Written Answers Nos 226-233
226. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health 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. [3348/14]
View answerNo new statutory bodies have been established under the aegis of my Department since 9 March, 2011.
227. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Health the number of semi-State companies under the remit of his Department that have paid bonuses to its employees in 2011, 2012 and 2013; if he will identify these semi-State companies; the number of employees and the bonuses paid; his views on the situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3700/14]
View answerThe information in relation to agencies under the remit of my Department is currently being collated and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is available.
228. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason original driving licences are taken from clients when making new applications for renewal as opposed to photocopies as clients are made to wait for a new licence which causes major problems for job opportunities when driving licences need to be produced to prospective employers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3059/14]
View answerThe main reason people are asked to return old licences when renewing their licence is to provide assurance that the old licence is no longer in circulation. Given the fact that driving licences are used for identification in many contexts, it is important to minimise the risk of identity fraud. The best way to ensure that old licences cannot be amended in some way and fraudulently reused is for the State to require their return.
This practice may raise concerns regarding the legal requirement to produce a licence when requested by a member of An Garda Síochána. If the person cannot produce the licence at the time, the law allows ten days in which to produce it at a Garda station. In most cases, if a licence is in process, this is sufficient time for the new licence to arrive. Where it is not, the Gardaí may choose to exercise discretion.
230. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if the National Transport Authority intends to install additional real time passenger information display units in Dublin; and where these units will be installed in 2014. [3116/14]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. Following the establishment of the National Transport Authority (NTA) in December 2009, the implementation and development of infrastructure projects in the Greater Dublin Area, such as Real Time Passenger Information, comes under the remit of the NTA.
Noting this I have referred the Deputy's question to the NTA. Please advise my private office if you don't receive a reply within 10 working days.
231. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if defibrillators are available on the entire fleets of Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus. [3117/14]
View answerThe issue raised is a matter for both Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann in conjunction with the Department of Health. The Second Stage of the Public Access to Defibrillators Bill, which sets out the requirement to provide defibrillators in a range of settings and for events which have a regular attendance in excess of 100 persons per day, was passed in the Seanad in June 2013. I understand the Minister for Health has requested the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) to undertake a Health Technology Assessment (HTA) on the practical elements of the introduction of a public access defibrillation programme. This will guide how best to implement the first responder capacity including the requirement to provide defibrillators across many community settings including transport facilities. I have been advised that the HTA has now commenced and will be concluded in 2014.
232. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport 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. [3306/14]
View answerThe letter sent by the Secretary General of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in March 2012 sought proposals for alternative delivery mechanisms of areas of work or processes within the Department or the wider sector. My Department identified three areas for alternative delivery models. One of these related to my Department and the other two, to agencies under my remit. These were:
- Transfer of the Department's aviation security functions to the Irish Aviation Authority
- External delivery of customer and production services for the new format driving licence
- Various outsourcing initiatives on the part of Fáilte Ireland
Substantial progress has been made on all three.
The provision of new credit card format driving licence has been outsourced freeing up roughly 200 staff in local authorities. While there have been some teething problems, the service is now delivered at no net cost to the exchequer with fees now covering the cost of the contracts. The Road Safety Authority (RSA) developed the structure of the new National Driver Licensing Service (NDLS) to consist of three outsourced elements, overseen by a specialist unit based in the RSA headquarters in Ballina. Following competitive procurement processes, the RSA awarded contracts in 2013 to SGS (front office provider to engage with customers); Abtran (Back Office provider to process applications) and CCS (Card producer of the plastic licences.
Failte Ireland has outsourced the inspection and operational elements of its Statutory tourism accommodation registration and grading functions to a private contractor. It has ceased its direct training activities in its training centres and now operates on the basis of engagement with institutes of technology and onsite training with industry partners. It has also outsourced a significant number of its third tier/smaller tourist information offices to Local Authority/community groups/chambers of commerce on the basis of a set of defined standards.
Responsibility for aviation security compliance monitoring was transferred from the Department to the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) on 1 January 2013. The IAA is a state-owned enterprise and receives no exchequer funding. The transfer of these functions was put into effect under the European Communities (Civil Aviation Security) (Amendment) Regulations 202.
In addition to the above, the Department’s Internal Audit Unit has contracted Capita Consulting for the delivery of internal audit services. The contract is for the performance of specific blocks of internal audit work to be assigned, as required, by the Head of Internal Audit and is not full outsourcing of the Internal Audit Function.
The primary savings to my Department from the transfer of the aviation security function to the IAA and the outsourcing of the Internal audit service is through reduction in staffing numbers equivalent to 9 staff.
233. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport 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. [3351/14]
View answerSince my appointment as Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have created no new agencies.
Shannon Airport separated from the Dublin Airport Authority on 31st December 2012. This new body was merged with the restructured Shannon Development to form a new integrated Shannon entity in public ownership.
My focus to date has been on reducing the number of bodies under my Department's remit. To this end:
- Coaching Ireland has been merged into the Irish Sports Council;
- Dublin Tourism has merged with Fáilte Ireland;
- Dundalk Port has been merged with Dublin Port;
- four harbour authorities have been abolished with their responsibilities taken over by the relevant Local Authority; and
- one further harbour authority under my Department's remit, Bantry Bay, has been merged with the Port of Cork on 1 January 2014.
Plans are also advanced for the merger of a number of other agencies. Minister of State Ring yesterday published the Heads of the Sports Ireland Bill which will, when enacted, merge the Irish Sports Council and the National Sports Campus Development Authority. On 14 January 2014, I published the Roads Amendment Bill 2014, the effect of which will be to merge the Railway Procurement Agency and the National Roads Authority. The Deputy will find a list of all agencies under the remit of my Department on the Department's website www.dttas.ie.
