Written Answers Nos. 1707-1717
1707. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her plans to upgrade the road from Muckross House to Dinis Cottage, County Kerry, especially the section from the Muckross House side to the Old Weir Bridge, as it is hazardous to jarveys, cyclists and pedestrians, and the Killarney Adventure Race event has a section of the race along this route on 4 October 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32166/15]
View answer1710. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if foliage will be trimmed back in Killarney National Park at a location (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32221/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1707 and 1710 together.
I have asked my Department’s regional staff in Killarney National Park to examine the foliage at the location referred to and to assess whether any trimming back of foliage and/or trees is required in the interests of the safety of the public.
With regard to the road from Muckross House to Dinis Cottage, my Department will assess such works within the context of both the management priorities for Killarney National Park and the limited funding resources available for the management of National Parks and Nature Reserves across the country. It should be noted that officials from the National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department have been liaising with the organisers of the Killarney Adventure Race for some time in relation to the proposed event on 4th October. A condition attaching to the consent granted for the holding of such events within the National Park requires the organisers to undertake a full hazards analysis of all proposed event routes.
1708. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will clarify Regulation 25 of the European Communities (Birds and Habitats) Regulations 2011; if she is satisfied that landowners are aware of this obligation; if landowners have been properly notified and made aware of all the activities requiring consent and, in particular, other restrictions applying to the site; in the event that a landowner is not familiar with all of the activities requiring consent or other restrictions that apply to their lands, where landowners can obtain this information in advance of disposing of their interest in such lands; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32213/15]
View answerRegulation 25 of the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011 requires the owner or occupier of a European site to notify any person to whom he or she is disposing of the site or of an interest in the site (such as turbary or sporting rights) that the site is a European site and of any consequent restrictions applying to the site. Regulation 25 does not relate to a situation where the owner is seeking a mortgage. At the time of the original notification of the intention to designate protected nature conservation sites, landowners/users were supplied with a map of the proposed area, information on the site outlining the habitats and species being protected and a list of activities that would require consent before being undertaken. Advertisements were published in local newspapers and copies of the maps and advertisements distributed to public access points in the locality.
Owners or occupiers of land may seek further information with regard to site boundaries or activities that require consent by contacting local staff of the National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department. Contact details can be found on www.npws.ie.
1709. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if additional signage will be erected in Killarney National Park at a location (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32220/15]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, there is existing signage on both approaches which indicates the presence of the facilities referred to. I have asked my Department’s staff in the region to liaise with Kerry County Council and the National Roads Authority, as appropriate, to review the efficacy of existing signage.
Question No. 1710 answered with Question No. 1707.
Questions Nos. 1711 to 1713, inclusive, answered with Question No. 1696.
1714. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the status of the plans for a new bridge crossing in Oughterard, County Galway, which is needed for residents and for road safety given the environmental difficulties identified in previous plans; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32253/15]
View answerI understand that the development and management of this project is a matter for Galway County Council.
1715. Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the status of internal audit across her Department; internal audit's relationship with external auditors and audit committees, as well as internal audit's adherence to professional standards; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32545/15]
View answerMy Department has an Internal Audit Unit and an Audit Committee, both of which operate under established charters approved by the Secretary General of my Department. The Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) is the external auditor for my Department and conducts an audit of its Appropriation Account each year. The Internal Audit Unit in my Department has a co-operative and constructive relationship with the Office of the C&AG, through the effective communication of audit work planned and carried out in the Unit, as well as liaison on complementarities of work, where applicable.
The Audit Committee provides oversight of the work of the Internal Audit Unit. It approves the Charter and Work Programme of the Unit and monitors progress on the completion of the Programme throughout the year. The Head of Internal Audit attends Audit Committee meetings, where the activities and outputs of the Unit are reviewed and discussed.
With regard to professional standards, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform determined in November 2012 that the Institute of Internal Auditors’ International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing should apply to all Government Departments and other Vote Holders. My Department adheres to these standards.
1716. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the annual cost to her Department of fees paid to private for-profit companies to provide services, such as consultancy work, recruitment services and other outsourced services, for example cleaning, catering and so on; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32710/15]
View answerExpenditure from my Department's Administrative Budget in 2014 on externally-provided services such as IT services, staff training and development, office cleaning and security, in respect of my Department’s main offices in Dublin, Killarney and Na Forbacha was €1.9m.
As I have previously indicated to the House, overall expenditure on professional and technical services by my Department in 2014 was some €3m. This includes expenditure on technical reports on specific issues commissioned from engineering or environmental experts from time to time. While the providers of these services are consultant engineers, environmental consultants or may describe themselves in other such terms, their work is not classified as "consultancy services and policy reviews" and is not funded from my Department's Administrative Budget. Expenditure from my Department’s Administrative Budget on consultancy services and policy reviews in 2014 was in the order of €7,000.
In common with other Government Departments, as required under the Public Services Reform Plan 2014-16, my Department has prepared and published an External Services Delivery Plan. For further information of the types of activities outsourced by my Department, I would refer the Deputy to the Department's website www.ahg.gov.ie.
1717. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the annual cost to her Department of fees paid to private for-profit companies to provide public services, for example, waste collection, motorway toll operators, public transport such as Veolia-LUAS and private bus companies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32719/15]
View answerA sum of €5,948,736.66 was paid by my Department for transport services for the offshore islands during the period from September 2014 to August 2015.
