Vol. 605 No. 3
30 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the nature of the Government’s input to the evaluation of the EU air quality draft directives on particulate matter (details supplied) and NOx; his views on the inclusion of natural sources, such as Sahara sand and sea salt in the directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22226/05]
The 1999 air quality daughter directive relates to limit values for various air pollutants in ambient air, including particulate matter, PM, and oxides of nitrogen, NOx. In accordance with Article 10, the directive was reviewed by the European Commission and a review report was issued in January 2005.
The criterion for defining particulate matter in the 1999 directive is aerodynamic diameter. The origin of the particulate matter does not affect this definition and particles from natural sources, such as Sahara sand and sea salt, are therefore included in the scope of the directive. However, the directive allows individual member states to apply for derogations from any requirement to address exceedances where elevated levels of particulates arise as a result of certain specified circumstances, such as high wind events or transport of natural particles from dry regions. In its report on the review of the directive, the European Commission has stated that it is not considering changing or extending the existing derogation provisions.
In Ireland's case, there is no necessity to seek a derogation. The Environmental Protection Agency is the competent authority for implementing the air quality framework directive in Ireland and annually publishes an overview of ambient air quality. The most recent air quality and emissions to air report 2003, shows that Ireland's air quality remains good, without any breach of national and EU standards in force. Specifically, the ambient levels of particulate matter and oxides of nitrogen, including whatever contribution there may be from Saharan sand and sea salt, are in compliance with the standards. The report is available in the Library.
Under the sixth environmental action programme, the Commission will later this year adopt a thematic strategy on air pollution as an outcome of the EU CAFE programme. The objective of this is to develop a comprehensive, integrated and coherent framework for all air legislation and related policy initiatives. The Commission's review report on the 1999 daughter directive will inform the development of the thematic strategy. Ireland, along with all member states, participates in the CAFE steering group at which the work of the working group on implementation was assessed and evaluated.
31 Mr. Noonan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views on whether concerns expressed regarding the usability of his Department’s website have been fully addressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22300/05]
I have already indicated that I believe my Department's website, www.environ.ie, is in need of some improvement in terms of content architecture and presentation. Design and development of a major reworking of the site is under way and an entirely new layout is planned. The Department is aiming to have the new site in place before the end of the year. In the meantime, interim revisions mentioned in an earlier reply to a parliamentary question have been implemented. These substantially address concerns about the site’s usability and improve the performance, accessibility, look and feel of the site.
In addition to www.environ.ie, my Department operates some 13 special interest websites dealing with particular aspects of the Department’s activities. In recent years extensive changes have been made to reflect the changed structure of the Department and to provide direct access from the main Department site to newly developed sites such as “Motor Tax Online” and “Buildings of Ireland”, as well as the specialist websites relating to Met Éireann and heritage areas.
The award winning www.motortax.ie, which enables customers to pay their motor tax over the Internet, is recognised as an effective e-government measure. In its first year, this site has handled over 470,000 transactions representing over €100 million in revenue. Almost 24% of eligible motor tax business nationally is now transacted on-line, including over 43% of eligible business in the Dublin area. This is a welcome success and one that we intend to build on in the years to come.
The website of the national inventory of architectural heritage is www.buildingsofireland.ie. The NIAH involves identifying, surveying and recording the architectural heritage of Ireland and this site presents information and images of the surveyed buildings and structures in an attractive and readily accessible way.
The website www.raceagainstwaste.ie is an integral part of the award winning public awareness campaign. It provides practical advice and action points on better waste management for citizens and businesses as well as acting as a portal to a wide range of on-line resources dealing with responsible waste management.
The Met Éireann website effectively blends daily weather forecasts with educational information on climate, satellite imagery and targeted information for the agricultural and marine sectors.
The Department, through these and other sites, has developed a web presence which provides a comprehensive suite of on-line services and information.
32 Mr. Coveney asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he continues to have confidence in the capacity of the British Nuclear Inspectorate to be fully briefed by BNFL on possible future incidents at Sellafield in view of the prolonged delay by BNFL in issuing a full public statement on the recent serious incident at Sellafield; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22290/05]
52 Mr. Coveney asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will make a statement on the recent serious incident at Sellafield and the implications arising for the long-term future of reprocessing as a result. [22289/05]
103 Mr. G. Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views on whether BNFL can be trusted to run the Sellafield plant in Cumbria; if the recent leak at the plant has reduced that confidence further; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22287/05]
108 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the latest information available to his Department on the origins and extent of the leak at the THORP reprocessing plant on 19 April 2005; if he has satisfied himself that the information supplied adequately reflected the seriousness of the leak; the steps he took to verify the information supplied to his Department; if his attention has been drawn to media reports suggesting that the leak was so serious that the THORP plant may have to close indefinitely; the action he has taken or intends to take arising from this incident; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22197/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 32, 52, 103 and 108 together.
The recent leakage at the THORP reprocessing plant in the Sellafield complex has underscored the legitimacy of Government policy that Sellafield should be closed in a safe and orderly manner because of the threat it poses to Ireland. While the leak was contained and did not constitute an immediate hazard to the local population or region or to Ireland, the fact of its occurrence and subsequent revelations concerning its origin, quantity and the period it remained undetected do not promote confidence in the management and operation of the site.
A discrepancy in the amounts of uranium and plutonium in the THORP process was first noticed on 18 April and, following camera inspections, the process was shut down on 21 April. Further investigation showed that 83,000 litres or 83 cubic metres of liquid, which contains uranium, plutonium and fission products, was spilt but was contained on the floor of a sealed cell with walls several feet thick.
The Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland was advised of the leak by the UK's Health and Safety Executive and Environment Agency on the same day the process was shut down, 21 April 2005. Officials of my Department were advised on 22 April. The institute deals directly with the UK regulatory authorities, not BNFL, in accessing information and has kept in touch with its counterparts in the UK on the issues arising from the incident. The institute has been satisfied with the quality and timing of the information flow from the UK authorities and has no reason to doubt the integrity or accuracy of the information received to date.
On 27 May 2005, British Nuclear Group, formerly BNFL, issued the findings of an internal investigation of the THORP incident. The findings do not have any implications for Ireland and confirmed that the leak which had occurred had been contained in the secondary containment area designed for this purpose. However, the investigation also found that the pipe may have started to fail in August 2004 and that actual failure of the pipe may have occurred in January 2005 and, although the failure itself could not have been prevented, the quantity of liquid released would have been significantly less if opportunities had not been missed in the monitoring of the process.
I understand that an independent investigation is currently underway by the UK regulatory authority. I have requested the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland and departmental officials to liaise closely with their counterparts in the UK on this investigation and any other issues of concern arising from the incident.
The THORP incident is an extremely serious one, as is reflected in the class 3 rating applied to the incident under the international nuclear event scale. Accordingly, I have raised the issue directly in writing with the UK Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and have sought an early meeting. Furthermore, I have also drawn the THORP incident to the attention of the European Commissioner for Energy.
I understand that, at a minimum, it will take several months before it will be possible for the THORP plant to resume operation. While there is wide speculation that this incident may precipitate a further evaluation of the reprocessing operations at THORP, resulting in an earlier closure date than 2010 as is currently proposed, I am not aware of any decisions on this issue by the UK. However, the recent incident offers the opportunity to the UK to decide on the termination of reprocessing operations at Sellafield as soon as possible. Obviously, this will be among the issues I will pursue with my UK ministerial counterparts when we meet.
33 Mr. English asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if Ireland will have any representative at the International Atomic Energy Agency’s uranium symposium to be held in June 2005; his Department’s policy on the issues raised at the symposium, including exploration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22274/05]
The International Symposium on Uranium Production and Raw Materials for the Nuclear Fuel Cycle, organised by the International Atomic Energy Agency, took place in Vienna last week. My Department, in consultation with the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland and based on an evaluation of priorities, decided not to nominate an official representative to the uranium symposium.
The purpose of the symposium was to analyse uranium supply and demand relationships and to present and discuss new developments in uranium geology and exploration, mining, processing and environmental requirements for uranium operations and site decommissioning. The symposium followed on from an international conference Uranium Geochemistry 2003 in Nancy in 2003 and an earlier symposium Uranium Production Cycle and the Environment in Vienna in 2000, both of which were also organised by the agency. Although Ireland was not represented at the symposium, we will, of course, have access to the outcomes of the symposium when these are available.
The International Atomic Energy Agency, comprising some 136 member states is an independent, intergovernmental agency of the United Nations. The agency is inter alia responsible for the establishment and administration of safeguards and verification, the maintenance of a global event notification system, the promotion of research and development into the application of atomic energy, the establishment of safety standards and the assistance of member states in planning for and using nuclear science and technology for various peaceful purposes.
To this end, the agency organises numerous conferences and symposia in any given year. Furthermore, the policy-making organs — board of governors, programme and budget committee and so forth — typically meet ten to 12 times a year and the annual general conference takes place each September. My Department or the institute does not have the resources to attend all of these meetings and conferences and, consequently, has to be selective in terms of accepting invitations that will most directly assist and promote Ireland's nuclear policy and provide necessary technical advice and assistance.
Government policy is opposed to the use of nuclear energy, as it believes the environmental, health and safety risks and impacts outweigh the benefits arising from the industry. Ireland remains opposed to any expansion of the nuclear industry, which potentially impacts negatively on uranium exploration, production and related issues. Based on an analysis of the content and relevance of international meetings, Ireland is represented at as many as possible and seeks to influence processes in accordance with Government policy.
35 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if, in view of the phenomenal growth in population in the Drogheda — south Louth — east Meath area (details supplied), he will grant Drogheda and district city status and thus allow this area to have full responsibility and control over its own future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22311/05]
The Local Government Act 2001 modernises the legislative framework, supports community involvement with local authorities in a more participative local democracy and underpins generally the programme of local government renewal, including the position of county and city councils as the primary units of local government. Under the Act, there are five city councils and also five borough councils, including Drogheda, each of which is responsible for a significant range of legal and administrative functions in their respective areas as well as contributing to local development in co-operation with their respective county council.
The Act takes account of the recommendations of the 1996 report of the reorganisation commission, Towards Cohesive Local Government — Town and County, regarding improved accessibility, interaction and linkages for all boroughs and towns with their local county council areas as the way forward. A modernised legal framework and structures at both regional and local level are now in place which provide the necessary powers and flexibility to local authorities to work in partnership at local and regional level to co-ordinate the provision of integrated public services. In these circumstances, I have no proposals for amending legislation, which would be necessary to establish a new city council.
36 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if, in view of significant population changes, he will examine as a matter of urgency the local electoral boundaries for local elections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22307/05]
Unlike the situation regarding Dáil constituencies, there are no constitutional or statutory requirements regarding the frequency of local electoral area reviews. The last review of local electoral areas was carried out in 1998. The June 2004 local elections took place on the basis of the existing local electoral areas and there are currently no proposals for examination of these areas.
The next census is due to take place in 2006, with the next local elections in 2009. Consideration can be given to reviewing the local electoral areas in the light of the census results when they become available and other relevant factors.
37 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his Department has plans to widen home ownership among those on low incomes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22283/05]
136 Mr. Boyle asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the recommendations contained in the NESC report, Housing in Ireland, which he will be implementing in the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22345/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 37 and 136 together.
The NESC housing report endorses the Government's general approach to housing policy while highlighting important policy challenges ahead. These include ensuring a high quality sustainable development in both urban and rural areas, assisting the market to maintain a high level of supply and providing an effective range of supports to those households who fall below the affordability threshold.
We have being making substantial progress in addressing these concerns, with record overall housing output and increased investment in social and affordable housing. The new affordable homes partnership announced last week provides new impetus and additionality to the existing measures. The partnership will drive and co-ordinate the delivery of affordable housing in the greater Dublin area, GDA. It is also intended that the partnership take responsibility, as far as practicable, for affordable housing initiative projects on State lands in the GDA. This will include use of the land swap option, similar to that piloted on the Harcourt Terrace Lane site.
Initially, the partnership will work via the existing planning/development framework but additional legislative powers will be made available should they prove necessary. In addition, consideration is to be given to approaches dealing with land options and a "use it or lose it" scheme. As part of the broader delivery of housing nationally, all local authorities will review their land management strategies to maximise the availability of land for their own housing programmes, voluntary and co-operative housing, housing partnerships with the private sector and to secure more active use of brown field land and derelict sites.
These measures are designed to provide a practical response, focused on delivery on the policy challenges identified by the NESC. The NESC also highlighted a number of issues, particularly in the social housing area, for further consideration. The Government intends to address these more medium-term issues for the provision of social and affordable housing in the early autumn. This process will be informed by the outcome of the statutory housing needs assessment currently under way and the work under way by the housing forum in reviewing the effectiveness of the existing social and affordable housing schemes in the context of the Sustaining Progress agreement.
38 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he intends to make funding available to local authorities for the remediation of older illegal dump sites or of closed sites in the ownership of local authorities following the results of the office of environmental enforcement audit of dump sites used between 1977 and 1996; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22216/05]
The policy direction which I have recently issued under section 60 of the Waste Management Act 1996 directs the local authorities to ensure that the requirements of section 22 of that Act are fully met in the current review of their waste management plans.
Section 22 states that a waste management plan shall include information on: the identification of sites at which waste disposal or recovery activities have been carried on; the assessment of any risk of environmental pollution arising as a result of such activities; measures proposed to be taken or, where such an assessment has already been made, measures taken, to prevent or limit any such environmental pollution; and the identification of necessary remedial measures in respect of such sites and measures proposed to be taken or, where such measures have already been identified, measures taken, to achieve such remediation, having regard to the cost effectiveness of available remediation techniques. This exercise will be completed as part of the process of replacing the current waste management plans over the coming months.
As regards remediation costs related to illegal dumping, the regulatory authorities have been directed to pursue illegal holders of waste, looking to the maximum potential sanctions available in law. In that regard, prosecutions should be taken in all cases using the powers available under the Waste Management Act, as amended, or other relevant legislation to maximise the deterrent factor. The Garda Síochána should be asked to become involved in regard to more serious offences and the prosecution of offences should be at the highest available judicial level.
In addition, a landfill levy shall be applied in all circumstances of disposal of waste by means of an unauthorised landfill activity after 1 June 2002, when the landfill levy regulations came into effect, and local authorities should, where practicable, pursue civil remedies against illegal operators under the provisions of sections 55 to 58 of the Act, for example, to seek to recover the costs of measures taken to prevent or limit environmental pollution caused by the waste.
Clearly there may also be cost implications related to the remediation of older sites, which may not be amenable to recovery in the courts from those concerned. There may also be cost implications for closed sites which are or were in the ownership of local authorities. Pending the outcome of the section 22 process it is not possible to quantify the extent of future costs in this regard.
39 Dr. Twomey asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the reason he has recently issued policy directions on the movement of waste; the impact such directions are expected to have; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22291/05]
44 Ms B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the names of the private sector stakeholders, including waste firms, which have been in contact with him about the relaxation of the planning guidelines for waste facilities such as landfills and incinerators; the principal arguments, technical and otherwise, put forward by these stakeholders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22224/05]
45 Dr. Twomey asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will make a statement on the meeting between a company (details supplied) and his Department regarding changes they were proposing to Government policy on the regional movement of waste; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22292/05]
116 Mr. McGinley asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will make a statement on meetings and submissions made to his Department by a company (details supplied) regarding decisions of An Bord Pleanála relating to waste. [22306/05]
127 Mr. McGinley asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he has received legal advice regarding the decision of An Bord Pleanála to limit the origin of waste to the proposed Carronstown incinerator to the north-east regional area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22305/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 39, 44, 45, 116 and 127 together.
The most recent waste management policy statement, Taking Stock and Moving Forward, April 2004, recognised that the prohibition on all inter-regional movements of waste could be unduly restrictive in terms of securing the development of waste infrastructure and the objectives of waste management plans. It is the case that most waste facilities currently in place are not subject to conditions which limit the geographic area from which they can take waste. In fact, the absence of such restrictions has traditionally allowed local authorities to manage capacity constraints by providing for inter-regional movement of waste. Accordingly, the policy statement provided for an examination of the issues arising in terms of the inter-relationship between regional boundaries and waste facilities.
Concerns about the implications of such planning conditions were expressed to my Department by stakeholders from both the public and private sectors and, in particular, by the Irish Waste Management Association. In addition, the Environmental Protection Agency in its 2001 waste database report recommended that the inter-regional movement and treatment of waste should be provided for in appropriate circumstances.
Following legal advice, I recently issued guidance under section 60 of the Waste Management Act to clarify that the application of the proximity principle in the context of waste management does not entail interpreting administrative waste boundaries in such a manner as to inhibit the development of infrastructure which will support the attainment of national waste policy objectives. This guidance is intended to provide greater clarity in regard to the appropriate application of the proximity principle so as to facilitate the provision of environmentally sustainable and economically viable waste infrastructure in accordance with national policy. I am advised that this guidance has been well received by both the public and private stakeholders.
40 Mr. Hayes asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress to date in meeting obligations under the wild birds directive to protect the habitats of rare and endangered wild bird species; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22278/05]
Action to protect the habitats of rare and endangered wild bird species is most directly addressed by designation of sites as special protection areas, SPAs. To date, Ireland has designated 128 SPAs, covering an area equivalent to almost 3% of our land area and statutory orders are in preparation to designate some further sites. Designation of habitats under other provisions, for example, as candidate special areas of conservation can also support the preservation of wild bird species.
However, the EU Commission is taking a case against Ireland in the European Court of Justice, alleging inadequate implementation of the directive. A major element of the Commission's case relates to sites for relatively dispersed rare species, such as hen harrier, chough and corncrake. An additional element of the Commission's case requires Ireland to ensure that all SPAs, including those designated under the system which applied pre-habitats directive, should now be subject to the procedures under the habitats directive.
Proposals for SPAs for hen harriers are being finalised within my Department, taking account of up to date information on the extent of recent afforestation provided by the forest service of the Department of Agriculture and Food. My Department is committed, when this information has been assessed, to further consultation with stakeholder interests about the implications of such designations before the details of the sites are published and notified to landowners. Proposals for SPAs for chough, mainly in coastal cliff areas of Kerry, west Cork and west Donegal are also being finalised. The implications of these proposals will also be discussed with landowners' representatives. With regard to both these species, it is envisaged that sites will be statutorily proposed later this year.
A number of existing SPAs provide protection for corncrake, along with other species. The question of designation of further sites for corncrake remains under consideration. Certain other dispersed species also require designation of sites. For species such as merlin and golden plover this can largely be achieved by designation as SPAs of lands already protected as candidate special areas of conservation, SACs, under the habitats directive.
41 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his role in renewing the strategic planning guidelines for the greater Dublin area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22322/05]
The statutory provisions for the making of regional planning guidelines are contained in the Planning and Development Act 2000. Under these provisions, I have issued directions to regional authorities and published regulations on the making of regional planning guidelines. My Department has also issued guidance notes to regional authorities to assist them in this process.
In accordance with my direction, the Dublin regional authority and the mid-east regional authority, in May 2004, jointly made regional planning guidelines for the whole of the area of their two regions, that is, the area known as the greater Dublin area. These guidelines replaced the non-statutory strategic planning guidelines for the greater Dublin area 1999 and incorporated the aims and policies of the national spatial strategy.
My Department was represented on a steering committee which assisted in the preparation of the regional planning guidelines and also on the technical working group which supported this work.
42 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will assess the initial impact of his Department’s campaign to reduce domestic water wastage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22302/05]
Local authorities are responsible for publicity measures associated with the national water conservation scheme being funded by my Department under the water services investment programme 2004-06. The objective of the conservation scheme is to identify and substantially reduce unaccounted for water levels in public water supply networks. Over €276 million has been allocated to city and county councils by my Department for this purpose.
I recently launched a water wastage reduction campaign by seven local authorities in the greater Dublin region, that is, Dublin City Council, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal, Meath, South Dublin and Wicklow county councils and Bray Town Council. Further information about the results of the ongoing campaign, which is aimed at both residential and business consumers, may appropriately be sought from the local authorities concerned.
43 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the position regarding the international legal action taken by the Government with a view to securing the closure of the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22230/05]
90 Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the position regarding the Government’s efforts to bring about the closure of Sellafield. [22330/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 43 and 90 together.
I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 180 and 184 of 18 May 2005. Ireland and the United Kingdom submitted their latest progress report to the UNCLOS tribunal on 31 May 2005. Otherwise, the position is unchanged.
46 Mr. Morgan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will review the functioning of Part V of the Planning and Development Acts 2000 to 2004 to determine whether this provision is delivering its potential in terms of the number of social and affordable housing units delivered to date. [22328/05]
I refer to the reply to Question No. 25 of 28 June 2005.
I am satisfied that Part V is contributing significantly to the provision of social and affordable housing. Its operation has been kept under continuous review and this will be monitored.
47 Ms Burton asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number and percentage of gardeners and landscapers in the Dublin area who hold permits for the disposal of green waste; the amount of green waste being produced by such operators in the Dublin area; if he has plans to establish green waste disposal facilities for use by commercial operators such as gardeners and landscapers in the Dublin area in view of the imminent closure of the Lucan recycling depot to such operators; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22198/05]
My Department does not have detailed information on the number of waste collection permits held by landscape gardeners nor on the origin of green waste deposited at facilities for recycling.
Identification of needs for waste management facilities is a matter for local authorities under the relevant regional waste management plans, which are currently being reviewed by the local authorities. In this regard my Department, at a recent meeting with landscapers' representatives, recommended that the landscape contractors liaise directly with the local authorities concerned.
48 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress made to date by the task force set up in his Department to establish strategies to address the range of environmental complaints against Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22217/05]
The task force set up in my Department to establish strategies to address the range of environmental complaints against Ireland in a more comprehensive way is fully operational. In addressing its work, the task force has been building on an intensified engagement by my Department with Commission officials and with the implementing agencies in Ireland that has been developed over recent months.
The task force has undertaken a systematic analysis of each individual case that is the subject of infringement proceedings by the EU Commission and for which my Department is responsible. This analysis has facilitated accelerated responses by Ireland to Commission concerns in a number of cases. It should also help to improve our response to infringement complaints in future and to provide full information about excellent ongoing work being undertaken towards fulfilling our compliance with our EU obligations.
49 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the total all-in costs of the Government’s e-voting proposals to date; if he intends to take any steps to prevent a reoccurrence of this scale of expenditure and waste; if such proposals in future will undergo a value for money examination before the appointment of consultants or service providers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22324/05]
61 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the estimated total cost to the State of scrapping the electronic voting project; if there is resale value for the machines (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22286/05]
832 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if any contact has been made with other jurisdictions with a view to off-loading or finding alternative use for the now redundant electronic voting equipment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22778/05]
833 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the alternative use to which he proposes to put the expensively stored electronic voting equipment; if it is possible to return the equipment and obtain a refund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22779/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 49, 61, 832 and 833 together.
The Government decision in February 2000 to move to electronic voting and counting aimed to secure a range of identified benefits compared to the current manual arrangements, including: more democratic outcomes through the minimisation of invalid votes and the more accurate counting of votes; provision of a higher level of service to the public; greater flexibility and speed in the voting and counting processes; and greater use of modern information and communication technologies. The decision followed extensive research on electronic voting systems and experiences in other countries and input from a range of sources on legislative, financial and practical considerations.
As part of a programme of further assessment, testing and validation of the electronic voting and counting system, tenders have been sought, and are now being assessed, from suitably qualified consultants to undertake a security and risk assessment of all aspects of the system and to devise a programme of additional testing. This work is intended to address issues raised by the Commission on Electronic Voting and demonstrate that the system operates reliably, securely and accurately.
The total cost to date of the electronic voting and counting project is some €52 million. My Department is not considering, or quantifying the cost of, the approaches to the project set out in the questions, nor have we had contact with other jurisdictions in the matter.
50 Ms Enright asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of unique visitors to his Department’s website; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22299/05]
The number of unique visitors to www.environ.ie from 1 January to 31 May 2005 was 279,024.
51 Mr. McEntee asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the Environmental Protection Agency’s report, Water Quality in Ireland 2001-2003; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22273/05]
138 Ms McManus asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the measures he intends to take to reduce water pollution from municipal discharges following the EPA water quality report 2001-03 attributing most of the serious pollution in rivers and streams to such sources; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22209/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 51 and 138 together.
The Environmental Protection Agency's report, Water Quality in Ireland 2001-2003, stated that the overall condition of Irish waters remains satisfactory and compares favourably with the position in other European countries. The report indicates that there is a further decline in the extent of serious pollution in rivers, a decline in the level of bacteriological contamination of ground water and that water quality is generally high in estuaries and coastal areas.
I welcome these positive findings of the report. Other findings of the report, however, are more mixed, such as the slight increase in the extent of river channel affected by pollution, the decrease in the number of bathing areas which comply with guideline values and the widespread intermittent contamination of ground waters with faecal coliforms. The report also confirms that eutrophication is extensive in surface waters and emphasises the need for control of nutrient losses from all sources.
It is right that all sources of pollution should be addressed, whether arising in agriculture, urban waste water, industry or any other activity. A wide range of measures is being progressed for this purpose, including a national nitrates action programme, to protect waters against pollution from agriculture, the comprehensive strengthening of river basin management in the context of implementation of the water framework directive and under the water services investment programme, which incorporates the rural water programme, regarding the treatment of waste water discharges and the provision of drinking water supplies.
In so far as waste water discharges are concerned, the EPA report points to the need for continued investment in the upgrading of our waste water treatment plants and makes reference to specific areas that merit ongoing attention, such as nutrient removal from waste water discharges and the need to address point source pollution from sewage treatment plants. In the region of €1.7 billion was invested in new waste water infrastructure under the national development plan in the four year period up to the end of 2004. As a result, enormous strides have been made in meeting our targets under the EU urban waste water treatment directive and in improving the quality of the receiving waters.
Compliance with the December 2005 deadline of the directive, which requires secondary treatment for discharges from agglomerations to a population equivalent of 2000 or more in the case of fresh or estuarial waters, stood at 25% at the start of the NDP. That has now risen to some 90%. All remaining schemes needed to achieve full compliance with the directive are included in my Department's water services investment programme, a copy of which is available in the Oireachtas Library.
The increase in waste water treatment capacity in the 2001-04 period is equivalent to the needs of a population of some 2.9 million — seven times more than the increase achieved over the entire duration of the previous NDP from 1994 to 1999. The commitment in the programme for government for secondary waste water treatment facilities to be put in place for every location with a population of more than 1,000 is also now being implemented under the water services investment programme.
My Department is currently examining the EPA report with a view to identifying any municipal waste water discharges where investment in new or upgraded waste water infrastructure is required that has not already been provided for in the current phase of the water services investment programme. It should also be borne in mind that the EPA's water quality in Ireland report covers the period up to 2003 and does not take account of the many new waste water treatment plants that have been commissioned in the meantime.
53 Mr. O’Dowd asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the status of the draft action plan on the implementation of the nitrates directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22294/05]
Discussions involving officials of my Department, the Department of Agriculture and Food, and the EU Commission are ongoing on Ireland's nitrates action programme and I expect to be in a position to submit a final version of the programme to the Commission shortly.
54 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the communication he has had with Northern Ireland Office officials and Ministers regarding cross-Border transportation of waste; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22298/05]
Since the establishment in 2004 by the Office of Environmental Enforcement of a national enforcement network, there has been regular contact between relevant officials from the Environment and Heritage Service of Northern Ireland and our own enforcement authorities.
The function of the enforcement network is to harness the collective resources, expertise and investigative capacity of all the players engaged in dealing with environmental crime in Ireland. The participants include all the local authorities, the Office of Environmental Enforcement, the Garda Síochána, including its national bureau of criminal investigations, the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the Environment and Heritage Service and Police Service of Northern Ireland.
A priority initial focus of the network is to deal with unauthorised waste activity in Ireland and, in particular, the issue of illegal cross-Border movement of waste from the Republic of Ireland into Northern Ireland. The network is bringing a level of consistency and focus to waste enforcement in Ireland that did not exist prior to its establishment and targeted roadblocks and inspections of suspect premises have occurred. Senior officials from my Department will meet their Northern Ireland counterparts on 30 June to exchange views on a range of waste management issues, including criminal activity. I intend as soon as practicable to arrange a corresponding meeting at ministerial level.
55 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his policy regarding genetically modified crops; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22297/05]
Ireland's positive but precautionary policy on modern biotechnology is based on the work of the interdepartmental group on modern biotechnology, October 2000, whose report was endorsed by the Government. The report concluded that we should acknowledge the potential benefits of genetic engineering while maintaining a fundamental commitment to safety and environmental sustainability, based on scientific risk assessment and management.
With regard to crops and foodstuffs, the authorisation of genetically modified products takes place at EU level and each member state has an input to the process. Each individual proposal is considered on its own merits, taking particular account of the advice of the relevant advisory agencies. Ireland, on the basis of its stated policy, has supported the authorisation of some but not all products, following careful case by case assessment involving the Environmental Protection Agency, the Food Safety Authority, Teagasc and the Departments of Agriculture and Food, Health and Children and Environment, Heritage and Local Government.
56 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he has satisfied himself that the minimum building standards in apartments regarding heat and noise insulation are satisfactory; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22266/05]
The amended part L — conservation of fuel and energy — of the building regulations 2002 and the related technical guidance document E, 2002 edition, came into effect on 1 January 2003 and set significantly higher insulation levels and thermal performance standards for new dwellings, including apartments, subject to the transitional exemption of new dwellings for which planning permission had been applied for on or before 31 December 2002. This transitional provision will expire on 31 December 2005. In accordance with Article 4 of the EU energy performance of buildings directive, 2002/91/EC, part L standards will again be reviewed by 2008.
Part E — sound — of the building regulations 1997 and the related technical guidance document E, 1997 edition, sets out requirements for sound insulation in buildings. HomeBond is carrying out a major study of sound insulation standards in Ireland and selected other EU member states, which is due to be completed by the end of this year. I intend to initiate a review of part E and the related technical guidance document E in 2006, in the light of the results of the HomeBond study and in consultation with the building regulations advisory body, BRAB.
The Building Control Act 1990 assigns responsibility for complying with the building regulations, including parts L and E, primarily to the owners, designers and builders of the buildings involved. Under the 1990 Act, local building control authorities are empowered to monitor buildings for compliance with the building regulations and to take enforcement action where necessary.
57 Mr. Kehoe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of local authorities which have constructed new headquarters or made substantial improvements to existing headquarters in the past five years; the amount spent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22318/05]
The provision of office accommodation for a local authority is primarily a matter for the local authority concerned. Section 106 of the Local Government Act 2001 requires local authorities to obtain sanction to borrow money. Under this provision, 19 local authorities received sanction, in the period 2000 to 2004, to borrow a total of €252 million for the provision, extension or refurbishment of local authority headquarter offices. In each case, the decision to borrow for these purposes is a reserved function and requires a formal resolution of the council.
58 Ms O’Sullivan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when the consultants’ report advising on EU Regulation 2037/2000 (details supplied) which was commissioned in 2003 by the EPA at the request of his Department, and which has been received by the EPA, will be made available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22215/05]
The report, Gap Analysis for the Implementation of EC Regulation 2037/2000 on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, commissioned by the Environmental Protection Agency and prepared by the consultants URS Ireland Limited, will be posted on the EPA's website, www.epa.ie, shortly. I will also arrange for copies to be placed in the Oireachtas Library.
59 Mr. G. Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will make a statement on his recent policy directions on action against illegal waste activity. [22288/05]
Waste enforcement activities in individual cases are primarily a matter for the local authorities concerned and/or the office of environmental enforcement. However, section 60 of the Waste Management Act 1996 authorises the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to give general directions to the Environmental Protection Agency and/or local authorities on waste management plans, waste licensing, the movement of waste and other matters. The powers conferred by section 60 do not extend to individual cases. The legislation precludes the Minister from exercising any power or control regarding the performance in particular circumstances by the agency or a local authority of their waste management functions.
On 3 May 2005, I gave policy directions under section 60 which addressed both action against illegal waste activity and movement of waste. With regard to the former, the stated purpose of the direction was to encourage an intensification of action against illegal waste activity, which includes unauthorised disposal of waste, such as the abandonment, dumping or uncontrolled disposal of waste, and enhance the response of local authorities and the Environmental Protection Agency in ensuring the protection of the environment and human health and the prosecution of offenders. In determining the nature of such prosecutions regard is to be had to the elimination of the economic benefit deriving from the illegal activity.
Key features of the policy direction include: enhancing the response of local authorities in ensuring the protection of the environment and the health of local communities, including appropriate respect for the property rights of individual householders; a recognition that law abiding waste operators are being put at a disadvantage by the illegal operators; ensuring that local authorities are directed to draw up an inventory of all sites where illegal waste recovery or disposal has taken place; adequate management and monitoring to ensure that immediate and longer term impacts are assessed and addressed at the affected sites; and removal of all hazardous waste. The direction specifically requires that particular consideration be given to certain sites: lands near to existing or planned residential development or educational facilities; wetlands; natural heritage areas, candidate special areas of conservation or special protection areas; and places of special interest such as high amenity areas.
The proposal of the Environmental Protection Agency to reinforce this general policy direction with a detailed code of practice using its powers under the Environmental Protection Act is also welcome. The recent direction has clarified the policy framework while the agency, as primary regulator and supervisor of local authorities in regard to the environment, will supplement this with the necessary supporting technical detail.
60 Mr. P. Breen asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the amount of the funding allocated for radon barriers which has been spent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22270/05]
65 Mr. Connolly asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his plans to restore the radon remediation grant to enable persons to take adequate prevention measures to protect their homes from the major public health threat posed by radon gas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22008/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 60 and 65 together.
Over the years, the Government, largely through the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland, has committed significant resources to assessing the extent of the radon problem throughout the country and to increasing public awareness of radon and public health. While the provision of Exchequer grant assistance for remediation works is not envisaged, efforts will continue to be directed at improving information to householders so as to enable and encourage them to address monitoring or remedial requirements effectively and economically.
62 Mr. J. O’Keeffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the legal basis for contesting the ownership and other issues relating to the Lusitania; and the estimated legal bills to cover the run up of all parties over the years about the matter. [22325/05]
115 Mr. J. O’Keeffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the reason for the stance taken by Dúchas underwater heritage on the Lusitania; if it related to an effort to safeguard the alleged existence of priceless paintings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22326/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 62 and 115 together.
My Department has not contested the ownership of the Lusitania. In 1995, following reports of divers, concerns were raised regarding the integrity of the Lusitania wreck and an underwater heritage order was placed on it. The effect of the order was to extend to the wreck of the Lusitania the same protection under the National Monuments Acts as would automatically apply to historic wrecks over 100 years old in Irish territorial waters. Archaeologists from my Department applied the same procedures to the wreck site as operate for other wrecks protected under the legislation.
The owner of the Lusitania sought a judicial review of the Minister’s decision to refuse a licence under section 3(5) of the National Monuments (Amendment) Act 1987. The High Court judgment, which was delivered on 17 June 2005, is currently under consideration in my Department in consultation with the Chief State Solicitor’s office. The judgment is complex but inter alia the High Court found that the provisions of section 3(5) of the National Monuments (Amendment) Act 1987 applied to the wreck. However, in the particular circumstances the refusal of the section 3(5) licence in 2001 was deemed ultra vires the power of the Minister. Legal costs in respect of this action have not yet been determined.
63 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he met with two persons (details supplied) regarding the future of Thom’s Directory, arising from changes to section 4 of the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2001; if his attention was subsequently drawn to a newspaper report of the meeting; if his office was the source of the information in the newspaper article; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22227/05]
On 4 April 2005, together with officials of my Department, I met representatives of Thom's Directories who are seeking changes to electoral law in so far as it relates to use of the register of electors for other than electoral or other statutory purposes. On 18 May 2005, I received from one of the representatives concerned correspondence about a newspaper article on the issue. Neither I, my office, nor the departmental officials concerned provided or arranged for briefing for this article.
64 Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the details of any discussion he has held with the Department of Finance regarding the impact of tax incentives and exemptions on the housing market. [22329/05]
135 Mr. Morgan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he has discussed with the Department of Finance the impact on the housing market of tax incentives such as section 23 and section 50 tax relief; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22327/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 64 and 135 together.
Taxation policy is a matter for the Minister for Finance. However, there is ongoing liaison between my Department and the Department of Finance regarding the impact of taxation measures on the housing market. The Department of Finance and the Office of the Revenue Commissioners have initiated a detailed review of certain tax incentive schemes and tax exemptions, in advance of budget 2006.
Two consultancy studies are currently under way, which involve consultation with relevant Departments. One, a review of four area based renewal schemes, is required, inter alia, to consider the impact that the schemes have had on the housing market and their interaction with other policy objectives in this regard. The second study is a review of 11 property based tax incentive schemes, including the scheme of relief for third level student accommodation, and in this regard it is required to consider the contribution that this scheme has made to an increase in the supply of residential accommodation for third level students and any consequent effects on the wider housing market.
66 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if all city and county managers have met with their respective Oireachtas Members as required by law; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22312/05]
There is a requirement under the Local Government Act 2001 (Section 237A) Regulations 2003, for each county or city manager to arrange to meet with local parliamentary representatives as a group at least annually. It is understood from informal inquiries made with local authorities that since the regulations came into force, all managers have met with some or all of their relevant parliamentary representatives. These meetings have generally been held in the specific manner envisaged by the regulations, although some have also been on an individual basis with Oireachtas Members.
As indicated in earlier replies to questions on this topic, I intend this year to obtain more detailed information from local authorities on the practical application of the scheme to date. Arising from this I will, if necessary, issue supplementary guidance to local authorities taking account of the responses on the matter and the need to ensure that the regulations are being adhered to by all local authorities.
67 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the details of the LINK system; the length of time this system has been in operation; if this system has been extended to any local authorities outside the Dublin area; if not, the reason therefor; the success of this system in improving data collection, service delivery and services for homeless persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22373/05]
It is recognised that a comprehensive data system is essential to monitor progress in addressing homelessness. In response to this, the Homeless Agency, in conjunction with homeless service providers in Dublin, developed the LINK system in 2001 with funding provided by my Department. The purpose of the system is to improve and develop services and service delivery to homeless persons to ensure they receive a continuum of care based on an accurate and up to date assessment of their needs.
The LINK system is intended to help the local authorities to formulate appropriate responses to the accommodation needs of homeless households and individuals. It also facilitates the identification of their non-accommodation requirements and provides a basis for appropriate responses to their case and support needs by the statutory and voluntary agencies involved. Currently, 23 different services in eight different organisations use the system. These include emergency accommodation providers, advice and information services, outreach teams and settlement services. It is intended to extend the usage of LINK to all services in Dublin as soon as possible.
With regard to its development in other local authority areas, it is considered appropriate to finalise its installation in the Dublin area before any future extension of the system.
68 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the action to be taken in the immediate future on foot of the publication of the South East Agenda 2020 report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22276/05]
The South East Agenda 2020 report was prepared by a south east agenda task force on behalf of the south east chambers of commerce. At the invitation of the sponsors I was pleased to launch the report last week.
South East Agenda 2020 takes account of the Government's national spatial strategy, which sets out a 20 year planning framework designed to enable every part of the country to achieve its potential. A significant milestone in the implementation of the national spatial strategy was reached with the adoption by all regional authorities of regional planning guidelines to create a strategic context for local planning. I look forward to the South East Agenda 2020 report feeding into the implementation arrangements for the regional planning guidelines in the south east region and I have asked the implementation group which has been put in place for the regional planning guidelines to take account of the report as it takes its work forward. I have also urged the south east chambers of commerce and regional and local authorities to work closely together in achieving the many common and complementary aims set out in this report and in the regional planning guidelines.
69 Mr. Crowe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if, in view of the statement by the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland that the only proper precaution for homes against the dangers of radon gas is to ensure that they are tested for radon after they have been occupied, he will introduce a Statewide programme under the auspices of the RPII to test the radon levels in all homes in the State. [22334/05]
85 Mr. Connolly asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he proposes to amend the building regulations to take account of the threat to public health from dangerously high concentrations of radon gas occurring in 10% of new homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22009/05]
106 Mr. P. Breen asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of deaths his Department estimates are attributable to exposure to radon in the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22282/05]
124 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress made to date with regard to the implementation of the RPII’s anti-radon programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22229/05]
790 Mr. Connolly asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views on the recent Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland survey which indicated that dangerously high levels of naturally occurring radon gas were detected in 10% of new homes fitted with radon barriers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22032/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 69, 85, 106, 124 and 790 together.
It is not possible to ascribe any individual death directly to exposure to radon, particularly as a recent European study published in the British Medical Journal on 21 December 2004 shows that the risk of contracting lung cancer from radon is 25 times greater for smokers. However, the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland estimates that about 10% to 15% of all lung cancer deaths in Ireland may be linked to radon. This equates to about 150 to 200 lung cancer deaths annually.
The Government has in recent years, largely through the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland, RPII, committed significant resources to assessing the extent of the radon problem throughout the country and to increasing public awareness of radon. In addition, my Department, in June 1997, introduced upgraded building regulations which required all new houses which commenced construction on or after 1 July 1998 to incorporate radon protection measures at the time of construction. In October 2004, my Department published an updated edition of technical guidance document C on part C of the building regulations — site preparation and resistance to moisture — incorporating enhanced radon prevention measures for new buildings commencing on or after 1 April 2005. This new guidance document is aimed at ensuring that the 1997 radon protection measures are carried out more effectively.
The updated technical guidance document also recommends, but does not require, that radon levels be measured after completion and occupation of new buildings to verify that the radon levels are below the national reference level of 200 becquerels per cubic metre, Bq/m3. I do not, however, propose to make such measurements mandatory and my Department is not aware of any equivalent mandatory requirement in building regulations within the EU or elsewhere.
I am aware that the institute has published the results of radon surveys undertaken by it of a number of houses in Kilkenny built before and after July 1998 when the updated 1997 regulations standards came into effect. The most recent survey, in Kilkenny, showed that of the 33 post-July 1998 built houses surveyed, three, or 10%, had radon concentrations above the national reference level, including one which had radon concentrations of over seven times the reference level. However, the survey results also showed a reduction of some 33% in the average radon concentrations in the post-July 1998 built houses compared with the average concentration for houses surveyed by the institute under its national radon survey in the earlier part of that decade.
While the recent survey results from the institute demonstrate the positive impact of the radon preventative measures required under the 1997 building regulations, they also demonstrate that the building regulations alone are not a guarantee that houses are completely protected against radon. The enhanced radon prevention measures for new houses, which I announced last October and which call for radon sump outlets to be clearly identified, should help to further raise awareness among householders and the building industry.
There are no plans to introduce a countrywide programme to test the radon levels in all homes in the State. A major nationwide radon survey was undertaken by the institute in the 1990s. In all, over 11,000 houses were measured. Of these, about 9% had radon concentration above the national reference level. On the basis of this survey, the RPII has estimated that about 91,000 houses or 7% of the national housing stock would have radon concentration above the reference level.
The institute is concerned that only a little over 3,000 of the 91,000 houses in the country estimated to have radon concentration above the reference level have been identified. Therefore, within the past 12 months, the institute has been intensifying its campaign to further heighten public awareness of radon. The institute's new initiatives have included publishing a booklet entitled Understanding Radon — A Householder's Guide and the production of an information poster for display in public places such as libraries, medical centres and so forth. In addition, the institute has recently embarked on a series of nationwide public information seminars which will be targeted at selected high radon areas. These seminars have received widespread media coverage and have generated a large number of inquiries from the public.
There are positive indications that the institute's radon awareness programmes are impacting on the public. I understand that in 2004 the number of requests for radon measurements received by the institute from householders was almost 3,000, which was more than the combined total for the previous three years. Testing of domestic dwellings for radon is straightforward and inexpensive, approximately €40 per home. I urge householders, particular those in high radon areas, to check their house for radon concentrations and carry out remediation work if recommended to do so.
Both my Department and the institute will continue to use all appropriate opportunities to raise public awareness on the dangers of radon and every effort will continue to be directed at improving information to householders so as to enable them to address monitoring or remedial requirements effectively and economically.
70 Mr. O’Shea asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if there is evidence of widespread abuses in the rent allowance system; the number of cases of alleged abuse that have been brought to his attention; the amount of rent allowance being wrongly claimed in respect of each alleged abuse; if his attention has been drawn to any tenants in receipt of the rent allowance not living in the dwelling concerned and subletting it; the number of such cases to which his attention has been drawn; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22212/05]
139 Mr. O’Shea asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of alleged abuses of the rent allowance system which have been brought to his attention in his capacity as a public representative; when his attention was drawn to each such case; the action taken in respect of each case; if he will specify the type and scope of information he has requested from the Department of Social and Family affairs in respect of alleged abuses of the rent allowance system; when he expects to receive a report from that Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22213/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 70 and 139 together.
I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 137 and 170 of 18 May 2005 in which I indicated that the Department of Social and Family Affairs had been asked to look into this matter and to take such actions as it considered appropriate.
71 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a local authority (details supplied) enforces a claw-back clause on properties that have been improved with money provided under the disabled person’s grants scheme; if he will report on the prevalence of this practice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22269/05]
The administration of the disabled person's grants scheme is delegated to local authorities within the framework laid down in statutory regulations; as far as practicable, this is designed to give an appropriate degree of flexibility at local level. The majority of authorities have reviewed their schemes in recent years to streamline their operation and have introduced a variety of mechanisms to ensure that the available resources are targeted to those in most need. In a number of cases, including in the local authority referred to in the question, this includes a claw-back mechanism whereby the grant advanced is secured by way of a charge on the property for a certain number of years.
In the event of the property being sold or otherwise transferred within that period, a certain proportion of the grant advanced would fall to be repaid to the local authority. This is intended to ensure that works which are grant-aided serve the needs of a disabled person for a certain specified minimum period of time. The issue of claw-backs will be considered further within the overall context of the review of the operation of the disabled person's grants scheme which has been under way in my Department.
72 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if, in view of recent research that shows that there were between 660,000 and 800,000 surplus polling cards issued for general election 2002 and that the Irish electorate is far larger than the adult population, he plans to devote the necessary resources and develop adequate systems in order that a centrally co-ordinated, computerised and widely accessible electoral register can be established, in order that an independent body is established to oversee this development and the maintenance of the system, in order that the register can be thoroughly checked on a house-to-house basis in advance of the next poll and in order to allow for names on the electoral register to be cross-checked with a database such as the database of PPS numbers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22342/05]
87 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views on the way in which the register of electors accurately reflects the actual electorate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22267/05]
98 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the serious disparity between the numbers recorded in successive censuses and the numbers on the electoral register; his views on whether inaccuracies in the electoral register might give rise to risk of electoral fraud; the steps he intends to take to ensure that the register used in the next general election is accurate; if, in particular, he intends to review the methods used for reviewing the register each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22228/05]
123 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he plans to instigate an urgent review of the register of electors following media revelations concerning its inaccuracy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22268/05]
792 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the steps he is taking to streamline the electoral register, eliminate duplication and so on; if he is considering a centralised computerised system based on PPS numbers as in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22059/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 72, 87, 98, 123 and 792 together.
I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 24 and 26 on today's Order Paper.
73 Ms Enright asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the action his Department will be taking on foot of Met Éireann’s report, Climate Change — Regional Model Predictions for Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22320/05]
The Community Climate Change Consortium for Ireland, c4i, project, established in 2003, has allowed the development of a regional climate model facility for Ireland within Met Éireann. This will increase national capacity to analyse future climate conditions in Ireland and their impacts at local level.
The results outlined in the report, Climate Change — Regional Climate Model Predictions for Ireland, represent an early contribution to the task of predicting future impacts of climate change in Ireland. This information will be used to develop appropriate adaptation strategies to deal with these impacts. Adaptation strategies focus on integrating information on impacts into the formulation and development of policy and measures in this regard will be considered in the context of the upcoming review of the national climate change strategy.
74 Mr. Sherlock asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the action he intends to take in respect of the two thirds of local authorities which failed to spend allocated funds on the provision of social housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22222/05]
110 Mr. Sherlock asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the reasons for the failure of certain local authorities to spend funds allocated for social housing when there are almost 50,000 families on housing lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22223/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 74 and 110 together.
Since the beginning of the national development plan, spending by local authorities on social housing has been ahead of target. My Department, in its overall responsibility for managing housing capital budgets, seeks to ensure that these are allocated in accordance with individual needs to ensure that these resources are spent as effectively as possible. Where one authority might not require its full capital allocation in a particular year, my Department makes reassignments of balances to other authorities to cater for the increased pace of construction activity on other housing schemes.
The Government is allocating record levels of funding to local authorities for their social and affordable housing programmes in 2005. The total Exchequer capital funding available for social and affordable housing in 2005, taking account of the additional resources announced in the budget, will be almost €1.18 billion, which represents an increase of 17% on the outturn in 2004.
In association with this funding, my Department initiated the development by local authorities of new five-year action plans for social and affordable housing, to ensure a systematic and integrated approach to the effective use of these resources. Given the nature of continuous housing need, the preparation of these action plans is beneficial to local authorities in identifying priority needs over the coming years and providing a coherent and co-ordinated response across all housing services, including delivery of housing by the voluntary and co-operative housing sector. All of these action plans have now been approved by my Department.
75 Mr. O’Dowd asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if media reports that the decision to roll over the Woodstown Viking site in Waterford for the city’s N25 bypass on the basis that it would be the most cost effective option is accurate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22295/05]
Subsequent to the approval of the Waterford bypass road scheme by An Bord Pleanála, test archaeological investigations were carried out which revealed the existence of the Viking site at Woodstown. A proposal to preserve the site underneath the road was made to my Department. An internal working document, evaluating various options including full excavation and preservation under the road, suggested inter alia that preservation under the road could be the most cost effective option. At the same time, as the nature of the site became clearer, there were ongoing consultations with the road authority and the National Museum of Ireland on the optimum solution for this site.
In August 2004 the Minister directed that further investigations be carried out to assist assessment of the archaeological nature and potential of the site. Subsequent to the carrying out of these studies, the NRA indicated that it favoured an alternative route.
On 11 May 2005 I issued directions requiring the protection of the Viking site. I am currently setting up a working group to advise on the long-term strategy to deal with the site. The working group will include representatives of my Department, the National Museum of Ireland, Waterford City Council and the NRA.
76 Ms McManus asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his plan of action for the improvement in the quality of groundwater sources, in particular for drinking purposes, particularly with regard to the high instance of faecal coliforms and to the guide limit exceedence of nitrate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22210/05]
In general, where any person carries out an activity that involves a risk to groundwater, that person carries primary responsibility for protecting the groundwater against pollution. Among public authorities, responsibility for the protection of groundwater is assigned principally to local authorities under the Local Government (Water Pollution) Acts and related regulations. In addition, local authorities have statutory responsibilities for the provision of drinking water supplies, for upholding the quality standards prescribed by the European Communities drinking water regulations 2000 and for protection of drinking water sources, including groundwater drinking water sources.
The Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, exercises general supervision of the performance by local authorities of their environmental protection functions and has responsibility for groundwater protection in the context of its own licensing, monitoring and other functions. Guidelines on the preparation of groundwater protection schemes have been developed by the EPA, the Geological Survey of Ireland and my Department and issued to local authorities.
Monitoring of the overall quality of groundwaters is undertaken by both the local authorities and the EPA in the context of its national groundwater quality monitoring programme. Data generated by the programme are included in the EPA reports, Water Quality in Ireland, copies of which are in the Oireachtas Library. The report for the period 2001-03 indicates localised pollution of groundwater in certain areas but no widespread pollution of particular aquifers.
In addition, monitoring is carried out by both local authorities and the EPA in the context of monitoring the quality of drinking water supplies. The most recent EPA report on the quality of drinking water in Ireland, 2003, a copy of which is in the Oireachtas Library, confirms that the overall quality of drinking water in Ireland remains generally high. The overall compliance rate for all supplies in 2003 was 96.1%, an improvement of 0.2% on the 2002 compliance rate. The report also confirms continued improvement in the compliance rate for faecal coliforms in both public and group water supplies. The 2003 report confirmed over 99% compliance with the nitrate standard in drinking water schemes.
The majority of problems encountered with drinking water supplies in Ireland occur in private group water schemes. While breaches in water quality standards in these schemes are generally not extreme, my Department is giving high priority to the remediation of quality problems where they occur. Under my Department's rural water programme, a record €125 million is provided in 2005 for improving the quality of rural water supplies, particularly the privately sourced group water schemes.
In addition, a national nitrates action programme is being developed to give further effect to the nitrates directive, 91/676/EEC, which is designed to protect waters against pollution by nitrates from agricultural sources. I expect to be in a position to submit a final version of the programme to the European Commission shortly. The programme is due to come into effect on 1 January 2006.
The Water Services Bill 2003 which has been passed by Seanad Éireann and is awaiting scheduling for Committee Stage in Dáil Éireann contains a number of provisions to address or facilitate source protection of water supplies. The Bill provides that it will be an offence to cause water in a waterworks, including streams, wells and reservoirs, to become polluted. The Bill also places an obligation on occupiers of premises to ensure that drains and treatment systems, including septic tanks, are maintained in such condition as to ensure that they do not cause a risk to human health or the environment.
77 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the steps he proposes to take to ensure that Ireland can cut greenhouse gas emissions and reverse the trend whereby carbon emissions are almost twice the level allocated under the Kyoto Protocol; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22232/05]
118 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will make a statement on the fact that the latest annual report from the European Environmental Agency has found that total EU emissions rose by 1.5% in 2003. [22332/05]
128 Mr. McCormack asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will make a statement on the recent report which stated that Ireland was the sixth worst performer in the EU regarding its failure to achieve set targets under the Kyoto Protocol; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22315/05]
I propose to take Question Nos. 77, 118 and 128 together.
The European Environmental Agency, EEA, report, Annual European Community Greenhouse Gas Inventory 1990-2003 and Inventory Report 2005, published on 21 June 2005, collates latest available greenhouse gas emissions figures from all EU member states. Collectively, emissions of all greenhouse gases rose by 1.5% from 2002 to 2003 across the 25 member states and by 1.3% for the EU 15. Among the EU 15, Ireland is one of only two member states to have achieved reductions in its emissions over this period.
Greenhouse gas emissions figures for Ireland are compiled by the Environmental Protection Agency and published in an annual national inventory report. The latest available figures for Ireland are for 2003 and show overall emissions to be 66.57 million tonnes CO2 equivalent. This figure is equivalent to approximately 25% above 1990 levels. According to the EEA report, this is equivalent to a year on year reduction of 2.6%, showing that progress is being made towards the 13% target. The decline in Ireland has been due to a number of factors, including the closure of the IFI fertiliser plant, increased use of cleaner fuels in electricity production and continued decreases in emissions from the agriculture sector.
The national climate change strategy identifies a range of policies and measures to reduce the level of greenhouse gas emissions across various sectors in the most efficient and equitable manner. In addition to the policies and measures set out in the strategy, progress towards meeting Ireland's Kyoto target will also be achieved through emissions reductions by installations participating in the EU emissions trading scheme which was not yet in place during the period covered by the EEA report and through Government purchase of allowances.
Work is in progress in my Department on a review of the national climate change strategy, taking account of developments since its publication in 2000. A key purpose of this review will be to ensure the adequacy of existing measures and the development, where appropriate, of additional measures. While my Department has overall responsibility for the strategy, it is a matter for Departments with direct responsibility for each sector identified in the strategy to implement the optimum mix of policies and measures to control and reduce Ireland's overall level of greenhouse gas emissions.
78 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the reason the latest report from the Health Research Board on the health effects of living near incinerators or landfills relied on a review of literature and was not based on original research conducted here; his views on whether such research based on evidence here will be conducted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20938/05]
125 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the reason it took more than two years to publish his response to the Health Research Board study of the health effects of landfill and incineration, which was eventually published on 7 June 2005; if he will report on the Government’s proposals for incinerators and landfill sites, in view of the Health Research Board study; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22225/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 78 and 125 together.
The Health Research Board report was commissioned as a literature review which is a recognised research tool. This is particularly so where original research is precluded, as in this case by the absence in Ireland of facilities for the thermal treatment of municipal waste.
My response to the report was put on hold to allow regard to be had to other and more recent research findings in detailed consultation with the Department of Health and Children and the Environmental Protection Agency. Specifically, close regard was had to a UK Government report on a review of environmental and health effects of waste Management, 2004, which extended the analysis to the impact of facilities based on the latest thermal treatment and landfill technologies, and to a discussion paper prepared by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. Taken together, I am advised that the reports show that modern, properly regulated waste disposal facilities do not present a threat to human health or the environment.
79 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views on the introduction of a students summer jobs scheme for local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22314/05]
The employment of staff is a matter for each local authority. It is open to the authorities to provide short-term summer employment for students. Such employment could meet relevant requirements of the local government sector, as well as offering work experience of benefit to the students concerned. The cost of any such summer employment would be met from the authorities' own resources and from other income received, including general purpose grants from the local government fund.
80 Mr. Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of freedom of information requests his Department received in the first six months of 2005; the nature of these requests; and the comparable data for the first six months of 2002, 2003 and 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22370/05]
The table gives the information requested by the Deputy.
|
Category of Requestor |
2005 Jan-June |
2004 Jan-June |
2003 Jan-June |
2002 Jan-June |
|
Media |
26 |
11 |
48 |
22 |
|
Business/ Interest Groups |
12 |
16 |
35 |
31 |
|
Oireachtas/ Public Reps |
6 |
3 |
20 |
14 |
|
Staff |
1 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
|
General Public |
24 |
30 |
105 |
87 |
|
Totals |
69 |
63 |
209 |
155 |
81 Mr. Hayes asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress to date with regard to curbing recreational activities that may adversely affect sites protected under the habitats directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22279/05]
Draft amending regulations to the habitats regulations 1997 are being finalised in my Department to include greater powers to control activities that may adversely affect protected sites such as the use of quad bikes. I also understand that some local authorities have made or are in the process of making by-laws to regulate such activities in upland or other vulnerable habitats.
82 Ms C. Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the amount that has been awarded to persons in each local authority following the recent introduction of performance indicators; the areas of performance that have been rewarded and the reason therefor; the areas identified that have failed to meet the standard; the action envisaged in respect of these; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21992/05]
778 Ms C. Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the amount paid in bonus payments to staff in local authorities, on a county basis, following the introduction of performance indicators; if he will outline the indicators; the areas of performance that met the standards set and the areas that failed to meet pre-set standards; if reporting of performance by local authorities is audited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23150/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 82 and 778 together.
Following the recommendation of the review body on higher remuneration in the public sector, in its September 2000 report, a scheme of performance related awards was introduced in the local authority sector for managers, assistant managers and directors of services, commencing with the calendar year 2003. The operation of the scheme is monitored by a committee for performance awards, the specific functions of which are to: validate objectives established for managers, assistant managers and directors of services of local authorities; review self-assessments of performance by managers; decide on performance related payments for managers; approve recommendations made by managers for performance related payments to grades other than managers.
The committee's report on the operation of the scheme for 2003, including an outline of the requirements in regard to objectives and performance, is available on the website of my Department at www.environ.ie. A copy of the 2003 report has also been sent to the Oireachtas Library. The 2004 report will be available shortly.
Information naming officials and the individual amounts paid to them is deemed a personal record and, consequently, is not publicly available. However, the overall pool for performance awards is 10% of the pay bill for the grades concerned and, within the overall limit, individuals may receive payments of up to 20% of pay. In a separate initiative introduced in 2004, performance across local government against a series of 42 service indicators will be published annually and I expect to have the first report, for 2004, from the Local Government Management Services Board within the next month.
83 Mr. McEntee asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his plans to extend the city neighbourhood competition to other major population centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22272/05]
The city neighbourhoods competition was established in 2003 on a two year pilot basis. The aim was to replicate the success of the national Tidy Towns competition in the five cities, by encouraging city communities, in partnership with business interests and local authorities, to actively engage in maintaining and enhancing their local environment. On completion of the pilot phase this year, I will review the situation and consider the question of extending the competition.
84 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when he will publish his planning and development regulations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22308/05]
The Planning and Development Regulations (No. 2) 2005 are at an advanced stage of preparation and will be published as soon as possible.
86 Ms O’Sullivan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the exact transposition dates for the six directives in his Department’s area of responsibility which are outstanding for transposition; the progress made to date to transpose each one; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22214/05]
I am fully aware of the importance of timely transposition of EU environmental legislation, some 200 items of which, including more than 140 directives, have by now been transposed in this country. There are seven directives in my Department's area of responsibility which are outstanding for transposition. These are: 2000/53/EC — end-of-life vehicles: this directive was due for transposition by 21 April 2002 with obligations imposed under the directive effective in respect of new vehicles sold after 1 July 2002 from that date and from 1 January 2007 for all other vehicles — it is anticipated that this directive will be fully transposed in 2005; 2002/49/EC — assessment and management of environmental noise: drafting of regulations to transpose this directive which was due for transposition by 18 July 2004 is well advanced and transposition is intended during this summer; 2002/88/EC — measures against the emission of gaseous and particulate pollutants from internal combustion engines to be installed in non-road mobile machinery and 2004/26/EC — amending directive 97/68/EC on the approximation of the laws of member states relating to emissions from internal combustion engines in non-mobile road machinery: draft regulations transposing both directives are nearing completion with a view to transposition during this summer — the first directive was due for transposition by 11 August 2004 and the second by 20 May 2005; 2002/95/EC and 2002/96/EC, with its amending directive 2003/108/EC: these two related directives deal, respectively, with restrictions on the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment and arrangements for dealing with waste electrical and electronic equipment and were due for transposition by 13 August 2004 — they will be fully transposed before 13 August 2005 when the take-back of electrical and electronic waste will become operable; and 2003/4/EC — public access to environmental information, repealing directive 90/313/EEC: legislative proposals for the transposition of this directive are in drafting. The directive was due for transposition by 14 February 2005. It is intended that it will be transposed by the end of the year.
88 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, further to Parliamentary Question No. 106 of 18 May 2005, if his Department will collate and make available data regarding the number of child care places that have been delivered as a result of compliance with Childcare Facilities: Guidelines for Planning Authorities; his views on whether it is impossible to assess the effectiveness of the guidelines in the absence of such data; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22331/05]
As indicated in my previous reply, formal statistics on the number of child care places that have been delivered in accordance with the planning guidelines for child care facilities are not collated by my Department. However, a sample survey of a number of planning authorities was recently conducted by my Department to determine the number of child care facilities and child care places being applied for. The returns for 2003 and 2004 are shown in the table.
|
County/City Council |
Year |
No. of applications |
No. of Places |
|
Dublic City Council |
2003 |
37 |
N/A |
|
2004 |
36 |
N/A |
|
|
Limerick County Council |
2003 |
6 |
291 |
|
2004 |
6 |
340 |
|
|
Meath County Council |
2003 |
43 |
1,634 |
|
2004 |
26 |
858 |
|
|
Cork City Council |
2003 |
3 |
172 |
|
2004 |
2 |
20 |
|
|
Wicklow Town |
2003 |
0 |
0 |
|
2004 |
1 |
20 |
While this is a small survey, with estimated returns, it is indicative of the substantial numbers of child care facilities and places being provided through the planning process in accordance with the guidelines.
It is regarded as good practice for ministerial guidelines to be reviewed after they have been in operation for a number of years. When that review takes place, the views of planning authorities and other stakeholders on the effectiveness of the guidelines will be sought in a more structured way. In the meantime, the possibility of collecting more complete statistics on the number of child care facilities and places for which planning permission is being granted will be examined, in consultation with the Local Government Computer Services Board.
89 Mr. Ferris asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he has considered giving local authorities a specific role in the effort to reduce emissions output. [22336/05]
Local authorities have a role in controlling emissions to air and water. With regard to emissions to air, under the Air Pollution Act 1987, primary responsibility for monitoring air quality, as well as the nature, extent and effects of emissions, rests with local authorities. Statutory responsibility for the enforcement of the Act is vested in local authorities which are empowered to require measures to be taken to prevent or limit air pollution. They may direct a person on whom notice is served to take such measures as may be specified to prevent or limit air pollution.
With regard to emissions to water, local authorities, as statutory pollution control authorities, have a key role to play in protecting water resources. The necessary powers to fulfil these responsibilities are provided for in the Local Government (Water Pollution) Acts 1977 and 1990 — the principal legal framework for the prevention of water pollution. Local authorities which license point sources, other than those licensed by the Environmental Protection Agency, can attach specific pollution conditions in licensing effluent discharges to waters or sewers from industry.
All appropriate conditions for environmental protection, monitoring and so forth are attached to licences, including emission limit values, ELVs, and minimum standards. ELVs are set at a level which provides a high level of environmental protection and which complies with European Community legislation, where relevant.
The Water Quality (Dangerous Substances) Regulations 2001 provide that licences granted by the Environmental Protection Agency or local authorities under the Local Government (Water Pollution) Act 1977, the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992 or the Waste Management Act 1996 must reflect the prescribed standards. The standards had immediate effect, as and from 1 July 2001, for new licence applications. Existing licences had to be reviewed and, where necessary, revised to meet the prescribed standards within five years of that date. The regulations place an onus on the Environmental Protection Agency and on local authorities to ensure that the standards are complied with by 31 December 2010 and that, where the existing condition of waters does not meet a particular standard, there is no disimprovement in water quality in the meantime.
The role of local authorities on climate change is set out in chapter 10 of the national climate change strategy, a copy of which is available in the Oireachtas Library.
91 Ms Lynch asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that although farmers pay to have all of their waste silage plastic collected and recycled, only 42% of this material is collected; the reason for this shortfall; if the money gathered in respect of the remaining 58% of this plastic has been accounted for; the steps he intends to take to ensure that 100% of waste silage plastic is collected and recycled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22207/05]
111 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will identify all the local authorities which accept inorganic farming waste for recycling; the types and volumes of inorganic farming waste collected and recycled by local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22206/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 91 and 111 together.
Under the Waste Management (Farm Plastics) Regulations 2001, producers — that is, manufacturers and importers — of farm plastics, silage bale wrap and sheeting are required to take steps to recover farm plastics waste which they have placed on the market or alternatively to contribute to, and participate in, compliance schemes to recover the waste in question. The farm plastics recovery scheme operated by the Irish farm films producers group, IFFPG, is the sole "approved body" in Ireland at present for the purposes of implementing a compliance scheme for farm plastics waste and has operated successfully to date, funding the collection and recycling of 9,000 tonnes of farm plastics in 2004, representing in excess of 50% of farm plastics placed on the market during that year. An estimated 55,000 farmers availed of this collection service over the course of 2004.
Under the IFFPG scheme, producers apply an environmental protection contribution, EPC, levy on the sale of farm plastics which, in turn, is transferred to the IFFPG for use in funding the collection and recovery of farm plastics waste. The IFFPG is a not-for-profit organisation and the rate of EPC levy applied is set by the company to ensure that its operational costs are covered. Manufacturers and importers who do not participate in the approved scheme, that is, self-compliers, are required under the regulations to operate a deposit and refund scheme, equating to a deposit-refund of €254 per tonne of farm plastic purchased-returned, for the collection and recovery of waste plastics, as well as comply with other onerous reporting requirements to local authorities.
The acceptance of inorganic farm waste at civic amenity sites is a matter for the individual local authorities engaged in the operation and management of these sites and for private operators also directly involved in the provision of such services. In broad terms, civic amenity sites are provided by local authorities to enable householders to bring a wide range of recyclable waste arising in the domestic sector for reception, storage and onward transfer to appropriate processing facilities. These recycling centres are not intended for general use by the commercial, industrial, construction or agricultural sectors. Responsibility for waste management in these sectors rests with the individual firms concerned and must be carried out in accordance with their legal obligations under the Waste Management Acts 1996-2003 and regulations made thereunder.
Notwithstanding the above, in light of the consistent and steady progress achieved by IFFPG since its inception, I am anxious to build on the success of the farm plastics scheme. In this context, I recently announced, in conjunction with the IFFPG, the launch of a feasibility study and pilot scheme to extend the operation of the scheme to recover other waste materials arising on farms such as fertiliser bags and used chemical containers that require environmentally sound and cost effective recovery outlets.
92 Ms Burton asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will identify the local authorities in which progress has been made to date in preparing for the metering of non-domestic water supplies; the progress which has been made in each; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22199/05]
The Government's water services pricing policy framework requires the metering of all non-domestic customers by December 2006. The metering of the non-domestic sector is essential to ensure a transparent and equitable process for the full recovery of non-domestic water services costs.
All relevant local authorities have indicated that metering of non-domestic customers will be achieved within the 2006 deadline. In this regard, 13 authorities commenced their meter installation programmes in 2004 with the remaining authorities scheduled to commence installation work in 2005.
93 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when he will publish his draft development management guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22309/05]
I expect to issue the draft development management guidelines for public consultation shortly.
94 Ms C. Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the evaluation which is in place in his Department regarding the evaluation considerations contained on page 103 of the national spatial strategy; the additional resources available from his Department to ensure these considerations can be met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21993/05]
Under the provisions of Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000, planning authorities must prepare housing strategies which take account of existing and likely future needs for housing. Any development plan made by a planning authority must include a housing strategy for the area of the development plan.
In exercising these functions it is a matter for each planning authority to ensure that provision is made in its area for an adequate supply of land for residential development in line with the assessment of needs in the housing strategy. Ensuring such supply requires, inter alia, the strategic reservation of land by planning authorities through the development plan process, coupled with ensuring timely and sequential release of land.
The evaluation considerations set out on page 103 of the national spatial strategy which was prepared by my Department relate to housing location in urban areas. These considerations were incorporated in the national spatial strategy for the purposes of assisting planning authorities in exercising their function of identifying the most appropriate locations for land for residential development in and adjacent to urban areas. The identification of these locations is a matter for the relevant planning authority and my Department has no function in the matter.
When a development plan has been prepared, the relevant planning authority is required to send my Department notification of this and a copy of the draft development plan. On examining the draft plan my Department may furnish comments, as appropriate, for consideration by the planning authority. In my Department's consideration of any development plan the matters considered are necessarily of a broad strategic nature such as whether the plan is consistent with the national spatial strategy and relevant regional planning guidelines and whether the statutory requirements with regard to the preparation and making of such plans have been complied with.
95 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his plans to have discussions with local authorities with regard to the implementation of the rural planning guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22321/05]
I refer to the reply to Question No. 311 of 22 June 2005.
96 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the details of the progress to date of the rental accommodation scheme; if the first eligible recipients have been housed under this scheme; if not, the reason therefor; when they will be housed; if his Department will meet the target of 5,000 rent supplement recipients to be housed under this scheme by the end of 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22372/05]
I refer to the reply to Question No. 1078 of 12 April 2005 on general progress on the rental accommodation scheme.
To date no households have transferred to the scheme. The lead authorities, Dublin, Limerick and Galway City Councils, South Dublin, Offaly, Westmeath and Donegal County Councils and Drogheda Borough Council, are scheduled to commence the transfer of households from July. All other authorities are due to commence operation of the scheme before the end of the year. The transfer of 5,000 households remains the target for 2005 but the achievement of this target depends on the response from landlords and the voluntary-co-operative housing sector to the scheme. First indications are that the response is generally positive. My Department will closely monitor progress in the scheme in the coming months.
97 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views on allowing a golf course development at Inch, County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22374/05]
Outline proposals for the development of a links golf course at Inch, County Kerry, were presented to my Department in 2003. Having regard to the Department's responsibilities under the EU habitats directive, the implications for the conservation of the site were thoroughly assessed. After careful consideration of the matter, my Department's response was that the development of a golf course at this site would not be compatible with the conservation requirements of the site.
99 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his plans to introduce water charges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22303/05]
The Government's water services pricing policy framework provides for the full recovery of water services costs from all non-domestic customers on the basis of average operational and marginal capital costs and, to this end, the metering of the non-domestic sector by December 2006. The policy framework also reaffirms the prohibition on charging for domestic water services provided under the Local Government (Financial Provisions) Act 1997. In the absence of water charges for domestic consumers, the costs of domestic water services are met from public funds, with capital costs met through my Department's water services investment programme and operational costs funded through the local government fund.
100 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views on the significant variations between local authorities in their responses to waste management complaints during 2004, particularly the variations in legal and enforcement action in the form of prosecutions and legal orders taken under the Waste Management Acts 1996-2003; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22219/05]
It is a matter for the relevant individual local authorities and the Office of Environmental Enforcement to investigate any instances or reports of illegal disposal of waste and consider appropriate action in such cases. While I have no direct function in regard to these matters, I have recently issued a policy direction under section 60 of the Waste Management Act which inter alia seeks to bring a greater focus to local authority enforcement activity. I intend that the policy direction will facilitate a more uniform and consistent approach to waste enforcement and that this will be reflected in increased and more effective enforcement actions.
The Office of Environmental Enforcement supervises the environmental protection activities of the local authorities, through auditing their performance, providing advice and guidance and, in appropriate cases, giving binding directions. In this regard, the office is a resource for members of the public who have exhausted other avenues of complaint. The office has also commissioned a study which will benchmark enforcement activities and its results will be delivered in 2006.
101 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he intends to review and increase the powers and responsibilities of local government elected representatives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22313/05]
The local government modernisation programme provides an enhanced role for elected members in policy formulation and review, in partnership with representatives of the social partners and sectoral interests through the establishment of strategic policy committees. The role of the elected member is further strengthened through the operation of the corporate policy group which comprises the cathaoirleach and the chairs of the strategic policy committees acting as a mini-cabinet for the council. Additionally, local authorities have a lead role and wider sphere of influence in the county-city development board, CDB, system. The CDBs allow elected members a direct input into the services provided by other public bodies at local level.
The role of the locally elected representative has also been enhanced by the creation of the single mandate, the improved financial support framework for members and better training-information opportunities. I am determined to intensify and consolidate the gains being made through the modernisation programme and, in particular, to promote improvements in performance and in service delivery by local authorities to their communities. Elected members will continue to have a key role in ensuring that their local authorities deliver on this change agenda.
102 Mr. English asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will assess the success of the various public private partnerships undertaken by his Department in recent years, in areas in which he views a need for improvement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22275/05]
Public private partnerships, PPPs, represent an important additional procurement option for local authorities in providing important infrastructure in areas such as water, wastewater, waste and housing. To date, more than 100 PPP projects, with an estimated capital cost of €2.1 billion, have been completed or are at various stages of progress in the local government sector. Most of these projects are in the water and wastewater sector and are being provided with funding from my Department on the basis of design, build and operate contracts.
This type of PPP has made a significant contribution to meeting the requirements of the urban wastewater and drinking water directives as well as meeting the needs of an expanding population and economy. Dublin Bay wastewater and Cork, Limerick and Wexford main drainage projects are among the major projects which have been completed. Other significant PPP projects which are at various stages of the process include major housing regeneration projects at Fatima Mansions and O'Devaney Gardens in Dublin city, affordable housing initiative projects at Infirmary Road and Jamestown Road in Dublin city and the Dublin thermal treatment-waste to energy project. More than 70 further potential PPP projects are being investigated.
A second measure of success for my Department's PPP programme is the amount of private finance which is coming forward which, depending on the results of tendering processes still under way, is estimated to fall within a range of €550 million to €700 million. Both the progress illustrated above across a diverse range of projects, together with the significant level of private financing being harnessed, indicate that my Department's PPP programme is performing effectively.
My Department which is represented on the interdepartmental and informal advisory PPP groups chaired by the Department of Finance is working in these fora to improve the PPP process. In particular, it is hoped to reduce the complexity and costs of the process, with a view to increasing the number of projects and enhancing the speed and efficiency with which they can be delivered.
104 Mr. Boyle asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his Department has researched the possibility of improving financing for local government by replacing commercial rates with site value taxation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22344/05]
While the concept of site value taxation has been raised in other contexts, it has not previously been considered as a viable alternative to commercial rates. Independent consultants were engaged by my Department last year to carry out a wide ranging review of local government financing. The consultants are assessing, inter alia, the totality of local authorities’ current funding requirements to 2010, the extent to which improved or alternative funding options may be required and, if so, they are to carry out an in depth examination of these options. I will consider the consultancy recommendations when the report is submitted to me shortly.
105 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views on whether the housing needs assessment should be conducted annually; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22284/05]
779 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress on the report, Housing Need Assessment 2005; the local authorities which have submitted their returns for the report; the local authorities which still have returns outstanding; when the completion of the report is expected; and when the report will be published. [23368/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 105 and 779 together.
The most recent triennial statutory assessment of need took place in March 2005. This assessment is intended to be the most rigorous to date as it requires local authorities to collect detailed data on all households on the waiting lists. For the first time, an IT framework has been developed which will enable my Department to analyse data in respect of all households in much greater depth. The procedure involves each local authority transmitting its assessment results in an IT format to the Local Government Computer Services Board. Following a detailed validation process, the results are then collated centrally in a database.
The Department is maintaining continuous contact with local authorities to ensure that their returns are submitted as soon as possible. To date, approximately 20% of local authorities have already submitted their returns and the remainder are currently in the process of finalising them. It is anticipated that the results will be published in September this year.
The frequency with which needs assessments are conducted will be kept under review following the outcome of the current assessment.
107 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the timeframe envisaged for the completion of the new round of tests planned for the electronic voting machines; the intended date for the publication of the resulting report; the estimated cost of this round of tests; the tests which will be used; the nature of the tests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22205/05]
As part of a programme of further assessment, testing and validation of the electronic voting and counting system, tenders have been sought from suitably qualified consultants to undertake a security and risk assessment of all aspects of the system and to devise a programme of additional testing. This work is intended to address issues raised by the commission on electronic voting and demonstrate that the system operates reliably, securely and accurately. The test programme will include both functional testing and technical analysis of the system components.
The closing date for receipt of tenders was 21 June 2005. The tenders received are being assessed and a decision in this regard will be made as soon as possible. In these circumstances, it is not yet possible to specify the cost involved. While it is my intention that the overall work programme on the electronic voting system will be advanced as rapidly as possible, I am not in a position to specify the precise duration of the planned consultancy work at this stage.
109 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the position regarding his Department’s statement of strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22281/05]
The Department's Statement of Strategy 2005-2007 was presented to the Government on 24 May 2005. The printed bilingual version of the strategy statement will be available within days and will be laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas.
113 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the amount spent on the local authority house building programme, excluding the voluntary sector, in the past five years; the steps he intends to take to address the increasingly serious issue of the housing crisis; if he has sought information from or given instructions to the various local authorities with a view to making an early and positive impact on the scale of the problem; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22323/05]
Details of expenditure incurred on the main local authority housing construction-acquisition programme in the years 2000 to 2004, which is funded by a combination of Exchequer capital grants and local authority internal capital receipts, are set out in the following table.
|
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
|
€,000 |
€,000 |
€,000 |
€,000 |
€,000 |
|
419,895 |
670,958 |
789,719 |
695,476 |
703,566 |
The Government has responded actively to increased levels of social housing need by expanding social and affordable housing output. In the current year, the Government is allocating record levels of funding to local authorities for their social and affordable housing programmes. The total Exchequer capital and current funding available for social and affordable housing in 2005 will amount to €1.3 billion, which represents an increase of 20% on 2004. Total capital spending on social and affordable housing output in 2005, inclusive of non-Exchequer financing, will amount to almost €2 billion.
To ensure a systematic and integrated approach to the use of these resources, local authorities have, at my Department's request, developed new five-year action plans for social and affordable housing. The preparation of these plans will sharpen the identification of priority needs, and help to ensure a more coherent and co-ordinated response across all housing services, including those to be provided by the voluntary and co-operative housing sector. My Department is giving strong encouragement to local authorities to press ahead with the implementation of these action plans which are being underpinned by very substantial levels of Government funding. To underpin the multi-annual approach in the action plans, I have secured financial envelopes for the next five years.
The capital allocation of €841 million, which has been provided for the construction of local authority housing in 2005, an increase of €100 million on last year's allocation, will support the commencement of the construction of 6,000 new units by local authorities and the achievement of some 5,500 completions. In addition, house completions by the voluntary and co-operative sector is expected to be some 1,800 units this year.
Since 2000, the needs of almost 59,000 households have been met, taking account of local authority housing, vacancies arising in existing houses and output under both social and affordable housing measures. Overall, in 2005 it is anticipated that the needs of in excess of 13,000 households will be met through the same measures. In addition, it is anticipated that a number of households currently in private rented accommodation will transfer to the new rental accommodation scheme now being introduced. These households will continue to be mainly accommodated within the private rented sector.
117 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the possibility that Ireland may be in breach of the habitats directive unless a comprehensive national hare survey is undertaken; and if, in the meantime, he will cease licensing the capture of wild hares for any purpose, including coursing. [17399/05]
The Irish hare (Lepus timidus hibernicus) is listed on Annex V of the EU habitats directive in addition to being protected under the Wildlife Acts 1976 and 2000. The directive provides that if member states deem it necessary, in the light of surveillance of Annex V species, they shall take measures to ensure the taking in the wild of specimens of such species as well as their exploitation is compatible with their being maintained at a favourable conservation status.
A steering group drawn from my Department and from the Environment and Heritage Service of the Department of the Environment in Northern Ireland has drafted an all-Ireland species action plan for the Irish hare. The draft plan was made available in March 2005 for public consultation, which has now been completed. The plan is expected to be finalised by autumn 2005. A scientific survey to estimate hare populations in Ireland is one of the strategies proposed in the draft action plan and a tendering process for the carrying out of a national survey for this purpose is already in progress. The licensing provisions of the Wildlife Acts 1976 and 2000 are designed to regulate the taking of wildlife at sustainable levels. In the case of hares, the principal factor determining population levels in the Republic of Ireland, is believed by ecologists to be land management practice, weather conditions and the availability of suitable habitat. The annual capture under licence of some 5,000-6,000 hares for coursing, the great majority of which are subsequently released, is not considered to be a significant factor in the overall conservation status of the Irish hare.
If it is concluded, in the light of results of the planned national survey of hares, that further measures are necessary for the protection of the species, they will be taken, in accordance with regulation 24 of the European Communities (Natural Habitats) Regulations 1997, which transposes the relevant provision of the habitats directive. My Department is at present carrying out its yearly review of the conditions applying to the licence under section 34(3) (b) of the Wildlife Act 1976, as amended, for the netting of hares for coursing.
119 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he is satisfied that the EU directive on environmental impact assessment is being applied properly in the case of road plans, particularly the requirement to consider alternatives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22202/05]
The improvement and maintenance of non-national roads in its area is a statutory function of each road authority in accordance with the provisions of section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Under section 50 of the Roads Act 1993, as amended, road authorities are responsible for the preparation of environmental impact statements in respect of any relevant road development. Section 51 of the Act, as amended, sets out the position with regard to environmental impact assessments. Section 215 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 transferred responsibility for environmental impact assessments to an Bord Pleanála.
I have no function in the matter.
120 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views on whether there is an urgent need to undertake a national feral cat neutering programme. [17400/05]
My Department is not aware of any reliable data on the number of domesticated or wild cats.
Funds are not available to my Department to resource a national feral cat neutering programme. However, where a local authority considers it appropriate, it may assist a body which is endeavouring to reduce, in a humane manner, the problems caused by feral cats. A number of local authorities have provided assistance to such bodies in recent years.
121 Mr. S. Ryan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress made to date on the report on rural housing commissioned by his Department from the National Spatial Research Institute at NUI Maynooth; when he expects to receive the report; when it will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22220/05]
The National Institute for Regional and Spatial Analysis, NIRSA, at NUI Maynooth was commissioned by my Department in late 2004 to prepare a study on spatial trends and related issues in rural areas. NIRSA has an extensive database which, inter alia, contains data on house numbers and their locations, farm numbers and their locations and construction statistics. The data will allow for comparisons between different time periods. NIRSA is now preparing a series of maps with supporting text and tables. They will produce electoral district level maps showing the density of one-off houses, the numbers constructed during different periods, the ratio of farm to non-farm one-offs, and some supporting explanatory maps on population density, population change, etc.
The study is expected to be complete by the autumn. The outcomes of this project and the various other research projects currently under way will constitute a significant advance in the knowledge base available in support of the ongoing implementation of the national spatial strategy, and regional local planning.
122 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will make a statement on the EU Council of Environment Ministers meeting held in Brussels. [22296/05]
126 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will report on the Environment Council of 24 June 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22369/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 122 and 126 together.
A full report of the Environment Council meeting of 24 June 2005, held in Luxembourg, is available on the Council website http://europa.eu.int/pol/env/index_en.htm. The most significant outcomes of the meeting were: agreement on a draft directive on the protection of groundwater against pollution; agreement on a draft directive establishing an infrastructure for spatial information in the Community; the adoption of Council conclusions on a Community strategy concerning mercury; the adoption of Council conclusions concerning the dismantling of ships, underlining the need to ensure the safe and environmentally sound management of ships dismantling to protect human health and the environment and a qualified majority vote of Council against Commission proposals to repeal national measures in relation to certain genetically modified organisms.
129 Ms B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when he expects the fire services change programme, as announced on 17 February 2005, to be complete; if the strategy will include establishing a national fire safety authority which was recommended as a key recommendation in the 2002 Government commissioned report on the fire service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22211/05]
I refer to the reply to Question No. 127 of 18 May 2005.
The fire services change programme involves a series of measures designed to bring about direct improvements in key areas of the fire services. I expect to see significant progress in community fire safety in particular in a relatively short time but other measures are likely to be developed on a phased basis over a longer period.
130 Mr. Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the cost to his Department and agencies under the aegis of his Department of implementing the Official Languages Act 2003; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22371/05]
My Department has been included in the first tranche of public bodies required to produce an Irish language scheme under the Official Languages Act 2003. Our scheme, which has been recently approved by the Minister for Community, Rural andGaeltacht Affairs, will take effect from August 2005.
Specific costs incurred by my Department in the implementation of the Act to date amount to €11,277 in respect of the publication of notices under section 13 of the Act. My Department's Estimates for 2005 do not separately identify a cost for implementing the provisions of the Act. Any additional costs arising with translation of material, publication of documents, or advertising, etc. as set out in the Department's scheme will be met from within the overall administrative budget of the Department or the budget for individual projects and programmes.
Prior to the enactment of the legislation, my Department was already making available Irish versions of publications such as the Department's statement of strategy and annual report, and providing replies to correspondence in the language in which it was received. Accordingly, the Act in these areas involves no extra costs for my Department. Any costs incurred by agencies under the aegis of my Department is a matter for those agencies and accordingly details of such costs are not available in my Department.
131 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress made to date on housing management initiatives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22280/05]
The housing management initiatives grant scheme was established in 1995 to fund innovative and practical pilot projects designed to improve the performance by local authorities — and latterly, other bodies with housing functions — of their housing management functions. The grants cover 90% of staff costs and 50% of administrative costs, with the balance being met by the recipient. Some 323 projects were approved under the scheme, and grants of some €4.9 million paid, over the period 1995-2004. I recently approved further grants totalling €1.96 million in respect of 78 projects throughout the country. Details of these approvals are set out in the following table.
|
Local authorities |
Projects approved for grants |
|
Carlow County Council |
Follow on to findings of research development officer for accommodation of elderly or disabled tenants |
|
Carlow Town Council |
Estate shared management scheme and appointment of a HMI development officer |
|
Clare County Council |
Awareness campaign to facilitate the development of improved housing management policies |
|
Clare County Council |
Developing strategic approaches to estate management |
|
Kilrush Town Council |
Resident training in estate management |
|
Cork City Council |
Appointment of tenant liaison officer — northwest area |
|
Cork North County Council |
Re-appointment of tenant liaison officer |
|
Cork South County Council |
Establishment of anti-social behaviour policy unit |
|
Cork South County Council |
Publication of a tenant handbook and subsequent provision of tenant seminars for same |
|
Mallow Town Council |
Appointment of tenant liaison officer — Mallow |
|
Youghal Town Council |
Appointment of tenant liaison officer — Youghal |
|
Donegal County Council |
Employment of tenant liaison officers |
|
Dublin City Council |
North inner city training — community leadership programme |
|
Dublin City Council |
Prevention programme — anti-social behaviour i.e. bullying, harassment and joyriding |
|
Dublin City Council |
Neighbour mediation service |
|
Dublin City Council |
Welcome pack and video — Dublin City Council welcomes you to your new home |
|
Fingal County Council |
Publication of tenant handbooks in four languages |
|
South Dublin County Council |
PAKT (parents and kids together) working in partnership with estate management |
|
South Dublin County Council |
Translation of housing application and rent assessment forms |
|
South Dublin County Council |
Appointment of estate management officer |
|
Galway City Council |
Appointment of a sports development officer |
|
Galway County Council |
Appointment of tenant liaison officer — cullairbaun estate based management system |
|
Kerry County Council |
Preparation of tenant handbook |
|
Tralee Town Council |
Appointment of tenant liaison officer |
|
Tralee Town Council |
Capacity building training on estate management for tenants and staff |
|
Naas Town Council |
Appointment of tenant liaison officer |
|
Kilkenny County Council |
Appointment of estate management liaison officer for Kilkenny County Council and Kilkenny Borough Council |
|
Kilkenny Borough Council |
Appointment of housing liaison officer |
|
Laois County Council |
Extension of appointment of mobile caretaker for aged and disabled |
|
Leitrim County Council |
Estate management training and awards scheme |
|
Limerick City Council |
Combating anti-social behaviour project |
|
Limerick County Council |
Estate management and maintenance initiative |
|
Limerick County Council |
Development of an anti-social behaviour policy |
|
Longford County Council |
Appointment of estate manager |
|
Louth County Council |
Appointment of tenant liaison officer |
|
Louth County Council |
Provision of anti-social database |
|
Louth County Council |
Appointment of housing liaison officer |
|
Drogheda Borough Council |
Community safety audit |
|
Drogheda Borough Council |
Disability survey and assessment of accommodation needs of households that have person(s) with disability |
|
Dundalk Town Council |
Toberona area joint estates initiative |
|
Meath County Council |
Appointment of tenant liaison officer |
|
Meath County Council |
Appointment of community worker |
|
Meath County Council |
Publication of anti-social behaviour policy and distribution |
|
Monaghan County Council |
Extension of housing estate liaison officer post |
|
Monaghan County Council |
Publication of tenant handbook and tenant training |
|
Monaghan Town Council |
Extension of appointment of tenant liaison officer |
|
Roscommon County Council |
Estate management training and development scheme |
|
Sligo County Council/ Sligo Borough Council |
Co-ordinated approach to sustaining tenant participation, tenant handbook and guidelines to setting up residents associations |
|
Sligo County Council/ Sligo Borough Council |
Estate management integrated strategy |
|
North Tipperary County Council |
Tenant-resident training at Pairc an Chlochair estate, Borrisokane |
|
North Tipperary County Council |
Tenant-resident training at Old Road estate, Silvermines |
|
North Tipperary County Council |
Tenant/resident training at Cluain na Seimre-Fanning Park estates, Two-Mile-Borris |
|
Nenagh Town Council |
Tyone tenant liaison project |
|
Thurles Town Council |
Extend the appointment of the tenant liaison officer for a further year |
|
Thurles Town Council |
Establish residents association for new estate at Gortattagart, Thurles |
|
South Tipperary County Council |
Appointment of tenant liaison officer for the council’s area |
|
Clonmel Borough Council |
Appointment of tenant liaison officer for the borough council’s estates — overall goal to empower the residents to engage in the development of their communities. |
|
Carrick-on-Suir Town Council |
Appointment of tenant liaison officer for the town councils area |
|
Tipperary Town Council |
Appointment of tenant liaison officer for the town council’s area |
|
Waterford City Council |
Creation of a dedicated anti-social behaviour Unit |
|
Wexford Borough Council |
Extend the appointment of tenant liaison officer for a further year. |
|
Wexford County Council |
Creation of a estate management and anti-social behaviour unit |
|
New Ross Town Council |
Appointment of tenant participation officer |
|
Wicklow County Council |
Appointment of tenant liaison officer |
|
Wicklow County Council |
Provision of pre-tenancy courses for new tenants |
|
Wicklow County Council |
Community and estates development project scheme for tenants associations in local authority estates |
|
Wicklow County Council |
Publication of tenant handbook — updated version |
|
Wicklow County Council |
Residents summer programme |
|
Arklow Town Council |
Appointment of tenant liaison officer for the town council’s area |
|
Wicklow Town Council |
Appointment of estate liaison officer |
|
Other bodies |
Projects approved for grants |
|
Brothers of Charity, Clare Housing Association Ltd. |
Appointment of development officer |
|
Catholic Housing Aid Society |
Appointment of management officer |
|
Clar I.C.H. |
Development of South Mayo voluntary housing associations network |
|
Clúid Housing Association |
Best practice procedural manual for management of apartment blocks |
|
I.C.S.H. |
Study on establishing a housing assoc. Performance Management Framework (HAPM) |
|
Irish Traveller Movement |
Training for travellers and travellers representatives |
|
North and East Housing Association |
Estate management development in association housing estates in County Meath |
|
Slí Eile Housing Association Limited |
Appointment of strategic development co-ordinator to oversee staff training and implementation of innovative social housing initiative. |
132 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when he expects to receive a report from the interdepartmental high level group established to study the judgment of 26 April 2005 by the European Court of Justice in relation to waste disposal here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22218/05]
I expect that the high-level group will complete its work within the timeframe designated for response to the European Commission, which is 1 September 2005, or within any further period which may be agreed with the Commission.
133 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will make a statement on the proposed World Health Organisation international radon project; and if Ireland will participate in this project. [22277/05]
The World Health Organisation, WHO, has recently announced the launch of an international radon project which it will coordinate and which is aimed at helping countries reduce the health risks associated with radon gas.
The project, which is initially expected to run for three years, 2005-07, will seek to identify effective strategies for reducing the health impact of radon, promote sound policy options for radon prevention and radon mitigation programmes for national authorities, and increase public and political awareness about the consequences of exposure to radon. Under the project, a global network of radon scientists, regulators and policy makers will be established to collaborate in the project. The first meeting of the project was held in Geneva in January 2005 to develop the strategy for the project.
Ireland, through the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland, will actively participate in this project. The institute, which participated in the January 2005 meeting, has been highlighting public awareness of radon in Ireland for many years and has been actively encouraging householders, particularly those in high radon areas, to have their homes measured for radon and to carry out radon remediation works where concentrations above the national reference level are found.
I regard this project as a very welcome and positive initiative and look forward to the recommendations arising from it in due course.
134 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the amount spent by his Department on employing the services of modelling agencies which provide models for press launches; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22271/05]
789 Ms Enright asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the amount spent by his Department or agencies under the authority of his Department, on the services of models for use in departmental promotional activities, during policy launches or other departmental events since 1997; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21983/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 134 and 789 together.
My Department does not employ the services of modelling agencies. A number of consultancy firms are utilised from time to time to promote awareness of issues relating to my Department's functions. Invitations to tender would require the successful firms to implement high-impact awareness campaigns, including a national campaign launch, information leaflets, design, printing and dissemination of posters, instructional videos, local and national advertising or general media briefing. Subject only to general guidance from my Department, the format of public information campaigns and the manner in which they are conducted are matters for the selected firms. Any costs incurred by agencies under the aegis of my Department is a matter for those agencies and accordingly details of such costs are not available in my Department.
137 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the measures he intends to take in relation to littering in urban areas following the classification of almost half the towns in the Irish business against litter survey as either having a serious litter problem or as being a litter black spot; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22204/05]
Primary responsibility for developing and implementing responses to the litter problem lies with local authorities. My Department provides financial support for a programme of anti-litter initiatives to support action against litter including the national spring clean campaign, the Irish business against litter, IBAL, national litter league and the development of the national litter pollution monitoring system.
Identification of areas with litter difficulties is an important first step in addressing the problem. The IBAL league is a valuable initiative in this context. In addition, under the national litter pollution monitoring system local authorities carry out surveys to determine the extent and composition of litter pollution in their functional areas. The data provided from the surveys enable each local authority to assess the effectiveness of its litter management strategies on an ongoing basis and ensure the optimum allocation of its resources to tackle litter.
Existing anti-litter actions by local authorities, together with my Department's support for the above initiatives, provide an effective and appropriate basis for tackling litter pollution generally, including problems associated with litter blackspots.
140 Ms Enright asked the Taoiseach the amount spent by his Department or agencies under the authority of his Department, on the services of models for use in Departmental promotional activities, during policy launches or other Departmental events since 1997; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21969/05]
No funds have been spent by my Department or agencies under the authority of this Department on the services of models for any Departmental event.
141 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Taoiseach the cost to his Department related to the two Nice Treaty referenda. [22024/05]
My Department did not incur any expenditure in relation the two Nice Treaty referenda.
142 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Taoiseach the number, title and purpose of the EU directives not yet incorporated into law relating to his Department’s work; and when it is envisaged that these outstanding directives will be incorporated into Irish law in each case. [22025/05]
There are no EU directives that come within my Department's area of responsibility which are not incorporated into law.
143 Ms Burton asked the Taoiseach the number of children under five years of age in the State; the number of such children in families with two parents both working; the number of children in lone parent families in which the parent is working; the number of children in families in which one parent is working and the other parent does not work; and the number of children in lone parent families in which the parent is not working. [22026/05]
144 Ms Burton asked the Taoiseach the number of children aged five to 12 years in the State; the number of such children in families with two parents both working; the number of children in lone parent families in which the parent is working; the number of children in families in which one parent is working and the other parent does not work; and the number of children in lone parent families in which the parent is not working. [22027/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 143 and 144 together.
The information requested by the Deputy is contained in the following table.
|
Number of children aged |
|||
|
Family type |
Less than 5 years |
5 to 12 years |
Total aged less than 12 |
|
Two parent family |
|||
|
Both working |
131,537 |
187,083 |
318,620 |
|
One working |
95,638 |
156,231 |
251,869 |
|
None working |
17,904 |
22,138 |
40,042 |
|
One parent family |
|||
|
Working |
18,663 |
34,596 |
53,259 |
|
Not Working |
32,506 |
36,924 |
69,430 |
|
Total families |
296,248 |
436,972 |
733,220 |
Source: Quarterly National Household Survey, Q1 2005.
145 Mr. Connolly asked the Taoiseach if it is proposed to refer the British Government to the European Court of Human Rights for its lack of co-operation with the inquiry into the Dublin and Monaghan bombings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22057/05]
The report of the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights on the Dublin and Monaghan bombings recommended that, in the first instance, the British Government should be pursued bilaterally on issues that are still outstanding. As Deputies know, I have been pressing the British Government for a response. As recently as yesterday, it was raised at the British Irish Intergovernmental Conference, BIIGC, where I met Prime Minister Blair. I reiterated the call by the Oireachtas Committee for a "Cory" type inquiry and I indicated that, in the absence of progress, the Irish Government would examine the possibility of pursuing a case before the European Court of Human Rights, as recommended by the Oireachtas committee. The British side contend that they can find no evidence on collusion in the bombings but undertook to take another look at any information available. I indicated that, in the meantime, I would be raising the matter on a preliminary basis with the Attorney General.
146 Mr. Quinn asked the Taoiseach if he will identify the first five persons granted patents of precedence at the Irish Bar by the Government and give the date of each grant. [22194/05]
The 26th Government granted its first patents of precedence on 26 July 2002 in alphabetical order to:
(1) Mr. Paul Coffey
(2) Mr. Mark Connaughton
(3) Mr. Niall Durnin
(4) Mr. Gerard Kelly
(5) Mr. David Kennedy
(6) Mr. Éanna Mulloy
(7) Mr. Brian Murray
(8) Mr. John McDonagh
(9) Mr. Lewis O'Brien
(10) Mr. Cormac Ó Dúlacháin
(11) Mr. Roderick O'Hanlon
(12) Mr. Terence O'Sullivan
(13) Ms. Mary Ellen Ring
(14) Mr. Roger Sweetman
entitling them to admission to the Inner Bar.
147 Mr. Bruton asked the Taoiseach the total cost, number and nature of legal services sought by his Department from 1998 to 2004 and to date in 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22428/05]
In the main, my Department seeks legal services directly through the Attorney General's office. However, the following costs were incurred for legal services sought outside of the Attorney General's office:
|
Nature of Service |
Cost € |
Year |
|
Legal Advice — re Irish Airlines (General Employees) Superannuation Scheme |
5,397 |
2002 |
|
Legal Advice — re Legal developments in the European Union |
32,885 |
2003 |
148 Mr. Bruton asked the Taoiseach the total cost, number and nature of reports, consultancies or other advisory or public relations commissions awarded by his Department from 1998 to 2004 and to date in 2005 to persons other than established civil servants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22469/05]
The information sought by the Deputy is outlined in the following schedule:
|
Name of Consultancy |
Description |
Overall Cost |
Year |
|
Carr Communications |
Public relations consultancy relating to the publication of National Disability Strategy |
€12,100 |
2004 |
|
Price Waterhouse Cooper |
*eCabinet Feasibility Study: The contract was awarded to PwC in 2001 following a public tender competition. The assignment entailed international research, business process analysis of the cabinet process, formulation of a proposed model, engagement with key stakeholders to modify the proposed model and culminated in the production of a 2 volume report, which, following its presentation to Government, resulted in the approval for the development of the eCabinet initiative which is now operational. |
€152,094 (including VAT) |
January 2002 |
|
Hosca Management Consultants |
Employee Opinion Survey, 2001 |
€12,076.80 (inclusive of VAT) |
2002 |
|
Watson Wyatt |
Employee Opinion Survey, 2003 |
€46,040.50 (inclusive of VAT) |
2003-2004 |
|
Bearing Point Consultants |
Implementation of the Human Resource Management System |
€97,315.76 (inclusive of VAT) |
2002-2003 |
|
Mr. Des Geraghty |
Advise Contact Group on Affordable Housing Initiative, work with the Dept of EHLG to promote the initiative, assist with communication; Mr. Geraghty has produced 3 progress reports |
€3,395 to date for services, based on €350 per diem; €445 to date for travel and subsistence |
2004-Present |
|
Lloyds of Dublin |
Designing / Printing of Reducing Red Tape: An Action Programme on Regulatory Reform |
€3,369.88 |
1999 |
|
Dr. Tom McCarthy, NUI Maynooth |
Research for Consultation Document: Towards Better Regulation |
€6,692 |
2001 |
|
E.G.M. Design Ltd. |
Designing / Printing of Consultation Document: Towards Better Regulation |
€18,081.46 |
2002 |
|
David Linehan |
Translation into Irish of Consultation Document: Towards Better Regulation |
€735 |
2002 |
|
Prof. Philip Lane, Trinity College Dublin |
Analysis of submissions re Towards Better Regulation |
€4,000 |
2002 |
|
E.G.M. Design Ltd. |
Designing / Printing of reports on submissions received arising from public consultation on Towards Better Regulation |
€7,790 |
2002 |
|
Jacobs and Associates |
Consultancy for White Paper on Better Regulation Regulating Better |
€12,479 |
2003 |
|
Professor Martin Cave Warwick Business School |
Consultancy for White Paper on Better Regulation Regulating Better |
€575 |
2003 |
|
Red Dog Design Consultants |
Designing of Regulating Better: A Government White Paper setting out six principles of Better Regulation |
€6,192.78 |
2004 |
|
Hudson Killeen Printers |
Printing of Regulating Better: A Government White Paper setting out six principles of Better Regulation |
€11,225 |
2004 |
|
DCU Language Services |
Translation into Irish of Executive Summary of White Paper on Better Regulation Regulating Better |
€1,213.01 |
2004 |
|
Grayling Ltd. |
Editing of White Paper on Better Regulation Regulating Better |
€4,840 |
2004 |
|
Name of Consultancy |
Description |
Overall Cost |
Year |
|
Jacobs and Associates |
Preparation of report for EU Conference on Better Regulation |
€18,876 |
2004 |
|
Dr. Patrick Paul Walsh, Trinity College Dublin |
Preparation of report for EU Conference on Better Regulation |
€5,250 |
2004 |
|
Goodbody Economic Consultants |
Economic assistance to Departments / Offices piloting Regulatory Impact Analysis |
€21,054 |
2004-2005 |
|
Grayling Ltd. |
Editing of Reaching Out: Guidelines on Consultation for Public Sector Bodies |
€3,630 |
2005 |
|
Institute of Public Administration |
Research in relation to mapping of regulatory framework |
€21,780 (Estimated cost) |
2005 |
|
First Impression |
Designing of Reaching Out: Guidelines on Consultation for Public Sector Bodies |
€10,200 (Estimated cost) |
2005 |
|
Ebrook |
Printing of Reaching Out: Guidelines on Consultation for Public Sector Bodies |
€8,000 (Estimated cost) |
2005 |
|
DCU Language Services |
Translation into Irish of Reaching Out: Guidelines on Consultation for Public Sector Bodies |
€1,584 (Estimated cost) |
2005 |
|
First Impression |
Designing of Report on the Introduction of Regulatory Impact Analysis |
€8,200 (Estimated cost) |
2005 |
|
Ebrook |
Printing of Report on the Introduction of Regulatory Impact Analysis |
€7,694 (Estimated cost) |
2005 |
|
Cumarsaid Creative |
Translation into Irish of Report on the Introduction of Regulatory Impact Analysis |
€4,000 (Estimated cost) |
2005 |
|
William M. Mercer |
Consultancy service on Performance Management |
€26,621 |
1998-1999 |
|
Farrell Grant Sparks |
Business Planning Templates |
€4,897 |
1999 |
|
Professors Rory O’ Donnell and Paul Teague |
To evaluate partnership at work in Ireland |
€50,789 |
1999-2000 |
|
Hay Management Consultants |
Effective systems of feedback on the Performance Management and Development System (PMDS) |
€45,774 |
2001 |
|
PA Consulting Group |
Evaluation of the Strategic Management Initiative (SMI) |
€491,992 |
2001-2002 |
|
Mr. Alex Matheson, OECD |
Participation on Steering Group for the Evaluation of the Strategic Management Initiative (SMI) |
€14,014 |
2001-2002 |
|
Institute of Public Administration |
Preparation of HR Strategy Guidelines Document |
€18,284 |
2001 |
|
HCM International |
Research on the integration of the Performance Management and Development System (PMDS) with HR policies and processes |
€33,525 |
2004 |
|
Mercer Human Resource Consulting |
Review of the Performance Management and Development System (PMDS) Evaluation results for Technical and Professional staff |
€15,125 |
2004-2005 |
|
Drury Communications |
Consultancy/PR services in respect of the development of the Performance Management and Development System (PMDS) pack and supply of promotional material for launch |
€37,745 |
2000 |
|
Name of Consultancy |
Description |
Overall Cost |
Year |
|
BFK Design |
Development and design of elements of the Performance Management and Development System (PMDS) packs |
€16,912 |
2000 |
|
Burex Manufacturing Ltd. |
Supply of promotional material for the Performance Management and Development System (PMDS) launch event |
€16,190 |
2000 |
|
McDonald & Glennon |
Printing of promotional material for the Performance Management and Development System (PMDS) launch |
€55,830 |
2000 |
|
National Council for the Blind |
Supply of Braille material for the Performance Management and Development System (PMDS) launch |
€996 |
2000 |
|
Dr. Jane Pillinger Independent Researcher and Policy Advisor |
Rersearch report on Equality/Diversity and Quality Customer Service |
€38,700 |
2001 |
|
Dr. Patrick Butler School of Business Studies — Trinity College Dublin |
Evaluation of Customer Action Plans |
€32,000 |
2002 |
|
Corporate Graphics |
Production of Customer Action Plans Evaluation report |
€3,055 |
2002 |
|
Language Communications |
Design and layout of Equality/Diversity report |
€870 |
2002 |
|
Colorprint |
Printing of Equality/Diversity report |
€890 |
2002 |
|
Peter G. White Ltd. Communications Consultant |
Consultancy services in respect of the development of Communications Strategy |
€850 |
2002 |
|
Lansdowne Market Research |
Irish Civil Service — Customer Satisfaction Survey report |
€36,000 |
2003 |
|
NGM Market Research |
Change and Modernisation in the Civil Service report |
€15,000 |
2003 |
|
Design ID |
Design layout and typesetting of the Customer Charter Guielines |
€11,250 |
2003 |
|
Watermans Printing |
Printing of Customer Charter Guidelines |
€13,590 |
2003 |
|
Vision Print |
Production of covers for Customer Charter Guidelines |
€1,160 |
2003 |
|
Parallel Information Technology |
Loading of Customer Charter Guidelines to bettergov.ie website |
€220 |
2003 |
|
Langley Freeman Design Group |
Design layout and production of PDF of Internal Customer Service booklet —‘Our commitments to our Colleagues’ |
€5,617 |
2004 |
|
Colorprint |
Printing of Internal Customer Service booklet |
€5,280 |
2004 |
|
Parallel Information Technology |
Production of HTML of Internal Customer Service booklet |
€163 |
2004 |
|
McCann Fitzgerald Solicitors |
Research on International systems of Redress |
€76,894 |
2004 |
|
Boyd Freeman Design |
Design and print of report on Redress |
€5,049 |
2004 |
|
Dermot Quigley |
An Inquiry into certain matters in relation to procurement as requested by the Taoiseach, Mr. Bertie Ahern, T.D. |
Not applicable — no payments were made |
Not applicable |
149 Mr. G. Murphy asked the Taoiseach the amount of money spent on the renting, leasing or purchasing of demountable, temporary accommodation over the past five years; if his Department arranges this through the Department of Finance; the tendering process which is in operation and the frequency in which it is reviewed; the length of time the arrangement lasts; the average period of renting or leasing; and the number of units which have been rented and leased over five, eight and ten years. [22484/05]
My Department does not spend money on the renting, leasing or purchasing of demountable, temporary accommodation.
150 Mr. Hogan asked the Taoiseach the names, titles, dates of appointment, total annual salary, including pension contributions, of each of the special or political advisers, personal assistants or personal secretaries appointed by him; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22540/05]
The names, titles, dates of appointment and total annual salary including pension contributions, of each of the special advisers, personal assistants and personal secretaries appointed by me are detailed in the following table.
|
Names |
Titles |
Dates of Appointment |
Annual Salary including pension contributions |
|
€ |
|||
|
Gerry Hickey |
Programme Manager and Special Adviser |
27/06/1997 |
195,676 |
|
Gerard Howlin |
Special Adviser |
08/06/1999 |
115,775* |
|
Una Claffey |
Special Adviser |
13/11/2000 |
115,775* |
|
Brian Murphy |
Special Adviser |
01/03/1999 |
87,422 |
|
Joe Lennon |
Special Adviser |
27/06/1997 |
115,775 |
|
Katherine Bulbulia |
Programme Manager to Tánaiste |
21/07/1997 |
136,972 |
|
John Lahart |
Special Adviser to Minister of State and Chief Whip |
29/09/2004 |
75,036* |
|
Padraig Slyne |
Special Adviser (with responsibility for co-ordination between all Ministers of State) |
01/10/2004 |
57,630* |
|
Sarah McLoughlin |
Personal Assistant |
02/04/2001 |
45,457 |
|
Denise Kavanagh |
Personal Assistant |
28/06/1997 |
53,191 |
|
Olive Melvin |
Personal Assistant |
27/06/1997 |
53,191 |
|
Yvonne Graham |
Personal Assistant |
02/05/2000 |
46,691 |
|
Sean Nolan |
Personal Assistant |
27/06/1997 |
47,921 |
|
Harry Murphy |
Personal Assistant to Minister of State and Government Chief Whip |
27/10/2004 |
40,543 |
|
Perpetua Brady |
Personal Secretary |
14/08/2000 |
33,271 |
|
Tracey Young |
Personal Secretary to Minister of State and Government Chief Whip |
29/09/2004 |
41,280 |
*These members of staff, who are not members of a Civil Service pension scheme, receive a contribution towards their pension fund which they arrange separately. All other staff are members of Civil Service pension schemes, for which separate superannuation arrangements are in place.
The 16 staff listed above, of which five are civil servants, are support staff to the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and the Government Chief Whip. This compares with 15 staff at similar grades working to the Taoiseach and Ministers of State at this Department prior to June 1997. A further four political staff were employed in the Office of the Tánaiste in Government Buildings at that time also, that is pre-June 1997.
151 Mr. Bruton asked the Taoiseach the population figures corresponding to health board areas for those aged 65 and over and for those aged 65 and under. [22847/05]
The information requested by the Deputy is contained in the following table in regard to the former health board areas. As the three constituent area health boards of the former Eastern Regional Health Authority are not defined in terms of complete electoral divisions, it is not possible to provide separate details for them. The information provided is taken from the 2002 census.
|
Health Board |
Persons |
Total |
|
|
Under 65 years |
65 years and over |
||
|
Eastern Health Board |
1,265,112 |
136,329 |
1,401,441 |
|
Midland Health Board |
199,162 |
26,201 |
225,363 |
|
North Eastern Health Board |
308,494 |
36,471 |
344,965 |
|
South Eastern Health Board |
373,841 |
49,775 |
423,616 |
|
Mid Western Health Board |
300,098 |
39,493 |
339,591 |
|
Southern Health Board |
510,965 |
69,391 |
580,356 |
|
Western Health Board |
331,075 |
49,222 |
380,297 |
|
North Western Health Board |
192,455 |
29,119 |
221,574 |
|
State |
3,481,202 |
436,001 |
3,917,203 |
152 Mr. O’Connor asked the Taoiseach the value of the increases in charges and appropriations in aid in the financial years 1995-96 and 1997-98. [23501/05]
This Department does not apply any charges other than those provided for in respect of FOI. Details of appropriations in aid for requested years are listed in the following table:
|
Year |
Amount of Appropriations in Aid* |
Value of Increase |
|
€ |
€ |
|
|
1995 |
211,743 |
|
|
1996 |
143,102 |
68,641 decrease in 1996 compared to 1995 |
|
1997 |
1,011,124 |
|
|
1998 |
68,066 |
943,058 decrease in 1998 compared to 1997 |
*In addition to normal departmental receipts which mostly relate to salary recoupment, the above figures also include receipts received from the European Social Fund which increase the total appropriations in aid for the particular years in question.
|
€ |
|
|
1995 |
137,567 |
|
1996 |
102,718 |
|
1997 |
947,340 |
|
1998 |
0 |
153 Mr. Naughten asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the reason the Food Safety Authority of Ireland has not yet published its completed audit of the labelling and traceability structures as currently operate across Ireland’s food industry; the date when this research will be published; if her attention has further been drawn to the main findings of this audit and its recommendations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21886/05]
Food businesses are required to manage food safety proactively and a traceability system is an essential element of a food safety management system as it provides a means by which a food company can track and trace any foodstuff that is suspect or unsafe.
In July 2002, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland produced a detailed guidance note on recall and traceability which was developed by the authority in collaboration with the enforcement agencies, the food industry and the food and drinks federation of the Irish Business and Employers Confederation, IBEC. This note aimed to clarify and standardise procedures for the identification and removal of unsafe foodstuffs from the food chain.
Under recent EU legislation, food operators must have a traceability system in place. This requirement is contained in Article 18 of Regulation (EC) No. 178/2002 of 28 January 2002. This regulation, which is applicable from 1 January 2005, requires that food and feed business operators shall be able to identify any person from whom they have been supplied with a food, a feed, a food producing animal or any substance intended to be, expected to be incorporated into a food or feed — to achieve this operators shall have in place systems and procedures which allow for this information to be made available to the competent authorities on demand — and shall have in place systems and procedures to identify the other businesses to which their products have been supplied, this information shall be made available to the competent authorities on demand.
In 2004, the FSAI undertook an audit intended to establish if operators in the fish, beef and poultry industries had in place a system of product traceability and recall. The audit also examined compliance with general labelling requirements — with particular reference to country of origin declarations.
In the course of the audit some 90 businesses, including some in the service and retail sectors, were visited. The findings indicated that traceability systems need improvement. Each proprietor was furnished with an inspector's report, which was also made available to the official agencies.
Given the small scale of the 2004 audit, it was not the intention of the FSAI to publish a report. However, the FSAI intends conducting a wider audit in conjunction with the official agencies, now that traceability is a legal requirement and will publish a comprehensive report in due course.
154 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if, in relation to a school (details supplied) in County Cork, her attention has been drawn to the fact that whereas its special language class previously had the regular services of an occupational therapist and a psychologist, these services ceased with effect from Easter 2005 and that high-tech, expensive therapeutic listening equipment installed in the school cannot be used for want of appropriate qualified personnel; if she will take steps to restore the full range of supports for this special language class and to facilitate the full use of available special equipment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22021/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
155 Mr. Neville asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the position regarding renewal of medical cards for persons (details supplied) in County Limerick. [22131/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
156 Mr. J. Breen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of children in County Clare who are on waiting lists for speech and language therapy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22356/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
157 Mr. J. Breen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of children in County Clare who are on waiting lists for clinical psychological assessment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22357/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
158 Mr. Crawford asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children her views on the fact that in the year 2005 home help and home carer’s are only allowed 19 cent per mile travelling expenses in spite of the massive increase in motoring costs; if travelling expenses are not awarded from base to the first client or from the last client back to base and even to get this meagre allowance massive form filling has to take place; if the mileage allowance should be investigated; if payment will be on the total mileage; if form filling and bureaucracy will be minimised; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22704/05]
The Deputy's question relates to human resource management matters in the home help service. As the management and delivery of health and personal social services, including related human resource issues, are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act, 2004, my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
159 Mr. Hayes asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the action she will take, and when, to improve the appalling inpatient provision for cystic fibrosis patients of St. Vincent’s Hospital, Dublin. [22963/05]
160 Mr. McHugh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the action she proposes to take to implement the findings of a recent independent report which recommended that beds in medical institutions for cystic fibrosis patients should be in single rooms to reduce the risk of cross-infection; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22964/05]
181 Mr. Connolly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children her views on whether the safety of cystic fibrosis patients is being placed at continuing risk due to inadequate staffing and facilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22048/05]
182 Mr. Connolly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if the embargo on permanent recruitment of medical staff will be lifted, in the event of the Pollock report being endorsed by the HSE working group on cystic fibrosis service provision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22049/05]
183 Mr. Connolly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if, in the event of the HSE working group on cystic fibrosis confirming the findings of the Pollock report, she will commit the necessary funding to address the crisis in cystic fibrosis service provision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22050/05]
254 Dr. Cowley asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if it is accepted by her Department that existing cystic fibrosis services here are below basic international standard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22663/05]
255 Dr. Cowley asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if the HSE working group confirms the findings of the Pollock report; if the funding necessary to address the immediate short and long-term requirements of cystic fibrosis sufferers will be allocated; if she will address the current situation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22664/05]
256 Dr. Cowley asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she is prepared to put forward a special case that will allow the permanent recruitment of staff, in view of the employment ceiling cap; if the HSE working group endorses the findings of the Pollock report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22665/05]
257 Dr. Cowley asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children when she is prepared to meet the Cystic Fibrosis Association; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22666/05]
258 Dr. Cowley asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children her views on whether the safety of cystic fibrosis patients is being compromised due to inadequate staffing and facilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22667/05]
259 Dr. Cowley asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if her Department is willing to consider public and private partnerships as an option to fast-track the provision of internationally acceptable services for cystic fibrosis patients; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22668/05]
260 Dr. Cowley asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the way she would react if a hospital were to deny access to a cystic fibrosis sufferer to hospital care, due to overcrowding and the risk of exposure to cross-infection; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22669/05]
261 Dr. Cowley asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she will give a commitment for adequate funding for the resourcing of services to address the needs of cystic fibrosis patients due to the fact that funding for cystic fibrosis sufferers is described as unstable and at risk from other pressures; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22670/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 159, 160, 181 to 183, inclusive, and 254 to 261, inclusive, together.
I have seen the report which the Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland commissioned from Dr. Ronnie Pollock. The report reviewed existing hospital services for people with cystic fibrosis in the context of accepted international standards and concluded that the services available for persons with cystic fibrosis in this country are not of the standard that they should be.
The report provides an assessment of need for current and future cystic fibrosis patients. It makes recommendations with regard to the numbers and categories of staff that are appropriate for a modern, multi-disciplinary cystic fibrosis service. Following publication of the report, the Health Service Executive, HSE, at the request of the Cystic Fibrosis Association, established a working group to review the current configuration and delivery of services to persons with cystic fibrosis in Ireland, both in hospitals and in the community. The working group is also to make recommendations for the reconfiguration, improvement and development of those services.
The working group is multi-disciplinary in its composition and includes representation from the Cystic Fibrosis Association. It held its first meeting in early April and I understand it hopes to complete its work over the next few months. The Pollock report is one of a number of reports relating to cystic fibrosis services being considered by the group. The work of the group will result in an agreed proposal for the development and reconfiguration of services for cystic fibrosis patients in Ireland. The funding and implementation of the services will be a matter for the HSE.
I will be glad to meet with the Cystic Fibrosis Association and the HSE to discuss the development and reconfiguration of services for persons with cystic fibrosis when the working group has finalised its proposals.
In regard to the services for cystic fibrosis patients at St. Vincent's University Hospital, I understand the HSE has made some additional funding available to the hospital to implement short-term measures to alleviate some of the pressures, including the provision of additional staff and additional space.
161 Dr. Cowley asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children when a designated oncology unit will be provided to Mayo General Hospital in view of the appointment of a second oncologist at the hospital; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that currently the oncology section at the hospital is four chairs in a temporary ward (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21873/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
162 Mr. Sherlock asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the amount of capital expenditure in respect of Cork University Hospital, Wilton, Cork, under the national development plan since 2000. [21874/05]
163 Mr. Sherlock asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the amount of capital expenditure in respect of Mallow General Hospital, Mallow, County Cork under the national development plan since 2000. [21875/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 162 and 163 together.
The Deputy's questions relate to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. This includes responsibility for collating the historic expenditure information sought by the Deputy. Accordingly, my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
164 Mr. Sherlock asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children when the CT scanner for Mallow General Hospital, which was approved by her Department in 2004, will be installed. [21876/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to reply directly to the Deputy.
165 Mr. Naughten asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the progress to date in the development of a helicopter emergency medical service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21896/05]
My Department is finalising a service level agreement with the Department of Defence to formalise arrangements for the future provision of an air ambulance service by the Air Corps. Officials from my Department met recently the Department of Defence to progress the agreement. The draft agreement has also been circulated to the Health Services Executive for comment. It is expected that the agreement will be completed shortly.
A significant helicopter fleet replacement programme has been approved and is being put in place for the Air Corps. Each of the new helicopters will have a specific air ambulance capability and the new fleet will have a far greater flying capacity which will augment the current service.
166 Mr. Naughten asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she will approve the appointment of three rheumatologists to cater for patient needs in the Western Health Board region and of a paediatric rheumatologist; the additional rheumatology services to be provided in the region in 2005; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21904/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
167 Mr. Perry asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children when she plans to make funding available to the HSE north west region for the provision of radiotherapy treatment for persons in the north west; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21919/05]
The Government is committed to making the full range of cancer services available and accessible to cancer patients throughout Ireland. To this end, we will provide considerable investment in radiation oncology facilities in the coming years.
The Government's policy on radiation oncology is based on the report on The Development of Radiation Oncology Services in Ireland. It is important to build teams of highly expert clinicians working together to deliver top quality cancer care, including radiotherapy, to cancer patients. The Government is, therefore, determined to ensure access by cancer patients throughout the country to high quality radiation oncology in line with best international standards.
The immediate developments in Cork and Galway have resulted in the provision of an additional five linear accelerators. Two additional linear accelerators are being provided at the supra-regional centre at Cork University Hospital, CUH. The first of these linear accelerators was fully commissioned in March and the second is expected to be commissioned by the autumn. Two additional consultant radiation oncologists will be appointed at CUH with sessional commitments to the south-eastern and the mid-western areas.
Patients in the north-west are being referred for radiation oncology treatment to the recently commissioned radiation oncology department at University College Hospital Galway, UCHG, and also to St. Luke's Hospital Dublin. A consultant radiation oncologist with significant sessional commitments to the north-western area has recently been appointed to UCHG.
I will meet the Minister for Health for Northern Ireland, Mr. Shaun Woodward, MP, shortly and I have asked that North-South co-operation on cancer services be put on the agenda. Discussions are on-going between the HSE and Belfast City Hospital in regard to access to radiation oncology services for patients in the North-West. My Department has asked the parliamentary affairs division of the Health Service Executive to advise the Deputy of progress on these discussions. The state of the art facility at Belfast City Hospital is scheduled to open in early 2006. The Government is as committed to delivering safe and effective cancer services for people of the north-west as we are for people in every region.
168 Mr. Sherlock asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she will report on the health reform process, which came into effect on 15 June 2005, concerning the management of the acute hospital in the southern area including Mallow General Hospital. [21923/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
169 Mr. Naughten asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children when she intends to introduce the general practitioner only medical cards; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21933/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive, HSE, under the Health Act 2004. It is understood that the HSE has now made available application forms for the GP visit card. The HSE has placed advertisements providing details of the application process in the national press and intends to place further advertisements in the regional press over the coming week. Those who are eligible will be able to visit their general practitioner without charge, and receive general practitioner services under the general medical services scheme. Eligibility to GP visit cards will be determined, by the Health Service Executive, following an assessment of the income of the applicant, and spouse, if any, after tax and PRSI have been deducted. Provision for the allowance of reasonable expenses in respect of child care, rent-mortgage and commuting to work expenses has also been included.
170 Mr. Naughten asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of medical cards issued in counties Roscommon and Leitrim; the corresponding figures for 2002 and 1997; her plans to extend the coverage of medical cards; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21934/05]
The number of persons covered by a medical card in counties Roscommon and Leitrim for the dates requested are set out in the following table.
|
County |
December 1997 |
December 2002 |
|
Roscommon |
23,629 |
20,376 |
|
Leitrim |
12,246 |
11,476 |
In 2005, additional funding of €60 million has been provided to allow the Health Service Executive, HSE, provide an additional 30,000 people with full medical cards and to extend free access to general practitioner services under the general medical services, GMS, scheme to up to a further 200,000 persons. The reason for this initiative was to ensure that as many people as possible, particularly those on low income and families with children, would be free from the worry of costs associated with accessing general practitioner services for themselves and their children.
It is understood that the HSE has now made available application forms for the GP visit card. The HSE has placed advertisements providing details of the application process in the national press and intend to place further advertisements in the regional press over the coming week. Those who are eligible will be able to visit their general practitioner without charge, and receive general practitioner services under the general medical services scheme. Eligibility to GP visit cards will be determined, by the Health Service Executive, following an assessment of the income of the applicant, and spouse, if any, after tax and PRSI have been deducted. Provision for the allowance of reasonable expenses in respect of child care, mortgage and commuting to work expenses has also been included.
171 Mr. Naughten asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the reason for the ongoing delay in processing registration applications for non-national EU nurses with An Bord Áltranais; if her attention has been drawn to the impact this is having on recruitment of nurses into the health service; the steps she intends to take to address this difficulty; when she last held a meeting with the board; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21935/05]
The registration of nurses is the statutory responsibility of An Bord Áltranais. I am informed that the registration section of the board is processing increased volumes of applications for registration, mainly from non-EU applicants applying through nursing recruitment agencies contracted by the health services to recruit nurses.
The board is working closely with the nursing recruitment agencies and with the Health Service Executive and the nursing and midwifery recruitment and retention national project to ensure that all applications for registration are processed in an efficient and timely manner, and ensuring that each applicant meets requirements and standards for registration. Nursing agencies receive weekly reports updating on the progress of applications through the registration process and every assistance is given to agencies in regard to registration requirements to guide them in the recruitment process.
An Bord Áltranais is a regulatory body, and there is no statutory requirement for the Minister to hold a formal meeting with the board. However my Department will request regular updates from the board on this issue.
172 Ms B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the position regarding funding for a community health centre and a mental health day care centre (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21936/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
173 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if persons presenting in public nursing homes are obliged to pay charges; and when those charges became operative. [21937/05]
174 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the rate of charges applicable for patients in public nursing homes. [21938/05]
175 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if it is appropriate for patients in public nursing homes to pay current charges when they are also owed refunds for moneys charged illegally to them. [21939/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 173 to 175, inclusive, together.
I and my colleague, the Minister for Finance, signed the Health (Charges for In-Patient Services) Regulations, 2005 on 14 June 2005, and these regulations reinstate charges for inpatient services. Section 53 of the Health Act, 1970, as amended by the Health (Amendment) Act 2005, provides, inter alia, for the levying of a charge where inpatient services have been provided for a period of not less than 30 days or for periods aggregating not less than 30 days within the previous 12 months. In this regard, charging for patients in long-term care cannot commence until the expiration of 30 days after the regulations were signed, which means that the earliest date on which charges can be levied is 14 July 2005.
These regulations provide for the levying of a charge in respect of the maintenance of persons in receipt of inpatient services. Section 51 of the Health Act 1970 defines inpatient services as meaning "institutional services provided for persons while maintained in a hospital, convalescent home or home for persons suffering from physical or mental disability or in accommodation ancillary thereto."
The regulations, in keeping with section 53 of the Health Act 1970, as amended, have provided for two different classes of persons on whom charges can be levied. Class 1 — class 1 refers to people in receipt of inpatient services on premises where nursing care is provided on a 24 hour basis on those premises. In this case, a weekly charge can be levied of €120 or the weekly income of that person less €35, whichever is the lesser; and class 2 — class 2 refers to people in receipt of inpatient services on premises where nursing care is not provided on a 24 hour basis on those premises. In this situation, a weekly charge can be levied of €90, or the weekly income of that person less €55 or 60% of the weekly income of that person, whichever is the lesser.
The Government has agreed the key elements of a scheme for the repayment of long stay charges for publicly funded long-term residential care. All those who were charged and are alive and the estates of all those who were charged and died in the six years prior to 9 December 2004 will have the charges repaid in full. The scheme will not allow for repayments to the estates of those who died more than six years ago. The repayments will include both the actual charge paid and an amount to take account of inflation, using the CPI, since the time the person involved was charged. Legislation will be brought before the Oireachtas as soon as possible to provide a clear legal framework for the scheme.
The practice of charging or seeking a contribution from patients-clients who have income has been a feature of the health service for a number of years. This is consistent with the principle that where individuals are in a position to contribute a modest amount to the cost of their care, it is reasonable that they do so.
176 Mr. Perry asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if the consultation process that is to be set up by An Bord Áltranais regarding changes to qualifications needed for those wanting to become public health nurses will be open to the public; the person who will be leading the said consultation process; and if it will solely involve stakeholders. [21967/05]
An Bord Áltranais is the statutory body responsible for registration, control and education of nurses and midwives in Ireland. The board is responsible for the setting of requirements and standards in relation to the education programmes for registration, including registration in the public health nursing division of the register. In this regard, An Bord Áltranais is in the course of establishing the consultation process, to which the Deputy refers.
As this process is an operational matter for the board, I suggest that the Deputy contact the board directly regarding further detailed clarification.
177 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the reason the Health Service Executive has not forwarded information in relation to Brú Caoimhín, Cork Street in view of the previous parliamentary questions; and if she will make a statement confirming that this information will be forwarded within days; and if she will ensure that the objections of local residents to any reduction in the numbers catered for at Brú Caoimhín are listened to. [21968/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, the Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
The Health Service Executive has informed the Department that a reply to the Deputy's previous question was issued on 19 April 2005.
178 Ms Enright asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the amount spent by her Department or agencies under the authority of her Department, on the services of models for use in departmental promotional activities, during policy launches or other departmental events since 1997; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21970/05]
The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available in my Department. The information will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.
179 Mr. Nolan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children when work will be carried out on a hospital (details supplied) in County Carlow as requested by the staff; her views on whether the physical condition of this building is unacceptable for patients and employees; the timescale envisioned for progress to be made in relation to the overall development of this facility; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22003/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
180 Mr. Morgan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if persons applying for a general medical card are assessed on individual income or on per income to the household; if they can opt for the most favourable position; the person who has final adjudication authority; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22047/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. The determination of eligibility of applications for medical cards is statutorily vested in the Health Service Executive. In determining eligibility, the chief executive officer, or a delegated officer, will have regard to the financial circumstances and medical needs of the applicant, and spouse, if any. Recent changes announced by the Health Service Executive will mean that household income, after deductions in respect of PRSI and tax have been made, will be assessed when determining eligibility. Provision will also be made for reasonable expenses in respect of child care, rent-mortgage and commuting to work expenses.
Medical cards may be made available by the Health Service Executive where guidelines are exceeded in circumstances, for example, where there is particular need for medical services. A medical card may be issued to all or some members of a family. However, in all cases, the decision is a matter for the Health Service Executive. In assessing a person's eligibility, every aspect of an individual's financial means and medical expenses are carefully examined to ensure that no financial hardship is caused by the executive's refusal to grant a medical card in any particular case.
184 Mr. Connaughton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the reason for the long delay in making the necessary funding available to pay for staff in order to open the cancer care beds in Tuam, County Galway; if the facility will be opened within the next month; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22066/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, the Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
185 Mr. Connaughton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the position regarding the proposed community hospital in Tuam; the level of funding being made available to the project in 2005; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22067/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, the Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
186 Mr. Connaughton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the position concerning St. Bridget’s Psychiatric Hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway; if property has been sold on the site; if not, if property will be sold in 2005; if such a sale takes place, the areas in which the proceeds will be invested; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22068/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
187 Mr. Bruton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the cost of an inpatient, an outpatient and a day-care procedure in 2004. [22069/05]
The casemix adjusted base price for inpatients and day cases is the average cost of a case when all national data has been aggregated. The national base price is the national cost of treating a "standard" case with a complexity of 1.
Data in relation to the national average base price for inpatients and day cases for 2003, the latest year for which information is available, is detailed in the following table. Data for 2004 is presently being audited and will be available as part of the 2006 financial allocation.
|
Year of Financial Allocation |
Year of Activity & Costs |
National Inpatient Base Price |
National Daycase Base Price |
|
2005 |
2003 |
€3,644 |
€540 |
The 2003 national average cost per outpatient attendance (consultant led) is €138. With regard to the national costs detailed, capital costs and depreciation are not included.
188 Mr. Bruton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of persons with medical card cover aged under 70 from 1998 to date; the percentage of the relevant population this represents; and the number of persons with medical card cover aged 70 and over. [22070/05]
The figures requested by the Deputy for 1998 to 2000 were not kept in this format by the Health Service Executive's primary care reimbursement service, formerly the GMS (payments) board. The number of persons with medical cards aged under 70 years from 2001 to date and the percentage of the relevant population this represents is set out in the following table:
|
Year ended |
No. of persons with a medical card under 70 years of age |
Percentage of relevant population |
|
% |
||
|
2001 |
876,548 |
24.22 |
|
2002 |
851,371 |
23.56 |
|
2003 |
848,813 |
23.48 |
|
2004 |
831,986 |
22.24 |
|
June 2005 |
825,544 |
22.07 |
The number of persons with medical cards aged 70 years and over, from 2001 to date is set out in the following table:
|
Year ended |
No. of persons with a medical card aged 70 years and over |
|
2001 |
322,906 |
|
2002 |
317,374 |
|
2003 |
309,330 |
|
2004 |
316,928 |
|
June 2005 |
321,463 |
The reduction in numbers can be explained by a number of factors including the changed economic circumstances of the population. These changed circumstances have meant that many people are no longer eligible for a medical card on means grounds. The ongoing management and review of medical card databases by the Health Service Executive has also been a factor, with normal deletions being made to databases due to death, change in eligibility status or persons moving from one area to another.
189 Mr. Bruton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the unit cost per prescription for a medical card holder from 1998 to 2004 and to date in 2005; and the difference in the cost for those under and over 70. [22071/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
190 Mr. Bruton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the annual cost of the drug payments scheme and the long-term illness medication scheme in 2004 and to date in 2005; and the number of persons covered. [22072/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
191 Mr. Bruton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of care assistants graduating from the health care assistants programme from 2003 to date. [22073/05]
The health care assistant or HCA grade supports the work of nurses-midwives and acts under their supervision. Health care assistants and similar grades such as nurse's aide and ward attendant have been a feature of the Irish health service for some time. In recent years there has been investment in the upskilling of these grades so that they can play a greater role in the delivery of care and allow nurses to concentrate on more high level work appropriate to their education and training.
Section 23 of Sustaining Progress includes a commitment to the implementation of improved skill mix in the health service. There is a recognition of the need to mainstream existing developments including greater use of health care assistants. The report of the Commission on Nursing, 1998, made recommendations in paragraphs 4.55 and 7.63 regarding the scope for increased use of care assistants and other non-nursing personnel in the performance of non-nursing tasks. Specifically, paragraph 7.63 recommended that a group be established to "examine opportunities for the increased use of care assistants and other non-nursing personnel in the performance of other non-nursing tasks".
A group was established to examine the effective utilisation of professional skills of nurses and midwives and issued its report in May 2001. The group recommended that the grade of health care assistant-maternity health care assistant be introduced as a member of the health care team to assist and support the nursing and midwifery function. It also made recommendations related to the education and training of health care assistants including that the health care support certificate, FETAC (NCVA, Level 2) qualification be the preparation required for employment as a health care assistant.
Health care assistants are now integrated into many health care teams. In 2003, 513 health care assistants undertook the health care support certificate. During 2004-05, more than 900 health care assistants undertook the health care support certificate. In addition, health care assistants have been introduced in eight pilot sites in the mental health services and they are undertaking the health care support certificate. The pilot programme in mental health services is currently being evaluated.
This vocational education programme has enhanced the skills and competency levels of health care assistants. As a result, health care organisations are increasingly recognising the potential of health care assistants and have requested further development of their role. It is intended that the training of health care assistants be enhanced to include the taking and reporting of vital signs. This was recently the subject of an industrial relations dispute with the Irish Nurses Organisation but following the intervention of the national implementation body it was recommended that there be immediate and full co-operation with all of the preparation and training arrangements necessary for the introduction of the programme at the earliest possible date. A process is now in place to deal with the issues in relation to implementation of this programme.
192 Mr. McCormack asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the extreme difficulty being experienced by applicants for medical card services whereby general practitioners are refusing to sign medical card applications due to their ongoing difficulties with her Department; if her attention has further been drawn to the fact that this is now making it impossible for persons to apply for medical cards in view of the fact that community welfare officers cannot sign applications due to the absence of a general practitioner’s signature; the way in which she proposes to solve this problem; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22089/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. My Department is not aware of widespread difficulty being experienced by applicants for medical cards in securing the services of GPs in order to access the general medical services scheme. If the Deputy is aware of a particular case where a person is experiencing any difficulty, he should bring the matter to the attention of the Health Service Executive which will investigate the matter.
193 Mr. McCormack asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the steps she is taking to eliminate the surge of the MRSA bug in hospitals throughout the country resulting in many patients contracting the MRSA bug; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22090/05]
The Deputy will be aware that operational issues in relation to the services provided by acute hospitals now rest with the Health Service Executive.
Effective infection control measures, including environmental cleanliness and hand hygiene, are central to the control of hospital acquired Infections, including drug-resistant organisms such as MRSA. Improving the standards of cleanliness in hospitals is a priority. One of the specific actions identified in the ten-point plan to improve the delivery of accident and emergency services refers to the need to address this particular issue.
The national hospitals office has engaged external consultants to carry out an independent hygiene audit of hospitals this summer. The results of the audit will be made public and are expected to inform the national standards for infection control and cleaning. A SARI infection control sub-committee has updated the 1995 national guidelines for the control and prevention of MRSA in hospitals and in the community. The key recommendations cover such areas as environmental cleanliness, bed occupancy levels, isolation facilities, hand hygiene, appropriate antibiotic use and protocols for the screening and detection of MRSA. These guidelines are expected to be published shortly.
194 Mr. F. McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children when the families of patients at Leas Cross nursing home were informed of alternative nursing homes; the reason these homes appeared in the media first; and the further reason for the lack of sensitivity from the HSE on this urgent matter. [22093/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, the Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
195 Mr. Neville asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of persons covered by medical cards in County Limerick in May 2005. [22094/05]
The number of persons covered by medical cards in County Limerick in May 2005 was 49,133, or 28.03% of the population of 175,304 (census 2002 population figure).
196 Mr. Neville asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of patients who were re-admitted to hospital within one week of discharge in 2004. [22095/05]
In 2004 there were 31,727 re-admissions to hospital within one week of discharge. This figure is derived from the hospital inpatient inquiry or HIPE system which gives details of activity in all publicly funded acute hospitals in the state as well as in two private hospitals. HIPE data only allows the identification of a re-admission if it is to the same hospital as the original admission. The figure given includes all inpatient re-admissions, i.e. re-admissions for the same condition, for an unrelated condition and planned re-admissions, and excludes day cases. It should be noted that the HIPE database for 2004 has not yet been finalised and hospital discharges occurring during 2004 are still being added to the system.
197 Mr. Kehoe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the action being taken to replace the prefabricated buildings at a day care centre (details supplied) in County Wexford; if suitable accommodation will be provided for the service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22113/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, the Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
198 Ms Shortall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to plans on the part of Beaumont Hospital to construct a kidney unit within the curtilage of the hospital; if she will provide a description of any works that are due to take place in this regard; and the timeframe for when the work is due to be started and completed. [22119/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, the Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
199 Mr. Gormley asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if, in view of the latest study from the Harvard School of Dental Health which found an increased cancer risk in children due to water fluoridation, she will review the Government’s policy of water fluoridation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22141/05]
The study referred to by the Deputy is an unpublished student dissertation and is not possible to comment on unpublished research. However, I am informed that a number of peer reviewed published studies have shown no evidence of a link between water fluoridation and cancer.
The Irish expert body on fluorides and health held its inaugural meeting in April 2004. The terms of reference of the expert body are: to oversee the implementation of the recommendations of the forum on fluoridation; to advise the Minister and evaluate ongoing research, including new emerging issues, on all aspects of fluoride and its delivery methods as an established health technology and as required; and to report to the Minister on matters of concern at his/her request or on its own initiative. Should any peer reviewed research be published which indicates any harmful effects of fluoridation, I will be happy to refer it to the Irish expert body on fluorides and health for its advice as to any necessary action.
200 Mr. Haughey asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the procedures for changing chemist in order to avail of the drugs repayment scheme; the threshold for this scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22142/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, the Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
201 Mr. Haughey asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the services organised by her Department in relation to speech therapy; the way in which these services are accessed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22143/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, the Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
202 Mr. Hogan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if a review will be taking place in respect of the appropriateness of fluoridation in water supplies as a means of reducing contamination; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22144/05]
Fluoridation of public water supplies as a public health measure is accepted as being one of the most effective methods of ensuring against tooth decay. The World Health Organisation, WHO, recommends fluoridation of public water supplies and has stated that "fluoridation of water supplies, where possible, is the most effective public health measure for the prevention of dental decay". The WHO has also stated that "people of all ages, including the elderly, benefit from community water fluoridation".
The recently completed survey of oral health, covering the island of Ireland, shows that fluoridation of public water supplies continues to be a highly effective public health measure. It has contributed significantly to a major reduction in the incidence of dental decay in the Republic.
As the Deputy is aware, a forum on fluoridation was established to review the fluoridation of public piped water supplies in Ireland. The forum report's main conclusion was that the fluoridation of public piped water supplies should continue as a public health measure. In all, the report of the forum on fluoridation made 33 recommendations covering a broad range of topics such as research, public awareness, policy and technical aspects of fluoridation and the establishment of an expert body to oversee the implementation of the recommendations.
The Irish expert body on fluorides and health held its inaugural meeting in April 2004. The terms of reference of the expert body are: to oversee the implementation of the recommendations of the forum on fluoridation; to advise the Minister and evaluate ongoing research — including new emerging issues — on all aspects of fluoride and its delivery methods as an established health technology and as required; and to report to the Minister on matters of concern at his/her request or on its own initiative.
The expert body has broad representation, including from the areas of public health medicine, engineering, management, environmental protection, environmental health, dentistry, and health promotion. The body has a strong consumer input in terms of members of the public and representatives of consumer interests, in addition to the necessary scientific, managerial and public health inputs. The expert body will oversee the implementation of the wide-ranging recommendations of the forum and advise me on all aspects of fluoride in the future.
203 Mr. Hogan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of children in the care of the HSE for the Carlow-Kilkenny community care area who do not have an allocated social worker as per the child care regulations of 1995; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22145/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, the Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
204 Mr. Hogan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of foster care workers that do not have an allocated social worker in the Carlow-Kilkenny community care area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22146/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, the Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
205 Mr. O’Connor asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the progress made to date in implementing the recommendations of the Commission on Nursing; the funding necessary to effect all the recommendations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22147/05]
Government investment and support has ensured rapid progress in implementing the recommendations of the report of the Commission on Nursing. This commitment by Government has transformed nursing in Ireland over the last decade. The commission examined and made recommendations on areas such as the evolving role of nurses and midwives, promotional opportunities and the training and educational requirements of nurses.
The change in pre-registration nurse education has been the most significant development on foot of the recommendations of the Commission on Nursing. Nurse training has moved from a three year diploma to a four year degree programme and there is now an annual intake of 1,640 students, an increase of 70% on the 1998 numbers. The Government has provided capital funding of €240 million for 13 new schools of nursing in the universities and institutes of technology. The annual revenue cost of the degree programme is in excess of €90 million. The first group of students on this programme will graduate in autumn 2006.
A major recommendation of the commission was that a clinical career pathway be developed in addition to the managerial and educational pathways already open to nurses. It also recommended that an independent statutory agency be established with responsibility for post-registration professional development of nursing and midwifery. The National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery was established in 1999. The council has responsibility for setting criteria and approving posts at clinical nurse specialist, CNS, and advanced nurse practitioner, ANP level. My Department is providing funding of €4.22 million to the council this year. To date the council has approved 1,674 CNS posts and 24 ANP posts.
The Commission on Nursing made a number of important recommendations in relation to the role of nurses and midwives in the management of services. These recommendations have been implemented. Developments in this area include the development of the post of chief nursing officer in the Department of Health and Children; the establishment of eight nursing and midwifery planning and development units; and the introduction of new nurse management structures. The number of management positions in nursing has significantly increased since the publication of the report of the Commission on Nursing. The number of assistant directors of nursing, for example, has increased by 140% between 1997 and 2004.
The Commission on Nursing made recommendations in paragraphs 4.55 and 7.63 regarding the scope for increased use of care assistants and other non-nursing personnel in the performance of non-nursing tasks. Specifically, paragraph 7.63 recommended that a group be established to "examine opportunities for the increased use of care assistants and other non-nursing personnel in the performance of other non-nursing tasks". On foot of these recommendations it has been agreed that the healthcare support certificate, FETAC (NCVA, Level 2) qualification be the preparation required for employment as a health care assistant.
Health care assistants are now integrated into many health care teams. In 2003, 513 health care assistants undertook the healthcare support certificate. During 2004/2005, over 900 health care assistants undertook the healthcare support certificate. In addition, health care assistants have been introduced in eight pilot sites in the mental health services and they are undertaking the healthcare support certificate. Healthcare organisations are increasingly recognising the potential of health care assistants and have requested further development of their role.
In the area of nursing in the community, the commission recommended that midwifery should no longer be a mandatory requirement for public health nurses. An Bord Altranais approved this rule change in November 2004 and I gave my approval as required under Section 26 of the Nurses Act 1985 in December 2004. Work is continuing in my Department of a strategy for nursing and midwifery in the community, or NAMIC.
The Commission on Nursing recommended a number of amendments to the Nurses Act 1985. My Department is currently involved in drafting new legislation which will amend that Act. The new legislation will modernise the regulatory framework operated by An Bord Altranais for nurses and midwives. Work on the draft heads of the Bill is at an advanced stage and all stakeholders will have an opportunity to comment on the draft legislation.
The commission made over 100 main recommendations. Work is ongoing on some of these recommendations including the preparation of the new Nurses Bill and NAMIC. The commission also made a recommendation in relation to care of the older person. This is clearly an issue related to service provision rather than nursing per se. Care of the older person is a key service area and one about which I have particular concerns. I will be deciding how best to proceed on this front shortly.
206 Mr. O’Connor asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the additional Exchequer funding that would be required for nursing home subvention grants to cover all charges to patients; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22148/05]
The amount of subvention paid to patients in private nursing homes varies depending on the level of dependency of the individual patient and his or her means. The costs imposed by nursing homes on private residents and the Health Services Executive would of course be relevant here. Accordingly, it would be very difficult in the time available to determine the additional Exchequer funding that would be required to cover all charges to patients in private nursing homes. However, my Department will carry out an analysis of the costs requested by the Deputy and I will contact him when that information is available.
207 Mr. O’Connor asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the funding being allocated by her Department for research in suicide and suicidal behaviour in 2005. [22149/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. This includes the provision of suicide prevention and research programmes and the allocation of funding for such programmes. Accordingly, my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the Executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
208 Mr. O’Connor asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she will report on efforts by her Department to deal with the shortage of speech and language therapists; the plans in place to deal with the issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22150/05]
Three new speech and language therapy courses commenced in the 2003-04 academic year, one of which is a two year postgraduate course at the University of Limerick. In total, these courses provide an additional 75 training places in speech and language therapy. This expansion in training numbers has been identified in the report commissioned by my Department from Dr. Peter Bacon and associates on current and future demand conditions in the labour market for certain professional therapists as sufficient to meet the long-term requirements for speech and language therapists in Ireland. The first graduates of the new speech and language therapy course in the University of Limerick will be conferred in the near future.
Intensive efforts have been made to improve staffing levels in speech and language therapy in recent years. The success of these measures has resulted in an increase of 99 speech and language therapists, in wholetime equivalent terms, in the public health service from 399 WTEs at end-2001 to 498 WTEs at end-2004. This represents an increase of 25% in the number of speech and language therapists employed over the three year period.
Measures that have contributed to increased staffing levels in speech and language therapy include new pay scales and enhanced opportunities for professional and career development, the availability of the fast track working visa scheme and the streamlining of procedures for the validation of overseas qualifications. These measures are also designed to help sustain the improvements achieved in staffing levels.
209 Mr. O’Connor asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if funding will be provided for an acute medical unit at Tallaght Hospital. [22151/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department is requesting the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
210 Mr. O’Connor asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the position regarding proposals for an out of hours general practitioner service at Tallaght Hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22152/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, the Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
211 Mr. Carey asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the reason the HSE is delaying the approval process for a joint paediatric/adolescent endocrinologist/diabetologist for 7/4 session split between Temple Street Children’s Hospital and the Mater Hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22153/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, the Department is requesting the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
212 Mr. McGuinness asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if the payment of a grant under the housing aid for the elderly scheme will be expedited in the name of a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny. [22154/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. This includes responsibility for the provision of the housing aid scheme for the elderly, on behalf of the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government. Accordingly, the Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
213 Mr. Gregory asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children her plans to develop a national strategy for carers giving full recognition to their role as an integral part of the health services with adequate supports provided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22246/05]
As the Deputy will be aware, carers provide an invaluable role in supporting family members in the community and it is important to recognise their contribution to society. The role of carers in society has to some extent not been fully recognised in the past but this situation is changing with a number of initiatives being introduced to address the needs of carers.
The Department of Health and Children provided in excess of €1 million in funding in 2005 to a number of groups supporting cares such as Care Alliance, Caring for Carers and the Carers Association. The Department of Social and Family Affairs has also implemented a range of measures, since 1999, to assist carers, including increases in the carer's allowance, the introduction of an annual payment of €1,000 towards the cost of respite care and the extension of schemes such as the free electricity allowance, free telephone rental and free TV licence to those on carer's allowance.
The Carer's Leave Act 2001 allows employees in Ireland to leave their employment temporarily for a minimum period of 13 weeks up to a maximum period of 65 weeks to provide full-time care and attention. Carer's leave from employment is unpaid but the Carer's Leave Act ensures that those who propose to avail of carer's leave will have their jobs kept open for them for the duration of the leave. The above mentioned initiatives demonstrate this Government's commitment to addressing the shortcomings identified by the Carers Association and other groups regarding support for carers.
214 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, further to Parliamentary Question No. 140 of 24 May 2005, if the HSE is correct in its decision to impute to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 12 an annual income equivalent to 5% of the estimated market value of a jointly owned principal residence; if a similar decision would be determined if the relationship of joint owners were that of husband and wife; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22247/05]
As the Deputies will be aware, the Health (Nursing Homes) Act 1990 and the nursing homes regulations 1993 provide for the payment of subvention for private nursing home care for applicants who qualify on both medical and means grounds. Under the regulations, the Health Service Executive when considering an application for subvention carries out a means test which takes into account the means of the applicant and his or her spouse-cohabiting partner, where appropriate, and the assets of the applicant. The means test is usually carried out by the local community welfare officer and involves looking at the applicant's income for the previous 12 months. Income from all sources is taken into account, including wages, salary, pension, allowances, payments for part-time and seasonal work, income from rentals, investments and savings and all contributions from all sources. Income is assessed net of PRSI, income tax and the health contribution and the income of a married or cohabiting person is taken to be half the total income of the couple. In assessing an applicant's assets the first €7,618 of such assets is disregarded.
If the value of the applicant's principal residence is in excess of €95,230 and the residence is not occupied by a spouse, a son or daughter aged less than 21 or in full-time education or a relative in receipt of the disabled person's maintenance allowance, blind person's pension, disability benefit, invalidity pension or old age non-contributory pension, then the HSE imputes an annual income equivalent to 5% of the estimated market value of the principal residence. If an applicant's spouse is still resident in their home at the time of application, then that house may not be assessed for subvention purposes.
215 Mr. Neville asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children when a medical card will be renewed for a person (details supplied) in County Limerick. [22251/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
216 Mr. Neville asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children her plans for refund of moneys under the national repayment scheme in relation to overcharging of residents at public nursing institutions. [22252/05]
The Government has agreed the key elements of a scheme for the repayment of long-stay charges. All those who were illegally charged for publicly funded long-term residential care and are alive and the estates of all those who were charged and died in the six years prior to 9 December 2004 will have the charges repaid in full. The repayment will apply to all those who were charged including those in receipt of payments other than the non-contributory old age pension.
The scheme will not provide for repayments to the estates of those who died more than six years ago. The repayments will include both the actual charge paid and an amount to take account of inflation, using the CPI, since the time the person involved was charged. Legislation will be brought before the Oireachtas as soon as possible to provide a clear legal framework for the scheme.
The national helpline set up by the Health Service Executive to allow people to register if they believe they are due a repayment will continue to operate, but there is no need for anyone who has already registered using this facility to make contact with the HSE again to register for the scheme. Any person who considers that they or a family member may be eligible for repayment may register their interest in advance with the Health Service Executive, by writing to the National Refund Scheme, HSE Midland Area, Arden Road, Tullamore, County Offaly; or e-mail to refundscheme@mailq.hse.ie; or by calling the helpline 1800 777737 during office hours.
217 Mr. J. O’Keeffe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the guidelines which are prescribed for the assessment of children to determine their entitlement to orthodontic treatment. [22261/05]
I have arranged for a copy of the 1985 guidelines to be sent to the Deputy under separate cover.
218 Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if her Department has carried out studies to determine the way in which standards for orthodontic treatment in the State compare with European standards; the steps she intends to take to improve these standards; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22262/05]
Responsibility for standards for orthodontic treatment is statutorily vested in the Dental Council under the Dentists Act, 1985, Part II, Section 6(1). The Dental Council was established to "promote high standards of professional education and professional conduct among dentists".
In recent years there have been several reviews of the orthodontic service. Formed at the invitation of the Department, a group representative of health board management and consultant orthodontists reviewed the orthodontic service and produced a report in 1998 called the Moran report. The objective of this review was to ensure equity in the provision of orthodontic treatment throughout the health boards. Furthermore, the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children, JOCHC, also carried out a review of orthodontic services which culminated in the publication of its report, The Orthodontic Service in Ireland, in 2002. This was followed by a further review by the health board chief executive officers of the orthodontic service to consider the JOCHC's report and assess progress with implementing the Moran report. Finally, just this month, the JOCHC published a follow up to its 2002 report on the orthodontic service in Ireland.
All these reviews have examined, in depth, the orthodontic service and none has raised the issue of standards.
219 Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the action which will be taken in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [22263/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
220 Mr. Neville asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the death rate by suicide per 100,000 of population by health board, regional authority and county areas for 2004. [22265/05]
Data on mortality are compiled by the Central Statistics Office and published in the annual and quarterly reports on vital statistics. The latest period for which data are available is January to September 2004. These figures are provided in the table below.
|
Health Board/Regional Authority and County |
Rate per 100,000 Population |
|
Eastern |
|
|
Dublin |
6.1 |
|
Kildare |
7.6 |
|
Wicklow |
7.8 |
|
Total Eastern |
6.4 |
|
Midland |
|
|
Laois |
4.4 |
|
Longford |
8.5 |
|
Offaly |
16.2 |
|
Westmeath |
8.8 |
|
Total Midland |
9.7 |
|
Mid-Western |
|
|
Clare |
14.9 |
|
Limerick |
9.6 |
|
Tipperary NR |
15.0 |
|
Total Mid-Western |
12.2 |
|
North Eastern |
|
|
Cavan |
4.6 |
|
Louth |
8.8 |
|
Meath |
12.1 |
|
Monaghan |
10.0 |
|
Total North-Eastern |
9.6 |
|
North-Western |
|
|
Donegal |
8.5 |
|
Leitrim |
0.0 |
|
Sligo |
4.5 |
|
Total North-Western |
6.5 |
|
South-Eastern |
|
|
Carlow |
5.6 |
|
Kilkenny |
14.5 |
|
Tipperary SR |
4.9 |
|
Waterford |
10.2 |
|
Wexford |
4.4 |
|
Total South-Eastern |
7.9 |
|
Southern |
|
|
Cork |
13.6 |
|
Kerry |
11.8 |
|
Total Southern |
13.2 |
|
Western |
|
|
Galway |
6.1 |
|
Mayo |
10.0 |
|
Roscommon |
2.4 |
|
Total Western |
6.8 |
|
Grand Total |
8.6 |
221 Mr. Crawford asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the amount of capital funding which has been provided for hospitals at Monaghan, Cavan, Navan, Dundalk and Drogheda in her allocation of capital funding for the year 2005; if she has satisfied herself that it will be sufficient to make any marked improvement in the availability of services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22347/05]
248 Mr. Sherlock asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if Mallow General Hospital is to benefit from the capital funding allocated to acute hospitals on 21 June 2005. [22556/05]
249 Mr. Sherlock asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the amount allocated under the acute hospital funding to University Hospital, Cork on 21 June 2005. [22557/05]
250 Mr. Sherlock asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the amount allocated to hospitals in Cork city under the capital funding scheme announced on 21 June 2005. [22558/05]
266 Mr. Haughey asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the details of the capital programme of the Health Service Executive announced by the Government on 21 June 2005 in relation to hospitals (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22692/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 221, 248 to 250, inclusive, and 266 together.
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. This includes responsibility for considering new capital proposals or progressing those in the health capital programme. Accordingly, my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
223 Mr. Deasy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the reason a person (details supplied) in County Waterford has still not been called for an operation; if there will be no further delay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22375/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
224 Mr. Bruton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the total cost, number and nature of legal services sought by her Department from 1998 to 2004 and to date in 2005; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22414/05]
My Department has sought and obtained legal advice on a wide range of issues over the period in question. Many issues require several separate legal advices. Most of the legal advice is provided on an ongoing basis by the Department's own legal adviser. In addition, legal advice is provided by the Office of the Attorney General.
Due to the confidential and privileged nature of legal advice, it would be inappropriate to provide details of the subject matter of the various advices sought. However, the information requested in relation to the cost of other legal services for the period mentioned is being compiled in my Department and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.
225 Mr. Gogarty asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of incidents involving the swallowing of foreign objects that have taken place in psychiatric centres in the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22435/05]
229 Mr. Gogarty asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of deaths caused by choking or related complications that have taken place in psychiatric hospitals and units in the past five years on a yearly and hospital basis since 1995; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22439/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 225 and 229 together.
According to information provided in the annual reports of the Inspector of Mental Hospitals, there were three deaths due to asphyxia from the inhalation of food or other material in psychiatric inpatient settings in 2001 and one such death in 2002. One death in 2001 was due to aspiration pneumonia following the ingestion of an article of clothing. A breakdown of these figures is not available on a hospital basis. Withe regard to serious incidents, while such incidents were reported to the Inspector of Mental Hospitals, collation of the information in the format requested by the Deputy is not available.
226 Mr. Gogarty asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of reported incidents involving the swallowing of foreign objects that have taken place at St. Brendan’s Hospital, Grangegorman in the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22436/05]
227 Mr. Gogarty asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of reported incidents involving the swallowing of foreign objects requiring surgery that have taken place at St. Brendan’s Hospital, Grangegorman in the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22437/05]
228 Mr. Gogarty asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of deaths caused by choking or related complications that have taken place at St. Brendan’s Hospital, Grangegorman on a yearly basis since 1995. [22438/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 226 to 228, inclusive, together.
The Deputy's questions relate to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
230 Ms Cooper-Flynn asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the details proposed by a person (details supplied) to fast track the roll-out of BreastCheck in the west referred to by her in a recent radio interview given in County Mayo. [22440/05]
New facilities for the national expansion of BreastCheck are included in the health capital investment framework 2005-09. My Department recently gave approval to BreastCheck to advertise for the appointment of a design team to work up detailed plans for the design and construction of the clinical unit at University College Hospital, Galway. The selection process for the design team is well advanced.
BreastCheck anticipates that the shortlisting, interviews and fee negotiations will be complete by the end of July 2005. Discussions on staffing requirements are taking place involving BreastCheck, the Health Service Executive and my Department. I am confident that the target date of 2007 for the commencement of the national roll-out will be met.
Proposals for the construction of a modular unit at University College Hospital, Galway to facilitate an earlier introduction of the breast screening programme in the west are being considered by BreastCheck, University College Hospital, Galway and my Department.
231 Ms Cooper-Flynn asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she will reopen the tendering process for contract beds on behalf of the HSE in private nursing homes in County Mayo in view of the fact that no tenderer was selected in County Mayo; and if she will reduce the requirement to have ten beds available. [22441/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
232 Mr. Wall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if SI 478 of 2002 is the only directive prohibiting x-rays in regard to asbestos or asbestos-related illnesses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22442/05]
The European Communities (Medical Ionising Radiation Protection) Regulations 2002 (SI No 478 of 2002) were introduced to give effect to Council Directive 97/43/ EURATOM on the health protection of individuals against the dangers of ionising radiation in relation to medical exposures. While the regulations include provisions in regard to exposures for occupational health surveillance, they are not limited to asbestos related conditions. The Deputy may wish to note that the Health and Safety Authority is responsible for the general control of asbestos in the workplace.
233 Mr. Carey asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children when a person (details supplied) in Dublin 11 is likely to receive orthodontic treatment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22443/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
234 Mr. Bruton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the total cost, number and nature of reports, consultancies or other advisory or public relations commissions awarded by her Department from 1998 to 2004 and to date in 2005 to persons other than established civil servants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22470/05]
The information requested is being collated in my Department and will be forwarded directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
235 Mr. G. Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the amount of money which has been spent on the renting, leasing or purchasing of de-mountable, temporary accommodation over the past five years; if her Department arranges this through the Department of Finance; the tendering process which is in operation and the frequency in which it is reviewed; the length of time the arrangement lasts; the average period of renting or leasing; and the number of units which have been rented and leased over five, eight and ten years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22485/05]
The provision of accommodation for my Department is the responsibility of the Office of Public Works. My Department has not used any de-mountable temporary accommodation over the past five years.
236 Mr. P. Breen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she will be following the recommendation of the review of 2004 (details supplied) of orthodontic services in the Mid-Western Health Board region to restore the Limerick orthodontic training programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22517/05]
The issue raised by the Deputy is a matter for the Dental Council as, in Ireland, the regulation of professional education and training in dentistry is statutorily vested by the Oireachtas in the Dental Council alone; the Dentists Act, 1985, Part II, section 6(1) refers. Furthermore, Part IV, section 37(3) of the Act provides that: "The Council shall from time to time determine, in relation to each specialty recognised by it, the body or bodies which the council shall recognise in the State for the purpose of granting evidence of satisfactory completion of specialist training". The Irish committee for specialist training in dentistry has been designated by the Dental Council as the body responsible for specialist training.
237 Mr. P. Breen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of children on the waiting list for orthodontic treatment and the number on the assessment waiting list for orthodontic treatment following referral by a dentist in the Mid-Western Health Board area for each of the years 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005; the waiting list figures for County Clare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22518/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
238 Mr. P. Breen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of men in County Clare being treated for prostate cancer; the success rates for such treatment; the action she is taking to address the early detection of this cancer; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22519/05]
Statistics in relation to the incidences of cancer cases are collated by the National Cancer Registry. My Department has asked the director of the registry to examine the issue raised and to reply directly to the Deputy.
A new national cancer strategy is currently being finalised by the national cancer forum, a multi-disciplinary group of experts in oncology. As part of this work, the forum has reviewed all issues relating to screening, including examining specific diseases such as prostate and colorectal cancer. The forum has also developed criteria against which all future screening programmes will be assessed.
With regard to screening for prostate cancer, I understand that the forum will recommend that there is currently insufficient evidence to recommend the introduction of a population based prostate screening programme in this country. This issue should be reassessed when the results are available from randomised control trials currently being conducted internationally. This position is consistent with the recommendations adopted by the European Union which advocate the introduction of cancer screening programmes which have demonstrated their efficacy having regard to professional expertise and priority setting for healthcare resources. The proposals do not provide for specific recommendations in respect of screening for prostate cancer.
Appropriate treatment for men diagnosed with prostate cancer is available at major hospitals throughout the country. Any man who has concerns in relation to prostate cancer should contact his GP who will, where appropriate, refer him to the appropriate services in his area.
239 Mr. P. Breen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children when she will expand the cervical screen project to County Clare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22520/05]
A pilot cervical screening programme commenced in October 2000 and is available to eligible women resident in Limerick, Clare and Tipperary North. Under the programme, cervical screening is being offered, free of charge, to approximately 74,000 women in these three counties in the 25 to 60 age group, at five year intervals.
240 Mr. P. Breen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children when BreastCheck will be extended to County Clare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22521/05]
New facilities for the expansion of BreastCheck nationally are included in the health capital investment framework 2005-09. My Department recently gave approval to BreastCheck to advertise for the appointment of a design team to work up detailed plans for the design and construction of the clinical unit at University College Hospital, Galway. The catchment area of that centre will include County Clare.
The selection process for the design team is well advanced. BreastCheck anticipates that the shortlisting, interviews and fee negotiations will be complete by the end of July 2005. Discussions on staffing requirements are currently taking place involving BreastCheck, the Health Service Executive and my Department. I am confident that the target date of 2007 for the commencement of the national rollout will be met.
241 Mr. P. Breen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of MRSA cases in Ennis General Hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22522/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
242 Mr. Haughey asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she will classify asthma as a long-term illness in order that the range of products for the treatment of asthma, such as inhalers, are made available free of charge to all asthma sufferers if they have a medical card or not or if they can avail of the drugs payment scheme or not for this purpose; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22528/05]
270 Mr. Crawford asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she will consider providing full medical card services to all those with chronic asthma; her views on whether this is a long term illness causing serious problems for the patients concerned often leading to hospitalisation if primary care and medication is not available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22705/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 242 and 270 together.
Under the 1970 Health Act, the Health Service Executive may arrange for the supply, without charge, of drugs, medicines and medical and surgical appliances to people with a specified condition, for the treatment of that condition through the long-term illness scheme, LTI. The LTI does not cover GP fees or hospital co-payments. The conditions are: mental handicap, mental illness — for people under 16 only, phenylketonuria, cystic fibrosis, spina bifida, hydrocephalus, diabetes mellitus, diabetes insipidus, haemophilia, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophies, Parkinsonism, conditions arising from thalidomide and acute leukaemia. Parkinsonism, acute leukaemia, muscular dystrophies and multiple sclerosis were added to the scheme in 1975. There are currently no plans to amend the list of eligible conditions.
The medical card, GMS, and drugs payment, DPS, schemes provide assistance towards the cost of approved drugs and medicines for people with significant ongoing medical expenses. People who cannot, without undue hardship, arrange for the provision of medical services for themselves and their dependants may be entitled to a medical card. Non-medical card holders, and people with conditions not covered under the LTI, can use the drugs payment scheme, DPS. Under this scheme, no individual or family unit pays more than €85 per calendar month towards the cost of approved prescribed medicines. There is a range of asthma products, such as inhalers, on the common list of reimbursable drug products for the GMS and DPS.
Decisions on individual eligibility for a medical card are solely a matter for the Health Service Executive. In determining eligibility, for people other than those aged over 70, the applicant's financial circumstances are considered and income guidelines are used. However, where a person's income exceeds the guidelines, a medical card may be granted if it is considered that medical needs or other circumstances would justify this. Medical cards may also be issued to individual family members on this basis. There are currently no plans to change this position.
In November 2004, I announced revised medical card income guidelines, which increased by 7.5%, together with significant rises in respect of dependants, with a view to extending the number of medical cards by 30,000 in 2005. These guidelines have been in operation since January 2005. The introduction of the GP visit card will extend eligibility for a patient holding such a card to general practitioner services under the general medical services scheme. Such a person's income can be up to 25% in excess of the income guidelines used for the assessment of eligibility for medical cards. In addition, the basis for assessing an applicant's income has been changed to a disposable income basis, that is income after tax and PSRI, including allowance for childcare, rent or mortgage and the cost of travel to work. This will mean that more individuals and families will be eligible, the assessment process will be fairer and more user-friendly and administrative arrangements will be simplified and streamlined.
243 Mr. Cregan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children her views on the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children regarding the recent report on orthodontics; and if she will give a timeframe for implementation of same. [22529/05]
The recent report by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children, JOCHC, is a follow up to its earlier report of 2002, The Orthodontic Service in Ireland. As the committee makes clear, the report should be read as an appendix to the 2002 report.
A number of measures have been adopted to improve orthodontic services on a national basis. The grade of specialist in orthodontics has been created in the orthodontic service. My Department and the Health Service Executive, HSE, are currently funding 13 dentists from various HSE areas for specialist in orthodontics qualifications at training programmes in Ireland and at three separate universities in the United Kingdom. These 13 dentists are in addition to the nine dentists who successfully completed their training and have taken up duties with the HSE. These measures will complement the other structural changes being introduced into the orthodontic service, including the creation of an auxiliary grade of orthodontic therapist to work in the orthodontic area.
Furthermore, the commitment of the Department to training development is manifested in the funding provided to both the training of specialist clinical staff and the recruitment of a professor in orthodontics for the Cork Dental School. This appointment at the school will facilitate the development of an approved training programme leading to specialist qualification in orthodontics. My Department has given approval in principle to a proposal to further substantially improve training facilities for orthodontics at the school, which will ultimately support an enhanced teaching and treatment service to the wider region under the leadership of the professor of orthodontics.
My Department has been informed by the HSE that at the end of the March 2005 quarter, there were 22,818 patients receiving orthodontic treatment in the public orthodontic service. This means that there are over twice as many patients getting orthodontic treatment as there are waiting to be treated and more than 7,000 extra patients are getting treatment from the HSE since the end of the June 2001 quarter. My Department has written to the HSE regarding the latest JOCHC report and will meet it to discuss the recommendations made in the report.
244 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if, in the interests of public health, she will meet with the Cork Harbour Alliance for a Safe Environment to discuss its concerns regarding the threat to health posed by the proposed building of a toxic waste incinerator in Ringaskiddy, County Cork. [22533/05]
In January 2005 my Department responded to the group referred to by the Deputy indicating that I was unable to meet it due to the heavy schedule of Government and departmental business at the time. At my request my Department forwarded the invitation to my colleague Deputy Roche, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, who has primary responsibility for the issue of waste management.
245 Ms McManus asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the position regarding the mental health tribunals during the past ten months; the number of persons available to be appointed to each of the three panels for the review tribunals in the different regions of the country in which they will sit; when the legislation to implement the tribunals will be enacted or commenced; when they will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22534/05]
I am informed by the Mental Health Commission that it advertised for membership of panels for mental health tribunals, tribunal clerks and independent examining consultants in September 2004. Interviews for the tribunal chairperson and lay person member panels were held in November 2004. The Mental Health Commission is currently finalising this competition. The commission has recently readvertised the panels for the tribunal clerks, and interviews will be held in the near future.
Interviews for the panels of consultant psychiatrists were held in May and June of this year and these are currently being processed. The Irish Hospital Consultants' Association has advised its members not to apply for membership of the panels and this has led to an insufficient number of applications. The relevant sections of the Mental Health Act 2001, which provide for the operation of mental health tribunals will be commenced as soon as practicable.
246 Ms McManus asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the action she intends to take to correct the monopoly in the dental profession for which the Dental Act 1985 was drawn up and the Dental Council set up; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22535/05]
The Dentists Act, 1985 provides that the Dental Council may with the consent of the Minister for Health make schemes for the establishment of classes of auxiliary dental workers. This is in line with one of two options presented in the Restrictive Practices Commission report, that the general provision on the carrying-on of dentistry by a non-dentist should not apply to the provision of dentures by a denturist. The Act does not give the Minister power to amend a scheme proposed by the Dental Council.
Over the last number of years, the Dental Council has proposed schemes to establish a denturist class of auxiliary dental worker, but the Minister has not consented to such schemes in the absence of a grandfathering clause enabling existing denturists to continue to practice. This issue has been the subject of High Court proceedings which have supported the position of the Minister for Health and which are now the subject of an appeal to the Supreme Court.
The Dentists Act 1985, provides for 19 members to be appointed to the Dental Council. Of these, two are appointed by University College Cork, two are appointed by the University of Dublin, one is appointed by the Royal College of Surgeons, seven are dentists, to be elected by fully registered dentists, two are appointed by the Medical Council, one is appointed by the Minister for Education and four are appointed by the Minister for Health and Children.
The Dentists Act does not stipulate whether nominees other than the seven registered dentists specifically mentioned should or should not come from the dental profession. The four members of the current Dental Council appointed by the Minister for Health and Children are a consultant orthodontist, a consultant microbiologist, a dental technician and the Director of Consumer Affairs. While the Dental Council consists of members from backgrounds including dentistry, administration, psychology and paediatrics, it remains the case that a majority of those on the council are from the dental profession.
247 Mr. Hogan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the names, titles, dates of appointment, total annual salary including pension contributions of each of the special or political advisers, personal assistants or personal secretaries appointed by her; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22541/05]
Set out below are details of the special advisers, personal assistants and the personal secretary appointed to the Tánaiste's Office in the Department of Health and Children.
|
Name |
Title |
Date of Appointment |
Annual Salary |
Pension Contribution |
|
€ |
€ |
|||
|
John O’Brien |
Special Advisor |
30/09/2004 |
129,725 |
7,666 |
|
Oliver O’Connor |
Special Advisor |
30/09/2004 |
115,775 |
12,735 |
|
Patricia Ryan |
Special Advisor |
30/09/2004 |
110,883 |
12,197 |
|
Catherine Dardis |
Personal Assistant |
30/09/2004 |
52,020 |
5,722 |
|
Alan McGaughey |
Personal Assistant |
30/09/2004 |
52,921 |
5,821 |
|
Nuala Talbot |
Personal Secretary |
30/09/2004 |
47,561 |
— |
251 Ms Enright asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children further to her authorisation to the HSE to proceed with its programme of capital works, the works which are to be done at Birr community nursing unit under the completion of the works-balances heading; the cost of this work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22607/05]
252 Ms Enright asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children further to her authorisation to the HSE to proceed with its programme of capital works, the works which are to be done at the Midland Regional Hospital, Portlaoise, under the completion of the existing works heading at the acute psychiatric and paediatric units; the cost of this work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22608/05]
253 Ms Enright asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children further to her authorisation to the HSE to proceed with its programme of capital works, the funding allocation which has been made to the Midland Regional Hospital, Tullamore; if this will complete the project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22609/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 251 to 253, inclusive, together.
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. This includes responsibility for considering new capital proposals or progressing those in the health capital programme.
Accordingly, my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
262 Mr. Stagg asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children her plans, to establish a paediatric unit at Naas General Hospital in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22688/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department is requesting the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
263 Mr. McGuinness asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she will review the medical card issued to persons (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; and if a decision in the case will be expedited. [22689/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department is requesting the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
264 Mr. McGuinness asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the reason a primary medical certificate was not granted in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; if their case will be re-examined; the number of certificates issued to persons with multiple sclerosis, throughout the country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22690/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
265 Mr. McGuinness asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she will expedite an appointment for a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny. [22691/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
267 Mr. Connolly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the position regarding the approved revenue funding of €500,000 for the commissioning of ten additional day beds at a hospital (details supplied) which she announced in December 2004; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22693/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department is requesting the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
268 Mr. Connolly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the details of the proposals for the refurbishment of the male medical unit at a hospital (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22694/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. This includes responsibility for considering existing or new capital proposals, in relation to the health capital programme. Accordingly, my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
269 Mr. Crawford asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she will consider the needs of diabetics; if proper primary care through the general practitioners with early diagnosis will minimise the time spent in hospital; her views on whether they should have free doctors care as well as the medication which is already available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22695/05]
Persons who suffer from diabetes are covered under the long-term illness scheme for the provision of all approved prescribed medicines for the treatment of that disease, free of charge. I have no plans to change the conditions of the long-term illness scheme to include the provision of general practitioner services free of charge, to persons who suffer from diabetes.
There is strong evidence that early diagnosis of diabetes and proper management by a multidisciplinary team, including general practitioners, improves the health of diabetics and postpones the onset of serious eye, kidney and cardiovascular complications. These complications such as blindness, coronary artery disease, kidney failure and amputations ordinarily have to be managed in hospital.
As the Deputy is aware, in 2005, additional funding of €60 million has been provided to allow the Health Service Executive provide an additional 30,000 people with full medical cards and to extend free access to general practitioner services under the general medical services (GMS) scheme to up to a further 200,000 persons. The reason for this initiative was to ensure that as many people as possible, particularly those on low income and with children, would be free from the worry of costs associated with accessing general practitioner services for themselves and their children.
271 Mr. Stagg asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the reason for the removal of the mobile day hospital service from Maynooth, County Kildare; if she will ensure that the service is retained and continues its valuable service for senior citizens; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22713/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, the Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
272 Mr. Perry asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children when the 32 staff working at Ballymote community nursing home, County Sligo, will fall under the umbrella of the Health Service Executive; if this matter will be rectified in order that they receive parity of pay, including retrospective pay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22801/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, the Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
273 Mr. Perry asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children when she plans to implement a nationwide breast screening service for all women of all ages; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22811/05]
The national breast screening programme commenced in 2000 and covers the eastern, midland, north-eastern and parts of the south-eastern regions of the country. Screening is being offered free of charge, every two years to approximately 160,000 women in those areas in the target age group of 50 to 64 years of age. The current priority of BreastCheck and my Department is to progress the roll out of breast screening to a further 130,000 women in the same age group in the remaining regions of the country.
New facilities for the national expansion of BreastCheck are included in the health capital investment framework 2005-09. My Department recently gave approval to BreastCheck to advertise for the appointment of a design team to work up detailed plans for the design and construction of the clinical unit at University College Hospital, Galway. The selection process for the design team is well advanced. BreastCheck anticipates that the shortlisting, interviews and fee negotiations will be complete by the end of July 2005. Discussions on staffing requirements are currently taking place involving BreastCheck, the Health Service Executive and my Department. I am confident that the target date of 2007 for the commencement of the national roll-out will be met.
Following the national roll out and when the programme is sufficiently developed and quality assured, consideration will be given to extending the upper age limit. There is no evidence of the value of population based breast screening programmes for women under 50 years of age and there are no plans to extend the programme to this age group.
This position is consistent with the recommendations adopted by the European Union which advocates the introduction of cancer screening programmes which have demonstrated their efficacy having regard to professional expertise and priority setting for health care resources. The proposals do not provide specific recommendations for screening for breast disease for those under 50 years of age.
Any woman, irrespective of her age or residence, who has immediate concerns or symptoms should contact her GP who, where appropriate, will refer her to the symptomatic services in her area.
274 Ms Shortall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the statutory instrument that permits the HSE to set an age threshold, commonly 25 years, below which a person is considered a dependant when determining their medical card entitlement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22812/05]
Statutory Instrument 381/1983 issued in December 1983 stated that the provisions of the 1970 Health Act regarding full eligibility would not extend to persons aged between 16 and 25 years who are dependants of persons who do not have full eligibility for the service under Part IV of the Health Act 1970, save where considered by the Health Service Executive in order to avoid undue hardship. These changes in eligibility arrangements affecting young people aged sixteen years and over, ensured that entitlement would take account of their families income and circumstances.
275 Mr. Bruton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if persons who hold a medical card do not have to pay the health levy; if this concession applies equally to those who become eligible automatically on age grounds at 70 years as well as to those who qualify on a means test; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22813/05]
Section 11 of the Health Contributions Act 1979, as amended by section 24 of the Social Welfare Act 1995, lists the payments which are exempt from the payment of the health levy, and recipients of these payments together with the holders of medical cards are exempt from any liability to make a health contribution. On 1 July 2001, full eligibility was extended to all persons aged 70 or over and persons with full eligibility are exempt from the health contribution levy.
276 Mr. O’Dowd asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if funding will be provided for the construction of a day care centre (details supplied) in County Louth; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22814/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, the Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
277 Mr. Deenihan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if the HSE will provide a new health centre on the grounds of Listowel District Hospital as the existing centre is inadequate to meet the needs of the staff and patients; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22815/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
278 Mr. Curran asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the reason a visit to the dentist has not yet taken place for children in sixth class at a school (details supplied) in Dublin 22; the details of the arrangements which are being made for such a visit before these children enter secondary school. [22816/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
279 Mr. Connaughton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the position with respect to the nursing home subvention in the name of a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22817/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, the Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
280 Mr. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the extent to which she has studied the number of incidents of the various forms of cancer throughout the country with particular reference to the areas affected by high levels of radon gas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22818/05]
281 Mr. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the extent to which she has monitored the incidents of the various forms of cancer at locations deemed to have an unacceptably high level of radon gas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22819/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 280 and 281 together.
Statistics in relation to the incidences of cancer cases including lung cancer are collated by the national cancer registry. My Department has asked the director of the registry to examine the issue raised and reply directly to the Deputy.
282 Mr. Perry asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children when a person (details supplied) in County Leitrim will be called for orthodontic treatment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22821/05]
The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
283 Mr. O’Connor asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the value of the increases in charges and appropriations in aid in the financial years 1995/1996 and 1997/1998. [23502/05]
The following table gives an analysis of appropriations-in-aid received by my Department in the years 1995 to 1998, inclusive.
|
1995 |
1996 |
1997 |
1998 |
|
|
€m |
€m |
€m |
€m |
|
|
Receipts from Health Contributions |
271.974 |
272.816 |
290.623 |
360.620 |
|
Recovery of cost of health services provided under regulations of EU |
65.535 |
74.486 |
88.526 |
114.276 |
|
Searches for copies of entries of Births, Deaths and Marriages |
0.290 |
0.294 |
0.316 |
0.334 |
|
Recovery from Department of Health UK re their share costs of Leopardstown Park Hospital |
0.000 |
0.327 |
0.340 |
0.216 |
|
Fees from Licences for product authorisations, manufacturing licences, free sale certs, Misuse of Drugs Act, Adoption Certs etc |
1.826 |
0.272 |
0.090 |
0.094 |
|
Miscellaneous |
0.032 |
0.023 |
0.051 |
0.036 |
|
Total Appropriations-in-Aid |
339.657 |
348.218 |
379.946 |
475.576 |
284 Mr. Connolly asked the Minister for Finance if he is considering revisiting the issue of a carbon tax policy in the short to medium term; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22033/05]
As set out in my reply to the Deputy on this issue on 14 June, the Government decided in September 2004 not to introduce a carbon energy tax. A lot of work went into examining how a carbon energy tax could be implemented and its likely effects in environmental, economic and social terms. In this respect, the Government decided that a carbon tax was not an appropriate policy option and that, instead, it would intensify action on the non-tax measures under the national climate change strategy, for the following reasons. First, the Government concluded that the environmental benefits of such a tax would not justify the difficulties that would arise, particularly for households, from the introduction of such a tax. In this respect, the carbon energy tax would have imposed price increases on many products already suffering sharp increases.
Second, in considering the introduction of such a tax, my Department carried out an extensive consultation process in which 117 written submissions were received. Over half of those who expressed a view on the carbon tax were against it including a number of significant representative bodies. Even some of those who had no difficulty with a carbon tax in principle sought exemptions for various sectors and purposes.
285 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Finance his views on whether it is appropriate that a person who is disqualified from holding a directorship of a private company should be a member of a State board; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22538/05]
Appointments to boards of State bodies are, in the first instance, subject to the relevant legislation governing the establishment of the bodies in question. Generally, appointments to the boards of State bodies are made by the relevant Minister with the consent of the Minister for Finance. I can assure the Deputy that, as Minister for Finance, I would expect that all such appointments would meet the very highest standards of general suitability and of probity. If the Deputy is referring to a specific case, or cases, the issue should be raised with the relevant Minister, or Ministers, in the first instance.
286 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Finance the number of historical sites in County Clare maintained by the Office of Public Works; the annual number of visitors to each site over the past five years; the investment in each of these sites in the past five years and the corresponding figure spent on promotion of these sites; the average spend differential between present day figures and the period when Dúchas had responsibility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22629/05]
There are 36 national monument sites in the care of the Office of Public Works in County Clare. Responsibility for the management of these sites transferred to the Office of Public Works on 1 January 2004.
The primary source of funding for conservation projects at national monument sites is the National Development Plan 2000-2006. The programme of works and funding under the NDP was agreed in 2000 and work has continued in the intervening period on implementing this. The following table outlines expenditure under the NDP on conservation work at sites in County Clare from 2000 to 2004.
|
Total |
2004 |
2003 |
2002 |
2001 |
2000 |
|
|
€ |
€ |
€ |
€ |
€ |
||
|
Burren Monuments |
599,142 |
60,241 |
185,434 |
88,023 |
224,812 |
40,632 |
|
Ennis Friary |
234,991 |
0 |
22,722 |
96,955 |
112,775 |
2,539 |
|
Kilfenora Cathedral |
1,037,932 |
238,787 |
408,154 |
342,991 |
48,000 |
0 |
|
Quin Abbey |
718,105 |
0 |
115,460 |
274,647 |
264,511 |
63,487 |
|
Scattery Island |
1,254,437 |
298,000 |
327,863 |
460,215 |
168,359 |
0 |
|
Poulnabrone |
203,759 |
28,504 |
39,210 |
102,225 |
33,820 |
0 |
In addition to the NDP allocations for projects at Quin Abbey and Scattery Island, further sums of €124,673 and €77,236 respectively were expended at these sites in 2004. Routine maintenance of the sites is carried out by the staff from the national monuments depot in Athenry, but it is not possible to give a breakdown for individual sites.
There are only two heritage sites in County Clare with a guide service — Scattery Island and Ennis Friary. Visitor figures for the period 2000-2004 are as follows:
|
Scattery Island |
Ennis Friary |
|
|
2000 |
1,617 |
15,043 |
|
2001 |
1,803 |
14,539 |
|
2002 |
1,267 |
15,201 |
|
2003 |
1,524 |
15,226 |
|
2004 |
2,004 |
13,387 |
While there is no guide service at Poulnabrone Dolmen, it is estimated that the site attracts well in excess of 100,000 visitors per annum, making it the most visited of the heritage sites in County Clare in the care of the Office of Public Works.
Heritage sites managed by the Office of Public Works are not promoted individually. Such sites are promoted collectively nationally and regionally in conjunction with the regional tourism authorities and Shannon Development. National and regional versions of brochures are distributed at staffed OPW-managed heritage sites and through the tourist information offices network operated by the regional tourist authorities. The sites are, in addition, promoted through a website, www.heritageireland.ie. It is not possible, therefore, to separately quantify the expenditure on the marketing of individual heritage sites in County Clare.
287 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Finance if he will review the possibility of tax exemption for the food park at Lough Egish, Castleblayney, County Monaghan (details supplied); his views on whether a border region such as Monaghan is as much entitled to such benefits as the tax free status such as Shannon Airport, industries in Cork or the financial services in Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22677/05]
The Government's taxation policy is designed at maximising the employment and economic benefits of industrial development by creating an attractive climate for investment throughout Ireland. In this respect Ireland offers one of the most beneficial corporate tax environments in the EU with a corporation tax rate of 12.5% applying since 1 January 2003.
This is a general measure which applies across the board to companies located in all areas and regions in the State. As such, it does not conflict with EU state aid rules. A proposal to offer tax incentives to companies in a specific region or specific towns would constitute state aid and would have to be examined and approved by the EU Commission. Recent experience of a much more rigorous examination of fiscal state aids by the Commission indicates that approval for any such scheme could not be guaranteed given in particular that the current regional aid map for Ireland expires at end of 2006.
There is no tax free status available to firms in Shannon, Cork or Dublin. However, an effective corporation tax rate of 10% does apply to certain companies in the Shannon Airport zone and the IFSC and manufacturing companies generally. State aid rules require this rate to be phased out and not re-introduced. Specific incentives as provided for in Finance Act 1997 concerning Cork Airport business park, were approved by the European Commission under state aid rules and applied to buildings where expenditure was incurred before end-December 2000.
288 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Finance the action he proposes to take to address the ever increasing burden of taxation on first time buyers who are being penalised as never before; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22781/05]
289 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to the fact that first time buyers have been ripped off by increased taxation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22782/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 288 and 289 together.
I do not accept the Deputy's views that first-time buyers are being penalised by an ever increasing burden of taxation nor are they been ripped off by increased taxation. The policies pursued by this Government have ensured that the income tax burden has fallen for all categories of income earner since 1997. In 1997 the entry point to taxation for a single PAYE person was under €98 per week. Today it is €274 per week — an increase of almost 180%. In 2005, a person on the average industrial wage will have seen their pay rise by over €11,000 since 1997, but their tax bill cut by over €200 per annum as compared to then. This reduction in personal taxation means that individuals retain more of what they earn to spend as they see fit.
With regard to specific tax measures in the housing area it should be borne in mind that the housing market is a complex and dynamic one and demands continuous monitoring and adjustment to address changing circumstances. To this end, a number of measures that have improved the position of first time buyers in the housing market have been introduced over the years. In budget 2003 the higher ceilings for first-time buyers on allowable interest for mortgage interest relief were increased from €3,175 to €4,000 per annum for a single person and from €6,350 to €8,000 for a married couple and the period for which these increased ceilings apply was extended from five to seven years. Most recently, in budget 2005, I introduced a stamp duty relieving measure for first-time house purchasers who are owner-occupiers of second-hand houses by increasing the stamp duty exemption threshold for such purchasers from €190,500 to €317,500 and by reducing rates for house values up to €635,000.
Government policy in the housing market has focused, among other things, on improving supply, assisting home ownership particularly for first-time buyers, facilitating the expansion of the private rented sector and promoting the regeneration of certain areas. In this context, a range of tax incentives exist in relation to the housing market in the case of first-time buyers and other owner-occupiers, for tenants and investors. The years 2003 and 2004 were the ninth and tenth successive years of record housing output with 68,819 and 76,954 completions respectively. The rate of house building is now more than double that in 1996. Our tax policy has had some success but we don't claim all the credit.
Like all other goods and services, the State finds it necessary to raise taxes from this area. However, there has been some badly informed commentary recently in relation to the tax take from new homes. Figures in excess of 40% have been attributed to the amount that the Government raises in tax from each new home. However, this figure is wrong. In fact, the cost of a new home that accrues directly to the Exchequer through taxation is more like 28%, based on both Dublin and national prices. This is broadly in line with the tax take on the overall economy.
As the Deputy will be aware, the Government has decided to establish, a new agency — the Affordable Homes Partnership — to drive and co-ordinate the delivery of affordable housing in the greater Dublin area. The agency will be focused on early improvements in the delivery of affordable housing. The agency's first tasks will include helping to accelerate the Sustaining Progress affordable housing initiative on State lands. The agency will also issue a call for proposals from third parties in order to identify further appropriate sites for affordable housing. Furthermore, the agency will provide a co-ordinated public information service on the various aspects of affordable housing, thus making it easier for people to find out what is on offer and how to avail of it.
290 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to the rapidly deteriorating condition of the monument known as Connolly's Folly, Maynooth, County Kildare; if his attention has furhter been drawn to the fact that the area is frequently used as an illegal dump and there have been countless indications of the intention to restore the structure; if he will take immediate action to address the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22799/05]
As I have indicated repeatedly in reply to previous questions on this matter, the folly is subject to continual monitoring by my office and no significant deterioration has been observed. Should any such deterioration be detected appropriate remedial action will be taken. No major works are planned for the structure currently. A clean-up of the site was recently of organised by my office and measures are being taken to examine the feasibility of improving security in order to deter casual dumping.
291 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 231 of 30 November 2004, if he will introduce roll over relief on capital gains tax for landowners who have had their lands purchased for road construction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21894/05]
As previously advised to the Deputy in a reply to a parliamentary question on 30 November 2004, capital gains tax is a tax on a capital gain arising on the disposal of assets. A 20% rate of CGT now applies on the gains arising on the disposal of assets, including land which is the subject of a compulsory purchase order.
It was announced in the 2003 budget that no roll-over relief would be allowed for any purpose on gains arising from disposals on or after 4 December 2002. This relief was introduced when CGT rates were much higher than current levels. In effect, it was a deferral of tax to be paid, where the proceeds of disposal were re-invested into replacement assets. The taxation of these gains would take place following the eventual disposal of the new assets without their replacement.
The abolition of this relief was in accordance with the overall taxation policy of widening the tax base in order to keep direct tax rates low. Reliefs and allowances made sense when CGT rates were 40% and above. In budget 1998, the rate was halved from 40% to 20%. Taxing capital gains when they are realised is the most logical time to do so, and this change brought CGT into line with other areas.
292 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 186 of 10 May 2005, when he envisages that the organisation will come under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 1997; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21895/05]
Proposals for further extension of the FOI Act are still under consideration. I have nothing to add to the previous reply referred to by the Deputy at this time.
293 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 255 of 19 April 2005, the progress of the consultations with the interested parties; the plans there are to implement the recommendations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21897/05]
No observations on the pre-feasibility report on Shannon flooding have been received to date from the various stakeholders, 22 in all, who contributed to the completion of the report. Because of the report's size and complexity, this may take some time.
Further action, if any, must await the views of the relevant stakeholders. Any actions being considered to alleviate flooding from the Shannon are likely to give rise to environmental and economic questions, which will be difficult to resolve.
294 Mr. P. Breen asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider allocating a room in the old Garda station at Kilrush in County Clare to the local Red Cross; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21926/05]
The Commissioners of Public Works are currently in discussions with the Department of Defence regarding the possible future use by the FCA, of the former Garda station at Kilrush, County Clare.
295 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Finance the amount spent by his Department or agencies under the authority of his Department, on the services of models for use in Departmental promotional activities, during policy launches or other Departmental events since 1997; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21971/05]
Apart from the Euro Changeover Board of Ireland, see below, my Department did not have expenditure on the services of models during the period in question.
During its existence from 1998 to 2002, the Euro Changeover Board of Ireland, which is funded from my Department's Vote, carried out a range of promotional and other activities in connection with the changeover to the euro. On occasion models were used, e.g. dressed in euro coin costumes, as pensioners on posters, etc. However, it would not be possible at this stage to identify the specific costs attributable to them as these services were delivered as part of integrated services provided by the board's public relations firm.
Although the Office of Public Works is not funded directly or indirectly by my Department, my Department has asked that office to communicate to the Deputy any relevant information in relation to her question.
296 Mr. Connolly asked the Minister for Finance if he has identified areas of priority for inclusion in the new national development plan to run from 2007 until 2013; the extent to which the private sector will be involved in major infrastructural projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22043/05]
I would refer the Deputy to my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 323 from him on 14 June last. As I advised the Deputy then, I will be putting proposals to Government shortly on the issue of a successor to the current national development plan, which will run until the end of 2006. I cannot, therefore, comment any further until the Government has taken a decision in this regard.
297 Mr. McEntee asked the Minister for Finance if the Office of Public Works has completed a survey on the ability of the culvert currently under construction at Mabestown, The Ward, County Meath, to cope with flood conditions on the N2 Ashbourne/Finglas motorway project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22044/05]
The survey in question was carried out, not by the Office of Public Works, but by the firm of consultants operating on behalf of the National Roads Authority and the local authorities.
The Office of Public Works understands that the survey has now been completed and that the consultants have commenced the modelling of flood flows in order to identify options in relation to reducing the flood risk in this area. The consultants are in consultation with the Office of Public Works, which has maintenance responsibilities in respect of the Broadmeadow and Ward catchment drainage scheme.
298 Mr. Carey asked the Minister for Finance when a tax rebate will be made to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 11; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22045/05]
I have been advised by the Revenue Commissioners that a repayment of €184.62 is due to the person in respect of medical expenses for 2004. A cheque for this amount will issue on 28 June. The person's tax liability, and that of her husband, were also reviewed for 2004 to see if any additional relief was due under section 1020 of the Taxes Consolidation Act, i.e. special provisions relating to the year of marriage. No such additional relief is due.
299 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Finance the cost of introducing an intermediary tax rate at 30% applied to an income tranche single of €5,000, €10,000 and €15,000 respectively with corresponding concessions for married earners. [22080/05]
It is assumed that the thresholds for the proposed new tax bands mentioned by the Deputy would not alter the existing standard rate band structure applying to single and widowed persons, to lone parents and married couples.
I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the full year cost to the Exchequer, estimated by reference to 2005 incomes, of the introduction of each of these 30% rate bands could be of the order of €350 million, €650 million and €850 million, respectively, depending on how the bands were structured. Given the current band structures there would be major issues to be worked out as to how such a new rate could be integrated in practice into the current system and how this would affect the relative position of different types of income earners. These figures are provisional and subject to revision.
300 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to the complaint by many consumers that they were missold endowment policies; his views on the feature of the financial ombudsman whereby a case cannot be taken if the conduct occurred more than six years before the complaint was made and on the fact that this will exclude complaints regarding such misselling. [22106/05]
The Irish Financial Services Regulatory Authority — the financial regulator — is currently studying the situation with regard to endowment loan shortfalls, having commenced a survey last year, to determine whether and to what extent there will be difficulties for customers. It would be inappropriate to reach any conclusions in this issue in advance of IFSRA's consideration of the matter. The authority's consumer director has encouraged people to come forward if they are concerned about the possibility of having been mis-sold an endowment mortgage. The financial regulator has emphasised the importance of bringing complaints in the first instance to the financial institution from which they bought the policy.
The recently appointed Financial Services Ombudsman, whose office became operational on 1 April this year, is statutorily independent and is empowered to deal with complaints from customers of financial service providers. As stated by the Deputy, the ombudsman can deal with complaints related to conduct occurring up to six years before the complaint was made.
In addition, under the Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland Act 2004, a provision exists for consumers to make complaints if the latest occurrence of the conduct being complained about happened within the last six years.
Consistent with the approach adopted in the Pensions Ombudsman scheme, it was considered essential to insert a retrospection limit on the investigation of complaints by the Financial Services Ombudsman. It would not be practical for the ombudsman to be asked to investigate complaints into conduct that occurred many years previously. In addition, while there is a time limit on the jurisdiction of the Financial Services Ombudsman, the financial regulator can examine conduct which occurred before the six year period.
It is important to bear in mind also that while the Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland Acts 2003 and 2004 provided for the roles of both the regulator and the ombudsman scheme concerning complaints about financial institutions, there was no diminution in the right of the consumer to have recourse to legal action through the courts.
301 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Finance if a person (details supplied) in County Kildare is on emergency tax; if so, when the person’s tax affairs will be regularised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22128/05]
I have been advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the taxpayer is on emergency tax as there is no record that Revenue was notified of the person's employment, either by the person himself or his employer. The position has now been clarified by Revenue and a certificate of tax credits issued, dated 24 June 2005. This will regularise his income tax affairs.
302 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Finance the funds which Ireland received from the EU in each of the past ten years; the amount Ireland had to pay on behalf of taxpayers here to the EU in each of the same years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22176/05]
The Irish receipts from and payments to the EU budget in the past ten years are detailed in the table below. The table also outlines the net position in relation to Ireland.
|
Year |
Receipts from EU Budget |
Payments to EU Budget |
Net Receipts |
|
€m |
€m |
€m |
|
|
1995 |
2,568.7 |
689.2 |
1,879.5 |
|
1996 |
2,818.2 |
687.1 |
2,131.1 |
|
1997 |
3,179.9 |
652.0 |
2,527.9 |
|
1998 |
3,015.9 |
989.4 |
2,026.5 |
|
1999 |
2,678.9 |
1,051.0 |
1,627.9 |
|
2000 |
2,602.1 |
1,075.0 |
1,527.1 |
|
2001 |
2,488.8 |
1,220.0 |
1,268.8 |
|
2002 |
2,513.1 |
1,011.2 |
1,501.9 |
|
2003 |
2,611.6 |
1,190.4 |
1,421.2 |
|
2004 |
2,601.2 |
1,185.5 |
1,415.7 |
As can be inferred from this table, Ireland has contributed some €9.7 billion to the EU budget from 1995 to 2004. During this same period, Ireland received over €27 billion in transfers, giving a net benefit of some €17.3 billion. The table also illustrates that despite Ireland's receipts remaining reasonably static at around €2.7billion per annum, Irish payments to the EU budget have almost doubled over the same period.
Ireland's future net position will obviously depend on the outcome of the current negotiations on the financial perspective for the EU budget for the period 2007-13. However, it can be expected that our payments to the EU budget will continue to rise while our receipts will reduce in future years, reflecting our strong economic growth which has resulted in our becoming one of the more prosperous member states of the Union.
303 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Finance the amount which has been collected from householders in each year since 1997 under the former residential property tax; if any householder may still face a liability in respect of periods prior to the abolition of RPT due to non-payment or underpayment; the extent of any such liabilities; if such liabilities are a charge on the property of householders until cleared; if any interest and surcharges have been applied in respect of any outstanding liabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22177/05]
I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that the net receipt of residential property tax for each year since 1997 is as follows:
|
Year |
€m |
|
1997 |
3.95 |
|
1998 |
1.83 |
|
1999 |
1.77 |
|
2000 |
2.02 |
|
2001 |
1.65 |
|
2002 |
0.83 |
|
2003 |
0.40 |
|
2004 |
0.38 |
Residential property tax, RPT, was abolished with effect from 5 April 1997. However, any person who had a liability to RPT prior to its abolition in 1997 has an obligation to discharge that liability, including the payment of interest.
A liability to RPT is not a charge on a property, except where a person — transferor — transfers a residential property to his or her spouse. In such cases, where a transferor transfers a residential property to his or her spouse, any tax and interest due and outstanding on the date of such transfer shall be and remain, for 12 years from that date, a first charge on that property.
Where a property is sold for a consideration in excess of the RPT threshold the vendor must furnish an RPT clearance certificate to the purchaser to certify that the vendor does not have an outstanding RPT liability. The value threshold for this purpose is €1,300,000 and applies to house sale contracts on or after 5 April 2005. Where the vendor fails to furnish the purchaser with an RPT clearance the purchaser must deduct a specified amount from the sale consideration and remit the specified amount to the Revenue Commissioners. The specified amount is calculated by deducting the amount of the RPT threshold from the sale consideration and multiplying the answer by 1.5%.
Where a person requests a clearance certificate from Revenue and has not previously paid RPT, Revenue will issue a multi-year return form to that person, and the form must be returned to Revenue with payment of any outstanding tax and interest. Where a person has paid RPT previously and requests a clearance certificate from Revenue, and Revenue consider that the RPT has been underpaid for any year(s), an assessment will issue for the amount of the underpayment.
Interest has been applied to late payments of RPT, however, surcharges do not apply to outstanding RPT liabilities.
304 Mr. O’Connor asked the Minister for Finance the receipts accruing to the Exchequer in 2002, 2003 and 2004 from VAT receipts on house purchases; the likely revenues lost if the VAT rate had remained unchanged; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22178/05]
I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that the amount of VAT collected from house purchases cannot be identified in the overall yield of VAT as the information furnished on VAT returns does not require this to be identified. However, based on data published by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, the VAT yield from the sale of new houses, including apartments, is estimated as €1,100 million in 2002, €1,541 million in 2003 and €1,999 million in 2004.
The reduced VAT rate of 12.5% was increased to 13.5% on 1 January 2003. Had the reduced VAT rate remained unchanged it is estimated that the VAT yield would have been €96 million less in 2003 and €148 million less in 2004. The estimated increase in the overall VAT yield from all sectors to the Exchequer arising from the increase in the reduced rate was €239 million in 2003 and €330 million in 2004. This is, therefore, an important source of funding for public services.
305 Mr. O’Connor asked the Minister for Finance the cost to the Exchequer of abolishing stamp duty for first time buyers on homes up to €400,000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22179/05]
All owner-occupiers are generally exempt from stamp duty on new houses where the property is 125 square metres or less. As the Deputy will be aware, the 2005 budget introduced a stamp duty relieving measure for first-time house purchasers who are owner-occupiers of second-hand houses by increasing the stamp duty exemption threshold for such purchasers from €190,500 to €317,500 and by reducing rates for house values up to €635,000.
I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that the estimated cost of abolishing stamp duty for first-time buyers who are owner-occupiers of residential property up to €400,000 is approximately €14 million in a full year.
306 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Finance the cost to the Exchequer of doubling the VAT threshold for small businesses in 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22181/05]
Traders making supplies in the State are obliged to register for VAT where certain turnover thresholds are exceeded or are likely to be exceeded in any continuous period of 12 months. The current thresholds which were enacted by the Finance Act 1994 with effect from 1 July 1994 are: €25,500 in the case of a person supplying services — this threshold also applies to persons supplying a combination of goods and services or goods chargeable at the 13.5% or 21% VAT rates which are produced from zero-rated materials; and €51,000 for persons supplying goods. Businesses with turnover below these thresholds can register for VAT and those in the service sector in particular frequently choose to do so for business reasons.
As regards the estimated cost of doubling the current thresholds, the position is that under the EU Sixth VAT Directive with which Irish VAT law must comply member states may only increase thresholds in line with inflation. However, if thresholds were increased in line with the consumer price index since 1994, the €25,500 threshold would need to be increased to €34,910 and the €51,000 threshold would need to be increased to €69,819. The costs involved would be €19 million and €45 million respectively, amounting to a total cost of €64 million in a full year.
It is not customary for me to comment on any possible changes to thresholds which may or may not arise in the context of the forthcoming budget.
307 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Finance if motor vehicle forms RF100 and VRT4, Rev 6, will be synchronised; if carbonised versions will be made available to motor dealers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22238/05]
I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the VRT4, Rev 6, form is a declaration for first registration of a used vehicle and the RF100 form is an application to the motor tax authorities — local authorities — for first licensing of a used vehicle. Prior to March 2005, the VRT4 and the RF100 were printed as one carbonised set, with the VRT4 the top page and the RF100 the bottom page. The information applicable to both documents copied through from the VRT4 to the RF100. Changes made to the RF100 form by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, requesting additional information, led to the misalignment of the two forms and made the existing carbonised document obsolete.
The Revenue Commissioners are actively engaging with the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government with a view to synchronising the data and producing a carbonised version of the revised forms. This form would then be made available to motor dealers.
308 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Finance the total cost, number and nature of legal services sought by his Department from 1998 to 2004 and to date in 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22415/05]
In general, my Department uses the services of the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of the Chief State Solicitor and seeks outside legal advisers in circumstances requiring legal advice of a specific and/or specialist nature. The following table details the cost, number and nature of such legal services sought by my Department in the period in question.
|
Name of Service Provider |
Cost |
Year |
Nature of Work |
|
€ |
|||
|
— |
1998 |
— |
|
|
McCann FitzGerald Solicitors |
58,734 |
1999 |
Advice in respect of Pension Entitlements of former Civil Servants. |
|
Arthur Cox & Co. Solicitors |
138,965 |
2000 |
Advice in respect of the proposed merger and flotation of ACC and TSB Bank. |
|
McCann FitzGerald Solicitors |
47,081 |
2000 |
Advice in respect of the An Post ESOP |
|
McCann FitzGerald Solicitors |
11,512 |
2001 |
Advice in respect of the An Post ESOP |
|
Mason, Hayes and Curran Solicitors |
72,200 |
2001 |
Advice and assistance in the competitive process to award the National Lottery licence |
|
Gerard Hogan SC |
960 |
2002 |
Advice re: the establishment of financial services regulatory authority. |
|
ABN Amro & McCann FitzGerald Solicitors |
895,165 |
2002 |
Advice in relation to the Sale of ICC Bank plc. |
|
A&L Goodbody Solicitors |
368,760 |
2002 |
Advice in relation to the sale of ACC Bank. |
|
A&L Goodbody Solicitors |
1,640,000 |
2002 |
Advice in relation to the establishment, including advice on legislation, of Financial Services Regulatory Authority |
|
O’Donnell Sweeney Solicitors |
156,776 |
2002 |
Assistance in the drafting of the Unclaimed Life Assurance Policies Bill 2002 |
|
McCann FitzGerald Solicitors |
69,542 |
2002 |
Secondment of a solicitor to assist in relation to legal matters arising within the Department. |
|
Matheson, Ormsby & Prentice Solicitors |
130,106 |
2002 |
Secondment of a solicitor to assist in relation to legal matters arising within the Department. |
|
Matheson, Ormsby & Prentice Solicitors |
55,704 |
2003 |
Secondment of a solicitor to assist in relation to legal matters arising within the Department. |
|
Arthur Cox & Co. Solicitors |
6,050 |
2003 |
Professional fees for advice, attendance correspondence, preparation of a comparison of Disclosure Regulations in Ireland and Northern Ireland |
|
McCann Fitzgerald Solicitors |
30,250 |
2003 |
Secondment of a solicitor to assist in relation to legal matters arising within the Department. |
|
A&L Goodbody Solicitors |
77,171 |
2003 |
Legal advice to Minister in relation to the sale of ACC Bank |
|
Matheson Ormsby Prentice Solicitors |
12,233 |
2004 |
Drafting of contractual terms & conditions |
|
A&L Goodbody Solicitors |
55,524 |
2004 |
Drafting of contracts for construction projects |
|
Philip Lee Solicitors |
25,793 |
2004 |
Drafting of contracts for construction projects |
|
McCann Fitzgerald Solicitors |
77,407 |
2004 |
Secondment of a solicitor to assist in relation to legal matters arising within the Department. |
|
Denis Kelleher B.L. |
1,815 |
2004 |
Drafting of Statutory Instrument |
|
Michael M. Collins S.C. |
800 |
2004 |
Advice on Discovery Order from Commission to Enquire into Abuse in Residential Institutions |
|
A&L Goodbody Solicitors |
79,631 |
2004 |
Legal advice to Minister in relation to the sale of ACC Bank |
|
A&L Goodbody Solicitors |
231,800 |
2005 |
Drafting of contracts for construction projects |
|
Philip Lee Solicitors |
19,575 |
2005 |
Drafting of contracts for construction projects |
|
McCann Fitzgerald Solicitors |
24,684 |
2005 |
Drafting of contracts for construction projects |
|
A&L Goodbody Solicitors |
45,230 |
2005 |
Legal Advisors to Compile a compendium of Public Private Partnership terms and conditions of Contract |
|
A&L Goodbody Solicitors |
124,316 |
2005 |
Legal advice to Minister in relation to the sale of ACC Bank |
|
Total* |
4,457,784 |
*28 items.
309 Mr. G. Murphy asked the Minister for Finance, further to Parliamentary Question No. 336 of 21 June 2005, the length of time the dispute is ongoing; and when the Chief State Solicitor’s office expects the situation to be clarified. [22444/05]
The Chief State Solicitor's office was first written to on 23 October 2002 and is in correspondence with the claimant's solicitor.
310 Ms Cooper-Flynn asked the Minister for Finance if a local development company will carry out work to the local Garda station which is in the ownership of the Office of Public Works. [22445/05]
The Commissioners of Public Works carry out works to Garda stations at the behest of the Garda authorities and the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. To date, the commissioners have not received a request for painting works to the Garda station referred to.
311 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Finance the impact of the new EU savings directive for declaration and payment of tax; if the Revenue Commissioners have provided a guide on the new requirements for financial institutions and other persons affected; if he is satisfied that peoples’ attention has been drawn to the new obligations. [22446/05]
The EU savings directive was transposed into Irish law by the Finance Act 2004. The purpose of the directive is to ensure that individuals resident in an EU member state who receive savings income from a paying agent in another member state are taxed in the member state in which they are resident for tax purposes. To this end, the directive provides for most EU member states to automatically exchange information on the cross-border payment of interest to individuals resident in another member state.
Three member states — Austria, Belgium and Luxembourg — have chosen not to introduce a reporting system and will impose a withholding tax on such interest payments instead. The directive does not introduce any change to the declaration and payment of tax in Ireland by individuals. However, the information exchanged will enable the tax authorities in the member state in which the recipient is resident to ensure that he or she has declared that income for tax purposes.
The savings tax scheme also extends to ten dependent and associated territories of the UK and the Netherlands, namely, Aruba, Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, Jersey, Montserrat, the Netherlands Antilles, and the Turks and Caicos Islands. Moreover, the EU has entered into agreements with Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino and Switzerland under which these countries will both apply a withholding tax on interest payments to residents of EU member states and will also exchange information on request with EU member states on tax fraud. The legislation applies to payments of interest made on or after 1 July 2005. In order to make the report, Irish paying agents — generally financial institutions and other persons who make interest payments in the course of their business — must establish the identity and residence of their customers who are individuals and report details to the Revenue Commissioners of interest payments made to those individuals who are resident in another EU state. The Revenue Commissioners, in turn, are authorised to forward the information returned to the appropriate member states in which the individuals are resident.
The obligation to collect information on the identity and country of residence of customers in accordance with the rules set out in the directive applied from 1 January 2004. As regards customers where the relationship was established before that date, paying agents must establish the identity and country of residence of such customers using whatever information is in their possession at that time. First reports from paying agents to the Revenue Commissioners are due by 31 March 2006. These reports will cover interest payments made in the period 1 July 2005 to 31 December 2005. Thereafter, the reports will be due annually by 31 March of the year following the year in which the payments are made.
It is expected that most paying agents will make returns electronically via the Revenue on-line system, ROS. To this end, the Revenue Commissioners have developed free software to prepare and manage returns. This software will be available towards the end of July 2005 using the ROS link on the Revenue web site www.revenue.ie. A paper version of the return will also be available for those paying agents who may not have the technological capability to make electronic returns.
I understand that the Revenue Commissioners have been proactive in publicising the new requirements from the outset. Consultations with the financial services industry and other interested parties regarding the implementation of the directive commenced in 2003 and are ongoing. Industry organisations which have been consulted include the Irish Bankers Federation, An Post, the Irish League of Credit Unions, the Central Bank, the National Treasury Management Agency, the Dublin Funds Industry Association, the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland, the Irish Taxation Institute, the Irish Stock Exchange, and the Irish Association of Investment Managers.
Guidelines on the operation of the legislation have been drawn up in consultation with the financial institutions and other organisations mentioned above. The guidelines were circulated and revised as appropriate to take on board industry views and concerns. The first working draft of the savings directive guidelines was drawn up in November 2003 and the guidelines were published on the Revenue website in June 2004. These guidelines will be revised as and when issues arise during the implementation phase.
The Revenue Commissioners have also supplied material on the savings directive for inclusion in the Incorporated Law Society Journal and will shortly be publishing an article in Tax Briefing, a Revenue publication circulated to accountants and other tax professionals. The commissioners will also issue a notice early next year — probably by newspaper advertisement — reminding paying agents of the obligation to submit a return by 31 March 2006.
312 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Finance the total cost, number and nature of reports, consultancies or other advisory or public relations commissions awarded by his Department from 1998 to 2004 and to date in 2005 to persons other than established civil servants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22471/05]
I refer the Deputy to the reply I gave to a similar question on 17 February 2004 in respect of the years 1999 to 2003, a copy of which I have forwarded to him. I propose to provide the additional details requested by the Deputy in respect of 1998, 2004 and 2005 to date.
My Department had spending on reports, consultancies and other advisory or PR commissions as mentioned by the Deputy in each of the years in question. The NDP-CSF unit which operates under the aegis of my Department also had such spending, but a breakdown of that spending is only available by project.
The total in respect of each of the years in question for my Department, and the total for the NDP-CSF unit, are shown in the following summary table:
|
1998 |
2004 |
2005 |
|
|
€ |
€ |
€ |
|
|
Department of Finance |
1,972,451 |
1,110,950 |
500,980 |
|
NDP/CSF unit |
8,954 |
279,172 |
106,224 |
The information sought by the Deputy for 1998, 2004 and 2005 to date is set out in the following tables. As will be seen from these tables, someprojects involved payments in more than one year. In the case of the NDP-CSF unit, the information is provided for each individual project.
|
Name of Consultant |
Cost |
Brief Description of Project |
|
€ |
||
|
Farrell Grant Sparks/Goodbody Economic Consultants in association with Chesterton Consulting. |
25,395 & VAT |
Study on Public Private Partnerships. |
|
Mercer Limited |
34,918 & VAT |
Review of Alternative Structure — Project to design a hybrid pension scheme. |
|
Irish Pensions Trust Limited |
27,299 & VAT |
Actuarial Review of Public Service Pension Schemes and Actuarial Review of Impact of Changes to Pension Scheme Terms — follow up work on initial project. |
|
KPMG |
36,888 |
Procurement of Air Transport and related services for Government Departments. |
|
IPA, Trinity College & Goodbody Economic Consultants |
57,138 & VAT |
To investigate the gender imbalance in the Civil Service at HEO level and above. |
|
Lansdowne Market Research Limited |
25,343 |
Research on public awareness of the Euro. |
|
Advanced Management & Organisation Development Limited |
18,335 |
Provision of mentoring services to CMOD on Organisation Development Models and Strategies to meet client needs. |
|
Watson Wyatt |
2,793 & VAT |
Report in relation to Irish Aviation Authority Pensions. |
|
Hay Management Consultants |
88,177 |
Evaluation and Market Pricing of Chief Executive Positions in the Commercial State Organisations. |
|
Compaq Computer Ireland Ltd. |
284,827 |
Payable Order Reconciliation System for the bank clearing process for the Paymaster General’s Office. |
|
Carr Communications |
83,529 |
Provision of public relations services in relation to the Euro changeover. |
|
Brindley Advertising |
318,030 |
Design and delivery of Euro advertising campaign. |
|
Mr. Billy Power |
5,727 |
Consultancy in relation to public service pensions. |
|
Team comprising Dr. Peter Humphreys — Institute of Public Administration, Dr. Eileen Drew — Trinity College and Ms. Candy Murphy — Goodbody Economic Consultants |
57,138 |
Research into gender imbalance in the civil service. |
|
Price WaterHouse Cooper |
58,230 |
Secondment of an accountant to provide financial, accountancy and related advice. |
|
Price WaterHouse Cooper |
31,407 |
Secondment of an accountant to provide financial, accountancy and related advice. |
|
Compaq |
817,277 |
Re-write of payable order reconciliation system in Paymaster General’s Office to make it year 2000 compliant. |
|
Name of Consultant |
Cost |
Brief Description of Project |
|
€ |
||
|
4 Corners |
71,125 |
Study of HRMS implementation |
|
A & L Goodbody |
79,631 |
Provision of legal advice in relation to the sale of ACC bank |
|
Accenture |
24,200 |
E-Government policy preparation. |
|
Accenture |
71,725 |
Overall review and study of HR management system and implementation arrangement. |
|
Annesley Resource Partnership Ltd |
121 |
Completion of questionnaire for Expenditure Review Central Steering Committee in respect of completed Expenditure Review. |
|
Bearingpoint |
13,842 |
Developing HRMS interface. |
|
Bearingpoint |
1,888 |
Technical support on HRMS System. |
|
Brian Kelly Design Associates |
1,271 |
Design the EAO 2003 Annual Report and information leaflet. |
|
Brookhill |
11,979 |
E-Government policy preparation. |
|
Codec Ltd |
159 |
Development of an E-Estimates system. |
|
Codec Ltd |
158,948 |
Development of an E-Estimates system. |
|
Committee for Public Management Research |
50,800 |
Contribution towards the cost of research work. |
|
Denis Kelleher BL |
2,178 |
Drafting of Statutory Instrument. |
|
Decentralisation Implementation Group |
92,790 |
Payments to non-civil service members of the Decentralisation Implementation Group. |
|
Deloitte and Touche |
48,400 |
Financial assessment of decentralisation costs and savings. |
|
Ergo Consulting Ltd |
121 |
Completion of questionnaire for Expenditure Review Central Steering Committee in respect of completed Expenditure Review. |
|
European Institute of Public Administration |
59,840 |
Report to the Directors General responsible for public administration in the EU — Assessing the implications of demographic changes on public sector pensions. |
|
European Institute of Public Administration |
66,975 |
Report to the Directors General responsible for public administration in the EU — Ethics in the public services of the member states of the EU. |
|
FTC (UK) Ltd. |
112,310 |
Training course preparation for Management Information Framework. |
|
Goldsmith Fitzgerald |
7,078 |
DTU Consultancy Study. |
|
Hay Management Consultants |
2,662 |
Evaluation of Chief Executive posts in Shannon and Cork Airport Authorities |
|
IBM Ireland Ltd. |
24,135 |
Organisational analysis in the Department of Finance. |
|
IPA |
100 |
Completion of questionnaire for Expenditure Review Central Steering Committee in respect of completed Expenditure Review. |
|
IPA |
1,200 |
Quality Assessment of the expenditure review report of the charitable lotteries scheme. |
|
IPA |
9,075 |
Review of the Internal Audit unit of the Department of Finance. |
|
IPA |
14,520 |
Training for Expenditure Review Initiative. |
|
Irish Hospice Foundation |
750 |
Provision of group training in bereavement counselling to Employer Assistance Officers network. |
|
Isobel Butler |
1,000 |
Provision of group training on family law to Employee Assistance Officer network. |
|
KPMG |
11,023 |
Review of “Common Assessment Framework” Resource Centre during Ireland’s presidency. |
|
Loman Cusack Design |
2,100 |
Design and layout on Family Law to Employee Assistance officer network. |
|
Mazars |
2,790 |
Audit of expenditure incurred under the Ireland/Czech Republic twinning programme. |
|
McCann Fitzgerald Solicitors |
77,407 |
Provision of solicitor on secondment to Department of Finance. |
|
Morehampton Consultancy Services |
7,700 |
Review of Project Management skills in the civil service. |
|
Peoplesoft |
10,636 |
HRMS Licence maintenance fee. |
|
Petrus |
121 |
Completion of questionnaire for Expenditure Review Central Steering Committee in respect of completed Expenditure Review. |
|
Prof. Brendan Walsh |
2,354 |
Expenditure Review Central Steering Committee. |
|
Propylon |
1,996 |
Open Source research. |
|
Raymond Burke |
121 |
Completion of questionnaire for Expenditure Review Central Steering Committee in respect of completed Expenditure Review. |
|
Siobhan Lynam |
26,410 |
Research into the representation of women in the Irish Civil Service. |
|
Softworks Computing Ltd; |
14,157 |
Customisation of Time and Attendance System. |
|
Softworks Computing Ltd; |
24,041 |
Maintenance of Time and Attendance System. |
|
St. John of God Hospital |
700 |
Provision of seminar on mental health to Employee Assistance Officers network. |
|
William Power |
571 |
Consultancy service on Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004. |
|
Name of Consultant |
Cost |
Brief Description of Project |
|
€ |
||
|
Dr. Jim Fitzpatrick, Fitzpatrick & Associates |
1,573 |
Preparation and presentation to the Expenditure Reviewer’s Network on 9th June 2005 |
|
Dr. Michael Mulreany |
5,000 |
Annual fee for serving as an independent member of the Expenditure Review Central Steering Committee |
|
Dr. Richard Boyle |
4,356 |
Fee for design and presentation of Expenditure Review Training over 3 days |
|
IQ Content Ltd |
14,036 |
Accessibility audit of the etenders website, www.etenders.gov.ie. |
|
Millstream Associates Ltd |
50,127 |
Development and management of the etenders website, www.etenders.gov.ie. |
|
Consortium comprising The Media Group (lead company), Elucidate and Ogilvy & Mather |
92,375 |
Marketing campaign, including advertising and PR. |
|
A&L Goodbody Solicitors |
45,230 |
Legal Advisors to Compile a Compendium of PPP Terms and Conditions of Contract. |
|
A&L Goodbody |
124,316 |
Legal advice in relation to litigation cases associated with the sale of ACC bank. |
|
Petrus Consultants |
1,757 |
Independent evaluation of expenditure review. |
|
Mr. Neil Doyle |
2,475 |
Consulting on the Public Service Management Act. |
|
EIPA Maastricht |
8,100 |
Review of CAF Resource Centre in EIPA, Maastricht, Holland. |
|
Core International |
114,369 |
Developments to Corepay Payroll System. |
|
Amas Ltd. |
14,276 |
Research on Content and Presentation of Forms. |
|
Paul L. Cassidy and Maura Cassidy |
22,990 |
Survey of clients regarding the role of the Civil Service Training Centre in a decentralised environment. |
|
Name of Consultant |
Cost |
Brief Description of Project |
|
€ |
||
|
Ms. Joan Curry |
57,138 per annum |
Contract accountant to assist in the implementation of the Department’s Management Information Project. |
|
Deloitte and Touché |
153,000 |
Advice and support in relation to the implementation of a new Management Information Framework in the Department of Finance. |
|
Farrell Grant Sparks |
2,360 |
Provision of training in relation to the assessment of staffing needs and structures across the civil service. |
|
Name of Consultant |
Cost |
Brief Description of Project |
|
€ |
||
|
IPA |
1,152 |
Consultancy regarding ongoing evaluation in the CSF. |
|
Fitzpatrick Associates |
3,687 |
Consultancy re: prior Appraisal of NDP 2000-2006. |
|
PriceWaterhouseCoopers Belfast |
76,184 |
Ongoing Evaluation of the Special Programme for Peace and Reconciliation. |
|
ESRI |
274,898 |
Ex-Ante Evaluation of the Investment Priorities for Post — 1999 Structural and Cohesion Funds. |
|
IPA |
2,305 |
Project advice on production of CSF Indicators paper. |
|
IPA |
28,597 |
Drafting and production of Structural Funds Procedures Manual. |
|
Fleishman-Hillard Saunders |
41,272 |
Consultancy on NDP Communications Strategy. |
|
Drury Communications Research |
79,051 |
Public awareness research on NDP/CSF 2000-2006. |
|
ECOTEC Research & Consulting Ltd |
15,918 |
Ex-ante evaluation of Ireland/Wales Interreg IIIA. |
|
ECOTEC Research & Consulting Ltd |
12,001 |
Evaluation of Interreg IIIB Atlantic Area. |
|
ESRI/Deloitte & Touche |
32,559 |
Phase One of a study of the Labour Market Impact of Human Resources (Education and Training) Interventions in the Community Support Framework for Ireland, 1994 — 1999. |
|
ESRI |
59,612 |
Phase Two of above study. |
|
Indecon Consultants |
64,450 [complete] |
Public transport evaluation. |
|
Fitzpatrick Associates |
78,678 [complete] |
Roads evaluation. |
|
Fitzpatrick Associates |
139,661 [complete] |
Human resources evaluation. |
|
CMG UK Limited |
768,811 |
Analysis, Design and Development of a computerised system for the Structural and Cohesion Funds management. |
|
PriceWaterhouseCoopers |
96,792 |
Report on Planning Phase 1 for CSF/ ERDF/Cohesion Fund Community Initiatives Computer System. |
|
Capita Consulting |
40,207 [complete] |
Human resources follow-up surveys. |
|
Curtin Communications |
239,152 |
Provision of publicity services relating to NDP/CSF. |
|
Windmill Lane |
109,221 |
Design / development of NDP website. |
|
Arthur Andersen |
160,552 (Post July 1997 payments amounted to £63,223) |
Review of the financial management and control systems relating to the European Regional Development Fund, the EU Cohesion Fund and the EFTA Cohesion Fund. |
|
Fitzpatrick & Associates |
125,964 |
Review of Project Appraisal and Selection Procedures in the Community Support Framework for Ireland, 1994-1999. |
|
Economics Dept. NUI |
2,032 |
Labour Market Impact of HR. Interventions. |
|
Economics Dept. NUI |
2,032 |
Labour Market Impact of HR. Management. |
|
Coopers & Lybrand |
£5,000 Sterling |
Economic Appraisal of an Ireland/Northern Ireland Interreg Economic Development project application entitled “The Cross Border Furniture Development Programme”. |
|
ESRI |
97,008 |
Mid term review of the Community Support framework 1994-1999. |
|
ESRI |
35,736 |
Eco auditing. |
|
Allen recruitment |
76,521 |
Information technology system design. |
|
Allen recruitment |
3,896 [complete] |
Maintenance on Oracle Data Upload Programmes |
|
Memorex |
189,202 |
Information technology consultancy. |
|
RTS |
16,751 |
Software consultancy. |
|
Web Factory |
145,504 |
Web design. |
|
Office Objects Ltd. |
1,219 |
Oracle contract programming. |
|
Adept Creative Facilities |
60,607 |
Advertising campaign for NDP/Copywrite art and design. |
|
Data Way |
303 |
Information technology system support. |
|
Lansdowne Market research |
14,822 |
NDP public awareness research. |
|
Expert and Consultancy |
4,306 |
Information technology system consultancy. |
|
Fluid Rock |
97,596 |
Hosting and maintenance of NDP/CSF website |
|
Keating Associates |
10,890 |
PR Consultancy |
|
IPA |
14,250 |
Second payment for Report on the Cohesion Fund in Ireland. |
|
IDOM Consultants |
11,000 |
Drafting of Programme Complement for the Atlantic Area Interreg IIIB Programme in line with Commission requirements. |
|
Brindley Advertisers |
41,482 |
Purchase of advertising space as per Government contracts (third party fees) |
|
Grayling |
128,032 |
Consultancy Fees in relation to Provision of publicity services for NDP/CSF(excluding third party fees). |
|
Grayling |
104,920 |
Third party costs, e.g. purchase of advertising space in newspapers, photography, etc. |
313 Mr. G. Murphy asked the Minister for Finance the amount of money which has been spent on the renting, leasing or purchasing of de-mountable, temporary accommodation in the past five years; if his Department arranges this through the Department of Finance; the tendering process which is in operation and the frequency in which it is reviewed; the length of time the arrangement lasts; the average period of renting or leasing; and the number of units which have been rented and leased over five, eight and ten years. [22486/05]
The information concerned is not readily available in the form requested. I will be in direct communication with the Deputy in due course when it is to hand.
314 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Finance the names, titles, dates of appointment, total annual salary including pension contributions of each of the special or political advisers, personal assistants or personal secretaries appointed by him; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22542/05]
The following is the information requested by the Deputy.
|
Name |
Title |
Date of Appointment |
Annual Salary |
Pension contributions |
|
Gerry Steadman |
Special Adviser |
30 September 2004 |
€71,859 plus 10% allowance |
As a seconded civil servant recruited prior to 6 April 1995, the terms of the non-contributory scheme for established State employees apply |
|
Sinead Dooley |
Personal Assistant |
30 September 2004 |
€47,921 |
Terms of non-contributory scheme for non-established State employees apply |
|
Elaine Hogan |
Personal Secretary |
30 September 2004 |
€24,518 |
Terms of non-contributory scheme for non-established State employees apply |
315 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Finance when a lease will be stamped for a person (details supplied) in County Mayo. [22635/05]
I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the deed in this case was stamped on 24 June 2005.
316 Ms Harkin asked the Minister for Finance the shortfall in the expenditure to date in the BMW region under the NDP in the different operational programmes; and the way in which he intends to make up this shortfall in spending in that region over the remainder of the NDP. [22636/05]
The table below sets out the indicative expenditure profiles and the expenditure reported to the NDP-CSF monitoring committee at its most recent meeting for each operational programme for the border, midland and west, BMW, region for the period January 2000 to December 2004. In the case of measures funded by the Structural Funds, expenditure has been profiled for each year from 2000 to 2006, even though spending on these measures will continue to the end of 2008 in the BMW region. The expenditure profiles were set in 2000 when the operational programmes were prepared.
|
Operational Programme |
BMW Profile2000-2004 |
BMW Expenditure 2000-2004 |
Expenditure versus Profile |
|
€m |
€m |
% |
|
|
Economic and Social Infrastructure |
4,775 |
4,291 |
90 |
|
Employment and Human Resources Development |
3,102 |
2,921 |
94 |
|
Productive Sector |
1,796 |
602 |
34 |
|
Border, Midlands & Western Regional |
2,880 |
1,761 |
61 |
|
PEACE II & Technical Assistance |
144 |
66 |
49 |
|
Total |
12,697 |
9,641 |
76 |
1 Includes all NDP sources of funding; Exchequer, EU and Private.
Overall progress on delivering the NDP has been improving with some €36.2 billion of expenditure incurred nationally at the end of December 2004. This compares with €28 billion of expenditure at the end of December 2003. With respect to expenditure in the BMW region, total expenditure reported to the NDP-CSF monitoring committee amounted to some €9.6 billion or 76% of profiled expenditure for the period January 2000 to December 2004. In 2004 just over €1 billion was spent on the key economic and social infrastructure programme in the BMW region. This represented 96% of projected expenditure for the year 2004 with total expenditure at nearly 90% of projected levels for the period January 2000 to December 2004. In the national roads programme, €168 million more was spent in the BMW region in 2004 than in 2003. This attests to the continued significant improvement in investment in the region. In the housing programme, expenditure in the BMW region from January 2000 to December 2004 reached 120% of projected expenditure for the period. Expenditure on the health programme over the same period amounted to 99% of forecast.
With respect to the performance of the productive sector operational programme, expenditure is considerably behind the original targets set in 1999 in both regions due to a combination of factors. Demand for some of the schemes under this programme and the level of funding expected from the private sector did not materialise as initially anticipated. The original expenditure forecasts and the regional breakdown of this expenditure were set at unrealistic levels in the light of activity in the area since the NDP was launched in 1999.
Performance of both regional operational programmes remains disappointing due mainly to the lack of demand for a range of schemes, particularly in the agriculture sector, and the lateness of some measures to begin spending. Good progress is evident with respect to expenditure on local infrastructure, microenterprise support and social inclusion. Expenditure on the employment and human resource development operational programme is broadly consistent in both regions with performance in both regions close to 95% of the original expenditure targets for the period 2000 to 2004.
European Structural Funds are profiled to ensure consistency with the EU budget commitments of such funds to each operational programme for each year of the NDP. However, expenditure under the EU-funded elements of the operational programmes will continue until the end of 2008. Therefore, expenditure which will occur in the years 2007 and 2008 must be considered when viewing the rate of progress on the measures supported by the Structural Funds.
The responsibility of my Department is to ensure that resources are made available to meet the Government's priorities and to secure full drawdown of Ireland's allocation of Structural Funds. To date, the level of Exchequer resources made available under the NDP has been greater than originally profiled. It is my objective that as major projects are completed more funds will become available over the remainder of the NDP for investment in the BMW region so that progress can be made on rectifying the existing imbalance.
317 Ms Harkin asked the Minister for Finance the percentage of multi-annual capital envelopes expenditure which has been earmarked for the BMW region from 2006. [22637/05]
The five-year, multi-annual capital envelope for the period 2005-09 amounts to €36.3 billion, of which €32.6 billion is Exchequer funded and €3.7 billion is PPP funded. The envelope provision is not broken down by region. I am not, therefore, in a position to say how much of it will be expended in the BMW region over the period from 2006. This is a matter for individual Ministers and Departments who generally have delegated sanction to approve projects within the overall programme amount as approved by Government. The Deputy may, therefore, wish to contact individual Departments for the information sought in the question.
I have separately, in a reply to Question No. 316 from the Deputy, set out the estimated level of spend, to date, in the BMW region under the national development plan, 2000-06.
318 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Finance the total number of active SSIA accounts; the number of these active accounts held by women; the breakdown of the accounts held by women under the monthly subscription level; the average age of subscribers to the special savings scheme; the percentage of SSIAs held by each age group in 2004 and income levels for SSIA holders. [22638/05]
I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that, based on the 2004 SSIA annual returns furnished by all qualifying savings managers, the total number of active accounts at 31 December 2004 was 1,094,294. The overall breakdown by subscription level is as follows:
|
Monthly subscription level |
At 31/12/2004 |
|
% |
|
|
€12.50 or less |
5 |
|
€12.51 —€59.99 |
14 |
|
€60 —€149.99 |
23 |
|
€150 —€249.99 |
14 |
|
€250 —€254 (max) |
44 |
The number of active accounts held by women and the breakdown by subscription levels for women subscribers is not available.
The average age of subscribers in 2004 is 42 and the breakdown of accounts by age group is as follows:
|
Age Range (Years) |
% of SSIA accounts |
|
% |
|
|
18-29 |
17.9 |
|
30-39 |
24.9 |
|
40-49 |
22.9 |
|
50-59 |
18.1 |
|
60-69 |
10.7 |
|
70-79 |
4.4 |
|
80-89 |
0.9 |
|
90 and over |
0.2 |
The income levels for SSIA holders who could be matched with the Revenue income distribution tables are as follows:
|
Income Category |
Income Range (based on income levels for tax year 2002) |
% of account holders at end 2004 |
|
€ |
% |
|
|
Low |
< €20,000 |
27.7 |
|
Medium |
€20,000-€50,000 |
49.1 |
|
High |
> €50,000 |
23.2 |
319 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Finance the number of applications at the higher rate of tax and the lower rate of tax that applied in district electoral division areas (details supplied) in County Sligo; the number of applications that were approved; the number rejected; the category of each application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22809/05]
I assume the Deputy is referring to reliefs under the rural renewal scheme.
I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that they are not in a position to supply the information requested. This is because the tax return and computer records do not distinguish between reliefs arising under the different property relief schemes, and details of taxpayers and reliefs are not retained on an electoral division area basis.
320 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Finance the number of applications received for the refurbishment of older homes and the number of applications for new homes in each of a number of district electoral division areas (details supplied) in County Sligo since the inception of the upper Shannon tax renewal scheme. [22810/05]
In order to qualify for the residential reliefs under any of the property based tax incentive schemes, where such relief is provided, it is necessary for the owner of a qualifying property to have either a certificate of reasonable cost or a certificate of compliance. A certificate of reasonable cost is required where the builder or developer retains ownership. It certifies that the cost of providing the accommodation is reasonable, that the dwelling unit is within the specified floor area limits and that it complies with the standards as outlined in the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government memorandum, HA1 — April 2004. In the case of refurbishment projects it also certifies that the work was necessary for the purposes of ensuring the suitability of the property as a dwelling.
Certificates of compliance are required where the tax relief is being claimed by a person other than the developer, for example, by the purchaser of a property. This certifies that the accommodation is within the specified floor area limits and that it complies with the standards set out in these guidelines and the standards as outlined in the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government Memorandum, HA1 — April 2004. In the case of refurbishment projects, it also certifies that the work was necessary for ensuring the suitability of the property as a dwelling.
As the processing of applications for both certificates falls under the remit of the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, any inquiries as to the number of certificates issued for a specific geographical area and the type of expenditure in respect of which certificate relates should be addressed to that Minister.
321 Ms Burton asked the Minister for Finance when the circular giving full effect to the pensions provisions of the Protection of Employees (Part-Time Work) Act 2001 will be issued. [22837/05]
The Protection of Employees (Part-Time Work) Act 2001 and any regulations made under that Act are the responsibility of the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Statutory responsibility for occupational pensions scheme legislation rests with the Minister for Social and Family Affairs. The pensions board offers guidance as appropriate.
My Department issued a circular 2/2003 dated 31 January 2003 to all Departments, which gave a summary of the main provisions of the Act as it applies to civil servants and notified Departments of their obligations under the legislation. In general, the Act provides that a part-time employee, as defined in the Act, cannot be treated in a less favourable manner than a comparable full-time employee regarding conditions of employment. However, regarding any pension scheme or arrangement these provisions do not apply to part-time employees who normally work less than 20% of the normal hours of comparable full-time employees.
As the Deputy may be aware, the Commission on Public Service Pensions considered, among other things, possible improvements to pension arrangements for part-time public servants, particularly with regard to access to pension schemes and to the method of integration of occupational pensions with social insurance benefits. In his Budget Statement in December 2003, my predecessor announced that the Government had decided to implement the bulk of the recommendations of the commission.
Discussions were subsequently held with the unions and in September 2004, following Government approval, the introduction of certain key recommendations, including a proposal for pro rata integration for the pensions of part-time staff, was announced. The effect of the change to pro rata integration will be that the occupational pensions of part-time public servants will be calculated on the basis of pro rata service and a notional full-time salary. This will result in an improved pension benefit for part-time public servants whose pensions are integrated with social welfare benefits, that is where the occupational pension is integrated with the old age contributory pension, OACP, to provide a combined pension. My Department is currently finalising a detailed circular on revised arrangements for part-time public servants to implement the new system. The opportunity is being taken in this circular to remind Departments once more of their obligations under the Act and of the need to comply with the provisions of the Act. The circular is at an advanced stage and it is intended to issue it in the near future.
322 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Finance if he approved of the IFSRA regulator of credit unions’ attempts at micro-managing credit unions by virtue of the guidance note issued to such credit unions; if this is part of the regulator’s independent regulatory role; and if the IFSRA issued similar guidelines to banks and building societies. [22838/05]
323 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Finance his views on whether the financial regulator for credit unions has the expertise and experience to issue guidance notes for the micro-management of credit unions, thereby bypassing the expertise and knowledge of the volunteers and professionals who have successfully managed this body for decades; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22839/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 322 and 323 together.
The day-to-day supervision of credit unions is a matter for the registrar of credit unions within the financial regulator. I have no function in relation to the manner in which the registrar carries out his supervisory duties under the Credit Union Act, including any guidance notes that he chooses to issue. I am aware that the regulator issues guidance covering various categories of financial institutions. The purpose of these guidance notes is to provide advice and information regarding best practice to financial institutions. They are intended to support the continued development of an effective and efficient regulatory system that underpins the maintenance of financial stability and the protection of the consumer.
324 Mr. O’Connor asked the Minister for Finance the value to taxpayers in 2005 of the tax cuts introduced in the budgets of 1998, 1999 and 2000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22840/05]
I presume that the tax cuts to which the Deputy refers are those resulting from the personal tax packages introduced in the budgets for each of the years 1998 to 2000. It is very difficult to isolate the current value to taxpayers of those reliefs from the totality of very generous personal tax packages introduced in successive budgets in the period since 1998. Over that period, various measures impacting on personal taxation, including PRSI and levy changes, at a cost of €6.3 billion on a full-year basis have been implemented. Of the total cost of €6.3 billion, close to €2.9 billion relates to the budget and post-budget measures introduced in 1998, 1999 and 2000. These amounts are in then money values. If these were shown in 2005 prices, their value would of course be greater.
However, by way of illustration, since 1997 a person on the average industrial wage will have seen their annual pay rise by more than €11,000 while paying more than €200 per annum less in tax compared to 1997.
325 Mr. O’Connor asked the Minister for Finance the amount by which the economy grew in 2003 and 2004; the increase in taxation receipts resulting from such growth; and the likely impact on tax receipts had the economy grown at half the rate achieved in those years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22841/05]
The Irish economy is estimated to have grown by 3.7% in real terms in 2003, as measured by GDP and by 4.9% in 2004. In nominal terms, including the effects of price increases, GDP growth in 2003 is estimated at 5.3% and at 8.5 % in 2004. Finalised data for 2004 will not be available until sometime next month when the CSO release its 2004 national income and expenditure figures. It is not unusual, however, for estimates of economic growth for previous years to be revised, as economic data for those years is refined.
Tax revenues in 2003 increased by 7.6% over 2002 on an underlying basis, excluding the impact of tax receipts of a "once-off" nature. The underlying increase in 2004 was 11.1%.
As regards the hypothetical scenario of lower economic growth in 2003 and 2004, I would point out to the Deputy that tax revenue is dependent not only on the rate of economic growth but on the composition of that growth. In the hypothetical situation put forward by the Deputy, tax revenue growth would most certainly be lower but how much lower would depend on the causes of the lower economic growth envisaged in the question.
326 Mr. O’Connor asked the Minister for Finance the amount by which the economy is anticipated to grow in 2005; the increase in taxation receipts he expects from such growth; the likely impact on tax receipts should the economy grow at half the rate anticipated in 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22842/05]
In my December budget my Department forecast that the Irish economy would grow by 5.1% in real terms in 2005, as measured by GDP. In nominal terms, including the effects of price increases, GDP is forecast to grow at 8.5%. An updated forecast of economic growth for 2005 will be included in the annual economic review and outlook, which will be published by my Department in August. On an underlying basis, that is excluding the impact of tax receipts of a once-off nature, tax revenues in 2005 were forecast in the budget to increase by 7.4% over 2004.
Tax revenue is dependent not only on the rate of economic growth but also on the composition of that growth. In the hypothetical situation put forward by the Deputy, tax revenue growth would most certainly be lower but how much lower would depend on the causes of the lower economic growth envisaged in the question.
327 Mr. O’Connor asked the Minister for Finance the estimated impact on the rates and expenditure, according to the income distribution models available in his Department, of halving relative income poverty rates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22843/05]
The ESRI SWITCH model was utilised by my Department to analyse the impact of the combined effect of the social welfare and tax changes contained in the budget for 2005 on the distribution of income. As set out in the budget documentation, the model indicated that the most significant net income gains from budget 2005 accrued to those in the lowest income deciles.
As Minister for Finance, my primary input in the area of income distribution arises from my responsibility for taxation policy. In that regard, the current established approach to taxation in Ireland, and in other OECD countries, is that while the tax system may have a role to play in the broader issue of income distribution and poverty reduction, taxation policy is not the main instrument for achieving objectives in this area. Instead, the social welfare system has the primary role in alleviating poverty and overall policy on social welfare and poverty alleviation, including the appropriate rates and consequent costs of social welfare payments, is, in the first instance, a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Social and Family Affairs.
328 Mr. O’Connor asked the Minister for Finance his views on introducing a State sponsored scheme for deposits in house purchases by first-time buyers along the lines of Government underwritten equity sharing transaction as suggested by the NESC in its recent report on housing; the likely cost of such a scheme if it were capped at 10% of the purchase price of a residential unit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22844/05]
This is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, who will respond directly to the Deputy on the issue.
329 Mr. O’Connor asked the Minister for Finance the value of the increases in charges and appropriations in aid in the financial years 1995/1996 and 1997/1998. [22845/05]
I take it that the Deputy is referring to appropriations-in-aid, and charges for services, received into my Department's Vote in each of the calendar years 1995-1998. The financial year for Government Offices and Departments is the calendar year. As charges for services are taken in as appropriations-in-aid, the appropriations-in-aid figures include the charges for services figures shown. The table below shows the figures for each year and the variations compared with the previous year.
|
Charges for Services |
Variation on Previous Year |
Appropriations-in-Aid |
Variation on Previous Year |
||
|
€000 |
€,000 |
€,000 |
€,000 |
||
|
1995 |
36 |
50 |
1995 |
339 |
316 |
|
1996 |
2 |
-34 |
1996 |
81 |
-258 |
|
1997 |
4 |
2 |
1997 |
148 |
67 |
|
1998 |
32 |
28 |
1998 |
314 |
166 |
It should be noted that charges for services figures shown are only for items that are readily identifiable as such. The appropriations-in-aid figures include, among other things, miscellaneous receipts some of which may arise from charges for services. A disaggregation of such receipts is not readily available.
330 Mr. O’Connor asked the Minister for Finance the cost to the Exchequer of restoring roll-over tax relief for those obliged to compulsorily sell land; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22846/05]
I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that figures are not available to estimate with any accuracy the cost of introducing a roll-over relief for those involved in compulsory purchases of land.
331 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Finance the number of taxpayers expected to be paying at the higher rate in 2005; the percentage this represents; if these estimates differ from the budget estimate; the equivalent figures for 1997, 1998, and 2000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22848/05]
I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the numbers and percentage of income earners paying tax at the higher rate of income tax for each of the tax years in question are:
|
Tax Year |
No paying at higher rate |
Percentage |
|
% |
||
|
1997/1998 |
424,100 |
28.4 |
|
1998/1999 |
482,000 |
30.4 |
|
2000/2001 |
540,400 |
30.6 |
|
2005 |
633,700 |
33.2 |
The numbers of income earners above have been rounded to the nearest hundred as appropriate. The percentages are expressed in terms of the numbers of all income earners on the income tax record, including those who are exempt. A married couple that has elected or has been deemed to have elected for joint assessment is counted as one tax unit.
The figures for 2005 are as estimated for budget 2005. The budget estimate is based on historical Revenue data for the short tax year, 2001, adjusted to take account of assumed growth in incomes and in the number of income earners to end 2005. The data refers to tax cases rather than individuals and includes both employees and the self-employed and those on other income such as, for example, pensioners. The data is provisional and subject to revision over time; the next revision to take account of actual data for the 2002 tax year is likely to be available during the second half of 2005.
The effect of last December's budget has been to reduce the percentage of income earners estimated to be paying tax at the higher rate in 2005 from almost 36%, in the absence of the budget income tax measures, to approximately 33% when those measures are taken into account. The Deputy will be aware that major portion of available resources in the budget was devoted to taking the then minimum wage annualised out of the tax net through increases in the employee and basic personal tax credits. The remaining resources were used mainly to widen the standard rate bands, thus ensuring that an additional 52,000 taxpayers will not pay tax at the higher rate in 2005. The budget also removed from the tax net 66,000 income earners who would otherwise pay tax in 2005.
332 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Finance the value of the capital allowances for expenditure on the construction, refurbishment or extension of child care premises which meet the required standards of the Child Care Act 1999 each year since its introduction in the Finance Act 1999; the number of extra child care places created as a result of this initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22854/05]
Capital allowances are available for child care facilities since their introduction in Finance Act 1999. Under the normal self-assessment rules any person seeking to claim capital allowances in respect of a qualifying building would submit their claim on the appropriate tax return form. Claims for this relief are aggregated in tax returns with other claims, such as with industrial buildings allowances generally or with other capital allowances, and do not distinguish between the reliefs claimed in respect of child care facilities and those claimed in respect of other buildings qualifying for capital allowances. Consequently it is not possible for Revenue to indicate the level of uptake of the specific incentive relating to child care facilities.
However, as part of ongoing commitments to improve the quality of information available on the costs of tax expenditures generally the Revenue Commissioners have introduced a number of changes to certain tax forms, which will yield additional information regarding the cost of reliefs. Provisions were included in the Finance Act 2004 to underpin these changes. This will provide better data in this area and enable fuller estimates of the tax foregone to be made over time.
333 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Finance the value of the benefit in kind exemption for employers providing free or subsidised child care for their employees each year since its introduction in the Finance Act 1999; the number of extra child care places available in the workplace as a result of this initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22855/05]
I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that, as taxpayers are not required to provide details of the benefit-in-kind arising from employer-provided child care in their tax returns, there is no basis on which an estimate of the cost to the Exchequer of this tax exemption can be provided. Similarly, there is no basis on which the number of extra child care places that have been created as a result of this initiative can be provided.
334 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the progress towards decentralisation in Cavan town; if a site has been acquired; when the Department will be in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22526/05]
The Government's decentralisation programme involves the relocation of 378 posts in the Department's headquarters to Cavan. The latest information from the Public Appointments Service, PAS, is that so far 176 expressions of interest have been received for these posts.
The physical relocation of staff and business functions is dependent on the provision of the requisite accommodation in the decentralised locations, which is a matter for the Office of Public Works, OPW. The Department is liaising closely with OPW on the acquisition of a suitable site in Cavan. OPW advises that having examined a number of options, negotiations for the acquisition of a site are ongoing and the Department is also liaising with OPW on drawing up detailed specifications for the planned new building.
The Government's decentralisation implementation group has not thus far set out a timetable for completion of facilities in and relocation to Cavan. The Department is progressing preparations for staff transfers both internally and with other Departments, in advance of a relocation timetable.
335 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if his attention has been drawn to the depleting salmon stocks in Irish rivers; the effects this is having on the tourism industry; the steps he intends to take to ensure that this trend is reversed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22641/05]
Wild salmon stocks are under threat from a variety of adverse environmental and other pressures which impact on marine survival as well as in our rivers and estuaries. As Minister of State with responsibility for the marine, I am fully aware that these pressures, along with excessive exploitation of salmon stocks, pose a significant threat to the long-term sustainability of this valuable resource.
Since 2002, the Government has implemented a strategy to ensure, through progressive reductions in the commercial catch, that the conservation limits specified by the standing scientific committee of the National Salmon Commission are being reached. This policy of promoting the application of quotas on commercial fishing and bag limits on angling has delivered significant overall catch reductions aimed at achieving the objective of restoration of salmon stocks.
The central and regional fisheries boards devote considerable effort and resources, in collaboration with Tourism Ireland, to the promotion of angling abroad. I am advised that the overall decline in angling tourism is not unique to Ireland but reflects a trend widespread in Europe. The report of the tourism policy review group to the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism in September 2003 observed a decline in activity holidays generally which is not confined to angling.
The conservation measures which have been implemented to date on the recommendation of the National Salmon Commission deliver a practical mechanism to effect the protection of salmon stocks while acknowledging the important role angling plays in attracting tourists to Ireland. These measures, which are necessary to minimise the impact on our valuable wild salmon stocks, are aimed at providing an adequate season for tourism angling.
336 Ms B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he will investigate the person who is responsible for the pier at Lower Corobeg, Valentia Island, County Kerry; if it is registered in the name of any State authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22687/05]
The pier in question is not in public ownership and the Department has no information on or function in establishing its ownership. No Exchequer funding is available for the repair and maintenance of privately owned piers.
337 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the amount spent by his Department or agencies under the authority of his Department, on the services of models for use in Departmental promotional activities, during policy launches or other departmental events since 1997; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21972/05]
My Department spent €51.66 on modelling services in connection with a photo-call for the purpose of promoting broadband communications technology which took place on 31 July 2003.
338 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if Ireland is on schedule to meet the EU target of 2% substitution of conventional transport fuels with biofuels by December 2005; if he has set a separate target for Ireland; if so, if he will provide that target; and when such target will be attained. [22052/05]
339 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the policy options and support measures which are being considered by the interdepartmental biofuels group for the development of a biofuels sector here; when the report of the interdepartmental biofuels group will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22061/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 338 and 339 together.
The EC biofuels directive sets indicative targets of 2% market penetration for biofuels by end 2005. The targets in the directive are not mandatory. The directive required all member states to provide a report to the Commission last year and central to this report was the identification of a national target for market penetration of biofuels by end 2005. Many member states, including Ireland, indicated that they would not be in a position to meet the 2% target by the end of 2005. Ireland is starting from a very low current production base and the 2% target therefore represents a considerable challenge.
Ireland has reported a target for market penetration of biofuels by the end of 2005 of 0.06%, increasing to 0.13% in 2006. The 2005 and 2006 targets are based on the anticipated outcome of the pilot biofuels mineral oil tax relief scheme under the Finance Act, which received state aids clearance in March 2005. The scheme was advertised as a competitive "call for proposals" on 20 April 2005 and the closing date for receipt of applications was 13 May 2005. The proposals received are being assessed by my Department and Sustainable Energy Ireland, SEI, and it is expected that recommendations will be made to the Department of Finance shortly. While the pace of progress in reaching Ireland's identified target is as anticipated, it is too early to give a definitive position on levels of market penetration by the end of 2005.
An interdepartmental biofuels group was established in 2004 to consider policy options for the development of the biofuels market and to consider these options from the perspectives of the sectors or interest represented by each Department. It comprised representatives from my Department, the Departments of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Finance, Transport, and Agriculture and Food, and SEI. Close contact with these Departments continues, as part of the policy development process.
As part of its work, the group commissioned a "Liquid Biofuels Strategy Study for Ireland", which was published by SEI in December 2004. The report, which is available on the SEI website, examines the full range of options and potential supports for liquid biofuels development in Ireland, including bioethanol and biodiesel. The report is being considered as part of the overall policy objective to increase market penetration of biofuels in Ireland. The report suggests that excise relief is the most effective short-term measure to stimulate the market, but that other policy initiatives, such as a renewables obligation, might be more beneficial in the longer-term.
The group is scheduled to meet again shortly, to consider terms of reference of a further study on biofuels policy implementation. This study will build on the findings of the "Liquid Biofuels Strategy Study for Ireland" and aims to examine in further detail the policy incentive options available to Government to stimulate increased deployment of liquid biofuels in the Irish transport fuel sector, and to provide a detailed path towards implementation of the most appropriate options.
340 Mr. O’Shea asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources his proposals to lift the current ban on political advertising on radio and television (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22087/05]
I have no plans to introduce proposals to amend the existing legislative provisions, which prohibit political advertising on radio and television services. The ban on political advertising is contained in a short provision that also bans religious advertising along with advertising related to an industrial dispute. In 2003 my predecessor conducted a review of the ban on religious advertising and decided the ban should remain. Having regard to the potential intrusive nature of advertising on radio and television, which is different from other forms of advertising, it was considered that it was not desirable for individual groups to be in a position to buy air-time to deliver an unchallenged message that is aimed at influencing and altering behaviour in society in circumstances where it is difficult for the public to test or verify positions advanced. I am of the view that this line of argumentation is also valid in the case of political advertising. The report on the review of the ban on religious advertising is available on my Department's website.
Radio and television programmes offer many opportunities for those interested in politics to explore, question and debate issues that are important in Irish society. I believe that it is healthy that such discussions and debate should be conducted on our airwaves in an open and challenging fashion.
341 Mr. Kehoe asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the amount of spare capacity on the national ESB grid; and the breakdown by county. [22188/05]
I am informed by ESB National Grid that the capacity of the power system can be divided in terms of generation capacity and transmission capacity. The latest figures from ESB National Grid show there are 5,800 MW of generation capacity connected to the Irish power system. Peak demand in the coming winter is forecast to reach 4,600 MW. Generation capacity is shared by all customers nationwide and is not therefore divided by county. The ESB National Grid generation adequacy report set out when new generation will be needed, taking into account the availability of existing power stations and the ongoing increase in consumer demand. This report is published on ESB National Grid's website. I will forward a printed copy of the report to the Deputy for reference.
Regarding transmission capacity, transmission lines and stations are constructed in order to meet ongoing demand growth, or when either a generator or large customer seeks a connection to the power system. ESB National Grid annually publishes details of where transmission capacity is available for large customers. Its forecast statement, which is also available from the website, provides details of the locations where capacity is available and the works that are planned to put this capacity in place. Again, I will forward a printed copy to the Deputy for reference.
ESB National Grid has plans for €700 million investment in new and upgraded high-voltage transmission infrastructure over the next five years. This investment will facilitate all customers, including large industries, power stations and wind farms.
342 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the likely cost of installing an automatic teller machine at each sub-post office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22189/05]
Issues pertaining to operational matters are the responsibility of An Post. I have no statutory function in this area.
343 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the total cost, number and nature of legal services sought by his Department from 1998 to 2004 and to date in 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22416/05]
In the time available, it has not been possible to identify and assemble all the information sought by the Deputy. My Department is compiling the relevant material and I will write to the Deputy in this regard as soon as possible.
344 Dr. Cowley asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he will provide the maximum permissible operating pressure of the 9 km upstream Corrib gas pipeline; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22456/05]
The normal operating pressure at the start of production will be 120 bar and the absolute maximum operating pressure will be 150 bar.
345 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the total cost, number and nature of reports, consultancies or other advisory or public relations commissions awarded by his Department from 1998 to 2004 and to date in 2005 to persons other than established civil servants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22472/05]
In the time available, it has not been possible to identify and assemble all the information sought by the Deputy. My Department is compiling the relevant material and I will write to the Deputy in this regard as soon as possible.
346 Mr. G. Murphy asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the amount of money which has been spent on the renting, leasing or purchasing of demountable, temporary accommodation over the past five years; if his Department arranges this through the Department of Finance; the tendering process which is in operation and the frequency in which it is reviewed; the length of time the arrangement lasts; the average period of renting or leasing; and the number of units which have been rented and leased over five, eight and ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22487/05]
In the time available, it has not been possible to identify and assemble all the information sought by the Deputy. My Department is compiling the relevant material and I will write to the Deputy in this regard as soon as possible.
347 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the names, titles, dates of appointment, total annual salary including pension contributions of each of the special or political advisors, personal assistants or personal secretaries appointed by him; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22543/05]
Details of special or political advisors, personal assistants or personal secretaries appointed by me are as follows:
|
Name |
Title |
Date of Appointment |
Annual Salary |
Pension Contribution |
|
€ |
||||
|
Mr. James Fegan |
Special Adviser |
30 September 2004 |
87,247 |
Member of State Superannuation Scheme |
|
Ms Margaret Conway |
Personal Assistant |
30 September 2004 |
47,921 |
Member of State Superannuation Scheme |
|
Ms Úna Grehan |
Personal Secretary |
30 September 2004 |
36,915 |
Member of State Superannuation Scheme |
|
Ms Grace Cappock |
Press Adviser |
30 September 2004 |
81,376 |
Private Pension Scheme |
|
Ms Tanya Harrington |
Policy Co-ordinator (Energy, Communications and Broadcasting) |
4 April 2005 |
81,376 |
Private Pension Scheme |
348 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the total oil use here in each of the past five years, distinguishing use by the key find user segments; and the way in which this compares with 1990. [22567/05]
The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table.
|
1990 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
% Increase 1990-2004 |
|
|
Total Primary Oil Supply * |
4,286 |
7,868 |
8,435 |
8,261 |
7,994 |
8,219 |
+92 |
|
Public electricity |
347 |
1,051 |
1,171 |
944 |
594 |
812 |
+134 |
|
Oil refinery consumption |
64 |
104 |
123 |
132 |
133 |
130 |
+103 |
|
Final Consumption** |
3,875 |
6,713 |
7,141 |
7,185 |
7,267 |
7,277 |
+88 |
|
Industry |
648 |
813 |
809 |
748 |
743 |
717 |
+11 |
|
Transport |
2,024 |
3,900 |
4,308 |
4,453 |
4,506 |
4,528 |
+124 |
|
Agriculture |
215 |
281 |
278 |
273 |
273 |
262 |
+22 |
|
Commercial |
639 |
799 |
759 |
727 |
714 |
681 |
+7 |
|
Residential |
349 |
920 |
987 |
984 |
1,031 |
1,089 |
+212 |
|
Total |
3,875 |
6,713 |
7,141 |
7,185 |
7,267 |
7,277 |
+88 |
Source: Oil Balances, Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources.
*Total primary oil supply, TPOS, is made up of oil refinery production, plus imports, less exports, less marine bunkers and plus or less stock changes.
**Final consumption is made up of TPOS less public electricity, less oil refinery consumption.
The total consumption by industry, transport, agriculture, commercial and residential is equal to final consumption.
349 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the distribution of electricity generation by fuel source over the past five years; and the way in which this compares with 1990. [22568/05]
I am informed by ESB National Grid that the distribution of electricity generation by fuel source in percentage terms over the past five years is as set out in the following table.
|
Year |
Coal |
Heavy Fuel Oil |
Light Fuel Oil |
Gas |
Native (peat) |
Hydro |
IPP1 |
Small-Scale Generation including Wind |
Total |
|
2004 |
25.7 |
12.2 |
0.2 |
25.1 |
4.8 |
2.5 |
19.7 |
3.4 |
93.62 |
|
2003 |
25.4 |
9.7 |
0.3 |
29.8 |
8.2 |
2.3 |
21.7 |
2.7 |
100 |
|
2002 |
27.9 |
15.0 |
0.2 |
32.6 |
8.4 |
3.6 |
9.7 |
2.6 |
100 |
|
2001 |
28.7 |
20.9 |
0.3 |
36.8 |
8.9 |
2.3 |
— |
2.2 |
100 |
|
2000 |
30.0 |
18.9 |
0.3 |
37.6 |
7.5 |
3.5 |
— |
2.1 |
100 |
Notes
1IPP refers to independent power producers who use gas as their energy source.
2The balance for 2004 is accounted for by electricity brought into the country via the North/South
The percentage figures for 1990 provided by ESB National Grid are as follows:
|
Year |
Coal |
Heavy Fuel Oil |
Light Fuel Oil |
Gas |
Native (peat) |
Hydro |
IPP |
Small-Scale Generation |
Total |
|
1990 |
41.7 |
10.0 |
— |
27.4 |
16.0 |
4.9 |
— |
— |
100 |
ESB National Grid points out that in 1990 ESB was the only generator on the system and therefore no figures are provided for independent power producers and small-scale generation. In addition, I am informed that light fuel oil was unavailable as a fuel source in 1990.
350 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the key energy commodity prices, which he monitors in terms of energy cost planning; and the way in which they have moved over the past five years. [22569/05]
The information to which the question relates is freely available from published sources that my Department can access as and when needed. It is not, therefore, necessary to actively monitor the data.
351 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if his attention has been drawn to the peak-oil scenarios contained in the report for the US Government, Peaking of World Oil Production: Impacts, Mitigation and Risk Management (details supplied); his plans in train or envisaged to counteract this problem; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22621/05]
I am aware of the report, finalised earlier this year, relating to peaking of world oil production, which was commissioned by the National Energy Technology Laboratory of the US Department of Energy. The purpose of this study was to identify the critical issues surrounding the occurrence and mitigation of global oil production peaking. Understandably, the focus of the report is primarily on the implications of oil peaking for the United States.
With regard to the question as to when global oil production may peak, the report acknowledges that this has been a matter of speculation for more than a century and the question of determining when precisely peaking will occur remains unsettled. It is important to note that when world oil production peaks, large oil reserves will still remain.
Among the conclusions of the report are that oil peaking will create a severe liquid fuels problem for the transportation sector and that the production of large amounts of substitute liquid fuels will be required to mitigate impacts. It notes that such production is feasible with existing technology and that future research is also likely to provide additional mitigation options. The peaking of global oil production presents a risk management problem in that if mitigation efforts are initiated earlier than required they may turn out to be premature if peaking is long delayed. On the other hand, if peaking is imminent, failure to initiate timely mitigation could be extremely damaging. As the report recognises, the most effective action to combat the peaking of world oil production requires a better understanding of the clear signals as to when peaking might occur, an understanding that can be improved through accelerated, in-depth public and private research on oil peaking mitigation options.
While I have undertaken no specific analysis into the area of peaking of world oil production, Ireland supports and has access to this type of research through its membership of the International Energy Agency, IEA, and the European Union. Reliance on oil must however, be substituted over time if world economic development and living standards are to be sustained. Government policy on the sustainable use of energy is directed through Sustainable Energy Ireland and that body has commenced a challenging work programme focusing on deployment of energy efficiency measures across all sectors of the economy. In addition, my Department is developing a policy to promote the increased penetration of biofuels in Ireland's transport chain. As part of this policy, a pilot scheme for mineral oil tax relief for biofuels was launched in April 2005. Applications under the scheme are being assessed with a view to making a recommendation to the Department of Finance shortly. The scheme is an initial measure designed to stimulate market development.
352 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if his attention has been drawn to the depleting salmon stocks in Irish rivers; the effects this is having on the tourism industry; the steps he intends to take to ensure that this trend is reversed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22640/05]
Wild salmon stocks are under threat from a variety of adverse environmental and other pressures which impact on marine survival as well as in our rivers and estuaries. As Minister of State with responsibility for the marine, I am fully aware that these pressures, along with excessive exploitation of salmon stocks, pose a significant threat to the long-term sustainability of this valuable resource.
Since 2002, the Government has implemented a strategy to ensure, through progressive reductions in the commercial catch, that the conservation limits specified by the standing scientific committee of the National Salmon Commission are being reached. This policy of promoting the application of quotas on commercial fishing and bag limits on angling has delivered significant overall catch reductions aimed at achieving the objective of restoration of salmon stocks.
The central and regional fisheries boards devote considerable effort and resources, in collaboration with Tourism Ireland, to the promotion of angling abroad. I am advised that the overall decline in angling tourism is not unique to Ireland but reflects a trend widespread in Europe. The report of the tourism policy review group to the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism in September 2003 observed a decline in activity holidays generally which is not confined to angling.
The conservation measures which have been implemented to date on the recommendation of the National Salmon Commission deliver a practical mechanism to effect the protection of salmon stocks while acknowledging the important role angling plays in attracting tourists to Ireland. These measures, which are necessary to minimise the impact on our valuable wild salmon stocks, are aimed at providing an adequate season for tourism angling.
353 Mr. N. O’Keeffe asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if a telecommunications service will be provided at an area (details supplied) in County Cork. [22834/05]
The provision of telecommunications services, including ISDN lines and broadband, is a matter for the private sector companies, regulated by the independent Commission for Communications Regulation, ComReg, whose offices are at Irish Life Centre, Lower Abbey Street, Dublin 1, telephone 01-8049600. The Commission's website www.comreg.ie lists 88 companies offering fixed telephony services on the market. The website also lists 169 companies offering Internet access.
354 Mr. O’Connor asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the value of the increases in charges and appropriations-in-aid in the financial years 1995-96 and 1997-98. [23503/05]
The following table shows voted receipts or appropriations-in-aid in 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998 for revenue categories which now come within the ambit of the Communications, Marine and Natural Resources Vote. The table shows, among other matters, the year-on-year revenue from charges over the period. The cost in terms of staff resources in attempting to identify the value of increases in charges over that period could not be justified and has not, therefore, been provided.
|
Appropriation-in-aid |
1998 |
1997 |
1996 |
1995 |
|
€ |
€ |
€ |
€ |
|
|
Fines & forfeitures for fishery offences |
368,530 |
1,565,054 |
999,467 |
1,279,246 |
|
Charges at State harbours |
— |
461,451 |
3,511,943 |
4,036,133 |
|
Merchant Shipping & Mercantile Marine Acts fees |
263,567 |
369,115 |
279,688 |
277,877 |
|
Receipts from radio, telephone and telegraph traffic |
119,397 |
189,028 |
131,506 |
248,963 |
|
Foreshore Licence Receipts |
657,258 |
966,603 |
515,754 |
1,754,289 |
|
EU recoupment in respect of fisheries conservation |
341,656 |
919,118 |
82,699 |
88,068 |
|
Aquaculture licence fee receipts |
238,571 |
— |
— |
— |
|
Minerals and petroleum exploration receipts |
4,407,187 |
2,856,567 |
2,874,314 |
3,514,968 |
|
Geological survey receipts |
69,545 |
70,106 |
80,811 |
64,000 |
|
Wireless exam and permits |
— |
891,807 |
1,608,015 |
1,300,297 |
|
Telecommunications licence fees |
— |
8,004 |
13,909 |
16,507 |
|
Receipts from relay licence fees and MMDS operators |
— |
1,231,287 |
3,659,836 |
1,884,893 |
|
Recoupment of costs of studies of electricity industry |
225,653 |
166,883 |
1,145,226 |
— |
|
Broadcasting Licence Fees |
88,756,605 |
87,703,839 |
79,823,184 |
74,015,310 |
|
Total |
95,447,969 |
97,398,862 |
94,726,332 |
88,480,551 |
*Miscellaneous receipts are not included since the necessary breakdowns of the individual areas currently encompassed by the D/CMNR Vote are not available.
355 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the new target date by which Ireland will reach 0.7% of GDP in respect of overseas development aid; if he will set out a multi-annual plan to reach this target and enshrine Ireland’s commitment to the 0.7% target in legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22028/05]
The allocation to Vote 29 — vote for international co-operation — for 2005 is €470.8 million, an increase of €70 million on the 2004 figure. As a result, total official development assistance, ODA, for 2005 is expected to amount to approximately €545 million, when contributions from other Departments have been taken into account. This represents the highest allocation in the 30-year history of the Irish aid programme. In addition, the Government has agreed to provide further increases of €65 million in 2006 and 2007. These very substantial increases mean that over the three years from 2005 to 2007, €1.8 billion will be spent by Ireland on development assistance. This three-year multi-annual commitment, incorporating very substantial annual increases, gives my Department a sound basis to carry forward the long term planning which is so important for development work.
The EU has recently agreed new targets for ODA. These provide that the EU 15 will reach a new collective target of 0.56% by 2010, while member states, which have not yet reached a level of 0.51%, undertake to individually reach that by 2010. Member states also undertake to achieve the UN target of 0.7% by 2015. The newer member states, which joined after 2002, have lower targets. This decision will bring an estimated €20 billion extra funding by 2010 into play for developing countries and represents a strong signal to other non-European donors.
The Government remains strongly committed to achieving the UN target. The issue of how best to meet the target, and in what timeframe, is under ongoing and active review. In this regard, and as I have stated previously, it is not intended that the commitment should be enshrined in legislation.
356 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the amount spent by his Department or agencies under the authority of his Department, on the services of models for use in Departmental promotional activities, during policy launches or other Departmental events since 1997; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21973/05]
While the Department of Foreign Affairs did not directly employ the services of models for promotional activities for the period in question, a small number of individuals, who were not professional models, agreed to appear in a series of posters promoting a greater awareness of the aims of Ireland's 2004 Presidency of the Council of Ministers of the European Union. These individuals were paid between €100 and €150 each by Red Dog Design, the company that won the competition to design the logo and brand the Presidency.
357 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the employment dispute between an employee (details supplied) of the Irish Embassy in Paris, France; the position at present; and if he will ensure that this person will be treated in accordance with the modern standards of Irish and French labour law; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21990/05]
I am aware of the situation, which has arisen with regard to a member of the housekeeping staff, who had been employed by the former ambassador to France. Legal action has been indicated on behalf of the person in question in this matter and I do not therefore propose to comment further.
358 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if, as a matter of urgency, a financial contribution will be made to the Hammersmith and Fulham Irish Centre, London (details supplied), to pay the rent and prevent its closure due to lack of funds. [22195/05]
The Hammersmith and Fulham Irish Centre provides our community in the west of London with a vibrant focal point through its cultural activities. A second Irish organisation, the Irish Charitable Trust, has offices in the same building as the centre, and provides invaluable assistance to Irish people who may find themselves in vulnerable circumstances and at risk of social exclusion.
The building in which both organisations have their offices is owned by the local council. The Irish Charitable Trust is in discussion with the local council concerning the rent level of the offices it occupies, and I believe the Deputy's question refers to this issue. While we have not at this time been approached on the rent issue, I have asked officials at the embassy in London to remain in close contact with the trust to ensure that we are fully aware of developments with a view to our being helpful in every way possible. The trust has, however, made an application for support for salaries under the current round of Díon grant applications and this application will be considered sympathetically.
Last year, Díon funding to the Irish Charitable Trust in Hammersmith amounted to €124,000. While the bulk of this figure went towards staffing costs, a special grant of €40,000 was provided by way of additional support to the trust in meeting its overall costs. The vice-chair of the Federation of Irish Societies, an organisation which is also strongly supported by Díon funding, has been appointed to the board of the trust with a view to strengthening its management team and enhancing its capacity to negotiate effectively with the local authorities.
359 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the total cost, number and nature of legal services sought by his Department from 1998 to 2004 and to date in 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22417/05]
In the time available it is not possible to provide full details of all legal services engaged by the Department from 1998 to date. A comprehensive response will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.
360 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the total cost, number and nature of reports, consultancies or other advisory or public relations commissions awarded by his Department from 1998 to 2004 and to date in 2005 to persons other than established civil servants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22473/05]
The Department of Foreign Affairs is responsible for two votes: Vote 28 — foreign affairs; and Vote 29 — international co-operation. From 1998 to date the Department spent €3,756,592 on 40 consultancies for Vote 28 and €10,700,611 on 761 consultancies for Vote 29, giving a total of 801 consultancies at a cost of €14,457,203. The Department commissions consultancies where specialised knowledge and-or skills are not available within the Department and, particularly in the case of the Development Cooperation Ireland, DCI, programme, where an independent evaluation of programmes and projects is required. DCI consultancies cover a wide range of sectors including HIV-AIDS, education, health and rural development.
Under Vote 28, the majority of expenditure on consultancies for the period in question related to the upgrading of the Department's information technology infrastructure at headquarters and at its missions abroad and the automated passport system, APS. The latter is essential to meet future demands for passports in an efficient and effective manner and to comply with new international security regulations for passports. Once these projects are complete, it is expected that engagement of consultants will be significantly reduced.
The following tables list all the consultancies under each Vote covering the entire period in question.
|
Name |
Nature of Consultancy (Vote 28 — Foreign Affairs) |
Total |
|
(€) |
||
|
Pádraig White |
To advise the Garvaghy Road community on broad issues of strategy with particular reference to economic issues (1999-to date). |
63,805 |
|
William Schabas |
Representation of Ireland at meetings of the Council of Europe’s Special Committee on the Legal Status of NGOs (2001-2002) |
1,370 |
|
Deirdre Donohue |
Organisation of December NGO Forum (2004) |
1,292 |
|
Noel Dorr |
IGC Representative (2000-2002) |
49,116 |
|
Price Waterhouse |
Obstacles Mobility Study (2002) |
47,870 |
|
Employment Conditions Abroad |
Review of cost of living allowances for staff abroad (1999) |
7,941 |
|
Drury Communications |
To advise on a comprehensive communications strategy aimed at improving the transmission of information about the EU to the Irish public (2002). |
62,999 |
|
Caroline Erskine and Noelanne O’Sullivan |
Development of “Ireland Communicating Europe” section on the Irish Presidency website and production of DVD to commemorate the “Day of Welcomes” on 1 May (2004). |
30,586 |
|
A & L Goodbody |
Assessment of the draft final Public Expenditure Review Report of the Department’s EU Accession Training Programme (2004). |
4,878 |
|
Cornwell Consultants |
APS Project Consultancies (2002-to date) |
527,726 |
|
Mason, Hayes & Curran |
APS Project Consultancies (2002-to date) |
305,425 |
|
Farrell, Grant, Sparks |
APS Project Consultancies (2001-2002) |
86,377 |
|
Employment Conditions Abroad |
Review of Foreign Services Allowances (2001) |
775 |
|
McCann Fitzgerald |
Equality Review of Foreign Services Allowance system (2002) |
15,427 |
|
Professor Gerard Quinn |
Compulsory State Report required for the submission under the Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (2000) |
6,348 |
|
Dr. Renata Dwan |
Research in relation to the link between civilian crisis management and development assistance (2004) |
15,000 |
|
Price Waterhouse Coopers |
Report of the future viability of the Irish Centre at Digbeth, Birmingham |
29,217 |
|
Dr Tom Hardiman |
Representation of Ireland on ASEF Board (2000-to date) |
128,927 |
|
Ms Geraldine Skinner |
Legal Consultancy Services (2002) |
3,990 |
|
Anglia Polytechnic University |
Study of Resource of Info/Analysis on Irish Communities Abroad (2002) |
70,224 |
|
Mr Raphael Siev |
Legal Consultancy Services |
495 |
|
Mr Eugene Downes |
Cultural Programme Coordinator (2000-to date) |
172,032 |
|
Fiach MacConghail |
Programme Manager, Irish Cultural Centre, Paris (2001-2002) |
82,576 |
|
Michael Barsanti |
Text for International Joyce Exhibition (2003) |
2,500 |
|
Declan Kiberd |
Editorial advice on International Joyce Exhibition (2003) and Beckett-related project work (2005) |
1,000 |
|
Laura Weldon |
Beckett-related project work (2004) |
2,000 |
|
Ronan McDonald |
Beckett-related project work (2005) |
2,000 |
|
Cap Gemini |
Implementation of the Department’s Management Information Framework (2002-2003) |
79,057 |
|
Mazars Consultants |
Conversion of the Department's payroll system (from Unipay to Corepay) (2001) |
148,498 |
|
Sybase |
Year 2000 compliance (1999) |
27,040 |
|
Clear |
Year 2000 compliance (1999) |
3,660 |
|
Rits International |
Technical services to assist delivery of IT Programmes (2001-2005) |
398,543 |
|
Cap Gemini Ernst Young |
Development of Department IT Strategy (2002-2003) |
177,834 |
|
Octagon |
Technical services to assist delivery of IT Programmes (2002) |
9,876 |
|
DSS |
Technical services to assist delivery of IT Programmes (2002-2003) |
472,974 |
|
Cara |
Technical services to assist delivery of IT Programmes (2002-2005) |
362,441 |
|
Crannog Software Ltd |
Technical services to assist delivery of IT Programmes (2002-2003) |
61,678 |
|
Cornwell |
Technical services to assist delivery of IT Programmes (2003-2005) |
173,435 |
|
Hewlett Packard |
Technical services to assist delivery of IT Programmes (2003) |
80,159 |
|
Microsoft |
Technical services to assist delivery of IT Programmes (2003-2005) |
39,505 |
|
Total |
3,756,592 |
|
Consultant |
Consultancy Title |
€ Amount |
|
Eric Woods |
Mozambique Country Planning Programme |
6,312.22 |
|
Niall Crowley |
Mozambique Country Planning Programme |
4,966.15 |
|
Mary Jennings |
Sustainable Lusaka Programme, Zambia |
6,335.44 |
|
Peadar Cremin |
Education Sector Support, Tanzania |
8,618.11 |
|
Karen Iles |
Livestock Project Design, Sidama Ehiopia |
12,431.15 |
|
Cathy Gaynor |
POCMUS Programme Workshop, Zambia |
7,132.78 |
|
Ann Bourke Garcia |
Health Sector Support, Tanzania |
7,471.49 |
|
Repim (Irl.) Ltd |
Interview Board for Programme Officers, Africa |
2,888.87 |
|
Cathy Gaynor |
SARIPS, Zimbabwe & Zambia |
8,731.06 |
|
Moss McCormack |
Health Sector, Tanzania |
12,620.73 |
|
Martin McCormack |
Interview Board for TA in Africa |
712.81 |
|
Dr. Tom Kelleghan |
Education Sector Appraisal, Ethiopia |
5,687.88 |
|
Peadar Cremin |
Education Sector Support, Tanzania |
9,685.98 |
|
Maeve O’Sullivan |
Copperbelt Maternity Services Project, Zambia |
10,117.3 |
|
Martin McCormack |
Development & Management of Water Resources Document Review |
793.59 |
|
Matthew Jowett |
Health Sector Appraisal, Ethiopia |
9,655.96 |
|
Elna Bering |
Department of Labour Review, South Africa |
9,156.11 |
|
Geraldine Cusack |
PMUP Korogwe, Tanzania |
6,804.77 |
|
Sam Moyo |
Kimmage Manor &TCDC Arusha, Tanzania, Review |
12,515.39 |
|
Robert Drayton |
Water & Sanitation Review, South Africa |
9,146.08 |
|
Anthony Shanley |
Water Appraisal, Ethiopia |
5,710.35 |
|
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine |
HIV/AIDS Programme, Ghana |
4,928.53 |
|
John Howe |
Irish Aid Road Projects Review, Phase 1 |
1,856.84 |
|
Mary Jennings |
Irish Aid Road Projects Review, Phase 1 |
1,142.76 |
|
Patrick Gibbons |
Community Infrastructure Programme, Tanzania |
3,835.41 |
|
Andrew Lyall |
Land Bill, Uganda |
5,179.45 |
|
Ann Bourke-Garcia |
Health Sector Reform Review, Tanzania |
7,922.34 |
|
Mike Fitzgibbon |
Financial Database Upgrade, Tanzania |
7,799.58 |
|
Cathy Gaynor |
POCMUS, Zambia |
5,572.78 |
|
Nicholas Chisolm |
Irish Aid & Agenda 2000 Study |
6,716.91 |
|
John Howe |
Irish Aid Roads Projects Review |
30,914.38 |
|
Mary Jennings |
Irish Aid Roads Projects Review |
19,960.73 |
|
Michael Scott |
Zambian Investment Centre, Lusaka |
5,487.03 |
|
Mary Jennings |
Sustainable Programme, Lusaka, Zambia |
3,545.83 |
|
John Grindle |
Tour Guide Training, Mozambique |
12,170.15 |
|
Cathy Gaynor |
DSM & CIP Review, Tanzania |
12,256.48 |
|
Patrick Gibbons |
Lusaka City Council Research Unit & CIP Tanzania |
7,148.60 |
|
Barbara McAllister |
Expert Tour Guiding, Tanzania |
9,211.09 |
|
Vivienne Forsythe |
Gedo Region Interventions, Somalia |
10,152.75 |
|
IPA |
Local Govt. Management Training, Tanzania |
30,854.64 |
|
Eric Woods |
Education Sector, Mozambique |
7,934.76 |
|
Repim (Irl) Ltd |
Debt Relief, Tanzania |
6,538.35 |
|
Matthew Jowett |
Health Sector Appraisal, Ethiopia |
8,396.21 |
|
Nicholas Chisolm |
DAC Environment Meeting, Paris |
1,638.18 |
|
Noel Whelan |
Public Sector Reform, Uganda |
6,860.28 |
|
Martin McCormack |
Water Sector Guidelines, Brussels |
865.68 |
|
Lagin Consulting Ltd |
Irish Aid Financial Systems Review |
33,840.96 |
|
Cathy Gaynor |
POCMUS, Lusaka Technical Support |
6,113.53 |
|
Geraldine Cusack |
PMUP, Tanzania |
1,050.34 |
|
Garvan McCann |
IFAD & IFPRI Support, Malawi |
3,862.54 |
|
Leo O’Keeffe |
Education Sector Reform |
823.35 |
|
Mokoro Ltd |
Sector Aid Workshop, Dublin & Sidama, Ethiopia |
12,182.32 |
|
Moss McCormack |
Mid Level Management Training — Health Sector Tanzania |
6,095.97 |
|
Philip Ryan Precept Consulting |
Goal Review, Dublin |
1,483.66 |
|
Cathy Gaynor |
POCMUS, Lusaka Technical Support |
6,717.88 |
|
John Gallagher |
HRD Tanzania |
104,046.14 |
|
Garvan McCann |
IFAD & IFPRI Support Malawi |
5,481.65 |
|
Leo O’Keeffe |
Education Sector Reforms, Dublin |
1,015.83 |
|
Stephen Lister, Mokoro Ltd |
Sector Aid Workshop, Dublin & Ethiopia |
17,987.38 |
|
Geraldine Cusack |
PMUP, Tanzania |
1,587.17 |
|
Moss McCormack |
Mid Level Management Training (Health Sector) Tanzania |
9,253.13 |
|
Mary Jennings |
Interview Board Programme Officer |
1,022.00 |
|
Jim Phelan |
SEP Tanzania |
6,861.00 |
|
Leo O’Keeffe |
Education Support NP Zambia |
6,391.29 |
|
John Grindle |
NGO Evaluation, Ethiopia |
10,318.73 |
|
Pat Gibbons |
CIP Tanzania |
7,541.65 |
|
Shane Alwright |
JIHS, Ethiopia |
3,625.23 |
|
Jean Long |
JIHS Ethiopia |
3,632.71 |
|
Peadar Cremin |
Sector Dev (Educ) Tanzania |
7,633.23 |
|
Mary Jennings |
Sustainable Lusaka Programme |
4,267.54 |
|
Timothy O’Dempsey |
Zonal Health Bureau, Ethiopia |
5,078.95 |
|
Lana Kinley |
Desk Study, Zimbabwe |
509.61 |
|
Bernard McLoughlin |
SWAPS Financial Accountability Study |
10,938.81 |
|
Cathy Gaynor |
Education Guidelines |
1,809.38 |
|
Andrew O’Rourke |
EU Documentation |
952.30 |
|
Gavin Olney |
Micro-finance Study Ethiopia |
11,427.64 |
|
Finola Finnan |
Consultants Health Register HQ |
4,761.52 |
|
Maria McLoughlin |
Burundi Peace Talks Process, Tanzania |
147,228.66 |
|
Colm O’Rourke |
Medlab Project Support, Zambia |
4,231.28 |
|
Finola Finnan |
Medlab Project Support, Zambia |
4,286.04 |
|
Nicholas Chisholm |
National Strategies on Sustainable Development Sunningdale |
1,024.07 |
|
Mary Jennings |
Sustainable Lusaka Programme |
5,078.36 |
|
Jennifer Chapman |
Short-term Consultancy, Tanzania |
1,862.43 |
|
Edward Griffin |
ESDP, Tanzania |
3,501 |
|
Joe Ruddy |
Short-term Consultancy, Tanzania |
9,442.81 |
|
Barbara McAllister |
Tour Guide Training, Tanzania |
9,370.60 |
|
John Grindle Precept Consulting |
NGO Co-Financing & Block Grant Schemes |
4,380.45 |
|
Gerry Hughes |
Review Tourism Sector Support Programme, Tanzania |
6,252.25 |
|
Moss McCormack |
Capacity Building & Support to Medlab, Tanzania |
5,444.76 |
|
IPS (Paul Forrester) |
SWAPS Financial Accountability Study |
20,315.81 |
|
Andrew Burke, St Patrick’s College |
BESSIP, Zambia |
7,732.70 |
|
Colin O’Sullivan Lagin Consulting Ltd |
Irish Aid Financnail Systems Review, 2 nd Phase |
12,291.06 |
|
Peadar Cremin |
Capacity Building for ESDP |
3,128.33 |
|
Jennifer Chapman |
Short-term Consultancy Dublin |
3,792.24 |
|
Paul Wijmenga Netherlands Economic Institute |
Review of the Export Processing Zones, Zimbabwe |
9,523.04 |
|
Total 1998 |
933,583.29 |
|
Consultant |
Consultancy Title |
€ Amount |
|
Brendan Rossiter |
Local Government Reform Programme, Tanzania Feb 1999 |
8,400.92 |
|
Cathal Higgins |
Evaluation of Breakthrough to Icibemba Nth. Province Zambia Feb-March 1999 |
7,903.51 |
|
Noel O’Connell |
Teacher Training Review, ESDP Tanzania, March 1999 |
11,564.60 |
|
Brenda Corcoran |
Ex-Post Evaluation, Lusaka Maternity Clinics Feb 1999 |
6,504.50 |
|
Cathy Gaynor |
Working Group on Gender, Paris Feb. 1999 |
1,403.58 |
|
Colin O’Sullivan/ Lagin Consulting |
Irish Aid Financial Systems Review |
6,456.62 |
|
Finola Finnan |
Monitoring Mission HSDP, Ethiopia (Jan 99) |
8,178.28 |
|
Heiki Wihuri/ International Water & Sanitation Centre |
Water & Sanitation Sector Study Lesotho, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Feb-May 99 |
55,617.07 |
|
Nicholas Chisholm |
Working Party on Development Cooperation and the Environment, Paris, Feb. & Oct. 1999 |
3,030.48 |
|
John Grindle |
PROAGRI Programme, Mozambique: Meeting, Dublin, March 1999 |
9,142.11 |
|
Dr Andrew Burke |
Ed-SDP Appraisal, Tanzania, March 1999 |
10,590.89 |
|
Finola Finnan |
Establishment of Consultants = Register for the Education Sector, March-April 99 |
3,809.21 |
|
Anne Ryan |
Ed-SDP Appraisal, Tanzania, March 1999 |
8,234.89 |
|
Moss McCormack |
Joint Ministry of Health/Partners Appraisal Health Sector Programme, Tanzania March 1999 |
6,728.47 |
|
Nicholas Chisholm |
European Forum on Agricultural Research for Development, The Netherlands April 1999 |
1,111.57 |
|
Peadar Cremin |
Education Policy and Guidelines March 99 |
4,761.52 |
|
Vivienne Flanagan/Lagin Consulting |
Personnel Management Systems: Phase 1 April 1999 |
11,173.7 |
|
Vivienne Forsythe |
Evaluation of Irish Aid Support to Gedo Region Somalia March 1999 |
1,642.43 |
|
Kieran Kelleher |
Tanga Mid-Term Review, Tanzania April 99 |
8,591.56 |
|
Andrew O’Connell |
District Health Review, Uganda April 1999 |
9,205.60 |
|
Carol Coombe |
Participation in the ESDP, Uganda April 1999 |
9,269.09 |
|
Paul Cassidy |
Management Needs Analysis April-July 99 |
32,378.32 |
|
Jim Fitzpatrick |
Desk-top study on new priority country for Irish Aid |
9,142.11 |
|
Robert Ainscow |
Management Needs Analysis May-July 99 |
26,029.63 |
|
Helen O’Neill |
Article for Irish Aid Annual Report-May 99 |
1,269.74 |
|
Nicholas Chisholm |
Attendance at Preliminary Appraisal Committee meetings (June 99-May 2000) |
8,081.17 |
|
Noel Whelan |
Attendance at Preliminary Appraisal Committee meetings (June 99-May 2000) |
8,888.17 |
|
Albert de Groot/N.E.I. |
Debt Relief Mission to Ethiopia, Tanzania, Mozambique & Zambia-May 1999 |
26,664.5 |
|
Denis Gallagher/REPIM (Irl) Ltd |
Debt Relief Mission to Ethiopia, Tanzania Mozambique & Zambia-May 1999 |
16,217.09 |
|
Jane Stanton/Oxford Policy Management |
Review of Ireland Aid Involvement in:-IFC Technical Assistance Trust Fund Programme — World Bank Consultancy Trust Fund — EBRD Technical Cooperation Fund-Economic Development Institute |
22,056.62 |
|
Timothy O’Dempsey |
Development of Community-based Training Programmes, Ethiopia, April-May 1999 |
10,157.19 |
|
Orlaith McCaul |
Benchmarking and Baseline Study, Muheza, Tanzania-June 1999 |
7,618.3 |
|
Kim Forss/Andante Consultants AB |
Sector Aid (SWAPs) Seminar-Dublin, June |
2,920.4 |
|
Robert Drayton |
Review of Irish Aid Fellowship Programme June-July 1999 |
7,618.43 |
|
Finola Finnan |
Technical Support for Lab Projects in Zambia and Tanzania |
11,714.08 |
|
Orlaith McCaul |
Irish Aid Review, Lesotho |
6,348.69 |
|
Albert de Groot/Netherlands Economic Institute |
Debt Relief Mission to Ethiopia, Tanzania, Mozambique and Zambia May 1999 |
20,074.67 |
|
Maria Mc Loughlin |
Burundi Peace Talks Process, Tanzania |
40,345.93 |
|
Oxford Policy Management |
Review of Irish Aid Involvement in:-International Finance Corporation Technical Assistance Trust Fund Programme-World Bank Consultancy Trust Funds-European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Technical Cooperation Fund-Economic Development InstituteJune-July 1999 |
42,361.45 |
|
Development Studies Centre |
Benchmarking and Baseline Study in Muheza-Tanzania June 1999 |
6,299.12 |
|
Philip Ryan/Precept Consulting |
Management Review, Irish Aid-Tanzania, June |
10,199.48 |
|
Lagin Consulting Ltd |
Irish Aid Financial Systems Review: Phases 4 & 5 |
13,827.45 |
|
Vivienne Flanagan/Lagin Consulting |
Personnel Management Systems Review: Phase 2July-October 99 |
32,972.56 |
|
Gavin Olney |
Micro-finance Seminar (Addition to existing study undertaken in Jan 99) |
631.42 |
|
Elna Bering/T&B Consultants |
Review of Irish Aid involvement with United Nations Institute for Training And Research, Dublin & Geneva Sept-Oct 1999 |
9,138.8 |
|
Timothy O’Dempsey (RCSI) |
Operational Research Programme:Zonal Health Bureau, Ethiopia, July 1999 |
2,196.57 |
|
Cathal Higgins |
Basic Education Support Programme Review, Northern Province Zambia July-August 1999 |
12,597.78 |
|
BDO Simpson Xavier |
Financial Management Systems Review of NGO Block Grant Recipients July-Aug 1999 |
74,846.54 |
|
Netherlands Economic Institute |
Evaluation of Irish Aid support to Public Sector Management Project in Zambia |
21,459.88 |
|
Development Studies Centre |
Logical Framework Training, Lesotho, August-Sept, 1999 |
3,932.91 |
|
Ciaran Sugrue/St Patricks College |
Review of Primary Education Project, Lesotho Aug-Sept 1999 |
3,480.77 |
|
Vivienne Forsythe |
Preparation of a Background Paper on Development Policies and their Impact on Children August 1999 |
6,421.4 |
|
Niall McElwee |
Preparation of Background Paper on Development Policies and their Impact on Children August 1999 |
4,628.26 |
|
Andrew O’Connell |
Review of District Health Programmes in Kilosa and Ulanga September 1999 |
6,515.66 |
|
Development Studies Centre |
Training for Log Frame Analysis (Consultancy Services Lesotho February 1999) |
5,302.43 |
|
Cathal Higgins |
Follow-up of Basic Education Support Programme, Northern Province, Zambia, September 1999 |
3,036.62 |
|
Kevin Moore |
Feasibility Study on Ugandan Investment Agency (UIA)-September 1999 |
6,866.12 |
|
John Grindle |
(1) Review of District Development Programmes, Uganda, and (2) Synthesis of Country Programme Evaluations-September 1999 |
18,3097 |
|
Finola Finnan |
Pilot Study on Model Laboratory Service at District level-Tanzania September 1999 |
4,260.15 |
|
Moss McCormack |
Management Development for Health Officials, Ministry of Health, An Appraisal, Tanzania September 1999 |
5,784.91 |
|
Dr Jim Fitzpatrick |
Consultancy on the Utilisation of expertise from Ireland in the Aid Programme |
21,509.36 |
|
Centre for International Education, Oslo |
Seminar for Health/ Education advisers: September 1999 |
3,541.95 |
|
Centre for International Education, Oslo |
Review and Planning Exercise for the Education Sector in Palestinian Administered Areas, September 1999 |
8,928.56 |
|
HRDC (Mike Ratcliffe) |
NGO Block Grant Evaluation-Cambodia 1-31 October 1999 |
5,730.15 |
|
Bernard Wood |
National Forum on Development Aid, Keynote Speaker |
6,469.95 |
|
Jean Long |
Review of Copperbelt Maternity Clinics & Essential Obstetric Care Projects, Zambia, October 1999 |
6,348.02 |
|
Nick Chisholm |
Attendance at expert meeting on Agriculture & Food Security during the International Centres Week of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research Network, Washington Oct 1999 |
5,713.44 |
|
Netherlands Economic Institute |
Macro-Economic Training, Mozambique Oct 1999 |
13,595.78 |
|
Vivienne Forsythe |
Health Sector Development Programme Joint Review Mission November 1999 |
11,120.65 |
|
John Grindle |
Attendance at UN Experts Meeting on criteria for LDC identification including Vulnerability Index, New York, October 1999 |
2,565.53 |
|
Aidan Mulkeen |
Evaluation of Lesotho Media Review November 1999 |
4,760.43 |
|
Joseph Ruddy |
Management Training for Tourism Training Project in Tanzania Nov-Dec 99 |
13,651.31 |
|
Overseas Development Institute |
Working paper on the status of Sector Wide Approaches to Development |
34,952.77 |
|
Dr Ciaran Sugrue |
Education Sector Development Programme Joint Review Mission, Ethiopia, November-December 1999 |
8,561.37 |
|
Dr Andrew Burke |
Education Sector Development Programme, Joint Review Mission, Ethiopia, November-December 1999 |
8,367.17 |
|
Gavin Olney |
Micro-finance Study Lesotho, November-December 1999 |
4,818.69 |
|
Moss McCormack |
Health Sector Appraisal, Lesotho, November December 1999 |
7,226.73 |
|
James Murphy/ Grant Thornton |
Study of Financial Systems Support for Palestinian Energy Authority |
7,681.92 |
|
Conor Ward |
Support to Bethlehem University Outreach Programme, May-November 1999 |
19,124.38 |
|
Collette Dowling |
Support to Bethlehem University Outreach Programme, May 1999-May 2000 |
39,414.93 |
|
Jim Phelan / Rural Development Unit UCD |
Sokoine Extension Project, Tanzania |
6,820.74 |
|
Gavin Olney |
Micro-finance Study-Ethiopia |
4,818.69 |
|
Jennifer Chapman |
Study on basic needs and poverty-Ethiopia |
521.00 |
|
Kim Forss /Andante Consultants AB |
Research Paper on SWAPs for DAC/IDC Networks Meeting in May 2000 |
39,570.14 |
|
Maria McLoughlin |
Burundi Peace Talks Process |
10,174.41 |
|
Lagin Consulting |
Ireland Aid Financial Systems Review: Phase 6 |
6,760.09 |
|
Total 1999 |
1,213,451.08 |
|
Consultant |
Consultancy Title |
€ Amount |
|
Centre for Adult and Community Education |
Fellowship Policy Fellowship Policy guidelines & Application / Selection Criteria |
2,475.99 |
|
Timothy O'Dempsey |
Participation in Roll Back Malaria Meeting, WHO Geneva |
2,350.5 |
|
John Kevany |
Appraisal of International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) Proposal |
10,221.39 |
|
Desiree Dietvorst |
Presentation at Like-minded meeting on SWAPs Dublin |
3,573.09 |
|
The Economic & Social Research Institute |
DAC Capacity Network meeting Dublin April 2000 |
3,313.18 |
|
Moss McCormack |
Programme Document for Ireland Aid Assistance to Health Sector, Lesotho |
3,739.7 |
|
Robert Smith |
Appraisal of Ireland Aid Support to Jimma University, Ethiopia |
8,033.61 |
|
Vivienne Forsythe |
Appraisal of Ireland Aid Support to Jimma University, Ethiopia |
11,265.04 |
|
Mary Jennings |
Review of Save the Children Micro Credit Project, Palestine, March 2000 |
6,162.85 |
|
John Grindle |
Attendance at Expert Group Meeting on Economic Vulnerability, Paris |
1,168.12 |
|
Jim Kinsella |
Bethel Evaluation, Lesotho, March 2000 |
6,911.12 |
|
Educational Research Centre |
Assessing Quality of Teaching in Primary Schools, Kibale District, Uganda, March 2000 |
6,012.59 |
|
Centre for Adult and Community Education |
Report on meeting of like minded Donors on SWAPS-March 2000 |
3,174.35 |
|
Ruairí Brugha |
Joint Ministry of Health/ Partners Review of Health Plan of Action, Tanzania March 2000 |
7,445.78 |
|
Ann Bourke Garcia |
Preparation of Programme of support in Health Sector for Ireland Aid Tanzania |
12,804.9 |
|
Cathy Gaynor |
Preparation of Report for the World Conference on Education for All, Dakar, Finalisation of Education Guidelines, Attendance at Regional Advisers = Workshop on Education March-September 2000 |
15,236.86 |
|
Monica Gorman |
Seminar on A Environmental Best Practice in Development Programmes @ Report, 23 March 2000 |
571.38 |
|
Deloitte & Touche |
Review of Ireland Aid Procurement Procedures, March-June 2000 |
57,083.09 |
|
IAAC/ Prof. John Jackson |
Attendance at the United Nations Commission on Population and Development |
5,743.41 |
|
Dr Timothy O’Dempsey |
Participation in Operational Research Workshop, Ethiopia, Phase 1, March 2000 |
2,539.22 |
|
Peit Jan Zijlstra/ CDP Consultants |
Evaluation of Area-Based Programmes, Dublin March April 2000 |
60,176.48 |
|
Orlaith McCaul |
Evaluation of Area Based Programmes, Dublin March-April 2000 |
5,889.93 |
|
Swithun Goodbody |
Attendance at IFPRI Workshop in Malawi-March-April 2000 |
4,646.8 |
|
Andrew O’Connell |
Strategy and Guidelines for Ireland Aid support to Health Component in the District Development Programmes-April 2000 |
5,715.46 |
|
Nick Chisholm |
Preparation of Ireland Aid Policy & Guidelines on Agriculture |
12,597.59 |
|
Peadar Cremin |
Curriculum Development and Implementation for Palestinian Ministry of Education: April 2000 |
5,401.44 |
|
David O’Grady |
Curriculum Development and Implementation for Palestinian Ministry of Education: April 2000 |
5,291.99 |
|
Eamonn Brehony |
Feasibility Study on the proposed Mungwi Council Sugar Cane Out-Growers Scheme, Zambia, April-May 2000. |
4,826.12 |
|
Nick Chisholm |
Attendance at the Preliminary Appraisal Committee and the pre-Project Appraisal and Evaluation Group Meetings April 2000-March 2001 |
4,441.07 |
|
Noel Whelan |
Attendance at the Preliminary Appraisal Committee and the pre-Project Appraisal and Evaluation Group Meetings April 2000-March 2001 |
6,148.22 |
|
Mike FitzGibbon |
Desk Study re Accounting Database in District Development Programmes, Tanzania |
1,976.26 |
|
David McKevitt |
Programme Aid Seminar May 2000 |
1,100.01 |
|
Bannock Consulting |
Programme Aid Seminar May 2000 |
1,100.81 |
|
Vivienne Forsythe |
Strategy and Sector Guidelines in Emergency Humanitarian Assistance, Emergency Preparedness and Post Emergency Rehabilitation |
3,656.85 |
|
Conor Ward |
Support to the Bethlehem 2000 Palestinian Heritage Centre at Bethlehem University-May 2000 |
3,669.85 |
|
Nils Boesen, AS Denmark |
Review of NGO Block Grant Muiti-annual Funding-May-June 2000 |
27,297.43 |
|
Swithun Goodbody |
Evaluation of Ireland Aid support to IFAD and CGIAR-May-June 2000 |
18,143.38 |
|
Colin O’Sullivan |
Member of CSC Interview Board for IT Specialist, Development Cooperation Division |
1,269.74 |
|
Terence George Baker |
Development of the Curriculum for a Diploma course in Medlab Science |
13,764.94 |
|
John Kevany |
Attendance at EU HIV/AIDS Vaccine Task Team Meeting: Brussels May 2000 |
1,608.24 |
|
Andrew Burke |
Review of Education Support to Northern Province, South Africa |
8,063.1 |
|
REPIM Ltd |
Programme Aid Seminar May 2000 |
2,296.74 |
|
Cathal Higgins |
Review of Education Support to Northern Province, South Africa |
8,122.53 |
|
Tom Dolan, ODT Development Consultancy |
Reviewing Plans and Programme to Reform the Justice Cluster in South Africa |
6,557.52 |
|
John Grindle |
Background Paper on Political and Economic Developments, SA in preparation for Country Strategy Review-June 2000 |
4,357.7 |
|
Lars P Christensen |
Evaluation of Ireland Aid Contributions to UNDP, UNICEF & UNFPA June-Sept 2000 |
11,500.3 |
|
Nedworc Foundation |
Evaluation of Ireland Aid Contributions to UNDP, UNICEF & UNFPA June-Sept 2000 |
2,765.59 |
|
Piet Jan Zijlstra / CDP Consultants |
Evaluation of Area-based Programmes, Ethiopia/Tanzania/Mozambique/Tanzania: Phase 11-June/July & Sept 2000 |
10,602.85 |
|
Orlaith McCaul/ Development Studies Centre |
Evaluation of Area-Based Programmes-Phase 2-Tanzania/ Amsterdam/Tanzania |
23,365.61 |
|
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine |
Mid-term Review of the Reproductive Health Services Project, Northern Province, Zambia June 2000 |
14,972.15 |
|
Brenda Corcoran |
Review of the National Tuberculosis Programme, Tanzania June 2000 |
9,208.14 |
|
Matthew Jowett |
Attendance at WHO meeting on partnership in Health and Poverty, Geneva 12-14 June 2000 |
2,353.45 |
|
Thomas Kellaghan |
Issues Paper for Attendance at International working Group on Education-Florence, June 2000 |
2,623.37 |
|
Nick Chisholm |
DAC Environmental Meeting June 2000 |
1,091.59 |
|
Mike Scott |
Member of Civil Service Commission Interview Board for D C D Accountant, June 2000 |
1,269.4 |
|
David Lovegrove |
Foreign Investment Advisory Mission to Laos |
8,610.78 |
|
John Kevany |
EU Health Aids Population Experts Meeting Brussels |
1,404.75 |
|
Sean Courtney |
Increase Management Capacity of the Ireland Aid Country Programme, Tanzania, July-October 2000 |
15,236.86 |
|
Bernard McLoughlin |
Appraisal of Inception Report on the Establishment of an ED-SDP Pooled Fund, Tanzania |
444.41 |
|
Seamus McGuinness |
Mid-term Review/ Evaluation of the Whole School Development in Tanzania July/August 2000 |
3,300.05 |
|
Bernadette Crawford |
Participation In Ireland Aid Education Seminar Aug 2000 |
2,631.16 |
|
Iain Atack |
Review of 3-year Programme 1998-2000 on Human Rights, Democratisation and Good Governance-August 2000 |
2,365.84 |
|
Mary Jennings |
Participation in Regional HIV/AIDS Workshop, Uganda, Sept 00 |
5,845.73 |
|
Vivienne Forsythe |
Review of CHAL-RHDP Project Lesotho Sept 00 |
7,552.73 |
|
Mike Ratcliffe (HRDC) |
Evaluation of Trocaire Block Grant Projects in Central America Aug 00 |
19,141.92 |
|
Grant Thornton |
Review of DCO Administration Budgets and Budgeting Procedures-Aug-Oct 2000 |
23,568.74 |
|
Centre for Arid Zone Studies, University of Wales |
Review of Agriculture Programme in Ethiopia, Aug-Sept 00 |
19,166.29 |
|
UCD (Dept. of Agribusiness Extension & RD) |
Sokoine Extension Programme Tanzania, Sept 00 |
8,226.84 |
|
John Grindle |
Evaluation of Tanga Coastal Zone Programme-Phase II |
12,315.25 |
|
Bernadette Crawford |
Strategic Approach to Health and Education SWAPs in the Priority Countries-Sept-Nov 00 |
2,285.53 |
|
Moss McCormack |
Attendance at WHO Seminar on Quality Improvement Strategies for Middle & Low Income Countries September 2000 |
963.67 |
|
Nick Chisholm |
DAC Environmental Conference-Amsterdam |
2,130.51 |
|
John Kevany |
Inter Agency Group Meeting on SWAPs Geneva |
2,478.35 |
|
John Kevany |
Ireland Aid Health Policy/ Programme Development: September-December 2000 |
13,558.01 |
|
Sean Courtney |
Increase Management Capacity of the Ireland Aid Country Programme, Tanzania |
16,760.54 |
|
Iain Atack |
To attend SIDA Workshop A Promoting a Human Rights Approach in Development Cooperation @ Stockholm October 2000 |
2,632.76 |
|
Nick Chisholm |
To attend CGIAR Annual Centres Week Washington, October 2000 |
3,330.76 |
|
Therese Dooley |
Review of Primary Schools Construction & Bursary Project for Participation of Education Sector Support Programme for Lesotho October Nov 2000 |
6,610.88 |
|
Roger Avenstrup |
Review of Primary Schools Construction & Bursary Project for Preparation of Education Sector Support programme for Lesotho Nov-Dec 2000 & Jan 01 |
15,505.05 |
|
Roger Avenstrup |
Ethiopia ESDP Mid-term Review 10 February-4 March 2001 |
18,658.66 |
|
Dr. Shane Allwright |
Appraise the desirability of Ireland Aid support for the Mwanza Intervention Trial, Tanzania |
3,718.39 |
|
Moss McCormack |
Health Sector Review Lesotho November 2000 |
3,889.00 |
|
Bernadette Crawford |
Health Sector Consultation November 2000 |
406.91 |
|
Vivienne Forsythe |
Health Sector Consultation November 2000 |
540.38 |
|
Dr Maura Connolly |
Health Sector Consultation November 2000 |
903.98 |
|
Dr Bert Schreuder |
Health Sector Consultation November 2000 |
1,223.19 |
|
Philip Ryan / Precept consulting |
Management Review, Maputo |
15,465.52 |
|
Kim Forss /Andante Consultants AB |
Participation in Health SWAP Meeting Amsterdam, November 2000 |
4,295.12 |
|
Diarmuid McClean |
Technical Support to UNICEF, Ghana, re Ireland Aid supported HIV/Aids programme: Nov-Dec 2000 |
5,947.77 |
|
Moss McCormack |
Mid term Review of Medlabs Project Zambia December 2000 |
(paid in 2002) |
|
Edward O’Loughlin |
Production of an Ireland Aid Administrative procedures and Operations manual(s) December-June 2001 |
14,220.17 |
|
Deloitte & Touche |
Quality Review of the Evaluation and Audit Unit. Dec 2000-Feb 01 |
40,966.58 |
|
COWI |
Evaluation of Ireland Aid Contributions to the UN |
45,858.94 |
|
Total 2000 |
819,860.84 |
|
Consultant |
Consultancy Title |
€ Amount |
|
Aidan Pender/PA Consulting Group |
Facilitator to the Ireland Aid Review Committee |
31,452.35 |
|
Andrew Burke |
Co-ordination of study visit to Ireland by Education officials from Uganda, Ethiopia, Zambia Mozambique and S A (Nov 2001) |
9,885.68 |
|
Bernard McLoughlin |
Sidama Area Based Programme Evaluation: Ethiopia (March 2001) |
12,914.90 |
|
Bernard McLoughlin |
Review of Financial Control Capacities and Elaboration of Programme Expansion Proposals (June, 2001) |
13,093.88 |
|
Brian Barr |
Roads Consultancy for Ireland Aid-Ethiopia Programme |
11,381.32 |
|
Cathal Higgins |
Participation in ongoing monitoring and review of Ireland Aid Education Programmes (Jan-Dec 2001) |
46,659.36 |
|
CDP Consultants |
Participation of Mr. Taco Kooistra in the evaluation of NGO Block Grant Scheme: Bangladesh and India (Feb & Mar 2001) |
22,431.20 |
|
CDP Consultants |
Participation in Sidama Area-based Programme Evaluation-Ethiopia (Feb-Apr 2001) |
24,966.46 |
|
CDP Consultants |
Souther Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Regional State (SNNPRS) Needs Assessment-Ethiopia (Nov 2001) |
5,249.76 |
|
Centre for Arid Zone Studies (CAZS) |
Support to Review of IFSP and Preparation of Position Paper-Ethiopia (Sep 2001) |
14,525.14 |
|
CHL Consulting Group |
Ex-Post Evaluation of Hotel and Tourism Training-Zambia (Oct-Nov 2001) |
13,123.09 |
|
COWI |
Evaluation of Ireland Aid Contributions to UNHCR and OHCHR (Sep-Nov 2001) |
7,488.00 |
|
Deloitte & Touche |
Study to Develop a Risk Management Process in Ireland Aid. |
33,492.16 |
|
Development Studies Centre |
Participation of Ms Orlaith McCaul in the Sidama Area-based Programme Evaluation-Ethiopia (Feb-Apr 2001) |
16,297.33 |
|
Diarmuid McClean |
Participation in ongoing support to Ireland Aid in the Health Sector (Feb-July 2001) |
4,072.93 |
|
Diarmuid McClean |
Health-Programme Support and Development (Oct 01-Mar 02) |
2,886.63 |
|
Dr. Albert de Groot/Netherlands Economic Institute |
Macro-economic Support to Mozambique (Mar-Apr 01) |
13,717.13 |
|
Dr. Ian Robinson-Centre for Arid Zone Studies, University of Wales, Bangor |
Participate in workshop in Dublin re. developing an Ireland Aid Policy and Guidelines for Agriculture |
1,851.88 |
|
Dr. Jim Phelan |
Attendance at Agriculture Workshop-Tanzania (May 2001) |
2,744.86 |
|
Dr. Timothy O’Dempsey |
Participation in Operational Research Workshop (Ethiopia); March 2001 |
939.06 |
|
Edward O’Loughlin |
Production of an Ireland Aid Administrative procedures and Operations manual(s) December-June 2001 |
20,320.00 |
|
Eric Woods |
Review of Teacher Education in the Context of the Education Sector Development Programme-Ethiopia, November 2001 |
3,657.60 |
|
Gavin Olney |
Assessment of Microfinance Sector in Kibale, Kiboga, and Kumi-Uganda |
10,203.51 |
|
HELM Corporation Ltd |
Review of Current Practice in Lesson Learning from Evaluations at Country Level. October-November 2001 |
24,126.76 |
|
Horwath Bastow Charlton |
Review of Financial Management Systems of NGOs |
40,327.97 |
|
IG Harmond Associates |
Review of Ireland Aid Support to the Rural Access Sector-Lesotho (Aug-Sep 2001) |
12,617.28 |
|
John Grindle |
Participation in workshop on developing an Ireland Aid Policy and Guidelines for Agriculture: Agriculture Conference, Dublin (10-11 January 2001) |
6,200.14 |
|
John Grindle |
Assistance to the Czech and Lithuanian Foreign Ministries (April-June 2001) |
9,106.70 |
|
John Grindle |
On-going review of Ireland Aid’s policy on debt (May 2001-April 2002) |
17,207.23 |
|
John Grindle |
Review of the Ireland Aid Country Programme-Lesotho (Oct-Nov 2001) |
2,000.25 |
|
John McKinnon |
Seminar on proposal to provide General Budget Support to Uganda-Dublin (4 April 2001) |
689.71 |
|
John Telford / EMMA Ltd. |
Review of NGO activities in Gujarat, India (April-June 2001) |
7,297.51 |
|
Kevin Carroll |
Support to IA’s Health Advisers (Sep 01-Aug 02) |
8,336.57 |
|
Kevin Carroll |
Preparation of Discussion Paper on Governance/ Civil Society for Programme Officers Meeting (November 2001) |
1,905.00 |
|
Kevin Carroll |
Workshop on Sector Wide Approaches (SWAPs)-Lesotho (Oct 2001) |
4,493.95 |
|
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine |
Participation of Ms Monica Burns in Mid-term Review of the HSDP-Ethiopia (February-March 2001) |
30,081.70 |
|
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine |
Participation of Mr Peter Petit in Mid-term Review of the HSDP Ethiopia (February-March 2001) |
21,836.14 |
|
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine |
Participation of Dr. Ruairi Brugha in Joint Ministry of Health/Partners Review of Health Plan of Action-Tanzania (March 2001) |
15,580.01 |
|
Mary Oduka |
Member of Ireland Aid Interview Board for Programme Officer (October 2001) |
1,270.00 |
|
Michael Kelly |
Participation in facilitation of workshop on HIV/AIDS and presentation of paper on HIV/AIDS (February-March 2001) |
2,698.98 |
|
Michael Scott |
Assessment of the operations of AMSCO (April-June 2001) |
5,043.63 |
|
Monica Burns, LATH |
Annual Review Meeting of HSDP-Ethiopia (June 2001) |
12,265.60 |
|
NEDWORC |
Participation of Mr Henk Mutsaers at the Agriculture Conference Workshop on Developing an Ireland Aid Policy and Guidelines for Agriculture: Dublin (11-12 January 2001) |
3,140.20 |
|
Niall McDermott, Barry International Consulting Engineers |
Mozambique Road Sector Analysis (June 2001) |
20,550.60 |
|
Nick Chisholm |
Attendance at the Preliminary Appraisal Committee and the pre-Project Appraisal and Evaluation Group Meetings( April 2000-March 2001) |
6,020.69 |
|
Nick Chisholm |
Participation in workshop on developing an Ireland Aid Policy and Guidelines for Agriculture: Agriculture Conference, Dublin (10-11 January 2001) |
977.09 |
|
Nick Chisholm |
Ongoing Attendance at Meetings of DAC Working Party on Environment (March 2001 to March 2002) |
3,993.39 |
|
Nick Chisholm |
Seminar on proposal to provide General Budget Support to Uganda-Dublin (4 April 2001) |
563.25 |
|
Nick Chisholm |
Agriculture Position Paper in preparation for the Country Strategy Paper, Ethiopia ( August 2001) |
9,096.92 |
|
Noel Molony |
Review of Current Support to Rwanda-Phase 1 (December 2001) |
1,143.00 |
|
Olga McDonagh |
Administrative arrangements between Ireland Aid and ICOS (March-April 2001) |
4,445.00 |
|
Overseas Development Institute, London |
Participation of Mr. Mick Foster in Joint Donor Budget Support Mission (PRSC)-Uganda (January 2001) |
21,689.77 |
|
Philip Ryan |
Member of Ireland Aid Interview Board for Human Resources and Outsourcing Manager (October 2001) |
2,743.20 |
|
Philip Ryan / Precept Consulting |
Consultancy report to DCD for the Ireland Aid Review April (July 2001) |
13,716.00 |
|
Prof. John Kevany |
Health-Intermittent Specialist Support (October 2001-March 2002) |
4,014.56 |
|
Prof. John Kevany |
Participation in ongoing monitoring on draw-down basis of Ireland Aid support to the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative-IAVI (2001-2002) |
8,840.69 |
|
Prof. John Kevany |
Global Health Initiatives Stockholm |
2,123.94 |
|
Pyramid Consulting Ltd. |
Information & Communication Technology (ICT) and Development (1-16/2/2001) |
5,715.00 |
|
Seamus O’hUllachain |
Facilitator for Study Visit to Ireland (Nov 2001) |
3,810.00 |
|
Sean Courtney |
Increase management capacity of the Ireland Aid Country Programme, Tanzania (17 January-16 March 2001) |
11,582.40 |
|
Sean Courtney |
Support to the Ireland Aid Country Programme, Tanzania (April-July 2001) |
16,154.40 |
|
Sean Courtney |
Support to the Ireland Aid Country Programme, Tanzania (Aug-Oct 2001) |
15,240.00 |
|
Sean Courtney |
Support to the Ireland Aid Country Programme, Tanzania (01 November 2001-31 January 2002) |
4,572.00 |
|
Sorcha Corcoran |
Production of the Ireland Aid Annual Report |
8,628.38 |
|
Susan Bragdon CGIAR/IPGRI |
Speak at a workshop on Genetic Resources for Agriculture Dublin (8-9 Jan 2001) |
833.63 |
|
Swithin Goodbody |
Participation in Agriculture Conference Workshop on developing an Ireland Aid Policy and Guidelines for Agriculture (Dublin); 11 &12/1/2001 (classified as an extension of contract for Evaluation of Ireland Aid support to IFAD and CGIAR (May-June 2000) |
1,263.56 |
|
T & B Consult |
Review of Ireland Aid’s support to the Development Studies Centre, Kimmage Manor (Sep-Nov 2001) |
6,229.35 |
|
Therese Dooley |
Participation in the Facilitation of workshop on Monitoring and Evaluation (February-March 2001) |
1,524.00 |
|
Therese Dooley |
EU Water Experts Meeting Stockholm (23-24 April 2001) |
2,325.19 |
|
Therese Dooley |
Water & Sanitation sector, SA & Zambia (June-July 2001) |
16,360.08 |
|
Therese Dooley |
Global Health Fund Meeting Geneva (Jun 01). Global Fund for AIDS & Health Brussels (Jul 01) |
4,103.50 |
|
Therese Dooley |
Preparation for Formulation of CSP-Ethiopia, Water Sector (Sep-Oct 2001) |
11,986.73 |
|
Total 2001 |
759,825.88 |
|
Consultant |
Consultancy Title |
€ Amount |
|
Avenstrup, Roger |
Review of IA support to Education Sector-Lesotho (Dec 2001) |
8,956.05 |
|
McGuinness, Seamus |
Mid-term review/evaluation of Whole School Development-Tanzania (July-Aug 2000) |
10,681.75 |
|
Courtney, Sean |
Support to the IA Country Programme-Tanzania (Nov 01 to Jan 02) |
10,668.00 |
|
Sugrue, Ciaran |
Joint External Appraisal of MoE Strat Plan-Zambia (July-02) |
5,522.71 |
|
Long, Jean |
Evaluation of the Copperbelt Maternity Clinics & the Northern Province Reproductive Health Projects-Zambia (July-Aug-02) |
9,776.42 |
|
Crawford, Bernie |
Development of a Sector Strategy Paper for Urban Development (POCMUS)-Zambia (July-Aug-02) |
8,740.96 |
|
McDowell, Moore |
Preparation in the GoZ /WB workshop on "Deeping Economic Diversification in Zambia"-Zambia (June-02) |
9,710.38 |
|
McCormack, Moss |
Mid-term review of the Medlabs Project-Zambia (July-02) |
(6,800.00 due) |
|
Riverine Consulting |
Good Governance Northern Province Needs Assessment-Zambia (July-Aug 02) |
3,291.00 |
|
Mtonga, V |
Review of the Cooperbelt Reproductive Health-Zambia (July-Aug-02) |
1,524.00 |
|
Milimo, J |
Water Northern Province KAP Survey-Zambia (July-Aug-02) |
5,515.00 |
|
RuralNet HIV/AIDS |
Capacity Needs Assessment OVC Programme Copperbelt-Zambia (July-Aug-02) |
4,010.00 |
|
Sikwibele, A |
Northern Province Education BTL Review-Zambia (July-Aug-02) |
4,995.00 |
|
Burke, Andrew |
Review of IA support to Primary Education Reform Programme-Uganda (July-Aug-02) |
15,031.98 |
|
Dolan, Tom |
Justice Law & Order Sector Review-Uganda (April-May 01) |
13,205.54 |
|
Dolan, Tom |
Preparation of PAEG Documents (2001) |
2,795.82 |
|
Dolan, Tom |
Justice Law & Order Sector & Anti Corruption-Uganda (May-June 01) |
33,023.43 |
|
Dolan, Tom |
Visit of Uganda CRC to Ireland, Preparatory Work (Jan-02) |
1,766.84 |
|
Dolan, Tom |
Justice Law & Order Sector Review-Uganda (Nov 01) |
12,457.06 |
|
O'Sullivan, Margo |
Review of IA support to Primary Education Reform Programme-Uganda (July-Aug-02) |
10,059.00 |
|
Avenstrup, Roger |
Review Teacher Education-Ethiopia (Nov-01) |
15,658.8 |
|
Avenstrup, Roger |
ESDP Annual Review-Ethiopia (April-02) |
8,379.2 |
|
CDP Consultants |
SNNPRS Needs Assessment-Ethiopia (Feb-Apr) |
15,108.45 |
|
CDP Consultants |
SNNPRS Needs Assessment Phase II-Ethiopia (May-02) |
11,808.87 |
|
Higgins, Cathal |
Assessment of Teacher Education-Ethiopia (2001) |
5,731.00 |
|
Phelan, Jim |
Technical Needs Assessment for ORCB Project-Ethiopia (Sep-02) |
7,465.07 |
|
Woods, Eric |
Provision of Technical support to Joint Task Force on teacher Education-Ethiopia (Jan-June-02) |
22,914.78 |
|
Woods, Eric |
Review of Teacher Education in the context of ESDP (Nov-2001) |
9,694.21 |
|
Gaynor, Cathy |
Training Assignment-Ethiopia (October-02) |
11,094.11 |
|
CDP Consultants |
SNNP Regional Integrated Plan-Ethiopia (September 02) |
31,005.68 |
|
Dolan, Tom |
Appraisal of E-justice Programme-South Africa (Oct-2001) |
13,535.48 |
|
Dolan, Tom |
IA support to Good Governance, Democracy & Human Rights-South Africa (July-Sep-02) |
7,854.00 |
|
Gordon, Adele |
Bursary Support Evaluation-South Africa |
1,553.18 |
|
Corbett Development Service |
Technical Assistance to oversee Water Project's Implementation-South Africa |
8,516.88 |
|
Khulisa Man. Serv. |
Id current & future funding in Education Sector in Limpopo Prov.-South Africa |
28,588.30 |
|
Int. Org. Develop. |
Support for NGOs working in HIV/AIDS-South Africa |
10,335.86 |
|
Int. Org. Develop. |
Assistance in Organisational restructuring of DoE, Limpopo Province (Phase 1)-South Africa |
3,924.08 |
|
Chisholm, Nick |
PAC & Pre-PAEG Meeting Jan/Mar/April 02 |
4,079.45 |
|
Chisholm, Nick |
Ongoing Attendance at DAC Working Party on the Envir. Meetings |
2,380.48 |
|
Chisholm, Nick |
PAC & Pre-PAEG Meetings (May-Dec 02) |
4,183.90 |
|
Core Financial Systems |
Annual Support/Maintenance/Product Licence for Sunsystems for seven missions |
22,149.64 |
|
Core Financial Systems |
Various on-site consultancies |
6,897.20 |
|
Core Financial Systems |
On-site Development of Sun to reflect changes to Subheads in 7 Embassies (Mar-Apr-02) |
23,958.00 |
|
Grant Thornton |
Preparation of Financial Statements Refugee Agency (2001-02) |
4,800.00 |
|
Jackson, John |
Member of the IA Interview Board for Principal & Senior Development Specialists, Dublin (Sep-Oct-02) |
6,215.68 |
|
Ainscow, Robert |
Member of the IA Interview Board for Principal & Senior Development Specialists, Dublin (Sep-Oct-02) |
14,018.56 |
|
Fell, Art |
Member of the IA Interview Board for Principal & Senior Development Specialists, Dublin (Sep-Oct-02) |
7,748.34 |
|
Ryan, Philip |
IA Review of IAAC & NCDE (2001) |
6,856.58 |
|
Saville & Holdsworth Ltd |
Interviewing for IO & Edu. Specialist (Nov & Dec-2001) |
7,867.93 |
|
S&H Ltd |
Feedback to M. O'Connor & T.Dignan |
772.2 |
|
S&H Ltd |
Compentencies & Application Form Design (Mar-02) |
2,395.8 |
|
Sheils, John |
External support in compilation of Job Descriptions for IA |
5,793.6 |
|
T&B Consult |
Review of IA's support to the DSC Kimmage (2001) |
16,877.82 |
|
Whelan, Noel |
Pre-PAEG Meetings Jan 01-Jan-02 |
11,084.31 |
|
Whelan, Noel |
Pre-PAEG Meetings Feb-Dec 02 |
6,750.78 |
|
Grindle, John |
Debt: Ongoing Review of IA's policy on Debt (01-02) |
7,554.97 |
|
Grindle, John |
Debt: Ongoing Review of IA's policy on Debt (May 02-Apr 03) |
7,178.39 |
|
Grindle, John |
Multi-annual Programme Scheme (MAPS)-(Apr-Dec-02) |
13,000.00 |
|
Jennings, Mary |
Multi-annual Programme Scheme (MAPS)-(Apr-Dec-02) |
14,346.00 |
|
Gaynor, Cathy |
Multi-annual Programme Scheme (MAPS)-(Apr-Dec-02) |
13,580.00 |
|
Grindle, John |
Assessment & expert input to Eastern Europe Aid Committee (Feb-Dec-02) |
8,500.00 |
|
Carroll, Kevin |
Evaluation of in-country micro-projects, Phase I |
15881.49 |
|
Carroll, Kevin |
Eval micro-projects (Phase II) Nigeria |
10487.67 |
|
Carroll, Justin |
Evaluation of in-country micro-projects, Phase I |
27,566.00 |
|
Carroll, Justin |
Eval micro-projects (Phase II) |
10,503.00 |
|
CDP Consultants |
Evaluation of NGO Block Grant Scheme in Kenya, Uganda & Malawi (Jun-2001) |
12,162.24 |
|
COWI |
Evaluation of IA contributions to UNHCR & OHCHR (Sep-Nov 2001) |
33,469.52 |
|
Deloitte & Touche |
Study to develop a Risk Management Process for IA (2Sep-Nov 2001) |
5,762.02 |
|
Deloitte & Touche |
Risk Management Pilot Phase-Zambia (Jun-02) |
40,999.22 |
|
Grindle, John |
Review-Ethiopia (Aug-Sep-02) |
10,484.82 |
|
HELM Corporation Ltd |
Review of current practice in Lesson Learning from evaluations at country level (expenses 2001) |
737.00 |
|
Horwath Bastow Charleton |
Review of Financial Management Systems of 5 NGOs (Sep-Dec 2001) |
9,680.00 |
|
Molony, Noel |
Review of current support to Rwanda Phase 2 (Jan-02) |
7,357.59 |
|
Molony, Noel |
Review of current support to Rwanda Phase 1 (Dec-2001) |
2,987.24 |
|
Mullan, Mark |
Review of current support to Rwanda Phase 1(Dec-2001) |
2,987.24 |
|
Mullan, Mark |
Review of current support to Rwanda Phase 2 (Jan-02) |
6,350.00 |
|
Shannon Development |
Review of FIAS (Apr-May-02) |
11,313.50 |
|
Deloitte & Touche |
Role out of Risk Management to 6 Missions (Oct 02-Jan 03) |
65,200.81 |
|
Scott, Mike |
Support to EAU (Feb-May-02) |
14,685.00 |
|
Carr, Bronagh |
Assessment of Proposals under EHAF/EPPR Scheme-(Apr-Dec 02) |
11,324.40 |
|
Molony, Noel |
Assessment of Proposals under EHAF/EPPR Scheme-(Apr-Dec 02) |
7,260.00 |
|
Telford, John |
Assessment of Proposals under EHAF/EPPR Scheme-(Apr-Dec 02) |
15,000.00 |
|
Michelson Institute |
Review of IA's Human Rights & Democratisation Scheme-(May-Aug 02) |
79,356.70 |
|
Carr, Bronagh |
Develop new instruments for channelling of funds to Irish NGOs for HIV/AIDS Programme-(Jan-Mar-02) |
15,240.00 |
|
Carr, Bronagh |
Assist IA in managing NGO-HAPS-(Apr-Dec 02) |
13,831.50 |
|
McClean, Diarmuid |
Ongoing support HIV/AIDS: SA & Mozambique (2001) |
7,046.91 |
|
McClean, Diarmuid |
Health Prog Support & Development: HIV Strategy-Tanzania |
14,305.00 |
|
Crawford, Bernie |
Member of the Approvals Committee of the NGO-HAPS (Apr-Dec 02) |
5,488.90 |
|
Hogan, Mark |
Member of the Approvals Committee of the NGO-HAPS (Apr-Dec 02) |
6,135.00 |
|
Manchester, Joanne |
Member of the Approvals Committee of the NGO-HAPS (Apr-Dec 02) |
4050.00 |
|
McMullan, Pat |
Ongoing support to IA funding of IFAD (Jan-Dec-02) |
29,827.10 |
|
Lee, Carol |
Photographic assignments-Advance on fees (2001-02) |
11,062.85 |
|
Red Dog Graphics |
Publications: Design IA Annual Report 01 |
10,000.00 |
|
Bourke-Garcia, Ann |
Attendance at the XIV AIDS Conference-Barcelona (July-02) |
4,909.79 |
|
Carroll, Kevin |
Programming Support to IA Edu. & Health Advisers-(Sep-01 to Aug 02) |
10,596.61 |
|
Carroll, Kevin |
Programming Support to Health & Edu Advisers-(Mar-Jul 02) |
6,480.97 |
|
Cremin, Peter |
Co-ordination of study visit to Ireland by Education Officials from Uganda (Nov-2001) |
6,497.18 |
|
Dooley, Teresa |
Intermittant Specialist Support to Water & Sanitation Sector (2001-02) |
23,496.15 |
|
Grindle, John |
Review of IA Country Programme-Lesotho (Oc-Nov 2001) |
6,067.73 |
|
Kevany, John |
On-going monitoring of IA support to IAVI (01-02) |
9,113.94 |
|
Kevany, John |
Intermittent Specialist Support to the Health Sector-(Oct-01 to Mar-02) |
13,227.99 |
|
Kevany, John |
Intermittent Specialist Support to the Health Sector-(Jun to Dec 02) |
12,655.55 |
|
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine |
Attendance at Dep. For Intern' Medical Research Council Meeting London-(Feb-02) |
1,300.00 |
|
McClean, Diarmuid |
Ongoing support: SA April 01& Ethiopia July-01 |
15,066.57 |
|
McClean, Diarmuid |
Health Programme Support & Development (Mar-Aug-02) |
23,841.51 |
|
Ní Duibhir, Denise |
Preparation of Edu Fact Sheets & Guidelines Desk Study (2001-02) |
2,785.73 |
|
O'Donovan, Diarmuid |
Technical Consultant to the Board of the European Malaria Vaccine Initiative |
8,233.19 |
|
St. Patricks Educational Centre |
Technical Support to Ugandan National Examinations Board (UNEB) for their National Conference (Feb-Mar-02) |
5,852.14 |
|
Dundalk Institute of Technology |
On-going participation in the Intern' Working Group & Formulation on policy & incentives for the ASEM Initiative on Lifelong Learning (Nov 2001-Sep 02) |
62,296.35 |
|
IMCL |
Country Financial Accountability Assessment, Ethiopia (Sep-Oct 02) |
44,840.53 |
|
LSHTM |
Tracking Study for Global Fund for AIDS, TB & Malaria (end 02-mid 04) |
55,570.08 |
|
Heneveld, Ward |
Facilitator for Seminar on Monitoring Education Quality, Dublin Oct 02 |
5,207.23 |
|
Gaynor, Cathy |
Monitoring and Evaluation Consultancy, Ethiopia Oct-Nov 02 |
11,094.11 |
|
Kelly, Michael J. |
Facilitator for Seminar on Monitoring Education Quality, Dublin |
2,981.36 |
|
Carroll, Kevin |
Facilitate the Development of an interim CSP for East Timor, Nov 02 |
7,044.56 |
|
Fraser, Susan |
Identify the most appropriate funding strategies that could be considered by IA for Palestine in 2003, Oct 02 |
5,053.86 |
|
Cremin, Peadar |
Assessment of Ministry of Education Proposal for Technical Assistance to Teacher Training Curriculum Reform, Ethiopia, Oct-Nov 02 |
7,006.25 |
|
Crawford, Bernie |
Strategic Approach to Health & Education SWAPs in the Priority Programmes, Sep-Nov 02 |
7,618.42 |
|
Scott, Mike |
Participation in the Risk Management Process, Uganda Nov 02 |
3,582.13 |
|
Total 2002 |
1,484,851.17 (6,800.00 due) |
|
Consultant |
Consultancy Title |
€ Amount |
|
ECORYS |
Teacher Education Unit Costings Study, Jan-Feb 03 |
24,063.54 |
|
T&B Consult |
Public Expenditure Review — Mozambique Jan-Feb 03 |
27,365.01 |
|
Carroll, Kevin |
HIV/AIDS Review Tanzania-Review of the Mema Kwa Vijana Project, Feb-Mar 03 |
16,640.26 |
|
T&B Consult |
Review of Ireland Aid support to Gender Equality, Jan-Apr 03 |
77,902.02 |
|
Wirak, Anders |
2002 Joint Review Mission ESDP, Ethiopia, Feb-Mar 03 |
23,378.68 |
|
Arekibo |
Website Redesign and Build, Jan-Apr 03 |
60,633.00 |
|
McClean, Diarmuid |
HIV/AIDS Review Tanzania-Review of the Mema Kwa Vijana Project |
16,808.90 |
|
O'Donovan, Diarmuid |
Technical Consultant to the Board of the European Malaria Vaccine Initiative, Jan-Dec 03 |
8,793.97 |
|
Carroll, Kevin |
Assistance in Programming Support to the Education and Health/HIV/AIDS Advisers, Jan-Dec 03 |
30,644.56 |
|
Carr, Bronagh |
Support to the Emergency and Rehabilitation Unit, Mar-Dec 03 |
22,797.30 |
|
CATZ (University of Wales, Bangor) |
Technical Assistance for a Programme of Operational Research and Capacity Building for Food Security & Sustainable Livelihoods (Ethiopia), Apr 03-04 |
262,078.26 (plus 104,080.45 due) |
|
Sugrue, Ciaran |
Finalize the Teacher Development and Management Plan (TDMP) Phase II, Uganda |
22,862.19 |
|
Grindle, John |
Attendance at the United Nations Commission on Population and Development, New York, Mar-Apr 03 |
6,595.64 |
|
Grindle, John |
Assessment of Proposals submitted under the Eastern European Fund, Mar-Dec 03 |
8,366.92 |
|
Carr, Bronagh |
Provision of Technical Support to Ireland Aid in the management of the HIV/AIDS Partnership Scheme for NGOs, March to December 2003 |
11,033.79 |
|
Chisholm, Nick |
Participation in the PAEG Meetings, Mar-Dec 03 |
6,030.80 |
|
Whelan, Noel |
Participation in the PAEG Meetings, Mar-Dec 03 |
6,130.00 |
|
Leen, Maura |
Participation in the PAEG Meetings, Mar-Dec 03 |
3,600.00 |
|
CDP Consultants |
Review of the Government of Ireland-Government of South Africa Development Cooperation, Mar-May 03 |
40,864.25 |
|
IMCL |
Re-Modeling of Area-Based Programmes, Ethiopia Apr-May 03 |
32,947.22 |
|
CDP |
Review District Development Programmes (2000-03), Tanzania |
42,624.96 |
|
Grindle, John |
Tanga Coastal Zone Conservation & Development Programme, Tanzania |
1,200.00 (plus 2,800 due) |
|
Mulkeen, Aidan |
ICT in Education Study in Uganda |
11,760.34 |
|
Hurley, John |
Feasibility Study and Project Formulation for Hospice Uganda Pilot Project |
(8,650.00 due ) |
|
O'Sullivan, Margo |
TDMS-Evaluation of CCT Performance, Uganda |
17,585.77 |
|
Heneveld, Ward |
Education Quality Review, Uganda |
34,244.49 |
|
Cremin, Peader |
Assessment of MoE Proposal for TA to Teacher Training Curriculum Reform, Ethiopia (undertaken in 2002) |
7,006.25 |
|
CDP |
SNNPRS Needs Assessment-Phase III/IV, Ethiopia |
18,307.66 |
|
DECO-Wirak, Anders |
2002 Joint Review Mission ESDP, Ethiopia |
23,378.68 |
|
Woods, Eric |
Technical Support to Steering Committee of Task Force for Teacher Development, Ethiopia (Oct 02-Sep 03) |
30,380.22 |
|
DECO-Wirak, Anders |
Education Joint Review Mission (JRM) 2003, Ethiopia |
21,625.69 |
|
Durkan, Joseph |
Preparation of a paper examining the most appropriate means to encourage and support an enterprise culture within the Ireland Aid Programme in South Africa, May 2003 |
16,096.37 |
|
Moore, Kevin |
Briefing for the Office of the President on promoting Private Sector Development in Timor-Leste |
10,241.15 |
|
Chisholm, Nick |
Attendance at DAC Meetings (2002-04) |
5,151.72 |
|
PAI |
Management Needs Analysis |
42,700.00 (plus 50,057.70 due) |
|
Crawford, Bernie |
Appraisal of Fellowships |
945.00 |
|
Jackson, John |
Interview Board Member |
2,712.05 |
|
O'Donnell, B |
Interview Board Member |
1085.00 |
|
Uwakwe, Pamela |
Review and Update of Financial Policies, Guidelines and Procedures |
7,921.24 (plus 18,698.76 due) |
|
Carroll, Kevin |
Evaluation of In-country Microprojects Scheme (expenses) |
919.60 |
|
McClean, Diarmuid |
Mid-term Review of IA Support to HIV/AIDS Activities in Zimbabwe & Zambia, (Oct-Nov 02) |
9,178.44 |
|
Deloitte & Touche |
Rollout of Risk Management System to Ethiopia, Mozambique, Uganda, Tanzania, Lesotho and South Africa Programmes, and Production of a Risk Management Booklet (2002-03) |
15,914.94 |
|
Boyle, Richard |
ERI-Quality Review of IA Reports |
2,420.00 |
|
Annesley Resource Partnership |
ERI-Quality Review of IA Reports |
1,815.00 |
|
Carr, Bronagh |
Malawi-Evaluate Emergency Response (2002-03) |
21,457.76 |
|
Hall, Nick |
Review the Financial Procedures in NGO Partners during the 2002 to 2003 Emergency Response in Malawi, November 200 |
2,776.95 (plus 6,479.55 due) |
|
Salephera Consulting Ltd. |
Team Member to Evaluate the 2002 to 2003 Emergency Response in Malawi, November 2003 |
(6,000.00 due) |
|
BDO Simpson Xavier |
Financial Management Systems Review of GOAL under MAPS Funding, Dublin — November 2003 |
18,634.00 |
|
Mokoro |
Evaluation of the Uganda Country Programme 2000-2003 |
95,339.26 |
|
Grindle, John |
Evaluation of DCI (Balkans & CIS) Desk Top Study 2003-04 |
3,000.00 (plus 7,000 due) |
|
Ní Duibhir, Denise |
Preparation of Edu Fact Sheets & Guidelines Desk Study Advance (2001-2002) |
6,573.41 |
|
Dooley, Teresa |
Intermittent Specialist Support to Water & Sanitation Sector (2001-2002) |
23,496.15 |
|
McClean, Diarmuid |
Health Programme Support & Development (March-Dec 02) |
7,158.27 |
|
Carroll, Kevin |
Support to IA Health/Education Advisers (2002) |
5,398.25 |
|
Regan, Colm (80:20) |
Civic Education Zambia (2002) |
12,875.34 |
|
Kevany, John |
Intermittent Specialist Support to the Health Sector-Jan-Dec 03 |
7,985.63 |
|
McClean, Diarmuid |
Provision of Technical Support in Health to the Technical Support Unit, Dublin — April 03 to March 2004 |
60,143.59 |
|
O'Donovan, Diarmuid |
Technical Consultant to the Board of the European Malaria Vaccine Initiative, Jan-Dec 03 |
(8,793.97 due) |
|
Phelan, Jim |
Uganda Field visit (Membership of the Taskforce on Private Sector & Agriculture) |
2,890.22 |
|
ODI |
Prep. Strategy on ICT & Development |
24,980.12 |
|
Cremin, Peadar |
Attendance at Europe-wide Global Education Conference (Nov 02) |
2,232.04 |
|
Brugha, Ruairí (LSHTM) |
Attendance at ‘A Confidential Briefing on the Results of the MKV Project' Meeting |
1,573.00 |
|
Peberdy, Max |
Facilitator for a three day Workshop on the Technical Section’s Strategic Plan — Dublin |
3,834.49 |
|
Kinsella, Jim (UDC) |
Attendance at DAC PovNet Meeting, Florence, Oct 03 |
3,568.94 |
|
O'Dwyer, Jerry |
Support to Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB & Malaria, Oct-Dec 03 |
8,589.72 |
|
Crawford, Bernie |
Member of the Approvals Committee of the NGO-HAPS |
2,296.00 |
|
Hogan, Mark |
Member of the Approvals Committee of the NGO-HAPS |
4,070.00 |
|
Manchester, Joanne |
Member of the Approvals Committee of the NGO-HAPS |
1,089.00 |
|
Gaynor, Cathy |
Provision of Advice on the Development of a Monitoring Framework for Civil Society Section |
1,350.00 |
|
Jennings, Mary |
Multi-Annual Programme Scheme (MAPS) (2002) |
758.00 |
|
Grindle, John |
Multi-Annual Programme Scheme (MAPS) (2002) |
2,500.00 |
|
Jennings, Mary |
Goal Strategy Planning/MAPS Development |
750.00 |
|
Grindle, John |
Evaluation of Bothar Projects (2003-04) |
2,100.00 (plus 4,900 due) |
|
Carr, Bronagh |
Provision of Technical Support to Ireland Aid in the management of the HIV/AIDS Partnership Scheme for NGOs, March to December (2002) |
3,800.00 |
|
LSHTM |
Tracking Study for Global Fund for AIDS, TB & Malaria |
55,570.08 |
|
Honan, Annette |
DEVED Grants Committee Member |
|
|
Mollaghan, Mary |
Production of a Guide to Teaching Resources for DevED |
2,970.00 |
|
Grindle, John |
Assessment of Proposals submitted under the Eastern European Fund (2003-04) |
8,000.00 |
|
Hayes, Mahon |
Constitutional Expert for the Palestinian Authority |
5,876.29 |
|
Scott, Mike |
Ireland Aid-AMSCO Partnership Review |
2,987.39 (plus 6,160 due) |
|
McMullan, Pat |
Support to IA funding of IFAD (2002) |
4,145.52 |
|
McMullan, Pat |
Support to IA funding of IFAD (2003-04) |
15,893.76 (plus 12,400 due) |
|
Carr, Bronagh |
Identify most appropriate funding strategies for Ethiopia (Nov-Dec 2002) |
5,152.03 |
|
Telford, John |
Support to the Emergency and Rehabilitation Unit |
13,794.00 |
|
Smillie, Ian |
Background Paper on and Mission to Sierra Leone |
23,882.52 |
|
Grindle, John |
Ongoing Review & Analysis of IA's Policy on Debt, 2002-03 |
10,366.92 |
|
Total 2003 |
1,514,609.53 (236,020.43 due) |
|
Consultant |
Consultancy Title |
€ Amount |
|
Gaynor, Cathy |
Facilitation of Strategic Planning CSP 2005-07 |
8,450.53 |
|
Jennings, Mary |
Facilitation of Strategic Planning CSP 2005-07 |
8,481.43 |
|
Grindle, John |
Tanga Coastal Zone Conservation & Development Programme |
6,372.33 |
|
McClean, Diarmuid |
Development of Stat Plan on HIV/AIDS 04-06 |
15,672.56 |
|
Phelan, Jim |
Task Force No. 3 on Agricultural Services Agricultural Sector Development Programme — Preparation Mission, Tanzania-February 2004 |
10,159.07 |
|
Ockelford, Jeremy |
Evaluation of Northern Province Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Programme 2000-2002, Zambia-March to April 2004 |
23,975.99 |
|
LATH |
Review of the Northern Province Reproductive Health Programme and Ex Post Evaluation |
65,382.96 |
|
Hurley, John |
Feasibility Study and Project Formulation for Hospice Uganda Pilot Project |
9,689.50 |
|
Heneveld, Ward |
Education Quality Review |
15,215.04 |
|
Heneveld, Ward |
Education Quality Review Phase II |
20,950.19 |
|
HSLP |
Finalise a Strategic Framework for Uganda AIDS Commission Secretariat (UACS), Uganda |
65,442.86 |
|
Roedde, Gretchen |
Mid-term review of the National Primary Health Care Programme, Uganda — September to October 2004 |
18,475.57 |
|
Mulkeen, Aidan |
Development of Operational Plan for the integration of ICT in Teacher Education Pilot Project in Rwenzori, Uganda (July to December 2004) |
9,467.07 |
|
Mulkeen, Aidan |
ICT & EDU Follow up visit |
4,403.14 |
|
Cronin, Patricia |
Uganda Law Reform Commission Consultancy |
7,000.00 |
|
Gaynor, Cathy |
Strengthening mainstreaming HIV/AIDS |
9,938.29 |
|
Jennings, Mary |
Strengthening mainstreaming HIV/AIDS |
9,971.44 |
|
CATZ, Bangor |
Technical Assistance for a Programme of Operational Research and Capacity Building for Food Security & Sustainable Livelihoods (Ethiopia) |
235,669.32 |
|
Hockley, Tom |
Relief to Development in Ethiopia, March-April 2004 |
17,686.34 |
|
Polhemus, James |
Review of the Centre for Study of Violence and Reconciliation, South Africa — November to December 2004 |
14,520.00 |
|
PAI |
Management Needs Analysis |
50,057.70 |
|
Whelan, Noel |
Participation in the PAEG Meetings |
1,021.54 |
|
Uwakwe, Pamela |
Review and Update of Financial Policies, Guidelines and Procedures |
20,916.27 |
|
Chisholm, Nick |
Participation in the PAEG Meetings |
2,718.50 |
|
Leen, Maura |
Participation in the PAEG Meetings |
1,900.00 |
|
Whelan, Noel |
Participation in the PAEG Meetings |
2,120.00 |
|
Fell, Arthur |
Participation in the PAEG Meetings |
8,884.26 |
|
McKeown, Mary |
Participation in the PAEG Meetings |
5,770.81 |
|
Leen, Maura |
Participation in the PAEG Meetings |
4,250.00 |
|
Crawford, Bernie |
External Member of Fellowships Selection Committee, May-June 2004 |
2,582.95 |
|
O'Regan, Johnny |
Evaluation of Internal Financial Controls, September to December 2004 |
12,100.00 |
|
Hall, Nick |
Review the Financial Procedures in NGO Partners during the 2002 to 2003 Emergency Response in Malawi, November 2003 |
12,132.82 |
|
Salephera Consulting Ltd. |
Team Member to Evaluate the 2002 to 2003 Emergency Response in Malawi, November 2003 |
13,812.15 |
|
Grindle, John |
Evaluation of DCI (Balkans & CIS) Desk Top Study |
5,000.00 |
|
Cosgrave, J |
PER-Support to Afghanistan |
24,154.62 |
|
Deloitte & Touche |
Facilitation of Risk Management Workshops |
12,826.00 |
|
O'Regan, Johnny |
Audit Support to the E&A Unit (March-May) |
28,283.02 |
|
O'Regan, Johnny |
Audit Support to the E&A Unit (June-August) |
38,478.00 |
|
ECORYS-NEI |
Evaluation of Phase 3 of the Debt Sustainability Capacity Building Programme for HIPCs |
245,523.85 |
|
Woods, Eric |
Desk Study for Development Cooperation Ireland of Support to the Education Sector in Zambia and Uganda 2000-2003, April to June 2004 |
23,398.29 |
|
Agulhas |
An Assessment of the Lesotho Country Programme 199-2004, May-July 2004 |
60,527.82 |
|
Uwakwe, Pamela |
Provision of Audit Management Support to Evaluation and Audit Unit, June to August 2004 |
16,940.00 |
|
ETC East Africa |
Evaluation of the Kilosa District Programme and a Community Level Evaluation of the Kilosa District Programme,Tanzania |
64,255.84 |
|
CDP |
Evaluation of the Area Based Programme in Niassa Province, Mozambique — June to July 2004 |
44,154.96 |
|
Bannock Consulting |
Value for Money Study and Transaction Audit, August — November 2004 |
65,395.99 |
|
Petrus Consulting |
Expenditure Review Initiative — Quality Review of Development Cooperation Ireland Report (Review of DCI Support to Afghanistan), November 2004 |
3,176.26 |
|
Mokoro |
Evaluation of the ETH Country Strategy Paper |
71,889.15 |
|
McLoughlin, Bernard |
Financial Capacity Assessment for Programme Support — Lesotho, October 2004 |
9,191.68 |
|
BDO Simpson Xavier |
Goal Assignment |
1,089.00 |
|
McCormack, Moss |
Mid-term review of the Medlabs Project,Zambia |
6,863.30 |
|
O'Donovan, Diarmuid |
Technical Consultant to the Board of the European Malaria Vaccine Initiative |
8,369.66 |
|
T&B Consult |
Review of IA Support to Gender Equality |
54,749.17 |
|
Kinsella, Jim (UDC) |
Attendance at DAC PovNet Meeting, Florence, Oct 03 |
1,416.00 |
|
O'Dwyer, Jerry |
Support to Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB & Malaria, Oct-Dec 03 |
4,277.50 |
|
O'Dwyer, Jerry |
Support to Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB & Malaria, Oct-Dec 03 |
30,542.45 |
|
Shine, Tara |
Support on Climate Change |
39,738.56 |
|
McClean, Diarmuid |
Support to Technical Section-Health |
5,667.87 |
|
Moore, Kevin |
Review of Ugandan Investment Authority (UIA) |
5,036.21 |
|
Brugha, Ruairí |
Attendance at Confidential Briefing on Results of MKV Project |
1,573.00 |
|
Chisholm, Nick |
Attendance at DAC Meetings (Working Party on Environment) |
4,450.68 |
|
Cremin, Peadar |
541.84 |
|
|
Gaynor, Cathy |
Report Writing for EFA Global Report Launch 2/4/04 |
369.00 |
|
Jennings, Mary |
Report Writing for EFA Global Report Launch 2/4/04 |
401.55 |
|
O'Brien, William |
The Private Sector and Agriculture Study, Dublin-February 2004 |
6,665.75 |
|
Kinsella, Jim (UDC) |
Technical Support for follow up of PovNet Working Group on Agriculture, March to December 2004 |
5,085.17 |
|
Brugha, Ruairí (LSHTM) |
Attendance at ‘Combating Diseases associated with Poverty: Financing Strategies for Product Development and the Potential Role of Public-Private Partnerships’, London — 15 to 16 April 2004 |
3,932.50 |
|
McClean, Diarmuid |
Participation in Consultative Meeting on Reproductive Health and HIV/AIDS in Montreux, Switzerland, 3-4 May 2004 |
6,432.50 |
|
Shine,Tara |
Development of an Environment Policy for Development Cooperation Ireland — July to November 2004 |
25,751.49 |
|
Fitzgerald, Margaret |
Attendance at Meeting ‘Programme Coordination Board Meeting of the United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)’, Geneva-June 2004 |
2,637.96 |
|
Leen, Maura |
Provision of Technical Support in Trade Policy and Capacity Building, July-October 2004 |
8,750.00 |
|
Gaynor, Cathy |
Support for the Development of Education Policy Revision Process, September to December 2004 |
14,000.00 |
|
John, Snow |
Review of DCI's Regional HIV/AIDS Programme |
28,000.92 |
|
Scott, Mike |
Assistance with the work of the Private Sector Forum, Sept to Dec '04 |
12,776.11 |
|
McClean, Diarmuid |
Provision of Technical Support in Health and HIV/AIDS to the Technical Support Unit, September to December 2004 |
15,087.62 |
|
Cremin, Peadar |
Engagement with Educational Institutions in Ireland regarding Education for All (EFA) including Representation of DCI at a UNESCO Conference in Paris, November — December 2004 |
5,000.00 |
|
Wirak, Anders (DECO) |
Background paper on DCI engagement with UNESCO, November 2004 |
5,505.50 |
|
Manchester, Joanne |
Member of the Approvals Committee of the NGO-HAPS |
4,356.00 |
|
Grindle, John |
Evaluation of Bóthar Projects |
5,804.47 |
|
Santos Marinho, G |
Participation in Evaluation of ADRA Projects |
5,967.07 |
|
Alves Maia, Maria L |
Participation in Evaluation of ADRA Projects |
5,950.09 |
|
Jennings, Mary |
Team leader for the Evaluation of ADRA Projects |
10,705.80 |
|
Anderson, Ian |
Evaluation of Refugee Trust Projects |
12,105.58 |
|
Jennings, Mary |
MAPS monitoring visit by DCI to GOAL’s programme in Angola, September 2004; and an Assessment of GOAL’s performance in relation to agreed benchmarks, September to December 2004 |
17,805.63 |
|
Smith, Marie |
Appraisal and Monitoring Support for Civil Society and Assistant Desk Officers, August to December 2004 |
8,147.45 |
|
Costigan, Áine |
Assist DCI in appraising and approving proposals under the HAPS Supplementary Grant, September 2004 |
2,000.00 |
|
Crawford, Bernie |
Assist DCI in appraising and approving proposals under the HAPS Supplementary Grant, September 2004 |
3,000.00 |
|
Farrell, Deirdre |
Member of the Development Education Grants Committee, March to September 2004 |
5,000.00 |
|
Grindle, John |
External Evaluator for Development Cooperation Ireland Project Proposals for the Balkans and CIS, January to December 2004 |
2,000.00 |
|
Grindle, John |
External Evaluator for Development Cooperation Ireland Project Proposals for the Balkans and CIS, January to December 2004 |
12,500.00 |
|
Annesley Resource Partnership |
Real-time Evaluation of IPA Training Programme |
10,890.00 |
|
Whelan, Noel |
Member of Eastern European Aid Committee Feb-Dec 2002 |
5,005.23 |
|
Grindle, John |
Evaluation of DC in the Balkans & CIS-Desk Top Study |
8,000.00 |
|
Brunel University |
Policy Study on Good Practice in Child Care in Eastern Europe and the Russian Federation |
31,629.95 |
|
Scott, Mike |
Ireland Aid-AMSCO Partnership Review |
2,910.82 |
|
McMullan, Pat |
Support to IA funding of IFAD |
20,000.00 |
|
Enterplan |
Limited Review of Projects Supported by AMSCO/Stichting, April-July 2004 |
30,925.20 |
|
Scott, Mike |
Private Sector Resource Specialist, April to December 2004 |
21,260.31 |
|
OPM (Anne Thomson) |
Review of DCI Support to IFAD |
21,711.43 |
|
Goodbody, Swithun |
Review of DCI Support to CGIAR |
10,000.00 |
|
Godden, Kate |
Independent Consultants for the EHAF-EPPR Funding Committee |
1,210.00 |
|
Mokoro |
Preparation of Country Strategy for Palestine 2004-2007, November 2003 to January 04 |
50,628.14 |
|
Telford, John |
Support to Emergency Section |
10,373.15 |
|
ODI |
External Facilitator at the HAC Meeting, Dublin March 2004 |
23,021.10 |
|
Ngunyi, Mutahi |
Monitoring of DCI Recovery Programme, Kenya Mar-Dec 04 |
10,648.00 |
|
Conroy, Anne |
Monitoring of DCI Recovery Programme, Malawi Mar-Dec 04 |
10,648.00 |
|
Cosgrave, John |
Independent Consultants for the EHAF-EPPR Funding Committee |
302.50 |
|
Blewitt, Richard |
External Facilitator at the HAC Meeting, Dublin March 2004 |
2,324.37 |
|
Telford, John |
External Facilitator at the HAC Meeting, Dublin March 2004 |
7,289.75 |
|
Telford, John |
Independent Consultants for the EHAF-EPPR Funding Committee |
8,388.93 |
|
ODI |
Good Humanitarian Donorship and the European Union — A study on good practice and recent initiatives, June to October 2004 |
36,126.97 |
|
Corbett, Mary |
Independent Consultants for the EHAF/EPPR Funding Committee, June 2004-December 2005 |
740.00 |
|
Cosgrave, John |
Independent Consultants for the EHAF/EPPR Funding Committee, June 2004-December 2005 |
0.00 |
|
Godden, Kate |
Independent Consultants for the EHAF/EPPR Funding Committee, June 2004-December 2005 |
0.00 |
|
Keatinge, Suzanne |
Independent Consultants for the EHAF/EPPR Funding Committee, June 2004-December 2005 |
0.00 |
|
Madsen, Camilla |
Independent Consultants for the EHAF/EPPR Funding Committee, June 2004-December 2005 |
1,270.50 |
|
Ockelford, Jeremy |
Independent Consultants for the EHAF/EPPR Funding Committee, June 2004-December 2005 |
0.00 |
|
Vaux, Tony |
Independent Consultants for the EHAF/EPPR Funding Committee, June 2004-December 2005 |
0.00 |
|
Sandison, Peta |
Independent Consultants for the EHAF/EPPR Funding Committee, June 2004-December 2005 |
0.00 |
|
Edwards, Fiona |
Independent Consultants for the EHAF/EPPR Funding Committee, June 2004-December 2005 |
0.00 |
|
Willitts-King, Barnaby |
Support on Development of DCI Humanitarian Policy, October 2004-early January 2005 |
13,132.86 |
|
Grindle, John |
Attendance at Global Bio-Technology Forum |
9,317.57 |
|
Jackson, John |
10 Year Review of ICDP, New York |
4,551.31 |
|
Grindle, John |
Attendance at Crime Commission & IDB Meetings |
10,823.11 |
|
Meenan, Nahor |
Attendance at the UNCTAD International Policy Dialogue in Konigswinter, Germany, 25-26 February 2004 |
3,387.30 |
|
Hayes, Mahon |
Attendance at United Nations Relief Works Agency (UNRWA) Conference on Palestine, Geneva-June 7-8 2004 |
3,159.89 |
|
Dr. John Cassidy/Roland Berger Strategy Consultants |
Survey of the leading European transnational corporations (TNCs) and their strategies in the area of off-shoring of services |
25,000 |
|
TOTAL 2004 |
2,223,115.90 |
|
Consultant |
Consultancy Title |
€ Amount |
|
LATH |
Review of the Northern Province Reproductive Health Programme and Ex Post Evaluation |
59,829.51 |
|
Cassidy, Paul |
Assessment of the current staffing levels and future requirements at Development Cooperation Ireland Headquarters |
42,433.36 |
|
Courtney, Sean |
Temporary Assignment as Programme Coordinator of Development Cooperation Ireland Development Assistance Activities in Northern Province, Zambia — December 2004 to March 2005 |
21,683.20 |
|
Hurley, John |
Feasibility Study and Project Formulation for Hospice Uganda Pilot Project |
7,892.65 |
|
Cronin, Patricia |
Uganda Law Reform Commission Consultancy |
5,906.31 |
|
Gaynor, Cathy |
Workshop on Strengthening Capacity to mainstream within the DCI Programme Uganda, February 2005 |
7,327.62 |
|
Jennings, Mary |
Workshop on Strengthening Capacity to mainstream within the DCI Programme Uganda, February 2005 |
7,274.62 |
|
CATZ, Bangor |
Technical Assistance for a Programme of Operational Research and Capacity Building for Food Security & Sustainable Livelihoods (Ethiopia) |
0.00 |
|
Mokoro |
Study to identify Financing Options to Support ESDP, Ethiopia — January to February 2005 |
40,593.93 |
|
Mokoro |
Provision of input into PRSC/DBS Workshop |
31,319.70 |
|
Polhemus, James |
Review of the Centre for Study of Violence and Reconciliation, South Africa — November to December 2004 |
23,687.94 |
|
Marsh, Carolyn |
3 Year Training Strategy CDCU Feb-April '05 |
44,797.83 |
|
Higgins, Cathal |
Review of Timor-Leste Education Sector |
8,439.11 |
|
PAI |
Management Needs Analysis |
50,285.42 |
|
Uwakwe, Pamela |
Review and Update of Financial Policies, Guidelines and Procedures |
0.00 |
|
Fell, Arthur |
Participation in the PAEG Meetings |
0.00 |
|
McKeown, Mary |
Participation in the PAEG Meetings |
1,643.98 |
|
Leen, Maura |
Participation in the PAEG Meetings |
0.00 |
|
O'Regan, Johnny |
Evaluation of Internal Financial Controls, September to December 2004 |
6,292.00 |
|
RMI |
Preparation & Presentation for HOMs meeting Dec '04 |
1,210.00 |
|
Brindley Advertising |
Advertising Costs to update Register of Consultants |
11,542.27 |
|
McLoughlin, Bernard |
Financial Capacity Assessment for Programme Support — Lesotho, October 2004 |
0.00 |
|
Petrus Consulting |
Expenditure Review Initiative — Quality Review of Development Cooperation Ireland Report (Review of DCI Support to Afghanistan), November 2004 |
1,312.50 |
|
ETC East Africa |
Evaluation of Kilosa District Development Programme-ext. to contract for Workshop in Dublin |
9,278.68 |
|
INTRAC |
Evaluation of DCI's Multi-Annual Programme Scheme 2003-2005, January to x 2005 |
301,556.20 |
|
ARP (John Shiels) |
Quality Review of DCI Report |
1,361.25 |
|
Cosgrave, John |
Evaluation Workshop on Afghanistan & Malawi |
1,194.29 |
|
CDP |
Workshop on Area-based Programmes in Dublin 10-11 Feb '05 |
3,809.21 |
|
Agulhas |
Reimbursement of Withholding Tax |
108.90 |
|
CDP |
Evaluation of Operational Research and Capacity Building for Food Security and Sustainable Livelihoods Programme in Ethiopia, February to April 2005 |
27,653.34 |
|
Oxford Policy Management |
Evaluation of DCI's Zambia Country Programme 2000-2004 |
77,302.67 |
|
O'Dwyer, Jerry |
Support to Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB & Malaria, Oct-Dec 03 |
1,419.55 |
|
Brugha, Ruairí (LSHTM) |
Attendance at ‘Combating Diseases associated with Poverty: Financing Strategies for Product Development and the Potential Role of Public-Private Partnerships’, London — 15 to 16 April 2004 |
3,932.50 |
|
McClean, Diarmuid |
Participation in Consultative Meeting on Reproductive Health and HIV/AIDS in Montreux, Switzerland, 3-4 May 2004 |
3,932.50 |
|
Shine, Tara |
Support to Environment |
87.44 |
|
Shine, Tara |
Development of an Environment Policy for Development Cooperation Ireland — July to November 2004 |
9,250.02 |
|
Gaynor,Cathy |
Support for the Development of Education Policy Revision Process, September to December 2004 |
9,863.20 |
|
John, Snow |
Review of DCI's Regional HIV/AIDS Programme |
0.00 |
|
Scott, Mike |
Assistance with the work of the Private Sector Forum, Sept to Dec '04 |
11,303.58 |
|
Cremin, Peadar |
Engagement with Educational Institutions in Ireland regarding Education for All (EFA) including Representation of DCI at a UNESCO Conference in Paris, November-December 2004 |
5,000.00 |
|
Jennings, Mary |
Reporting on EU Development Transport Experts Meeting, 30 November-2 December 2004 |
4,411.45 |
|
Brugha, Ruairí (LSHTM) |
Review of DCI engagement with Global Health Partnerships (GHPs), November 2004-January 2005 |
8,966.02 |
|
Wirak, Anders |
Background paper on DCI engagement with UNESCO, November 2004 |
3,250.00 |
|
Higgins, Cathal |
Rapporteur for Education Meeting at DCD, 10-13 January 2005 |
3,390.00 |
|
O'Dwyer, Jerry |
Support to Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB & Malaria, Oct-Dec 03 |
8,218.95 |
|
Holmes, Anne |
Tsunami Follow-up |
8,875.00 |
|
Broadreach Healthcare |
Facilitator DCI meeting Mozambique Nov '04 |
1,708.39 |
|
Jennings, Mary |
Preparation of an “overview paper on poverty impact orientation and target settings for InfraPoor”, January-April 2005 |
13,300.00 |
|
Anderson, Ian |
Evaluation of Refugee Trust Projects |
6,879.99 |
|
Smith, Marie |
Appraisal and Monitoring Support for Civil Society and Assistant Desk Officers, August to December 2004 |
435.50 |
|
Crawford, Bernie |
Assist DCI in appraising and approving proposals under the HAPS Supplementary Grant, September 2004 |
3,051.00 |
|
Crowley,Tom |
Scoping Mission to Central America |
9,878.36 |
|
Smith, Marie |
Appraisal and Monitoring Support for Civil Society and Assistant Desk Officers, August to December 2005 |
16,166.80 |
|
Grindle, John |
Internship Feasibility Study, February 2005 |
2,500.00 |
|
Farrell, Deirdre |
Member of the Development Education Grants Committee, March to September 2004 |
5,000.00 |
|
Horgan, Geraldine |
Production of a Report on National Structures for the support, funding & coordination of DEVED |
4,300.00 |
|
Grindle, John |
External Evaluator for Development Cooperation Ireland Project Proposals for the Balkans and CIS, January to December 2004 |
3,000.00 |
|
Brunel University |
Policy Study on Good Practice in Child Care in Eastern Europe and the Russian Federation |
38,272.24 |
|
Horgan, Geraldine |
Production of a Report on National Structures for the Support, Funding and Coordination of Development/Global Education in Ireland |
4,300.00 |
|
Grindle, John |
External Evaluator for Development Cooperation Ireland Project Proposals for the Balkans and CIS, January to December 2005 |
12,500.00 |
|
ARP (John Shiels) |
External Evaluator for DCI Organisational Development Grant Scheme, January to December 2005 |
4,083.75 |
|
Real Event Solutions |
Management of Primary Schools’ Competition, October 2004-May 2005 |
84,782.42 |
|
Kimmage Manor |
Learning and Training Programme for Development Workers |
553,085.00 |
|
McMullan, Pat |
Support to IA funding of IFAD |
10,400.00 |
|
Scott, Mike |
Private Sector Resource Specialist, April to December 2004 |
15,300.00 |
|
Goodbody, Swithun |
Review of DCI Support to CGIAR |
1,188.30 |
|
Ngunyi, Mutahi |
Monitoring of DCI Recovery Programme, Kenya Mar-Dec 04 |
7,453.60 |
|
Conroy, Anne |
Monitoring of DCI Recovery Programme, Malawi Mar-Dec 04 |
7,453.60 |
|
Telford, John |
Independent Consultants for the EHAF-EPPR Funding Committee |
8,341.77 |
|
ODI |
Good Humanitarian Donorship and the European Union — A study on good practice and recent initiatives, June to October 2004 |
29,050.65 |
|
Corbett, Mary |
Independent Consultants for the EHAF/EPPR Funding Committee, June 2004-December 2005 |
0.00 |
|
Cosgrave, John |
Independent Consultants for the EHAF/EPPR Funding Committee, June 2004-December 2005 |
0.00 |
|
Godden, Kate |
Independent Consultants for the EHAF/EPPR Funding Committee, June 2004-December 2005 |
0.00 |
|
Keatinge, Suzanne |
Independent Consultants for the EHAF/EPPR Funding Committee, June 2004-December 2005 |
0.00 |
|
Madsen, Camilla |
Independent Consultants for the EHAF/EPPR Funding Committee, June 2004-December 2005 |
0.00 |
|
Ockelford, Jeremy |
Independent Consultants for the EHAF/EPPR Funding Committee, June 2004-December 2005 |
0.00 |
|
Vaux, Tony |
Independent Consultants for the EHAF/EPPR Funding Committee, June 2004-December 2005 |
0.00 |
|
Sandison, Peta |
Independent Consultants for the EHAF/EPPR Funding Committee, June 2004-December 2005 |
0.00 |
|
Edwards, Fiona |
Independent Consultants for the EHAF/EPPR Funding Committee, June 2004-December 2005 |
0.00 |
|
Willitts-King, Barnaby |
Support on Development of DCI Humanitarian Policy, October 2004-early January 2005 |
9,787.61 |
|
Willitts-King, Barnaby |
Support on Development and Implementation of Humanitarian & Recovery Policy |
4,083.75 |
|
Shine, Tara |
Support to E&R Unit |
192.00 |
|
Holmes, Anne |
Provision of Technical Support for Emergency and Recovery Section; Consultant Specialist for Tsunami Follow-up, March 2005 to March 2006 |
13,250 |
|
Jackson, John |
Attendance at and Participation in the International Conference on Population and Development, New York — April 2005 |
3,932.94 |
|
Total 2005 |
1,751,314.37 |
|
|
Total 1998-2005 |
10,799,611.00 |
361 Mr. G. Murphy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the amount of money which has been spent on the renting, leasing or purchasing of demountable, temporary accommodation over the past five years; if his Department arranges this through the Department of Finance; the tendering process which is in operation and the frequency in which it is reviewed; the length of time the arrangement lasts; the average period of renting or leasing; and the number of units which have been rented and leased over five, eight and ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22488/05]
There has been no expenditure by the Department of Foreign Affairs on the renting, leasing or purchasing of demountable, temporary accommodation over the past five years.
362 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the names, titles, dates of appointment, total annual salary including pension contributions of each of the special or political advisers, personal assistants or personal secretaries appointed by him; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22544/05]
The following table sets out the names of the contract staff in question, their dates of appointment, functions, payscales and pension contribution arrangements. All staff are contracted under terms and conditions of employment set by the Minister for Finance and are employed on a full-time basis. All appointments will terminate no later than the date on which I cease to hold this office. This compares favourably with my rainbow Government predecessor who had more than twice the number of advisers during his tenure as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tánaiste.
|
Name |
Function/Title |
Date of Appointment |
Salary |
Pension Contribution |
|
Mr. Ciarán Ó Cuinn |
Special Adviser (non-established) |
30 September 2004 |
€81,376: 3rd point of Principal Officer (standard) scale €75,036-€92,813 |
Yes. Based on 11% of salary |
|
Mr. Richard Moore |
Press Adviser (non-established) |
30 September 2004 |
€90,032: 6th point of Principal Officer (standard) scale €75,036-€92,813 |
Yes. Based on 11% of salary |
|
Ms Christine Maguire |
Personal Assistant (non-established) |
30 September 2004 |
€47,921: 7th point of Higher Executive Officer (standard) scale €40,543-€51,463 |
Non-contributory pension scheme for non-established State employees applies |
|
Ms Myra Wall |
Personal Secretary (non-established) |
30 September 2004 |
€43,897: 14th point of Executive Officer (higher) scale €26,618-€43,897 |
Non-contributory pension scheme for non-established State employees applies |
363 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the progress, which has been made in bringing to justice the person responsible for the murder of two Irish soldiers (details supplied). [22639/05]
The Deputy will be aware that the Government has, over many years, sought to ensure that justice was attained in this most tragic of cases. Moreover, the legal issues involved have been reviewed on a number of occasions with a view to determining whether persons alleged to have committed these crimes could be brought to justice.
There are, as has been stated before in the House, considerable legal obstacles in the way of bringing a prosecution in this case. For example, the question of seeking the extradition to the State for trial here of the alleged perpetrators of these crimes does not arise because the Irish courts do not have jurisdiction to try persons for acts such as these committed by non-nationals outside the State. An extradition request would therefore have to be made by the state in which the crime was committed, namely Lebanon, with a view to a criminal prosecution there. In addition, the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel, which was inspired by the need to improve the level of protection of personnel serving on UN missions and to ensure the punishment of individuals who do not respect the mandate of UN peacekeepers, entered into force on 15 January 1999 and does not apply retrospectively.
However, my Department and the Department of Defence have been, and remain, in consultation with the authorities of the jurisdiction in which the principal suspect is currently residing, the United States, and with those of Lebanon, where the killings occurred, to ensure that every potential avenue for action is fully explored. The Deputy will understand that, given the sensitive nature of such contacts and the potential for undermining any future legal course of action, it is not possible to disclose the details of such contacts. However, I can assure the Deputy that the Government continues to explore with the relevant authorities the possibilities open to it to seek justice in this case.
364 Mr. O’Connor asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the value of the increases in charges and appropriations in aid in the financial years 1995-96 and 1997-98. [23504/05]
The Department of Foreign Affairs did not increase passport, visa or other consular fees for any of the years in question. The following amounts were realised by the Department, in appropriations-in-aid, in the years ending 31 December 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998:
|
Year |
IR£ totals |
Euro equivalent |
|
£000s |
€000s |
|
|
1995 |
659 |
837 |
|
1996 |
815 |
1,035 |
|
1997 |
912 |
1,158 |
|
1998 |
1,182 |
1,501 |
365 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he has concluded his evaluation of an application under the sports capital grant scheme 2005 for a club (details supplied) in County Longford; if he will approve funding for the project in question; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21899/05]
366 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he has concluded his evaluation of an application under the sports capital grant scheme 2005 for an association (details supplied) in County Roscommon; if he will approve funding for the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21900/05]
367 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he has concluded his evaluation of an application under the sports capital grant scheme 2005 for a centre (details supplied) in County Roscommon; if he will approve funding for the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21901/05]
368 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he has concluded his evaluation of an application under the sports capital grand scheme 2005 for a club (details supplied) in County Roscommon; if funding will be approved for the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21905/05]
369 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he has concluded his evaluation of an application under the sports capital grant scheme 2005 for a company (details supplied) in County Galway; if funding will be approved for the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21906/05]
370 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he has concluded his evaluation of an application under the sports capital grant scheme 2005 for a park (details supplied) in County Roscommon; if funding will be approved for the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21907/05]
371 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he has concluded his evaluation of an application under the sports capital grant scheme 2005 for a club (details supplied) in County Roscommon; if funding will be approved for the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21908/05]
372 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he has concluded his evaluation of an application under the sports capital grant scheme 2005 for a centre (details supplied) in County Roscommon; if funding will be approved for the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21909/05]
373 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he has concluded his evaluation of an application under the sports capital grant scheme 2005 for a club (details supplied) in County Roscommon; if funding will be approved for the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21910/05]
376 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he has concluded his evaluation of an application under the sports capital grant scheme 2005 for a club (details supplied) in County Roscommon; if funding will be approved for the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21916/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 365 to 373, inclusive, and 376 together.
The national lottery funded sports capital programme, which is administered by my Department, allocates funding to sporting and community organisations at local, regional and national level throughout the country. The programme is advertised on an annual basis. Applications for funding under the 2005 programme were invited through advertisements in the press on 5 and 6 December last. The closing date for receipt of applications was 4 February 2005. All of the 1,362 applications received before that deadline, including one from each of the organisations in question, are being evaluated against the programme's assessment criteria, which are outlined in the guidelines, terms and conditions of the programme. I intend to announce the grant allocations for the programme as soon as possible after the assessment process has been completed.
374 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism further to correspondence (details supplied), if he will furnish a response; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21912/05]
The correspondence to which the Deputy refers relates to an application from an organisation under the 2005 national lottery funded sports capital programme, which is administered by my Department. This programme allocates funding to sporting and community organisations at local, regional and national level throughout the country. It is advertised on an annual basis.
The project to which the Deputy refers is an application from an organisation towards the cost of musical instruments and has absolutely no sporting element to it. As such it is not eligible for funding under the sports capital programme. No projects without a sporting element have been grant-aided under the programme during my term as Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism.
375 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the number and value of applications submitted to his Department from counties Roscommon, Leitrim, Longford and Galway respectively under the sports capital grant scheme 2005; when he intends to make an allocation under the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21914/05]
The national lottery funded sports capital programme, which is administered by my Department, allocates funding to sporting and community organisations at local, regional and national level throughout the country. The programme is advertised on an annual basis. Applications for funding under the 2005 programme were invited through advertisements in the press on 5 and 6 December last. The closing date for receipt of applications was 4 February 2005. A total of 1,362 applications were received before that deadline, for projects which the applicants estimated on their application forms cost a total of €637 million. The information on the counties specified by the Deputy is as follows:
|
County |
Applications |
Est. Cost |
|
€m |
||
|
Roscommon |
32 |
5.55 |
|
Leitrim |
23 |
4.47 |
|
Longford |
19 |
4.69 |
|
Galway |
100 |
65.35 |
All applications are being evaluated against the programme's assessment criteria, which are outlined in the guidelines, terms and conditions of the programme. I intend to announce the grant allocations for the programme as soon as possible after the assessment process has been completed.
377 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the amount spent by his Department or agencies under the authority of his Department, on the services of models for use in Departmental promotional activities, during policy launches or other Departmental events since 1997; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21974/05]
Since the establishment of my Department in mid-2002 a total of €425 has been spent by the National Museum of Ireland, which formed part of my Department until 3 May last when it was set up as a separate legal entity, on the services of models. This related to a photo-call for the launch by the museum of an exhibition of Rigby guns. Expenditure of this nature by the agencies under the aegis of my Department is a day to day matter for those agencies.
378 Ms Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the funding which has been committed to the development of the sports campus at Abbotstown; when work on the development of the campus will commence and be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22031/05]
Campus and Stadium Ireland Development Limited, CSID, having consulted widely with the major governing bodies of sport, stakeholders and interest groups, put forward proposals for the development of a sports campus. I have received the development control plan from CSID and I am currently considering the proposals, and associated costs, and I will present the plan to the Government in due course. The project will commence following approval by Government and there is a projected four-year delivery period for phase one of the development control plan.
379 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the position regarding an application under the sports capital funding by a company (details supplied) in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22082/05]
The national lottery-funded sports capital programme, which is administered by my Department, allocates funding to sporting and community organisations at local, regional and national level throughout the country. The programme is advertised on an annual basis. Applications for funding under the 2005 programme were invited through advertisements in the press on 5 and 6 December last. The closing date for receipt of applications was 4 February 2005. All of the 1,362 applications received before that deadline, including one from the organisation in question, are being evaluated against the programme's assessment criteria, which are outlined in the guidelines, terms and conditions of the programme. I intend to announce the grant allocations for the programme as soon as possible after the assessment process has been completed.
380 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the total cost, number and nature of legal services sought by his Department from 1998 to 2004 and to date in 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22418/05]
All legal services secured since the formation of my Department in June 2002 have been provided by the Office of the Chief State Solicitor or the Attorney General, with the exception of four instances where legal advice was provided by commercial companies at a combined cost of €34,420. In one instance, advice was sought by the Department on the drafting of a legal agreement, in a further instance, advice was sought regarding the establishment of the National Museum as a separate legal entity and in the two other instances, legal advice was provided to the National Library in regard to copyright issues.
381 Mr. S. Ryan asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the position regarding the application from an association (details supplied) in County Dublin for a major grant towards its project; the status of the confirmation by his predecessor that he had approved the preliminary report submitted by Fingal County Council for the project in Skerries, County Dublin. [22466/05]
A preliminary report on the proposal for a swimming pool in Skerries, submitted by Fingal County Council on behalf of Fingal Swimming Pool Association, was approved in January 2001. This approval allowed for the preparation of detailed contract documents for the project. No such documentation has been received. However, Fingal County Council recently indicated to my Department that following an internal review and the coming into force of a new county development plan, it is now in a position to advance the pool project. The project will be considered further when the contract documents are received.
The local authority swimming pool programme, administered by my Department, has four principal stages in a swimming pool project: feasibility study and preliminary report; contract documents; tender; and construction. My Department's technical advisers, the Office of Public Works, OPW, evaluate each stage and local authorities cannot proceed to the next stage of a project unless prior approval issues from my Department. Grant aid is not allocated until the tenders have been approved for a project. The maximum grant available under the programme is €3.8 million, which is available towards either the refurbishment of an existing pool or the provision of a new pool, subject in either cases to the total grant not exceeding 80% of the eligible cost of the project or, in the case of a project located in disadvantaged areas, 90% of the eligible cost. The local authority must provide the balance of the financing directly or in a combination of local authority funding, community group financing, private sector etc.
Where a project is being undertaken by an organisation other than a local authority, the proposal must be considered, supported and submitted by the relevant local authority. Before supporting a project, the local authority must be satisfied that the proposal is viable, that the balance of funding required to complete the project is available and that the project, when completed, will have a satisfactory level of public access.
Projects are considered on a case by case basis and consideration is given to such issues as whether the area is classified as disadvantaged, the number and geographical spread of projects within and between counties, the viability of the project, particularly regarding operational and maintenance issues, overall funding package for the project, technical details and the Department's annual Estimates provision for the programme.
382 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the total cost, number and nature of reports, consultancies or other advisory or public relations commissions awarded by his Department from 1998 to 2004 and to date in 2005 to persons other than established civil servants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22474/05]
The information sought by the Deputy in relation to my Department, since its establishment in June 2002 is set out hereunder.
|
Consultancy |
Purpose/Report |
Year |
Cost € |
|
Eugene Downes |
Advice on Framing new international Arts and Cultural Policy |
2003 |
18,000 |
|
Richard Wakeley |
Commissioner for the Irish Festival of Arts and Culture in China 2004 |
2002-2004 |
253,058 |
|
Donal Shiels |
Irish Festival in China Festival Manager |
2003-2004 |
153,673 |
|
Red Dog Design Consultants |
Irish Festival in China Provision of Graphic Design Services |
2003-2004 |
73,000 |
|
Kate Bowe PR Limited |
Irish Festival in China Provision of Public Relations Management Services |
2003-2004 |
72,834 |
|
Eamon Fox |
Irish Festival in China Provision of Production and Technical Services |
2003-2004 |
48,434 |
|
Sheenagh Gillen |
Relations Management Services for Irish China Festival |
2004 |
7,000 |
|
Fiach MacConghail |
EU Presidency Cultural Programme Commissioner for the EU Cultural Programme |
2003-2004 |
49,964 |
|
Fiach MacConghail |
Arts Adviser to the Department |
2002-2005 |
126,001 |
|
Janice Mc Adam |
EU Presidency Cultural Programme Manager |
2003-2004 |
39,600 |
|
Siobhán Colgan |
EU Presidency Cultural Programme Public Relations Management Services |
2003-2004 |
32,778 |
|
Peter Sirr |
Curator of Irish Literature Exhibition in Brussels |
2003 |
10,000 |
|
Event Ireland Ltd. |
EU Presidency Cultural Programme Provision of Exhibition Design and Management Services |
2003-2004 |
73,200 |
|
Féilte Dhuibh Linne Teo. |
EU Presidency Cultural Programme Development and organisation of Presidency Events |
2004 |
82,000 |
|
Audrey Behan |
Press Assistant Services |
2004 |
3,200 |
|
Red Dog Design Consultants |
Advertising and Marketing Day of Welcomes |
2004 |
150,000 |
|
Deloitte |
Audit Work for 1994 -1999 Tourism Operational Programme |
2004 |
184,815 |
|
Lisney |
Property Valuation Report |
2004 |
4,235 |
|
Kern European Affairs |
To assist in staging the “Creative Financing and Music” Seminar |
2004 |
59,760 |
|
G.P O’Brian |
Projects under Section 481 |
2004 |
11,729 |
|
CHL Consulting |
Review of Irish Manuscripts Commission |
2004 |
44,165 |
|
Laura Weldon |
National Co-ordinator of ReJoyce 2004 |
2004 |
105,808 |
|
Marie Claire Sweeney |
Funding Raising Services ReJoyce 2004 |
2004 |
15,000 |
|
Red Dog Design Consultants |
Design & advertising ReJoyce 2004 |
2004 |
100,422 |
|
Big Top Multimedia |
Web design ReJoyce 2004 |
2004 |
21,223 |
|
Kate Bowe |
PR services ReJoyce |
4,800 |
|
|
Fleishman Hilliard Saunders |
PR services ReJoyce |
2004 |
127,141 |
|
CHL Consulting |
Review of the Viability of the James Joyce Centre |
2005 |
15,000 |
|
Red Dog Design Consultants |
Provision of Graphic Design services for Culture Ireland |
2005 |
5,000 |
|
Sarah Glennie |
Irish Commissioner and Curator of Venice Artist Biennale 2005 |
2004/2005 |
25,000 |
|
Jenny Haughton |
Co-ordination of Irish Participation at the Sao Paolo Artist Biennale, 2004 |
2004 |
8,000 |
|
Jenny Haughton |
Co-ordination of Irish Participation at the Venice Artist Biennale, 2003 |
2003 |
9,930 |
|
Eugene Downes |
Consultancy for the draft Cultural Relations Committee on the International Arts |
2003 |
2,000 |
|
Jenny Haughton |
Co-ordination of Irish Participation at the Venice Artist Biennale, 2002 |
2002 |
8,000 |
|
Mr. G. D. Bye |
Review of News plan Microfilming Unit, National Library of Ireland |
2002 |
3,929 |
|
Higher Education Digitisation Service, University of Hertfordshire |
Review of Digitisation, National Library of Ireland |
2003 |
10,430 |
|
Coyle Hamilton |
Insurance Consultancy, National Library of Ireland |
2004 |
7,500 |
|
Paul Boksberger Advisory Service |
Consultancy Services in relation to new Coffee Shop, National Library of Ireland |
2004 |
2,723 |
|
Marketing Edge Ltd. |
Evaluation of service offered to the public by the National Archives (survey). Compilation of Safety Statement and production of report, National Archives |
2002 |
2,220 |
|
Ergo Consultancy Ltd. |
Compilation of Safety Statement and production of report |
2002 |
2,381 |
|
Colman McLaughlin |
Enhancement of the National Archives website |
2003 |
7,700 |
|
Mahon O’Neill |
Media relations in support launch of “Counties in Time” CD, National Archives. |
2003 |
6,332 |
|
Mahon O’Neill |
PR work in relation to the launch of the online exhibition entitled “Views of Four Presidencies”, National Archives. |
2004 |
7,792 |
|
Colman McLaughlin |
Enhancement of National Archives website, National Archives. |
2004 |
7,050 |
|
Newmarket Solutions |
Provision of advice and assistance in implementing FMS Financial Management System, National Museum of Ireland (N.M.I.) |
2002-2004 |
235,851 |
|
HELM Corporation |
Provision of financial/accounting services in N.M.I. |
2004-2005 |
49,361 |
|
Drury Communications |
Market Research, N. M.I. |
2002-2004 |
115,572 |
|
Alf Longhurst |
Security assessment and recommendations in relation to N.M.I’s collections |
2002 |
1,812 |
|
James Cavanaugh |
Fire safety inspections, advice and training, N.M.I. |
2002-2003 |
5,173 |
|
Achilles Procurement Services |
Advice on procurement of security services, N.M.I. |
2002-2003 |
4,663 |
|
Elaine Shields |
Report and advice on access by disabled to N.M.I, |
2003 |
4,250 |
|
Aidan Walsh |
N.M.I Business Planning advice and assistance |
2002 |
10,783 |
|
Sutton Vane |
Survey and recommendations on flight levels in the Natural History Museum |
2003 |
11,732 |
|
Compas Informatics Ltd |
Report with recommendations on the generation and storage of both graphical and digital data, N.M.I. |
2003 |
5,000 |
|
Anne Gallagher |
Evaluation of an aspect of the Education and Outreach programme-N.M.I. |
2004-2005 |
9,600 |
|
SMT Consultants |
To prepare risk assessments of N.M.I. sites and provide assistance in drawing up N.M.I safety statement and generally advice on safety issues. |
2004-2005 |
11,889 |
|
Leonard Pole |
Assessing/reporting on the documentation of the Ethnographical collection, N.M.I. |
2004 |
4,108 |
|
Menyma Public Relations |
PR for relaunch of Afterdark Programme and for 2 specific Afterdark events, N.M.I. |
2003 |
4,276 |
|
Deloitte |
Audit work for 1994-1999. Tourism Operational Programme |
2004 |
184,815 |
|
Lisney |
Property Valuation Report |
2004 |
4,235 |
|
Gar Holohan |
Assessment of the Feasibility and cost, including the ongoing running costs, of the Morton Athletic Stadium |
2003 |
12,100 |
|
Raymond Burke Consulting |
External Evaluation of Sports Capital Programme Expenditure Review Report |
2003 |
4,904 |
|
Fitzpatrick Associates |
Evaluation of Local Sports Partnership Programme |
2005 |
54,450Estimate |
|
Institute of Leisure and Amenity Management (ILAM) |
List all public and private sector swimming pool facilities in Ireland |
2004 |
12,100 |
|
Capita |
Financial Management System V3 Assessment |
2003 |
5,748 |
|
Deloitte |
Financial Management System Specification & selection |
2003-2004 |
66,172* |
|
Mr. John Travers |
Chair of the Tourism Policy Review Group and Tourism Action Plan Implementation Group |
2003-to date |
61,000 |
|
Murray Consultants |
PR Consultants for Department |
2003-to date |
188,270 |
*€50,000 refunded by the Change Management Fund.
383 Mr. G. Murphy asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the amount of money which has been spent on the renting, leasing or purchasing of demountable, temporary accommodation over the past five years; if his Department arranges this through the Department of Finance; the tendering process which is in operation and the frequency in which it is reviewed; the length of time the arrangement lasts; the average period of renting or leasing; and the number of units which have been rented and leased over five, eight and ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22489/05]
My Department has not rented, leased or purchased any demountable temporary accommodation since its establishment in June 2002.
384 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the names, titles, dates of appointment, total annual salary including pension contributions of each of the special or political advisers, personal assistants or personal secretaries appointed by him; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22545/05]
The following people have been appointed by me since June 2002 in accordance with Department of Finance guidelines on such matters.
|
Name |
Position |
Date of appointment |
Salary incl. pension |
|
Tony Cotter |
Special Adviser |
7 June 2002 |
€87,247 PO Standard Scale +10% attraction allowance. |
|
Colin Miller |
Personal Assistant |
7 June 2002 |
€47,921 HEO Standard Scale |
|
Mary O’Connell |
Personal Secretary |
7 June 2002 |
€38,948 Secretarial Assistant Scale + 10% attraction allowance. |
385 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he will approve funding for a sports capital application by a club (details supplied) in County Westmeath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22610/05]
386 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he will approve funding for a sports capital application by a club (details supplied) in County Westmeath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22611/05]
387 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he will approve funding for a sports capital application by a club (details supplied) in County Westmeath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22612/05]
388 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if an application for lottery funding under the sports capital programme by a club (details supplied) in County Westmeath will be considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22613/05]
389 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he has received an application for capital funding from a club (details supplied) in County Longford; if this project will be granted significant funding in order to allow the construction of facilities to proceed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22614/05]
390 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he has received an application from an organisation (details supplied) in County Longford under the sports capital programme; if same will be considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22615/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 385 to 390, inclusive, together.
The national lottery funded sports capital programme, which is administered by my Department, allocates funding to sporting and community organisations at local, regional and national level throughout the country. The programme is advertised on an annual basis. Applications for funding under the 2005 programme were invited through advertisements in the press on 5 and 6 December last. The closing date for receipt of applications was 4 February 2005. All of the 1,362 applications received before that deadline, including one from each of the organisations in question, are being evaluated against the programme's assessment criteria, which are outlined in the guidelines, terms and conditions of the programme. I intend to announce the grant allocations for the programme as soon as possible after the assessment process has been completed.
391 Ms Harkin asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the steps which are being taken to reverse the decline in relative share of bed nights for overseas visitors and expenditure in Ireland west; the further steps which are being taken to reverse the decline in relative share of bed nights for overseas visitors and expenditure in Ireland north-west. [22650/05]
The importance of tourism as an instrument of national and regional development has long been recognised by this Government and, in that context, achieving as wide as possible a distribution of visitor numbers across the different regions with an associated spread of tourism revenue continues to be a major objective and challenge for tourism policy.
Various factors have conspired to exacerbate regional growth problems in recent years, most notably the increasing international trend towards shorter more frequent breaks, which favour the more easily accessible urban destinations. This factor has driven the more robust growth in Dublin and the eastern region. At a time of overall national tourism growth, I remain concerned that the issue of regional spread should be proactively and energetically addressed. National tourism policy has been evolving in recent years, with a particular emphasis arising from the "New Horizons" policy review on putting policy measures in place to achieve a wider spread of tourism business. Key actions that I would highlight include those relating to product development, tourism promotion, access transport and the appropriate infrastructure and arrangements for the delivery of tourism policy at regional level.
The failure to develop good quality direct access to the regions has been a major impediment to growth in the past. Fortunately, this situation has improved greatly in recent times and this summer will see the greatest ever number of air seats to Ireland and particularly servicing the regions of the west and north west. These new routes from Britain, mainland Europe and the US are being promoted heavily by Tourism Ireland in order to optimise their tourism impact. Ensuring a top class product is available to those who visit the regions is also a major priority. The €50 million tourism product development scheme is vital in this context in that it targets support for new product development on developing and underdeveloped regions.
In the case of marketing, we need to ensure our investment here is optimal. A major increased investment of over 17% in the €36 million tourism marketing fund this year will ensure that Tourism Ireland can redevelop and revitalise tourism brand Ireland. A new arsenal of marketing communications based on the best consumer research available will be deployed to ensure destination Ireland remains a compelling proposition for overseas tourists. This year, both Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland are rolling out a variety of innovative marketing and publicity programmes aimed at generating a sustained focus on the regions. This includes supporting new regional access routes, twinning arrangements between overseas Tourism Ireland offices and individual regional tourism authorities, RTAs, enhanced resources for marketing activities by the RTAs and a new strategy for capturing business from Britain, our key source market that traditionally benefited the regions.
Initiatives such as the €1 million "Go West" campaign, which I launched recently on behalf of the regional tourism authorities along the western seaboard, identify Britain as the key battleground this year. The intelligent targeting of investment at this vital source market is consistent with the type of approach advocated by Tourism Ireland in its new strategy for Britain. Domestic tourism, which represents one fifth of all tourism revenue, is particularly important to the regions with a large proportion of this business favouring them rather than Dublin. A major reinvigorated domestic campaign has been launched this year by Fáilte Ireland at a cost of over €3.3 million with a particular emphasis on driving business to the special industry offers available on the www.ireland.ie website.
Visitors cannot be forced to go to a particular location against their will. The responsibility primarily lies with the individual communities and operators in the regions to present and market compelling attractions, facilities, accommodation and experiences that deliver value for money and quality service. For its part, Fáilte Ireland fully accepts that an increased emphasis on targeted marketing, product development and enterprise support is required at regional level. It will be working over the coming months with the industry and the regions towards improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the regional structures in place to service the needs of the visitor and the needs of the industry. The Government will continue to support and encourage such developments through a range of policies and programme by the tourism State agencies. As the House will be aware, I have no direct responsibility for individual actions or measures relating to tourism promotion or development in so far as specific areas of the country are concerned. These are a day to day function of the tourism agencies.
392 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the basis on which he re-appointed a person (details supplied) to the Irish Greyhound Board; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22651/05]
393 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he gave an undertaking to six representatives of the greyhound industry at a meeting in December 2004 that a person (details supplied) would not be re-appointed to the Irish Greyhound Board; the reason this person was subsequently appointed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22652/05]
394 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if, when reappointing a person (details supplied) to the Irish Greyhound Board, his attention has been drawn to the very critical comments made regarding the person in a judgment delivered in the High Court in 2003; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22653/05]
395 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he has received representations from a number of organisations within the greyhound sector expressing concern at the appointment of a person (details supplied) to the Irish Greyhound Board; if he has responded to these representations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22654/05]
396 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he intends to make any changes to the membership of the Irish Greyhound Board; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22655/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 392 to 396, inclusive, together.
All appointments made by me to State boards are on the basis of the experience, knowledge and expertise that the individual in question can bring to the board and are in accordance with the provisions of the relevant legislation. The appointment in question was made on that basis. If the Deputy has any particular concerns about the appointment, he should make them known to me.
397 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the amount of funds which have been made available on a county basis for each of the past five years under his funding towards sports and recreational projects; if he is satisfied that all areas have been treated in an equal manner; if not, his proposals to and the way the funds are distributed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22673/05]
The national lottery funded sports capital programme allocates funding to sporting and to voluntary and community organisations at local, regional and national level throughout the country. The programme is advertised on an annual basis. I am providing in tabular format the specific data requested by the Deputy for the funding allocated to each county for each year from 2000 to 2004. The funding allocation amounts in the table relate to the sports capital programme and to a small number of other sports capital projects outside of that programme that are occasionally funded, such as allocations of €100,000 towards the refurbishment for Mosney for its continual hosting of the Community Games and €650,000 to the provision of a headquarters for the Olympic Council of Ireland in 2004.
|
County |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
Total |
|
Carlow |
369,494 |
1,168,159 |
489,000 |
440,000 |
632,000 |
3,098,653 |
|
Cavan |
452,027 |
591,698 |
691,200 |
580,000 |
1,075,000 |
3,389,925 |
|
Clare |
1,170,699 |
898,975 |
1,123,000 |
1,125,000 |
1,727,000 |
6,044,674 |
|
Cork |
3,850,481 |
4,769,132 |
7,257,000 |
5,545,400 |
6,524,000 |
27,946,013 |
|
Donegal |
5,142,439 |
3,211,168 |
5,049,000 |
1,177,500 |
1,802,000 |
16,382,107 |
|
Dublin |
15,579,305 |
13,908,710 |
23,075,900 |
14,605,500 |
14,691,000 |
81,860,415 |
|
Galway |
1,512,258 |
3,192,122 |
3,058,000 |
2,558,000 |
3,402,000 |
13,722,380 |
|
Kerry |
1,258,310 |
2,119,193 |
3,335,200 |
3,748,000 |
4,476,000 |
14,936,703 |
|
Kildare |
2,541,381 |
3,853,655 |
4,870,000 |
3,166,000 |
3,357,000 |
17,788,036 |
|
Kilkenny |
529,481 |
763,747 |
1,116,500 |
942,500 |
850,000 |
4,202,228 |
|
Laois |
437,425 |
1,197,363 |
1,189,000 |
450,000 |
786,000 |
4,059,788 |
|
Leitrim |
666,612 |
439,964 |
821,600 |
454,800 |
479,000 |
2,861,976 |
|
Limerick |
956,113 |
2,705,812 |
2,776,000 |
2,485,500 |
1,925,000 |
10,848,425 |
|
Longford |
751,685 |
648,836 |
759,400 |
576,000 |
745,000 |
3,480,921 |
|
Louth |
559,954 |
1,339,574 |
2,545,000 |
1,342,100 |
1,644,000 |
7,430,628 |
|
Mayo |
982,777 |
1,625,265 |
2,284,000 |
1,574,600 |
1,594,000 |
8,060,642 |
|
Meath |
1,192,284 |
1,477,975 |
1,605,000 |
2,560,000 |
2,260,000 |
9,095,259 |
|
Monaghan |
502,181 |
615,823 |
1,233,000 |
485,000 |
996,000 |
3,832,004 |
|
Offaly |
688,198 |
618,997 |
405,000 |
1,004,000 |
1,157,000 |
3,873,195 |
|
Roscommon |
714,863 |
1,206,251 |
1,301,000 |
777,600 |
1,027,000 |
5,026,714 |
|
Sligo |
591,063 |
1,250,692 |
1,527,600 |
963,000 |
1,453,000 |
5,785,355 |
|
Tipperary |
1,042,455 |
1,802,393 |
2,478,000 |
1,657,000 |
2,398,000 |
9,377,848 |
|
Waterford |
1,010,711 |
3,133,714 |
3,253,000 |
2,210,000 |
2,080,000 |
11,687,425 |
|
Westmeath |
651,376 |
1,319,258 |
2,569,000 |
707,000 |
1,083,000 |
6,329,634 |
|
Wexford |
1,227,837 |
915,481 |
2,206,000 |
1,221,000 |
1,887,000 |
7,457,318 |
|
Wicklow |
1,115,465 |
1,405,600 |
1,813,000 |
1,003,000 |
1,700,000 |
7,037,065 |
|
Total |
45,496,874 |
56,179,561 |
78,830,400 |
53,358,500 |
61,750,000 |
295,615,335 |
Applications under the sports capital programme are assessed in accordance with detailed assessment criteria to improve the selection process that were introduced following a comprehensive review of my Department's programme completed in December 1998. Among the factors covered by the criteria are the level of socio-economic disadvantage in the area and the extent to which the project will increase participation in such areas, current and planned levels of sport and-or recreational sport facilities in the area and the priority of proposed improvements-facilities in respect of existing facilities, the need to achieve an equitable spread of funds both geographically having regard to existing facilities and among different sports and community groups, the extent to which the project will increase the levels of active participation in sport and/or recreational sport, the financial viability of the project, the level of own funding available by the applicant towards the project and the extent to which the applicant will be able to maintain the project after completion and the priorities for their individual sports, as identified by the national governing bodies.
Regard is given to the population levels in each county and to providing a pro rata level of funding on that basis. The assessment process must also take into account existing levels of facilities in an area and also the strategic positioning of major facilities that may be required and the quality of applications received for such projects. Applications under the programme are received from organisations for local, regional and national facilities. Each year, a number of major regional, national and municipal multi-sport projects are allocated funding following consultations with the Irish Sports Council, other Government Departments and the relevant national governing bodies of sport and local authorities in respect of their respective priorities for the provision of sporting facilities. The level of this funding may distort the total allocations to the counties in which they are located.
My Department also administers the local authority swimming pool programme, which provides grant aid towards the capital costs of a new pool, a replacement pool or the refurbishment of an existing pool. The programme provides for a maximum grant level of 80% of eligible costs or 90% in the case of disadvantaged areas subject to a maximum of €3.8 million. The closing date for receipt of applications under the current programme was 31 July 2000. There are four principal stages in a swimming pool project. These, in order of progress, are a feasibility study-preliminary report, contract documents, tender and construction. My Department's technical advisers, the Office of Public Works, OPW, evaluate each stage and local authorities cannot proceed to the next stage of a project unless prior approval issues from my Department. Grant aid is not allocated until the tenders have been approved for a project. Since 2000, grant aid has been approved towards the cost of the following swimming pool projects.
|
County |
Year |
Amount |
|
€ |
||
|
Cork |
2004 |
11,427,642 |
|
Donegal |
2004 |
3,809,214 |
|
Dublin |
2002 |
3,809,214 |
|
2004 |
11,427,642 |
|
|
Galway |
2002 |
3,809,214 |
|
2004 |
3,809,214 |
|
|
Kerry |
2003 |
3,895,614 |
|
Limerick |
2003 |
3,809,214 |
|
Louth |
2000 |
3,809,214 |
|
2004 |
3,809,214 |
|
|
Monaghan |
2004 |
3,809,214 |
|
Roscommon |
2000 |
3,809,214 |
|
Tipperary |
2003 |
1,641,934 |
|
Wexford |
2000 |
3,809,214 |
In addition, ten projects have been approved to go to tender, 12 are at contract documents stage and eight are at preliminary report stage. These projects are located in Cork, two in Donegal, four in Dublin, Galway, two in Kerry, two in Kildare, Kilkenny, two in Laois, Limerick, Longford, two in Mayo, four in Offaly, Roscommon, two in Tipperary, two in Wexford and two in Wicklow. There is no doubt that all counties have benefited tremendously from the significantly increased funding detailed above.
398 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if funds have been put aside for the theatre project in Monaghan town; the progress which is being made towards this vital and important project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22674/05]
The main mechanism through which my Department supports capital arts projects is the ACCESS scheme. Unfortunately, all the funds under this scheme are fully allocated. My Department is examining a successor to ACCESS and I hope to make a decision in that regard in due course. Applications for any such successor scheme would be invited by public advertisement.
399 Ms B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism his plans for a premises (details supplied) in County Kerry; when work will begin on the proposed redevelopment of these premises; the cost of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22831/05]
Killarney House is part of Killarney National Park and is under the responsibility of the national parks and wildlife service of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. I understand that the Minister, Deputy Roche, has outlined the current position in relation to the house in a separate reply today.
400 Mr. O’Connor asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the value of the increases in charges and appropriations in aid in the financial years 1995-96 and 1997-98. [23505/05]
The Deputy will be aware that the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism had not been established during the years specified in the question, having been set up in June 2002. The areas that now constitute my Department were being operated in a variety of Departments over these years including the Department of Tourism and Trade, the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation, the Department of Education and Science, the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and the Department of the Taoiseach.
Other than charges under the Freedom of Information (Amendment) Act 2003, my Department does not normally receive income for charges or services. The majority of appropriations in aid receipts received by my Department are EU receipts, income generated by the National Museum of Ireland, the National Library of Ireland and the National Archives of Ireland and a small number of miscellaneous receipts. Details of appropriations in aid for my Department are published in the appropriation accounts and annual report of the Comptroller and Auditor General, Volume 2.
401 Mr. Kirk asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his attention has been drawn to a Supreme Court case in which a former employee of a company (details supplied) in County Louth brought an action against the company for personal injuries; his views on the implications of the outcome for other former employees of this company whose health may have been damaged by exposure to asbestos; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22046/05]
I understand that the case to which the Deputy refers appears to be that of Mr. Sean Fay and Tegral Pipes Limited and others, the Supreme Court decision on which was given on 27 May 2005. The judgment of the Supreme Court arose out of civil proceedings and I am not in a position to offer a view on the implications for other former employees of the company.
I would like to add that the protection of workers from exposure to asbestos at work is covered by the European Communities (Protection of Workers) (Exposure to Asbestos) Regulations 1989 (S.I. No. 34 of 1989), as amended. These regulations, inter alia, transpose Council Directive 83/477/EEC of 19 September 1983 on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to asbestos at work. Directive 83/477/EEC has in turn been amended on a number of occasions, most recently by Directive 2003/18/EC of the European Parliament and of the council. That directive is required to be transposed into national law by the member states by 15 April 2006. Enforcement of the regulations in places of work is carried out by the Health and Safety Authority.
402 Mr. Sherlock asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the plans which are available for a new industry for Mitchelstown, County Cork (details supplied). [21924/05]
I assume the Deputy is referring to the approval by Enterprise Ireland of a capital grant of €200,000 for a food enterprise centre on the Coolnanave industrial estate under its community enterprise centre 2002 scheme. A decision on funding is a day-to-day matter for Enterprise Ireland and not one in which I am directly involved.
I am informed by Enterprise Ireland that Ballyhoura Development Group, with whom it has been working on an ongoing basis towards development in the area, got approval for this new food business incubator to be co-funded through BES in December 2004 and the project is at the planning stage. When complete, the proposed 10,000 square feet facility will be able to accommodate four to five new food businesses. Initial indications suggest that strong demand exists for incubation space developed to food-related specifications. A food forum committee, of which Enterprise Ireland is a member, has been inaugurated to drive this project forward.
I am informed that following a joint initiative by Cork County Council, North Cork Enterprise Board and Mitchelstown credit union, four small advance industrial units are being provided in the Coolnanave region at a cost of €350,000 in order to facilitate the emergence of new small business. Construction commenced in August 2004 and is now completed. Advertisements for these are currently running in the local press. The financial contribution of the CEB to these units was €120,000.
403 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of reinstatements awarded by the Employment Appeal Tribunal in each of the past three years; the average payout to successful applicants; the number of applicants who have had their legal costs awarded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21927/05]
There were three reinstatements awarded by the Employment Appeals Tribunal in 2002, one in 2003 and five in 2004 under Section 7 (1)(a) of the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977. In regard to the average payout to successful applicants, I have interpreted the question to refer to decisions of the tribunal in unfair dismissals cases generally and not specifically to re-instatements. The distribution in each of 2002, 2003 and 2004 was as follows: The tribunal awarded a total of €973,045.22 in respect of 183 decisions for unfair dismissal in 2002, of which the average payout to successful applicants was €5,317.19. The tribunal awarded a total of €2,050,416.24 in respect of 216 decisions for unfair dismissal in 2003, of which the average payout to successful applicants was €9,492.67. The tribunal awarded a total of €1,923,400.15 in respect of 191 decisions for unfair dismissal in 2004, of which the average payout to successful applicants was €10,070.16. Under Statutory Instrument No. 24 of 1968, the tribunal is not empowered to award legal costs.
404 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the amount spent by his Department or agencies under the authority of his Department, on the services of models for use in Departmental promotional activities, during policy launches or other departmental events since 1997; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21975/05]
My Department has not used the services of models in promotional activities, policy launches or any other departmental events since 1997. Expenditure by the agencies on promotional activities is a day-to-day matter for each agency, and I have no function in this regard.
405 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when legislation, regulation and statutory instrument were introduced concerning the provision of fire retardant materials in soft furnishings and beds. [21985/05]
406 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if fire safety regulations which apply to furniture and beds manufactured in the State are also applicable to soft furniture and beds which are imported from within the EU and outside the EU. [21986/05]
407 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of inspectors within his Department who are responsible for the overseeing of fire safety regulations with the soft furnishings and bed industry; and the number of inspections that have been carried out each year in retail outlets since the introduction of these regulations. [21987/05]
408 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if recently introduced Health and Safety legislation will provide better enforcement of fire safety regulations in the soft furnishings and bed retail business; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21988/05]
409 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his plans to enforce fire safety regulations in the soft furnishings and bed sector. [21989/05]
410 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his attention has been drawn to the widespread importation of soft furnishings and beds which do not comply with fire safety regulations in respect of fire retardations; and his proposals in this matter. [22006/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 405 to 410, inclusive, together.
The Industrial Research and Standards (Fire Safety) (Domestic Furniture) Order, 1995, S.I. 316 of 1995, regulates the fire safety aspects of furniture which also includes bedding. The objective of the order is to ensure that domestic furniture is designed, manufactured and constructed to a particular standard so as not to endanger persons or property. Furniture is accepted as complying with this order if it has been manufactured to IS 419:1988 or its equivalent European or individual EU member states standards and has been certified as such by the competent authority in the member states of manufacture. The order also applies to furniture imported from non-EU countries.
The Director of Consumer Affairs has responsibility for enforcing this order and is independent in discharging this function. The Office of the Director of Consumer Affairs has an authorised complement of 20 inspectors involved in enforcing approximately 80 items of legislation. While inspectors are not allocated specific legislation, the work of the inspectorate is determined by reference to the risks posed to consumers and the availability of resources at any given time. The table sets out the number of investigations carried out each year between 1995 and 1998.
|
Year |
Number of Investigations |
|
1995 |
7 |
|
1996 |
6 |
|
1997 |
8 |
|
1998 |
2 |
Investigations ceased in 1998 following receipt of legal advice by the Director of Consumer Affairs that indicated that the director's powers to investigate offences under the order were deficient. The director's power to prosecute offences under the regulations was not affected. The legal deficiency was confirmed by the advice of the Attorney General. Since then, my Department has sought an appropriate opportunity to have amending legislation introduced in Bills before the Oireachtas. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the director's investigative powers have been restored by virtue of the recent passage of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Bill 2004 through the Houses of the Oireachtas, section 89 in particular. The Bill was signed by the President on 22 June 2005 and it is proposed that the necessary commencement order will be signed shortly.
The Director of Consumer Affairs has informed me that while she has not received any consumer complaints relating to products covered by the order since 2003 a small number of manufacturers have complained that compliance with the order puts them at a competitive disadvantage. These companies have also alleged that certain imported products are not compliant with the order. The director has indicated that, following the restoration of her investigative powers, the order will be enforced in a manner commensurate with the risks posed to consumers and within resources available to her. The director has also indicated that complaints made in relation to this issue will be fully investigated.
411 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the efforts which have been made to attract an anchor industry to the new industrial park at Ballinasloe, County Galway; the efforts made by IDA Ireland to attract such industrialists; if his attention has been drawn to the grave unemployment situation in Ballinasloe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22053/05]
IDA Ireland in the west region is investing significantly in the provision of a number of planned and focused property solutions. IDA Ireland is developing world class business and technology parks at a number of towns throughout the west region, including Ballinasloe. The goal is to ensure that these locations have the appropriate property solutions tailored to specific key sectoral targets to attract inward investments. This means the provision of a high quality business and technology park and, in co-operation with the private sector, the provision of a new advance technology building in the town. It also means undertaking long-term planning with the local authority so that the area is seen by investors as having the appropriate locational solutions for key strategic investments of national importance, such as property, infrastructure, business and lifestyle services, etc.
IDA Ireland is actively promoting Ballinasloe for new foreign investment and is committed to the development of County Galway. It has acquired 35 acres of land at Creagh on the east side of Ballinasloe and has developed it as a new business and technology park. It has co-operated closely with local private developers to construct a 27,000 sq. ft. advance technology building on the park, which is now occupied by Valois, a French engineering company that is successfully operating a manufacturing facility there. The company plans to employ 60 people at full production and is making excellent progress against plan. The construction of a further advance technology building on the park, with an area of 29,000 sq. ft. is reaching completion and is being marketed to potential investors.
IDA Ireland has also provided a site to the ESB for the construction of a 38 kV station to satisfy the electricity needs of new projects locating on the park. Construction of the station has begun. Total investment in the park to date is approximately €7.5 million for both site development works and the construction of two advance technology buildings. IDA Ireland is actively working with existing base of overseas companies in the county and the Ballinasloe area to encourage them to grow and expand. Since January 2005, there has been six first time site visits to Ballinasloe. In addition, the agency is working with local groups, utility providers and other agencies to ensure that the county secures the appropriate infrastructure to enable the existing companies grow and develop and to make the area sufficiently attractive for new projects.
412 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the efforts which have been made to attract an anchor industry to the new industrial park in Tuam, County Galway; the efforts made by IDA Ireland to attract such industrialists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22054/05]
IDA Ireland in the west region is investing significantly in the provision of planned and focused property solutions. IDA Ireland is developing world class business and technology parks at a number of towns throughout the west region, including Tuam. The goal is to ensure that these locations have the appropriate property solutions, tailored to specific key sectoral targets, to attract inward investments. This means the provision of a high quality business and technology park and in co-operation with the private sector the provision of flagship facilities. It also means undertaking long-term planning with the local authority so that the area is seen by investors as having the appropriate locational solutions for key strategic investments of national importance, for example, property, infrastructure, business and lifestyle services, etc.
IDA Ireland is committed to the development of County Galway and is investing in the provision of focused and planned property solutions for Tuam. It has acquired 27 acres of land on the Dunmore road in Tuam and has developed it as a new business and technology park. IDA Ireland has received advance planning permission for the construction of two 7,500 sq.ft. and two 5,000 sq.ft. advance technology units on the park. Site development works for the provision of these units have just been completed. Tenders for the development of the aforementioned units will shortly be sought from the private sector. IDA Ireland's total investment in the park to date is in the order of €3.5 million.
IDA Ireland is committed to securing knowledge based, value added FDI for Tuam and is actively marketing the town to potential investors. IDA Ireland will continue to actively work with the existing base of overseas companies in the county and the Tuam area to encourage them to grow and expand. Since January 2003, there have been four first time site visits to the town. In addition, the agency is working with local groups, utility providers and other agencies to ensure that the county secures the appropriate infrastructure to enable the existing companies grow and develop and to make the area sufficiently attractive for new projects.
413 Dr. Cowley asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment further to Parliamentary Question No. 409 of 14 June 2005, his views on whether the work on the section on which the accident took place could not possibly have been completed in that a permanent surface still needed to be applied and the application of these lines to the road were clearly premature in that they were meant to be applied after the job was completed, which it clearly was not; his further views on whether, in view of the foregoing, the HSA should investigate the circumstances of this accident; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22055/05]
The statutory remit of the Health and Safety Authority is confined to the investigation of accidents in places of work. Issues such as whether or not road surfaces laid down in road works are left in a safe state fall outside occupational safety and health legislation and the functions of the Health and Safety Authority. As I stated in the reply to the Parliamentary Question No. 409 on 14 June, in the specific case of the Mayo accident, the Health and Safety Authority wrote to the primary family in question and explained why it was not carrying out an investigation. The primary responsibility for investigating accidents which occur on public roads lies with the Garda.
414 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of labour inspectors that have been appointed to date in regard to his announcement of the recruitment of an additional 11; when the full number will be appointed; the current establishment level of the labour inspectorate; the number currently serving as labour inspectors; if any of the labour inspectorate staff are working in any other areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22056/05]
On 12 April I announced my intention to appoint an additional ten labour inspectors together with a team leader. The team leader has been appointed and commenced training within the inspectorate. In addition, preparations are under way to facilitate the transfer of six officers to inspector posts following a competitive interview process. It is anticipated that these officers will be in place by mid-July. A further process has commenced with a view to urgently identifying officers to complete the complement of sanctioned staffing for the inspectorate.
As a result of the increase in resources, there are now 31 labour inspector posts. There are 21 officers currently assigned as inspectors of which 16.5 are serving at present. One inspector is currently on long-term sick leave and one jobsharing inspector is on extended unpaid leave. A further two inspectors are currently engaged in work with the Employment Appeals Tribunal to assist with processing a backlog of cases. One further inspector has recently been facilitated in regard to a long-standing request for a transfer from the labour inspectorate. This officer will be replaced from the current recruitment process mentioned above. However, it is also worth noting that of the serving officers, two of them are temporarily incapacitated as a consequence of accidents resulting in serious injury. Neither case was work related.
In the course of dealing with a recent high profile case, the services of three inspectors were exclusively dedicated to the task. There was also a very considerable input of time by two senior personnel from the employment rights compliance section. The breadth and complexity of the inspectorate's remit is such that officers' training occurs over an extended period of time. Much of this training is undertaken in the company of an experienced officer who will take time to explain the issues at hand and assist the trainee inspector in developing the skills and confidence necessary to take on the tasks alone. This activity does have a short-term impact on the capacity of the training officer to complete normal schedules of work. It should be noted that additional officers assigned to the inspectorate earlier this year are nearing completion of that training process. Up to quite recently the number of inspectors was 17. When the assignment of the new group of ten inspectors is complete, the labour inspectorate will have increased to 31, almost a doubling of its complement.
415 Mr. O’Connor asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the way in which Ireland’s statutory redundancy entitlements compare with those of European Union partners; the cost to the Exchequer of emulating the highest level of redundancy entitlements in the European Union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22192/05]
Redundancy payments often reflect the labour market culture of a country. Legislation is light in some member states to allow for a more flexible and competitive labour market. Other governments take a more active role to protect employees. In some EU countries, redundancy amounts are negotiated, while in this country and the UK redundancy is based on a legal right to a statutory redundancy lump sum payment on being made redundant. Given that redundancy payments are not dealt with in a similar fashion in other member states, it is not possible to provide definitive comparisons on redundancy payments.
However, a set of comparisons has been made available by Mercer Human Resources Consultants. This chart shows variations in redundancy pay in the 15 EU States at 27 May 2003 in respect of white collar workers aged 40 made redundant after ten years service on a salary of €30,000. Ireland shows a figure of €10,666, which is 21 weeks pay at the then ceiling of €507.90 per week. Since 1 January 2005, the ceiling on wages has increased to €600 per week and, therefore, 21 weeks pay at €600 would amount to €12,600.
On perusal of the relevant chart, Italy and Spain appear to show the highest rate of redundancy, while the UK is at the lower end of the scale. In the case of several countries no minimum severance pay is shown. As the terms of the Irish statutory redundancy scheme have been improved considerably in recent years, there is no intention at this stage to seek to emulate the minimum severance pay in Italy and Spain.
|
Country |
Min. no. of weeks notice period after 10 years of service |
Pay for notice period |
Min. no. of weeks’ severance pay after 10 years of service |
Min. severance pay |
Total |
|
€ |
€ |
€ |
|||
|
Austria |
13 |
7,500 |
26 |
15,000 |
22,500 |
|
Belgium |
39 |
22,500 |
0 |
0 |
22,500 |
|
Denmark |
26 |
15,000 |
0 |
0 |
15,000 |
|
Finland |
17 |
10,000 |
0 |
0 |
10,000 |
|
France |
9 |
5,000 |
4 |
2,500 |
7,500 |
|
Germany |
17 |
10,000 |
0 |
0 |
10,000 |
|
Greece |
26 |
15,000 |
0 |
0 |
15,000 |
|
Ireland |
6 |
3,462 |
21 |
10,666 |
14,128 |
|
Italy |
9 |
5,192 |
40 |
22,222 |
27,414 |
|
Luxembourg |
26 |
15,000 |
9 |
5,000 |
20,000 |
|
Netherlands |
13 |
7,500 |
0 |
0 |
7,500 |
|
Portugal |
22 |
12,502 |
11 |
6,250 |
18,752 |
|
Spain |
2 |
1,235 |
59 |
36,961 |
38,196 |
|
Sweden |
26 |
15,000 |
0 |
0 |
15,000 |
|
UK |
9 |
5,192 |
4 |
2,500 |
7,692 |
416 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of new jobs which have been supported nationally in each of the past five years through IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland. [22346/05]
The decision to support companies is a day-to-day matter for the agencies under my remit and not one in which I have a direct function. Data on employment in the agencies is compiled from an annual employment survey carried out by Forfás. The most recent survey provides figures for client companies of the IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland up to the end of 2004.
Enterprise Ireland client companies gained 71,785 permanent full-time jobs over the period 2000-04. Permanent full-time employment in Enterprise Ireland client companies now stands at 142,115. Regarding contract and part-time jobs, there were 21,620 gains between 2000 and 2004. A table setting out details by year shows details. IDA Ireland client companies gained 67,379 new jobs in the period 2000-04. A table sets out details by year.
|
Enterprise Ireland |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
|
PFT Job Gains |
18,897 |
14,670 |
14,020 |
12,300 |
11,898 |
|
Contract-PT Jobs |
4,729 |
4,459 |
4,832 |
3,439 |
4,161 |
|
Job gains in IDA Ireland client companies 2000-04. |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
IDA Ireland |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
|
Gross Gains New Jobs |
22,998 |
13,052 |
10,928 |
9,576 |
10,825 |
417 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the total cost, number and nature of legal services sought by his Department from 1998 to 2004 and to date in 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22419/05]
The information requested by the Deputy cannot be provided within the timeframe available. Officials of my Department are currently compiling details of legal services sought by my Department from 1998 to date in 2005. I will have the information forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is compiled.
418 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the total cost, number and nature of reports, consultancies or other advisory or public relations commissions awarded by his Department from 1998 to 2004 and to date in 2005 to persons other than established civil servants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22475/05]
The information requested by the Deputy cannot be provided within the timeframe available. Officials of my Department are currently compiling the information requested by the Deputy and this information will be forwarded to him as soon as it is compiled.
419 Mr. G. Murphy asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the amount of money which has been spent on the renting, leasing or purchasing of demountable, temporary accommodation in the past five years; if his Department arranges this through the Department of Finance; the tendering process which is in operation and the frequency in which it is reviewed; the length of time the arrangement lasts; the average period of renting or leasing; and the number of units which have been rented and leased over five, eight and ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22490/05]
The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment has had no expenditure on renting, leasing or purchasing demountable, temporary accommodation in the past five years.
420 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the names, titles, dates of appointment, total annual salary including pension contributions of each of the special or political advisers, personal assistants or personal secretaries appointed by him; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22546/05]
The following table outlines the six appointments I have made since my appointment as Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Employment on 29 September 2004. The individuals concerned have transferred with me from the Department of Health and Children. Each appointment is effective from that date.
|
Name |
Title |
Remuneration per annum as at 1 June 2005 |
|
€ |
||
|
Deirdre Gillane |
Policy Adviser |
87,247 |
|
Christopher Mannion |
Special Adviser |
85,205 |
|
Caitriona Meehan |
Press Adviser |
81,376 |
|
Melanie Hewitt |
Personal Assistant |
26,202 |
|
Ann Donnelly |
Personal Assistant — works on a part-time basis 50% pattern |
12,916 adjusted to take account of part-time working arrangement |
|
Elizabeth O’Donoghue |
Personal Secretary |
38,947 |
All salaries are subject to the approval of the Minister for Finance. In general and subject to previous earnings prior to commencement in the post, the total remuneration for special advisers is related to individual points on the principal officer scale, personal assistants is related to individual points on the higher executive officer scale and personal secretaries is related to individual points on the executive officer scale. The current terms of the non-contributory pension scheme for non-established State employees and of the spouses and children's contributory scheme for non-established State employees apply to each of the above appointments except for Mr. Mannion. In the case of Mr. Mannion, who is a civil servant on loan from the Department of Education and Science, the terms of the superannuation scheme for established civil servants recruited prior to April 1995 are applicable.
The current deductions being undertaken for superannuation purposes for each appointee amount to approximately 1.5% of gross annual earnings. An appointee has the option of choosing to pursue either an approved private pension fund option subject to certain conditions being met or membership of the non-established State employees and of the contributory spouses' and children pension scheme.
421 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the latest information on the number of jobs created and lost in companies supported by the enterprise development agencies, distinguishing foreign and domestic owned, distinguishing manufacturing and internationally traded services over the period from the start of 2002 to the middle of 2005. [22566/05]
I assume the Deputy is referring to Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, Shannon Development and the County Enterprise Boards, which are the bodies under my remit. Data on employment in the agencies is compiled from an annual employment survey carried out by Forfás. The most recent survey provides figures up to the end of 2004. Enterprise Ireland's client portfolio is primarily composed of companies that are Irish-owned. However, companies in the food and natural resources sectors are also dealt with by Enterprise Ireland regardless of ownership.
Enterprise Ireland client companies gained 38,218 jobs in the past three years. This was offset by losses in the order of 45,959. Foreign-owned client companies showed gains of 1,623 and losses of 4,483 for the period in question, while Irish-owned companies showed gains of 36,595 and losses of 41,476. On a sectoral basis, internationally traded services companies showed gains of 9,549 and losses of 9,182, while manufacturing companies showed gains of 28,669 and losses of 36,777.
IDA Ireland is responsible for foreign direct investment. For the period 2002-04, client companies in the manufacturing sector showed gains of 15,374 and losses of 24,291, while in the international financial services sector client companies recorded gains of 15,955 and losses of 14,583. Irish-owned client companies of Shannon Development in the manufacturing sector, including those located on the Shannon free zone, SFZ, showed gains of 1,817 for the period 2002-04 and losses of 2,182, while Irish-owned client companies in the internationally traded services sector, including those on the SFZ, showed gains of 446 and losses of 484. In respect of foreign-owned companies located on the SFZ, companies in the manufacturing sector showed gains of 312 for the period 2002-04 and losses of 868, while companies in the international services sector recorded gains of 434 and losses of 330.
The 35 county enterprise boards, CEBs, are charged with the development of indigenous domestic enterprises generally employing up to ten people. Data is available on the net increase or decrease in the number of jobs by clients of the CEBs. Data is compiled by all boards across all sectors on an annual basis only. Over the period 2002 to December 2004, job numbers in clients of the CEBs increased by 5,243.
422 Mr. Morgan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of companies which received financial or other supports from Enterprise Ireland in each of the past five years. [22644/05]
The number of individual Enterprise Ireland, EI, client companies who received financial support from EI in each of the past five years is as follows.
|
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
|
1,538 |
1,248 |
987 |
1,013 |
986 |
In addition to financial support, EI provides a range of non-financial support to its client companies, including market supports, human resource development, technical know how and expertise. Through its network of 33 international offices, EI assists companies to create and implement successful strategies for market entry, development and growth. Services provided include arranging access to international buyers and increasing the number of in-market trade promotion activities. Companies are also assisted to develop awareness, knowledge and understanding of markets and to build the marketing capabilities to fully exploit the opportunities available in overseas markets. For example, in 2004 Enterprise Ireland actively supported 177 clients to enter new markets, organised over 9,500 client-buyer meetings across all sectors and markets, organised 56 missions both at home and abroad to introduce clients to top level buyers and facilitated new market opportunities for 199 clients through participation at 21 trade fairs.
EI's non-financial supports to enhance in company research and development include the research and development awareness campaign and the innovation management initiative, which provide training on all aspects of innovation and research and development management. A total of 398 company personnel participated in these initiatives in 2004. Under the EI applied benchmarking for competitiveness initiative, which supports client companies striving to increase their productivity, a total of 91 individual clients were benchmarked against their sectoral peer group in Europe in 2004. In addition, 59 client company participants were assisted to prepare and strengthen their first export strategies under the EI first flight initiative.
EI provides spaces for company creation through its nationwide incubator construction programme to support spin-off companies at third level institutions. By the end of 2004, €32 million had been committed to 15 centres at the institutes of technology around the country and these are now coming on stream. In the period 2003 to 2004, EI has also provided financial support for the conversion of six existing buildings in universities-hospitals into bio-incubators which will provide laboratory and office space of up to 20 start-up companies.
Through its community enterprise programme, Enterprise Ireland works with local community groups in the provision of infrastructural facilities to support the establishment of micro enterprises. In 2004, seven new community enterprise centres were completed in Macroom, Carlow, Lismore, Easkey, Ballyshannon, Moville and Emyvale and the centre in Ballina was expanded. A total of 97 such centres, involving an investment of €23 million by Enterprise Ireland, are now operational throughout the regions with associated employment of 3,000 people.
423 Mr. Morgan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the amount of revenue spent by Enterprise Ireland on supporting client companies in each of the past five years. [22645/05]
Enterprise Ireland payments in support of client companies for each year over the five-year period 2000-04 are outlined in a table.
|
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
|
|
€000 |
€000 |
€000 |
€000 |
€000 |
|
|
Payments to Client Companies |
100,851 |
91,443 |
65,549 |
66,416 |
67,330 |
Enterprise Ireland payments to third parties for each year over the five year period 2000-04 are outlined in a table.
|
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
|
|
€000 |
€000 |
€000 |
€000 |
€000 |
|
|
Payments to Third Parties* |
58,340 |
93,605 |
82,365 |
72,754 |
73,055 |
424 Mr. Morgan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the amount of revenue spent by Enterprise Ireland on staff and administration in each of the past five years. [22646/05]
Data regarding Enterprise Ireland spending is set out in its financial statements which are appended to its annual reports. Enterprise Ireland spend on remuneration and other pay costs over the five year period 2000-04 is detailed in a table.
|
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
|
|
€000 |
€000 |
€000 |
€000 |
€000 |
|
|
Remuneration and other pay costs |
50,716 |
63,959 |
58,909 |
59,804 |
63,804 |
|
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
|
|
€000 |
€000 |
€000 |
€000 |
€000 |
|
|
Administration |
35,963 |
40,381 |
36,712 |
32,669 |
31,564 |
|
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
|
|
€000 |
€000 |
€000 |
€000 |
€000 |
|
|
PAT’s Payroll |
8,847 |
7,778 |
6,357 |
5,557 |
5,469 |
425 Mr. Morgan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of companies who received financial or other supports from IDA Ireland in each of the past five years. [22647/05]
The information sought by the Deputy is set out in a tabular statement. The Deputy should note that this table records the number of companies paid by each grant type. Some companies are included in more than one grant type.
|
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
|
|
Total number of IDA Ireland companies paid grants in the relevant year |
300 |
257 |
195 |
163 |
140 |
426 Mr. Morgan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the amount of revenue spent by IDA Ireland on supporting client companies in each of the past five years. [22648/05]
IDA Ireland grant payments in support of client companies for each year over the five-year period 2000-2004 are set out in a tabular statement.
|
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
|
|
€000 |
€000 |
€000 |
€000 |
€000 |
|
|
Payments to Client Companies |
150,500 |
109,000 |
118,500 |
96,500 |
66,000 |
427 Mr. Morgan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the amount of revenue spent by IDA Ireland on staff and administration in each of the past five years. [22649/05]
Data regarding IDA Ireland spending is set out in its financial statements, which are appended to its annual reports. IDA Ireland's spend on remuneration and other pay costs in the five-year period 2000-04 is detailed in a table.
|
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
|
|
€000 |
€000 |
€000 |
€000 |
€000 |
|
|
Remuneration and Other pay costs |
16,733 |
18,284 |
18,702 |
19,427 |
20,764 |
IDA Ireland's spend on administration in the five-year period 2000-04 is detailed in a table.
|
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
|
|
€000 |
€000 |
€000 |
€000 |
€000 |
|
|
Administration |
13,574 |
13,001 |
15,035 |
15,077 |
14,800 |
428 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if, in view of the figures provided regarding new jobs created by IDA Ireland in the Border counties recognising the fact that in the years 2003-04 only 43 jobs were created in County Cavan and ten during the same period in County Monaghan he has plans or commitment to make these two counties priority areas to create high-tech employment for young graduates who at this point in time have no other choice but to leave the area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22676/05]
IDA Ireland is the agency with statutory responsibility for the attraction of foreign direct investment, FDI, to Ireland, including its regions and areas. IDA Ireland is committed to regional development as a core part of its strategy and has set itself a high level performance target for the BMW region, including counties Cavan and Monaghan. This commits IDA Ireland to try to achieve a 50% target of all new greenfield jobs to be located in the region in the period 2000-06.
Substantial progress has being made in attracting new jobs to the BMW given that in 1999, prior to the start of the Government's current national development programme, only some 25% of all new greenfield jobs were located in the region. By 2004, a total of 41% of all new greenfield jobs created by IDA Ireland-supported companies were located in the BMW region. Through its network of local and overseas offices, the IDA is actively marketing both counties on an ongoing basis as a location for FDI. Work in counties Cavan and Monaghan by Enterprise Ireland and by the local county enterprise boards in respect of indigenous SMEs and micro-enterprises complements the work done by IDA Ireland. In the case of Enterprise Ireland, the maximum grant levels available as part of its funding offer are higher in the BMW region, including Cavan and Monaghan, than in the south and east region and a higher proportion of this funding is also non-repayable.
429 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of jobs created by the Leitrim County Enterprise Board in the years 2000 to 2005, inclusive, in each sector; the cost of each job; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22820/05]
The 35 county and city enterprise boards, CEBs, are charged with the development of indigenous domestic enterprises employing up to ten people. Leitrim County Enterprise Board is actively involved in the economic and social development of the county and continues to be proactive in ensuring that available funds are targeted to maximize entrepreneurial development throughout 2005.
Data on the net number of jobs created by the CEBs is compiled across all sectors on an annual basis only. From 2000 to the end of May 2005, Leitrim CEB approved €1.662 million in grant assistance, which has assisted in the creation of 240 jobs, 142 of which are in the manufacturing sector and 98 of which are in local services. This represents an average cost per job of approximately €6,900. A detailed breakdown of the data requested by the Deputy is appended in tabular format.
|
Year |
Service Companies |
Manufacturing Companies |
Total Jobs created |
|
2000 |
20 |
40 |
60 |
|
2001 |
25 |
30 |
55 |
|
2002 |
21 |
40 |
61 |
|
2003 |
17 |
13 |
30 |
|
2004 |
9 |
13 |
22 |
|
2005 to-date |
6 |
6 |
12 |
|
Total |
98 |
142 |
240 |
430 Mr. O’Connor asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the value of the increases in charges and appropriations in aid in the financial years 1995-96 and 1997-98. [23506/05]
Charges for services are recorded as appropriations-in-aid in the appropriation account and published each year. A table outlines the amounts received in appropriations-in-aid in pounds and euro in each of the years in question giving the value of the increases as required.
|
1995 |
1996 |
Increase |
1997 |
1998 |
Increase |
|
|
£ |
12,816,064 |
12,852,514 |
36,450 |
14,426,949 |
16,510,145 |
2,083,196 |
|
€ |
16,273,044 |
16,319,326 |
46,282 |
18,318,447 |
20,963,560 |
2,645,113 |
A breakdown of individual items is available in the published appropriation accounts for each year.
431 Mr. P. Breen asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason for the substantial reduction in the dietary allowance for a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22256/05]
435 Mr. P. Breen asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the status of an application for supplementary welfare allowance for a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23224/05]
I propose to takes Questions Nos. 431 and 435 together.
Diet supplements are provided for under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. The amount of supplement payable depends on which of two categories of diet has been prescribed by the applicant's medical adviser, low cost or high cost, and the income of the individual and his or her dependants. As diet supplements are subject to a means test, the amount payable decreases as household income increases.
The western region of the executive has advised that the rate of diet supplement previously in payment to the person concerned had been on his income from disability allowance. The person concerned subsequently transferred to an old age pension and his entitlement to diet supplement was reviewed to take account of the increase in his income, in accordance with the scheme rules. Following the review, his revised entitlement is equivalent to €5.50 per month. The person has been advised by the executive of his right of appeal against this decision but there is no record that he had done so to date. Apart from the diet supplement, the executive is not aware of any other application by the person for supplementary welfare allowance.
432 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the progress which has been made towards the decentralisation of 85 jobs from the Department of Social and Family Affairs to Carrickmacross; if any building or site has been acquired for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22525/05]
433 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the progress which has been made towards decentralisation to Monaghan town; if any building or site has been acquired; when the jobs will be in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22527/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 432 and 433 together.
The decentralisation implementation group, DIG, report to the Minister for Finance on 19 November 2004 recommended the locations and organisations to be included in the first phase of moves under the decentralisation programme and those to be regarded as potential early movers. Neither Carrickmacross nor Monaghan was included in the first phase of moves or as a potential early mover. The DIG is due to report again shortly regarding the phasing of those locations not covered in the November report.
My Department has been advised by the Office of Public Works, OPW, that it is in discussions with Monaghan County Council regarding a proposed development in Carrickmacross. The OPW has further advised that it is currently exploring a number of property options in Monaghan. These include the proposed refurbishment of an existing office and the construction of a new building. My Department is currently revising its implementation plan for the first phase of moves and will examine subsequent phases in the light of this and of the next DIG report.
434 Ms Burton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if his Department will reimburse those pensioners who currently lose a week’s money when they sign up for direct debit payments; and if provision will be made in budget 2006 for a once-off payment to facilitate this reimbursement. [22836/05]
My Department provides people receiving social welfare payments with a range of payment options, including electronic fund transfer, EFT. The majority of those who opt for this facility do so at the start of their claim and are paid on a regular weekly basis once their claim is put into payment. When EFT was introduced, payments were made four weeks in arrears. In 2000, the payment frequency was reduced to two weeks in areas and it was further reduced to one week in arrears in November 2004. The issue of the further alignment of EFT payments with that of other payment methods, including the elimination of the week in arrears payment, is being addressed and the necessary arrangements will be made as soon as possible.
436 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the amount spent by his Department or agencies under the authority of his Department, on the services of models for use in departmental promotional activities, during policy launches or other departmental events since 1997; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21976/05]
My Department has not engaged the services of models for use in any promotional activities, policy launches or other events. Of the four agencies under the aegis of my Department, the Combat Poverty Agency, Comhairle and the Family Support Agency have never engaged the services of models for promotional activities or any other such events. The Pensions Board has used models in promotional activities to enhance the effectiveness of the national pensions awareness campaign. The total amount spent on such activities since 1997 is €3,950.
437 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason a person (details supplied) in County Kildare has received a statement in regard to rent subsidy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21999/05]
Rent supplements are provided through the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. Rent supplements are subject to a means test. In addition to a minimum contribution of €13, which a recipient is required to pay from his or her own resources, each applicant is also required to contribute any additional assessable means he or she has over and above the appropriate basic supplementary welfare allowance rate towards his or her rent.
As I stated in my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 443 of 14 June 2005, the person concerned has incurred an overpayment of rent supplement as she failed to inform the Health Service Executive of a significant increase in the level of her household income over the past year arising from her participation on a FÁS programme. The Dublin-mid-Leinster area of the executive has advised that, on the basis of her current means, the person concerned is not entitled to rent supplement and that it has terminated payment to her. It wrote to her recently to confirm the level of the overpayment involved and has asked her to contact her local community welfare officer with a view to making arrangements to repay the amount due. To date, she has not made contact with the community welfare officer.
438 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when the appeal of a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be heard; the way in which his Department could assess this person as having an overpayment of €17,500 when it was notified of all the changes in this person’s circumstances. [22011/05]
The person concerned was in receipt of unemployment assistance from September 1998. Following a review of her entitlement in January 2005, a deciding officer made a revised decision disallowing her claim from 25 February 2002 to 30 November 2004 on the grounds that her means, derived from her partner's income, were in excess of the statutory limit for payment of unemployment assistance applicable to a person with her family size and circumstances. As a result of that decision, she is deemed to have been overpaid €17,233.60.
She appealed this decision to the social welfare appeals office and her case has been considered by an appeals officer who is of the opinion that an oral hearing is required. This will be arranged as soon as possible. The appeals officer will consider all the grounds advanced by the person in the context of her appeal. Under social welfare legislation, decisions on claims must be made by deciding officers and appeals officers. These officers are statutorily appointed and I have no role in regard to making such decisions.
439 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if social welfare legislation which limits entitlement to certain payments to persons who are deemed to be habitually resident in the State precludes payment of the supplementary welfare allowance to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22014/05]
The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare staff of the Health Service Executive, is one of a number of social assistance schemes which are subject to a statutory habitual residence condition with effect from 1 May 2004. Any person whose habitual residence or "centre of interest" is deemed to be other than in this State or the designated common travel area is not entitled to supplementary welfare allowance or any other social assistance payment. The common travel area includes Ireland, Great Britain, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. The southern region of the Health Service Executive has advised that the person concerned was refused supplementary welfare allowance on the grounds that he does not satisfy the habitual residency condition. The executive has further advised that he has appealed against this decision. An appeals officer of the executive will make a determination on his eligibility as soon as possible and he will be notified of the outcome.
440 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs further to subhead A7 of his Department’s Estimates for 2005, the names of the consultancy companies his Department contracted in 2004 and 2005; the services these companies were contracted to provide; the breakdown of expenditure by his Department to these companies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22063/05]
My Department engages external consultants from time to time to provide a range of specialist expertise. Broadly, expertise is sought under three main headings. Support with a number of strategic programmes aimed at enhancing the delivery of the Department's services, such as the service delivery modernisation programme, technical consultancies relating to the ongoing development of information technology systems and consultancy assistance in other areas including policy development. The amount paid out by my Department on consultancy services was €3,009,247 in 2004 and €1,194,447 to date in 2005. Details of the names of the companies involved, the work they were contracted to undertake and the amount paid out in the years in question are set out below.
BearingPoint Ireland Limited, €1,799,082, for consultancy services for the refinement, extension and implementation of the business objectmodel to support the Department's service delivery modernisation, SDM, programme. Hewlett Packard Ireland Limited, €396,971, for consultancy services to support the migration of the software used for child benefit from visual basic v6 to visual basic .NET in preparation for SDM phase 2. Accourt Limited, €148,686, for management and architectural — business, systems and technology — support to the secure authentication framework environment, SAFE, programme for customer authentication. Fujitsu Consulting Limited, €72,771, for consultancy assistance to support SDM phase 1 live application for child benefit. Nexus Europe Ireland Limited, €69,031, for consultancy support to Family Support Agency in order to develop and support the implementation of a self evaluation model to track the work done by the family resource centres. Gartner Ireland Limited, €56,000, for annual subscription and support for senior management in managing information systems. Propylon Limited, €42,380, for consultancy support services for the ongoing development and extension of the internal broker, principally the development and delivery of the death event validation service. IBM Ireland Limited, €36,300, for assistance with the organisational change project for pension servicesoffice.
Lansdowne Market Research Limited, €34,364, for a survey of atypical employees and employers of atypical workers to identify the role which the unemployment payment schemes play in supporting employees and assisting employers in maintaining and developing employment. John Naughten Services Limited, €31,545, for Family Support Agency. Similarity Systems Limited, €30,855, for consultancy used for conducting a data quality audit on aspects of the central records database. Cara Data Processing Limited, €20,691, for technical support with the Department's network infrastructure. Qualbase Limited, €17,854, for consultancy in support of Oracle upgrade projects. First Impression Design, €16,335, for production of annual report for office of social inclusion. Peoplesoft UK Limited, €13,703, for services provided in connection with the upgrade of the Department's human resources management system, HRMS, from Peoplesoft Version 7.5 to Version 8.1.
Goodbody Economic Consultants, €13,310, for an update of the cost of social housing report from 1995. James Doran and Associates Limited, €10,890, for consultancy on review and preparation of report on dental review. Finglas Cabra Partnership Limited, €10,000 for the Cabra lone parent research project funding towards the cost of undertaking research on lone parents in the Dublin 7 area. Oracle EMEA Limited, €9,433, for an upgrade scoping study carried out January 2004. The Katherine Howard Foundation, €8,631, for the families research programme. Mr. Robert Dowdall, research, €8,140, for consultancy relating to the collection and administration of PRSI. Technical Guidance Limited, €7,926, for consultancy assistance on a report on unisex insurance and annuity rates, a report on default investment strategies under PRSAs and a report on revised proposal unisex insurance rates. Waterford Institute of Technology, €6,679, for research commissioned under the families research programme report on strengthening families through fathers.
Touchpaper Ireland Limited, €6,353, for assistance with set-up of automated help desk for facilities management unit. Edward Delany and Associates, €6,156, for the facilitated workshop on decentralisation for senior management. Midland Web Consultancy, €5,600, for website design provided to Family Support Agency. Open Interface Limited, €5,055, for assistance with the office of social inclusion website. The Policy Institute-TCD, €5,397, for the synthesis report on submissions made by voluntary, community and other organisations in relation to the development of an integrated strategy to support families. Bill O'Herlihy Communications Group, €5,047, for public relations services during and after the "Supporting Families in a Changing Society" conference. Prospectus Limited, €4,871, for a review of the Family Support Agency's administrative functions. ESRI, €3,594, for the compilation of background paper for family strategy. Richard Pawson and Associates, €3,542, for a training seminar. Rowena Fitzsimons Solicitor, €3,283, for legal advice to the family mediation service.
Matheson Ormsby Prentice, €1,452, for an examination of occupational pension schemes and powers to borrow. Eircom, €1,392, for removing old software and installing new software as part of the natural virus project. Frank O'Brien Limited, €1,210, for an examination of default investment strategies and pensions. LAN Communications, €2,542, for technical support for local area networks. Blue Wave Technology, €2,541, for consultancy on a Lotus Notes application. Mel Cousins, €2,178, for a review of methodology for unemployment scheme review. Irish Nutrition and Diabetic Institute, €2,500, for a scheme review for supplementary welfare allowance dietary payments. Denis Agnew, €1,127, in legal fees in respect of UCD partnership in training. DSP Global, €1,127, for support of Oracle upgrade project.
Peoplesoft UK Limited, €2,982, for support with the implementation of Peoplesoft v8.1 application for human resources management system, HRMS. Accourt Limited, €147,318, for management and architectural — business, systems and technology — support to the secure authentication framework environment, SAFE, programme for customer authentication and payment strategy. BearingPoint Ireland Limited, €682,245, for the continuation of the work started in 2004 to upgrade the Department's business object model to enhance service delivery of old age contributory pension, retirement pension and household benefits. A & L Goodbody Solicitors, €1,614, for legal consultancy for Family Support Agency. Bayberry Consulting Limited, €8,766, for a review of the payment and agency reconciliation project, PARP, phase 1 scoping-analysis final report. Bill O'Herlihy Communications, €1,468, for the Family Support Agency.
Blue Wave Technology, €28,335, for support with the upgrade of family mediation services Lotus Notes application. Community Action Network, €1,200, for assistance to the Family Support Agency in recruitment and workshop preparation at FSA conference on 14 October 2004. Dorothy Butler Scally, €2,178, for consultancy relating to appointment at senior management level in the Department. Edward Delany, €4,477, for consultancy in respect of the functions and operations of the management advisory committee. Excludes payments of less than €1,000. ESRI, €8,430, for research on strategy for support of the family. IBM Ireland Limited, €96,490, for opportunity assessment stage of service delivery model phase 2. IFS Strategy Consulting, €1,452, for consultancy on transposition of IORPS directive. Indecon, €39,812, for consultancy for development of national employment plan. Mazars, €22,279, for assistance to the Family Support Agency in the setting up of accounting software. Microsoft MIOL, €5,263,for a review of technical architecture for SDM Phase 2.
Midland Web Consultancy, €1,400, for website design provided to Family Support Agency. Open Interface Limited, €1,452, for website maintenance for office of social inclusion. Propylon, €2,723, for consultancy support services for the ongoing development and extension of the DISC internal broker system during 2004. Prospectus, €12,502, for a review of the Family Support Agency's administrative functions. Qualbase Limited, €58,201, for database consultancy in support of Oracle upgrade projects. Rowena Fitzsimons Solicitor, €5,057, for legal advice to the family mediation service. Steptoe and Johnson LLP, €5,445, for legal advice relating to an EU directive regarding occupational pensions. Technical Guidance, €6,595, for consultancy assistance with reports on pension scheme borrowing options, pension schemes borrowing and investment assets and on pension schemes borrowing and investment restrictions.
441 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the details of his planned expansion of the school meals scheme to utilise the underspend in 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22064/05]
The school meals programme operated by my Department gives funding towards provision of food services for disadvantaged school children through two schemes. The first is the long-standing statutory urban school meals scheme, currently operated by 36 local authorities. The Department jointly funds the food costs with these local authorities, who also manage and fund the administration of the scheme. The second is the school meals local projects scheme, through which funding is provided by my Department to participating schools and voluntary community groups in both urban and rural areas for specific school meals projects. This has recently been expanded to include pre-schools that are community based and which operate on a not-for-profit basis.
In 2004, the provision for the school meals programme was €6.08 million in total, including €4.95 million for the school projects and €1.13 million towards the urban school meals scheme operated by the participating local authorities. The school meals scheme is demand led and demand from schools and local communities was fully met. Under the local projects scheme, some 41,300 children benefited in 451 schools, 124 secondary schools and 327 primary schools, at a cost of €3.56 million, which represented a substantial increase over 2003 when expenditure was €1.76 million.
The total provision available to my Department for this scheme for 2005 is €5.2 million. This allocation allows for more extensive take-up of the scheme by schools and parent or community groups. The scheme has significant social and educational benefits in assisting towards improved child nutrition and in encouraging regular school attendance. I encourage schools and groups to utilise the scheme from the start of the next school year in September. The Department of Education and Science is using its schools completion programme and Giving Children an Even Break initiative to encourage the introduction and extension of school meals projects. In addition, my Department has recently assigned an extra officer to pilot additional ways of encouraging schools and groups to participate in the scheme. I am confident that these initiatives will lead to increased use by schools of this very valuable programme.
442 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he will change the situation whereby contributory old age pensioners on reduced rate pension who made part of their contributions pre-1953 are not entitled to claim anything on their pre-1953 contributions without relinquishing their post-1953 contributory pension entitlements. [22136/05]
Pre-1953 contributions are very different to those made under the unified system of social insurance that applied from 1953 in that they do not contain any element towards the cost of contributory pensions. The special old age contributory pension based on pre-1953 insurance was introduced to enable such contributions to reckon for pension purposes subject to certain conditions in order to enable people who would not otherwise qualify for a payment under the standard qualifying conditions to qualify for a pension.
To qualify for this special pension, a person must have commenced insurable employment under the National Health Insurance Acts and have a total of at least 260 full-rate social insurance contributions paid since then. The 260 contributions can be made up solely of contributions paid prior to 1953 under the National Health Insurance Acts or of a combination of contributions paid before 1953 and after 1953 under the Social Welfare Acts. Pre-1953 contributions can be used to satisfy the first two qualifying conditions for contributory pensions which require a person to have entered social insurance ten years before pension age and have at least 260 social insurance contributions paid since first entering insurance. However, they may not be used to satisfy the average contribution test which, subject to the other conditions being satisfied, determines the rate at which a pension is paid. I am satisfied that the range of pensions available ensures that people receive good value for the contributions they have made. In the circumstances, there are no plans to introduce a change in policy along the lines suggested.
443 Mr. O’Connor asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his views on introducing retrospective pension credits for those who have spent their working lives caring for others; the likely cost of such an initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22166/05]
The social welfare pension rights of those who take time out of the workforce for caring duties are protected by the homemaker's scheme. The scheme was introduced from 1994 and allows up to 20 years spent on caring duties to be disregarded when a person's insurance record is being averaged to assess entitlement for contributory pension purposes. However, the scheme will not of itself qualify a person for a pension as the standard qualifying conditions relating to the type and number of contributions paid or credited must also be satisfied.
In August 2000, the Department published a review of the qualifying conditions for old age contributory and retirement pensions. This review also included a general examination of the homemaker's scheme and the report suggested a number of reforms for further consideration. These included the possibility of changing the operative date of the scheme and replacing the disregard system with one based on actual credited contributions. The question of backdating the homemaker's scheme is being examined but it does give rise to difficult and complex issues, not least of which is the position of other groups excluded from social insurance cover over the years and who do not qualify for contributory pensions.
The cost of backdating the homemaker's scheme is difficult to estimate as it depends on the date from which the scheme would operate and the improvement it would make in pensions paid to existing social welfare pensioners and the number of new pensions that would result. In this regard, there are a number of dates from which the scheme might be made operative. If the scheme were backdated to 1953 when the unified system of social insurance was introduced, the estimated cost is €250 million. The question of improvements in the homemaker scheme is something which would have to be considered in a budgetary context.
444 Mr. O’Connor asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of full-time carers in the country; the number entitled to the respite grant; if he intends to extend the respite grant to all full-time carers; the likely cost of such an initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22167/05]
451 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he has given further consideration to the all-party request of the Joint Committee on Social and Family Affairs in order that widows and widowers receive at least 50% of the carer’s allowance if they are providing care for elderly or disabled persons in the home; his views on whether persons receiving contributory widow’s or widower’s pension are entitled to hold down full-time jobs with full pay; if they give full-time service as a carer their rights are ignored; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22702/05]
452 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he will give a commitment to develop, finance and put in place a national strategy for carers; if he will provide adequate supports for the 150,000 family carers here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22851/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 444, 451 and 452 together.
The carer's allowance is a social assistance payment that provides income support to people who are providing certain elderly or incapacitated persons with full-time care and attention and whose incomes fall below a certain limit. The widow's and widower's contributory pension is a social insurance payment and is not means-tested. According to census 2002, there are 48,500 people providing personal care for over four hours per day and just over 24,200 of these are in receipt of either carer's allowance or carer's benefit. This means that 50% of the 48,500 carers, as estimated by the CSO to be caring for more than four hours per day, are in receipt of a specific carer's payment from my Department.
The primary objective of the social welfare system is to provide income support and, as a general rule, only one weekly social welfare payment is payable to an individual. This ensures that resources are not used to make two income support payments to any one person. A number of improvements for carers were announced in the last budget that benefit existing recipients of carer's payments and extend supports to carers who have not previously been eligible for carer's payments. Provision was made for the extension of the respite care grant to all carers who are providing full-time care to a person who needs such care. This is being implemented from June 2005. The extension includes carers who are providing full-time care and who are either in receipt of a social welfare payment, for example, widow's pensions, old age pensions, one-parent family payment, disability benefit and invalidity pension, or those who are not currently receiving a weekly social welfare payment from my Department. The amount of the grant has increased from €835 to €1,000. Provision has also been made to pay a grant in respect of each care recipient. This will benefit those who provide care for a number of people.
It was estimated that the improvements in the conditions applying to the respite care grant will result in an additional 9,200 full-time carers receiving the grant for the first time giving an estimated total of almost 33,000 full-time carers receiving the respite care grant of €1,000 in June this year. The cost of these improvements will be over €13.5 million. I will be building on the progress made and continuing to work with my colleagues in Government to develop the type of co-ordinated services which provide real support and practical assistance to people who devote their time to improving the quality of life for others.
445 Mr. O’Connor asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his policy on the individualisation of social welfare pensions; the cost to the Exchequer of introducing such a change; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22168/05]
In the programme for Government and in Sustaining Progress, the Government has committed itself to increasing the payment for qualified adults aged 66 or over to the same level as the personal rate of the old age non-contributory pension. The estimated cost of this commitment is €44 million. Considerable progress has already been made in this regard with the qualified adult allowance on the contributory payment now standing at €138.50 or 83% of the maximum rate of old age non-contributory pension, currently €166.00 per week. Overall increases in the qualified adult allowance on the old age contributory pension amount to €56.47 per week since April 2000. At the same time, the qualified adult allowance on the old age non-contributory pension has increased by €44.05 per week and now stands at 66% of the full personal rate. New pension claimants can opt to have the allowance paid directly to their spouse or partner. The administrative and legislative implications of enhancing these provisions to ensure that more qualified adults can receive a personal payment are being examined and a decision in this regard will be made as soon as possible. Further progress towards Government targets in respect of the qualified adult allowance rate will be made in future budgets.
446 Mr. O’Connor asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he will provide that the back to work enterprise allowance be made available to persons who have been unemployed for one year; the likely cost of such a change; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22169/05]
The back to work allowance scheme is part of my Department's programme of initiatives designed to assist long-term unemployed people, lone parents and other social welfare recipients to return to the active labour force. There are two strands to the scheme, namely, the back to work enterprise allowance for self-employment and the back to work allowance for employees.
The scheme was reviewed in 2002 in light of economic and labour market changes and, in particular, the drop in unemployment levels since the introduction of the scheme in 1993. In January 2003, the qualifying period on unemployment benefit-assistance was increased to five years. Recipients of other social welfare qualifying payments were not affected by the change. The scheme is continually monitored to ensure its relevance to current labour market and economic conditions. It was recognised that there was some difficulty being experienced by persons wishing to enter self-employment after five years attachment to the live register. In budget 2004, the qualifying period was reduced to three years.
I will continue to monitor the scheme to ensure it continues to assist those furthest from the labour market to gain a foothold into sustainable employment or self-employment and will keep the scheme under review. However, I have no plans to change the qualifying criteria at this time. It is estimated that if the qualifying criteria for access to the enterprise strand of the scheme was reduced from three years to one year, the net costs would be approximately €10.4 million in the first year.
447 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if there are plans to increase the non-contributory pension in view of the absence of a national waste charges waiver for the elderly. [22171/05]
Given the wide range of charging regimes and cost levels that exist in respect of waste management throughout the State, the introduction of a measure such as an across the board increase in the old age non-contributory pension to address the issue would not be feasible. Any system put in place to assist people who rely on private domestic waste collection would have to be sensitive to the different local arrangements. The setting of waste management charges and the introduction of waivers in respect of waste charges is, as stated by my colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, a matter for each local authority and a number have in fact done so.
448 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the total cost, number and nature of legal services sought by his Department from 1998 to 2004 and to date in 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22420/05]
Legal advice and related support services for my Department are supplied by the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of the Chief State Solicitor as appropriate. From 1998 until August 2003, my Department employed a legal adviser, the gross salary for this post for the years 1998 to 2003, inclusive, was:
|
Financial Year |
Gross Salary (EUR) |
|
1997-98 |
43,175.36 |
|
1998-99 |
45,314.22 |
|
1999-2000 |
50,864.55 |
|
2000-01 to April |
53,034.19 |
|
2001 April to December |
34,931.26 |
|
2002 |
52,474.85 |
|
2003 |
32,003.86 |
The post was vacated in August 2003 when the serving officer elected to take a career break. The post has not been filled. Over the period, my Department has also incurred expenditure in seeking legal and technical advice in relation to the development of occupational and personal pensions, particularly in the context of the Pensions (Amendment) Act 2002 and related regulations. Details of this are set out in the following table.
|
Person/Organisation |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2004 |
2005 |
|
€ |
€ |
€ |
€ |
€ |
€ |
|
|
LK Shields Solicitors |
— |
9,219 |
77,980 |
— |
— |
— |
|
Matheson Ormsby Prentice |
86,039 |
27,644 |
35,987 |
143,762 |
1,452 |
— |
|
McCann Fitzgerald Solicitors |
27,874 |
— |
70,233 |
53,541 |
— |
— |
|
Ms Margaret O’Driscoll Barrister |
— |
7,620 |
853 |
— |
— |
|
|
Ms Mary Finlay SC |
— |
— |
— |
1,573 |
— |
— |
|
Steptoe & Johnson |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
4,500 |
Note: No expenditure was incurred in 1998 or 2003.
449 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when the one-parent family payment will be awarded to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22532/05]
The person concerned applied for one-parent family payment in December 2004. To date, the Department is not satisfied that the person has disclosed her means in full. In particular, she has failed to provide confirmation of how renovations to her house will be paid for and the position in respect of a site she owns with a value of €100,000. This information was most recently sought in a letter sent to her on 22 June 2005. On receipt of all the necessary information, a decision will be made on the application and the person concerned will be notified of the outcome without delay.
450 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the names, titles, dates of appointment, total annual salary, including pension contributions, of each of the special or political advisers, personal assistants or personal secretaries appointed by him; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22547/05]
Since I took up office, I have appointed on a contract basis for my term of office a special adviser, Mr. Frank Lahiffe, a press adviser, Mr. Tom Rowley, a personal secretary, Ms Mary Browne, and a personal assistant, Mr. Bobby Holland. The above named staff were appointed on 30 September 2004. The salaries for these staff are as follows. Special adviser €87,247, which is the principal officer standard scale, press adviser €93,599, which is the principal officer higher scale and personal secretary €38,880. My personal assistant is on secondment from the Department of Education and Science. That Department will recoup from my Department on an annual basis the cost of a replacement teacher's salary, allowances, PRSI contributions and superannuation contributions. This will be approximately €31,800.
My special adviser and my personal secretary are members of the non-established State employees pension scheme. My personal assistant is a member of the national school teachers superannuation scheme. This Department pays a private pension contribution of 9% of Mr. Rowley's salary. The Deputy should be aware that the number of political appointments made by me compares with 13 made by the Minister for Social Welfare in 1992-97, which included four for the Minister of State in the same period. There is now no Minister of State attached to my Department.
453 Mr. O’Connor asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the value of the increases in charges and appropriations in aid in the financial years 1995-96 and 1997-98. [23507/05]
The value of increases-decreases in the amounts of appropriations-in-aid receipts for my Department in respect of the financial years ended 31 December, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, are set out below. There were no charges levied by my Department.
|
£000 |
£000 |
|
|
1995 |
59,620 |
(13,919) |
|
1996 |
62,593 |
2,973 |
|
1997 |
65,013 |
2,420 |
|
1998 |
70,852 |
5,839 |
454 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Transport if he will provide a breakdown of the passenger road licences to private bus operators for service in the greater Dublin area and for service outside the greater Dublin area in 2004 and to date in 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22850/05]
474 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport if he will provide a breakdown of the passenger road licences to private bus operators for service in the greater Dublin area and for service outside the greater Dublin area in 2004 and to date in 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22829/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 454 and 474 together.
The following table shows a breakdown of the passenger licences that were issued in 2004 and to date in 2005. The figures are split between the greater Dublin area and outside the greater Dublin area.
|
Issued in 2004 |
Issued to date in 2005 |
|
|
Greater Dublin Area* |
18 |
12 |
|
Outside the Greater Dublin Area |
120 |
65 |
*While only part of Drogheda lying within the county boundary of County Meath is officially in the GDA, for the purpose of this reply all of Drogheda has been included.
As a result of the new licences issued, the total number of valid licences in operation on 31 December 2004 was 591 and the total number of valid licences as of today's date is 555. Licences, with the exception of "occasional" licences that are issued for specific events, fall due for renewal annually and the total number of valid licences held by private operators can fluctuate on a daily basis. Details concerning the new licences issued in 2004 and 2005 are set out in the following table.
|
Licence No. |
Operator’s Name |
Address |
Licence Type |
Origin |
Destination |
Issue Date |
|
|
1 |
3097 |
Bantry Rural Transport |
Co. Cork |
Continuous |
Bantry |
Bantry |
05-Jan-04 |
|
2 |
3116 |
Bantry Rural Transport |
Co. Cork |
Continuous |
Bantry |
Skibbereen |
05-Jan-04 |
|
3 |
3117 |
Kinnevey Timothy |
Co. Galway |
Seasonal |
Galway |
Oughterard |
07-Jan-04 |
|
4 |
3119 |
JJ Kavanagh & Sons Ltd. |
Co. Kilkenny |
Continuous |
Tramore |
Dublin Airport |
20-Jan-04 |
|
5 |
4004 |
Joyce Donal |
Galway |
Continuous |
Galway |
Galway |
15-Jan-04 |
|
6 |
4005 |
Martley Patrick James |
Co. Laois |
Seasonal |
Portlaoise |
Mountmellick Community School |
16-Feb-04 |
|
7 |
4006 |
Martley Patrick James |
Co. Laois |
Seasonal |
Portlaoise |
Ballyfin College |
16-Feb-04 |
|
8 |
4007 |
Martley Patrick James |
Co. Laois |
Seasonal |
Portlaoise |
St Pauls CBS |
16-Feb-04 |
|
9 |
4008 |
Martley Patrick James |
Co. Laois |
Seasonal |
Portlaoise |
Knockmay School |
16-Feb-04 |
|
10 |
4009 |
Martley Patrick James |
Co. Laois |
Seasonal |
Portlaoise |
Ballyfin College |
16-Feb-04 |
|
11 |
4010 |
Cork City Council |
Cork |
Continuous |
Cork |
Cork |
02-Feb-04 |
|
12 |
4011 |
Top Class Cabs Ltd |
Co. Mayo |
Continuous |
Galway |
Knock Airport |
05-Feb-04 |
|
13 |
4012 |
Top Class Cabs Ltd |
Co. Mayo |
Continuous |
Westport |
Knock Airport |
05-Feb-04 |
|
14 |
4013 |
Long David |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Schull |
Clonakilty |
12-Feb-04 |
|
15 |
4014 |
Cummer Commercials Ltd |
Co. Galway |
Occasional |
Dublin |
Galway |
13-Feb-04 |
|
16 |
4015 |
Park Transport International Ltd. |
Co. Cavan |
Seasonal |
Monaghan |
Galway |
25-Feb-04 |
|
17 |
4016 |
O’Mahony Sean |
Co. Meath |
Seasonal |
Cormeen |
Kells |
16-Feb-04 |
|
18 |
4017 |
O’Connor Sean |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Clonakilty |
Dublin |
01-Jun-04 |
|
19 |
4018 |
Brennan Dara |
Co. Galway |
Continuous |
Kilronan |
Bungowla |
09-Mar-04 |
|
20 |
4019 |
IP Passenger Services Limited |
Co. Wexford |
Continuous |
Wexford |
Castlebridge |
26-Feb-04 |
|
21 |
4020 |
Moran John |
Co. Mayo |
Continuous |
Westport |
Knock Airport |
01-Mar-04 |
|
22 |
4021 |
Moran John |
Co. Mayo |
Continuous |
Galway |
Knock Airport |
01-Mar-04 |
|
23 |
4022 |
Treacy Andrew |
Co. Mayo |
Seasonal |
Ballina |
Crossmolina |
04-Mar-04 |
|
24 |
4023 |
Dualway Coaches Ltd. |
Co. Dublin |
Seasonal |
Dublin |
Dublin |
03-Mar-04 |
|
25 |
4024 |
Russell Val |
Co. Meath |
Seasonal |
Moynalty |
Dundalk |
04-Mar-04 |
|
26 |
4025 |
O’Connor Sean |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Riverstick |
Clonakilty |
08-Mar-04 |
|
27 |
4026 |
O’Connor Sean |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Macroom |
Clonakilty |
08-Mar-04 |
|
28 |
4027 |
O’Connor Sean |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Ballyvourney |
Clonakilty |
08-Mar-04 |
|
29 |
4028 |
O’Connor Sean |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Kilmurray |
Clonakilty |
08-Mar-04 |
|
30 |
4029 |
Croke Declan |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Schull |
Clonakilty |
10-Mar-04 |
|
31 |
4030 |
Last Passive Ltd. |
Co. Dublin |
Continuous |
Cork |
Dublin |
10-Mar-04 |
|
32 |
4031 |
Last Passive Ltd. |
Co. Dublin |
Continuous |
Portlaoise |
Dublin Airport |
10-Mar-04 |
|
Licence No. |
Operator’s Name |
Address |
Licence Type |
Origin |
Destination |
Issue Date |
|
|
33 |
4032 |
Long David |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Schull |
Clonakilty |
10-Mar-04 |
|
34 |
4033 |
Guide Friday (Ireland) Ltd. |
Co. Dublin |
Seasonal |
Cork |
Cork |
18-Mar-04 |
|
35 |
4034 |
Dualway Coaches Ltd. |
Co. Dublin |
Continuous |
Dublin |
Rathcoole |
19-Mar-04 |
|
36 |
4035 |
Breslin Owen |
Co. Wexford |
Annual |
New Ross |
Enniscorthy |
25-Mar-04 |
|
37 |
4037 |
Paddywagon Limited |
Dublin 2 |
Continuous |
Dublin |
Dublin |
07-Apr-04 |
|
38 |
4038 |
O’Brien Richard |
Co. Kildare |
Occasional |
Naas |
Punchestown |
07-Apr-04 |
|
39 |
4039 |
O’Connor Sean |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Clonakilty |
Dublin |
14-Apr-04 |
|
40 |
4040 |
O’Brien Jerry |
Co. Cork |
Continuous |
Cork |
Cork |
14-Apr-04 |
|
41 |
4041 |
Mangan Billy |
Co. Kerry |
Continuous |
Abbeyfeale |
Ruby’s Night Club |
29-Apr-04 |
|
42 |
4042 |
Mangan Billy |
Co. Kerry |
Continuous |
Abbeyfeale |
Highland Night Club, Newmarket |
29-Apr-04 |
|
43 |
4043 |
Clarke Niall |
Co. Meath |
Continuous |
Blanchardstown |
Dunshaughlin |
26-Apr-04 |
|
44 |
4044 |
Clarke Niall |
Co. Meath |
Seasonal |
Dublin |
Dublin |
26-Apr-04 |
|
45 |
4045 |
Morton’s Coaches Dublin Ltd. |
Dublin 16 |
Continuous |
Cherrywood Office Park |
Stillorgan Shopping Centre |
30-Apr-04 |
|
46 |
4046 |
Morton’s Coaches Dublin Ltd. |
Dublin 16 |
Continuous |
Shankill Dart Station |
Cherrywood Office Park |
30-Apr-04 |
|
47 |
4047 |
Healy Michael |
Co. Galway |
Seasonal |
Galway City |
Galway City |
29-Apr-04 |
|
48 |
4048 |
Healy Michael |
Co. Galway |
Continuous |
Moycullen / Salthill |
Salthill / Oranmore |
13-Aug-04 |
|
49 |
4049 |
Healy Michael |
Co. Galway |
Continuous |
Galway |
Loughrea |
13-Aug-04 |
|
50 |
4050 |
Murphy William |
Co. Wexford |
Seasonal |
Bridgetown |
Spalwal Wexford Town |
05-May-04 |
|
51 |
4051 |
Matthews Coach Hire Limited |
Co. Monaghan |
Continuous |
Dundalk |
Dublin |
28-Apr-04 |
|
52 |
4052 |
O’Connor Sean |
Co. Cork |
Seasonal |
Skibbereen |
Limerick |
29-Apr-04 |
|
53 |
4053 |
MFDR Limited |
Dublin 2 |
Continuous |
Dublin |
Dublin |
28-May-04 |
|
54 |
4054 |
Mangan Billy |
Co. Kerry |
Occasional |
Listowel |
Ballybunion |
21-May-04 |
|
55 |
4055 |
McCarthy Monica |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Mallow |
Mallow |
21-May-04 |
|
56 |
4056 |
Cummer Commercials Ltd. |
Co. Galway |
Continuous |
Galway |
Shannon Airport |
21-May-04 |
|
57 |
4057 |
Brennan Dara |
Co. Galway |
Continuous |
Kilronan |
Iaráine |
26-May-04 |
|
58 |
4058 |
Cummer Commercials Ltd. |
Co. Galway |
Continuous |
Cummer |
Dublin |
16-Jun-04 |
|
59 |
4059 |
McNulty Coaches Ltd. |
Co. Mayo |
Continuous |
Belmullet |
Attycunanne |
31-May-04 |
|
60 |
4061 |
O’Connor Sean |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Cork |
Killarney |
01-Jun-04 |
|
61 |
4062 |
Morton’s Coaches Dublin Ltd. |
Dublin 16 |
Continuous |
Westmoreland Street |
Citywest Campus |
02-Jun-04 |
|
62 |
4063 |
Morton’s Coaches Dublin Ltd. |
Dublin 16 |
Continuous |
Sydney Parade Dart |
Citywest Campus |
02-Jun-04 |
|
63 |
4064 |
Cummer Commercials Ltd |
Co. Galway |
Continuous |
Galway |
Dublin |
16-Jun-04 |
|
64 |
4065 |
Long David |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Schull |
Dublin |
11-Jun-04 |
|
65 |
4066 |
Long David |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Bantry |
Dublin |
11-Jun-04 |
|
Licence No. |
Operator’s Name |
Address |
Licence Type |
Origin |
Destination |
Issue Date |
|
|
66 |
4068 |
O’Connor Sean |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Clonakilty |
Thurles |
27-Jun-04 |
|
67 |
4069 |
O’Connor Sean |
Co. Cork |
Seasonal |
Enniskeane |
Limerick |
26-July-04 |
|
68 |
4070 |
Long David |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Skibbereen |
Dublin |
25-Jun-04 |
|
69 |
4073 |
Condon Liam |
Co. Tipperary |
Seasonal |
Clonmel |
Rockwell College |
05-Aug-04 |
|
70 |
4074 |
Michael Donoghue & Sons Ltd. |
Co. Galway |
Seasonal |
Galway |
Galway |
08-Jul-04 |
|
71 |
4075 |
O’Connor Sean |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Clonakilty |
Punchestown |
09-Jul-04 |
|
72 |
4076 |
Over the Top & Into the West Tours Ltd. |
Dublin 7 |
Continuous |
Dublin |
Newgrange |
16-Aug-04 |
|
73 |
4078 |
Over the Top & Into the West Tours Ltd. |
Dublin 7 |
Continuous |
Dublin |
Kilkenny |
16-Aug-04 |
|
74 |
4079 |
Nestor Bus Ltd. |
Co. Galway |
Occasional |
Galway |
Galway |
23-Jul-04 |
|
75 |
4080 |
Reilly Brendan |
Co. Meath |
Occasional |
Navan |
Slane |
16-Aug-04 |
|
76 |
4081 |
Power Jackie |
Co. Kerry |
Seasonal |
Tralee |
Ballyduff |
23-Aug-04 |
|
77 |
4082 |
Farragher International Travel Services Ltd. |
Co. Galway |
Occasional |
Corofin |
Knock |
11-Aug-04 |
|
78 |
4083 |
Sillan Tours Limited |
Co. Cavan |
Continuous |
Cootehill |
Dublin |
17-Aug-04 |
|
79 |
4084 |
Kelly Michael & Joan |
Co. Limerick |
Occasional |
Limerick |
Dublin |
13-Aug-04 |
|
80 |
4085 |
Kelly Michael & Joan |
Co. Limerick |
Occasional |
Limerick |
Dublin |
13-Aug-04 |
|
81 |
4086 |
O’Connor Sean |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Bantry |
Dublin |
15-Aug-04 |
|
82 |
4087 |
O’Connor Sean |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Clonakilty |
Kilkenny |
21-Aug-04 |
|
83 |
4088 |
Madigan Catherine |
Co. Limerick |
Continuous |
Castlemahon Cross |
Newcastle West |
17-Aug-04 |
|
84 |
4089 |
Madigan Catherine |
Co. Limerick |
Continuous |
Ballyegna |
Newcastle West |
17-Aug-04 |
|
85 |
4090 |
Madigan Catherine |
Co. Limerick |
Continuous |
Ballyneety |
Ardagh |
17-Aug-04 |
|
86 |
4091 |
Madigan Catherine |
Co. Limerick |
Continuous |
Ardagh |
Ardagh |
17-Aug-04 |
|
87 |
4092 |
Over the Top & Into the West Tours Ltd. |
Dublin 7 |
Continuous |
Galway |
Clifden |
17-Aug-04 |
|
88 |
4093 |
Martley Patrick James |
Co. Laois |
Seasonal |
Portlaoise |
Kilminchy |
25-Aug-04 |
|
89 |
4094 |
Deros Coach Tours Ltd. |
Co. Kerry |
Seasonal |
Killarney |
Killarney |
27-Aug-04 |
|
90 |
4095 |
Deros Coach Tours Ltd. |
Co. Kerry |
Seasonal |
Killarney |
Killarney |
26-Aug-04 |
|
91 |
4096 |
O’Connor Sean |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Macroom |
Dublin |
19-Aug-04 |
|
92 |
4097 |
O’Connor Sean |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Clonakilty |
Dublin |
19-Aug-04 |
|
93 |
4098 |
O’Connor Sean |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Clonakilty |
Slane |
19-Aug-04 |
|
94 |
4099 |
O’Connor Sean |
Co. Cork |
Seasonal |
Skibbereen |
Waterford |
08-Sep-04 |
|
95 |
4100 |
Power Jackie |
Co. Kerry |
Seasonal |
Tralee |
Causeway |
23-Aug-04 |
|
96 |
4101 |
Kelly Michael & Joan |
Co. Limerick |
Occasional |
Limerick |
Dublin |
24-Aug-04 |
|
Licence No |
Operator’s Name |
Address |
Licence Type |
Origin |
Destination |
Issue Date |
|
|
97 |
4102 |
Kelly Michael & Joan |
Co. Limerick |
Occasional |
Limerick |
Slane |
24-Aug-04 |
|
98 |
4103 |
Flynn Joseph |
Co. Limerick |
Continuous |
Galvins Cross |
Castleisland |
01-Sep-04 |
|
99 |
4104 |
Flynn Joseph |
Co. Limerick |
Continuous |
Mountcollins |
Abbeyfeale |
01-Sep-04 |
|
100 |
4105 |
Matthews’ Coach Hire Ltd |
Co. Monaghan |
Occasional |
Dundalk |
Dublin |
27-Aug-04 |
|
101 |
4107 |
Matt Kavanagh & Sons Ltd. |
Co. Tipperary |
Seasonal |
Tipperary |
Rockwell College |
01-Sep-04 |
|
102 |
4108 |
Matt Kavanagh & Sons Ltd. |
Co. Tipperary |
Seasonal |
Clonmel |
Rockwell College |
01-Sep-04 |
|
103 |
4109 |
Buggy Brendan O. |
Co. Offaly |
Seasonal |
Tullamore |
Ballinamere NS |
01-Sep-04 |
|
104 |
4110 |
Kelly James |
Co. Roscommon |
Seasonal |
Ballygar |
Sligo I.T. |
01-Sep-04 |
|
105 |
4111 |
Byrne Christopher |
Co. Kildare |
Seasonal |
Kilberry |
Castledermot |
01-Sep-04 |
|
106 |
4112 |
Byrne Christopher |
Co. Kildare |
Seasonal |
Kilberry |
Castledermot |
01-Sep-04 |
|
107 |
4113 |
O’Connor Sean |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Skibbereen |
Tullow, Co. Carlow |
24-Sep-04 |
|
108 |
4114 |
O’Connor Sean |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Bantry |
Tullow, Co. Carlow |
24-Sep-04 |
|
109 |
4115 |
Kelly Michael & Joan |
Co. Limerick |
Occasional |
Limerick |
Stradbally |
04-Sep-04 |
|
110 |
4116 |
Kelly Michael & Joan |
Co. Limerick |
Occasional |
Limerick |
Dublin |
04-Sep-04 |
|
111 |
4117 |
Bernard Kavanagh |
Co. Kilkenny |
Continuous |
New Ross |
Dublin Airport |
13-Sep-04 |
|
112 |
4118 |
Bernard Kavanagh |
Co. Kilkenny |
Continuous |
Kilkenny |
Kilkenny |
13-Sep-04 |
|
113 |
4119 |
Bernard Kavanagh |
Co. Kilkenny |
Seasonal |
Crosspatrick |
Thurles |
13-Sep-04 |
|
114 |
4120 |
Bernard Kavanagh |
Co. Kilkenny |
Continuous |
Dublin |
Duncannon |
13-Sep-04 |
|
115 |
4121 |
Bernard Kavanagh |
Co. Kilkenny |
Continuous |
Dublin |
Duncannon |
13-Sep-04 |
|
116 |
4122 |
Bernard Kavanagh |
Co. Kilkenny |
Continuous |
Littleton |
Dublin |
13-Sep-04 |
|
117 |
4123 |
Murphy Thomas |
Co. Cork |
Continuous |
Cork |
Cork |
15-Sep-04 |
|
118 |
4124 |
Murphy Thomas |
Co. Cork |
Continuous |
Cork |
Cork |
15-Sep-04 |
|
119 |
4125 |
Gilligan Ann |
Co. Leitrim |
Continuous |
Aughnahoo |
Rossinver |
21-Sep-04 |
|
120 |
4126 |
Gilligan Ann |
Co. Leitrim |
Continuous |
Manorhamilton |
Glenfarne |
21-Sep-04 |
|
121 |
4127 |
Gilligan Ann |
Co. Leitrim |
Continuous |
Aughanahoo |
Manorhamilton |
21-Sep-04 |
|
122 |
4128 |
Gilligan Ann |
Co. Leitrim |
Continuous |
Ballagh School |
Glen Centre |
21-Sep-04 |
|
123 |
4129 |
Devine Tony |
Co. Meath |
Seasonal |
Garlow Cross |
Mount Sackville School |
07-Oct-04 |
|
124 |
4130 |
Shields’ Coaches |
Dublin |
Seasonal |
Dublin |
Dublin |
23-Sep-04 |
|
125 |
4131 |
Long David |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Schull |
Tullow, Co. Carlow |
27-Sep-04 |
|
126 |
4132 |
Kelly Michael & Joan |
Co. Limerick |
Occasional |
Limerick |
Dublin |
04-Oct-04 |
|
127 |
4133 |
Kelly Michael & Joan |
Co. Limerick |
Occasional |
Limerick |
Dublin |
04-Oct-04 |
|
128 |
4134 |
Kelly Michael & Joan |
Co. Limerick |
Occasional |
Limerick |
Dublin |
12-Oct-04 |
|
129 |
4135 |
Slieve Bloom Coach Tours Ltd. |
Co. Laois |
Continuous |
Mountmellick |
Tullamore |
11-Oct-04 |
|
130 |
4136 |
O’Connor Sean |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Bantry |
Dublin |
18-Oct-04 |
|
Licence No. |
Operator’s Name |
Address |
Licence Type |
Origin |
Destination |
Issue Date |
|
|
131 |
4137 |
Kelly Michael & Joan |
Co. Limerick |
Occasional |
Kilduff |
Dublin |
04-Nov-04 |
|
132 |
4138 |
Kelly Michael & Joan |
Co. Limerick |
Occasional |
Kilduff |
Dublin |
04-Nov-04 |
|
133 |
4139 |
Kelly Michael & Joan |
Co. Limerick |
Occasional |
Kilduff |
Dublin Road |
04-Nov-04 |
|
134 |
4140 |
Morton’s Coaches Dublin Ltd. |
Dublin 16 |
Continuous |
Tallaght Luas Terminal |
Citywest Campus |
16-Nov-04 |
|
135 |
4141 |
Cork City Council |
Cork |
Occasional |
Cork |
Cork |
18-Nov-04 |
|
136 |
4142 |
Síob Teoranta |
Co. Donegal |
Continuous |
Magheraroarty Pier |
Letterkenny |
07-Dec-04 |
|
137 |
4143 |
Dualway Coaches Ltd. |
Co. Dublin |
Occasional |
Rathcoole |
Dublin |
30-Nov-04 |
|
138 |
4144 |
Matthews’ Coach Hire Limited |
Co. Monaghan |
Occasional |
Dundalk |
Dublin |
09-Dec-04 |
|
Licence No. |
Operator’s Name |
Address |
Licence Type |
Origin |
Destination |
Issue Date |
|
|
1 |
4145 |
Park Transport International Ltd. |
Co. Cavan |
Continuous |
Dublin |
Newgrange |
1-Feb-05 |
|
2 |
5001 |
O’Neill John Peter |
Dublin 15 |
Continuous |
Kilbride |
Parnell Square |
17-Jan-05 |
|
3 |
5002 |
Ganly John |
Westmeath |
Continuous |
Dublin |
Glendalough |
28-Jan-05 |
|
4 |
5003 |
McArdle Ann |
Monaghan |
Seasonal |
Monaghan |
Sligo |
3-Feb-05 |
|
5 |
5004 |
O’Brien Richard |
Kildare |
Occasional |
Naas |
Punchestown |
11-Feb-05 |
|
6 |
5005 |
O’Connor Sean |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Cork |
Dublin |
21-Feb-05 |
|
7 |
5006 |
O’Connor Sean |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Cork |
Dublin |
21-Feb-05 |
|
8 |
5007 |
O’Connor Sean |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Cork |
Millstreet |
15-Feb-05 |
|
9 |
5008 |
Cahalane Ellen |
Cork |
Continuous |
Glenthorn |
Ferrero Factory |
22-Feb-05 |
|
10 |
5009 |
Flood’s Taxi Service Ltd |
Co. Cavan |
Seasonal |
Cavan |
Athlone IT |
23-Feb-05 |
|
11 |
5010 |
Birchall James |
Kildare |
Seasonal |
Westport |
Roonah Point |
1-May-05 |
|
12 |
5011 |
Mullins Patrick |
Co. Galway |
Continuous |
Claddagh |
Caesars Palace |
10-Mar-05 |
|
13 |
5012 |
Mullins Patrick |
Co. Galway |
Continuous |
Claddagh |
Caesars Palace |
10-Mar-05 |
|
14 |
5013 |
Carroll Gerard |
Louth |
Seasonal |
Drogheda-Georges St |
Our Lady’s College |
23-Mar-05 |
|
15 |
5014 |
Carroll Gerard |
Louth |
Seasonal |
Drogheda-Forest Pk. |
St. Bridgets School |
23-Mar-05 |
|
16 |
5015 |
Carroll Gerard |
Louth |
Seasonal |
Drogheda-Georges St. |
Presentation College |
23-Mar-05 |
|
17 |
5016 |
Clarke Niall |
Co. Meath |
Continuous |
Dublin-Travelodge |
Bedford Row |
11-Apr-05 |
|
18 |
5017 |
Thomas Roche |
Co. Wexford |
Seasonal |
Gorey |
Kilkenny College |
March 16, 2005 |
|
19 |
5018 |
Midland Bus Co. Ltd. |
Co. Westmeath |
Seasonal |
Athlone |
Summerhill NS |
23-Mar-05 |
|
20 |
5019 |
Midland Bus Co. Ltd. |
Co. Westmeath |
Seasonal |
Athlone |
Tubberclair NS |
23-Mar-05 |
|
21 |
5020 |
Midland Bus Co. Ltd. |
Co. Westmeath |
Seasonal |
Athlone |
Coosan NS |
23-Mar-05 |
|
22 |
5021 |
Midland Bus Co. Ltd. |
Co. Westmeath |
Seasonal |
Athlone |
Cornamaddy NS |
23-Mar-05 |
|
23 |
5022 |
Midland Bus Co. Ltd. |
Co. Westmeath |
Seasonal |
Lecarrow |
Summerhill Secondary School |
23-Mar-05 |
|
24 |
5023 |
Midland Bus Co. Ltd. |
Co. Westmeath |
Seasonal |
Athlone |
Fairgreen NS |
23-Mar-05 |
|
25 |
5024 |
Midland Bus Co. Ltd. |
Co. Westmeath |
Seasonal |
Athlone |
Summerhill Secondary School |
23-Mar-05 |
|
26 |
5025 |
Michael & Joan Kelly |
Co. Limerick |
Occasional |
Limerick |
Dublin |
7-Apr-05 |
|
27 |
5026 |
Michael & Joan Kelly |
Co. Limerick |
Occasional |
Limerick |
Dublin |
7-Apr-05 |
|
28 |
5027 |
Michael & Joan Kelly |
Co. Limerick |
Occasional |
Limerick |
Dublin |
7-Apr-05 |
|
29 |
5028 |
Patrick J Marley |
Co. Laois |
Seasonal |
Mountrath Rd |
Knockmay School |
14-Apr-05 |
|
30 |
5029 |
Monahan Mark |
Co. Kildare |
Continuous |
Kill |
Time Complex |
14-Apr-05 |
|
31 |
5030 |
Monahan Mark |
Co. Kildare |
Continuous |
Naas |
Time Complex |
14-Apr-05 |
|
32 |
5031 |
Monahan Mark |
Co. Kildare |
Continuous |
Time Complex |
Main Street, Clane |
14-Apr-05 |
|
Licence No. |
Operator’s Name |
Address |
Licence Type |
Origin |
Destination |
Issue Date |
|
|
33 |
5032 |
Russell Val |
Co. Meath |
Seasonal |
Dunshaughlin |
Dundalk IT |
20-Apr-05 |
|
34 |
5033 |
Turner Ronald |
Co. Limerick |
Seasonal |
Listowel |
Cork City University |
25-Apr-05 |
|
35 |
5034 |
Matthews Coach Hire |
Co. Monaghan |
Occasional |
Dundalk |
Dublin |
27-Apr-05 |
|
36 |
5035 |
Flynn Joseph |
Co. Limerick |
Continuous |
Abbeyfeale |
Ruby’s Nite Club |
29-Apr-05 |
|
37 |
5042 |
Deros Coach Tours Ltd. |
Kerry |
Seasonal |
Killarney |
Killarney |
19-May-05 |
|
38 |
5043 |
Michael & Joan Kelly |
Co. Limerick |
Occasional |
Kilduff |
Mill St. |
20-May-05 |
|
39 |
5044 |
Michael & Joan Kelly |
Co. Limerick |
Occasional |
Kilduff |
Kilkenny |
23-May-05 |
|
40 |
5045 |
Michael & Joan Kelly |
Co. Limerick |
Occasional |
Kilduff |
Dublin — Vicar St. |
23-May-05 |
|
41 |
5046 |
Sean O’Connor |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Clonakilty |
Millstreet |
20-May-05 |
|
42 |
5047 |
Sean O’Connor |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Clonakilty |
Thurles |
21-May-05 |
|
43 |
5048 |
Michael & Joan Kelly |
Co. Limerick |
Occasional |
Kilduff |
Croke Park |
24-May-05 |
|
44 |
5049 |
Michael & Joan Kelly |
Co. Limerick |
Occasional |
Kilduff |
Marley Park |
24-May-05 |
|
45 |
5050 |
Michael & Joan Kelly |
Co. Limerick |
Occasional |
Kilduff |
The Point Depot |
13-May-05 |
|
46 |
5051 |
Michael Corduff |
Co. Mayo |
Seasonal |
Ballyhaunis |
Knock Shrine |
24-May-05 |
|
47 |
5052 |
Michael Corduff |
Co. Mayo |
Seasonal |
Claremoris |
Knock Shrine |
24-May-05 |
|
48 |
5053 |
Michael & Joan Kelly |
Co. Limerick |
Occasional |
Kilduff |
Lansdowne Rd. |
24-May-05 |
|
49 |
5054 |
Michael & Joan Kelly |
Co. Limerick |
Occasional |
Kilduff |
RDS |
24-May-05 |
|
50 |
5055 |
Michael & Joan Kelly |
Co. Limerick |
Occasional |
Kilduff |
Olympia Theatre |
24-May-05 |
|
51 |
5056 |
Matthews Coach Hire |
Co. Monaghan |
Occasional |
Dundalk |
Dublin |
27-May-05 |
|
52 |
5057 |
Matthews Coach Hire |
Co. Monaghan |
Occasional |
Dundalk |
Dublin |
27-May-05 |
|
53 |
5058 |
Marleys |
Co. Laois |
Seasonal |
Crokedy |
Mountmellick |
7-Jun-05 |
|
54 |
5059 |
Dualway |
Co. Dublin |
Seasonal |
Dublin |
Kilkenny |
7-Jun-05 |
|
55 |
5061 |
Michael Dempsey |
Co. Laois |
Seasonal |
Castletown |
Ballyfin College |
14-Jun-06 |
|
56 |
5062 |
O’Connor Coach Hire |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Clonakilty |
RDS |
15-Jun-06 |
|
57 |
5063 |
O’Connor Coach Hire |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Clonakilty |
Punchestown |
15-Jun-06 |
|
58 |
5064 |
O’Connor Coach Hire |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Clonakilty |
Ardgillan Castle |
15-Jun-06 |
|
59 |
5065 |
O’Connor Coach Hire |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Clonakilty |
Punchestown |
15-Jun-06 |
|
60 |
5066 |
O’Connor Coach Hire |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Bantry |
Punchestown |
15-Jun-06 |
|
61 |
5067 |
Michael & Joan Kelly |
Co. Limerick |
Occasional |
Kilduff |
Punchestown |
16-May-05 |
|
62 |
5068 |
Michael & Joan Kelly |
Co. Limerick |
Occasional |
Kilduff |
Fitzgerald Pk. |
16-May-05 |
|
63 |
5069 |
Michael & Joan Kelly |
Co. Limerick |
Occasional |
Kilduff |
Ardgillan Castle |
16-May-05 |
|
64 |
5070 |
Michael & Joan Kelly |
Co. Limerick |
Occasional |
Kilduff |
Ambassador Theatre |
16-May-05 |
|
Licence No. |
Operator’s Name |
Address |
Licence Type |
Origin |
Destination |
Issue Date |
|
|
65 |
5071 |
O’Connor Coach Hire |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Bantry |
Punchestown |
16-May-05 |
|
66 |
5072 |
O’Connor Coach Hire |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Bantry |
Punchestown |
16-May-05 |
|
67 |
5073 |
O’Connor Coach Hire |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Bantry |
Punchestown |
16-May-05 |
|
68 |
5074 |
O’Connor Coach Hire |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Clonakilty |
Punchestown |
16-May-05 |
|
69 |
5075 |
O’Connor Coach Hire |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Clonakilty |
Punchestown |
16-May-05 |
|
70 |
5076 |
O’Connor Coach Hire |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Clonakilty |
Croke Park |
17-May-05 |
|
71 |
5077 |
O’Connor Coach Hire |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Clonakilty |
Croke Park |
17-May-05 |
|
72 |
5078 |
O’Connor Coach Hire |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Clonakilty |
Croke Park |
17-May-05 |
|
73 |
5079 |
Ann Redmond, Ciaran & Kevin Kennedy |
Co. Wicklow |
Continuous |
Arklow |
Arklow |
21-Jun-05 |
|
74 |
5080 |
O’Connor Coach Hire |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Cork |
Killarney |
22-Jun-05 |
|
75 |
5081 |
O’Connor Coach Hire |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Cork |
Killarney |
22-Jun-05 |
|
76 |
5082 |
O’Connor Coach Hire |
Co. Cork |
Occasional |
Dublin |
Dundalk |
22-Jun-05 |
|
77 |
5083 |
Michael & Joan Kelly |
Co. Limerick |
Continuous |
Kilduff |
William Street, Limerick |
23-Jun-05 |
455 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport if he will place a copy of all reports available to his Department on the possible use of Baldonnel aerodrome for commercial purposes in the Oireachtas Library. [21930/05]
The Warburg Dillon Read report of December 1999 which was commissioned by my Department in April of that year and which assessed the strategic options at that time for the future of the former Aer Rianta considered, as one of its terms of reference, the question of developing Baldonnel aerodrome for commercial aviation. Copies of that report were provided to the Oireachtas Library in February 2000.
456 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the Minister of State at his Department with special responsibility for Dublin traffic has requested the NRA to carry out traffic modelling to examine the impact of the Dublin Port tunnel on the M50 and M1; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21931/05]
Neither I nor the Minister of State at the Department of Transport has requested the NRA to carry out traffic modelling in respect of the impact of port tunnel traffic on the M50 and M1. I am aware that arrangements are being put in place to ensure the smooth integration of traffic from the port tunnel into the Dublin road network, particularly at the M1-M50 interchange and in the port area. My Department will keep in touch with the NRA and Dublin City Council so that I may be assured that maximum traffic benefits are secured from the opening of the port tunnel.
457 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Transport the amount spent by his Department or agencies under the authority of his Department, on the services of models for use in departmental promotional activities, during policy launches or other departmental events since 1997; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21977/05]
The Department has not spent any money on the services of models for use in promotional activities since it was established in 2002. As regards agencies under the aegis of the Department of Transport, their public relations are part of their day-to-day operations and are a matter for each individual agency.
458 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Transport his estimate of the total number of morning peak journeys in the greater Dublin area in 2000 and 2004; and his estimate of these by public transport and by private car. [22078/05]
459 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Transport his estimate of the total number of off-peak journeys in the greater Dublin area in 2000 and 2004 by public transport. [22079/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 458 and 459 together.
Table 1 gives the estimated total trips in the morning peak hour, 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., by private car, public transport — bus and rail — and by other modes, including walking and cycling, in the GDA in 2000 and 2004. The estimates are based on data from the DTO transport model, DTO surveys and travel to work and school data from the 2002 census. Numbers are in thousands.
|
Mode of Travel |
2000 |
2004 |
|
Car |
250 |
297 |
|
Public Transport |
104 |
129 |
|
Other |
144 |
174 |
|
Total |
498 |
600 |
Table 2 gives the estimated number of public transport trips in the afternoon off-peak hour, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., in the GDA for 2000 and 2004. The estimates are based on data from the DTO transport model. Numbers are in thousands.
|
2000 |
2004 |
|
|
Public Transport Trips |
39 |
56 |
460 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport if he is satisfied that there is sufficient protection for passengers on the Luas system; and if rules of safety governing the work practices of tram drivers are sufficient to allow for proper time off, work breaks, rest periods and so on to maximise safety. [22114/05]
Prior to the commencement of Luas services last year, inspectors of my Department satisfied themselves, in accordance with the Transport (Railway Infrastructure) Act 2001, that the infrastructure, trams and safety systems were adequate. My inspectors continue to monitor the safety of Luas operations and take appropriate action as the need arises.
When enacted, the Railway Safety Bill 2001 will put in place more modernised and strengthened systems for the regulation of railway safety, including the Luas network. This will include the establishment of a railway safety commission to regulate and enforce railway safety and a railwayincident investigation unit to investigate railway accidents. I expect to bring this Bill back to the House in the autumn session and have it enacted before the end of the year.
The maximum working hours and minimum holidays and rest periods of tram drivers are regulated by the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997. I understand that an employee, or his or her trade union, may appeal to a rights commissioner where there has been a failure to comply with the requirements of the Act.
461 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport if he has received reports of any of the three investigations undertaken following the tragic Meath school bus accident; if, in the public interest, he will make those reports public; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22122/05]
I have not received any report into the three investigations being undertaken by the Garda, Bus Éireann and the Health and Safety Authority into the incident in question. The publication of such reports is a matter for the bodies concerned in the first instance. I await to hear from them in that regard when they are completed.
462 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Transport if a lift will be installed to allow persons with disabilities to use both platforms at Tullamore railway station; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22133/05]
My Department and Iarnród Éireann are working closely on the implementation of a programme to make rail services as accessible as possible for people with mobility and sensory impairments. Part of that programme involves the appropriate refurbishment of rail stations. It has been agreed that this work will proceed on a line-by-line basis, commencing this year with the refurbishment of stations on the Dublin-Cork line. When completed, the renovated stations will complement the introduction of fully accessible rail services on this line in 2006.
I understand that, as part of the rail accessibility programme, Iarnród Éireann proposes to carry out a study to identify the station accessibility needs on the Dublin-Galway line. In that context, the particular accessibility requirements at Tullamore station will be addressed.
463 Mr. Haughey asked the Minister for Transport if his attention has been drawn to the fact that many motorists do not know the rules of the road with regard to the use of the small flat mini-roundabouts in city suburbs and with regard to motorists already on the inner lane of a motorway giving way to other motorists trying to exit out on to the same motorway; if a public information campaign concerning these matters will be organised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22172/05]
The National Safety Council is the agency mandated with responsibility for road safety education and advertising. The council has in the past produced short advertisements encompassing information about roundabouts, motorways and overtaking manoeuvres. The campaign was designed to highlight safe driving practice in these key areas. I understand that the National Safety Council has proposals to develop further advertising campaigns on the rules of the road later this year. The campaign will focus on issues surrounding driving on motorways, driving on roundabouts and safe overtaking.
464 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Transport if his attention has been drawn to unsolicited faxes from a company (details supplied) which encourage drivers to break speed limits and avoid penalty points; if he has sought legal advice on this matter; and the action he intends to take against this company or to otherwise stop this practice. [22173/05]
The enforcement of speed limits and the administration of the fixed charge system is a matter for the Garda Síochána. The material supplied by the Deputy, on which I have not sought legal advice, refers to the fines and penalty points systems that operate in the United Kingdom.
465 Mr. O’Connor asked the Minister for Transport if he will consider developing a new rail link from Dublin to Derry; the likely cost of such a project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22174/05]
The strategic rail review provides the Government with a general framework for the future development of passenger and rail freight services in Ireland. Over 150 submissions were received as part of the public consultation process undertaken in the review. However, no proposals were received regarding the possibility of a new rail link from Dublin to Derry. I have no plans at present to develop such a link.
466 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Transport if he will commission a study to examine the case for the development of Abbeyshrule Airport, County Longford; if the Border, Midlands and Western Regional Assembly will advance the further development and completion of this important airport, details supplied; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22175/05]
The existing network of State airports and regional airports is adequate to cater for the air transport needs of all parts of the country for the foreseeable future. There are currently no plans to Exchequer finance the development of any new regional airports in the Border, Midlands and Western Regional Assembly region.
467 Mr. S. Ryan asked the Minister for Transport if he will report on his most recent meeting with the Retired Aviation Staff Association regarding the acknowledged anomalies in the existing Aer Lingus-Aer Rianta pension scheme; if he will engage with the management of Aer Lingus with a view to reaching an agreement for the restructuring of the pension fund to enable CPI and salary related indexation of pensions of retired staff. [22376/05]
475 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Transport, further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 306 and 311 of 31 May 2005, if he is now in a position to give a commitment that prior to the partial sale of Aer Lingus, he will use some of the proceeds of that sale to invest in the pension scheme for retired aviation staff in order that the scheme can be secured going forward; if the consultants appointed to advise him on the sale will be asked to examine this issue; the terms of reference which apply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22853/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 467 and 475 together.
As I indicated in the House on previous occasions, the pension scheme for general employees in Aer Lingus, the Irish airlines general employees superannuation scheme, is a multi-employer scheme which also includes the Dublin Airport Authority, DAA, and SR Technics, formerly FLS, a private sector company.
I met representatives of the Retired Aviation Staff Association, RASA, on 19 January 2005. The main RASA claim at that time related to salary and CPI indexation of its pensions. As the pensions are being paid in line with the terms of the scheme, there has been no obvious solution to the RASA concerns despite detailed examination over a long period of time. However, I indicated at that meeting that I would ask the companies concerned to keep the matter under review.
In addition to the above mentioned claim, in a recent letter to me, RASA has also stated that in the event of the sale of a majority shareholding in Aer Lingus, it wants the Government to underwrite and-or guarantee the pension scheme. It also suggests "that when Aer Lingus is sold, the pensioners are entitled to an ex gratia payment for a lifetime of commitment to Aer Lingus for shares they had to sell under law and for shares foregone”.
I emphasise that the pension entitlements for employees of commercial State bodies, including Aer Lingus and the DAA, are matters primarily for the trustee, the members of the relevant scheme and the companies involved. The State has no involvement in the funding of these schemes. With regard to the recent Government decision to allow the sale of a majority shareholding in Aer Lingus, it is envisaged that the selected advisers will examine and consider a range of issues concerning Aer Lingus, including its pension schemes.
As I said previously, the question of an injection of State funds into the pension scheme, from whatever source, does not arise as any such proposal would run counter to established policy in this area and would, in all likelihood, be challenged by the European Commission as a State aid. I should also explain that legislation has been put in place to enable both Aer Lingus and the DAA to establish new pension schemes for their own employees and pensioners. This was provided for in the Aer Lingus Act 2004 and the Air Navigation and Transport (Amendment) Act 1998, as amended by the State Airports Act 2004.
However, it is a matter for the companies concerned to decide if and when a new pension scheme or schemes are to be established and the terms of any such schemes would be a matter for consultation with unions. The normal arrangement where pension schemes of State bodies must be approved by the Minister for Transport, following consultation with the Minister for Finance, will continue to apply. There is no guarantee that RASA's concerns can be addressed in any new schemes that might be established.
In the event of any new scheme or schemes being established, the Acts referred to above provide that existing pensioners who come within the scope of the scheme will be transferred to the new scheme unless they elect to remain in the existing scheme. The Acts also ensure that the benefits granted under such a new scheme or schemes shall not be less than those granted under the existing scheme.
468 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Transport the total cost, number and nature of legal services sought by his Department from 1998 to 2004 and to date in 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22421/05]
The information sought by the Deputy is set out in the following table.
|
Total cost, including VAT |
Consultant |
Nature of services |
Year commissioned |
|
€ |
|||
|
726,637 |
Linklaters and Alliance |
Aer Lingus IPO |
2000 |
|
176,017 |
William Fry Solicitors |
Aer Lingus IPO |
2000 |
|
183,858 |
Mason Hayes and Curran |
Aer Lingus IPO |
2000 |
|
4,605 |
McCann Fitzgerald |
Aer Lingus IPO |
2000 |
|
128,150 |
William Fry Solicitors |
Aer Lingus IPO |
2001 — retained from engagement re: IPO, above |
|
94,953.66 |
Mr. Patrick Keane Senior Counsel — assisted by two technical assessors |
Appointed by Minister to carry out a review of the public inquiry which was held into the non-fatal accident to the Aer Lingus DC 3 near Birmingham, UK on 1 January 1953 |
2001/2002 |
|
44,440 |
Matheson, Ormsby, Prentice |
Report on public service contracts for public transport operators |
2001 |
|
540,666 131,869 |
Mason Solicitors |
LRT operator franchise |
2001 2002 |
|
1,179,950 444,000 — this amount includes payments for legal advice but also for technical and financial advice |
Ernst and Young — as lead consortium which also included Arthur Cox, W.S. Atkins and Simmons & Simmons |
Rail/PP policy framework |
2001 2002 |
|
451 |
Carley & Co. Solicitors |
Advertising standards |
2001 |
|
7,682 |
Mason Hayes & Curran Solicitors |
Tender process for public service obligation air routes |
2001 |
|
42,250 |
A&L Goodbody |
Report on the modernisation and reform of legislation relating to Rosslare Harbour |
2002 |
|
9,075 |
Cathal Murphy Junior Counsel |
Advice on drafting |
2003 |
|
1,270.50 |
Noel Whelan, BL |
Advice on drafting |
2003/2004 |
|
786.50 |
Paul Anthony McDermott BL |
Advice regarding EASA, European Aviation Safety Agency |
September 2003 |
|
11,434 |
Eugene Regan SC |
Advice on drafting |
2003 |
|
834,873 |
Matheson Ormsby Prentice, as part of a consortium which also includes PricewaterhouseCoopers and Steer Davies Gleave |
Restructuring of Aer Rianta |
2003 and 2004 |
|
96,484.28 |
Messrs. Noonan Linehan Carroll Coffey Solicitors |
Edward Horgan cost shared with Department of Foreign Affairs |
2004 |
|
603.79 |
Denis Kelleher, BL |
Advice on drafting |
October 2004 |
|
7,417.30 |
A&L Goodbody |
Digital tachograph contracts |
2004 |
|
102,085 |
Arthur Cox Solicitors |
Advice on drafting |
January 2004, Currently on retainer |
|
3,500 |
Eugene Regan, BL, Law Library |
Advice on drafting |
2005 |
|
1,000 |
Imelda Higgins, BL |
Advice on drafting |
Ongoing work |
469 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Transport the total cost, number and nature of reports, consultancies or other advisory or public relations commissions awarded by his Department from 1998 to 2004 and to date in 2005 to persons other than established civil servants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22477/05]
The information sought by the Deputy is being compiled and will be forwarded to him as soon as possible.
470 Mr. G. Murphy asked the Minister for Transport the amount of money which has been spent on the renting, leasing or purchasing of demountable, temporary accommodation over the past five years; if his Department arranges this through the Department of Finance; the tendering process which is in operation and the frequency in which it is reviewed; the length of time the arrangement lasts; the average period of renting or leasing; and the number of units which have been rented and leased over five, eight and ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22492/05]
The OPW is responsible for the provision of all accommodation requirements for this Department. All rent, lease and purchase agreements are negotiated and reviewed by the OPW.
471 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Transport the names, titles, dates of appointment, total annual salary, including pension contributions, of each of the special or political advisers, personal assistants or personal secretaries appointed by him; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22548/05]
Details of staff employed by the Minister and the Minister of State at the Department of Transport, as requested by the Deputy, are as follows. There are no political advisers employed in the Department of Transport.
|
Number |
Name |
Position |
Date appointed |
Salary scale |
|
1 |
Sean Dower |
Personal assistant |
30/9/2004 |
€40,543 —€51,463 |
|
1 |
Inez O’Neill |
Personal secretary |
30/9/2004 |
€386.87 — 746.41 p.w. |
|
1 |
Colin Hunt |
Special adviser, programme manager |
8/11/2004 |
€134,948 p.a. |
|
1 |
Dan Pender |
Press adviser |
30/9/2004 |
€75,036 —€92,813 |
|
1 |
Pat Daly |
Personal administrative assistant |
30/9/2004 |
€47,921p.a. |
|
Number |
Name |
Position |
Date appointed |
Salary scale |
|
1 |
Niall Phelan |
Personal assistant |
30/9/2004 |
€40,543 —€51,463 |
|
1 |
Patricia Smith |
Personal secretary |
30/9/2004 |
€386.87 —€746.41 p.w. |
The contracts for the above are fixed-term contracts, set to expire when the Minister ceases to hold office. The contracts contain the standard terms and conditions as approved by the Department of Finance, including conditions for pension contributions, which are deducted from the annual salary. Copies of these contracts are held in the Oireachtas Library.
472 Ms Harkin asked the Minister for Transport the reason expenditure to December 2004 under the national roads programme was only 69% of that forecast in the Objective One BMW region, compared with 144% of that forecast for the southern and eastern region. [22660/05]
The allocation of funding in respect of national roads improvement projects to local authorities is a matter for the National Roads Authority, NRA, under section 19(f) of the Roads Act 1993. I understand that investment in national roads in the BMW region up to end-2004 amounted to €1.134 billion — 70% of that forecast in the NDP — ESIOP. However, total expenditure on national roads in the BMW region in 2004 was €355 million, an increase of 90% on 2003. Moreover, of the ten national road scheme openings anticipated for 2005, seven are in the BMW region.
473 Ms Harkin asked the Minister for Transport the reason expenditure to December 2004 under the NDP was only 55% of that forecast in the Objective One BMW region, compared with 112% for the southern and eastern region. [22661/05]
Under the National Development Plan, NDP, a total of €232 million was invested directly in public transport projects in the BMW region between 2000 and 2004. Further expenditure in the region is proceeding, resulting in continuous improvements to bus and rail services in the BMW region.
As evidence of progress to date, all rail lines in the BMW region have now been upgraded to continuous welded rail on concrete sleepers. The resignalling of the Galway-Dublin line has been completed. The Sligo-Dublin line is on target for completion this year and the resignalling of the Ballina and Westport lines will be completed in 2007. At that stage, all rail lines in the BMW region will have been resignalled.
Iarnród Éireann expects to take delivery of 36 new modern diesel railcars later this year and most of these are due to be allocated to the Sligo route to replace older rolling stock and to increase frequency and capacity. Iarnród Éireann placed an order for a fleet of 120 new high-specification intercity railcars at a cost of €262 million. They will enter service from 2007 onwards and will operate on the Galway, Westport and Ballina routes. At that point, Iarnród Éireann will be able to provide two-hourly services on the Galway line and increased frequencies on the Westport and Ballina lines.
In addition, expenditure on projects located outside the region such as the diesel railcar depot at Drogheda and the upgrading and improvement of Heuston Station have benefits for the BMW region. In consultation with the relevant agencies, my Department is, at present, developing a ten-year investment programme for transport. The programme will take account of the public transport needs of all regions of the country and will have regard to the regional planning guidelines recently approved.
476 Mr. O’Connor asked the Minister for Transport the value of the increases in charges and appropriations-in-aid in the financial years 1995-96 and 1997-98. [23508/05]
Toll charges on cars increased from 90 cent in 1995 to €1 on 1 January 1996. In accordance with the West Link toll agreement, no payments to the Exchequer became due until average daily traffic volumes exceeded 27,000. The first payment of €3.044 million was reflected in the 1998 appropriation account. User toll charges did not increase over the period 1996 to 1998. Increases in rates payable for the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government commercial vehicle test were applied from 1 May 1996 as follows: Vehicles in fee category A increased from £47 to £57; Vehicles in fee category B increased from £37 to £45; Vehicles in fee category C increased from £25 to £30.
Appropriations-in-aid do not arise in respect of commercial vehicle tests. There were no increases in driving test fees, driving licence fees, road transport licence fees or charges related to bus licensing during the period 1995 to 1998.
477 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the format a person, details supplied, in County Kildare must adopt to obtain a personal alarm or a house alarm; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22084/05]
The purpose of the scheme of community support for older people is to encourage and assist the community's support for older people by means of a community based grant scheme to improve the security of its older members. The scheme is administered by local community and voluntary groups with the support of the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs on an annual basis.
To apply for assistance, individuals should contact a local voluntary and community group and request that it make an application on his or her behalf to the Department. A list of approved participating groups in 2004 is available on the Department's website at http://www.pobail.ie.
The scheme provides maximum individual grants of €300 in respect of the once-off installation cost of socially monitored alarms; €150 in respect of door locks, window locks and door chains and €150 in respect of security lighting; and in 2004, I introduced a grant of €50 in respect of smoke alarms. Funding is not available for conventional intruder alarms under this scheme.
In response to suggestions from older people and their representatives, the 2005 scheme was announced earlier than in recent years. Advertisements were placed in the national and provincial newspapers in the week beginning 11 April 2005. The closing date for applications under the scheme was 24 May, 2005.
478 Ms Burton asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the reason conditions attaching to grants for funding for voluntary and community groups for the 2005 programme for locally based community and voluntary organisations have been changed to make payments retrospectively; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that they may cause severe funding and cash flow problems for small organisations in particular; if an assessment has been made on the likely impact of this change; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23291/05]
479 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will revert to the position whereby funding under the programme of grants for locally based community education groups is awarded upfront instead of retrospectively on the basis of vouched expenditure for amounts of €5,000 and over, as at present, details supplied. [21868/05]
480 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the reason funding under the programme of grants for locally based community education groups is now to be awarded retrospectively on the basis of vouched expenditure for amounts of €5,000 and over, when locally based community education groups already return receipts for all their expenditure and complete a lengthy application form explaining their structure and organisation. [21869/05]
481 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the proposal for retrospective funding for amounts of €5,000 and over under the programme of grants for locally based community education groups would mean that instead of funding community groups, the funding would be awarded towards the interest on loans from financial institutions while loans were outstanding. [21870/05]
482 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the fact that many groups accessing funding through the programme of grants for locally based community education groups are run by volunteers, details supplied. [21871/05]
483 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the figure of €5,000, as a cut-off point at and beyond which locally based community education groups could only access funding retrospectively, is grossly inadequate to support such groups for any length of time, details supplied. [21872/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 478 to 483, inclusive, together.
The programme of grants for locally-based community and voluntary organisations supports the activities of local voluntary and community groups addressing disadvantage by way of once-off grants. The programme for 2005 consists of two schemes: one makes funds available for the purchase of essential equipment and for small-scale refurbishment of premises. This is complemented by a second scheme to fund education, training and research initiatives in the community.
Grants of up to 90% of the cost are available under this scheme. The maximum grant for refurbishment is €40,000 while €10,000 is the limit in respect of the other scheme elements. The move to retrospective payment of grants in excess of €5,000 is to improve accountability in the expenditure of public funds. It should be borne in mind that amounts incurred below the €5,000 threshold will continue to be paid on the basis of subsequent provision of vouched expenditure. Arrangements are being made under the 2005 scheme to expedite payments within a matter of working days to groups who provide valid evidence of incurring eligible expenditure over €5,000. This arrangement reflects good practice and was an area touched on recently by the Committee of Public Accounts.
484 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the amount spent by his Department, or agencies under the authority of his Department, on the services of models for use in departmental promotional activities, during policy launches or other departmental events since 1997; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21978/05]
My Department has not engaged the services of models for use in departmental promotional activities, policy launches or other departmental events since its establishment in June 2002.
485 Mr. Carey asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if the Carmichael Centre, details supplied, will be provided with €320,000 in multi-annual core funding by the Government as recommended in the independent consultant’s report presented at the end of April 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22100/05]
486 Mr. Carey asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if, with regard to the Carmichael Centre for voluntary groups, it has been decided whether the lead funder will be his Department or the Department of Health and Children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22101/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 485 and 486 together.
The consultant's report to which the Deputy refers was commissioned by the Health Service Executive northern area. I refer the Deputy to the contribution of Deputy Brian Lenihan, Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, to the Adjournment debate of 22 June 2005 on this matter.
487 D'fhiafraigh Mr. McGinley den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an dtabharfaidh sé uimhir thagartha an iarratais, ainmneacha úinéirí na dtithe agus ainmneacha úinéirí talaimh ar an mbóthar i Mín Lárach ar ceadaíodh deontas €10,825 faoi scéim na mbóithre áise 2005-06 ina leith. [22378/05]
488 D'fhiafraigh Mr. McGinley den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an dtabharfaidh sé uimhir thagartha an iarratais, ainmneacha úinéirí na dtithe agus ainmneacha úinéirí talaimh ar an mbóthar i Mín Lárach ar ceadaíodh deontas €19,046 faoi scéim na mbóithre áise 2005-06 ina leith. [22379/05]
489 D'fhiafraigh Mr. McGinley den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an dtabharfaidh sé uimhir thagartha an iarratais, ainmneacha úinéirí na dtithe agus ainmneacha úinéirí talaimh ar an mbóthar i Mín Lárach Uacht. ar ceadaíodh deontas €17,750 faoi scéim na mbóithre áise 2005-06 ina leith. [22380/05]
490 D'fhiafraigh Mr. McGinley den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an dtabharfaidh sé uimhir thagartha an iarratais, ainmneacha úinéirí na dtithe agus ainmneacha úinéirí talaimh ar an mbóthar i Mín Lárach ar ceadaíodh deontas €5,460 faoi scéim na mbóithre áise 2005-06 ina leith. [22381/05]
491 D'fhiafraigh Mr. McGinley den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an dtabharfaidh sé uimhir thagartha an iarratais, ainmneacha úinéirí na dtithe agus ainmneacha úinéirí talaimh ar an mbóthar i nGort an Choirce ar ceadaíodh deontas €5,200 faoi scéim na mbóithre áise 2005-06 ina leith. [22382/05]
492 D'fhiafraigh Mr. McGinley den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an dtabharfaidh sé uimhir thagartha an iarratais, ainmneacha úinéirí na dtithe agus ainmneacha úinéirí talaimh ar an mbóthar i nGort an Choirce ar ceadaíodh deontas €8,125 faoi scéim na mbóithre áise 2005-06 ina leith. [22383/05]
493 D'fhiafraigh Mr. McGinley den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an dtabharfaidh sé uimhir thagartha an iarratais, ainmneacha úinéirí na dtithe agus ainmneacha úinéirí talaimh ar an mbóthar i nGort an Choirce ar ceadaíodh deontas €3,900 faoi scéim na mbóithre áise 2005-06 ina leith. [22384/05]
494 D'fhiafraigh Mr. McGinley den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an dtabharfaidh sé uimhir thagartha an iarratais, ainmneacha úinéirí na dtithe agus ainmneacha úinéirí talaimh ar an mbóthar i nGort an Choirce ar ceadaíodh deontas €7,500 faoi scéim na mbóithre áise 2005-06 ina leith. [22385/05]
495 D'fhiafraigh Mr. McGinley den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an dtabharfaidh sé uimhir thagartha an iarratais, ainmneacha úinéirí na dtithe agus ainmneacha úinéirí talaimh ar an mbóthar sna Doirí Beaga ar ceadaíodh deontas €10,725 faoi scéim na mbóithre áise 2005-06 ina leith. [22386/05]
496 D'fhiafraigh Mr. McGinley den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an dtabharfaidh sé uimhir thagartha an iarratais, ainmneacha úinéirí na dtithe agus ainmneacha úinéirí talaimh ar an mbóthar san Fhál Carrach ar ceadaíodh deontas €17,000 faoi scéim na mbóithre áise 2005-06 ina leith. [22387/05]
497 D'fhiafraigh Mr. McGinley den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an dtabharfaidh sé uimhir thagartha an iarratais, ainmneacha úinéirí na dtithe agus ainmneacha úinéirí talaimh ar an mbóthar i mBun na Leaca ar ceadaíodh deontas €5,525 faoi scéim na mbóithre áise 2005-06 ina leith. [22388/05]
498 D'fhiafraigh Mr. McGinley den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an dtabharfaidh sé uimhir thagartha an iarratais, ainmneacha úinéirí na dtithe agus ainmneacha úinéirí talaimh ar an mbóthar i nGort an Choirce ar ceadaíodh deontas €14,500 faoi scéim na mbóithre áise 2005-06 ina leith. [22389/05]
499 D'fhiafraigh Mr. McGinley den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an dtabharfaidh sé uimhir thagartha an iarratais, ainmneacha úinéirí na dtithe agus ainmneacha úinéirí talaimh ar an mbóthar i mBun na Leaca ar ceadaíodh deontas €11,700 faoi scéim na mbóithre áise 2005-06 ina leith. [22390/05]
500 D'fhiafraigh Mr. McGinley den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an dtabharfaidh sé uimhir thagartha an iarratais, ainmneacha úinéirí na dtithe agus ainmneacha úinéirí talaimh ar an mbóthar i mBaile na Finne ar ceadaíodh deontas €6,375 faoi scéim na mbóithre áise 2005-06 ina leith. [22391/05]
501 D'fhiafraigh Mr. McGinley den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an dtabharfaidh sé uimhir thagartha an iarratais, ainmneacha úinéirí na dtithe agus ainmneacha úinéirí talaimh ar an mbóthar i mBun na Leaca ar ceadaíodh deontas €14,625 faoi scéim na mbóithre áise 2005-06 ina leith. [22392/05]
502 D'fhiafraigh Mr. McGinley den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an dtabharfaidh sé uimhir thagartha an iarratais, ainmneacha úinéirí na dtithe agus ainmneacha úinéirí talaimh ar an mbóthar sna Doirí Beaga ar ceadaíodh deontas €2,850 faoi scéim na mbóithre áise 2005-06 ina leith. [22393/05]
503 D'fhiafraigh Mr. McGinley den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an dtabharfaidh sé uimhir thagartha an iarratais, ainmneacha úinéirí na dtithe agus ainmneacha úinéirí talaimh ar an mbóthar sa Dúchoraidh ar ceadaíodh deontas €1,600 faoi scéim na mbóithre áise 2005-06 ina leith. [22394/05]
504 D'fhiafraigh Mr. McGinley den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an dtabharfaidh sé uimhir thagartha an iarratais, ainmneacha úinéirí na dtithe agus ainmneacha úinéirí talaimh ar an mbóthar sna Doirí Beaga ar ceadaíodh deontas €5,850 faoi scéim na mbóithre áise 2005-06 ina leith. [22395/05]
505 D'fhiafraigh Mr. McGinley den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an dtabharfaidh sé uimhir thagartha an iarratais, ainmneacha úinéirí na dtithe agus ainmneacha úinéirí talaimh ar an mbóthar i Leitir Mhic an Bhaird ar ceadaíodh deontas €29,711 faoi scéim na mbóithre áise 2005-06 ina leith. [22396/05]
506 D'fhiafraigh Mr. McGinley den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an dtabharfaidh sé uimhir thagartha an iarratais, ainmneacha úinéirí na dtithe agus ainmneacha úinéirí talaimh ar an mbóthar i mBun Beag ar ceadaíodh deontas €6,500 faoi scéim na mbóithre áise 2005-06 ina leith. [22397/05]
507 D'fhiafraigh Mr. McGinley den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an dtabharfaidh sé uimhir thagartha an iarratais, ainmneacha úinéirí na dtithe agus ainmneacha úinéirí talaimh ar an mbóthar i Mín an Chladaigh ar ceadaíodh deontas €15,000 faoi scéim na mbóithre áise 2005-06 ina leith. [22398/05]
508 D'fhiafraigh Mr. McGinley den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an dtabharfaidh sé uimhir thagartha an iarratais, ainmneacha úinéirí na dtithe agus ainmneacha úinéirí talaimh ar an mbóthar sna Doirí Beaga ar ceadaíodh deontas €6,500 faoi scéim na mbóithre áise 2005-06 ina leith. [22399/05]
509 D'fhiafraigh Mr. McGinley den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an dtabharfaidh sé uimhir thagartha an iarratais, ainmneacha úinéirí na dtithe agus ainmneacha úinéirí talaimh ar an mbóthar i nGleann Cholm Cille ar ceadaíodh deontas €7,440 faoi scéim na mbóithre áise 2005-06 ina leith. [22400/05]
510 D'fhiafraigh Mr. McGinley den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an dtabharfaidh sé uimhir thagartha an iarratais, ainmneacha úinéirí na dtithe agus ainmneacha úinéirí talaimh ar an mbóthar sa Charraig ar ceadaíodh deontas €5,512 faoi scéim na mbóithre áise 2005-06 ina leith. [22401/05]
511 D'fhiafraigh Mr. McGinley den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an dtabharfaidh sé uimhir thagartha an iarratais, ainmneacha úinéirí na dtithe agus ainmneacha úinéirí talaimh ar an mbóthar sa Charraig ar ceadaíodh deontas €7,420 faoi scéim na mbóithre áise 2005-06 ina leith. [22402/05]
512 D'fhiafraigh Mr. McGinley den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an dtabharfaidh sé uimhir thagartha an iarratais, ainmneacha úinéirí na dtithe agus ainmneacha úinéirí talaimh ar an mbóthar sa Charraig ar ceadaíodh deontas €10,812 faoi scéim na mbóithre áise 2005-06 ina leith. [22403/05]
513 D'fhiafraigh Mr. McGinley den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an dtabharfaidh sé uimhir thagartha an iarratais, ainmneacha úinéirí na dtithe agus ainmneacha úinéirí talaimh ar an mbóthar i gCionn Caslach ar ceadaíodh deontas €2,850 faoi scéim na mbóithre áise 2005-06 ina leith. [22404/05]
514 D'fhiafraigh Mr. McGinley den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an dtabharfaidh sé uimhir thagartha an iarratais, ainmneacha úinéirí na dtithe agus ainmneacha úinéirí talaimh ar an mbóthar sa Chlochán Liath ar ceadaíodh deontas €2,678 faoi scéim na mbóithre áise 2005-06 ina leith. [22405/05]
515 D'fhiafraigh Mr. McGinley den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an dtabharfaidh sé uimhir thagartha an iarratais, ainmneacha úinéirí na dtithe agus ainmneacha úinéirí talaimh ar an mbóthar in Ailt an Chorráin ar ceadaíodh deontas €2,500 faoi scéim na mbóithre áise 2005-06 ina leith. [22406/05]
516 D'fhiafraigh Mr. McGinley den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an dtabharfaidh sé uimhir thagartha an iarratais, ainmneacha úinéirí na dtithe agus ainmneacha úinéirí talaimh ar an mbóthar i gCionn Caslach ar ceadaíodh deontas €5,200 faoi scéim na mbóithre áise 2005-06 ina leith. [22407/05]
517 D'fhiafraigh Mr. McGinley den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an dtabharfaidh sé uimhir thagartha an iarratais, ainmneacha úinéirí na dtithe agus ainmneacha úinéirí talaimh ar an mbóthar i gCionn Caslach ar ceadaíodh deontas €3,120 faoi scéim na mbóithre áise 2005-06 ina leith. [22408/05]
518 D'fhiafraigh Mr. McGinley den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an dtabharfaidh sé uimhir thagartha an iarratais, ainmneacha úinéirí na dtithe agus ainmneacha úinéirí talaimh ar an mbóthar i gCionn Caslach ar ceadaíodh deontas €9,000 faoi scéim na mbóithre áise 2005-06 ina leith. [22409/05]
519 D'fhiafraigh Mr. McGinley den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an dtabharfaidh sé uimhir thagartha an iarratais, ainmneacha úinéirí na dtithe agus ainmneacha úinéirí talaimh ar an mbóthar sa Chlochán Liath ar ceadaíodh deontas €3,080 faoi scéim na mbóithre áise 2005-06 ina leith. [22410/05]
520 D'fhiafraigh Mr. McGinley den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an dtabharfaidh sé uimhir thagartha an iarratais, ainmneacha úinéirí na dtithe agus ainmneacha úinéirí talaimh ar an mbóthar i mBun na Leaca ar ceadaíodh deontas €8,125 faoi scéim na mbóithre áise 2005-06 ina leith. [22411/05]
521 D'fhiafraigh Mr. McGinley den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an dtabharfaidh sé uimhir thagartha an iarratais, ainmneacha úinéirí na dtithe agus ainmneacha úinéirí talaimh ar an mbóthar in Anagaire ar ceadaíodh deontas €6,885 faoi scéim na mbóithre áise 2005-06 ina leith. [22412/05]
522 D'fhiafraigh Mr. McGinley den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an dtabharfaidh sé uimhir thagartha an iarratais, ainmneacha úinéirí na dtithe agus ainmneacha úinéirí talaimh ar an mbóthar sa Dúchoraidh ar ceadaíodh deontas €1,867 faoi scéim na mbóithre áise 2005-06 ina leith. [22413/05]
Tógfaidh mé Ceisteanna Uimh. 487 go dtí 522 le chéile.
Tá leis seo liosta do na hiarratasóirí i nGaeltacht Dhún na nGall a bhfuil deontais ceadaithe ina leith faoi scéim na mbóithre áise 2005-06. De réir rialacha na scéime sin, ní mór, i gcás bóithre áise nach dtagann faoi aicmiú bóithre chontae, go mbeadh na bóithre ag freastal ar áit chónaithe amháin agus ar úinéir talún amháin ar a laghad. Tuigtear dom go bhfuil na bóithre atá luaite ag an Teachta cáilithe dá réir agus, mar sin, nach mbeadh sonraí ar fáil faoi na tailte agus na tithe uile atá ar na bóithre seo.
Bíonn mo Roinnse sásta freisin — i gcomhréir le coinníollacha na scéime — cásanna nach gcomhlíonann na riachtanais ar fad a mheas i gcás go ndéanann na bóithre atá i gceist freastal ar dhaoine le riachtanais speisialta. Bhí an scéal amhlaidh i gcás Uimh. 518919, 518995, 519115, 519566, 519724, 519814 agus 520047 ar an liosta thíos.
|
Uimhir Thag. |
Ainm an Iarratasóra |
Deontas |
|
€ |
||
|
516558 |
Aodh Mac Géidigh, Glais a’Chú, Mín Lárach |
10,825 |
|
516789 |
Micheál Ó Bradaigh, Mín Lárach |
19,046 |
|
516811 |
Manus Ó Cuireáin, Mín Lárach Uacht. |
17,750 |
|
516833 |
Patsy Ó Gallchóir (Séamus) Mín Lárach |
5,460 |
|
516855 |
Bríd Halley, An Ardaidh Mhór, Gort an Choirce |
5,200 |
|
516897 |
Caitlín Harley, An Ardaidh Bheag, Gort an Choirce |
8,125 |
|
517121 |
Máire Mhic Géidigh, Ailt, An Ardaidh Bheag, Gort an Choirce |
3,900 |
|
517254 |
Nóra Ní Churráin, Doire Chonaire, Gort an Choirce |
7,500 |
|
517301 |
Eamon Ó Cuireáin, Srath na Corcra, Doirí Beaga |
10,725 |
|
517392 |
Johnny Ó Ceallaigh, Baile an Easa, An Fál Carrach |
17,000 |
|
517563 |
Eileen Mhic Pháidín, “Ceol na Mara”, Mín na Loch, Bun na Leaca |
5,525 |
|
517638 |
Caitlín Uí Cholm, An Ardaigh Bheag, Gort an Choirce |
14,500 |
|
517748 |
Grace O’Connor, Bun na Leaca |
11,700 |
|
517857 |
Séamus Ó Baoill, Droim na hÁtha, Baile na Finne |
6,375 |
|
517888 |
Seán Ó Fríl, Bun na Leaca |
14,625 |
|
518051 |
Pádraig Mac Cearráin, Druim Leath Druid, Leitir Mhic an Bhaird |
4,330 |
|
518087 |
Tomás Ó Flatharta, Carraic Mhic Eachmharcaigh, Doirí Beaga |
2,850 |
|
518114 |
Anna Ní Chnaimhsí, Doire Theanaí, An Dúchoraidh |
1,600 |
|
518186 |
Eamon Mac Giolla Bhríde, Machaire Chlochair, Doirí Beaga |
5,850 |
|
518203 |
Séamus Ó Domhnaill, Bá Uachtair, Leitir Mhic an Bhaird |
29,711 |
|
518886 |
Seán Ó Canainn, Bá Uachtair, Leitir Mhic an Bhaird |
22,500 |
|
518919 |
Séamus Ó Dochartaigh, Cnoc a ’Stolaire, An Bun Beag |
6,500 |
|
518995 |
Máire Ní Chomhaill, Na Gleanntaí |
3,600 |
|
519008 |
Pádraig Ó Briain, Mín an Chladaigh |
15,000 |
|
519079 |
Pádraig Ó hAnluain, Bá Uachtair, An Dúchoraidh |
1,867 |
|
519115 |
Dónal Ó Gallchóir, Baile Lár, Doirí Beaga |
6,500 |
|
519142 |
Antóin agus Bríd Mhic Giolla Bhríde, Gort na Bráid, Carraig Airt |
3,300 |
|
664538 |
Séamus Mac Briartaigh Bogah An Charraig |
27,060 |
|
519209 |
Dónal Ó Suibhleáinn, Tullach, Carraig Airt |
3,898 |
|
519483 |
Brian Ó Gallchóir, Na Fánaibh, An Tearmann |
3,910 |
|
519566 |
Aodh Ó Fríl, Dumhach Mór, Cionn Droma |
2,812 |
|
519653 |
Séamus Ó hAilis, An Mhalainn Bheag, Gleann Cholm Cille |
7,440 |
|
519683 |
Conal Ó Gadhra, An Charraig Íocht., An Charraig |
5,512 |
|
519724 |
Cornelius Ó Connor, An tAtharach, An Charraig |
7,420 |
|
519754 |
Coiste Forbartha Rann na Feirste |
4,000 |
|
519770 |
Proinsias Mac Giolla Easbuic, An Chróibh, An Charraig |
10,812 |
|
519814 |
Dónal agus Áine Mhic Gairbheith, Béal na Cruite, Cionn Caslach |
2,850 |
|
519841 |
Caoimhín Mac Ceallbhuí, Cnoc an Aonaigh, An Clochán liath |
2,678 |
|
519883 |
Ailéin Mullis, Cnoc na gCorach, An Clochán Liath |
4,463 |
|
519921 |
Eoghan Mac a’Bhaird, An Céideadh, Ailt an Chorráin |
2,500 |
|
520018 |
Dónal Mac Suibhne, Mullach Dearg, Cionn Caslach |
5,200 |
|
520047 |
Caitlín Mac Ruairí, 16 Mullach Dubh, Cionn Caslach |
3,120 |
|
520116 |
John Bosco agus Bríd Uí Dhomhnaill, CeidiúÍocht., Cionn Caslach |
9,000 |
|
520205 |
Breandán agus Lorna Ó Domhnaill, Leiphín, An Clochán Liath |
3,080 |
|
520225 |
Micheál Ó Fearraigh, Bun an Inbhir, Bun na Leaca |
8,125 |
|
520272 |
Máire Nic Aoidh, Griall, Anagaire |
6,885 |
|
550585 |
Eibhlín Uí Chnaimhsí, Mullach Dubh, Cionn Caslach. |
9,750 |
523 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the total cost, number and nature of legal services sought by his Department from 1998 to 2004 and to date in 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22422/05]
The total amounts paid by my Department since its establishment in June 2002 in respect of legal services, and related information, are set out in the following appendix.
|
Nature of legal services from June 2002 to date. |
|
|---|---|
|
Nature of legal services |
Cost |
|
€ |
|
|
Legal advice on various research contracts related to the National Advisory Committee on Drugs, NACD |
53,458.31 |
|
Barrister to assist in the drafting of the Official Languages (Equality) Bill 2002 |
30,745.96 |
|
Legal research and related assistance concerning charities regulation |
65,000.00 |
|
Specialist legal research, public consultation and recommendations concerning charitable trust law reform |
35,000.00 |
524 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the total cost, number and nature of reports, consultancies or other advisory or public relations commissions awarded by his Department from 1998 to 2004 and to date in 2005 to persons other than established civil servants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22478/05]
Details of reports commissioned and consultancies or other advisory or public relations commissions awarded by my Department from June 2002, when my Department was established, to date are set out in the following appendix.
|
Reports, consultancies or other advisory or PR commissions from June 2002 to date |
Cost |
|
€ |
|
|
Provision of assistance in the specification and selection of a new financial management system for the Department. |
117,250.00 |
|
Provision of advice and support in the areas of project management, quality assurance, business process redesign, user acceptance testing, change and risk management and post go-live support with regard to the implementation of a new financial management system in the Department. |
288,850.00 |
|
Provision of professional accounting advice between June 2002 and October 2003. |
71,515.00 |
|
Provision of professional accounting service in February/March 2004. |
17,185.00 |
|
Job analysis and process mapping |
22,900.00 |
|
Desktop evaluation |
1,210.00 |
|
Working group on the creation of employment in the Gaeltacht |
10,637.49 |
|
Property and equity portfolio of Údarás na Gaeltachta |
83,883.25 |
|
Desktop review |
1,815.00 |
|
Review of public procurement procedure with regard to certain projects |
3,513.92 |
|
Report on Area Development Management |
99,558.80 |
|
Review of CLÁR areas and preparation of revised maps |
4,840.00 |
|
Preparation of further detailed maps of CLÁR areas |
1,325.00 |
|
Review and analysis of proposed grant aid development of cargo apron at Knock Regional Airport under the CLÁR programme. |
17,818.00 |
|
Local drugs task forces expenditure review |
79,618.50 |
|
Mid-term review of the National Drugs Strategy |
74,431.34 |
|
Quality assessment of mid-term review of the national drugs strategy |
2,117.50 |
|
Review of the national advisory committee on drugs |
47,877.52 |
|
Evaluation of Coolamber residential rehabilitation programme |
13,425.00 |
|
PR and event management services for the national advisory committee on drugs |
150,670.98 |
|
Review of enterprise support in rural areas |
76,351.00 |
|
Expenditure review on Gaeltacht improvement schemes |
32,670.00 |
|
Linguistic study of the use of Irish in the Gaeltacht as a means of strengthening the linguistic development of the Gaeltacht as an Irish-speaking area and as a basis for a review of the official Gaeltacht areas. |
550,223.00 |
|
Legal research and related assistance concerning charities regulation |
65,000.00 |
|
External report on the public consultation about charities regulation |
15,000.00 |
|
Core information on Irish sectoral regulators |
6,500.00 |
|
Specialist legal research, public consultation and recommendations concerning charitable trust law reform |
35,000.00 |
|
To assess cohesion proposals from city/county development boards |
30,250.00 |
|
Provision of an initial contextual document to inform the Department’s thinking on the development of support framework for philanthropy in Ireland |
5,102.00 |
|
Consultancy on the White Paper on a Framework for Supporting Voluntary Activity |
94,234.00 |
|
Preparation of a brief background report to assist in ongoing work relating to updating the White Paper on rural development |
6,050.00 |
|
Development of information system to support administration of LEADER+ national rural development programmes |
284,216.00 |
|
Mid-term evaluation of the LEADER+ operational programme, 2003 review |
100,370.00 |
|
Investigation into matters in Waterways Ireland |
18,527.52 |
|
Systems audit of Waterways Ireland |
5,505.50 |
|
Development of Department’s ICT strategy |
101,882.00 |
|
Review of Department’s internal audit function |
10,890.00 |
|
IT strategy Plan, Na Forbacha |
93,000.00 |
|
To carry out an examination of accounting records kept by Aer Árann in connection with the public service obligation air service between Aerfort na Minna, County Galway and the Aran Islands. |
1,089.00 |
|
To evaluate and shortlist tenders received to carry out a study of island ferry services and to advise on the correct process for the appointment of a consultant to carry out the study. |
5,445.00 |
|
Consultancy on aspects of ferry services for certain islands |
95,641.66 |
|
To advise, draw up, debrief and assess tenderers for the Department with regard to certain ferry services. |
99,680.00 |
|
To carry out a review of the language assistants scheme and the summer camp scheme for the youth of the Gaeltacht and to undertake a scientific analysis on the payments made to the Gaeltacht households who accommodate students under the learners of Irish scheme |
17,600.00 |
|
General advice regarding tendering procedures with regard to a linguistic study of the Gaeltacht areas |
1,815.00 |
|
To assess all applications which were received under the funding scheme to support the role of federations, networks and umbrella bodies in the community and voluntary sector. |
34,183.00 |
|
To assess all applications which were received under the funding scheme to provide training and supports in the community and voluntary sector. |
24,200.00 |
|
To undertake the roll-out of training on a data collection software package, SPEAK, to projects funded under the community development programme. |
69,671.80 |
*Reports or consultancies costing less than €1,000 are not included in the list.
525 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the names; titles; dates of appointment, total annual salary, including pension contributions of each of the special or political advisers, personal assistants or personal secretaries appointed by him; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22549/05]
The details requested by the Deputy are shown in the following appendix.
|
Name |
Title |
Date of appointment |
Salary |
Additional contribution in respect of pension |
|
€ |
||||
|
Pádraic Ó hUiginn |
Special adviser |
12/01/2004 |
78,216 |
11% of salary per annum |
|
Eadaoin Ní Mhonghaile |
Media adviser |
24/06/2002 |
84,564 |
11% of salary per annum |
|
Máirín Ní Choisdealbha |
Personal assistant |
24/06/2002 |
47,921 |
— |
|
Máire Ní Fhlatharta |
Personal secretary |
24/06/2002 |
42,137 |
— |
526 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 508 of 14 June 2005, the limit of the amount of funding available towards the cost of replacement monitored alarms fitted for the elderly, especially alarms that have gone beyond their guarantee period and are causing problems. [22632/05]
A figure of €2.8 million has been allocated to the scheme of community supports for older people in 2005. These resources are directed to providing equipment to those members of the community aged 65 and over who have a genuine need for assistance under the scheme including those who require replacement of socially-monitored alarms. The limit referred to in my reply to Question No. 508 of 14 June 2005 for replacement of socially-monitored alarms is €300, the same as that available to first time applicants.
527 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs when it is proposed to allocate moneys towards improvements to accommodation roads on Aranmore Island, County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22656/05]
A number of applications for funding for the improvement of accommodation roads on Árainn Mór have been received by my Department. These applications are being evaluated in the context of the 2005 islands small works programme, details of which I hope to be in a position to announce shortly.
528 Mr. O’Connor asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the funding that has been allocated for the RAPID programme since its inception; if this funding is in line with commitments made at the programme’s inception; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22825/05]
529 Mr. O’Connor asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if the RAPID programme will be extended into the future; if his attention has been drawn to the strong support for RAPID in many communities including Brookfield, Fettercairn, Jobstown and Killinarden in Tallaght west (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22826/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 528 and 529 together.
As the Deputy is aware, my Department, supported by Area Development Management, ADM, Limited, co-ordinates the implementation of the RAPID programme. It is, therefore, a matter for each Department to report on progress on the implementation of RAPID and details of funding allocations to the projects that fall within the remit of their own Department.
However, Departments were asked recently to track funding against specific projects submitted in RAPID plans from each area. While this exercise is still under way, I am informed by ADM that Departments have, to date, reported a spend of €300 million in RAPID areas since the inception of the programme. It should be noted that this amount relates solely to specific projects in RAPID plans and does not include funding to RAPID areas by Departments, which are in addition to the RAPID plans.
I am aware of the strong support for the RAPID programme. as outlined by the Deputy. I believe that RAPID has an extremely valuable input to make into our society and that the programme should be continued. I cannot identify any specific commitments on funding given at the programme's inception and would appreciate further information from the Deputy with regard to this question.
530 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, further to Question No. 13 of 14 April 2005, if the capital funding applications have been assessed and allocations made under the YPFSF in LDTF areas in 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22827/05]
The national assessment committee of the young peoples facilities and services fund, which is chaired by my Department, is finalising its assessment of capital applications received in respect of the third round of funding.
I hope, therefore, to be in a position to make an announcement on these applications in the very near future.
531 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the funding he will disburse from the dormant accounts fund in 2005 to community and voluntary groups in County Cork; the groups which submitted applications; the groups which were successful in their application; the amount allocated to each group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22828/05]
The Deputy will be aware that decisions on the disbursement of unclaimed moneys from the dormant accounts fund are a matter for the Dormant Accounts Fund Disbursements Board. This is an independent statutory body, under the aegis of my Department, established under the dormant accounts acts. The board engaged Area Development Management Limited, ADM, to administer the initial round of funding on its behalf, which involves the disbursement of up to €60 million from the fund.
The board has to date approved 482 projects for funding totalling approximately €56.2 million, from the initial allocation of €60 million. In accordance with the board's disbursement plan, the bulk of this funding is initially being targeted at those areas designated as most disadvantaged, i.e. RAPID, CLÁR and drugs task force areas.
I understand 184 applications were received in respect of proposals from County Cork and that 59 of these were successful involving approved funding of more than €8 million. A breakdown of these projects, including the grant amounts approved, is provided in the following table.
|
Group / Organisation |
Grant Amount |
|
€ |
|
|
Youghal Youth Committee (Foróige), Youghal, Co Cork |
130,000.00 |
|
Mallow Daycare Centre Ltd, Co Cork |
6,030.00 |
|
Cloyne Diocesan Youth Service, Fermoy, Co Cork |
131,000.00 |
|
North Cork Adult Basic Education Service, Mallow, Co Cork |
49,331.00 |
|
The Alzheimers Society of Ireland, Mallow, Co Cork |
25,000.00 |
|
Bantry Integrated Development Group (BIDG), Co Cork |
327,000.00 |
|
Mayfield Community Adult Learning Project, Mayfield, Cork |
7,874.00 |
|
Mahon Resource Centre Ltd, Mahon, Cork |
141,205.00 |
|
Mayfield Employment Action Project Ltd, Mayfield, Cork |
5,231.00 |
|
Avondhu Development Group Ltd, Mallow, Co Cork |
147,299.00 |
|
IRD Duhallow Youth & Education Group, Newmarket, Co Cork |
100,000.00 |
|
Ballyphehane/Togher Community Development Project Ltd, Cork |
127,639.00 |
|
CoAction West Cork Ltd, Bantry, Co Cork |
93,735.00 |
|
Family Resource Centre, Farranree, Cork |
31,500.00 |
|
Comhar Chathair Chorcaí, Mallow Rd, Cork |
10,750.00 |
|
St Brendan’s The Glen Snr Citizens, The Glen, Cork |
30,000.00 |
|
The GLEN Community Development Project, Cork |
6,000.00 |
|
The GLEN Community Development Project, Cork |
67,637.00 |
|
Dillon’s Cross/Post Release Project, Cork |
34,133.00 |
|
37th Cork Togher Scout Group, Togher, Cork |
14,000.00 |
|
Togher Family Centre, Togher, Cork |
3,447.00 |
|
Beara Youth Development Project (YDP), Castletownbere, Co Cork |
108,000.00 |
|
Community Women’s Education Initiative Ltd, Cork |
24,726.00 |
|
Ógra Chorcaí Ltd, Cork |
200,775.00 |
|
Avondhu Development Group Ltd, Mallow, Co Cork |
28,014.00 |
|
Scoil na Croise Naofa, Mahon, Cork |
10,000.00 |
|
Parasuicide Intervention Study Group, Cork University, Cork |
96,900.00 |
|
West Cork Carers Support Group Ltd, Bantry, Co Cork |
81,580.00 |
|
Adrigole Family Resource Centre, Beara, Co Cork |
7,200.00 |
|
The Traveller Visibilty Group, The Glen, Cork |
5,580.00 |
|
National Council for the Blind/Irish Wheelchair Assoc, Mallow, Co Cork |
1,833,000.00 |
|
Farranree Alcohol and Drugs Awareness Project, Farranree, Cork |
21,180.00 |
|
Gurranabraher/Churchfield Development Group, Cork |
485,000.00 |
|
Irish Progressive Association for Autism, Blackrock, Cork |
5,600.00 |
|
Mahon Childcare Network, Mahon, Cork |
126,413.00 |
|
Coláiste Eoin Secondary School/Co Cork VEC, Youghal, Co Cork |
50,852.00 |
|
Southern Health Board, Wilton, Cork |
7,500.00 |
|
St Joseph’s Community Centre, Mayfield, Cork |
250,000.00 |
|
Churchfield Community Trust, Cork |
172,520.00 |
|
Duhallow Carers Network, Mallow, Co Cork |
950.00 |
|
Glen Resource and Sports Centre Ltd, Cork |
75,890.00 |
|
Cumann na Daoine, Youghal Community Development Project, Co Cork |
1,166,006.00 |
|
Our Lady of Good Counsel Special School, Ballincollig, Cork |
17,902.00 |
|
Cork Association for Autism, Cork |
198,590.00 |
|
Avondhu Development Group Ltd, Mallow, Co Cork |
20,777.00 |
|
Glengariff Playground Development Ltd, Glengariff, Co Cork |
58,553.00 |
|
Togher Family Centre After Schools Activity Programme, Cork |
29,620.00 |
|
Cork Campus Radio 97.4 FM, University College Cork, Cork |
3,500.00 |
|
Cork Threshold Housing Advice Service, Cork |
174,303.00 |
|
St Mary’s Senior Citizens’ Club, Knocknaheeny, Cork |
180,000.00 |
|
Togher Wednesday Social Group, Togher, Cork |
4,000.00 |
|
Cork Simon Community, Cork |
274,382.00 |
|
St Vincent de Paul, Cork |
20,000.00 |
|
National Suicide Research Foundation, Cork |
84,140.00 |
|
Ballincollig Child and Family Clinic, Cork |
10,234.00 |
|
Respite Group Home Crannog, Cork |
600,000.00 |
|
Avondhu Development Group, Mallow, Co Cork |
36,663.00 |
|
Mayfield Community Arts Centre Newbury House, Cork |
45,000.00 |
|
FACT Ballingcollig Family Resource Centre Ltd, Cork |
60,000.00 |
|
Number of Approved Applications = 59 |
8,064,161.00 |
532 Mr. O’Connor asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the value of the increases in charges and appropriations-in-aid in the financial years 1995 to 1996 and 1997 to 1998. [23509/05]
The Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs had not been established during the years in question, having been set up in June 2002. The areas that now constitute this Department were being operated in a variety of Departments over these years.
It may be of interest to the Deputy that the bulk of appropriations-in-aid receipts currently received by my Department consist of EU payments in respect of the Leader programme, area based rural development and the programme for peace and reconciliation. My Department does not normally receive income from charges, other than those arising under freedom of information requests, the fees for which are determined centrally.
However, should the Deputy have any particular queries in relation to the charges and appropriations-in-aid receipts of the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, I would be glad to have these followed up.
533 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if her attention has been drawn to the fact that Coillte Teoranta continues to clear-fell afforested areas during the period in which such activities are prohibited under the Wildlife Act for private individuals and local authorities and the measures she has taken or will take to ensure equal implementation of this important conservation legislation. [22727/05]
It is my understanding that section 40 of the Wildlife Act 1976, as amended, does not cover the clear-felling of trees. All clear-felling of afforested areas, whether undertaken by private individuals, local authorities or by Coillte Teoranta, are subject to the licensing conditions as laid down under the Forestry Act 1946. Licences are issued following consultation with the various environmental bodies such as the National Parks and Wildlife Service and, if applicable, contain extra conditions to ensure natural habitats for protected species under the Wildlife Act are protected. Any infringements of licence conditions are investigated by my Department and legal proceedings are undertaken if considered appropriate.
534 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if a person (details supplied) in County Mayo has been considered under the national reserve; and if their milk quota has been increased. [21887/05]
The person named applied for consideration in respect of both the new entrant and inheritance measures of the single payment scheme.
Following processing of his application, I am pleased to advise that the person named has been notified that the new entrant measure is more financially beneficial to him than the inheritance measure. Therefore the year 2000 will be excluded from his single payment calculation. A provisional statement of entitlements outlining the amended position will issue to the person named shortly.
As regards his milk quota, allocations of milk quota from the national reserve are granted on the basis of recommendations from the milk quota appeals tribunal. The person in question applied for additional quota on hardship grounds in the 2004 to 2005 quota year. The tribunal examined his application but did not recommend that an allocation be granted to him.
535 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food further to Question No. 179 of 21 April 2005, when she intends to publish the ministerial order to implement the EU animal medicines directive; when this will be implemented under EU law; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21911/05]
547 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if she will respond to points raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22241/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 535 and 547 together.
The directive referred to by the Deputy, directive 2004/28, entered into force with its publication on 30 April 2004. Member states are obliged to transpose this directive into national law by 30 October 2005. My Department is drafting legislation to transpose this directive and it is my intention to meet the 30 October deadline for the transposition.
With regard to the date of implementation, the majority of the provisions of the directive must be implemented from 30 October. However, as the Deputy is aware, the directive includes an exemption clause to provide a mechanism for specific categories of medicines to be excluded from the mandatory prescription requirement. Decisions at EU level on exemptions are required to be taken by 1 January 2007, pending which existing national distribution arrangements may remain in place.
With regard to the points raised in the letter from the Competition Authority, I fully accept the need to promote competition in all sectors of the economy. In this regard, my Department proposed certain amendments some time ago as part of a reform of the existing national arrangements and in particular to improve the existing rules relating to veterinary medicines to require provision of prescriptions and to provide for a wider availability at retail level of prescription only medicines, thus stimulating competition and lowering costs. I would intend to include these proposals in the legislation referred to above.
As regards the points made in the letter relating to the transposition of the EU directive and, in particular, the provisions of the EU directive governing the prescription of veterinary medicines, I should point out that the main objective of the directive in question is to protect human and animal health. In transposing the directive, which sets down specific requirements relating to the prescribing of veterinary medicines, my Department is obliged to take account of the views of bodies such as the FSAI, the Department of Health and Children and the Irish Medicines Board as well as, of course, the views of the Competition Authority and stakeholders. In particular, it is my intention to implement the directive in such a way that it protects public health and animal health and welfare; meets the requirements of relevant EU legislation, in particular, directive 2004/28; does not unnecessarily restrict the availability of veterinary treatments for farmers and others from a cost and animal welfare point of view and in so far as possible fosters competition and reduces the potential for anti-competitive practices by various commercial players; and underpins our export-orientated agriculture and food industries.
In summary, my intention is to provide for the highest standards of public and animal health protection in this complex area in a way which is workable and which meets relevant EU requirements and underpins our export-orientated agriculture and food industries.
536 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if her attention has been drawn to the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21917/05]
The position in this case is that the cow declared as the dam of this animal did not have a calf registered to it in the preceding two years. As part of the cross-checking processes for the registration of calf births, where there is an unusual calving interval it is normal practice for the Department to ask the keeper to double check whether the tag number of the dam declared is correct. Thus a query letter was issued to the keeper. Having received the query, the representatives of the keeper should reply to the Sligo district veterinary office to confirm that the dam tag number declared is correct. Registration of the calf can then proceed as normal.
537 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if a decision will be made on the single payment force majeure appeal application of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21918/05]
The person named applied for consideration of force majeure-exceptional circumstances on 8 February 2005.
Having fully examined the circumstances outlined by the person named, my Department was satisfied that force majeure circumstances should apply in this case. Following a careful consideration of both reference periods 1997 to 1999 and 2000 to 2002 it was apparent that the most beneficial position available to the person named was to exclude 2001 and 2002 and to base his single payment entitlements on year 2000 only. This decision was notified to the person named on 20 April 2005.
Following this decision the person named submitted an appeal on 28 April 2005 to the independent single payment appeals committee.
A full review of the circumstances of the case will be carried out at the next meeting of the independent single payment appeals committee and the representatives of the person named will be notified shortly of the outcome.
538 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the amount spent by her Department or agencies under the authority of her Department, on the services of models for use in departmental promotional activities, during policy launches or other departmental events since 1997; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21979/05]
My Department has not engaged the services of models for use in departmental promotional activities. As far as the State agencies which come under the aegis of my Department are concerned, any such arrangements are day to day operational matters which are the responsibility of the agencies concerned.
539 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if her attention has been drawn to the difficulty that farmers are having in procuring the removal of plastic covers from their farms, which is part and parcel of the price they pay for plastic when they buy it for covering their silage; her views on whether it is acceptable that it should be left for months after a company has been advised that it is being made available for collection; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22120/05]
The disposal of waste materials generally is covered by the Litter Pollution Act 1997, which applies to all farmers and is a matter for the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. With regard to the disposal of farm plastics, farmers must also comply with their local authority waste management plan.
The Waste Management (Farm Plastics) Regulations 1997 relate specifically to the safe disposal of silage wrap on farms. The Irish farm film producers group, IFFPG, is an approved scheme set up by the farm plastic industry to assist compliance with the regulations. The IFFPG operates a collection and disposal scheme, funded through a levy on producers. My Department has no involvement in the running of the scheme.
540 Mr. Ferris asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if An Bord Bia is to receive from the European Commission €200,000 per year over the next three years to fund a programme to promote Irish fruit and vegetables in the EU; if the matching funds of €200,000 per year for three years have been allocated; the way in which this money will be used; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22125/05]
I can confirm that the European Commission has approved €1.2 million in funding for a promotion programme aimed at increasing consumption of fruit and vegetables in up to 150 Irish primary schools over the next three years. The programme based on a concept known as Food Dude and was prepared by An Bord Bia and recommended by my Department is being implemented under Council Regulation 2826/2000 on funding promotion and information programmes for agricultural products in the European Union.
This regulation provides that programmes shall be funded 50% by the European Commission, 20% by the member state and 30% by the trade organisation representative of the sector being promoted. Accordingly, the campaign will be co-funded by the European Commission, €600,000, the Department of Agriculture and Food, €240,000, and €360,000 by Wholesale Produce Ireland Limited, a representative body for the fresh produce industry in Ireland. My Department has allocated sufficient funding to cover the member state contribution for the duration of the programme.
The Food Dude programme was developed by researchers at the Bangor food research unit at the University of Wales and is designed to encourage school children to develop a liking and taste for fruit and vegetables. It will do this by means of customised rewards for eating fruit and vegetables, role model encouragement by way of a video, a home pack and both teacher and parental participation to actively encourage continued consumption. The aim is to encourage school children to eat more fruit and vegetables as part of a balanced diet. An Bord Bia will be responsible for overall management of the project and recently concluded a contract with my Department to carry out the measures.
541 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if she has plans to centralise the farm development section of her Department in County Galway and to transfer all business associated with the offices in Tuam and Loughrea to the new Department building at Dock Road in Galway city; if so, if her attention has been drawn to the inconvenience such a move will cause to farmers and to the traffic and parking congestion currently being experienced in that part of Galway city; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22126/05]
My Department has no plans to centralise the offices of Tuam and Loughrea into Dock Road, Galway city. However the deployment and location of staff resources is kept under constant review by my Department with the aim of maximising efficiency in the use of all resources.
542 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if, under the changes in the Land Bill 2004, a person (details supplied) in County Sligo will be exempt from these charges; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22127/05]
The Land Bill 2004 which has passed all Stages in Seanad Éireann and is at present on Second Stage (adjourned) in Dáil Éireann, makes provision in section 2 for the writing off of all annuities, including arrears, where the annuity payable is not more than €200 per annum. As the person named has annuity payments of less than this figure his annuity and arrears will be discharged if section 2 of the Land Bill 2004 as introduced is enacted.
543 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the percentage of the EU budget which was spent on the CAP in 1995; the percentage which will be spent on the CAP in 2005; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22190/05]
The total EU budget for the CAP for 2005, excluding rural development, is €42.514 billion, or approximately 40% of the total EU budget of €106.3 billion.
In 1995, expenditure on the CAP, excluding rural development style accompanying measures, was €33.632 billion, or 50.72% of total EU expenditure for that year.
This core CAP expenditure excludes EAGGF guarantee funded rural development measures, which in 2005 amount to €6.279 billion, compared to €0.832 billion in 1995. When added to the CAP expenditures, this brings the EAGGF guarantee budget for agriculture to 45.9% of total budget in 2005, compared with 51.97% in 1995.
544 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the funding which farmers here have received through her Department from Europe in each of the past ten years; if she is satisfied that funding will be maintained until at least 2013; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22191/05]
Total EU receipts from the EAGGF guarantee fund for direct payments and accompanying measures, and from the EAGGF guidance fund for rural development schemes involving payments to farmers, in respect of the period 1995 to 2004 were as follows:
|
Guarantee Fund |
Guidance Fund |
Total Receipts |
|
|
€ billion |
€billion |
€billion |
|
|
1995 |
0.766 |
0.168 |
0.934 |
|
1996 |
0.946 |
0.152 |
1.099 |
|
1997 |
0.946 |
0.168 |
1.114 |
|
1998 |
1.062 |
0.178 |
1.24 |
|
1999 |
0.853 |
0.099 |
0.952 |
|
2000 |
1.046 |
0.027 |
1.073 |
|
2001 |
1.122 |
0.012 |
1.134 |
|
2002 |
1.382 |
0.011 |
1.393 |
|
2003 |
1.325 |
0.004 |
1.329 |
|
2004 |
1.418 |
0.046 |
1.464 |
|
Total |
10.866 |
0.866 |
11.732 |
These figures are available in the Compendium of Irish Agricultural Statistics 2004, which is on my Department's website. I should point out that they exclude market supports such as intervention and export refunds, and Leader and food sub-programme funding, which are available to the agribusiness sector.
Funding for the Common Agricultural Policy and rural development are provided under the EU's multi-annual financial perspective. The current financial perspective applies until 2006 and I am satisfied it provides for the continuation of current measures and programmes to that date.
Funding for the CAP and rural development for the period 2007 to 2013 will be decided in the context of the overall decision on the next financial perspective. Proposals were presented by the Commission in February 2004 but the European Council has not yet reached a decision. My priority is to ensure that adequate funding is provided to ensure the continuation of the CAP and an effective rural development policy.
545 Mr. N. O’Keeffe asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the type and amount of grant aid awarded to a company (details supplied) for the slaughtering of deer; if she is satisfied that it was value for money. [22239/05]
From the records available there are no particulars of grant aid awarded to the company in question by the Department for the slaughtering of deer in the 1986 to 1989 period.
546 Mr. Kehoe asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the amount of funding allocated to Teagasc in the past five years; and if the Government plans to reverse the cutbacks proposed in 2002 to reflect the new improved public finances. [22240/05]
The following amounts of funding, capital and non-capital, were allocated to Teagasc in the past five years:
|
Year |
Outturn |
|
€m |
|
|
2001 |
105.562 |
|
2002 |
115.531 |
|
2003 |
120.379 |
|
2004 |
116.830* |
|
2005 |
123.099 Estimate |
*The 2004 allocation did not include any provision for capital expenditure as sanction had been given to Teagasc to utilise proceeds from asset sales for its capital expenditure works undertaken that year.
The total funding provided to Teagasc by my Department for non-capital purposes has increased significantly in recent years, from €82 million in 2000 to €118 million this year. In the same period we also have been able to provide very substantial additional funding for capital development purposes. From 2000 to 2005 a cumulative amount of more than €45 million was allocated from the Exchequer, €31 million, and from retained proceeds from the sale of assets in 2003, €14 million, to enable Teagasc to implement major capital development programmes at the training colleges and at the research centres. By any standards these are substantial resources and are a clear indication of the Government's continuing commitment to supporting Teagasc activities.
548 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when she intends to introduce either regulations or legislation to implement the EU regulations on the welfare of animals in transport; the main elements of the regulations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22242/05]
My Department is still considering the detailed arrangements and requirements for application of the new EU regulations for the transport of animals. Following a process of information exchange and consultation, over the coming months officials in my Department will transpose the EU regulations into national legislation and this process should be completed in early 2006. It should be noted that the new regulations will not come into effect until 5 January 2007, with a small number of provisions only having effect from 1 January 2008 and 1 January 2009.
The main provisions of the EU regulations are the establishment of common detailed rules for the transport of live animals and the registration of transporters of such animals. The provisions do not apply to the transport by farmers of their own animals using their own vehicles for distances up to 50 km. Several other provisions do not apply to persons transporting animals for distances up to 65 km. In addition, the more detailed requirements relating to certificates of competence for drivers and attendants and certificates of approval of vehicles apply only to transport in excess of eight hours.
In recent years my Department has actively promoted the welfare of animals at all levels, including at farm and transport levels. I welcome the broad thrust of the new EU regulations and I do not expect they will impose significant burdens on the industry. On the other hand, they will significantly improve the welfare of animals during transport and demonstrate the commitment of Ireland and the European Union to animal welfare.
549 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when she intends to introduce either regulations or legislation to implement the EU regulations on official feed and food controls; the main elements of the regulations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22243/05]
The regulation on official food and feed controls, OFFC, gives the general rules on controls to prevent, eliminate and reduce risks to human and animal health. The controls stipulated within the regulation are to guarantee fair practices in the food and feed trade.
Member states' responsibility to ensure business operators apply EU legislation correctly is clearly defined. The regulation defines the role of the Commission's food and veterinary office, FVO, as auditor of the member states' performance. Performance criteria are introduced for the competent authorities of member states and a harmonised EU-wide approach to the design and development of control systems is also set out.
The regulation on OFFC also provides a framework to support developing countries in meeting EU import requirements and to enable the Commission to fund activities that enhance food and feed safety. It establishes a common regime for controls on food and feed imports, basing the nature and frequency of controls on the basis of risk.
Another regulation establishes the hygiene requirements for animal feed. It completes the "farm to fork" approach, providing rules on the production, transport, storage and handling of animal feed. It also introduces the liability of feed operators to pay for the costs, such as withdrawal from the market and destruction of feed, if something goes wrong with their feed as a result of infringements of the feed safety legislation.
In relation to the elements of work that come within the remit of my Department, statutory instruments are being drafted to give effect, where necessary, to this legislation.
550 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when she intends to introduce either regulations or legislation to implement the EU hygiene package; the main elements of the regulations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22244/05]
The hygiene package is one of the key elements of the consolidation and updating of the EU's food safety legislation. It is composed of five regulations-directives covering general hygiene, hygiene of foodstuffs of animal origin, official controls and animal health rules for products of animal origin intended for human consumption, and a directive repealing the previously existing legislation. The main elements of the regulations cover, inter alia, the responsibility of the food business operators, the registration and the official approval of premises, the controls to be put in place by the national competent authorities and specific training requirements for both operators and official agency staff.
These measures cover all food business operators throughout the food chain from farmer to retailer. Accordingly the controls involved are operated by a number of Departments and official agencies in Ireland.
In relation to the elements of the hygiene package that come within the remit of my Department, arrangements are being made to draft the necessary statutory instruments to ensure the legislation is implemented by the required date.
551 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when she intends to introduce either regulations or legislation to implement the EU regulations on requirements for the production, transport, storage and handling of animal feed; the main elements of the regulations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22245/05]
I wish to inform the Deputy that EU Directive 95/69/EC, as transposed into Irish legislation by SI 88 of 1999, provides for control measures in the area of production, transport, storage and handling of animal feed. This legislation has now been strengthened significantly with the introduction of EU Regulation 183/2005 which lays down additional rules for feed hygiene. The majority of this new regulation will come into effect on 1 January 2006.
The new legislation, which complements both Regulation 178/2002 on the general principles in food law and Regulation 882/2004 on official feed and food controls requires all feed businesses, including primary producers — farmers — to be either registered or approved, depending on their activities; operators, other than farmers at the level of primary production, to implement HACCP measures; the development, dissemination and use of guides to good practices to be encouraged in the feed sector; and the question of introducing financial guarantees for withdrawal from the market and destruction of affected food or feed to be explored.
The new legislation will ensure that the application of the existing registration and approval system is extended across the whole feed sector and consequently the concept of full traceability is greatly enhanced.
My Department is preparing the necessary legislation and registration forms to ensure the new provisions come into effect on 1 January 2006.
552 Mr. Hayes asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the entitlements of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary under the single payment scheme. [22264/05]
An application for consideration under the force majeure-exceptional circumstances measure of the single payment regulations was submitted by the person named on 27 October 2004.
Following a full examination of the circumstances put forward, the person named was informed on 25 January 2005 that the circumstances outlined by him did not satisfy the criteria for force majeure-exceptional circumstances under article 40 of Council Regulation (EC) No. 1782/2003. While it is accepted that force majeure-exceptional circumstances did occur on the farm of the person named as a result of a BSE de-population, the single payment unit decision was based on the fact that he was not an applicant under the special beef, bull, suckler cow, ewe premium or arable aid schemes during the reference years 2000 to 2002. As such his production relative to the single payment scheme was not affected by the events outlined.
A statement of provisional entitlements issued to the person named on 12 April 2005, indicating that he has 18.73 entitlements with a total net value of €990.44. These entitlements relate to the slaughter premium scheme following de-population.
The person named also submitted an application for an allocation of entitlements from the single payment scheme national reserve under category C which caters for farmers who, between 1 January 2000 and 19 October 2003, sold their milk quota into the milk quota restructuring scheme and converted their enterprise to a farming sector for which a direct payment under livestock premia and-or arable aid schemes would have been payable during the reference period 2000 to 2002.
In excess of 17,200 applications have been received under the national reserve at the Department's office in Castlebar and are being processed at present. In view of the number of applications received and the documentation submitted, it will be some time before a decision is reached on whether the person named is entitled to an allocation from the reserve.
He will of course be notified of his eligibility or otherwise as soon as all applications are processed.
553 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the total cost, number and nature of legal services sought by her Department from 1998 to 2004 and to date in 2005; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22423/05]
The total cost of external legal services engaged by my Department from 1 January 1998 to date is €3,698,369.60. The expenditure relates mainly to legal services provided for two High Court cases as well as advice on the World Trade Organisation agreement, on a tender and contracts for meat and bone meal disposal; and regarding matters arising under the Agriculture Appeals Act 2001.
554 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the total cost, number and nature of reports, consultancies or other advisory or public relations commissions awarded by her Department from 1998 to 2004 and to date in 2005 to persons other than established civil servants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22479/05]
The detailed information requested by the Deputy is being compiled and will be sent to him as soon as possible.
555 Mr. G. Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the amount of money which has been spent on the renting, leasing or purchasing of de-mountable, temporary accommodation in the past five years; if her Department arranges this through the Department of Finance; the tendering process which is in operation and the frequency in which it is reviewed; the length of time the arrangement lasts; the average period of renting or leasing; and the number of units which have been rented and leased over five, eight and ten years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22494/05]
During the Foot and Mouth crisis my Department rented temporary accommodation in the area affected which included a demountable structure. While the bulk of this involved renting a hotel which acted as the local operations centre, it included a marquee, provided by the hotel owners for use as a temporary working space. The cost of this was included in the overall bill for the hotel.
556 Mr. Cregan asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the position in relation to an application made under the single payment scheme by a person (details supplied) in County Limerick and when a decision in the case will be made. [22523/05]
The person named submitted an application for an allocation of entitlements from the single payment scheme national reserve under category C, which caters for farmers who, between 1 January 2000 and 19 October 2003, sold their milk quotas into the milk quota restructuring scheme and converted their enterprise to a farming sector for which a direct payment under livestock premia and, or arable aid schemes would have been payable during the reference period 2000 to 2002.
In excess of 17,300 applications have been received under the national reserve at the Department's office in Castlebar and are being processed at present. In view of the number of applications received and the documentation submitted, it will be some time before a decision is reached on whether the person named is entitled to an allocation from the reserve. He will, of course, be notified of his eligibility or otherwise as soon as all applications are processed.
557 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the names, titles, dates of appointment, total annual salary including pension contributions of each of the special or political advisers, personal assistants or personal secretaries appointed by her; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22550/05]
The accompanying table gives a breakdown of staff employed in my office, as requested by the Deputy. I should also point out that in the 1994 to 1997 Government, the then Minister for Agriculture and Food appointed both a special adviser and programme manager at principal officer level, the current salary scale for which is €75,036 to €92,813, as well as a personal secretary and personal assistant.
|
Name |
Grade |
Date Appointed |
Salary Scale |
|
Dermot Murphy |
Special adviser |
29 October 2004 |
€57,630 to €71,859. Assistant principal officer standard salary scale + 10% allowance |
|
Kathleen Ayres |
Personal assistant |
30 September 2004 |
€43,000 to €53,191. Higher executive officer higher scale |
|
Bridget Byrne |
Personal secretary |
30 September 2004 |
€20,187 to €38.948, secretarial assistant’s salary scale + 10% higher duty allowance |
558 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number of meetings and discussions she has had with the EU Agriculture Commissioner regarding the special beef premium overshoot; the dates and EU officials involved on each occasion; the meetings, discussions and submissions made by her officials on the issue; the dates and EU officials involved on each occasion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22563/05]
I have raised the issue of the breach of our national ceiling under the 2004 special beef premium scheme on a number of occasions with the EU Agriculture Commissioner, most recently during her visit here last week. I have put the case strongly that the overshoot arose as a result of the changeover to full de-coupling with effect from 1 January 2005. My officials have also prepared and supplied to the Commission services detailed submissions on all aspects of the overshoot and have met directly with Commission services officials on a number of occasions to further press our case. During the recent visit to Ireland, the Commissioner indicated that she understood the problem and intended to make an early decision.
559 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the amount of expenditure which has been allocated by her Department to research and development activities each year from 1997 to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22602/05]
Since 1997 my Department's expenditure on research and development activities amounted to €865.88 million. This includes a total provision of €716.37 million by my Department for Teagasc — excluding pension provisions and capital expenditure grants — towards its ongoing programme of agricultural education, research and training.
|
Department |
Teagasc |
|
|
€ million |
€ million |
|
|
2005 |
23.1 |
99.36 |
|
2004 |
17.57 |
99.83 |
|
2003 |
19.1 |
100.31 |
|
2002 |
14.65 |
93.19 |
|
2001 |
10.38 |
83.27 |
|
2000 |
16.25 |
69.35 |
|
1999 |
16.86 |
61.94 |
|
1998 |
16.07 |
56.23 |
|
1997 |
15.53 |
52.89 |
|
Total |
149.51 |
716.37 |
My Department will continue to make significant investment in research and development in the agriculture sector in future years.
560 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if there have been any changes to the disadvantaged area classification status in any part of County Monaghan; if so, the number of farmers and townlands or acres affected by such changes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22603/05]
The EU Commission recently approved the case made by Ireland for reclassifying all the less severely handicapped townlands of County Monaghan to more severely handicapped status. There were 322 townlands affected by this reclassification. The area involved is more than 12,000 hectares or 29,600 acres and 750 farmers will benefit from this reclassification.
561 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if she intends to reclassify any parts of counties Laois and Offaly under the disadvantaged area aid scheme, as promised under the programme for Government; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22604/05]
The Council of Agriculture Ministers agreed, at its meeting in Luxembourg on 20 June 2005, a new framework for rural development for the period 2007 to 2013. The agreement provides for the maintenance of the existing arrangements for the less favoured areas until 2010. In the meantime, the Commission will present a report and proposals to the European Council concerning the future payment system and designation of less favoured areas. Any changes to the less favoured areas scheme will be considered in the context of this report.
562 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number of farmers who have applied for installation aid, each year from 1997 to date; the amounts allocated to the scheme each year from 1997 to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22605/05]
The numbers of applicants, recipients and expenditure from 1997 are set out in the following table.
|
Year |
1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 (End-May) |
Total |
|
Applications (Current Scheme only) |
— |
— |
— |
— |
754 |
932 |
797 |
691 |
294 |
3,468 |
|
Recipients |
1,252 |
628 |
567 |
467 |
357 |
579 |
987 |
808 |
246 |
5,891 |
|
Expenditure (€m) |
8.895 |
4.316 |
4.06 |
3.298 |
2.695 |
4.994 |
8.855 |
7.028 |
2.098 |
46.239 |
563 Mr. Hayes asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when a REP scheme payment will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Limerick. [22606/05]
The application for payment in this case was received in my Department on 9 June 2005 and is being processed in accordance with the timeframes set out in the protocol on direct payments to farmers.
My officials are in correspondence with the legal representatives of the person named about penalties he incurred when he was in REPS 1.
564 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the position regarding the special beef premium overshoot; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22696/05]
I have raised the issue of the breach of our national ceiling under the 2004 special beef premium scheme on a number of occasions with the EU Agriculture Commissioner, most recently during her visit here last week. I have put the case strongly that the overshoot arose as a result of the changeover to full decoupling with effect from 1 January 2005. My officials have also prepared and supplied to the Commission services, detailed submissions on all aspects of the overshoot and have met directly with Commission services officials on a number of occasions to further press our case.
During her recent visit to Ireland, the Commissioner indicated that she understood the problem and intended to make an early decision.
565 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if the suckler cow premium of a person (details supplied) for 2000-2001 was appealed; if a copy of the decision will be released; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22802/05]
The person named applied on 35 animals under the 2000 suckler cow premium scheme. A cross-check with the cattle movement monitoring system, CMMS, in October 2000 showed that five of the animals applied on were disposed of during the retention period for the scheme. Clause 22 of the terms and conditions governing the scheme in 2000 required an applicant to notify my Department of replacement details within ten days of the event. The person named failed to do so and was advised by letter of 23 October 2000 that the five animals were rejected from his application and that a reduction penalty would apply to the payment on his remaining animals. He was given the opportunity to appeal and a letter was received by my Department on 5 December 2000 in which the herd owner provided details of the replacement animals.
To verify the eligibility of these replacements an inspection was carried out on his herd on 30 January 2001. It was found during this inspection that a total of 16 animals applied on had been disposed of during the retention period for the scheme and that, while they had been replaced, no notification of seven of these replacements had been received by my Department, contravening clause 22 of the terms and conditions of the 2000 scheme. As the number of rejected animals exceeded 20% of the remaining eligible animals, no suckler cow premium could be paid for the 2000 scheme year. The applicant was informed of this by letter on 26 April 2001 and was given the opportunity to have this decision reviewed.
On receipt of a written request for a review, the case was examined again by my Department and the decision to refuse the premia for 2000 was upheld. In the course of this review, it was also found that only 19 cows had calved in this herd over the previous 12 months, representing a low calving rate of just over 50%. In a letter issued on 11 July 2001 the person named was informed that the decision to refuse payment of the 2000 suckler cow premium was upheld and was told of his right to appeal the decision to the appeals unit. No further appeal was made.
No application was received by my Department under the 2001 suckler cow scheme, as the person named had sold his suckler cow quota.
566 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the amount of special beef premium to be awarded in the year 2004 to a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22803/05]
The person named submitted three applications, in respect of a total of 30 animals, under the 2004 special beef premium scheme. The first application, in respect of 15 animals, was received on 20 December 2004, the second application, in respect of 13 animals, was received on 24 December 2004 and the third application, in respect of two animals, was received on 6 January 2005.
The advance payments and the interim balancing payments in respect of the three applications have already issued to the person named. The application of 6 January was subject to a late application penalty. Payment of the residual sums due can only issue when the position regarding the breach of the 2004 national ceiling has been resolved.
567 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if the ownership of Irish sugar beet quota has been determined; the identity of the owner of the quota; if this issue has not been resolved, the reason for the delay; when a decision will be reached; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22804/05]
Under the EU sugar regime, each member state has a quota for manufactured sugar. There is no quota for sugar beet. The EU regulations stipulate that the quota must be made available to the sugar manufacturing enterprises in the member state. Accordingly, in Ireland the entire sugar quota is processed by Irish Sugar Limited, which is the only sugar manufacturer here. Irish Sugar Limited places annual contracts with farmers to grow a specific tonnage of sugar beet sufficient to manufacture the sugar quota.
Ownership of the sugar quota had never been an issue in the past because the relevant EU regulations do not provide for the buying and selling of quota. Speculation about quota ownership only arose when the Commission, in July of last year, raised the possibility of cross-border quota mobility, in the context of its initial thinking on reform of the EU sugar regime. Several member states, including Ireland, voiced strong opposition to the idea of cross-border quota mobility and I am pleased to say that it does not form part of the Commission's legislative proposals for sugar reform which were published last week. However, I had already asked the Attorney General to examine the quota ownership issue. I am not aware of when this examination will be completed but I will, of course, be guided by the Attorney General on any legal issues relating to the quota that emerge in the course of the forthcoming negotiations on the Commission's proposals.
568 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the person on whose instructions inspectors of her Department visited farmers in County Galway prior to EU audit inspections of those same files and farms; her views on whether it is appropriate conduct for such inspectors to be involved in preparing REP scheme farm records for those farms; if she is satisfied that such records were accurate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22805/05]
Before a recent audit of the rural environment protection scheme, European Commission auditors chose more than 50 files for audit. On their arrival, they selected a number of these for farm visits. In these cases they also wished to observe full plan-checks and on-farm inspection procedures carried out by my officials. The auditors indicated that my Department could notify the farmers of the on-farm inspections in advance as I understand that their audit brief included an interview with the REPS beneficiaries about their participation in the scheme. Apart from offering advice, my officials do not involve themselves in the preparation of records; this is a matter for the farmer.
At any stage during an audit, other files not specified in advance may be requested for audit scrutiny. My Department always facilitates such requests and works closely with European Union and other external audit bodies to ensure the control systems in place to protect national and EU financial interests are robust.
569 Mr. O’Connor asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the value of the increases in charges and appropriations in aid in the financial years 1995-1996 and 1997-1998. [23510/05]
The accompanying information outlines the situation regarding total appropriations in aid (including charges) received in the years in question.
|
Year |
A in A |
Change |
|
€000 |
€000 |
|
|
1995 |
312,235 |
— |
|
1996 |
365,507 |
+53.2 |
|
1997 |
447,644 |
+82.1 |
|
1998 |
442,925 |
-4.7 |
The Department's appropriations in aid relate primarily to funding transfers from the EU for various co-funded measures and vary between 79% and 91% of total receipts in the years referred to.
570 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he has requested support from the Garda and Army to assist in the running of prisons; if so, the reason therefor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21889/05]
It is the Government's intention, in the event of industrial action by the Prison Officers Association, to deploy members of both the Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces to the prisons as necessary. Training of personnel from both services in the running of the prisons has been undertaken. Clearly I would prefer to avoid this eventuality. However, given the current circumstances, it would be foolish of me to ignore the possibility of industrial action in the prisons. Clearly such action would represent a threat to the security of the State and the Government must be prepared to take whatever action is necessary to protect the safety and security of our prisons.
571 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position in relation to the prison officers ballot for annualised hours which was rejected by their union; the reason the ballot was turned down; if he will reconsider this decision (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21890/05]
Prison officers voted to reject the proposal for organisational change in the prison service by a majority of about two to one.
I cannot offer an explanation why the proposal was rejected despite a strong recommendation for acceptance by the national executive council of the Prison Officers' Association. By any standards, the deal on offer was extremely attractive. It included a pensionable operational allowance equivalent to 8% of basic pay and lump sum payments amounting to €13,750 per officer, in return for the level of change envisaged. Under the deal, a basic grade prison officer would have potentially earned almost €70,000 per year at the top of the scale.
Despite the reservations I held about the deal that emerged, which were shared by the Minister for Finance and the rest of my colleagues in Government, I nevertheless accepted that the overall package represented a workable way forward for the future.
The main benefit to the taxpayer would have been a significant reduction in the bill for additional hours working in the prison service, predictable future costs and a more efficient service going into the future. At the same time, staff would have secured attractive, stable and predictable overall rates of remuneration.
As regards the proposal from the Prison Officers' Association for a cost neutral realignment of the additional hours bands which are a central feature of the proposal for organisational change, I have already explained to the House in some detail the reasons for my decision to reject those proposals. I refer the Deputy to my answer to question Nos. 21320/05 and 21465/05 of 23 June. In my response, I set out my main objection to the Prison Officer's Association proposals, namely, that they would, if accepted, fundamentally alter the deal which was on the table and consequently they would seriously compromise the integrity of the industrial relations machinery, in particular the arbitration process.
I will not be led down the path of renegotiating an agreement which has already been arbitrated upon as to do so would be to undermine a process which has served the State well for many years. I have no option now but to move ahead, with or without agreement, to implement whatever measures are required to realise the necessary cost efficiencies in the service.
As I have already indicated to the House, I have invited the Prison Officer's Association to meet me so that I can outline in detail my plans for the future.
572 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform further to correspondence (details supplied), if he will furnish a response; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21913/05]
The question tabled by the Deputy refers to representations made on behalf of a person who made an application for permission to remain in the State under the revised arrangements announced by me on 15 January 2005 for the processing of applications from the non-national parents of Irish born children born before 1 January 2005.
Some 18,000 applications for permission to remain have been received under the revised arrangements and more than 7,600 have been processed to date. An application from the person concerned was received on 29 March 2005. Given the number of applications yet to be processed it will be some weeks before processing of the application from the person concerned is completed.
573 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his proposals to review and reform the law relating to the protection of personal privacy; if a body has been set up to advise on the issue; if so, its terms of reference; if submissions will be invited; the timescale envisaged for deliberations and recommendations; if the introduction of the promised Defamation Bill will be tied to progress on privacy protection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21925/05]
I refer the Deputy to my response to Priority Question No. 4 of 23 June 2005.
574 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the amount spent by his Department or agencies under the authority of his Department, on the services of models for use in departmental promotional activities, during policy launches or other departmental events since 1997; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21980/05]
McDowell): My Department has not engaged the services of models for use in departmental promotional activities, during policy launches or other departmental events since 1997.
575 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he has received formal representations from a person (details supplied) in County Meath who made a complaint regarding the attempted abduction of his 12 year old daughter; the refusal of the local Garda station to take the complaint; the identification by the girl and a neighbour of the alleged abductor who is a serving senior member of the Garda and the subsequent harassment and intimidation of the complainant, his neighbour and his brother; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21991/05]
I am acquainted with the incident and the allegations referred to and have sought a report from the Garda Síochána as I indicated I would to the person referred to in the Deputy's question. However, as I outlined to the House on 22 February 2005, I understand from the Garda authorities that an investigation file in this case has been forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions. The Director of Public Prosecutions is independent in the performance of his functions.
576 Mr. P. Breen asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if the status of a non-national has changed in view of the fact that the person in question is now married to an Irish national. [21995/05]
The person concerned is the subject of a deportation order made on 20 January 2003. He has instituted judicial review proceedings challenging that order. The issue raised, i.e., the subsequent marriage to an Irish national of a person who is the subject of a deportation order, has already been raised in a precedent judicial review case which is likely to be heard by the Supreme Court in the autumn. The outcome of the case which is the subject of this question is likely to be determined by that Supreme Court judgment.
It should be noted that the person concerned has filed a separate application for residency based on parentage of an Irish-born child under the revised arrangements for the consideration of permission to remain in respect of non-national parents of children born in Ireland before 1 January 2005. As the child was born in February 2005 that application fails to meet the criteria for the granting of permission to remain under those revised arrangements.
577 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when a decision will be made on an application for a one month visa on behalf of a person (details supplied). [22004/05]
The application in question was for the stated purpose of allowing a non-EEA national travel to the State to assist a family member, resident here on the basis of parentage of an Irish-born child and due to undergo a medical procedure, to care for her children.
I understand this application was received on 5 April 2005. Following assessment of the application it was determined that additional documentation would be required. Attempts were made, commencing on 27 April 2005, to contact the applicant via the Irish Embassy in her country of origin, however these attempts proved unsuccessful.
Consequently, it was necessary to proceed to a decision based on the documentation to hand. As a result, the visa application was refused by my Department on 22 June 2005. The visa officer, having regard to the information available to him, was unable to conclude that the applicant had sufficient obligations to return home following the proposed visit, or that she would necessarily observe the conditions of the visa applied for.
Additionally, a full copy of the applicant's passport was not supplied, nor was up to date documentary evidence of suitable financial means of either the applicant or her reference in the State. Finally, it was noted that the visa application form itself was not fully completed or signed by the applicant.
578 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the reason the Dublin City Childcare Committee is still awaiting additional funding under the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000-2006 to fulfil its programme objectives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22041/05]
581 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the reason the agreed resources from the equal opportunities childcare programme have not been made available to Dublin City to establish local childcare resource centres in Dublin Central; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22060/05]
593 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views on the concept of child care resource centres in each of the five areas of Dublin City Council; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the current budget to the Dublin city committee has left areas without such a resource centre; and if he will consider an additional allocation to the committee to meet the need. [22258/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 578, 581 and 593 together.
Dublin City Childcare Committee is one of the 33 city-county child care committees, CCCs, established as part of the quality sub-measure of the equal opportunities child care programme in order to promote better co-ordination and enhanced quality for the child care sector. As with all the CCCs, Dublin City Childcare Committee was tasked to develop a five year, locally focused child care strategy and was advised that it could expect an annual funding budget of between €292,000 and €318,500 to meet the costs of delivering the strategy through a pre-agreed series of annual action plans. Unlike the other CCCs, the Dublin City Childcare Committee opted to put in place a devolved administrative structure with five separate centres and sought additional funds under the EOCP for this purpose. It contracted out one such administrative structure in respect of which initial and additional funding of €125,000 was provided to cover a 15 month period. A further grant of €100,000 was provided for the same purpose in 2005. At the same time, the level of core funding provided to the Dublin City Childcare Committee to deliver its 2005 action plan was increased to €344,000 making a total of €444,000 available to the Dublin City Childcare Committee for its core activities in 2005 — an increase of some 39% above its earlier upper indicative budget. In addition to this core funding Dublin City Childcare Committee has also received considerable funding to enable it to offer a programme of supports for the development of child minders.
I understand three local child care resource centres have already been established by the Dublin Committee in Dublin North-Central, Dublin North-West and Dublin South-Central and that the committee would wish to establish two more and are seeking an increase in its funding. This request is still under active consideration in my Department.
Pending the conclusion of this review, it would be premature of me to comment further on the matter at this time.
579 Mr. Carey asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when the application by a group (details supplied) for funding under the EOCP will be determined; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22042/05]
On 22 June 2005, I approved capital grant assistance of €1.5 million under the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme, EOCP, 2000 — 2006, in respect of an application from the group in question. This approval is subject to the group's satisfactory compliance with a number of conditions in relation to the development and completion of the project. I understand the group has been advised of my decision, by the child care directorate of my Department.
Area Development Management Limited, which is engaged to administer the EOCP on my behalf will be in contact directly with the group, regarding the conclusion of a contractual agreement necessary in order to draw down the grant.
580 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if every assistance will be given to introduce the use of bicycles by gardaí at a Terenure Garda station in Dublin 6W. [22051/05]
The Garda mountain bike unit was introduced on a pilot basis, on 5 June 2001, in the Tallaght and Raheny Garda districts of the Dublin metropolitan region, DMR. In February 2002 a review conducted by the Garda authorities found that the deployment of Garda personnel on mountain bikes has proven to be successful in tackling and responding to certain types of offences.
Since that time the Garda mountain bike unit has been expanded both inside and outside the Dublin metropolitan region. I have been informed by the Garda authorities that approval has recently been given by Garda management for the establishment of a mountain bike unit in Terenure district. The training of selected personnel will begin in the near future and following the successful completion of this, and allocation of the necessary equipment, the unit will become operational.
Mountain bike units have been very successful in tackling anti-social disorderly behaviour in local parks and estates and work well in conjunction with other units. Overall, the units have proven to be very successful to date due to their commitment, ability to respond quickly and effectively and capacity to provide a high visibility presence.
Mountain bike units have made a significant and positive contribution to a proactive approach in tackling crime. Garda management have received very positive feedback from the community on the work of these units.
582 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the crime figures and the detection rates by the Garda in 2003 and 2004 and classified by headline and non-headline crimes; and the total number of cases handled by the probation office from 2001 to 2004, classified by main category. [22074/05]
In relation to crime figures the Deputy will be aware that on becoming Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, I arranged for the publication of headline crime statistics on a quarterly basis in order to improve the quality of information available to the public. While caution should be exercised in interpreting levels of crime between quarters, I am pleased to note that during my term of office as Minister, the quarterly crime rate has decreased from 6.7 per 1,000 population to six per 1,000 over the longer period of eleven quarters for which figures are available. This trend is reflected throughout most Garda districts in the country. In interpreting these figures, account has also to be taken of the introduction of the new PULSE computer system by the Garda Síochána in 1999, which led to more complete and comprehensive recording of crimes reported than was previously the case. The Deputy will also wish to be aware that, taking into account the significant increase in our population since 1995, the headline crime rate has fallen from 29 per 1,000 population in 1995 to 25 per 1,000 population in 2004.
I have been informed by the Garda authorities that proceedings commenced for 292,279 non-headline offences in 2003 and for 282,065 non-headline offences in 2004. Further details of non-headline offences are available in the Garda Síochána annual report for 2003.
The following table shows the headline offences recorded and detected in the State for 2003 and 2004, broken down by offence type.
|
Year |
2003 |
2004 |
||
|
Rec |
Dec |
Rec |
Dec |
|
|
Homicide |
101 |
73 |
98 |
75 |
|
Assault |
4,738 |
3,171 |
4,583 |
2,916 |
|
Sexual Offences |
2,463 |
1,505 |
1,956 |
955 |
|
Arson |
1,440 |
227 |
1,530 |
234 |
|
Drugs |
2,715 |
2,695 |
3,561 |
3,542 |
|
Thefts |
57,870 |
20,640 |
55,510 |
19,413 |
|
Burglary |
25,733 |
4,438 |
24,956 |
4,051 |
|
Robbery |
2,794 |
909 |
2,617 |
880 |
|
Fraud |
4,037 |
2,529 |
3,553 |
2,349 |
|
Other |
1,469 |
997 |
1,600 |
983 |
|
Total |
103,360 |
37,184 |
98,964 |
34,398 |
*Statistics for 2004 are provisional/operational and liable to change.
The information requested regarding the number of cases handled by the probation and welfare service, for the years 2001 to 2003 is set out in the following tables. These figures are provisional and will form part of the probation and welfare service, multi-annual report, 2000 to 2003 due to be published shortly. The figures for 2004 are not yet available. However, the 2004 figures will form part of the probation and welfare service annual report 2004, in preparation at present.
|
Referrals from the Courts |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
|
Pre Sanction Reports |
4,881 |
5,056 |
5,101 |
|
Community Service Reports |
1,467 |
1,560 |
1,541 |
|
Victim Reports |
64 |
57 |
60 |
|
Total |
6,412 |
6,673 |
6,702 |
|
Supervision Orders |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
|
Probation Orders |
1,228 |
1,265 |
1,217 |
|
Community Service Orders |
756 |
916 |
893 |
|
Supervision during deferment of penalty |
2,373 |
2,334 |
3,048 |
|
Total |
4,357 |
4,515 |
5,158 |
|
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
|
|
Temporary Release under supervision |
57 |
79 |
130 |
|
Voluntary Cases |
40 |
53 |
46 |
|
Referrals from Probation Organisations in other Jurisdictions |
21 |
23 |
31 |
|
Total |
118 |
155 |
207 |
583 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the average number of prisoners held in State prisons in the years 2003 and 2004. [22075/05]
There was an average number of 3,176 persons held in custody within the prison estate in 2003. The corresponding figure for 2004 was 3,199.
584 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the costings for the running of the prison service, distinguishing between the cost per place of high security and low security prisons. [22076/05]
The cost per place of running prisons for the year 2003 are as follows:
|
Prisons and Places of Detention |
Cost per Prison Place |
|
Arbour Hill |
72,800 |
|
Castlerea |
72,100 |
|
Cork |
71,500 |
|
Cloverhill |
68,700 |
|
Curragh |
67,200 |
|
Fort Mitchel |
88,500 |
|
Limerick |
88,500 |
|
Loughan House |
56,200 |
|
Midlands |
70,500 |
|
Mountjoy (including Dóchas Centre) |
98,400 |
|
Portlaoise |
146,200 |
|
Shelton Abbey |
70,300 |
|
St. Patrick’s Institution |
77,700 |
|
Training Unit |
77,500 |
|
Wheatfield |
74,900 |
The cost per prisoner place for the year 2004 will be available in the annual report of the Irish Prison Service for 2004, which is expected to be published in autumn 2005.
585 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position regarding an application for a visa by a person (details supplied); if his attention has been drawn to the fact that this person is being guaranteed a job and that for family reasons it is vitally important that they be reunited with his spouse here in the very near future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22077/05]
The application referred to by the Deputy was for the purposes of allowing a non-EEA national join his spouse, who is an Irish citizen, in the State. This application has only recently, on 20 June 2005, been received by my Department's visa section and is pending assessment. Applications are currently taking, on average, four to six weeks to process.
586 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of prisoners in solitary confinement, that is, in padded cells, in 2003, 2004 and to date. [22096/05]
The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table. Isolation Cell Usage — Breakdown by Prison. The following figures relate to the number of instances where it has been necessary to transfer a prisoner to an isolation cell. If the same prisoner has had to be transferred to an isolation cell more than once in a given year, each incident is recorded separately.
|
Year |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 (to 22 June) |
|
Mountjoy Prison |
428 |
401 |
228 |
|
Dóchas Centre |
185 |
141 |
73 |
|
Cloverhill Prison |
76 |
94 |
63 |
|
Wheatfield Prison |
85 |
174 |
51 |
|
Cork Prison |
133 |
78 |
47 |
|
Castlerea Prison |
38 |
33 |
15 |
|
Midlands Prison |
19 |
8 |
0 |
|
Arbour Hill Prison |
6 |
18 |
1 |
|
St Patrick’s Institution * |
178 |
221 |
80 |
|
Total |
1,148 |
1,168 |
558 |
*Figure for St. Patrick's Institution include usage of "strip cells" and "padded cells" and an exact figure is not therefore available.
The use of such cells occurs only when a secure, safe place is required where prisoners can remain under special observation with minimal opportunity to cause damage to themselves or to others. It is important to note that these cells are not used for routine detention or punishment purposes.
As the Deputy is aware, I previously gave a commitment to abolish the use of old-style padded cells in our prisons. An implementation group set up in the prison service to determine the most appropriate design for future special observation cells and other related matters has completed its deliberations. A total of six cells based on two different designs recommended by the implementation group have been completed and are in use in Cloverhill Prison. Work is also at an advanced stage on modifications in line with the recommendations in Mountjoy Prison, Castlerea Prison and St. Patrick's Institution. Further work will take place in the other prisons on a phased basis continuing into next year.
587 Mr. F. McGrath asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if the maximum support and assistance will be given to a person (details supplied) in County Dublin in their application for Irish citizenship. [22097/05]
An application for a certificate of naturalisation by the person referred to by the Deputy was received in the citizenship section of my Department in January 2003.
Section 15 of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, provides that an applicant for naturalisation must have a period of one year's continuous residence in the State before the date of the application and a total of four year's residence in the State in the eight years preceding that period. For the purposes of calculating this residency, no period may be reckoned in respect of which a non-national either was required to have the permission of the Minister to remain in the State but did not have such permission, or had permission to remain for the purpose of study or for the purpose of seeking to be recognised as a refugee within the meaning of the Refugee Act 1996. As the applicant entered the State in April 1999, she did not fulfil the above mentioned statutory residency criteria at the date of her application.
588 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of persons currently on the sex offenders register. [22098/05]
I am informed by the Garda authorities that 799 persons were subject to the notification requirements of Part 2 of the Sex Offenders Act 2001, as at 23 June 2005.
589 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the assistance which will be offered to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 12; if he is considering any proposals to allow for short-term visas for young non-EU nationals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22121/05]
Mexican nationals are not subject to a visa requirement for the purposes of travel to this jurisdiction. However such persons require permission to remain from an immigration officer at a port or airport. Such permission is normally forthcoming in the case of a Mexican national who wishes to make a short term visit to the State provided the person has the resources to maintain him/herself fully for the duration of that visit.
On the basis of the information supplied by the Deputy it would appear that the woman to whom he refers has a different problem. The person does not wish to visit the State — she wants permission to reside in the State. However she is not able to maintain herself fully without recourse to employment and cannot secure employment unless an employer is in a position to acquire an employment permit from the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment on her behalf.
It is open to her to seek entry for employment purposes under the work permit scheme or under the working visa-work authorisation scheme.
This case raises a wider and complex issue regarding the circumstances in which persons should be allowed to come and reside here. While the case raised by the Deputy certainly comes within the ambit of that issue, I am sure that he would agree that it is dangerous to contemplate policy change on the basis of one individual type of case.
However my recently published discussion document, Immigration and Residence in Ireland — Outline Policy Proposals for an Immigration and Residence Bill, contains a comprehensive analysis of such issues as admission for the purposes of work, admission for the purposes of family reunification and the issue of long-term residency status. It situates these contemporary challenges for Irish society in an analysis of the current Irish system, international practice and proposals for change. The document is intended to stimulate public debate and inform contributions to the planned Immigration and Residence Bill.
590 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he has appointed a forensic archaeologist or other person of like expertise to help locate the disappeared from the IRA troubles; when the work will start on this difficult project; if he has received an assurance from Sinn Féin that support will be forthcoming for this end in order that the relatives of the disappeared can bring Christian burial and closure to the ordeal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22182/05]
Earlier this year, the Commission for the Location of Victim's Remains submitted its third report to both Governments. In response, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Right Honourable Peter Hain, MP and I wrote a joint letter to the commission proposing the appointment of a forensic sciences consultant to conduct a review of the searches to date and an evaluation if more could now be done. That person would also be available to receive further information in relation to the location of remains should this become available.
The key to the recovery of the remains lies within the republican movement, and while I am aware of public comments by Sinn Féin representatives in recent weeks, I obviously cannot say if reliable further information about the location of remains will be forthcoming.
Yesterday, I received a response from the commission which has indicated its satisfaction with the review, in principle and I expect a suitably qualified person to be appointed shortly.
I am deeply aware of the long-standing anxiety and suffering of the families of the disappeared and I do not wish to add anything that might create unrealistic expectations at this stage, especially in light of the fact that thorough searches of vast amounts of land have taken place unsuccessfully previously. Both Governments remain committed to doing all that is in their power to assist and support the families concerned.
591 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he has received representations from a person regarding the murder of their brother (details supplied); the action he has taken; the if has spoken to the Garda Commissioner and Dublin City Council regarding the ongoing intimidation of the community and the alleged involvement of the IRA; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22183/05]
I have received representations from the person in question and that, in response, I have caused inquiries to be made of, inter alia, the Garda authorities. I have undertaken to communicate further with the person in question in due course. As part of the ongoing Garda investigation, inquiries into all aspects of the murder are being continued.
On the wider community, I understand the level of both Garda foot and mobile patrols has been increased and that the area is also the subject of intensive policing activity, in accordance with the operational goals of both Operation Crossover and Operation Anvil. Moreover, local gardaí will continue to liaise with residents and residents groups and associations in the area to ensure that their concerns are being met.
592 Dr. Cowley asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will investigate the case of a person (details supplied) who was fatally injured in a road traffic accident on 27 December 2004 in Donegal and the failure of the Donegal Garda to adequately investigate this road traffic accident; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22255/05]
I understand from the Garda authorities that a full investigation was carried out in this case and a file submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions for directions which are awaited.
594 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of children under the age of five in each of the county child care committee areas; the budget allocated to each county committee under the equal opportunities child care programme to date. [22259/05]
The Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000 — 2006, EOCP, was established as an element of the National Development Plan 2000-2006 to increase the supply of child care places through capital grant assistance to create new and quality enhanced childcare places, to support the child care needs of parents in employment, education and training through the provision of capital grant assistance; to make grant support available towards the staffing costs of child care services in very disadvantaged areas; to enable the services to make child care available at less than full fees for parents experiencing disadvantage; and to enhance the quality and co-ordination of delivery of child care in Ireland.
The programme funding has been increased in a series of steps from €318 million originally allocated to the present funding package of €499 million and the Government has already committed to continue to fund child care development in the post-2006 period.
The programme has already created more than 24,600 new child care places and a further 15,300 will be brought to completion with funding already committed under the programme.
The 33 city-county child care committees were established, and are resourced, under the EOCP, with a total allocation of about €7.6 million for all 33 in 2005 to meet the core activities which are pre-agreed with the Department and which must link in with the five year locally focused child care strategy developed by each county. The committees receive additional funding for new initiatives such as the development of childminding and the work which they will shortly undertake to enhance the supply of school age child care. In addition to their work on the delivery of their child care strategies, the county committees also review all applications made for grant assistance under the EOCP and advise on local child care needs.
The following tables detail funding allocated to city and county child care committees under the EOCP. It does not include the additional funding to be made available for the development of school age child care.
|
County |
Number of children in age group |
|
Carlow County |
3,473 |
|
Cavan County |
4,189 |
|
Clare County |
7,633 |
|
Cork City |
6,781 |
|
Cork County |
24334 |
|
Donegal County |
10,427 |
|
Dublin Co. — Dublin City |
28,284 |
|
Dublin Co. — Fingal |
15,509 |
|
Dublin Co. — Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown |
11,759 |
|
Dublin Co. — South Dublin |
18,671 |
|
Galway County and City |
14,184 |
|
Kerry County |
8,550 |
|
Kildare County |
14,060 |
|
Kilkenny County |
5,747 |
|
Laois County |
4,700 |
|
Leitrim County |
1,683 |
|
Limerick City |
3,697 |
|
Limerick County |
8,182 |
|
Longford County |
2,283 |
|
Louth County |
8,373 |
|
Mayo County |
7,760 |
|
Meath County |
11,205 |
|
Monaghan County |
3,671 |
|
Offaly County |
4,897 |
|
Roscommon County |
3,489 |
|
Sligo County |
3,841 |
|
Tipperary North |
4,395 |
|
Tipperary South |
5,567 |
|
Waterford City |
3,155 |
|
Waterford County |
4,164 |
|
Westmeath County |
5,578 |
|
Wexford County |
8,837 |
|
Wicklow County |
8,552 |
|
State |
277,630 |
Source: CSO Census 2002.
|
CCC Name |
TotalStartUp€Funding |
ActionPlan2002€Funding |
ActionPlan2003€Funding |
ActionPlan2004€Funding |
ActionPlan2005€Funding |
ActionPlans2002-2005 |
Childminding Initiative 2002€Funding |
Childminding Initiative 2003€Funding |
Childminding Initiative 2004€Funding |
Childminding Development Grants 2004€ Allocation |
Childminding Initiative 2005€Funding |
Childminding Development Grants 2005€ Allocation |
Childminding Initiative and Childminding Grants2002-2005 |
Total for Action Plans 2002-2005, Childminding Initiative, and Childminding Grants |
Total |
|
BMW Region |
|||||||||||||||
|
Cavan County Childcare Committee |
128,325 |
114,276 |
120,571 |
178,500 |
192,750 |
606,097 |
20,000 |
10,000 |
20,000 |
47,250 |
20,000 |
117,250 |
723,347 |
851,672 |
|
|
Donegal County Childcare Committee |
104,904 |
172,860 |
224,750 |
241,500 |
260,750 |
899,860 |
35,000 |
17,500 |
35,000 |
63,000 |
35,000 |
185,500 |
1,085,360 |
1,190,264 |
|
|
Galway City & County Childcare Committee |
266,645 |
203,000 |
233,747 |
273,500 |
295,500 |
1,005,747 |
75,000 |
22,500 |
40,000 |
100,800 |
40,000 |
278,300 |
1,284,047 |
1,550,692 |
|
|
Laois County Childcare Committee |
128,616 |
82,533 |
109,155 |
167,700 |
192,750 |
552,138 |
20,000 |
10,000 |
20,000 |
47,250 |
20,000 |
117,250 |
669,388 |
798,004 |
|
|
Leitrim County Childcare Committee |
64,039 |
101,579 |
134,472 |
165,100 |
178,250 |
579,401 |
20,000 |
10,000 |
20,000 |
18,900 |
20,000 |
88,900 |
668,301 |
732,340 |
|
|
Longford County Childcare Committee |
98,506 |
57,138 |
126,120 |
165,100 |
178,250 |
526,608 |
20,000 |
10,000 |
20,000 |
18,900 |
20,000 |
88,900 |
615,508 |
714,014 |
|
|
Louth County Childcare Committee |
309,151 |
107,928 |
105,662 |
171,500 |
205,750 |
590,840 |
30,000 |
15,000 |
30,000 |
63,000 |
30,000 |
168,000 |
758,840 |
1,067,991 |
|
|
Mayo County Childcare Committee |
28,628 |
126,974 |
122,726 |
205,800 |
232,750 |
688,250 |
30,000 |
0 |
30,000 |
63,000 |
30,000 |
153,000 |
841,250 |
869,878 |
|
|
Monaghan County Childcare Committee |
126,440 |
114,276 |
130,300 |
178,500 |
192,750 |
615,826 |
20,000 |
10,000 |
20,000 |
34,650 |
20,000 |
104,650 |
720,476 |
846,916 |
|
|
Offaly County Childcare Committee |
105,422 |
82,533 |
142,105 |
178,500 |
192,750 |
595,888 |
20,000 |
10,000 |
20,000 |
47,250 |
20,000 |
117,250 |
713,138 |
818,560 |
|
|
Roscommon County Childcare Committee |
100,212 |
75,655 |
118,545 |
*167,700 |
192,750 |
386,950 |
20,000 |
0 |
20,000 |
34,650 |
20,000 |
94,650 |
481,600 |
581,812 |
|
|
Sligo County Childcare Committee |
119,561 |
95,230 |
161,265 |
*156,800 |
192,750 |
449,245 |
20,000 |
10,000 |
20,000 |
47,250 |
20,000 |
117,250 |
566,495 |
686,056 |
|
|
Westmeath County Childcare Committee |
96,285 |
114,300 |
154,613 |
184,500 |
199,250 |
652,663 |
20,000 |
10,000 |
20,000 |
47,250 |
20,000 |
117,250 |
769,913 |
866,198 |
|
|
S&E Region |
|||||||||||||||
|
Carlow County Childcare Committee |
91,825 |
101,579 |
98,712 |
167,700 |
192,750 |
560,741 |
0 |
20,000 |
20,000 |
34,650 |
20,000 |
94,650 |
655,391 |
747,216 |
|
|
Clare County Childcare Committee |
137,929 |
105,812 |
190,501 |
190,500 |
205,750 |
692,563 |
30,000 |
0 |
30,000 |
63,000 |
30,000 |
153,000 |
845,563 |
983,492 |
|
|
Cork City Childcare Committee |
104,345 |
177,763 |
133,206 |
196,200 |
222,411 |
729,580 |
35,000 |
17,500 |
35,000 |
63,000 |
35,000 |
185,500 |
915,080 |
1,019,425 |
|
|
Cork County Childcare Committee |
144,985 |
241,250 |
77,894 |
266,500 |
316,081 |
901,725 |
60,000 |
0 |
60,000 |
100,800 |
60,000 |
280,800 |
1,182,525 |
1,327,510 |
|
CCC Name |
TotalStartUp€Funding |
ActionPlan2002€Funding |
ActionPlan2003€Funding |
ActionPlan2004€Funding |
ActionPlan2005€Funding |
ActionPlans2002-2005 |
Childminding Initiative 2002€Funding |
Childminding Initiative 2003€Funding |
Childminding Initiative 2004€Funding |
Childminding Development Grants 2004€ Allocation |
Childminding Initiative 2005€Funding |
Childminding Development Grants 2005€ Allocation |
Childminding Initiative and Childminding Grants2002-2005 |
Total for Action Plans 2002-2005, Childminding Initiative, and Childminding Grants |
Total |
|
Dublin City Childcare Committee |
56,660 |
190,462 |
222,938 |
318,500 |
444,000 |
1,175,900 |
70,000 |
11,500 |
70,000 |
100,800 |
70,000 |
322,300 |
1,498,200 |
1,554,860 |
|
|
Dublin Fingal County Childcare Committee |
84,445 |
88,882 |
222,320 |
254,200 |
284,500 |
849,902 |
0 |
45,000 |
45,000 |
100,800 |
45,000 |
235,800 |
1,085,702 |
1,170,147 |
|
|
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Childcare Committee |
47,216 |
103,695 |
182,305 |
244,800 |
284,500 |
815,300 |
40,000 |
0 |
40,000 |
63,000 |
40,000 |
183,000 |
998,300 |
1,045,516 |
|
|
Kerry County Childcare Committee |
128,631 |
177,763 |
173,071 |
295,033 |
260,750 |
906,617 |
30,000 |
15,000 |
30,000 |
63,000 |
30,000 |
168,000 |
1,074,617 |
1,203,248 |
|
|
Kildare County Childcare Committee |
96,587 |
176,748 |
91,992 |
254,200 |
284,500 |
807,440 |
40,000 |
0 |
40,000 |
63,000 |
40,000 |
183,000 |
990,440 |
1,087,027 |
|
|
Kilkenny County Childcare Committee |
161,091 |
80,417 |
159,381 |
176,000 |
199,250 |
615,048 |
0 |
20,000 |
20,000 |
47,250 |
20,000 |
107,250 |
722,298 |
883,389 |
|
|
Limerick City Childcare Committee |
98,646 |
95,230 |
55,270 |
156,800 |
181,177 |
488,477 |
20,000 |
0 |
20,000 |
34,650 |
20,000 |
94,650 |
583,127 |
681,773 |
|
|
Limerick County Childcare Committee |
89,574 |
145,490 |
154,945 |
205,800 |
232,750 |
738,985 |
30,000 |
0 |
30,000 |
63,000 |
30,000 |
153,000 |
891,985 |
981,559 |
|
|
Meath County Childcare Committee |
90,196 |
109,514 |
198,423 |
233,200 |
260,750 |
801,887 |
35,000 |
17,500 |
35,000 |
63,000 |
35,000 |
185,500 |
987,387 |
1,077,583 |
|
|
South County Dublin Childcare Committee |
51,310 |
215,855 |
51,645 |
292,500 |
316,081 |
876,081 |
0 |
60,000 |
60,000 |
100,800 |
25,000 |
245,800 |
1,121,881 |
1,173,191 |
|
|
Tipperary North County Childcare Committee |
106,905 |
104,753 |
155,992 |
167,700 |
192,750 |
621,195 |
20,000 |
0 |
20,000 |
47,250 |
20,000 |
107,250 |
728,445 |
835,350 |
|
|
Tipperary South County Childcare Committee |
116,601 |
100,520 |
144,767 |
167,500 |
199,250 |
612,037 |
20,000 |
10,000 |
20,000 |
47,250 |
20,000 |
117,250 |
729,287 |
845,888 |
|
|
Waterford City Childcare Committee |
108,222 |
76,184 |
123,603 |
156,600 |
178,250 |
534,637 |
20,000 |
0 |
20,000 |
28,350 |
20,000 |
88,350 |
622,987 |
731,209 |
|
|
Waterford County Childcare Committee |
79,767 |
104,753 |
113,265 |
167,700 |
192,750 |
578,468 |
20,000 |
10,000 |
20,000 |
47,250 |
20,000 |
117,250 |
695,718 |
775,485 |
|
|
Wexford County Childcare Committee |
97,758 |
146,020 |
158,309 |
215,500 |
232,750 |
752,579 |
35,000 |
17,500 |
35,000 |
63,000 |
35,000 |
185,500 |
938,079 |
1,035,837 |
|
|
Wicklow County Childcare Committee |
134,169 |
120,625 |
116,934 |
215,500 |
232,750 |
685,809 |
35,000 |
0 |
35,000 |
63,000 |
35,000 |
168,000 |
853,809 |
987,978 |
595 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, further to Parliamentary Question No. 83 of 1 June 2004, the progress that has been made in relation to the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities; the position of the Government on the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22362/05]
As the Deputy is aware, the General Assembly of the United Nations established an ad hoc committee, AHC, to consider proposals for a UN Convention to promote and protect the dignity and rights of persons with disabilities. At the second meeting of this committee in June 2003, it was decided to set up a working group to prepare a draft convention for consideration by the AHC. The working group met in January 2004 and prepared a draft.
This draft was considered by the ad hoc committee on three occasions since, at its third session in May-June 2004, its fourth session in August-September 2004 and at its fifth session in January-February 2005. At the May 2004 meeting and during the first week of the August 2004 meeting, UN member states set out their positions on each article in turn and non-governmental organisations were given the opportunity to comment.
During the second week of the August 2004 meeting, the committee started a line-by-line examination of the text. This work continued at the AHC's meeting in January of this year and will be continued at the next meeting of the committee in August next.
During these negotiations, the differences between UN member states on individual paragraphs are being narrowed; areas of consensus are being identified and matters requiring further negotiation are also being highlighted. This work is taking place on the basis that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.
As the Deputy will be aware, EU member states co-ordinate their positions on the draft text of the convention on an ongoing basis, with the EU position being presented to the ad hoc committee by the EU Presidency. Ireland is working with our partners to develop common EU negotiating positions that find acceptance with all EU member states. Further meetings of the committee will be required. It is likely to be sometime before the text of a convention, acceptable to all UN member states, has been agreed.
596 Mr. J. Breen asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the reason a garda who was off duty together with a colleague was involved in an incident on 3 August 1993 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22364/05]
The question of internal Garda disciplinary proceedings is a matter for the Garda Commissioner in accordance with Garda Síochána (Discipline) Regulations 1989. As to the specific case to which the Deputy refers, the Garda Commissioner has not been in a position to provide me with a report in the time available.
I will write to the Deputy following receipt of the Commissioner's report in the matter.
597 Mr. J. Breen asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will report on the treatment of an ex-garda who was injured while serving outside the State four years ago (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22365/05]
I understand the Deputy's question is referring to the length of time it is taking to process the member's application for compensation under the Garda Síochána (Compensation) Acts 1941 and 1945.
As I stated in my previous reply on this matter, in Parliamentary Question No. 465 on 22 March 2005, in making a decision on an application for compensation under the Garda Síochána (Compensation) Acts 1941 and 1945, my Department has, in accordance with section 6 (1) (b) of the 1941 Act, regard to all the relevant facts including the reports from the Garda authorities and the Garda chief medical officer, setting out the background to the case and the precise nature of the injuries sustained.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that in this case, the length of time taken to process the application has arisen primarily in relation to consideration of the medical aspects of the case. I am informed that the required medical reports having been submitted on behalf of the applicant, including a report giving the final prognosis on the member's condition, and the reports having been considered by the Garda CMO, that an appointment with the CMO was arranged for 6 April. I am further informed that the Garda authorities forwarded a report in the matter to my Department on 24 June. A decision on the member's application will be made without any undue delay.
598 Mr. J. Breen asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the reason he has reneged on his commitment to Ennis Chamber of Commerce at a meeting in Ennis on 1 July 2004 in relation to closed circuit television at the remaining locations in the town; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22366/05]
As the Deputy is aware, Ennis is one of 17 locations nationwide selected to receive a Garda CCTV system. This programme of implementation of CCTV systems is being implemented on a phased basis as follows:
Phase 1 — Bray, Dundalk, Dun Laoghaire, Finglas, Galway and Limerick
Phase 2 — Athlone, Clondalkin, Tallaght and Waterford
Phase 3 — Ballyfermot, Carlow, Castlebar, Clonmel, Ennis, Kilkenny and Sligo
Phase 1 has been completed in five of the six locations.
Installation of the CCTV systems is of necessity a detailed, complex and lengthy process and the Garda authorities have been giving careful consideration to a restructuring of the manner in which these Garda CCTV systems go to tender.
I am anxious to accelerate the implementation of the remaining CCTV programme, and reduce as far as possible the workload of the Garda Síochána in this regard. I believe that the proposed redesign of the tender document provides an opportunity to outsource the installation of Garda CCTV systems to the greatest possible extent, making use not only of the technical but also of the project management expertise in the private sector. In that regard I asked the Commissioner to submit proposals for a revised tender document for the eleven locations in the remaining two phases, with a view to achieving implementation in priority locations, including Ennis, by the end of 2006.
As a first step in this process the Garda authorities have placed a request for tender document on the Government e-tenders website seeking tenders for consultancy services for the procurement, supply and implementation of town centre CCTV systems to the Garda Síochána. A total of six tender proposals have been received and are currently being evaluated.
To procure the most rapid delivery of these systems, the Garda Síochána is endeavouring to establish the most appropriate procurement model available. This process will involve the successful tenderer examining all aspects of Garda involvement in CCTV systems, including:
—The installation, operation and management of systems.
—Monitoring, recording and related activities.
—Accommodation and situation of facilities and staff in relation to the town scheme and Garda station premises.
—Assessment of civilianisation of Garda CCTV monitoring conducted under the management of the Garda Síochána.
The successful tenderer must also examine and recommend which procurement model is considered to be the most suitable in terms of commercial viability and cost effectiveness for the provision of town centre CCTV systems. It is the ambition of the Garda Síochána to maximise outsourcing of all processes in making Garda town centre CCTV systems available in the most efficient and effective manner.
599 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the total cost, number and nature of legal services sought by his Department from 1998 to 2004 and to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22424/05]
In the time available for answering parliamentary questions it has not been possible to compile the detailed information requested by the Deputy. The information sought is being compiled at present and I will forward it to the Deputy shortly.
600 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will provide details of the number of fixed speed cameras located throughout the State; the location of these cameras; the number currently fully operational at any one time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22454/05]
601 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he remains committed to the expanded number of fixed speed cameras in the State; the level of increase; when these will be fully operational; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22455/05]
616 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the details of the number of fixed speed cameras located throughout the State; the location of these cameras; the number which are fully operational at any one time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22620/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 600, 601 and 616 together.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that there are 20 fixed camera installation posts at various locations in the Dublin area and the Louth-Meath division. There are three cameras rotated between these fixed camera installation posts. I am also informed by the Garda that there is a range of mobile speed detection equipment, including six GATSO vans — a mobile unit with on board cameras, radar, and computer system — in operation throughout the State. There is also currently in use by the Garda Síochána laser speed detection equipment, including hand held speed detection devices and car-motor cycle systems.
The Government road safety strategy for the period 2004-06 proposes that 11.1 million vehicle speeding checks be carried out per year by the end of the strategy. To enable this target to be achieved, the strategy proposes that the Garda Síochána enter into arrangements for the engagement of a private sector concern for the purpose of the provision and operation of a nationwide programme for the detection of speeding offences. The strategy makes clear that the overall performance criteria to be applied to the outsourced detection of speeding offences would be determined by the Garda Síochána and camera detection facilities would be used at locations where the Garda Síochána determines there is an established or prospective risk of collisions. Because of the characteristics of the State's road network, the use of mobile cameras is the most practical approach, although the use of fixed cameras may be relevant at a small number of locations.
A working group chaired by my Department and consisting of representatives of the Garda Síochána, the Department of Transport and the National Roads Authority has reported to me and my colleague, the Minister for Transport, on how the provision, operation and processing of the output of speed cameras might operate. We expect to bring proposals to Government shortly.
As the Deputy is aware, a key recommendation of the strategic review was that a new position of Assistant Commissioner in charge of all aspects of road traffic law should be created. In February of this year, the Government approved the appointment of Eddie Rock as Assistant Commissioner and the Commissioner appointed him to take charge of the traffic corps. Never before has the enforcement of road traffic law been given this level of priority within the force. The new Assistant Commissioner is a member of the top management team in the force and he will bring authority and visible leadership to the traffic corps from the outset.
602 Mr. Kehoe asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will provide the resources to increase the number of juvenile liaison officers in County Wexford to the level that each Garda district has one full-time officer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22467/05]
I have been informed by the Garda authorities, who are responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, that there are currently three juvenile liaison officers appointed in the Wicklow-Wexford division and they are assigned to Wexford, New Ross and Arklow Garda stations. I am further informed that during 2004 the juvenile liaison officers in the Wicklow-Wexford division dealt with 574 referrals.
Local Garda management is satisfied with the number of juvenile liaison officers currently available in County Wexford. Garda management will continue to appraise the policing needs of County Wexford with a view to ensuring the maintenance of an effective policing service.
In relation to Garda resources generally, I am very pleased that the Government has approved my proposal to increase the strength of the Garda Síochána to 14,000 members on a phased basis, in line with the An Agreed Programme for Government commitment in this regard. This is a key commitment in the programme for Government, and its implementation will significantly strengthen the operational capacity of the force.
The Commissioner will now draw up plans on how best to distribute and manage these additional resources. In this context, the needs of the Wexford-Wicklow division will be fully considered within the context of the needs of Garda divisions throughout the country. Clearly, the additional resources will be targeted at the areas of greatest need, as is envisaged in the programme for Government. The programme identifies areas with a significant drugs problem and a large number of public order offences but it will be possible to address other priorities as well, such as the need to very significantly increase the number of gardaí allocated to traffic duties as part of the new Garda traffic corps. I have already promised that the additional gardaí will not be put on administrative duties. They will be put directly into frontline, operational, high-visibility policing. They will have a real impact.
603 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the total cost, number and nature of reports, consultancies or other advisory or public relations commissions awarded by his Department from 1998 to 2004 and to date to persons other than established civil servants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22480/05]
In light of the very broad range of the question, I regret that it has not been possible in the time available to obtain the necessary information. I will contact the Deputy again when the information is to hand.
604 Mr. G. Murphy asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the amount of money spent on the renting, leasing or purchasing of de-mountable, temporary accommodation over the past five years; if his Department arranges this through the Department of Finance; the tendering process in operation and the frequency in which it is reviewed; the length of time the arrangement lasts; the average period of renting or leasing; and the number of units rented and leased over five, eight and ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22495/05]
Provision of the type of accommodation referred to by the Deputy is, in many instances, arranged for by the Office of Public Works. In the time available it has not been possible to obtain information in respect of such accommodation as had been arranged for directly by the Department. I will forward that information to the Deputy as soon as it is to hand.
605 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of prison officers employed in the Prison Service. [22499/05]
The total number of prison grade staff employed by the Prison Service at end May 2005 was 3,188. This number includes some staff who work part-time and the total staff employed is the equivalent of 3,151 whole-time equivalent staff.
606 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the total number of cases handled by the probation and welfare service from 2000 to 2004 and to date and the total number of staff employed by the probation and welfare service for the same period. [22500/05]
The information requested regarding the number of cases handled by the probation and welfare service, for the years 2000 to 2003 is set out as follows in tabular format. These figures are provisional and will form part of the probation and welfare service multi-annual report 2000 to 2003 which will be published shortly.
The figures for 2004 and to date are not yet available. However, the 2004 figures will form part of the probation and welfare service annual report 2004, which is in preparation at present.
The total number of staff employed by the probation and welfare service is also set out as follows in the tabular format.
|
Referrals from the Courts |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
|
Pre Sanction Reports |
5,617 |
4,881 |
5,056 |
5,101 |
|
Community Service Reports |
1,732 |
1,467 |
1,560 |
1,541 |
|
Victim Reports |
52 |
64 |
57 |
60 |
|
Total |
7,401 |
6,412 |
6,673 |
6,702 |
|
Supervision Orders |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
|
Probation Orders |
1,345 |
1,228 |
1,265 |
1,217 |
|
Community Service Orders |
998 |
756 |
916 |
893 |
|
Supervision during deferment of penalty |
2,625 |
2,373 |
2,334 |
3,048 |
|
Total |
4,968 |
4,357 |
4,515 |
5,158 |
|
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
|
|
Temporary Release under supervision |
67 |
57 |
79 |
130 |
|
Voluntary Cases |
27 |
40 |
53 |
46 |
|
Referrals from Probation Organisations in other Jurisdictions |
22 |
21 |
23 |
31 |
|
Total |
116 |
118 |
155 |
207 |
|
Number |
|
|
31/12/2000 |
247 |
|
31/12/2001 |
307.5 |
|
31/12/2002 |
328.5 |
|
31/12/2003 |
329.1 |
|
31/12/2004 |
342.2 |
|
24/06/2005 |
344.25 |
607 Mr. Cregan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when a holiday visa will issue to persons (details supplied). [22530/05]
The visa applications referred to by the Deputy were for the purposes of allowing two non-EEA nationals travel to the State for a short-term visit. Application number 1760456 was refused by my Department on 23 March 2005. The second application, application number 1760457, was refused by my Department on 29 March 2005.
In assessing any visa application, the visa officer will consider various matters, including whether it is reasonable in all the circumstances to conclude that the applicant would fully honour the conditions of the visa, for example, it is unlikely that the applicant would overstay the length of time applied for. The visa officer will also have regard to information provided and to such factors as the applicant's ties and general circumstances in his or her country of origin. Both of the applications in question were refused because the visa officer could not reasonably be satisfied, on the basis of the documentation supplied to my Department, that the applicants would observe the conditions of the visas applied for. In particular, it was felt that the applicants had not displayed evidence of their obligations to return home following the proposed visit. Additionally, in the case of application number 1760456, the visa officer concluded, on the basis of the documentation supplied, that the applicant did not have appropriate financial means to enable her support herself during the proposed visit.
Although it was open to the applicants to appeal, within two months of receipt of the refusal decision, my Department has no record of any such appeal in respect of these applications having been received. As the timeframe for submission of an appeal has now passed, the applicants should submit fresh applications should they still wish to travel.
608 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the names, titles, dates of appointment, total annual salary including pension contributions of each of the special or political advisers, personal assistants or personal secretaries appointed by him; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22551/05]
Special-political staff appointed by me since my appointment are as follows:
|
Name |
Title |
Date of Appointment |
Total Annual Salary |
|
Sinead McSweeney |
Special Adviser |
07/06/2002-18/06/2004 |
Principal Officer Higher Scale €74,466-€91,841 (Payscale as at 01/01/2004) Pension Contribution of 11% |
|
Alan Mulligan (Civil Servant) Programme Delivery Manager |
Special Adviser (temporary) |
21/06/2004-10/01/2005 |
Principal Officer Scale €75,036-€92,813 (includes Pension Contribution) |
|
Cormac Lucey |
Special Adviser |
11/01/2005 |
Principal Officer Scale €75,036-€92,813* |
|
Hugh Hardiman |
Personal Assistant |
01/08/2002 |
Higher Executive Scale €40,543-€51,463 (includes Pension Contribution) |
|
Mary McCowan |
Personal Secretary |
06/08/2002 |
Secretarial Assistant Scale €20,187-€38,947.67 (includes Pension Contribution) |
*Superannuation arrangements under discussion.
609 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the reason for the delay in processing an application for a person (details supplied) in County Roscommon; when a decision will be made on the application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22559/05]
I am informed by the Registrar of Titles that this is an application for first registration which was lodged on 29 March 2005. Dealing Number D2005CR003500T refers. I understand that due to the complicated nature of these type of cases, which require examination of an applicant's entitlement to the property concerned, it is not possible to estimate a date of completion at this time.
I am further informed that queries issued to the lodging solicitor on 23 June 2005 and that the application cannot proceed until these queries have been satisfactorily resolved. However, I assure the Deputy that on receipt of a satisfactory reply, the matter will receive further attention in the Land Registry.
610 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will consider asking the Garda to reopen its investigation into the fatal fire at a hotel (details supplied) in County Donegal on 8 August 1980; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22560/05]
I am informed by the Garda authorities that this fire occurred in a hotel in County Donegal on 8 August 1980 where ten people tragically lost their lives. The exact cause of the fire was not conclusively established. However, an investigation was conducted and the indications were that the cause of the fire was an electrical fault leading to overheated wires behind facia boards.
There is no information currently available to justify re-opening the investigation into the matter at this time.
611 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he has received a request from a person (details supplied) in County Donegal for access to his Department’s files on the circumstances of a fatal fire in County Donegal in 1980; if, in view of the exceptional circumstances of this case, he will consider granting access to these files; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22561/05]
612 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will consider using the powers available to him, under section 1 of the Tribunals of Inquiry (Evidence) (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1998, to have the Attorney General consult with Mr. Justice Morris with a view to seeking his consent for an amendment to the terms of reference so that the Morris tribunal be requested to inquire into the circumstances of a fatal fire in Bundoran, County Donegal in 1980 in which ten people lost their lives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22562/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 611 and 612 together.
The question of the extension of the terms of reference of the Morris tribunal to cover the tragic event in question was raised by the person concerned and by Members of the House around the time of the establishment of the tribunal. I also understand that it was the subject of a request under the Freedom of information Act which was dealt with in accordance with the provisions of that Act.
At the time I indicated that the circumstances surrounding the fire, including matters referred to in the letter from the person concerned, were raised at the time of the original investigation and that no evidence of criminality was found. The person concerned and the Deputies who made representations on his behalf were told that if he had further new information or additional material in his possession, this should be made available to the Garda authorities or to the Garda Complaints Board to whom any complaint about the manner in which the Garda investigation was conducted should ordinarily be addressed.
With regard to any extension of the terms of reference of the Morris tribunal, the position is that the existing terms of reference were adopted by the Houses of the Oireachtas as both definite, as required by the legislation, and comprehensive and are based on the recommendations of Mr. Shane Murphy, SC. It is not proposed to seek to extend them at this stage but it is open to the tribunal to seek an extension if it believes that the existing terms of reference constrain it from inquiring into a related definite matter of public importance.
613 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the reason an application for naturalisation by a person (details supplied) in County Mayo was refused. [22616/05]
An application for a certificate of naturalisation by the person referred to by the Deputy was received in the citizenship section of my Department in February 2003.
Section 15 of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, provides that an applicant for naturalisation must have a period of one year's continuous residence in the State before the date of the application and a total of four year's residence in the State in the eight years preceding that period. For the purposes of calculating this residency, no period may be reckoned in respect of which a non-national either was required to have the permission of the Minister to remain in the State but did not have such permission or had permission to remain for the purpose of study or for the purpose of seeking to be recognised as a refugee within the meaning of the Refugee Act 1996.
The applicant was deemed to be ineligible for naturalisation as she did not have five years' reckonable residence in the State at the date of her application, and as a result did not meet the above mentioned statutory criteria.
Officials in the citizenship section have been in correspondence with the person concerned and I understand the contents of a letter from her are being considered at present and that a reply will issue very shortly.
614 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position with regard to an application for a registration in the Land Registry Office by a person (details supplied) in County Mayo. [22617/05]
I am informed by the Registrar of Titles that this is an application for transmission of part which was lodged on 24 March 2004. Dealing Number D2004SM002579W refers. I am further informed that this application is in the final stages of completion and, subject to no queries arising, will be completed within the next few weeks.
615 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the reason temporary prison officers in the Midlands Prison, Portlaoise, who previously worked in the Curragh Prison, are not receiving subsistence and travel allowances; if these allowances will be awarded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22618/05]
The position with regard to the payment of travel and subsistence to the staff concerned was set out in my replies to Questions Nos. 198 and 199 on 16 June 2004. I indicated that the payment of travel and subsistence is governed by the provisions of Department of the Public Service Circular 11/82. It is a matter for each Department to determine whether it would be appropriate to make travel and subsistence payments to their staff in any particular situation.
Accordingly, in relation to temporary transfers from the Curragh, it was decided that subsistence payments relating to breakfast, dinner or tea allowances would not be paid as the costs of same would normally be incurred by the officer in any event. Furthermore, mileage expenses were to be at the lower rate and the payment of this was reviewed on a regular basis. For the purposes of clarification, where an officer travels from home to the prison of temporary transfer, she or he will qualify for mileage, at the lower rate, based on the lesser of the distance from home to the prison of temporary transfer or the distance from his or her normal prison to the prison of temporary transfer, except that if any part of the journey from home to the prison of temporary transfer covers part of the usual route from home to his or her normal prison, this portion will not qualify for payment of mileage, that is, mileage is only payable for that part of the journey after the officer leaves his or her normal route to work to his or her normal prison.
617 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, further to Questions Nos. 796 of 26 January 2005 and 240 of 23 March 2005, if the pistols and revolvers stolen in 2002, 2003 and 2004 were legally held by the Garda or the Defence Forces at the time they were stolen as no private person during these years could legally hold such firearms; the number of other stolen firearms in 2002, 2003 and 2004 which were legally held by members of the Garda Síochána or the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22697/05]
According to the Garda authorities the category of "pistol-revolver" on the crime recording system is broad and captures different types of pistols and revolvers including starting pistols, air pistols, antique pistols and flare pistols. Starting pistols, antique pistols and flare pistols do not require a firearm certificate for possession, use or carriage. Where an air pistol falls under the definition of a firearm contained in the Firearms Acts 1925 to 2000 a firearm certificate is required for possession, use or carriage.
With regard to the figures relating to pistols the six pistols-revolvers stolen in 2002 refer to starting pistols, flare pistols and air pistols. There were two antique revolvers stolen in 2002 and both had the barrel bored and the hammer filed down to render them incapable of firing. The 17 pistols-revolvers stolen in 2003 refer to air pistols, starting pistols and starting revolvers. There was one revolver stolen in 2003 which had been rendered incapable of firing. The pistols-revolvers stolen in 2004 were two air pistols.
The Garda authorities inform me that the information in relation to firearms stolen in 2002, 2003 and 2004, which are legally held by members of the Garda Síochána or the Defence Forces, is not readily available but is currently being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy in due course.
618 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform further to previous parliamentary questions in May 2005, the steps he will take to allocate sufficient garda personnel to Killucan and the surrounding areas to replace a sergeant who was appointed a detective sergeant and a garda who retired; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the Garda Síochána is awaiting additional gardaí to be allocated to this division in order to be in a position to replace these two gardaí in an area with an expanding population; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22698/05]
I have been informed by the Garda authorities, who are responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, that the personnel strength of Killucan Garda station as at 24 June 2005 was one garda.
As I stated in my reply to Question No. 263 of 18 May 2005, it is the responsibility of the divisional officer to allocate personnel within his or her division.
I am advised that cognisance is taken of retirements, etc., during each allocation of probationer gardaí, and that the needs of the Longford-Westmeath division will be fully considered during future allocations of probationer gardaí and, where possible, by way of permanent transfer of members to the division.
In relation to Garda resources generally, I am very pleased the Government has approved my proposal to increase the strength of the Garda Síochána to 14,000 members on a phased basis, in line with the An Agreed Programme for Government commitment in this regard. This is a key commitment in the programme for Government, and its implementation will significantly strengthen the operational capacity of the force.
The Commissioner will now draw up plans on how best to distribute and manage these additional resources. In this context, the needs of the Longford-Westmeath division will be fully considered in the context of the needs of Garda divisions throughout the country. Clearly, the additional resources will be targeted at the areas of greatest need, as is envisaged in the programme for Government. The programme identifies areas with a significant drugs problem and a large number of public order offences, but it will be possible to address other priorities as well, such as the need to very significantly increase the number of gardaí allocated to traffic duties as part of the new Garda traffic corps. One thing I have already promised is that the additional gardaí will not be put on administrative duties. They will be put directly into frontline, operational, high-visibility policing. They will have a real impact.
619 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when a decision will be made in the case of persons (details supplied) in County Kilkenny who applied earlier this year for permission to remain in the State on the basis of their Irish born child and if a decision on the case will be expedited. [22699/05]
Applications for permission to remain in the State under the revised arrangements announced by me on 15 January 2005 for the processing of applications from the non-national parents of Irish born children born before 1 January 2005 were received from the persons concerned on 27 January 2005.
Some 18,000 applications were received under the revised arrangements and more than 7,600 have been processed to date. I understand decisions on applications from the persons concerned will issue shortly.
620 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the reason a case was handed over to social workers and taken out of the hands of gardaí and the person by whom this decision was made. [22700/05]
I regret that it has not been possible in the time available to obtain the information requested by the Deputy. I will contact the Deputy again when the information is to hand.
621 Mr. Carey asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if there are any circumstances when persons (details supplied), who are prisoners in the UK, will be considered for repatriation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22701/05]
I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has not received formal applications for transfer to this country under the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons in respect of these persons.
The Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons requires extensive documentation to be exchanged between both jurisdictions to allow an application to be fully considered. A three way consent is also required to enable any transfer to take place, that is, from the authorities of both jurisdictions and from the person concerned. On receipt of those consents, assuming they will be forthcoming, an application must then be made to the High Court for a warrant authorising the transfer of the person concerned and his continued detention here.
These procedures are required under the Convention and the Transfer of Sentenced Persons Act 1995 and must be adhered to in processing each application.
622 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to the fact that any person under 18 years of age may purchase a ticket at a cinema multiple for a film for children, present it to the attendant at the entrance and once inside view an adult film; the plans he intends to implement to address this matter; if his attention has further been drawn to the fact that once certified, films later become available in video shops and under 18 year olds have ways and means of viewing them; if explicit hard-core sexually indecent films, the certification of which will also lead them to being made available in video shops will not be shown on cinema screen; the steps he will take to enable members of the public to appeal a censor’s decision to certify a film which is indecent within the terms of the law; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22822/05]
Under Section 6(2) of the Censorship of Films Act 1923, it is an offence to knowingly exhibit in public a film in the presence of any person who is not a member of the class in whose presence such a film is authorised to be exhibited. The staff of the film censor's office includes an inspector, one of whose duties includes visiting cinemas to ensure compliance with the aforementioned Act. Should the Deputy have specific examples of offences having been committed he should bring them to the attention of the relevant authorities.
With regard to the Deputy's concerns about certain films being made available in video shops, following their certification for public display, the position is that no film shall be exhibited in public in the first instance, unless it is certified as fit for public examination by the film censor. While independent in the exercise of his official functions, the relevant legislation provides for the prohibition of films where the film censor forms the opinion that such a film or part thereof is unfit for general exhibition by reason of its being obscene or blasphemous or because its exhibition in public would be subversive of public morality.
The legislation does not provide for an appeal by a member of the general public against a certification decision in respect of a particular film. However, the film censor has in place a range of mechanisms which enable parents and others to express their views on film classification and certification.
These include: the holding of regular focus group consultations — comprising parents, educators, students, psychologists, psychiatrists, other experts and representative organisations, for example, the National Parents Council; the establishment of a website, www.ifco.ie, which I launched on 3 September, 2004 and which provides consumer advice to parents on the content of every film; and a major national survey of parents carried out by Lansdowne Market Research as well as a survey on adolescent attitudes to film classification.
The Deputy may be interested in the results of the survey of parents, in which two out of three parents said they regularly agreed with the film censor's classification. Of the one in three who said that they sometimes disagree with the classifications, a majority felt that they were too strict.
623 Mr. Ferris asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the authority by which the weapon discovered in the car of a person (details supplied) was destroyed on 19 July 2000; the make and serial number of the weapon; and if there was any connection made between the said weapon and any others discovered in any other part of Ireland. [22823/05]
624 Mr. Ferris asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if a weapon destroyed on 19 July 2000 may be used in any future case against a person (details supplied) in County Kerry. [22824/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 623 and 624 together.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that the weapon in question, which was never claimed, was destroyed, together with other weaponry, in July 2000, as the storage site — Clancy Barracks — had been sold. In this regard, when cases are finalised in the courts or if no charges are preferred, items such as this are returned to the Garda technical bureau, unless there is a court order to say otherwise.
I am further informed that there will be no criminal proceedings taken in relation to this weapon. I do not consider it appropriate to comment on the other aspects of the Deputy's questions, as they are of an operational nature.
625 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to a warning (details supplied) that cocaine use among young persons had now reached higher levels than heroin ever had; the steps being taken to reduce the supply of cocaine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22874/05]
As the Deputy will be aware, the Government's overall policy to tackle the drug problem is set out in the National Drugs Strategy 2001-2008, Building on Experience, and responsibility for co-ordinating the implementation of the strategy lies with my colleague, Deputy Noel Ahern, Minister of State at the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. Under the current national strategy, which sets out a framework for action for the period 2001-2008, drugs policy is being delivered across the four pillars of supply reduction, prevention, treatment and research.
In recent years, the Government has become increasingly aware of an increase in the use of cocaine in Ireland and the need to put in place appropriate interventions. The Government remains fully committed to addressing the misuse of all illegal drugs, including cocaine, in the context of the national drugs strategy, and it continues to invest significant funding towards tackling the drug problem.
Specifically as regards cocaine, last November the Minister of State with responsibility for the national drugs strategy allocated €400,000 to fund a number of pilot training, education and treatment initiatives targeted at addressing cocaine. This funding is intended to build on the valuable work already done in this area by the health authorities and community based projects in local drugs task force areas. It is expected that these pilot initiatives will play an important part in broadening our knowledge of how best to continue to tackle the problem of cocaine misuse.
Regarding supply reduction, actions by An Garda Síochána include: conducting intelligence driven operations at criminal networks involved in the sale and supply of cocaine; working in partnership with other law enforcement agencies, both nationally and internationally, to reduce the supply of cocaine into the state; and conducting targeted operations in locations where cocaine supply and distribution are believed to occur.
These actions have led to an increase in the number of cocaine seizures and the volume of cocaine seized.
626 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views on the recent ruling of the High Court in a case taken by the Equality Authority that Portmarnock Golf Club can continue to exclude women as full members; if he will consider amending the Equal Status Act 2000 to deal with this situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22875/05]
The Equality Authority is independent in the performance of its functions. It is open to the Equality Authority in this case to appeal to the Supreme Court. The time allowed for lodging an appeal has not yet elapsed. It would be inappropriate, therefore, for me to comment at this stage other than to welcome the judge's finding that the relevant sections of the Equal Status Act are constitutional.
627 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will detail the circumstances under which a person (details supplied) was taken into custody and shortly afterwards transferred to the intensive care unit of a Dublin northside hospital. [22876/05]
I have received a number of reports on this matter from the Garda authorities who have informed me that on 2 June, 2005, the person referred to by the Deputy was arrested for an offence under Section 112 of the Road Traffic Acts 1964-1994 unauthorised taking of a vehicle, and conveyed to Store Street Garda station. Upon arrival, the person was processed, subjected to a search and placed in a cell in accordance with standard procedures The person was checked in his cell by the Garda on duty on five occasions, and nothing unusual was found.
When the Garda on duty next went to the cell, the person was found hanging from a ligature around his neck, which was suspended from a permanent fixture in the cell. The ligature used was the cord from the waist band of the person's tracksuit. The person was taken down, cardio-pulmonary resuscitation was commenced and an ambulance was called. The procedure continued until the arrival of Dublin Fire Brigade ambulance personnel and the person was conveyed to hospital. The person concerned currently remains in intensive care.
The cell area was sealed off and an investigation into the circumstances of this incident immediately commenced. A superintendent from outside the division has been appointed to oversee this investigation, which is ongoing
628 Mr. O’Connor asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the value of the increases in charges and appropriations in aid in the financial years 1995/1996 and 1997/1998. [23511/05]
I take it the Deputy is referring to appropriations-in-aid received into my Department's Votes for each of the calendar years 1995 to 1998 — the financial year for Departments and offices is the calendar year. The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following tabular statement, which reflects the levels of appropriations-in-aid for the years in question including a percentage analysis between the levels in 1995 and 1998. The figures are in Irish pounds as this was the reporting currency for the years in question. The Deputy will also note that appropriations-in-aid are derived from a range of sources not all of which relate directly to charges.
|
Vote |
Appropriation in Aid Category |
1995 |
1996 |
1997 |
1998 |
% increase 1998 over 1995 |
|
£000 |
£000 |
£000 |
£000 |
% |
||
|
Office of the Minister for Justice |
Film Censorship Fees (cash) |
512 |
530 |
537 |
537 |
4.88 |
|
Office of the Minister for Justice |
Data Protection Fees |
202 |
207 |
218 |
221 |
9.41 |
|
Office of the Minister for Justice |
Miscellaneous Receipts |
107 |
57 |
120 |
251 |
134.58 |
|
Garda Síochána |
Contributions to the Garda Síochána Spouses’ and Children’s Pensions Scheme |
5,830 |
5,387 |
5,465 |
6,091 |
4.48 |
|
Garda Síochána |
Contributions to the Garda Síochána Pensions Scheme |
5,095 |
5,052 |
5,288 |
6,383 |
25.28 |
|
Garda Síochána |
Miscellaneous Receipts |
3,225 |
3,106 |
3,550 |
3,556 |
10.26 |
|
Garda Síochána |
Receipts from Banks in respect of Cash Escort Services |
750 |
750 |
750 |
750 |
0.00 |
|
Prisons |
Receipts from Manufacturing Department and Farm (including produce used in prisons) |
627 |
692 |
717 |
866 |
38.12 |
|
Prisons |
European Social Fund |
107 |
138 |
98 |
294 |
174.77 |
|
Prisons |
Miscellaneous |
347 |
281 |
292 |
420 |
21.04 |
|
Courts |
Fines |
942 |
1,235 |
1,395 |
1,859 |
97.35 |
|
Courts |
Fees |
342 |
407 |
207 |
147 |
-57.02 |
|
Courts |
Miscellaneous |
105 |
99 |
123 |
137 |
30.48 |
629 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Education and Science if the provision of core funding for the development of multi-denominational primary education here is a right that arises as understood by the UNHCR; his views on such a right; and if he will confirm that such a right exists for the Minister for Education and Science. [22039/05]
On 10 March last the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination did not issue a judgment imposing an obligation on the Irish State to promote the establishment of multidenominational schools. Rather the committee encouraged Ireland to promote the establishment of non-denominational or multidenominational schools.
The committee recommended that this matter be addressed along with all other observations made when Ireland submits its third and fourth periodic reports by January 2008. My Department will furnish its response on this specific observation as part of that wider reporting by Ireland requested by the committee.
As regards annual funding for Educate Together, the group which promotes the development of multidenominational schools, the position is that my Department is currently engaged in discussions with this group in relation to this matter. The provision of some additional funding in 2005, to meet the immediate issues of concern to Educate Together, is under discussion along with their longer term needs. The current level of funding that my Department provides to Educate Together as a school management body is on a par with that provided to Foras Patrúnachta na Gaelscoileanna, the Church of Ireland Board of Education, the Islamic Board of Education and the National Association of Boards of Management in Special Education.
As regards support for the establishment of new multidenominational schools, it should be noted that the Department has supported the establishment of many new Educate Together schools in recent years. Of the 24 new schools granted provisional recognition in the past three years, 12 of them are under Educate Together patronage. The Department has made a number of changes in recent years which have made the provision of accommodation for new schools much easier. One of these changes, which was strongly welcomed by Educate Together, was the abolition of the local contribution to the building costs for state-owned school buildings, which had cost up to €63,500 per school. Other innovations include the development of the design and build model to provide permanent accommodation much faster- such as in the case of the new Educate Together school in Griffeen Valley, Lucan which was designed and built in under 13 months.
630 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Education and Science if she will accord such rights as will meet the terms of United Nations Commission for Human Rights understanding in relation to the provision of multidenominational primary education here; if she will confirm the Government’s intention to have such rights vindicated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22058/05]
I want to clarify that on 10 March last the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination did not issue a judgment imposing an obligation on the Irish State to promote the establishment of multi-denominational schools. Rather the committee encouraged Ireland to promote the establishment of non-denominational or multidenominational schools.
The committee recommended that this matter be addressed along with all other observations made when Ireland submits its third and fourth periodic reports by January 2008. My Department will furnish its response on this specific observation as part of that wider reporting by Ireland requested by the committee.
As regards the establishment of new multi-denominational schools in recent years, it should be noted that of the 24 new schools granted provisional recognition in the past three years, 12 of them are under Educate Together patronage. Of the other 12 schools granted provisional recognition, six are Gaelscoileanna, five are under Catholic patronage and one is under the patronage of the Church of Ireland. The procedures for establishing new schools are extremely fair and transparent. All potential sponsors of schools, whether the patron is one of Catholic, Protestant, Muslim or Jewish faith or one such as Educate Together or part of the Gaelscoileanna movement, are treated on an equal basis.
The criteria and procedures for the recognition of new primary schools were revised in 2002, based on the recommendations of a report of the Commission on School Accommodation, on which the education partners were represented. Applications for the recognition of new schools are assessed by an independent advisory board — the new schools advisory committee — on the basis of the facts provided by the patron body in support of the case for the new school and the likely demand for places. Schools are granted provisional recognition and permanent recognition follows when long term viability has been established on actual enrolments over a period.
631 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of buses, destined specifically for the school bus fleet, which it is intended to order in 2005; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22123/05]
632 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Science if tenders have been sought for additions to the school bus fleet since the Meath bus crash; if so, the number of buses for which tenders have been sought; when the tenders were advertised; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22124/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 631 and 632 together.
The phased abolition of the three for two seating arrangement will involve the hiring in of additional vehicles. However, the exact number and type of vehicle that will be required has not yet been determined. Tenders will be invited by Bus Éireann in the normal way.
633 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Science if circular 12/96 to allow pupils attending private schools to obtain a Department exemption in Irish will be operational before the start of the academic year 2005-2006. [21877/05]
The position with regard to exemptions from the study of Irish is currently under review in my Department. The question of allowing exemptions from the study of Irish to pupils attending private schools will be considered in the light of that review.
634 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Education and Science the measures she has in place to address safety on school transport to ensure that no further fatal accident occurs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21879/05]
Notwithstanding the dreadful accident in Meath last month, it should be remembered that the safety record of the school bus service is very good, bearing in mind that more or less 138,000 children, are transported each day to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. Comparisons of Irish data on road accidents indicate that the risks of travelling on a bus are far lower than for other forms of road transport.
Nonetheless, safety on school buses is constantly under review, and only last January, the Minister of State at my Department with responsibility for school transport, Deputy Síle de Valera, initiated a warning flashing light pilot scheme on school buses. These lights reduce the risk of accidents in the vicinity of the school bus as pupils descend and where safety research has shown the majority of accidents occur. It is planned to roll out the scheme on a phased basis to other parts of the country following a successful evaluation of the pilot project.
The question of introducing legislation to require motorists to stop on approaching a school bus showing flashing lights is being actively examined. All vehicles operating under the school transport scheme are required to meet the statutory regulations as laid down by the Department of Transport. Where vehicles have over eight adult seats and are more than one year old, they are required to pass that Department's annual roadworthiness test. No bus which is unsafe or dangerous is allowed on to the road to carry children. Measures are also in place to control speed. Single deck buses with more than eight seats are subject to a speed limit of 80 km/h and double deck vehicles are subject to a speed limit of 65 km/h.
Bus Éireann school bus drivers are required to undergo a pre-employment medical examination by a nominated doctor, and may be subject to ongoing medical review. All such drivers must hold a current driving licence, appropriate to the size of vehicles they are required to drive. The company also provides training to bring drivers up to the requisite standard, if necessary. In addition, Bus Éireann school bus drivers must pass a driving assessment conducted by specially trained and qualified inspectors. Vehicle familiarisation with different types of school buses is carried out on an ongoing basis. Bus Éireann school bus drivers have also attended a disability awareness training course, especially designed to take account of the requirements of children with special needs who travel under the school transport scheme. This course is ongoing.
Contractors' school bus drivers are required to undergo a pre-employment medical examination by a nominated doctor, and may be subject to ongoing medical review by the chief medical officer of CIE. It is a condition of the contract agreement that no person shall be allowed to drive a school bus if having been requested, they refuse to submit themselves for medical examination, or if they are certified unfit. All contractors must hold a current driving licence, appropriate to the size of vehicles they are required to drive. Bus Éireann maintain a record of driving licences on file for all nominated contractors. Bus Éireann has facilitated contractors and their school bus drivers who drive services under the school transport scheme for children with special needs to attend the ongoing disability awareness training course organised for the company's personnel. Contractors, as independent private bus operators, may at their own discretion, provide additional training for their employees. Since 1999, Bus Éireann has purchased a large number of vehicles as part of an ongoing school bus fleet replacement programme, to continually improve the age profile and condition of their school bus fleet. In addition, the Bus Éireann school bus fleet currently has some 400 large capacity buses that were transferred from the general service fleet into the dedicated school transport bus fleet. More than 250 of these buses were transferred in the period 1999-2003, and they represent another valuable source of replacement buses over this period. This investment has produced an improvement in the condition of the fleet generally and this fleet replacement programme, aimed at replacing older buses with more modern vehicles, is continuing.
The Deputy will be aware that arrangements are being made by my Department to phase out the three for two seating arrangement on school buses within the next three years, starting next September.
As regards the provision of seatbelts on school buses, the Department is working closely with the Department of Transport on this issue and these deliberations will be guided by expert advice. The safety of our school buses is of course an issue of paramount importance and I would like to assure the Deputy of my commitment, and that of my colleague, the Minister of State with responsibility for school transport, towards ensuring that our school bus system is as safe as possible.
635 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Science when she intends to furnish a reply further to correspondence submitted to her Department on 7 October 2004 (details supplied); the reason for the delay in responding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21893/05]
My Department has been in touch with the Deputy on a number of occasions since 7 October 2004. The Department is liaising with the transport liaison officer of the relevant VEC regarding this case. The Deputy will be advised of the outcome, as soon as possible.
636 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 469 of 4 May 2005, the progress in obtaining a site; if she will meet a deputation representing the school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21898/05]
My Department has accepted in principle a site for the school in question which was offered under the terms of the property aspect of the indemnity agreement between the State and 18 religious congregations dated 5 June 2002. To clarify the value of the site the Department referred the matter to an independent expert in accordance with the terms of section 9 of the agreement.
The Society of Chartered Surveyors has appointed an independent expert who is in the process of assessing the value of the site. Following the outcome of this process the matter of the transfer of the legal title will be addressed.
637 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 363 of 24 May 2005, when she intends to furnish a reply to the correspondence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21902/05]
My Department has replied to Ms Ward's correspondence. A letter issued to Ms Ward on Friday 24 June.
638 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Science if she will approve an application for funding for a building unit at a school (details supplied) in County Roscommon; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21903/05]
An application for an extension and refurbishment has been received from the management authorities of the school referred to by the Deputy and has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria, which was revised following consultation with the education partners. The proposed project at the school referred to, will be considered in the context of the school building and modernisation programme 2005-2009.
639 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Education and Science the progress she has made for the provision of a new national school at Collooney; the funding that has been put in place; and the timescale involved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21921/05]
The proposed new school project for the school referred to by the Deputy has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria, which was revised following consultation with the education partners. The project will be considered in the context of the school building and modernisation programme 2005-2009.
640 Ms B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for Education and Science if she intends to re-introduce the physical education grant for primary schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21940/05]
In October 2000, my Department introduced a physical education grant for all primary schools. Since the introduction of the scheme, the Department provided in excess of €5.5 million in grant aid to primary schools to enable schools provide coaching or mentoring in connection with physical education or to purchase associated resource materials.
Materials and equipment purchased by schools in previous years will generally be available to them for subsequent years. The question of restoring the grant will be kept under review as part of the normal Estimates process in the coming years.
I would, however, point out that schools may use their general capitation funding to support the implementation of curricula including physical education. Since 1997 the standard rate of capitation grant has been increased from €57.14 per pupil to €133.58 in the current year, an increase of almost 134% in the period.
The Deputy should also be aware that of the 151 additional projects announced last week for funding under the summer works 2005, 34 projects were for the provision or upgrade of play areas and PE halls.
641 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of persons taking the leaving certificate established, applied and vocational for the most recent year for which statistics are available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21941/05]
On foot of a Government decision, the then Minister for Education and Science formally established the State Examinations Commission on 6 March 2003. The commission now has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. This includes the matter raised by the Deputy. I have forwarded your question to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply.
642 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of persons who failed to make the transition from primary to secondary schooling for each of the past five years for which statistics are available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21942/05]
The specific information requested by the Deputy is not available at present.
The Education Welfare Act 2000, and the establishment of the National Educational Welfare Board provides a comprehensive framework for promoting regular school attendance and tackling the problems of absenteeism and early school leaving. To discharge its responsibilities, the board is developing a nationwide service to provide welfare-focused services to children, families and schools. The board currently has an authorised staffing complement of 94. The priority I attach to supporting the NEWB is evident from the fact that the budget which it has been allocated for 2005 is up by 20% on the 2004 allocation, to nearly €8 million. The board issued an information leaflet to 330,000 families and 4,000 schools in March, 2004. The leaflet targeted parents and guardians of children aged between six and 16 years of age and young people aged 16 and 17 who have left school early to start work. It outlined the role parents and guardians play in ensuring that their children do not miss out on education and training and also gave information about the National Educational Welfare Board. In addition, the board launched a new lo-call telephone number to inform parents and guardians about their legal role and responsibilities under the Education (Welfare) Act 2000.
My Department also operates a number of programmes at both primary and post-primary level to tackle the problem of early school leaving. The Giving Children an Even Break programme provides additional financial and teaching supports for children in primary schools from disadvantaged backgrounds who are most at risk of educational disadvantage and early school leaving.
A key role in this regard is also played by the home school community liaison, HSCL, scheme which helps parents to develop their skills as the primary educators of their children and also addresses issues in the community impinging on learning and educational participation. The school completion programme is aimed directly at those in danger of dropping out of the education system by targeting individual young people of school going age, both in and out of school, and arranging supports to address inequalities in education access, participation and outcomes.
Both the HSCL scheme and all 82 school completion programme projects operate transfer programmes which are very important in assisting pupils in making the transition from primary to post-primary level.
The new action plan for educational inclusion, Delivering Equality Of Opportunity In Schools, which I launched recently, focuses on addressing the educational needs of children and young people from disadvantaged communities. The plan provides for a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and a new integrated school support programme which will bring together and build upon, a number of existing interventions for schools with a concentrated level of disadvantage. The action plan will be introduced on a phased basis — starting in the next school year — and will involve an additional annual investment of €40m on full implementation. It will also involve the provision of some 300 additional posts across the education system. A continuing emphasis will be placed on the development of effective transfer programmes by building on the existing work of the HSCL scheme and the school completion programme in this area.
643 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of persons who continued on to senior cycle after completing junior certificate for the past five years for which statistics are available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21943/05]
644 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of persons who left full-time education before the junior certificate examination for the past five years for which statistics are available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21944/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 643 and 644 together.
Data on school retention and drop-out for the most recent school year, 2004-2005, are currently being finalised and will, together with estimates for previous years be forwarded directly to the Deputy when available.
645 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of schools in the State which offer the full complement of science subjects to leaving certificate level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21945/05]
In the 2004-05 school year there were 497 post-primary schools providing the full complement of science subjects to leaving certificate level. The full complement of science subjects includes physics, chemistry and biology.
646 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of schools in the State which offer music to junior and leaving certificate level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21946/05]
In the 2004-05 school year there were 413 post-primary schools providing music to both junior and leaving certificate level.
647 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of primary and secondary schools in the State which offer relationships and sexuality education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21947/05]
All recognised primary and post-primary schools are required to offer relationships and sexuality education, RSE. The subject is an integral part of the social, personal and health education, SPHE, curriculum at primary level and junior cycle post-primary level. In addition, all second level schools are required to have an agreed school policy and a suitable relationships and sexuality education programme in place for senior cycle pupils. An integrated SPHE programme at senior cycle incorporating RSE is being developed by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment.
648 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Science the average literacy level of all third class primary children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21949/05]
649 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Science the average literacy level of all sixth class primary children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21950/05]
650 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Science the average literacy level of all junior certificate secondary children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21951/05]
651 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Science the average numeracy level of all third class primary children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21952/05]
652 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Science the average numeracy level of all sixth class primary children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21953/05]
653 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Science the average numeracy level of all junior certificate secondary children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21954/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 648 to 653, inclusive, together.
Proficiency in literacy and numeracy tests is usually expressed in terms of a standard score. This standard score, which can be any number, but is usually 100 or a multiple of 100, is derived from the number of test items answered correctly by all of the pupils tested. The average score for all pupils is, therefore, an arbitrary artefact of the test design and is only meaningful when compared with something else, for example, the results of an assessment conducted previously or with the results obtained for a similar population elsewhere. In the case of national assessments, average scores can be compared over time using baseline data or, in the case of international assessments, the average score for Irish children can be compared with children of a similar age in other countries.
National assessments of literacy standards at primary school level are conducted by means of a national reading survey of pupils in fifth class every five years. There are no national assessment data available for either third or sixth class but Ireland participated in the IEA international survey of reading literacy in 1991 which mainly involved nine year old children who were mainly in third class. The overall average score for Irish children was 509 which was above the international mean of 500. Ireland was ranked in 12th place of the 27 participating countries. Trends in literacy achievement measured by national assessments since, in 1993 and 1998, suggest that overall standards have changed only slightly since 1991.
Ireland also participates in the OECD programme for international student assessment, PISA, of 15 year olds, 64% of whom were at junior certificate level when the most recent PISA survey was conducted in 2003. Ireland achieved a mean score of 515 on the reading literacy scale, considerably higher than the OECD average. Ireland's ranking in reading literacy was seventh out of 40 countries. Just three countries, Finland, Korea and Canada, had mean scores significantly higher than Ireland's.
At primary level, surveys of achievement in mathematics at fourth class have been conducted on behalf of the Department of Education and Science by the Educational Research Centre, but not at either third or sixth class level. The 1999 survey of mathematics found that pupils performed best on items dealing with data and chance, number and algebra and were weakest on items dealing with measures and shape and space. Performance on mathematical processes was strongest on understanding and recalling terminology, facts and definitions and implementing mathematical procedures. Pupils were less successful when dealing with mathematical reasoning, analysing and problem solving, evaluating solutions and understanding and making connections between mathematical processes and concepts. The overall achievement of boys and girls was not statistically significantly different, although more boys than girls were at the highest levels of achievement, at or above the 90th percentile, and also at lowest levels of achievement, at or below the tenth percentile.
At second level, in the 2003 PISA where mathematics was the major domain, Ireland ranked 17th of 29 OECD countries on mathematics. The Irish mean score was not significantly different from the OECD mean, indicating average levels of performance in mathematics overall. However, the closer analysis that is afforded by the subscales shows that students in Ireland achieved scores that were significantly higher than the corresponding OECD mean score in two mathematics sub-domains, uncertainty and change and relationships, at the OECD average in one, quantity, and below the OECD average in one, space and shape.
These results give a fuller picture of our students' performance and point to strengths that are not obvious from the data on overall scores alone. A noteworthy aspect of Ireland's performance when compared with OECD countries is that fewer students performed at the lowest proficiency levels, level one or below. The figure here was 16.8% as against the OECD mean of 21.4%. This provides evidence of comparatively good standards among low achievers. Promotion of the achievement of highest education standards in literacy and numeracy among all learners will continue to be a priority for my Department.
654 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Science if the Education (Welfare) Act 2000 will be amended to be applicable to children under the age of six in full-time education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21955/05]
The Education (Welfare) Act 2000 established the National Educational Welfare Board as the single national body with responsibility for school attendance. The Act provides a comprehensive framework promoting regular school attendance and tackling the problems of absenteeism and early school leaving. The general functions of the board are to ensure that each child attends a recognised school or otherwise receives a certain minimum education.
Under the rules for national schools, the compulsory school-going age for children is six years of age and the National Educational Welfare Board has specific responsibility for the education and welfare of children who are aged between six and 16 years of age. A person under the age of six is not a child for the purposes of the Education (Welfare) Act 2000 and a parent is not under a legal obligation to ensure their attendance at school.
One of the functions of the board, as outlined in the Act, is to conduct and commission research into the reasons for non-attendance on the part of students and into the strategies and programmes designed to prevent it. The board has a programme of research in progress and has commissioned a firm of consultants to research the reasons for non-attendance by all primary and post-primary pupils, including those under six years of age. The board has indicated to my Department that the research will be completed and published in the autumn of this year. Pending receipt of the report from the board in due course, my Department has no plans to amend the Education (Welfare) Act 2000.
655 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of persons taking ordinary and higher level French at leaving certificate level for the past five years; the number taking ordinary and higher level Irish at leaving certificate level for the past five years; the number taking ordinary and higher level German at leaving certificate level for the past five years; the number taking ordinary and higher level Spanish at leaving certificate level for the past five years; the percentage of students in each subject category achieving an honours grade; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21956/05]
On foot of a Government decision, the then Minister for Education and Science formally established the State Examinations Commission on 6 March 2003. The commission now has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. This includes the matter raised by the Deputy. I have forwarded the Deputy's question to the commission for direct reply.
656 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of full-time places available for teaching training at the individual colleges of education; the number of places available at these colleges for postgraduate qualification in teaching; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21957/05]
My Department reviews the enrolment projections for schools and the factors affecting the demand for teaching posts on a regular basis and endeavours to ensure that the supply of teachers available meets the demand. The information requested by the Deputy is set out in tabular form as follows.
|
Froebel College |
60 |
|
Coláiste Mhuire Marino |
103 |
|
Mary Immaculate College |
405 |
|
St. Patrick’s College |
400 |
|
Church of Ireland College |
32 |
|
Total |
1,000 |
The number of B.Ed places available for 2005-06 will be agreed and communicated to the colleges of education shortly.
|
2004-05 |
2005-06 |
|
|
Froebel College |
30 |
30 |
|
Coláiste Mhuire Marino |
50 |
50 |
|
Mary Immaculate College |
100 |
100 |
|
St. Patrick’s College |
100 |
100 |
|
Total |
280 |
280 |
657 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of leaving certificate examination papers for which a recheck was requested for each of the past five years; the number of papers which were regraded following these rechecks; the papers which had grades increased following this recheck; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21958/05]
On foot of a Government decision, the then Minister for Education and Science formally established the State Examinations Commission on 6 March 2003. The commission now has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. This includes the matter raised by the Deputy. I have forwarded the Deputy's question to the commission for direct reply.
658 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of persons at primary level who are exempted from the study of Irish; the way in which this figure compares with the number in 2000 and 1995; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21959/05]
The figures requested by the Deputy in relation to the number of exemptions granted from the study of Irish are not readily available for the years requested. However, the following is the available information: the total number of exemptions granted in the period October 1998 to date was 9,098; in the period from January 2004 to December 2004 the number of exemptions granted was 1,608; and in the period January 2005 to date the number granted was 1,359.
As part of the primary school curriculum Irish is a compulsory subject. Exemption from the study of Irish may, however, be granted to primary pupils under certain circumstances outlined in Department circular 12/96. Under the terms of the circular, delegated authority to grant exemptions from Irish, within the conditions laid down, has been vested in the individual school authority. The scheme is under review by my Department and any new arrangements arising therefrom will be notified to schools by way of circular letter.
659 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of persons at secondary level who are exempted from the study of Irish; the way in which this figure compares with the number in 2000 and 1995; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21960/05]
In the current school year, 2004-05, a total of 6,588 pupils attending second level schools were granted an exemption by the school authorities from the study of Irish. The corresponding figures for the school years 1994-95 and 1999-2000 were 1,719 and 3,826, respectively.
My Department has issued guidelines on the granting of exemptions from the study of Irish to primary and post-primary schools. My Department's guidelines on an exemption from Irish at post-primary level are outlined at rule 46 of the Rules and Programmes for Secondary Schools and circular letter M10/94. Under the terms of this circular, my Department has delegated authority to the principals of second level schools to grant the exemptions provided that the pupil meets the criteria as set down. Exemptions may be granted by school authorities for pupils whose primary education up to 11 years of age was received in Northern Ireland or outside Ireland, pupils who were previously enrolled as recognised pupils in a primary school or second level school who are being re-enrolled after a period spent abroad, provided that at least three years have elapsed since the previous enrolment in the State and the pupil is at least 11 years of age on re-enrolment and certain categories of pupils with special educational needs, as set out in circular M10/94 or pupils from abroad who have no understanding of English when enrolled.
660 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Education and Science the amount spent by her Department or agencies under the authority of her Department, on the services of models for use in departmental promotional activities, during policy launches or other departmental events since 1997; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21981/05]
My Department has not spent any money on the type of services outlined by the Deputy.
661 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Science when the prefabs will be provided at a school (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; the cost of same; if planning permission has been applied for; if the plan for a permanent extension is being progressed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21984/05]
I am pleased to inform the Deputy that sanction has been given to the school to which he refers for the rental of two temporary classrooms. Costings have been sought from the school authority for this development. It is a matter for the board of management to obtain planning permission for the extra accommodation. The timing of its delivery is dependent on this and the costing process. The Department will grant-aid the rental at a rate of 95%, subject to a local contribution limit of €3,195.
Progress on the proposed project for additional permanent accommodation is being considered in the context of the school building and modernisation programme from 2005 onwards.
662 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the inordinately high pupil-teacher ratio obtaining in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 5; the action she will take to remedy this problem; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22007/05]
The staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on 30 September of the previous school year and by reference to a staffing schedule. This staffing schedule is outlined in primary circular 15/05 which issued to all primary schools recently. This is in line with guidelines agreed between my Department and the education partners.
In the current school year the staffing of the school comprises of principal and 14 mainstream class teaching posts. This is based on an enrolment of 386 pupils at 30 September 2003. The school also has a learning support post and resource post. The mainstream staffing of the school for the 2005-06 school year will remain at a principal and 14 mainstream class teaching posts. This is based on an enrolment of 384 pupils at 30 September 2004.
The staffing schedule is structured to ensure that all primary schools will operate to an average mainstream class size of 29 pupils. Where some classes in a school have class sizes of greater than 29, it is generally because a decision has been taken at local level to use their teaching resources to have smaller numbers in other classes. School authorities should ensure there is an equitable distribution of pupils in mainstream classes and the differential between the largest and smallest classes is kept to a minimum.
To ensure openness and transparency in the system an independent appeals board is now in place to decide on any appeals. The criteria under which an appeal can be made are set out in Department primary circular 19/02, which is also available on my Department's website. The appeals board met on 14 June and will meet again in July and October to consider appeals on the mainstream teaching allocation to schools for the 2005-06 school year. The closing dates for appeals for the forthcoming July and October meetings are 24 June and 7 October 2005, respectively. Appeals must be submitted to primary payments section, Department of Education and Science, Athlone, on the standard application form, clearly stating the criterion under which the appeal is being made. The application form is available from the primary payments section or on my Department's website. I am sure the Deputy will appreciate that it would not be appropriate for me to intervene in the operation of the independent appeals board.
663 Mr. Connolly asked the Minister for Education and Science the steps she proposes to take to address the shortage of Department educational psychologists for both primary and post-primary schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22016/05]
The number of NEPS psychologists has increased almost threefold from 43 psychologists on establishment to 127 psychologists at present, including three NDA psychologists serving with NEPS and one psychologist currently serving with another section of the Department. This number does not include two psychologists who are on career break.
All schools which do not have NEPS psychologists assigned to them may avail of the scheme for commissioning psychological assessments, SCPA, whereby they can commission assessments from a member of a panel of private psychologists approved by NEPS and NEPS will pay the fees directly to the psychologists concerned. Details of this scheme, including the conditions that apply to it, are available on my Department's website.
NEPS also provides assistance for all schools which suffer from critical incidents, regardless of whether they have a NEPS psychologist assigned to them. Also, in relation to all schools, NEPS processes applications for reasonable accommodations in certificate examinations.
On behalf of my Department, the Public Appointments Service is conducting a new recruitment competition for NEPS. Regional panels, rather than one national panel, will be established on the results of this new competition. This will allow my Department to give greater priority in filling vacancies to areas with the greatest need. Any increase in the overall numbers of psychologists in NEPS must take account of Government policy on public sector numbers.
664 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Education and Science if she will provide such support for multi-denominational primary education here as will meet the human rights entitlements as understood by the United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva; if she will confirm such a principle; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22017/05]
I wish to clarify that on 10 March last the United Nations committee on the elimination of racial discrimination did not issue a judgment imposing an obligation on the State to promote the establishment of multidenominational schools. Rather, the committee encouraged Ireland to promote the establishment of non-denominational or multidenominational schools. The committee recommended that this matter be addressed with all other observations made when Ireland submits its third and fourth periodic reports by January 2008. My Department will furnish its response on this specific observation as part of that wider reporting by Ireland requested by the committee.
In relation to the establishment of new multidenominational schools in recent years, it should be noted that of the 24 new schools granted provisional recognition in the past three years, 12 of which are under Educate Together patronage. Of the other 12 schools granted provisional recognition, six are Gaelscoileanna, five are under Catholic patronage and one is under the patronage of the Church of Ireland.
The procedures for establishing new schools are extremely fair and transparent. All potential sponsors of schools, whether the patron is one of Catholic, Protestant, Muslim or Jewish faith or one such as Educate Together or the Gaelscoileanna movement, are treated on an equal basis. The criteria and procedures for the recognition of new primary schools were revised in 2002 based on the recommendations of a report of the Commission on School Accommodation, on which the education partners were represented.
Applications for the recognition of new schools are assessed by an independent advisory board, the new schools advisory committee, on the basis of the facts provided by the patron body in support of the case for the new school and the likely demand for places. Schools are granted provisional recognition and permanent recognition follows when long-term viability has been established on actual enrolments over a period.
665 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Education and Science the status of the application by a school (details supplied) in County Galway for funding for much needed extension work; when the necessary funding will be provided; when the construction work will be completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22018/05]
My Department is in receipt of an application for improved accommodation from the authorities of the school to which the Deputy refers. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria which were revised last year following consultation with the education partners. The project will be considered in the context of the school building and modernisation programme 2005-09.
666 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason vetting is not being extended to third level students who require placements with agencies as part of their studies which may give them substantial unsupervised access to children or vulnerable adults; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22019/05]
The central vetting unit is run by the Garda Síochána. It is, therefore, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform who has primary responsibility in this area. The vetting unit is responsible for vetting requests regarding prospective employees of designated agencies who would have substantial unsupervised access to children and vulnerable adults. The designated agencies comprise more than 900 organisations. In the education sector, vetting is available in respect of requests for clearance from my Department in relation to bus escorts and special needs assistants provided for children with special educational needs and staff working in children detention schools.
A cross-governmental working group, established to put forward proposals for reform of vetting by the central vetting unit, recommended in March 2004 the expansion of its services to include all people working with children and vulnerable adults. To this end, the Minister of State with responsibility for children, Deputy Brian Lenihan, has announced a major increase in the resources to be provided for the Garda vetting unit to improve the level of vetting available to employers who employ people to work with children and vulnerable adults. The initiative includes the more than doubling of staff resources for the unit.
667 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Science if her Department has received an application from the County Wicklow VEC for approval of a proposal to establish a second level all-Irish school in Arklow; if so, the status of this application, with particular reference to the objective of bringing the school on stream in 2007; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22020/05]
An application has been received from County Wicklow VEC for the establishment of a Gaelcholáiste in Arklow. The application is under consideration by officials in the planning section of my Department and discussions will be arranged between my officials and the VEC to progress the matter.
668 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Education and Science the position regarding the second level education of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; the position regarding the cost of the necessary assessment; if her Department will fund this cost; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22022/05]
Where a pupil with special educational needs enrols in a post-primary school, it is open to the school to apply for additional teaching support and/or special needs assistant support for the pupil.
My Department allocates additional teaching support and special needs assistant support to second level schools and vocational education committees to cater for pupils with special educational needs. Each application is considered on the basis of the assessed needs of the pupil(s) involved and having regard to a range of factors, including the overall resources available to the school.
The National Council for Special Education, NCSE, has been established as an independent statutory body with responsibilities as set out in the National Council for Special Education (Establishment) Order 2003. With effect from 1 January 2005, the NCSE through local special educational needs organisers, SENOs, will process resource applications for children with special educational needs.
All schools have access to psychological assessments, either directly through the National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, for those schools currently served by NEPS, or through the scheme for commissioning psychological assessments for those that do not currently have NEPS psychologists assigned to them. Schools that do not have NEPS psychologists assigned to them may avail of this scheme whereby they can commission assessments from a member of the panel of private psychologists approved by NEPS, and NEPS will pay the fees directly to the psychologists concerned. Details of this scheme, including the conditions that apply to it, are available on my Department's website.
An assessment was carried out on the student in question under the scheme for the commissioning of psychological assessments in 2002. However, a further assessment was arranged privately by the school authority at the request of the parents for which no funding is available from NEPS.
669 Ms Burton asked the Minister for Education and Science if her Department has acquired ownership from the developers of land (details supplied) in Dublin 15; the cost of the land; the amount of land acquired for a primary school, the proposed second level school and any other community purpose. [22029/05]
My Department is planning the development of a new post-primary school in Dublin 15 to serve the growing population of that area. The acquisition process for this site is at an advanced stage. However, due to the commercial sensitivities attaching to site acquisitions generally, the information requested by the Deputy relating to site cost is not available for release. My Department's policy on all site acquisitions is to treat them with the strictest confidentiality until the acquisition has been completed. This is to ensure that my Department will achieve the best value for money option.
With regard to the provision of a new primary school, I presume the Deputy is referring to the permanent accommodation needs of an Educate Together national school. Arrangements have been made for this school to be accommodated in the Castaheaney area for the 2005-06 school year in temporary accommodation on an existing school site. My Department is pursuing the acquisition of a site to provide permanent accommodation for the school. However, in common with the Phibblestown site I am unable to provide specifics on the site acquisition process due to commercial sensitivities.
In both instances the amount of land to be acquired will allow for the development of school facilities to meet the needs of the area with shared community facilities which will be developed in conjunction with Fingal County Council. This co-operation ensures that the delivery of school and community facilities maximises the use of available land and avoids the duplication of facilities such as sports halls and playing pitches.
670 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Education and Science if a request has been made for a dynavox system to be made available to a person (details supplied) in County Cavan; if this system will be provided as a matter of urgency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22062/05]
The National Council for Special Education, NCSE, which was established recently and which has been operational since 1 January 2005 is responsible for processing applications for special educational needs, SEN, supports. A total of 71 special educational needs organisers, SENOs, have been recruited throughout the country and are a focal point of contact for schools and parents.
My officials have been advised by the NCSE that an application for a dynavox system has not been received for the pupil referred to by the Deputy. The school in question must formally apply to the local SENO for an application to be processed.
671 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Education and Science the grants available to assist St. Brendan’s College in Buenos Aires. [22081/05]
The college referred to by the Deputy is not recognised by my Department and, therefore, does not qualify for any grants available to recognised schools.
672 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Education and Science the position regarding a school (details supplied) in County Mayo; when it will be moved to the architectural planning stage; and the stage it will move to subsequently. [22088/05]
I have included the building project for the school in question in my recently announced list of school projects to be progressed through architectural planning in 2005. The building project is at early architectural planning stage 1/2, outline sketch scheme. The stage submission is with the Department and will be assessed by the Department's staff in due course. When this analysis is complete, the school building section will be in contact with the school authorities.
The design and planning of a building project is covered by stages 1 to 5, during which the project is developed from the assessment of site suitability, through the detailed design, including the obtaining of planning permission, to the point where detailed bills of quantities are prepared. The project at the school in question will be allowed to progress up to and including stage 5, bill of quantities. This is the final stage before the invitation of tenders.
A decision on which school building projects will advance to tender and construction as part of the 2006 schools building and modernisation programme will be taken later in the year.
673 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for Education and Science if the pension entitlements of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 6W will be reviewed. [22092/05]
The person in question retired on pension in 2003. He had completed in excess of 40 years pensionable service. On retirement his pension and gratuity were calculated on the basis of 40 years' service, the maximum service reckonable for benefits. Accordingly, he is in receipt of his full superannuation entitlements.
Superannuation contributions are payable in respect of all pensionable service and there is no provision for a refund of contributions because a person's total service exceeds 40 years. Payment of contributions for more than 40 years is a standard feature of public service pension schemes.
674 Mr. Aylward asked the Minister for Education and Science the progress to date on an appeal lodged by this Deputy on behalf of a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny who is in need of special needs services. [22103/05]
A new general allocation scheme has been announced under which schools will be provided with resource teaching hours, based on their enrolment figures, to cater for children with high incidence special needs such as dyslexia and those with learning support needs. The local special educational needs organiser has determined that the special educational needs of the pupil in question fall within the high incidence disability categories and his needs, therefore, continue to be catered for from within the school's general allocation.
The general allocation for the school in question is ten part-time hours. It is a matter for each school to determine the pupils with high incidence special education and learning support needs who will receive this support. Each school will have enough resource teaching hours to provide its pupils with a level of support appropriate to their needs. The school can then use its professional judgement to decide how these hours are divided between different children in the school, to ensure that all their needs are met.
Research shows that some children with special needs will respond better with one-to-one tuition. Others, however, do better when taught in small groups. Often it is best for resource teachers to work with children in the classroom rather than taking them away to a separate room, as the children then have to catch up work done by the rest of the class in their absence. The point is that the type of response needed depends on the child.
675 Mr. Aylward asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason for the delay in having a design team appointed to a school project (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; and when progress will be made on this project. [22104/05]
The advertisement seeking expressions of interest from suitably qualified consultants to form the design team for the school in question was placed on the public procurement portal www.etenders.gov.ie on Friday 24 June 2005.
This is a two-stage selection process and the closing date for receipt of expressions of interest — stage 1 — is 18 July 2005. It is anticipated that the full design team should be formally appointed by the end of August. The architectural service for this project is being dealt with in-house by the school building section and substantial work on the early stages of the design process has already been completed.
676 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason for the inordinate delay in providing funding for staff and equipment for the special classes built at a school (details supplied) in County Kildare; if the staffing and equipment restraints will be removed in order that the facility can function as intended; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22105/05]
750 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Science if a school (details supplied) in Celbridge, County Kildare is fully staffed to meet the requirements of its double autistic unit; when same is likely to be up and running in view of the fact that this unit was completed over two years and has not yet opened; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22717/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 676 and 750 together.
It is proposed that a double autism unit will be established at the school in question. In this regard, appropriate classroom accommodation has been provided in the school for this purpose.
My officials have been liaising with the school authorities for some time on the resources to be made available to facilitate the operation of the classes. My Department has confirmed that the classes will be capable of catering for up to 12 pupils with autism at a pupil teacher ratio of 6:1. In addition, two full-time special needs assistants will be allocated to each class. Additional SNAs for the classes may be considered on the basis of the individual assessed needs of the pupils enrolled.
The school authorities submitted a request for resources over and above those which are generally provided for schools when establishing such classes to my Department. A number of meetings have taken place between the school and officials from my Department with a view to resolving the issues that have been raised by the school. The latest of these meetings took place on 2 June when three officials from my Department met the school's board of management. At that meeting it was agreed that the board would consider the issues that had been discussed and send its views in writing on those issues to the Department. My Department is awaiting that submission and on receipt of it will give this matter urgent consideration.
The Department is extremely anxious that this purpose-built facility for children with autism would become operational as soon as possible and it is hoped that the issues that have been raised by the school can be resolved in the near future.
677 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Education and Science the position in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Wicklow; if the decision will be re-examined with a view to allocating full time special needs assistants to the pupils who need them; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22115/05]
Special needs assistants are assigned to schools to meet the care needs of individual children who have been assessed by a psychologist as needing this type of support. Applications for SNA support are now dealt with by the National Council for Special Education which processes all applications for support from schools and communicates the decisions directly to the schools. At this stage, the council has dealt with all new applications from schools for SNAs that will be required from the beginning of September 2005.
The pupil in question is in receipt of full-time SNA support and I understand that another pupil with special care needs will be enrolling in the same class next September. The existing SNA support in the class will be shared between both pupils. This arrangement will be kept under review by the local special educational needs organiser.
The Government has put in place an unprecedented level of support for children with special needs. Since 1998, the number of SNAs has increased from under 300 to 6,300 nationally. In addition, more effective systems such as the establishment of the National Council for Special Education have been put in place to ensure that children get support as early as possible.
678 Mr. Gogarty asked the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the funding crisis facing the Educate Together patron body; if her Department will provide funding to enable Educate Together to continue carrying out the excellent developmental work in enabling new schools to be developed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22116/05]
679 Mr. Gogarty asked the Minister for Education and Science if, notwithstanding the fact that patron bodies do not currently receive more than €39,800 core funding from her Department, she will consider providing bridging funding in the 2006 estimates for Educate Together, in view of the fact that it is currently facing a funding crisis. [22117/05]
680 Mr. Gogarty asked the Minister for Education and Science the steps she is taking to ensure that patron bodies are in receipt of comparable funding; if there are any mechanisms whereby Educate Together may receive developmental funding from other State sources; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22118/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 678 to 680, inclusive, together.
The current level of funding that my Department provides for Educate Together as a school management body is on a par with that provided to Foras Patrúnachta na Scoileanna Lán-Ghaeilge, the Church of Ireland Board of Education, the Islamic Board of Education and the National Association of Boards of Management in Special Education. Nonetheless, my Department is engaged in discussions with Educate Together on its funding needs. The provision of some additional funding in 2005 to meet the immediate issues of concern to Educate Together is under discussion with its longer term needs.
The issue of additional funding for Educate Together from other State sources is essentially a matter for the patron body to pursue with the relevant interests outside of my Department.
On support for the establishment of new multi-denominational schools, it should be noted that my Department has supported the establishment of many new Educate Together schools in recent years. Of the 24 new schools granted provisional recognition in the past three years, 12 of them are under Educate Together patronage.
My Department has made a number of changes in recent years which have made the provision of accommodation for new schools much easier. One of these changes which was strongly welcomed by Educate Together was the abolition of the local contribution to the building costs for State-owned school buildings which had cost up to €63,500 per school. Other innovations include the development of the design and build model to provide permanent accommodation much faster such as in the case of the new Educate Together school in Griffeen Valley, Lucan, which was designed and built in under 13 months.
681 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the fact that a school (details supplied) in Dublin 24 is losing one and a half teachers under the general allocation system; her views on whether this is a serious and unacceptable decrease in resources for a school designated as disadvantaged; the steps she will take to have these positions restored; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22129/05]
The school to which the Deputy refers is included in the disadvantaged areas scheme, the Giving Children an Even Break programme and the support teacher scheme.
Under the disadvantaged areas scheme, the school benefits from the allocation of one concessionary teaching post, additional capitation grants of €38.09per capita, a refund of the television licence fee and eligibility for 95% building grants for building projects. Designated disadvantaged schools are included in the home-school community liaison scheme and this school has the service of a shared home-school community liaison co-ordinator.
Giving Children an Even Break subsumes the previous process of designation of schools that serve areas of educational disadvantage and my Department's approach is now refined to ensure that individual at-risk pupils are targeted. Rather than the old method of designating additional schools, under this scheme my Department provides support that is commensurate with the levels of concentration in schools of pupils with characteristics that are associated with educational disadvantage and early school-leaving.
The school referred to by the Deputy is included in the urban dimension of Giving Children an Even Break. The school is benefiting from supplementary funding to provide additional educational supports for the children concerned. The school is not considered eligible for additional teaching staff based on the level of concentration of at-risk pupils within the school.
The support teacher project supports 47 designated schools with 41 teachers. It aims to co-ordinate a whole school approach to designing and implementing good practice and strategies. These strategies will help to prevent the occurrence of disruptive behaviour and to teach and counsel small groups and individuals who exhibit persistent behavioural difficulties in the classroom. The school to which the Deputy refers has one full support teacher project post.
The new action plan for educational inclusion, DEIS — delivering equality of opportunity in schools — which I launched recently provides for a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and a new integrated school support programme which will bring together and build upon a number of existing interventions for schools with a concentrated level of disadvantage. The new action plan will be introduced on a phased basis starting in the next school year and will involve an additional annual investment of €40 million on full implementation. It will also involve the provision of some 300 additional posts across the education system.
A key element of this new action plan is the better identification of levels of disadvantage in our schools which will result in improved targeting of resources at those most in need. The first stage of the identification process which is being conducted on behalf of my Department by the Educational Research Centre is under way. Questionnaires issued to all mainstream primary schools and were due to be returned to the ERC by 31 May 2005. The identification process is being supported by an advisory group which includes representation from the INTO and the Irish Primary Principals' Network.
Approximately 600 primary schools, comprising 300 urban-town and 300 rural and 150 post-primary schools, will be included in the school support programme. Existing schemes and programmes will be integrated into the school support programme on a phased basis over the implementation period.
As the Deputy is aware, a new general allocation scheme has been announced under which schools will be provided with resource teaching hours, based on their enrolment figures, to cater for children with high incidence special needs such as dyslexia and those with learning support needs. The introduction of this new system will involve the provision of an estimated additional 340 permanent posts in primary schools from September next. A further 320 posts are being provided on a temporary basis to facilitate the transition to the new system and to ensure continuity of service for children who have previously been given an individual allocation until those children leave the primary school system.
The general allocation for the school in question is one full-time permanent teaching post. In addition, the school may be entitled to retain part-time hours under transitional arrangements to cater for the needs of individual pupils with high incidence special needs until such time as these pupils leave the school. The school in question has made an application to retain part-time hours under transitional arrangements. My officials are examining this proposal and the school authorities will be notified of the outcome in due course.
I can also confirm that the school's resource teaching allocation under the new scheme is based on its status as a boys' school: the first post is allocated at 135:1. Schools whose allocations are based on 80:1 are those disadvantaged schools that are specifically eligible for additional staffing under the urban dimension of the Giving Children an Even Break scheme. As the school is not eligible for such additional staffing, it does not qualify for the special 80:1 ratio for resource teacher allocation.
682 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of schools which are designated as disadvantaged; the number of schools which have staffing concessions; the number of schools which are losing posts under the revised system of allocation to schools with special education needs; the location of these schools; her proposals, in view of this, to support such schools to ensure no decrease in their resources; if she will review the situation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22130/05]
The Giving Children an Even Break programme was launched in 2001 and subsumes the previous process of designation of schools that serve areas of educational disadvantage and my Department's approach is now refined to ensure that individual at-risk pupils are targeted. Rather than the old method of designating additional schools, under this scheme my Department provides support that is commensurate with the levels of concentration in schools of pupils with characteristics associated with educational disadvantage and early school-leaving. Some 242 primary schools are considered for staffing under this scheme with 309 teaching posts allocated for the 2005-06 school year.
The new action plan for educational inclusion, DEIS — delivering equality of opportunity in schools — which I launched recently provides for a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and a new integrated school support programme which will bring together and build upon a number of existing interventions for schools with a concentrated level of disadvantage. The new action plan will be introduced on a phased basis, starting in the next school year and will involve an additional annual investment of €40 million on full implementation. It will also involve the provision of some 300 additional posts across the education system.
A key element of this new action plan is the better identification of levels of disadvantage in our schools which will result in improved targeting of resources at those most in need. The first stage of the identification process which is being conducted on behalf of my Department by the Educational Research Centre is under way. Questionnaires issued to all mainstream primary schools and were due to be returned to the ERC by 31 May 2005. The identification process is being supported by an advisory group which includes representation from the INTO and the Irish Primary Principals' Network.
Approximately 600 primary schools comprising 300 urban-town and 300 rural and 150 post-primary schools will be included in the school support programme. Existing schemes and programmes will be integrated into the school support programme on a phased basis over the implementation period.
A new scheme for allocating resource teachers to schools to cater for the needs of children with high incidence special needs and learning support needs was announced last month. The reason for the new scheme is simple. Children with special needs such as dyslexia or mild learning difficulties are found in almost every school. It makes sense then that every school should have a number of resource teaching hours based on the number of pupils in the school.
This is a major improvement on the previous system, under which children with high incidence special needs required a psychological assessment before they were given resource teaching hours by the Department. This was a time consuming process that often led to delays in children getting the support they needed. Resource teachers will now be in place in the school from the start of the school year in order that children who need their assistance can get it straight away.
Under the new arrangement disadvantaged schools, boys schools and mixed schools get extra resources, as research shows that pupils in these schools are more likely to have learning difficulties. To ensure that every school has enough resource teaching hours to meet the needs of its pupils, an extra 660 resource teaching posts are being put in place for next September. Of these, 340 are permanent posts and 320 are temporary posts being provided to ensure that children who had been given an individual allocation of resource teaching hours by my Department will keep these in situations where the general allocation to the school would not be sufficient to allow the school to provide these hours from within its general allocation.
The provision of these temporary posts will ensure that no child who has been allocated a specific number of hours with a resource teacher by my Department will lose these under these new arrangements. In fact, the reality is that the majority of schools are gaining resource teaching hours under the new scheme. I am grateful to the Minister for Finance for providing me with the resources to ensure that the new system could be put in place. As of next September there will be over 5,000 teachers in our primary schools working directly with children with special needs, including those requiring learning support. This compares to under 1,500 in 1998. One out of every five primary school teachers is now working specifically with children with special needs.
The Government and I, as Minister for Education and Science, are deeply committed to improving services for children with special needs. In addition to the massive increase in resource teachers in recent years, the introduction of this new general allocation scheme will ensure a faster and more flexible response for children with special needs.
683 Mr. McHugh asked the Minister for Education and Science when she will be sanctioning projects to proceed which have a band 1.4 rating; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22132/05]
I draw the Deputy's attention to the series of announcements I have made so far this year as part of the 2005-09 school building and modernisation programme. These announcements which were published in county order outline schools with major building projects allowed to move to tender and construction; schools invited to deliver their building projects on the basis of devolved funding; details of schools with projects approved under the 2005 summer works scheme; schools whose projects will further progress through the design process and schools authorised to commence architectural planning.
Proposed major building projects with band 1.4 ratings which are not included in these announcements are being considered for inclusion in further announcements as part of the 2005-09 school building and modernisation programme.
684 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Education and Science if the approval of an all-Irish school in Arklow, sponsored by the County Wicklow VEC, will be approved in view of the established need in Gorey, Arklow and Wicklow towns for a second level Gaelscoil; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22135/05]
An application has been received from County Wicklow VEC for the establishment of a Gaelcholáiste in Arklow. The application is under consideration by officials in the planning section of my Department and discussions will be arranged between my officials and the VEC to progress the matter.
685 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Education and Science her views on whether a school (details supplied) in County Wicklow is entitled to more than 2.5 hours of special needs assistance per week; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22137/05]
720 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Education and Science the position in a school (details supplied) in County Wicklow; if she will re-examine the decision to reduce special needs resource hours; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22464/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 685 and 720 together.
As the Deputies will be aware, my Department has issued a letter to all primary schools notifying them of their teaching allocation under the new general allocation model for the 2005-06 school year. The letter also includes details of any clustering arrangements that may apply.
The introduction of this new system will involve the provision of an estimated additional 340 permanent posts in primary schools from September next. A further 320 posts are being provided on a temporary basis to facilitate the transition to the new system and to ensure continuity of service for children who have previously been given an individual allocation until those children leave the primary school system.
One of the objectives of the general allocation model is to maximise the extent of full-time permanent posts available to support the needs of pupils with higher incidence special educational needs, SEN, and learning support teacher requirements. Clustering facilitates the assignment of experienced teachers as well as allowing for better training of resource teachers on the basis that permanent posts will retain teachers for longer periods. This ultimately benefits the pupils. To this end, schools, particularly those with small enrolments, have been grouped in clusters where possible.
My Department is also finalising a circular for schools which will contain detailed information on how the new system will operate. It is intended that this circular will issue before the commencement of the next school year. It is also intended that this circular will address issues that have been raised by schools with my Department since the system was notified to schools in mid-May.
The staffing of the school in question is one principal and one mainstream class teacher. The school's entitlement under the general allocation system, based on an enrolment of 15, is 2.5 hours. The school is in a cluster arrangement with three other local schools creating two full-time permanent posts and ten part-time hours. A proposal has been received from the schools concerned to alter the clustering arrangements proposed. This proposal will be examined shortly and the school authorities will be notified accordingly.
It is a matter for each school to determine the pupils with high incidence special education and learning support needs that will receive supplementary teaching support. Each school will have enough resource teaching hours to provide its pupils with a level of support appropriate to their needs. The school can then use its professional judgment to decide how these hours are divided between different children in the school, to ensure that all their needs are met.
Research shows that some children with special needs will respond better with one-to-one tuition. Others, however, do better when taught in small groups. Often it is best for resource teachers to work with children in the classroom rather than taking them away to a separate room, as the children then have to catch up work done by the rest of the class in their absence. The type of response needed depends on the child.
686 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Education and Science her views on whether the classification of a school (details supplied) in County Tipperary should be changed to extremely disadvantaged; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22138/05]
The school to which the Deputy refers is included in the rural dimension of my Department's Giving Children an Even Break programme aimed at combating educational disadvantage. The school receives additional financial resources to provide educational supports to be targeted at disadvantaged pupils.
The new action plan for educational inclusion, DEIS — delivering equality of opportunity in schools — which I launched recently provides for a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and a new integrated school support programme, SSP, which will bring together and build upon a number of existing interventions for schools with a concentrated level of disadvantage. The new action plan will be introduced on a phased basis, starting in the next school year, and will involve an additional annual investment of €40 million on full implementation. It will also involve the provision of some 300 additional posts across the education system.
A key element of this new action plan is the better identification of levels of disadvantage in our schools which will result in improved targeting of resources at those most in need. The first stage of the identification process which is being conducted on behalf of my Department by the Educational Research Centre is under way. Questionnaires issued to all mainstream primary schools, including the school to which the Deputy refers and were due to be returned to the ERC by 31 May 2005. The identification process is being supported by an advisory group which includes representation from the INTO and the Irish Primary Principals' Network.
Approximately 600 primary schools, comprising 300 urban-town and 300 rural and 150 post-primary schools, will be included in the school support programme. Existing schemes and programmes will be integrated into the school support programme on a phased basis over the implementation period.
687 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Education and Science if persons who transport an autistic child (details supplied) in County Laois 150 miles per week for school will be entitled to an increased transport grant; if they will be entitled to a social hardship or financial hardship grant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22139/05]
My Department is considering this case and will be in touch with the parents of the child referred to in the details supplied by the Deputy as soon as possible
688 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Education and Science her views on the situation at a school (details supplied) in which 30 children with special needs are being housed in a three bedroom privately owned house; if her Department will authorise the purchase of a reserved site in the area and build a special national school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22140/05]
The school planning section of my Department is aware of the need to provide a long-term accommodation solution to meet the needs of the school to which the Deputy refers. The children attending the school come from a wide catchment area. With this in mind, the appropriate location for the school is under consideration in my Department. When this has been determined, site acquisition procedures will be commenced.
689 Mr. Haughey asked the Minister for Education and Science if payment will be made immediately for 30 hours per week of home tuition consisting of intensive applied behaviour analytic programming for a person (details supplied) in Dublin 5; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22155/05]
Ten hours per week home tuition has been sanctioned for the child in question with effect from September 2005. This decision was conveyed to the parents recently. The allocation is the maximum number of hours available. My Department is undertaking a review of the home tuition scheme and the outcome of the review will assist my Department in devising procedures-guidelines for processing applications for home tuition grants. These procedures-guidelines will be published on my Department's website in due course.
690 Mr. Haughey asked the Minister for Education and Science if she will give comprehensive details regarding the services organised by her Department for the education of autistic children; the way in which these services are accessed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22156/05]
Every effort is made to ensure that children with special educational needs receive an education appropriate to their needs. Decisions regarding the most appropriate model of response in each particular case are based on the professionally assessed needs of the individual child. Current provision for pupils with autism includes 146 special classes for children with autism attached to special schools and mainstream schools; 14 pre-school classes for children with autism; ten autism facilities, some of which are providing an applied behavioural analysis model of response to children with autism and five special classes for children with Asperger's syndrome have been created. All such classes operate at a pupil teacher ratio of 6:1 with the support of a minimum of two special needs assistants.
The level of resource teaching support provided for pupils with autism attending mainstream primary schools is based on the professionally assessed needs of the individual child. In general, such pupils would be eligible for five hours resource teaching support. In addition, my Department sanctions home tuition grants for children with autism for whom a home-based applied behavioural analysis programme is considered appropriate or in cases where such children are awaiting an appropriate school placement.
The Deputy will be aware that with effect from 1 January 2005 the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, has taken over responsibility for processing resource applications for children with disabilities who have special educational needs and, in particular, it is responsible for deciding on applications for resource teaching hours in respect of children with low incidence disabilities with special educational needs at primary level; deciding on applications for additional teaching support in respect of children with disabilities with special educational needs at second level; deciding on applications for special needs assistant hours.
Under the new arrangements, the council, through the local special educational needs organiser, SENO, will process the relevant application for resources and inform the school of the outcome. In the case of decisions on resource teaching and SNAs, the SENO will outline the process to the school and parents, where appropriate, and will at the end of the process outline the basis on which the decision was made.
The advent of the NCSE will prove of major benefit in ensuring that all children with special educational needs, including those in the area referred to by the Deputy, receive the support they require, when and where they require it. My Department is continuing to prioritise the development of the network of special educational provision for children with special needs, including those with autism, and the steps taken in recent years and those currently in hand represent significant progress in the development of those services.
691 Mr. Haughey asked the Minister for Education and Science if she will provide more funding for Cabas in order that it can expand its services for the education of autistic children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22157/05]
My Department provides funding for three Cabas facilities in Cork, Dublin Kilbarrack and Drogheda. Cabas Cork has recently been sanctioned additional funding to provide for an increased enrolment from 30 children to 32 and funding has been allocated to provide for the additional staffing required. Cabas Kilbarrack has been sanctioned to expand from 24 children to 30. The funding allocation for the 2005-06 school year for Cork and Dublin will represent an increase on the 2004-05 allocation to take into account the additional resources required to fund the expansion of these facilities. My Department has given approval for a Cabas facility for south Dublin. This additional provision for children on the autistic spectrum is due to open in the 2005-06 school year.
692 Ms O’Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Science the safeguards her Department has in place to ensure value for money criteria are adhered to in the purchase of prefabs for schools awaiting sanction for permanent classrooms; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22158/05]
My Department monitors the cost limits for all school building projects on an ongoing basis, taking into account factors such as current conditions in the construction industry, published cost indices for labour and materials and movements in tender levels. Account is also taken of historical data on tender prices and changes arising from adjustments to school planning guidelines. In addition, the standard guidelines relating to public procurement are followed and the competitive element involved in the tendering process also ensures value for money.
The current focus within my Department is to empower schools to resolve their accommodation needs, wherever possible, in a permanent manner rather than relying on temporary accommodation. In order to reduce the amount of temporary accommodation at primary level a new initiative was launched in 2003. Its purpose is to allow primary schools to undertake a permanent solution to their classroom accommodation needs and to achieve the best value for money. The feedback from the 20 schools in this pilot of the initiative was positive and the initiative was expanded to include 44 additional primary schools in 2004. Over 70 schools have been invited to participate in this initiative in 2005.
693 Ms O’Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of prefabs supplied to a school (details supplied) in County Donegal; the total cost of supplying these prefabs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22159/05]
My Department contributes 95% towards the cost of rental of temporary accommodation for primary schools with permanent recognition, where the need for additional accommodation has been established, as in this case, pending the provision of permanent accommodation.
Since 2001, approval has been given, on an incremental basis, to the school authority to rent a total of four prefabricated units in order to alleviate its urgent accommodation needs. The annual rental costs for these four prefabs comes to €47,409.59. Installation costs and associated charges amounted to €48,847.27. In September 2002, a double prefab was also relocated to this school at a cost of €29,122.87. Approval was recently given to the school authority to rent an additional prefabricated classroom from September 2005 at an annual rent of €15,100.80. Installation costs and associated costs amount to €29,623.50.
My Department has acknowledged the need for improved accommodation at this school which has experienced significant growth in enrolments in recent years. An application for an extension at the school has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria which was revised last year following consultation with the education partners. The project will be considered in the context of the school building and modernisation programme 2005-09.
694 Ms O’Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Science if she will review a decision to refuse a special needs assistant to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22160/05]
The National Council for Special Education, established recently and operational since 1 January 2005, is responsible for processing applications for special educational needs supports. Some 71 special educational needs organisers have been recruited and will be a focal point of contact for schools and parents.
My officials have been informed by the National Council Special Education that an application for special needs assistant support has been received for the pupil in question and the matter has been referred to the local special educational needs organiser for determination. The special educational needs organiser has arranged to meet with the school authorities to discuss the application further.
695 Ms Cooper-Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Science if she will re-examine the case of removing a second mainstream teacher from a school (details supplied) in County Mayo and give the school a hearing on its case. [22161/05]
An independent appeal board was established to adjudicate on appeals from boards of management on mainstream staffing teacher allocations in primary schools. The appeal board operates independently of the Minister for Education and Science and the Department of Education and Science and its decision is final. A circular outlining these procedures issued to all primary schools.
The staffing of the school in question for the 2005-06 school year was considered by the appeal board on 14 June 2005 and the school's board of management was notified in writing of the decision of the appeal board on 15 June 2005. It would not be appropriate for me to intervene in the operations of the independent appeal board.
696 Mr. O’Connor asked the Minister for Education and Science the likely cost to the Exchequer of building a new primary school for every 500 new homes built; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22162/05]
The assumption has not been made by my Department that a new primary school will be required for every 500 new homes built. The profile of new homes, the rate and pace of their delivery, the projected occupancy rate which varies from area to area, the likely pupil output, together with the availability of existing accommodation are all factors which must be taken into consideration before it can be decided if a new school is necessary.
My Department will at all times seek to maximise existing accommodation which means that any extra accommodation needed may be met by way of extensions or the rationalisation of existing provision to free up buildings, rather than by the provision of a new school. With regard to individual new schools, the cost is dependent on site costs which vary, the ultimate level of land take and the size of a school itself.
The school planning section of my Department is working proactively with some local authorities to explore the possibility of the development of school provision in tandem with the development of community facilities. This enhanced co-operation has the effect of minimising my Department's land requirements, thereby reducing site costs while at the same time avoiding the duplication of facilities such as sports halls and playing pitches. Given the variables involved and the unique situation which might pertain to any given area, a cost exercise along the lines set out by the Deputy has not been carried out.
697 Mr. O’Connor asked the Minister for Education and Science her views on the use of schools after-hours as child care facilities and on whether this is a feasible use for educational facilities; the likely cost to the Exchequer of such a move; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22163/05]
School facilities should be available to the community outside of school hours, whether for child care, for adult education courses or as somewhere for local community groups to meet, provided it is feasible.
My Department issued a circular to the trustees, boards of management and principals of primary and voluntary secondary schools in March encouraging them to make their facilities available to local community groups outside of school hours. Many schools have an excellent record of doing so and have become a hive of local activity. However, the State does not, in fact, own the majority, more than 95%, of our schools, as most are owned by the religious. They are owned by their trustees and managed by their boards of management, whose right it is to decide on the use of school facilities outside of school time, subject to the terms of any existing lease on the property.
Before permitting after-hours use, school authorities must be satisfied adequate insurance is in place to cover the activities in question and the proposed use does not interfere in any way with the delivery of education in the school. Provided agreement can be reached with the board of management of a school on issues such as insurance, it is possible to provide pre-school and after-school child care in schools.
I welcome the funding announced by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy McDowell, last week for child care provision in school facilities and hope that the trustees and boards of management of many schools will make the necessary local arrangements to avail of this initiative.
698 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Science if she will consider providing the funding for the Form and Fusion Design Awards Competition previously provided by a company (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22164/05]
Having attended the Form and Fusion Design Awards on several occasions and seen the excellent creative work of the students involved in the competition, I was disappointed to learn that the sponsor of this year's awards has decided not to continue its sponsorship for next year. While my Department would not be in a position to sponsor the competition, I hope that another sponsor will come forward to ensure that this valuable venture can continue.
699 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Education and Science if, in view of the need for a full-time resource teacher at a school (details supplied) in County Wicklow and the significant growth in pupil numbers, the school will be granted a full-time resource teacher; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22165/05]
A new general allocation scheme has been announced under which schools will be provided with resource teaching hours, based on their enrolment figures, to cater for children with high incidence special needs such as dyslexia and those with learning support needs. The introduction of this new system will involve the provision of an estimated additional 340 permanent posts in primary schools from September next. A further 320 posts are being provided on a temporary basis to facilitate the transition to the new system and to ensure continuity of service for children who have previously been given an individual allocation until those children leave the primary school system.
The general allocation for the school in question is 20 part-time hours. My Department has received a proposal from the school in question regarding the deployment of this allocation. An official in my Department was recently in contact with the school authorities to discuss the options available to the school. The matter is still under consideration and a letter confirming the final position will issue to the school in the coming days once a decision has been reached.
700 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Education and Science if resource teaching hours will be provided for a person (details supplied) in County Offaly. [22236/05]
The National Council for Special Education, established recently and operational since 1 January 2005, is responsible for processing applications for special educational needs supports. Some 71 special educational needs organisers have been recruited and are a focal point of contact for schools and parents.
My officials have been advised by the National Council for Special Education that no application for special educational needs supports for the pupil in question has been made to the special educational needs organiser. It is open to the school where the pupil is to be enrolled to contact the special educational needs organiser directly regarding any special educational needs the pupil may have. My Department has also been informed by the special educational needs organiser that the pupil's needs are being met in the autistic unit attached to the school where he is attending.
701 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason a person (details supplied) in County Donegal was refused grant assistance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22237/05]
The candidate in question completed a two-year higher certificate, national certificate, course in business studies at Blanchardstown Institute of Technology in 2004 in respect of which she received grant assistance and that she subsequently commenced a three-year ordinary degree, national diploma, in applied social studies in social care in the 2004-05 academic year at Sligo Institute of Technology.
Grant assistance in respect of approved higher certificate and ordinary degree courses is awarded to eligible candidates under the terms and conditions prescribed in my Department's third level maintenance grants scheme for trainees. Under the scheme's terms, candidates may in general only receive funding in respect of one approved third level maintenance grants scheme for trainees course. Notwithstanding this condition, the scheme does, however, provide for progression in specific circumstances where, for instance, a candidate who has completed a two-year higher certificate course progresses to the add-on year of a directly related ordinary degree. Another exception where grant assistance may be extended in respect of a subsequent third level maintenance grants scheme for trainees course would be where, following completion of a two-year higher certificate, a candidate gets an exemption into year two of a related ordinary degree course.
The scheme does not provide grant assistance where, as in this case, a candidate has completed a two-year higher certificate and subsequently pursues a three-year ordinary degree course which is not directly related to his or her previous course.
702 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Education and Science the amount of moneys allocated to each of a number of school projects (details supplied) under the devolved capital project; the initiative under which these moneys were granted to each school; the amount of moneys which were raised by the local community in respect of each capital project; the state at which each capital project rests; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22254/05]
My Department is moving toward a model of devolving funding and responsibility and authority as appropriate for building projects directly to school management authorities. The devolving of funding to local level will allow schools to have ownership of their projects and assist in moving projects in a specific timeframe to tender and construction and will also deliver better value for money. I have increased the level of funding available to schools under the devolved initiatives for this year. I will arrange for the specific information sought by the Deputy to be forwarded at an early date.
703 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Education and Science the amount allocated towards the devolved capital grant by her Department; the headings under which schools may apply for devolved capital funding; the number of schools that have applied for this funding since 2004; the number of schools awarded this funding since 2004; the number of schools turned down for this funding since 2004; the number of schools unable to take this funding for any reason since 2004; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22260/05]
All applications submitted to my Department for major capital funding are assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation for large scale building projects. As part of this assessment, projects are identified as being suitable for delivery by a devolved route.
In 2004 projects were considered under two separate devolved headings, the small schools initiative and the permanent initiative. Under these headings a total of 81 schools accepted the devolved system and 11 declined. In 2005 the headings for the devolved schemes included the small schools initiative, the permanent initiative and the relocation of prefabs. Under these headings 173 schools accepted the devolved system and 12 declined. The allocation for 2004 was €20.7 million. The allocation for 2005 is in excess of €44 million. Schools declining funding by way of the devolved initiatives follow the traditional delivery method. Progress on these projects is considered in the context of the school building and modernisation programme.
704 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Education and Science the expenditure on pre-primary education by her Department in 2002 and 2004; and this expenditure as a percentage of GDP; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22349/05]
Outside of junior classes in primary schools, my Department's main role in the area of early childhood education encompasses pre-school provision for children from disadvantaged areas, for Traveller children and those with special needs.
My Department funds 48 pre-school classes for traveller children. In the special needs sector, there are 14 pre-school classes for children with autism located throughout the country. In addition, ten stand alone autism facilities that provide an applied behavioural analysis model of response to children with autism cater for a number of children of pre-school age. My Department has also sanctioned the establishment of a pre-school for six children with hearing impairment on a pilot basis.
Expenditure on pre-primary education in 2002 was as follows: special education provision, estimated, €900,000*; centre for early childhood development and education, €444,300; Early Start, estimated, €4,000,000**; Rutland Street Project, estimated, €580,000**; pre-schools for Travellers, estimated, €1,250,000**. Total expenditure in 2002, €7,174,300 while GDP in 2002 was €129,344 million. This figure is taken from the Central Statistics Office Statistical Year Book 2003. Estimated expenditure in 2002 as a percentage of GDP is 0.006%.
Expenditure on pre-primary education in 2004: special education provision, estimated, €1,700,000*; centre for early childhood development and education, €1,302,500; Early Start, estimated, €4,000,000**; Rutland Street Project, estimated, €640,000**; pre-schools for Travellers, estimated, €1,250,000**. Total expenditure in 2004 was €8,892,500 while GDP in 2004 was €102,518 million. This figure is taken from the Central Statistics Office quarterly national accounts quarter 4 2004 and year 2004 preliminary estimated expenditure in 2004 as a percentage of GDP was 0.009%.
*There is no separate budget for this in Special Education so this is an approximate figure.
**This figure includes salary costs for teachers. The salary costs are approximate figures.
In addition my Department provided home tuition grants for children with special needs to the value of €5.3 million in 2004. Comparable figures for 2002 are not available. It is not possible to establish how much of this funding would be in respect of pre-school children. However, grants are paid for children age two and a half and above.
The bulk of pre-school places are financed by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, which has provided unprecedented levels of funding for child care in recent years. The Department of Health and Children also provides grants to child care groups, including to community groups in areas of social and economic disadvantage.
705 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Education and Science the progress that has been achieved to date regarding the implementation of the national youth work development plan; the amount that has been made available and the amount expended on the plan each year to date; her plans and timetable for the further implementation of the plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22350/05]
709 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Education and Science the progress that has been made in the implementation of a child protection training programme for the youth work sector under the national youth work development plan. [22354/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 705 and 709 together.
The national youth work development plan, published in August 2003, identifies four main goals and proposes some 50 action points to achieve these goals over a five-year period. Work has commenced on certain priority areas as follows. 2003 an amount of €80,000 was allocated in 2003 to the implementation of the child protection training programme for the sector. In 2004 an amount of €500,000 was made available in 2004 for the roll-out of the plan and was expended on further support for the child protection training programme for the youth sector; the development of projects funded under the special projects for youth scheme; the Increased support to youth information centres and the youth information support partnership.
In 2005 an 18% increase in funding for the youth work sector has been provided for in the 2005 Estimates. This additional funding will cater for several developments under the national youth work development plan and the Youth Work Act 2001. The following measures, will be addressed as a result of this: additional funding; upgrading of some one worker special projects for youth; additional special projects for youth increase in local youth clubs grant scheme; development fund for youth organisations; funding review consultancy; youth information consultancy; special once-off funding for youth work organisations; continued funding for child protection training programme; North-South youth work training endorsement panel.
Additionally, funding is available for to the appointment of an assessor of youth work. My Department is also working towards the provision of resources for VECs to enable them fulfil their responsibilities under the Youth Work Act 2001. A portion of the funding will be allocated towards both of these matters. With regard to the implementation of a child protection programme for the youth work sector, the National Youth Council of Ireland appointed a national co-ordinator for child protection in December 2004 to manage and oversee its implementation.
The duties of the national co-ordinator include the development and implementation of a comprehensive awareness and training programme for the youth work sector based on the code of good practice, Child Protection for the Youth Work Sector, September 2002, as well as the assessment of the child protection training needs of the youth work sector. A preliminary needs analysis of youth organisations was carried out in January 2005 and this identified the priority need of training youth workers in a training of trainers programme. In April 2005, 19 youth workers commenced the keeping safe child protection training programme, accredited by the Open College Network. The final moderation of this programme will be in September 2005, when these workers will be accredited child protection trainers of trainers.
Work has also commenced on developing a national child protection basic awareness training programme. The keeping safe programme is also being modified and updated in order to seek national accreditation. An independent analysis of child protection needs will commence in September 2005 and a child protection workers' forum will take place in October 2005.
706 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Education and Science the amount that has been made available by her Department to the respective bodies and organisations in respect of youth work and youth affairs; the way in which the expenditure of such moneys has been accounted for and assessed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22351/05]
Financial allocations for 2005 for the youth work sector are being finalised. The Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science, Deputy de Valera, expects to be in a position to make an announcement in this respect in the near future. The respective bodies and organisations which receive grant-in-aid funding from the youth affairs section of my Department are required to account for the expenditure of such moneys in accordance with public accounting procedures for Government bodies. The organisations funded are also required to furnish annual reports, accounts and effectiveness reports of their activities, which are examined by my Department.
707 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Education and Science the actions her Department has taken for the appointment of an assessor of youth work; when the appointment will be made; the amount set aside in order to fund this appointment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22352/05]
This appointment is viewed as one of the key priorities for the youth sector. The appointment is subject to the approval of the Minister for Finance. My officials have made proposals to the Department of Finance for the appointment for which I have set aside up to €70,000. Subject to the Department of Finance response, I expect to be in a position to put recruitment procedures in place as soon as possible.
708 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Education and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 266 of 23 March 2005, the various parties with whom discussions were taking place as mentioned in the reply; if these discussions are finalised; if not, when she expects them to be finalised; when the Youth Work Act 2001 will be fully implemented; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22353/05]
Further to Parliamentary Question No. 266 of March 23 2005, discussions have taken place between my Department and representatives of the National Youth Council of Ireland and the IVEA-CEOs' association. These discussions are ongoing.
A sub-committee of the national youth work advisory committee is drafting detailed guidelines and procedures necessary for the further roll-out of the Youth Work Act 2001. The work of this sub-committee, which represents both the voluntary and the statutory sectors, is also ongoing. It is accepted by all involved in the youth sector that it is necessary that these procedures and guidelines should be put in place so that any further roll-out of the Youth Work Act 2001 can happen in a logical and coherent manner.
710 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Education and Science the situation with regard to the building of a new school of music in Cork; when construction will commence; the estimated cost and time for construction; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22355/05]
On 3 December 2004, Jarvis, the appointed preferred bidder for the Cork School of Music PPP project, announced that it had reached an agreement with Hochtief Developments (UK) Limited to purchase the PPP bidding arm of its business. Following the announcement, various issues surrounding the purchase were being completed and a revised proposal and documentation in connection with the project was received on 19 January 2005.
As Hochtief had replaced Jarvis as the main member of the bidding consortium, it had to satisfy the Department that had it applied under the terms of the original PPP advertised in 2000. It would have been one of the consortia that pre-qualified for the project. In addition to satisfying the pre-qualification conditions and in advance of any formal contract negotiations, over recent months my Department's specialist advisers to the project also had to undertake a full financial and legal due diligence to ensure that the new proposal met all EU procurement guidelines. Part of the due diligence process included contact with the relevant section of the EU Commission for clarification and advice on the procurement issue surrounding the change to the bidding consortia.
Formal detailed contract negotiations are now at an advanced stage and subject to the satisfactory completion of these negotiations I expect to be in a position to make an announcement on the project in the near future.
711 Mr. J. Breen asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of schools in rural County Clare which have access to educational psychological services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22358/05]
All schools in County Clare have access to psychological assessments, either directly through the national educational psychological service for those schools served by national educational psychological service, or through the scheme for commissioning psychological assessments for those that do not have national educational psychological service psychologists assigned to them.
All schools that do not have national educational psychological service psychologists assigned to them may avail of this scheme, whereby they can commission assessments from a member of the panel of private psychologists approved by national educational psychological service, and national educational psychological service will pay the fees directly to the psychologists concerned. Details of this scheme, including the conditions that apply to it, are available on my Department's website.
The national educational psychological service also provides assistance to all schools that suffer from critical incidents, regardless of whether or not they have a national educational psychological service psychologist assigned to them. The national educational psychological service processes applications for reasonable accommodations in certificate examinations. All rural post-primary schools and 35 rural primary schools in County Clare have national educational psychological service psychologists assigned to them. The complement of psychologists in national educational psychological service has increased almost three-fold from 43 psychologists on establishment to 127 psychologists.
On behalf of my Department, the Public Appointments Service is running a new recruitment competition for the appointment of educational psychologists to the national educational psychological service and priority will be given to filling vacancies in the mid-western and north-western regions.
712 Mr. J. Breen asked the Minister for Education and Science the support available for dyslexic children in the special needs area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22359/05]
The report of the task force on dyslexia contains over 60 individual recommendations ranging from identification and assessment, to models of service delivery, specialist training for service providers, to issues relating to structural reforms and the maintenance of a database of pupils with specific learning difficulties, including dyslexia, who are in receipt of special education services in primary and post-primary schools.
Since the task force reported, several initiatives have been taken in the area of dyslexia. These include the introduction of the first ever on-line training course for teachers catering for pupils with dyslexia; the appointment of ten new learning support trainers to the primary curriculum support programme, specifically to provide in-depth support for the implementation of learning support guidelines for children with dyslexia; a reduction from 11:1 to 9:1 in the pupil-teacher ratio applicable to special classes catering for pupils with dyslexia; the development, in association with the Department of Education in Northern Ireland, of an information resource on dyslexia which is available in CD-ROM, DVD and video format.
A key focus of my Department has been on advancing the fundamental structural and legislative measures, which are necessary to underpin the development and delivery of services for persons with special needs, including children with dyslexia. A key development on the structural front has been the Government's decision to approve the establishment of the National Council for Special Education. The council which became operational on 1 January 2005, now processes applications for special educational needs supports. The council has a key role in the development and delivery of services for persons with special educational needs, including children with dyslexia. It will have a research and advisory role and will establish expert groups to consider specific areas of special needs provision. It will also establish a consultative forum to facilitate inputs from the education partners and other interested parties. The council has a local area presence through a network of 71 special educational needs organisers.
On the legislative front, the Oireachtas has approved the Education for Persons with Special Needs Act 2004. This act sets out the rights and entitlements of persons with special educational needs, including dyslexia, to an appropriate education service and provides the necessary framework for effective service delivery.
My Department also provides funding to schools for the purchase of specialised equipment such as computers to assist children with special educational needs, including children with dyslexia, with their education where such equipment is recommended by relevant professionals. Schools can apply to the local special educational needs organiser directly for this support.
Training is available through the 21 teacher education centres nationally for teachers using ICT and assisting technologies to support pupils with special educational needs, including those with dyslexia. The provision of resources to address the learning difficulties of children with low levels of achievement in reading has been given a very high priority by my Department. Last month, I announced 660 additional special needs teaching posts will be put in place in primary schools from next September to cater for the needs of pupils with high incidence special needs, including pupils with dyslexia. Every primary school in the country will be allocated resource teaching hours, based on their enrolment figures to cater for this pupil cohort from September 2005.
It is now the case that one in five of the teachers in primary schools is allocated for the support of children with special educational needs including with dyslexia. Where the condition of a pupil with dyslexia is of a more serious nature, provision can be made in one of the four special schools or 23 special classes attached to ordinary primary schools and dedicated to the needs of children with dyslexia. All special schools and special classes for such children operate at a reduced pupil-teacher ratio of 9:1.
At second level, each school in the free education scheme or block grant scheme with an enrolment of less than 600 recognised pupils, excluding pupils on post leaving certificate programmes, receives an allocation of 0.5 of a learning support post. Schools with an enrolment of 600 such pupils and more, receive a full learning support post. The Department also allocates resource teacher posts and special needs assistant posts to second level schools and vocational education committees to cater for pupils with special needs, including pupils with dyslexia.
There are a total of 528 remedial/learning support teachers, 620 guidance posts and 1,388 whole-time equivalent resource teachers in place. Additional special support services are being made available on an ongoing basis in response to identified needs. A further 100 posts will be allocated for guidance from the commencement of the 2005-06 school year.
Second level pupils with specific learning disability are normally integrated into mainstream classes. In such situations, they may receive additional tutorial support through the remedial teacher, guidance counsellor and subject teacher. Depending on the degree of the condition, they may also be eligible for special arrangements in the certificate examinations.
In September 2003, my Department established the special education support service to manage, co-ordinate and develop a range of supports in response to identified training needs. The service, hosted in Laois Education Centre, provides a nationwide service to teachers and special needs assistants. As part of its response to the growing demand from teachers for support and training, the service is developing teams of trainers to deliver training in four specific areas, autism, challenging behaviour, dyslexia and inclusion. This training will be delivered locally through the education centre network.
My Department is continuing to prioritise the development of the network of special educational provision for children with special educational needs, including children with dyslexia. This represents significant progress in the development of those services.
713 Mr. J. Breen asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of special needs assistants who will lose their positions in County Clare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22360/05]
It is not possible to inform the Deputy as to how many special needs assistants in County Clare will have their contracts renewed for the new school year. The retention of special needs assistants by schools can vary from school to school depending on the needs of the individual children and whether or not the children are due to leave school at the end of this school year. Responsibility for the recruitment and employment of special needs assistants rests with the relevant school authorities and it is a matter for the school authorities to inform special needs assistants employed by them of the situation for the 2005-06 school year.
In order to assist schools in this regard, my Department has recently issued a letter to schools who have surplus special needs assistants staff which contained guidelines for schools in selecting staff that should be let go. The letter confirmed that the selection criteria for determining whose contract should be terminated will be on a last in, first out basis, subject to the contractual position pertaining in schools. This means that, unless the most junior special needs assistant in the school has a written child specific contract that entitles her/him to remain in the school, her/his contract should be terminated on the basis that she/he is the most junior special needs assistant in the school in terms of length of service.
If however the school has operated on the basis of employing all special needs assistants on child specific contracts, and offered such contracts to the special needs assistants, it is the special needs assistant who is attached to the child who has been identified as no longer needing the services of an special needs assistant that should be released.
Applications for special needs assistant support are now dealt with by the National Council for Special Education who process all applications for support from schools and communicate the decisions directly to the schools. At this stage, the council has dealt with all new applications from schools for special needs assistants that will be required from the beginning of September 2005.
The Government has put in place an unprecedented level of support for children with special needs. Indeed, since 1998, the number of special needs assistants has increased from under 300 to over 6,000 nationally. In addition to this, more effective systems, such as the establishment of the National Council for Special Education, have been put in place to ensure that children get support as early as possible.
714 Mr. J. Breen asked the Minister for Education and Science if she will set up a panel whereby special needs assistants can be transferred within their catchment area as the need arises; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22361/05]
My Department had been engaged in discussions with the trade union representing special needs assistants, SNAs, under the auspices of the Labour Relations Commission, on a number of issues relating to the employment of SNAs, including the matter raised by the Deputy.
These discussions have now concluded. One of the proposals that has been accepted by both parties is to agree to enter into negotiations at an early date with a view to devising a suitable system for redeployment having regard to the complexities involved. It is the objective that this process be finalised for the end of the next school year.
715 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the total cost, number and nature of legal services sought by her Department from 1998 to 2004 and to date in 2005; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22425/05]
My Department has an internal legal advisory section, headed by a barrister which provides much of the day to day legal services required by my Department. However, some legal work is outsourced and I will write to the Deputy providing information relevant to his request.
716 Mr. F. McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Science the procedures and supports for a person with special needs when a school refuses them entry; and if a school can ban a child with a disability, following recent legislation. [22431/05]
Enrolment decisions are the responsibility of the board of management of each individual school. My Department has no role in respect of processing applications for enrolment by schools. Section 29 of the Education Act 1998 provides parents with an appeal process where a board of management of a school or a person acting on behalf of the board refuses enrolment to a student. Where a school refuses to enrol a pupil, the school is obliged to inform parents of their right under section 29 of the Education Act 1998 to appeal that decision to the Secretary General of my Department. Where an appeal under section 29 is upheld, the Secretary General of my Department may direct a school to enrol a pupil.
As the Deputy is aware, the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, which became operational on 1 January 2005, now processes applications for special educational needs supports and decides on the level of support appropriate to the school. A total of 71 special educational needs organisers, SENOs, have been recruited throughout the country and are a focal point of contact for schools and parents. The SENOs are responsible for co-ordinating and facilitating delivery of educational services to children with disabilities at local level. Any parent who is experiencing difficulty in securing an appropriate placement for his or her child should make contact with their local SENO in the first instance. Contact details of the relevant SENO are available on my Department's website.
The National Educational Welfare Board, NEWB, is a further statutory agency which can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child. The NEWB can be contacted at National Educational Welfare Board, National Headquarters, 16-22 Green Street, Dublin 7 or by telephone at 01 8738700.
717 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Science the criteria and procedures for the appointments of special needs assistants in primary schools; the position in so far as special needs assistants are concerned; when a person under their guidance for whatever reason leaves the primary school system and the arrangements then put in place for replacement or continuation of service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22450/05]
Special needs assistants, SNAs, are assigned to schools to meet the care needs of individual children who have been assessed by a psychologist as needing this type of support. I can confirm that there has been no change to the criteria or guidelines for allocating SNA support to schools and I can further confirm that there are no plans to review the criteria or guidelines under which SNA support is allocated.
Applications for SNA support are now dealt with by the National Council for Special Education who process all applications for support from schools and communicate the decisions directly to the schools. At this stage, the council has dealt with all new applications from schools for SNAs that will be required from the beginning of September 2005. However, in order to ensure that resources are used in the most effective manner, a review has been conducted in recent months to establish whether primary schools have the level of SNA support that they need for children in their care, whether they have resources which they no longer need or whether they need extra resources.
The review has found that some schools no longer have the care needs for which the SNA was originally sanctioned that is, in some cases the child may have left the school while in other cases the care needs of the child have diminished as the child has progressed through the school. In this regard, the schools where surplus SNA support was identified have been advised that they may retain this surplus until the end of the current school year.
My Department had been engaged in discussions with the trade union representing special needs assistants, SNAs, under the auspices of the Labour Relations Commission, on a number of issues relating to the employment of SNAs. These discussions have now concluded. One of the proposals that has been accepted by both parties is to agree to enter into negotiations at an early date with a view to devising a suitable system for redeployment having regard to the complexities involved. It is the objective that this process be finalised for the end of the next school year.
The Deputy will be aware that this Government has put in place an unprecedented level of support for children with special needs. Indeed, since 1998, the number of SNAs has increased from under 300 to over 6,000 nationally. In addition, more effective systems, such as the establishment of the National Council for Special Education, have been put in place to ensure that children get support as early as possible.
718 Mr. Carey asked the Minister for Education and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 787 of 14 June 2005 regarding her Department’s leasehold interest in a property, the nature of this leasehold interest; the length of the lease; the number of years outstanding; the financial and legal implications for the Department in disengaging from this lease; if her Department holds a priority interest in the property; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22452/05]
My Department has received a request to release my interest in a 99-year lease dated 12 January 1957 in the school premises referred to by the Deputy. As part of the process in assessing the matter, the future educational needs of the area will be taken into consideration. In addition there may also be a request for a refund of the unexpired value of any financial contribution my Department has made towards capital works at the school. As soon as these decisions have been made, officials in the property management section of my Department will be in contact with the solicitors appointed by the school in question.
719 Dr. Cowley asked the Minister for Education and Science the position in relation to an application for an extension by a school (details supplied) in County Mayo in March 1999; when this will go to tender; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22453/05]
I am pleased to inform the Deputy that I have included the building project for the school in question in my recently announced list of school projects to be progressed through architectural planning in 2005. The building project is at advanced stage of architectural planning stage 4 to 5, that is, detail design and bill of quantities. The stage submission is currently with the Department and will be assessed by the Department's staff in due course. When this analysis is complete, the school building section will be in contact with the school authorities. A decision on which school building projects will advance to tender and construction as part of the 2006 schools building and modernisation programme will be taken later in the year.
721 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Education and Science the position in respect of special needs teachers in rural schools; if she plans to reduce the number of same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22465/05]
As the Deputy is aware, a new scheme for allocating resource teachers to schools to cater for the needs of children with high-incidence special needs and learning support needs, was announced last month. The reason for the new scheme is simple. Children with special needs such as dyslexia or mild learning difficulties are found in almost every school. It makes sense then that every school should have a number of resource teaching hours based on the number of pupils in the school.
This is a major improvement on the previous system, under which children with high incidence special needs required a psychological assessment before they were given resource teaching hours by the Department. This was a time-consuming process that often led to delays in children getting the support they needed. Resource teachers will now be in place in the school from the start of the school year, so that children who need their assistance can get it straight away.
Under the new arrangement disadvantaged schools, boys schools and mixed schools get extra resources, as research shows that pupils in these schools are more likely to have learning difficulties.
To ensure that every school has enough resource teaching hours to meet the needs of its pupils, an extra 660 resource teaching posts are being put in place for next September. A total of 340 of these are permanent posts and 320 are temporary posts being provided to ensure that children who had been given an individual allocation of resource teaching hours by my Department will keep these in situations where the general allocation to the school would not be sufficient to allow the school to provide these hours from within its general allocation.
The provision of these temporary posts will ensure that no child who has been allocated a specific number of hours with a resource teacher by my Department will lose these under these new arrangements. In fact the reality is that the majority of schools are gaining resource teaching hours under the new scheme.
Addressing the concerns of small and rural schools was, as the Deputy will be aware, the reason why I initiated a review of the original general allocation model which had been announced last year, to come into effect in the 2005 to 2006 school year. Following this review, a special improved ratio for small schools has been introduced to ensure that they are given resource teaching hours on a more favourable basis.
As of next September there will be over 5,000 teachers in our primary schools working directly with children with special needs, including those requiring learning support. This compares to under 1,500 in 1998. Indeed, one out of every five primary school teachers is now working specifically with children with special needs.
The Government, and I as Minister for Education and Science, am deeply committed to improving services for children with special needs. I believe that, in addition to the massive increase in resource teachers in recent years, the introduction of this new general allocation scheme will ensure a faster and more flexible response for children with special needs.
722 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the total cost, number and nature of reports, consultancies or other advisory or public relations commissions awarded by her Department from 1998 to 2004 and to date in 2005 to persons other than established civil servants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22481/05]
The information sought by the Deputy is being compiled and will shortly be forwarded directly to him.
723 Mr. G. Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Science the amount of money which has been spent on the renting, leasing or purchasing of demountable, temporary accommodation in the past five years; if her Department arranges this through the Department of Finance; the tendering process which is in operation and the frequency in which it is reviewed; the length of time the arrangement lasts; the average period of renting or leasing; and the number of units which have been rented and leased over five, eight and ten years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22496/05]
The Department's records are held on a calendar year basis and the information which I am providing reflects that position. In the last five years my Department has spent €39.1million on the rental of temporary school premises. The breakdown of this expenditure by year is €4,002,339 in 2000, €6,039,060 in 2001, €8,402,140 in 2002, €9,329,997 in 2003 and €11,306,660 in 2004. This expenditure is not categorised by accommodation type and I cannot therefore readily identify for the Deputy the portion of the expenditure that may relate to demountable temporary accommodation.
In the last five years my Department has spent €73.5 million on the purchase of prefabricated buildings in the primary and post-primary sectors. The breakdown of the expenditure by year is €4,407,981 in 2000, €9,108,090 in 2001, €21,463,576 in 2002, €25,838, 453 in 2003 and €12,711,802 in 2004. This expenditure represents less than 5% of the total expenditure on school buildings between 2000 and 2004. The total spent between 2000 and 2004 on primary and post-primary school buildings including PPP projects at second level amounted to €1.6 billion.
This expenditure was for the supply and installation of prefabricated buildings including associated site works and other costs such as for compliance with planning permission conditions, professional fees, connections for water, electricity and sewage. The demand for additional accommodation in schools has risen significantly over the last number of years mainly due to the rapid expansion in teacher numbers particularly in the area of special needs, the growth in the school-going population in rapidly developing areas and the demands to cater for diversity through the recognition of new Gaelscoileanna and Educate Together schools.
The current focus within my Department is to empower schools to resolve their accommodation needs, wherever possible. In order to reduce the amount of temporary accommodation at primary level a new initiative was launched in 2003. The purpose of this initiative is to allow primary schools to undertake a permanent solution to their classroom accommodation needs and to achieve the best value for money. The feedback from the 20 schools in that pilot initiative was very positive and the initiative was expanded to include 44 additional primary schools in 2004. Over 70 schools have been invited to participate in this initiative in 2005.
The Department of Finance is not directly involved in the procurement of temporary accommodation. My Department issues guidance to schools in respect of the tendering process which is in compliance with public procurement procedures. Where school authorities are given approval to rent temporary accommodation on the basis of proven need the arrangement stays in place while that need exists or until such time as the need is met by a more permanent solution.
The information requested by the Deputy in respect of the number of individual units rented at each school is not readily available. However, if the Deputy wishes to request details in respect of any particular school my officials will provide the information required.
724 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of children at primary school level experiencing reading difficulties in mild, moderate or severe form; the number experiencing such difficulty between 1998 and 2004. [22501/05]
Terms such as "mild", "moderate" or "severe" reading difficulties are not defined in Irish research literature on reading attainment, in comparable international research literature or by my Department. In the absence of an operational definition of these terms, it is difficult to give a precise estimate of the number of pupils who might fall into these categories. It is crucial is that there is a system in place for identifying pupils who are experiencing reading difficulties relative to their peers and that supports can be allocated to them.
The system used in primary schools for identifying pupils with literacy difficulties is to use a cut-off point of the tenth percentile on a standardised test in combination with teachers' professional judgments and to allocate learning support to those pupils who function at or below that level. It is generally accepted that the tenth percentile would identify the pupils to whom the Deputy refers. At any given time there are 40,000 to 45,000 pupils in primary schools who perform at this level and their needs are catered for in the first instance by class teachers with assistance from learning support and resource teachers, as required. International comparisons of achievement are not available in relation to pupils at primary level. However, the results of the programme of international student assessment, PISA, provide detailed information on the standards of reading literacy among Irish five year olds. In the 2003 survey, Ireland ranked sixth in reading out of the 29 OECD countries. The percentage of Irish students whose performance in reading was at the lowest level of proficiency, below level 1, was 2.7%. The corresponding OECD average was 6.7%. This indicates that the proportion of students with serious reading difficulties in Ireland is less than half that of the OECD average. The results of the PISA survey conducted in 2000 provide similar evidence with regard to the prevalence of reading difficulties of this nature among Irish 15 year olds.
725 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of teaching staff in 1998 and 2004 at second level, distinguishing by type of school; the number at third level, distinguishing universities and institutes of technology. [22502/05]
730 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of teaching staff at second level, distinguishing by type of school; the number at third level, distinguishing universities and institutes of technology in 2004. [22507/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 725 and 730 together.
At second level, the overall whole-time equivalent number of teaching staff for the 1998 to 1999 school year was 23,435. The breakdown between the sectors is as follows: secondary 13,223; vocational 6,602; community 3,026 and comprehensive, 584. In the 2004 to 2005 school year, the overall whole-time equivalent number of teaching staff is 24,962. The breakdown between the sectors is as follows: secondary, 13,269; vocational 7,634; community 3,434 and comprehensive, 625.
It is important to note that the number of students at post-primary level has decreased considerably during this time. In 1998 to 1999, there were 362,051 students at post-primary level. By 2003 to 2004 the numbers had decreased to 337,851.
At third level, the total number of teaching staff in universities was as follows: on 31 December 1998 there were 2,872 and on 31 December 2004, there were 3,839.
The number of teaching staff in institutes of technology was as follows: in the 1997 to 1998 academic year the whole-time equivalent academic staff was 3,581, technological sector, and 3,557, institutes of technology only, while in the 2003 to 2004 academic year, the whole-time equivalent academic staff was 4,544, technological sector, and 4,462, institutes of technology only. The figures for the 2004 to 2005 academic year are not yet available in respect of Institutes of Technology. The technological sector includes Tourism College, Killybegs, TCK and Tipperary Rural and Business Development Institute, TRBDI.
726 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the amount spent on second level school transport in 2004; the numbers carried on second level transport in 2004. [22503/05]
727 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the amount spent on primary level school transport in 2004; the numbers carried on primary level transport in 2004. [22504/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 726 and 727 together.
The total expenditure on school transport services in 2004 was €109.845 million. The actual divide of expenditure between the primary and post-primary sectors is not readily available.
The number of children availing of school transport to primary and post-primary schools in 2004 was 60,000 and 78,000 respectively. These are average figures as the number of children availing of school transport services in a school year varies from time to time. Between 8,000 and 9,000 children with special needs are included in the overall figures.
In addition to the 138,000 children carried on dedicated school transport services, Bus Éireann also issues over 9,500 tickets to schoolchildren for travel on public and privately-licensed scheduled local and national bus and rail services.
728 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of students who were in receipt of higher education grants for university, for institute of technology and for other courses in the academic year 2003/2004. [22505/05]
Complete statistics in respect of the 2003 to 2004 academic year which give the level of detail requested by the Deputy are not yet available to my Department. As soon as the relevant statistics have been compiled, my Department will forward them directly for the Deputy's information.
729 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of teachers at primary level schools in the academic year 2003-04. [22506/05]
There were 26,039 teaching posts in primary schools in the 2003 to 2004 school year.
731 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of students at primary, secondary and third level education in the academic year 2003/2004. [22508/05]
The following information was requested by the Deputy and refers to full time students attending institutions aided by the Department of Education and Science: primary, 446,029; secondary, 337,851 and third level, 133,887.
732 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science if she will provide the results of the survey of school leavers for 2003 and 2004, showing the numbers who leave school with no qualifications, those with the junior certificate and those with the leaving certificate. [22509/05]
Information on school leavers, classified by the level of education at which they left school, is set out in the attached tabular statement.
Data from the more recent 2004 survey of school leavers conducted by the ESRI is currently being coded and recorded in electronic format. Analysis of the data will commence thereafter. It is understood that the report on the survey results should be available in autumn 2005.
|
Year of survey |
Leavers in school year |
No qualifications |
Junior Certificate |
Leaving Certificate VPT * |
Leaving Certificate No VPT * |
All Leavers |
|
1997 |
95/96 |
2,5003.7% |
11,10016.3% |
10,60015.6% |
43,70064.4% |
67,900 |
|
1998 |
96/97 |
2,5003.5% |
10,80015.5% |
13,90020% |
42,40061% |
69,500 |
|
1999 |
97/98 |
2,3003.2% |
11,10015.3% |
14,40019.8% |
44,90061.8% |
72,700 |
|
2002 |
00/01 |
2,2403.1% |
10,12014.2% |
10,38014.6% |
48,51068.1% |
71,250 |
*The acronym VPT denotes vocational preparation and training.
733 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Education and Science the names, titles, dates of appointment, total annual salary including pension contributions of each of the special or political advisers, personal assistants or personal secretaries appointed by her; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22552/05]
The information requested by the Deputy regarding certain staff in my office is as follows: special adviser to the Minister, Ms Aevril Power, was appointed 29 September 2004 and has a salary of €75,036 per annum; personal assistant to the Minister, Mr. Carl Gibney, was appointed 29 September 2004 and has a salary of €47,921 per annum. Both staff members mentioned previously have standard contracts of employment which were drawn up by the Department of Finance.
In addition to the above appointments, I have also assigned a principal officer from within my Department to act as policy co-ordinator. Arrangements are currently being finalised in respect of a further appointment to the post of personal secretary and I will be in touch with the Deputy as soon as this process is completed.
The Deputy should note that the number of political appointments made by me to my staff is two, with a third to be finalised, compared to five appointments made by the Minister for Education from 1992 to 1997. In addition, neither of the Ministers of State in my Department have special advisers, in contrast with the arrangements under the rainbow Government, whereby the Minister of State from 1995 to 1997 had a special adviser.
734 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Science the circumstances surrounding the accident where a person fell off a school bus which was carrying pupils from a school (details supplied) in County Roscommon on 20 June 2005; the steps being taken to ensure that an independent investigation into the incident takes place; the measures being taken to ensure that such an incident is not repeated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22564/05]
737 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Science the circumstances surrounding the accident where a person fell off a school bus which was carrying pupils from a school (details supplied) in County Roscommon on 20 June 2005; the steps being taken to ensure that an independent investigation into the incident takes place; the measures being taken to ensure that such an incident is not repeated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22658/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 734 and 737 together.
Road traffic accidents are investigated, in the first instance, by the Garda Síochána. The Garda examined the bus last week and concluded that there was no malfunction with the emergency door.
My Department has requested, as a matter of urgency, a report from Bus Éireann on the findings of its inquiry into how the child came to fall out the emergency exit, and I await this at present.
735 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Science the circumstances surrounding the incident where a school bus caught fire in north County Dublin on 20 June 2005; the steps being taken to ensure that an independent investigation into the incident takes place; the measures being taken to ensure that such an incident is not repeated on other similar buses; the location and routes served by such buses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22565/05]
738 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Science the circumstances surrounding the incident where a school bus caught fire in north County Dublin on 20 June 2005; the steps being taken to ensure that an independent investigation into the incident takes place; the measures being taken to ensure that such an incident is not repeated on other similar buses; the location and routes served by such buses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22659/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 735 and 738 together.
I too was shocked to hear of the fire on a school bus last week. I understand there were no students on the bus and the driver was not injured. The causes of the fire are unknown at this point but Bus Éireann are examining the remains of the bus carefully to establish how the fire happened. We know that the bus was a 1993 registered bus, that it has a roadworthiness certificate from the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and that it had just undergone a service by Bus Éireann last week. We simply do not know why the fire happened yet and will not until Bus Éireann has concluded its investigation into the incident.
I understand that as a precaution, the remaining nine buses similar to the bus that caught fire were taken out of service for examination. These buses were located in Athlone, Cork and Dundalk. My Department has asked Bus Éireann for information on the cause of the fire as a matter of urgency.
736 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of special educational needs organisations employed; the appeals process open to persons who disagree with a SENO regarding the assistance that their child requires; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22570/05]
As the Deputy is aware, the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, which became operational on 1 January 2005, now processes applications for special educational needs supports and decides on the level of support appropriate to the school. A total of 71 special educational needs organisers, SENOs, have been recruited throughout the country and will be a focal point of contact for schools and parents.
The NCSE will undertake to review a decision on foot of a request from a school or parents or guardians, when accompanied by relevant additional information, which may not have been to hand at the time of the decision. The NCSE has outlined this process in its circulars NCSE 01/05, primary and NCSE 02/05, second level, which issued to all schools in January 2005.
739 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Education and Science if an additional special needs teacher will be sanctioned for a school (details supplied) in County Galway; if her attention has been drawn to the need for this teacher; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22671/05]
My Department has sanctioned an additional special needs teacher to the facility concerned and has also agreed to allocate funding to facilitate the expansion of the facility to cater for an additional six children.
740 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Science if the new school building for a school (details supplied) in County Kilkenny has gone to e-tender stage; the timeframe involved from now to construction stage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22678/05]
I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the advertisement seeking expressions of interest from suitably qualified consultants to form the design team for the school in question was placed on the public procurement portal, www.etenders.gov.ie on Friday, 24 June 2005.
This is a two stage selection process and the closing date for receipt of expressions of interest — stage 1 — is 18 July 2005. It is anticipated that the full design team should be formally appointed by the end of August. The architectural service for this project is being dealt with in-house by the school building section and substantial work on the early stages of the design process has already been completed. It is not possible at this point to indicate when the architectural planning process will be completed. There are five stages in this process and the timeframe for completing these stages is contingent on various factors including any unexpected issues that may arise, the period of time for the granting of planning permission and obtaining a fire certificate, etc.
A decision on which school building projects will advance to tender and construction as part of the 2006 schools building and modernisation programme will be taken later in the year.
741 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Education and Science the criteria under which private, fee paying secondary schools receive funding under her Department’s school building programme. [22679/05]
742 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of private, fee paying secondary schools on her Department’s school building programme list. [22680/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 741 and 742 together.
Over 1,340 schools will benefit from the announcements I have made so far this year with regard to the school buildings and modernisation programme. Of these only 12, or 0.9%, are fee charging schools. School building projects, whether for fee charging schools or schools in the free education scheme, are selected for inclusion in the schools building and modernisation programme on the basis of priority of need using published criteria.
Of the €2 billion that has been invested in school buildings since 1999, only €14.5million, or 0.7%, was provided to fee charging second level schools for building and refurbishment works. Last year just over €970,000 in capital funding was given to fee paying schools. This represents 0.29% of total expenditure on school buildings in 2004.
743 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of private, fee paying secondary schools which received funding on her Department’s school building programme in the past five years. [22681/05]
744 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Education and Science the amount of money which was spent by her Department on building projects for private, fee paying secondary schools in the past five years under her Department’s school building programme. [22682/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 743 and 744 together.
During the five year period 2000-04, 26 private fee paying second level schools received funding from my Department under the school building programme. The allocation to the 26 schools amounted to €12,382,719 over the period. The funding represents 1.5% of the post primary budget for the years 2000 to 2004 and just over 0.5% of my Department's overall capital allocation for that period.
745 Mr. O’Connor asked the Minister for Education and Science her plans to fund the management and maintenance of the new physical education hall at a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22683/05]
The project being referred to by the Deputy is one of a number of dual use halls being funded as part of a joint programme to develop community sports facilities in drugs task force areas. Preliminary discussions have taken place with the other Departments which were part of this joint programme and also the relevant local authorities in respect of the management of the community aspect of these facilities. Each school authority will be kept advised of developments.
746 Mr. O’Connor asked the Minister for Education and Science if her officials will contact a school (details supplied) in Dublin 24 to discuss its concerns regarding teaching numbers for September 2005. [22684/05]
The mainstream staffing of a primary school is determined by applying the enrolment of the school on 30 September of the previous school year to a staffing schedule agreed between my Department and the education partners. In accordance with the staffing schedule which issued recently to boards of management, the mainstream staffing of the school for the 2005-06 school year will be a principal and nine mainstream class teachers based on an enrolment of 238 pupils at 30 September 2004.
To ensure openness and transparency in the system an independent appeals board is now in place. The criteria under which an appeal can be made are set out in the Department of Education and Science's primary circular 19/02 which is also available on its website. The appeals board met on 14 June and will meet again in July and October to consider appeals on the mainstream teaching allocation to schools for the 2005-06 school year. The closing dates for appeals for the forthcoming July and October meetings are 24 June and 7 October 2005, respectively. Appeals must be submitted to the primary payments section, Department of Education and Science, Athlone, on the standard application form, clearly stating the criteria under which they being made. The application form is available from the primary payments section or on the Department's website.
As the Deputy may also be aware, my Department has issued a letter to all primary schools notifying them of their teaching allocation under the new general allocation model for the 2005-06 school year. The letter also includes details of any clustering arrangements that may apply. I would like to advise the Deputy that the school has been allocated three resource teaching posts to cater for the needs of pupils with high and low incidence special needs and learning difficulties and special educational needs for the forthcoming school year. The levels are appropriate in the context of reducing enrolments and the current number of pupils with special educational needs requiring a service. My officials have been in contact with the school authorities regarding its general allocation.
My Department is also finalising a circular for schools which will contain detailed information on how the new system will operate. It is intended that this circular will issue before the commencement of the next school year. It is also intended that this circular will address issues that have been raised by schools with my Department since the system was notified to schools in mid-May. It is a matter for each school to determine the pupils with high incidence special education and learning support needs that will receive supplementary teaching support. Each school will have enough resource teaching hours to provide its pupils with a level of support appropriate to their needs.
The school can then use its professional judgment to decide how these hours are divided between different children in the school to ensure that all their needs are met. Research shows that some children with special needs will respond better with one-to-one tuition. Others, however, do better then taught in small groups. Often it is best for resource teachers to work with children in the classroom rather than taking them away to a separate room as the children then have to catch up work done by the rest of the class in their absence. I have asked my officials to contact the school to discuss its concerns.
747 Ms O’Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Science if she will engage with persons (details supplied) to identify an appropriate education for their son; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22711/05]
I wish to advise the Deputy that my officials have worked closely with the Health Service Executive, northern area to develop an appropriate placement for the person in question. This placement at the Woodlawns centre in north Dublin has met with the approval of the High Court and remains available to the person should his parents be willing to consider sending him there. I believe the care plan which has been offered by the State is the best option for this young man as it will meet the totality of his needs by providing an integrated educational and health related support service to him on a residential basis.
The Woodlawns centre provides assessment, care, rehabilitation and education for individuals who have both a learning disability and other difficulties such as behavioural problems. An individual education plan will be drawn up to meet the young man's needs and will be delivered by a specialist teacher with the support of the special needs assistant. I understand from the HSE that a person centred plan to provide for his care needs will also be drawn up and will be delivered by the appropriate support staff in Woodlawns. He will also have access to occupational therapy and speech and language therapy.
I understand that following the High Court judgment the HSE, on behalf of the State, wrote to solicitors for the family in question seeking its agreement to meet officials from both the HSE and my Department in order to progress matters. My officials remain committed to working with the family to ensure a positive outcome.
748 Ms O’Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Science if and when she will meet representatives of a school (details supplied) in County Galway to discuss and address the loss of three permanent special needs resource teaching posts under the new weighted system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22712/05]
As the Deputy is aware, a new scheme for allocating resource teachers to schools to cater for the needs of children with high incidence special needs and learning support needs was announced last month. The reason for the new scheme is simple. Children with special needs such as dyslexia or mild learning difficulties are found in almost every school. It makes sense then that every school should have a number of resource teaching hours based on the number of pupils in the school.
This is a major improvement on the previous system under which children with high incidence special educational needs required a psychological assessment for every child before they were give resource teaching hours by the Department. This was a time-consuming process that often led to delays in children getting the support they needed. Resource teachers will now be in place in the school from the start of the school year, so that children who need their assistance can get it straight away.
Under the new arrangement disadvantaged schools, boys schools and mixed schools get extra resources as research shows that pupils in these schools are more likely to have learning difficulties. To ensure that every school has enough resource teaching hours to meet the needs of its pupils, an extra 660 resource teaching posts are being put in place for next September. Some 340 of these are permanent posts and 320 are temporary posts being provided to ensure that children who had been given an individual allocation of resource teaching hours by my Department will keep these in situations where the general allocation to the school would not be sufficient to allow it to provide these hours from within its general allocation.
The provision of these temporary posts will ensure that no child who has been allocated a specific number of hours with a resource teacher by my Department will lose these under these new arrangements. In fact, the reality is that the majority of schools are gaining resource teaching hours under the new scheme.
Addressing the concerns of small and rural schools was, as the Deputy will be aware, the reason I initiated a review of the original general allocation model which had been announced last year to come into effect in the 2005-06 school year. Following this review, a special improved ratio for small schools has been introduced to ensure that they are given resource teaching hours on a more favourable basis.
If the Deputy wishes to provide information on the specific schools referred to in her question, I would be happy to supply details in respect of their staffing allocations under the new scheme. Officials in my Department are willing to discuss the new arrangements with any school and a contact name and phone number for the relevant official was provided to all schools with the letter outlining its allocation.
749 Ms O’Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Science when it is proposed to allocate funding towards the provision of additional classrooms to a school (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22716/05]
My Department is in receipt of an application for improved accommodation from the authorities of the school referred to by the Deputy. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria which was revised last year following consultation with the education partners. The project will be considered in the context of the school building and modernisation programme 2005-09.
751 Mr. O’Connor asked the Minister for Education and Science if her officials have investigated the matter of her Department’s school site (details supplied) in Dublin 24; if she has consulted South Dublin County Council in the matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22718/05]
The future use of the site owned by my Department at Kingswood Heights, Tallaght, has not yet been determined. However, my Department has recently received a proposal from South Dublin County Council regarding a possible alternative use of the site in question. This proposal is currently under consideration and a decision will issue to the council as soon as possible.
752 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Science if she has sought or studied reports in respect of the incidents of various forms of cancer in respect of school children attending schools in areas reported to have high levels of radon gas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22759/05]
The position is that my Department, in co-operation with the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland, RPII, has been funding a radon detection and remediation programme in schools since 1998. The radon reference set for the workplace under the Radiological Protection Act 1991 (Ionising Radiation) Order 2000, SI 125 of 2000, is 400 Bq/m3. Notwithstanding the fact that the radon reference for workplaces is 400 Bq/m3, my Department issues grants to schools for the installation of suitable vents in classrooms where radon levels are between 200 Bq/m3 and 400 Bq/m3.
Schools with levels above 400 Bq/m3 are advised to secure the services of a suitably qualified consultant architect-engineer to carry out all necessary remedial works and these works are funded by my Department. Following completion of remediation works, post remediation measurements are carried out by the RPII to determine if the remediation has been effective. This process is ongoing and the RPII continues to carry out post remediation testing in schools.
753 Ms O’Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Science if she will sanction funding for a purpose-built education centre for Limerick; the timescale envisaged; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22760/05]
The accommodation requirements of the Limerick education centre are under consideration in my Department. A number of options for the provision of appropriate accommodation in a suitable location are being explored. When a decision has been made on how best to provide for the needs of the centre, the project will be considered in the context of the school buildings and modernisation programme 2005-09.
754 Ms O’Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Science the amount spent to date from the education fund for victims of child abuse; the criteria used in deciding applications to the fund; the appeal system which is in place for those whose application is not successful; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22761/05]
Under the terms of the indemnity agreement concluded between the State and religious congregations on 5 June 2002, provision was made for a fund of €12.7 million to be used to assist former residents of institutions and their families in pursuing educational programmes. Pending the establishment of this fund on a statutory basis, my Department introduced an administrative grants scheme for former residents and their families, which is being administered by the national office for victims of abuse, NOVA. To date approximately €1.7 million has been expended under this scheme.
The criteria and applications process for this scheme were developed and published by an ad hoc education committee which was established by my Department in early 2003. In the event that an applicant is not satisfied with the outcome of an application to NOVA, the person can request that the matter be referred to a meeting of the ad hoc committee. A decision of the ad hoc committee may be referred to the Office of the Ombudsman for investigation. I have arranged for a copy of the grant criteria document to be forwarded to the Deputy for her information.
755 Ms O’Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Science when it is intended to put into operation the statutory board that is to be set up to administer the education fund under the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Bill 2005; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22762/05]
The Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Bill 2005 provides for the establishment of a statutory education finance board to administer an education grant fund for former residents of certain institutions and their families. Section 23 of the Bill provides for an order to be made by me within one year of the enactment of the Bill appointing an establishment day for the board.
While I do not have a definite date at this juncture, it is my intention to establish the statutory board as soon as practicable. To ensure continued availability of grant assistance for educational courses, the present ad hoc education committee will in the meantime process applications from former residents and their families, including applications in respect of the next academic year.
756 Mr. Carey asked the Minister for Education and Science if there is a funding mechanism within her Department to enable works to be carried out at a school (details supplied) Dublin 11; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22763/05]
The project referred to by the Deputy is one of a number of dual use halls being funded as part of a joint programme to develop community sports facilities in drugs task force areas. Preliminary discussions have taken place with the other Departments which were part of this joint programme and the relevant local authorities in relation to the management of the community aspect of these facilities. Each school authority will be kept advised of developments. My Department will also be in contact with the school in question regarding the other issues that have been raised by him.
757 Mr. N. O’Keeffe asked the Minister for Education and Science if a special needs teacher will be approved for a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [22764/05]
The pre-school referred by the Deputy appears to be a privately operated facility and is not funded by my Department. In the circumstances, it is not possible for my Department to sanction a teacher for the child in question while he is attending this facility.
758 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of primary schools in County Roscommon defined as rural disadvantaged for the years 2003-04 and 2004-05; her definition of rural disadvantage; the current special education teacher allocation for these schools; and the expected allocation from September 2005. [22765/05]
Since the launch of the Giving Children an Even Break programme in 2001, my Department provides support that is commensurate with the levels of concentration in schools of pupils with characteristics that are associated with educational disadvantage and early school leaving. The levels of disadvantage were established as a result of a comprehensive survey of primary schools carried out by the educational research centre in 2000 at the request of my Department. There are 58 schools in County Roscommon included in the rural dimension of Giving Children an Even Break, 19 of which has the services of a rural co-ordinator.
Section 32(9) of the Education Act 1998 defines educational disadvantage as "impediments to education arising from social or economic disadvantage which prevent students from deriving appropriate benefit from education in schools". A village or rural community with a population of less than 1,500 is defined as rural for the purposes of Giving Children an Even Break. The information on current and expected special education teacher allocations for these schools will be forwarded directly to the Deputy.
759 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of mixed primary schools in County Roscommon with an enrolment of less that 105. [22766/05]
In the 2004-05 school year, there are 82 mixed primary schools in County Roscommon with an enrolment of less than 105 pupils. Each of these schools has benefited from the special favourable ratio for small mixed schools introduced recently under the general allocation scheme for providing resource teachers to schools to meet the needs of pupils with high incidence special needs, such as dyslexia, and learning support needs.
The reason for the new scheme is simple. Children with special needs such as dyslexia or mild learning difficulties are found in almost every school. It makes sense then that every school should have a number of resource teaching hours based on the number of pupils in the school. This is a major improvement on the previous system under which children with high incidence special educational needs required a psychological assessment for every child before they were given resource teaching hours by the Department. This was a time-consuming process that often led to delays in children getting the support they needed. Resource teachers will now be in place in the school from the start of the school year, so that children who need their assistance can get it straight away.
The school can then use its professional judgment to decide how these hours are divided between different children in the school to ensure that all their needs are met. Research shows that some children with special needs will respond better with one-to-one tuition. Others, however, do better when taught in small groups. Often it is best for resource teachers to work with children in the classroom rather than taking them away to a separate room as the children then have to catch up work done by the rest of the class in their absence. The point is that the type of response needed depends on the child.
While the new scheme will not prevent schools from giving one-to-one time with the resource teacher to children that need it, it is important to note that one-to-one teaching is not the best option for every child.
The extra resources being provided to support the introduction of this new scheme are a further demonstration of the Government's commitment to improving services for children with special needs. In addition to the massive increase in resource teachers in recent years, the introduction of this new general allocation scheme will ensure a faster and more flexible response for children with special needs.
As of next September, there will be more than 5,000 teachers in our primary schools working directly with children with special needs, including those requiring learning support. This compares with under 1,500 in 1998. Indeed, one out of every five primary school teachers is now working specifically with children with special needs.
760 Mr. Ferris asked the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the fact that a primary school (details supplied) in County Kerry is in severe financial difficulties and is having to organise fund-raising events to raise money to improve its facilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22767/05]
The application for works required at the school to which the Deputy refers has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria which was revised last year following consultation with the education partners.
Detailed examination of a feasibility study regarding the options for provision of the required level of accommodation is underway to determine the best way forward. The project will be considered in the context of the school building and modernization programme 2005 — 2009.
761 Ms B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for Education and Science further to her stated commitment to ensure that schools have broadband internet connection, if she has discussed with the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the way in which this can be achieved; if she has discussed with him the way in which it can be achieved at a school (details supplied) in County Kerry; her views on whether it is unfair to make available an information technology grant to such a school when it cannot use same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22830/05]
A major focus for my Department at present is the roll-out of broadband internet connectivity to all recognised primary and post-primary schools. This project is being undertaken in partnership with industry, following the establishment of a three year €18 million joint Government and IBEC — TIF fund. In this context, my Department, in conjunction with the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, conducted a public procurement process designed to achieve the optimal solution for each school having regard to the broadband delivery technology options available.
Following the outcome of the procurement process, a mix of broadband technologies will be utilised in schools, including wireless, fixed line, or DSL, and satellite technologies.
The position on the school referred to by the Deputy is that the award made as part of the public procurement process was for a broadband connection via satellite technology. The individual service providers will be in touch with schools to make the necessary arrangements for the installation of the broadband connection. The school authorities applied to my Department for a grant to develop its internal computer networking facilities and was awarded the requested amount of €1,350 in December, 2004.
762 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for Education and Science, further to Question No. 256 of 22 June 2005, if she will alter the terms of the maintenance grants scheme for post-leaving certificate courses 2005, in order that meritorious cases such as that of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 12 will be accommodated. [22856/05]
763 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for Education and Science, further to Question No. 256 of 22 June 2005, if assistance will be given to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 12 to complete their final year of third level at university; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22857/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 762 and 763 together.
My Department funds four maintenance grant schemes for third level and further education students. These are the higher education grants scheme, the vocational education committees' scholarships scheme, the third level maintenance grants scheme for trainees and the maintenance grants scheme for students attending post-leaving certificate courses. The HEG scheme is administered by the local authorities under the aegis of my Department, the other three maintenance grant schemes are administered on a similar basis by the VECs.
The PLC scheme prescribes the terms and conditions of funding in respect of students attending courses in approved PLC centres. The other three schemes govern the award of grants to students attending approved courses in approved third level institutions. Grant applicants must be assessed by the awarding bodies with reference to the terms and conditions prescribed in the scheme relevant to the course being pursued and the college being attended.
On the basis of the information submitted, my previous parliamentary response of 22 June to the Deputy outlined the position prescribed under the terms of the PLC scheme for students who already hold a third level qualification. If it is the case that the student concerned will be commencing an approved course in an approved third level institution in the 2005-06 academic year then her eligibility for grant assistance must assessed with reference to the terms and conditions of the relevant third level scheme. In this event she should contact the relevant awarding body concerned with a view to submitting a grant application and establishing her eligibility to grant assistance as soon as possible.
My Department has no plans to alter the terms of the PLC scheme to allow students who already hold a third level qualification to continue to receive PLC grant assistance.
764 Ms O’Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Science if her Department has made a decision on the request for children in the Mungret, Raheen and Clarina areas of County Limerick to be included in the school transport scheme for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22858/05]
With effect from the next school year, pupils eligible for school transport residing in the Limerick city catchment area who have enrolled for the first time in the school referred to by the Deputy in the details supplied may avail of catchment boundary transport under the terms of the post-primary school transport scheme.
765 Mr. O’Connor asked the Minister for Education and Science the value of the increases in charges and appropriations in aid in the financial years 1995-96 and 1997-98. [23512/05]
The information sought by the Deputy is not readily available in my Department.If the Deputy requires details in regard to a particular charge I would be happy to have my officials provide the information concerned. Details of appropriations in aid collected in the years 1995 to 1998 are as follows: 1995 €226,892,454; 1996 €237,514,333; 1997 €251,718,370; 1998 €268,186,632.
766 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Defence if a request has been made to have Army personnel on stand-by, or if they have been briefed on prison officer duties, in anticipation of a strike; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21891/05]
Contingency planning has been undertaken regarding the possible use of Garda and Defence Force personnel in the event of industrial action in the prisons. In such a situation, the Defence Forces would play a significant role. Pursuant to this, army personnel have been engaged in a familiarisation process, which has included a series of visits to the prisons.
It would be inappropriate to provide details of the contingency plans being put in place. The Government has a duty to ensure that the prison system continues to operate in all circumstances.
767 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Defence if he will place a copy of all reports available to his Department on the possible use of Baldonnell aerodrome for commercial purposes in the Oireachtas library. [21929/05]
The Warburg Dillon Read report of December 1999, commissioned by the Department of Transport and which assessed the strategic options at that time for the future of the former Aer Rianta, considered the question of developing Baldonnel aerodrome for commercial aviation. I understand that copies of that report were provided to the Dáil library in February 2000.
768 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Defence the amount spent by his Department or agencies under the authority of his Department, on the services of models for use in departmental promotional activities, during policy launches or other departmental events since 1997; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21982/05]
My Department has not engaged the services of models for use in any departmental events since 1997.
769 Mr. Fleming asked the Minister for Defence the number of persons in receipt of the old IRA veterans pension; the number of persons in receipt of the old IRA widows pension; the maximum amount payable in respect of each pension; and the average payment for each pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22193/05]
The information requested is as follows:
|
Category |
No. of recipients |
Maximum annual amount |
Average annual amount |
|
Veterans |
|||
|
Military Service Pensioners |
2 |
See note (a) |
See note (a) |
|
Special Allowance Holders under the Army Pensions Acts |
4 |
€6,143 |
€6,054 |
|
Spouses of deceased Veterans |
|||
|
Spouses of deceased Military Service Pensioners |
286 |
€15,708 |
€3,509 |
|
Spouses of other deceased Veterans of the War of Independence |
546 |
See note (b) |
See note (b) |
|
Total |
838 |
Notes:
(a)The rates of pension payable to the two remaining pensioners are €18,239 and €5,453 a year respectively.
(b)An annual flat rate allowance of €2,457 is payable to these spouses.
These payments were increased by 50% from 1 July 2004, having been previously increased by 50% from 1 January 2000.
770 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Defence the total cost, number and nature of legal services sought by his Department from 1998 to 2004 and to date in 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22426/05]
The amount expended in respect of legal services sought by my Department from 1998 to date in 2005 is as follows.
|
Year |
Cases |
Nature of Service |
Cost |
|
€ |
|||
|
1998-2003 |
Nil |
||
|
2004 |
2 |
Provision of Senior Counsel advice on the Civil Defence Act. |
4,598 |
|
2005 |
Nil |
Report commissioned on Health & Safety for Civil Defence Board. |
1,800 |
My Department has recourse to the Offices of the Chief State Solicitor and the Attorney General for advice so often that it would be impossible to collate the information with regard to those offices.
771 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Defence the total cost, number and nature of reports, consultancies or other advisory or public relations commissions awarded by his Department from 1998 to 2004 and to date in 2005 to persons other than established civil servants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22482/05]
The information sought by the Deputy is set out in the attached table.
|
Year |
Name |
Purpose |
Cost |
|
€ |
|||
|
1998 |
Ernst & Young |
Analysis and design of a Fishery Control System to enable the Naval Service to meet its obligations under new fishery regulations |
608,839 |
|
1998 |
BDO Simpson Xavier Consultants |
Market and Financial Feasibility Study for National Aviation Heritage Centre |
19,666 |
|
1998-99 |
Mr. D. Rochford, Staff Relations Services |
Chairman of Group which carried out Review of the Reserve Defence Force |
37,470 |
|
1999-04 |
Brady, Shipman, Martin |
Drawing up of an integrated Area Action Plan for Murphy Barracks, Ballincollig, Cork |
128,902 |
|
1999-05 |
Sir Frederick Snow & Partners Ltd. |
Review of policy in relation to Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel |
21,938 |
|
1999-00 |
Mr. L. Dunbar |
Review of the Medical Corps |
4,360 |
|
1999-00 |
Anti-Bullying Centre, Trinity College |
To conduct an investigation into an allegation of bullying |
6,599 |
|
2000 |
Mr. Mike Ginn |
To assist and advise with a tender competition for the supply of Medium Lift Helicopters for Search and Rescue |
121,682 |
|
2000-01 |
Exselan Computer Systems |
To facilitate development of Department’s E-Government Strategy Statement |
22,093 |
|
2000-04 |
Brian Meehan & Associates |
Grounds of Appeal on behalf of the Minister relating to Aeronautical Development Planning & Development Control matters adjacent to Casement Aerodrome |
20,682 |
|
2001 |
Deloitte & Touche |
Study in relation to the introduction of the Management Information Framework in the Department and the Defence Forces |
129,883 |
|
2001 |
Saville & Holdsworth Ltd. |
Assist in the conduct of job evaluation for the Defence Forces |
44,268 |
|
2001 |
Intercontinental Aviation Consultants |
Carry out an Air Operations Safety Audit of the Air Corps |
55,442 |
|
2001-02 |
Dr. Eileen Doyle |
(Chairperson) Report concerning the nature and extent of any harassment, bullying, discrimination and sexual harassment in the Defence Forces |
63,000 |
|
2001-02 |
Gallagher & Kelly Public Relations |
Public relations service |
32,048 |
|
2001 |
Margaret Considine |
Assist in the selection of advertising agency |
4,920 |
|
2002 |
Sweeney Communications |
Public relations service |
12,235 |
|
2002 |
Dr. Eileen Doyle |
Chairperson, Monitoring Group to give effect to recommendations of the Report concerning harassment, bullying, discrimination and sexual harassment in the Defence Forces |
20,000 |
|
2003 |
Dr. Eileen Doyle |
Chairperson, Monitoring Group to give effect to recommendations of the Report concerning harassment, bullying, discrimination and sexual harassment in the Defence Forces |
97,400 |
|
2003 |
Mr. Colm Dunne |
Expenditure Review on “Maintenance of Aircraft in the Air Corps” |
3,220 |
|
2003 |
Mr. Martin McCoy |
Assist in the Department’s preparations to seek ISO 9000 accreditation |
10,150 |
|
2003-ongoing |
Mr. Dominic McCanny |
To conduct an investigation into allegations of bullying |
86,029 |
|
2003 |
Deloitte & Touche |
Assist with specification and selection of Management Information Framework System |
25,662 |
|
2004 |
Dr. Eileen Doyle |
Chairperson, Monitoring Group to give effect to recommendations of the Report concerning harassment, bullying, discrimination and sexual harassment in the Defence Forces |
43,859 |
|
2004 |
Goldsmith Fitzgerald Partnership |
Climate survey analysis in relation to the performance management and development system (PMDS) |
1,800 |
|
2005 |
Occupational Health Consultants |
Provision of information sessions for civilian employees in relation to asbestos |
3,499 |
|
2005 |
Dr. Charles O’Malley |
Medical Advisor for Civil Defence |
6,400 |
In addition, consultants with appropriate expertise are engaged by the Department as necessary to provide technical services in connection with building, engineering and equipment projects etc. and in connection with psychometric testing for Army, Naval Service and Air Corps cadetships and trainee technicians.
772 Mr. G. Murphy asked the Minister for Defence the amount of money which has been spent on the renting, leasing or purchasing of de-mountable, temporary accommodation over the past five years; if his Department arranges this through the Department of Finance; the tendering process which is in operation and the frequency in which it is reviewed; the length of time the arrangement lasts; the average period of renting or leasing; and the number of units which have been rented and leased over five, eight and ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22497/05]
The total spent on de-mountable temporary accommodation, both leased and purchased, in my Department over the last five years is €3,522,174 broken down as follows: €439,552 for units purchased for use by the military in Ireland; €386,354 for units leased for use by the military in Ireland; and €2,696,268 for units purchased for use by the military in Lebanon, Liberia, and Kosovo.
My Department conducts all of these leases and purchases without any direct input from the Department of Finance. Tendering is carried out in accordance with Government procurement procedures on a case-by-case basis as the need arises. Procedures are reviewed regularly in line with current best practice. The average period of leasing is approximately four months and in no case has a leasing period exceeded three years.
773 Mr. P. Breen asked the Minister for Defence the cost to his Department of providing travel arrangements for the Minister for Arts, Sports and Tourism’s official business on 21 June 2005 (details supplied). [22516/05]
On 21 June 2005, the Minister for Arts, Sports and Tourism used an Air Corps Dauphin helicopter to travel from Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel to Ennis, the Cliffs of Moher, County Clare and on to Ballinrobe, County Mayo. This involved a flying time of one hour 35 minutes. The direct hourly flying cost of the Dauphin helicopter is calculated as €1,700, which includes maintenance, fuel, and support services.
774 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Defence the names, titles, dates of appointment, total annual salary including pension contributions of each of the special or political advisers, personal assistants or personal secretaries appointed by him. [22553/05]
The information sought by the Deputy is as follows:
|
Name |
Title |
Date Appointed |
Current Salary |
|
€ |
|||
|
Derek Mooney |
Special Advisor to the Minister |
17 October 2004 |
75,036 |
|
Suzanne Coogan |
Press Advisor to the Minister |
1 November 2004 |
75,036 |
|
Fergal O’Brien |
Personal Assistant to the Minister for Defence |
30 September 2004 |
46,691 |
|
Olive McNamara |
Personal Secretary to the Minister for Defence |
30 September 2004 |
42,842 |
Each of the above staff has a standard contract of employment which is drawn up by the Department of Finance. Each of the above staff are members of the non-contributory pension scheme for non-established State employees and of the spouses and children's contributory scheme for non-established State employees. Their contribution rate under the spouse's and children's pension scheme is 1.5% of net remuneration. The number of political appointments made by me to my staff is in line with those made by the Minister for Defence from 1992 to 1997.
775 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Defence the length of time the Army’s attention had been drawn to the fact that a person was facing a charge of child rape before they were discharged; and the reason this person was given honourable discharge from the Army. [22675/05]
In the absence of more specific particulars, it is not possible for the military authorities to research their personnel records so as to positively identify the particular person referred to in the Deputy's question. However, in the light of the extreme gravity of the subject matter of the Deputy's question, I will have the matter examined as a matter of urgency on receipt of specific particulars. I will then communicate further with the Deputy in writing.
An enlisted individual may be discharged, under the terms of Defence Force Regulation A10 Part III paragraph 58 (m), as a result of conviction by the civil power. The discharge would take place only after conviction. It would be possible for an individual to apply for his own discharge from the Permanent Defence Force under normal administrative procedures prior to the actual occasion of any such conviction. In such circumstances, the application for discharge would be dealt with and processed in the normal way.
A conduct rating under Defence Force regulations would take account of an individual's record in the Defence Forces up to the date of discharge. However, it is important to note that even if the military authorities are aware of an outstanding civil criminal charge at the time of discharge, such pending civil proceedings could have no effect on the individual's military conduct rating, bearing in mind the fundamental legal principle of the presumption of innocence.
776 Mr. O’Connor asked the Minister for Defence the value of the increases in charges and appropriations in aid in the financial years 1995/1996 and 1997/1998. [23513/05]
Details of the amounts received as appropriations in aid to the Defence and Army pensions Votes for each of the financial years mentioned, running from 1 January to 31 December, are as follows:
|
Defence Vote |
Army Pensions Vote |
|
|
(£000) |
(£000) |
|
|
1995 |
11,695 |
2,655 |
|
1996 |
10,332 |
3,130 |
|
1997 |
14,520 |
3,137 |
|
1998 |
12,044 |
2,904 |
A breakdown of the amount received as appropriations in aid is contained in the published appropriations accounts for each of the years in question. In general, where charges are levied for services provided these are included as appropriations in aid.
777 Ms B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the plans of the Office of Public Works for a premises (details supplied) in County Kerry; when work will begin on the proposed redevelopment of these premises; the cost of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22832/05]
Killarney House was transferred to the State by its previous owners in 1998 and, as part of Killarney National Park, is under the responsibility of the national parks and wildlife service of my Department. The future of Killarney House is being considered within the context of the management plan for Killarney National Park, which is currently being finalised following a period of public consultation. Under that plan, it is intended to retain and preserve the integrity and character of the house both internally and externally.
Following the completion of detailed specialist surveys commissioned by the Office of Public Works, it is clear that major infrastructural works would be required to secure the fabric of Killarney House and to install adequate plumbing, heating and electrical systems if the House was to open to the public. The total cost of these works is estimated at €5 million, which is well in excess of the original estimates for the work. Planning permission for a change of use would also be necessary before the house could be opened to the public. A decision on the nature and extent of works to Killarney House will depend on the future availability of capital funding, having regard to other demands on my Department's capital budget for further works.
780 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the recommendations contained in the NESC report, Housing in Ireland, which he will be implementing in the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22758/05]
The NESC housing report endorses the Government's general approach to housing policy while highlighting important policy challenges ahead. These include ensuring a high quality sustainable development in both urban and rural areas, assisting the market to maintain a high level of supply and providing an effective range of supports to those households who fall below the affordability threshold.
We have being making substantial progress in addressing these concerns, with record overall housing output and increased investment in social and affordable housing. The new affordable homes partnership announced last week provides new impetus and additionally to the existing measures. The partnership will drive and co-ordinate the delivery of affordable housing in the greater Dublin area. It is also intended that the partnership take responsibility, as far as practicable, for affordable housing initiative projects on State lands in the GDA. This will include the use of the land swap option, similar to that piloted on the Harcourt Terrace Lane site. That swap of the site of 0.4 of an acre will result in the delivery of 193 affordable houses in private housing estates, 140 of which will be available in 2005 and the balance by 2006. Consequently, substantially more households will benefit in a quicker timeframe than building on the Harcourt Terrace Lane site, which could only have accommodated some 30 apartments.
Initially, the partnership will work via the existing planning and development framework but additional legislative powers will be made available should they prove necessary. In addition, consideration is to be given to approaches dealing with land options and a "use it or lose it" scheme. As part of the broader delivery of housing nationally, all local authorities will review their land management strategies to maximise the availability of land for their own housing programmes, voluntary and co-operative housing, housing partnerships with the private sector and to secure more active use of brownfield land and derelict sites.
These measures are designed to provide a practical response, focused on delivery to the policy challenges identified by NESC. NESC also highlighted a number of issues, particular in the social housing area, for further consideration. The Government intends to address these more medium term issues for the provision of social and affordable housing in the early autumn. This process will be informed by the outcome of the statutory housing needs assessment under way and the work under way by the housing forum in reviewing the effectiveness of the existing social and affordable housing schemes in the context of the Sustaining Progress agreement.
781 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when an appeal to a proposed NHA and SPA (details supplied) will be considered by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21892/05]
The nature conservation designation appeals advisory board visited the site in question and considered this appeal on 16 June 2005. This non-statutory board has the role of providing independent advice to me, following consideration of the scientific grounds for inclusion or exclusion of the lands under appeal. The board's recommendation on this appeal was transmitted to me last week, and I will make my decision on the recommendation as soon as possible.
782 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, further to Question No. 516 of 26 April 2005, if he will introduce a simplified licensing system for the movement of builders' rubble; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21915/05]
I refer to the reply to Question No. 516 of 26 April 2005. The position is unchanged.
783 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress he has made with the application from Sligo County Council for the water conservation programme in the Lough Talt, County Sligo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21920/05]
The Lough Talt water supply scheme is included in my Department's water services investment programme 2004-06 as a scheme to commence construction this year at an estimated cost of €1.8 million. A preliminary report for the scheme submitted by Sligo County Council was incomplete in a number of respects and could not be approved by my Department. In addition, the appointment of the consultant who prepared the report did not comply with standard procurement procedures. Accordingly, in October 2004, my Department requested the county council to submit a brief for the appointment of a consultant to produce a revised preliminary report. The brief is awaited by my Department.
784 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress made on the submission from Sligo County Council in relation to the eastern relief bridge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21922/05]
The provision of non-national roads in County Sligo is a matter for Sligo County Council for which funding must come from its own resources supplemented by grants provided by my Department. In 2004, my Department sought applications from road authorities for funding under the 2005 EU co-financed specific improvement grants scheme. The initial selection of projects to be submitted for consideration for funding under the scheme is a matter for road authorities.
Sligo County Council's submission did not include an application for funding for an eastern relief bridge. My Department will again seek applications under the EU co-financed specific improvement grants scheme for 2006 later this year at which time it will, of course, be open to Sligo County Council to submit a funding application for consideration.
785 Dr. Cowley asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if it is realistic and unfair to ask independent electrical retailers to carry the costs of disposing of electronic waste and turning these premises into civic amenity centres for the disposal of fridges, washing machines, small appliances and batteries, with fridges being classed as hazardous waste in view of the recent EU directive on recycling of electronic waste; if it is reasonable to ask these retailers to store and act as a transfer station for this waste; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that retailers will be obliged by planning regulations to seek a change of use of premises for the storage and handling of waste; if he will review the situation; his plans in relation to this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21928/05]
The EU directive on waste electrical and electronic equipment, WEEE, presents a challenge to all relevant stakeholder groups and its effective implementation will require a focused, committed approach from all concerned. In April 2005, I published draft regulations for the implementation of the directive and a consultation process with stakeholders, including representative groups from the retail sector, is taking place. The draft regulations do not go beyond the scope of the directive which provides for the taking back on a one-for-one basis of WEEE of a similar type or fulfilling the same function as a new item being purchased. Retailers will also be able to transfer, free of charge, collected WEEE to civic amenity sites. They may also, subject to the agreement of the appropriate local authorities, make alternative arrangements to in-store take-back, provided such arrangements are not more inconvenient for the purchaser and remain free of charge.
A retailer will not be required to take back contaminated WEEE which presents a health and safety risk unless such contamination is his or her liability under the Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act 1980. To minimise the regulatory burden of the WEEE directive, the draft regulations propose to allow retailers to avail of an exemption from the normal waste permitting requirements for the storage and transport of WEEE in certain circumstances. Under the modified regime, which will be considerably less burdensome than the normal collection and waste permitting requirements, retailers will be required to register their premises with their local authority.
Batteries not contained within a piece of electronic equipment are outside the scope of the directive although the removal and separate treatment of batteries in WEEE brought to treatment facilities is required. Insurance considerations are matters for individual retailers. Planning permission is required for a change of use of land or structure only where the use has in fact changed and the change has a material impact in planning terms.
Currently, retailers take back WEEE, or faulty or damaged goods, from consumers. From 13 August, provisions in this area are being extended to the take-back of WEEE on a one-for-one basis. The directive also involves a shared responsibility approach by the various stakeholders, including retailers, who will have an important role in ensuring effective implementation and operation of the directive. I am satisfied the draft legislation strikes the right balance between the responsibilities of the relevant stakeholders.
786 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, further to Question No. 472 of 31 May 2005, when he will be in a position to approve the grouped water supply project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21932/05]
I expect to communicate a decision to the relevant local authority within the next few weeks.
787 Ms B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will proceed to tender with a water scheme (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21964/05]
The Firies-Scartaglen regional water supply scheme — southern section, part B — has been approved for construction under my Department's water services investment programme 2004-06 at an estimated cost of €4.3 million. Kerry County Council's tender recommendations for both the civil and mechanical and electrical works contracts for the scheme are being examined in my Department and will be dealt with as quickly as possible.
788 Ms B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will progress a scheme (details supplied) in County Kerry by approving the appointment of consultants to progress this work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21965/05]
The Kerry villages sewerage scheme, which includes Glenflesk, is included in my Department's water services investment programme 2004-06 as a scheme to commence construction in 2006. Kerry County Council's brief for the appointment of consultants to prepare preliminary reports for the villages has been examined by my Department and the council has been asked to make a number of amendments to it. The revised brief is now awaited from the local authority.
791 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the situation in relation to international discussions on the protection of whales; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22038/05]
Ireland has been a contracting Government to the International Convention on the Regulation of Whaling since 1985. The provisions of the convention are overseen by the International Whaling Commission which met last week in Ulsan in the Republic of Korea. Ireland was represented at the meeting and maintained its position of promoting the conservation of whale stocks around the globe and opposing any lifting of the 1986 ban on commercial whaling. In particular, Ireland supported the rejection by the IWC of a proposal by Japan to immediately lift the ban on commercial whaling.
793 Mr. Morgan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his Department approves the practice of local authorities placing a surcharge on local authority tenants in respect of installation of heaters and cookers in local authority houses; his views on the high level of interest charges imposed on these surcharges; and if he is proposing to take action to require local authorities to desist from these sharp practices. [22102/05]
The management, maintenance and improvement of their rented dwellings, including the installation of central heating is primarily the responsibility of local authorities to be financed from their own resources. In addition, where capital funding is provided under remedial or regeneration schemes operated by my Department for upgrading local authority dwellings, the provision of central heating may form part of the works undertaken.
My Department introduced a separate central heating programme in local authority rented dwellings in July 2004. As part of the programme, local authorities were advised of the need for an annual maintenance contract for central heating and that this should be agreed with a tenant prior to commencement of works. Local authorities were also advised to take especial care to ensure that the running costs and maintenance charges were within the means of individual tenants and that the programme of works included energy efficiency measures to assist in this regard.
794 Ms Enright asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views on the EU directive which proposes that a retailer use his premises as an amenity for the return of hazardous waste such as fridges, washing machines, small appliances and batteries; his further views on the way in which this waste will affect insurance issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22134/05]
The EU directive on waste electrical and electronic equipment, WEEE, presents a challenge to all relevant stakeholder groups and its effective implementation will require a focused, committed approach from all concerned. In April 2005, I published draft regulations for the implementation of the directive and a consultation process with stakeholders, including representative groups from the retail sector, is taking place. The draft regulations do not go beyond the scope of the directive which provides for the taking back on a one-for-one basis of WEEE of a similar type or fulfilling the same function as a new item being purchased. Retailers will also be able to transfer, free of charge, collected WEEE to civic amenity sites. They may also, subject to the agreement of the appropriate local authorities, make alternative arrangements to in-store take-back, provided such arrangements are not more inconvenient for the purchaser and remain free of charge.
A retailer will not be required to take back contaminated WEEE which presents a health and safety risk unless such contamination is his or her liability under the Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act 1980. To minimise the regulatory burden of the WEEE directive, the draft regulations propose to allow retailers to avail of an exemption from the normal waste permitting requirements for the storage and transport of WEEE in certain circumstances. Under the modified regime, which will be considerably less burdensome than the normal collection and waste permitting requirements, retailers will be required to register their premises with their local authority.
Batteries not contained within a piece of electronic equipment are outside the scope of the directive although the removal and separate treatment of batteries in WEEE brought to treatment facilities is required. Insurance considerations are matters for individual retailers.
All comments and observations received on the draft regulations will be considered by my Department in finalising the regulations, which I intend to make in advance of the implementation of the WEEE directive on 13 August 2005.
795 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if approval will be given to an application by Mayo County Council for a loan in lieu of a council house for a person (details supplied) in County Mayo. [22186/05]
It is understood that Mayo County Council will submit a proposal to my Department shortly seeking approval for the acceptance of a tender for works to be undertaken to the house in question under the improvement works in lieu of rehousing scheme. Under the scheme, local authorities have delegated authority to proceed with improvement works where the cost is under €75,000. In this instance, it is understood that the cost is in excess of the devolved limit and my Department's approval will therefore be required. On receipt of the application, the local authority's proposal will be examined and a decision on the matter will be conveyed to the council as soon as possible.
796 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will clarify the position with regard to current EU regulations on the disposal of white goods; if, when a member of the public is purchasing a white good and disposing of the old one, it is in order for the vendor of the replacement white good to place a charge on the removal and disposal of the old white good, irrespective of the identity of the vendor of the original. [22187/05]
Primary responsibility for the environmentally sound management of waste electrical and electronic equipment, WEEE, rests with producers in line with the producer responsibility obligations imposed by the relevant EU directive. According to draft legislation, producers will be required to finance the collection, treatment, recovery and environmentally sound disposal of WEEE deposited by retailers and members of the public at collection facilities and to achieve prescribed recovery targets. This will include responsibility on the basis of producers' current market share for historic WEEE which is WEEE arising from products placed on the market prior to 13 August 2005. This will also include taking responsibility for WEEE where producers no longer exist or cannot be traced.
From 13 August next when the directive comes into force, retailers will be required to take back household WEEE on a one-for-one basis when selling new equipment as long as the waste electrical and electronic equipment is of equivalent type or has fulfilled the same function as the equipment being supplied. The vendor of the original equipment is not relevant and the retailer cannot impose any charge for WEEE taken back on a one-for-one basis.
797 Mr. Kehoe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if it is normal or standard practise for local authorities to levy a €20 charge on public representatives when making representations on individual planning files; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22250/05]
Section 33(2)(c) of the Planning and Development Act 2000 makes provision for persons to make submissions or observations on a planning application on payment of the prescribed fee and within the prescribed period. Article 29 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 fixed this prescribed fee at €20 and the prescribed period at five weeks beginning on the date of receipt of the planning application by the planning authority. In the guidance notes on the regulations, my Department clarified that certain types of enquiry or correspondence by elected members of a local authority on planning cases should not be regarded as the making of a submission or observation within the framework described above. Such inquiries could be inquiries on the status of a planning application or requests to speed up the processing of an application or correspondence supporting an application or a resubmission by an observer in general terms without elaborating on grounds.
Where a public representative makes a formal submission which elaborates on the grounds of an application or an objection or on a submission by an observer or raises a substantive new issue, the submission cannot be considered by the planning authority unless it is accompanied by the appropriate €20 fee. It is a matter for individual local authorities to put in place arrangements to implement the above.
798 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the total cost, number and nature of legal services sought by his Department from 1998 to 2004 and to date in 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22427/05]
Legal advice has been sought on a variety of matters including, inter alia, representation of the Department in any litigation actions taken against it, advice on the drafting of legislation and the transposition of EU Directives, representation of the Department in arbitration hearings and various other activities related to the general administration of the Department. In the period from 1998 to date, legal advice has been procured on 69 occasions, accounting for payments of €1,375,396.76. This does not include payments in relation to the planning tribunal. Although this constitutes the great bulk of fees paid out by my Department to lawyers, the procurement of legal advice for the tribunal is not carried out by my Department.
My Department employs a legal adviser recruited in accordance with Civil Service procedures. While arrangements for the procurement of any further legal advice required is decided on a case-by-case basis, legal services are generally engaged following consultations with the Office of the Attorney General and, or, the Office of the Chief State Solicitor. Nominations or appointments and decisions on the level of fees paid are made or advised by those offices on the basis of a range of criteria, including the nature and urgency of the case, the strategies and objectives being pursued, the expertise and experience required, the availability of such expertise and the costs involved.
799 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the efforts his Department is making at local authority level to reduce poverty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17188/05]
I refer the Deputy to the reply to Question No. 183 of 18 May 2005.
800 Mr. Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress that has been achieved by his Department’s working group on dog breeding establishments; if he has received a report from the working group; if an agreed report is expected at an early date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22468/05]
I understand that the working group to review the management of dog breeding establishments has met on four occasions between October 2004 and March 2005. I have been advised that working group members are finalising their recommendations and I expect to receive a report from them in the very near future.
801 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the total cost, number and nature of reports, consultancies or other advisory or public relations commissions awarded by his Department from 1998 to 2004 and to date in 2005 to persons other than established civil servants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22483/05]
The information requested is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy shortly.
802 Mr. G. Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the amount of money which has been spent on the renting, leasing or purchasing of de-mountable, temporary accommodation over the past five years; if his Department arranges this through the Department of Finance; the tendering process which is in operation and the frequency in which it is reviewed; the length of time the arrangement lasts; the average period of renting or leasing; and the number of units which have been rented and leased over five, eight and ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22498/05]
My Department has not incurred any costs on the renting, leasing or purchasing of de-mountable, temporary accommodation over the period in question. However, we are aware that some local authorities provide individual de-mountable dwellings in particular cases. Procurement in such cases is a matter for the local authority in accordance with public procurement guidelines.
803 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of social houses completed in 2004 and to date in 2005; his estimate of the average cost per unit and the number of social houses built from 1998 to 2004. [22510/05]
The number of social houses completed from 1998 to 2004 is set out in the table below.
|
Year |
Local Authority construction programme |
Voluntary Housing Schemes |
Total |
|
1998 |
2,771 |
485 |
3,256 |
|
1999 |
2,909 |
579 |
3,488 |
|
2000 |
2,204 |
951 |
3,155 |
|
2001 |
3,622 |
1,253 |
4,875 |
|
2002 |
4,403 |
1,360 |
5,763 |
|
2003 |
4,516 |
1,617 |
6,133 |
|
2004 |
3,539 |
1,607 |
5,146 |
Details of completions for the first quarter of 2005 are being finalised and will be published shortly in my Department's housing statistics bulletin, copies of which are available in the Oireachtas Library and on the Department's website at www.environ.ie.
The average cost of a housing unit provided in 2004 under the local authority housing construction programme is estimated at €147,000. The average cost for 2005 is estimated at approximately €154,000. The average cost of a unit provided under the voluntary housing programme was €155,000 in 2004 and is estimated at €163,000 in 2005.
804 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of affordable houses built from 1999 to 2004, distinguishing the construction on council land and on private land; the number built to date in 2005 and the construction target for year end 2005. [22511/05]
Details of the number of housing units provided under the various affordable schemes in each local authority area are published in my Department's housing statistics bulletins. Information is already available to September quarter 2004, copies of which are available in the Oireachtas Library. Information will shortly be available to end 2004 in the 2004 annual housing statistics bulletin which will be published very shortly. Data relevant to the Deputy's question is also available on the Department's website at www.environ.ie.
The construction targets for the shared ownership and affordable housing schemes are 1,000 each per annum as set out in the national development plan. As output under Part V and the affordable housing initiative is dependent on the number and type of planning applications made and the nature of agreements entered into by developers and local authorities, similar annual construction targets cannot be set.
The information sought in relation to the local authority and private land on which affordable housing was provided is not available to my Department.
805 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the ceiling of loans under the local authority loan scheme in 2003 and 2004 and the way in which this compares with the average house price purchased with local authority assistance. [22512/05]
The maximum loan which can be advanced for a local authority house purchase is €165,000. The limit has been effective since 13 July 2004. The maximum loan which could be advanced in 2003 and to 12 July 2004 was €130,000. The maximum mortgage loan is determined by the relevant local authority by reference to the purchaser's ability to repay with respect to the net income of the household.
The average new house price purchased with local authority assistance was €143,400 in 2003 and €148,182 in 2004. The average second-hand house price purchased with local authority assistance was €149,428 in 2003 and €161,625 in 2004. The figures exclude tenant purchase and affordable housing transactions.
806 Mr. P. Breen asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the projects in County Clare which benefited from the protected structure grant allocation in 2004; the projects which will benefit in 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22515/05]
While my Department provides financing for the protected structures grant scheme for the conservation of protected buildings, the scheme is administered by the local authorities. It is consequently a matter for individual local authorities to assess and prioritise applications and approve funding. Queries relating to this grant scheme may appropriately be made directly to the local authority concerned, in this case Clare County Council.
807 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will meet with the Cork Harbour Alliance for a Safe Environment to discuss its concerns on the proposed building of a toxic waste incinerator in Ringaskiddy, County Cork. [22539/05]
I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 466 and 477 of 10 May, 2005, in which I confirmed that I had received invitations from Cork Harbour Alliance for a Safe Environment to meet with it to discuss proposals for a hazardous waste incinerator in Ringaskiddy, County Cork. As I indicated then, and as my office has informed the group, I have not considered it appropriate to meet with it because the proposal is the subject of planning and licensing processes which are statutorily independent and in which, except in the case of heritage issues, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government must not intervene.
808 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the names, titles, dates of appointment, total annual salary including pension contributions of each of the special or political advisers, personal assistants or personal secretaries appointed by him; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22554/05]
The appointments referred to in the question are set out in the table below:
|
Name |
Position |
Date of Appointment |
|
Mr. David Grant (4 day week) |
Special Adviser |
17 January 2005 |
|
Ms Geraldine Cole (Full Time) |
Personal Assistant |
29 September 2004 |
|
Ms Ciara Furlong (Full Time) |
Personal Secretary |
29 September 2004 |
Remuneration of these staff is in accordance with the appropriate published standard Civil Service scales for principal officer, special adviser, higher executive officer, personal assistant, and executive officer, personal secretary. The terms of the non-contributory pension scheme for non-established State employees and of the spouses and children's contributory scheme for non-established State employees apply to the appointments.
809 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if there is a preference for central and urban located skateboarding facilities in the recently announced pilot scheme for the purpose; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22627/05]
In May 2005, I announced proposals for a pilot project for the provision of a number of skateboard facilities. My Department wrote to all city and county councils at that time enclosing details of the initiative, including the selection criteria, and invited councils to submit an application to participate in the pilot project. When applications are received, they will be evaluated on a competitive basis by my Department in conjunction with the National Children's Office. The selection criteria do not include any preference for central and urban located skateboarding facilities.
810 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the way in which cyclists, skateboarders, rollerbladers and other skaters should ideally be accommodated in green spaces and open areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22628/05]
Under the provisions of section 67 of the Local Government Act 2001, each local authority may take such measures as it considers necessary or desirable to promote the interests of the local community including measures to promote general recreational and leisure activities or sports, games and similar activities. It is, therefore, a matter for each local authority to determine the manner in which and extent to which, cyclists, skateboarders, rollerbladers and other skaters should be catered for in its area.
In May 2005, I announced proposals for a pilot project for the provision of a number of skateboard facilities. My Department wrote to all city and county councils at that time enclosing details of the initiative, including the selection criteria, and invited councils to submit an application to participate in the pilot project. When applications are received, they will be evaluated by my Department in conjunction with the National Children's Office.
811 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, further to Question No. 51 of 4 November 2004, when the finalisation of the draft guidelines for planning authorities on wind energy development will be published; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that this delay is causing considerable uncertainty in the planning system, particularly in drafting county development plans; the guidelines for local authorities on other topics which are in course of preparation; and the progress made in finalising any other draft guidelines for planning authorities. [22630/05]
834 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his previously announced revised planning guidelines have been put into effect by the planning departments in the various local authorities; if he has sought information to this effect or given advice to the local authorities concerned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22780/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 811 and 834 together.
The following table sets out current guidelines to planning authorities, to which, under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, planning authorities and An Bord Pleanála must have regard in the performance of their functions. My Department and I regularly engage with planning authorities on the implementation of planning guidelines, for example, through forums such as regular meetings with the City and County Managers Association and briefing sessions for local authority officials, and by commenting on draft development plans.
With regard to draft guidelines, the final draft of the wind energy guidelines which will replace the existing guidelines published in 1996 are at an advanced stage of preparation. It is normal practice, and in line with the principles of better regulation, to issue ministerial planning guidelines in draft form and to take into account any submissions made when finalising the text. This process is now nearly complete and I intend to publish the final guidelines very soon. Given that this is normal practice, I am not aware of any confusion among planning authorities in advance of the final text being published.
A public consultation draft of revised development management guidelines, replacing and updating the 1982 development control advice and guidelines, and draft development plan guidelines, will be published in the coming weeks. Preliminary work on drafting guidelines in respect of public safety zones at State airports has begun; it is intended to publish them for public consultation later this year.
Guidelines for Planning Authorities
Title
Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Tree Preservation (1994)
Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Telecommunications Antennae and Support Structures (1996).
Wind Farm Development Guidelines (1996).
Residential Density Guidelines (1999).
Retail Planning Guidelines (2000, revised in 2005).
Housing Supply (Part V of the Planning and Development Act, 2000) Guidelines for Planning Authorities (2000) Further guidance on implementation issued in 2002, 2003 and 2004).
Childcare Facilities Guidelines (2001).
Architectural Heritage Protection Guidelines (2004)
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Guidance for Consent Authorities regarding Sub-threshold Development (2003).
Control of Quarries (2004).
Development Control, Advice and Guidelines (1982).
Implementation of SEA Directive (2001/42/EC): Assessment of the Effects of Certain Plans and Programmes on the Environment.
Implementing Regional Planning Guidelines — Best Practice Guidance (February 2005).
Sustainable Rural Housing (2005).
812 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the reason the details of the local agenda 21 environment partnership fund have not yet been announced for 2005; and if he intends to continue with this fund. [22631/05]
The local agenda 21 environment partnership fund, LA21EPF, promotes sustainable development by assisting environmental awareness projects at a local level that involve partnership arrangements between local authorities and local community groups, schools and environmental NGOs. Allocations from the environment fund, from which the Department's contribution to the local agenda 21 environment partnership fund is drawn, will be finalised shortly. I look forward to the continued operation of the partnership fund.
813 Mr. Connolly asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views on whether gender balance criteria should be factored into local authorities’ schemes of housing letting priorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22685/05]
Local authorities are required to make a scheme of letting priorities to determine the order of priority to be afforded to applicants in the lettings of dwellings provided by the authority. The order of priority of different categories of persons to be set in a scheme of letting priorities and the other detailed contents of a scheme are entirely a matter for decision by the local authority.
The guidelines issued by my Department to local authorities indicate that it should be the aim of a scheme of letting priorities to promote equality of opportunity in getting access to local authority housing based on relative housing needs to ensure that a dwelling, if suitable, is let to the person in greatest need and to ensure that no category of needy persons is at a permanent disadvantage vis-à-vis other categories. I have no proposals to issue further guidelines to local authorities on this issue.
814 Ms B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when he will accede to a request by a group (details supplied) in County Kerry made in January 2005. [22686/05]
My Department will meet shortly with Killarney Town Council to discuss a number of issues including, the request by the town council that land in the Killarney National Park should be made available for a burial ground. As a general principle, any development in an area designated as a national park and a special area of conservation, as is Killarney National Park, should be limited to what would enhance the conservation status of the area or to necessary works for which no alternative location is possible.
815 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will confirm that his Department has given the go-ahead for the roll-out of comprehensive remedial and refurbishment works at Ennell Court, Patrick Street, Mullingar, County Westmeath; the amount of moneys allocated in 2005 for this important and general redevelopment works; if he will further specify the moneys that will be allocated in future years to ensure that these necessary works for the residents of the houses on this estate proceed without further delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22714/05]
My Department gave approval to Westmeath County Council in May 2005 to accept a tender for a pilot phase of the remedial works scheme to ten houses at Ennell Court, Mullingar. The sum of €500,000 has been allocated to the county council in 2005 for this scheme. Further capital provision will be made for future phases based on the outcome of the pilot phase.
816 Mr. O’Connor asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he has had contact with South Dublin County Council regarding its need for funding for future works in Dublin 24; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22715/05]
There has been no contact between South Dublin County Council and my Department in regard to funding for future works to Killininny Tower, Oldcourt, Tallaght.
817 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the timescale for the review of the national climate change strategy. [22719/05]
The Government's national climate change strategy, published in November 2000, provides a comprehensive framework for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the most efficient and equitable manner, and for ensuring that Ireland meets its commitments under the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The strategy has provided the basis for Government policy and action in regard to climate change since 2000.
A progress report on the implementation of the strategy was published in 2002. The strategy is currently under review in my Department so as to take account of developments at national, European and international levels since its publication four years ago. A key purpose of the review is to ensure the adequacy of existing measures and the development, where appropriate, of additional measures. I intend to publish a document setting out progress in regard to the climate change agenda towards the end of the summer. As part of the review process, this document will set the agenda for a comprehensive bottom-up review of policies and measures in the strategy.
818 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the timescale for the adoption of a strategy to reduce emissions of transboundary air pollution. [22720/05]
On 12 April 2005, the Government approved a national programme for the progressive reduction of emissions of the four transboundary pollutants, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds and ammonia. The National Emission Ceilings Regulations 2004 specify national emission ceilings for the above four pollutants to be achieved by 2010. A number of measures which would tie in with the achievement of the ceilings were already being actively pursued under existing and planned legislation and policies, including cleaner fuels and vehicles, integrated pollution control licensing, organic solvent emissions reduction and a voluntary agreement with the solid fuel industry.
In addition, my Department also submitted a national emission reduction plan for large combustion plants to the European Commission. The plan, under Directive 2001/80/EC on the limitation of emissions of certain pollutants from large combustion plants with a rated thermal input greater than 50 MW, requires significant reductions of emissions of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from older ESB power plants and boilers in Aughinish Alumina from 2008.
The national programme sets out a number of significant developments in policies and measures in various sectors since 2003. The downward emissions trend evident since 2001 is projected to continue to 2010, though it is clear that the nitrogen oxides ceiling in annexe 1 to Directive 2001/81/EC presents a significant difficulty for Ireland and that measures to achieve it could be disproportionately costly.
Directive 2001/81/EC will be reviewed by the European Commission in 2006, taking into account the clean air for Europe, CAFE, programme on the thematic strategy on air pollution due to be published later in 2005. The thematic strategy will address environmental objectives up to 2020, building on existing 2010 objectives including emission ceilings in Directive 2001/81/EC. Ireland's national programme, which will be updated in 2006, indicates significant ongoing progress to date and is an important milestone with a view to a future national emissions reduction strategy. Details of the national programme can be accessed on-line at www.environ.ie.
819 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when he intends to introduce legislation to transpose Directive 2003/04/EC on public access to environmental information; and the public consultation which is planned in this regard (details supplied). [22721/05]
820 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when he intends to introduce legislation to transpose Directive 2003/35/EC and the public consultation which is planned in this regard (details supplied). [22722/05]
821 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress which has been made to in implementing the Aarhus Convention; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22723/05]
823 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the reason his Department is advising State agencies such as the EPA that Directive 2003/04/EC on public access to environmental information does not have direct effect as against emanations of the State and that they should not implement it. [22725/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 819 to 821, inclusive, and 823 together.
Ireland signed the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters on 25 June 1998. Progress towards ratification of the convention is closely aligned with work at EU level. To date, the European Union has adopted two directives as part of the ratification process for the convention. These deal with public access to environmental information, 2003/4/EC, and public participation in certain environmental decision-making procedures, 2003/35/EC. Ratification of the convention will take place after these directives have been transposed into Irish law.
Work is continuing in my Department with regard to the transposition of the two directives and will be completed as soon as possible. While it is not planned to hold a formal public consultation process in regard to this process, my Department remains open to submissions from any interested parties or groups. When the above work on transposition is completed, the instrument of ratification of the Aarhus Convention will be submitted to Government and laid before the Dáil in accordance with the requirements of the Constitution.
My Department has not been in contact with State agencies generally about the transposition of Directive 2003/04/EC on public access to environmental information. In an informal communication with the Environmental Protection Agency, my Department drew attention to the distinction between EU regulations which have immediate effect and EU directives which require transposition.
822 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the assessment which has been carried out of the impact of peat extraction on adjacent or nearby peatland special areas of conservation for the purposes of the habitats directive; the number of licences for such activity which have been granted under the habitats regulations. [22724/05]
The impact of peat extraction is a significant issue for raised bog habitats, of which 57 sites have been proposed as candidate special areas of conservation, SACs. Any commercial peat extraction on these sites has been stopped.
Since 1999, owners of bog and turbary rights in these SACs have been advised generally that they may continue domestic turf cutting for up to ten years, except in particularly sensitive areas of the bog. Compensation has been provided to those agreeing to cease cutting. A formal licensing system has not been invoked, and consent has been given at a local level for domestic cutting, except where particularly sensitive areas of the bogs have been identified.
My Department has commissioned surveys of continuing domestic turf cutting in these sites. Field survey work has been completed and a final report will be available by the end of this year. This will give a clear indication of the impact of all turf cutting on these sites and enable decisions to be taken on any necessary prioritisation of areas for cessation of domestic cutting.
824 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if it is still Government policy that local Agenda 21 be implemented by county development boards; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that county development boards are not aware of this responsibility; and his plans to ensure that the attention of county development boards is drawn to their responsibilities in regard to local Agenda 21. [22726/05]
Sustainable development considerations underpin the work of the county and city development boards, CDBs. In this context, the boards were asked to take account of sustainable development, including its environmental dimension, in the preparation of their strategies for social, cultural and economic development which were published in 2002.
The CDBs are reviewing their strategies in line with guidelines issued by my Department in January of this year. These guidelines specifically request that the review take account of Ireland's commitments to sustainable development at national, regional and local level, with particular regard to the priorities set out in Making Ireland's Development Sustainable, published in 2002, and current local Agenda 21 initiatives at local level.
825 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the provisions which have been put into place to implement the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context; the measures to allow for the consultation with the public on projects in other jurisdictions which are likely to have significant environmental effects on Ireland and for which an environmental impact statement has been required under European legislation (details supplied). [22728/05]
The UN-ECE Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context, signed at Espoo in Finland on 25 February 1991, has been fully implemented by section 174 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 and chapter 5 of Part 10 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, SI 600 of 2001. Article 132 of the 2001 regulations prescribes the procedure for consultation with the public on foot of information received from either a member state of the EU or a party to the UN-ECE convention. The convention was ratified by Ireland on 25 July 2002.
826 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the locations throughout the country is respect of which unacceptable levels of radon gas have been identified in dwellings or workplaces; if he has sought any information regarding the impact on the health of the communities involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22772/05]
During the years 1992 to 1999, the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland, RPII, carried out a nationwide survey of radon in domestic dwellings. The survey involved the measurement by the RPII of radon for a 12-month period in a random selection of homes in each 10 km x 10 km grid square throughout the country. The results of the survey were used to predict the percentage of houses in each grid square in which radon concentrations in excess of 200 becquerels per cubic metre, Bq/m3, which is the national reference level. Grid squares where this percentage is greater than 10% are designated as high radon areas. The survey was on domestic dwellings only but in a high radon area it is reasonable to expect that workplaces would also be at risk of exceeding the relevant reference level. Employers would be well advised to carry out surveys in these circumstances in the interests of health and safety. The RPII's website, www.rpii.ie, contains a comprehensive map which shows these high radon locations throughout the country. County radon maps and survey results can be viewed also on that website by clicking on the county by name.
Epidemiological studies have shown that naturally occurring radon gas concentrations add to the incidence of lung cancer. There is evidence to suggest that long-term exposure to high levels of radon can be a contributory factor in increasing the risk of lung cancer and that the incidence is higher among smokers than non-smokers. However, it is not possible to attribute any one case of lung cancer to radon exposure. Therefore, it is not possible to distinguish the impact of radon gas in any particular area from the impact of other carcinogenic substances that may also be present, most notably tobacco smoke.
Both the RPII and my Department will continue to use all appropriate opportunities to raise public awareness of radon, to urge householders, particularly those in high radon areas, to have their homes tested for radon and to encourage householders with radon concentrations above the national reference level to undertake the appropriate remediation works.
827 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if, through the Environmental Protection Agency or the Health Service Executive, he receives weekly reports in respect of air pollution, as identified through the various monitoring points throughout the country; the extent to which action is required arising therefrom; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22773/05]
Air quality assessment is the responsibility of the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, and air quality management a matter for local authorities informed by air quality measurement data. The EPA has a statutory duty under the Air Quality Standards Regulations 2002 to make information available on ambient concentrations of all pollutants under the scope of the regulations. The EPA website provides real-time, publicly accessible, data from a number of monitoring stations nationally which allows the public to gauge air quality in relation to current EU and national standards. Alert thresholds for certain pollutants are in place for the purpose of triggering immediate action by the agency to inform the public where such thresholds are exceeded.
Where the indicative level for any pollutant has been exceeded, the 2002 regulations place primary responsibility, following notification by the agency, on the relevant local authorities for the development of long term air quality management plans to ensure compliance with the thresholds for the relevant pollutant or pollutants. To date, no local authority has been notified by the agency to prepare such plans.
Where there is a future risk of a pollutant threshold being exceeded and the agency considers measures are likely to be needed in the short term, the agency is expected to notify the relevant local authorities to prepare a short-term air pollution action plan to reduce the risk of a threshold being exceeded. The agency has on just one occasion to date on 20 April 2005, notified a local authority, Dublin City Council, of the need to prepare a short-term air pollution action plan to address a likely future exceedance of particulate matter at one monitoring station based on a comparison of the 2003 monitoring data with the limit values applying from 1 January 2005.
The EPA's air quality and emissions to air report 2003 contains details of the monitoring and assessment of national air quality and incorporates data from all air quality monitoring stations operated by the EPA and local authorities. The report states that the limit values for pollutants under the EU directives on ambient air quality were not exceeded in 2003. The report is available in the Oireachtas Library.
828 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the steps which have been taken to deal with the ever increasing problem of methane gas emanating from sewerage treatment plants or pipelines; the potential environmental damage arising therefrom; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22774/05]
I understand that methane gas is not produced in the collection of municipal waste water or in the waste water treatment process itself. Sludge is a waste water treatment by-product and the generation of methane gas for use as a fuel may be a beneficial feature of sludge treatment, in particular anaerobic digestion. Sludge treatment facilities should not release methane into the environment in the course of normal operation.
Local authorities are responsible for the operation and maintenance of public waste water infrastructure and for resolving any shortcomings in performance. Where capital works are required to attain the required level of performance, applications for funding by local authorities under my Department's water services investment programme are considered in light of the individual authority's identified water services priorities at the time.
829 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if any guidelines have been issued by his Department in respect of the location of landfill sites with particular reference to the need to eliminate the possibility of ground water pollution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22775/05]
My Department has not issued guidelines on the location of landfill facilities. All landfills are now required to be licensed by the Environmental Protection Agency, which is precluded from granting such a licence unless it is satisfied that the facility concerned will not cause environmental pollution.
830 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of illegal dumps that have to date been identified; the action taken or proposed in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22776/05]
I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 305 and 306 of 18 May 2005. The position is unchanged.
831 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the amount of publicly owned lands in the ownership of the various local authorities throughout the country; the extent of these lands which have already been zoned or are eligible for zoning; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22777/05]
My Department carries out a survey of the total amount of serviced land zoned for residential purposes, owned both privately and by local authorities. This survey is valuable in assessing the overall stock of land at the same point each year, and the sufficiency of that stock to underpin required housing supply.
Since 2003, the Department has extended this survey to collate data on the amount of residentially zoned land owned directly by each local authority. However, we are not satisfied that the information received in its present form gives the overall picture of residentially zoned lands held by local authorities. We therefore intend to develop the 2005 survey further to improve the reliability and usefulness of the information to be collected. This analysis would only provide a point in time assessment, as variation could be expected from year to year as lands are developed, particularly for social and affordable housing schemes. The value of local authority lands is reflected in their assets registers, which now form part of the authorities' annual accounts. The Deputy will be aware that the Taoiseach recently announced a number of new housing initiatives, including the establishment of the affordable homes partnership, AHP, to drive and co-ordinate the delivery of affordable housing in the greater Dublin area, with particular reference to the Dublin metropolitan area. The AHP will be tasked to undertake a series of measures to bring additional land forward for housing development. As part of the broader delivery of housing nationally, all local authorities will review their land management strategies to maximise the availability of land for their own housing programmes, voluntary and co-operative housing, housing partnerships with the private sector and to secure more active use of brownfield land and derelict sites.
835 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the action he proposes to take to address the twin problems of the housing crisis in the failure of the local authority housing programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22781/05]
I refer to the reply to Question No. 27 of today's date.
836 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the failure to provide a properly constituted local authority loan system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22782/05]
My Department's local authorities loan system has helped significant numbers of low-income households to purchase their own homes under a range of targeted schemes including the shared ownership and 1999 affordable housing schemes. In July of last year I carried out a review of the loan and income limits which resulted in an increase in the maximum loan available for the acquisition or construction of a house to €165,000.
The income eligibility limit for applying for a house purchase loan was increased to €36,800 for a single-income household. In the case of a two-income household, both incomes are assessed in determining eligibility on the basis of a formula whereby two and a half times the main income and once the second income cannot exceed €92,000. My Department will continue to keep the terms and conditions of this scheme under review.
In addition, my Department is involved in extensive discussions with a number of leading private lending institutions with a view to their providing mortgage finance, subject to their normal lending criteria, to applicants who have been allocated an affordable housing unit for purchase under Part V of the Planning and Development Acts 2000 to 2004 or the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2002. To date, agreement has been reached with Bank of Ireland Mortgage Bank. Discussions are ongoing with a number of other lenders and I anticipate that these will be successfully concluded in the near future.
837 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the reason no action has been taken in the past seven years to address the housing crisis which has now reached unprecedented proportions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22783/05]
The Government's overall housing strategy is to increase housing supply to meet demand and to improve affordability, particularly for first-time buyers. A range of measures implemented by the Government has focused on increasing the supply of residential land through investment in infrastructure, using land more effectively through higher residential densities and the introduction of a range of measures to expand the capacity of the planning system. Arising from this strategy, 2004 was a further record year for house completions, which totalled 76,954, an increase of 11.8% on 2003. Approximately 500,000 houses have been built over the past ten years, representing over 30% of the Irish housing stock.
This increased supply, supported by Government measures, means the market is supplying houses in many parts of the country at affordable prices. In addition to measures to support a market response to the unprecedented demand, a range of targeted affordable housing measures has been promoted by the Government. We announced further measures last week to accelerate the delivery of affordable housing. These included the establishment of the affordable housing partnership and the advancement of AHI projects on a number of sites through land swaps.
As part of the broader delivery of housing nationally, all local authorities will review their land management strategies to maximize the availability of land for their own housing programmes, voluntary and co-operative housing, housing partnerships with the private sector and to secure more active use of brownfield land and derelict sites.
The Government has also responded actively to increased levels of social housing need by expanding social and affordable housing output. In the current year, the Government is allocating record levels of funding to local authorities for their social and affordable housing programmes. The total Exchequer capital and current funding available for social and affordable housing in 2005 will amount to €1.3 billion which represents an increase of 20% on 2004. Total capital spending on social and affordable housing output in 2005, inclusive of non-Exchequer financing, will amount to almost €2 billion.
In order to ensure a systematic and integrated approach to the use of these resources, local authorities have, at my Department's request, developed new five-year action plans for social and affordable housing. I believe that the preparation of these plans will sharpen the identification of priority needs, and help to ensure a more coherent and co-ordinated response across all housing services, including those to be provided by the voluntary and co-operative housing sector. My Department is giving strong encouragement to local authorities to press ahead with the implementation of these action plans, which are being underpinned by very substantial levels of Government funding. To underpin the multi-annual approach in the action plans I have secured financial envelopes for the next five years.
Since 1997 the needs of 86,000 households have been met, taking account of local authority housing, vacancies arising in existing houses and output under both social and affordable housing measures. Overall, in 2005, it is anticipated that the needs of in excess of 13,000 households will be met through the same measures. In addition, it is anticipated that a number of households currently in private rented accommodation will transfer to the new rental accommodation scheme now being introduced. These households will continue to be accommodated mainly within the private rented sector.
838 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if, in view of the recent proposal to exchange State-owned lands with developers in return for the provision of houses in other areas, there is a danger of a loss to the State and an extension of the already serious housing crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22784/05]
I refer to the reply to Question No. 25 of 28 June 2005.
The Government has responded actively to intensified needs by expanding social and affordable housing output. New multi-annual action plans have been prepared by local authorities for the provision of social and affordable housing over the period 2004 to 2008. These are designed to assist local authorities in identifying priority needs over the coming years and providing a coherent and co-ordinated response across all housing services.
I have secured financial envelopes for the next five years to underpin the multi-annual approach in the action plans. This year, over €2 billion of Exchequer and non-Exchequer funding is being made available, which represents a significant and growing investment in social and affordable housing. Overall, in 2005, output under the various social and affordable measures will meet the needs of in excess of 13,000 households.
839 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of houses under construction throughout County Kildare excluding the voluntary sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22785/05]
840 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of local authority houses which are likely to be provided in County Kildare in 2005 and 2006; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22786/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 839 and 840 together.
The number of local authority houses under construction at 31 December 2004 in County Kildare was 260 units. A breakdown between Kildare County Council and the county's urban authorities will be available in the 2004 annual Housing Statistics Bulletin, to be published shortly. The figure for the end of March 2005 will be published in due course in the quarterly edition of the Housing Statistics Bulletin.
The three local authorities in County Kildare — Kildare County Council and Athy and Naas town councils — have indicated to my Department that they propose to commence or acquire 644 units at various locations throughout the county during the course of 2005. The proposed number of starts likely to be provided in 2006 by the three authorities in county Kildare is 417 units, as set out the county's action plan for social and affordable housing for 2004-08.
841 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he has yet received proposals from Kildare County Council with a view to initiating a drainage programme in the areas of Prosperous, Timahoe, Drehid, Coill Dubh, Robertstown, Allenwood and Rathangan, County Kildare, having particular regard to the need as identified by the local action groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22787/05]
Proposals have not been received by my Department from Kildare County Council on this issue which I understand involves arterial drainage of the River Slate. Under the Arterial Drainage Acts, such works are the responsibility of the Office of Public Works rather than my Department.
842 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of engineers currently employed in Kildare County Council; their respective responsibilities; the number of staff available to the county engineer; if he is satisfied that adequate resources are available to undertake the evolving responsibilities in this busy and developing region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22788/05]
The number of engineers employed in Kildare County Council at 31 December 2004, as supplied to my Department by the council, is as follows:
|
Grade |
Full-time Permanent |
Part-time Permanent |
Full-time Temporary |
Vacancies |
|
Senior Engineer |
4 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
Senior Executive Engineer (incl. structural) |
12 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
|
Executive Engineer |
25 |
2 |
0 |
6 |
|
Assistant Engineer |
8 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
The former grade of county engineer in Kildare County Council has been subsumed into the new local authority management structure created under Better Local Government at director of services level. Each county and city manager is responsible for making such staffing and organisational arrangements as are necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authorities for which he or she is responsible.
843 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when a plan for the rejuvenation of Kilcock will be implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22790/05]
844 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the intended use of the old library site, Kilcock, County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22791/05]
845 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when it is expected that the urban renewal scheme planned for Kilcock, County Kildare, will be activated, with particular reference to the need to implement an upgrading of roads, footpaths and streetscape, the elimination of derelict buildings and the general enhancement of the area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22792/05]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 843 to 845, inclusive, together.
I refer to the reply to Question No. 249 of 28 April 2005. The position is unchanged.
Under the Derelict Sites Act 1990, local authorities have a range of powers to deal with derelict sites within their functional areas. It is also open to Kildare County Council to seek to have Kilcock prescribed as an urban area within the meaning of the 1990 Act, for the purpose of applying a derelict site levy to relevant properties.
The disposal of local authority property is primarily a matter for the authority concerned. I have no information concerning the future use of the library site to which the Deputy refers.
A total on ten sites in Kilcock were designated for the purpose of the town renewal scheme, which was introduced in 2000 with the aim of revitalising the built fabric of smaller towns throughout the country. Under this scheme, which expires on 31 July 2006, tax incentives are available in respect of residential and commercial development within these designated areas.
846 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if discussions have taken place between his officials and the officials of Kildare County Council with a view to providing the necessary funding and authorisation to proceed with the realignment and improvement at Cope Bridge, Leixlip, County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22793/05]
I refer to the reply to Question No. 281 of 9 February 2005. The position is unchanged.
847 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if adequate funding has been provided in Kildare County Council to facilitate the road and bridge realignments at Bond Bridge, Maynooth, County Kildare; if it is expected that the works involved will start in the near future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22794/05]
I refer to the reply to Question No. 282 of 9 February 2005. The position is unchanged.
848 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if any studies have been done into radon gas levels in homes, schools or workplaces in County Kildare, with particular reference to the possible link to various forms of cancer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22796/05]
Studies have not been carried out in Ireland on the possible link between levels of radon gas in homes, schools or workplaces and various forms of cancer.
Epidemiological studies have shown that naturally occurring radon gas concentrations add to the incidence of lung cancer. There is evidence to suggest that long-term exposure to high levels of radon can be a contributory factor in increasing the risk of lung cancer and that the incidence is higher among smokers than non-smokers. However, it is not possible to attribute any one case of lung cancer to radon exposure. Therefore, it is currently not possible to distinguish the impact of radon gas in any particular area from the impact of other carcinogenic substances that may also be present, most notably tobacco smoke.
To date, the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland, RPII, has carried out 776 radon measurements in homes in County Kildare. Of these, 41 were found to be above the national reference level of 200 becquerels per cubic metre, with the highest level being 1,114 becquerels per cubic metre. As part of a nationwide survey of schools carried out at the request of the Department of Education and Science in the period 1998 to 2001, the RPII measured radon gas levels in 126 schools in the county. Of these, 24 schools had radon levels above the national reference level in at least one room. The Department of Education and Science has provided funding for remedial measures in all schools affected. The RPII has also carried out radon measurement in 12 workplaces in Kildare. One of these workplaces was found to have radon levels above the national reference level of 400 becquerels per cubic metre for workplaces. I should mention that as the RPII is not the only organisation carrying out a radon measurement service, the actual number of workplaces that have been measured may be greater.
849 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if the EU has issued an opinion to the Government indicating that the charges being made under the planning Acts are not legitimate; the Government’s views on this ruling; if the Government plans to contest this position; when a substantive hearing on the issue is likely to occur and the status of planning decisions reached in the event that the Government loses its case on appeal. [22798/05]
On 23 January 2003, the European Commission issued Ireland with a reasoned opinion to the effect that the €20 fee for the making of a submission on a planning application which requires environmental impact assessment is contrary to the public participation provisions of Directive 85/337/EEC on environmental impact assessment, EIA. A reply issued to the European Commission on 16 May 2003, responding to each of the points raised in the reasoned opinion and setting out our contention that the imposition of a €20 participation fee is not in conflict with the provisions of the directive.
The European Commission lodged an application with the European Court of Justice on 17 May 2005 initiating proceedings against Ireland on this matter. My Department is examining relevant papers. I have no plans at this time to amend the concerned regulations which reflect an approach endorsed by the Oireachtas in the context of the Planning and Development Act 2000.
It is matter for the European Court of Justice to schedule a hearing on this case and my Department does not yet have information on when this will take place.
850 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will provide details of the scheme whereby senior citizens who own their own house may sell it and seek council senior citizens accommodation; if this scheme is available to Sligo County Council and Sligo Borough Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22808/05]
A number of local authorities operate a scheme whereby elderly persons who own an existing house can apply for a local authority tenancy and sell their house to the authority at a reduced market value. The scheme allows elderly persons to move to accommodation better suited to their needs, generally with access to better services. At the same time, it provides the local authority with access to under occupied family type housing for renting to families on their waiting list. The operation of such schemes is a matter for individual local authorities. It is understood that neither Sligo County Council nor Sligo Borough Council operates this scheme. It would be necessary for local authorities that wish to operate this scheme to include its provisions as part of their scheme of letting priorities for local authority housing. The making or amending of schemes of letting priorities is a reserved function of the elected members of individual councils.
851 Mr. O’Connor asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the value of the increases in charges and appropriations in aid in the financial years 1995-96 and 1997-98. [23514/05]
Receipts for charges made by my Department appear as appropriations-in-aid. Increases in charges would generally be reflected in such receipts. Information on the major relevant appropriations-in-aid received by my Department in the years 1995 to 1998 is set out in the following table:
|
1995 |
1996 |
1997 |
1998 |
||
|
Subhead |
Appropriations in Aid |
A-in-As realised |
A-in-As realised |
A-in-As realised |
A-in-As realised |
|
€000 |
€000 |
€000 |
€000 |
||
|
G.1 |
Local Authority Audit Fees |
2,001 |
1,089 |
1,571 |
1,422 |
|
G.2 |
Inspection fees in respect of the scheme of structural guarantees for new houses |
771 |
978 |
1,211 |
1,430 |
|
G.6 |
Receipts for data provided by Met Éireann |
6,659 |
6,540 |
6,219 |
7,070 |
|
G.11 |
Charges at National Parks and Wildlife Sites |
665 |
693 |
775 |
700 |
