Written Answers Nos. 30-39
30. Deputy Michael Conaghan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform in view of the failure of the authorities over so many years to complete the Memorial Park in Inchicore, if he will now end this neglect and undertake these tasks as envisaged and planned by the architect, Sir Edwin Lutyens. [9303/14]
View answerThe National War Memorial Gardens at Islandbridge have been managed and maintained to the highest standards by the Office of Public Works and favourably compare with any of Sir Edwin Lutyens designs overseas.
Most of the original design has been undertaken and completed including the Cross, Fountains, Bookrooms, sunken rose gardens and more recently, the Temple. The gardens are well served with three entrances and it is hoped that the proposed bridge across the Liffey to the Phoenix Park will be undertaken at a future date when funding allows.
31. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide an update on the re-opening of the Croppies Acre Memorial Park by the Office of Public Works; the issues around access and possible alterations to the park and the status of its licensing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9359/14]
View answerCroppies Acre Memorial Park lies between the National Museum of Ireland at Collins Barracks and the river Liffey. The area was managed by the Commissioners of Public Works whose staff maintained the grounds, cut grass, etc. The Park had been opened to the general public by the Office of Public Works (OPW), usually from 9.30 am to 5.00 pm, Monday to Saturday in line with the opening hours of the nearby National Museum. However the walls are quite easily scaled in certain parts and the grounds have been frequented by people engaging in anti-social behaviour during the hours of darkness, especially at weekends after the park gates were closed.
It was becoming increasingly common for OPW grounds staff to find used syringes among other rubbish discarded the preceding night. In consequence a decision was taken in October 2012 to close the area to the public on health and safety grounds as sufficient resources were not available to the OPW to sterilise the park every day before opening the gates and inviting the public to enter. OPW was not prepared to accept the possible health and safety risks to the visiting public.
OPW entered into negotiations with Dublin City Council’s Parks Department in 2013 with a view to handing over responsibility for the management and maintenance of the park to the City Council under a long term licence arrangement. Agreement was reached with the City Council in June 2013 to hand over responsibility for the maintenance of the park in the interim, pending the putting in place of a licence. Subsequent to this, the keys to the park were handed over to the City Council.
Before the licence can be finalised, the Council's proposals for improving access to the park and its plans for any alterations to the layout of the park (particularly in relation to the 1798 Memorial) will have to be agreed.
32. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the State's total financial commitment in each of the past five years to rents on vacant properties; if he will provide an itemised list of all such properties indicating the annual rent specific to each one; the leases that may be ended or broken in 2014; if the State plans to cease rental of any such properties in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9410/14]
View answerThe Commissioners of Public Works, who hold and manage the Civil Service and Garda property portfolio, have had very little vacant leased office space in the last 5 years. This is due to an ongoing property rationalisation programme which has resulted in over 1.1 million square feet of office space being surrendered in the 5 years to the end of 2013. Since 2008, the Commissioners have surrendered 249 leases and reduced the annual office rental bill from €130 million in 2009 to €97 million in 2014.
The Commissioners currently hold 394 leases, with one vacant leased office premises in Naas at an annual rent of €41,000. This premises was previously occupied by the Department of Agriculture and Food and was vacated in November 2013. It is now under active consideration for alternative use.
The Commissioners hold one vacant leased former Garda Station at Ballymore Eustace, Co. Kildare. This was deemed surplus by the Gardai in December 2012. The annual rent is €14,000. If no alternative use can be identified for this premises it will be surrendered at the next lease break in 2017.
The Commissioners have no information on property held by other State Bodies. For commercial reasons the Commissioners cannot disclose the leases targeted for surrender in 2014.
Summary of OPW vacant leased properties since 2011 and associated rental costs:
|
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
|
Nil |
Sligo, Waterfront Hse. Social Protection vacated end 2010. Surrendered 30/6/2011. Rent Jan-June 2011: €97,300 |
Phoenix Hse, Conyngham Rd, Dublin. Vacated by Dept of Health Aug 2011. Rent Aug 2011 -Nov 2012: €365,000 Allocated to ISI 9.11.2012 |
Ballymore Eustace former Garda Station. Deemed surplus Dec 2012. Annual rent €14,000. |
Naas, Spring Garden Hse, vacated by Agriculture November 2013 Annual rent €41,000 Under active consideration for alternative use. |
33. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the progress to date of the projects included in the Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2012-16 plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9450/14]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the five year capital plan out to 2016 was set following a Government-wide review of the Public Capital Programme led by my Department in 2011. The plan includes a significant investment of some €17bn which will address critical infrastructure deficits, aid economic growth and provide much needed social infrastructure.
As stated in previous replies, the actual roll-out of capital expenditure is a matter for individual line Departments and their agencies, operating within the annual allocations approved by Government and the delegated sanction arrangements issued by my Department.
However, I am pleased to report that of the €7.3 billion allocated for the first two years of the plan, €7.2 billion has been spent. This includes €2.2 billion for Transport, €1.4 billion for Environment, €912 million for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, €824 million for Education and €684 million for Health, with the remaining €1.2 billion spread across a range of other Departments. This level of spend, when compared with the allocation, would indicate that the projects and programmes included in the plan are generally progressing on time.
As I announced on Budget day, a review of the public capital programme will be undertaken by my Department this year. This exercise will culminate in the setting of the Government's capital investment framework for the next five years.
34. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if there has been any improvement in the speed of accessing and processing applications under the EU Solidarity Fund since the amendment in July 2013; if his Department or the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade plan to raise the matter of lowering the thresholds and-or speeding up the process of sanctioning funds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9309/14]
View answerThe European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) was set up to respond to major natural disasters and express European solidarity with disaster-stricken regions of Europe. The Fund was created in response to the severe floods in Central Europe in the summer of 2002.
In July 2013, following a review of the operation of the Fund, the European Commission proposed amendments to the EUSF Regulation aimed at improving the operation of the Fund. These proposals seek to make the Fund more responsive and simpler to use, with clearer criteria as to who can benefit. The principles of the Fund remain unchanged, however, as does the way it is financed, i.e. outside the normal EU Budget. Ireland supports the objective of improving the operation of the Fund.
The proposals are subject to the co-decision procedure by the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament and are currently the subject of negotiations between the co-legislators. The existing Regulation remains in force until the new proposals have been agreed and given legislative effect.
35. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide funding for repair work to coastal shore paths to address damage caused by recent storms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9435/14]
View answer39. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the funding he has put in place to deal with coastal erosion in County Donegal and nationally following the recent storms; if he has provided funding for repair of coastal shore paths; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9434/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 35 and 39 together.
Last week the Government announced the allocation of a sum of up to €70 million for a programme of repair and remediation works arising from the recent severe weather. Of this sum, up to €20 million may be provided for restoring coastal protection infrastructure. This figure derives from estimates provided by the local authorities to the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and I understand that, within this total €20 million figure, the estimate provided by Donegal County Council was €662,000. However the actual amount of funding to be provided to Donegal County Council for repair of damaged coastal protection infrastructure will not be finalised until the applications for funding from the Council have been fully assessed.
It is a matter for Donegal County Council in the first instance to investigate and address coastal protection issues generally in the county, including remedial works required on foot of damage from the recent storms.
The Office of Public Works wrote on 10 January, 2014 to the Donegal County Managers indicating that it will accept applications under its Minor Flood Mitigation Works & Coastal Protection Scheme for funding to assist with repairs to built flood defences and coastal protection structures in the County which have been damaged by the recent storms. This is a once-off measure to reinstate built coastal defences to their pre storm condition. The specific application form for this entitled Coastal Storm Damage Flooding Questionnaire 2014 is again available on www.opw.ie under Flood Risk Management. Any work for which funding is sought will be carried out by the Local Authorities.
OPW funding is not available for repairs of other damaged infrastructure or facilities at coastal locations such as roads, promenades, boardwalks, piers, car parks, coastal paths, etc. Local authorities should apply separately to other relevant Government Departments and State Bodies in this regard.
It is also open to Local Authorities to carry out flood mitigation and coast protection works using their own resources.
36. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will indicate, in tabular form, the total expenditure by his Department on external consultancy advice services, including legal services in 2011, 2012 and 2013; if this spend is in line with the overall value for money objective of his remit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9430/14]
View answerIn response to the Deputy's question I can confirm that the engagement of all service-providers by my Department is done within the parameters of value for money with every effort made to minimise costs. In line with stated Government policy, all public bodies must use a competitive process for the purchase of any goods and services, whatever the value. My Department spent €194,623 in 2011, €4,162,849 in 2012 and €5,928,749 in 2013.
38. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide details of the reforms he will initiate over the next two years. [9439/14]
View answerOn 14 January, I published the Government's new Public Service Reform Plan for 2014-2016. The new Plan outlines the key reform initiatives that will be implemented over the next three years. It also addresses the broader ambition for reform towards 2020. The four key themes running through this new Reform Plan are delivery of improved outcomes; utilisation of the reform dividend; digitalisation and open data; and openness and accountability.
While maintaining the drive for increased efficiency, this next phase of reform will have a greater focus on the delivery of improved outcomes for service users. This will include greater use of alternative models of service delivery, such as commissioning for specific outcomes, and service delivery improvements at sectoral and organisational levels.
As well as changing how we deliver public services, we will continue to focus on increasing efficiency and productivity. As efficiencies are realised through initiatives such as public procurement reform and shared services, some of the savings made will be re-invested in improved services. This Reform Dividend will serve to underpin and help sustain the reform agenda beyond the current fiscal crisis.
The Public Service must make maximum use of new technologies, digitalisation and open data to deliver services in innovative ways. A new Government ICT Strategy will be published later this year that will address the use of new and emerging technologies, ensuring that eGovernment is designed around real needs and taking steps to improve the take-up of 'digital government'. As part of this new strategy, we are capturing data on the top transactional services on which the citizen engages with the State, which will help inform what further services will be put online.
The new plan also places a focus on increased openness, transparency and accountability. Citizens must be able to clearly see that the Public Service is working fairly in its decision making, in implementing policy and in delivering public services. In this context, the political reform programme will deliver greater openness, transparency and accountability to strengthen trust in government and public services and strengthen public governance. A particularly important development is the recent publication of a consultation paper focused on options for strengthening Civil Service accountability and performance.
The Haddington Road Agreement will be a key enabler of the reform programme and will deliver an additional €1 billion reduction in the cost of the Public Service pay and pensions bill by 2016.
In delivering reform, we will continue to ensure that we have strong implementation and governance structures, which were an important element of the first Reform Plan. The Cabinet Committee on Public Service Reform will continue to provide strategic direction and hold senior managers to account for the delivery of reform. Each Department and Office has also developed their own Integrated Reform Delivery Plan, based on the commitments set out in the overall Reform Plan and also incorporating their own organisational and sectoral reform objectives.
The full details of our ambitious reform programme are set out on the new Reform Plan. This includes over 200 specific actions with clear timelines for each. As you will be aware, I also published a Progress Report on 14 January, which sets out the considerable progress made to date on Public Service Reform. Both documents are available at www.reformplan.per.gov.ie. Finally, my statement on the Reform Plan to the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure & Reform last week is available at www.per.gov.ie
