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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 9 Mar 2010

Vol. 704 No. 3

Written Answers.

The following are questions tabled by Members for written response and the ministerial replies as received on the day from the Departments [unrevised].
Questions Nos. 1 to 11, inclusive, answered orally.
Questions Nos. 12 to 40, inclusive, resubmitted.
Questions Nos. 41 to 47, inclusive, answered orally.

Employment Support Services.

Arthur Morgan

Question:

48 Deputy Arthur Morgan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she will categorise the 2,600 companies which made an application under the second round of the employment subsidy scheme in respect of small, medium and large enterprises; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11127/10]

Last year the Government introduced the Employment Subsidy Scheme (Temporary), in the context of rising unemployment to help employees retain their jobs while at the same time assisting employers in retaining their productive capacity. The objective of the scheme is to provide an employment subsidy of up to €9,100 per employee, to vulnerable but viable enterprises, so that they maintain their workforce. Enterprises receive this subsidy on condition that they retain an agreed number of jobs. Enterprise Ireland manages the scheme on behalf of my Department. Between this year and 2009 the Government are investing €135 million in the Employment Subsidy Scheme and it is expected that as a result approximately 80,000 jobs will be either directly or indirectly supported.

I launched the Employment Subsidy Scheme (Temporary) second call in December 2009. The second call was open to both exporting and non-exporting enterprises from all sectors of the economy provided that they employ at least 10 full time employees. 2,590 companies applied for the second call of the Employment Subsidy Scheme (Temporary). These applications are currently being assessed by Enterprise Ireland and applicants will be informed whether they were successful or not by the end of this month. On the application form, the applicant was requested to submit details of their full and part time employment as of the 2nd November 2009. Companies were not asked if they were an SME or Large company as per the EU definition. Under the EU definition of an SME, one requires more information than the employee numbers to define if the status is small, medium or large. For example, there are limits in terms of an enterprises turnover and balance sheet total, which also need to be considered.

Therefore, it is not possible to provide information on the breakdown of applicant by SME/ Large Company status. A breakdown of applicants by employee numbers is not yet available, but it is expected to be available before the end of this month.

Job Losses.

Joan Burton

Question:

49 Deputy Joan Burton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if her attention has been drawn to the prediction made by FÁS that an additional 87,000 workers will lose their jobs during 2010; her views on the FÁS prediction; the steps she will take to counter this trend; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11360/10]

I note the publication of the latest FÁS Quarterly Labour Market Review for Winter 2009/2010, which was published on 12th February 2010. The report forecasts that average employment is likely to decline by 87,000 this year in comparison with last year. This prediction is broadly in line with other forecasts. However, the FÁS report also suggests that the upward trend in unemployment has begun to stabilise. The recent Live Register statistics for February, which showed an increase of 20 people signing on in February in comparison with January, is further evidence of this stabilisation.

Last week FÁS and the ESRI published their Occupational Employment Forecast for 2010. This report forecasts that employment in most occupations is expected to recover from the lows reached in 2010, but the speed and the extent of recovery is likely to vary by occupation, with some occupations emerging with relatively strong employment growth and others failing to reach pre-recession levels by 2015. In addition, this report also forecasts that between now and 2015 an additional 250,000 jobs will be generated. In the interim the Government continues to place a strong focus on job creation. Last week I launched "Horizon 2020" IDA Ireland's strategic blueprint for attracting Foreign Direct Investment into Ireland in the coming decade. With this strategy IDA Ireland will target the delivery of over one hundred thousands new jobs by 2014.

Enterprise Ireland continues to deliver a wide range of supports to Irish companies, targeted at the specific requirements of clients throughout all regions to ensure that they develop to their full potential in terms of innovation and exports, which in turn, stimulates job creation. For their part the County and City Enterprise Boards also continue to provide support for small businesses in the start-up and expansion phases. Job creation is an inherent consideration in the activities of the Boards.

The Government have also announced the introduction of a new jobs stimulus measure in Budget 2010. Under the Employer Jobs (PRSI) Incentive Scheme, where an employer creates a new job and takes on a person who has been unemployed for 6 months or more, the employer will be fully exempted from the liability to pay PRSI for the first year of that employment. This will give employers an 8%-10% saving on employment costs for each new job created. To protect vulnerable employment, my Department has introduced the €100 million Enterprise Stabilisation Fund and the €135 million Employment Subsidy Scheme. These initiatives aim to support companies experiencing difficulties because of the current economic climate. It is expected that the Employment Subsidy Scheme, which is designed to support the maintenance of vulnerable jobs and prevent people from being made redundant will either directly or indirectly support approximately 80,000 jobs this year.

In addition to these measures, the Government have significantly expanded the support services available to those who are unemployed. For instance job search supports services have been expanded to cater for a planned National Employment Action Plan referral capacity of 154,000 people this year compared to the 74,000 people who were supported in 2008. This year my Department will provide approximately 147,000 training and work experience places, which is a substantial increase on the 66,000 places that were delivered in 2008. There have also been increases in the capacity of the education sector with an estimated 166,000 learners benefiting from full and part time learning opportunities in further education. The higher education sector is also accommodating increased numbers of people with the total number of full-time enrolments in universities and Institutes of Technology projected to be over 140,000 for this academic year, an increase of 4.5% on the last academic year.

The Government will continue to do all in its power to create the environment for new job opportunities, protect and safeguard our existing jobs and provide the necessary supports and assistance to enable those who are unemployed improve their chances of securing a job in the future.

Departmental Agencies.

Brian Hayes

Question:

50 Deputy Brian Hayes asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the progress made to date in merging the Competition Authority and the National Consumer Agency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11298/10]

Ruairí Quinn

Question:

70 Deputy Ruairí Quinn asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the position regarding legislation to provide for the amalgamation of the National Consumer Agency and the Competition Authority; the timeline for the publication of this legislation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11377/10]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 50 and 70 together.

The amalgamation of the National Consumer Agency and the Competition Authority was included in the Budget day announcement in October 2008 on the rationalisation of State agencies. As both the National Consumer Agency and the Competition Authority were established under statute, it is necessary to give effect to the newly merged body by way of primary legislation. Since the date of the announcement my Department has being working, in conjunction with both bodies and the Department of Finance to bring about a smooth transition to a unified single body to oversee the area of competition and consumer protection.

Work on the Heads of a Bill to provide for, inter alia, the merger of these two bodies is at an advanced stage. I hope to bring draft Heads to Government within the coming weeks and to publish the Bill during the course of the year. In addition to providing for the establishment of the merged body, the legislation will also take account of the review of the 2002 Competition Act and the recommendations of the Advisory Group on Media Mergers as well as providing for a statutory Code of Practice in the grocery goods sector.

EU Directives.

Mary Upton

Question:

51 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of EU directives for which her Department has responsibility that remain to be implemented; the directives that are now overdue; the number of reasoned opinions received from the EU Commission since 2002 regarding delays or non-implementation of such directives; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11388/10]

A total of fifteen Directives require to be transposed by my Department up to 2012. Two Directives are currently overdue namely Directive 2006/123/EC on Services in the Internal Market and Directive 2006/43/EC on Statutory Audits of Annual and Consolidated Accounts. Work on the transposition of the Services directive is continuing and my Department received a second draft of the Regulations from the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel just over two weeks ago. While there remains a significant amount of work to complete, our target date for transposition is now July this year. It is hoped to have the Directive on Statutory Audits transposed in the next few weeks.

My Department has received 26 Reasoned Opinions from the European Commission relating to Directives since 2002. The transposition of EU Directives is an ongoing priority in my Department and is reported to the Management Board on a regular basis. Up to date information on the transposition of directives is also published on my Department's website.

Employment Support Services.

Noel Coonan

Question:

52 Deputy Noel J. Coonan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of persons participating on the work placement programme; the numbers who have expressed an interest; the number of positions available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11275/10]

The Work Placement Programme provides up to 9 months work experience to 2,000 unemployed individuals, including graduates. The Programme is open to all sectors of the economy, including the private and public sectors, as well as the community and voluntary sectors. The Work Placement Programme provides the unemployed with the opportunity to take up a placement in their chosen occupation and gain valuable experience or to work in another sector that may hold better future employment prospects. While the programme is voluntary, the placements offered under the programme will help to ensure that the unemployed are kept close to the labour market, are active and will enable participants to keep their skills up to date. In addition, the experience gained under the programme is likely to strengthen the employability of a participant in comparison with other individuals without such experience. Participants on the programme may retain their existing social welfare entitlements for the duration of their placement subject to the normal social welfare rules applying.

The first stream of the WPP is for 1,000 unemployed graduates who have attained a full award at level 7 or above on the National Framework of Qualifications. The second stream, which is for 1,000 unemployed individuals, is open to all other individuals. Furthermore, under this stream 250 places are ring-fenced for those under 35 years of age. This is only the minimum number of places that are available for young people under the non-graduate stream and in fact the actual number could be significantly higher.

As of the 26th February 2010, 478 individuals had commenced their placements under the Work Placement Programme. Of these 309 individuals have commenced on the graduate stream and 169 individuals have commenced on the non-graduate stream. In addition, there are a further 1,105 placements currently available to be filled throughout Ireland. A total of 5,989 individuals have expressed their interest with FÁS Employment Services in participating in the programme. FÁS continues to match individuals who have expressed an interest in participating in the programme with the placements that are available.

EU Funding.

Enda Kenny

Question:

53 Deputy Enda Kenny asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the progress that has been made on the application for funds from the European Globalisation Fund for former workers at companies (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11306/10]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Question:

102 Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the position regarding the application process of the European Globalisation Fund; when the European Commission will be furnished with the supplementary information it has sought on the Irish application; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11171/10]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 53 and 102 together.

My Department submitted three applications in 2009 on behalf of Ireland for co-financing assistance from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) towards the cost of guidance, training, entrepreneurship and education programmes for redundant workers at the Dell computer manufacturing plant in Raheen, Co. Limerick, the Waterford Crystal plant in Kilbarry, Co. Waterford and the S R Technics facility at Dublin Airport. The first application in relation to the DELL redundancies was made on 19th June 2009 and was approved late last year by the EU budgetary authorities. An EU funds transfer of €14.8m was received in my Department late last week. The Government has provided a matching element of €8m in funding in respect of this application in my Department's Vote.

The second application, that for Waterford Crystal workers made redundant, was made on 25th September 2009 and is currently at the inter-service consultation stage within the European Commission. It will upon approval subsequently be considered by the College of Commissioners, the European Council and the European Parliament. I understand that the Commission phase of the procedural process may be completed in early April with a view to preparing the Irish application for discussion in the relevant Parliamentary committees later that month.

A third application was made by my Department on 9th October 2009 in relation to redundancies at the SR Technics facility at Dublin Airport. My Department is currently preparing a response to a request from the European Commission for further information in relation to this application and hopes to be in a position to complete this process in the next couple of weeks. My Department continues to monitor redundancies nationwide in order to assess whether further EGF applications, which must meet strict EGF Regulation criteria and conditions, can be successfully made by Ireland.

Retail Sector.

Ciaran Lynch

Question:

54 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if her attention has been drawn to the significant number of closures of retail outlets and the consequent heavy job losses in this sector; if her further attention has been drawn to the problems created for many retail outlets by high levels of rent and the refusal of landlords to reduce rates to take account of the current economic climate; the steps she will take to address this problem; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11364/10]

Lucinda Creighton

Question:

76 Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the measures she has introduced to ensure that viable small and medium sized enterprises are not put out of business by inflexible rents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11429/10]

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

82 Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the steps she has taken or intends to take to improve the competitiveness of the economy at retail level with particular reference to the need to ensure that opportunities at this level are at least on par with those in adjoining jurisdictions; the extent to which the various economic factors appertaining here are comparable to those in adjoining areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11408/10]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 54, 76 and 82 together.

My colleague, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform has set up a new Working Group to look at the issue of commercial rent reviews last week and my Department is represented on this new Group. The Group will be asked to focus particularly on the arbitration process and the adequacy of the information available to all parties in the context of commercial rent reviews. Minister Ahern has already banned "upward-only" rent reviews in new leases, which took effect this month. The new Group will bring all the relevant parties together to see how we can deal further with other aspects of concern in existing leases.

In relation to more general measures to support jobs and growth in the economy, Budget 2010 included a number of pro-business, pro-jobs and pro-enterprise measures, including a car scrappage scheme, the extension of the tax exemption for start-up companies, an improved R&D tax credit to 25%, tax treatment of certain dividends, withholding tax on royalty income, improvements to the Remittance Scheme, and measures to improve the Tax offering on internationally traded services. With specific reference to the retail sector, Budget 2010 also reduced the rate of VAT from 21.5% to 21%.

Departmental Bodies.

Jack Wall

Question:

55 Deputy Jack Wall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the membership of the working group developing the youth framework for young persons and early school leavers; the number of meetings held by the working group to date; the groups and individuals with whom it has consulted; when the youth framework will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11391/10]

The Working Group developing a training and employment Framework for young persons and early school leavers is chaired by the Director of Curriculum and Quality Assurance at FÁS. The Group comprises representatives from all of the relevant Divisions within FÁS including its Employment, Community, Training and Service to Business Divisions as well as its Planning and Research Unit and Social Inclusion Unit. The aim of the Working Group is to develop a Youth Framework that will succinctly draw together FÁS's commitment to young people and early school leavers. Specifically it will detail in a comprehensive way all programmes and initiatives available to this target group including access and progression options. Monitoring procedures and an evaluation process will form part of the Framework to measure the effectiveness of services.

The first meeting of the Group took place in December 2009 and to date three meetings have been held. Both internal and external consultation will take place over the course of the development of this Framework. At the next meeting a representative of the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) will make a presentation to the Group. This will be the first of four presentations with the other three focussing on specific employment, training and social inclusion initiatives within FÁS. The Working Group's discussions are due for completion in June of this year at which point an initial report will be circulated for wider consultation to other relevant bodies including the National Youth Council of Ireland, Youthwork Ireland and Youthreach. It is hoped that the Youth Framework will be published in the final quarter of 2010.

Grocery Industry.

Martin Ferris

Question:

56 Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the position regarding the code of practice for the grocery sector; if and when she will be meeting the relevant stakeholders to discuss a possible voluntary code, or if necessary a mandatory code; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11131/10]

Martin Ferris

Question:

107 Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she will appoint an ombudsman to referee disputes in the grocery sector; if she will fund the ombudsman to ensure that the position is objective and not subject to bias; when details of the appointment will be announced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11132/10]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 56 and 107 together.

The Renewed Programme for Government contains a specific commitment to "implement a Code of Practice for doing business in the Grocery Goods sector to develop a fair trading relationship between retailers and their suppliers" and "to review progress of the Code and if necessary to put in place a mandatory code". It is my intention to give effect to this commitment by including a specific provision in the legislation, currently being prepared by my Department to merge the National Consumer Agency and the Competition Authority, which will allow for the introduction of statutory Codes of Practice in areas such as the grocery goods sector. In the interim until the legislation is enacted, I intend in the coming weeks to explore with all the relevant stakeholders the possibilities of agreeing a Voluntary Code which would respect the interests of all parties. It is my view that a Voluntary Code offers stakeholders the opportunity to develop a Code which is appropriate to the dynamics of the Irish grocery goods sector and which in turn could also form the basis of any subsequent statutory Code.

The Government is strongly committed to ensuring that Ireland continues to have vibrant agri food and retail sectors, particularly given the importance of these sectors to the national economy. The Government considers it important, therefore, that there is balance in the relationship between the various players in the grocery goods sector. The introduction of a Code of Practice, as provided for in the Programme for Government, is intended to achieve such a balance taking into account the interests of all stakeholders in the grocery goods sector including the interests of the consumer and the need to ensure that there is no impediment to the passing-on of lower prices to consumers.

Job Creation.

Arthur Morgan

Question:

57 Deputy Arthur Morgan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the measures she is taking to assist indigenous enterprises to retain and create employment to compensate for the loss of inward investment in jobs in view of the fact that the National Irish Bank foreign direct intelligence inward investment performance monitor found that job creation by foreign multinationals slipped by 42% in 2009 and that job creation in the Industrial Development Authority supported companies has fallen by 62% since 2005; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11128/10]

Job creation is at the top of this Government's agenda and through the agencies under the aegis of my Department, a range of measures have been put in place to assist the indigenous sector both in retaining and creating employment opportunities. In supporting enterprises and safeguarding existing jobs, this Government has introduced a broad range of enterprise support measures. Last year, through the Enterprise Stabilisation Fund, viable but vulnerable companies experiencing difficulties due to the current economic climate, were supported in the areas of market development, productivity improvements and product development. In 2009, €58m was spent on 180 projects, supporting approximately 7,500 jobs. The Fund continues to attract a high volume of applications in 2010.

A further initiative to protect existing jobs, the Employment Subsidy Scheme, was also introduced last year. The Enterprise Stabilisation Fund and the Employment Subsidy Scheme together reflect the Government's commitment to assisting companies overcome this difficult period. Between the two schemes we are investing €235 million directly into enterprises, safeguarding thousands of jobs and securing our enterprise capability in the process. To address the issue of accessing credit for SMEs, the Minister for Finance announced a new Credit Review System in his Budget 2010 speech and, under the Employer Jobs (PRSI) Incentive Scheme, an employer who creates a new job and takes on a person who has been unemployed for 6 months or more, will be fully exempted from the liability to pay PRSI for the first year of that employment.

This Government is also maintaining a substantial capital investment programme, including the National Development Programme and the implementation of key Government programmes such as the Rural Development Programme and the Home Energy Savings Scheme, providing work for some 3,690 registered contractors. The Government is also investing substantially in the provision of key infrastructure, such as broadband, where the number of subscribers has doubled during the lifetime of this Government.

Enterprise Ireland delivers a wide range of supports to Irish companies, targeted at the specific requirements of clients throughout all regions to ensure that they develop to their full potential in terms of innovation and exports, which in turn, stimulates job creation. Enterprise Ireland has prepared a recovery strategy and has focused its efforts on strengthening and sustaining companies of strategic importance through a range of initiatives. The City and County Enterprise Boards are also playing an important role in supporting existing enterprise and in promoting the creation of new employment.

Notwithstanding reductions in job creations by foreign multinationals in 2009, there is no doubt that International investment will be a key driver of employment, exports and growth and we will continue to market the Ireland brand as a location of choice for the newcomer and for existing investors. Foreign direct investment (FDI) has been, and will continue to be, a catalyst for our national prosperity. Over the years, FDI companies have created large numbers of high-quality jobs, both for the direct employees of the investing companies and in the local enterprise that provides them with goods and services. Ireland continues to attract FDI from many of the world's leading companies and in such turbulent economic times it is significant that many of the world's leading companies continue to invest in Ireland in a wide array of activities including high-end manufacturing, global services and RD&I.

On 2nd March, I launched "Horizon 2020", IDA Ireland's Strategy for the period to 2020. This strategy outlines a number of targets to be achieved in the period 2010 to 2014. One of these is a target of creating 105,000 new jobs by 2014, a figure comprised of 62,000 directly employed in IDA client companies, which would support a further 43,000 jobs in the wider economy. As a developed economy with an excellent track record in FDI, a stable regulatory regime, membership of the EU and the Eurozone, Ireland is well positioned to create substantial additional employment into the future. I am satisfied that all of the agencies of my Department are contributing to the important task of retaining and creating employment in our economy.

EU Directives.

Pat Rabbitte

Question:

58 Deputy Pat Rabbitte asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the position and timeframe for the transposition of the services directive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11379/10]

The Regulations to bring the Services Directive [Directive 2006/123/EC] into law are well advanced. My Department is working with the Office of Parliamentary Counsel with a view to completing the legislation as soon as possible.

National Minimum Wage.

Sean Sherlock

Question:

59 Deputy Seán Sherlock asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she has received any report from the Labour Court in regard to a possible change in the national minimum wage; if not, when she expects to receive its report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11382/10]

In November 2008, ICTU requested the Labour Court to review the national minimum wage and to make a recommendation to me concerning its adjustment. The Court subsequently invited submissions on the issue. Various submissions were received, including from IBEC, ICTU and the Department of Finance. The Labour Court also held discussions with these parties. Under the National Minimum Wage Act, 2000, the Labour Court can seek to establish, in the context of such consultations, whether a general agreement can be reached between the parties. If, however, the labour Court is satisfied that such a general agreement cannot be reached, it may still make a recommendation to me. I have not yet received any recommendation from the Labour Court in relation to the application made under the National Minimum Wage, 2006. It would be inappropriate for me to comment further while the matter is still under consideration by the Court.

Departmental Functions.

Eamon Gilmore

Question:

60 Deputy Eamon Gilmore asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she is considering the restructuring of her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11367/10]

It is a matter in the first instance for An Taoiseach to determine the structures and functions of individual Departments of State. Ministers, when appointed to Departments of State, are then responsible for policy determination and the performance of the functions that are assigned to their Department. In that regard, my current policy priorities are centred on creating the right policy framework to assist the enterprise community create and maintain employment opportunities while supporting the unemployed back in to the workforce.

Specifically, we are continually working to ensure that we have the most appropriate policies to nurture both the indigenous and FDI sectors through current difficulties. We are also implementing a number of significant initiatives to assist the unemployed and continue to examine all options to do more on activation, training and re-skilling opportunities. More particularly, our current focus is on the areas of:

Reviewing enterprise development agency relationships and strategies in light of the current challenges facing their stakeholders — indeed we launched the new IDA Strategy just last week.

Updating our National Skills Strategy;

Finalising and promoting a new Trade and Investment Strategy;

Providing enhanced consumer and competition protections through the merger of the Competition Authority and the National Consumer Agency;

Driving the Competitiveness and Green Jobs Agenda with Government colleagues;

Maintaining our SSTI investments to support the Smart Economy drive;

and

Delivery of my Department's many T16 Employment Rights and Industrial Relations legislative commitments.

In support of policy implementation and monitoring, the Secretary General of the Department, under the Public Service Management Act 1997, is responsible for, among other things, both the strategic and day-to-day management of the Department. In that regard, I must emphasise that the Secretary General, supported by his Management Board, keeps the structures and assignment of personnel across the Department under regular review to ensure the Department continues to be fit for purpose.

FÁS Training Programmes.

David Stanton

Question:

61 Deputy David Stanton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the supports that she has made available to support apprentices who have been unable to complete their training in view of the fact that they have been made redundant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11427/10]

FÁS has already put in place the following measures in place to assist redundant apprentices who have to complete both on and off -the-job work training plus assessments in order to complete their apprenticeships:

1. FÁS has put in place an interim measure whereby redundant apprentices may progress to the next off-the-job training phase of their apprenticeship, in line with current scheduling criteria. In 2009, over 2,000 redundant apprentices were provided with off-the-job training. To date in 2010, 1,041 redundant apprentices commenced off-the-job training in January 2010, and 1,008 redundant apprentices are currently being scheduled to commence Phase 4 and Phase 6 off-the-job training in the Institutes of Technology and Colleges of Further Education on 6 April 2010.

2. In 2009, FÁS introduced a temporary Employer Based Redundant Apprentice Rotation Scheme for apprentices made redundant in the Construction Industry. Over 460 redundant apprentices completed Phase 3, 5 and 7 on-the-job training and assessments with employers under this Scheme in 2009. A new Redundant Apprentice Placement Scheme which will replace the Rotation Scheme in 2010, is under development and this will with the support of employers assist redundant apprentices to complete the on-the-job training of their apprenticeship with a FÁS approved employer.

3. An on-the-job training programme with ESB Networks for eligible redundant apprentices at Phases 5 and 7 of their apprenticeship was agreed with FÁS and commenced in March 2009. The programme will provide up to 400 places over a period of 18 months and is funded by ESB Networks. To date, 184 redundant apprentices have completed training, 106 are currently in training, and further placements will take place during 2010.

4. FÁS and the Institutes of Technology have agreed the PP5 programme for redundant apprentices who have successfully completed Phases 1 — 4 of their apprenticeship and where an on or off-the-job training opportunity is not currently available. The programme has both a Construction Stream and an Engineering Stream, with a number of core skills modules related to apprenticeship and a number of electives in specific skills. The programme provides apprentices with a Level 5 FETAC award and allows for access and transfer of credits to other post-apprenticeship programmes. The Institutes of Technology are currently providing training to eligible redundant apprentices who responded to invitations issued in January 2010.

5. FÁS has also developed Phase 7-equivalent assessments for redundant apprentices at the final phase of their apprenticeship in the trades of Carpentry & Joinery, Electrical, Plumbing, Brick & Stonelaying and Plastering. Some assessments commenced on 24 February 2010 and others are being arranged in accordance with the scheduling calendar.

6. Redundant apprentices registered for 4 years who have successfully completed all Phases 1-7 of their apprenticeship, but have not yet completed the required 4 years in employment as an apprentice in the specified trade, will be contacted by FÁS to submit a portfolio of evidence under Recognition of Prior Learning for consideration by the National Apprenticeship Advisory Sub-committee for the award of the Advanced Craft Certificate.

7. Redundant apprentices may also avail of existing trade-related specific skills training courses to enhance their employable skills. They may also avail of the range of trade-related evening courses available in FÁS Training Centres.

8. Léargasis providing funding under theEU Lifelong Learning Programme, Leonardo Da Vinci Mobility Programme to support the placement of almost 100 redundant apprentices with overseas employers to complete their phase 7 on-the-job training with assessments.

All of these various measures will support around 4,000 redundant apprentices. FÁS continues to closely monitor the situation in relation to redundant apprentices and newly qualified craftspersons. It is important to point out in this regard that the onus is on redundant apprentices themselves to inform FÁS Services to Business immediately of his/her redundant status and register with their local FÁS Employment Services Office. Otherwise, the redundant apprentice may lose out on invaluable assistance in securing new employment which would enable him/her to continue their apprenticeship training.

Industrial Development.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Question:

62 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the changes that she will implement in relation to the policy of the Industrial Development Authority regarding the attraction of investment and jobs to certain counties and regions; the criteria that will be attached to the policy in respect of the way in which a county will be prioritised for attracting inward investment; the counties which will be excluded under this new policy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11129/10]

Last Tuesday, 2nd March, I launched "Horizon 2020", IDA Ireland's Strategy for the period to 2020, which shows the way forward for Ireland to achieve ambitious goals for Foreign Direct Investment and to create the maximum amount of high-quality Irish jobs for the greatest number of our people. In the current circumstances, a vibrant and growing Foreign Direct Investment sector remains central to an economic recovery based on export-led growth and the development of the Smart Economy. For 50 years, successive Governments have supported efforts by the IDA to attract foreign direct investment to Ireland as a cornerstone of our national enterprise policy.

IDA has a strong commitment to ensuring balanced regional development across the country and one of the key targets of this new Strategy, which I particularly welcome, is the target of ensuring that in the period 2010- 2014, 50% of FDI projects will be located outside of Dublin and Cork. This is a challenging target. In line with the National Spatial Strategy IDA's new strategy places renewed emphasis on the "Gateway" regions. The "gateways" in Ireland are going to be critical growth areas in the future Successful enterprise development and the creation of an attractive location are interdependent. Regions/Gateways that support strong and dynamic enterprise are crucial to Ireland's return to balanced economic growth and IDA will continue to focus on balanced development through these regional gateways.

In addition the agency proposes to look at innovative ways to leverage its property portfolio to support the enterprise sector, particularly in rural locations. IDA's contribution to regional development will be primarily as a stimulator of economic activity through key investment, which brings high value employment and expertise, and promotes confidence and overall economic dynamism within the region. Within these regions, I know that IDA will be sensitive to particular pressure points as they arise. The overriding priority for IDA remains the winning of high quality investments for Ireland.

John O'Donoghue

Question:

63 Deputy John O’Donoghue asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of invitations issued to potential industrialists to visit County Kerry with a view to setting up industries over the past two years; the number of such visits which actually took place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11120/10]

Kerry has traditionally been a centre of manufacturing for foreign direct investment, However over recent years it has proved challenging to maintain and attract overseas manufacturing companies into the County as much of this investment globally is going to low cost destinations such as Eastern and Central Europe and China. As a result of this shift in global manufacturing, Kerry has seen a number of closures within the multinational sector. At the end of 2009 there were 14 IDA Ireland supported companies in Kerry employing approximately 1,407 permanent staff.

In line with the National Development Plan, IDA's focus is on attracting investment to the National Spatial Strategy 2002-2020 linked hub locations of Killarney in South Kerry and Tralee in North Kerry. These locations represent the critical mass required by potential investors in terms of population, skills and infrastructure. IDA Ireland promotes Kerry as part of an integrated region with access to the county population base of 139,616 as well as the expanded population of both the Mid West and South West Regions with a combined population of 935,039. The attractiveness of Kerry for inward investment has to be seen within a regional context with particular reference to its proximity to the Gateway cities of Limerick/Shannon and Cork. Taking a regional rather than a purely local approach will enable the twin hubs of Tralee and Killarney to compete effectively with other strong regions, cities and countries, as the critical mass needed in terms of population, skills and infrastructure can be met.

IDA Ireland is actively promoting the Kerry to prospective investors across the full range of IDA targeted sectors, but specifically IDA Ireland is targeting the Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) and Internationally Traded Services sectors via its network of overseas offices and project divisions. Every effort will be made to secure new advanced knowledge based industry for the area. Particular emphasis is being paid to attract emerging companies to Kerry taking advantage of the supportive environment that has been developed in Kerry for start-up and emerging companies.

In 2009 four overseas firms visited Kerry. In addition presentations have been made to many overseas firms on the benefit of setting up or expanding operations in Kerry. IDA has maintained a consistent flow of itineraries / site visits by companies to County Kerry over a number of years. See table below for numbers of visits by year:

Year

No. of Site Visits

2009

4

2008

4

2007

3

2006

2

2005

4

2004

3

2003

2

2002

2

2001

5

To support this strategy, IDA Ireland is working closely with educational institutions in the region, in developing the skill sets necessary to attract high value added employment to the county. IDA is also working with FAS to provide guidance in developing the skill sets needed by those in the workforce who are interested in upskilling.

It is equally important that Ireland maintains and grow the existing FDI portfolio in the region and therefore a substantial programme is undertaken by IDA with the existing overseas companies. This programme is designed to help consolidate and where possible grow existing operations in the region. This means achieving substantial productivity improvements or the addition of new business functions such as R&D, marketing, logistics management, shared service centres, customer or technical support activities. Essentially we are supporting the companies in moving up or around the value chain in their Irish operations and basing their success more on innovation, higher skills inputs and knowledge-based activity. An example of this is the announcement in September 2008 by Aetna that it is to expand its existing operation with the addition of 70 jobs in Castleisland.

IDA Ireland's strategy for Kerry involves:

Transition to the knowledge economy by winning new foreign direct investment (FDI) in innovation driven, high value, high skills sectors;

Working with our existing company base through our Strategic Development Programme to expand their presence in Ireland through the addition of increased functions of scale and increased strategic functions;

Achieving balanced regional development under the framework of the National Spatial Strategy;

In co-operation with Shannon Development and the ongoing provision of sectorally focussed property solutions with supporting infrastructure;

Working with Local Authorities and other partners to influence the creation of the right infrastructural environment to help win new FDI throughout the region.

IDA Ireland is targeting high value projects, which means that companies who decide to visit Ireland have more sophisticated business requirements. Their key need in determining where they will visit, and consequently where they will potentially locate, tends to centre on the following criteria:

Quality business environment with access to a large population base

Proximity to international airport and top quality road infrastructure to allow ease of access

Proximity to similar types of companies

Adjacent to a third level institution

Located on a business and technology park with high quality office accommodation and telecoms infrastructure.

In the case of many towns, all of these requirements may not be fully met and this can be an inhibitor to attracting overseas investment.

An issue IDA encounters in encouraging investment into Regional locations is the desire of investors to locate in areas with large population bases — typically populations in excess of one million. IDA will always strive to attract investment to business and technology parks in regional locations. However, it is integral that locations meet the requirements of each individual client company. Therefore, the ultimate decision on where operations are established lies with the client, whose primary objective will be to establish in the location most aligned with the business needs of their company. IDA Ireland has a pipeline and will continue to promote Kerry at every opportunity. Every effort will be made to secure new advanced knowledge based industry for establishment in the county.

To foster collaboration between industry and academia, IDA Ireland works closely with the local educational infrastructure (i.e. Institute of Technology Tralee) in developing the skill sets necessary to attract high value added employment to the county and to encourage greater interaction with industry on areas of Research and Development. IDA also works with other agencies, such as FAS, to provide guidance in developing the skill sets needed by those in the workforce who are interested in up-skilling. IDA is also actively engaged with Shannon Development in marketing The Kerry Technology Park to prospective client companies.

The Institute of Technology Tralee (ITT) is a progressive Higher Education Institute. The Institute runs a number of courses to certificate, diploma and degree level. There are approximately 2,794 full time students attending ITT with circa 1,200 graduating each year. ITT offer over 100 courses across three schools and 11 departments. The research strategy being pursued by ITT is one which seeks to further strengthen the capacity of the Institute in a manner which will both enhance the educational programme being offered to our students and also enable us to serve the economic, social and cultural life of the region. Current Research Strengths are in the following area:

Shannon Applied Biotechnology Centre

Centre for Innovation in Distributed Systems

Centre for Geometric Optics

Centre for Entrepeneurship and Enterprise Development

Centre for Intelligent Mechatronic and Sensor Systems

Kerry Airport with its excellent access to Dublin, London (Stansted & Luton), and Frankfurt (Hahn) is a distinct advantage for the area. International air access is a key requirement of FDI and IDA Ireland supports the continued development of Kerry Airport to facilitate direct access to the county, which will complement existing access from Shannon and Cork Airports. IDA Ireland is centrally engaged with the Kerry Employment Action Team (KEAT) to plan for the county's future economic growth. Specifically this group is focussed on how Kerry can best position itself in the context of the National Spatial Strategy through its response to the National Development Plan.

IDA continues to market all available land and buildings in the County including its 12 acre Business & Technology Park at Tiernaboul, Killarney, Co. Kerry. In Tralee, IDA is also marketing the Kerry Technology Park which is owned and managed by Shannon Development in partnership with the Institute of Technology Tralee. Kerry Technology Park is a 113 acre park jointly developed by Shannon Development and the Institute of Technology Tralee. Shannon Development own 50 acres of the campus and has two existing high quality office buildings (Innovation Works 1 &2). Shannon Development has received planning permission from Kerry County Council to add the new building which will have 2,500 sq.m of floorspace divided into office suites for technology based enterprises. The development could see as many as 100 new jobs created in the park. Overall the park offers 35 acres of land for promotion, including existing buildings.

Innovation Works 1 is 26,000 sq ft building of excellent quality fully networked and managed office space (4,000 sq ft currently available).

Innovation Works 2 is a 24,000 sq ft building of excellent quality open plan office space (4,800 sq ft currently available).

IT Tralee has a business incubation centre — the Tom Crean Centre — located in the Kerry Technology Park. The centre offers incubation space and support to start-up companies.

County Kerry has been awarded the prestigious title of European Entrepreneurial Region of the Year 2011 at a ceremony hosted by the EU Committee of the Regions (CoR) in Brussels in February 2010. The European Entrepreneurial Region (EER) award is designed to identify and reward EU regions with outstanding entrepreneurial vision and to encourage local and regional authorities to do more to promote small business across Europe. Kerry was one of just three regions in all 27 EU states to receive the accolade, along with Brandenburg, Germany and Murcia in Spain, and was selected based on the quality, efficacy and long-term success of its entrepreneurial vision. Launched in October, the EER award is open to every region in Europe, regardless of its size, population and wealth, and applications were sought from all over Europe. The successful Kerry submission was made jointly by the Institute of Technology, Tralee and Shannon Development, who share a joint campus at Kerry Technology Park

Grocery Industry.

Brian O'Shea

Question:

64 Deputy Brian O’Shea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if her attention has been drawn to a recent report produced by an organisation (details supplied) which shows that retailers are charging consumers up to five times the price paid to farmers for basic foodstuffs; her views on whether this situation is satisfactory; the steps she will take arising from this report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11372/10]

I am aware of the report referred to by the Deputy. The Deputy, himself, will be aware, however, that the views of the organization concerned are not shared by retailers. Indeed there are marked differences between the various stakeholders in the food supply chain as to where the balance of power in the sector lies. The Government for its part is concerned that there should be a measure of equilibrium in the sector particularly given its importance to the national economy. Without prejudice to the freedom and responsibility of contracting parties to negotiate and agree their own contractual agreements, the Government appreciates the importance of ensuring that there is a fair balance between the parties to such negotiations.

To that end, the Renewed Programme for Government contains a specific commitment to "implement a Code of Practice for doing business in the Grocery Goods sector to develop a fair trading relationship between retailers and their suppliers" and "to review progress of the Code and if necessary to put in place a mandatory code". It is my intention to give effect to this commitment by including a specific provision in the legislation, currently being prepared by my Department to merge the National Consumer Agency and the Competition Authority, which will allow for the introduction of statutory Codes of Practice in areas such as the grocery goods sector. In the interim until the legislation is enacted, I intend in the coming weeks to explore with all the relevant stakeholders the possibilities of agreeing a Voluntary Code which would respect the interests of all parties. It is my view that a Voluntary Code offers stakeholders the opportunity to develop a Code which is appropriate to the dynamics of the Irish grocery goods sector and which in turn could also form the basis of any subsequent statutory Code.

The Government is strongly committed to ensuring that Ireland continues to have vibrant agri food and retail sectors, particularly given the importance of these sectors to the national economy. The Government considers it important, therefore, that there is balance in the relationship between the various players in the grocery goods sector. The introduction of a Code of Practice, as provided for in the Programme for Government, is intended to achieve such a balance taking into account the interests of all stakeholders in the grocery goods sector including the interests of the consumer and the need to ensure that there is no impediment to the passing-on of lower prices to consumers.

International Trade.

Kieran O'Donnell

Question:

65 Deputy Kieran O’Donnell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment her plans to publish a new Asia strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11322/10]

The Government's Asia Strategy operated for the period 1999-2009 and has been very successful in developing Ireland's Trade and other links with the key Asian economies. Ireland's exports to the eight priority countries of the final phase of that Strategy have risen from €4.0bn in 1999, to €10.3bn in 2008, well ahead of the target of €9bn, set for 2009. Full year export data for 2009 is not yet available but is likely to be broadly similar to 2008. The number of Irish companies with a presence in these countries has risen from 54 to 267, well ahead of the target of 215. In addition, substantial growth has been achieved on other targets relating to Tourism, specialist food exports, developing inward student numbers, academic partnerships and a range of other links and developments.

These outcomes, together with progress in wider awareness-raising, have been greatly assisted by focussed high-level visits. Over the last five years, Taoiseach-led Trade Missions have been organised to China, India and Japan and other Ministerial-led Trade Missions have taken place to China, India, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore. In addition, the Department of Foreign Affairs has expanded their network of Embassies and Consulates in the region.

The Government are committed to developing and expanding this engagement, as the key Asian economies represent an exciting and continuously developing market for Irish goods and services. To this end and in response to the Smart Economy Framework, my Department is both reviewing the achievements of the Asia Strategy, as well as working with the Development Agencies and other Departments to develop a new Strategy for Trade, Investment and Tourism. The new strategy will focus on high growth emerging markets such as China, as well as on our existing key trading partners and its aim will be to increase our exports/investments in and from these markets. The new strategy will also bring further focus and coherence to Ireland's single-minded pursuit of our international economic and commercial interests. The inter-departmental and inter-agency consultations to date, point to the need for a new research based strategy that will run for 3-4 years in a fluid and changing trade and investment environment. It is intended to finalise this new Strategy later this year.

Departmental Agencies.

Michael D. Higgins

Question:

66 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she is considering any changes to the structure, role or organisation of FÁS; if FÁS will remain within the area of responsibility of her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11368/10]

The structure and role of FÁS, like that of other Agencies and of my Department, is kept continually under review to ensure that it meets the needs of current circumstances.

Departmental Procurement.

Brian O'Shea

Question:

67 Deputy Brian O’Shea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment her views on the fact that a number of Government Departments are falling well short of meeting the targets set by her that suppliers would be paid within 15 days of the receipt of an invoice; the steps she will take to ensure greater compliance with the target set; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11374/10]

In accordance with the Government Decision of 19 May 2009 all central Government Departments are required to pay their business suppliers within 15 days of receipt of a valid invoice. These Departments are also required to report quarterly to my Department on their performance in meeting this target. The first returns by Departments covered the period 15 June to 30 September 2009 and were published by me on 30 December 2009. The second returns for the last quarter of 2009 were published by me on 5 March 2010. The tables attached provide the relevant information for both quarters.

It will be apparent from the tables that the value of payments made by central Government Departments within 15 days accounts for 97.9% of the overall value of payments made. These returns for the period 1 October to 31 December show:

A total of 68,528 payments were made by Departments in the above period amounting to €1.634bn;

56,542 payments totalling approximately €1.599bn were paid within 15 days. These payments represent 82.5% of total number of payments made by Departments, an increase of over 3% on revised Quarter 3 returns. In value terms 97.9% were paid within 15 days compared with 97.8% for revised quarter 3 figures;

A further 8,682 or 12.7% were made between 16 and 30 days;

Overall in value terms, 99.7% of payments during the period, amounting to €1.629bn, were paid within 30 days.

While there continued to be some variation between the performances of individual Departments, in respect of the number of invoices , 7 Departments were paying in excess of 90% of invoices within 15 days (compared with 5 in the previous quarter), a further 6 Departments were paying in excess of 80% of invoices within 15 days (compared with 7 in the previous quarter), while the remaining 2 had paid 47% and 66% of their invoices within 15 days;

in respect of the number of invoices, 13 Departments had paid between 96% and 100% of their invoices within 30 days while the remaining 2 had paid 78% and 87% of their invoices within 30 days.

Departments are continuing to make strong efforts to pay their suppliers within 15 days and are playing their respective parts in assisting the cash flow of their suppliers, many of whom are Small and Medium Enterprises. The new procedures and processes introduced are having an impact in assisting Irish SMEs cash flow in the current difficult economic environment and this development must be welcomed. It is the responsibility of each Department to meet its obligations under the terms of the Government Decision. Businesses that experience difficulties in receiving payment on foot of valid invoices within 15 days should contact the contracting Department to resolve their difficulties.

Table 1: Prompt Payment Returns by Government Departments 2009

Q4 — October-December 2009

Q3 — June-September 2009

Gvernment Departments

% of overall Total value paid within 15 days

Value of Payments within 15 days

% No. of payments within 15 days

No. of Payments within 15 days

% of overall Total value paid within 15 days

Value of Payments within 15 days

% No. of payments within 15 days

No. of Payments within 15 days

%

%

%

%

Transport

100

1,110,785,071

98

4,772

100

685,528,088

98

4,348

Health and Children*

99

3,367,498

99

996

97

2,026,502

97

811

DETE

98

59,634,427

81

1,988

99

41,989,012

85

1,699

Finance

98

8,026,615

94

1,201

92

4,988,640

91

890

Education

97

123,031,199

85

3,744

98

181,848,232

85

4,734

Foreign Affairs

97

22,293,366

97

2,379

86

7,259,005

87

1,732

Communications, Marine and Natural Resources*

96

5,344,352

93

1,150

89

3,989,860

85

873

Arts, Sport & Tourism

95

5,378,254

81

598

98

4,644,701

87

500

Social and Family Affairs

93

108,002,080

47

2,518

96

130,055,768

52

3,137

Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs

92

1,675,843

93

528

94

1,622,023

91

645

Taoiseach

92

2,771,606

83

447

80

2,069,541

47

233

Defence

91

70,078,324

90

12,112

90

34,978,685

92

9,959

Agriculture, Fisheries & Food

88

33,142,359

88

12,902

88

23,839,408

89

10,220

Environment, Heritage and Local Government*

87

12,452,756

85

4,058

87

5,908,991

85

3,359

Justice, Equality & Law Reform*

85

33,478,337

66

7,149

88

37,862,047

45

3,822

Total

1,599,462,086

56,542

1,168,610,504

46,962

*Q3 figures revised due to non-business payments e.g. grant payments included by some Departments in previous table published.

Table 2: Prompt Payment Returns by Government Departments

Q4 — October-December 2009

Q3 — June-September 2009

Government Departments

value of overall total value paid within 30 days

value of payments within 30 days

No. of payments within 30 days

No. of payments within 30 days

value of overall total value paid within 30 days

value of payments within 30 days

No. of payments within 30 days

No. of payments within 30 days

%

%

%

%

Arts, Sport & Tourism

100

5,628,540

99

732

100

4,732,167

99

570

Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs*

100

1,822,145

99

563

100

1,721,903

100

703

Education

100

126,669,840

98

4,359

100

184,765,623

96

5,346

Health and Children*

100

3,385,837

100

1,009

100

2,076,516

100

836

Transport

100

1,111,183,880

100

4,835

100

686,005,133

100

4,425

Finance

100

8,197,705

99

1,257

99

5,395,130

99

970

DETE

99

60,540,733

96

2,338

100

42,435,723

95

1,913

Agriculture, Fisheries & Food

99

37,485,663

99

14,464

99

26,802,795

99

11,317

Foreign Affairs

99

22,710,562

100

2,444

99

8,340,111

98

1,958

Social and Family Affairs

99

114,452,841

78

4,192

99

135,341,483

87

5,226

Taoiseach

99

3,000,032

97

525

99

2,544,361

93

459

Defence

99

76,628,546

98

13,274

95

37,169,992

98

10,665

Environment, Heritage and Local Government*

98

14,015,332

97

4,591

100

6,796,580

98

3,890

Justice, Equality & Law Reform

98

38,624,804

87

9,439

99

42,680,118

98

8,318

Communications, Marine and Natural Resources*

98

5,489,564

97

1,202

96

4,337,815

94

964

Total

1,629,836,023

65,224

1,191,145,450

57,560

*Q3 figures revised due to non-business payments e.g. grant payments included by some Departments in previous table published.

Redundancy Payments.

Róisín Shortall

Question:

68 Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of claims for redundancy payments waiting to be processed within her Department at the latest date for which figures are available; the average waiting time taken to process a claim; the steps that are being taken to speed up this process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11384/10]

Róisín Shortall

Question:

95 Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of redundancies notified to her Department in each year from 2002 and to date in 2010; the number of projected redundancies for 2010; the amount of money paid out in statutory redundancy payment in respect of each year from 2002 to 2009; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11383/10]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 68 and 95 together.

Table 1 attached sets out the number of statutory redundancies for the years 2002 to 2009 and provisional figures up to end February, 2010. These figures reflect the number of employees who actually qualified for statutory redundancy lump sum payments. They do not reflect those who lost their jobs with less than two years service in employment. It is not possible to project the number of redundancies which will arise in 2010 as this will depend on a number of factors, including economic factors and the rate of recovery in the economy. However, the figures available for the first two months of 2010 suggest that the pattern, which became evident in 2009 of an average weekly intake of 1,500 new claims, is unfortunately continuing.

Table 2 sets out the monies paid out of the Social Insurance Fund in respect of redundancy claims for the years 2002-2009 and up to end February, 2010. It is not possible to project the amount which will be paid out in 2010 as this will hinge on a number of variables including the number of claims received, the length of service of the claimants etc. The latest figures available to the end of February 2010 indicate that the number of redundancy claims on hand and awaiting processing stands at 39,704. I should point out that my Department has, in 2009, processed 50,664 claims, up 70% on last year, and made corresponding payments totalling €336m which results in average weekly payments to the value of €6.5m being issued. In the period 2007-2009, the level of new claims lodged with my Department has increased cumulatively by 200%. This contrasts with the previous two-year period 2005 — 2007 in which period the increase in new claims lodged was just 10%.

My Department administers the Social Insurance Fund (SIF) in relation to redundancy matters on behalf of the Department of Social and Family Affairs. There are two types of payment made from the SIF — rebates to those employers who have paid statutory redundancy to eligible employees, and statutory lump sums to employees whose employers are insolvent and/or in receivership/liquidation. The Redundancy Payments Section of my Department is currently processing rebate applications submitted by post from June 2009 and those filed on-line from August 2009, so that the waiting time is approximately 6 to 8 months depending on the manner of filing the application. In respect of lump sum payments paid directly to employees in instances where employers are unable to pay the statutory redundancy entitlements, the Section is, in general, processing claims dating from August 2009. I should point out that efforts have been made by the Tánaiste and myself to deliver more acceptable turnaround processing times for redundancy payments given the difficulties that this gives rise to for both individual employees and the business community.

Measures already taken include:

the reassignment of 26.7 additional staff (full time equivalents) from other areas of the Department to the Redundancy Payments area since early 2009 with ongoing review of trends and demands. The current number of staff serving in the Redundancy Payments Section in terms of full time equivalents is 52.5;

the prioritisation of the Department's overtime budget towards staff in the Redundancy Payments Section to tackle the backlog outside normal hours;

the establishment of a special call handling facility to deal with the huge volume of telephone calls from people and businesses who are naturally concerned about their payments, using the facilities and cooperation of the National Employment Rights Authority (NERA). This centre has received an average of 12,500 calls per month this year with an estimated 60% relating to redundancy payments;

the provision of better quality information relating to current processing times on the Department's website;

tngagement with the Revenue Commissioners to facilitate the offset of redundancy rebate payments by employers against outstanding tax liabilities with the Revenue Commissioners.

The Tánaiste and I are monitoring closely the impact of these changes against the continuing influx of redundancy claims and it is clear that additional measures are required to help reduce the backlog of claims which currently stands in excess of 40,000. The Department is currently actively engaged in efforts to secure up to 16 additional staff resources deployed to the area in the first quarter of 2010.

Table 1: Actual Statutory Redundancies for years 2002 to 2009 and up to end February 2010

Levels of redundancy claims lodged 2002 — February, 2010:

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010*

24,432

25,769

25,041

23,156

23,684

25,459

40,607

77,001

12,371

*Provisional figures.

Table 2: Expenditure on Statutory Redundancies for years 2002 to 2009 and up to end February, 2010

(€000)

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008*

2009*

2010*

53,978

88,933

152,162

149,172

166,483

183,328

193,711

336,404

69,811

*Provisional figures.

Departmental Agencies.

Kathleen Lynch

Question:

69 Deputy Kathleen Lynch asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment her views on the recent publication of the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General on internal control and governance in FÁS; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11369/10]

The report referred to by the Deputy identifies procedural deficiencies in financial controls and governance in FÁS. However, it is important to point out that it also concludes that transactions processed were, in the vast majority of cases, for the benefit of the Agency, and that transactions comprised in its annual accounts were properly chargeable for its objectives. I have sought and received assurances from FÁS that internal controls are now being fully complied with. Specifically, it has, among other actions, now:

restructured and significantly tightened controls in the Corporate Affairs function of FÁS, which had been at the centre of the C&AG's investigation;

approved new procurement procedures and is undertaking a full audit of all procurement locations, which will be completed by the end of 2010; and

put in place new procedures for reporting significant control failures, ensuring appropriate corrective action is taken.

The enactment in January 2010 of the Labour Services (Amendment) Act 2009 and the appointment of a new Chairman and Board provides for a stronger, more efficient and accountable governance structure at the Agency and will help it to focus fully on its core mission, at the centre of which is to provide relevant and high quality employment and training programmes to those who are unemployed.

Question No. 70 answered with Question No. 50.

Company Closures.

Thomas P. Broughan

Question:

71 Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if her attention has been drawn to the decision to close a company (details supplied) in County Louth with the loss of 200 jobs; the steps that are being taken to find replacement jobs for the area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11361/10]

I have asked the State Agencies under the remit of my Department to engage as a matter of urgency with the workers concerned.

Job Losses.

Thomas P. Broughan

Question:

72 Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when her Department was notified of the intention of a bank (details supplied) to close its retail network; the discussions she has had with the bank involved with a view to saving any of these jobs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11363/10]

I understand from IDA Ireland that the jobs involved in this case were not in the internationally traded services category and that IDA did not have dealings with the Bank in relation to the jobs. Regulatory and other public policy matters in relation to domestic banking operations in Ireland are within the remit of the Minister for Finance. Should any issues arise for my Department from the matter, for example redundancy applications, these will of course be processed in the normal way.

Unemployment Levels.

Willie Penrose

Question:

73 Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if her attention has been drawn to figures produced by the Central Statistics Office which show that young men under the age of 25 years are the main casualties of the job crisis and that two out of every three young men are out of work in counties Donegal, Limerick and parts of Louth; the steps that are being taken to address the particular problem of unemployment among young men; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11357/10]

Jim O'Keeffe

Question:

93 Deputy Jim O’Keeffe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if her attention has been drawn to the increase in unemployment in rural Ireland and in particular in the south west; and her plans for dealing with same. [11240/10]

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

136 Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the action she has taken to address the growing number of unemployment blackspots throughout the country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11676/10]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 73, 93 and 136 together.

The Government recognises that unemployment is a major problem impacting on every county in Ireland. It is a problem that is affecting both rural and urban society. Due to the severe downturn in the construction sector I am also very aware that unemployment is having a disproportionate impact on young men. Two thirds of those signing onto the Live Register are male and 12.5% are male and under 25 years of age.

The Government is committed to addressing Ireland's unemployment problem and has put in place a range of measures designed to support those who are unemployed get into employment as soon as possible. For instance to enable unemployed individuals, including young men under 25 years of age, to continue to access education, training and work experience programmes, the Government has significantly expanded existing activation provision. My Department will this year deliver approximately 147,000 training and work experience places for the unemployed compared to the 66,000 places that were delivered in 2008.

This additional provision has been achieved through increased resources, providing an increased range of different course types and introducing new initiatives such as the Work Placement Programme. Under this programme, participants can avail of a work experience placement of up to nine months. In addition, there is also specific provision aimed at early school leavers such as the Youthreach programme, which currently has 6,000 places. It has also been decided that certain cohorts of the unemployed are accorded priority access to the current range of supports. These cohorts are as follows:

People with low skills or education levels, i.e. unemployed people who do not have a Leaving Certificate qualification or equivalent;

People who are on the Live Register for long periods (over one year) — this includes people who are in receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance/Benefit for one year or longer;

People who are under 35 years of age, with at least 30% of training places reserved for those aged under 25 years;

People who were previously employed in sectors that have been most affected by restructuring and where recovery to near previous levels is not in prospect in the short to medium term (mainly construction, manufacturing and wholesale/retail trade).

The Government announced in Budget 2010 a new Labour Market Activation Fund, which will be for innovative proposals over and above mainstream training provision for the unemployed. This Activation Fund will focus training on the low skilled and those in structural unemployment including those formerly employed in the construction, retail and manufacturing sectors. Priority will be given to those under 35 years of age and the long term unemployed. It is expected that this Fund will provide at least 3,500 training places next year. A call for proposals will issue shortly, which is expected to lead to increased education and training provision this year and to assist young people currently unemployed.

Joan Burton

Question:

74 Deputy Joan Burton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the steps she will take to address the continuing employment crisis in view of the continuing high level of unemployment indicated by the live register figures; her plans to provide new training opportunities for persons who have lost their jobs and to encourage the creation of new employment opportunities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11359/10]

Willie Penrose

Question:

99 Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the steps she is taking to combat the continuing high level of unemployment as indicated by the February 2010 live register figures and ongoing announcements of job losses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11358/10]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 74 and 99 together.

The recent Live Register statistics for February showed that 436,956 people were signing on. It is important to say that of these 275,475 (63%) were signing on the Live Register on a full week basis representing an unemployment rate of 7.9%. While this remains far too high it should also be noted that it represented a month on month increase of 20 people. In fact when seasonally adjusted figures are taken into account there has been a decrease of 2,300 people from the Live Register last month. The Government has adopted several measures to combat high unemployment levels. These are focussing on creating new jobs, protecting existing employment and providing the necessary supports to the unemployed to get them back into employment as soon as possible.

In relation to job creation, my Department's enterprise development agencies, IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, Shannon Development and the County and City Enterprise Boards are continuing to support the creation of new job opportunities. Last week I launched "Horizon 2020" IDA Ireland's strategic blueprint for attracting Foreign Direct Investment into Ireland in the coming decade. With this strategy IDA Ireland will target the delivery of over one hundred thousands new jobs by 2014. In Budget 2010 the Government announced the introduction of a new jobs stimulus measure, the Employer Jobs (PRSI) Incentive Scheme. Under the scheme, where an employer creates a new job and takes on a person who has been unemployed for 6 months or more, the employer will be fully exempted from the liability to pay PRSI for the first year of that employment. This will give employers an 8%-10% saving on employment costs for each new job created.

To protect vulnerable employment my Department has introduced the €100 million Enterprise Stabilisation Fund and the €135 million Employment Subsidy Scheme. These initiatives aim to support companies experiencing difficulties because of the current economic climate. It is expected that the Employment Subsidy Scheme, which is designed to support the maintenance of vulnerable jobs and prevent people from being made redundant will either directly or indirectly support approximately 80,000 jobs this year.

In addition to these measures, the Government have significantly expanded the support services available to those who are unemployed. For instance job search supports services have been expanded to cater for a planned National Employment Action Plan referral capacity of 154,000 people this year compared to the 74,000 people who were supported in 2008. This year my Department will provide approximately 147,000 training and work experience places, which is a substantial increase on the 66,000 places that were delivered in 2008.

Employment Rights.

Emmet Stagg

Question:

75 Deputy Emmet Stagg asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when it is intended to publish anti-victimisation legislation designed to protect those who choose to join a trade union and which was promised by March 2009 under the review of Towards 2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11385/10]

Joanna Tuffy

Question:

96 Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when she will publish legislation to address employee representation at work which was promised by June 2009 under the review of Towards 2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11386/10]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 75 and 96 together.

The Towards 2016 Review and Transitional Agreement 2008 — 2009 (paras 9.1 — 9.3) provides for the establishment of a review process to consider the legal and other steps necessary to enable the employee representation mechanisms that had been established under previous agreements — and in legislation — to operate as they had been intended. The Agreement (para 9.4) also commits the Government to bringing forward legislative proposals to prohibit the victimisation of trade union members and to prohibit the incentivisation of persons not to be members of a trade union. In furtherance to these commitments, two informal meetings took place late last year, chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach and at which my Department; the Department of Finance; trade unions; and employers were represented. Position papers were prepared by the employer and trade union representatives on the issues which they saw as requiring to be addressed by any new legislation in this area.

While consideration is continuing within Government on proposals to address the issues involved, progress in bringing the work to a conclusion will have to take account of other priority legislative commitments to be delivered in the employment area, resource constraints within Departments, and the extent of agreement between the trade union and employer sides in this area.

Question No. 76 answered with Question No. 54.

Unemployment Levels.

John O'Donoghue

Question:

77 Deputy John O’Donoghue asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if her attention has been drawn to the unemployment problem in County Kerry; her plans through State agencies or otherwise to address these problems; if she will put in place a task force to address the problem in a meaningful way; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11119/10]

I would refer the Deputy to the detailed reply given to PQ No.63 in today's Order Paper. I will be glad to discuss the issues raised directly with the Deputy.

FÁS Training Programmes.

Ciaran Lynch

Question:

78 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment her views on the fact that the collapse in the number of registered apprenticeships could lead to serious skills shortages when economic recovery occurs; if the number of newly registered apprenticeships fell to just 85 in January 2010; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11365/10]

Apprenticeship is a demand driven educational and training programme for employed people aimed at developing the skills of the apprentice to meet the needs of industry and of the labour market. The number of apprentices registered in the month of January 2010 was 82, and 119 apprentices were registered by employers for the month of February 2010. The current level of registrations is in line with the registration level expected at this time and reflects the level of activity in the industry. In terms of the skills requirements that will be needed in the future, the Department's policies will be guided inter alia by the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs which reports regularly to the Minister for Enterprise, Trade & Employment. I refer the Deputy to the reply provided to Question No 11427/10, for answer today in this context also.

Industrial Development.

Denis Naughten

Question:

79 Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the steps she is taking to support enterprise development in the midland and western regions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11122/10]

Due to industrial action it is not possible to provide the information requested.

Economic Competitiveness.

Richard Bruton

Question:

80 Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment her plans for a co-ordinated programme of actions on competitiveness. [5241/10]

Ireland has consistently been regarded amongst the most competitive economies in the world for supporting enterprise. Reports such as the ‘IBM Global Location Trends Annual Report 2009' that was published in October of last year ranked Ireland 1st for attracting FDI on a per capita basis. They listed our key strengths in services and R&D as the reason for topping the list. Similarly, the World Bank's ‘Ease of Doing Business 2010' ranks Ireland 7th out of 181 countries, unchanged from a year previously. In January of this year, Ireland was ranked the third most globalised nation, according to an index published by Ernst & Young at the World Economic Forum in Davos. The index is measured by a country's openness to trade, movement of capital, exchange of technology and ideas, labour movements, and cultural integration. Even though we face significant challenges, it is important to point to these enduring strengths. Ireland is still recognised as a prime location for enterprise to develop.

Many International Agencies have supported Ireland's decisive action to bring Government spending into line and to stabilise the banking situation, and believe that we are on the right track. Importantly too the international funding markets have shown their faith in the Irish economy by lending at improving interest rates. In parallel to these fundamental steps, the Government has also moved to improve our competitiveness. A number of areas are being prioritised, including labour costs, government controlled prices and costs, minimising the regulatory burden and increasing the level of competition in our economy. Business costs have fallen: wage bills, asset prices, energy and prices in general have responded to the effects of recession and corrective government action. Competition in key sectors of the economy is being intensified.

The Consumer Price Index fell by 3.9 per cent in the twelve months to January 2010. The HICP — the harmonised European measure — fell by 2.6 per cent to December 2009, the largest decline in the euro area. This narrowing in the differential in prices is very much to be welcomed and clearly will help the competitiveness of Irish businesses. I am conscious that further improvement in Ireland's competitive position will foster economic growth. I am continuing to work with a number of Departments to ensure that the actions already taken are consolidated and further improvements are achieved during 2010 and beyond.

Job Creation.

Eamon Gilmore

Question:

81 Deputy Eamon Gilmore asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment her most recent contacts with an airline (details supplied) regarding the possible location of up to 300 aircraft maintenance jobs at Dublin Airport; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11366/10]

My most recent contacts with Ryanair were a meeting I had with its CEO Mr Michael O'Leary on Tuesday 16 February, followed by a letter I wrote to Mr O'Leary on 18 February and letters I received from him on 19 February and 25 February. Mr O'Leary also responded on 19 February to a letter of 18 February from Shannon Development, one of the agencies under the aegis of my Department, which offered Ryanair the opportunity to consider locating aircraft maintenance operations in Shannon if it were not satisfied with the options on offer at Dublin Airport.

At the time that SR Technics announced that it was withdrawing from maintenance operations in Dublin Airport, I, as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, stressed to all parties that I would very much welcome if the buildings and machinery used in the SRT operation could remain available for the carrying out of maintenance operations. This appeared the best way of securing jobs for ex-SRT workers and maintaining industrial employment, of the type promoted by my Department and its agencies, at Dublin Airport.

With this in mind, a process to hear and consider expressions of interest from any parties interested in continuing maintenance operations at the site was put in place and operated by IDA and Enterprise Ireland. A number of developments have since occurred. Dublin Aerospace has commenced operations, with 70 initial employees recruited, to operate a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility. The company expects the number of jobs to grow to 226. The Garage business unit of SR Technics has been taken over by the M50 Truck and Van Centre who were successful in securing the airside vehicle maintenance contract from SR Technics. Aer Lingus has decided to undertake, with the transfer of a number of employees, line maintenance operations previously contracted to SRT.

Ryanair's interest in carrying out heavy maintenance operations, initially aiming to employ 500 and more recently 300, was always based on a proposal to carry out this work in Hangar 6, which it regarded as the only suitable building among the six hangars for maintenance of this type. As matters progressed, I was informed by the DAA, Aer Lingus and the Department of Transport that Hangar 6 continued to be occupied by maintenance operations carried out on Aer Lingus aircraft, that Aer Lingus continued to hold legal rights to have its maintenance carried out in this hangar, and that Aer Lingus had indicated that it wished to continue to avail of this. This position has been reiterated recently and the Government has received legal advice that there is no legal means by which either the Government or the DAA can secure Hangar 6 for the Ryanair project in circumstances where Aer Lingus continues to exercise its legal rights to remain in the Hangar.

In my recent exchanges with Ryanair I have emphasised that the Government remains anxious, in any way that is open to it, to facilitate Ryanair to deliver its proposal on 300 jobs. This can still be facilitated through existing Hangar space in Dublin Airport, or through an entirely new Hangar at Dublin or Shannon Airports built to Ryanair's requirements. Temporary facilities are if appropriate available in a short time-scale in Dublin or Shannon to facilitate maintenance operations while more permanent accommodation is being finalised. Mr O'Leary has, however, also confirmed that he is only interested in establishing a maintenance facility in Hangar 6 in Dublin.

Question No. 82 answered with Question No. 54.

Industrial Disputes.

Jan O'Sullivan

Question:

83 Deputy Jan O’Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment her views on the report of the inquiry into the dispute between a union (details supplied) and employers in the electrical contracting industry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11375/10]

On 15 December 2009, the Tánaiste and I published the independent report into the industrial relations dispute between the Technical Engineering and Electrical Union and Employers in the electrical contracting industry that resulted in a nationwide strike in July, 2009. The report was commissioned under Section 38 (2) of the Industrial Relations Act 1990. The report focuses attention on the areas that can be usefully addressed to improve relationships between all the parties in the electrical contracting sector. It affords all stakeholders a timely opportunity for reflection on the best means of achieving a comprehensive integrated solution to all the issues raised in the context of the dispute.

The report sets out a series of recommendations that highlight the scope for

effecting improvements in the representative decision making structures dealing with industrial relations issues in the sector;

adapting the current sectoral collective agreement to the changing needs of the sector and the wider economy in the current environment; and

effecting improvements in the current system for achieving compliance with employment standards within the sector.

The main thrust of the recommendations in the report is directed to the stakeholders in the electrical contracting sector. There are also a number of areas in which the report has highlighted how the State's industrial relations agencies together with the public bodies responsible for the public procurement policy, can assist those involved in establishing better and more inclusive negotiating arrangements. My Department had written to representatives of all stakeholders involved in the sector encouraging them to consult within their organisations on the conclusions and recommendations in the report and inviting them to participate on an Implementation Group comprising of representatives of those organisations who have accepted the conclusions and recommendations of the Report. A number of the stakeholder bodies requested additional time to consider the report and one response is still awaited.

Both the Tánaiste and I endorse the main conclusion of the report that the National Joint Industrial Council should be reformed through the introduction of new rules. I agree, moreover, that the establishment of an Implementation Group inclusive of all those with an interest in restoring stable and orderly industrial relations to the sector would provide the best means of completing that task.

Departmental Staff.

Liz McManus

Question:

84 Deputy Liz McManus asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of staff employed in her Department; the number of staff dedicated to labour market issues; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11392/10]

The total number of staff employed in my Department on 1 March 2010 was 988.62 (full time equivalents). The following Business Units of my Department deal with labour market issues:

Labour Force Development Division

Employment and Training Strategy

Policy Unit on Employment

European Social Fund Policy & Operations

Labour Market Policy

Work Permits

Employment Rights & Industrial Relations

Industrial Relations

Employment rights

Redundancy Payments

Insolvency Payments

Health and Safety Policy / Liaison

Employment Rights Legislation

The following Offices of my Department also deal with labour market issues:

Employment Appeals Tribunal

National Employment Appeals Authority (NERA)

Labour Court

Labour Relations Commission

The number of staff employed in these Units and Offices is 370.86 (full time equivalents).

Departmental Funding.

Sean Sherlock

Question:

85 Deputy Seán Sherlock asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of companies that have applied to date for assistance under the €100 million enterprise stabilisation fund; the number of applications accepted; the amount paid out to date in 2010; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11381/10]

The Enterprise Stabilisation Fund was established by Government in 2009 as a 2 year scheme to support viable but vulnerable exporting companies experiencing difficulties because of the current economic climate. Client companies of Enterprise Ireland, IDA, Údarás Na Gaeltachta and Shannon Development across all sectors within manufacturing and internationally traded services are eligible to apply. In 2009, €58m was spent on 180 projects, supporting approximately 7,500 jobs. To date in 2010, 26 applications have been received of which 9 companies have been approved to provide support for some 200 jobs. A total of €3.265m has been paid out in 2010 relating to approvals given in 2009. Payments for 2010 approvals are currently being processed.

Industrial Disputes.

Emmet Stagg

Question:

86 Deputy Emmet Stagg asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she will use the powers available to her under section 38 of the Industrial Relations Act 1990 to request the Labour Court or the Labour Relations Commission or another person or body to conduct an inquiry into the industrial dispute at a company (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11373/10]

Section 38 of the Industrial Relations Act, 1990, enables the Minister to refer an actual or potential dispute to the industrial relations dispute settlement bodies in the interests of securing a resolution to the dispute. As a welcome settlement has finally been achieved in this industrial dispute, the matter does not arise.

Community Employment Schemes.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Question:

87 Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she, in consultation with FÁS, will examine the prospect of extending the community employment scheme to persons under 35 years who are in receipt of social welfare benefits in view of the high number of young persons who are on the live register; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11133/10]

Young persons continue to be a particular priority group for FÁS. In 2009, 46% of trainees who were placed into a FÁS training initiative or other training or educational programme after interview and assessment by FÁS through the National Employment Action Plan (NEAP) were under 35 years of age. FÁS expects a similar proportion to avail of its training services this year, particularly in bridging and foundation and skills training programmes to help further both the technical and personal development of participants. The Government will continue to support the positive role of CE in meeting the needs of long-term unemployed persons while at the same time providing essential services to communities. This Department will keep the operation of the Scheme under review in the context of the current unemployment situation.

Proposed Legislation.

Ruairí Quinn

Question:

88 Deputy Ruairí Quinn asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the position regarding the work of the company law review group; the timeframe for the publication of legislation following the reports of this group; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11378/10]

In accordance with Section 70(1) of the Company Law Enforcement Act 2001, the Company Law Review Group's (CLRG) Work Programme is assigned by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade & Employment every two years. I expect to receive the Report of the Group on its 2008-2009 Work Programme before the end of March. Following consideration by the Government, the Report will be laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas.

While there is no obligation on my part to legislate in respect of any recommendation from the CLRG, the main focus of the Group's work to date has been in relation to the General Scheme of the Companies Consolidation and Reform Bill which was published in July 2007. The Government subsequently approved the drafting of a Bill along the lines of the General Scheme. The proposed Bill will consolidate the existing Companies Acts, dating from 1963 to 2009, as well as other regulations and common law provisions relating to the incorporation and operation of companies, into a single Act comprising more than 1,300 sections. Given its size and complexity it is envisaged that the Bill will not be published until October 2010 at the earliest.

Pat Rabbitte

Question:

89 Deputy Pat Rabbitte asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when she expects to publish the legislation (details supplied) to clamp down on crony capitalism, to restrict cross-directorships and to prevent one person fulfilling the dual role of chair and chief executive of any company; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11380/10]

The remarks attributed to the Minister for Finance in the interview in question would, no doubt, have been made with the banking sector in particular in mind. Policy responsibility for the banking sector is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Finance. In the area of company law that falls within my responsibility, the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel is currently drafting the Company Law Consolidation and Reform Bill. It sets out the corporate duties of directors, company secretaries and auditors on a general basis across all sectors. The Bill will implement the recommendations of the Company Law Review Group in that the fiduciary duties owed by directors to the company will be stated in the new companies code.

At present company law does not prohibit cross directorships, whereby a person is a director of more than one company at the same time. The general position is that a person may not be a director of more than 25 companies subject to certain specific exceptions. Directorships of public limited companies (plcs) are not included in the limit of 25. Any consideration of a change in this position for the general cohort of companies operating in Ireland would need to take account of the contribution that non-executive directors make by imparting their mix of expertise and the cross fertilisation of ideas from other areas of the business community.

The Companies Acts do not prevent a person fulfilling the dual role of chair and chief executive of a company. This would in my opinion be unworkable for smaller companies. However, the Combined Code of Corporate Governance which applies to companies whose securities are listed and traded on the Irish Stock Exchange does provide that the roles of chairman and chief executive should not be exercised by the same individual. The "comply or explain" principle, which is now enshrined in law under Statutory Instrument 450 of 2009, requires companies to meet the best practice guidelines or explain publicly why not. The Government and I are committed to ensuring that our corporate governance regime for the corporate sector generally, accords with best international practice. We will take account of the lessons which emerge from current enquiries and reviews arising from recent developments and we will address, as appropriate, any concerns in this area including by way of legislation if necessary.

Industrial Disputes.

Jim O'Keeffe

Question:

90 Deputy Jim O’Keeffe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment her views on the increase in the number of days lost to strike action in 2009, which according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office increased from 4,179 in 2008 to 329,706; if she has measures in place to improve this situation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11241/10]

During 2009 there were 329,706 days lost to industrial disputes as compared with 4,179 days lost in 2008. The majority of days lost in 2009 were due to two major strikes that occurred in the second half of the year. Both of these disputes together accounted for approximately 90% of the total days lost during 2009. The two main disputes were first, the national Public Sector dispute that took place in November and secondly, the dispute involving electricians employed in the electrical contracting sector that occurred in July. While the increase in the number of days lost through industrial disputes reflects a more turbulent economic and business environment, the incidence of strikes in Ireland remains historically low. The total of days lost through industrial disputes in 2008 constituted the lowest ever level of industrial action since records began to be compiled in 1922.

Banking Sector Regulation.

Lucinda Creighton

Question:

91 Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the measures she has introduced to ensure that viable small and medium sized enterprises are not put out of business by the lack of access to credit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11430/10]

The Government has taken a range of actions to sustain the banks and facilitate the flow of credit to the wider economy. The Bank Guarantee Scheme, the Banks' Recapitalisation Scheme, the nationalisation of Anglo Irish Bank and the massive effort we have put into the entire NAMA process are all with the single purpose of getting our banking sector supporting the wider economy. NAMA is absolutely necessary to clean up the balance sheets of the banks and to create a functioning banking system in Ireland. NAMA will not solve everything nor is it all we need to do. NAMA is making banks come forward with declaring the scale of their losses up front and resulting capitalisation plans will have to involve state investment as well.

As the Taoiseach has already announced, the Government's plans to restructure the banking sector are imminent and will be announced over the coming weeks. Further Recapitalisation of the banks will feature in these plans. The Minister for Finance will shortly be issuing guidelines to ensure that businesses will have recourse to an independent, external review of decisions of credit refusal by the NAMA participating banks. It is hoped that banks not participating in NAMA or covered by the Government guarantee will also decide to join the system. The aim is to have a simple, effective review process, run by people with experience and credibility. The banks must comply with the recommendations of the review process or explain why they will not do so. In addition to dealing with individual cases, the credit review system will examine the credit policies and practices of the banks in respect of SMEs. This will help to determine what further action might be necessary to secure the flow of credit. The Minister for Finance intends to publish the analysis from the review process so that the performance of the banks participating in NAMA will be clear to all.

Under the Recapitalisation Scheme additional measures were introduced to support SMEs including a commitment to increase lending capacity to SMEs by 10%, the establishment of a €100m environmental and clean energy innovation fund by each bank, the contribution of a further €15m by each bank to new or existing seed capital funds, the introduction of the banks' Code of Conduct on Business Lending to SMEs, and the undertaking of two Independent Reviews of Bank Credit by Mazars in July and December 2009. Arising from the Recapitalisation Package, the Minister for Finance and I also established a Credit Supply Clearing Group with bank, business (including ISME and SFA) and State representation. This Group is responsible for identifying patterns of events where the flow of credit to viable businesses appears to be blocked and for seeking to identify credit supply solutions relating to these patterns. The Credit Supply Clearing Group is being chaired by my Department.

In the context of access to finance, Irish Banks have drawn down European Investment Bank (EIB) funding for loans for SMEs. In 2009, the EIB made €300m available to Bank of Ireland, Allied Irish Banks and Ulster Bank for onward lending to SMEs carrying out investment projects. This was additional to €50m previously made available to Bank of Scotland Ireland through its UK parent. The distribution of draw-downs across institutions is of commercial sensitivity but indications are that substantial amounts of lending under the facility have been approved across a wide range of sectors.

Within my own Department, the enterprise development agencies such as Enterprise Ireland, FÁS and the County and City Enterprise Boards have continued to assist enterprises through their grant and advisory schemes. Significant allocations were made in my Department's Estimates for 2009 and 2010 to sustain the work of these development agencies. The Enterprise Stabilisation Fund and the Employment Subsidy Scheme are additional measures to make funding available to assist SMEs through the current difficulties. Government has also introduced formal arrangements to reduce the payment period by central Government Departments to their business suppliers from 30 to 15 calendar days. This commitment has effect on all valid invoices received on and from 15 June 2009 and is helping cash flow difficulties for enterprises. I published returns for the quarter ending 31 December 2009 on my Department's website last Friday, 5 March 2010. Central Government Departments are generally paying 97.9% of their invoices by value within 15 days.

I have re-convened the Small Business Forum to gain its assessment and views on the impact of the current economic situation on the needs of the SME sector as it positions itself for recovery. The SBF will also consider the new arrangements now necessary for ongoing structured dialogue between policy makers and stakeholders in the sector to ensure a continued common understanding of all the issues and the potential means of address. I also recently confirmed that work is underway within my Department on the examination of a possible scheme of Loan Guarantees for the SME sector. Enterprise Ireland and Forfás have carried out examinations of loan guarantee schemes in the UK and in some other countries. Forfás, together with the Department, is carrying out a further examination on the matter.

A properly tailored and targeted scheme could prove successful in assisting viable companies secure credit that they might not otherwise get. It will be necessary to ensure that any scheme developed directly assists businesses while at the same time safeguards the taxpayer. SMEs are central to our economic development and the range of measures and supports in place will be kept under review to ensure that they continue to help the sector adapt to the current economic climate.

Job Losses.

Michael D. Higgins

Question:

92 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if her attention has been drawn to the announcement of the loss of 175 jobs at a company (details supplied) in County Galway; the steps that are being taken to secure alternative employment, especially having regard to the high level of other job losses in the area. [11362/10]

In February, 2010 Boston Scientific announced that 175 staff at their Galway plant on temporary contracts were being released from these contracts. These temporary positions are increased and reduced in line with business demands. The medical devices company confirmed that the site is not at risk and remains strongly committed to its operations in Ireland, which are making a significant contribution to the organisation's global business. In 2009 Boston Scientific announced a €91m investment at the Galway plant creating 45 high calibre jobs. The company continues to employ close to 3,000 people in Ireland, and IDA Ireland continues to work with Boston Scientific to maximise all opportunities for further investment in Galway.

There are 48 IDA supported companies in Galway City and County, employing some 8,912 in permanent jobs, and a further 912 in temporary and contract employment. IDA supported medical technology companies now account for over 5,800 employees in the county. IDA Ireland is actively working with new and existing overseas companies in Galway to encourage them to grow and expand. A number of significant investments for the County were announced over the past year from companies such as StreamServe Inc., Hewlett Packard, Buy.com, Lumension Security, IBM Corporation and Boston Scientific. IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, Galway County Enterprise Board and other interested bodies will continue to work to deliver new investment and jobs for the Galway Region.

Question No. 93 answered with Question No. 73.

Departmental Funding.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Question:

94 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when the labour market activation fund will issue its calls for proposals; the length of time interested parties will have to express interest; if she is satisfied that notice of the call for proposals through the Government E-tenders website and the national press will be sufficient; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11130/10]

A notice announcing the establishment of the Labour Market Activation Fund, 2010, was published by my Department on Friday 12th February 2010 in the national press. Details were also posted on the Government E-tenders website at www.e-tenders.gov.ie, and in the Official Journal of the European Union. Full information on tender requirements will be published at the time of the Call for Proposals and will be accessible electronically on http://www.etenders.gov.ie/, and through the Official Journal of the European Union. Notice of the Call for Proposals will also be published in the national press. I expect that this Call will be issued very shortly.

The Labour Market Activation Fund is intended to support the provision of substantial innovative training and education programmes over and above mainstream measures, targeting specific priority groups among the unemployed. The purpose of the press notice was to advise those who might be interested in providing these interventions that my Department will, in the near future, issue a Call for Proposals for such services from public, private, voluntary, and not-for-profit education and training providers. I am satisfied that the time period allowed for interested parties to tender proposals will be in line with public procurement procedures.

Question No. 95 answered with Question No. 68.
Question No. 96 answered with Question No. 75.

Employment Action Plan.

Jack Wall

Question:

97 Deputy Jack Wall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of persons aged 18 years to 24 years who are in receipt of jobseeker’s benefit and jobseeker’s assistance who have been interviewed and directly assessed by FÁS and local employment service personnel in 2009 with a view to progression on to education, training or employment; the breakdown of the assessment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11390/10]

A total of 12,199 persons aged between 18 and 24 were interviewed and assessed by FÁS in 2009 following referral by the Department of Social and Family Affairs (DSFA) under the National Employment Action Plan (NEAP). Of these, 4817 persons remain on the Live Register. Following the offer of a training or educational course or employment a total of 7,382 persons left the Live Register. All other job-seeking clients who present to FÁS or the Local Employment Service are offered a guidance interview with an Employment Services Officer to discuss employment opportunities, training courses, financial supports and other options, which may lead to employment. The services offered include vocational guidance/counselling, information on job opportunities, assistance with CV preparation and interview techniques, access to employment programmes and skills training or referral to a FÁS-funded Job Club. Particular emphasis is placed on the identification of training needs and on the provision of tailored responses.

Export Credit Insurance.

David Stanton

Question:

98 Deputy David Stanton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she has completed her consideration of providing medium term export credit insurance in the context of the action plan for trade, investment and tourism; if the final draft of the plan has been presented to the Cabinet committee on economic renewal; when this plan will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11428/10]

My Department is considering the merits of introducing a State supported Medium-term Export Credit Insurance Scheme (where the risk period is over 2 years), as part of our ongoing work, with other relevant Government Departments and Agencies, to prepare an Action Plan for Trade, Investment and Tourism, as mandated in the Smart Economy framework. It should be appreciated that Medium-term insurance, which caters more for large projects or infrastructural goods and services, is very distinct from Short-term cover, where the risk period is less than two years and most Irish exports do not fall into this Medium-term category. Work is ongoing, but the evidence to date points to a very limited number of companies who could benefit from such a scheme.

The new Strategy will capture the policy-position regarding credit insurance, loan guarantees etc. and set out the activity underway and required to keep viable enterprises in a competitive position vis-à-vis their international counterparts. The new strategy will focus on high growth emerging markets such as China, as well as on our existing key trading partners and its aim will be to increase our exports/investments to and in these markets. It will also bring further focus and coherence to Ireland's single-minded pursuit of our international economic and commercial interests. The draft Strategy will be presented to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Renewal in due course, prior to its finalisation later this year.

Question No. 99 answered with Question No. 74.

Consumer Protection.

Jan O'Sullivan

Question:

100 Deputy Jan O’Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the position regarding the draft consumer rights directive; if she is satisfied that the existing rights of consumers here, such as the right to reject, will be retained; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11376/10]

The proposal for a Consumer Rights Directive was published in October 2008 and brings together in updated and consolidated form four existing Directives on doorstep selling, distance sales, consumer sales and guarantees, and unfair contract terms. Unlike the Directives it is intended to replace, the proposal has been drafted on a full harmonisation basis and, if adopted on this basis, would preclude member states from going beyond its protections in national legislation.

In the case of a complex proposal like the proposed Consumer Rights Directive, arriving at an overall assessment of its implications for consumer rights is not a straightforward matter. Some proposals, such as the proposed extension of the withdrawal period for distance and off-premises contracts from seven to fourteen days and the provision that risk would pass with delivery in consumer sales contracts, would enhance Irish consumer rights. Other provisions, such as those on unfair contract terms, broadly reflect the existing legal position here and would neither enhance nor diminish consumer rights.

Concerns about the proposal's impact for consumer rights in Ireland centre mainly on its provisions on consumer remedies for faulty goods and in particular, as the first of the Deputy's questions suggests, on their implications for what is known as the right to reject. By this is meant the right to return faulty goods, obtain a refund of the price, and, in so doing, to terminate the contract. This is a well-established feature of our sale of goods law and, though qualified by quite complex provisions on the acceptance and rejection of goods, is an important safeguard for consumers and one that materially strengthens their hand in dealing with recalcitrant traders.

Though the proposed Directive makes provision for a broadly similar right to rescind the contract where goods are faulty, this applies only where the primary remedies of repair or replacement are unlawful, impossible or disproportionate, or are not made available by the trader, or fail to remedy the defect within a reasonable time or without significant inconvenience to the consumer, or if the same defect recurs more than once within a short period of time. A fully harmonised provision along these lines would, if adopted, mean that the right to reject would be a remedy of second rather than first resort for faulty goods. Though consumers are satisfied in many cases with the repair or replacement of faulty goods, the relegation of the right to reject to the status of a secondary remedy would have, and would be seen to have, an adverse effect on Irish consumer rights.

The Sales Law Review Group, which I established in November 2008, in order, among other things, to assess the implications of the proposed Directive for Irish consumer rights and law, produced a comprehensive assessment of the proposal in a position paper published in July 2009. Though the Review Group acknowledged the positive elements in the proposal, it stated that the provisions on remedies for faulty goods and a related provision that would reduce the liability period for faulty goods under Irish law from six to two years presented ‘the greatest threat to the protections currently enjoyed by Irish consumers'. My Department has taken careful note of the points made by the Review Group and the Group's assessment has been of considerable benefit in informing our approach to the discussions on the proposed Directive.

I would like to assure the Deputy that my officials have expressed our concerns about the relevant aspects of the proposed Directive in clear and forthright terms. Those concerns were restated at political level in a policy debate on the proposed Directive at last December's Competitiveness Council. It is important to recognise however that discussions on the proposed Directive have a considerable way to go at both official and Ministerial level. The European Parliament has also recently commenced its detailed examination of the proposal. While I am not in a position to disclose the state of play of discussions on the proposed Directive, I can say that the European Commission is fully aware of our and other member states' concerns about aspects of the proposal.

In an address to the European Parliament's Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee in March 2009, the then Consumer Commissioner, Meglena Kuneva, stated that the proposed Directive ‘does not force Member States to give up their general contract law remedies in the case of faulty goods, for example the right to reject faulty goods...' She acknowledged the ‘understandable and legitimate concerns about crucial issues' in member states, including the provisions on remedies and the liability period for faulty goods. The Commissioner concluded by stating that she was ‘ready to work further on these questions' and that ‘it may be that certain consumer rights need to be reinforced.'

Liz McManus

Question:

101 Deputy Liz McManus asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment her views on the recent number of cases highlighted by the National Consumer Agency in which some branches of the country’s four biggest retailers were charging customers more than the prices displayed; if she is satisfied that the law is adequate to deal with such practices; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11371/10]

Consumer protection law obliges traders offering a product for sale to indicate the selling price and the unit price of that product and to ensure that the indication of the selling price and of the unit price is clearly visible. Complaints in relation to products being offered for sale where the price or unit price is not clearly visible should be brought to the attention of the National Consumer Agency who have responsibility for enforcing consumer law.

Insofar as instances where a wrong indication of price is concerned, traders who provide false information in relation to the price of a product may be engaging in a misleading commercial practice and may, therefore, be committing an offence under consumer law. Again instances of such practices should be referred to the National Consumer Agency in order that they can be investigated. I am aware that the Agency is determined to ensure that consumers are provided with accurate information regarding products and services and are not exposed to unfair or misleading commercial practices.

I understand that the cases referred to by the Deputy follow on from concerted enforcement activity by the Agency in this area in the course of the latter half of 2009 which involved the Agency visiting 280 retail premises, arising from which a total of 62 separate enforcement actions were taken. I very much support the Agency's proactive approach in this area which I am sure will act as a salutary reminder to those who would seek to mislead consumers through the provision of false information.

Question No. 102 answered with Question No. 53.

Unemployment Levels.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

103 Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the steps she will take to combat the downturn in the economy with particular reference to the need for an accelerated programme of job retention, job creation, incentivisation and employment schemes in an effort to provide short to medium term relief from unemployment; the manner in which she proposes to utilise the various appropriate groups, bodies or agencies directly or indirectly under the control of her Department with this objective in mind; if it is intended to introduce any reliefs for small to medium sized employers specifically to improve the competitiveness in the manufacturing and service areas; if she has identified particular issues with the objective of improving the economic situation; the benefits of any such measures in the past two years to date in 2010; the way this has been reflected in the overall employment situation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11407/10]

The Government acknowledges that Ireland's economy is facing many difficulties none more pressing than our high levels of unemployment. In the last two years in response to rising unemployment levels the Government has introduced a wide range of measures to combat unemployment. In the past year, to prevent unemployment I introduced the €100 million Enterprise Stabilisation Fund and the €135 million Employment Subsidy Scheme. As a result of the Employment Subsidy Scheme approximately 80,000 jobs will either directly or indirectly be supported.

Since the end of 2008 FÁS employment services together with the Local Employment Services have taken measures to double their capacity to cater for the rise in referrals from the Department of Social and Family Affairs. This means that the annual referral capacity under the National Employment Action Plan rose from 78,000 persons in 2008 to a planned capacity of 154,000 persons this year. This year the total number of training and work experience activation places for the unemployed funded by my Department will be approximately 147,000. This compares to the 66,000 places that were delivered in 2008.

Included in this increased provision I have introduced new initiatives aimed at supporting the unemployed. These include the Work Placement Programme, which aims to provide the unemployed including graduates with a work placement up to nine months in length and there are currently 2,000 places available on the programme. The Short Time Training programme that is providing training to those individuals who are now working reduced hours. Skillnets will now be providing training to approximately 10,000 unemployed or people on reduced working weeks. I also have responsibility for the Labour Market Activation Fund of €20 million. This fund will enable innovative proposals aimed at upskilling the unemployed to be supported. It is envisaged that the Fund will provide at least 3,500 training places.

In terms of employment creation opportunities in Budget 2010 the Government announced the introduction of the Employer Jobs (PRSI) Incentive Scheme. Under this scheme, where an employer creates a new job and takes on a person who has been unemployed for 6 months or more, the employer will be fully exempted from the liability to pay PRSI for the first year of that employment. In addition Ireland’s development agencies, Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and Shannon Development have undertaken comprehensive strategy reviews to ensure that they are in a position to continue to create and support employment throughout the country. As result these Agencies have re-prioritised resources towards those sectors in greatest need and those where future opportunities lie.

Enterprise Ireland has a focus on the construction sector, which has included a series of seminars on exporting services in this sector. I recently launched ‘Horizon 2020', IDA Ireland's strategic blueprint for attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into Ireland in the coming decade. This strategy aims to attract 105,000 new jobs between now and 2015. The Government, through the Cabinet Committee on Economic Renewal will continue to review the measures available to combat unemployment.

Proposed Legislation.

Joanna Tuffy

Question:

104 Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when she will publish legislation to amend the Competition Acts to uphold the right of certain freelance workers such as actors and musicians to collective bargaining which was promised as part of the review of Towards 2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11387/10]

In the Review of Towards 2016 the Government committed itself to introducing amending legislation to exclude voice-over actors, freelance journalists and session musicians from the provisions of Section 4 of the Competition Act 2002. This commitment takes into account, inter alia, that there would be negligible negative impacts on the economy or on the level of competition, and, having regard to the specific attributes and nature of the work involved, is subject to consistency with EU competition rules. I intend to give effect to this commitment in the legislation being prepared in the context of a review of competition law generally, the proposed merger of the Competition Authority and the National Consumer Agency and the Report of the Media Merger Advisory Group. Work on the Heads of a Bill is at an advanced stage and I expect that the Bill will be published during 2010.

FÁS Training Programmes.

Kathleen Lynch

Question:

105 Deputy Kathleen Lynch asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she will make a statement on the findings of the report commissioned by her Department on the FÁS science challenge programme. [11370/10]

In late 2008 a number of matters came to my attention with regard to the FÁS Science Challenge Initiative including that of high expenditure and I commissioned a review of this programme. The review concluded that the initiative was outside of the main remit of FÁS, did not represent best value for money on the basis of efficiency, effectiveness and economy and that there was no evidence to show that it had in itself, contributed to the systemic goals of the Government's Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation 2006-13. I therefore directed my Department to make the necessary arrangements for the commencement of the orderly wind down of the Science Challenge Initiative once all existing commitments for the 2008/2009 academic year had been met. This has now been carried out.

County Enterprise Boards.

Denis Naughten

Question:

106 Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the steps she is taking to support the role of county enterprise boards; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11121/10]

The County Enterprise Boards (CEBs) have primary responsibility for the delivery of State support to the indigenous micro-enterprise sector i.e. businesses which employ 10 or less workers. In the current economic climate entrepreneurship, and the growth and development of small Irish businesses, is central to economic recovery and it is essential that Irish enterprises continue to be supported. The CEBs play a key role in this regard and their priorities for 2010 are to assist owner/managers in enhancing the survival and sustainability of their businesses in these difficult economic times and to assist people wishing to start their own business including those made redundant.

To enable the CEBs to fulfil their role I have secured funding of over €28m for the network of CEBs of which €14.9m has been allocated for Capital expenditure (including an extra allocation of €855,000 recently secured under the Revised Estimates published on 18 February). During 2010 the CEBs will ensure that this funding is targeted to maximise entrepreneurial development. This will be done not just by direct grant aid to businesses and project promoters but also through the provision of a range of other important business supports such as mentoring, business training and business advice all of which help to stimulate indigenous enterprise creation. My Department, in association with the CEB Central Coordination Unit within Enterprise Ireland (CCU), and with the CEB network, will continue to monitor the level of funding and range of support services offered by the CEBs to the micro-enterprise sector.

Question No. 107 answered with Question No. 56.
Question No. 108 withdrawn.

North-South Bodies.

Joe Costello

Question:

109 Deputy Joe Costello asked the Taoiseach the number of North and South bodies in operation; the number and names of board members on each body; the remuneration received by each member; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11482/10]

There are six North South Bodies in operation — Waterways Ireland, InterTradeIreland, the Foyle Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission (Loughs Agency), the Special EU Programmes Body, The North/South Language Body (which comprises Foras na Gaeilge and the Ulster Scots Agency), the Food Safety Promotion Board and Tourism Ireland Ltd. The British Irish Agreement which formally established the North/South Bodies provides that members of the boards be appointed by the North South Ministerial Council. Provided for in Strand Two of the Good Friday Agreement, the North South Ministerial Council brings together members of the Irish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive to consider and agree on matters of mutual interest.

The British Irish Agreement further provides that the remuneration of Board members must be determined by the North South Ministerial Council, with the approval of the Finance Ministers in both jurisdictions. The Council agreed to reduce the fees payable to Board members at its meeting in Institutional Format in November 2009. The fees now applicable to board members of the North/South Bodies are as follows:

Chairperson — €12,600 per annum

Vice-chairperson — €10,350 per annum

Member — €8,100 per annum

The current board members of the North/South Bodies are as follows:

Food Safety Promotion Board (Advisory Board)

John Dardis (Chairperson)

Campbell Tweedie (Vice Chairperson)

Ken Baird

Lynn Ní Bhaoigheallain

Joe Byrne

Brian Cunningham

Aoife Healy

Susan Heraghty

Neven Maguire

Seamus Sheridan

Con Traas

Jane Wells

North South Language Body

Foras Na Gaeilge

Liam Ó Maoilmhichíl (Chairperson of Foras na Gaeilge/Joint Chairperson of An Foras Teanga)

Eoghan Mac Cormaic (Vice Chair)

Áine Andrews

Lucilita Breathnach

Seanna Breathnach

Adelaide Nic Cárthaigh

Peter Gallagher

Máiréad Nic Giolla Mhichíl

Liam Kennedy

Norman Henry

Éamonn Kinch

Marcas Mac Ruairi

Dónal Ó Bearra

Pádhraic Ó Biadha

Diarmuid Ó Murchú

Caoilfhionn Nic Pháidín

Tha Boord O Ulstèr Scotch (Ulster Scots Agency)

John Hunter (Chairperson of Tha Boord o Ulstèr-Scotch/ Joint Chairperson of North South Language Body)

Ian Adamson

Tony Crooks

Angela Graham

William Humphrey

William Leathem

Jacqui Reed

The Foyle, Carlingford and

Irish Lights Commission (Loughs Agency)

Tarlach O Crosain (Chairperson)

Jacqui McConville (Vice Chairperson)

Enda Bonner

Brendan Byrne

John Byrne

Denis Haughey

Alan McCulla

Joe Miller

John Mulcahy

Winston Patterson

Thomas Sloan

Jim Wilson

The Trade and Business

Development Body (InterTradeIreland)

David Dobbin (Chairperson)

John Fitzgerald (Vice Chairperson)

Brendan Butler

Ray Doherty

Vincent Parker

Sean Gallagher

Jack Gilmour

Hugh Logue

Padraig MacLochlainn

Patricia McKeown

Dr Gerard O'Hare

Tom Scott

Tourism Ireland Limited

Hugh Friel (Chairperson)

Ciara Boyle (Vice-Chairperson)

Brian Ambrose

David Lyle

Robert Manson

Mandy Martin

Bill McGinnis

Howard Hastings

Moira McNamara

John Power

Shaun Quinn

Ann Riordan

The Agreement did not provide for Boards for Waterways Ireland and the Special EU Programmes Body.

Question No. 110 withdrawn.

Departmental Transport.

Denis Naughten

Question:

111 Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Taoiseach the amount his Department paid annually for car mileage since 2007 to date in 2010; the amount paid to cover rail and bus tickets separately; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11697/10]

I regret to advise the Deputy that it is not possible to provide the information requested in the time available. I will write to the Deputy with the information requested as soon as it is available.

Redundancy Payments.

Denis Naughten

Question:

112 Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, further to Parliamentary Question No. 95 of 17 February 2010, when payments will issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11078/10]

As I indicated to the Deputy in my previous reply, my Department has received claims for the former employees of the company concerned under both the Redundancy Payments and the Insolvency Payments Schemes. The situation regarding when the claims are likely to be paid has not changed. In relation to Redundancy Payments, my Department received six statutory lump sum claims for former employees of the company over the period October/November 2009. In respect of lump sum payments paid directly to employees, such as in this instance, the Redundancy Payments Section is, in general, currently processing claims dating from August 2009. Claims are processed in order of date of receipt. I cannot confirm definite processing times for the claims in question, other than to say that the current 7 month time delay in processing lump sum claims would point to the claims being processed in May/June of this year.

In relation to the claims under the Insolvency Payments Scheme, my Department received applications from the liquidator in respect of holiday Pay for 10 former employees of this company in the period November 2009 to February 2010. The Insolvency Payments Unit is currently processing claims received in September 2009. I understand that a number of queries on these claims have been raised with the appointed Liquidator which will need to be resolved in order to process the claims. I appreciate the Deputy's interest on behalf of the persons concerned. However in relation to Insolvency Payments despite significant productivity, the backlog of claims is in excess of 5000, and efforts are being made to fill vacancies existing in the Section, and to retain experienced officers within the Unit.

In relation to Redundancy Payment claims lodged with my Department, since late 2008 it has proved impossible to maintain the customer service targets that previously obtained. The scale of the challenge is evident from the statistics that show incoming redundancy claims with a cumulative figure for 2009 of 77,001. This figure exceeds the claims lodged for 2008 (40,607) by 90% and 2008 was, of itself, an exceptional year as compared with earlier years when claims received were of the order of 25,000.

Efforts continue to be made by my Department to deliver more acceptable turnaround processing times for redundancy payments given the difficulties that this gives rise to for both individual employees and the business community. Measures already taken include:

the reassignment of 26.7 additional staff (full time equivalents) from other areas of the Department to the Redundancy Payments area since early 2009 with ongoing review of trends and demands. The current number of staff serving in the Redundancy Payments Section in terms of full time equivalents is 52.5;

the prioritisation of the Department's overtime budget towards staff in the Redundancy Payments Section to tackle the backlog outside normal hours;

the establishment of a special call handling facility to deal with the huge volume of telephone calls from people and businesses who are naturally concerned about their payments, using the facilities and cooperation of the National Employment Rights Authority (NERA). This centre has received an average of 12,500 calls per month this year with an estimated 60% relating to redundancy payments;

The provision of better quality information relating to current processing times on the Department's website;

Engagement with the Revenue Commissioners to facilitate the offset of redundancy rebate payments by employers against outstanding tax liabilities with the Revenue Commissioners.

The Tánaiste and I continue to monitor closely the impact of these changes against the continuing influx of redundancy claims and we are currently looking at ways in which additional resources can be allocated to the area in the first quarter of 2010.

Company Closures.

Kathleen Lynch

Question:

113 Deputy Kathleen Lynch asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if a company (details supplied), which went into liquidation in December 2008, had repaid the grant extended to it here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11099/10]

In the time available it is not possible to provide the information requested.

Redundancy Payments.

Kathleen Lynch

Question:

114 Deputy Kathleen Lynch asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the contact she or the Irish Ambassador has had with a company (details supplied) or the Singapore Government to secure a redundancy settlement for the former workers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11100/10]

I can advise the Deputy that under the Redundancy Payments Acts 1967-2007, the role of my Department is to ensure payment of statutory redundancy entitlements in respect of eligible employees entitled by law to a statutory redundancy lump sum on being made redundant. Currently, the statutory entitlement for eligible employees amounts to two weeks pay per year of service, plus a bonus week, subject to a maximum ceiling of €600 per week. Neither the Tánaiste or I have any role or remit in relation to the negotiation of ex gratia redundancy payments in excess of the statutory minimum levels set down in legislation. This is entirely a discretionary matter for negotiation with the employer and it would not be appropriate for the Tánaiste or I to engage in such deliberations.

The company in this instance went into liquidation and the appointed liquidator submitted claims for statutory redundancy in respect of all eligible employees at the company. These claims were processed and paid out directly by my Department to the former employees of the company from the Social Insurance Fund in the first quarter of 2009. As is the case in all liquidations, my Department is currently seeking to recover from the appointed liquidator the employer's 40% share of the liability for the redundancy payments which is due to the Social Insurance Fund.

Job Losses.

Thomas P. Broughan

Question:

115 Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment her strategy for former workers at a company (details supplied) to return to work through education and job opportunities; if she is contributing to an interdepartmental business plan in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11115/10]

I refer to the answer to Question No. 7715 of 16 February 2010 in relation to the relevant Irish application for co-financing assistance under the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund. In the interim State agencies such as FÁS and Enterprise Ireland have made, and continue to make, the full range of their employment, training, guidance and advisory services available to all workers made redundant at S R Technics. I know that the full range of education programmes provided by the VEC and third level sector are also available to former workers.

My officials continue to work closely with their counterparts in the Departments of Education and Science and Social and Family affairs in these contexts. In addition, Dublin Aerospace has commenced operations with 70 initial employees recruited to operate a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul facility. The company expects the number of jobs to grow to 226. The garage business unit of SR Technics has been taken over by the M50 Truck and Van Centre who were successful in securing the airside vehicle maintenance contract from SR Technics. Aer Lingus has decided to undertake, with the transfer of a number of employees, line maintenance operations previously contracted to SR Technics.

Departmental Agencies.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Question:

116 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, further to Parliamentary Question No. 81 of 21 January 2010, the reasons the staff complement of the National Consumer Agency has fallen by a third from 62 to 42 and the Competition Authority by a fifth from 54 to 43 when staff levels in other State agencies in her Department have either increased or had minor decreases; her views on the fact that the loss of such large numbers of staff will undermine the capacity of the soon to be merged bodies to function and fulfil their mandate to increase competition and protect consumers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11167/10]

A moratorium on recruitment and promotions, applying to all public and civil service bodies, has been in place since March 2009. Recruitments and promotions cannot be made without the sanction of the Minister for Finance. This affects both the National Consumer Agency (NCA) and the Competition Authority. However, in recognition of the short-term resource problems being faced by the NCA, approval has been given by the Department of Finance to increase its staff complement to 52. The number of staff currently in the NCA is 46.2 whole-time equivalent.

The amalgamation of the NCA and the Competition Authority is part of the Government's plans for the rationalisation of State agencies. It is expected that efficiencies and synergies will result from this merger. Some cost reduction to the Exchequer in terms of certain functions being carried out by a smaller cohort of staff and associated resources will also emerge. However, a decision on the final staffing complement of the new merged body has yet to be decided-upon. As both the NCA and the Competition Authority were established under statute, it is necessary to give effect to the newly merged body by way of primary legislation. Since the date of the announcement my Department has being working, in conjunction with both bodies and the Department of Finance to bring about a smooth transition to a unified single body to oversee the area of competition and consumer protection. Work on the Heads of a Bill to provide for, inter alia, the merger of these two bodies is at an advanced stage. I hope to bring draft Heads to Government within the coming weeks and to publish the Bill during the course of the year.

Departmental Correspondence.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl

Question:

117 Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she will consider correspondence (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11193/10]

I have given consideration to the correspondence submitted. The objective of the proposal is effectively to have the State assume the costs for non-performing property investments where business owners are paying back large mortgages for secondary properties. The suggestion is that normal repayments due in respect of these investments would be retained by the business person to spend on wages and PRSI to re-employ someone to grow the business. It is likely that any such scheme would prove to be very costly and would require significant administrative resources both in assessing individual assets and determining viable business prospects. I am not convinced that the scheme suggested represents the optimum solution in getting businesses access to finance.

Redundancy Payments.

Mattie McGrath

Question:

118 Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if the correct redundancy payment as recommended by the Rights Commissioner, on 27 October 2009, will be awarded by FÁS to a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; when this payment will issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11215/10]

Mattie McGrath

Question:

119 Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary will be supplied with information as was requested from FÁS on the way their qualifications will be recognised in order that this person’s name can be put on the FÁS national register of trainers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11219/10]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 118 and 119 together.

The issues referred to are day-to-day matters for FÁS as provided for under the Labour Services Act, 1987. I have requested FÁS to reply to the Deputy directly in the matters.

Grocery Industry.

Brian O'Shea

Question:

120 Deputy Brian O’Shea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the proposals she has to introduce new regulations for the food supply chains in order to provide proper enforcement (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11340/10]

The Renewed Programme for Government contains a specific commitment to "implement a Code of Practice for doing business in the Grocery Goods sector to develop a fair trading relationship between retailers and their suppliers" and "to review progress of the Code and if necessary to put in place a mandatory code". The Government will give effect to this commitment by including a specific provision in the legislation, currently being prepared to merge the National Consumer Agency and the Competition Authority, which will allow for the introduction of statutory Codes of Practice in areas such as the grocery goods sector. I expect to publish this legislation later this year. In the interim period until the legislation is enacted, I intend to explore with all the relevant stakeholders the possibilities of agreeing a Voluntary Code, which would respect the interests of all parties. A Voluntary Code offers stakeholders the opportunity to develop a Code most suited to the dynamics of the Irish grocery goods sector and which could also form the basis of any subsequent statutory Code.

The relationships between suppliers and retailers was also identified as an issue of concern by the European Commission in its Communication last year on "A better functioning food supply chain in Europe". My Department is working closely with the Department of Agriculture in relation to the issues raised in the Commission's Communication.

Occupational Injuries.

Kathleen Lynch

Question:

121 Deputy Kathleen Lynch asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment her plans to introduce a compensation scheme for persons who suffer or have died of asbestosis related illness in the workplace; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11399/10]

I have no plans to introduce any scheme for financial support for those suffering from any form of occupational illness. The issue of financial support for those suffering from an occupational disease, i.e., a disease contracted in the course of employment through, for example, contact with a chemical agent like asbestos, falls under the remit of the Minister for Social and Family Affairs. Such employees may be eligible for benefit under the occupational injuries benefit scheme or a number of other schemes operated by the Department of Social and Family Affairs.

The remit of my Department, in relation to asbestos in the workplace, arises under occupational health and safety policy where the focus is on prevention. The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Exposure to Asbestos) Regulations 2006 (S.I. No. 386 of 2006), which is enforced by the Health and Safety Authority, places obligations on employers and employees to ensure that the risk of exposure to asbestos is eliminated or reduced to a minimum and that any remaining residual risk is adequately controlled in accordance with the legislation.

Community Employment Scheme.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Question:

122 Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment her plans to increase community employment places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8251/10]

In budget 2010 provision was made for an increase of 500 Community Employment (CE) places bringing the total number of places available to 23,300 during 2010. The Government will continue to support the positive role of Community Employment in meeting the needs of long-term unemployed persons while at the same time providing essential services to communities. This Department will keep the operation of the Scheme under review in the context of the current unemployment situation.

Departmental Agencies.

Willie Penrose

Question:

123 Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of employment service officers and clerical staff in each FÁS employment office in the State at year end 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11464/10]

The information requested by the Deputy is being collated and will be communicated to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Local Employment Service.

Willie Penrose

Question:

124 Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of local employment service staff in each LES office in the State at year end 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11465/10]

The information requested is being collated and will be communicated to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Departmental Reports.

Willie Penrose

Question:

125 Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she conducts studies or surveys of the experiences of job seekers who interact with the public employment services here; if she will publish these surveys; if not, her views on conducting these studies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11466/10]

FÁS commissions customer surveys of its employment services in respect of clients who have registered with the agency. These surveys are conducted externally and usually by telephone. The most recently conducted survey (2009) covered clients who registered in 2008, and included questions on client background and outcomes, frequency and means of contact with FÁS and overall satisfaction with FÁS staff and its services. The full report on the latest survey has recently been completed and will be published on the FÁS website in the coming weeks.

Employment Support Services.

Willie Penrose

Question:

126 Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment her views on the OECD report Activation Policies in Ireland published in January 2009 which found that spending here on active labour market programmes was significantly lower than in other OECD countries, that Ireland’s public employment service was under-staffed and that the proportion of staff time dedicated to implementing an activation agenda and supporting unemployed people was low; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11467/10]

The OECD's report "Activation Policies in Ireland" has provided a valuable contribution in helping to form Ireland's response to our rising unemployment levels. The report is based primarily on statistics and information relating to 2006 and 2007. Since the report's publication Ireland's labour market policy and investment in the area of skills have been re-focused on the growing number of unemployed.

The increased investment and priority that has been given to assisting the unemployed since the OECD report was published is clearly evident in the expansion of both job search supports and active labour market training programmes for the unemployed. FÁS has assigned additional numbers of people to its Employment Services Division and has put in place other measures to significantly expand its capacity. FÁS planned annual referral capacity under the National Employment Action Plan for this year is 154,000 places. This is more than double the equivalent 2008 capacity.

In addition, this year my Department will fund the provision of approximately 147,000 training and work experience places for the unemployed. This compares to the 66,000 places that were delivered in 2008. Some of the new active labour market initiatives introduced in the last year such as the work placement programme are based on similar initiatives, which the OECD report highlighted such as the Australian "Work for the Dole" programme.

The OECD report also suggested that a review of Ireland's National Employment Action Plan be undertaken and this is currently under way. In addition, the OECD suggested that the possibility of making benefits conditional on participation in active labour market programmes be introduced. In budget 2010, the Government decided that jobseekers who refuse a job offer, work placement or offer of a course will have their Jobseekers Allowance/Supplementary Welfare Allowance personal rate reduced to €150 per week.

EU Funding.

Willie Penrose

Question:

127 Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the funding received by her Department from the European social funds in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010; the programmes and projects for which this funding was allocated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11468/10]

A total of almost €122.0 million European Social Funding has been received into the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment accounts since 1 January 2007 to date. The amount of this funding allocated to project activity is €106.7 million and the balance of €15.3 million relates to payments on account that were received from the European Commission. This is broken down by year and European Social Fund Programme as follows:

Programme

2007

2008

2009

2010

Total

Employment and Human Resources Development Operation Programme 2000-2006

81,926,413.71

81,926,413.71

Equal Community Initiative Programme 2000-2006

6,287,438.70

6,287,438.70

Human Capital Investment Operational Programme 2007-2013

4,074,934.00

24,331,366.80

5,347,088.66

33,753,389.46

Total

92,288,786.41

24,331,366.80

5,347,088.66

0.00

121,967,241.87

A very large number of projects are allocated and in receipt of this European Social Funding and, as a result, it is not practically possible for my Department to provide a list of funding by project in the format requested within the timeframe allowed.

Employment Support Services.

Dinny McGinley

Question:

128 Deputy Dinny McGinley asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the steps she is taking to maintain employment in a project (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11480/10]

In the time available it is not possible to provide the information requested.

FÁS Training Programmes.

Pat Breen

Question:

129 Deputy Pat Breen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if her attention has been drawn to the difficulties which have arisen as a result of budgetary cutbacks to FÁS in respect of training and supports for the unemployed when training grants are no longer available to persons who wish do a course unless they are in receipt of a social welfare allowance; her plans to address this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11505/10]

This year in order to address the issue of unemployment in this country, my Department will invest more than €1 billion in the provision of a range of labour force measures. The total number of training and work experience activation places funded by my Department will be approximately 147,000. This compares to the 66,000 places that were delivered in 2008 and the 130,000 places delivered last year. In order to finance this increase in training places at a time when public funds are scarce, the government has had to implement a number of changes including restricting the payment of a FÁS training allowance to those persons who are in receipt of a social welfare allowance.

Redundancy Payments.

Eamon Scanlon

Question:

130 Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the position regarding a claim in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Sligo; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11509/10]

My Department administers the Social Insurance Fund (SIF) in relation to both the Redundancy and Insolvency Payments Schemes on behalf of the Department of Social and Family Affairs. There are two types of payment made from the SIF — rebates to those employers who have paid statutory redundancy to eligible employees, and statutory lump sums payable to employees whose employers are insolvent and/or in receivership/liquidation. I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department received a rebate claim from the person concerned on 27 March 2009 and, subsequently, in January of this year received a lump sum claim in respect of another former employee indicating inability to pay the redundancy entitlement on behalf of the employer.

In instances such as this where the Redundancy Section receives both a rebate and a lump sum claim from the same employer, the Department offsets the rebate amount normally payable to the employer against the lump sum amount as the latter is paid directly to employees from the Social Insurance Fund on the basis that the employer is unable to pay the statutory redundancy entitlement. In this case, the amount payable on the lump sum claim exceeds the amount of the rebate due to the employer and the Department therefore sought adequate proof of inability to pay on the employer's behalf. I understand that the employer in this case has supplied the necessary documentation to allow the lump sum claim to be processed and this in now in process. It is not possible to say definitively when payment will be made due to the current backlog but I would hope that it will be a matter of weeks.

FÁS Training Programmes.

Pat Breen

Question:

131 Deputy Pat Breen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment her views on the work placement programme which is being operated in conjunction with FÁS which places an unemployed person with an employer for a nine month work experience period; if she is satisfied with the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11511/10]

The work placement programme provides the unemployed with the opportunity to take up a placement in their chosen occupation and gain valuable experience or perhaps, to work in another sector that may hold better future employment prospects. While the programme is voluntary the placements offered under the programme will help to ensure that the unemployed are kept close to the labour market, are active and will enable participants to keep their skills up to date.

As of 26 February 2010, 478 individuals had commenced their placements under the work placement programme. In addition, there are a further 1,105 placements currently available to be filled throughout Ireland. The programme provides individuals with an excellent opportunity to gain experience, which will be invaluable in securing paid employment in the future. While the numbers on the programme are relatively low we have witnessed a significant increase in the number of individuals taking up placements and the number of places, which are currently available. I am confident this trend will continue into the future.

Dinny McGinley

Question:

132 Deputy Dinny McGinley asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of courses run at a FÁS centre (details supplied); the nature of each course; the number of instructors and other ancillary staff employed there; the number of trainees and apprentices attending courses or apprenticeships; if it is the intention of FÁS to replace the recently retired assistant manager; the future development plans; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11515/10]

The information requested is being collated and will be communicated to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Work Permits.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

133 Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of work permits issued in each of the past five years to date in 2010; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11673/10]

Employment permit statistics for each of the last five years and up to end February are shown in the following table.

Employment Permits 2005 to end February 2010

New Permits

Renewals

Group

Issued

2005

7,354

18,970

812

27,136

2006

7,298

16,600

956

24,854

2007

10,134

13,457

13

23,604

2008

8,481

5086

13,567

2009

4,024

3,938

7962

2010 end Feb

635

806

1,441

Job Creation.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

134 Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of additional jobs created in County Kildare in each of the past 12 months to date in 2010; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11674/10]

In the time available it is not possible to provide the information requested.

Community Employment Schemes.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

135 Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of additional community employment schemes provided or proposed in 2010; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11675/10]

This year my Department is providing funding for an extra 500 Community Employment (CE) places in order to bring the total number of places to 23,300. FÁS is currently looking into the feasibility of setting up a number of additional schemes, as well as expanding existing schemes, in order to absorb the 500 extra places.

Question No. 136 answered with Question No. 73.

Departmental Expenditure.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

137 Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if all schemes operated by her Department are adequately funded; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11677/10]

The 2010 Revised Estimates for Public Services which were published on 18 February set out the details of my Department's budget for 2010. My Department's budget for this year amounts to €2.011 billion, including €421.6 million from the National Training Fund. The 2010 budget for my Department represents an increase of €113 million, or 6%, on the 2009 outturn. My Department's 2010 Estimate was framed in the context of prioritising the programmes which will best retain jobs, tackle unemployment and support long-term investment in the economy. I am satisfied that, within the resources available to the Government, my Department has received sufficient funding to address these priorities.

Job Creation.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

138 Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the discussions she has had with potential investors in the past 12 months; the number of jobs created arising therefrom; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11678/10]

Over the past twelve months, I have had discussions with the Chairmen, Chief Executives and senior executives in key companies, both indigenous and foreign direct investors, across a range of sectors. Many of the companies involved already have substantial and valuable activities in Ireland while others are considering major investments here for the first time. These discussions have confirmed for me the high standing in which Ireland is viewed as a business location by leading global companies. They have also allowed me to hear, at first hand, the issues which industry considers important if Ireland is to retain this standing, and I continue to work with may Government colleagues to address these issues in a positive fashion.

It is not possible to link the number of jobs created in any one year directly with the discussions in which I have been involved. The business of FDI generation is a complex process that takes place over a period of time, and, under the Industrial Development Acts, the task of promoting Ireland as an industrial location, and of negotiating with companies on individual projects and grants, is delegated to the industrial development agencies. I am confident, however, that ongoing contacts between IDA, Enterprise Ireland and Shannon Development and a wide variety of potential investors will lead to the creation of a pipeline of new business and the creation of high quality jobs for the people of this country.

Employment Support Services.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

139 Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment her plans to set up any new schemes to combat unemployment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11679/10]

The Government have introduced a wide range of measures to combat unemployment. My Department is providing significantly increased resources to assist the unemployed and I have more than doubled the capacity of the job search supports and the number of training and work experience places for the unemployed since 2008.

In the past year, to prevent unemployment I introduced the €100 million Enterprise Stabilisation Fund and the €135 million Employment Subsidy Scheme. To assist those who are unemployed I introduced the Work Placement Programme, the Short Time Training Programme, the Part Time Third Level places initiative and the Labour Market Activation Fund. I have also made three applications to the European Globalisation Fund for support in relation to large-scale redundancies such as DELL.

In addition to these measures, the Government have introduced other initiatives such as the Employer Jobs (PRSI) Incentive Scheme, where an employer creates a new job and takes on a person who has been unemployed for 6 months or more, the employer will be fully exempted from the liability to pay PRSI for the first year of that employment. In the education sector provision has also been expanded to cater for the increased numbers of people seeking to engage in a further or higher education course. The Government, through the Cabinet Committee on Economic Renewal will continue to review the measures available to combat unemployment and if necessary will introduce other measures in the future.

Departmental Expenditure.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

140 Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if it is intended to allocate any additional funding to FÁS to facilitate the financial adequacy of the various schemes run by her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11680/10]

My Department is investing significant resources in 2010 in the provision of training and employment programmes to address the current challenges. This year, over €1 billion will be provided in the provision of a range of labour force measures. The total number of training and work experience activation places funded by my Department will be approximately 147,000. This compares to the 66,000 places that were delivered in 2008 and the 130,000 places delivered last year.

Economic Competitiveness.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

141 Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment her plans to take any specific steps to improve competitiveness in the economy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11681/10]

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

142 Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the steps she has taken to improve competitiveness in the economy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11682/10]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 141 and 142 together.

Ireland has consistently been regarded amongst the most competitive economies in the world for supporting enterprise. Reports such as the ‘IBM Global Location Trends Annual Report 2009' that was published in October of last year ranked Ireland 1st for attracting FDI on a per capita basis. They listed our key strengths in services and R&D as the reason for topping the list. Similarly, the World Bank's ‘Ease of Doing Business 2010' ranks Ireland 7th out of 181 countries, unchanged from a year previously. In January of this year, Ireland was ranked the third most globalised nation, according to an index published by Ernst & Young at the World Economic Forum in Davos. The index is measured by a country's openness to trade, movement of capital, exchange of technology and ideas, labour movements, and cultural integration. Even though we face significant challenges, it is important to point to these enduring strengths. Ireland is still recognised as a prime location for enterprise to develop.

Many International Agencies have supported Ireland's decisive action to bring Government spending into line and to stabilise the banking situation, and believe that we are on the right track. Importantly too the international funding markets have shown their faith in the Irish economy by lending at improving interest rates. In parallel to these fundamental steps, the Government has also moved to improve our competitiveness. A number of areas are being prioritised, including labour costs, government controlled prices and costs, minimising the regulatory burden and increasing the level of competition in our economy. Business costs have fallen: wage bills, asset prices, energy and prices in general have responded to the effects of recession and corrective government action. Competition in key sectors of the economy is being intensified.

The Consumer Price Index fell by 3.9 per cent in the twelve months to January 2010. The HICP — the harmonised European measure — fell by 2.6 per cent to December 2009, the largest decline in the euro area. This narrowing in the differential in prices is very much to be welcomed and clearly will help the competitiveness of Irish businesses. I am conscious that further improvement in Ireland's competitive position will foster economic growth. I am continuing to work with a number of Departments to ensure that the actions already taken are consolidated and further improvements are achieved during 2010 and beyond.

Departmental Transport.

Denis Naughten

Question:

143 Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the amount her Department paid annually for car mileage since 2007 to date in 2010; the amount paid to cover rail and bus tickets separately; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11690/10]

With the exception of air travel and car hire, in general all travel costs — whether in respect of car mileage allowances or the use of public transport — are aggregated on my Department's accounting systems. It is not feasible, therefore, to identify separately the amount paid by my Department annually on car mileage and on rail and bus tickets. However, for the Deputy's information, the table below sets out the aggregate amount spent by my Department on car mileage and bus and rail tickets on an annual basis from 2007 to date. The figures may also include amounts in respect of other travel costs, such as taxis.

The table does not include expenditure incurred by my Department on bus tickets under the Travel Pass scheme, which is recouped from staff salaries and which does not, therefore, result in a net additional cost to my Department.

Year

Travel costs*

2007

852,666.78

2008

1,182,992.40

2009

845,286.09

2010 (to 5/3/10)

68,425.61

*Includes costs in respect of the National Consumer Agency, for which the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment processes travel expenses.

Business Regulation.

Paul Nicholas Gogarty

Question:

144 Deputy Paul Gogarty asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if it is legal for a business advertising through leafleting door to door to omit its business name and address from the advertising literature; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11712/10]

In so far as the general issue of traders advertising their services is concerned, there is no specific statutory requirement that those advertising by means of door to door leafleting must provide a business name and address. It is important, however, that consumers when contemplating entering into any commercial transactions, no matter how such transactions may have been initiated, satisfy themselves that they have sufficient information concerning the trader, particularly reliable contact information, should problems arise after the point of sale of the good or service concerned. I would, therefore, strongly urge consumers to exercise the necessary caution in their dealings in such circumstances.

Job Creation.

Paul Nicholas Gogarty

Question:

145 Deputy Paul Gogarty asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of new jobs that were created in the Information Age Park, Ennis, County Clare in 2009; the net job increase at the Information Age Park in 2009; the number of new jobs that have been created at the Information Age Park since it was established while taking into account the jobs that transferred from the Clare Business Centre to the park; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11720/10]

The issues of job creation and retention in enterprise agency supported companies are day-to-day matters for the agencies themselves and not one in which I am directly involved. However, Shannon Development acts in a landlord capacity in the Information Age Park, Ennis (IAPE). Most of the tenants in IAPE are small firms. Shannon Development informs me that twelve new jobs were created in the Information Age Park in Ennis in 2009 with a net job increase of three in 2009. The number of new jobs created at the Information Age Park since it was established in April 2005 to date is one hundred, including seventeen jobs that transferred from the Clare Business Centre to the Information Age Park in April 2005.

Financial Services Regulation.

Phil Hogan

Question:

146 Deputy Phil Hogan asked the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the figures produced by an organisation (details supplied) on the mortgage market in 2009 highlighted that first time buyers are now the largest market segment; the steps he is taking to ensure that residential mortgage lending, particularly to the first time buyer segment is carried out on a sustainable and prudential basis, particularly for high loan to value borrowing, in view of these figures; the potential role of mortgage indemnity insurance to achieving such sustainability and prudence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11074/10]

It is a priority to ensure that mortgage lending in particular in relation to first time buyers is undertaken on a sustainable and prudential basis by credit institutions and conforms fully to regulatory requirements both in relation to the financial position of the institution itself and also the safeguarding of the consumer's interest.

As regards the sale of a mortgage product to an individual consumer the Financial Regulator's Consumer Protection Code places requirements on mortgage providers in relation to such sales. These requirements include "Know the Customer" and "Suitability" requirements which must be followed by the lenders at the point of sale. Under the Code a mortgage lender has to demonstrate that it has gathered sufficient information from the consumer to allow it to provide a recommendation to that consumer. The mortgage recommended must be suitable to that consumer having regard to the facts disclosed by the consumer. A written statement setting out the reasons why a mortgage product/selection of mortgage products offered to the consumer is suitable must be given to the consumer.

As regards the suggestion that a mandatory Mortgage Insurance Scheme be introduced, this matter is being considered. However, a good deal of research is required into measuring the feasibility of such a scheme in terms of cost to the borrower and the lending institutions, the most appropriate insurance provider, the benefits it will deliver to borrowers and lending institutions, and the extent to which it will lessen the impact of the current economic downturn on the State through support for borrowers through the Mortgage Interest Supplement Scheme and for lending institutions through the investment of capital to restore their balance sheets.

Banking Sector Regulation.

Lucinda Creighton

Question:

147 Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Finance if an assessor has been appointed in relation to Anglo Irish Bank, pursuant to the Anglo Irish Bank Corporation Act 2009; and if not, when this appointment will be made. [11075/10]

Section 22 of the Anglo Irish Bank Corporation Act 2009 provides that I shall appoint an Assessor at an appropriate time having regard to the public interest, to determine the fair and reasonable aggregate value of the transferred shares and extinguished rights and the consequent amount of compensation, if any, that may be payable to persons in respect of Anglo shares transferred and rights extinguished under the Act.

As the Deputy will be aware it is essential that the process of appointing the Assessor is open and transparent and to this end I propose to utilise EU procurement procedures to effect the appointment. It is expected that an advertisement requesting expressions of interest from suitably qualified persons or groups will be posted on the e-tenders website and published in the Official Journal of the European Union in the next few weeks. The Deputy will appreciate that it is not feasible at this stage to put an exact date on the conclusion of this appointment process. However, in overall terms, I will be seeking for the appointment process to be concluded in good time, taking into account the timing requirements of EU procurement rules.

Departmental Agencies.

Mary Upton

Question:

148 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Finance when vacant positions will again be offered by the Office of Public Works; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11107/10]

Given the Government moratorium on filling vacancies and the restriction on numbers generally, the Office of Public Works is not currently in a position to fill vacant posts. The office is, at present, in the process of re-engaging seasonal guides who worked at our heritage sites during the 2008 and 2009 seasons. In the event of other seasonal vacancies arising, we will be advertising locally.

Banking Sector Regulation.

Richard Bruton

Question:

149 Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Finance the credit guidelines that he plans to issue to the banks as a result of the new powers given to him under the National Asset Management Agency legislation; the number of appeals against declined cases that have been heard by the appeals officer that he has appointed; the percentage of cases in which the appeal had successfully overturned the decision to decline credit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11118/10]

The position is that under the NAMA Act I will shortly be issuing guidelines to ensure that SMEs, sole traders and farm enterprises will have recourse to an independent, external review of decisions of credit refusal by the NAMA participating banks. I hope that banks not participating in NAMA or covered by the Government guarantee will also decide to join the system. My aim is to have a simple, effective review process, run by people with experience and credibility. The banks must comply with the recommendations of the review process, or explain why they will not do so.

In addition to dealing with individual cases, the credit review system will examine the credit policies and practices of the banks in respect of SMEs. This will help me to decide what further action might be necessary to secure the flow of credit. I intend to publish the analysis from the review process so that the performance of the banks participating in NAMA will be clear to all. Mr John Trethowan, an experienced banker with a demonstrated commitment to public and social service, is overseeing the establishment of this credit review system with initial administrative support from Enterprise Ireland. Work has been ongoing since December on the logistical aspects of the review system and it is envisaged that Mr. Trethowan will be in a position to commence reviews shortly.

Tax Code.

Michael Creed

Question:

150 Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Finance when a person (details supplied) in County Cork will receive a tax refund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11188/10]

I have been informed by the Revenue Commissioners that the above named received a refund of tax on 8 September 2009 and a further refund issued to the spouse on 26th February 2010. If there are any further queries the person should contact Mr Pearse Penney, Office of the Revenue Commissioners, Revenue House, Blackpool, Cork. Telephone: 021 6027266.

Banking Sector Regulation.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl

Question:

151 Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11192/10]

A core Government objective is to free up lending on a commercial basis into the economy, particularly to the small business sector, to support economic growth and a number of actions have been taken to achieve this objective. In the context of the bank guarantee scheme and recapitalisation the banks have made important commitments to support business lending, while the Government has taken a number of steps to help ensure the flow of credit.

An independent review of credit availability was agreed in the context of the recapitalisation of AIB and Bank of Ireland. The purpose of the review was to ascertain the position on credit availability to SMEs in Ireland. The Steering Group for the review consisted of representatives of the Departments of Finance and Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Forfás, Enterprise Ireland, the Irish Banking Federation and the six main banks involved in lending to SMEs, business representatives from ISME, Chambers Ireland and Small Firms Association. The final report of the Review of Lending to SMEs is available on my Department's website.

The report made a series of recommendations including the further development of a framework for monitoring credit availability and measures to improve communications between the banks and SMEs. The report also suggests consideration of specific supports to ease the working capital requirements of SMEs, and measures to help investment levels in SMEs. A follow-up independent review of credit availability was published in December. Both reviews are available on my Department's website at www.finance.gov.ie.

Furthermore, a Code of Conduct for Business Lending to Small and Medium Enterprises took effect last March. This code applies to all regulated banks and building societies and facilitates access to credit, promotes fairness and transparency and ensures that banks will assist borrowers in meeting their obligations, or otherwise deal with an arrears situation in an orderly and appropriate manner. The business lending code includes a requirement for banks to offer their business customers annual review meetings, to inform customers of the basis for decisions made and to have written procedures for the proper handling of complaints. Where a customer gets into difficulty the banks will give the customer reasonable time and seek to agree an approach to resolve problems and to provide appropriate advice. This is a statutory code and banks will be required to demonstrate compliance.

In addition, as part of the recapitalisation package announced in February 2009, Allied Irish Bank and Bank of Ireland reconfirmed their commitment to increase lending capacity to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by 10% and to provide an additional 30% capacity for lending to first time buyers in 2009. If the mortgage lending was not taken up, then the extra capacity would be made available to SMEs. AIB and Bank of Ireland have also committed to public campaigns to actively promote small business lending at competitive rates with increased transparency on the criteria to be met. Compliance with this commitment is being monitored by the Financial Regulator.

My colleague the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment set up a Clearing Group including representatives from the main banks, business interests and state agencies, which is chaired by her Department. The purpose of the group is to identify specific patterns of events or cases where the flow of credit to viable businesses appears to be blocked and to seek to identify credit supply solutions.

Finally, under the NAMA Act I will shortly be issuing guidelines to ensure that SMEs, sole traders and farm enterprises will have recourse to an independent, external review of decisions of credit refusal by the NAMA participating banks. I hope that banks not participating in NAMA or covered by the Government guarantee will also decide to join the system. My aim is to have a simple, effective review process, run by people with experience and credibility. The banks must comply with the recommendations of the review process, or explain why they will not do so.

In addition to dealing with individual cases, the credit review system will examine the credit policies and practices of the banks in respect of SMEs. This will help me to decide what further action might be necessary to secure the flow of credit. I intend to publish the analysis from the review process so that the performance of the banks participating in NAMA will be clear to all. Mr John Trethowan, an experienced banker with a demonstrated commitment to public and social service, is overseeing the establishment of this credit review system with initial administrative support from Enterprise Ireland. Work has been ongoing since December on the logistical aspects of the review system and it is envisaged that Mr. Trethowan will be in a position to commence reviews shortly. I have no plans to set up a Business Asset Management Agency as suggested in the correspondence received by the Deputy.

Tobacco Smuggling.

Brian O'Shea

Question:

152 Deputy Brian O’Shea asked the Minister for Finance his plans to put in place a national tobacco anti-smuggling strategy (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11196/10]

I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners who are responsible for the collection of tobacco products tax and tackling the illicit trade in cigarettes and tobacco products that their strategy for tackling this illicit trade is focused both on intercepting and seizing illicit consignments at the point of importation and on carrying out checks at retail outlets, markets and commercial premises etc. This is achieved through a combination of freight intelligence, risk profiling and scanning in the case of smuggling in maritime freight. In the case of passengers arriving by air from high risk source countries where cheap cigarettes are freely available, targeting smugglers is carried out on the basis of risk profiling by Revenue Officers based at all the main airports. Where feasible, large consignments are placed under surveillance and allowed to proceed to their destination under a controlled delivery with a view to identifying those responsible for the importation. These operations are normally carried out on a multi-agency basis with the assistance of the Garda.

Illicit cigarettes that escape detection at the point of importation are also seized inland in the course of intelligence-based checks carried out at retail outlets, markets, commercial premises etc. Follow-up investigations are conducted both at home and abroad with a view to identifying those responsible and instituting criminal proceedings where the necessary evidence has been obtained.

Revenue strategies in these areas are under continuous review. This includes the adequacy of existing staffing resources and equipment. In this regard, taking cognisance of the interception and seizure of a number of consignments of counterfeit cigarettes bearing bogus Irish tax stamps concealed in maritime freight imported from China, a new tobacco tax stamp with added security features was introduced last year. In addition, a second mobile container scanner was delivered to the Revenue Commissioners and entered service following testing in December 2009.

Revenue works closely with the individual tobacco manufacturers and the Irish Tobacco Manufacturers Advisory Committee (ITMAC) with a view to identifying illicit cigarettes on sale in the State, current trends and trading patterns. There is also close co-operation and sharing of information between Revenue and the Office of Tobacco Control (OTC). In addition, on an EU wide basis, Revenue actively co-operates and shares information with the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and with other Customs Administrations in the Member States. Furthermore, Ireland, along with the other Member States, has also ratified two international agreements concluded by OLAF with global cigarette manufacturers, Philip Morris International and Japan Tobacco International, with a view to tackling the illicit trade in counterfeit and contraband cigarettes.

Furthermore, officials from my Department met in January this year with representatives of health organisations, the tobacco industry and officials from other government Departments, at which, among other things, the problem of tobacco smuggling was discussed. Arising from that meeting I introduced provisions in the Finance Bill 2010 significantly increasing the maximum fines that the Courts can apply in relation to tobacco offences. If the value of the goods involved is €250,000 or less, the Court will be permitted to impose a fine not exceeding €126,970. If the value of the goods is greater than €250,000, the maximum fine will as at present be three times their value. The proposed change should ensure that the penalties for the offence of illegal importation of cigarettes will serve as an effective deterrent to such activity.

Tax Collection.

Jack Wall

Question:

153 Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Finance when a person (details supplied) in County Kildare will receive their entitlements under a tax rebate application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11225/10]

I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that, regrettably, due to industrial action by some staff, it is not possible to ascertain the specific details of this case in the time available.

Banking Sector Regulation.

Joan Burton

Question:

154 Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Finance if he was contacted and informed by a bank (details supplied) prior to the payment of bonuses to staff as reported in December 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11231/10]

Under the terms of the recapitalisation of the named bank, bonus payments to Senior Executives in 2008 and 2009 were precluded. Approval has been given, in a limited number of cases, to pay bonuses to certain staff, based on legal advice, where a pre-existing contractual commitment existed and has been triggered. The staff involved were mainly located outside of Ireland. Court proceedings had been instituted in respect of some of these cases.

Financial Institutions Support Scheme.

Joan Burton

Question:

155 Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Finance if the salary and remuneration ceilings recommended by the report of the Covered Institution Remuneration Oversight Committee only apply to the most senior staff in the institutions covered by the bank guarantee scheme; if there is a prohibition on these institutions paying total remuneration packages well above the limits recommended to other staff; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11232/10]

Under the Credit Institutions (Financial Support) Scheme 2008, the Covered Institution Remuneration Oversight Committee [CIROC] was established comprising three members appointed to oversee all remuneration plans of senior executives and Board Members of the covered institutions. CIROC's recommendations were then necessarily confined to the group covered by its terms of reference. The Deputy will appreciate that the respective covered institutions operate in a commercial fashion. Subject to contractual considerations, they are expected, in the present economic circumstances, to take account of the necessary downward adjustment in remuneration levels affecting all sectors of the economy. However, I am not able to interfere in pay policy in a private company.

Joan Burton

Question:

156 Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Finance if the salary and remuneration ceilings recommended by the report of the Covered Institution Remuneration Oversight Committee apply to all related entities of the institutions covered by the bank guarantee scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11233/10]

The Covered Institution Remuneration Oversight Committee [CIROC] is a product of the Credit Institutions (Financial Support) Scheme 2008. The following credit institutions and subsidiaries are ‘covered institutions' for the purposes of the Scheme:

(1) Allied Irish Banks, plc and its subsidiaries AIB Mortgage Bank, AIB Bank (CI) Limited, AIB Group (UK) plc and Allied Irish Banks North America Inc.;

(2) Anglo Irish Bank Corporation plc and its subsidiary Anglo Irish Bank Corporation (International) plc;

(3) The Governor and Company of the Bank of Ireland and its subsidiaries Bank of Ireland Mortgage Bank, ICS Building Society and Bank of Ireland (I.O.M.) Limited;

(4) EBS Building Society and its subsidiary EBS Mortgage Finance;

(5) Irish Life & Permanent plc and its subsidiary Irish Permanent (I.O.M) Limited;

(6) Irish Nationwide Building Society and its subsidiary Irish Nationwide (I.O.M.) Limited;

(7) Postbank Ireland Limited.

CIROC applies to all of those ‘covered institutions'.

Joan Burton

Question:

157 Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Finance the number of senior staff in each of the institutions covered by the bank guarantee scheme who are subject to the salary and remuneration ceilings recommended by the report of the Covered Institution Remuneration Oversight Committee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11234/10]

I am advised by the covered institutions that the following number of staff are covered by the salary and remuneration ceilings recommended by the report of the Covered Institution Remuneration Oversight Committee:

Covered institution

Number of senior staff covered

AIB

11

Anglo Irish Bank

14

Bank of Ireland

7

EBS

7

Irish Life & Permanent

16

Irish Nationwide

12

Postbank

2

Total

69

Banking Sector Regulation.

Joan Burton

Question:

158 Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Finance if he has received a response from the industry and consumer panels of the Financial Regulator following the proposal by his Department to establish a joint panel group to examine the issue of corporate governance in the financial institutions; the progress made to date as a result of his request; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11235/10]

My Department wrote to the chairs of the consultative panels suggesting that they might jointly consider the issue of corporate governance in financial institutions with a view to submitting their findings to the Financial Regulator so as to inform the work of the High Level Implementation Group progressing the reform of regulatory structures. The Chairs of both the Industry and Consumer panels have responded to my Department indicating their interest in the suggestion. In accordance with section 57DG of the Central Bank Act 1942, it is a matter for the consultative panels themselves, with the consent of the Regulatory Authority, to establish a joint advisory group to report to the Financial Regulator if he so wishes. I understand that the panels have not yet reported on the matter.

Tax Yield.

Joan Burton

Question:

159 Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Finance the tax take on alcohol in respect of excise duty on beer, spirits, wine and cider in each month of 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11236/10]

I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that the tax take on alcohol in respect of excise duty on beer, spirits, wine and cider in each month of 2009 is as set out in the table hereunder. The yield from each alcohol product in any month can vary considerably across the year for a number of reasons including seasonal factors.

Alcohol Products Tax — Provisional receipts

Beer

Spirits

Wine

Cider

Total

€ m

€ m

€ m

€ m

€ m

Jan

41.8

26.0

22.1

5.5

95.4

Feb

19.7

10.9

11.7

2.5

44.8

Mar

27.0

15.8

15.9

3.5

62.1

Apr

34.4

22.8

18.1

4.8

80.1

May

35.3

18.2

21.8

4.8

80.1

Jun

36.9

19.7

17.3

5.4

79.3

Jul

37.4

21.7

20.7

6.9

86.7

Aug

38.7

22.4

22.0

6.4

89.6

Sep

33.0

20.5

24.5

4.1

82.1

Oct

32.9

22.8

22.0

4.3

82.1

Nov

33.6

28.1

21.8

4.7

88.2

Dec

33.6

35.3

24.6

4.3

97.8

Total

404.3

264.1

242.5

57.2

968.0

Liquor Licences.

Joan Burton

Question:

160 Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Finance the number of beer, spirit and wine off-licences issued in 2007, 2008 and 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11237/10]

I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that, regrettably, due to industrial action by some staff, it is not possible to ascertain the specific details of this case in the time available.

Tax Code.

Joan Burton

Question:

161 Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Finance the basis on which the projected loss of €90 million to the Exchequer in 2010 and in subsequent years arising from the reduction in excise duty on alcohol in budget 2010, as outlined in the summary of budget measures published on 9 December 2009, was calculated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11238/10]

The cost of the reductions in excise duty announced in the Budget on alcohol products is estimated at approximately €90 million in a full year, when account is taken of the expected change in where alcohol products are sourced. As stated in the Budget the measure was introduced to protect revenue flows and to tackle the phenomenon of cross-border shopping. Following the reductions in excise duty Ireland still remains one of the countries with high excise duty rates on alcohol products along with Finland, Sweden and the UK.

Joan Burton

Question:

162 Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Finance the progress made to date on the implementation of the commitment in the 2007 programme for Government to use the taxation system to promote non-alcoholic and low alcoholic products; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11239/10]

As the Deputy may be aware the excise duty on low alcohol beer and cider was reduced in Budget 2009 to 50% of the standard excise duty for both beer and cider products with an alcohol by volume content of 2.8% or less. This change was introduced in order to encourage the consumption of lower strength products. The Government continually looks at the use of the taxation system to promote non alcoholic and low alcoholic products, where appropriate.

Company Closures.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Question:

163 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Finance the number of businesses, both individuals and companies, that notified the Revenue Commissioners that they had ceased trading and operations due to business failure or trading conditions in each year 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 and in January 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11393/10]

I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the specific reason why the business has ceased is not recorded by them. Businesses cease for many reasons, including trading conditions, retirement of the proprietors, death, formation of partnership or incorporation into Limited Company in the case of a sole trader. The following numbers of individuals and companies were ceased on their records during the period, as requested by the Deputy:

Year

Individuals

Companies

2005

35,536

8,399

2006

35,852

7,123

2007

34,586

7,184

2008

28,756

7,525

2009

11,915

4,455

Jan 2010

87

69

The Commissioners advise that the figures should be treated with some caution as, based on past experience, there tends to be a time lag between date of cessation and notification to Revenue. In the case of businesses ceasing in 2009, the bulk of returns are not due to be filed until later in 2010.

Flood Relief.

Michael McGrath

Question:

164 Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance if the Office of Public Works has received an application from a local authority for flood alleviation works in a village (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11394/10]

The draft Flood Risk Assessment and Management Plan for the River Lee sets out the blueprint for addressing flood risk in the catchment, including the Owenboy sub-catchment in which Ballinhassig is located. The draft plan, which is currently undergoing public consultation, recommends a flood warning system rather than flood alleviation works for the Owenboy area. In line with this recommendation, Cork County Council have applied to the Office of Public Works for funding for the installation of a flood warning system. This proposal will be considered in the context of the overall implementation of the Plan when it has been finalised. This plan is out to public consultation at the moment, so this is likely to be early next year.

Tax Yield.

Margaret Conlon

Question:

165 Deputy Margaret Conlon asked the Minister for Finance the amount of money that was collected in stamp duty from 2000 to 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11406/10]

Stamp duties are payable on a wide range of legal and commercial documents, including (but not limited to) conveyances of property, leases of property, share transfer forms and certain agreements. Stamp duty is also paid in respect of financial cards (e.g. Credit, ATM, Laser and Charge cards) and levies on certain insurance premiums and certain statements of interest. Exchequer Receipts from Stamp Duty from 2000 to 2009 are set out below:

€m

2000

1,107

2001

1,227

2002

1,167

2003

1,688

2004

2,088

2005

2,725

2006

3,717

2007

3,186

2008

1,651

2009

930

Tax Code.

Róisín Shortall

Question:

166 Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Finance if he will arrange for a tax certificate to be issued to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 9 for the purposes of fulfilling qualifying criteria in respect of an application for a local authority home grant. [11409/10]

I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that, regrettably, due to industrial action by some staff, it is not possible to ascertain the specific details of this case in the time available.

Joan Burton

Question:

167 Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Finance the legal position of the estate of an annuity holder upon that annuity holder’s death; if the full outstanding value of the annuity accrues to the estate; if not, the reason for same; the way the framework for annuity holders here differs in this respect from those pertaining in other countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11434/10]

The legal position in relation to annuities is not a matter for the Minister for Finance. Policy in this area is primarily for the Minister for Social and Family Affairs and the Pensions Board.

State Properties.

Ciarán Cuffe

Question:

168 Deputy Ciarán Cuffe asked the Minister for Finance his views on removing the tall railings dating from the late twentieth century between the car park at the Kildare Street side of Leinster House and both the National Museum and the National Library complex, and replace them with lower railings so as to vastly improve the rather bleak high security feel to this fine public space in view of the peace dividend of recent years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11439/10]

The provision of the railings, that separate the car park on the Kildare Street side of Leinster House from the National Museum and the National Library, is security-related, and is a matter for the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission in the first instance. The Commission has not requested the Office of Public Works to review the matter.

Tax Collection.

Arthur Morgan

Question:

169 Deputy Arthur Morgan asked the Minister for Finance the amount of vehicle registration tax paid in each revenue office here in the past five years in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11481/10]

I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that the information requested is not readily available and could not be obtained without conducting a protracted investigation of Revenue's records and the commitment of significant resources to do so. However, provisional data relating to the number of vehicles registered and the associated vehicle registration tax collected for 2008 and 2009, broken down by vehicle registration tax office, was compiled recently. The details are set out below.

2009 data

Vehicle Registration Office

Number of Registrations

Amount Collected

Tallaght

9,034

26,937,178

Santry

8,382

22,177,245

Cork

7,674

17,708,202

Lifford

8,757

14,994,495

Galway

5,835

13,335,858

Dundalk

4,673

10,988,453

Tullamore

4,966

10,767,708

Monaghan

4,731

7,905,983

Castlebar

4,221

7,845,518

Sligo

3,955

6,939,031

Limerick

3,252

6,666,729

Navan

3,229

6,619,792

Naas

2,314

5,554,750

Tralee

2,637

5,106,144

Thurles

2,254

4,850,922

Waterford

2,277

4,822,407

Wexford

2,418

4,811,813

Kilkenny

2,257

4,487,841

Ennis

2,105

4,187,281

Wicklow

1,295

3,455,988

Carlow

1,610

2,871,302

Bantry

951

1,475,635

2008 data

Vehicle Registration Office

Number of Registrations

Amount Collected

Tallaght

13,572

48,638,526

Santry

11,455

38,668,071

Galway City

7,114

20,541,554

Donegal Town

8,456

16,596,671

Tullamore Town

6,211

15,325,521

Dundalk

4,809

14,310,064

Sligo Town

4,650

12,648,811

Cork City

5,100

11,852,016

Castlebar

5,100

11,852,016

Limerick City

4,567

11,630,806

Monaghan Town

4,868

10,164,487

Navan

3,706

9,957,925

Waterford Town

3,623

9,810,350

Tralee

3,226

7,907,732

Naas

2,622

7,029,413

Wexford Town

3,082

6,735,825

Ennis

2,886

6,508,971

Thurles

3,160

6,493,423

Kilkenny City

2,834

6,008,824

Carlow

2,311

5,368,965

Wicklow Town

1,704

4,853,656

Bantry

1,218

2,738,558

Departmental Expenditure.

Máire Hoctor

Question:

170 Deputy Máire Hoctor asked the Minister for Finance the cost of installing and administering the new system for electronically recording the attendance of Members and Senators in Leinster House. [11490/10]

As the Deputy is aware, the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Act, 2003, set up the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission to provide for the running of the Houses of the Oireachtas and to manage its expenditure within the limits set down in the legislation and its subsequent amendments. Accordingly, I have no direct role in the day to day running of the Houses. However, in order to provide an answer to the Deputy's question, the Houses of the Oireachtas Service has informed me that a system of recording attendance of staff was installed in the Houses of the Oireachtas in 2009. The additional marginal cost of extending the staff system to also recording the attendance of Members was €26,932 of which €18,462 has been invoiced and paid to date. The cost of administering the system is being met from within the existing resources of the Service.

Public Service Contracts.

John Cregan

Question:

171 Deputy John Cregan asked the Minister for Finance the necessary criteria for building contractors to be given the opportunity to submit tenders for public contracts. [11508/10]

Under EU and national procurement rules, the open and restricted procedures are the two most commonly used procurement procedures, which between them account for nearly all public works procurement opportunities. In an open procedure, an invitation to tender is published concurrently with the advertisement/contract notice. Participation in the tender competition is open to any contractor. For contractors to avail of the opportunity to tender for a public works project under a restricted procedure, they must meet a certain set of minimum standards relating to criteria in a suitability questionnaire that has issued from the relevant contracting authority.

The questionnaire should include criteria which allow contractors to provide relevant information about their businesses. Those responses that meet the standards set out in the questionnaire can subsequently be invited to participate in a tender competition. In order to ensure that the criteria are consistent and relevant in particular cases, a standard template questionnaire (QW1) has been developed by the Government Construction Contracts Committee. This questionnaire is part of the Capital Works Management Framework which is published on my Department's construction procurement website www.constructionprocurement.gov.ie.

It should be noted that there are 17 criteria in the questionnaire which match those in EU Directive 2004/18/EC "on the coordination of procedures for the award of public works contracts, public supply contracts and public service contracts" and S.I. No. 329/2006 — "European Communities (Award of Public Authorities' Contracts) Regulations 2006". Also included in the questionnaire are seven sub-criteria relating to health and safety matters. All responses from contractors should be assessed against criteria that have been selected in a transparent way and that are fair, proportionate and non-discriminatory.

Local Authority Housing.

Fergus O'Dowd

Question:

172 Deputy Fergus O’Dowd asked the Minister for Finance if he has received requests from the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to make representations to banks, financial institutions and the National Asset Management Agency and so on regarding the refusal of some banks to support approved schemes for the leasing of up to 1,500 unoccupied homes for local authority and housing associations; his views in relation to such requests; the action he has taken; the meetings attended and by whom; the outcome of same; the reason he has refused to answer a recent parliamentary question from this Deputy on this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11550/10]

I can assure the Deputy that this matter is a priority of the Minister for Housing who has primary responsibility for this issue. The Minister for Housing has been in correspondence with me on this matter. Officials from both of our Departments have met with all relevant stakeholders on more than one occasion and have also held bilateral discussions on the issue. My Department will continue to encourage the covered institutions to engage with Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government on social housing issues as appropriate as this is one of a range of issues being progressed with the institutions involved.

Industrial Disputes.

John O'Mahony

Question:

173 Deputy John O’Mahony asked the Minister for Finance his plans to address the non-answering of parliamentary questions submitted to several Government Departments; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that staff in these Departments will not take calls on the Houses of the Oireachtas lines provided to help access information; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11551/10]

I refer to my reply to Parliamentary Question No.173 of 3 March 2010: The current work to rule and other actions, which are impacting on processing Parliamentary Questions and providing information to public representatives are part of a programme of industrial action undertaken by public service unions across the public sector. The industrial action is in response to the pay reductions imposed by the Government on public servants with effect from 1 January last as part of the Government's budgetary strategy to bring the public finances under control.

In order to address issues raised by the programme of industrial action in the public sector, my Department has established a co-ordination group of all public service sectors affected to monitor and review service delivery and other issues arising from the industrial action. Any industrial action, whatever form it takes, is regrettable, in particular if it has any impact on service delivery to the public. Public Service management are doing what they can to minimise any such impact. In that regard, the Government has indicated its wish to engage with the public service unions with a view to achieving the necessary transformation to the public service into the future.

Programme for Government.

Kathleen Lynch

Question:

174 Deputy Kathleen Lynch asked the Minister for Finance if, in view of recent comments by a person (details supplied) regarding mortgage arrears, it is intended to set up the proposed group to advise on this matter; the progress made on the matter to date in 2010; the proposed status and terms of reference for this group; the selection criteria that will be employed; the remuneration that will be applicable; if it is intended to seek cross party nominations to this group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9524/10]

The Renewed Program for Government sets out the Government's commitments for introducing new measures to protect families having difficulties with their mortgage repayments and personal indebtedness under the headings Protecting the Family Home and Helping Those in Debt. Last November I approved the setting up of an Inter-Departmental Mortgage Arrears Review Group, for the purpose of bringing together all relevant information in Departments and examining options in relation to the matter of support for home owners facing the problems of mortgage arrears and repossessions. This Group met on two occasions and work commenced on bringing forward options for dealing with these matters.

I since discussed with Cabinet colleagues proposals to revamp this Group under an independent Chair and expand it to bring in additional expertise. On 25th February 2010, I informed the Government of my proposal to extend the membership of the Group to be chaired by Mr Hugh Cooney who is an insolvency accountant. The other external members are as follows:

Name

Mr. Matthew Elderfield

Financial Regulator

Dr. David Duffy

ESRI

Mr. Pat Farrell

Irish Banking Federation (IBF)

Mr. Tom Foley

Irish Banking Federation (IBF)

Mr. Paul Joyce

Free Legal Advice Centre (FLAC)

Ms. Patricia T. Rickard-Clarke

Law Reform Commission (LRC)

Mr. Brendan Burgess

Independent Consultant

The Group also includes senior officials of the Departments of Finance, Taoiseach, Justice Equality and Law Reform, Social and Family Affairs, Communications Energy and Natural Resources, and Environment Heritage and Local Government. The external members of the Group were selected on the basis of their individual expertise in areas relating to mortgage arrears and personal debt. Appointments were made on a pro bono basis. There are no members of the Group representing a political party. The Group has had it first meeting and has discussed its Terms of Reference which I understand will be finalised shortly. In general, the terms of reference will reflect the commitments made by the Government both in the Renewed Programme for Government and in subsequent Government decisions relating to the issues of mortgage arrears and personal debt.

Departmental Transport.

Denis Naughten

Question:

175 Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Finance the amount his Department paid annually for car mileage since 2007 to date in 2010; the amount paid to cover rail and bus tickets separately; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11692/10]

The information sought by the Deputy is set out in the table below.

Year

Mileage

Public Transport

2007

161,545.99

20,007.12

2008

124,563.70

22,951.50

2009

36,248.28

20,466.00

2010 (to date)

2,778.02

1,763.60

Decentralisation Programme.

Willie Penrose

Question:

176 Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Finance the factors that would be considered in the review of decentralisation in 2011 whereby decentralisation which was planned for a number of places, including Mullingar, County Westmeath, has now been deferred; if one of these factors would include that of legitimate expectation on the part of the civil servants who applied for decentralisation in good faith and who are now disappointed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11708/10]

Willie Penrose

Question:

177 Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Finance if, in the context of the decentralisation proposals which are being deferred and which are subject to review in 2011, he will indicate that such a review will result in the indefinite deferral of decentralisation to places such as Mullingar, County Westmeath; the implications for those civil servants who applied for decentralisation in good faith; the alternatives that can be put in place for persons who had hoped to relocate, on the basis of being assured in writing that same would take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11709/10]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 176 and 177 together.

In light of the budgetary constraints at this time and affordability issues, I have decided to defer proceeding with permanent accommodation in respect of a number of locations, including Mullingar, at this time. I can confirm that all deferred locations will be considered as part of the overall review of the programme in 2011. The nature of that review and the factors to be considered have not been developed. I intend to bring proposals to the Government in that regard in due course.

Public Sector Staff.

Paul Nicholas Gogarty

Question:

178 Deputy Paul Gogarty asked the Minister for Finance the position regarding the staffing embargo within a college (details supplied) particularly in relation to the sports facilities; if the issue has been resolved; if services have been restored; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11723/10]

This question is a matter for my colleague, Mr Batt O'Keeffe, TD, Minister for Education and Science. Due to ongoing industrial action, it was not possible for the question to be transferred to Minister O'Keeffe for reply. I will, therefore, request the Minister for Education and Science to communicate directly with the Deputy in the matter as soon as circumstances permit.

Food Labelling.

Andrew Doyle

Question:

179 Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Health and Children the steps she will take regarding the description and labelling of Northern Ireland produced food at a supermarket (details supplied) as Irish in order to give the impression to the consumer that the food is produced here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11462/10]

I regret that due to industrial action I am not in a position to provide a substantive response to your Parliamentary Question. If this matter remains of continuing concern to you, however, I would invite you to raise it with me again in due course.

Drug Treatment Programme.

Joe Costello

Question:

180 Deputy Joe Costello asked the Minister for Health and Children the number, names and locations of all drug treatment services and projects in the Dublin 1 and Dublin 7 areas and which are statutory and non-statutory; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11479/10]

As this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy. I wish to advise the Deputy that, due to an intensification of industrial action in the public service by members of IMPACT, the HSE may not be in a position to provide a response to this Parliamentary Question within the normal timeframe.

Misuse of Drugs.

Paul Nicholas Gogarty

Question:

181 Deputy Paul Gogarty asked the Minister for Health and Children the action that is being taken to head shops door to door advertising their wares and the provision of a delivery service for substances from these shops; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11713/10]

P. J. Sheehan

Question:

196 Deputy P. J. Sheehan asked the Minister for Health and Children if she will state the substances and drugs and cocktails of substances that she is proposing to control in the legislation regarding head shops as per the announcement (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11352/10]

Paul Nicholas Gogarty

Question:

219 Deputy Paul Gogarty asked the Minister for Health and Children the procedure for banning a substance sold in head shops; if it is possible for chemical substances sold in head shops to be deemed illegal until they have proven to be safe for human consumption; her plans to introduce legislation governing the sale of chemical substances in head shops; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11714/10]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 181, 196 and 219 together.

In the light of the health risks associated with some of the products being sold in so-called ‘head shops', the Government has agreed to the introduction of regulations under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977 which will introduce controls on a range of substances which are currently on sale in head shops. The substances concerned include synthetic cannabinoids (SPICE products), benzylpiperazine (BZP) derivatives, mephedrone, methylone and related cathinones, GBL and 1,4 BD. The possession and sale of these substances will become illegal and subject to criminal sanctions under the Misuse of Drugs Act. In accordance with EU law, it is necessary to notify the European Commission of the proposed regulations and this imposes a 3 month stand-still period on the making of the regulations.

The provisions of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977 apply to named narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances listed in the Schedules to the Act. Substances are scheduled in accordance with Ireland's international obligations or where there is evidence that the substances are causing significant harm to public health here. There is no provision in the legislation for substances to be deemed to be illegal until they have been proven safe for human consumption. The Misuse of Drugs legislation contains provisions which makes it an offence for a person to print, publish, distribute, sell or offer for sale any publication which advocates or encourages the use of controlled drugs. Once the legislation controlling the substances mentioned above comes into effect, it will be an offence for any person to advertise these substances or their delivery.

Health Services.

Mary Upton

Question:

182 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Health and Children if a physiological assessment will be arranged for a child (details supplied) in County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11082/10]

As the Deputy's question refers to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply. However, I wish to advise the Deputy that, due to an intensification of industrial action in the public service by members of IMPACT, the HSE may not be in a position to provide a response to this Parliamentary Question within the normal timeframe

Finian McGrath

Question:

183 Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children if she will support the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 9. [11096/10]

I regret that due to industrial action I am not in a position to provide a substantive response to your Parliamentary Question. If this matter remains of continuing concern to you, however, I would invite you to raise it with me again in due course.

Finian McGrath

Question:

184 Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children if she will support a matter (details supplied). [11097/10]

I regret that due to industrial action I am not in a position to provide a substantive response to your Parliamentary Question. If this matter remains of continuing concern to you, however, I would invite you to raise it with me again in due course.

Michael Ring

Question:

185 Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Health and Children, further to Parliamentary Question No. 195 of 15 December 2009, when a reply will issue from the Health Service Executive. [11101/10]

I regret that due to industrial action I am not in a position to provide a substantive response to your Parliamentary Question. If this matter remains of continuing concern to you, however, I would invite you to raise it with me again in due course.

Finian McGrath

Question:

186 Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will support the case of person (details supplied) in Dublin 5. [11106/10]

I regret that due to industrial action I am not in a position to provide a substantive response to your Parliamentary Question. If this matter remains of continuing concern to you, however, I would invite you to raise it with me again in due course.

Sponsorship of Sporting Events.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Question:

187 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health and Children the work and progress of the working group on sports sponsorship by the alcohol industry; when she expects to receive a report and recommendations from the group on the phasing out of alcohol sponsorship of sporting events; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11136/10]

I regret that due to industrial action I am not in a position to provide a substantive response to your Parliamentary Question. If this matter remains of continuing concern to you, however, I would invite you to raise it with me again in due course.

Hospital Services.

Róisín Shortall

Question:

188 Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health and Children the waiting time for blood testing in hospitals in the greater Dublin area; the reason for the delay in such a routine and vital service; and the measures she will put in place to reduce this time. [11189/10]

I regret that due to industrial action I am not in a position to provide a substantive response to your Parliamentary Question. If this matter remains of continuing concern to you, however, I would invite you to raise it with me again in due course.

Health Services.

Fergus O'Dowd

Question:

189 Deputy Fergus O’Dowd asked the Minister for Health and Children if a person (details supplied) in County Louth will receive assistance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11194/10]

I regret that due to industrial action I am not in a position to provide a substantive response to your Parliamentary Question. If this matter remains of continuing concern to you, however, I would invite you to raise it with me again in due course.

Nursing Home Accommodation.

Liz McManus

Question:

190 Deputy Liz McManus asked the Minister for Health and Children if the Health Service Executive is withdrawing funding for respite beds in private nursing homes nationally or if the withdrawal of such funds is being carried out on a regional basis; if the HSE has taken into account the hardship that closing respite beds in private nursing homes will cause to many facilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11195/10]

I regret that due to industrial action I am not in a position to provide a substantive response to your Parliamentary Question. If this matter remains of continuing concern to you, however, I would invite you to raise it with me again in due course.

Services for People with Disabilities.

Paul Nicholas Gogarty

Question:

191 Deputy Paul Gogarty asked the Minister for Health and Children the financial aid that is allocated from the Health Service Executive or her Department to each individual child with special needs in lieu of speech therapy services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11199/10]

I regret that due to industrial action I am not in a position to provide a substantive response to your Parliamentary Question. If this matter remains of continuing concern to you, however, I would invite you to raise it with me again in due course.

Paul Nicholas Gogarty

Question:

192 Deputy Paul Gogarty asked the Minister for Health and Children the annual budget from the Health Service Executive or her Department for payments to parents of children with special needs in lieu of speech therapy services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11200/10]

I regret that due to industrial action I am not in a position to provide a substantive response to your Parliamentary Question. If this matter remains of continuing concern to you, however, I would invite you to raise it with me again in due course.

Paul Nicholas Gogarty

Question:

193 Deputy Paul Gogarty asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of children in receipt of payment from the Health Service Executive or her Department in lieu of speech therapy services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11201/10]

I regret that due to industrial action I am not in a position to provide a substantive response to your Parliamentary Question. If this matter remains of continuing concern to you, however, I would invite you to raise it with me again in due course.

Medical Cards.

Ciaran Lynch

Question:

194 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Health and Children if she will re-examine the refusal of a general practitioner visit card in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11214/10]

I regret that due to industrial action I am not in a position to provide a substantive response to your Parliamentary Question. If this matter remains of continuing concern to you, however, I would invite you to raise it with me again in due course.

Mental Health Services.

Lucinda Creighton

Question:

195 Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Health and Children if she will provide a ring-fenced fund in respect of victims of abuse within the health service, including electroconvulsive therapy and over-medication, who have not had redress; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11223/10]

People who feel they have been mistreated by a provider of a health service should, in the first instance, take the matter up with the service provider. It is also open to them to take legal advice and/or to make a formal complaint to the appropriate regulatory body i.e. the Mental Health Commission, Medical Council, Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland, Bord Altranais, Dental Council etc. In these circumstances I have no plans to provide a ring-fenced fund for alleged mistreatment.

Question No. 196 answered with Question No. 181.

Adoption Services.

Tom Hayes

Question:

197 Deputy Tom Hayes asked the Minister for Health and Children if the legislation relating to adoption processing through Dáil Éireann will make provision for those parents already approved within the current system to proceed through that older system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11356/10]

The Adoption Bill, 2009 is designed to give force of law to the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Inter-country Adoption. The new legislation, which incorporates the provisions of the Hague Convention, is designed to provide a framework to ensure that appropriate procedures have been followed and that all adoptions are effected in the best interests of the child. Future intercountry adoption arrangements will be governed by the terms of the Adoption Bill 2009 when enacted. I announced on 26 January, and subsequently brought forward at committee stage, an amendment to the Adoption Bill 2009 that will enable prospective adoptive parents to proceed with an adoption from a non-Hague or non-bilateral country, if prior to the establishment date, they have been issued with a Declaration of Eligibility and Suitability to adopt. The amendment requires that the Adoption Authority (to be set up under the Act) would be satisfied that the particular adoption meets all the standards of the Hague Convention.

Health Services.

Kathleen Lynch

Question:

198 Deputy Kathleen Lynch asked the Minister for Health and Children the progress that has been made by the Health Service Executive in developing a patient level costing system here, similar to the German model; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11400/10]

I have referred this matter to the HSE for direct reply. I wish to advise the Deputy that due to an intensification of industrial action in the public service by members of IMPACT, the HSE may not be in position to provide a response to this Parliamentary Question within the normal timeframe.

Hospital Waiting Lists.

John O'Mahony

Question:

199 Deputy John O’Mahony asked the Minister for Health and Children, further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 334 of 2 February 2010 and 153 of 10 February 2010, when this matter will be addressed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11401/10]

I regret that due to industrial action I am not in a position to provide a substantive response to your Parliamentary Question. If this matter remains of continuing concern to you, however, I would invite you to raise it with me again in due course.

Mental Health Services.

Joanna Tuffy

Question:

200 Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for Health and Children if, in view of the fact that the construction and fit-out of the new units at a hospital (details supplied) in County Dublin for persons with intellectual disabilities has been completed, she has received the supplementary information requested from the Health Service Executive regarding the staffing business case; if the matter has been considered by her; if a decision has been made to allow recruitment of the required staff; if not, the reason for the delay; the projected opening date for the facility; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11403/10]

I regret that due to industrial action I am not in a position to provide a substantive response to your Parliamentary Question. If this matter remains of continuing concern to you, however, I would invite you to raise it with me again in due course.

Medical Cards.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

201 Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children when a medical card will issue in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11424/10]

I regret that due to industrial action I am not in a position to provide a substantive response to your Parliamentary Question. If this matter remains of continuing concern to you, however, I would invite you to raise it with me again in due course.

Health Services.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Question:

202 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health and Children, further to Parliamentary Question No. 221 of 3 February 2010, when a reply will issue from the Health Service Executive. [11432/10]

I regret that due to industrial action I am not in a position to provide a substantive response to your Parliamentary Question. If this matter remains of continuing concern to you, however, I would invite you to raise it with me again in due course.

Nursing Homes Support Scheme.

Tom Hayes

Question:

203 Deputy Tom Hayes asked the Minister for Health and Children if payments have started across the country for approved applicants to the fair deal scheme; if every Health Service Executive region has started processing these payments; if the processing period of six weeks is being met across the country; and if she will have delays to these payments investigated. [11456/10]

I regret that due to industrial action I am not in a position to provide a substantive response to your Parliamentary Question. If this matter remains of continuing concern to you, however, I would invite you to raise it with me again in due course.

Health Services.

Finian McGrath

Question:

204 Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children if she will support the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 5. [11458/10]

I regret that due to industrial action I am not in a position to provide a substantive response to your Parliamentary Question. If this matter remains of continuing concern to you, however, I would invite you to raise it with me again in due course.

Medical Aids and Appliances.

Alan Shatter

Question:

205 Deputy Alan Shatter asked the Minister for Health and Children if she will ask the Health Service Executive to supply an insulin pump to persons (details supplied) in Dublin 16. [11460/10]

I regret that due to industrial action I am not in a position to provide a substantive response to your Parliamentary Question. If this matter remains of continuing concern to you, however, I would invite you to raise it with me again in due course.

Health Services.

Michael McGrath

Question:

206 Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children if she will investigate the level of support available to assist a person (details supplied) in County Cork to remain in their home; if she will advise the additional supports, in terms of further home help hours or a home care package, that will be made available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11469/10]

I regret that due to industrial action I am not in a position to provide a substantive response to your Parliamentary Question. If this matter remains of continuing concern to you, however, I would invite you to raise it with me again in due course.

Mental Health Services.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Question:

207 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health and Children the details of all planned changes in mental health service provision, including transfer of admission units and the closure of day centre facilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11477/10]

I regret that due to industrial action I am not in a position to provide a substantive response to your Parliamentary Question. If this matter remains of continuing concern to you, however, I would invite you to raise it with me again in due course.

Proposed Legislation.

Michael McGrath

Question:

208 Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children her plans to bring forward amendments to the Adoption Bill 2009 regarding certain matters raised by various groups (details supplied). [11483/10]

The Adoption Bill, 2009, is designed to give force of law to the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Inter-country Adoption. The new legislation, which incorporates the provisions of the Hague Convention, is designed to provide a framework to ensure that appropriate procedures have been followed and that all adoptions are effected in the best interests of the child. Future intercountry adoption arrangements will be governed by the terms of the Adoption Bill 2009 when enacted.

Registration of domestic adoptions is governed by Section 22 of the Adoption Act 1952. Under that provision, an tArd Chlaraitheoir (Registrar General) is required to maintain a register of domestic adoptions (i.e. adoptions effected in Ireland, regardless of where the adopted person was born). The register is called the Adopted Children Register. An index to the register is maintained and can be searched by any person. Any person may obtain a copy of any entry in the register. The legislation also provides for an index linking the birth entry in the register of births (in the case of an Irish-born adopted person) with the entry in the Adopted Children Register. Information from this index may not be given to any person except by order of a court or the Adoption Board.

I am aware that the treatment of adopted persons in this regard differs from the rest of the population but consideration of this issue must take place in the context of the complex legal, ethical and constitutional issues arising from the need to fairly balance the rights of all parties to the adoption process. The Adoption Bill 2009, which will consolidate existing adoption legislation, does not seek to make new proposals in this regard nor does it provide for the provision of the information specified by the Deputy. The forthcoming discussions around the proposed constitutional amendment on the rights of children may provide the context within which such issues can more appropriately be considered.

Mental Health Services.

Charles Flanagan

Question:

209 Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the fact that the child psychiatry service in counties Laois and Offaly is suspended to all routine referrals, due to a huge backlog in work and very limited resources; the number of referrals on the waiting list; the number of persons who have been informed that they cannot be placed on the waiting list; the steps she proposes to take to deal with this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11488/10]

I regret that due to industrial action I am not in a position to provide a substantive response to your Parliamentary Question. If this matter remains of continuing concern to you, however, I would invite you to raise it with me again in due course.

Medical Cards.

Martin Ferris

Question:

210 Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Health and Children when an application for a medical card will be decided on in respect of a person (details supplied. [11491/10]

I regret that due to industrial action I am not in a position to provide a substantive response to your Parliamentary Question. If this matter remains of continuing concern to you, however, I would invite you to raise it with me again in due course.

Medical Aids and Appliances.

Martin Ferris

Question:

211 Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Health and Children when orthopaedic shoes will be granted to a person (details supplied). [11492/10]

I regret that due to industrial action I am not in a position to provide a substantive response to your Parliamentary Question. If this matter remains of continuing concern to you, however, I would invite you to raise it with me again in due course.

Nursing Homes Support Scheme.

Paul Connaughton

Question:

212 Deputy Paul Connaughton asked the Minister for Health and Children the position regarding an application under the fair deal by a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11513/10]

I regret that due to industrial action I am not in a position to provide a substantive response to your Parliamentary Question. If this matter remains of continuing concern to you, however, I would invite you to raise it with me again in due course.

Hospital Services.

Jan O'Sullivan

Question:

213 Deputy Jan O’Sullivan asked the Minister for Health and Children when the new critical care unit at the Mid-West Regional Hospital, Limerick, will be operational; if transfer of services from Nenagh and Ennis will be delayed until the unit is established efficiently; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11547/10]

I regret that due to industrial action I am not in a position to provide a substantive response to your Parliamentary Question. If this matter remains of continuing concern to you, however, I would invite you to raise it with me again in due course.

Children in Care.

Fergus O'Dowd

Question:

214 Deputy Fergus O’Dowd asked the Minister for Health and Children if she will respond to a query (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11548/10]

I regret that due to industrial action I am not in a position to provide a substantive response to your Parliamentary Question. However, the HSE have informed me of one incident of the death of a child in care in Louth. A review and report have been completed on this case, and the report has been sent to HIQA, the HSE's National Director and the Review Group. It is my intention to refer this case to the Independent Group established to examine the results of completed reviews of deaths of children in care since 2000. In the course of last week's Dáil debates the Deputy referred to a specific case in Co. Louth. If the Deputy wishes to furnish specific details of this case I will ask the HSE to have the matter investigated.

Departmental Transport.

Denis Naughten

Question:

215 Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health and Children the amount her Department paid annually for car mileage since 2007 to date in 2010; the amount paid to cover rail and bus tickets separately; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11694/10]

I regret that due to industrial action I am not in a position to provide a substantive response to your Parliamentary Question. If this matter remains of continuing concern to you, however, I would invite you to raise it with me again in due course.

Medical Cards.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Question:

216 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health and Children, further to Parliamentary Question No 139 of 4 February 2010, when a reply will issue from the Health Service Executive. [11701/10]

I regret that due to industrial action I am not in a position to provide a substantive response to your Parliamentary Question. If this matter remains of continuing concern to you, however, I would invite you to raise it with me again in due course.

Hospital Accommodation.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Question:

217 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health and Children, further to Parliamentary Question No. 140 of 4 February 2010, when a reply will issue from the Health Service Executive. [11702/10]

I regret that due to industrial action I am not in a position to provide a substantive response to your Parliamentary Question. If this matter remains of continuing concern to you, however, I would invite you to raise it with me again in due course.

Medical Cards.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Question:

218 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health and Children, further to Parliamentary Question No. 144 of 4 February 2010, when a reply will issue from the Health Service Executive. [11703/10]

I regret that due to industrial action I am not in a position to provide a substantive response to your Parliamentary Question. If this matter remains of continuing concern to you, however, I would invite you to raise it with me again in due course.

Question No. 219 answered with Question No. 181.

Road Network.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Question:

220 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Transport the progress made to date on the development of the N2/A5 — Monaghan to Derry and Donegal; the route selection Clontibret to Moy Bridge, including the by-pass of Emyvale; the stage of the N2 element of this overall intended works; the status the N2 element will be brought to, for example, dual carriageway; the anticipated overall cost of the N2 works and the A5 works separately; when he expects completion of the overall upgrade scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11093/10]

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility only for the overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme element of Transport 21. The construction, improvement and maintenance of national roads, including the projects mentioned by the Deputy, is a matter for the National Roads Authority under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2007 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned.

Job Losses.

Thomas P. Broughan

Question:

221 Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Transport his strategy for former workers at a company (details supplied) to return to work through education and job opportunities; if he is contributing to an interdepartmental business plan in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11114/10]

Policy relating to return to work through education and job opportunities is the responsibility of my colleague the Tánaiste and the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. As confirmed by the DAA in the CEO's statement to the Oireachtas Committee on Transport on the 24th February last on the subject of Hangar 6, DAA has at all times fully assisted the various State Agencies and Government Departments in their job creation efforts.

Rail Network.

Thomas P. Broughan

Question:

222 Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Transport if he has been briefed by Irish Rail on any proposals for a heritage service on the Rosslare-Waterford rail line; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11217/10]

Irish Rail recently briefed me on its plans for the Waterford-Rosslare railway line including the possible provision of tourist services by heritage railway interests. Decisions in relation to services on the line are, however, matters for Irish Rail in conjunction, in the case of public service obligation services, with the National Transport Authority.

Air Services.

Brian Hayes

Question:

223 Deputy Brian Hayes asked the Minister for Transport his views on correspondence (details supplied) sent to his Department on 24 February 2010; the reason that no regulatory or operational framework of microlight aircraft exists here in view of the existence of such a framework in other EU and international states; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11354/10]

The Regulation of microlight aircraft is an operational matter for the Irish Aviation Authority and I have no function in this matter.

Road Safety.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl

Question:

224 Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Transport if his attention has been drawn to the number of serious road traffic accidents that have occurred on the new M9, between Carlow and Kilkenny, since its opening in December 2009; his views on the situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11436/10]

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility only for the overall policy and funding in relation to the national Roads Programme element of Transport 21. Under Section 17 of the Roads Act 1993, it is the general duty of the National Roads Authority to secure the provision of a safe and efficient network of roads. For that purpose, it has responsibility for the planning and supervision of works for the construction and maintenance of national roads.

Air Services.

Ciarán Cuffe

Question:

225 Deputy Ciarán Cuffe asked the Minister for Transport the number of air traffic controllers employed by the State; the wage bill; the rates of pay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11438/10]

Decisions regarding the employment of air traffic controllers, including numbers and rates of pay are operational matters for the Irish Aviation Authority and I have no function in this regard.

Marine Safety.

John O'Donoghue

Question:

226 Deputy John O’Donoghue asked the Minister for Transport his plans to construct new coast guard stations at Valentia, County Kerry and Malin Head, County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11498/10]

My Department is awaiting an OPW report on the scale and cost of the works required at the Coast Guard Coordination Centres in Malin Head and Valentia. The report in expected by May and will determine the order in which the work will be done. I will review the matter at that time with an intention that, subject to funding, work will commence as soon as possible.

Departmental Appointments.

Brian Hayes

Question:

227 Deputy Brian Hayes asked the Minister for Transport the persons who represent his Department on the Grangegorman Development Agency consultative forum; the number of times these persons have attended these consultative forum meetings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11520/10]

My Department's nominees to the Consultative Forum of the Grangegorman Development Agency are Mr. J. Humphreys and Mr S. Ryan. (Mr. Ryan's nomination ceased with effect from January 2009). Between them they have attended two meetings of the Forum. While neither has been in a position to attend meetings of the Consultative Forum on an ongoing basis, they have received the minutes of the meetings and have been available to the Agency to follow up, if required, in relation to issues of relevance to my Department or to attend if specific issues of relevance to the Department required their attendance.

Rail Network.

Brian Hayes

Question:

228 Deputy Brian Hayes asked the Minister for Transport the recent discussions that he has had with Irish Rail and the Railway Procurement Agency in relation to the development of a line (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11523/10]

The development of transport projects in the Greater Dublin Area is a matter for the National Transport Authority. I have not had any recent discussions with either Irish Rail or the Railway Procurement Agency regarding the development of the Broadstone line.

Air Services.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl

Question:

229 Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Transport his views on correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11536/10]

The regulation of microlight aircraft is an operational matter for the Irish Aviation Authority and I have no function in the matter.

Departmental Transport.

Denis Naughten

Question:

230 Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Transport the amount his Department paid annually for car mileage since 2007 to date in 2010; the amount paid to cover rail and bus tickets separately; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11698/10]

The information requested cannot be provided at this time due to industrial action. The material will be provided at a later date.

Rail Services.

Paul Nicholas Gogarty

Question:

231 Deputy Paul Gogarty asked the Minister for Transport the opening date of the western rail corridor; his views on whether the seasonal flooding at Ballycar and Newmarket-on-Fergus in County Clare will adversely affect the performance of the route; the level of funding provided by his Department to Irish Rail to operate the service in 2010, 2011 and 2012; and the level of passenger traffic that will be achieved on the route in 2010 to 2012. [11722/10]

The Rail services between Galway and Limerick will commence on 30 March. The rest of the information requested cannot be provided at this time due to industrial action. The material will be provided at a later date.

Employment Rights.

Denis Naughten

Question:

232 Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he plans to reform the regulations governing foreign student employment; the regulations in place pre-2000, post-2000, and post-2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11704/10]

Since April 2001, following the introduction of a concession by the then Minister for Justice Equality and Law Reform, non-EEA nationals with permission to reside in the State as students were allowed to take up casual employment for 20 hours per week while studying and to work full time during vacation periods. In early 2005 the arrangements were refined somewhat. The entitlement to work was restricted to students on full-time courses of at least one year's duration leading to a qualification recognised by the Minister for Education and Science. The number of permitted working hours remained the same. These arrangements are still in place.

As the Deputy will be aware, a general review of the immigration regime for non-EEA students is underway at present. Following publication of a discussion paper on 1 September 2009 and a public consultation process, an Interdepartmental Committee chaired by my Department has been drawing up final recommendations. I expect to receive the Committee's report shortly. The discussion paper had indicated that a separate exercise over a longer timeframe would be carried out by this Committee in relation to the student work concession. When I have received the Committee's report on the overall reform of student immigration and reviewed its recommendations I will consider further when the Committee should carry out its review of the work concession.

Citizenship Applications.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl

Question:

233 Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will consider the case of a person (details supplied) who has applied for naturalisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11077/10]

I regret that the information requested by the Deputy is not readily to hand. I will write to the Deputy as soon as it is available.

Crime Levels.

Sean Sherlock

Question:

234 Deputy Seán Sherlock asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views on the United States overseas security advisory council’s report advising American tourists of the rising crime rates here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11090/10]

The report referred to by the Deputy is based on the recorded crime statistics for the third quarter of 2009, published by the Central Statistics Office. The statistics for the full year 2009 show that there was a decrease in nine of the 14 crime groups for which statistics were provided. Notable trends included a decrease in the numbers of cases of manslaughter (down 60%) and dangerous driving causing death (down 26.5%). These contributed to an overall fall in homicide offences of 10.1%. The number of cases of murder and manslaughter taken together (55) showed no increase in the year. Many murders are gang related, which underlines the necessity of the tough legislation enacted last year and which is now being fully utilised by An Garda Síochána. In 2009 there were also decreases in public order offences (down 7.8%) and controlled drugs offences (down 6.3%).

Measures are being taken to address the rise shown in some forms of property crime reflected in the figures. There is a need for appropriate support for elderly people who may be subject to bogus callers to their homes. While householders must be vigilant, we must do what we can to protect the more vulnerable people in our society. I have met the Attorney General with regard to the issue of mandatory sentencing for such crimes, and he has requested the Law Reform Commission to examine the issue.

I believe that the budgetary allocation for An Garda Síochána in 2010 — set against a difficult economic backdrop — gives me scope to continue to prioritise resources in dealing with crime. I am pleased that, despite the increased Garda retirements in 2009, the force numbered just over 14,500 members at the end of 2009, compared with 14,412 at the end of 2008 and 13,755 at the end of 2007. I am also pleased that the number of road traffic fatalities decreased to 239 in 2009, down from 279 the previous year.

Liquor Licensing Laws.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Question:

235 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the process by which an existing holder of a publican’s licence renews the licence, including court appearance and notification in the local newspapers; the timeframes involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11145/10]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Question:

236 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the process by which an existing holder of a off-licence liquor licence renews the licence, including court appearance and notification in the local newspapers; the timeframes involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11146/10]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Question:

237 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the process and grounds by which an individual or group can object to the renewal of a publican’s licence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11147/10]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Question:

238 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the process and grounds by which an individual or group can object to the renewal of an liquor off-licence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11148/10]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Question:

239 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his plans to change the liquor licensing system in the forthcoming sale of alcohol Bill to facilitate greater community involvement in decisions concerning renewal of liquor licences; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11149/10]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Question:

240 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the process by which the holder of a liquor licence can apply for a special exemption order, including if a court appearance and notification in the local newspapers is required; the timeframes involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11150/10]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Question:

241 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will implement the recommendation of the final report of the Commission on Liquor Licensing 2003 to enable local authorities to have a role, in consultation with local interests, regarding the grant of special exemption orders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11152/10]

I propose to answer Questions Nos. 235 to 241, inclusive, together.

I am not in a position as Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to give advice on the law in response to Questions on specific matters. However, I can say that the law on renewal of intoxicating liquor licences and on special exemption orders is contained in the Licensing Acts 1833 to 2008. In so far as the proposed Sale of Alcohol Bill is concerned, the position is that the final details will be made available by way of publication of the Bill. The Heads of the Draft General Scheme of the Bill may be consulted on my Department's website at www.justice.ie.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Question:

242 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of prosecutions, convictions and closure orders obtained under the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2002 in the years 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11153/10]

The Garda Síochána Act 2005 makes provision for the compilation and publication of crime statistics by the Central Statistics Office, as the national statistical agency, and the CSO has established a dedicated unit for this purpose. I will make arrangements, as soon as possible, to forward the Deputy's request in respect of prosecutions and convictions to the CSO for direct reply. I am not in a position to respond at this time to the Deputy's request in respect of closure orders, but will do so as soon as possible.

Public Order Offences.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Question:

243 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of offences committed under sections 4, 5 and 6 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994 in the years 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11154/10]

The Garda Síochána Act 2005 makes provision for the compilation and publication of crime statistics by the Central Statistics Office, as the national statistical agency, and the CSO has established a dedicated unit for this purpose. I will make arrangements, as soon as possible, to forward the Deputy's request to the CSO for direct reply.

Liquor Licensing Laws.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Question:

244 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if the guidelines to facilitate the commencement of test purchasing as provided for in section 14 of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2008 have been finalised; when he expects to commence the section; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11155/10]

The work on finalising the draft guidelines in respect of the procedures to be followed during test purchasing operations is at an advanced stage. I expect to be in a position to launch the guidelines in the near future, at which point I will also indicate the commencement date for section 14 of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2008.

Crime Prevention.

Brian O'Shea

Question:

245 Deputy Brian O’Shea asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his plans to address the concerns of a person (details supplied) in County Waterford regarding security of homes in rural Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11172/10]

I am concerned at the incidence of burglaries and threats to the security of people's homes. Consequently, one of the policing priorities which I set for An Garda Síochána in 2010 is achieving the maximum levels of safety for local communities. The Garda Commissioner shares my concerns. An Garda Síochána continually develop and implement crime prevention and detection strategies to target those who are committing burglaries. These include intelligence-led and focused operations and a strong emphasis on crime prevention and reduction, with the aim of reducing not only crime but also the fear of crime and so ensuring a better quality of community life for all.

A community policing ethos drives the work of An Garda Síochána. The number of personnel assigned as dedicated community Gardaí has increased from 630 at the end of 2007 to 1,058 at the end of 2009, an increase of 68%. An Garda Síochána also support a number of initiatives which promote a community contribution to increasing public safety, including Community Alert and Neighbourhood Watch. In rural areas the Community Alert programme, which was set up by Muintir na Tíre in association with An Garda Síochána in 1985, is a national movement comprising more than 1,300 local groups dedicated to improving the quality of life of vulnerable people in rural Ireland, particularly the elderly. My Department provides financial support to Community Alert.

Penalties for burglary and aggravated burglary are severe. A person who is convicted on indictment of the offence of burglary is liable to a fine or to a term of imprisonment of up to 14 years. A conviction for aggravated burglary carries a sentence of life imprisonment. Nevertheless, I have met the Attorney General with regard to the issue of mandatory sentencing for such crimes, and he has requested the Law Reform Commission to examine the issue.

If members of the public have suspicions that goods being sold or traded may have been stolen, they should refer these suspicions to An Garda Síochána for investigation. An Garda Síochána also encourage people to put measures in place in their homes to protect themselves and their property and reduce their vulnerability to such crime.

Residency Permits.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Question:

246 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position regarding an application for leave to remain in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Meath. [11182/10]

I regret to advise the Deputy that it is not possible to provide a response to his Question at this time. The information sought by the Deputy will be provided at a later date.

Citizenship Applications.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Question:

247 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position regarding the application for citizenship in respect of persons (details supplied). [11183/10]

I regret that the information requested by the Deputy is not readily to hand. I will write to the Deputy as soon as it is available.

Residency Permits.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Question:

248 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position regarding the residency applications in respect of persons (details supplied). [11184/10]

I regret to advise the Deputy that it is not possible to provide a response to his Question at this time. The information sought by the Deputy will be provided at a later date.

Citizenship Applications.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Question:

249 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position regarding the citizenship applications by persons (details supplied) in Dublin 17. [11185/10]

I regret that the information requested by the Deputy is not readily to hand. I will write to the Deputy as soon as it is available.

Garda Stations.

Joe McHugh

Question:

250 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will address public concern in a town (details supplied) in County Donegal caused by the temporary closure of the town’s Garda station; the nature and thrust of An Garda Síochána services that will be provided in the town during this period; when the Garda station will reopen; the cost of these refurbishments to the building; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11191/10]

I am advised by the Garda authorities that a contract is in place for the refurbishment and extension of the accommodation at Carndonagh and work commenced on site on the 2nd of March 2010. The refurbishment and extension works are expected to last a number of months during which time Gardaí normally based at Carndonagh will operate from Clonmany and Malin stations. In addition, a Garda public office will operate in Carndonagh during weekdays from 9.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m., for the duration of refurbishment works, to facilitate public enquiries.

Garda management monitor, on an ongoing basis, policing arrangements and operational strategies in place, in conjunction with crime trends and policing needs of the communities, to ensure optimum use is made of Garda resources and the best possible Garda service is provided to the public. In this regard, local Garda management have put in place arrangements to ensure that there is no diminution in the policing service provided to the North Inishowen area in the period concerned. While I do not have details of all the costs involved, I understand from the Office of Public Works that the relevant expenditure is likely to exceed €100,000.

Garda Disciplinary Proceedings.

Pat Rabbitte

Question:

251 Deputy Pat Rabbitte asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the steps he has taken to address a submission (details supplied) regarding bullying at work by a member of An Garda Síochána; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11198/10]

The matter referred to by the Deputy was copied to me recently as part of correspondence between the person in question and the Commissioner. It is however a matter for the Commissioner to deal with under the procedures for dealing with allegations of bullying and harassment in An Garda Síochána.

Garda Deployment.

Maureen O'Sullivan

Question:

252 Deputy Maureen O’Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when an appointment will be made to the vacancy at the Bridewell Garda station, Dublin 7, for the post of crime prevention officer. [11209/10]

Responsibility for the allocation of resources, including personnel, within the Force rests with the Garda Commissioner, in consultation with his senior management team. Resource levels are constantly monitored, in conjunction with crime trends and other demands made on An Garda Síochána and the situation is kept under continuing review.

Departmental Correspondence.

Michael Ring

Question:

253 Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if an application for a scheme in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Galway has been received; if so, the stage of this application; and when a decision will be made on an application. [11244/10]

Michael Ring

Question:

254 Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if documentation will be returned to a person (details supplied) in County Galway. [11245/10]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 253 and 254 together.

I am informed by the Immigration Division of my Department that an application under this scheme was received from the person referred to by the Deputy. The person has been advised by my Department that she is not eligible for consideration under this particular scheme and it has recently written to her in this regard. Her passport and supporting documentation have also been returned. I have also been informed that my officials have advised the person in question that she may qualify under the new provisions for non-EEA workers who are made redundant and have advised her of the conditions that apply under that scheme.

Visa Applications.

Liz McManus

Question:

255 Deputy Liz McManus asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views on criticisms from an organisation (details supplied) that the tourist visa system operated by his Department is having a negative impact on the tourism industry and costing thousands of jobs; his further views on the requirements for various documentation from visitors from China, India and Russia and whether these requirements are necessary; if he will review this system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11353/10]

While promotion of tourism in Ireland is primarily a matter for the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism and associated agencies, I am aware of recent media coverage of comments by the Chief Executive of the Coach Tourism and Transport Council (CTTC). In fact, officials of my Department have already met with the Chief Executive of the CTTC to discuss matters of mutual interest and lines of communication in this important area will be kept open.

The Deputy mentions the type of documentation required of certain types of short-stay visa applicant. This point was covered at the meeting with the CTTC. It appears that there is confusion about the type of documentation to be produced by persons coming to Ireland to visit family members or friends, and those with no connections in Ireland coming here on holiday. The following extract from guidance for visa applicants, which appears on the website of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service website, makes a distinction between the type of documentation and supporting information required by both categories of traveller:

Full details of the reason for your visit — e.g. to visit family, friends, etc.

If you intend staying in hotel accommodation, confirmation of booking from the hotel.

A letter of invitation from your reference in Ireland confirming accommodation will be provided for duration of your visit.

It must be stressed that both types of visitor are very welcome to visit Ireland and my officials will endeavour to make the guidance for visa applicants even clearer

As with all visa services in all countries worldwide, the central concern is to strike an appropriate balance between protecting the country's vital national interests by maintaining an effective immigration regime, while at the same time not placing unnecessary or unreasonable obstacles in the way of those who intend travelling for legitimate purposes and who are likely to abide by the terms of their visa. Each visa application is decided on its own merits and I believe that, in most cases, my Department achieves this balance. Visa approval rates for some of the countries mentioned in recent media reports and, in particular, in some of the countries mentioned by the Deputy, bear this out. Approval rates for visa applications of all types processed through some Irish overseas Visa Offices in 2009 were:

New Delhi (serving India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal) — 90%;

Beijing (serving China, Cambodia, Mongolia) — 86%;

Moscow (serving Russia and several former Soviet republics) — 98%;

London (serving all visa required nationals based in the UK) — 98%.

Sexual Offences.

Brendan Kenneally

Question:

256 Deputy Brendan Kenneally asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position regarding a sex offenders register here and if he intends to implement an all-Ireland sex offenders register; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11404/10]

The Sex Offenders Act 2001 contains a comprehensive series of provisions aimed at protecting children and other persons. The Act makes persons convicted of a range of sexual offences subject to notification requirements under its Part 2. The provisions of the Act also extend to any offenders convicted abroad of the same range of sexual offences who enter the State, including from Northern Ireland.

An Garda Síochána has a system in place for the monitoring of all persons subject to these requirements. The Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Investigation Unit monitors and manages the notification provisions. The Unit maintains all information relating to persons who have obligations under the Act. There is a nominated Garda Inspector in each Garda Division who has responsibility for the monitoring of persons subject to the requirements of the Act in their Division. As soon as the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Investigation Unit is advised by a relevant authority, such as the Irish Prison Service, the Courts Service or a foreign law enforcement agency, of the impending release or movement of sex offenders into their area this information is immediately passed to the nominated Inspectors, who are advised of information relevant to their Division.

An Garda Síochána and the PSNI maintain close contact and exchange intelligence on convicted sex offenders. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the Irish and British Governments in 2006 on the sharing between An Garda Síochána and British police forces, including the PSNI, of information on sex offenders. An Garda Síochána and the PSNI have subsequently signed an agreement on the sharing of personal data in relation to the investigation of sexual offences and the monitoring of sex offenders.

A High Level Group set up by my Department and involving An Garda Síochána, the Irish Prison Service, the Probation Service and the HSE is examining the arrangements in place for the management of sex offenders with a view to strengthening inter-agency co-operation and further enhancing public protection and safety. The group's remit includes a review of the procedures and legislation relating to the assessment, monitoring and supervision of convicted sex offenders.

I am currently reviewing the criminal law on sexual offences, including the provisions of the Sex Offenders Act 2001. The review is taking into account the relevant legislative provisions in force in Northern Ireland and the importance of ensuring that convicted sex offenders gain no advantage from living in or visiting either of the jurisdictions on this island. Should the need for changes to the law in this area be identified, I will bring proposals to Government seeking approval for the preparation of appropriate amendments to the legislation.

Citizenship Applications.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

257 Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position regarding an application for citizenship in the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 8; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11417/10]

I regret that the information requested by the Deputy is not readily to hand. I will write to the Deputy as soon as it is available.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

258 Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the progress made to date in the determination of residency status and citizenship in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11418/10]

I regret that the information requested by the Deputy is not readily to hand. I will write to the Deputy as soon as it is available.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

259 Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position regarding an application for family reunification in the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 15; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11419/10]

I regret to advise the Deputy that it is not possible to provide a response to his Question at this time. The information sought by the Deputy will be provided at a later date.

Residency Permits.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

260 Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position regarding an application for residency in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11420/10]

I regret to advise the Deputy that it is not possible to provide a response to his Question at this time. The information sought by the Deputy will be provided at a later date.

Citizenship Applications.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

261 Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when a Garda national immigration card will be returned to a person (details supplied) while consideration takes place of their application for naturalisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11421/10]

Officials in the Citizenship Division of my Department inform me that they did not request nor are they in possession of a Garda National Immigration Card from the person referred to in the Deputy's question. It is not the policy of that Division to seek original documents from an applicant until processing of an application has been finalised.

Residency Permits.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

262 Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the progress to date in the determination of residency or citizenship in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11422/10]

I refer the Deputy to my Reply to his recent Parliamentary Question, No. 150 of Thursday, 11 February 2010, in this matter. The position in the State of the person concerned is as set out in that Reply.

Road Traffic Accidents.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl

Question:

263 Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of road traffic accidents that have been investigated by the Garda since the new M9 motorway, between Carlow and Kilcullen, opened in December 2009; if the number is unprecedented for a new road; if An Garda Síochána has expressed concerns on the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11435/10]

I am not in a position to respond to the Deputy at this time, but will do so as soon as the relevant information is available.

Pension Provisions.

Charles Flanagan

Question:

264 Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the reason for the delay in the payment of retirement pension to a prison officer (details supplied) in County Laois, who retired on 24 December 2009 and who has not received pension or gratuity in respect of their service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11455/10]

The information requested by the Deputy is not currently available. It will be provided as soon as possible.

Citizenship Applications.

Dan Neville

Question:

265 Deputy Dan Neville asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position regarding an application for citizenship in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Limerick. [11461/10]

Officials in the Citizenship Division of my Department inform me that there is no record of an application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to in the Deputy's Question

Terence Flanagan

Question:

266 Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will support the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 5; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11489/10]

Section 15 of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act, 1956, as amended, provides that the Minister may grant a certificate of naturalisation if, among other things, the applicant has been resident in the State for five years in the nine year period before the date of application i.e. 60 months and has one year's continuous residency immediately preceding the date of application. For the purpose of calculating this residency, no period may be taken into account where a non-Irish national:

was required to have the permission of the Minister to remain in the State but did not have that permission or

had permission to remain for the purpose of study (whether or not such study necessitated the employment of the non-national during the whole or part of the period of study) or

had permission to remain for the purpose of seeking to be recognised as a refugee (within the meaning of the Refugee Act, 1996) where such application was either unsuccessful or withdrawn.

An examination of her permissions as evidenced by stamps placed in her passport by an immigration officer indicated that the person concerned did not meet the necessary criteria at the time she applied. I have asked my officials to re-issue the letter of 29 September 2009 along with the document showing the calculation of residency.

Deportation Orders.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Question:

267 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the numbers of asylum applicants and others who were deported from the State during the week beginning 1 March 2010; their country of birth; the locations to which they were transported out of here; the locations at which they resided here; the number of those deported that left a husband or wife or partner or children behind; the number of those children who were born here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11517/10]

I regret to advise the Deputy that it is not possible to provide a response to his Question at this time. The information sought by the Deputy will be provided at a later date.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Question:

268 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of persons deported from this State during the week beginning 1 March 2010 who had been given access to a judicial review process prior to their forced departure; the number who did not have this; the position regarding entitlement to same for asylum seekers generally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11518/10]

I am informed by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service of my Department that 25 people were deported from the State during the week beginning 1 March 2010. In relation to access to the judicial review process, I would refer to the Deputy to the relevant legislation in this regard. Section 5 of the Illegal Immigrants (Trafficking) Act 2000 provides that any person the subject of a deportation order can question the validity of that order by way of an application for judicial review under Order 84 of the Rules of the Superior Courts (S.I. No. 15 of 1986).

Probation and Welfare Service.

Brian Hayes

Question:

269 Deputy Brian Hayes asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to plans to open a prisoner rehabilitation facility in an area (details supplied) in Dublin 1; if these plans are inconsistent with the national drugs strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11521/10]

I can inform the Deputy that the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform through the Probation Service provides funding to approximately 50 voluntary bodies to assist with the management of offenders in the community. These funded projects provide a range of services to offenders in local communities, including training and education, offender management programmes, residential accommodation, and drug and alcohol abuse treatment programmes. The project, the subject of this Parliamentary Question, is one such project.

As the Deputy may be aware the Project in question provides an intensive supervision programme for male offenders in the greater Dublin area who are subject to Probation Service supervision. The programme is delivered by a multi-disciplinary team with the Probation Service as the lead agency. For clarity I should point out that this project is not an addiction treatment centre. The project is currently accommodated in leased premises in Parnell St, Dublin 1. These premises have been found not to be suitable for the long term operation of the project and in January this year work commenced on the fit out of new office premises at Wolfe Tone Street also in Dublin 1. The project is expected to move in after the construction work is completed in May and before their current lease expires.

Although my Department recognises that addiction is a contributory factor in re-offending the Probation Service is not a primary drug treatment service provider. As the Deputy is fully aware the HSE is established as the principal provider and funder of medical and non-medical addiction services for both illicit drug and alcohol use delivered through its Social Inclusion Services. That said, I can assure the Deputy that, in keeping with the principles in the National Drug Strategy 2009-2016 and specific recommendations contained therein, the Probation Service is fully committed to playing its part in the development and implementation of a comprehensive and integrated drug treatment implementation programme.

Identity Documents.

Richard Bruton

Question:

270 Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if there are photographic identity documents that can be provided to persons who do not drive or have occasion to require a passport, now that financial institutions frequently require such for avoidance of money laundering and so on. [11553/10]

My Department has no responsibility for the provision of identity documents of the kind referred to by the Deputy.

Departmental Transport.

Denis Naughten

Question:

271 Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the amount his Department paid annually for car mileage since 2007 to date in 2010; the amount paid to cover rail and bus tickets separately; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11695/10]

The information in respect of Subhead A of my Department's Vote sought by the Deputy is as follows: 2007 Mileage €123,796; 2007 Rail&Bus €18,485; 2008 Mileage €124,176; 2008 Rail&Bus €18,115; 2009 Mileage €56,400; €2009 Rail&Bus €17,103; 2010 Mileage €4,179; 2010 Rail&Bus €2,415.

Airport Security.

Paul Nicholas Gogarty

Question:

272 Deputy Paul Gogarty asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the amount spent by his Department with particular reference to operations of the Garda Síochána, in providing security at Shannon Airport in the years 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 with respect to the airport being used by the US military; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11716/10]

The Deputy should be aware that the deployment of Garda resources is a matter for the Garda Commissioner, taking into account all relevant factors. The Deputy should also note that the policing arrangements at Shannon Airport are deemed necessary to ensure the safety and security of airport personnel, passengers, the general public and property. Expenditure in this regard is met from the Garda Vote, not from my Department's Vote. I am informed by the Garda Authorities that expenditure in connection with the provision of policing arrangements at Shannon Airport since 2004 is as set out in the table below.

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

€1,550,318

€1,471,450

€4,080,737

€2,558,315

€2,046,958

€2,091,457

I am further informed that details of overall costs prior to 2004 are not readily available from the Garda financial management system. I can indicate to the Deputy from information provided previously that, excluding salary costs, €762,999 was spent in 2003 in this regard.

Human Rights Issues.

Brendan Howlin

Question:

273 Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the progress of democratic and political reform in Zimbabwe; the position regarding human rights repression in Zimbabwe and the recent arrests of leaders of the General Agricultural and Plantation Workers Union and activists from Women of Zimbabwe Arise; the efforts of his Department’s representatives in Zimbabwe, which have been effective in applying pressure on human rights cases in the recent past; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11169/10]

The situation in Zimbabwe continues to be of great concern to the Government and to the European Union as a whole. While we have seen some improvements in the economic sphere since the formation of the unity government, this has not been matched in other crucial areas, including respect for human rights, the rule of law and security sector reform. In particular, the continued intimidation, harassment and violence directed against political activists and members of Zimbabwean civil society, including the recent incidents cited by the Deputy, are of grave concern.

In terms of finding a way forward on these issues, Zimbabwe's neighbours have a critical role to play in encouraging reform, and can bring the greatest influence to bear in achieving progress in implementing the power sharing agreement. In that regard, the summit last November of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), who are the guarantors of the Global Political Agreement (GPA), committed both parties in the unity government to enter talks on the full implementation of the GPA. This is a positive development and, with our EU partners, we will continue to support any such efforts to secure full implementation of the GPA and a unity government that delivers on the promise of reform.

Regrettably, political dialogue between the EU and Zimbabwe has stalled. The EU has repeatedly stated its willingness to re-engage with the Zimbabwean Government. Re-engagement, however, remains conditional on a willingness to pursue in good faith the agreed goals set out in the GPA. These include restoration of the rule of law, commitment to the democratic process, and respect for human rights. We will continue to monitor the situation and press all members of the inclusive government to fulfil these obligations.

In the meantime, Ireland has worked closely with our EU partners in developing a consistent approach to Zimbabwe that benefits the people of Zimbabwe, while maintaining pressure on the Government to reform. In keeping with other international donors, we do not provide funding to the Zimbabwean Government, but respond to the humanitarian needs of the Zimbabwean people through support for the work of multilateral and non-governmental organisations. In 2009, Ireland provided funding of €5.6 million to a range of humanitarian programmes in Zimbabwe, focused on food security, tackling HIV and AIDS, human rights and supporting civil society organisations that provide essential services for the population. It is vital for the future of Zimbabwe that the unity government delivers on the promise of reform, and secures for Zimbabwe's people real political freedoms, a return to the rule of law and economic development. Ireland will continue to work with our partners in the international community to encourage progress in these areas.

Departmental Transport.

Denis Naughten

Question:

274 Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the amount his Department paid annually for car mileage since 2007 to date in 2010; the amount paid to cover rail and bus tickets separately; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11693/10]

The Department of Foreign Affairs is responsible for two Votes — Vote 28 (Foreign Affairs) and Vote 29 (International Cooperation), which is administered by the Department's Development Cooperation Division (Irish Aid) which decentralised to Limerick in 2008. The total expenditure by my Department for the purposes referred to by the Deputy is set out in the following table:

Year

Mileage

Rail and Bus Tickets

€000

€000

2007

346

157

2008

361

197

2009

224

188

2010 (to 4th March)

84

15

Sports Capital Programme.

Finian McGrath

Question:

275 Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he will support a club (details supplied) in Dublin 3 in 2010. [11210/10]

The club in question has received €657,896 in funding under the Sports Capital Programme, all of which has been drawn down.

Finian McGrath

Question:

276 Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he will support a club (details supplied) in Dublin 5. [11211/10]

The club in question has received €340,461 in funding under the Sports Capital Programme, all of which has been drawn down. Most recently, a payment of €142,500 was made by the Department on 19 November 2009 and a further payment of €7,500 was authorised on 2 March 2010 which may have been received by the club.

Tourist Accommodation.

Mary White

Question:

277 Deputy Mary Alexandra White asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he expects to produce legislation as part of implementation of the Towards Competitiveness and Distinction, a framework for action for the Irish homes bed and breakfast sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11347/10]

Mary White

Question:

278 Deputy Mary Alexandra White asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he expects to produce legislation to increase quality control measures for the bed and breakfast sector. [11348/10]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 277 and 278 together.

The Irish Bed and Breakfast Working Group produced its report "Towards Competitiveness and Distinction" in June 2008 following which an implementation group chaired by Ms Mairead Lavery was established. Both groups comprise members of the bed and breakfast representative bodies, marketing groups and independents. The implementation of the recommendations in the report is a day to day matter for Fáilte Ireland under the National Tourism Development Authority Act 2003. I am advised by Fáilte Ireland that legislation is not required to ensure the implementation of the recommendations contained in the report and that no proposal for separate legislation was put forward in either the report or by the implementation group. Fáilte Ireland advises me that legislation is not necessary to increase quality control measures for the bed and breakfast sector. I have, therefore, no plans to introduce legislation on either of these matters.

Sports Capital Programme.

Michael McGrath

Question:

279 Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the position regarding the payment of a grant to a club (details supplied) in County Cork under the sports capital grant programme. [11476/10]

The grantee in question was allocated a number of grants under the Sports Capital Programme between 1996 and 2004. The grant allocations are subject to the terms and conditions of the Programme, which include the execution of a Deed of Covenant and Charge. A Deed provides, inter alia, for a refund of the grant in the event of the facility not continuing to be used for the purpose for which the grant was allocated. The Department’s legal adviser, the Chief State Solicitor’s Office (CSSO), deals with the grantee’s solicitor in executing this Deed. The CSSO wrote to the club’s solicitors in relation to this matter most recently on 7 July 2009. The latest update from the CSSO is that no response has been received to that letter.

It is also the case that the Department received additional documentation from the grantee in question in relation to the allocation on 14 July 2009. However, as the Deed of Covenant and Charge is required in order to protect the taxpayers' investment in the project, the Department must await clarification from the CSSO that all legal formalities have been completed before it may consider providing formal approval for the project.

Tax Code.

Mary Upton

Question:

280 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he will arrange a meeting of all interested parties to discuss and progress the issue of remote gambling and taxation, to include organisations (details supplied) and any other appropriate parties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11516/10]

The Deputy will be aware that my colleague, the Minister for Finance, has stated that it is his intention to widen, if possible, the tax base on which betting duty would be applied. Bets placed either on-line or over the phone are generally with out-of-State companies so applying betting duty is therefore problematic. However, officials from the Department of Finance, in conjunction with the Office of the Attorney General, the Office of the Revenue Commissioners and the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, are looking at the scope to overcome legal and operational difficulties in this area.

In addition, the Department of Finance is working closely with the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform which has initiated a review in order to provide the Government with options for a new and comprehensive legal and organisational framework governing gambling architecture in the State. As part of that review the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform has received submissions from and met with the stakeholders. I have also discussed these matters with representatives of the organisations concerned in the context of the future funding of the horse and greyhound industries.

Departmental Transport.

Denis Naughten

Question:

281 Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the amount his Department paid annually for car mileage since 2007 to date in 2010; the amount paid to cover rail and bus tickets separately; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11685/10]

My Department has paid the following amounts annually in respect of car mileage since 2007 to date in 2010:

Year

2007

82,981.34

2008

61,507.43

2009

34,819.13

2010 to date

3,283.90

My Department has paid the following amounts annually in respect of rail and bus tickets since 2007 to date in 2010:

Year

2007

18,764.07

2008

21,552.96

2009

30,796.37

2010 to date

3,302.85

Tourism Industry.

Ruairí Quinn

Question:

282 Deputy Ruairí Quinn asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the voices of anger that have been expressed in the German media by disappointed tourists who returned from here having experienced blocked access to country walks (details supplied); the action he proposes to take to ensure that the commitments by him to facilitate ease of access to countryside walking here are pursued; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11080/10]

I am aware of the article referred to by the Deputy which, I understand, has appeared on a website blog. While I acknowledge that different users of our walking trails can have different experiences, I am disappointed that the position represented in the article does not reflect the very significant progress that has been made in this area in recent years.

There is a commitment at all levels of Government to provide a quality experience for all walkers, including tourists. This has been underpinned by the excellent work of Comhairle na Tuaithe and by many other stakeholders. The development of the Walks Scheme has seen unprecedented progress in this area, with 27 trails specifically supported under the Scheme. This is in addition to other initiatives, for example in the area of looped walks, where there are now 165 such facilities available throughout the countryside.

I am aware that several of the specific points raised in the article are inherent to the nature of the walks, such as weather-related issues and archaeological sensitivities. Overall, I believe the position in these areas is more positive and walker-friendly than has been described. I should also point out that my Department actively engages in resolving disputes where access is threatened or denied and, in addition, the 12 Rural Recreation Officers who are employed throughout the country, work diligently in following up access issues and liaising with walkers. I am of the view that when it comes to the development of walks and access issues, a local community-based approach is the best way forward and indeed, many of the controversial access points throughout the country have been resolved through engagement with landholders and local communities.

Ruairí Quinn

Question:

283 Deputy Ruairí Quinn asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the number of landowners who have volunteered to participate in the two pilot walking schemes at Carauntwohill, County Kerry and Mount Gable, County Galway; if these two pilot schemes have been completed; the number of new schemes planned; when they will be implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11079/10]

As the Deputy is aware, my Department, through the work of Comhairle Na Tuaithe, is engaged in the development of pilot schemes to facilitate access to upland areas for recreation purposes. In relation to the pilot project at Mount Gable, good progress has been made in identifying the land-holders concerned and in securing their agreement for permissive access to the upland areas. To date, some 25 land-holders have indicated willingness to participate in the pilot project and there have been very constructive engagements with a range of community and recreation interest groups who are involved in the development of this project. The pilot project at Carrauntoohill is at an earlier stage of development. Some ten land-holders have agreed to participate and work is ongoing to identify both the scope of the uplands area to be covered and the land-holders involved.

It is anticipated that both pilot projects will be launched during 2010. Depending on the progress in this regard, I anticipate rolling out arrangements for uplands access nationally as soon as possible, with the assistance of the Local Development Companies and other stakeholders, including those involved with Comhairle na Tuaithe. I am keen to address what I consider is the significant demand for unrestricted hill walking and I believe having well delivered pilot projects, with broad community involvement, is an important first step in this initiative.

European Year of Volunteering.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Question:

284 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the steps he will take to support the European Year of Volunteering 2011; if he will establish a committee to oversee the year; the level of funding he will provide to support activities during the year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11166/10]

Each EU Member State is required to designate a national co-ordinating body which will be responsible for organising its participation in the European Year of Volunteering 2011. The Irish nominee is Volunteering Ireland, a representative body whose member organisations include the GAA, the ICA, the FAI, St Vincent de Paul, Tidy Towns Association and the National Youth Council of Ireland. Volunteering Ireland is in the process of establishing a steering committee of relevant organisations from the community & voluntary sector, as well as State representatives. In carrying out its duties, Volunteering Ireland will be required to closely consult with a wide range of relevant stakeholders within civil society and, where appropriate, the national agencies or contact points of relevant community programmes.

The EU Commission will determine the indicative amounts available for grants to each national co-ordinating body. The criteria for funding will take into account population size, the cost of living, and a fixed amount per Member State to guarantee a minimum level of activities. The maximum EU co-financing is set at 80% of the total eligible cost, with the remaining 20% to be provided by the Exchequer, through my Department. Each national co-ordinating body will be required to submit a single application for EU funding. The application will be required to detail the national co-ordinating body's work programme to promote the European Year.

Departmental Correspondence.

Terence Flanagan

Question:

285 Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will respond to a query (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11230/10]

There are two issues of public concern raised in the Deputy's Question. However, given the difficulty in responding adequately to the matters raised by him within the constraints of a ‘details supplied' Question, I am arranging to have the relevant information forwarded directly to him. If the Deputy would prefer to re-submit the Question in a less restricted format, I will, of course, be glad to put my response on the record of the House.

Community Development.

Brian O'Shea

Question:

286 Deputy Brian O’Shea asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs his views on the proposal for a new local and community development programme structure in Waterford city (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11474/10]

As the Deputy is aware, the aim of the new Local and Community Development Programme (LCDP) is to tackle poverty and social exclusion through partnership and constructive engagement between Government and its agencies and people in disadvantaged communities, while enabling groups to objectively demonstrate the positive impacts they are securing for local communities.

It is intended that the LCDP will be implemented nationally on an integrated basis through new structural arrangements involving the 53 Partnership Companies and the 164 Community Development Projects. Local development companies and projects will be able to identify and meet the needs of communities and particular attention will be given to RAPID areas and to those areas where a CDP is no longer operating. An implementation strategy, involving the stakeholders, is underway for LCDP roll-out over the course of 2010. My Department has set out a model for integrated service delivery and structures at a local level which would involve, among other things, the re-constitution of the voluntary boards of CDPs from the end of 2010.

My Department has taken care in the design of the implementation process for the LCDP and ample time has been allowed to ensure that the objective of integrated service delivery can be achieved. However, it has been conveyed to CDPs and local development companies that if better models are proposed by them, these will be accepted, as long as they achieve integrated and cost effective service delivery.

In the view of my Department, the model proposed for Waterford City does not meet the objective of integrated service delivery and structures, and, in fact, would create additional structures. Moreover, it is considered that the model proposed does not have the potential either to achieve the kind of efficiencies that are required in light of budgetary provisions or to reduce the heavy administrative and legal burdens currently required of CDP board members.

National Drugs Strategy.

Joe Costello

Question:

287 Deputy Joe Costello asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the number of local drugs tasks forces here; the funding granted to each task force in each of the past three years including the funding for 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11485/10]

There are 14 Local Drugs Task Forces funded by my Department. The funding allocated to each Task Force since 2007 is outlined in the table below.

Local Drugs Task Force Area

Funding allocated 2007

Funding allocated 2008

Funding allocated 2009

Funding allocated 2010

€m

€m

€m

€m

Ballyfermot

1.52

1.83

1.57

1.53

Ballymun

1.13

1.43

1.26

1.24

Blanchardstown

1.12

1.39

1.29

1.18

Bray

1.65

1.8

1.77

1.66

Canal Communities

1.79

1.82

1.72

1.65

Clondalkin

1.48

1.65

1.58

1.50

Cork

1.64

1.84

1.76

1.66

Cross Task Force projects*

0.85

0.12

0.1

0.1

Dublin 12

0.05

1.41

1.23

1.18

Dublin North East

1.24

1.48

1.26

1.29

Dún Laoghaire/ Rathdown

1.12

1.06

1.03

0.98

Finglas Cabra

0.89

1.06

0.91

0.99

North Inner City

2.36

2.97

2.62

2.50

South Inner City

1.84

2.63

2.43

2.28

Tallaght

1.21

1.41

1.28

1.32

Total

19.89

23.9

21.81

21.05

*These projects cater for clients from a number of different Task Force areas.

Departmental Transport.

Denis Naughten

Question:

288 Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the amount his Department paid annually for car mileage since 2007 to date in 2010; the amount paid to cover rail and bus tickets separately; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11687/10]

The relevant costs from 2007 to date in 2010 are set out in the table below:

2007

2008

2009

2010 (to 1 March 2010)

Car mileage

362,338

386,299

211,673

16,585

Train fares

21,072

25,810

19,066

1,713

Bus fares

642

1,067

1,190

90

Replies to Questions Nos. 289 to 343, inclusive, not received from the Department.

Commemorative Events.

Jimmy Deenihan

Question:

344 Deputy Jimmy Deenihan asked the Minister for Defence if he has plans in place to mark the centenary of the founding of the Irish Volunteers in 2013; if so, the details of these plans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11117/10]

A multi annual framework for the centenary anniversaries leading towards the centenary of the Easter Rising in 2016 is being prepared. The founding of the Irish Volunteers in 1913 was a very significant development in the political life of the nation and will be included in this commemorative programme. The proposed commemorative framework will be discussed in due course with the All Party Oireachtas Consultation Group.

Postal Voting.

Jimmy Deenihan

Question:

345 Deputy Jimmy Deenihan asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he will allow reservists to have a postal vote, the same as their Permanent Defence Force colleagues, in view of the fact that many reservists were unable to exercise their right to vote recently on the Lisbon treaty due to the Reserve Defence Force assessment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11343/10]

The Permanent Defence Force by virtue of the nature of their duties and the likelihood that they could be posted away from their home base or overseas for lengthy periods, have a particular need for postal voting. While members of the Reserve Defence Force play a valuable role in the military organisation, the same considerations do not apply to them. The Electoral Act, 1992 provides for postal voting in certain circumstances for personnel of the Reserve Defence Force. I have been advised by the Military Authorities that the requisite flexibility was afforded to Reservists on voluntary training on the 2 October 2009, the day of voting on the National Referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, to exercise their constitutional right on the day.

Departmental Transport.

Denis Naughten

Question:

346 Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the amount his Department paid annually for car mileage since 2007 to date in 2010; the amount paid to cover rail and bus tickets separately; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11688/10]

I regret to advise the Deputy that, due to industrial action, it is not possible to provide a response to his question at this time.

Army Nursing Service.

Michael Creed

Question:

347 Deputy Michael Creed asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the reason members of the Army nursing service do not have right of access to the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces; the way members of the Army nursing service who have a workplace grievance can have access to an independent appeal beyond the director of the Army medical corps; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11700/10]

The redress of wrongs process for the Army Nursing Service is set out in Defence Force Regulations A. 14. Under the provision of those regulations if a member of the Army Nursing Service thinks herself wronged a complaint may be made to her Commanding Officer and, if she thinks herself wronged by the Commanding Officer, either in respect of her complaint not being redressed or in respect of any other matter, she may make a complaint to the Director of the Medical Corps. This is the full scope of the redress of wrong process which is open to members of the Army Nursing Services under the provisions of the Defence Acts.

In the case of a serving member of the Defence Forces an action may only be investigated by the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces where a complaint regarding that action was first made under section 114 of the Defence Act. Section 290 of the Defence Act, which deals with the application of the Act to members of the Army Nursing Service, specifies the relevant sections of the Act which are applicable to a member of the Army Nursing Service, one of which is not section 114.

Unlike both officers and enlisted personnel, members of the Army Nursing Service may if they so choose opt to join a trade union and indeed many have chosen to do so. In this context they are entitled to avail of the full range of industrial relations machinery which is available to employees generally but not to officers or enlisted personnel of the Defence Forces. The lack of access to this process for military personnel was one of the primary reasons why the Office of the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces was established. The availability of access to union membership and consequently to redress through normal industrial relations machinery to members of the Army Nursing Service is the reason why they were excluded from seeking redress through the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces.

Airport Security.

Paul Nicholas Gogarty

Question:

348 Deputy Paul Gogarty asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the amount spent by his Department with particular reference to Army costs in providing security at Shannon Airport in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 with respect to the airport being used by the US military; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11717/10]

An Garda Síochána have the primary responsibility for law and order, including the protection of the internal security of the State. Among the roles assigned to the Defence Forces is the provision of aid to the civil power (meaning in practice to assist, when requested, an Garda Síochána), which duties include the protection and guarding of vital installations, the provision of certain security escorts etc.

The Gardaí, who undertake threat assessments for Shannon Airport on an ongoing basis, requested the Defence Forces to provide assistance in securing the Airport. Such assistance has been rendered by the Defence Forces since 5 February 2003, and liaison between the Gardaí and the Defence Forces in this regard is continuing. It would not be appropriate for me, for reasons of security, to indicate the number of Defence Forces personnel involved in such operations.

The following items are taken into consideration when calculating the costs involved in providing aid to the civil power at Shannon Airport i.e. Security Duty Allowance, rations and fuel. The following table sets out the amount of costs incurred for the period in question.

Year

Amount

2003

1,113,200

2004

760,500

2005

225,900

2006

403,375

2007

275,054

2008

286,273

2009

258,040

These costs are met from within the Defence Vote.

Waste Management.

Phil Hogan

Question:

349 Deputy Phil Hogan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of waste tyre collectors licensed; the locations to which these collectors bring the waste tyres; the number of sites involved; the number licensed for the treatment of tyres; the treatment the tyres undergo and their final destination; if there is a limit on the volume of tyres these sites can take; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11084/10]

Phil Hogan

Question:

350 Deputy Phil Hogan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if collectors receive €1.50 to €2 per tyre, with the public paying from €2 to €5 to get rid of waste tyres; if his attention has been drawn to the number of sites containing thousands of tyres which pose an environmental problem; if his further attention has been drawn to the lack of uniformity in the application of waste tyre legislation by local authorities here and the urgent need to tackle this problem in a uniform way to avoid serious environmental pollution in the event of a fire in any of these unregulated sites; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11085/10]

Willie Penrose

Question:

364 Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the grants and-or incentives available to persons who wish to set up businesses for the purpose of recycling vehicle tyres; the assistance that is available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11540/10]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 349, 350 and 364 together.

In order to tackle the inadequacy of information on tyre flows and the management of waste tyres and put in place a proper regulatory framework, I made the Waste Management (Tyres and Waste Tyres) Regulations 2007. These Regulations facilitate the comparison of quantities of waste tyres arising with the amounts placed on the market and the tracking of waste tyre movements from their discarding until they are either reused or processed for recycling.

There is scope for the beneficial use of waste tyres for applications including in farming activities. Therefore the Regulations allow farmers, who require waste tyres to anchor silage covering, to store up to eight waste tyres for every square metre of the floor area of their silage pit, without the need to have a waste permit. Others requiring waste tyres for genuine reuse, such as marinas, are able to source them subject to the approval of local authorities. Furthermore the Regulations require recyclers, retreaders, remoulders and other recovery operators to issue "Certificates of Recovery" to authorised waste collectors depositing waste tyres with them. Authorised waste collectors are required to report to the EPA on the quantities of waste tyres collected and transferred to recovery operators.

The Regulations impose obligations on persons who supply tyres to the Irish market, whether as producers (e.g. manufacturers, importers including wholesalers, traders and retailers who source tyres outside the State), or suppliers (e.g. wholesalers, traders and retailers who source tyres exclusively within the State) and on the collectors of waste tyres. Economic operators have the option of either self complying or participating in an approved industry compliance scheme which takes on the administrative burden associated with self compliance. Self complying economic operators are required to register with local authorities and submit information on tyre and waste tyre flows in each quarterly period. Participants in an approved collective compliance scheme must also submit information on tyre and waste tyre flows in each quarterly period to the scheme concerned.

I have approved two collective compliance schemes, Tyre Recovery Activity Compliance Scheme Ltd. (TRACS) and Tyre Waste Management Ltd. (TWM) to operate as approved bodies under the Regulations. Approvals are generally for five years and require interim reviews to be conducted. The results of these reviews will determine whether TRACS and TWM have been operating satisfactorily. It will also assist in determining whether a system that tracks products from the time they are placed on the market until they reach end of life is effective in keeping waste tyres out of the reach of unauthorised operators or whether it would be more effective to require producers to take direct responsibility for the environmentally sound management of waste tyres.

The Regulations do not provide for charges for managing waste tyres. Where such charges are applied they are a contractual issue between the vendor and the end-user in respect of the provision of a service. Likewise collection fees charged by waste collectors and gate fees charged at recycling and recovery facilities are contractual issues between the parties concerned.

Statutory responsibility for the permitting of waste facilities, the conditions attaching to such permits and the enforcement of permits are matters for the relevant local authority. My Department does not compile the type of information sought in respect of the numbers or locations of such facilities. My Department does not operate a system or scheme of grant assistance to fund private sector waste treatment facilities.

Water and Sewerage Schemes.

Pádraic McCormack

Question:

351 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the position regarding the provision of a sewerage treatment system for Clifden, County Galway. [11181/10]

The Clifden Sewerage Scheme was included for funding under my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2007-2009. Under the scheme, Galway County Council proposes to upgrade the collection network and build a new wastewater treatment plant. My Department is currently examining the Council's contract documents to procure the new wastewater treatment plant by means of a Design Build Operate (DBO) contract and the collection networks element of the Scheme. A decision on both sets of documents will be conveyed to the Council as soon as possible.

Further progress on the Clifden Sewerage Scheme awaits the finalisation of the Water Services Investment Programme for 2010 to 2012, taking account of the priority attached to the Scheme by Galway County Council in its recent assessment of needs. In July 2009, local authorities were asked to submit an assessment of needs for water and sewerage services to my Department by 23 October 2009. My Department is currently finalising its consideration of these assessments, which form a key input to the development of the 2010 to 2012 Water Services Investment Programme. In conducting their assessments, local authorities were required to take into consideration key environmental and economic criteria in prioritising contracts and schemes to be progressed in their areas. I expect to publish the new Programme shortly.

EU Directives.

Maureen O'Sullivan

Question:

352 Deputy Maureen O’Sullivan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will commit to preserving the integrity of areas designated special areas of conservation and restrict any activities that threaten these areas; the action he will take in the event of these areas being threatened in any way. [11208/10]

Ireland, along with all other member states of the European Union, is obliged under the Habitats Directive to designate Special Areas of Conservation (SACs). These are sites containing habitats of European conservation importance listed in Annex I of the Directive. Ireland has nominated 423 sites for designation as SACs.

Under article 6 of the Directive, any public authority, before consenting to a plan or project that could have a significant impact on an SAC, must undertake an appropriate assessment of its impacts on the site. If it finds that the proposed plan or project, alone or in combination with other plans or projects, would be likely to have an adverse impact on the integrity of the site, it may not provide its consent unless a case of imperative reasons of overriding public interest can be made, having ruled out alternative solutions, and where compensatory measures can be taken to ensure that the network of Natura 2000 sites is no poorer as a result of the damaging plan or project involved.

Under the EC (Natural Habitats) Regulations 1997, which transpose the Directive into Irish law, specified operations or activities that do not fall under other consent systems, which might have an adverse impact on these sites, may not be carried out without my consent. These are known as Notifiable Activities. Undertaking such activities without my consent may result in prosecution of the offender. In addition, I have issued, in appropriate cases, Ministerial Directions under the Regulations, obliging offenders to restore sites to their previous conservation status.

The law regarding the control of recreational activities such as the use of quads, scramblers and jet-skis, where they are likely to be injurious to Natura 2000 sites and protected species, will be substantially strengthened in the Birds and Habitats Regulations that I am currently preparing.

Water and Sewerage Schemes.

Jack Wall

Question:

353 Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the position regarding a new sewerage plant application (details supplied) in County Kildare. [11249/10]

The Kildare Town Sewerage Scheme was included for funding in my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2007-2009. I recently approved funding to allow Kildare County Council to place the Wastewater Treatment Plant Design Build Operate Contract with its recommended contractor at a cost of €17.59 million. Further progress on this element of the scheme is a matter for the Council.

Kildare County Council has submitted contract documents to my Department for the sewerage collection networks element of the scheme. This documentation is currently being examined and a decision will be conveyed to the Council as soon as possible in light of the finalisation of the Water Services Investment Programme for the period 2010 — 2012; I expect to publish the new Programme shortly.

Local Authority Housing.

Joanna Tuffy

Question:

354 Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the guidelines he has issued to local authorities in relation to whether or not to include disability allowance when it comes to setting local authority housing rent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11252/10]

The making and amending of rent schemes is the responsibility of local authorities as an integral part of their housing management functions, subject to broad principles laid down by my Department in Circular letter HRT 3/2002. It is a matter for local authorities, when assessing individual households, to consider whether rents payable are in accordance with the authority's rent scheme. Therefore, decisions on whether or not to disregard either a proportion of income or particular sources of income for the purposes of calculating rents are matters for each individual local authority to consider in accordance with their own rent scheme.

While it is not my intention to implement a national standardised differential rent scheme, in the context of new provisions provided for by the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, I intend to make regulations later this year which will more clearly set out the matters that may be included in a local rents scheme.

Rental Accommodation Standards.

Richard Bruton

Question:

355 Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his plans to update landlord and tenant legislation for a clearer set of obligations in respect of the condition of rented property; and when the legislative proposals will be presented to the Houses of the Oireachtas. [11342/10]

Minimum standards for rental accommodation are prescribed by regulations made under section 18 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1992. In the Partnership Agreement Towards 2016, the Government committed to updating and more effectively enforcing the minimum standards regulations for rented houses and, in November 2008, delivered on this commitment by approving a package of measures.

Those elements of the package not requiring primary legislation were introduced through new regulations to update the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 1993. The new regulations, entitled the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2008, were made by me on 10 December 2008 and specify requirements in relation to a range of matters, such as structural repair, absence of damp and rot, sanitary facilities, heating, ventilation, natural light and safety of gas and electrical supply.

The remaining elements of the package of measures required amendment of primary legislation and were addressed by the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009. These elements included increased penalties for non-compliance and the introduction of a more robust sanctions regime. The relevant provisions were commenced on 1 December 2009. The Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2009 amended the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2008 for compatibility with the 2009 Act.

All landlords have a legal obligation to ensure that their rented properties comply with these regulations. Failure to do so is an offence, subject, on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding €5,000, or a term of six months in prison or both and €400 for each day of a continuing offence. Responsibility for enforcing the regulations rests with the relevant local authority, supported by a dedicated stream of funding allocated by my Department. I have no plans to make further amendments to the standards regulations at this time; however, the matter is kept under continuous review by my Department.

Landlord and tenant obligations regarding the condition of rented property are set out in sections 12 and 16 of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 respectively. In November 2009, I announced preliminary results of my review of the provisions of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 under which the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) operates. The purpose of this review is to consider whether the Act best supports the PRTB's key functions and whether legislative amendments would support either the achievement of additional operational efficiencies by the PRTB in the delivery of those functions or the broader good working of the private rented sector. While a number of issues still require further research in the context of the review, and the obligations of landlords and tenants will be examined in this regard, I am committed to initiating comprehensive amending legislation before the end of 2010.

Building Control Act.

Brian Hayes

Question:

356 Deputy Brian Hayes asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the unintended consequence that will follow the enactment and implementation of Part 3 of the Building Control Act 2007, which deals with the protection of the title of architect; and if his attention has been further drawn to the damage to more than 1,000 architects and their families as a result of the enactment of this part of the Bill in question; his views on an organisation (details supplied) whose members will be given an unfair advantage from this enactment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11397/10]

I refer to the reply to Question No. 270 of 10 February 2010. The position is unchanged.

Local Authority Housing.

Joe Costello

Question:

357 Deputy Joe Costello asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of tenant purchases of local authority houses in each of the past ten years in Dublin; the number in the rest of the country; the number of tenant purchases which were sold in the same period in Dublin; the number in the rest of the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11484/10]

Detailed information on the number of sales through tenant purchase by local authority area is available on my Department's website at www.environ.ie and in my Department’s Housing Statistics Bulletins, copies of which are available in the Oireachtas Library. My Department does not collect data on the numbers of units subsequently sold on.

Water Services.

John O'Donoghue

Question:

358 Deputy John O’Donoghue asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will introduce a revitalised small water schemes programme in 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11497/10]

John O'Donoghue

Question:

359 Deputy John O’Donoghue asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will introduce a remedial action list to deliver urgent small water schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11499/10]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 358 and 359 together.

My Department's block grant allocations to local authorities under the Rural Water Programme include funding for small public water supply schemes with an estimated cost of less than €1 million as well as for group water supply schemes. The programme also includes contingency funding for small scale improvements to water supply schemes identified by the EPA as needing improvement and included in the EPA Remedial Action List. Funding of €18 million has already been allocated for such schemes and the provision of further allocations will be considered as the need arises in the context of any updating of the Remedial Action List by the EPA. In addition, my Department also funds some of the works arising, where appropriate, as advance works to larger schemes being funded under the Water Services Investment Programme. I will be notifying local authorities of their block grant allocations under the 2010 Rural Water Programme as soon as possible.

Architectural Heritage.

John O'Donoghue

Question:

360 Deputy John O’Donoghue asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will provide necessary funding to restore and refurbish Killarney House, Killarney, County Kerry in order that it can be opened for public viewing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11500/10]

My Department, in conjunction with the Office of Public Works (OPW), is close to finalising a programme in respect of essential repair works now necessary to the external and internal fabric of Killarney House and funding is being provided for these works in the current year. At the same time, and also in collaboration with OPW, my Department is looking at various options for the future use of Killarney House. Such options will have to have regard to its status as a protected structure, as the historic construction and character of the building must be respected; regard must also be had to the level of capital funding that is available to my Department. I will be keeping the matter under review as plans are progressed.

Water and Sewerage Schemes.

John O'Donoghue

Question:

361 Deputy John O’Donoghue asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will introduce some form of grant assistance for hardship cases in order that lead piping in those consumers’ premises which have not been upgraded for more than 40 years will be replaced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11501/10]

Substantial funding towards local authorities' water conservation programmes, including the replacement of old pipe work in the public supply network, is provided under my Department's Water Services Investment Programme. The Programme does not extend to funding or providing grants for replacement of individual services connections or other measures relating to single households or premises. Only the replacement of lead connections on the public supply side is eligible for funding from my Department.

Water services legislation provides that the owner of a premises is responsible for ensuring that the internal water distribution system is capable of delivering drinking water that complies with drinking water standards. This is similar to the provision of an electricity supply to a house where the internal wiring is the responsibility of the owner or occupants, not the supplier. However, other grant schemes, namely the suite of Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability, may facilitate necessary grant assistance being provided in appropriate cases. It is a matter for individual local authorities to determine what works, including replacement of lead supply pipes, are eligible and to prioritise these in line with their systems of prioritisation.

Cycle Facilities.

Frank Feighan

Question:

362 Deputy Frank Feighan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will list every local authority that is participating in the cycle to work scheme; if he has had discussions with the local authorities that are not participating; the reason for their non-participation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11519/10]

The participation of local authorities in the Government's Cycle to Work Scheme is an administrative matter for the local authorities themselves and my Department does not collect information on the matter. I would actively encourage all public bodies to participate in the Scheme.

Planning Issues.

Michael McGrath

Question:

363 Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if local authorities had the legal power prior to 2000 under planning legislation to amend a development boundary and remove a site from a development zone which had previously been within the boundary. [11534/10]

The making of development plans has been a reserved function of the locally elected members of planning authorities since the introduction of planning legislation in 1963. In making a development plan under current and previous legislation, it has been a matter for the elected members to decide the allocation of specific development plan objectives for the use of land for specific purposes, otherwise known as zoning, whether in urban or rural areas. Under previous and current planning legislation, it was and remains a matter for locally elected members of a planning authority to decide whether lands lie inside or outside the development boundaries of specific places or areas at the time of making the development plan concerned. The Planning and Development Act 2000 introduced a further provision under Section 10 (8) to clarify that there is no presumption in law that any land zoned in a particular development plan (including a development plan that has been varied) should remain so zoned in any subsequent development plan.

Question No. 364 answered with Question No. 349.

Water and Sewerage Schemes.

Dan Neville

Question:

365 Deputy Dan Neville asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when the water services investment programme 2010 to 2012 will be published. [11555/10]

My Department is currently finalising its review of water services investment, arising from which I expect to publish the Water Services Investment Programme 2010 — 2012 shortly.

Homeless Persons.

Finian McGrath

Question:

366 Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will support a campaign (details supplied) in 2010. [11683/10]

I refer to the reply to Question No. 14 of 25 February 2010 which sets out the position regarding the implementation of the Government's Homeless Strategy and the Implementation Plan for the Strategy.

Departmental Transport.

Denis Naughten

Question:

367 Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the amount his Department paid annually for car mileage since 2007 to date in 2010; the amount paid to cover rail and bus tickets separately; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11691/10]

The information requested cannot currently be provided as a result of the industrial action.

Natural Heritage Areas.

Paul Nicholas Gogarty

Question:

368 Deputy Paul Gogarty asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when work on a management plan for the Burren, County Clare, will commence; if the terms of reference for the management plan have been drafted; if so, the content of these terms of reference; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11719/10]

A contract was placed late last year for the preparation of a management plan for the Burren National Park which is managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department. This plan, which will cover the 1,996 hectares of State-owned land, is currently being compiled. Tasks being carried out as part of the contract include facilitation of public information dissemination, consultation with stakeholders and preparation of text and maps for a draft seven-year management plan for the national park. The overall aim of the management plan will be to develop and maintain the highest standards of conservation management and education whilst facilitating sustainable recreational and community use.

Telecommunications Services.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Question:

369 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the position regarding project Kelvin which was to have been completed by end of 2009; the stage of its development; the expected completion date and the extent of its coverage by county, north and south of the Border; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11094/10]

The Kelvin project is expected to be completed in April 2010. The fibre optic terrestrial infrastructure is already in place, and the Telehouse in Derry and testing of the Kelvin fibre network should be completed in April 2010. The Kelvin telecoms fibre route passes through the following counties: Donegal, Monaghan, Louth, Meath and Dublin, and in Northern Ireland, Derry, Tyrone, Antrim, Down, and Armagh.

Tom Hayes

Question:

370 Deputy Tom Hayes asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if his attention has been drawn to charges made by a company (details supplied) in relation to broadband connection; his views on whether this is acceptable practice within the industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11112/10]

I regret to advise the Deputy that it is not possible to provide a response to his Question at this time. I will write to the Deputy as soon as it is available.

Broadcasting Services.

Finian McGrath

Question:

371 Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will support a matter (details supplied). [11135/10]

Joanna Tuffy

Question:

379 Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views on reviewing the new Broadcasting Authority of Ireland levy as the high costs threaten the survival of radio stations which have already seen a reduction in their returns due to the downturn in advertising revenue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11437/10]

Joe Costello

Question:

380 Deputy Joe Costello asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the main elements in the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland’s budget for 2010; the reason there appears to be a 27% increase in the 2009 budgetary figures; the reason the broadcasters regulated by the BAI must pay for the entire budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11486/10]

I propose to take Question Nos. 371, 379 and 380 together.

I refer the Deputy to the response that I provided on the issues raised in my reply to Question No. 53 on Tuesday, 2 March 2010. Since then, I met with the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources on Thursday, 4 March 2010, where the impact of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) levy on the broadcasting sector was discussed. The Broadcasting Act 2009 requires the BAI to make an order imposing a levy on broadcasters for the purpose of meeting the Authority's expenses. At that meeting, I acknowledged the very real concerns of the broadcasting sector regarding the proposed levy at a time of considerable financial constraints for commercial and public service broadcasters alike. I also repeated my position on the need for the Authority to be vigilant in keeping costs down, particularly in the current economic climate.

I advised the Joint Committee that I am currently examining a number of potential measures with a view to alleviating the burden that would be caused by the proposed imposition of a levy and I have committed to reverting to the Committee as soon as possible in this regard. Meanwhile the BAI is reviewing its initial budget proposal for 2010 with a view to reducing it and the Chief Executive Officer has given an undertaking to meet with the Joint Committee after this review. While setting the budget is a matter for the Authority under the Broadcasting Act 2009, my Department will liaise closely with the BAI during the review.

Energy Resources.

Liz McManus

Question:

372 Deputy Liz McManus asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when the energy affordability strategy will be published in view of the recent statement (details supplied) that a carbon tax on solid fuel will not be introduced; the position regarding the fuel poverty action research project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11174/10]

The Energy Affordability Strategy will be published for consultation in the coming weeks. I understand that the Report of the Fuel Poverty Action Research Project will be placed on the website of the Department of Social and Family Affairs during this week.

Broadcasting Services.

Liz McManus

Question:

373 Deputy Liz McManus asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the reason for his failure to ensure a contract to deliver digital terrestrial television; when that contract is to be signed; if he will commit to ensure free-to-air BBC coverage for the Republic of Ireland and RTE services for coverage in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11175/10]

The Broadcasting Act, 2009 requires the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI), an independent regulatory authority, to provide for the development of commercial digital terrestrial television (DTT) services. On foot of this requirement, the BAI's predecessor, the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland, launched a competition, which is still ongoing. As the Deputy is aware, the highest placed consortium in the competition withdrew from the process last April. Negotiations then commenced with the next placed bidder, OneVision and this process is continuing. As I stated recently in response to previous questions on this issue, I am not prepared to speculate on the outcome of the commercial DTT process, which is a matter for the BAI. Nor am I prepared to surmise on the ongoing negotiations between the BAI, RTÉ and the OneVision consortium. I have, however, made it clear that I would like to see this process concluded as soon as possible. The conclusion of the process is essential to provide certainty for broadcasters, suppliers and the general public with regard to the development of commercial DTT services in Ireland.

Under section 129 of the Broadcasting Act 2009 RTÉ is required to ensure that ‘free-to-air' DTT is available to approximately 90% of the population on such date as may be specified by the Minister. I signed an Order last week specifying this date as 31 October 2010. The Act also requires RTÉ to provide a national ‘free to air' digital service with capacity to carry RTÉ 1, RTÉ 2, TG4 and TV3 by the end of 2011 or such later date as I may specify. I have written to RTÉ informing them that the date for provision of a national service is 31 December 2011. On 1 February last, I signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Digital Television with the UK. This commits both Governments to cooperating to help ensure the continuing widespread availability on the DTT platform of TG4 in Northern Ireland and that arrangements are made to facilitate the widespread availability on the DTT platforms of RTÉ services in Northern Ireland and BBC services in the Republic. Any such arrangements in respect of BBC services here will be a matter for the BBC in the first instance.

Inland Fisheries.

Sean Sherlock

Question:

374 Deputy Seán Sherlock asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the deliberations he has had with Fermoy Town Council, County Cork, in regard to the repair of the fish pass on the Munster Blackwater; if he will consider a contribution to the cost or meet the full cost of repairing the fish pass; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11213/10]

Fermoy Town Council, which acquired the weir some years ago, is responsible, as are other weir owners, for the maintenance and upkeep of the weir. The Town Council is aware of the need to reduce the barrier effect of the weir on the migration of certain protected fish species, including salmon and lamprey, in order to ensure compliance with the EU Habitats Directive. Since taking up responsibility for the inland fisheries brief, I reviewed the approach to resolving the barrier to fish passage at Fermoy up to December 2009. I was anxious that progress be made to deal with problems of fish passage and actively engaged with the Town Council on the matter and the local rowing club in terms of how their needs could also be met.

I listened carefully to the arguments of the Council and local rowing club and their strong view that an alternative to a rock ramp proposal would provide a viable solution to the issue of fish passage at Fermoy. While the technical and scientific advice to me differs from this position, having listened to the arguments of the Council and rowing club, I agreed to afford the Council, the owner of the weir, an opportunity to implement its preferred solution of repairing the existing fish passes on the weir. To give practical effect to my decision, I exercised my power to revoke the original direction issued in 2006, in favour of the order given to Fermoy Town Council under section 116 of the Fisheries (Consolidation) Act 1959 to undertake immediate repairs to the existing damaged fish ladder situated in the weir in order to reduce the barrier effect of the weir on migratory fish species.

I have created an opportunity for the Council to demonstrate that its preferred solution of repair to the fish pass offers a viable solution to the issue of fish passage at Fermoy. This opportunity has been provided to the Council notwithstanding the technical advice to me and it is now a matter for Fermoy Town Council, the owners of the weir, to implement its proposals and monitor their effectiveness. In creating this opportunity, I would stress that there is no dilution of Ireland's commitment to meeting its responsibilities under EU Law, including obligations in relation to protected species under the Habitats Directive. The effect of the repairs proposed on fish migration will be closely monitored and if the required improvement in fish migration is not achieved, I have made it clear that I will not hesitate to direct the Town Council to undertake further major works. The onus rests with the local authority to maintain the structure they value and protect so zealously, in the same way they fund and maintain other important infrastructure in their ownership.

Semi-State Bodies.

Arthur Morgan

Question:

375 Deputy Arthur Morgan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the remuneration package of the chief executive of An Post for each of the years 2007, 2008 and 2009. [11254/10]

Details of the remuneration package of the Chief Executive of An Post are published each year in the company's annual report, which is available on the company's website. The details of the remuneration package for 2009 will be published in the Annual Report for last year, which will be published later this year.

Arthur Morgan

Question:

376 Deputy Arthur Morgan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the remuneration package of the chief executive of ESB for each of the years 2007, 2008 and 2009. [11255/10]

Details of the remuneration package of the Chief Executive of ESB for 2007 and 2008 are published in the Company's Annual Reports for those years, which are available on the ESB website. The details of the remuneration package for 2009 will be published in the Annual Report for last year, which will be published later this year.

Alternative Energy Projects.

John Perry

Question:

377 Deputy John Perry asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the steps he will take to address ESB wind farm establishment (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11344/10]

Applications for grid connections to permit grid access are made to ESB Networks or to EirGrid depending on scale of the connection. Supervision of the grid connection process and settlement of any disputes arising is vested in the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER). I have no function in the matter. The CER continues to operate a group approach to connecting projects to the national grid, which is designed to streamline the connection process in the interests of efficiency and cost effectiveness for developers.

The current group approach, Gate 3, was the subject of extensive public consultation by the CER. With a full public consultation and dedicated industry workshops, all industry stakeholders were afforded the opportunity of responding to the proposed connection process well in advance of the decision being made. On 16th December 2008 the Commission set out a final direction (CER/08/260) to the system operators on Gate 3 of Ireland's network connection policy for renewable generators. Gate 3 provides for circa 3,900 MW of new additional renewable generator connection offers. The decision by CER on Gate 3 is potentially capable of delivering (indeed exceeding) the 40% national target for the contribution from renewable energy resources to electricity consumed by 2020.

To ensure this process operates efficiently and to ensure the connection offer process is completed as quickly and as effectively as possible, the CER has established a Gate 3 Liaison Group involving all stakeholders, including the renewable industry associations. Gate 3 Group Liaison meetings are held monthly and consist of representatives from the Commission, the system operators and from the renewable and non-renewable generation sectors. Further information on the meetings including agendas and minutes is available on the CER website.

Financial Services Regulation.

Liz McManus

Question:

378 Deputy Liz McManus asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he has received correspondence in relation to the closure of Postbank from a union (details supplied); the concerns raised in this correspondence; his views on the proposal to work with the Department of Finance to include the Postbank operation in future plans; his further views on the impact of the closure of Postbank will have on social welfare recipients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11350/10]

I am studying the correspondence from the Irish Postmasters Union and will be replying to them in due course.

Questions Nos. 379 and 380 answered with Question No. 371.

Departmental Transport.

Denis Naughten

Question:

381 Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the amount his Department paid annually for car mileage since 2007 to date in 2010; the amount paid to cover rail and bus tickets separately; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11686/10]

I regret to advise the Deputy that it is not possible to provide a response to his question at this time. I will write to the Deputy as soon as it is available.

Grant Payments.

Paul Nicholas Gogarty

Question:

382 Deputy Paul Gogarty asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the measures that are available to prevent inflating the price of the work to the level of grants supplied by Sustainable Energy Ireland; the penalty system that is available, if any; if not, if a penalty system will be introduced such as de-registering rogue contractors in order that they cannot be used for doing work under the SEI grant scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11711/10]

I regret to advise the Deputy that it is not possible to provide a response to his Question at this time. I will write to the Deputy as soon as it is available.

Food Labelling.

Andrew Doyle

Question:

383 Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the steps he will take regarding the use of taxpayers’ money to promote Northern Irish food under the Bord Bia label; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11463/10]

Under EU law, membership of quality assurance schemes must be open to product from other member states that meet the required standard. Bord Bia operates quality assurance schemes for beef, pork, lamb, horticulture, chicken and eggs. Producers and processors in Northern Ireland have applied for, and have met, the Bord Bia standard in respect of chicken and eggs. Neither Bord Bia nor Irish taxpayer money is used to promote the Northern Ireland product. The logo which has been approved by the EU, provides for mention of origin in a secondary manner only, in accordance with EU state aid rules, and the product originating in Ireland is depicted by the use of the tricolour.

Departmental Properties.

Dinny McGinley

Question:

384 Deputy Dinny McGinley asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food his plans to provide extra facilities and improvements at a location (details supplied) in County Donegal. [11494/10]

Due to Industrial Action by staff in my Department, I am not in a position to provide a reply to this question.

Movement of Animals.

Michael Creed

Question:

385 Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the position regarding temporary cattle movements particularly in the context of agricultural shows; if these movements will not disqualify applicants under the suckler cow welfare scheme from payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11076/10]

For applicants under the Suckler Welfare Scheme, the temporary movement of an animal will not result in the loss of payment, where it relates to an agricultural show, or for the purposes of the live animal display at the compulsory training courses for applicants. The movement from and back to the holding must be recorded on my Department's Animal Identification and Movement System (AIM), and must take place on the same day.

Grant Payments.

Phil Hogan

Question:

386 Deputy Phil Hogan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when a single farm payment will be awarded to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11087/10]

Following direct contact by an official of my Department with the person named, an issue relating to two land parcels has been resolved, as a result of which payment will shortly issue directly to the nominated bank account of the applicant.

Tom Sheahan

Question:

387 Deputy Tom Sheahan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, further to Parliamentary Question No. 481 of 23 February 2010, the position regarding a claim for payment under the farm waste management scheme in respect of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11089/10]

Due to industrial action by staff in my Department, I am unable to provide a reply to this question.

Agri-Environment Scheme.

Michael Ring

Question:

388 Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the details of the new agri-environment scheme; if he will provide a copy of the guidelines to this Deputy; if the guidelines have been published in full; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11109/10]

The preparation of documents relating to the new agri-environment scheme is at an advanced stage and I hope to be in a position to publish them and to launch the scheme shortly. I am arranging to have the Deputy provided with a copy of a presentation, outlining the structure of the scheme in general terms, which my officials are making today to the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

Grant Payments.

Michael Ring

Question:

389 Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the number of year one and year two REPs 4 applicants in County Mayo that have received their payments; and if he will provide comparative figures for the number of applicants who are still waiting on a payment in each of the agricultural, environmental and structures areas. [11110/10]

Due to industrial action by staff in my Department, I am not in a position to provide a reply to this question.

Martin Ferris

Question:

390 Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when a person (details supplied) will receive their REP scheme payment. [11111/10]

Due to industrial action by staff in my Department, I am not in a position to provide a reply to this question.

Michael Ring

Question:

391 Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if a grant will be awarded to a person (details supplied) in County Mayo. [11113/10]

The Hardship Grant is aimed at assisting eligible owner/keepers(s) with a TB or Brucellosis restricted holding where animals are retained and fed during periods of restriction. The eligibility period for the current scheme is from 1 November 2009 to 30 April 2010.

In order to ensure that all eligible owners/keepers actually receive payment under the scheme, the application form for the Hardship Grant scheme and a Terms and Conditions document is sent by my Department to all potentially eligible owners/keepers. However receipt of this form does not imply eligibility for payment as not all owners/keepers whose holdings are restricted are automatically eligible for the Hardship Grant. The main eligibility conditions are that (i) a full herd re-test has been carried out and (ii) the holding must continue to be restricted following re-test. In addition, where animals (with some specific exceptions) have been moved on to a holding during a restriction period, eligibility for receipt of the hardship grants ceases for the remainder of the restriction period. Payment is also subject to tax clearance requirements. The onus is on owners/keepers to apply for the scheme immediately they consider that they are eligible, based on criteria outlined in the Terms and Conditions document.

Due to industrial action currently being undertaken in my Department, I cannot provide specific details regarding the eligibility status of the person concerned. However, if he contacts his local District Veterinary Office, he will be advised of the position. If the person has been formally notified that he is not eligible for the scheme and he believes that there are specific circumstances which merit further consideration, taking account of the general conditions, he may, under the appeal mechanism in place in my Department, request a formal review of the decision by writing to the Regional Assistant Principal Officer at his local District Veterinary Office.

Pat Breen

Question:

392 Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the position regarding an application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Clare. [11180/10]

Due to industrial action by staff in my Department, I am not in a position to provide a reply to this question.

Harbours and Piers.

Joe McHugh

Question:

393 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will re-engage a project (details supplied) in 2011; the amount of money that will be spent on this project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11190/10]

Due to Industrial Action by staff in my Department, I am not in a position to provide a reply to this question.

Grant Payments.

Michael Creed

Question:

394 Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when a person (details supplied) in County Cork will receive a decision on their application under the installation aid scheme which was lodged with his Department 12 months ago; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11226/10]

Due to industrial action by staff in my Department, I am unable to provide a reply to this question.

Crop Losses.

Pádraic McCormack

Question:

395 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food his plans to introduce a compensation package for the horticulturist or nurseries industry which has lost a considerable amount of stock due to the recent weather conditions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11227/10]

Following a preliminary assessment of the crop losses caused by the severe weather conditions in January, I recently announced the introduction of a limited scheme of financial assistance to certain potato and field vegetable growers who have suffered significant losses of produce due to frost damage. It is not proposed to extend the scope of the scheme to include the nursery industry.

Grant Payments.

Michael Creed

Question:

396 Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when a person (details supplied) in County Cork will receive payment under the installation aid scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11228/10]

Due to industrial action by staff in my Department, I am unable to provide a reply to this question.

Animal Welfare.

Mary O'Rourke

Question:

397 Deputy Mary O’Rourke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the position regarding the proposed Animal Health and Welfare Bill; when it is proposed to publish this Bill; and when it is proposed to bring this bill before the Houses of the Oireachtas. [11243/10]

The Animal Health and Welfare Bill which gives effect to commitments in the Programme for Government and the Renewed Programme for Government on issues relating to animal health and welfare is being prepared in my Department. The new legislation will amend and consolidate legislation in the area of animal health, particularly to reflect the changed disease status of our animals. Existing legislation will also be updated to ensure that the welfare of all animals, including non-farm animals is properly protected and that the penalties for offenders are increased significantly. The Bill also provides for the consolidation of responsibility for the welfare of all animals (including non-farm animals) within my Department. I intend to submit the proposed heads of this Bill to the Government at an early date this year.

Fisheries Policy.

Tom Sheahan

Question:

398 Deputy Tom Sheahan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to publish the interdepartmental group report on the coastal sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11345/10]

Tom Sheahan

Question:

403 Deputy Tom Sheahan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will publish the interdepartmental group report on the coastal sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11473/10]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 398 and 403 together.

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has no proposals to publish an inter-departmental group report on the coastal sector. The Department has recently published and submitted to the European Commission the National Response to the EU Green Paper on Reform of the Common Fisheries Policy. That report can be obtained at www.fishingnet.ie or www.agriculture.gov.ie.

Animal Welfare.

Andrew Doyle

Question:

399 Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the conditions governing the authorisation of eight transporters of live dogs; the way these provisions are policed; the number of spot checks that took place in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009; the number of licences that were revoked due to non-compliance with the conditions of licence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11423/10]

Eight transporters of live dogs applied for an authorisation to my Department. An application form and explanatory information on the legislation that governs the transport of live animals, including Council Regulation (EC) No 1 of 2005 on the protection of animals during transport and related operations and amending Directives 64/432/EEC and 93/119/EC and Regulation (EC) No 1255/97 and S.I. No. 675 of 2006 [European Communities (Animal Transport and Control Post) Regulations 2006], issued to each applicant. The completed application forms were assessed by my Department following which the authorisations were granted. No authorisations were revoked due to non-compliance with the conditions of licence. It is not possible at this time, due to industrial action, to provide any further information on spot checks that took place in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Grant Payments.

Michael Creed

Question:

400 Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when a person (details supplied) in County Cork will receive payment in respect of their application for installation aid. [11431/10]

Due to industrial action by staff in my Department, I am unable to provide a reply to this question.

Animal Welfare.

Andrew Doyle

Question:

401 Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the number of pet passports that were issued to each authorised transporter of live dogs for export in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11470/10]

EU pet passports are not issued to authorised transporters but rather directly to pet owners via their veterinary practitioner. Pet passport applications are completed by pet owners and submitted to my Department by the veterinary practitioner following micro-chipping of the animal. The passport is issued to the veterinary practitioner who enters details of rabies vaccination, blood test results etc. before releasing the passport to the pet owner. I regret that the statistics on the number of pet passports issued in each of the years 2005 to 2009 are not available due to industrial action.

Live Exports.

Andrew Doyle

Question:

402 Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the action that is taken to allow live breeding sheep stock exports to Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11471/10]

There is no prohibition on the movement of sheep to or from Northern Ireland. However since the FMD outbreak in 2001 and arising from certain concerns relating to scrapie, all exports of breeding sheep must be inspected by an official veterinarian during the 24 hours preceding the loading of the animals and issued with an intra-Community health certificate signed by the official veterinarian. Under Intra Community trade rules breeding sheep must have been continuously resident on a holding of origin for at least 30 days prior to export, including a standstill period of 21 days prior to export during which time no sheep or goats have been introduced on to the holding. A derogation applies where sheep or goats introduced during the standstill period are completely isolated from all other animals on the holding.

Breeding rams must also come from a holding on which no case of contagious epididymitis (Brucella Ovis) has been recorded in the last 12 months and they must have been kept permanently on the holding for 60 days, prior to export. Breeding rams must also be tested for contagious epididymitis with a negative result, within 30 days prior to export. Breeding sheep in particular, must come from scrapie monitored flocks with the scrapie rules stipulating that all breeding sheep must either be of the ARR/ARR prion protein genotype, or have been kept in a scrapie monitored flock for at least 3 years with no cases of this disease being confirmed during this period.

Question No. 403 answered with Question No. 398.

Food Industry.

Andrew Doyle

Question:

404 Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the strategy he is following in the allocation of the funds announced in budget 2010 for the improvement of the food industry’s competitiveness, marketing and innovation; the competitiveness measures in the food industry envisaged for the €7 million competitiveness measures of the food development initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11478/10]

The Government has announced a €100 million fund to improve the food industry's competitiveness over the next four years. The roll-out of this fund will commence in 2010 with €9.5 million being provided through my Department as part of the Revised Estimates. Of this amount, €7 million will be administered by Enterprise Ireland towards measures aimed at competitiveness issues and €2.5 million will be provided to support Bord Bia marketing initiatives. These initiatives will be implemented over the course of 2010.

The objective of the €7 million in funding is to improve food sector competitiveness in export markets. This is linked to sustaining viable companies and enabling them to exploit world market opportunities. The focus of initiatives in 2010 will be to enable key exporting companies to adopt sustainable ‘best-in-class' lean business practices, by use of world class business consultancy assistance. In addition, leading food companies will be assisted in developing leadership and management capability to best international standards. These needs were clearly identified in the report of the Food Expert Skills Group in 2009.

The €2.5 million provided to Bord Bia will be used in a variety of marketing initiatives principally aimed at assisting the industry broaden its export reach. In addition to the recent highly successful Marketplace 2010 event hosted by Bord Bia for over 150 Irish companies who conducted over 3,800 meetings with 400 buyers in Croke Park, including 300 from 27 international markets, a new Marketing Fellowship programme will be launched shortly. This initiative will focus on helping industry build its international sales and marketing presence and develop new business opportunities in target markets. Bord Bia is also in the process of extending its quality assurance programme to incorporate new environmental criteria that will position Irish food exporters as market leaders and provide a new platform for promotion in the context of the increasingly important sustainability agenda.

Crop Losses.

Paul Connaughton

Question:

405 Deputy Paul Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if compensation was awarded to a person (details supplied) in County Galway as a result of the loss of 25 acres of fodder beet due to the flooding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11512/10]

There is no record of an application from the person named under the flood related Fodder Aid Scheme, which I launched in November 2009, targeted at farmers who encountered damage to fodder (silage or hay or concentrates) in areas which suffered flooding in November 2009. The Scheme required farmers to demonstrate that the fodder was damaged and the extent of that damage:

the aid was only payable in instances where genuine damage to silage, hay, concentrates or straw was caused by the flooding in November 2009;

applications were required to be submitted by Friday 18 December 2009;

all applications were subject to an on-farm inspection, during which the damaged fodder was required to be evident;

aid was not payable where flood damage to fodder is covered by the farmer's insurance policy.

The financial assistance under the Fodder Aid Scheme was paid in accordance with State Aid regulation EC1535/2007 (de minimis aid in the agricultural production sector) — all applicants were required to complete a declaration in this regard.

Grant Payments.

Paul Connaughton

Question:

406 Deputy Paul Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the position regarding an installation aid appeal in the name of a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11514/10]

Due to industrial action by staff in my Department, I am unable to provide a reply to this question.

Michael Creed

Question:

407 Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the reason for the delay in issuing a REPS 4 payment to a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11554/10]

Due to industrial action by staff in my Department, I am not in a position to provide a reply to this question.

Departmental Transport.

Denis Naughten

Question:

408 Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the amount his Department paid annually for car mileage since 2007 to date in 2010; the amount paid to cover rail and bus tickets separately; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11684/10]

Due to industrial action by staff in my Department, I am not in a position to provide a reply to this question.

Replies to Questions Nos. 409 to 459, inclusive, not received from the Department.
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