Wednesday, 12 Dec 2012

Written Answers Nos. 120-134

Social Welfare Code Issues

Questions (128)

Michael Moynihan

Question:

128. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection if PRSI was paid out of the early retirement farm scheme, whether this contributes to a social welfare entitlement. [55952/12]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

Under social welfare legislation, certain payments received by way of pension are excluded from income on which PRSI is charged. As payments received under the Early Retirement Scheme are regarded as payments received by way of pension, they are not subject to PRSI and therefore do not contribute to a social welfare entitlement.

Turbary Rights

Questions (129)

Kevin Humphreys

Question:

129. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for Social Protection if the money provided to turf cutters under the compensation scheme for those affected by the cessation of turf cutting on raised bog special areas of conservation is assessed as means for the awarding of means tested payments such as farm assist and jobseeker's allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55953/12]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

Payments received by persons under European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011 in compensation for loss suffered by the depreciation of an interest in the land to which he or she is entitled (turf cutting compensation scheme) are not assessable as cash income for the purposes of means tested, social assistance payments.

Departmental Staff Remuneration

Questions (130)

Finian McGrath

Question:

130. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Social Protection if temporary promotions or acting-up allowances have been a feature of the staffing arrangements for this EU Presidency; if she will confirm that her Department has been given sanction to make such arrangements, detailing the number by grade involved, the date sanction was sought and the date it was given. [56304/12]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

The Department of Social Protection has not sought sanction for any promotions or acting-up allowances in respect of staffing arrangements associated with the upcoming EU presidency.

Departmental Contracts

Questions (131)

Damien English

Question:

131. Deputy Damien English asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will provide details of each service in his Department that is currently outsourced; the company that provides such services and the total cost for these services; the other services which may be outsourced in the future that are currently being run in his Department; the names of the companies, fees paid and nature of service for all contracts awarded from his Department excluding legal, accounting, PR or building refurbishment related services since March 2011. [55826/12]

Written answers

Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

While certain work is contracted out from time to time in cases where particular expertise is required, in particular technical advice, engineering services and some architectural services, there has been no case of outsourcing responsibility for core public service provision to the private sector since my Department was established on 2 June 2011. The Department is committed to examining further options and alternative delivery mechanisms where appropriate in order to achieve cost savings and enhance accessibility of specific technical skills.

Turbary Rights

Questions (132, 133, 134)

Kevin Humphreys

Question:

132. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will estimate for 2012 the number of turf cutters that qualified for the compensation scheme for those affected by the cessation of turf cutting on raised bog special areas of conservation; the number who did not accept the payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55997/12]

Kevin Humphreys

Question:

133. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the amount spent in 2012 on payments under the compensation scheme for those affected by the cessation of turf cutting on raised bog special areas of conservation; if he will provide a breakdown of the total sums paid by county and for each county list the average, highest and lowest payment of total payments and if payments were for 2011 and 2012 or just for 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55998/12]

Kevin Humphreys

Question:

134. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of turf cutters in 2012 that qualified for the additional once off payment of €500 under the compensation scheme for those affected by the cessation of turf cutting on raised bog special areas of conservation; the total awarded to date in 2012; if he will provide a breakdown of the number awarded and total amount by county; the amount budgeted in total for this once off payment and the number of turf cutters refused the payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55999/12]

Written answers

Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

I propose to take Questions Nos. 132, 133 and 134 together.

Details are set out in the following table, on a bog by bog basis, of the number of applications under the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme received by my Department, the number of applicants opting for financial compensation, the number of applicants expressing an interest in relocation to non-designated bogs, and the number of payments made. Out of the 2,544 applications received in my Department under the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme, 1,784 applicants have opted for financial compensation and 760 applicants have expressed an interest in relocation.

To date, a total of 2,105 payments and 180 turf deliveries have been made to applicants at a total cost of €3,409,000. A cost of €51,000 was incurred in 2011 with the remaining cost of €3,358,000 being incurred in 2012.

The scheme is comprised of a payment of €1,500 per year, index linked, for 15 years or, where feasible, relocation of turf cutters to non-designated bogs where they can continue to cut turf.

Payments and turf deliveries have been made on the basis that applicants have indicated in their application forms that they fulfil all the qualifying criteria of the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme. My Department has been checking, and will be continuing to check, that all of the qualifying criteria of the scheme have been met in each case.

I am advised that at this stage one applicant has been informed that he does not fulfil the qualifying criteria. He has requested a Departmental review of the decision. Arrangements are also being considered by the Peatlands Council to put in place an appeals system where applicants wish to appeal the outcome of a review by the Department. While it may be anticipated that there will be further instances where applicants do not qualify, priority has been given to processing payments to those who clearly appear to meet the qualifying criteria on the basis of the information provided in their application forms.

3 applicants have been rejected because the areas on which they have been cutting turf are not within a raised bog special area of conservation.

An additional once-off payment of €500 for qualifying turf cutters will be provided where legal agreements are signed with me, as Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. To date, no such payments have been made as my Department has been giving priority to processing the €1,500 per annum payments and requests for the delivery of turf. Based on the number of applicants who have received compensation under the scheme to date, it is estimated that the total cost of the once-off payment will be of the order of €900,000.

Sites nominated for designation between 1997 and 1999

Site Code	Name	County	No. of Applications Received	No. Opting for Financial Compensation	No. Expressing an interest in Relocation	Payments made in respect of Year 1 of 15 -2011	Payments made in respect of Year 2 of 15 - 2012
000006	Killyconny Bog (Cloghbally)	Cavan	45	37	8	3	3
000231	Barroughter Bog	Galway	58	36	22	43	32
000248	Cloonmoylan Bog	Galway	74	66	8	53	49
000285	Kilsallagh Bog	Galway	32	23	9	22	28
000296	Lisnageeragh Bog and Ballinstack Turlough	Galway	20	11	9	7	10
000297	Lough Corrib	Galway	83	75	8	58	69
000301	Lough Lurgeen Bog/ Glenamaddy Turlough	Galway	29	20	9	13	15
000326	Shankill West Bog	Galway	9	5	4	5	7
000382	Sheheree (Ardagh) Bog	Kerry	1	1	0	0	0
000391	Ballynafagh Bog	Kildare	56	27	29	23	24
000497	Flughany Bog	Mayo/Sligo	17	14	3	11	7
000566	All Saints Bog and Esker	Offaly	6	4	2	0	0
000572	Clara Bog	Offaly	107	50	57	63	35
000575	Ferbane Bog	Offaly	4	1	3	0	0
000580	Mongan Bog	Offaly	5	4	1	1	1
000581	Moyclare Bog	Offaly	25	4	21	22	13
000582	Raheenmore Bog	Offaly	0	0	0	0	0
000585	Sharavogue Bog	Offaly	2	2	0	0	0
000592	Bellanagare Bog	Roscommon	174	130	44	112	98
000597	Carrowbehy/Caher Bog	Roscommon	3	3	0	1	1
000600	Cloonchambers Bog	Roscommon	26	21	5	10	5
000604	Derrinea Bog	Roscommon	1	1	0	0	0
000614	Cloonshanville Bog	Roscommon	7	7	0	2	2
000641	Ballyduff/Clonfinane Bog	Tipperary	2	2	0	2	2
000647	Kilcarren-Firville Bog	Tipperary	25	22	3	15	15
000679	Garriskil Bog	Westmeath	0	0	0	0	0
001242	Carrownagappul Bog	Galway	129	59	70	66	66
001818	Lough Forbes Complex	Roscommon	13	8	5	2	0
002110	Corliskea/Trien/Cloonfelliv Bog	Galway/Roscommon	76	63	13	40	56
	Totals		1029	696	333	574	538

Sites nominated for designation in 2002

Site Code	Name	County	No. of Applications Received	No. Opting for Financial Compensation	No. Expressing an interest in Relocation	Payments made in respect of Year 1 of 15 - 2012
000440	Lough Ree	Roscommon/Longford/Westmeath	285	194	91	195
000595	Callow Bog	Roscommon	91	73	18	70
002298	River Moy	Mayo/Roscommon/Sligo	68	59	9	26
002331	Mouds Bog	Kildare	94	55	39	47
002332	Coolrain Bog	Laois	54	45	9	40
002333	Knockacoller Bog	Laois	26	21	5	6
002336	Carn Park Bog	Westmeath	59	26	33	44
002337	Crosswood Bog	Westmeath	69	37	32	44
002338	Drumalough Bog	Roscommon	19	18	1	12
002339	Ballynamona Bog and Corkip Lough	Roscommon	60	30	30	38
002340	Moneybeg and Clareisland Bogs	Meath/Westmeath	84	72	12	70
002341	Ardagillion Bog	Longford	40	29	11	21
002342	Mount Hevey Bog	Meath/Westmeath	66	28	38	22
002343	Tullaher Lough and Bog	Clare	191	164	27	151
002346	Brown Bog	Longford	6	6	0	1
002347	Camderry Bog	Galway	14	6	8	9
002348	Clooneen Bog	Longford	11	9	2	7
002349	Corbo Bog	Roscommon	67	39	28	38
002350	Curraghlehanagh Bog	Galway	46	27	19	26
002351	Moanveanlagh Bog	Kerry	27	24	3	22
002352	Monivea Bog	Galway	42	38	4	25
002353	Redwood Bog	Tipperary	76	70	6	63
002354	Tullaghanrock Bog	Roscommon	1	1	0	0
002356	Ardgraigue Bog	Galway	19	17	2	16
	Totals		1515	1088	427	993