Written answers

Tuesday, 1 June 2021

Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Photo of Richard BrutonRichard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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139. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he has evaluated the scope of the successful exporting sectors to provide opportunities for redeployment of workers displaced by Covid-19; and if specific initiatives are being evolved to identify such opportunities and to develop programmes to support transition of workers to them. [29188/21]

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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In building towards recovery, it must be recognised that not all previous jobs will return, while capacity constraints may emerge in other areas.  Fundamentally, the Government’s labour market approach is  about developing people and their potential through opportunities to reskill and upskill and supporting individuals to secure and remain in sustainable and quality employment. This will include supporting people to transition to new jobs in growing sectors of the economy.

We have a responsive national skills architecture, which monitors and identifies skills needs across the economy and informs provision for upskilling or reskilling across the education and training system.  The Economic Recovery Plan published today outlines plans to further strengthen Ireland’s Skills Framework and architecture to ensure our skills approach is routed areas of opportunity and growth. This will include a comprehensive review of Ireland’s skills strategies and approaches, including the National Skills Strategy 2016-2025; developing a web-based “Skills Platform”, for upskilling and reskilling opportunities; and developing Ireland’s Pact for Skills, between businesses and government, to ensure those with low and no qualifications are not excluded from employment.

Upskilling and reskilling supports are delivered through a range of education and training programmes informed by this labour market and skills intelligence, which are funded through the National Training Fund. These include Skillnet Ireland, the Higher Education Authority’s Springboard+ programme, apprenticeships, and digital upskilling programmes. The National Training Fund is also supporting an annual €60 million investment in the Higher Education system, through the Human Capital Initiative.

Through the agencies and initiatives mentioned above my Department and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science will continue to ensure that there is a successful alignment of education and reskilling opportunities with employment opportunities in growth and emerging sectors to enable transitioning and redeployment of workers displaced by Covid-19, and other disruptive trends and structural shifts accelerated by the pandemic.

Photo of Niall CollinsNiall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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140. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if a person (details supplied) will be advised in relation to matters raised in correspondence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29201/21]

Photo of Damien EnglishDamien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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As you are aware the Government has put in place a comprehensive package to help businesses and workers during the pandemic, including the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS), the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP), the COVID-19 Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS), the small business assistance scheme for COVID (SBASC), low-cost loans, the deferral and warehousing of tax liabilities and the waiver of commercial rates.

Budget 2021 provided a significant package of tax and expenditure measures to build the resilience of the economy and to help vulnerable but viable businesses across all sectors. Details of the wide range of supports available are on my Department’s website. 

I am acutely aware of the difficulties SME's have faced and continue to face due to this pandemic.  The SBASC scheme has been expanded and will now take into account businesses who do not pay rates and those businesses with a turnover of less than €50,000.  Details of Phase 2 of this scheme are being finalised and will be open for applications in early June, with a closing date of 21st July. 

Further details of these schemes including all eligibility criteria will shortly be available on my Department's website .gov.ie and on Local Authority websites. 

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