Written Answers Nos. 127-46
127. Deputy Simon Harris asked the Taoiseach if he will outline in tabular form the number of staff appointed by him and the Minister of State in his Department or constituency office and their relevant costs including travel and subsistence, in each year for the period 2005 to March 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23839/13]
View answerThe following tables provide the information requested by the Deputy in relation to staff appointed by each Taoiseach and Minister of State in my Department from 2005 to 2011 on contracts of employment coterminous with an office holder.
2005
|
Number of Staff |
Salary Total |
|
22 |
€1,652,632 |
2006
|
Number of Staff |
Salary Total |
|
21 |
€1,759,717 |
2007
|
Number of Staff |
Salary Total |
|
21 |
€1,444,545 |
2008 (January to May)
|
Number Of Staff |
Salary Total |
|
19 |
€452,388 |
2008 (May to December)
|
Number Of Staff |
Salary Total |
|
22 |
€1,029,402 |
2009
|
Number of Staff |
Salary Total |
|
25 |
€2,060,069 |
2010
|
Number of Staff |
Salary Total |
|
28 |
€1,898,698 |
2011 (January to March)
|
Number of Staff |
Salary Total |
|
22 |
€486,696 |
|
YEAR |
Total Travel & Subsistence Paid |
No. of Recipients |
|
2005 |
€17,834.67 |
10 |
|
2006 |
€9,197.80 |
10 |
|
2007 |
€13,265.76 |
9 |
|
2008 |
€16,415.33 |
7 |
|
2009 |
€28,053.96 |
5 |
|
2010 |
€12,504.43 |
3 |
|
Jan - Mar 2011 |
€6,456.24 |
2 |
128. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Taoiseach if he will outline in tabular form, a breakdown on a year by year basis of the legal and travel costs his Department has incurred as a result of litigation in the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg, the General Court in Luxembourg and the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg from the years 2005 - 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23852/13]
View answerMy Department has incurred no legal or travel costs as a result of litigation in the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg, the General Court in Luxembourg or the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, between 2005 and 2012.
129. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Taoiseach if he will set out in tabular form the names of all State owned or substantially State funded organisations under his Department whose latest accounts laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas are more than one year old - that is, relating to a period ending before May 2012; and those of all such organisations whose latest accounts are more than two years old - that is, relating to a period ending before May 2011. [25025/13]
View answerThe National Economic and Social Council (NESC) is the only State Agency under the aegis of my Department. The following table provides the information requested by the Deputy.
|
Body |
More than one year old |
|
National Economic and Social Development Office |
Accounts for year ended 31 December 2011 were laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas on 18 September, 2012. |
The audit of NESDO's accounts for the year ended 31 December, 2012 is ongoing. In accordance with the National Economic and Social Development Office Act 2006, NESDO's accounts and a copy of the Comptroller and Auditor General's (C & AG) report on the accounts shall be presented to the Taoiseach as soon as the audit is complete, and the Taoiseach will subsequently arrange for the accounts and a copy of the C & AG report on the accounts to be laid before each House of the Oireachtas.
130. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade further to the recent publication by the National Youth Council of Ireland of the report Time to Go a qualitative research study exploring the experience and impact of emigration on Ireland’s youth his views on the findings of the report; and the steps that will be taken by him to address recommendations issuing from the report. [24125/13]
View answerI welcome the report of the National Youth Council of Ireland as a contribution to the ongoing debate on engagement with our overseas communities. However, I believe that the report would have more accurately reflected the Government’s extensive assistance to emigrants had the Council sought the views of the Irish Abroad Unit of my Department during their research.
While the Government is committed to implementing policies which will in the future ensure that no Irish citizen has to endure emigration by
economic necessity, we have also been extremely robust in ensuring that those who are emigrating today receive assistance from the
Government and Government supported organisations at home and abroad.
Today, our Diaspora engagement policy has two key strands, namely the Emigrant Support Programme (ESP) and the Global Irish Network.
The Emigrant Support Programme provides direct assistance to Irish emigrants, both long-standing and new. Since 2004, Irish groups ranging from those providing front line services to those most at need including the elderly, isolated, vulnerable and new arrivals to those working in the culture and heritage space have received grants of over €100 million under the Programme. At present, we work with almost 200 Irish community organisations in over 20 countries and despite the economic situation, I ensured the ESP budget for 2013 - €11.6 million - remained at the same level as in 2012.
The programme provides extensive funding to organisations that act as first port of call for new emigrants, including the GAA, the London Irish Centre, the Irish Canadian Immigration Centre in Toronto and several similar groups in Australia. We also support a wide range of business and graduate networks around the world.
Among the Irish based organisations who receive ESP funding is Crosscare Migrant Project which offers pre-departure services to Irish citizens considering emigration. Crosscare also provide training to mainstream service providers on emigration and returners’ issues and work in conjunction with Irish welfare organisations abroad (many also funded by ESP) and statutory and voluntary service providers in Ireland including the probation service, Salvation Army and Safe Home.
Officials from my Department will meet the National Youth Council of Ireland shortly to discuss some of the findings and recommendations from their report with a view to seeing if there are areas where the Council and the Department might be able to cooperate in future.
131. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the arrangements Ireland has in place for a liaison office to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation; the resources that are available to this office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24234/13]
View answerIreland's cooperation with NATO is conducted through the Partnership for Peace (PfP). The PfP was launched in January 1994 as a means of outreach to the new democracies in Central and Eastern Europe, and as a way to promote stability and strengthen relationships through the promotion of practical cooperation. PfP has since been joined both by states who wish to become NATO members and by states that do not, including neutral and non-aligned states such as Finland, Sweden, Austria and Switzerland. Russia is also a member. Russia is also a member. Ireland became a member of the PfP and its political counterpart, the Euro Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC), in December 1999. At that time, Dáil Éireann approved a Presentation Document setting out overall priorities for Ireland’s participation, the foremost priority being cooperation in peacekeeping and crisis management.
In 2000 the Department established a Liaison Office in Brussels to represent Ireland at the PfP and EAPC. The Ambassador to Belgium is Head of the Liaison Office and the Office is staffed by this Department, the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces. In total there are 5 staff assigned to this Office, and its annual budget in 2013 is €268,437.
132. Deputy Anthony Lawlor asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the reason it is €15 more expensive to have a passport application processed through the standard post system rather than Passport Express, particularly considering it can take between four and eight weeks to process the former as opposed to ten working days with the latter; the reason neither the passport application nor form notes display the fees for passport applications; his views on whether this leads to confusion for persons who do not have access to the internet or immediate direct contact with a person in the know to check the correct fee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23716/13]
View answerPassport fees are set by statutory instrument. The notes accompanying the passport application form outline the wide range of places that information on passport fees can be found. The fees are publicised on the Passport service website www.passport.ie and on the Passport Service telephone information line. Information regarding fees has also been issued to An Garda Síochána and displayed in the majority of Garda Stations. An Post, who operate the Passport Express Service used by over 70% of passport applicants at over 1000 post offices also provide passport fee information. Additionally public notices were published in national newspapers in 2011 at the time of introduction of the last fee change. The standard fee for an adult passport is €95 whether the applicant applies through the postal system or at the counter. To encourage the use of Passport Express, there is a reduced fee of €80 for an adult passport application through this service. Customers applying through passport express are given a commitment by the Passport Service that, where the application was properly completed, a passport will be issued within ten working days.
133. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will join the call for brands and retailers active in the Irish and single European markets to accede to the Bangladesh Fire and Building Safety Agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23754/13]
View answerOn behalf of the Irish Government, I wish to express my deepest sympathy to the Government and people of Bangladesh on the tragic loss of life suffered following the collapse of a garment factory in Dhaka. President Higgins has sent a message of condolence to the President of the Republic of Bangladesh, H.E Mr. Hamid Abdul in this regard.
Ireland’s diplomatic relations with Bangladesh are maintained through our Embassy to India in New Delhi and the Embassy of Bangladesh in London accredited to Ireland. I understand that earlier this week the government of Bangladesh agreed to lift legal restrictions on forming trade unions in most industries, including the garment industry. Previously, workers were required to obtain permission from factory owners before unionising.
I share the concern of Ireland’s UN and EU partners regarding the current state of labour conditions in Bangladesh. I support the statement made by EU High Representative Catherine Ashton and EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht on 30 April which called upon the Bangladeshi authorities to act immediately to ensure that factories across the country comply with international labour standards including International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions.
Ireland’s commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights is a fundamental feature of our foreign policy. Under Ireland’s new policy for International Development – One World, One Future, we are committed to ensuring that economic development is compatible with human rights, including the right to decent work. Our engagement in this area will be informed by, among other international standards, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. In this regard, Irish Aid currently provides assistance to the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) 'Decent Work Agenda' through a partnership programme that covers the four year period 2012-2015.
At the Human Rights Council's most recent Universal Periodic Review of Bangladesh, Ireland recommended that Bangladesh ensure widespread, unannounced and rigorous factory inspections and that where breaches of the Labour Act 2006 occur those responsible are held accountable in a manner sufficient to ensure deterrence.
Regarding the accord on Building and Fire Safety in Bangladesh referred to in the Deputy’s question, Ireland welcomes the active engagement of Irish and international firms who have signed up to this voluntary agreement and encourages others to do so in an effort to prevent any recurrence of the recent tragic events in Dhaka.
134. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the position regarding a passport in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 18. [23780/13]
View answerA passport for the person in question was issued by the Department on 10 May, 2013.
135. Deputy Simon Harris asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will outline in tabular form, the amount of travel and subsistence, both foreign and domestic, claimed individually by each Minister, Minister of State and Secretary General in his Department, for each year in the period 2005 to March 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23817/13]
View answerThe amounts claimed by each Minister, Minister of State and Secretary General in my Department in respect of travel and subsistence, both foreign and domestic, for each year in the period 2005 to March 2011 are set out below.
Given the nature of my Department’s responsibilities Ministers, Ministers of State and Secretaries General are obliged to undertake a significant amount of official travel.
My Department is fully compliant with the Department of Finance guidelines on official travel and also operates its own detailed internal travel guidelines. The central aim of the Departmental travel policy is to minimise official travel costs and to achieve value for money for expenditure necessarily incurred, consistent with the effective discharge of official duties.
|
Minister |
|||||
|
- |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
|
|
Minister Dermot Ahern 2005-2008 |
12,085 |
5,445 |
5,144 |
1,969 |
|
|
- |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
|
|
Minister Micheál Martin 2008-2011 |
3,737 |
2,601 |
Nil |
2,367* |
|
|
- |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
||
|
Minister Noel Treacy 2005-2007 |
22,307 |
49,393 |
37,884 |
||
|
- |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
|
MoS Dick Roche 2007-2011 |
14,544 |
34,524 |
23,549 |
21,552 |
3,684 |
|
- |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
||
|
MoS Conor Lenihan 2005-2007 |
18,075 |
22,034 |
9,080 |
||
|
- |
2007 |
2008 |
|||
|
MoS Micheal Kitt 2007-2008 |
14,533 |
18,577 |
|||
|
- |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
|
|
MoS Peter Power 2008-11 |
19,266 |
31,670 |
12,483 |
2,402** |
|
|
- |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
|
Secretary General Dermot Gallagher 2005-2009 |
6,384 |
10,981 |
9,027 |
6,192 |
847 |
|
- |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
||
|
Secretary General David Cooney 2009 to date |
2,763 |
3,512 |
623 |
*Minister Martin expenses paid in 2011 for Travel expenses incurred in 2010, €2,367.
** MoS Power received €2,402 in July 2011 subsequent to leaving office in respect of closing mileage adjustment for the period up to March 2011.
136. Deputy Simon Harris asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will outline in tabular form, the number of staff appointed by each Minister and Minister of State in his Department or constituency office and their relevant costs including travel and subsistence, in each year for the period 2005 to March 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23833/13]
View answerI have outlined as follows, in tabular form, the number of staff appointed by each Minister and Minister of State in my Department or constituency office and their relevant costs including travel and subsistence, in each of the years for the period 2005 to March 2011. The data does not include any severance or related costs that may have been incurred.
Ministerial Appointees 2005-2011
|
MINISTER |
YEAR |
NO OF APPOINTEES |
SALARY COST |
Travel & Subsistence |
|
Minister Dermot Ahern, T.D. |
2005 |
4 |
291,088.29 |
7,709 |
|
- |
2006 |
4 |
296,404.01 |
6,919 |
|
- |
2007 |
4 |
326,044.32 |
6,009 |
|
- |
2008 |
4 |
125,078.83 |
2,742 |
|
Minister Micheál Martin, T.D. |
2008 |
4 |
171,129.67 |
694 |
|
- |
2009 |
4 |
304,340.27 |
922 |
|
- |
2010 |
4 |
246,390.45 |
4,175 |
|
- |
2011 |
4 |
33,125.70 |
NIL |
|
Minister Noel Treacy, T.D. |
2005 |
4 |
181,272.10 |
31,349 |
|
- |
2006 |
4 |
194,905.53 |
27,479 |
|
- |
2007 |
4 |
96,211.61 |
17,729 |
|
Minister Dick Roche, T.D. |
2007 |
5 |
136,432.69 |
7,081 |
|
- |
2008 |
5 |
136,432.69 |
35,612 |
|
- |
2009 |
5 |
273,637.79 |
34,551 |
|
- |
2010 |
5 |
288,154.04 |
36,567 |
|
- |
2011 |
5 |
259,805.46 |
11,291 |
|
Minister Conor Lenihan, T.D. |
2005 |
4 |
152,188.36 |
21,294 |
|
- |
2006 |
4 |
158,162.94 |
22,199 |
|
- |
2007 |
5 |
88,321.17 |
10,794 |
|
Minister Michael Kitt, T.D. |
2007 |
4 |
88,649.86 |
8,256 |
|
- |
2008 |
4 |
69,927.81 |
10,117 |
|
Minister Peter Power, T.D. |
2008 |
6 |
151,888.99 |
13,791 |
|
- |
2009 |
6 |
303,954.52 |
20,206 |
|
- |
2010 |
6 |
286,066.59 |
18,728 |
|
- |
2011 |
6 |
75,263.86 |
2,576 |
137. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will be represented at the conference on 1-2 July reviewing the ICPD programme of action for our region of Europe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23854/13]
View answerThe UN Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) will hold a Regional Conference in Geneva on 1-2 July 2013 on the theme of Enabling choices: Population Priorities for the 21st Century. It will bring together 200-250 representatives of governments, including high-level officials, with representatives of national parliaments, academia and Non-Governmental Organisations. The Conference will review progress in Europe on achieving the goals and objectives of the Programme of Action adopted by the International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo in 1994. Ireland attaches great importance to the implementation of the goals and objectives of the Programme of Action. We will be represented at the Conference by our Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva.
138. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if Ireland was ever offered to become either a member or observer of the Arctic Council since its inception; if he will consider it to be valuable to Ireland if we were to become a member or observer in view of the small but influential number of nations that are involved in the council; if Ireland is considering taking steps to work with the Arctic Council in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23895/13]
View answerThe Arctic is an area of growing international importance and the Arctic Council is the primary forum for international cooperation in the region. The Council is made up of eight Member States: Canada, Denmark (including Greenland and the Faroe Islands), Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States as well as six Permanent Observer States: France, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, United Kingdom.
Observer Status in the Arctic Council is open to non-arctic States, global and regional inter-governmental and inter-parliamentary organisations
and non-governmental organisations.
The Arctic Council does not offer states or organisations Observer Status. Rather, those wishing to secure Observer Status must formally apply to the Council for consideration. To date, Ireland has not applied for Observer Status. When assessing a State’s suitability for Observer Status, issues such as its expertise in areas relevant to the region and its ability to support the work of the Council are key determinants. In this context, the extent to which a State has participated in research programmes in the region is especially important.
The EU has applied for Observer Status of the Arctic Council. The application was considered at a Ministerial meeting in Kiruna, Sweden last week. A decision on the EU’s application has been deferred pending further discussions on bilateral issues between the EU and Canada. We are hopeful that the EU’s application will be successful and we look forward to contributing, through the EU, to greater cooperation in the management of the Arctic region.
139. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will assist a person (details supplied) in Dublin 9 regarding the renewal of a passport, which is required urgently. [23978/13]
View answerA passport for the person in question was issued by the Department on 16 May, 2013.
140. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if any consideration will be given to opening an Irish Embassy in Palestine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24002/13]
View answerIreland already has a diplomatic mission which represents it in Occupied Palestinian Territory. This is the Representative Office in Ramallah, which is responsible for the Government’s relations with the Palestinian National Authority and the Palestinian people more generally.
Re-designation of the Office in due course as an Irish Embassy will be a very welcome symbolic step which will accompany the establishment and recognition of a functioning and sovereign Palestinian State.
141. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will detail Ireland's position on the future reform of the United Nations Security Council; if Ireland would vote in favour of expanding the number of permanent members of the UNSC; his views on whether the European Union delegation to the United Nations should one day hold its own permanent seat; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24238/13]
View answerIreland's view is that a more representative, efficient and transparent Security Council is required as part of equipping the United Nations to meet the increasingly complex and diverse challenges of today's world.
We believe that any expansion of the Council’s membership should accommodate Member States which play a particularly significant role in the UN system, for instance financially, in relation to peacekeeping or through their capacity for regional leadership.
Any expansion should also provide for improved African representation. While we would ideally wish to see the complete removal of the veto powers currently enjoyed by the Council's permanent members, there should at the very least be no conferral of such powers on any new members. Ireland, which has been elected to a non-permanent seat on the Council at approximately twenty-year intervals, also considers it important that any new arrangements would not reduce the frequency of membership available to smaller Member States at present.
Reform of the Security Council should, in addition, encompass greater moves to improve its working methods and increase transparency. In this respect, Ireland is a member of a new grouping, ACT (Accountability, Coherence and Transparency), which was launched in New York on 2 May 2013 and which is seeking to make the working methods of the Security Council more transparent, efficient and inclusive.
The European Union is not a Member State under the terms of the UN Charter; it merely has observer status at the UN. It is hypothetical and premature, accordingly, to form a view as to whether the EU delegation should one day be granted a permanent seat on the Security Council.
143. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Finance the number of households broken down by local authority area that have currently registered for the local property tax; the total number of households broken down by local authority area targeted by the Local Government Management Authority for registration for the local property tax; if he will provide a breakdown of figures of those households that have registered for the property tax between those that are the registrations of single home owners and those that form part of multiple registrations by the same owner. [24215/13]
View answer154. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide figures by local authority area for the registration of property tax; the number of registrations that have been multiple registrations by one home owner; the number of properties in total that have been registered that are owned by owners of multiple properties as opposed to single home owners; the number of registrations that have been by post as opposed to electronic; the number of property tax payments that are below the estimate quoted by the Revenue Commissioners to the householder. [23758/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 143 and 154 together.
I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that Local Property Tax (LPT) Returns, personalised letters and an LPT Guide have issued to owners of 1.66 million residential properties either by post or by way of their ROS (Revenue Online Service) inbox. The Commissioners have confirmed that in excess of 948,522 LPT Returns have been filed up to Monday 20 May 2013. Of the returns received, 657,157 were filed electronically and 291,365 were paper returns.
As the Deputy will appreciate, with returns being filed on a constant basis, the Commissioners' focus is on processing the returns, dealing with correspondence, telephone calls and payment processing. It would not be practical or particularly useful for the Revenue Commissioners to carry out detailed analysis on the filing of returns by single and multiple property owners or on the number of returns received where the owner’s self-assessment of their LPT liability was less than the Estimate quoted by Revenue, until after the online filing deadline of 28 May 2013 has passed. Similarly, it is not possible to provide a breakdown of the number of LPT returns filed on a regional or administrative basis until after 28 May.
With regard to the Deputy’s request for the total number of households broken down by local authority area targeted by the Local Government Management Authority for registration for the LPT, I would like to clarify that the administration of the tax is the sole responsibility of the Revenue Commissioners.
144. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Finance his plans to introduce a new scrappage scheme to assist motorists seeking to change their cars and to assist the motor industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24218/13]
View answerI have no plans to re-introduce a scrappage scheme for the motor industry.
145. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Finance the length of time it takes the Office of the Financial Ombudsman to take a complaint from initial submission, to investigation and finally to resolution. [23671/13]
View answerFirstly, I must point out that the Financial Services Ombudsman is independent in the performance of his statutory functions. It would not be appropriate for me to comment on how he performs his duties. I have been advised by the Financial Services Ombudsman that in respect of the work undertaken by the Financial Services Ombudsman during the 1st quarter of 2013 (1 Jan 2013 to 31 March 2013) the average period from the initial submission to commencement of formal investigation was in the order of 3 - 4 months.
On the issue more generally the average period from the commencement of formal investigation to conclusion of formal findings was in the range of 3 - 9 months, depending upon the complexities of the issues. Every complaint to the Financial Services Ombudsman is dealt with on its own merits and consequently the timeframe can vary considerably in accordance with the nature of the particular issues. In the course of investigation, the parties to a complaint are asked to present all appropriate evidence and are given every opportunity to make all submissions required in relation to the pertinent issues.
146. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Finance the levels of payment the Office of the Financial Ombudsman has achieved in the past two years for complainants; if he has plans to require the Financial Ombudsman to publish in their annual report the perpetrators of financial injustice against customers. [23672/13]
View answerFirstly, I must point out that the Financial Services Ombudsman is independent in the carrying out of his duties. I have no role in the day to day workings of the office. However, the Financial Services Ombudsman has informed me that the information requested by the Deputy is as follows:
|
Year |
Complaints Received |
Compensation Awarded |
|
2012 |
8,135 |
€1,734,218 |
|
2011 |
7,287 |
€2,244,030 |
The amendment to the Central Bank (Supervision and Enforcement) Bill 2011, which I proposed at Committee Stage, and was agreed on 24 April 2013, will provide the Financial Services Ombudsman with the power to name, in certain circumstances and subject to certain conditions, financial service providers where the Financial Services Ombudsman has upheld or substantially upheld complaints.
