Pearse Doherty
Question:79. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the date the National Asset Management Agency, NAMA, will come under freedom of information obligations. [40512/14]
View answerFreedom of Information Remit
Questions (79)
Written answers
In accordance with Section 1(3)(b) of the FOI Act 2014, in the case of a public body - such as is referred to in the Deputy's question - that was not subject to FOI under the FOI Act 1997 but is subject to FOI under the 2014 Act, the Act will apply to that body 6 months from enactment or on such later day, not later than 12 months from enactment, as the Minister may by order appoint. Following the recent enactment of the FOI reform legislation I will be consulting with my Government colleagues, as appropriate, on any business case made for the date to which FOI should apply to any specific public body, within the timeframe laid down in the legislation.
Job Creation
Questions (80)
Brendan Griffin
Question:80. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the way he envisages changes announced in budget 2015 will assist job retention and creation in the construction industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40580/14]
View answerWritten answers
Budget 2015 marked a move away from fiscal consolidation and saw the first increases to aggregate expenditure ceilings in six years. These increases are reflected in the Departmental expenditure ceilings (both capital and current) for the period 2015 to 2017 which are set out in the Comprehensive Expenditure Report. It is, of course, the changes to the capital budget which will have the greatest impact on the construction sector. While the primary purpose of public capital investment is the provision of infrastructure that can aid economic growth and address social requirements, the positive employment impact in the shorter term is a notable benefit.
The capital budget for 2015 is €3,549 million, an increase of €297m over the 2015 ceiling as published in the 2014 Expenditure Report. Furthermore, a €307m contingency, which formed part of the ceiling as per the Expenditure Report, was released to Departments to support expenditure in key areas. Overall, therefore, an additional €600m was allocated to Departments for spending in 2015. As the majority of this will be focused on construction the additional allocation will have a positive affect on the sector.
As the Deputy will be aware, one of the Government's main priorities in Budget 2015 was on addressing emerging Social Housing needs. On the expenditure side, I announced an overall capital investment of €2.2bn for the housing programme over the next three years. This will comprise €1.5bn in Exchequer investment (included in the 2015 to 2017 ceilings referred to above) along with private financing through a social housing PPP of €300m and at least €400m to be provided to the Approved Housing Bodies by way of an off-balance sheet financial vehicle. This significant level of investment will see activity in residential construction increase and will lead to additional employment for the sector. My Department estimates that approximately 10 jobs are sustained or created for each €1m invested in residential construction.
Activity in the housing sector will be further enhanced by taxation measures which my colleague, the Minister for Finance, announced in his Budget speech. These include extension of the home renovation scheme to the rental sector, full roll out of the Living Cities Initiative in 2015 and Deposit Interest Retention Tax (D.I.R.T.) refunds for first time buyers who use their savings to purchase their home. Minister Noonan also noted that the Ireland Strategic Infrastructure Fund (ISIF) is looking at ways to support financing projects that will enhance supply of housing.
Garda Station Refurbishment
Questions (81)
Brendan Griffin
Question:81. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the position regarding the provision of a kitchenette for a Garda station (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40605/14]
View answerWritten answers
Apart from some minor snagging that will be carried out this week, these works are completed.
Flood Prevention Measures
Questions (82)
Brendan Griffin
Question:82. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform following his recent visit, his plans to address flooding problems at a location (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40607/14]
View answerWritten answers
It is a matter for Kerry County Council, in the first instance, to investigate and address flooding issues in the County. The Office of Public Works (OPW) has no flood defence assets in Ballylongford and, therefore, has no direct responsibility for maintaining or improving existing flood defences. However, Ballylongford was identified through the national Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment as an area where the flood risk was potentially significant. It is therefore designated as an area for which detailed analysis is being carried out under the Shannon Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Study, which the OPW is currently undertaking in partnership with the relevant local authorities including Kerry County Council.
The analysis under the CFRAM project will enable flood maps to be produced in 2014 and the identification of flood risk management options for this area in 2015. There will be public consultation on the draft flood maps within the next couple of months and this will be advertised locally.
Following the significant flood events earlier this year, on site at Ballylongford data on flood extents, levels and flood mechanism was collected. This information will contribute to calibrating any flood modelling being produced for the town and thus ensuring any future mitigating measures proposed are robust and effective.
On a recent visit to Ballylongford, I met with local residents, Councillors and County Council officials and had the opportunity to see the flood prone areas and hear of the problems at first hand. At that meeting Kerry County Council indicated that it would be making a submission shortly to the OPW for funding under the Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme to undertake some interim flood protection measures that could be carried out pending the completion of the CFRAM process. Any application received will be assessed under the eligibility criteria of the Scheme, including a requirement that any measures are cost beneficial, and having regard to the overall availability of funding. It is also open to local authorities to carry out flood mitigation and coastal protection works using their own resources.
Flood Relief Schemes Funding
Questions (83, 84)
Brendan Griffin
Question:83. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform further to recent works by Kerry County Council, if he will provide additional funding to assist embankment repair works at a location (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40608/14]
View answerBrendan Griffin
Question:84. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the applications he has received from the local authority to address flooding problems at a location (details supplied) in County Kerry; if he will visit the location and meet the local persons affected; the funding avenues that remain open to the local authority in respect of this location; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40609/14]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 83 and 84 together.
The Office of Public Works (OPW) allocated substantial funding of €180,000 to Kerry County Council under the Minor Flood Mitigation Works & Coastal Protection Scheme in 2012 for embankment strengthening works at Cromane and Incherea. This funding has now been drawn down by the Council.
The Government Decision of 11 February, 2014 specifically addressed the allocation of funding for the repair of existing public infrastructure damaged by storms in the period of 13 December to 6 January 2014. The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (DoECLG) wrote to Kerry County Council indicating that, based on the estimate submitted by the Council to that Department, up to €1,226,920 was being made available to the Council via the OPW to undertake the necessary repair works to damaged coastal protection and flood defence infrastructure.
The estimates submitted by Kerry County Council to the DoECLG included for strengthening works at Incherea, Glenbeigh and both repair and strengthening works at Cromane Lower However, strengthening works fall outside of the scope of the Government Decision. Only the repair element of projects such as that at Cromane Lower are covered under the allocation. The programme of works the Council submitted to the OPW detailing how it proposes to spend the total allocation of €1,226,920 included an amount of €30,000 for repairs to a coastal embankment at Cromane Lower. This programme was approved and it is a matter for the Council to prioritise and progress these works and to draw down the funding that was allocated. An application to draw down part of the funding was submitted by the Council last week and it is currently being processed. The application did not include an amount for drawdown in relation to the repair work for the embankment at Cromane Lower.
The strengthening works at Cromane Lower and Incherea identified by the Council are a matter to be addressed separate to the current Government approved process aimed at repairs and emergency works.
Drainage Schemes Expenditure
Questions (85)
Brendan Griffin
Question:85. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the anticipated cost to ensure the repair and safeguarding of an embankment at a location (details supplied) in County Kerry; the timeframe that exists for these works; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40610/14]
View answerWritten answers
As outlined to the Deputy in my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 89 of 18 September 2014, the Office of Public Works (OPW) commenced repair works on embankments at the location referred to at Callinafercy West, Milltown, Co. Kerry earlier this year, following the tidal storm surge of 3 January. These flood defences are within the Maine Catchment Drainage Scheme, which is under the care of the OPW.
The Office hopes to have four excavators carry out works on OPW flood defence embankments at Callinafercy West within the next three weeks. Two of the excavators are fitted with mechanical mulchers, which are deployed to clear excess vegetation from the cross section of the flood defence. The other two machines will be undertaking embankment strengthening works on the aforementioned embankments.
An engineer from the OPW met one of the landowners concerned last Thursday at the Milltown Public Information Day for the South Western Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) programme and updated him on progress being made in the region, assuring him that the OPW crew will be arriving to his property within the next few weeks. The landowner expressed his gratitude for the OPW's endeavours throughout the year and commended the emergency response last January in securing his property.
As there is no requirement to purchase materials the cost of the works will consist of the cost of the machine and two operatives for the duration of the works and this is factored into the OPW's yearly expenditure on arterial drainage maintenance.