Written Answers Nos. 170-177
170. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of new agencies and State bodies established since 9 March 2011 under the remit of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3350/14]
View answerI wish to inform the Deputy that the following agencies have been established under the remit of my Department since 9 March 2011:
- Property Services Regulatory Authority (established April 2012)
- Insolvency Service of Ireland (established March 2013)
In the context of the Deputy's question, State Agencies is taken to refer to statutory independent bodies, often (but not exclusively), with a Board which has a governance oversight responsibility for an organisation. In this regard I have detailed below the sixteen agencies under my remit.
- An Garda Síochána
- Courts Service
- Equality Authority and Human Rights Commission (to be merged)
- Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission
- Irish Film Classification Office
- Insolvency Service of Ireland
- Legal Aid Board
- Mental Health (Criminal Law) Review Board
- National Disability Authority
- Office of the Data Protection Commissioner
- Office of the Inspector of Prisons
- Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner
- Private Security Authority
- Property Registration Authority (to be merged with the Ordnance Survey Ireland (OSi) and Valuation Office)
- Property Services Regulatory Authority
- Refugee Appeals Tribunal
171. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Defence if all the required reports and-or investigations have been carried out into the tragic deaths of persons (details supplied) in County Galway; if these are in order; if consideration has been given to re-examining any of them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3025/14]
View answerI would firstly like to extend my sincere sympathies to the families of the deceased.
There have been three separate reports into this tragic accident:
- The Air Accident Investigation Unit of the Department of Transport conducted an investigation and published its report on 24 January 2012;
- A Coroner’s inquest was held in May 2012 into the deaths of the two crew members;
- The third report was a military Court of Inquiry which was convened on 26 July 2012 and produced its report on 17 January 2013.
With regard to the issue of re examining these official investigations and reports, I have now fully considered the matter in the context of the legal advice available to me and I am satisfied that a further investigation is not warranted into any issues relating to this tragic accident.
172. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Defence his plans to maintain a full compliment of regiments within the Reserve Defence Force; his plans for future recruitment drives in that regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3058/14]
View answerNew organisational arrangements for the Reserve Defence Force (RDF) came into effect on 31 March 2013. Work is continuing on the implementation of the reorganisation and the development of the single force concept and a review of the number of active members of the RDF is currently being compiled in this regard. As part of this process, the criteria for participation in the RDF is also being reviewed and updated and a recruitment plan is being developed. I anticipate that consideration of these issues will be completed in the near future.
173. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Defence the total amount of outsourcing that has been achieved in his Department since the letter sent by the Secretary General of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in March 2012; the names of the outsourcing companies that have been involved; the total savings achieved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3298/14]
View answerThe Department of Defence and the Defence Forces already have an established track record in externalising the delivery of goods and services. A wide variety of services/projects required by the Department/Defence Forces are already delivered by external providers ranging from the provision of catering services through to certain medical services and the development of IT capabilities.
In accordance with the Government Decision in July 2013 and following in-depth discussions with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the relevant stakeholders within the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces, a detailed draft external services delivery plan has been prepared. This draft Plan and the necessary implementation measures are under active consideration in the Department in advance of its transmission to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. The plan achieves a balance between external services delivery and the obligation to retain the contingent capability necessary to perform all of the roles assigned to the Defence Forces.
174. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Defence the number of new agencies and State bodies established since 9 March 2011 under the remit of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3344/14]
View answerNo new agencies have been established under the auspices of my Department since 9 March 2011.
The State Boards under the aegis of the Department of Defence when the Government took office in March 2011 were the Civil Defence Board, the Army Pensions Board and the Board of Coiste an Asgard.
The Civil Defence Board was identified in the Public Service Reform Plan as a body to be abolished and legislation was passed by the Oireachtas in December 2012 for the dissolution of the Board. Its functions have now transferred back to the Department of Defence.
In the context of settling the Estimates for the Department of Defence for 2010, the Government decided that the national sail training scheme operated by Coiste an Asgard would be discontinued as recommended in the Report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure. The formal wind up of the Company including voluntary strike off with the Companies Registration Office was completed in early 2013.
The only body currently under the aegis of my Department is the Army Pensions Board, which is an independent statutory body established under the Army Pensions Act, 1927. Its primary function under the Army Pensions Acts is to investigate applications for pensions, allowances and gratuities arising from the death or disablement of members of the Defence Forces in the course of their military service.
175. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Defence the number of semi-State companies under the remit of his Department that have paid bonuses to their employees in 2011, 2012 and 2013; if he will identify these semi State-companies; the number of employees and the level of bonuses paid; his views on the situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3695/14]
View answerThe agencies associated with my Department in the period 2011 to 2013 were the Civil Defence Board, the Army Pensions Board and the Board of Coiste an Asgard. The Civil Defence Board and the Board of Coiste an Asgard were dissolved in 2012 and 2013 respectively. All three agencies were staffed by civil servants, none of whom received bonuses during the period in question.
177. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a person (details supplied) in County Mayo has not had their most recent AEOS, disadvantaged area and REP scheme payments processed; the reasons for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3012/14]
View answerThe person named was approved into the Agri Environment Options Scheme 3 with effect from the 1st May 2013. Under EU regulations comprehensive administrative checks must be carried out on all applications before payment issues. These checks are underway and I expect AEOS 3 payments to commence in March, 2014.
An application under the 2013 Single Payment Scheme/Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on 10 April 2013, processing of which has recently been finalised. Payments under the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme are due to issue shortly directly to the nominated bank account of the person named.
The person named commenced REPS 3 in September 2006 and has received all their payments under this Scheme. The contract under REPS 3 terminated on 31st August 2011.
