Thursday, 2 Oct 2014

Written Answers Nos. 88-93

Commercial Rates

Questions (88)

Seán Kyne

Question:

88. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his attention has been drawn to the unprecedented number of appeals lodged with the Valuation Tribunal arising from the revaluation of rateable properties in Dublin city and County Waterford; if additional staff will be deployed to the tribunal to supplement its current small cohort of staff to process appeals in an expeditious manner; if such extra staff will be deployed from the Office of the Commissioner of Valuation which is the respondent in all valuation appeals heard by the tribunal; and if so, if there will be measures put in place to ensure the knowledge of procedures, work practices and other confidential information pertinent to the tribunal and acquired by such staff will not be used by the office of the commissioner upon the return of the aforementioned temporarily redeployed staff. [37527/14]

Written answers

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform

In recognition of the increased volume of appeals to the Valuation Tribunal arising from the revaluation of Dublin City and Waterford rating authority areas my Department approved  last August a proposal  for the secondment/redeployment of seven staff, one Higher Executive Officer (Assistant Registrar), two Executive Officers and four Clerical Officers to the Valuation Tribunal on a temporary basis to cover the period when these appeals will be heard.

Given the importance of the national revaluation programme and the fact that there was no capacity in the Valuation Office at the time to assign staff to the Tribunal my Department's sanction allowed for the temporary filling of these vacancies either from the central redeployment panel or by secondment. 

The Commissioner of Valuation and the Valuation Tribunal are independent in the exercise of their functions and it is a matter for them to  make their own operational arrangements.

Departmental Records

Questions (89)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

89. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number and location of sites at which the Office of Public Works store public records which are ultimately intended to be forwarded to the National Archives in time; for which Departments of State and agencies are records stored at each site; the total cost in 2012 and 2013 for the storage of these records broken down by costs borne by the OPW and costs borne by another Department at each site; the number of staff employed at each site; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37549/14]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform

The information requested by the Deputy, as it relates to the Office of Public Works, is not readily available in the format requested. The Commissioners of Public Works are currently assembling the information. The Commissioners would point out that they would not be able to comment as to whether documents stored on behalf of client Departments and or Offices would be intended for the National Archives. When the required information is compiled, a comprehensive reply will issue directly to the Deputy.

Drainage Schemes Status

Questions (90)

Dara Calleary

Question:

90. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when drainage of a river (details supplied) in County Mayo will take place; if he will confirm that the programme of works for 2014 is progressing as planned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37426/14]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform

The Office of Public Works has statutory responsibility for the maintenance of the Glore River, which forms part of the Moy Arterial Drainage Scheme.

Works are progressing at present on this river as part of the OPW arterial drainage maintenance programme for 2014. Due to low water some works may be delayed.

Liaison is continuing with the environmental stakeholders and, with continued agreement, it is intended to continue the current works through the Cave, Ballyhaunis area along the full length of the Scheduled Channel.

Appointments to State Boards

Questions (91)

Peadar Tóibín

Question:

91. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide in tabular form the percentage of vacant positions on State boards under the aegis of his Department that were filled from the panels created through open application by the Public Appointments Service by year, from to 2011 to date in 2014. [37494/14]

Written answers

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform

I have the authority to appoint Board members to An Post National Lottery and the Public Appointments Service.

The appointments process for the new board of the Public Appointments Service is currently underway. As part of this vacancies have been advertised on the stateboards.ie portal. I expect to make appointments to the board very shortly.

With regard to An Post National Lottery the following is the position.  The positions to which Mr. Connell and the An Post nominees, (Mr. Dermot Griffin, Ms. Caroline Murphy and Mr. Peter Quinn) were re-appointed by me as Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform were not advertised as under the National Lottery Act 1986, the majority shareholder of the National Lottery Company (i.e. An Post) nominates the persons to fill these positions.

The positions to which Mr. Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh and Mr. Oliver Wilkinson were re-appointed were to be filled by Ministerial nominees. In light of the imminent expiry of the existing licence and the new approach being taken by me with regard to the next licence it was considered prudent to allow for a level of continuity in the Board of the National Lottery Company at that time.

Consequently, I can confirm that no positions on State Boards under the aegis of my Department were filled from the panels created through open application by the Public Appointments Service since 2011 and to date in 2014.

Legislative Process

Questions (92)

Michael McGrath

Question:

92. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when the Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012 will be enacted including the provision which makes changes to the liability of certain sports clubs to local authority rates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37601/14]

Written answers

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform

The Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012  commenced Committee Stage in the Seanad yesterday. Further time for the Committee Stage in the Seanad is scheduled for early October.  

This is a complex piece of legislation and there are a significant number of amendments to be debated. Among the amendments which we are bringing forward will be one that will ease the rates burden for many local community sports clubs. Community sports clubs will only be liable for rates on those parts of their buildings that are used for the generation of income such as the sale of alcohol.   

Subject to the deliberations in the Oireachtas and the availability of time in the Seanad and in the Dáil, I would like to see this Bill enacted before the end of the year.

Consumer Prices Data

Questions (93)

Thomas P. Broughan

Question:

93. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if his attention has been drawn to a promotional leaflet which was distributed as part of the "No" campaign prior to the referendum on the question of Scottish independence which quoted a significant price deferential between a UK store (details supplied) and its equivalent here for the same basket of goods; his views on the prices charged by Irish based stores and large supermarkets compared to their equivalents in the UK; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37450/14]

Written answers

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

I understand that the claim to which the Deputy refers was made in campaign literature during the recent Scottish referendum campaign where prices at a named retailer in Ireland were used as a basis to suggest that shopping in Scotland could cost more if the referendum succeeded.

I am aware, of course, of the concerns that have been expressed in relation to the differential in consumer prices between this country and certain other jurisdictions and particularly in the case of our nearest neighbour, the United Kingdom. Recent statistics published by the Central Statistics Office show that consumer prices on average were 0.4% higher in August 2014 when compared with prices prevailing in August 2013. The latest EU Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP), which is accepted as the most appropriate measure for community wide comparisons (and is also published by the Central Statistics Office), show that price index levels increased in Ireland by 0.36% in the 12 month period between August 2013 and July 2014. Price index levels increased across the EU by 0.44% for the same period while in the UK, the Index shows that price index levels rose by 1.5% in the period between August 2013 and June 2014 (the latest UK figures at the time of publication).

The Government is fully committed to pursuing the competitiveness agenda, including in the area of prices so as to ensure that Irish consumers receive and can expect to receive a fair deal in the goods and services that they buy. Changes in patterns of consumer behaviour in recent years have also prompted grocery retailers to respond by offering keener prices, better value and more competition in terms of the options open to consumers when they purchase grocery goods.