Written Answers. - Work Permits.
John Perry
Ceist:
152
Mr. Perry
asked the
Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment
the number of staff currently available in her Department to deal with the issuing of work permits; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[26710/00]
The current staff complement for the work permits section of my Department in relation to the issuing of work permits, stands at 14. In order to deal with the increasing volume of applications, sanction has now been obtained from the Department of Finance for an additional ten staff for the work permit section of the Department.
Question No. 153 taken with Question No. 124.
Jim Higgins
Ceist:
154
Mr. Higgins (Mayo)
asked the
Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment
if she will amend legislation in relation to exemption from rates for industrial enterprises in order to extend the two thirds remission of rates for ten years which applies to enterprises grant aided by IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and Údarás na Gaeltachta to job creation enterprises which receive grant aid from county enterprise boards, Leader and other such agencies; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[23451/00]
The position under EU state aid law of schemes granting remission of rates has changed for the period 2000 to 2006 as compared to the situation which obtained in previous periods.
Sections 4 and 5 of the Industrial Development Act, 1986 – and similar provisions in legislation applying to Údarás na Gaeltachta – contain pro visions in relation to designated areas. The effect of designation on such areas, which were largely in the Border, midland and western regions, was twofold: industry in these areas could be grant aided at higher rates than industry in the rest of the country, and local authorities were allowed, if they thought fit, to remit two thirds of a rate leviable by them in respect of industrial premises in these areas which had been provided by, or by means of a grant made by IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, Shannon Development or Údáras na Gaeltachta. In the period up to the beginning of 2000, such remission of rates in Ireland was approved by the EU Commission as a regional aid.
A new regional aid map for Ireland was approved by the EU Commission in October 1999 to apply in the period 2000 to 2006. Grant rates payable to industry in respect of the eight regions in Ireland are set out in the map. Higher rates are payable in the Border, midland and western regions, but there is no specific treatment for designated areas as opposed to non-designated areas. Also, remission of rates is no longer approved as one of the ways in which regional aid may be paid.
The State aid rules now, as in the past, impose an overall limit on the amount of regional aid which may be paid in a particular case, and this amount can be paid in a variety of forms. There are similar limits on other types of aid such as training, R&D or de minimis aid. Accordingly, the fact that rate remission is no longer payable does not in itself lead to a reduction in the amount of regional or other aid that would be payable to an individual enterprise. In the circumstances, the question of extending the rate remission scheme does not arise.
Question No. 155 taken with Question No. 131.
Question No. 156 taken with Question No. 78.
