Archive for Fine Gael

In response to a parliamentary question I raised yesterday evening in the Dail, Minister Varadkar announced an allocation of €5 million for the Gathering. The Gathering will be the biggest tourism initiative ever staged in Ireland and will involve a year-long programme of festivals, events and gatherings throughout the country, aimed at attracting foreign visitors.

I think the Gathering is a good initiative from the Government and is a great opportunity for the Country. It may well prove a significant injection in to the economy in what will be an important year in terms of the bailout programme.
The plans from the Minister announced today, including the allocation of €5 million in funding, are a real statement of intent. St Patrick’s week of this year will be when we announce our plans to the world and this will guarantee maximum impact as all eyes will be on Ireland.

The Gathering will be overseen by a Project Board which will bring together representatives from the tourism bodies and from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport along with other members with relevant expertise.

The Project Board will be supported by an executive team drawn from tourism agencies and graduates through the JobsBridge scheme. A Council of Champions will offer further assistance by acting as forum to engage the wider community at home and abroad.

It’s very positive that the Minister has made provisions for graduates through the JobsBridge scheme to play a central role in the implementation of the Gathering. Tourism is a key part of the plan to keep Ireland on the road to economic recovery because it involves the domestic economy and job creation throughout the country. By engaging with communities and members of the public, the Gathering provides a way for everybody to make a valuable contribution.

Yesterday the Government published the Finance Bill 2012. The Bill gives effect to the taxation measures announced in last December’s Budget. The Bill has left Income Tax untouched and, as promised in the Programmes for Government, there is an increase in the rate of Mortgage Interest Relief which has risen to 30% for first time-time buyers who purchased homes between 2004-2008 (which should benefit 270,000 purchasers). Another key commitment sees an increase in the Universal Social Charge exemption threshold from €4,004 to €10,036 which will benefit 330,000 workers.

It also includes a number of measures that I think are particularly good, including:

• Measures designed to support job creation and enhance the attractiveness of Ireland as a destination for multinational companies.
• Measures which aim to support SME’s and indigenous companies by recognising areas with the best employment potential.

These include:

• Foreign Earnings Deduction to support companies that promote Irish exports to countries such as Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
• Three year Tax Relief for Start-up Companies is being extended to Start-ups who commence a new trade in 2012, 2013 or 2014 – a great incentive for Irish entrepreneurs.
• Rewarding Research and Development by allowing companies reward key research employees by giving the company the option of transferring a portion of their R&D Tax Credit to personnel who are involved heavily in this area and making it easier for SME’s to claim the credit.

Also:

• Our exports grew by 4.4% in the first 9 months of 2011 and are leading the economic recovery and that the IDA reported record numbers of new investments won in 2011. The Bill is designed to build on this success.
• A ‘Special Assignee Relief Programme’, introduced in the Budget to attract key foreign -based individuals to the Irish-based operations of their employers, which this will see specialised individuals bringing their expertise to Irish companies.
• Extending the tax relief for corporate investment in renewable energy generation.
• Improved relief for excess tax on royalties for the Software Industry.

The measures above involve one key area of the economy.

A full copy of the Bill can be found on the Oireacthas website at: http://www.oireachtas.ie/documents/bills28/bills/2012/0512/b0512d.pdf

In a debate on road safety on Wednesday, 5 October 2011, I proposed that the Minister conduct a national audit of road speed limits.

Today, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Leo Varadkar TD has announced that he is going to do this. The purpose of the audit is to ensure that speed limits are not only safe but also sensible. The Department is engaging with the National Roads Authority and local authorities to conduct the audit but the Minister is also encouraging members of the public to highlight their concerns within their respective local authorities. While recent road safety measures have seen road fatalities for 2011 fall to the lowest levels since records began, the primary objective of the audit is to identify inconsistencies between different regions and to ensure that right speed limits are in operation on the right roads.

Audit of Speed Limits

• The Minister for Transport, Tourism, & Sport plans a nationwide audit of speed limits to ensure that all speed restrictions are both safe and sensible.
• The Minister’s Department is engaging with the National Roads Authority (NRA) and local authorities to conduct a nationwide audit of speed limits across Ireland.
• Speed limit bands are set by the Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport. However, specific limits applied on particular roads are determined by the local authorities, in consultation with the Gardaí and in respect of national primary and secondary roads with the National Roads Authority.
• The aim of the audit is to start overhauling the inconsistencies between different counties and regions, and put an end to confusion among drivers. Although the process is expected to take some time, the audit will be a crucial first step.
• The NRA and local authorities will be asked to conduct the audit in consultation with the Department of Transport, Tourism & Sport. However, the Minister also encouraged members of the public to highlight their concerns with their own local authority.
• Recent road safety measures like speed cameras and new drink driving laws have gone a long way towards improving road safety. However, we need to ensure that the right speed limits are in operation on the right roads.
• We all know of cases where speed limits are inappropriately low or inappropriately high. There can be some confusion among drivers about the various speed limits which should and do apply, as well as the approach to speed limit signage on national, regional and local roads.
• There are also suggestions that local authorities are not consistent in how they decide on the appropriate speed limit and that this has also contributed to driver confusion. Last year a new set of guidelines for special speed limits was published. This audit will follow on from that publication.

Seven months ago I put proposals to the Minister for a new Enterprise and Investment Visa scheme, which he was already working on. Great to see it now being introduced. Details below.

24 January, 2012

The Minister for Justice, Equality & Defence, Mr. Alan Shatter, TD, today
announced that he had secured Government approval for the introduction of
two major new immigration initiatives aimed at  facilitating (non EEA)
migrant entrepreneurs and investors who, in return for permission to reside
in the State, are prepared to invest here for the purpose of saving or
creating jobs.

The new initiatives will be known as;

   §   The Immigrant Investor Programme
   §   The Start-up Entrepreneur Programme

Announcing the programmes the Minister said “I am grateful for the support
of my Cabinet colleagues in devising these important initiatives. All of us
in our different Departments are committed to doing what we can to help
Ireland’s economic recovery and this represents a further instalment in my
Department’s efforts in this respect, following on from the Visa Waiver
Programme introduced last year”.

The Immigrant Investor Programme:
Approved participants in the Investor Programmes and their immediate family
members will be allowed enter the State on  multi-entry visas and to remain
here for a defined period.  Ordinarily this will be for a period of 5 years
- reviewable after 2 years.  The sort of investments envisaged will include
a specially created low interest  Government Bond, capital investment in an
Irish business – which may need it for the protection or creation of jobs,
or in some cases the purchase of property – including that held by NAMA.
Endowments in the cultural, sporting educational or health areas will also
be considered.

The level and duration of financial commitment required from the Investor
will depend on the nature of the investment but will generally range from
€400,000 for endowment-related investments to €2 million in the new
Immigrant Investor low-interest bearing Government Bond to be devised by
NTMA in conjunction with the Immigration authorities. The funds in this
Bond will be held by NTMA and, as is the case with other similar financial
products, they will be available for the benefit of Ireland.

The level of investment in business entities where jobs are being created
or saved will generally be  €1 million and the Department will be guided by
and reliant upon the advice and expertise of IDA Ireland and Enterprise
Ireland in assessing individual proposals.

The Start-up Entrepreneur Programme:
Turning to the Start-up Entrepreneur Programme, the Minister said “We need
to do more to tap into the entrepreneurial potential that exists among
migrants”. The Department of Justice has operated a business permission
scheme for a number of years, but the conditions were considered to be too
onerous.  The Minister continued, “Our existing business permission  lacked
the sort of flexibility needed to attract start-ups.  We have been looking
at this issue for a while and have had very useful input from State
Agencies and other Government Departments in drawing up the proposals”.

The Start-up Entrepreneur Programme provides that migrants with a good
business idea in the innovation economy and funding of €70k can be given
residency in this State for the purposes of developing their business (this
compares with a previous minimum funding requirement of €300k).  No initial
job creation targets will be set as it is recognised that such businesses
can take some time to get off the ground.  Projects will be evaluated by an
Evaluation Committee with State Agencies playing a key role in “picking
winners” or those who demonstrate a good idea or the potential to be a
winner.

All applications for both programmes will be considered by an Evaluation
Committee comprised of representatives of IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland,
the following Government Departments; Finance;  Jobs, Enterprise and
Innovation; Foreign Affairs and Trade; Health; other Government Departments
as the need arises and the Minister’s own Department of Justice.  The input
of the State Agencies and other Government Departments – bringing with them
their economic expertise – will be crucial in deciding which applications
are recommended for approval. Applicants must be of good character and be
able to support themselves while in Ireland. Applicants will be required to
attest to their bona fides on affidavit sworn here.  False, misleading or
incomplete information submitted can lead to removal from the State as well
as revocation of the immigration permissions.  An Annual Report will be
published on the operation of the Programmes and they will also be reviewed
to ensure that they continue to meet their objectives.  The Programmes
offer no special access to Irish citizenship.  Beneficiaries will be
subject to the same rules as other migrants in that regard – i.e. generally
residence in the State for at least 5 years.

Minister Shatter stated “These two initiatives are about protecting
existing jobs and creating new opportunities.  Ireland clearly needs
investment and there is considerable potential out there.  However we don’t
have the field to ourselves.  We are in competition with other countries
who are already operating in this space”.  This was a reference to the
existence of investor schemes in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New
Zealand amongst others.

Next Steps

Formal rules and official launch

The Minister indicated that he hoped to have the new schemes formally
launched by mid March when the detailed rules governing the Programmes
which are being worked upon by officials in the Department of Justice will
be published. He said no new legislation is required as the pre-existing
legislative powers of Ministerial discretion are sufficient to enable the
programmes to operate in a flexible manner.

The Minister was not prepared to offer a projection as regards the likely
uptake.  “I am not going to make any predictions on this”, he said.   “it
would be unwise to do so in any case.  We are in new territory so let’s
wait and see. The relevant State Agencies fully support these initiatives;
they are about jobs – whether creating new opportunities or saving existing
jobs and my Department looks forward to working closely with them in a
positive “Team Ireland” approach in operating these Programmes”

Minister Shatter concluded “Immigration systems are often associated with
border control but that is only one part of the picture.  Immigration
systems can assist in job creation and we need to think of migrants not
just as workers but as people who can create employment for others”.

ENDS

Notes for Editors

Immigration Scheme for Investors and Entrepreneurs

Background:

The current ‘business permission’ scheme for migrant investors, requires
the applicant to have a minimum of €300,000 to invest in an Irish business
project. The investment must create at least two full time jobs for EEA
nationals in a new project or maintain employment levels in an existing
business.  This scheme has been in place for some time and is largely
inadequate for the purposes of (i) attracting high potential innovation
start-ups or for (ii) tapping into the potential pool of international
investors.

To avail of the potential opportunities for attracting job creating
investments into Ireland, the Government have approved two new immigration
schemes.

Start-up Entrepreneur Programme:

This entrepreneurial start up scheme recognises the need to foster start-up
enterprises in priority innovation sectors of the economy.  The existing
business permission scheme is insufficient to support such business
proposals and a more flexible approach has been developed in consultation
with Enterprise Ireland, who have extensive experience of such schemes in
other jurisdictions.

To qualify an applicant must –

§   Have some form of financial backing of not less that €75,000  through
   business angels, venture capital providers or a financial institution
   regulated by the Financial Regulator.  Personal funding transferred to
   the State or a grant from a relevant State agency would also be
   acceptable.

§   The business proposal must have a strong innovation component.

§   The applicant must not be a drain on public funds.

Immigrant Investor Programme

The investor scheme is designed to attract individuals with a successful
background in business to invest in and relocate to the State.  A range of
investment options are provided for with different thresholds applied
depending on the nature of the investment;

§   A once off endowment of a minimum of €500,000 to a public project
   benefiting the arts, sports, health or education.

§   A minimum €1,000,000 investment in a low interest immigrant investor
   bond.  The investment is to be held for a minimum of five years. The
   details of the investment will be finalised with the National Treasury
   Management Agency in the coming weeks.  The bond will be offered
   exclusively to participants in this scheme and will not be tradable on
   any market.

§   A minimum €1,000,000 venture capital funding into an Irish business for
   a minimum of three years.  An investment into an Irish publicly quoted
   company could be considered but the investment level would have to be
   much higher.

§   A minimum €1,000,000 mixed investment in 50% property and 50% in
   Government securities.  Special consideration could be given to those
   purchasing property, in the State, which have been enforced by NAMA.  In
   such cases a single €1m investment in property might be sufficient.

Evaluation of Applications:

Applications will be on a prescribed form and will be accompanied by a fee
to offset the administrative costs of the schemes.  Admission to both
schemes will be subject to the approval of an Evaluation Committee composed
of suitably qualified and experienced people from relevant State Agencies
or elsewhere.

The Evaluation Committee will be formed from senior management
representatives from the Departments of Justice and Equality, Finance,
Foreign Affairs and Trade, Jobs, Enterprise & Innovation as well as
Enterprise Ireland and the IDA.  A suitable qualified independent member
will also be appointed.

The first order of business for the Committee will be the adoption of a
code of practice for the operation of the schemes.  The code will be
published and will articulate the integrity and transparency of the
evaluation process.

All communication between the Committee and applicants for the schemes will
be directed to the applicant or their nominated legal or financial
representative.  No other third party or agency communications will be
accepted or considered.

The Evaluation Committee will co-opt expertise from relevant Government
Departments or State Agencies where the nature of the investment proposal
requires such input.

Immigration Permissions:

Successful applicants will be granted a residence permission for two years
which will be renewable thereafter provided the business is still
operational and the applicant is earning a living without being a burden on
the State.

No employment requirement will exist for the first two years and neither
will the business be required to be profitable at renewal stage.

Family reunification will be permitted for spouse/partner and children
provided that family needs are met from the resources of the
entrepreneur/investor or other private means.  No access to State benefits
will be permitted during this period.

Naturalisation options

The two schemes offer interested parties the potential for residence in the
State and not Irish Citizenship.  Successful applicants will only be able
to apply for naturalisation under the terms of the Irish Nationality and
Citizenship Acts 1956-2004, in the same way and under the same conditions
as all other non-Irish nationals.

20.12.11

To whom it may concern,

I wish to make a submission to the Constituency Commission in respect of the constituency of Dublin South-East.

The Dublin area south of the River Liffey that falls under Dublin City Council jurisdiction is effectively divided between the Dáil constituencies of Dublin South-Central and Dublin South-East, 5-seat and 4-seat constituencies respectively. For historical, planning and practical reasons, I believe it to be sensible to consider both constituencies together for the purposes of any possible redrawing of constituency boundaries or changes in seat allocation.

As it stands, there are 25,355 people per TD in Dublin South Central and 25,791 people per TD in Dublin South-East. This means that there is a population of 126,775 in Dublin South-Central and 103,164 in Dublin South-East. In line with constitutional provisions, it is clear that both constituencies when taken together warrant 8 seats in total. 

The Commission’s review presents an opportunity to better arrange these two constituencies and bring about greater balance. If a seat were lost from Dublin South Central, it would bring the total number of seats in each constituency to parity. This would also require the ‘transfer’ of territory from Dublin South Central to Dublin South East to balance the number of people represented by each seat. If Terenure A, Terenure B, Terenure C, Terenure D and Kimmage C (approx. 12,500 people in total) were transferred from Dublin South Central to Dublin South East, there would be an almost equal population in both constituencies of roughly 114,000.

Apart from this balancing of the two constituencies in terms of population and seats, there would also be a practical element to such realignment in that the Terenure area would no longer be divided between two electoral areas. For local residents and businesses alike, there can be tremendous confusion about which TD to contact or which official is responsible for the area.

If the above measure was implemented we would see the removal of an unnatural and problematic border through Terenure and the equal distribution of 4 seats apiece for both constituencies, across similar population sizes.

Yours Faithfully,

Eoghan Murphy TD

Today (Wednesday 21st December) Fine Gael TD for Dublin South East Eoghan Murphy welcomed the Minister for Environment Phil Hogan’s decision to extend the contract for the cycling officer post with Dublin City Council for a further six months.

Speaking after the decision was made Deputy Murphy said “I’d like to commend Minister Hogan for today requesting that Dublin City Council extend the contract for the Cycling Officer Post with the council for six months. Having brought this to the Minister’s attention and lobbied for retention of the position it is great to see a positive result.

“It is of the utmost importance that we have someone dedicated to this role. The Dublinbikes scheme has proved to be a very popular initiative from Dublin City Council, with an annual turnover in excess of €400,000. It is crucial that we have someone with the right vision at the helm of the operation ensuring its continued success.

“A dedicated cycling officer is the very least that city needs if we are to follow in the steps of other bike friendly European cities by providing a cheap, congestion free commuting option.

“Minister Hogan has further requested that Dublin City Council consult with the National Transport Authority during this six month period to review the situation and report to him on how the promotion of cycling in Dublin should be addressed in the longer term.

“I would also like to thank Lord Mayor Andrew Montague for his work, as well as to Peter O’Brien and others for bringing the issue to the wider public’s attention.

Brian Hayes TD, Minister of State with special responsibility for the Office of Public Works (OPW) today announced detail of a programme of major capital works for 2012.

Speaking this afternoon, the Minister said, “I very much welcome the allocation by the Government of €45 million per annum for flood risk management and mitigation in the Infrastructure and Capital Investment Medium Term Exchequer Framework for the period 2012-2016.  The total allocation of €225 million for capital flood relief measures over the 5-year period of the framework is greater than the total spent on such measures in the past 10 years. This allocation is additional to the related current expenditure provision for maintenance by the OPW of completed arterial drainage schemes and collection of flood flow data, for which €17m has been provided in 2012.”

“At a time when difficult decisions have to be made in order to adhere to the current severe financial constraints, this very substantial allocation underlines the Government’s recognition of the serious personal and economic impact of flooding and the importance it attaches to addressing the problem,” the Minister said.

The Minister concluded, “My Office will continue to operate in 2012 the Minor Flood Mitigation and Coastal Erosion Works scheme under which local authorities can apply for funding for small scale measures to address localised flooding and erosion problems in their areas. 

List of Schemes for 2012

Completion of current phases of major flood relief schemes at:

Clonmel,

Mallow

River Tolka

River Dodder

Mornington

Johnstown
Commence construction of the remaining phases of schemes at:

Fermoy

Ennis

Tullamore

Templemore.

Funding will also be provided by the OPW for schemes being undertaken by the relevant local authorities at:

Bray

Carlow (Phase 2)

Waterford (Phase 2)

River Wad (Dublin)

During 2012 the OPW will progress the planning and design of schemes at:

Enniscorthy,

Arklow

Bandon

Skibbereen

Ballymakeera

Raphoe

Crossmolina

Rivers Dunkellin and Clare

River Dodder (Phase 3)

Lower Lee

South Campshires (Dublin)

Eoghan speaking during Private Members Business, 8.12.2011

The Government’s amendment states that we “support efforts to secure an agreement at this week’s meeting of the European Council that fully protects Irish interests and that contributes to the restoration of stability in the Euro area.”

I might have added “and that also restores the founding principles and ideals of the European project”.

The democratic ideal behind the European Union is under threat. It is an ideal that is unique in the international system of states. Independent nations of different sizes and strengths have come together in cooperation. That cooperation is structured around the principle of equality amongst sovereigns – one Member, one vote.

The crisis in the Eurozone threatens all of this.

It threatens this, because if we do not save our currency and it breaks up it could very possibly break-up the EU and all that has been achieved before the Euro. No more equality on the continent between nations, no more common market.

At the very same time, the manner in which we attempt to save the Euro, also risks destroying the European project, as Member States and institutions seek to assert their will over others, undermining the democratic ideal and casting us back to the realpolitik of “the strong do what they will to survive, the weak do what they must”.

We have a good thing, a unique thing here in the European Union. We have a good thing, a unique thing here in the Euro currency.

If war is an extension of politics by other means, so too is economics, but at the other end of the spectrum. And with economics – the coal & steel community, the common market and then the Eurozone, people sought to make advances that war or politics could never make. But we may have taken economics too far, further than the people were willing to go.

It is clear now that we rushed with the Eurozone project, not putting in place the proper architecture for a properly functioning common currency, not heeding the many warnings from nobel prize winning economists and others that were given at the time.

We cannot go back to the past.

We stand here faced with a genuine dilemma.

• How to protect Irish interests – sovereignty and independence over our fiscal affairs;
• How to stabilise the Euro area – in a manner that is credible AND fair;
• And how to restore that fundamental principle of European Union – where no member is more equal than another.

This is the biggest decision that our government and our country will face in its lifetime. We must face in to it in a rational way. And in a calm way. A decision may not come tomorrow, but it will come. Everything will change and we must be ready for that.

When the Public Accounts Committee convened on Thursday 3^rd November to discuss the debt discrepancy in the national accounts, I was struck by how many simple questions remained to be answered and directed the following to the Secretary General of the Department of Finance:

• How the problem was communicated upwards when it was first discovered?
• Reason for the delay in information reaching the Minister after its discovery?
• The particular points in the system where mistakes were made.

Please see an excerpt of my questions here.

The full transcript of the Public Accounts Committee meeting of Thursday 3^rd November can be found here.

On Wednesday 26^th October, the Chairman and the CEO of NAMA came before the Public Accounts Committee.  A link to the full transcripts is included at the bottom of this post but some the issues I addressed can be found through the following links:

Extract 1

Extract 2

Extract 3 

The topics discussed included:

• The recent Geoghegan Review and implications for NAMA, its operations and the membership of the board.
• Conflicting reports that have emerged regarding NAMA’s intention to pursue €74 billion of debt or merely the €31.billion the Agency paid for it.
• Plans for debt reduction targets over NAMA’s lifetime.
• Offloading of overseas asset.
• Lloyds Bank and RBS’ activities in the market.
• Transparency issues.
• The Google Building.
• Consultancy fees and new tendering process.
• Auctioning of art collections, the tendering process and outside advice.
• Risk management.
• Upward only rent reviews – the proposed legislation and its effect on NAMA’s property portfolio.
• Proposed new bankruptcy legislation – reducing the term to 5 years and the possible effect on debtors’ cooperation with NAMA as a result.

The full transcript of the Public Accounts Committee meeting of Thursday 3^rd November can be found here.