Written Answers Nos 224-231
224. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if he will set out the resources and support services available to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; if specific action might be taken with a view to providing the service necessary to address the concerns of the family; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24999/13]
View answerAs this is a service matter this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
225. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health his views on whether sufficient progress is being made in reducing the State's legal bill in his Department and any State agencies under his aegis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25168/13]
View answerMy Department is aware of the need to minimise legal costs and, in general, avails of legal services and advice from the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of the Chief State Solicitor. With regard to agencies under my Department's aegis, arrangements for the provision of legal services is an operational matter for the agencies themselves.
226. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if it is his intention to remove the free travel pass for the rural transport programme, in effect meaning that passengers will have an almost 70% fare hike in 2014. [24817/13]
View answerI am advised by the National Transport Authority, who have been assigned responsibility for managing the Rural Transport Programme (RTP), that Free Travel Pass (FTP) funding is awarded to Pobal by the Department of Social Protection. Pobal manage the FTP funding and allocate it to RTP groups based on the previous years’ passenger statistics and on the condition that FTP passengers will be facilitated on RTP services. Over the last number of years €1.5 million per annum has been awarded to Pobal by the Department of Social Protection for allocation to RTP groups.
The operation of the Free Travel Scheme is the responsibility of the Department of Social Protection and it is currently being examined by a working group of that Department. There are currently no proposals to change the allocation of FTP funding under the RTP.
227. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will set out by category and in detail a breakdown of the €799,000 estimated to be spent on consultancy services and value for money policy reviews in the 2013 Estimates; if he will explain the 41% increase in the estimates spend in 2012, providing detail of the additional spend; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24851/13]
View answerThis year my Department’s allocation for Consultancy Services and Value for Money and Policy Reviews is €799k. Last year my Department's allocation was €599k with a provisional outturn of €568k. The amount allocated each year is based on an estimate of Consultancy Services or Reviews likely to be carried out by my Department.
The increased allocation this year over the 2012 figure is mainly due to work which was underway late in 2012, not being paid for until 2013. The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform sanctioned a carryover of €400k from administrative budget savings in 2012 to 2013 which included €200k for Consultancy Services and Value for Money and Policy Reviews.
The main items of spend in this area for 2012 was as follows:
|
Company |
Purpose |
Cost 000 |
|
KPMG |
Evaluation of Business Plans for the new Shannon entity and DAA |
152 |
|
De Loitte & Touche |
Report on Review of Cash Management of CIE |
68 |
|
MVA Consultancy |
Baseline surveys for evaluation of Smarter Travel Areas |
61 |
|
Various
|
HR related Consultants
|
72
|
|
Mazars Consulting |
Review and appraisal of business plans for DAA and the new Shannon entity for ICTU |
55 |
|
Consultavia
|
Provision of Helicopter aviation consultancy services |
42 |
|
Railistics |
Review of Rail regulation requirements |
23 |
|
Panel of 3 |
Expenses re Appeals panel on Terminal Navigation Service charges at State Airports |
17 |
|
Other e.g. maintenance of Department's financial systems, outsourcing of Internal Audit, VFM Chairs, Drafting of Regulations etc. |
78 |
To date in 2013, there has been spend of €198k for Consultancy Services and Value for Money and Policy Reviews. The main items being Railistics Rail Review €65, Indecon re Rosslare Port Review €59k, and Freshfields Bruckhaus re advice relating to RyanAir €26k. It is anticipated that the remaining allocation will be spent in 2013.
228. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide a list of policy reviews to be undertaken by his Department in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24852/13]
View answerMy priorities for 2013, as set out on my Department's website, include the review of national aviation policy and of tourism policy. In addition, under the new Road Safety Strategy, policy reviews will be carried out on both drug driving legislation and speed limits. Value for money and policy reviews will also be carried on national roads maintenance current expenditure and on the Green Schools Programme. In relation to the aviation policy review, a consultation paper was published in early March. The closing date for this consultation is 30th June. I then intended to publish a draft policy statement later this year for further comment before finalising and adopting the new policy in early 2014.
229. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide a breakdown by category of sports and recreation services estimated spend in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24853/13]
View answerThe funding allocated to each of the sport subheads in my Department's vote in the Revised Estimates for 2013 is as outlined in the table below.
|
Subhead |
2013 Allocation |
|
- |
- |
Capital €m |
Current €m |
|
D3 |
Grants for Sporting Bodies (Sports Capital Programme) |
13.5 |
- |
|
D4 |
Grants for provision and renovation of Swimming Pools |
5.6 |
- |
|
- |
Irish Sports Council / National Sports Campus
of which
|
7.965 |
45.293 |
|
- |
Irish Sports Council funding is: |
- |
43.798 |
|
D5
|
National Sports Campus funding is: |
7.965 |
1.495 |
230. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide a breakdown by category of tourism services Estimates spend in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24854/13]
View answerThe information that the Deputy seeks is available in the 2013 Revised Estimates Volume which was published on 17th April 2013.
231. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will give details of what appropriations in aid spend will entail for 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24855/13]
View answerThe full details of my Department’s 2013 allocations are published in the Revised Estimates Volume and are available on the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform website. This year my Departments Vote 31 Appropriations in Aid allocation total in excess of €438 million comprising of a Capital receipts allocation of €270m and a Current receipts allocation of €168.5m.
