Written Answers Nos. 60-74
60. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide the name, costs, date of commission, date or expected date of publication and name of the external consultant of all external reports commissioned by his Department since March 2011. [47076/12]
View answerThe following table sets out the name, cost, date of commission, date or expected date of publication and name of the external consultant in respect of all reports commissioned by my Department since March 2011:
|
Name of report and provider |
Cost |
Date of Commission |
Date of Publication |
|
Charles River Associates (Acquisition by Allied Irish Banks of EBS Building Society) |
€50,000 |
June 2011 |
Summary findings published on Department of Finance website June 2011 |
|
ARAM International Partners (Mortgage Arrears) |
€100,000 |
August 2011 |
Not published |
|
Mazars (Credit Demand Survey) |
€52,454 |
October 2011 |
November 2011 |
|
Deloitte & Touche (External Review of GGD error) |
€61,553 |
January 2012 |
7th June 2012 |
|
Mazars (Credit Demand Survey) |
€60,885 |
April 2012 |
July 2012 |
|
BDO/Amarach (Surveys – Review of film relief) |
€68,312 |
August 2012 |
Not published |
|
Grant Thornton (Assessment of Credit Review Office) |
€31,808 |
September 2012 |
November 2012 (anticipated) |
|
Nifast (Health & Safety risk assessment) |
€1538 |
October 2012 |
Not published |
|
Red C (Credit Demand Survey) |
€61,438 |
October 2012 |
November 2012 (anticipated) |
|
Mercer (Remuneration review) |
Nil to date |
October 2012 |
To be determined |
64. Deputy Gerald Nash asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide details of the functions of the proposed Legal Costs Unit under the aegis of the State Claims Agency and the National Treasury Management Agency; when the unit will be operational; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47111/12]
View answerThe Government approved the establishment of a State Legal Costs Unit within the State Claims Agency on 27 March 2012. The State Legal Costs Unit will initially deal with third-party costs arising from the Moriarty and Mahon Tribunals with its remit expanding to the Smithwick Tribunal third-party costs, after that Tribunal reports. The use of a single agency will enhance the State’s knowledge in the area of legal costs and will reinforce the measures being taken to reform the legal profession and reduce legal costs. It is expected that the Unit will begin its work on an administrative basis later in 2012.
65. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to the fact that some of the major banks have as yet still not passed on the increased mortgage interest relief granted as part of last years budget to customers; the action he has taken or plan to take in this matter; when he expects it to be resolved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47136/12]
View answerThe Revenue Commissioners administer mortgage interest relief through the Tax Relief at Source [TRS] system. Mortgage interest relief is provided to mortgage holders via on-going electronic data file transfers between Revenue and each of the 132 individual qualifying lenders. Both Revenue and the lenders were required to upgrade their IT systems to facilitate payment of the new 30% rate announced in Budget 2012, and while Revenue upgraded its IT system in December 2011, the same speed of upgrade did not happen across all of the lenders. At this point there is only one lender who has not completed the necessary upgrades to facilitate payment of the new 30% rate to its customers.
Revenue is currently in direct contact with that lender to ensure the 30% rate is paid to its customers within the current year and applied retrospectively. The lender has assured Revenue that its IT system will be upgraded within the current tax year and the 30% rate will be paid to its customers. It should be noted that the customers affected have continued to receive mortgage interest relief at the old 25% rate while the lender’s IT system upgrades are being completed.
66. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Finance the full cost to the Exchequer in the previous 12 months for his Department staff attending conferences including registration fees and travel. [47149/12]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy could not be collated in the time available. My Department will respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
67. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Finance the number of staff members of his Department that have been awarded internal promotions and or additional acting up or temporary allowances to perform more senior roles since 27 March 2009; the details of the grades involved; the pre-promotion temporary acting and post promotion temporaryacting pay scales; the total increase in salary payments to each staff member involved; the duration of assignments; the area to which each person was assigned; the business reasons supporting any such decision; the details of sanction received from the Department of Finance and or Public Expenditure and Reform; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47164/12]
View answer68. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Finance the number of staff members from his Department that have been temporarily and or permanently redeployed to other Government Departments or agencies since 27 March 2009; the details of the grades and pay scales of same; the total amount of savings achieved in salary payments in respect of the persons concerned; the duration of assignments; the business reasons supporting the redeployment of staff; the details of sanction received from the Department of Finance and or Public Expenditure and Reform; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47180/12]
View answer69. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Finance the number of staff members that have been temporarily and or permanently redeployed to his Department from other Government Departments or agencies since 27 March 2009; the details of the grades and pay scales involved; the total increase in salary payments for his Department in respect of the persons concerned; the duration of assignments; the area to which each person was assigned; the business reasons supporting the redeployment of staff; the details of sanction received from the Department of Finance and or Public Expenditure and Reform; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47195/12]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 67 to 69, inclusive, together.
Since my appointment as Minister for Finance on 9 March 2011, 19 staff members who were serving as Administrative Officers (AO) and Higher Executive Officers (HEO) have been awarded promotions through an internal competitive process to Assistant Principal level. 6 staff members, serving as Assistant Principals (AP) have been awarded promotions through an internal competitive process to Principal (PO) level. The current salary scales for civil service grades and grades common to two or more Departments are detailed in Circular 28/2009 (rates effective from 1 January 2010) which is available on www.circulars.gov.ie.
9 staff members serving as AO, HEO, AP and PO have been temporarily or permanently assigned to other Government Departments i.e. Department of Foreign Affairs, (serving in the Permanent Representation of Ireland to the European Union in Brussels), World Bank and Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. 11 staff members have been temporarily or permanently assigned to this Department from other Government Departments or agencies e.g. Revenue Commissioners, Oireachtas, Courts Service and the Central Statistics Office (CSO). In addition, another 6 staff members at Executive Officer (EO), AO, HEO and AP level have been temporarily assigned to this Department for the duration of the Irish Presidency. Sanction for filling these posts was received from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
70. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the ongoing post primary school transport case (details supplied) in County Tipperary; the reason for the delay in processing this application for grant aid; if his further attention has been drawn to the hardship being caused as a result of this delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46926/12]
View answerBus Éireann which operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department has advised that an application for transport was received for the pupil referred to by the Deputy in September 2012, at which stage the service was operating to capacity. The Remote Area Grant may be payable to eligible families for whom no transport service is available. In this regard, my Department has written to the family in question.
71. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to a situation of a post primary school (details supplied) in which an assistant principal has been appointed as per Circular 53/2011 but cannot take up their position as a result of his Department's decision to freeze payment allowances pending a review of all new appointments to this grade; the advice he will offer to this school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46960/12]
View answer72. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason no new assistant principal post are being filled in post primary schools despite the contents of Circular 0003/2012 which outlined that such allowances would not be paid until the review by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform was complete; the reason following publication of the said review on 18 September the position remains the same despite assurances given in Circular 0003/2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46961/12]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 71 and 72 together.
When the moratorium was introduced the Government exempted Principal and Deputy Principal posts in all primary and post-primary schools and these continue to be replaced in the normal manner. The impact of the moratorium is therefore limited to the Director of Adult Education, Assistant Principal and Special Duties allowances payable to teachers on promotion. Vacancies at this level arise due to retirements in the specific grades and typically also from the knock on effect of filling Principal and Deputy Principal posts.
Interim alleviation measures were announced in August 2012 for schools that are acutely affected by the impact of the moratorium at Assistant Principal level. School Management bodies were notified of these arrangements at the beginning of the current school year. Applications for alleviation have been received from 127 post primary schools. These applications have been processed and schools have been notified of the outcome in the recent weeks. Following the review of allowances by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, my Department is currently in the process of contacting schools (including the school referred to by the Deputy) that had sought approval to fill vacant assistant principal posts last January and were subsequently unable to complete the appointment process pending the outcome of the review.
73. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding a grant application in respect of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46967/12]
View answerThe decision on eligibility for new student grant applications from the 2012/13 academic year is a matter for the new centralised grant awarding authority, SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland). Officials in my Department have confirmed with SUSI that documentation was requested from the student referred to by the Deputy. This was received but was incomplete so further documentation was requested. This further documentation was received by SUSI on 17th October and this documentation is currently awaiting review. The student will be notified directly of the outcome.
If an individual applicant considers that she/he has been unjustly refused a student grant, or that the rate of grant awarded is not the correct one, she/he may appeal, in the first instance, to SUSI. Where an individual applicant has had an appeal turned down, in writing, by SUSI, and remains of the view that SUSI has not interpreted the scheme correctly in his/her case, an appeal form outlining the position may be submitted by the applicant to the Student Grant Appeals Board. The relevant appeal form will be available on request from SUSI.
74. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Education and Skills the annual saving to the Exchequer if current State subsidies to private schools were withdrawn; if he will provide a single figure and not a list of schools with accompanying figures. [46972/12]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that the issue of subsidies to fee-paying schools is a complex one. The figures provided below show that the overall total cost of exchequer support is €109 million. The Deputy will be aware that I announced a review last December, in the context of the Budget 2012, where I made a further one point change to the staffing allocation of fee charging schools. I indicated at the time that the purpose of the review would be to inform future policy in relation to Exchequer support for these schools. The totals of the salary grants and capital expenditure for fee charging schools for the school year 2011/12 are as follows: Salaries (teacher, SNAs Clerical Officers) - €102,889,221.77; Capital expenditure - €6,251,040.75; Assistive technology (child based grant) - €30,820.38. The overall total is €109,171,082.90.
