Written Answers Nos. 693-715
694. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decison will be made on an appeal for invalidy pension in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Carlow; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17646/13]
View answerI am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer having fully considered all the available evidence disallowed the appeal of the person concerned by way of summary decision. The person concerned was notified of the Appeals Officer decision.
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.
701. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if an application for invalidity pension now under appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry will be expedited and approved. [17655/13]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 1st March 2013. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When received, the case in question will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on 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.
702. Deputy Áine Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on a matter (details supplied) regarding home help hours. [17732/13]
View answerThis is a matter for my colleague in the Department of Health.
703. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht when payment of hen harrier grant will issue in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16060/13]
View answerFollowing receipt in my Department of the application for payment referred to by the Deputy, additional information has been sought and the application will be considered further when this is received.
704. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Dara Calleary den Aire Ealaíon, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta cad iad na bearta a rinne Foras na Gaeilge chun cuidiú le Gaelscéal, agus chun an infheistíocht a chosaint gan trácht ar an airgead a caitheadh roimhe sin; cad é an plean atá ag an bhForas chun cur le líon na léitheoirí Gaeilge; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh [16263/13]
View answerCheadaigh Foras na Gaeilge deontas de luach €1.6 milliún do Thorann na dTonn i mí na Nollag 2009 chun an nuachtán Gaelscéal a fhoilsiú. Cuireadh tacaíocht poiblíochta agus margaíochta ar fáil don lainseáil agus don chéad eagrán a seoladh ar 26 Márta 2010.
Tuigtear dom ón bhForas go raibh caidreamh láidir comhpháirtíochta idir an comhlacht agus Foras na Gaeilge ón tús. Lean an Foras le cruinnithe rialta le stiúrthoirí agus foireann Ghaelscéal chun an dul chun cinn ar phleananna margaíochta an chomhlachta féin don nuachtán a mheas.
Taobh istigh de théarmaí an chonartha mhaoinithe, tugadh gach tacaíocht don chomhlacht chun scaipeachán agus díolachán an nuachtáin a fheabhsú. É sin ráite, tuigtear dom gur theip ar an gcomhlacht an sprioc aontaithe de 9,000 cóip a dhíol sa tseachtain. Chuir Foras na Gaeilge maoiniú de €400,000 ar fáil don nuachtán in 2012 agus ba é an meándíolachán a bhí air ná 1,314 cóip sa tseachtain. De réir mar a thuigim, aithníodh laistigh den chomhlacht féin nach mbeadh sé ar a chumas leibhéal díolacháin an nuachtáin a ardú os cionn 2,000 cóip sa tseachtain.
Maidir le cur le líon na léitheoirí Gaeilge, tá céimeanna idir lámha ag Foras na Gaeilge chun tuairimí an phobail a fháil faoin gcineál seirbhís nuachta atá de dhíth orthu. Tá suirbhé pobail ar siúl ag Foras na Gaeilge agus tá sé i gceist acu sraith fócasghrúpaí a reáchtáil ar fud na tíre go luath. Ag brath ar thorthaí an phróisis chomhairliúcháin seo, beidh bord Fhoras na Gaeilge ag déanamh cinnidh maidir leis an mbealach is fearr chun maoiniú an Fhorais a chur ar fáil le go mbeidh freastal níos forleithne á dhéanamh ar phobal léitheoireachta na Gaeilge sa réimse nuachta.
705. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if any support or compensation is available to farmers who have lost out on possible income and payments as a result of their land being designated as a special area of conservation. [16266/13]
View answerCompensation, or financial incentives, may be payable in respect of land designated as a special area of conservation in a number of ways.
My Department administers a small-scale farm plan scheme, which supports farmers in adopting appropriate management practices in the Natura 2000 network. These include supports for sheep destocking on western hills, for managing land for corncrakes and hen harriers, and, separately, as part-contribution to schemes such as the Burren Farming for Conservation Programme. It should be noted that the main farm plan scheme operated by my Department is currently closed to new applicants.
While my Department has the lead role in relation to the implementation of the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive, significant funding is provided through the rural development programme, operated by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, which provides for a range of supports for farmers, including payments in respect of designated areas under the Directives.
My Department has also put in place a comprehensive compensation scheme for those affected by the cessation of turf cutting on raised bog habitat designated as special areas of conservation under the EU Habitats Directive.
Finally, it should be noted that regulation 41 of the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011 sets out provisions in relation to the payment of compensation, in certain circumstances where I, as Minister, refuse consent to carry out certain activities within a special area of conservation.
706. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht recognising the cultural importance and economic significance of the Cork Film Festival to the city and region, if he will provide an update on the funding position and the reasons for delays in providing funding to the festival; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16666/13]
View answer708. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if, in view of the importance of The Gathering, his Department directly or indirectly through State agencies involved, has expressed concerns regarding the Cork Film Festival on the way this may affect State support for the Festival; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16977/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 706 and 708 together.
My Department has no role in funding the Cork Film Festival and I understand that the main funders are Cork City Council and the Arts Council.
While the Arts Council receives its overall funding allocation from my Department, decisions on the expenditure of those funds are a matter for the Arts Council itself. Under the Arts Act 2003, I am precluded by law from intervening in the Council's decisions on funding.
707. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht further to Parliamentary Question No. 412 of 22 January 2013, when payment of bog compensation will issue to persons (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16679/13]
View answerAs outlined in my replies to Question No. 412 of 22 January 2013 and Question No. 438 of 27 November 2012, the individuals referred to sold their interest in land in a raised bog special area of conservation under the voluntary bog purchase scheme, administered by my Department. An incentive bonus of €5,400, available under the scheme, was also paid to the applicants at the time of purchase, on the condition that they were selling all plots of bog land in their possession and registered or unregistered turbary rights within a designated area.
The individuals have applied for compensation under the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme. The qualifying criteria for this scheme are that:
The claimant must have a legal interest in one of the 53 raised bog special areas of conservation – ownership or turbary right;
The claimant must have been the owner or entitled to exercise turbary rights on the land in question on 25 May 2010;
The turbary on the site must not be exhausted;
The claimant must have been cutting turf on the land in question during the relevant five year period; and
No turf cutting or associated activity is ongoing on the property.
From the application submitted to my Department, it appears that the applicants purchased additional land within the raised bog special area of conservation in 2012. Therefore, they do not appear to have had a legal interest in the site through ownership or a turbary right on 25 May 2010.
My Department is considering the position of those who have applied for compensation under the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme but do not appear to fulfil the qualifying criteria of the scheme for a variety of reasons and will be writing to all such applicants in relation to their position in due course.
709. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if dog foul bins will be provided at various locations along walkways in Killarney National Park, County Kerry, including the Fossa way, Muckross and the Demesne; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16990/13]
View answerI have no plans to provide dog foul bins in Killarney National Park.
Section 22 of the Litter Pollution Act 1997 places the onus on the person in charge of a dog to clean up immediately when their dog fouls in a public place.
The provision of dog foul bins in our national parks could lead to wider use of the bins for other waste, which would ultimately result in littering in their vicinity, especially during busy periods. My Department endeavours to manage our National Parks on the basis of the principles of the Leave No Trace programme, which envisages that no litter or waste is left behind by users but is taken out of the park for proper disposal.
710. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if funding is available for a project (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17018/13]
View answerMy Department has no role in the provision of direct funding for film projects. The Irish Film Board is the statutory body with responsibility in this area and details of its various funding schemes are available on its website at www.irishfilmboard.ie . The Irish Film Board is independent in its decision-making.
711. Deputy Luke 'Ming' Flanagan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the location of maps that give the exact outline of the boundaries of special areas of conservation and natural heritage areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17052/13]
View answerThe boundaries of candidate Special Areas of Conservation and Natural Heritage Areas can be viewed on my Department’s website at http://webgis.npws.ie/npwsviewer/ and are available on request from my Department.
Maps for Natural Heritage Areas are also included in the Statutory Instrument for each site. Copies are available in the Oireachtas Library, from the Government Publications Office at www.publications@opw.ie and can be viewed on www.irishstatutebook.ie .
712. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht when a ferry will be provided to take animals and so on to and from Dursey Island (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17111/13]
View answerMy Department allocated a grant for the provision of a ferry cargo service between the mainland and Dursey Island on three separate days during the period from 1 July 2012 to 31 August 2013. This allowed for the transport of vital provisions to the island and also facilitated the occasional transfer of animals from the island during the period in question. My Department will give consideration to funding a similar cargo service at the end of the above period. However, it should be noted that the regular transfer of animals to and from the island is not the responsibility of my Department.
713. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht further to Parliamentary Question No. 356 of 19 March 2013, if he will provide the names of the Foras na Gaeilge board members whose fees are not paid due to voluntary waivers or because the one person, one salary principle has been applied. [17158/13]
View answerThe Foras na Gaeilge board members, to whom fees are not paid due to voluntary waivers or because the one person, one salary principle has been applied, are listed below.
|
BOARD MEMBERS |
WAIVERS |
|
Liam Kennedy |
Voluntary Waiver |
|
Tomás Mac Eochagáin |
Voluntary Waiver |
|
Seosamh Mac Donnchadha |
OPOS |
|
Dónal Ó hAiniféin |
OPOS |
|
Tomás Sharkey |
OPOS |
|
Caitríona Ní Shúilleabháin |
OPOS |
714. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of turf cutters who received a compensation payment and turf respectively for the 2011 turf cutting season; the number of these persons who have received a compensation payment and turf respectively for the 2012 season; when the outstanding payments will be made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17312/13]
View answerTo date, 2,668 applications for compensation under the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme have been received and acknowledged by my Department. A total of 596 payments have been made to applicants in respect of 2011 and 1,596 payments and 205 deliveries of turf in respect of 2012. Details of the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme figures, on a bog by bog basis, are available on the website of the National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department at http://www.npws.ie/peatlandsturf-cutting/turfcutting/compensationschemestatistics/.
For the Deputy’s convenience the details are set out at Appendix 1.
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 such criteria have been met in each case.
My Department is considering the position of those who have applied for compensation but do not appear to fulfil the qualifying criteria of the scheme for a variety of reasons and will be writing to all such applicants in relation to their position in due course.
715. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht when the National Transport Authority will be included in the list of public bodies to be asked to prepare a language scheme outlining the way services will be provided in Irish; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17421/13]
View answerI wish to inform the Deputy that the approach to bringing public bodies, including the public body referred to by the Deputy, within the scope of the Official Languages Act 2003 is part of the review of that Act, which is currently being undertaken by my Department in accordance with a commitment in the Programme for Government.
As I have previously indicated, it is intended to publish the Official Languages Act (Amendment) Bill later this year, which will include proposed statutory amendments arising from the review of the legislation.
