Minister Martin welcomes 2006 Estimates

Consumer Affairs

“Spending on consumer affairs will increase by €3.1 million (76%) in 2006, to €7.2 million. As well as continuing to fund the work of the Office of the Director of Consumer Affairs, the increased allocation in this area will support the activities of the Interim Board of the new National Consumer Agency which I appointed last June. €3 million of new funding will be allocated to the Interim Board to carry out some initial work in the area of consumer awareness, advocacy and targeted research, and to prepare for the establishment of the statutory-based agency.” The Minister added: “The increased allocation will help to demonstrate to consumers that real change is underway, and that their interests are being supported.”

Competition Authority

The allocation for the Competition Authority for 2006 has been increased by 15%, or €738,000, to €5.831m. This will provide the Authority with the opportunity to double resources in its Cartel Enforcement Division and enable it to substantially increase the number of investigations that it can carry out into criminal breaches of the Competition Act.

Science and Technology Programme

In view of the Government’s ongoing commitment to science awareness, the allocation for Discover Science & Engineering, the integrated awareness programme, has been increased by 60% from €2.5m in 2005 to €4m in 2006. This extra funding will be spent on an enhanced primary science programme, the development and delivery of a new pilot programme complementing the Junior Certificate science curriculum, and other pilot initiatives for Transition and Leaving Certificate students.

National Training Fund

Expenditure from the National Training Fund in 2006 will amount to €353.6 million, an increase of 6% on the 2005 Estimate. Minister Martin said: “The National Training Fund has proven to be an important resource in maintaining a focus on up-skillling the labour force and in ensuring that people in employment, in particular, have a chance to raise their skills levels as recommended in the Enterprise Strategy Group report. The increase in NTF funding for 2006 reflects my Department’s commitment to the promotion of lifelong learning as a means of continuing to support the development of a knowledge-based economy. Combined with a 9% increase in Exchequer funding for FAS’s Training and Integration Supports, a total of €429.5 million will be available in 2006 for up-skilling people in, and for, employment.

In addition, the Exchequer will make a contribution of €384 million to FAS Employment Programmes aimed primarily at long-term unemployed people and other marginalised groups.”

People with Disabilities

FAS’s funding for Training and Integration Supports includes an allocation of €66 million for programmes designed to enhance the employment of people with disabilities. The allocation, up €2 million from 2005, includes €10 million for the new Wage Subsidy Scheme which was launched in 2005 and which will be promoted widely in 2006.

The Minister said: “Achieving higher levels of employment for people with disabilities has been a key objective of my Department and of FAS for a number of years. We have achieved a good deal, but we must do more. I am pleased that we have been able to secure additional funding to continue to promote the employment of people with disabilities next year.”

“The Disability Act, which was enacted earlier this year, was another positive step designed to advance and underpin participation by people with disabilities in everyday life. In addition to the funding provided to FAS to deliver programmes for people with disabilities, my Department and its agencies will spend a further €8 million in directly employing people with disabilities and in making their premises and services more accessible in accordance with the Disability Act. This will bring the total budget for disability services in my Department’s Estimate to €74 million”

Employment Rights

The enforcement of Employment Rights will continue to be a priority for the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment in 2006. Minister Martin said: “The increased diversity of our labour market has brought with an increased obligation on us to ensure that migrant workers and other vulnerable groups are not discriminated against. My Department is engaged in a number of key initiatives that are specifically focused on the improvement of our Employment Rights regime both in the short and medium term.”

“Since the introduction of the National Minimum Wage in 2000, the Government has increased the number of Labour Inspectors from a base level of 10 Inspectors to 31 Inspectors today. The Department’s Administrative Budget for 2006 includes the full year cost of 11 additional posts in the Labour Inspectorate which were filled in 2005.”

“The Employment Rights Compliance Group comprising representatives of the Social Partners and several government Departments is working towards the formulation of a thoroughly revised model of employment rights enforcement that will see redress mechanisms streamlined and a level competitive environment for those employers who are fully compliant with employment rights legislation.”

“An independent Review of the Joint Labour Committees was completed recently and my Department is now preparing a paper that will be used as the basis for implementation of the Review, in further consultation with the Social Partners and Stakeholders.”

“In addition, the Employment Rights Review Group is tasked with the job of streamlining of the roles of the Employment Rights Bodies and simplifying and consolidating of the large corpus of employment rights legislation.”

The Minister said “I look forward to seeing the work of these initiatives being progressed in 2006”.

Health and Safety Authority

The Minister also welcomed the increased funding of €4.5 million in 2006 for the Health and Safety Authority (National Authority for Occupational Safety and Health), a 28% increase on 2005. The allocation includes €2.8m to enable the Authority to carry out its function as the interim authority for the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) in Ireland.

Enterprise Agencies

The allocations for capital spending for the main enterprise agencies (IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland) are consistent with the allocations for 2005. However, in a policy shift to attract more large-scale foreign direct investment to Ireland, it has been agreed to re-allocate monies within the overall IDA Ireland capital envelope and increase the funds available for the development of large-scale strategic sites. IDA Ireland’s total capital allocation for 2006 is €101.3 million, an increase of €6.3 million on 2005.

The allocation to Enterprise Ireland for 2006, at €58.5 million (including an increase in National Training Fund support for in-company training), is broadly in line with the 2005 estimate.

Both IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland will also use own resource income to complement the Exchequer allocations for their grant-funded activities.

ENDS

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