Written Answers Nos. 834-846
834. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills the current average age of permanent staff employed within her Department and the agencies under her Department's remit; the way this varies from the end of 2008 and 2011; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29195/15]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is contained in the following tabular statement.
|
Organisation/Body |
2008 |
2011 |
2015 |
|
Department of Education & Skills |
43 |
45 |
47 |
|
National Council for Curriculum & Assessment |
N/R |
50 |
50 |
|
*Quality & Qualifications Ireland |
N/A |
N/A |
49 |
|
The Teaching Council |
38 |
41 |
42 |
|
An Comhairle um Oideachais Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta |
47 |
50 |
47 |
|
SOLAS formerly FÁS |
47 |
48 |
49 |
|
National Council for Special Education |
44 |
47 |
49 |
|
Residential Institutions Redress Board |
40 |
44 |
47 |
|
**Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse |
N/R |
N/R |
45 |
|
***Caranua |
N/A |
N/A |
26 |
|
State Examinations Commission |
44 |
47 |
49 |
|
Higher Education Authority/Irish Research Council |
36 |
39 |
44 |
|
Grangegorman Development Agency |
43 |
49 |
49 |
|
National Centre for Guidance in Education |
40 |
43 |
47 |
|
Skillnets Ltd |
37 |
41 |
44 |
N/R = Not Recorded
N/A= Not Applicable
*The Q.Q.A. was established in November 2012.
** The C.I.C.A. has almost completed its work and is expected to close this year. As such data for 2008 and 2011 are not readily available.
*** Caranua was established in 2013. It is an independent body for survivors of institutional abuse.
835. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of new apprenticeship curriculum programmes that have been developed for adults returning to second chance learning; her plans to encourage the recruitment of a cohort of lone parents returning to the workforce; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29227/15]
View answerThere are currently 27 trades covered by the apprenticeship system in Ireland. Recruitment to apprenticeship is undertaken by employers. As apprenticeship is concentrated in construction, motor and engineering, areas where employment is largely male, female participation in apprenticeship is low. There are efforts to increase female participation in the current trades, including a bursary scheme, but significant progress will require the broadening of apprenticeship to cover new sectors where the pattern of employment is more balanced.
In this context, I have recently received a report from the Apprenticeship Council in relation to the response to their call for proposals for new apprenticeships. The Council received 86 separate submissions for new apprenticeships from 48 different organisations. The Council is recommending the priority development of 25 proposals into new apprenticeships and they are across a wide range of sectors. I expect that development work will begin on these proposals in the near future with the bulk of new apprenticeships, subject to the availability of resources, becoming available in 2016.
836. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the circumstances in which the owner of a vehicle may declare a vehicle to be off-the-road for tax purposes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28421/15]
View answerIf a vehicle is not going to be in use in a public place for a temporary period of time, the owner can make a Declaration of Non-Use of a Motor Vehicle at any time in the last month of an extant motor tax disc or the last month of a previously made Declaration of Non-Use. The vehicle can be declared off the road for a period of between 3 and 12 calendar months, and a further declaration can then be made, if the vehicle is still not in use. The owner is not required to specify the reason that the vehicle is not being used.
837. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government in view of requirements for public owned buildings and State agencies to meet a 33% energy efficiency improvement by 2020, the specific type of energy efficient water urinal systems that have been identified by his Department, as being suitable to help the Government to meet the targets in this area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28428/15]
View answerGeneral responsibility for the promotion of energy efficiency rests with the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, who has published Ireland’s National Energy Efficiency Action Plan 2014 which is available at the following weblink – http://www.dcenr.gov.ie/NR/rdonlyres/20F27340-A720-492C-8340-6E3E4B7DE85D/0/DCENRNEEAP2014publishedversion.pdf. The plan details the broad range of measures in place or being planned by a range of departments and agencies with a view to improving energy efficiency in all sectors of the economy. Specific responsibilities within the remit of my Department in this regard include setting energy performance standards under the Building Regulations and promoting energy efficiency in social housing.
The plan includes a commitment that the public sector would aim to achieve a 33% improvement in its energy efficiency performance by 2020. The target applies to all energy consumed by public bodies including energy sourced from electricity, fossil fuels, renewables, transport fuels and fuels used for plant and machinery.
All public bodies, including local authorities, are responsible for devising and implementing their own plans as necessary to meet their shared obligations in line with the above-mentioned regulations. There is no obligation in this context to use any specific type of energy efficient water urinal systems and public procurement requirements would in any case generally preclude the specification or promotion of specific products or systems. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) and a network of local energy authorities are available to advise and assist public bodies and local authorities in relation to meeting their required energy efficiency targets. SEAI and the Department of Education have published an information factsheet on water conservation in schools which is available at the following weblink: - http://www.energyineducation.ie/Energy_In_Education/Information_for_Schools/Resources_and_links/Water_Conservation_Factsheet.pdf.
The guidance therein in relation to water closets and urinals is also of interest more generally to buildings other than schools.
838. Deputy Brian Walsh asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will review the regime of charges payable by haulage firms, to address competitive disadvantage vis-à-vis operators in the North; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28693/15]
View answerI refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 211, 212 and 213 of 17 June 2015, which sets out the position in the matter.
839. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to support schemes for necessary home renovations for persons suffering with Alzheimer's and-or dementia, in view of the fact that adaptation grants provided by local authorities such as that in this Deputy's constituency often close, soon after opening, due to lack of funds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28904/15]
View answerAt €50.5 million, the funding that I announced for 2015 for Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability is an increase of some 10% on the funding that was available last year. This increase will enable local authorities to deliver an increased level of service to their citizens. In this regard, while it is a matter for each local authority to manage the funding they are allocated for these grants, it is important they ensure that their allocation is expended in full. For 2015, funding of €1,374,568 has been made available for these grants for Louth County Council, an increase of 8% on their 2014 allocation.
My Department also encourages local authorities to make every effort to keep the schemes open and to this end, approvals for grant commitments carried forward into 2016 can issue up to the value of 50% of their 2015 allocation.
Through careful management of my Department’s housing budget in 2014, additional funds were made available to local authorities with high levels of grant activity. I will be applying the same scrutiny to the capital budget for 2015 and, in the event of savings arising, these grants will be a priority for supplementary funding.
840. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of persons who have registered for the water conservation grant, to date; the estimated total cost of the grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28970/15]
View answerTo be eligible for the water conservation grant, a person must have registered their principal, private residence with Irish Water on or before 30 June 2015. Based on current projections, my Department estimates that the total cost of the grant in 2015 will be approximately €130 million, which includes a projected administration cost of €6.1 million. Irish Water will shortly transfer registration data as of 30 June 2015 to the Department of Social Protection which is administering the Water Conservation Grant Scheme on my Department’s behalf. I understand that Irish Water is currently processing postal registrations that were received by the deadline.
It is expected that circa 1.3 million letters will issue by the Department of Social Protection to householders who may be eligible to apply for the 2015 Water Conservation Grant between August and September 2015.
The grant will be paid to all eligible households commencing in September 2015, and on an annual basis thereafter. A dedicated website www.watergrant.ie has also been established which provides information in relation to the grant.
841. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the way Ireland is engaging with other European countries in crafting 2030 climate targets which target the most cost-effective means of reducing emissions; the potential he envisages in reducing emissions from that sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29045/15]
View answerThe 2030 Climate and Energy Framework, as agreed at the European Council in October 2014, provides for a binding target to reduce EU greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% below the 1990 level by 2030. To achieve the overall 40% target, the sectors covered by the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) will have to reduce their emissions by 43% compared to 2005. Emissions from sectors outside the EU ETS will need to reduce their emissions by 30% below the 2005 level. This 30% reduction has now to be translated into national mitigation targets for individual Member States.
Ireland has actively engaged and will continue to actively engage with the European Commission and with other EU Member States in the ongoing discussions in relation to non-ETS effort sharing arrangements among Member States, to be proposed in 2016. The European Council Conclusions of October 2014 provide the European Commission with certain guidance on how this should be approached. In particular, the targets should be set, in the first instance, on the basis of GDP per capita, but for those Member States with higher-than-average GDP per capita, adjustments may be made to the targets whereby cost effectiveness should be reflected in a fair and balanced manner.
842. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if the recommendation by the Asthma Society of Ireland to ban smoky coal nationally will be considered, in view of the fact that the European Environmental Agency estimates that 1, 229 lives were lost prematurely here in just one year due to air pollution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29132/15]
View answerThe ban on the marketing, sale and distribution of bituminous fuel (or ‘smoky coal ban’ as it is commonly known) was first introduced in Dublin in 1990 in response to severe episodes of winter smog that resulted from the widespread use of smoky coal for residential heating. The ban proved very effective in reducing particulate matter and sulphur dioxide levels in Dublin. As well as bringing air quality levels into compliance with the then EU standards, the ban also had the effect of significantly improving human health in the capital. Research indicates that the ban in Dublin has resulted in over 350 fewer annual deaths. In August 2012, following a public consultation process, new solid fuel regulations, the Air Pollution Act (Marketing, Sale, Distribution and Burning of Specified Fuels) Regulations 2012, were introduced with the aim of ensuring that the smoky coal ban remains fit for purpose in safeguarding air quality by limiting harmful emissions of air pollutants arising from the use of certain residential solid fuels. The ban now applies in 26 urban areas nationwide, including all towns with a population greater than 15,000 people, bringing the ban areas broadly into line with national EPA air quality management zones.
Under the auspices of the North South Ministerial Council, and in conjunction with the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland, my Department has commissioned a study on emissions from residential solid fuel use on an all-island basis. The study includes:
- an assessment of the solid fuel market and barriers to the use of cleaner fuels;
- consideration of the role and impacts of biomass (primarily wood and wood-based products) and the links to climate policy; and
- an economic analysis addressing the potential positive and negative effects on the consumer, for example, resulting from potential fuel switching, the availability of smokeless fuels to supply an all-island market and job creation opportunities in the manufacture and supply of smokeless fuels.
A final report is expected to be presented to the North-South Ministerial Council later this year, and this report will inform a discussion on future policy options in this area.
843. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason the Environmental Protection Agency does not appear to have any data or research on the impacts of Cypermethrin in the forestry sector and in the wider environment. [29212/15]
View answerCypermethrin is not currently monitored under the current Water Framework Directive (WFD) monitoring programme and is not listed as a pollutant under the current European Communities Environmental Objectives (Surface Waters) Regulations 2009. However, Cypermethrin is listed in the new Priority Substances Directive 2013/39/EU which is expected to come into force in Irish law later in 2015. Monitoring of Cypermethrin will be required under the Directive by 2018. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently engaged with other stakeholders to revise the National Monitoring Programme that will operate until 2021 and, as part of this process, will ensure that the Programme takes account of the requirements of the new Priority Substances Directive 2013/39/EU.
In anticipation of the monitoring requirements of the new Directive, a 3-year research project, sponsored by EPA and led by DCU, commenced in 2013 with a view to assessing the presence of WFD priority substances in Irish surface waters and in particular, the new pollutants listed under Directive 2013/39/EU. Some sites where Cypermethrin may have had an impact were selected by the EPA for monitoring under the project. The work is ongoing and the final results will be published when complete. Further details are available at the following weblink: http://erc.epa.ie/smartsimple/displayFullProjectDetails.php?internalID=694.
I further understand that Coillte undertook a stakeholder consultation from 20 May until 4 July 2015 in relation to its application to the Forest Stewardship Council for a derogation to continue using Cypermethrin on re-forestation sites in Ireland; the outcome of that public consultation process will be known soon. Further information on this consultation is available at the following link: http://www.coillte.ie/aboutcoillte/about_coillte/fsc_pefc/application_for_cypermethrin_derogation/.
844. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when the 2015 tenant purchase scheme will be announced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28271/15]
View answer887. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if a new tenant purchase scheme is under consideration by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29217/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 844 and 887 together.
Part 3 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 provides for a new scheme for the tenant purchase of existing local authority houses along incremental purchase lines, similar to the schemes currently operating for local authority apartments and certain new local authority houses.
The Government’s Social Housing Strategy 2020 includes a commitment to make the Regulations necessary for the scheme’s introduction, setting out the full details involved. I expect that the new scheme will commence at the earliest possible date following the making of the Regulations which are at an advanced stage of preparation.
845. Deputy Noel Harrington asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to include the new Eircode postcode in the compilation and publishing of the electoral register; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28307/15]
View answer846. Deputy Noel Harrington asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to include the new Eircode postcode in all schemes and administrative roles operated by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28314/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 845 and 846 together.
The compilation and maintenance of the register of electors is the responsibility of local authorities as registration authorities. The Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) assists authorities in this process by maintaining the authorities’ computerised records that make up the register – the Electoral Register or ‘I-Reg’ system. The LGMA has been fully involved in integrating Eircodes into the I-Reg system in preparation for the next register of electors, for 2016/2017, which will come into force on 15 February 2016.
In addition, my Department is updating the range of register of electors application forms, many of which are prescribed or directed under the Electoral Acts, to provide for applicants to include their Eircode.
My Department is one of a number of Departments engaged in the Public Sector Bodies Forum which has been examining the issues around the integration of Eircodes into the key IT systems and business processes of Public Sector Bodies. The use of the new Eircodes is being actively examined within my Department and will be kept under review as the system is rolled out.
