I thank the Cathaoirleach for allowing me to raise the need to support householders in the Cork area who were victims of flooding almost three weeks ago. Some of those whose homes were damaged did not have insurance, although others did. In all cases, people will find it difficult to get insurance following this episode of flooding. Even if they can get insurance, it will come at a premium. The Minister for Social Protection announced that a previous humanitarian assistance scheme, which was put in place in 2010, will be extended. I would like the Minister of State to clarify who will be eligible for the scheme on this occasion. Some €10 million was allocated following flooding in Monaghan and Dublin, but just €788,000 of it was applied for. I know from my experience of dealing with people who were affected by the 2009 Cork floods that these schemes can be quite onerous. I accept that many people, including those with insurance, are not eligible. Many people found that the previous scheme was means tested. I suppose it is right that means are considered. If one has a small sum of money in one's bank account — one might be saving for a holiday — that will be considered. Very few people were eligible for the previous scheme. I would like the Minister of State to spell out who will be eligible for this scheme. How does he envisage that it will be administered? What level of means will be deemed to make one's application under the scheme ineligible?
Adjournment Matters
Flood Relief
I thank Senator Clune for raising this matter. The Government recognises the plight and devastation that the recent floods brought to homes and families in various parts of Cork. I have significant experience of similar flooding in my own area of east Galway. In recognition of the severity of the situation, the Government has announced the extension of the humanitarian assistance scheme to assist the affected householders. This scheme is similar to those which were established in the wake of the Dublin flooding of 2011 and the Galway flooding of 2009. This scheme, which is means tested, provides emergency financial assistance to households that are not in a position to meet the cost of essential needs in the period immediately following flooding. The aim of the scheme is to provide financial support to people who have suffered damage to their homes. The intention is to provide hardship alleviation, as opposed to full compensation. Repairs for structural damage caused as a result of flooding can also be considered under the scheme.
Humanitarian assistance does not cover risks that are covered by insurance policies, business or commercial losses, or loss or damage to private rented accommodation or local authority accommodation. The Government has not set a limit on the amount that can be paid to an individual household under the humanitarian assistance scheme. The level of payment will depend on the relative severity of the damage experienced and the ability of households to meet their costs. We will ensure the funding is appropriately targeted. All household income will be considered when entitlement to payment is being determined. In general, a single person with a gross income of €30,000 or less will receive 100% of the amount determined, as will a couple with a household income of up to €50,000 or less. The income level that is applicable to couple households also applies to lone-parent households. For each €1,000 of household income above these levels, the person will be required to make a personal contribution of 1% towards the cost. A further additional allowance of €10,000 per qualified child is applicable in these circumstances.
People seeking assistance under the humanitarian assistance scheme should contact their local representative of the Department of Social Protection. Those affected who are unable to attend their local clinics due to mobility issues or other difficulties can request house calls or make appointments with departmental staff. Full details of the scheme and application forms are available on the Department's website. It should be noted that officials in my Department are continuing to provide individuals affected by this flooding with exceptional and urgent needs payments to offset immediate needs; for example, assistance with the purchase of food, clothing, bedding and emergency accommodation needs. To date, 31 individual families in the affected areas have received payments totalling approximately €16,000. The full extent of damage will only be apparent as houses fully dry out and as affected families return to live full-time in their properties. Accordingly, the Department expects to continue to receive applications over the coming weeks.
I thank the Minister of State. As his reply has provided the clarity I was seeking, I have no further questions.
Employment Support Services
Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I understand he will respond to me on behalf of the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Bruton. An Irish executive from PayPal Ireland publicly announced last week that her company will have to import workers to fill approximately 500 of the 1,000 new jobs it announced earlier this year. She bemoaned the fact that PayPal Ireland has been unable to recruit locally based workers as a result of the lack of linguistic skills in this country. I emphasise that I welcomed the job announcement at the time because it was wonderful news for Dundalk and the rest of the north east. I expressed the hope that it would give unemployed people a real opportunity of finding meaningful and sustainable long-term employment.
I was disappointed that the chief executive of IDA Ireland, Mr. Barry O'Leary, more or less seemed to dismiss any concerns arising from the announcement that was made by the PayPal executive. It was reported that he said it did not really matter if 500 jobs were filled by people from overseas because a further 500 jobs would be filled by people from Ireland and the local economy would benefit from the total of 1,000 jobs. However, at a time when 430,000 people in this country are on the live register — and 200,000 hard-core unemployed people have been out of work for a year or more — I think it is a very real problem. I am not expecting the world to change as a result of the Adjournment matter I am raising, but I would like to get some answers. Is there joined-up thinking between the Departments of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, and Education and Skills? Are there any plans to address the lack of linguistic skills among the unemployed who are actively seeking jobs?
A number of articulate former employees of the TalkTalk facility in Waterford were interviewed on "Morning Ireland" earlier today. One of them spoke of taking a new career direction, which I hope will be successful, while the second indicated he had written to between 15 and 20 companies seeking work since losing his job in TalkTalk, a call centre where he had worked for eight years. PayPal is essentially a banking operation for those who wish to use the company's system as a method of payment for online purchases. There is not a great difference between the jobs in these companies because in both cases employees deal with members of the public. Are support services in place to encourage the second gentleman who spoke on this morning's programme to learn German, French, Italian or another foreign language? Are support services available to channel those who are actively seeking employment in the direction of employment opportunities offered by companies such as PayPal? It appears from the public pronouncements of the chief executive of the IDA, Mr. Barry O'Leary, that PayPal's problem with the Irish workforce is almost exclusively related to its lack of linguistic skills as opposed to any lack of expertise. Mr. O'Leary also stated the company was actively advertising the vacancies across the world, particularly among the Irish abroad.
Is our network of embassies, for example, in Australia, the United States and some parts of Europe where Irish people have settled, especially Germany and the Low Countries where they will have linguistic skills, being used to actively encourage Irish people to return home to work in companies such as PayPal? I presume Irish people abroad would much prefer to work at home. Does the Government have a specific plan to address this problem, which is not an isolated one but the tip of an iceberg? I am concerned that the good work being done by the IDA and Government initiatives to create more opportunities for the unemployed could be lost in the wind through a lack of joined up thinking in efforts to address the lack of linguistic skills. Sadly, this is culturally embedded in society, primarily because we are an island nation that lies in close proximity to the United Kingdom and English is the international language.
I thank Senator Mooney for raising this matter. Education has an important role to play in the economic recovery of this country. I, therefore, welcome this debate on how the education system can contribute most effectively to this recovery. There is considerable investment by the Department in language provision. At primary level, the Department's policy, as detailed in the Government's National Literacy and Numeracy Strategy 2011, is that pupils will learn two languages, English and Irish. At junior cycle, as well as English and Irish, the other languages available include French, German, Spanish and Italian. There are many opportunities within the transition year for different language experiences. At senior cycle, the languages available include French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Japanese and Arabic, as well as English and Irish.
The State Examinations Commission also provides examinations in a range of other European Union languages. For the 2012 leaving certificate examination there were 1,495 entries for 16 such European languages. Almost 12% of our post-primary students and the general population are of nationalities other than Irish. Many of them have a mother tongue that is not English. These individuals represent a potential local resource for employers to draw upon.
There are no plans in the current budgetary circumstances to extend the range of languages available. However, a number of developments are in progress which should help to ensure greater coherence in language teaching, including foreign language teaching. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment is developing an integrated language curriculum for primary schools in the context of the national literacy and numeracy strategy. While the focus of this curriculum will be on English and Irish, the integrated approach should help children to transfer skills acquired in one language to other languages and so establish a sound foundation for the learning of a foreign language in post-primary school.
As part of junior cycle reform, the option of school developed short courses will enable schools to provide additional languages, if they so choose. At senior cycle, revised syllabuses for French, Spanish, German and Italian are expected to be finalised during the 2012-13 school year, following a process of consultation with relevant parties. At third level, students have access to a wide range of foreign language courses which can be taken as core subjects or in combination with a range of other disciplines. In addition, almost 150 new part-time higher education places on foreign language courses have been made available under Springboard 2012.
The supply of foreign language skills was addressed in a report published by Forfás and the expert group on future skills needs last month. The report highlights the important role that private sector employers can play in communicating the message that foreign language proficiency and cultural awareness are essential skillsets for future rewarding employment opportunities. I, therefore, welcome the recent contributions from those directly involved in generating employment opportunities to the debate on how the education system can support job growth and economic recovery.
To respond to the points made by Senator Mooney on the unemployed, the Senator is correct that proficiency in a foreign language seriously enhances an individual's ability to return to employment. For this reason, we are providing third level foreign language courses under Springboard 2012, which will get under way in September. These courses are available free of charge to people who are unemployed who may retain their unemployment support payments while participating in the courses.
Senator Mooney also referred to former workers in the TalkTalk company in Waterford. I will meet some of the workers in question on Monday next when I visit Waterford to assess how well the European Globalisation Fund support mechanisms are assisting them. People who have been made redundant by TalkTalk or other companies may assess what types of training supports they may need and use a training support grant to tailor a suite of support services or training opportunities that responds to their specific needs and assists them in the journey back to work.
I am grateful to the Minister of State for his response. While I had originally intended that the matter would be addressed by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Bruton, I understand the reason it is being addressed by a Minister from the Department of Education and Skills as it is related to education. I welcome the various initiatives to which the Minister of State referred. I do not propose to be churlish about them because they are positive and good but they are aimed at the next generation rather than the current generation.
I am pleased the Minister of State also chose to address the specific issue I raised. My argument in this regard is that a proactive approach is needed to enable some of those on the live register to acquire linguistic skills that will allow them to take up opportunities presented by multinational companies. I hope the Department, in liaison with the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, will provide opportunities to upskill to unemployed people who have an employment history that could fit in neatly with companies such as PayPal. I expect this important issue will be the subject of interdepartmental discussions. I ask the Minister of State to introduce in any such discussions the idea of recruiting Irish people who may be attracted to return from abroad. Many of these individuals left Ireland because they could not find work and have acquired language skills. I am grateful for the manner in which the Minister of State addressed the issue and appreciate that he understands its urgency.
I thank Senator Mooney and concur with the points he made. Leaders of enterprises who have pointed out particular skills shortages consistently argue that to be an effective member of their teams in centres such as those operated by PayPal, TalkTalk and Hewlett Packard in my home city of Galway, employees must have a high level of proficiency and fluency in a foreign language. They must attain a level close to that of a native speaker because the call centres located here deal with French, German and Italian natives. A considerable period of study and practice in the language in question is required to acquire this level of proficiency. However, the Deputy is correct that a number of people living abroad, including my sister who has been living in Germany for the past five years, have such proficiency and one would hope that many of them will return home to avail of the opportunities we have been discussing.
Mutual Recognition of Driving Licences
I apologise to the Minister of State for being late. The debate on the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Bill concluded earlier than I had anticipated. The issue I raise is simple. What is the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport doing on behalf of up to 8,000 Irish citizens who will travel to Canada this year to find work? We do not have an agreement in place with Canada with regard to driving licences and these people must sit the driving test again, both the written exam and the driving test, as if they had provisional licences . Not only is this inconvenient, but it delays them finding jobs as most jobs require a full licence. There is also an issue with regard to insurance as they are treated as if they are first-time drivers. This issue could be resolved easily if we put in place a scheme like that in the North and in England, which have an arrangement with Canada to provide that Canadian citizens arriving there can exchange their licence for an English one and vice versa when English people go to Canada. This allows for their years of driving experience to be taken into account for insurance purposes.
The Department of Transport has said that it does not deal at a sub-national level with authorities or with other than their equivalent Department of Transport or the equivalent body. However, in Canada licensing is done on a provincial basis, where each province has its own licensing system and issues its own licences. Therefore, our Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport is not willing to engage on this issue. This beggars belief. I raised this issue yesterday at a meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, because it concerns foreign affairs, but it is also an issue for the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. It is a concern for Irish citizens who must go abroad for work. While I do not expect a world-shattering response, I would point out that it should be just a simple processing matter. However, there must be the will to deal with it. Does the will exist within the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport to engage with the Canadian authorities at a sub-national level to put in place a mechanism to provide for Irish people to arrive in Canada with their full Irish driving licence and exchange for a provincial licence there? I hope the Minister of State's response is enlightening and I urge him to raise this issue with the Minister for Transport.
I am taking this adjournment debate on behalf on my colleague, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Leo Varadkar, who unfortunately cannot attend the Chamber this evening. I thank Senator Daly for the opportunity to address this issue today.
The Minister is aware that concerns have been raised that Irish citizens in Canada are unable to drive there on their Irish driving licences, owing to the fact that there is currently no mutual recognition arrangement between Ireland and Canada regarding driver licensing. There has been communication on this matter with the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs. The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport is sympathetic to the position of Irish citizens in this regard and has asked the Road Safety Authority, the body dealing with driver licensing matters, to explore the issues concerned. He also understands that the Irish embassy in Canada has been in touch with the authorities in the Canadian provinces to see if they are interested in reaching some form of agreement. As Senator Daly pointed out, driver licensing operates at a provincial rather than national level in Canada. Preliminary indications of interest from the Canadian authorities have been very positive.
However, the Minister believes it is important to remember that facilitating the Irish abroad is not the only consideration at issue here. Any mutual recognition arrangement would mean that Irish residents in Canada could exchange their driving licences for Canadian ones and that Canadian residents in Ireland could exchange their licences for Irish ones. The Irish Government, and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport in particular, must take into account at all times the standards and qualifications required for people to be able to drive on our roads. For this reason, any driver licence exchange relationships entered into are always preceded by detailed study and comparison of the licence system in the other state as against the Irish system to ensure that the two systems are compatible. By definition, the Minister cannot guarantee what the outcome of such a comparison would be. While he would be very happy to be able to reach an agreement with Canadian authorities in this matter, he cannot prejudge whether such an arrangement will turn out to be feasible.
A further consideration to bear in mind is that Irish driver licensing rules operate within the framework of an EU-wide licensing system. The criteria essential for recognition of licences from other countries are testing and licensing regimes which meet the requirement of the ED directive on driver licences. On this basis Ireland recognises licences from and has mutual recognition and exchange of licence arrangements with other EU member states and a number of other jurisdictions, where research and discussion has shown that the standards operating in those jurisdictions match those here.
The Minister awaits with interest the outcome of the RSA's examination of Canada's licensing systems against this background. He hopes that it will be possible to reach agreement, but must caution that agreement is only possible if we can be satisfied that those who would be allowed to drive on our roads as a result of such agreement are indeed qualified to a standard acceptable within this jurisdiction.
I thank the Minister of State for his response. I note the case is that the Department is doing some research on the issue and cannot guarantee the outcome. Logic would suggest our driving test is not dissimilar to that in England. If England can do it, we should not have to wait too long. We do not need to send anybody to Canada to research the issue; all we need is to send them to London. The research should be pretty much the same as the standards there are similar to ours. I note there is an issue with regard to a convention on drivers that we did not ratify. Making a judgment and deciding a timeline are the issues. How long will this take? I suppose we can raise the issue again in the autumn, but it is causing difficulties for Irish people. Someone from Tyrone who has done pretty much the same test as somebody from Monaghan can go to Canada and exchange his licence, but the guy from Monaghan is at a disadvantage. We should not put our citizens at a disadvantage because of a process issue.
It is important to point out that engagement with the provincial authorities has begun and is ongoing. I concur with Senator Daly that it should not take too long to reach a conclusion, considering the history that exists between the UK and Canada and the two systems being quite similar.
School Transport
Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit go dtí an Teach arís. The matter I wish to raise, school transport, is part of the Minister of State's brief and concerns a specific situation with which I am dealing in County Clare. It concerns a young child starting second level school in September who experienced systematic bullying in primary school. The medical evidence and doctor's certificates on this case are available to the Minister. The bullies that caused the problem will attend the school nearest and the bullied child will travel elsewhere. However, the rules of the transport scheme are that an allowance will not be provided unless the pupil is attending the nearest possible school. There must be exceptions and this should be one of them. This child will be far better served in terms of his education need if she goes to a post-primary school a little further away that will not be attended by the bullies. Then she will have some chance of being able to settle into school and of having the same opportunities as her peers.
I understand full well that the scheme must have rules. However, there are exceptional circumstances. On compassionate grounds, I appeal to the Minister of State to use his good offices to make an exception in this case, given the medical evidence is there.
I thank Senator Conway for raising this matter today. As he is aware, school transport is a significant operation, managed by Bus Éireann on the Department's behalf and covering over 82 million km annually. In the region of 113,000 children, including more than 8,000 children with special needs, are transported in approximately 4,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. The main objective of the school transport scheme is to support the safe transport to and from school of children who would have difficulty travelling for reasons of distance to their nearest school if transport is not supported.
Under the terms of my Department's post-primary school transport scheme, children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 4.8 km from and are attending their nearest education centre as determined by my Department or Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. Children who are not attending their nearest school may apply for school transport on a concessionary basis, subject to a number of terms and conditions which are detailed in the scheme.
The school transport charge for children who are eligible for school transport and for children who are availing of school transport on a concessionary basis remains at €350 per annum for the 2012-13 school year. This charge can be paid in two instalments in July and December. Eligible children for whom no school transport service is available may apply for the remote area grant towards the cost of making private transport arrangements. This grant is only available to children who are eligible in the first instance.
Considering what the Senator has said and the evidence he has submitted, I will ask Bus Éireann to submit a report to my school transport unit regarding the availability of services, if any, for the pupil referred to by the Senator. We will revert to the Senator as soon as that report is available.
That is a most satisfactory reply. My knowledge would suggest there is alternative transport to the school which is a little further away. That is a positive response and I look for the hearing from the Minister of State or his Department.