Thursday, 21 Mar 2013

Written Answers Nos. 117 - 127

Information and Communications Technology Issues

Questions (117)

Sean Fleming

Question:

117. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he has given any consideration to the possibility of operating a central share or federated telephony switchboard for Departments that are connected to the Government network; if this type of service, in which all calls are sent to a shared switchboard service, delivering greater resilience, lower costs and increased call handling capacity, has been contemplated by the CMOD unit of his Department; if any analysis of possibilities and challenges has been undertaken, and if so, if he will provide an outline of the findings of those analyses; the reduced staffing implications of such services would be; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14433/13]

Written answers

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform

Given the hundreds of individual services provided by Government Departments and the diversity of those services, it does not make operational or commercial sense to centralise the call-handling for all of these. Instead the public service has invested in a range of more practical solutions including IVR, Direct Dial-In, Lo-Call, 076 facilities, Voice over IP and Skype facilities. These facilities and the underlying Government Networks infrastructure have been implemented resiliently. These architectural approaches have resulted in a reduction in telecommunications costs across the Irish public service.

Information and Communications Technology Issues

Questions (118)

Sean Fleming

Question:

118. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he has considered the use of, or implemented, integrated voice response systems in his Department's phone systems or in the phone systems of agencies within his remit; if the staff and salary cost savings which might arise have been assessed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14505/13]

Written answers

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform

As with all technologies, my Department uses Integrated or Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems in those areas where it makes sense and provides value to both the business and the customer. While IVR of itself does not contribute substantially to salary savings, it does, in certain circumstances, help to streamline the user experience so that services are better delivered.

Presidential Reports

Questions (119)

Andrew Doyle

Question:

119. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he received a copy of the Being Young and Irish – Take Charge of Change report from the Office of the President, Áras an Uachtaráin as part of President Higgins series of seminars with young persons here which took place in Dublin, Galway, Monaghan and Cork in 2012; if he has noted the Take Charge of Change declaration made by the participants; the steps he has taken arising out of the report’s findings in order to achieve young person’s vision for Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14535/13]

Written answers

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform

In response to the Deputy’s question I wish to advise that I have not yet had the opportunity to read this report but I look forward to doing so when received.

Information and Communications Technology Issues

Questions (120)

Sean Fleming

Question:

120. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the progress made within his Department on phasing out the use of locall 1890 numbers that can be extremely expensive when dialled from mobile phones and introducing 076 numbers, which are generally included in tariff bundles provided by most mobile network operators and are charged at the same rate as national calls, in view of the fact that the number of mobile telephones exceed the number of landlines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14487/13]

Written answers

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

I am conscious of the cost of telephone calls to customers of my Department. For this reason a LoCall 1890 number is provided for each of the main contact points in the Department and a local number is also supplied in order to provide the customer with a choice of contact methods.

My Department did investigate the potential for use of the 076 number in some cases. However, the benefit of providing these numbers was unproven, particularly in view of the complexity of tariff structures from telecommunications providers, the multiple methods of contact already available to the public and the fact that, during the period under review, less than a third of the total calls to the numbers under consideration came from mobile phones. There would also be additional costs to the Department. My Department will continue to review the use of LoCall numbers on an on-going basis.

Information and Communications Technology Issues

Questions (121)

Sean Fleming

Question:

121. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he has considered the use of, or implemented, integrated voice response systems in his Department's phone systems or in the phone systems of agencies within his remit; if the staff and salary cost savings which might arise have been assessed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14503/13]

Written answers

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

My Department has implemented an integrated voice response system for customers contacting the Department on its advertised numbers. The majority of the Offices under the aegis of my Department have also implemented IVR systems. The use of IVR systems by the agencies under the remit of my Department is a day to day operational matter for those agencies.

While the staff and salary savings have not been formally assessed, the introduction of IVR systems has allowed local management to make more efficient use of the staff resources originally tasked with answering phone calls. It has also resulted in a more tailored service to the public.

Information and Communications Technology Issues

Questions (122)

Sean Fleming

Question:

122. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if his Department has given any consideration to the use of telephony switchboard services that are shared with another Govlernment Department or another public body in order to reduce costs and increase call handling capacity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14516/13]

Written answers

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

I have no plans at present to introduce the use of telephony switchboard services that are shared with another Government Department. The appropriateness of introducing the use of shared telephony switchboard services by my Department will be kept under review.

Enterprise Ireland Expenditure

Questions (123)

Tom Fleming

Question:

123. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the amount of funding issued by Enterprise Ireland to each company in County Kerry for each of the past ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14520/13]

Written answers

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

Enterprise Ireland (EI) publishes annually, in hard copy format only, a listing on an overall 26 county basis of funding issued to companies by the Agency, which is available to the public on request and I have asked EI to respond directly to the Deputy with the information sought.

I understand however, that it will take some time to extract and collate the information for each of the past ten years. I am assured that EI will provide it to the Deputy as soon as is reasonably possible.

Presidential Reports

Questions (124)

Andrew Doyle

Question:

124. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he received a copy of the Being Young and Irish – Take Charge of Change report from the Office of the President, Áras an Uachtaráin as part of President Higgins series of seminars with young persons here which took place in Dublin, Galway, Monaghan and Cork in 2012; if he has noted the Take Charge of Change declaration made by the participants; the steps he has taken arising out of the report’s findings in order to achieve young person’s vision for Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14533/13]

Written answers

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

I received a copy of the Executive Summary of the report, Being Young and Irish, and the accompanying Declaration from the Office of the President in November 2012. The report and Declaration address a wide range of issues of relevance to young people in Ireland today, many of which fall under the policy responsibility of other Ministers.

My Department’s key objective is to support job creation in the economy, principally through the Action Plan for Jobs process. The 2013 Action Plan for Jobs, which was published on 22 February, recognises the need to support young people in enhancing their skills and finding employment. The Action Plan includes a number of measures for delivery in 2013 which are particularly targeted at young people. These include recognising the role of youth work services in contributing to skills development, facilitating increased participation in volunteering, and the preparation of a Government Policy Statement on Entrepreneurship, including youth entrepreneurship.

In addition, programmes such as JobBridge and MOMENTUM, which are administered by the Department of Social Protection and the Department of Education & Skills respectively, will continue to provide work experience and training to unemployed young people.

The vision outlined in the Being Young and Irish Declaration coalesces in many respects with the Government’s objectives for the economy – improved prosperity, an enterprise culture and the opportunity for education and employment for all. I will continue to work with my Government colleagues in 2013 to implement the Action Plan for Jobs with a view to achieving these objectives.

EU Directives

Questions (125)

Derek Nolan

Question:

125. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will provide an update on discussions surrounding the EU accounting and transparency directive in Brussels; if he will clarify his position on the issue; his views on whether this Directive will be brought to a conclusion during the Irish Presidency of the EU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14548/13]

Written answers

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

The proposed EU Accounting Directive has been the subject of a number of Trilogues between the EU Council and the European Parliament, the latest of which was held on 19 March. Substantial progress was made at that Trilogue and it is envisaged that a further Trilogue will be scheduled for after Easter, at which it is hoped a First Reading Agreement can be reached.

The proposed Directive contains – at Chapter 9 – provisions relating to the reporting of payments to governments (country by country reporting) and this element is linked with the proposed Transparency Directive by means of a cross-reference to Chapter 9 of the draft Accounting Directive.

Departmental Properties

Questions (126)

Maureen O'Sullivan

Question:

126. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if his attention has been drawn to the terms of a lease held at public expense on a premises associated very closely with the 1916 Rising, Carrisbrook House, Ballsbridge, Dublin; his views on whether there is any possible link between the deal obtained by the developers of this property from AnCO and the Department of Industry and Commerce in 1969 and the activities of an organisation, Taca; if he will publish a schedule of all leases entered into by public bodies statutory agencies under the aegis of his Department between 1963 and 1973 where such leases remain in force today; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14559/13]

Written answers

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

Carrisbrook House was acquired by AnCO in 1969 on a 65 year full-repairing lease, commencing on 1st August 1969 and expiring on 31st July 2034. There is no provision for lease breaks on the property and the rent is due for review every seven years.

The Industrial Development Authority acquired the lease from AnCo on 20th October 1976. On 1st January 1994, the leasehold interest transferred to Forfás.

The Industrial Development Authority occupied Carrisbrook House from 1976 until 1985, when the agency relocated to Wilton Park House. I understand that the Youth Employment Agency occupied three floors of Carrisbrook House between 1986 and 1989.

Since 1985, the available offices were sub-let to a number of tenants outside the public sector on a continuous basis until early 2008 when a major tenant exercised a break clause in its sublease and vacated the building. The Israeli Embassy is currently the only occupant of the premises, on a sub-lease which expires in 2025.

Forfás has been actively seeking to market the vacant space in Carrisbrook House since 2008. The Office of Public Works and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform have also been advised, through my Department and Forfás, of the availability of vacant space in the building. The IDA has also been asked to bring the availability of the accommodation to the attention of prospective clients.

In current market conditions, and despite a number of engagements with potential tenants by Forfás, a letting has not been secured.

AnCo (An Chomhairle Oiliúna) was established in 1967 as an agency of the Department of Labour and was subsequently subsumed into FÁS in 1988. The Board of FÁS is currently appointed by the Minister for Education and Skills. I am not aware of any further details relating to the original lease on Carrisbrook House other than those I have outlined above.

I will write to the Deputy separately with details of leases entered into by Offices or agencies of my Department between 1963 and 1973 which remain in force today.

Disability Allowance Appeals

Questions (127)

Tom Fleming

Question:

127. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will expedite a disability allowance appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14389/13]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 15th March 2013, who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing.

The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions on social welfare entitlements.