Minister Micheál Martin welcomes publication of Estimates that promote growth and protect employment

€289 million spending on Science and Technology Programme in 2007

Funding for Science, Technology and Innovation programmes in the Department’s Estimate for 2007 will amount to €289.7 million. This represents a €41 million (17%) increase on the 2006 outturn.

Commenting on the allocation, Minister Martin said “The increased funding reflects the Government’s commitment to the research and development agenda, as outlined in the Strategy for Science Technology and Innovation 2006-2013 which was launched in June of last year.”

“As competion to attract industry continues to increase in the global market-place, investment in the Science Strategy will enable Ireland to secure its position as one of the most advanced knowledge economies in the world, attracting high value-added industries and establishing the country as a centre of excellence for research and development.”

Funding in the Department’s Estimate will primarily be used by Science Foundation Ireland and Enterprise Ireland to develop sustainable world-class research systems, increase Research and Development in firms, and encourage stronger links between the higher education sector and industry. Funding for the Discover Science and Engineering programme will also increase.

Funding for Enterprise Development

The enterprise development agencies will continue to provide a range of more traditional grants to companies to promote the growth of indigenous industry and encourage inward investment.

Minister Martin said, “Enterprise Ireland’s allocation for its more traditional Grants to Industry programme will supplement the agency’s activities under the Science Strategy. The allocation for 2007 is up by €8 million on the 2006 provisional outturn, to €54 million. A further €3 million is being made available to Enterprise Ireland from the National Training Fund for training grants to industry.”

The Minister continued, “IDA Ireland’s Capital Grants to Industry programme will increase by €19 million in 2007, to €95 million. This represents a 25% increase on the provisional outturn for 2006. The allocation will reinforce the agency’s efforts to attract new investors to Ireland. IDA Ireland will also receive €2.5 million from the National Training Fund for training grants to industry.”

Both IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland will use their own resource income to supplement the allocations from the Department.

The Minister added: “The City and County Enterprise Boards play an important role in supporting start-up enterprises in the small business sector. In this context, they have a key role to play in supporting the recommendations in the Report of the Small Business Forum. Funding for the Enterprise Boards will increase by 13% in 2007, to €31.8 million. In addition, I am allocating €4.45 million of my Department’s 2006 Capital savings to the Enterprise Boards to address recommendations in the Report of the Small Business Forum, including the promotion of entrepreneurship in the education system.

€395.6 million for the National Training Fund

Further underpinning the drive towards a knowledge economy, expenditure from the National Training Fund in 2007 will amount to €395.6 million, an increase of €41.7 million (12%) on the 2006 provisional outturn.

Minister Martin said: “To achieve the vision of a knowledge-based, innovation-driven economy we need to place a strong focus on the training and up-skilling of our workforce. The increase in allocations from the National Training Fund for 2007 reflects my Department’s commitment to the promotion of lifelong learning as a means of underpinning the development of a knowledge-based economy. It also supports recommendations on up-skilling made in the Enterprise Strategy Group report.”

“A particular emphasis will be placed on supporting in-company training by providing additional funding to Skillnets for its programmes, and to FÁS’s training programmes for people in employment.”

“The increase in the National Training Fund allocation includes an extra €15 million to meet demand in the Apprenticeship programme. This will help alleviate existing pressures and allow entry waiting times to FÁS apprenticeship courses to be reduced.”

Other labour market supports

National Training Fund allocations, combined with a 20% increase in Exchequer funding for FÁS’s Training and Integration Supports to €93.5 million, means that a total of €489 million will be available in 2007 for upskilling people in, and for, employment.

In addition, the Exchequer will make a contribution of just under €415.2 million to FÁS Employment Programmes, aimed primarily at long-term unemployed people and other marginalised groups.

Employment of People with Disabilities

FÁS’s funding for Training and Integration Supports includes an allocation of over €70 million for programmes designed to enhance the employment of people with disabilities.

In addition, Minister Martin announced a grant of €350,000 to The Aisling Foundation, an organisation which promotes the employment of people with disabilities.

The Minister said: “Achieving higher levels of employment for people with disabilities has been a key objective of my Department for a number of years. Since its inception, The Aisling Foundation has earned a strong reputation for raising the awareness of the contribution which people with disabilities make in the workplace. I am making an allocation of €350,000 to the Foundation to enable it to continue its good work in promoting the Ability Awards which have achieved widespread recognition.”

Consumer Affairs

Minister Martin welcomed the allocation in the Department’s Estimate for Consumer Affairs.

“The allocation for consumer affairs in 2007 will amount to just under €8.4 million,” the Minister said. “This is a 147% increase since 2004 when the allocation was €3.4 million. The 2007 allocation includes a €1.1 million (15%) expansion in funding for the National Consumer Agency. This additional funding will allow the new National Consumer Agency to continue to establish itself as a forceful advocate for the consumer and to ensure that the consumer's voice is heard.”  

The Agency will have additional powers and will focus in areas such as advocacy, research, enforcement, education and awareness.

Employment Rights enforcement

The 2007 Estimate for the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment includes a provision of €8.5 million for the new National Employment Rights Authority.

Minister Martin said, “The establishment of the Authority is a key part of the Social Partnership Agreement, Towards 2016. The 2007 Estimate provision will provide for a trebling of the number of Labour Inspectors to 90 by the end of 2007 and for associated legal, accounting and administrative support. Inspectors will be based in Dublin, Cork, Shannon and Sligo, as well as in the new head office for the Employment Rights Authority in Carlow.”

“This is just one part of a major package of employment rights measures in my Department’s Estimate for 2007. The package also includes additional staff and funding for the Labour Court, the Employment Appeals Tribunal and the Rights Commissioners Service in the Labour Relations Commission”.

The Minister added, “The new Employment Rights compliance model will inform people of their entitlements and provide simpler redress systems, coupled with stronger enforcement and increased penalties for non-compliance. The significant increase in funding in this area in 2007 demonstrates the Government’s determination to protect the rights of workers”.

Supporting Partnership

A substantial increase is proved in the Department’s 2007 Estimate for the Workplace Innovation Fund. The Fund is an initiative which was introduced in 2006 to promote partnership in the workplace. Funding in 2007 will amount to €950,000, an increase of almost €600,000 on the 2006 provisional outturn. Commenting on the increase, Minister Martin said, “The contribution which social partnership has made to the Irish economy cannot be overstated. That contribution is very visible at national level, but also operates at enterprise level. The funding provided under the Workplace Innovation Fund will help to further promote partnership in the workplace and support a stable industrial relations environment.”

ENDS

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