Written Answers Nos. 80 - 87
80. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance if his Department has conducted any further analysis on the costs and benefits of the cycle to work tax incentive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46723/14]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware from a previous PQ in relation to this incentive, the cycle to work scheme came into operation on 1 January 2009 and there is no notification procedure for employers involved. Therefore the Revenue Commissioners do not have statistics on its uptake. This approach was taken with the deliberate intention of keeping the scheme simple and reducing administration on the part of employers.
As I noted in a previous response, it was estimated at the time of the introduction of the scheme that approximately 7,000 employees would avail of it over the first five-year period of its operation. However anecdotal evidence would suggest that the scheme has been considerably more successful than this and its continuation has been welcomed by the cycle business sector.
While I have not asked my officials to conduct any further specific analysis along the lines set out by the Deputy, I would advise him that all such schemes are reviewed in the context of the annual Budget and Finance Bill process.
82. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance the regulations that currently cover the use of private investigators by financial institutions to obtain information regarding their clients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46725/14]
View answerThe Central Bank has informed me that this is primarily a matter for the Data Protection Commissioner.
On the issue more generally, the Central Bank expects all regulated entities to fully comply with all legal and regulatory obligations specific to the sector in which the firm operates, including all the Data Protection Acts. The Bank further expects all regulated entities to fully co-operate with the office of the Data Protection Commissioner.
Risk based supervision is fundamental to the Central Bank's statutory mandate to ensure that each regulated entity is meeting its regulatory obligations. It is important for entities to develop a sound appreciation of material operational risks arising from the outsourcing of business activities, and how these risks are interrelated.
Financial service providers regulated by the Central Bank who outsource activities must ensure that the outsourced firm complies with the relevant provisions of legal and regulatory obligations specific to the sector in which the firm operates. Where a regulated entity engages a private investigator then the Bank expects that the relevant guidance from the Data Protection Commissioner's office will be followed.
83. Deputy Brendan Ryan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the amount the State pays annually in ground rents for State-owned buildings and buildings in State control; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46693/14]
View answer84. Deputy Brendan Ryan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide a list of the top ten recipients of ground rent payments from the Government in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46694/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 83 and 84 together.
The annual ground rent for properties under the remit of the Commissioners of Public Works is €4,147.44.
The top ten recipients of ground rent for properties in State ownership under the remit of the Commissioners of Public Works are set out as follows:
The table shows the Landlord and the annual ground rent paid.
|
Landlord |
Ground rent per annum |
|
Sweetman Estate |
€419.36 |
|
Executors of Perrot Estate |
€361.88 |
|
Kilruddery Farms |
€275.73 |
|
Mrs W.C. Kennedy and Mrs H.D. Wood |
€258.14 |
|
M.D. Pennefather C/O Commonwealth Bank |
€176.98 |
|
The Bursar Kings Hospital |
€165.07 |
|
Dundon Callanan Solicitors |
€140.64 |
|
Ticher Limited |
€88.88 |
|
First Management |
€87.03 |
|
James Buckley Liquidator |
€76.18 |
The Commissioners of Public Works are not in a position to include ground rent costs for properties that may be under the remit of other State Bodies/Agencies.
85. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the Office of Public Works will carry out anti-erosion works at a river (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46687/14]
View answerWithout a more detailed address the Office of Public Works (OPW) is not in a position to be absolutely definitive about the specific lands mentioned by the Deputy but in recently carrying out some maintenance on the Marine Catchment Drainage Scheme at Castleisland erosion was identified on lands in the ownership of a named person. This erosion is considered as posing a risk of flood damage, and therefore remedial works at this location have been proposed for inclusion in the OPW's 2015 maintenance work programme.
For information, the OPW approved funding of €144,000 under the Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme to Kerry County Council this year for flood mitigation works on the Glenshearoon Stream and tributaries of the River Maine at Castleisland. The progression of these works is a matter for the Council.
86. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding redeployment of civil servants on career breaks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46718/14]
View answerThe arrangements for the Career Break Scheme for civil servants were revised in 2013 and are set out in Circular 4/2013.
All staff going on career break following the introduction of the new scheme on 22/2/2013 are covered by the arrangements set out in Circular 4/2013. Staff who were already on career break at the time the revised scheme was introduced were permitted to remain on career break under the terms of the original circular (18/1998).
Circular 4/2013 revoked the specific instructions which are referred to in the details supplied with the Deputy question as follows:
- Circular 18/1998
- Letter to Personnel Officers dated 3/3/2008 - Special leave without pay for career breaks in: Amendments to Circular 18/98 in relation to Eligibility and Duration and Purpose.
- Letter to Personnel Officers dated 18/3/2009 - Special leave without pay for career breaks and resumption of duty. This sets out provisions relating to resumption of duty, reassignment to another Department and persons who fail to indicate their intention to return to duty.
The details provided by the Deputy refer to Paragraph 23 of Circular 18/1998 and the return to work of a staff member following a career break. This paragraph states that where an officer indicates that s/he wishes to resume duty, s/he will be assigned to the next appropriate vacancy to be filled following the expiry of the career break, with a guarantee of re-employment in a relevant grade (not necessarily in his/her existing Department) within twelve months of the expiry of the career break.
Civil service organisations therefore have, under the new and the previous scheme, up to twelve months after the expiry of the career break to make an offer of employment. That offer is subject to there being an appropriate vacancy in the employing organisation. Where a civil service organisation considers that it is unlikely that a vacancy will arise for an individual returning from career break, the onus is on the organisation to ensure the person is put on the PAS redeployment panel and inform the individual of this and the fact that s/he will be circulated with redeployment vacancies.
The detail of this process is set out in the "Redeployment Toolkit", (revised in October 2014) and agreed with the staff unions, which sets out the background and the process for staff returning from career break who are put on the redeployment panel.
If it is not possible to make a reasonable offer within the 12 month period after the expiry of the career break, the possibility of facilitating the civil servant on a supernumerary basis must be explored. Where the civil servant refuses a reasonable offer of work, the Department is under no further obligation to provide employment and can deem a refusal to be a resignation.
The administration of the Career Break Scheme is a matter for each individual Department/Office. The Circulars and Letter to Personnel Officers are available on www.circulars.gov.ie. Information on redeployment is available at http://www.per.gov.ie/redeployment/.
87. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the position regarding a commercial practice (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46613/14]
View answerThe only licences which are issued by my Department for the sale of goods relate to Occasional Trading Licences under the Occasional Trading Act 1979. I also have policy responsibility for the Casual Trading Act 1995 but casual trading licences under that Act are issued by the relevant local authorities. Given the nature of the cash-and-carry or wholesale business, neither of the aforementioned legislative provisions is likely to be utilised by those businesses. However, some specific licences are required which are outside the remit of my Department. For example, a Wholesale Dealer’s Licence is required from the Revenue Commissioners to sell alcohol in bulk quantities while, depending on the nature of the wholesale business, a Road Haulage Operator Licence may be required from the Road Safety Authority.
