Written Answers Nos. 166-184
166. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the basis upon which it was decided where to spend the public funding on promoting the Irish Presidency, and in particular if moneys were spent on any newspaper supplements or advertisements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34272/13]
View answer167. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if moneys were spent on promoting or outlining achievements during Ireland's EU Presidency after the Presidency was concluded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34273/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 166 and 167 together.
In the European Year of Citizens, we felt it important to keep Irish citizens informed on the developments of the Irish Presidency through a modest and cost-efficient information campaign. An information feature was published in the Metro Herald on 9 January. Coinciding with the visit of the College of the European Commission to Dublin, the feature marked the start of the Presidency, the 40th anniversary of Ireland joining the EEC and the European Year of Citizens. It also drew attention to the Presidency website www.eu2013.ie as a source of ongoing information for the public about the Presidency and about Ireland in Europe. This feature cost €14,000 plus VAT.
Metro Herald was again used for an information feature on 2 July to outline the results of the Presidency as it came to an end. To provide information beyond Dublin and the surrounding counties, a further information feature was published with a national newspaper, the Irish Independent, on 5 July. Each of these features cost €14,000 plus VAT.
These features were placed through the advertising agency which holds a framework contract for print advertising with the government; the agency was consulted as to the reach achieved by such features, the optimum timing for publication, the availability of specific dates and of course maximising value for money given the limited budget available. At the outset of the Presidency, we secured 37 billboard posters for Dublin city centre from Dublin City Council – there was no rental cost for these and minimal design cost as we re-used the Presidency branding already developed. There was no online or broadcast advertising undertaken and no further publications are planned.
As is customary for an EU Presidency, a report outlining our legislative results over the six months was produced on 1 July. The cost incurred were €6,236.10 for the design of the 100-page report in four language versions and €3,891.96 for translation. This document, produced within a tight turnaround time, is available for download on the Presidency website at www.eu2013.ie in all four languages. There was also a limited print run of this report which was managed by the in-house printing capacity in the Department of Finance.
These modest outlays will be covered from within the Presidency budget in the Department of the Taoiseach. As you may be aware, the overall budget for the 2013 Presidency was set at €60 million, excluding security costs. This amounted to an overall figure in excess of 40% less than the cost of the 2004 Presidency. With some costs still to be determined, it is now clear at this stage that projected Presidency spending will come under the original Presidency budget of €60m. The revised projected Presidency spend is now €51m, a saving of at least €9m. As final payments are made, a full financial report will be published later this year setting out the final cost of the Presidency.
168. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has discussed the issue of Syria with the British Prime Minister since Dáil Éireann rose for its summer recess. [39077/13]
View answer169. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has had any contacts with French President Francois Hollande in relation to the Syrian crisis. [39078/13]
View answer170. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the contact he has had with EU leaders over the summer recess in relation to the Syrian crisis. [39080/13]
View answer171. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if European leaders have recently discussed the situation in Syria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39087/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 168 to 171, inclusive, together.
I spoke with the EU High Representative Cathy Ashton on Wednesday 28 August about the gas attacks in Syria on 21 August 2013. Syria was among the principal topics discussed at the informal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers which I attended in Vilnius on 7 September and where we were briefed on the US perspective by Secretary of State John Kerry. I and my EU colleagues agreed that the Syrian crisis should be addressed through the United Nations process.
Syria was also discussed in a wide range of meetings I had at the United Nations General Assembly last week, including with UN Secretary General Ban. In my address to the UN General Assembly on 28 September, I reiterated my unreserved condemnation of the appalling gas attacks in Ghouta on 21 August and I welcomed the UN Security Council Resolution of 27 September endorsing the framework agreed by the United States and Russia for the complete elimination of Syria’s chemical weapons. I have allocated €200,000 to support the vital work of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, assisted by the UN, in implementing these arrangements.
The Security Council has also called for the early convening of an international conference to address all aspects of the conflict and I am greatly encouraged by the indications that this could get under way in a matter of weeks. The inescapable reality is that the crisis can only be resolved politically through a genuinely inclusive negotiating process. In my address, I also reaffirmed the need for the removal of impediments to delivery of assistance necessary to alleviate the dire humanitarian situation and for full accountability for the 21 August gas attack and the many other serious human rights violations perpetrated in Syria.
172. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on his meeting with Secretary General of the OECD, Mr. Angel Gurría, during his visit to Dublin on the 12 September 2013. [39065/13]
View answer173. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he discussed the jobs crisis in his meeting with Mr. Angel Gurría, Secretary General of the OECD, during his visit to Dublin on 12 September 2013. [39066/13]
View answer174. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he discussed the issues of high unemployment and the increasing poverty levels here during his meeting with Mr. Angel Gurría, Secretary General of the OECD during his visit to Dublin on 12 September 2013. [39067/13]
View answer175. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he met with the Secretary General of the OECD when he was in Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39133/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 172 to 175, inclusive, together.
The Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Mr. Angel Gurría, visited Dublin on 12 September. Mr. Gurría used the opportunity of his visit to launch the OECD’s Economic Survey of Ireland, a biennial assessment of this country’s economic performance and prospects. I welcome the analysis contained in the Survey, with its focus on tackling youth unemployment, in particular, and its consideration of how Ireland can best build a knowledge-based economy. I am confident it will assist the Government in planning the next steps of our economic recovery. Mr. Gurría also had a number of other engagements during his time in Dublin. In addition to meetings with me and with the Taoiseach, the Secretary General met with Ministers Bruton and Burton and also participated in a round-table with the Irish Business and Employers Confederation and visited the Digital Skills Academy.
My own discussions with Mr. Gurría were open and constructive. I thanked him for the OECD’s valuable contribution to the formation of economic and social policy in Ireland, especially in the current context of our imminent exit from the Troika programme and the upcoming budget in October. I also outlined some of the challenges we are still facing and the need for the Government to build on progress already achieved.
I am pleased to report that Mr. Gurría was positive in his assessment of our economic prospects. His view was that Ireland has firmly returned to growth mode and that we can expect stronger figures in 2014 as the external environment continues to improve. He felt that we were beginning to see the benefits of difficult policy decisions already made and that our return to the financial markets would be a significant boost, both domestically and for the EU as a whole. He also pledged the OECD’s continuing assistance in the time ahead.
Mr. Gurría was complimentary too about the achievements of the Irish EU Presidency, including agreement on the Youth Guarantee. I described the challenges we face in reducing the unacceptably high level of unemployment in Ireland and some of the measures we have taken to tackle the problem, which have recently begun to bear fruit. I welcomed the OECD’s work underway in drawing up an Irish Youth Employment Action Plan – and said that we look forward to drawing on that document in due course as a source of policy ideas and international best practice. Mr Gurría also updated me on the important work the OECD is undertaking on taxation, and in particular on Base Erosion and Profit Sharing (BEPS). We will continue to support and constructively engage with the OECD in this important project.
It is clear to me, after Mr. Gurría’s successful visit and our open exchanges with him about Ireland’s economic recovery, that we only stand to benefit from continued active engagement with the OECD. I will encourage further cooperation with the organisation in the years ahead and stress the need for us to leverage their considerable expertise and experience to Ireland’s best advantage.
176. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to Oxfam's latest report, Growing Disruption: Climate Change, Food and the Fight against Hunger, which provides up to date links between climate change and causes of hunger, particularly the threat on food security arising from a reduction in crop production; his position regarding climate change links to world hunger and if he will take on board recommendations outlined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change - IPCC AR5 - working group I report released shortly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41073/13]
View answerI have noted with interest Oxfam’s very informative Issue Briefing, ‘Growing Disruption: Climate Change, Food and the Fight against Hunger’. Ireland’s new policy for international development, ‘One World, One Future’ , recognises the inextricable link between climate change, development and our ability to tackle global hunger. We have prioritised global hunger and climate change in the Policy.
The scale of the challenge of fighting hunger and providing nutritious food for a growing global population in the context of a changing climate was one of the main development priorities for Ireland’s EU Presidency this year. We hosted a major international conference in Dublin in April to bring the hunger, nutrition and climate agenda together. We brought together key policy makers and local and grassroots people facing the realities of climate change, rising food prices, failed crops, under-nutrition and hunger.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 5th Assessment report entitled Climate Change 2013: the Physical Science Basis, was published recently. This is the Working Group report and I understand that any recommendations will be included in the full report which is to be completed by the end of 2014. The central finding of this report is that scientists are more certain than ever that human activity is increasing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere contributing to raising global land and sea temperatures and changing climate.
At country level, through the Irish Aid programme, we have witnessed the effects of climate change on the ground. Through our work to combat hunger we are providing assistance to help farmers and communities adapt to the changing environmental context. Through our support for agricultural research we are assisting small farmers to become more productive through improving farms practices and seed varieties. We support the work of our non-governmental partners, including Oxfam, to address hunger in the context of a changing climate. We are placing increased focus on agricultural support for conservation farming, agro-forestry, food crop diversification, small scale irrigation and drought resistant seed varieties to help poor farmers to reduce hunger and adapt to a changing climate.
177. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade further to Parliamentary Question No. 153 of 24 September 2013, when he will publish the strategy statement guide on HIV-AIDS in his development programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41074/13]
View answerThe Government's new Policy on International Development One World One Future, which sets out our development aid commitments, was published in May. Addressing HIV/AIDS is one of those commitments. The Policy also sets out the main strategic areas for intervention under each commitment, which include investment at global, regional and country level for more effective prevention of HIV and for addressing inequality and gender-based violence as drivers of the epidemic. The strategic areas of focus on HIV will be underpinned by a coherent approach to mitigating against HIV across all six priority areas of action in the Policy - global hunger, climate change, human rights and accountability, trade and economic growth, essential services and an increased focus on fragile states. By addressing the drivers of the disease and its terrible consequences, we will seek to maximise our impact with an effective approach to fighting this global epidemic. I am now working with officials in my Department to outline an implementation plan for our new development policy including HIV/AIDS. We expect this action plan to be finalised in early 2014.
178. Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will update Dáil Éireann on the European Council's deliberations in 2013 on the principle of subsidiarity that underpins the European Union; if he will refer in this regard to developments that occurred during Ireland's Presidency of the European Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30048/13]
View answerWhile the European Council did not hold any specific discussions on the principle of subsidiarity during 2013, the December 2012 European Council concluded, in the context of President Van Rompuy’s report on the completion of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), that the “general objective remains to ensure democratic legitimacy and accountability at the level at which decisions are taken and implemented”. Leaders also agreed that any new steps towards strengthening economic governance needed to be accompanied by stronger legitimacy and accountability, with appropriate involvement by national parliaments and the European Parliament. This message was reiterated by the March 2013 European Council in the context of ongoing work on deepening EMU.
The Informal Meeting of Ministers and State Secretaries for European Affairs chaired by the Irish Presidency in January 2013, considered the issue of democratic legitimacy and accountability. The discussion focussed on immediate practical steps that could be taken within the existing supporting measures within the Lisbon Treaty. Ministers expressed support for greater interaction between the European Parliament and national parliaments, including through COSAC. Ireland chaired the XLIX COSAC plenary in June 2013, which welcomed the successful intensification of interparliamentary exchange of information on subsidiarity scrutiny since the coming into force of the Lisbon Treaty, in many cases contributing to specific scrutiny outcomes. COSAC affirmed the importance of effective execution of this role by national parliaments and encouraged further cooperation between national Parliaments when appropriate in order to reach the thresholds under the Treaties.
As the Deputy will be aware, arising from its right of legislative initiative, and before proposing new initiatives, the European Commission verifies whether the EU has the right to take action and whether the objectives of the proposed action cannot be sufficiently achieved by Member States. In this context, I refer the Deputy to the Commission’s Annual Report on Subsidiarity and Proportionality. The Report for 2012 was published in July 2013. http://ec.europa.eu/smart-regulation/better_regulation/documents/2012_subsidiarity_report_en.pdf.
Furthermore, national Parliaments have an important role under the Treaties in scrutinising European Commission legislative proposals for compliance with the principle of subsidiarity and, where appropriate, issuing reasoned opinions where a breach is considered to have occurred. Oireachtas Committees are charged with this responsibility as part of their scrutiny of draft legislative proposals under Standing Orders and their Orders of Reference.
179. Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will update Dáil Éireann on his recent work engaging with political leaders in the USA regarding Irish citizens who live in that country without documentation. [30046/13]
View answerThis is an issue I treat with the very highest priority. During my visit to the US last week, I spoke with several key contacts in the US Congress including leading members of the House Judiciary Committee, Minority House Leader Nancy Pelosi, and Chair of the Congressional Friends of Ireland, Pete King. I also met with representatives of Irish community groups as well as some community members who are undocumented. I am acutely aware of the difficulties they face as a result of their undocumented status. I am more determined than ever to continue to work to find a solution to their plight.
A resolution of the situation facing the undocumented Irish in the United States remains a priority for the Government. The Government also attaches great importance to seeking provision for future flows of migration between Ireland and the United States through the extension of the “E-3” visa scheme to include Irish citizens. In this context, we very much welcomed the US Senate’s approval of the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Bill by a 68-32 margin on 27 June last. The comprehensive draft legislation, which was drafted over several months by a bi-partisan group of eight US Senators, provides for extensive reform of the US immigration system. It includes provisions that would legalise the status of undocumented Irish people and provide a path to permanent residency. It also provides for future flows of legal migration between Ireland and the US via the proposed E-3 visa.
The Bill is a very positive development. Its provisions, if adopted, would help to end the great hardship and uncertainty faced by undocumented Irish in the US and their families here in Ireland. The inclusion of a new provision to allow several thousand Irish citizens to legally avail of employment opportunities in the US every year is also particularly welcome.
The focus has now shifted to the House of Representatives for its consideration of the issues. It remains to be seen whether a consolidated Bill can be agreed between the Senate and the House of Representatives. It is generally accepted that securing overall agreement will remain a complex and challenging process, particularly at a time when Congress is preoccupied by budgetary and debt issues. This was clear from my discussions last week and I believe the challenge to secure agreement has become even greater in recent times. I am determined to continue to deploy all our resources at political, diplomatic and Irish community level to make progress on this vital issue.
In addition to my contacts last week in New York, I visited Washington DC on 11-12 July and held a series of meetings on Capitol Hill, including with key members of the House of Representatives and Senate, with the US Administration and with Irish-American community representatives. I reiterated throughout all these contacts the Government’s interest in all aspects of immigration reform and in particular our interest in seeing an overall agreement reached which provides relief for currently undocumented Irish migrants and a facility for future flows of legal migration between Ireland and the US.
I wish to acknowledge the critically important role being played by a number of Irish community organisations, including the Ancient Order of Hibernians, the Chicago Celts for Immigration Reform and the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform. I also want to acknowledge the role played by Ambassador Collins and more recently by Ambassador Anderson and staff at the Embassy in Washington who have been steadily building support for our objectives.
180. Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide an update on all regulatory impact statements carried out on Bills in his Department since this Government took office to date; if he will list these Bills in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41595/13]
View answerMost of the legislation brought forward by my Department does not routinely impact significantly on the regulatory environment. Regulatory Impact Assessments are carried out on all legislation as necessary. However, since March 2011, no Regulatory Impact Statements have been carried out across my Department.
181. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Finance if he has publicly requested the National Asset Management Agency to defer without prejudice the auction of 274 acres of important heritage lands in the Liffey Valley, Dublin (details supplied), to facilitate time to explore the securing of these lands for the public interest and the benefit of the nation; if he will provide a copy of this request; the response from NAMA; if he will explain the rationale for not pursuing this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40515/13]
View answerI have not publicly requested that NAMA defer this property sale; the property in question has been for sale on the open market for some time, which allowed any interested buyer to make their interest known to NAMA. This property was sold at auction on the 27th of September. As the Deputy will be aware that given the independence afforded to NAMA by the NAMA Act, and having established NAMA’s mandate through legislation, I have no role as Minister for Finance in relation to strategies applied by NAMA in fulfilling that mandate. Decisions relating to the sale of properties securing its loans are an operational matter for the Board of NAMA which is guided by its commercial mandate under the NAMA Act 2009.
NAMA’s role is that of a secured lender, like any bank they own the debt while the debtor or appointed liquidator still owns and controls the assets and is ultimately responsible for these assets, the Agency is therefore not in a position to compel its debtors and receivers to cede property either free of charge or at less than market value.
NAMA fulfils its social obligation remit by facilitating a dialogue between NAMA debtors and 3rd parties so as to enable the latter to acquire suitable property for social, sporting and other public purposes. To this end the NAMA Board has committed to giving first option to State bodies on the purchase of property which may be suitable for their purposes where these bodies have requirements such as schools, hospitals, and so on. When considering any transaction under its social obligation, Section 10 of the NAMA Act requires NAMA to maximise the return on its loans for the benefit of the taxpayer.
182. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Finance the exact tax treatments and-or reliefs available to the case No. 11435 when the final agreed fair deal bill is settled (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40537/13]
View answerBased on the information supplied I understand the Deputy’s question to refer to the tax treatment of any Financial Contribution made in respect of an individual under the Nursing Home Support Scheme Act 2009. Section 469 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 provides for tax relief in respect of health expenses in the provision of health care incurred by an individual or an individual’s spouse or civil partner, on their own behalf or on behalf of someone else.
Any contribution made by an individual in defraying expenses in the nature of maintenance or treatment in a nursing home on behalf of an individual, where that individual has received State support under section 3 of the Nursing Home Support Scheme Act 2009, otherwise known as the “Fair Deal Scheme”, is treated as health expenses qualifying for relief. This relief is given at the marginal rate of tax but cannot exceed an amount which reduces the income tax liability for the year to nil.
The State support contribution towards the cost of such nursing home expenses under this scheme is not treated as a qualifying expense. Any health expenses, including any deferred payment in respect of the Financial Contribution, defrayed out of the estate of a deceased person by his or her executor or administrator are deemed to have been defrayed by the deceased person immediately before his or her death. Relief is granted to an individual after the end of the tax year by way of a claim made to the Revenue Commissioners by completing a tax return including form Med 1, or through the online services of ROS or PAYE Anytime.
183. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Finance if the proposed water rates will be subject to VAT. [40998/13]
View answer213. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance the position regarding the charging of VAT on metered water for domestic and non-domestic use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41085/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 183 and 213 together.
At present, work is underway on the overall structure of Irish Water, its financial model and the treatment of its function for taxation. The outcome of this work will determine the VAT treatment of water charges.
184. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Finance when a refund of VAT will be paid in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40388/13]
View answerI have been advised by the Revenue Commissioners that a VAT Refund has been approved and will issue to the person concerned shortly.
