Tuesday, 16 Jun 2015

Written Answers Nos. 195-206

Departmental Staff Career Breaks

Questions (195)

Barry Cowen

Question:

195. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will provide, in tabular form, the number of staff in her Department currently on a sabbatical or a career break, broken down by zero to six months, six to 12 months, one to two years, two to three years, four to five years and five years or more; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23410/15]

Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection

Details of the number of staff from my Department currently on career breaks are provided below. The duration for which a career break is sanctioned is not recorded as staff can extend the duration during the course of the career break. All career breaks are sanctioned for a minimum period of six months.

The details provided indicate the duration since the career break commenced.

On career break for less than 6 months	11
On career break for a period between 6 months and 1 year	13
On career break for a period between 1 and 2 years	11
On career break for a period between 2 and 3 years	19
On career break for a period between 3 and 4 years	7
On career break for a period between 4 and 5 years	9
On a career break for a period over 5 years	4
Total	74

Departmental Expenditure

Questions (196)

Barry Cowen

Question:

196. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will provide, in tabular form, broken down by year, the total photography costs for her Department since coming into office, inclusive of costs incurred from the use of the ministerial allowance; if she will provide the list of occasions for which photographers were booked; the photographers used; the breakdown of costs associated with each occasion that a photographer was used; if there is a policy regarding the booking of photographers within her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23426/15]

Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection

Photography services are used, in conjunction with some press releases and conferences, to communicate the Department’s initiatives, schemes and services to customers and to the regional and national media. Since March 2011, photography services were used for the occasions as set out in the table below. The total cost from that date is €12,662.

The procurement of these photography services is carried out in accordance with national and EU procurement procedures and since March 2012, the Department has been procuring photography services under the Framework Agreement established by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in February 2012.

Full details of the Framework are available online via the National Procurement Services contract list at www.procurement.ie.

I do not use my ministerial allowance for this purpose.

Year: 2008	Details	Photographer	Cost (€)
08.05.2007	Telephone Allowance Scheme (paid in 2008)	Maxwells	611
04.01.2008	Promotion of MABS helpline	Maxwells	583
28.02.2008	Launch of ‘Work it Out’	Maxwells	619
04.03.2008	Launch of Green Paper for Pensions	Leo Murphy	250
01.04.2008	All Ireland Free Travel	Maxwells	669
08.04.2008	One Family new futures project	Maxwells	220
18.04.2008	Public Service Awards	Maxwells	561
18.04.2008	Family Forum	John Power	216
15.05.2008	Public Service awards	Maxwells	64
22.05.2008	Mobile phone assistance for pensioners	Maxwells	953
26.05.2008	Minister officiating at event in Dun Laoghaire	Maxwells	220
29.05.2008	Pensions Green Paper	Maxwells	607
25.06.2008	Working with spouses Event	Maxwells	1,610
18.07.2008	MABS & Citizens Information Centre	Dave Meehan	944
21.07.2008	Prints	Maxwells	83
25.07.2008	Opening of new SW office in Tullamore	Maxwells	1,469
16.09.2008	Opening of SW office in Bray	Maxwells	830
16.09.2008	Working for Work publication	Maxwells	621
17.09.2008	Launch of Pension Stamp	Maxwells	966
23.09.2008	Pre Budget Forum	Maxwells	682
15.10.2008	Launch of Transition Pack	Mac Innes	99
15.10.2008	Jpeg image	Maxwells	30
23.10.2008	Pensioners group	Maxwells	678
31.10.2008	MABS Office in Blanchardstown	Maxwells	962
21.11.2008	OECD Report on Sickness and Disability	Fennell	744
26.11.2008	Social Inclusion Forum	Maxwells	470
		2008 Total	€15,761
29.11.2008	Families in Ireland event (paid in 2009)	SKP & Associates	528
30.01.2009	Opening of new Social Welfare Office in Ballymun	Maxwells	784
30.01.2009	Jpeg Opening of new SW office in Ballymun	Maxwells	91
29.10.2009	Bilateral Social Security Agreement with Japan	Maxwells	525
30.10.2009	Opening of Social Welfare Office in Kings Inn’s Street, Dublin	Maxwells	502
		2009 Total	€2,430
05.02.2010	Irish Programme for EU Year for combatting poverty and social exclusion	Maxwells	781
05.02.2010	Jpeg Irish Prog. for EU Year for combatting poverty & social exclusion	Maxwells	212
04.03.2010	Provision for new Auto Enrolment Pension Scheme	Maxwells	811
23.04.2010	Promotion of EU Year for Combatting Poverty & Social Exclusion	Maxwells	621
13.05.2010	Photograph of former Secretary Generals of the Department	Dave G Kelly	100
22.06.2010	Launch of Employer Job PRSI Incentive Scheme	Maxwells	579
		2010 Total	€3,104

29 July 2011	Launch of JobBridge	Maxwells	1,035.16
16 Aug 2011	Departmental Summer School, Maynooth	Kevin Morris Photography	950.00
07 Nov 2011	Mortgage Arrears Seminar	Ark Photography	254.10
09 Nov 2011	Social Inclusion Forum	Ark Photography and Dragana Jurisic	547.50
21 Nov 2011	2 Social Inclusion Projects	Ark Photography	326.70
		Total 2011	€3,113.46
13 Feb 2012	Launch of ‘Partial Capacity’ and ‘Employability’	Maxwells	338.25
23 Feb 2012	Launch of Pathways to Work	Maxwells	536.28
27 Apr 2012	Opening of Community Campus in Phibblestown	Lensmen	280.44
06 Sep 2012	Launch of Mortgage Information Helpline	Ark Photography	258.30
13 Sep 2012	Launch of Good Practice Guide for Breakfast Clubs	Ark Photography	184.50
17 Sep 2012	Presentation of Report of the Actuarial Review of the Social Insurance Fund	Ark Photography	184.50
15 Oct 2012	Launch of Intreo, Sligo	Joe Travers	300.00
19 Oct 2012	Intreo roadshow in Limerick	Picsure Ltd (Kieran Clancy)	)233.70
26 Oct 2012	Employer roadshow in Galway	Joe Travers	125.00
01 Nov 2012	Employer roadshow in Cork	Tony O’Connell Photography	227.00
16 Nov 2012	Employer roadshow in Dublin	Ark Photography	258.30
		Total 2012	€2,926.27
22 Mar 2013	Launch of Intreo in Tallaght	Lensmen	323.48
16 Apr 2013	Launch of JobBridge Arts in Killarney	MacMonagle Photography	338.25
19 Apr 2013	Briefing for Employers in Blanchardstown and Launch of Intreo in Blanchardstown	Lensmen	851.25
1 May 2013	Publication of Indecon Report on JobBridge	Lensmen	589.79
2 May 2013	EU Presidency Conference, Leuven	Peter Cavanagh	707.25
10 May 2013	Kilkenny Local Office	Vicky Comerford	123.00
18 July 2013	Launch of Pathways to Work	Maxwells	482.16
25 Sept 2013	Inaugural Meeting of the Labour Market Advisory Council	Maxwells	424.35
22 Nov 2013	Launch of Intreo in Loughrea (Minister and Taoiseach)	Joe Travers	225.00
		Total 2013	€4,064.53
15 Jan 2014	Launch of Benefit of Work ready reckoner and official opening of Intreo in Ballyfermot office	Ark Photography	322.88
20 Jan 2014	Official opening of Intreo in Limerick	Kieran Clancy	221.40
21 Feb 2014	Official opening of Intreo in Castlebar	Joe Travers	300.00
3 April 2014	Medical Assessor Admin Conference	Bobby Studios Photography	270.60
30 April 2014	Launch of Interim Report of Labour Market Council	Ark Photography	258.30
29 Sep 2014	Jobs Week Event & Employment & Youth Activation Charter	Maxwell Photography Ltd	172.20
10 Oct 2014	Launch of Pathways to Work 2015	Ark Photography	387.45
29 Dec 2014	Official launch of secondment of Gardaí to Special Investigations Unit	Mac Innes Photography	378.84
		Total 2014	€2,311.67
24 April 2015	Tánaiste meeting with French Prime Minister in Leinster House	Mac Innes Photography	246.32
		Total 2015 to date	€246.32

Consultancy Contracts

Questions (197)

Barry Cowen

Question:

197. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will provide, in tabular form, broken down by year, the use of external public relations firms employed by her Department since coming into office; the list of uses of the external public relations firms, and internal Department policy with regard to employing external groups; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23442/15]

Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection

In line with Department of Social Protection policy, the press office deals with all media queries and public relations matters. It is the Department’s policy to use in-house resources as much as possible and to restrict the use of external firms to a minimum.

During the period referred to by the Deputy, the Department has used the services of one external public relations firm for training purposes, details of which are outlined in the following table.

Year	Company Function
2012	Carr Communications, 5 Northumberland Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 Communications training for senior management.
2014	Carr Communications, 5 Northumberland Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 Media Skills one-day training for 21 officials.

Consultancy Contracts Expenditure

Questions (198, 201)

Barry Cowen

Question:

198. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the total amount spent on external information and technology consultants by her Department in each of the years 2010 to 2014 and in 2015 to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23458/15]

Barry Cowen

Question:

201. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if her Department has re-negotiated external information and technology consultancy contracts and costs since March 2011; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23575/15]

Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection

I propose to take Questions Nos. 198 and 201 together.

The Department is engaged in a number of service delivery modernisation and transformation programmes involving business process, organisational and technological change. These programmes are supported by the procurement of separate external development services (IT external service provision) as well as engagement of external IT consultants to provide strategic technical advice. A breakdown of the annual expenditure on consultancy and on IT external service provision for previous years is available on the Department’s website at the following address: http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Procurement-Policy.aspx

The procurement of external IT consultancy services is essential to support the Department in providing high quality service to the public in a cost effective and efficient manner. External IT consultants are engaged for a fixed period following procurement exercises conducted in accordance with Department procedures that are compliant with EU and national legislation and with guidelines set down by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. IT consultancy contracts in place prior to March 2011 have now expired. New contracts have since been put in place as appropriate and in accordance with relevant guidelines.

The expenditure details for IT consultancy for the years 2008 to 2014 and to 12 May 2015 are set out in the following tables.

I am satisfied that the engagement of external IT consultants provides valuable support for the Department’s service delivery modernisation and transformation programmes and that procurement of external IT consultants is compliant with best practice in realising value for money.

IT Consultancy Year 2015

Contractor	Purpose	Spend to 12th May 2015 €
Rits	Confidential Forensic Investigation Services	€11,480

IT Consultancy Year 2014

Contractor	Purpose	€
Haywood Associates	Technical Development Advice**	€224,340
Naked Objects Group	Business Objects Modelling Advice & Expertise**	€200,857
Deloitte & Touche	Provision of Security Partner Services	€28,246
Deloitte & Touche	IS Internal Audit Services	€23,616
Microsoft	Support to Technical Architecture Group**	€19,590
Rits	Confidential Forensic Investigation Services	€6,541

** Following a review by the Project Governance Committee, these contracts were re-assigned to the IT External Service Provision subhead for 2015 which was deemed more appropriate to the services provided under these contracts.

IT Consultancy Year 2013

Contractor	Purpose	€
Naked Objects Group Ltd	BOMi - Business Objects Modelling Advice & Expertise	€234,463
Naked Objects Group Ltd	BOMi- Technical Development Advice	€168,181
Haywood Associates	BOMi- Technical Development Advice	€87,871
Deloitte & Touche	IS Internal Audit Services	€48,688
Accenture	Mobile Opportunity Exploration	€33,388
Microsoft	Support to Technical Architecture Group	€11,515
Deloitte & Touche	Provision of Security Partner Services	€6,540

IT Consultancy Year 2012

Contractor	Purpose	€
Naked Objects Group Ltd	SDM - Technical Development Advice	€199,260
Naked Objects Group Ltd	SDM - Business Objects Modelling Advice & Expertise	€108,486
Accenture	FÁS ICT Applications Systems Review	€44,772
Deloitte & Touche	IS Internal Audit Services	€39,541
Deloitte & Touche	Security Partner to provide ongoing Information Security Support	€27,675
Ernst & Young	Security Partner to provide ongoing Information Security Support	€7,623
Rits	Confidential Forensic Services	€4,654

IT Consultancy Year 2011

Contractor	Purpose	€
Naked Objects	Technical Development Advice	€144,644
Naked Objects	Business Objects Modelling Advice & Expertise	€92,104
Deloitte & Touche	IS Audit Consultancy/Computer Audit Assistance	€14,792
Deloitte & Touche	Confidential Forensic Investigation Services	€7,109

IT Consultancy Year 2010

Naked Objects Group Ltd	SDM - Technical Development Advice	€137,255
Naked Objects Group Ltd	SDM - Business Objects Modelling Advice & Expertise	€105,289
Deloitte & Touche	Information Systems Audit Consultancy	€67,175
Ernst & Young	Provision of a Security Partner to provide ongoing Information Security Support	€29,889
Deloitte & Touche	Provision of Confidential Forensic Investigation Services	€8,671

IT Consultancy Year 2009

Contractor	Purpose	€
Naked Objects Group Ltd	SDM - Technical Development Advice	€216,906
Naked Objects Group Ltd	SDM - Business Objects Modelling Advice & Expertise	€169,857
Deloitte & Touche	Information Systems Audit Consultancy	€99,731
Ernst & Young	Provision of a Security Partner to provide ongoing Information Security Support	€98,415
Deloitte & Touche	Provision of Forensic Investigation Services	€6,560

IT Consultancy Year 2008

Contractor	Purpose	€
Naked Objects	SDM - Business Objects Modelling Advice & Expertise	€435,120
Ernst & Young	Information Security Support	€120,000
Deloitte	IS Audit Consultancy	€118,403
Hewlett Packard Ireland Limited	Implementation of Centralised Infrastructural Management System	€81,266
Lan Communications	Network Security Consultancy	€37,455
Rits Information Security	Forensic Investigation Services	€30,454

Parliamentary Questions

Questions (199, 200)

Seán Fleming

Question:

199. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the protocols in place, since March 2011, to set standards in parliamentary replies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23506/15]

Seán Fleming

Question:

200. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she is satisfied that Parliamentary Questions are adequately replied to within her Department; the steps she has taken, since March 2011, to ensure Parliamentary Questions are fully responded to within her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23522/15]

Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection

I propose to take Questions Nos. 199 and 200 together.

In 2014, the Department answered 3,693 parliamentary questions.

To ensure that parliamentary questions are answered fully and to a high standard, each question is initially sent to the appropriate policy or scheme area for response, where the most detailed information is at hand. This reply is then reviewed by senior management and finally cleared by top management (at Assistant Secretary level) to ensure a comprehensive response before being forwarded to my office or the Minister for State’s office (as appropriate) for final clearance.

I am satisfied that parliamentary questions are fully answered to the appropriate standard.

Question No. 201 answered with Question No. 198.

State Bodies

Questions (202)

Barry Cowen

Question:

202. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will provide, in tabular form, in respect of State boards under her Department's remit, the number of appointments to State boards; the number of vacancies in State boards ; the number of vacancies in State boards publically advertised; and the number of appointments to State boards drawn directly from the public advertisement process, in period March 2011 to 2015 to date. [23591/15]

Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection

The statutory bodies operating under the aegis of the Department of Social Protection are the Citizens Information Board, the Pensions Authority, the Pensions Council, the Pensions Ombudsman (which does not have a Board) and the Social Welfare Tribunal.

Details relating to the Boards, as requested by the Deputy, are outlined in the following table.

Agency/Board	Number of appointments made since March 2011 to date	Number of vacancies since March 2011 to date	Number of vacancies publically advertised since March 2011 to date	Number of appointments drawn directly from the public advertisement process since March 2011 to date
Citizens Information Board	9	17 (currently 8)	3	1
Pensions Authority, established March 2014 (formerly the Pensions Board).	3	Nil	Nil	Nil
Pensions Council – established February 2015.	12	Nil	Nil	7
Social Welfare Tribunal	5	5	0	0

Invalidity Pension Appeals

Questions (203)

Jack Wall

Question:

203. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the position regarding an appeal in respect of an Invalidity Pension for a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23596/15]

Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection

The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 24 March 2015. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When these papers have been received from the Department, the case in question will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral appeal hearing.

The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.

Question No. 204 withdrawn.

Legislative Process

Questions (205)

Micheál Martin

Question:

205. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will provide, in tabular form, the number, name and date of Bills initiated in her Department, that have been subject to the pre-legislative scrutiny procedure in the Oireachtas. [23645/15]

Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection

The Government approved an expansion and reinforcement of the arrangements for pre-legislative scrutiny in September 2013. A number of new Standing Orders were adopted by the Dáil on 17 October 2013 in order to underpin these new arrangements and these Standing Orders came into effect on 5 November 2013.

In order to clarify the operation of these new Standing Orders, an Agreed Protocol for Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the Heads of Bills by Oireachtas Committees was published in September 2014. This Agreed Protocol provides that certain Bills are exempted from the requirements for pre-legislative scrutiny, including Bills which are required to implement Budget changes such as the Finance Bill and the Social Welfare Bill, “emergency” Bills and Bills that were at an advanced stage of drafting at the time the Standing Orders were adopted.

The General Scheme of the Gender Recognition Bill was referred to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection for pre-legislative scrutiny in July 2013 and, following consideration of these Heads of Bill, the Joint Committee issued its report on 16 January 2014.

A number of other Bills which I have initiated since September 2013 fall into the categories of Bills exempted under the Agreed Protocol from the requirements for pre-legislative scrutiny, for example, the Social Welfare Bills enacting amendments arising from Budgets 2014 and 2015 and the Civil Registration (Amendment) Bill 2014 which was at an advanced stage of drafting at the time the Standing Orders came into effect.

The details requested by the Deputy are set out in the following table.

Bills Initiated by Minister for Social Protection which have received Pre-Legislative Scrutiny

Title of Bill	Date Heads of Bill referred to Committee for Pre-Legislative Scrutiny	Date of Initiation of Bill	Status
Gender Recognition Bill 2014 (No. 116 of 2014)	July 2013	17th December 2014	This Bill, which was initiated in the Seanad, is scheduled for Committee Stage in the Dáil on 17th June 2015 and Report and Final Stages on 23rd June 2015, with the Bill then to be recommitted to the Seanad at Report Stage

Legislative Process

Questions (206)

Micheál Martin

Question:

206. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will provide, in tabular form, the number, name and date of Bills initiated in her Department since September 2013. [23671/15]

Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection

I have initiated seven Bills since September 2013, six of which have been enacted.

The details requested by the Deputy are set out in the following table.

Bills Initiated by Minister for Social Protection since September 2013

Title of Bill as initiated	Date Initiated	Status
Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013 (No. 101 of 2013)	21st October 2013	Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2013 (No. 38 of 2013) Enacted on 9th November 2013
Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013 (No. 114 of 2013)	20th November 2013	Title of Bill changed to: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Act 2013 (No. 49 of 2013) Enacted on 25th December 2013
Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2014 (No. 47 of 2014)	28th May 2014	Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2014 (No. 16 of 2014) Enacted on 17th July 2014
Civil Registration (Amendment) Bill 2014 (No. 71 of 2014)	8th July 2014	Civil Registration (Amendment) Act 2014 (No. 34 of 2014) Enacted on 4th December 2014
Social Welfare Bill 2014 (No. 97 of 2014)	21st October 2014	Title of Bill changed to: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Act 2014 (No. 41 of 2014) Enacted on 25th December 2014
Gender Recognition Bill 2014 (No. 116 of 2014)	17th December 2014	This Bill, which was initiated in the Seanad, is scheduled for Committee Stage in the Dáil on 17th June 2015 and Report and Final Stages on 23rd June 2015, with the Bill then to be recommitted to Seanad at Report Stage
Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015 (No. 12 of 2015)	16th February 2015	Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2015 (No. 12 of 2015) Enacted on 6th May 2015