Written Answers Nos. 355-368
356. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection when rent support will be awarded in the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 15; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36708/13]
View answerThe person concerned applied to her local Rents Unit for a rent supplement in February 2013. Before her application can be approved she is required to provide proof of ownership of the property from her landlord, as detailed on the application form. This documentation was requested by the Rents Unit on 3 separate occasions; 2 March, 9 April, and 31 May, but it has not yet been forthcoming.
357. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress made in the determination of appeal in respect of domiciliary care allowance in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36709/13]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 23 April 2013. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Social Protection. These papers were received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on the 3 July 2013 and the case 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 in relation to social welfare entitlements.
358. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a basic payment of €19.50 has not been paid in respect of one week in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36710/13]
View answerThe person concerned has been in receipt of a basic payment at the rate of €19.10 per week since 30 May 2013, the date she first stayed at her current address in the Eyre Powell Hostel in Newbridge, Co Kildare. She has been paid in full up to and including 24 July 2013 at the rate appropriate to a person in direct provision.
359. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if and when carer's allowance will be granted in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36711/13]
View answerThis application for carer's allowance was disallowed by a deciding officer on the 11 of May 2013 on the grounds that the carer is not providing full-time care and attention in accordance with the relevant legislation.
The person in question has appealed this decision.
A submission is being prepared by the Department and the file and all relevant papers will be forwarded to the Social Welfare Appeals Office shortly for determination.
362. Deputy Damien English asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to develop the JobBridge scheme so that those in the crafts industry here, who are predominately self-employed, can become eligible for participation in this scheme so that their business could benefit and grow from the addition of the internship programme to the stage that additional employees could be taken on at a future stage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36777/13]
View answerOfficials of the Department have had detailed discussions with representatives of the Craft Council of Ireland and I am happy to advise that the Department is working closely with the Crafts Council of Ireland on extending participation on JobBridge on a pilot basis to the craft sector. The Craft Council of Ireland has 61 internship opportunities advertised on the JobBridge website since the 24 June 2013.
The main purpose of this pilot is to examine the feasibility of extending internship opportunities within the craft sector and evaluate progression into employment outcomes and overall to evaluate if extending participation to the craft sector is in keeping with the spirit and the ethos of the scheme.
363. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the present gender balance of the total members of State boards under the aegis of her Department; if the ratio has changed significantly over the course of the present Government's term; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36794/13]
View answerThe three statutory bodies operating under the aegis of the Department of Social Protection are the Social Welfare Tribunal, the Citizens Information Board and the Pensions Board. In addition, the Office of the Pensions Ombudsman comes under the remit of the Department but it does not have a Board. The ratio of the gender balance of these State Boards has not changed significantly over the course of the present Government’s term.
The information sought by the Deputy is set out in the table.
|
Agency/Board |
Male |
Female |
Total |
|
Social Welfare Tribunal |
4 |
1 |
5 |
|
Citizens Information Board |
8 |
5 |
13 |
|
Pensions Board |
8 |
7 |
15 |
364. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will exclude all of the coursing clubs found to have trespassed on lands while netting hares in the previous coursing season from the licence for the 2013-14 season; if he will exclude all of the coursing clubs found to have breached any of the other licence conditions last season from netting hares for the forthcoming season and from holding any coursing fixture in the forthcoming season; if he will add a requirement to the licence for the 2013-14 season that coursing clubs seek written permission from landowners before netting hares on their property (details supplied). [36161/13]
View answerI refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No. 475 of 2 July 2013 where I stated that my Department issued a licence to the Irish Coursing Club to capture live hares under the Wildlife Acts for the 2012-13 season. The licence states that it does not authorise any person to enter any land without the permission of the owner or occupier of the land. The licence also provides that the Licensee and its members must comply with Section 44 of the Wildlife Acts which relates to unlawful hunting and entry on land.
The conditions of the license will be reviewed for the 2013-2014 season. In that context, I am mindful of the provisions of Section 44 which already confer considerable powers on the owners or occupiers of land to protect their property from unlawful hunting. While under section 44, it is open to aggrieved owners and occupiers of land to take summary proceedings where persons enter on land without permission for the purpose of hunting, where resources allow, my Department will investigate a number of allegations, which were recently brought to my Department’s attention, in relation to the unlawful capturing of hares by coursing clubs during the 2012-13 season.
365. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the income that would be generated if a levy of 0.5%, 1% , 2% 3% and 5%, respectively, were applied to all State bodies and Departments currently in breach of the Official Languages Act. [36453/13]
View answerSection 27(1) of the Official Languages Act 2003 provides that the Minister, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, may make a scheme of compensation providing for the payment by a public body to such persons of such sums as may be specified in the scheme, in respect of any failure, specified in a report by An Coimisinéir Teanga under section 26, by the body to comply with the provisions of the Act. No scheme has been made under section 27 of the Act. While, as the Deputy will be aware, a review of the Official Languages Act is underway at present, there are no plans to put such a scheme in place at this time.
366. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will remove a preservation order in order to address the serious threat to wildlife at a location (details supplied) in County Kerry. [36003/13]
View answerAll birds, including ravens, are protected under the Wildlife Acts and the European Communities Birds Directive. However, there is a facility under the Wildlife Acts for a person to obtain a permit from my Department to take action where serious damage is being caused by protected wild birds.
This permit is obtained under Section 42 of the Wildlife Acts. Applications for such permits are considered by my Department, on a case by case basis, against a protected species, including ravens, which can include the scaring, capturing or killing of the said species in a situation where serious damage is being caused to agricultural crops, forestry plantations, other fauna, etc. The applications are subject to examination by the Conservation Staff in my Department .
367. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he is preparing his Department to adapt to and make maximum use of next generation technologies, in information and communications, in order to to better enhance the interaction of his Department with the citizen and the internal functioning of his Department; if he intends to conduct a risk analysis on same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36099/13]
View answerThe Department is engaged in a continuous process of assessing and deploying new technologies which support and enhance its activities. The Department operates and extends its technology systems and infrastructure in accordance with the sanction arrangements for ICT-related expenditure in Government Departments and Offices and the Programme for Government and Public Service Reform strategies relating to eGovernment and Cloud Computing.
368. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the Designation of European Capitals of Culture for 2017 and 2018, that was discussed during the Irish EU Presidency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36231/13]
View answerDecision No. 1622/2006/EC (the Decision) of the European Parliament and the Council of 24 October 2006, establishing a Community action for the European Capital of Culture event for the years 2007 to 2019, lays down the procedure of designation of the European Capitals of Culture for those years.
According to Article 2 of the Decision, from 2009 to 2019, two cities of two Member States will be designated as European Capitals of Culture, in turn, according to the chronological order set out in the Decision. Denmark and Cyprus are the Member States entitled to host the event in 2017 while Malta and the Netherlands are entitled to host the event in 2018.
The Decision provides for the setting up of a assessment panel and also lays down the application and assessment process for the selection of the Capitals of Culture. The application process commences at least six years in advance of the designation year.
After completion of the assessment process the assessment panel recommended that Aarhus in Denmark and Paphos in Cyprus would be designated European Capitals of Culture in 2017 and that Valletta in Malta would be designated in 2018. The Netherlands has not yet completed its selection process for 2018. Malta commenced its selection process a year earlier than required. Denmark, Cyprus and Malta proceeded to notify the nominations to the European Parliament, the Council, the Commission and the Committee of the Regions in the Autumn 2012.
The European Parliament forwarded its positive opinions to the Commission in February 2013.
Consequently, the Commission submitted to the Council the recommendation for the official designation of Aarhus and Paphos for the 2017 European Capital of Culture event in Denmark and Cyprus, respectively, and for the official designation of Valletta for the 2018 European Capital of Culture event in Malta.
This recommendation was accepted by the Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council that I chaired on the 17 May 2013.
