publish and disseminate information and advice on workplace safety and the safe use of chemicals.

Through this programme of work the HSA aims to prevent workplace injury and ill-health and so reduce the high costs of safety and health failures. Good workplace health and safety practices make good economic sense.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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170. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the extent to which her office engages with stakeholders in the manufacturing and service sectors with a view to improving competitiveness, identifying likely obstacles and the utilisation of modern methods to promote trade and Irish manufactured goods north or south of the border; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6356/18]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Competitiveness is key to success in international markets, jobs growth and as a means of achieving sustainable improvements in living standards. Improving competitiveness performance is a core focus of the work of the Government, and as part of this work my Department, its agencies and the National Competitiveness Council are continually engaged with relevant stakeholders on the particular policy needs required to support competitiveness. The National Competitiveness Council, an independent advisory body, tasked with reporting through me to the Taoiseach and the Government on key competitiveness issues facing the Irish economy, is composed, amongst others, of business representatives’ bodies and companies from the  manufacturing and services sectors.

In its 2017 Competitiveness Challenge Report, the Council has identified a range of threats to Ireland’s competitiveness, including the potential impact of Brexit, our cost base, the shortage and cost of residential property, the concentration of our export markets and the range of products and services exported. I share the Council’s view that Ireland must address barriers to investment and growth, drive productivity performance and be responsive to competitiveness challenges and opportunities that are emerging.

A more diverse export base can reduce exposure to external demand shocks, exchange rate fluctuations and instability in export earnings and enhance growth and jobs. Irish-based exporters, particularly in exposed sectors such as traditional manufacturing and agrifood, must continue to be supported to scale and diversify sustainably and strategically to reduce the market exposure which Brexit has highlighted. Enterprise Ireland is actively supporting firms develop new products, services for new and existing markets. A range of supports and programmes for Product, Process or Services Development are available for established SMEs in the manufacturing and internationally traded services sectors.

My Department is also working on developing markets beyond Ireland’s traditional trading partners by doubling the number of trade missions and placing extra staff in overseas markets. Consistent, sustained in-market presence by IDA Ireland is necessary to take advantage of emerging FDI growth opportunities across the globe.

 Following extensive engagement with Irish SMEs, we have developed the Brexit Loan Scheme which will be launched at the end of March 2018. The scheme will provide short-term credit to businesses coping with working capital challenges. Officials in my Department are exploring the development of a longer-term Development Loan Scheme which would assist firms in long-term investing for a post-Brexit environment and increase their competitiveness.

 To future proof the competitiveness of our economy, policy must support Ireland moving to the forefront of digital and innovative activity. Irish business must therefore make greater use of the opportunities offered by online commerce, including cross-border trade. In this regard, the Trading Online Voucher Scheme administered by the Local Enterprise Offices assists small businesses to trade online by developing their e-commerce capability.