Written Answers Nos. 210-230
210. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if he will consider financially supporting the re-establishment of Benefacts, given its previously invaluable role as a one-stop-shop for providing transparency and information relating to Government funding of the NGO and not-for profit sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52515/23]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, my Department previously provided grant funding to Benefacts between the period 2015-2022. The project was funded as a pathfinder initiative in the area of data analytics on the non-profit sector. Benefacts was initially co-funded with philanthropy, however, in latter years the Department had been providing the majority of funding to the entity.
In 2019, my Department commissioned an independent report to provide analysis of the market for data on the non-profit sector. This report examined, inter alia, issues around the demand for the data concerned; methodologies and technologies used; the potential for direct provision by the State of these services itself, and; the maturity of the market to provide these services efficiently. On foot of this report, a review was undertaken in 2020 which found that the business case for the continued funding of Benefacts by this Department was no longer justified and accordingly the decision was made to terminate funding.
Recognising that other public service bodies with direct policy involvement in the not-for-profit sector may have wished to consider whether they had an appreciable business case to continue funding Benefacts, my Department agreed to fund the initiative up to the end of 2021. This provision was made to facilitate relevant public service bodies to consider their position and to assess all options in relation to their respective business needs concerning data on the not-for-profit sector.
In April 2021, my Department reaffirmed its 2020 decision to the parties concerned. Furthermore, in acknowledgment of the impact of Covid19 on this deliberative process, the Department sanctioned a final three month extension of funding to Benefacts up to the 31st March 2022. Despite affording a total period of approximately 20 months' notice so as to allow the identification of another primary funder, no alternative funding source was identified from public service bodies that used Benefacts.
The factors influencing the original decision to terminate funding have not changed materially and, consequently, my Department has no plans to reinstate funding for Benefacts.
211. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if there are personnel in his Department who could be classified as having a significant or exclusive focus of their role dedicated to dealing with integration; if so, to detail the title of the post; the grade level of that post; the core functions of that role; to provide details of the exact nature of their responsibilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51830/23]
View answerThe DCEDIY Vote Section includes 2 Assistant Principals and 1 Higher Executive Officer. In addition there is one Principal Officer who is responsible for both the DCEDIY Vote Section as well as another Vote Section. These roles are focused on agreeing, monitoring, reporting and sanctioning expenditure in relation to the DCEDIY Vote which includes expenditure on integration. These posts are included in the table below:
|
Title of the Post |
Number of posts |
|
PO |
1 |
|
Assistant Principal |
2 |
|
HEO |
1 |
It should be noted that there would be expenditure across other Votes which could be interpreted as being related to Integration. For example there is Ukraine related expenditure on the Education Vote and the Social Protection Vote. These are dealt with by separate Vote Sections and associated staff within DPENDR. There may also be other staff members across DPEDNR who may spend some limited parts of their role on integration matters.
Finally, within the DPENDR Vote Group the Minister also has responsibility for the Office of Public Works (OPW). In 2022 as part of the integration of Ukrainians the OPW was asked by Government to develop a pilot programme of an initial 500 rapid build homes on behalf of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY). That number was subsequently increased to 700.
To date, the OPW, as with all construction projects provided on an agency basis for other Government Departments, provides a number of roles to deliver this important programme of work. The team working on the implementation of the Ukraine Rapid Build Homes programme consists of various disciplines within the Office of Public Works including Project Management, Architectural and Technical services, Financial Management and Planning and Property services. This team is also working on other construction projects on behalf of other Government Departments. The following provides a breakdown of the posts:
|
Title of the Post |
Number of posts |
|
PO |
2 |
|
Assistant Principal |
1 |
|
HEO |
3 |
|
Senior Architect |
1 |
|
Architect |
5 |
|
Engineer |
2 |
|
Urban and Regional Planner |
1 |
|
EO |
2 |
|
CO |
1 |
212. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 286 of 29 March 2022, if he will provide an update on the Office of Public Works plans to refurbish the vacant public toilets on Infirmary Road, Dublin 7; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51871/23]
View answerAs outlined in my previous reply dated 11th September 2023, the Office of Public Works was, at that time, preparing to go to tender for remedial works to the external fabric of the building on Infirmary Road which you have referenced. My officials have advised that the contract for the works to refurbish the roof and windows has now been awarded and it is envisaged that the contractor should be on site in January.
The facilities located on Infirmary Road have not been in use for over 15 years. When they were last in use, Dublin City Council (DCC) employed a caretaker who opened and closed the facilities on a daily basis and maintained the toilets. Unfortunately, the building was subject to considerable anti-social behaviour and arson. This led to the decision by DCC to close the toilets to the public.
While the building will be made safe and be secured, there are no plans to reinstate toilet facilities on the Infirmary Road area. However, as previously outlined, the OPW is open to working with DCC should the Council wish to reinstate the previous arrangements for the operation of these bathrooms.
214. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the total number of Freedom of Information requests submitted to his Department in 2022 and to date in 2023; the total number of such requests that were rejected in their entirety; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51978/23]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is set out in the table below. The table separately details requests that were refused as records were not held in my Department which were transferred to other FOI Bodies where to the knowledge of my Department records would be likely to be held. The Deputy may wish to note that a number of FOI requests for 2023 are currently in the decision making stage, so a final decision is pending.
|
- |
2022 |
2023 (to-date) |
|
FOI requests submitted |
218 |
217 |
|
Refused |
98 |
72 |
|
Refused and transferred to another FOI Body |
8 |
12 |
215. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to outline details of the investment that has been made in the development and management of the OPW sites at Scattery Island and the Ennis Friary in County Clare since 2018; what investment, if any, is planned for the sites for the remainder of 2023 and 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52004/23]
View answerThe Office of Public Works is responsible for the conservation, maintenance, presentation and promotion of Ireland’s most iconic heritage properties, including Ireland’s two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, 800 National Monuments, 32 National Historic Properties and over 5,000 acres of gardens and parklands and holds a right to enter property under legislation to undertake necessary maintenance and works for the protection of monuments in its care.
Since 2018, approximately €2m has been expended on Scattery Island to date, a significant amount of this has been on the refurbishment and conservation of the row of cottages known as the Street. It is planned to continue with the development of the visitor offering on the island with the development of new interpretation and works, subject to Ministerial Consent, to the island's Battery.
Regarding Ennis Friary, the sum of €175,000 has been spent on the maintenance and upkeep of this National Monument since 2018. The interpretative panels within the Friary are being replaced during the winter months and will be on display for Season 2024.
The Office of Public is progressing staff welfare facilities, at the site.
216. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to consider the creation of a dog-friendly park within Phoenix Park, to be constructed and enclosed for that function. [52020/23]
View answerThe OPW welcomes dogs accompanied by responsible owners across the vast majority of the Phoenix Park except for a small number of areas with restrictions, such as the children’s playground and the Victorian Walled Garden as per the OPW Code of Conduct on dogs, which can be accessed on the website for the Phoenix Park.
While the Office of Public Works recognises the importance of the Phoenix Park for dog owners as a place for dog-walking and recreation, there are currently no plans to introduce an enclosed designated dog-friendly park within the Park.
The Park is home to 600 wild fallow deer and is a highly important site for biodiversity in Dublin City. It supports 50% of the mammal species found in Ireland and about 35% of bird species. Some of these species – especially ground nesting birds and deer – are very sensitive to disturbance by dogs, something which the OPW must be mindful of when making any plans for the Park.
218. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the total costs incurred by his Department arising from the placing of advertisements with the national broadcaster, RTÉ, in any format, for each of the years 2016 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52169/23]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has not incurred any costs of the nature specified from 2016 to-date.
219. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if his Department, or any body under the aegis of his Department, has facilitated in-person or remote briefings on any issue by organisations (details supplied) from 2020 to date; if so, the topic discussed; the fees paid to the organisations for these briefings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52196/23]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that I met with the Hope and Courage Collective in February, 2023 to discuss the work of their organisation. There were no fees paid in respect of this meeting. Neither my Department nor any of the bodies under its aegis have had any engagement of the nature specified with the Institute for Strategic Dialogue from 2020 to-date.
220. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the location of the published annual reports of the mediation officer pursuant to the Civil Service grievance procedure Circular 11/2001; the reason the latest available report dates from 2007; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52382/23]
View answerThe Civil Service Grievance Procedure (Circular 11/2001) outlines the procedure to manage complaints of individual members of staff within the scope of the procedure, which are not appropriate for discussion under the Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme.
The procedure has two stages; the first involves efforts to resolve the matter informally. If a grievance is not resolved informally, it may be referred to the second stage which is the referral of complaint to the appointed Civil Service Mediation Officer with a view to resolving the matter amicably.
The procedure, when implemented in 2001 envisaged the publication of an annual report on the operation of the grievance procedure. It subsequently became apparent that the majority of grievances are resolved informally, without recourse to the Civil Service Mediation Officer.
It came to the attention of officials in my Department that given the relatively low number of grievances submitted to the Mediation Officer through the formal procedure (on average 6 per year across the Civil Service), there is a risk, or perceived risk that the reports in their existing format could identify individuals involved. I am advised that the format of the reports are being examined to minimise this risk and will be published or republished as appropriate as a matter of course.
221. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the number of reports from personnel officers and mediation officers received in 2022; the Departments the reports were from; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52383/23]
View answerIn responding to the Deputy's question I am referring to the Civil & Public Service Mediation Service (CPSMS) as this has been the context of the other question raised.
In that case, there were no reports from Personnel Officers or from Mediation Officers made to the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Deliver and Reform in 2022.
222. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the current designated mediation officer in his Department's Civil and Public Service mediation service; the way in which the Civil and Public Service mediation service recruit external mediators; the date of last recruitment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52384/23]
View answerThe Civil & Public Service Mediation Service (CPSMS) have a panel of volunteer mediators who are serving Civil and Public Servants. The Civil and Public Service Mediation Service do not recruit external mediators.
Mr. Joe McDermot is the Civil Service Mediator under the Grievance Procedure 11/2001. Mr. McDermot’s appointment was made in consultation with the General Council Staff panel. Mr. McDermott’s current tenure in this role commenced on 10 March 2023.
223. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if a panel of mediators is used for the civil and public service mediation service panel; the number of external mediators currently on the civil and public service mediation service panel; the length of time a panel lasts; how the Civil and Public Service Mediation Service decides when to use paid external mediators; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52385/23]
View answerA panel of mediators, drawn from existing Public Service staff, is used for the Civil and Public Service Mediation Service. There are no external mediators currently on the panel. The mediators on the panel are volunteers and remain on the panel as long as they are available to carry out mediations. The panel is subject to constant change. The Civil and Public Service Mediation Service does not utilise paid external mediators.
224. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if there is an obligation on Civil and Public Service mediation service mediation officers to give reasons in writing directly to both parties if they do not make recommendation or do not proceed with mediation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52386/23]
View answerThe Civil and Public Service Mediation Service mediation officers are bound by the Code of Ethics and Practice of the Mediators Institute of Ireland. Under the provisions of that Code of Practice, there is no obligation on the Mediator to notify the parties in writing if the mediation does not proceed, except in cases where the Mediator withdraws from, or terminates, the mediation in the belief that they or one of the Parties may be at risk or that the Parties do not have an appropriate level of respect for the Mediator or the Mediation process. In that situation, the Mediator will give notice in writing to the Parties stating the Mediator’s general reason for the withdrawal. The Mediator will inform the Client in writing of such termination of the mediation.
225. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the actions he will take to resolve the situation where 30 staff members in the Cavan Social Protection office are to lose the use of car parking facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52388/23]
View answerThe Commissioners of Public Works (OPW) lease part of a building in Cavan town that is allocated to the Department of Social Protection. This lease included the use of 15 car parking spaces on a site across the road from the office. Earlier this year the landlord advised the OPW that the car park site was being sold to the County Council, consequently staff would no longer be able to use the car park once the sale completed.
It is the OPW policy that car parking is leased only when it forms part of a building lease and new leases or licences for stand-alone parking are not entered into. The OPW will review parking facilities at other owned and leased properties in Cavan town to establish if there are surplus parking spaces that can be allocated to staff affected by the sale of this car park.
226. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to provide details of the average pro-rata national capital spend in County Louth and east-Meath over the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52447/23]
View answerAs Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform I am responsible for setting the overall capital allocations across Departments and for monitoring monthly expenditure at Departmental level. The responsibility for the management and delivery of individual investment projects, within the allocations agreed under the National Development Plan 2021-30 (NDP), rests with the individual sponsoring Department in each case. Expenditure is therefore allocated and monitored on a Departmental basis and not a geographic basis.
The Government has committed €165 billion funding for capital investment, as set out in the NDP published in October 2021. The NDP includes indicative Exchequer allocations for each Department for a five year period (2021 to 2025) and the overall capital expenditure ceilings out to 2030. This expenditure was considered and agreed in order to support those sectors that would be key in delivering the ten National Strategic Outcomes (NSOs) identified in the National Planning Framework (NPF). The NDP contains expenditure commitments for a range of strategic investment priorities which have been determined by the relevant Departments as central to the delivery of the National Planning Framework vision.
In 2023, over €12 billion will be made available from the Exchequer for investment in public capital projects, which will provide more schools, homes, hospitals and other pieces of vital infrastructure. This level of expenditure will be pivotal in consolidating the progress already made, supporting balanced regional development and, most importantly, delivering the necessary infrastructure to support our future climate change obligations as well as our social and economic requirements.
The Government will continue to detail the delivery of the NDP at regular intervals into the future to allow for full transparency on the implementation of Project Ireland 2040. This will be achieved through regular updates of the Project Ireland 2040 capital investment tracker and map as well as the publication of annual reports and regional reports highlighting Project Ireland 2040 achievements and giving a detailed overview of the public investments which have been made throughout the country.
The capital investment tracker provides a composite update on the progress of all major investments with an estimated cost of greater than €20 million. Accompanying the tracker, the myProjectIreland interactive map details projects across the country and provides details on specific projects by county, including counties Louth and Meath, and contains smaller investments such as schools and social housing projects. Search facilities also allow citizens to view projects in their regional area, by city, by county or by eircode.
In addition, Regional Reports on the implementation of Project Ireland 2040 in the three Regional Assembly areas have been published for 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022. The reports set out the regional projects and programmes, which are being planned and delivered in the Eastern and Midland Region as part of the public investment detailed in Project Ireland 2040. While the reports do not provide an exhaustive list of all public capital expenditure, they serve to highlight the diverse range of investments being made by the State under Project Ireland 2040 in the region.
The Project Ireland 2040 Regional Reports, capital investment tracker and myProjectIreland interactive map are all available on gov.ie/2040.
227. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if a person (details supplied) is entitled to an increase in their pension as a former civil servant as part of the Building Momentum agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52478/23]
View answerI am informed by the National Shared Services Office that due to Data Protection the NSSO cannot comment in public on an individual’s personal pension entitlements. However, the NSSO has contacted the individual directly to advise them on this matter.
228. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if the OPW will consider referencing the connection of Red Hugh (Hugh Roe/ Aodh Ruadh) O’ Donnell to Dublin Castle in guided tours and information points at the castle; and if the OPW will consider erecting a plaque at Dublin Castle to commemorate this great leader in Irish history, similar to the plaque erected by Valladolid City Council in Spain in his memory. [52512/23]
View answerThe story of Red Hugh (Hugh Roe/ Aodh Ruadh) O’ Donnell is already mentioned in the tour of the State Apartments and will feature even more prominently in the new exhibition that will open in the newly refurbished Record Tower in the summer of 2024.
The information available to the OPW suggests that Red Hugh escaped one of the two guard towers on Castle Street by means of the garderobe and fled via the town ditch. These towers are long demolished and have been replaced by elements of the conference centre. Given the fact that this area is largely inaccessible to the public, it is the view of OPW that the memory of Red Hugh will be better preserved through the stories of the tour guides and the interpretive display in the museum.
The OPW will give consideration to the installation of such a plaque on or near the location of Red Hugh's escape.
229. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the reason for the delay in publishing the Health Budget Oversight Group minutes for August and September 2023; the date on which these will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52521/23]
View answerThe Health Budgetary Oversight Group (HBOG) did not convene in September and October due to Budget 2024 discussions, which involved detailed meetings on some of the expenditure and policy matters discussed at monthly HBOG meetings. The August minutes were circulated and put on the agenda for finalisation at the subsequent HBOG meeting which took place on 8 November. Following receipt of comments from attendees, these have since been approved and published on Friday November 24th.
230. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to provide an update in relation to a scheme (details supplied); when a decision will issue regarding the confirmation of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52541/23]
View answerOn the basis of advice received from independent consultants, supplementary information was sought from the Office of Public Works in July of this year regarding the proposed flood relief scheme in Crossmolina. This information was sought under the provisions of Section 7B(4) of the European Union (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Arterial Drainage) Regulations 2019 in order to reach a reasoned conclusion on the environmental impacts of the proposed works.
The Office of Public Works submitted the information sought to the Department on the 17th of November 2023, and it is currently being examined as required by the Regulations.
