Written Answers Nos. 169-177
171. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 94 of 12 June 2013, if he will provide the net income for the years 2010, 2011 and 2012 for each of the commercial semi-State bodies listed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41375/13]
View answerThe information sought by the Deputy is available in the Annual Report and Accounts of the bodies in question. These Reports and Accounts are public information and can be seen on the websites of the companies.
172. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the current situation regarding the public service pension reduction as it relates to combined or aggregated pensions and the application of the 28% reduction in same as provided for in the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2010 and amended by the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012; if he has signed an order setting a commencement date for this aggregation of public service pensions for public service pension reduction purposes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41535/13]
View answerThe aggregation of public service pensions for purposes of the Public Service Pension Reduction (PSPR) means that pensioners who have two or more qualifying public service pensions, which have a combined (pre-PSPR) value of over €32,500, have those pensions subjected to PSPR on a combined or aggregated basis, not separately as has previously been the case. I decided that this aggregation of public service pensions for purposes of imposing PSPR should commence on 1 September 2013, and in this connection I signed the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012 (Sections 68, 69, 70 and 71) (Commencement) Order 2013 (Statutory Instrument No. 314 of 2013). The imposition of revised PSPR amounts in respect of aggregation-affected public service pensioners is underway across public service pensioner payrolls. For the subset of such pensioners whose public service pension income exceeds €100,000, the 28% reduction rate duly applies to the excess over €100,000.
173. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the reason pre-1979 service stations are being inspected; the reason unreasonable requests are being asked of them from a representative of the Health and Safety Authority (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41493/13]
View answerMy Department has lead responsibility for the Dangerous Substances legislative regime. The Dangerous Substances Acts 1972 and 1979, together with a series of Regulations under this legislation, set out the legal framework under which petroleum and other dangerous substances are regulated. The storage of petrol is governed by the Dangerous Substances (Retail and Private Petroleum Stores) Regulations, S.I. 311 of 1979, as amended. The Act requires that all petrol storage facilities must be licensed. The Regulations set minimum requirements that apply equally to private petrol stores and storage for the purpose of retail sale (petrol filling stations).
The 1979 Regulations have been kept under continuing review and while operating within the regulatory regime set out above, Inspectors from the Health & Safety Authority (HSA) are sensitive to the economic situation of the operators to which it applies. This approach is in line with the general approach taken in occupational health and safety legislation and aims to avoid the imposition of undue hardship on owners of kerbside stations that do not meet the 1979 requirements.
To clarify, the licensing of petrol stations, run by private operators, is a matter for Local Authorities [or Harbour Authorities]. Under the aegis of my Department, the HSA has an enforcement function under the Dangerous Substances Acts, and a very limited licensing function in that it is the body that licenses petrol stations run by a Local/Harbour Authority. It also has a licensing appeals function.
In the course of an inspection the Authority will normally require the operator to apply to their Local Authority (LA) for a Dangerous Substance licence if one is not already in place, and will advise the operator that they will be required by the LA to comply with SI 311 of 1979 as far as possible, bearing in mind also the specific exemptions allowed for older "Kerbside" petrol stations in S.I. 528 of 2012. These exemption regulations allow for derogations from certain provisions of the 1979 Regulations, for these "Kerbside" petrol stations, as they were in existence prior to the coming into force of the 1979 regulations, and for various socioeconomic reasons were allowed to continue in operation under the special exemption provisions.
Notwithstanding the approach taken by HSA Inspectors in implementing the 1979 Regulations, it must be reiterated that petrol filling stations are particularly hazardous workplaces which require to be licensed by Local Authorities. The HSA continues to provide suitable guidance to all petrol station operators to ensure that they can comply with the relevant legislation in this area.
174. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the reason a memorandum dated 20 March 2002 from the Department and the facts therein, which had been the subject of numerous parliamentary questions in 2004, were denied and concealed by the Department until they were disclosed in a freedom of information inquiry to a third party in 2008. [41401/13]
View answerFrom the records available, I can confirm that the inter-departmental memo, dated 20 March 2002, between this Department and Department of Finance, was released by Department of Finance under a freedom of information request on 17 August 2004. A copy of this document was also released by this Department under a freedom of information request on 11 March 2010.
175. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding the termination of employment in respect of a person in County Cork. [41489/13]
View answerMy office has been in correspondence with the person involved following upon his writing to me on this issue on the 19 September last. The person in question, who has lost their job, has sought to have the matter settled, ideally, through mediation. Officials of my Department brought the matter to the attention of the Labour Relations Commission and the Commission has offered to make the resources of the workplace Mediation and Conciliation Service available should this person wish to avail of its assistance in seeking a resolution in this manner. Details of where further assistance may be sought and how to make an application for the above services were included in my letter.
While providing assistance in the resolution of individual and collective disputes falls within the purview of my Department, issues with regard to Bord Gáis Éireann and Irish Water are a matter for my Ministerial colleagues Pat Rabbitte, TD, Minister for Communications Energy and Natural Resources, and Phil Hogan, TD, Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government respectively.
176. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will provide in tabular form on a county basis for 2011 and 2012 each job created and-or sustained by each county enterprise board; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41534/13]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy in relation to the number of jobs created and sustained by the County Enterprise Boards (CEBs) for 2011 and 2012 are set out in the following Table.
Table: CEB Employment Statistics 2011 + 2012
|
County |
- |
2012 |
- |
2011 |
|
CEB |
Full Time Gains |
Other Time Gains |
Full Time Gains |
Other Time Gains |
|
Carlow |
254 |
165 |
190 |
60 |
|
Cavan |
138 |
150 |
154 |
95 |
|
Clare |
200 |
105 |
56 |
44 |
|
Cork City |
52 |
19 |
41 |
15 |
|
Cork North |
59 |
12 |
57 |
12 |
|
Cork South |
179 |
97 |
164 |
113 |
|
Cork West |
83 |
58 |
77 |
102 |
|
Donegal |
131 |
255 |
310 |
236 |
|
Dublin City |
382 |
183 |
293 |
143 |
|
Dublin Dun Laoghaire / Rathdown |
337 |
511 |
159 |
98 |
|
Dublin Fingal |
240 |
135 |
98 |
163 |
|
Dublin South |
168 |
135 |
122 |
101 |
|
Galway County/City |
124 |
78 |
250 |
78 |
|
Kerry |
316 |
199 |
348 |
399 |
|
Kildare |
133 |
77 |
106 |
135 |
|
Kilkenny |
84 |
30 |
151 |
103 |
|
Laois |
69 |
98 |
136 |
178 |
|
Leitrim |
35 |
32 |
61 |
80 |
|
Limerick City |
100 |
96 |
174 |
82 |
|
Limerick County |
73 |
2 |
190 |
92 |
|
Longford |
79 |
55 |
117 |
81 |
|
Louth |
148 |
84 |
255 |
194 |
|
Mayo |
43 |
35 |
63 |
48 |
|
Meath |
175 |
145 |
358 |
120 |
|
Monaghan |
120 |
83 |
111 |
95 |
|
Offaly |
75 |
41 |
224 |
69 |
|
Roscommon |
81 |
53 |
107 |
63 |
|
Sligo |
117 |
144 |
121 |
156 |
|
Tipperary(NR) |
41 |
53 |
88 |
32 |
|
Tipperary(SR) |
53 |
10 |
77 |
60 |
|
Waterford City |
76 |
64 |
178 |
85 |
|
Waterford County |
110 |
97 |
59 |
50 |
|
Westmeath |
130 |
97 |
188 |
169 |
|
Wexford |
269 |
140 |
167 |
148 |
|
Wicklow |
184 |
234 |
81 |
145 |
|
Grand Total |
4,858 |
3,772 |
5,331 |
3,844 |
177. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the consultants, if any, he has contracted since 1 January 2013 to advise on the possible sale of any assets; the current situation; the advice given and the terms and cost of the contract; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41547/13]
View answerMy Department’s Asset Register is comprised of assets used in the day to day business of the Department such as IT hardware, software and furniture and fittings. My Department has not contracted any consultants to advise on the possible sale of any assets since 1 January 2013. My Department does not own any other assets.
