Written Answers Nos. 101-109
101. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update on negotiations to secure a site for the new post-primary school in Ashbourne, County Meath. [52442/13]
View answerI can confirm that my Department is working closely with the relevant Local Authority in relation to identifying and acquiring a suitable site for the school to which the Deputy has referred. A suitable site has been identified and negotiations on its acquisition are ongoing. Due to commercial sensitivities attaching to site acquisitions generally, I am not in a position to comment further on this matter at this time.
102. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the private firms that have provided advice-consultancy services gratis for his Department in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and to date in 2013, or any years where practicable; and if any such firms received payment in the aftermath of the advice given. [52262/13]
View answerIn response to the Deputy’s question the following is a list of private firms that have provided advice/consultancy services gratis for my Department since March 2011.
|
Year |
Name of Firm |
If any payment made in aftermath of advice given |
|
2012 |
Tandem Consulting |
No |
|
2012 |
Ernst & Young |
No |
|
2012 |
Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) |
No |
103. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his Department's annual report for 2012 has been published yet. [52277/13]
View answerIn response to the Deputy’s question while my Department's Annual Report for 2012 has not yet been published it will be made available in due course.
104. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the transition arrangements for the new public sector sick leave scheme to be implemented from 1 January 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52291/13]
View answer105. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will immediately publish his legislation for the new public sector sick leave arrangements. [52351/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 104 and 105 together.
As the Deputy will be aware, in July 2012 sick leave arrangements for all public service employees were the subject of a Labour Court Recommendation relating to the introduction of a reformed Sick Leave Scheme.
The issue of transitional arrangements and specifically how employees who are on sick leave at the time of commencement of the new scheme as well as the approach taken to employees’ prior sick leave record was addressed by the Labour Court in its recommendations.
It was recommended by the Labour Court that anyone who is on sick leave at the time of the introduction of the new scheme will continue to avail of the current sick leave scheme and will be provided with access to six months full pay and six months half pay (over a four year rolling period) for the duration of that particular illness.
The changes in sick leave arrangements clearly represent a significant change in the terms and conditions of staff. It is therefore necessary to legislate for the new sick leave scheme and the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Amendment Bill 2013 is being amended at Report Stage to include a new Part relating to the new sick leave arrangements. This piece of legislation is scheduled to complete all stages in the Oireachtas by the end of this year. The legislation will provide the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform with the power to make regulations that will set out the specific details of the new sick leave scheme. These regulations will also be in place by the end of the year.
106. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide an update regarding the planned merger of Bord na Móna and Coillte; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52364/13]
View answerAs referred to in the Deputy’s question, and in light of the Programme for Government commitment to create a streamlined and refocused commercial state company in the bio-energy and forestry sectors, the Government decided in June of this year that an evaluation would be carried out on how to give effect to a beneficial merger of Coillte and Bord na Móna.
NewERA is undertaking a financial evaluation on behalf of the relevant Government Departments (my Department, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources), which I understand is nearing completion. The Departments will consider NewERA’s findings when they are available and I hope to be in a position to bring a recommendation to Government on the matter shortly thereafter.
107. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to reduce the top-ups paid to Government advisers who have breached Government pay policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52365/13]
View answerI am not aware of any breaches of Government pay policy involving a special advisor receiving remuneration in excess of the rate of pay sanctioned by my Department. There are clear guidelines in place for determining pay levels and for seeking the sanction of my Department on pay levels where it is required in any particular instance.
The guidelines on staffing in ministerial offices were revised following decisions by the Government on a number of cost saving measures relating to the personal appointees of Ministers and Ministers of State. The guidelines specify that all appointments of ministerial staff, including the pay and terms and conditions of employment, require the prior sanction of my Department. Appointments from outside of the Civil Service also require the sanction of the Taoiseach.
The guidelines provide that special advisors are to be placed on the principal officer (standard scale), which currently runs from €75,647 at the minimum to €87,258 at the maximum. They provide that appointments are to be on the first point of the scale but there would be occasions when a higher salary may be required in order to secure the appointment of an advisor with particular skills and expertise.
On this basis, the guidelines provide for individual cases to be examined on a case by case basis. For example, in cases where, prior to appointment, the basic pay of a special advisor was greater than the minimum, it is open to Ministers to seek sanction from my Department to appoint the person at a higher starting level. I have no plans to ask the Government to amend these arrangements.
108. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation when a decision will be made on a work permit in respect of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52252/13]
View answerA Work Permit application made by an employer in respect of the person named by the Deputy was refused on 23 July 2013 on the grounds that it appeared that no Labour Market Needs Test had been carried out in support of the application. A review of this decision was sought in accordance with Section 13 the Employment Permits Act, 2006 but this request was not received within the statutory timeframe and was thus too late to be considered. I understand that a second work permit application was then submitted to my Department by the employer on 22 August 2013 which was subsequently withdrawn.
A third application was submitted by the person named by the Deputy on his own behalf on 29 October 2013. This application was refused on 13 November 2013 on the grounds that certain occupations are not deemed eligible for employment permits where it is considered that there is already a sufficient supply of labour in the labour market for the filling of such vacancies, or where the occupation requires a low level of skill and experience and therefore can be filled by the existing supply of labour or where it is not in the broader public interest to fill the vacancy. It appeared from the information received that the position on offer is one of the occupations currently ineligible for a new employment permit. In addition it appeared from the information submitted that the proposed employee's current immigration status precluded them from entering full-time employment in the State.
A request to review this decision in accordance with Section 13 of the Employment Permits Act 2006 was received on 4 December 2013 and this review will take place shortly.
109. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if his Department's annual report for 2012 has been published yet. [52275/13]
View answerMy Department's Annual Report for 2012 will be finalised by the end of this month and, in light of Irish translation requirements, is expected to be published in January.
