Written Answers Nos. 80-86
80. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation to set out details of the contracts a person's businesses or subsidiaries (details supplied) have with his Department; the value of these contracts; their length; and the other companies which entered the tendering process that resulted in this person's companies winning the contract. [12357/15]
View answerI have interpreted the Deputy's question to relate to contracts which my Department has entered into since I took up office on 9th March 2011.
In the absence of a complete list of such business interests or investment holdings via subsidiaries or other structures being available it is not possible to give a definitive response to the Deputy's question. However, I am not aware of any contracts entered into by my Department with businesses and/or subsidiary companies of the named individual during this period. Furthermore, the Deputy will be aware that shareholding or ownership would not be a relevant consideration in the awarding of contracts under domestic or EU procurement rules.
81. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation to set out details of the average age of chairpersons and non-executive directors of State or partially-owned State companies, State bodies, semi-State bodies and of State agencies under the aegis of his Department on the State's payroll; the number of directors on the board of more than one such body; the number of women; and his plans to make savings from this area. [12559/15]
View answer82. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the total number of chairpersons and non-executive directors of State or partially owned State companies, of State bodies, of semi-State bodies and of State agencies under the aegis of his Department on the State's payroll; the total cost to the State from the pay-out to these non-executive directors including fees, travel and other expenditure; his plans to reduce the number of these chairpersons or directors. [12609/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 81 and 82 together.
There are 10 Non-Commercial State Sponsored Bodies under my Department's remit and no Commercial Bodies. Of the State agencies under the aegis of my Department 41% of the board members are female. The information sought by the Deputy in relation to each is as follows:
Personal Injuries Assessment Board
The Personal Injuries Assessment Board was established under Part 3 of the Personal Injuries Assessment Board Act 2003. The Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB) is self-funding through income generated from fees charged to claimants and respondents. The agency does not receive direct funding from the Exchequer.
PIAB has one non-executive Chairperson and nine non-executive directors. According to its 2013 Annual Report five non-executive directors received Board fees in 2013. The total cost of these fees in 2013 was €59,850. There were no expenses paid to Board members in 2013. I have no plans to reduce the number of Directors on the Board of PIAB.
Details of the average age of the chairperson and non-executive directors of PIAB are not available. Five of the non-executive Directors are women.
IAASA
The Irish Auditing and Accounting Supervisory Authority (IAASA) is established under the Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Act, 2003, as a company limited by guarantee and governed by a board of fifteen directors. Fourteen of the directors, including the Chairperson, are non-executive directors and the CEO, an executive director, is an ex-officio member nominated by the Board of IAASA.
A total of €27,565 was paid in 2014 to the non-executive directors of IAASA in respect of fees, travel and other expenditure.
Of the fifteen IAASA board members there are nine females and six males.
With regard to savings in respect of the IAASA Board, it is envisaged that there will be savings following the commencement of the Companies Act 2014 on 1 June 2015. Through Section 907 of the Act I provided for the reduction in the number of directors of IAASA, from its current number of fifteen to a maximum of nine including the Chief Executive Officer.
Health and Safety Authority
The Board of the Health and Safety Authority consists of a Chairperson and 11 ordinary members appointed in accordance with the provisions of Section 37 and the Fifth Schedule of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. The appointments are for a term of 3 years in a part-time capacity and in accordance with the terms and conditions of Schedule 5 of the 2005 Act, no member shall serve for more than 2 terms.
Total Board Fees Paid to Members of the Board of the Health and Safety Authority for 2013 was €88,920 and the total for expenses paid to members of the Board for 2013 amounted to €10,289. The HSA does not hold records in relation to the ages of Board members. The HSA does not have any information relating to the number of Directors who hold other Board memberships. There are currently 3 women members of the Board of the HSA.
Low Pay Commission
The Low Pay Commission which was established on an interim basis on February 26th 2015 comprises a Chairperson and 8 members. In total there are 5 men and 4 women on the Commission.
The Chairperson is entitled to an annual fee of €20,520. The members are entitled to an annual fee of €11,970. The Chair and the members are also entitled to travel and subsistence expenses in line with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Regulations. Under the one person one salary principle, where members, including the Chair, are already employed by a body within the Irish public sector, no fee is payable to that member. One member has voluntarily waived the fee and will not claim for travel and subsistence expenses.
Information relating to the age of the Chairperson is not available.
Labour Relations Commission
The LRC has a Board comprising of 7 members with 5 members currently serving and two members. The total cost for Members of the Board of the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) for 2014 was € 68,400. No other expenditure was incurred for the LRC's Board. One Board member John Hennessy is also the Chair of the Higher Education Authority. The ages of the Chairperson and the members of the Board of the Labour Relations Commission are not available. One of the 5 members is female.
A Reform Programme is underway which will deliver a two tier Workplace Relations structure by merging the activities of the Labour Relations Commission, the Equality Tribunal, the National Employment Rights Authority and the first instance functions of the Employment Appeals Tribunal and the Labour Court into a new Body of First instance to be known as the Workplace Relations Commission. The appellate functions of the Employment Appeals Tribunal will be incorporated into an expanded Labour Court. There will be savings made as a result of shared services and abolition of the LRC Board, but more importantly, the new streamlined structures will provide a quicker, simpler and improved service for the taxpayer.
National Standards Authority of Ireland
The National Standards Authority of Ireland Act, 1996 specifies that the Board be appointed from among those interests involved in the process of standardisation and certification of commodities, processes and practices, without any single interest predominating, taking into account guidelines issued from time to time by the Government, and in particular, providing for staff-representation on the Board.
The Board consists of 13 members. The total Board Fees Paid 2014 was €59,148.69. Board expenses paid in 2014 amounted to €2,742. The Gender Balance on Board in 2014 was 46% Female/54% Male, and the average age of Board members is unknown.
Enterprise Ireland
Enterprise Ireland is established under The Industrial Development (Enterprise Ireland) Act, 1998. The Board shall consist of 12 members and shall include the Chief Executive Officer.
The members of the Board (other than the chief executive officer) shall, as soon as may be after the establishment day, be appointed by the Minister, with the consent of the Minister for Finance. The Minister of the day designates one member of the Board as Chairperson. The total costs for 2014 amounted to €110,966 comprising of fees of 104,783 and travel and other expenses of €6,183. None of the directors on the board is a Director of another State Body. 4 women currently sit on the EI Board (including the CEO who is not a non-exec).
IDA
The Industrial Development Act 1993 is the statute under which the Industrial Development Agency (Ireland) (IDA) was established.
The legal basis underpinning the Board of IDA is set out in the First Schedule to the Industrial Development Act 1993, as amended. This provides that:-
(i) the IDA Board shall consist of 12 members,
(ii) members of the Board are appointed by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, and
(iii) the Chief Executive Officer of IDA is ex officio a member of the Board.
There are currently 9 Board Members on the IDA Ireland Board. There are 3 vacancies at present. IDA Ireland Board Members fees in 2013 amounted to €56,430, expenses in 2013 amounted to €9,822 broken down €3,154 mileage, €4,524 accommodation and €2,144 other travel, subsistence and vouched food expenses. I do not have information on Board members ages. There are currently 2 women on the IDA Ireland Board.
Science Foundation Ireland
The establishment, membership, appointment of a chairperson, and meetings of the Board of Science Foundation Ireland have as their legal basis the Industrial Development (Science Foundation Ireland) Act 2003.
The Science Foundation Ireland's Board comprises a Chair and 11 members including the Director General (receives no fee). In total there are currently 7 men and 5 women on the Board. The Chairperson is entitled to an annual fee of €20,520. The Members of the Board are entitled to an annual fee of €11,970. Under the one person one salary principle where members are already employed by a body within the Irish public sector no fee is payable to that member. This principle currently applies to three Members of the Board in addition two Members of the Board have voluntarily waived the fee. Information relating to the age of the Chair and Board Members is not available. In 2014, Board Fees amounted to €93,980 and Board Expenses were €41,584.
InterTrade Ireland
InterTrade Ireland is not a 'State Agency, rather it is a 'North South Body' under the Good Friday Agreement, with joint Irish and UK enabling legislation. The status of these appointments is unlike those for State Agencies/Bodies. Crucially I do not have the final say on Board appointments. The final decision is made by the North South Ministerial Council in Armagh and the Northern Ireland administration has an effective veto over our nominees.
The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission
The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission was established on the 31st October 2014 through the amalgamation of the Competition Authority and the National Consumer Agency, as provided for in the Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2014. The Commission has a new dual mandate to enforce competition and consumer protection and will build on the work of the legacy organisations to protect and strengthen competition, empower consumers to make informed decisions and protect them from harmful business practices. The Commission does not have a Board.
Finally, in relation to savings and reductions in this area, I would draw the Deputy's particular attention to a number of reforms I have implemented since coming to office to rationalise our Agency structures with the attendant savings that arise, including:
- Forfás having been dissolved and integrated with the Department,
- The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission being created from a merger of the National Consumer Agency and the Competition Authority,
- The 35 County and City Enterprise Boards being dissolved and succeeded by 31 Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs)
- The enterprise functions of Shannon Development transferring to IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland, the tourism functions of Shannon Development moving to Bord Fáilte and the merging of Shannon Development and Shannon Airport into a new commercial state company under the aegis of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport.
83. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to set out the position regarding a general felling licence in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12320/15]
View answerThe referral response with observations from National Parks and Wildlife Service in respect of a general felling license application from the person named was received back in my Department on 20th March 2015.
As the proposed felling site lies within a Freshwater Pearl Mussel habitat, the applicant must submit completed Forms A and B, which have been issued to him, before the file can be processed.
84. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding an application made under force majeure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12189/15]
View answerThe person named submitted an application under Force Majeure/Exceptional Circumstances measure of the Single Payment Scheme on 16th January 2004 on the grounds that he purchased lands after the reference period and requested additional entitlements on this land. My Department having examined the circumstances of this application deemed that it did not satisfy the criteria laid down in Article 40 of Council Regulation EC No 1782/2003, determining Force Majeure/Exceptional Circumstances, which provides for circumstances on the holding of a nature that can best be described as sudden, unforeseen and beyond control of the applicant during one or more of the reference year(s).
In August 2004, following this decision the person named submitted an appeal to the Single Payment Appeals Committee who having re-examined the circumstances put forward by the person named upheld the decision made by my Department. The above named was formally notified of this decision in October 2004.
Notwithstanding the lapse of time in this case, the above named person has the option of making an appeal to the Office of the Ombudsman in relation to this matter if they so wish.
85. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to explain the rationale for requiring young farmers who do not have a Further Education and Training Awards Council accredited qualification to attend classroom-based training under the new young farmers scheme, when those with such an accredited qualification can complete the course online; his views on introducing a practical assessment to measure whether participants need to attend a classroom based course, or if their practical knowledge and experience of farming will suffice to allow them to complete the course online; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12226/15]
View answer86. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of training places that are available nationally under the young farmers scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12227/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 85 and 86 together.
To be eligible for participation in the Young Farmers Scheme an applicant must have completed or be currently participating in an agricultural qualification at FETAC/QQI (Quality and Qualifications Ireland) Level 6 or its equivalent. Alternatively s/he must commit to commencing such a course by 30th September 2016. Details of the educational award titles and the various course providers equivalent to FETAC/QQI Level Six are set out in the Young Farmer Scheme's Terms and Conditions.
The content of individual courses, including Teagasc online courses, is a matter for the course provider and the awarding authority and not the Department of Agriculture. QQI is responsible for the accreditation of further agricultural education awards in Ireland and all providers delivering QQI awards are legally obliged to have their programmes validated by QQI. It is within QQI's remit to ensure that programmes and awards recognised within the National Framework of Qualifications are appropriate and consistent.
As regards the number of training places, it is expected that some applicants for the Young Farmers Scheme will already have achieved the required education qualification. Data on the actual number of applicants who need to complete a FETAC/QQI Level 6 or equivalent will not be determined until the scheme closes in mid May.
Teagasc, as the main agricultural education provider, has substantially increased intake on its 'part time and distance education' Level 6 courses from a normal level of 500 annually to circa 1,500 enrolees in order to accommodate the additional demand arising from the Young Farmers Scheme and the National Reserve. A further 500 students are participating in full-time Level 6 courses in the agricultural colleges. Another 700 + learners are enrolled in eligible higher education programmes provided by higher education institutions.
