Written Answers Nos. 161-163
161. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if local authority housing managers and voluntary housing association managers will be legally required to collect overdue water charges; the mechanism that will be used for such charges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45555/14]
View answerI refer to the reply to Question No. 537 of 25 November 2014 which sets out the position on this matter. My Department will be consulting with the local government and approved housing body sectors in the course of drafting the necessary legislative provisions.
162. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that volunteer centres across the country are to lose funding arising from the restructuring of the local development companies system which heretofore has allocated what has come to be known as the 1% funding for encouraging volunteering to the volunteer centres; if his attention has been further drawn to the fact that such funding will be unintentionally lost in the transition to the new SICAP funding programme; and if he will provide this funding from the departmental budget to ensure that the volunteer centres are not negatively impacted. [45561/14]
View answerThe Government continues to advance a range of measures that support volunteering and active citizenship. My Department funds a network of twenty one volunteer centres. It also provides funding to Volunteer Ireland, the national volunteer development agency. The focus of Volunteer Ireland is to create an enabling environment for volunteering, to develop an ethos of volunteerism across all sectors of society and to be an independent and legitimate voice for volunteering.
The volunteer centres act as ‘brokers’ between potential volunteers and organisations seeking volunteers. They also work with organisations to develop their volunteer management capacity and facilitate Garda vetting for smaller organisations.
The budget for the Local and Community Development Programme included a portion of funding for volunteering supports. Following the transition to the new Social Inclusion Community Activation Programme, this will be centralised with other supports through my Department. Details of funding allocations for individual Volunteer Centres will be made available after the publication of the Revised Estimates Volume 2015.
163. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide in tabular form, the dates of meetings of his Department's management advisory council in 2011, 2012, 2013 and to date in 2014; 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. [45473/14]
View answerMy department’s Management Advisory Committee (MAC) comprises of the Secretary General, four Assistant Secretaries, Finance Officer and Personnel Officer. The Private Secretary to the Secretary General acts as Secretary to the Committee. The Committee generally meets on a weekly basis. Dates of these meetings for the period covered by the Question are set out in the following table:
|
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
|
January 7th, 11th, 17th, 25th |
January 10th, 17th, 24th, 31st |
January 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th |
January 13th, 27th |
|
February 1st, 10th, 16th |
February 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th |
February 4th, 11th, 13th, 18th, 25th |
February 10th, 14th, 24th |
|
March 8th, 15th |
March 22nd, 28th |
March 4th, 20th, 25th |
March 3rd, 18th, 26th |
|
April 1st, 5th, 12th |
April 3rd, 18th, 24th |
April 3rd, 16th, 22nd, 29th |
April 7th, 14th, 29th |
|
May 10th, 24th |
May 3rd, 15th, 22nd, 29th |
May 7th, 16th, 22nd, 27th, |
May 12th, 19th, 26th |
|
June 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th |
June 12th, 19th, 26th |
June 10th, 17th |
June 9th, 23rd |
|
July 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th |
July 5th, 18th |
July 1st, 17th |
July 7th, 16th |
|
August |
August 31st |
August 22nd |
August |
|
September 6th, 20th, 29th |
September 11th, 17th |
September 9th, 16th, 23rd, 27th |
September 15th, 22nd, 29th |
|
October 6th, 11th, 20th |
October 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, 31st |
October 7th, 14th, 22nd, 29th |
October 13th, 20th |
|
November 5th, 22nd, 29th |
November 6th, 13th, 16th, 19th, 26th |
November 4th, 15th, 18th |
November 3rd, 17th |
|
December 13th, 22nd |
December 3rd, 10th, 17th |
December 2nd, 9th, 19th |
- |
In addition, there are monthly meetings between the MAC and the Minister and Minister of State to review Departmental business priorities. Regular meetings between Ministers and the relevant senior Department officials on individual business priorities are also a common feature of the working arrangements in the Department.
