Written Answers Nos. 24 - 43
24. Deputy Seamus Kirk asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to overhaul the procurement legislation in order that it will give small and medium enterprises a better chance to compete with tenders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26115/15]
View answerThe reform of the procurement system across the public service is a key element of the reform programme for the public service. The fragmented procurement arrangements across the public service have enabled suppliers to charge different public service bodies different prices for the same goods and services. Public Procurement savings are necessary to enable public service organisations deliver much needed services within the tighter budgets that they must now operate.
However, I would point out that reforms in this area are being carried out in a manner that recognises the importance of SMEs. The Government acknowledges the significant role that SMEs play in the Irish economy and is committed to ensuring that SMEs are fully engaged with public sector procurement and the opportunities presenting.
In relation to SME participation in public procurement, recent analysis carried out by the OGP indicates that 93% of government procurement expenditure falls within the State and that 66% of this is directly with Irish SMEs.
The 2014 EU Directives on public procurement contain a number of provisions that are intended to make it easier for businesses and SMEs to tender for public sector procurement contracts. These provisions include:
- except in justified cases, turnover requirements will be explicitly limited to two times the estimated contract value;
- acceptance of self-declarations for evaluating the capacity and capability until the award stage;
- the promotion of e-procurement with mandatory electronic availability of procurement documents;
- contracting authorities to comply or explain in relation to the division of contracts into lots;
- Member States to provide the Commission with detail on SME participation. (Such monitoring can support consistent application across all Member States and ensure that the objective of greater SME involvement is being delivered.).
These provisions will be reflected in the transposition which is underway.
I would also point out that the Office of Government Procurement (OGP), which falls under the remit of my Department, has accelerated some of these key measures in Circular 10/14 which issued in April 2014 including the requirements to tender on-line in an open and transparent process, reductions in bidder's turnover requirements, proportional and reasonable insurance requirements, and breaking larger contracts down into lots.
The OGP supports the work of Enterprise Ireland and InterTrade Ireland in building awareness of public procurement and supporting training for small suppliers in bidding for public contracts. For example, last year the Office of Government Procurement supported two "Meet the Buyer" events in Belfast and Dublin which were attended by over 1,100 suppliers. Earlier this month, the 2015 "Meet the Buyer" event in Belfast was attended by approximately 510 suppliers. The Office of Government Procurement also supported the 'Go 2 Tender' programme run by InterTrade Ireland which was attended by approximately 400 SME's. This year InterTrade Ireland also delivered a programme on consortia building to assist SME's to jointly bid for state contracts.
The OGP will continue to work with suppliers and business representatives on behalf of Government to ensure that winning government business is done in a fair, transparent and accessible way and to ensure that public procurement policies are business friendly.
25. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide, in tabular form, the current gender breakdown across all Departments from assistant principal officer upwards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26126/15]
View answerAt end-Q1 2015 the gender breakdown across all Government Departments from Assistant Principal level and upwards was:
|
Grade |
Male |
Female |
|
Secretary General |
24 |
6 |
|
Second Secretary |
2 |
1 |
|
Deputy Secretary |
14 |
4 |
|
Assistant Secretary |
155 |
60 |
|
Principal |
798 |
452 |
|
Assistant Principal |
1,915 |
1,518 |
The Public Sector in Ireland has made strong efforts to promote equal opportunities and to achieve gender balance. In the Civil Service the Gender Equality Policy has been in operation since 2001. It highlighted the need to introduce a modern approach to equality in human resource areas such as recruitment, promotion and training and recommended a number of practical steps which can be taken by Departments to promote equality of opportunity in these areas. In addition, to the equal opportunities policy, gender policy is also about setting strategic objectives at Department level. Human Resources Management (HRM) policy areas are asked to incorporate gender equality into their HR strategies and policies. Guidance material has also been produced on affirmative action 'Making Gender Equality Happen: Guidance on Affirmative Action in the targets contained in the National Women's Strategy 2007-2016 for the percentage of women in the grades of AP and PO in the Civil Service has already been well exceeded for both grades.
Recently, the Department of Justice and Equality, with the assistance of funding from the EU's PROGRESS programme and supported by my Department, has launched a pilot mentoring and leadership development programme to increase the number of women in the top decision-making levels of the Civil Service. The pilot is cross-Departmental with female Principal Officers from each of the 16 Government Departments participating in the programme. The participants are receiving executive coaching, mentoring and leadership development training which is focused at the competencies required at the Assistant Secretary General grade.
Notwithstanding the progress which has been made in increasing the participation of women in the work force, there remains a clear need to continue to increase female participation at senior levels in the Civil Service. To this end, the Civil Service Renewal Plan contains a commitment to improve gender balance at each level by reviewing supports and policies to ensure these are impactful and measurable.
26. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his Department has considered the job creation potential of removing the extra hours public servants were required to work under the Haddington Road agreement and the filling of those hours by new recruits to the public service. [26128/15]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that following discussions between Unions and Associations representing public servants in 2013, agreement was reached between public service employers and the unions and associations representing public servants on a Collective Agreement, the Haddington Road Agreement (HRA). This Agreement provided inter alia for the working of additional hours by public servants. The extra hours under this Agreement, is delivering an unprecedented and structural increase of almost 15 million additional working hours annually in the productivity of the public service at no additional cost and contributes significantly to the provision of public services at a time of significant resource constraints. Additionally, the Government has allocated a further €300 million in 2015 for additional recruitment mainly for frontline services in Health, Justice and Education to address critical service needs. Both policy responses are directed at providing and supporting the ongoing provision of public services which are critical to those who are required to avail of such services and are mutually supportive.
More recently following discussions between public service employers and employee representatives regarding a successor agreement to the HRA, proposals for a new agreement, the Lansdowne Road Agreement, have been developed for an extension to the Haddington Road Agreement out to September 2018. The productivity and reform measures provided for under the HRA, including the additional hours, form an integral part of the new proposals which are currently under consideration by public servants and I have no plans to alter that position. I do not believe any such proposal would serve the interests of those who necessarily avail of our social services on a regular basis. I should also point out that this Government's strong focus on assisting job creation has led to the reduction of the unemployment rate from around 15% in early 2012, to 9.7%, in May 2015 at a time when public service productivity has been considerable increased while the number of persons in employment was 1,929,500 in quarter one 2015, an increase of 41,300 (+2.2%) over 2014 alone.
27. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his Department has considered reversing the provision that new entrants to the public service have lower pay and conditions than existing staff. [26129/15]
View answerI assume the Deputy is referring to the 10% reduced rates of pay for new entrants. This was one of a number of measures, introduced over the period since the fiscal crisis which directly affected the pay of public service staff. The reductions in starting pay were introduced as part of the National Recovery Plan in order to reduce the Public Service Pay Bill by the previous Government.
However, this Government has since provided for an agreed process under the Haddington Road Agreement (Section 2.31) for the amalgamation of pay scales to address any imbalance in pay scales between those who entered the public service as new entrants after January 2011 with those applying to public servants before January 2011. The revised scales provide for assimilation of new entrant public servants to a single applicable scale to each grade and represent a significant redressing of any imbalance particularly in the context of the savings required under the Haddington Road Agreement. The Lansdowne Road Agreement proposals which were recently agreed by employer and employee public service representatives represent an extension of the Haddington Road Agreement up to September 2018, the terms of which will apply to all staff in accordance with the agreed proposals subject to ratification by the Public Services Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.
28. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide, in tabular form, the annual charge to the Exchequer for the outsourcing of goods and services by the public sector from 2011 to date in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26125/15]
View answerThe Government is committed to exploring alternative service delivery models including external service delivery, as part of an overall objective to improve the quality and efficiency of public services, while ensuring they remain affordable and sustainable. This is a key component of the Public Service Reform Plan 2014 2016 which was published in January 2014. The Government has agreed that external sourcing must be considered as a means of delivery for any new service that is to be introduced.
Each public body, when deciding whether to use external service delivery, is expected to produce a detailed Business Case. This will involve evaluating the merits of such a decision, taking into account a number of factors including certain costs, quality of service, effectiveness and the public interest. Given that external service delivery is undertaken on a case by case basis at Departmental, organisational and agency level, the details of costs incurred or benefits realised is a matter for the public body in question.
My Department does not maintain a centralised repository of external service delivery contracts, or their individual values, for each and every Department, public sector body or agency. However, this information may be sought individually from Departments in relation to the external service delivery contracts under their aegis.
The Deputy may be interested to note that the External Service Delivery plans that were submitted to Government by each Department were published by my Department in March of this year and are available on my Department's website.
29. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the arrangements in place regarding the tenure that the State has on the building known as Agriculture House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. [26120/15]
View answerAgriculture House is a State Owned office building vested in the Commissioners of Public Works.
30. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when the capital expenditure framework plan will be published; if it will list themes to the implemented or if it will include specific projects and a timeframe for their commencement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26391/15]
View answerThe results of the Capital Review undertaken by my Department will be set out in the Medium Term Capital Investment Framework Report that will be published when approved by Government. This Report will outline the capital envelope for the period to 2020 and identify priority areas for investment.
The purpose of the Capital Review is to assess all areas of public capital investment and to refresh the existing investment strategy and multi-annual envelopes to ensure that they are in line with emerging Government priorities and that our resources are focussed on the areas that can best support continued, sustainable and equitable growth.
In order to inform resource allocation decisions over the coming years all Departments were asked to make submissions outlining their investment plans and external stakeholders such as the ESRI, CIF and Society of Chartered Surveyors were consulted for their views on the State's main infrastructural priorities. My Department also conducted analysis on particular areas and aspects of capital expenditure.
The capital envelope in the Report will look to prioritise addressing infrastructure deficits and capacity constraints that could hamper economic growth and will provide further details in relation to certain programme spending identified as key to supporting and underpinning economic recovery and providing social infrastructure.
Responsibility for the selection and progression of individual projects is a matter for each Minister and their Department, subject to the relevant requirements of the Public Spending Code. However, my Department has compiled a list of the 20 largest Exchequer-backed capital projects, together with information about timelines for delivery. The information included in the list, which is updated quarterly, has been collated based on information supplied by individual line Departments who are responsible for the implementation of the individual project and is available on Department's website at www.per.gov.ie.
31. Deputy Anthony Lawlor asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if analyses are made of the economic benefits of capital projects versus the interest charged on Government borrowings over time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26118/15]
View answerThe level of Government capital investment is decided in the context of the Government's fiscal targets, the fiscal outlook, and the Government's policies on taxation/revenue and on other areas of expenditure. In recent years, fiscal policy has been to reduce the General Government Deficit in line with a series of targets, and to return the public finances to a sustainable path. Progress has been strong; the deficit is on track to fall below 3% by end 2015, thus signalling Ireland's exit from the Excessive Deficit Procedure. Thereafter, the overall scale of General Government expenditure-including Exchequer capital investment will be framed in the context of the preventive arm of the Stability and Growth Pact.
The Public Spending Code sets out the economic appraisal requirements for new current and capital expenditure proposals. Departments/Agencies proposing the expenditure are generally responsible for undertaking the required appraisal for each new spending proposal or project. It should be carried out before Exchequer resources are committed.
Economic appraisal involves a series of steps from objective definition and options exploration through to selection of the preferred option. For significant expenditure proposals, it is important to consider overall Value for Money by quantifying, monetising and comparing all relevant costs and benefits for a range of options. The aim is to determine whether the overall economic and social impacts for society outweigh the direct and indirect costs. Reliable estimation of all the costs associated with completing the project is key e.g. construction, operations, maintenance.
To account for the fact that money in the future is worth less than money now, an economic discount rate is used to convert future costs and benefits to present values. There are different ways of determining the discount rate for economic appraisal. In Ireland, the social rate of time preference has been the main method used in recent years.
Financial appraisal, as distinct from economic appraisal, focuses specifically on the project financial flows which impact on the public sector organisation and/or the Exchequer. For example, this form of analysis is used in the financial comparison tests for Public Private Partnership projects and the discounting of cashflows in these evaluations is informed by the cost of Government borrowing.
32. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he has read the Nevin Institute's Summer 2015 Quarterly Economic Observer which predicts that Ireland will have one of the lowest, if not the lowest, government expenditures in the EU by 2019; if he is satisfied that the promised 50:50 ratio of tax cuts to public services investment is the most effective use of public expenditure in order to help those on low and middle incomes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26394/15]
View answerThe Spring Economic Statement (SES) outlined that fiscal space of the order of €1.2 to €1.5 billion is expected to be available for Budget 2016. The fiscal projections contained in the SES and the Stability Programme Update (SPU) are based on a technical assumption of a budgetary package of €1.2 billion in 2016, split evenly between additional expenditure increases and reducing the tax burden on low and middle income earners.
The fiscal forecasts in the SPU outline that in 2016, General Government Expenditure, excluding debt interest, is projected to be just under 32% of GDP and 37½% of GNP. As a proportion of the overall economy, Government spending in 2016 will be roughly the same size it was in 2001.
Post 2016, the fiscal forecasts included in the SES and the SPU, and all related general government expenditure amounts and ratios, reflect a no-policy-change scenario from an expenditure perspective, other than provision being made for a €300 million increase in gross voted expenditure per annum to offset demographic pressures.
The production of fiscal forecasts reflecting policy beyond 2016 requires specific decisions on the allocation of fiscal space for each year. Once there is visibility as to the exact quantum of fiscal space available each year, policy decisions will be required at Budget time on the allocation of the space between expenditure and tax measures. Such decisions will take account of the prevailing economic conditions and Government's commitments to investing in public infrastructure and services. As these resource allocation decisions are made by Government, the ratios in relation to general government expenditure, and their comparison with other EU Member States, will adjust accordingly.
33. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to relocate staff working with the Office of Public Works; the reasons for their relocation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26124/15]
View answerI assume that the Question refers to the relocation of OPW building maintenance staff from the Botanic Gardens, Four Courts and the Custom House to Collins Barracks, the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Leinster House and Government Buildings.
It is necessary for operational purposes for the Commissioners of Public Works to align and relocate their building maintenance staff to locations from which to cater for the conservation and maintenance of its core buildings. These core buildings include Leinster House, the Government Buildings complex, Áras an Uachtárain and National Cultural Institutions including the National Museum. The Botanic Gardens, Four Courts and the Custom House will continue to be maintained and serviced by the relocated staff.
I am also advised by the Commissioners that the relocation of staff has been the subject of consultations between them and the National Joint Industrial Council group of Unions. Following these consultations, the matter was considered by the NJIC Unions at their meeting on 17 June, 2015. Following this meeting, it was confirmed by the NJIC Unions that the details provided by the OPW served to provide the NJIC Unions with the appropriate level of assurances.
Staffing numbers in the OPW have reduced by some 25% on both the Industrial and Established sides as a result of the moratorium. Staff assignment is regularly reviewed in accordance with operational priorities.
The OPW is proceeding to relocate its staff to Collins Barracks, the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Leinster House and Government Buildings. This will take about two months to complete.
34. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide details of the level of compliance with public procurement rules, policies and practices; if the Office of Government Procurement currently measures compliance across Departments; if so, if he will provide, in tabular form, the level of compliance for each Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26122/15]
View answerEU Directives and national regulations impose legal obligations on public bodies in regard to advertising and the use of objective tendering procedures for awarding contracts above certain value thresholds. The basic principle is that competitive tendering should be used other than in justifiably exceptional circumstances. Even in the case of procurement which might not be subject to the full scope of EU Directives, such as certain 'non-priority' services or service concessions, the EU Commission and European Court of Justice have ruled that EU Treaty principles must be observed. The essential Treaty principles include non discrimination, equal treatment, transparency, mutual recognition, proportionality, freedom to provide service and freedom of establishment. There is also a requirement to publicise contracts of significant value to a degree which allows parties in other Member States the opportunity to express an interest or to submit tenders.
Individual contracting authorities are responsible for establishing arrangements for ensuring the proper conduct of their affairs, including conformance to standards of good governance and accountability with regard to procurement. Contracting Authorities cannot favour or discriminate against particular candidates and there are legal remedies which may be used against any public body infringing these rules. The Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies also identifies procurement as one of a number of activities requiring special attention in promoting good corporate governance. It is the responsibility of the State Boards to satisfy themselves that the requirements for public procurement are adhered to and to be fully conversant with the current value thresholds for the application of EU and national procurement rules.
Finally, in relation to compliance, public bodies are subject, at the Comptroller and Auditor General's discretion, to examination regarding the economy and efficiency of their operations and the adequacy of the management systems that they have in place to appraise the effectiveness of their operations. This includes their adherence to EU and National rules on public procurement.
35. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her plans to increase the State pension, household benefits package and any other measure that will benefit pensioners; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26664/15]
View answerState pensions account for the single largest block of social welfare expenditure, and while expenditure on pensions is increasing because of demographic pressures, this is being managed within the overall welfare budget. This year, the Department of Social Protection will spend an estimated €6.675 billion on pensions, i.e., 34.4% of all welfare expenditure, and an increase of €168 million over 2014. The overall concern of the Government in recent budgets has been to protect the primary weekly social welfare rates where possible. Maintaining the rate of the State pension and other core payments is critical in protecting people from poverty.
The most recent change in the core rate of State pensions was in Budget 2009, when the State pension contributory was increased by 3.1% to €230.30, and the non-contributory pension by 3.3% to €219.00. Both of these are the maximum personal rates, and there are increases for dependant adults which attracted similar increases at that time. Core pension rates were not reduced in the period since then, despite significant pressures on Exchequer spending, and a period of significant deflation which has protected those increases in real terms from erosion by inflation. This has had the effect of protecting older people from poverty, and all CSO figures show that those over 65 are significantly less likely to be at risk of poverty or deprivation than those aged under 65.
The Department will spend €227 million this year on the household benefits package for approximately 415,000 customers. There were no changes to the household benefits package arising from Budget 2015.
The recovery has allowed some leeway to increase spending in targeted areas, which is why I was able to restore a partial Christmas bonus last year, benefitting over 575,000 pensioners and 1.23 million welfare recipients in total. I also increased payments for certain pensioners by increasing the rate of the Living Alone Allowance in Budget 2015 to €9.00.
Any decision to increase the rates would have budgetary consequences and would have to be considered in the context of budget negotiations.
37. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the reason an appeal in respect of a maternity benefit for a person (details supplied) in County Mayo was referred by the social welfare appeals office back to the maternity benefit section of her Department when it was the scope section of her Department which determined that the applicable class of pay related social insurance in this case was not insurable under the Social Welfare Acts; if this appeal will be dealt with; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26685/15]
View answerThe person concerned was refused maternity benefit on the grounds that her employment is not insurable under the provisions of paragraph 1 of Part 2 of Schedule 1 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 and that PRSI class M applies.
I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that following the decision, in this case, a Scope (Insurability) appeal by the person concerned was registered. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Social Protection.
These papers have been received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office and the case will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing.
I am also advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that in conjunction with the Scope (Insurability) a maternity benefit appeal has now been registered by that office. Both appeals will be dealt with concurrently by the same Appeals Officer.
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.
38. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection in view of the difficulties facing rent allowance tenants in obtaining housing, her views on the need for measures to allow tenants to have their rent allowance pre-approved prior to contacting a landlord in order to simplify the process of obtaining housing on rent allowance and to incentivise landlords to accept tenants on rent allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26687/15]
View answer57. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 205 of 26 May 2015, in which it is stated that the means test takes account of the income of a person or a couple in terms of cash and property other than the family home, but does not clarify the position in regard to a spouse who has received a cash settlement in lieu of this spouse's interest in the family home in the course of a separation, if she will clarify if the person receiving cash in lieu of retaining an interest in the family home is subject to having that cash assessed as means, whereas the partner who retains an interest in the family home in the same settlement is not subject to means assessment in respect of the family home; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26865/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 38 and 57 together.
Rent supplement plays a vital role in housing families and individuals, with the scheme supporting approximately 67,000 people at a total cost of €298 million. Over 10,000 new tenancies have been processed since the start of the year, showing that landlords are accommodating persons under the scheme.
Under the legislative provisions governing rent supplement, the Department’s relationship is with the tenant. The tenant’s engagement with the Department usually takes place after the tenant has reached an agreement with the landlord. The Department must verify the existence of a valid tenancy before a claim can be processed. Where all the necessary information is available every effort is made to ensure that rent supplement claims are processed as quickly as possible. It should be noted that under the new Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), responsibility for new applicants with long-term housing needs transfers from this Department to the local authorities. HAP is now being rolled out in 13 local authority areas with further roll-out scheduled later in the year. I have no plans to amend the conditions of the rent supplement scheme at this time.
As previously advised to the Deputy, rent supplement, administered under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme (SWA), is a statutory means-tested scheme which is payable at differentiated rates of payment, taking into account the applicant’s means and accommodation requirements. All income a person or couple has in terms of cash, property (other than the home) and capital are assessable as means. This includes means derived from a cash settlement following separation, including that in lieu of the family home. In the case of rent supplement, the person living in the family home would not qualify for the scheme as their accommodation needs are being met.
The combination of the means test and awarding differentiated rates of payment is premised on ensuring that social welfare payments are paid to those most in need.
39. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the total social welfare payment currently being received by persons (details supplied) in County Carlow; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26690/15]
View answerUp to 15 April 2015, this client was in receipt of a One-Parent Family Payment of €247.60 per week. Following an investigation, the claim was suspended due to a determination by a social welfare inspector that all conditions of the scheme were no longer being satisfied. The client has appealed this decision and the Department awaits the decision of the Social Welfare Appeals Office. In the interim, the client continues to receive €405 child benefit per month.
40. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made on an application for a disability allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26691/15]
View answerI confirm that the department is in receipt of an application for disability allowance from the above named person on 12 June 2015. On completion of the necessary investigations on all aspects of the claim a decision will be made and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
The processing time for individual disability allowance claims may vary in accordance with their relative complexity in terms of the three main qualifying criteria, the person’s circumstances and the information they provide in support of their claim.
41. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made on an application for a carer's allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26692/15]
View answerI confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person concerned on 4 June 2015. To qualify the carer must live with or be in a position to provide full-time care and attention (FTCA) to a person who requires FTCA. The carer must also satisfy a means test.
The application from the person concerned is currently being processed and once these conditions have been investigated, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
42. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will provide, in tabular form, the number of requests for meetings she has received from private, external, non-State funded lobby groups; the number of meetings she has held with these groups; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26706/15]
View answerAs the Deputy will appreciate, in view of the range of my remit as Minister I receive representations, including requests for meetings from a broad range of sources, including members of the Oireachtas, local and voluntary groups and private individuals and companies.
I meet with a wide number of groups and organisations in the normal course of my duties both informally and formally. While my Office does not maintain a register of all such requests for meetings or invitations received, I can advise the Deputy that since 2014, I have attended some 100 meetings with a variety of individuals and groups, including meetings with representatives of those bodies under the aegis of my Department and other public representatives. These figures would not include informal unscheduled meetings that might arise from time to time.
Given the failure of the Deputy to define what they mean by a “lobbying group”, I can only list here the formal meetings that I have had with various groups in the time in question. It should be stressed that, just as I have met with groups such as St. Vincent de Paul and Barnardos formally, I would also meet members of these groups and others informally, in my duties while attending events both as Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection.
The Deputy will be aware that the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015 has recently been enacted by the Oireachtas and will commence on 1 September 2015. The Act provides that the Standards in Public Office Commission (the Standards Commission) will establish and maintain an online register of lobbying and oversee compliance with the legislative provisions. The purpose of the register will be to make information available to the public on the identity of those communicating with designated public officials. Persons lobbying will have to register with the Standards Commission and will be required to submit returns on their lobbying activities.
43. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made on an invalidity review in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26712/15]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 7 May 2015. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Social Protection. These papers have been received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 12 May 2015 and the case will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral 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.
