Thursday, 13 Nov 2014

Written Answers Nos. 76 - 84

Revenue Commissioners Expenditure

Questions (76)

Niall Collins

Question:

76. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Finance if he will engage with the Revenue Commissioners to ensure that the revenue office in High Street, Tallaght, Dublin 24, remains open for business into the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43673/14]

Written answers

Minister for Finance

I wish to refer the deputy to my reply to Dáil Question No. 271 of the 04/11/2014, Ref No: 40988/14, in which I stated that I am assured by the Revenue Commissioners that the provision of a quality customer service to taxpayers is a key corporate priority for Revenue.  Revenue is committed to ensuring that their service for all customers is suitably tailored to meet demand levels and that a range of speedy and efficient contact channels for customers is available. In addition, Revenue is committed to ensuring that the delivery of their customer service is as cost effective as possible for the Exchequer, having regard to the resources available and the need to balance the deployment of resources between service provision and the further key corporate priority of tackling non-compliance with tax and duty obligations.   

In recent years, despite budgetary and resource constraints, Revenue has improved the delivery of customer services. In particular, Revenue's PAYE Anytime service is used by thousands of customers to conduct their business with Revenue. Revenue's On-Line Service (ROS) provides a similarly efficient service for business tax customers.  These on-line services (available at www.revenue.ie.) are designed to provide customers with quick, convenient and cost-effective ways of conducting business with Revenue.

Revenue is also fully committed to providing a quality service to those customers whose preference is to deal with them in person, for example:

- a regionalised lo-call telephone service is available for PAYE taxpayers. The Dublin Region contact number is 1890 333 425, and the contact numbers for the other Regions are available on www.revenue.ie. There are also phone helplines for business taxpayers and the respective contact details are communicated directly to those taxpayers, and are also easily accessible on www.revenue.ie.

- a correspondence service, with contact addresses for the respective Tax Districts also on www.revenue.ie.

- in the Dublin area, the Central Revenue Information Office (CRIO) has state-of-the-art facilities for dealing with customers who wish to carry out transactions face to face with a Revenue staff member. The CRIO is located at O'Connell St./Cathedral St., Dublin 1, and is open from 8.30 a.m. to 4.00 p.m, Monday to Friday. The CRIO is convenient to all of the main public transport routes into Dublin city, and it has the capacity to deal with the current demand level for "walk-in" counter services by Revenue customers in the greater Dublin area.

As with any modern service provider, the Deputy will appreciate that good business practice requires Revenue to constantly review service delivery to ensure that they have the correct balance across the channels to suit demand levels and changing customer preferences. Accordingly, the opening hours of public offices and telephone services are subject to ongoing review in order to most effectively meet peaks and troughs of customer demand levels.

The vast majority of customers in Revenue's public offices have relatively straight forward informational enquiries, or wish to carry out routine transactions such as claiming tax credits or refunds. These transactions can be carried out much more effectively on-line or by telephone. With this increasing uptake in on-line and telephone transactions, the demand level in the Tallaght Revenue Information Office (TRIO) has been steadily declining, with a reduction of some 50% in the number of customers in recent years. The opening hours of the office have accordingly been adjusted in tandem with the reduced demand and in that context the office closed on 5 August last and reopened on 15 October.

In the lead-up to the closure, every effort was made to ensure that there would be no reduction in the quality of service to customers:

- Public notices were placed in TRIO to ensure customer awareness and to highlight the service alternatives;

- The TRIO staff liaised with the Tallaght Citizens Information Office and supplied that office with the most popular tax forms and leaflets;

- TRIO staff also pro-actively liaised with other local agencies and large local employers to advise them about the August closure and alternatives services to meet their needs.

Revenue is confident that customers in Tallaght will continue to receive the same high levels of customer service and the Dublin South County Tax District has been closely monitoring contacts from their customers.  In that context, it should be noted that with a view to managing a peak customer demand in the run up to the pay and file deadline for self assessed taxpayers, and the local property tax pay and file campaign, TRIO reopened on 15 October last to provide a morning only service from Wednesday to Friday, 9.30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The ongoing provision of the TRIO service will kept under continuous review, having regard to demand for the service, seasonal or otherwise, the availability of resources and the need to balance the deployment of resources across the range of customer service and compliance functions.

Flood Risk Insurance Cover

Questions (77)

Barry Cowen

Question:

77. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide an update on the transfer of information between the insurance industry and catchment flood risk assessment and management; the timeframe on the future implementation of information exchanges, if he has considered mandatory insurance based on the UK Flood Re model; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43617/14]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (Deputy Simon Harris)

In March 2014, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Insurance Ireland, the representative body for the insurance industry in Ireland, and the Office of Public Works (OPW). This Memorandum sets out principles of how the two organisations will work together to ensure that appropriate and relevant information on completed OPW flood defence schemes is provided to insurers to facilitate, to the greatest extent possible, the availability to the public of insurance against the risk of flooding. The MoU came into effect on 1 July, 2014 with an initial tranche of data provided by the OPW to Insurance Ireland in respect of 12 completed flood defence schemes and showing the design, extent and nature of the protection offered by these works. Work is ongoing to prepare further data sets on completed flood defence schemes for transfer to Insurance Ireland. The arrangements set out in the MoU represent an ongoing process which, over time, should lead to an improvement in the availability of flood insurance cover. The MoU and further information on the process is available on the OPW website www.opw.ie

This provision of information to Insurance Ireland on completed flood relief schemes in the context of the MoU is separate from the Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme. Under this programme, detailed flood hazard maps for 300 at risk communities throughout the country are being produced which, following public consultation, will be made available publicly. Insurance companies will have access to the maps and to the information they contain in relation to flood risk. A series of informal public consultations is now under way on the draft flood hazard maps. A statutory public consultation process will commence shortly, leading to the finalisation of the maps and the development of draft Catchment Flood Risk Management Plans later in 2015. These Plans will include an examination of all possible options to address the flood risk in the location in question and will recommend an integrated set of measures, both structural and non-structural, as appropriate, to deal with and manage the risk.

The Office of Public Works has no role or function in relation to oversight or regulation of the insurance industry. Any question of mandatory flood insurance would be a matter for the Minister for Finance.

Flood Relief Schemes Expenditure

Questions (78)

Barry Cowen

Question:

78. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide in tabular from the total funding of flood defences per annum broken down by county in 2008-2014. [43618/14]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (Deputy Simon Harris)

Expenditure by the Office of Public Works in the period January 2008 - October 2014 on flood relief Capital Works schemes, amounts to approximately €216 million, and is shown by county in the following table. This expenditure covers major Flood Relief Schemes and also the Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme which commenced in 2009 under which Local Authorities are funded by the OPW to carry out small scale flood relief works in their administrative areas.

The table does not include a further amount of €1.639 million which has been paid to Local Authorities this year to date on foot of the Government Decision of 11th February 2014 that allocated specific funding for the repair of public coastal protection and flood infrastructure damaged in the storms in the period 13 December 2013 to 6 January 2014.

In addition, the OPW has spent approximately €41 million since January 2008 on other programmes related to flood risk management, principally the Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme of studies, that is not attributable to a specific county.

OPW CAPITAL EXPENDITURE ON FLOOD DEFENCE WORKS 2008 – 2014

-	-	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014 (Jan – Oct)	TOTALS
-	-	€,000	€,000	€,000	€,000	€,000	€,000	€,000	€,000
Carlow Co Co.
	Major Schemes	9	57	0	1,088	2,732	716		€4,602
	Minor Works	0	0	32	611	439	114		€1,196
Cavan Co. Co.
	Major Schemes	0	0	0	0	0	0		€0
	Minor Works	0	0	72	0	111	0		€183
Clare Co. Co.
	Major Schemes	2,873	4,793	1,995	2,390	287	9,668	3,940	€25,946
	Minor Works	0	45		617	426	271		€1,359
Cork Co Co.
	Major Schemes	5,097	9,618	6,162	6,235	9,395	12,167	4,996	€53,670
	Minor Works	0	32	1,045	402	282	222		€1,983
Donegal
	Major Schemes	13	34	0	0	0	36	64	€147
	Minor Works	0	0	484	32	79	76		€671
Dublin
	Major Schemes	3,117	3,678	3,162	805	4,046	2,710	4,861	€22,379
	Minor Works	0	0	0	320	873	373	269	€1,835
Galway
	Major Schemes			285	1,518	795	234	76	€2,908
	Minor Works	319	35	2,937	1,510	765	248	78	€5,892
Kerry
	Major Schemes	0	0	0	0	0	0		€0
	Minor Works	0	377	359	44	190	35		€1,005
Kildare
	Major Schemes	2,019	835	814	1,470	715	130	26	€6,009
	Minor Works	0	180	1,176	209	352	57	4	€1,978
Kilkenny
	Major Schemes	787	1,180	62	4	0	0		€2,033
	Minor Works	0	68	65	538	58	108		€837
Laois
	Major Schemes	121	0	0	0	0	0		€121
	Minor Works	0	0	0	14	0	0		€14
Leitrim
	Major Schemes	0	0	0	0	0	0		€0
	Minor Works	0	0	160	125	101	111		€497
Limerick
	Major Schemes	40	422	72	0	60	0		€594
	Minor Works	0	0	309	268	92	142	10	€821
Longford
	Major Schemes	164	116	0	0	0	0		€280
	Minor Works	0	0	202	261	0	0		€463
Louth
	Major Schemes	0	0	0	0	0	0		€0
	Minor Works	0	45	137	67		72		€321
Mayo
	Major Schemes	0	0	0	0	12	11	78	€101
	Minor Works	0	233	309	31	76	0		€649
Meath
	Major Schemes	391	874	1,669	1,130	479	58	15	€4,616
	Minor Works	0	77	0	45	4	163		€289
Monaghan
	Major Schemes	0	0	0	0	0	0		€0
	Minor Works	0	115	0	32	227	28		€402
Offaly
	Major Schemes	0	22	0	13	799	997	53	€1,884
	Minor Works	0	27	209	0	0	0		€236
Roscommon
	Major Schemes	0	0	0	0	0	0		€0
	Minor Works	0	105	951	0	105	87		€1,248
Sligo
	Major Schemes	0	0	0	0	0	0		€0
	Minor Works	0	41	423	0	59	290		€813
Tipperary
	Major Schemes	5,743	7,584	5,495	11,280	4,170	786	1,037	€36,095
	Minor Works	0	14	306	327	133	0		€780
Waterford
	Major Schemes	30	500	2,700	600	3,315	3,996	2,422	€13,563
	Minor Works	0	0	54	0	14	15		€83
Westmeath
	Major Schemes	130	233	58	0	0	0		€421
	Minor Works	0	90	54	83	0			€227
Wexford
	Major Schemes	93	231	124	0	51	88		€587
	Minor Works	0	90	518	0	90	38		€736
Wicklow
	Major Schemes	313	299	1,738	0	7,117	997	4,160	€14,624
	Minor Works	0	227	248	70	389	8		€942
TOTALS		21,259	32,277	34,386	32,139	38,838	35,052	22,089	€216,040

Enterprise Support Services Provision

Questions (79)

Terence Flanagan

Question:

79. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the grant aid support available in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 3; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43505/14]

Written answers

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

The Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) are the first-stop-shop front line service assisting in delivering business growth and jobs for the micro-enterprise sector. They pull together all the players – other Government Departments and Agencies - to support everyone with a good business idea and strengthen the enterprise sector in the local area. The LEOs are the first port of call in terms of advice, direction, training and, in certain circumstances, grant support for anyone who wishes to start or expand a business. Contact details for the LEOs are available at www.localenterprise.ie.

The LEOs themselves provide a range of financial and non-financial supports to help enterprises at start-up or during business expansion phases. It should be noted that the LEOs generally only grant assist enterprises in the manufacturing or internationally traded services sector, which over time can develop into strong export entities and graduate to the Enterprise Ireland portfolio. However, there are other potential supports available and the LEO staff can advise appropriately.

For example, the LEO can advise clients about the Department of Social Protection JobsPlus Scheme, which is an incentive aimed at encouraging and rewarding employers who offer employment opportunities to the long term unemployed. Grants up to €10,000 are available to qualifying employers to offset wage costs where they engage jobseekers from the Live Register.

In addition, any business can use the LEOs as a gateway to accessing finance from Micro Finance Ireland (MFI), which offers support in the form of loans of up to €25,000 to start-up, newly established or growing microenterprises employing less than 10 people with viable business propositions that do not meet the conventional risk criteria applied by the banks. The Fund available to MFI has a significant entrepreneurship focus and is open to anyone with a viable business proposal. Applications for the Microfinance Fund should be channelled through the local LEO. Further information can be found on www.localenterprise.ie.

Businesses can also access the new online search tool for SME business supports that was launched last May. The Supporting SMEs Online Tool is a cross-governmental initiative to help Irish start-ups and small businesses navigate the range of Government business supports for which they could be eligible.

By answering the eight questions in the Tool, a small business will, in one location be able to:

- Find out which of the over 80 Government business supports from 27 different Government Departments, Agencies and Initiatives are available to them

- obtain information on the range of Government supports for accessing credit

- identify their nearest Local Enterprise Office where they can discuss the outcomes of the guide further

- download all these filtered results into a document for their further use.

The Supporting SMEs Online Tool is available at:

www.localenterprise.ie/smeonlinetool.

Action Plan for Jobs

Questions (80)

Terence Flanagan

Question:

80. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if the action plan for jobs refers to the potential for new jobs in the sugar industry regarding exporting sugar; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43530/14]

Written answers

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

The objective of the Action Plan for Jobs is to create a positive environment to support business start-ups and growth, drive exports and facilitate job creation and retention by the enterprise sector. The Action Plan has set a target of having 100,000 more people at work by 2016, with the longer term objective of having 2 million people in employment by 2020.

The focus of the APJ is to build Ireland’s competitive advantage; assist indigenous business to grow; drive entrepreneurship and start-up companies; support employment at community and local level; develop and deepen the impact of FDI; and also to exploit sectoral opportunities.

The Agriculture, Food and the Marine sectors feature prominently in each Action Plan with a broad suite of actions targeted at job creation in those areas. The Action Plan for Jobs does not specifically refer to the sugar industry.

The Action Plans are developed through a highly consultative process across the public and private sector, including engagement with enterprise, employers, employees and those currently unemployed. This engagement is used to invite proposals from stakeholder groups and also to ensure that the right actions are prioritised. In addition, each Government Department and their associated agencies are invited to submit proposals for inclusion in the Action Plans.

Departmental Reports

Questions (81)

Michael McCarthy

Question:

81. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the main proposals arising out of the CEDRA report, the progress made to date in implementing its proposals particularly around broadband; the timeframes put in place for these actions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43676/14]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Rural areas have been particularly badly hit by the economic downturn and the CEDRA report, which was published earlier this year, contained 34 main recommendations to help support the medium term economic development of rural areas for the period to 2025.  Minister of State Phelan has established the CEDRA Inter-Departmental Group (CEDRA IDG) in order to progress the implementation of the CEDRA report. Lead responsibility for all actions has been assigned to the relevant departments and agencies and following the last meeting of the group in October, a detailed work programme, containing specific actions and timelines up to end 2015, is currently being finalised.

The Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources is playing a full and active part in the CEDRA Interdepartmental Group, particularly in relation to ensuring that the specific recommendations of the CEDRA Taskforce on the necessity for high-speed broadband in rural areas are fully implemented.

Question No. 82 withdrawn.

Dairy Equipment Scheme Applications

Questions (83)

John O'Mahony

Question:

83. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if grants are available to dairy farmers for building or upgrading their buildings or machinery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43523/14]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The Rural Development Programme for the 2014-2020 period, which was submitted to the EU Commission for approval in July 2014, includes provision for a range of on-farm investment schemes. Improving facilities in the dairy sector has been identified as a priority and under the proposed Dairy Equipment Scheme, it is intended to make grant-aid available for the purchase of new dairy equipment. Support for new dairy buildings is confined to young farmers, and will be delivered through the Young Farmer Capital Investment Scheme. Both schemes are being prioritised for launch, as soon as EU approval for the Rural Development Programme is received. That process is well underway, but it is not possible at this stage to fix definitive dates for their introduction.

Single Payment Scheme Payments

Questions (84)

Michael Creed

Question:

84. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to his reply to Parliamentary Question No. 427 of 4 November 2014, if he will provide more detail on this matter including information on when this decision was taken; if it is an Irish or EU Commission requirement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43527/14]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Farmers with payment entitlements whose claimed value was greater than €5000 in 2013 were subject to a linear reduction of 10.49% in 2014 in accordance with EU Regulations. Modulation reduction of 10% which applied in 2013 was not applied in 2014.

The practice of applying modulation reductions to the single payment received by farmers was in place from 2005-2013. A new EU financial framework is in place for the period 2014-2020. Under this framework, new national ceilings were set for all member states. As modulation was no longer a feature of the new framework, it was necessary to adjust the value of entitlements to individual farmers to correspond with the national ceiling.

This regulation also provided the option for a member state to decide not to reduce payment entitlements activated in 2013 by farmers who, in 2013, claimed less than an amount to be determined by the Member State concerned, which may not exceed €5000. Ireland decided to implement this provision to a maximum of €5000. Accordingly, in order to comply with Ireland’s national ceiling, it was necessary to apply a linear reduction of 10.49% to all other payment entitlements.