Answered on May 28, 2013
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation when he expects the EU Commission Directorate-General for Competition to publish the new Regional Aid Guidelines 2014-2020; and the extent to which he has participated in the recent public consultation process.

Reply from Minister Richard Bruton: As part of a State Aid Modernisation initiative currently being undertaken by the EU Commission a number of instruments are being reviewed in parallel, including, in particular, Guidelines on Regional Aid, Environmental Aid, Risk Capital, Research Development and Innovation, Broadband Guidelines and Aviation Guidelines. 
Of major importance from an Irish perspective is the revision of the Regional Aid Guidelines. The purpose of Regional Aid is to support investment and job creation and encourage firms to set up new establishments in Europe's most disadvantaged regions. 

The process of Member States agreeing the 2014-2021 Regional Aid Guidelines is underway and multilateral discussions between Member States and the Commission, which has responsibility for the Regional Aid Guidelines, have taken place. 

This initiative is Commission led, and my Department is actively engaged in the process and has consulted relevant stakeholders including various Government Departments, the enterprise development agencies, Údarás na Gaeltachta, Forfás, the Central Statistics Office, the Border Midland and Western Regional Assembly, the Southern and Eastern Regional Assembly, and the eight Regional Authorities to ensure the preparation and submission of a comprehensive evidence based Irish position on the key issues. 

The Commission issued a non-paper of its initial orientations in December 2011, which was followed by a multilateral meeting in March 2012. The Commission subsequently forwarded further proposals to Member States on 14 January 2013, documenting the structure and provisions that will form the basis of the revised Guidelines. These proposals were again discussed at a multilateral meeting on 11 and 12 of February 2013.

I met directly with Commissioner Almunia to discuss the issue of State Aids in December 2012. Minister Sherlock has also raised this issue with Commissioner Geoghegan-Quinn.  Concerns relating to the range of coverage and support for large enterprises were raised at these meetings as being items of major concern to Ireland. 

In addition, my Departments officials are in regular discussions on these issues with Commission officials across a range of dossiers, to ensure that Irish concerns are well known within the Commission.  My officials are also liaising with a number of like-minded Member States on the issue. All relevant Government Departments are being kept briefed on this issue through the State Aid Interdepartmental Committee and briefs have issued to all relevant Minsters. All Irish MEPs and the Irish representatives on the Council of the Regions are also being briefed on this issue. 

A revised proposal on Regional Aid will shortly be circulated through the Commission as part of the normal inter-service consultation. My Department, in conjunction with the enterprise agencies, is in the process of preparing a detailed submission to the Commission on this revised proposal. 

The next meeting of the College of Commissioners is scheduled for Wednesday, 19 June 2013. Once the Regional Proposal has been agreed by the College it will be formally adopted and published by DG Competition.

Answered on May 28, 2013
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the staffing levels at Enterprise Ireland and the Industrial Development Agency for each of the past five years.

Minister Richard Bruton: Details of the number of maximum staffing levels in both Enterprise Ireland and the Industrial Development Agency for each of the last five years are set out in the attached tabular statement. 

Answered on May 28, 2013
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of Industrial Development Agency supported jobs created over the past 10 years in counties Cork, Waterford, Limerick, Galway and Dublin.

Reply from Minister Richard Bruton: The Forfás Annual Employment Survey reports on job gains and losses in companies that are supported by the enterprise development agencies.   

Details of the number of IDA supported jobs created in each of the years from 2003 to 2012 in Counties Cork, Waterford, Limerick, Galway and Dublin are set out in the attached tabular statement.  
Table showing the number of new jobs created by IDA supported companies from 2003 to 2012 in Counties Cork, Waterford, Limerick, Galway and Dublin.

Answered on May 28, 2013
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of site visits arranged by the Industrial Development Agency in the past year on a county basis.

Reply from Minister Richard Bruton: Details of the number of IDA sponsored site visits by potential investors during 2012 on a county by county basis are set out in the attached tabular statement. 

2012 was a very successful year in terms of attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) to this country with 145 investments won. During 2012, a total of 12,722 new jobs were created in IDA supported companies. The net number of new jobs created, at 6,570 is the highest in a decade. The IDA client base now employs 152,785 people in full and part time employment, a level last recorded before the financial crisis began in 2008. 

<< Table of IDA sponsored Site Visits on a County Basis for 2012

Answered on May 28, 2013 
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the amount of funding his Department has allocated, and to which projects, in Tramore, County Waterford in each of the past five years.

Reply from Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Jimmy Deenihan: As the Deputy will be aware, my Department was established in June 2011. The Department administers and delivers a wide range of programmes and measures, descriptions of which are available on its website at http://www.ahg.gov.ie/.

While expenditure under these programme areas takes place countrywide, it is not possible to give a town-by-town or county-by-county breakdown of that expenditure. For example, a number of my Department’s programmes are delivered through agencies and other intermediary bodies that operate across county boundaries and in respect of which there is no detailed breakdown on a county basis held by my Department. In addition, groups and organisations that receive grants directly from my Department are not necessarily constituted on a single-county or a single-town basis.  

In view of the wide range of my Department’s schemes and programmes, and the large volumes of payments and grants made on an ongoing basis, it is not feasible to compile and collate the breakdown of expenditure sought by the Deputy.

Answered on May 28, 2013
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Defence the amount spent on peace keeping operations over each of the past five years; and if he will itemise the spend.

Reply from Minister Alan Shatter: Amounts paid in respect of the remuneration of military personnel serving with UN and EU peace support operations, together with travel and subsistence and transportation costs (troops and freight), for each of the past five years, are set out in the table above. Equipment costs are not included in the figures, as equipment is generally not procured for a specific mission.

Arrangements for the reimbursement of certain costs have been agreed with the UN. Amounts actually received from the UN in the relevant years are:

Answered on May 28, 2013
To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of persons from County Waterford that have applied for grants under the new rainwater harvesting scheme since it commenced on 1 March 2011; and the total amount paid out to farmers in each county under this scheme to date.

Reply from Minister Simon Coveney: One applicant from Co Waterford has applied for a grant under the Rainwater Harvesting Scheme since it was introduced in March 2011. 

One payment of €8,000 has been made under the Scheme, to date, to an applicant from Co Cork. 

Due to the low up-take by farmers of grants under this Scheme, I have transferred €4 million of the available funding to the TAMS Dairy Equipment Scheme.

Answered on May 28, 2013
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs funding her Department has allocated, and to which projects, in Tramore, County Waterford, in each of the past five years.

Reply from Minister Frances Fitzgerald: The information requested is being collated by my Department and will be forwarded directly to the Deputy as soon as it is finalised. 

Answered on May 28, 2013
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount of National Lottery sports funding his Department has granted, and to which clubs, in Tramore, County Waterford, in each of the past five years.

Reply from Minister of State for Sports and Tourism, Michael Ring: Details of all grants awarded under the Sports Capital Programme, which is part funded from the proceeds of the National Lottery, are available on my Department's website, www.dttas.ie.