Enterprise: A big rise in spending on policing employment rights and increased resources for science, technology and training programmes has been provided for in the Estimates of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
An additional €11.3 million is being made available in 2007 to support employment rights, a 70 per cent rise on last year.
The additional funding will provide for a trebling in the number of labour inspectors to 90 by the end of 2007 and for associated legal, accounting and administrative support.
Around 120 additional people will be dealing with labour rights next year, said the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Micheál Martin.
Last year, the Minister was criticised for the department's failure to allocate additional resources to its labour inspectorate.
However, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu) has welcomed the additional funding in yesterday's Estimates.
"It would not have happened only we dragged out the national agreement talks and insisted that employment rights be enforced and strengthened. It is welcome and the Government appears to have met its obligations and what it agreed," said Ictu's economic adviser Paul Sweeney.
The Minister said the establishment of a new Office of the Director for Employment Rights Compliance was a key part of the new social partnership agreement.
"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," said Mr Martin.
The department is also in negotiations with the Competition Authority and the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement about additional funding and the Minister said money would be made available to both bodies if necessary.
Mr Martin welcomed the 6 per cent rise in the department's budget.
Overall, the department's budget is to increase by €112.1 million to €1,858 billion.
Funding for science, technology and innovation programmes will amount to €289.7 million next year, a rise of €31 million on the 2006 allocation, while IDA Ireland's grants to industry programme will rise by €11 million or 13 per cent in 2007.
At €57.2 million, Enterprise Ireland's allocation for its more traditional grants to industry is broadly in line with the 2006 estimate. However, funding for the enterprise boards will rise by 5 per cent to €31.8 million.
An additional €36.8 million is being made available to the National Training Fund, bringing expenditure in 2007 to €392.4 million.
The Skillnets in-company training programme will receive an additional €7.2 million in 2007, while an increased allocation of €15 million is being made available to meet demand in the apprenticeship programme.