Written Answers Nos. 145-164
145. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Taoiseach if any Minister has brought a conflict of interest to his attention regarding his personal finances and his engagement with the financial sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39335/13]
View answerNo.
146. Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Taoiseach the number of political staff employed in his office in 1981 and the number employed currently in 2013, including secretarial assistants, parliamentary advisers, special advisers, press officers, researchers and administrators; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39035/13]
View answerDetails of the number of staff appointments by the Taoiseach are set out below for the periods concerned.
Year 2013 (position as at 24.09.13)
|
Title |
Number per post |
|
Chief of Staff |
1 |
|
Special Adviser to the Taoiseach |
3 |
|
Special Adviser to the Government Chief Whip |
1 |
|
Personal Assistant to the Taoiseach |
4 |
|
Personal Assistant to the Government Chief Whip |
1 |
|
Personal Secretary to the Taoiseach |
2 |
|
Personal Secretary to the Government Chief Whip |
1 |
|
Government Press Secretary |
1 |
|
Deputy Government Press Secretary |
2 |
|
Assistant Government Press Secretary |
2 |
|
total : |
18 |
Year 1981
|
Position as at 1 January to 29 June 1981 |
|
|
Title |
Number per post |
|
Special Adviser to the Taoiseach |
2 |
|
Government Press Secretary |
1 |
|
Head of Government Information Services |
1 |
|
Personal Secretary to the Taoiseach |
1 |
|
Personal Secretary to Government Press Secretary |
1 |
|
Personal Secretary to the Government Chief Whip |
1 |
|
total : |
7 |
|
Position as at 30 June to 31 December 1981 |
|
|
Title |
Number per post |
|
Special Adviser to the Taoiseach |
2 |
|
Government Press Secretary |
1 |
|
Head of Government Information Services |
1 |
|
Personal Assistant to the Taoiseach |
1 |
|
Personal Assistant to the Government Press Secretary |
1 |
|
Personal Secretary to the Government Chief Whip |
1 |
|
total : |
7 |
148. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade when he last met the chairman or chief executive of the North-South bodies InterTradeIreland, Waterways Ireland, the Food Safety Promotion Body, Foras na Gaeilge, Foyle Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39110/13]
View answerI do not have direct responsibility for any of the North South Implementation Bodies established under the British Irish Agreement. However, the Ministers who exercise that direct responsibility, together with the corresponding Ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive, meet with the Chairmen and Chief Executive Officers of the Bodies at meetings in sectoral format of the North South Ministerial Council which are held on a regular basis. In this jurisdiction the responsibility for the Bodies is exercised by five government departments: the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Waterways Ireland and the North/South Language Body which comprises Foras na Gaeilge and the Ulster Scots Agency), the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (InterTrade Ireland), the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (the Foyle Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission - Loughs Agency); the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (the Special EU Programmes Body); and the Department of Health (the Food Safety Promotion Board). In addition, Tourism Ireland is the responsibility of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport.
149. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the actions he has taken to extend the remit of the North-South implementation bodies; the consideration he has given to widening the number of areas of cross-Border co-operation and the consultation he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive in this regard. [39111/13]
View answerThe three terms of reference of the review of the existing North South bodies and of North South co-operation generally which is being undertaken in accordance with the St Andrews Agreement, are to examine the existing bodies in terms of efficiency and value for money, to look at the case for additional North South bodies and areas of co-operation and at a replacement for the Irish Lights Agency. The review was a subject of discussion at the meeting of the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) in plenary format which was held in Dublin Castle on 5 July 2013 and which was attended by members of the Government and of the Northern Ireland Executive including the First Minister and Deputy First Minister. It was noted that Term of Reference One of the Review is now largely complete; that senior officials from both administrations have met and initiated a work programme to take forward Terms of Reference Two and Three; including expanding on the areas of North South cooperation, and that they will conclude their work and present a report with proposals to the next NSMC Institutional meeting.
150. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade whether he has sought meetings with and the details of any briefings he has had on the work of the Parades Commission in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39112/13]
View answerThe Parades Commission is an independent, quasi-judicial body established under the Public Processions (Northern Ireland) Act 1998. All organisations and individuals seeking to hold a parade in Northern Ireland must apply for permission to do so from the Commission. In most cases the parades are allowed without any restrictions, however in the absence of local agreement it is required to make determinations on contentious parades. Last year it dealt with over 4,000 parade related applications, of which it made determinations on 146 contentious parades. The Commission is fully independent in the discharge of its functions, and should be seen to be so. It would not be appropriate for me to seek to influence its decisions. However, my officials in the British-Irish Intergovernmental Secretariat in Belfast provide me with regular briefings on the Commission’s determinations and activities which are in the public domain.
151. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the reason for the lack of progress in relation to the families of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings; and the reason the British Government is not co-operating. [39125/13]
View answerThe question of obtaining access to information held by the British Government on the Dublin-Monaghan bombings has been pursued for many years by successive Governments and with the support of Members on all sides of the Oireachtas. There was a significant and lengthy inquiry by a Supreme Court Judge, Justice Barron, from 2000 to 2003. In addition, a thorough examination by the Select Committee of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women’s Rights resulted in a series of four reports published in November 2004. Following on from the recommendations of this committee, a full Commission of Investigation was established in May 2005. This was conducted by Mr. Patrick McEntee, Senior Counsel, and its final report was published in April 2007. In July 2008, the Dáil passed an all-party motion on the matter which was transmitted to the House of Commons. I have met with the victims and survivors of this terrible atrocity and I am fully aware of the pain and suffering they have had to endure. I have raised the matter of access to information related to the bombings with my ministerial counterparts in the British Government. In July this year, the Taoiseach met with representatives of those bereaved and injured as a result of the Dublin/ Monaghan bombings in order to hear firsthand how their lives have been affected. The Government will continue to pursue the issue at both ministerial and official level and remains committed to bringing about a measure of closure to those who have suffered as a result of the Dublin-Monaghan bombings.
152. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the recommendations in the National Youth Council of Ireland’s report on emigration Time to Go; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39451/13]
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 longstanding 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 met with the National Youth Council of Ireland to discuss some of the findings and recommendations from their report with a view to seeing if there are areas the NYCI and the Department might be able to cooperate on in future.
The second strand of our diaspora engagement programme is our partnership with the Global Irish Network, a group of over 300 of the most influential Irish connected business figures drawn from almost 40 countries, which provide invaluable advice, facilitation and practical assistance to the Government and Irish companies. The development of the Global Irish Network has transformed the strategic relationship between Ireland and its Diaspora and I look forward to working with them again at the third Global Irish Economic Forum that will take place in Dublin Castle next week.
184. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Finance his plans for the future of the 9% VAT rate currently applicable to the services and hospitality sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39371/13]
View answer205. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Finance if he will keep the 9% VAT rate for the tourism industry in budget 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39633/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 158, 184 and 205 together.
The 9% reduced VAT rate for tourism related services was introduced in July 2011 as part of the Government Jobs Initiative. The measure was designed to boost tourism and create additional jobs in that sector. In line with best international practice it was introduced as a temporary measure and is due to expire at end December 2013, at which point it will revert to 13.5%. Retaining the 9% rate would be very costly to the Exchequer and would require an increase in taxation or reduction in expenditure elsewhere.
Any proposal to maintain the 9% VAT rate will be considered in the context of the Budget.
