Written answers

Wednesday, 23 June 2021

Department of An Taoiseach

Departmental Bodies

Photo of Louise O'ReillyLouise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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48. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the estimated cost of employing one additional Health and Safety Authority inspector. [33719/21]

Photo of Damien EnglishDamien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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The Health and Safety Authority’s human resources represent staff in administration and inspector grades. The inspector grades comprise of Grade I (senior inspectors) as well as Grade II and Grade III inspectors.  

Inspectors operate across all of the Authority’s legislative mandates which include occupational health and safety, chemicals, and market surveillance of products. These inspectors may also be involved in either general inspection, specialist inspection or policy implementation at national, European and international level.  

Most of the Authority’s inspectors are at Grade III level which is the grade for new-entrants.  

The costs for employing a Health and Safety Inspector depend on the Grade, and the relevant costs for each grade are outlined below.  As you will see from the table, the cost of employing one additional inspector at Grade III, including PRSI, recruitment and onboarding costs is approximately €50,796.

Grade Salary Employer PRSI Onboarding Costs
Inspector Grade I € 72,578 €7,802 €15,000
Inspector Grade II € 63,275 €6,802 €15,000
Inspector Grade III € 32,321 €3,475 €15,000

Assumptions

1. Figures based on starting point of the relevant grade for all positions

2. Provision included for Employer PRSI calculated at 10.75%.

3. Recruitment and onboarding cost of €15k for Inspector positions based on batch recruitment.

Photo of Louise O'ReillyLouise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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49. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the estimated cost of employing ten additional Health and Safety Authority inspectors. [33720/21]

Photo of Damien EnglishDamien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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The Health and Safety Authority’s human resources represent staff in administration and inspector grades. The inspector grades comprise of Grade I (senior inspectors) as well as Grade II and Grade III inspectors.  

Inspectors operate across all of the Authority’s legislative mandates which include occupational health and safety, chemicals, and market surveillance of products. These inspectors may also be involved in either general inspection, specialist inspection or policy implementation at national, European and international level.

Most of the Authority’s inspectors are at Grade III level which is the grade for new-entrants.

The costs for employing a Health and Safety Inspector depend on the Grade, and the relevant costs for each grade are outlined below.  The cost of employing ten additional inspectors at Grade III, including PRSI, recruitment and onboarding costs is approximately €507,960.

Grade Salary Employer PRSI Onboarding Costs
Inspector Grade I € 72,578 €7,802 €15,000
Inspector Grade II € 63,275 €6,802 €15,000
Inspector Grade III € 32,321 €3,475 €15,000

Assumptions

1. Figures based on starting point of the relevant grade for all positions

2. Provision included for Employer PRSI calculated at 10.75%.

3. Recruitment and onboarding cost of €15k for Inspector positions based on batch recruitment.

Photo of Louise O'ReillyLouise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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50. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of Health and Safety Authority workplace inspectors currently employed. [33721/21]

Photo of Damien EnglishDamien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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The Health and Safety Authority has a current headcount of 189 which is made up of staff in administration and inspector grades. The current inspector headcount in the Authority is 105 comprising of Grade I (senior inspectors) as well as Grade II and Grade III inspectors.

Inspectors operate across all of the Authority’s legislative mandates which include occupational health and safety, chemicals, and market surveillance of products. These inspectors may also be involved in either general inspection, specialist inspection or policy implementation at national, European and international level.

In Budget 2021, the Government allocated an additional €4.2 million to the Authorities pay provision to resource both its COVID-19 and ongoing Brexit responses. In this respect the first phase of recruitment have been sanctioned and the Authority are actively recruiting Grade III inspectors at present, with the first of these new recruits due to join the Authority in July 2021.

Photo of Louise O'ReillyLouise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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51. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the funding provided to IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, InterTradeIreland and local enterprise offices, respectively in 2019, 2020 and 2021, in tabular form. [33723/21]

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The table below sets out the exchequer funding expended by IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, InterTradeIreland and local enterprise offices, respectively in 2019, 2020 and the 2021 funding allocated through the published Revised Estimate Volume.

Revised Estimates Volume Allocations 2019 Outturn(€,000) 2020 Outturn(€,000) 2021 Allocation*(€,000)
InterTrade Ireland 9,901m 12,724m 11,036m
IDA Ireland 178,670m 198,177m 210,933m
Enterprise Ireland – Jobs and Enterprise Development 119,431m 820,987m 204,457m
Enterprise Ireland - Innovation 126,741m 127,294m 131,854m
Local Enterprise Development (LEOs) 35,333m 76,992m 47,781m
Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (Administered by EI) 15,415m 16,500m 45,000m

*Revised Estimates Volume 2021 published Dec 2020

The totals included account for both Capital and Current funding expended/allocated to the agencies, however they do not include any funding that may have been provided by way of Capital Carryover.

The unprecedented increase in my Department's allocation in 2020 was in order to actively respond to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on our enterprise base.

Since the publication of the 2021 Estimate, Government agreed to provide further additional funding to my Department to assist in the ongoing response to Covid and Brexit. This Revised Estimate is due to be presented to the Members Oireachtas Committee for ETE for approval shortly.

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