Employment investment scheme and regional eligibility
Billy Timmins asks about European approval for the employment investment incentive and extending it to excluded regions; the Taoiseach refers him to an answer due in parliamentary questions.
I refer to a two-part issue which was raised last week by my colleague, Deputy Denis Naughten, in respect of secondary legislation and section 22 of the Finance Act 2012. This concerns the employment investment incentive scheme which awaits approval by the European Commission. How does this scheme, which has an impact for 230,000 SMEs in this country, stand? In the past the mid-Leinster region and counties Dublin and Cork have been excluded from the scheme, previously known as the business expansion scheme, or BES. Will the Taoiseach consider including those areas?
I refer to No. 30 on the Order Paper, resumed statements on the Action Plan for Jobs. Will the Taoiseach give a commitment that Government time will be given to this in the near future? He might enlighten us on reports of an announcement of a task force, or such development, on employment - if there is anything to impart. Given the directive issued by the Ceann Comhairle on speaking time during the Government period, I hope that when the time comes for statements on the action plan the spirit of the directive will be adhered to, unlike today. We do not want to have to make an issue of this if we are later precluded from contributing to statements.
Comment on this
The question raised by the Deputy was also raised by Deputy Naughten, and is due for answer in a parliamentary question tomorrow. I do not have the details of that answer. The business expansion scheme, BES, is related, including exclusion of particular areas.
The Ceann Comhairle has clarified the position on speaking rights. We have an action plan, No. 2, for jobs, containing 332 action points, which is being implemented and overseen by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Richard Bruton, along with the Department of the Taoiseach. This will to ensure it is time-lined and implemented effectively. It is paying dividends. The challenge for all of us is to get the effect of the plan known to business, the business community, chambers of commerce and people who are involved in setting up the many individual start-up companies on a monthly basis.
Deputy Timmins is aware of the improvement in the situation whereby 3,000 jobs are being created every month. We need to build on these foundations to get our people back to work.