Written Answers Nos. 69-73
69. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will provide figures for farm fatalities of children under seven years old over the past ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45445/14]
View answerThere have been 11 child fatalities involving children under seven years old over the past ten years, 2004-2014. Of this total, tractors were involved in the fatalities of five of these children under seven years old.
The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) is the national statutory body with responsibility for enforcing occupational safety and health law and promoting and encouraging accident prevention. It has conducted extensive campaigns to improve farm safety and to emphasise that children should not be placed at risk. A Code of Practice on Preventing Accidents to Children and Young Persons in Agriculture was first published in 2001. It was revised and re-issued in 2010, following the enactment of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005. The Farm Safety Partnership, an advisory committee to the Board of the Authority involving farmer representative organisations, assisted in the drafting and revision of the Code of Practice on Preventing Accidents to Children and Young Persons in Agriculture. Central to this code of practice is the principle that only children between the age of 7 and 16 may be carried in the cab of tractors or other farm machinery, and if carried must only be carried if on a seat with a lap belt provided.
In 2008, the Authority launched an information Sheet on Child Safety on the Farm. A national farm safety awareness-raising programme run in primary schools resulted in the publication in 2013 of a children’s book ‘Only a Giant Can Lift a Bull’ which was sent to all primary schools and public libraries.
While all workplace fatalities are tragic, the death of a child is even more so, particularly as in most cases these fatalities arise out of farm work activity carried out close to the home. The grief over the loss of a child can only be exacerbated where circumstances show that the fatality could have been easily avoided through better health and safety awareness.
Reducing the number of farm fatalities remains a priority for the HSA and efforts will continue to embed a culture of safety first in the farming community.
70. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding EU and travel issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45558/14]
View answerThe Competition and Consumer Protection Commission is the statutory body responsible for enforcing consumer protection legislation in Ireland and is statutorily independent in the performance of those duties. I, as Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, have no direct responsibility in this regard.
As the issue raised by the Deputy may have consumer protection implications, I have referred the matter to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission for its attention.
71. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will provide in tabular form, the dates of meetings of his Department's management advisory council from 2011 to date in 2014, inclusive; the civil servants present at each of these meetings; if he or his Department's Minister of State was present at each of these meetings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45480/14]
View answerThe Management Board of my Department is a management advisory body established to ensure my Department is managed as a corporate entity. This envisages the Board taking a central role in the formulation of strategy, in the development and monitoring of the business planning process, deciding resource allocation and ensuring that issues of a key policy, strategic and management nature are discussed collectively before submission, as appropriate, to me for consideration at a political level.
Since January 2014, the Management Board has been meeting on a weekly basis, with the exception of August. Prior to this, the Board met fortnightly. The dates of these meetings are set out below in tabular form.
The Board is comprised of the Secretary General, the Assistant Secretaries assigned to the Department and, until the integration of Forfás into my Department on 1 August 2014, the Chief Executive Officer of Forfás. The Principal Officer with responsibility for the Management Support Unit attends each meeting as an ex-officio member and the Private Secretary to the Secretary General also attends to record the minutes of the meeting.
Depending on the agenda for the meeting, other individuals, from within or outside my Department, attend Management Board meetings to participate in the discussion of a specific item. In addition, the Board meets formally with all heads of Offices and Agencies under the aegis of my Department at least once a year.
The Management Board drives and monitors the business planning process in the Department each year. It carries out a mid-term review of progress in quarter three of the business planning cycle and approves, in quarter four, new plans for the following year. In addition, the Board considers a wide range of issues which impact on the Department’s strategies, policies and practices across areas such as enterprise policy, labour market policy, trade policy, employment rights and industrial relations, science, technology and innovation, EU issues, company law, consumer and competition issues and many more.
I discuss decisions of a policy or strategic nature directly with Board Members and their colleagues on a frequent and ongoing basis. Neither I, nor my Ministers of State, are present at Management Board meetings. However, I do hold regular Ministerial Management Board meetings and since 2011, I, together with my Ministers of State, have held a total of thirty Ministerial Management Board Meetings.
1st January – 25th November 2014
|
Date of Meeting |
Date of Meeting |
Date of Meeting |
|
14th January |
6th May |
9th September |
|
21st January |
13th May |
16th September |
|
28th January |
20th May |
23rd September |
|
4th February |
28th May |
30th September |
|
18th February |
9th June |
07th October |
|
25th February |
17th June |
14th October |
|
04th March |
23rd June |
21st October |
|
11th March |
1st July |
04 November |
|
1st April |
08th July |
11th November |
|
8th April |
15th July |
18th November |
|
15th April |
22nd July |
25th November |
|
29th April |
2nd September |
1st January – 31st December 2013
|
Date of Meeting |
Date of Meeting |
Date of Meeting |
|
11th January |
28th May |
11th October |
|
25th January |
14th June |
25th October |
|
7th February |
28th June |
14th November |
|
22nd February |
12th July |
29th November |
|
13th March |
19th July |
06th December |
|
19th April |
06th September |
17 December |
|
8th May |
2nd October |
1st January – 31st December 2012
|
Date of Meeting |
Date of Meeting |
Date of Meeting |
|
6th January |
09th May |
27th June |
|
25th January |
18th May |
7th September |
|
03rd February |
29th May |
28th September |
|
17th February |
1st June |
12th October |
|
2nd March |
08th June |
2nd November |
|
30th March |
15th June |
14th November |
|
13th April |
28th June |
21st December |
|
26th April |
13th July |
1st January – 31st December 2011
|
Date of Meeting |
Date of Meeting |
Date of Meeting |
|
7th January 2011 |
1st April 2011 |
5th September 2011 |
|
21st January 2011 |
15th April 2011 |
16th September 2011 |
|
24th January 2011 |
4th May 2011 |
23rd September 2011 |
|
4th February 2011 |
12th May 2011 |
30th September 2011 |
|
7th February 2011 |
27th May 2011 |
10th October 2011 |
|
14th February 2011 |
10th June 2011 |
14th October 2011 |
|
18th February 2011 |
24th June 2011 |
20th October 2011 |
|
4th March 2011 |
08th July 2011 |
11th November 2011 |
|
7th March 2011 |
22nd July 2011 |
25th November 2011 |
|
24th March 2011 |
29th July 2011 |
9th December 2011 |
72. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the extent to which all or any aspects of the transatlantic trade and investment partnership agreement have been discussed at EU Foreign Affairs Council meetings; if any emphasis has been placed on the need for trading partners to uphold the highest standards in respect of human rights; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45562/14]
View answerThe Transatlantic Trade and Investment Agreement (TTIP) was discussed most recently at the Foreign Affairs Council of Trade Ministers on 21 November.
The primary objective of the TTIP is to promote growth and jobs, greater compatibility in regulation, high standards and common rules to facilitate trade and investment.
The EU Commission’s mandate to negotiate with the United States on a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership on behalf of the EU states that the Agreement will exclusively contain provisions on trade and trade–related areas applicable between the parties. The mandate also states that the Agreement should confirm that the transatlantic trade and investment partnership is based on common values, including the protection and promotion of human rights and international security.
73. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to introduce grant aid for farmers who wish to install solar panels on their farm; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45400/14]
View answerThe draft Rural Development Programme for the 2014-2020 period was submitted to the EU Commission for approval in July 2014 and includes provision for a suite of on-farm investment schemes. Investments in renewable energy in the Pig and Poultry sector are included and the granting of aid for the provision of Solar Panels in this sector is being considered. The definitive list of investment items eligible for support under TAMS II will be made available when EU Commission approval of the Programme has been received.
