Written Answers Nos. 398-424
398. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when construction works will be undertaken in respect of a project (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31106/15]
View answerThe drain mentioned by the Deputy is part of the River Maine Catchment Drainage Scheme which was carried by the Office of Public Works (OPW) under the Arterial Drainage Act, 1945. The OPW continues to have a statutory responsibility for the maintenance of this scheme.
Each year the OPW carries out work to approximately 2,000km of channels and about 200 structures around the country as part of its ongoing and rolling arterial drainage maintenance programme. While the average cycle of maintenance is generally in the range 4 to 7 years, the OPW does routinely inspect all channels and structures that it has maintenance responsibility for. Work on this drain is scheduled to take place later this year.
399. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to introduce a guarantee on pension restoration (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31116/15]
View answerI am happy to have delivered on my commitment to move towards lessening the impact of the Public Service Pension Reduction (PSPR) at the earliest date the economic and fiscal recovery enabled this Government to do so, with the majority of the planned benefit focussed on benefitting those PSPR-affected public service pensioners who are in receipt of relatively lower public service pensions.
My proposals in this regard, which have been accepted by Government, were announced on 16 June 2015. Those proposals provide for the part-restoration of the PSPR pensions cuts in three stages effective from 1 January 2016, 1 January 2017 and 1 January 2018. From 1 January 2018, all public service pensions in payment with pre-PSPR values of €34,132 or less will be fully exempt from PSPR, while those pensioners not fully removed from the PSPR "net" will, in general, benefit by €1,680 per year.
The 2018 full-year cost of the announced changes is estimated at €90m which can be accommodated within our ongoing budgetary constraints. Following the implementation of the changes only some 25,000 higher level pensions will remain subject to PSPR out of an originally hit total of about 90,000 pensions. I have no plans at this time to make any additional changes to the application of the PSPR.
400. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when a Flood Risk and Area Management report for an area (details supplied) in County Donegal will be finalised and published; the reason the report has not been published to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31384/15]
View answerConsultants were appointed by the Office of Public Works in 2013 to undertake an assessment of and prepare proposals for the management of flood risk in Raphoe. The work involved was more complicated than initially envisaged but detailed hydraulic modelling has now been completed and this is informing the development of options to protect the town from excessive overland flow emanating from the hills to the north and west which is the primary flood mechanism. A range of flood risk management measures are being considered currently and a plan is being prepared which is due for completion before the end of 2015. This plan will set out the timescale for implementation of the proposed measures.
401. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform in view of the fact in April 2015, this Deputy requested if the Office of Public Works would allow Easkey Garda Barracks, County Sligo to be used as a heritage centre for the village and was advised that it was to be sold by public auction in the second half of 2015, when this auction is due to take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31658/15]
View answerThe former Garda Station at Easkey, Co. Sligo has been identified for disposal but there has been a regrettable delay in addressing issues relating to the mast. It remains the Commissioners' intention to put the property to auction before the end of 2015.
402. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the reason no funding has been provided from the national lottery for work on the natural environment despite the fact that section 41(1) of the National Lottery Act 2013 includes the natural environment as one of six categories that can receive funding; and if he will ensure that a fair share of the national lottery funding is allocated in budget 2016 for work on the natural environment. [30453/15]
View answerThe National Lottery provides funds for "Good Causes" in accordance with the National Lottery Act 2013. The areas to be funded are set out under section 41 (1) of the National Lottery Act as follows:
- sport and recreation;
- national culture and heritage (including the Irish language);
- the arts (within the meaning of the Arts Act 2003);
- health of the community;
- youth, welfare and amenities; and
- the natural environment (added in the 2013 Act).
The Act also provides that the proceeds may be applied to such (if any) other purposes as the Government may determine from time to time.
A breakdown by Department of all the expenditure areas that are supported by the proceeds of the National Lottery is set out in Appendix 1 of the annual Revised Estimates for Public Services (available at http://www.per.gov.ie/estpubexp2013/).
Funding is provided by the Oireachtas, in accordance with the Act, through expenditure subheads which form part of Departmental Programmes. For over a decade, the total allocation for these subheads has exceeded the amount available from the National Lottery. These subheads are described as being part-funded by the National Lottery and the balance of the expenditure allocation for the subheads comes from normal Exchequer sources (e.g. tax revenue or borrowing). All expenditure under these sub-heads, including that funded by the Lottery, counts towards the Government's expenditure ceiling in the year in question.
The 2013 Act provided for a new area - the Natural Environment - to be added to the list of categories that may be funded by the Lottery. It is open to relevant Departments (e.g. the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government or the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht) to make a proposal to my Department for Lottery funding for a project or programme relevant to this new area. Should an application be received, it will be considered in the context of the level of funds available for Good Causes in the relevant year as well as the Government's overall expenditure ceiling.
While, to date, moneys from the National Lottery Fund have not been disbursed to this area, it is important to note that the Government already provides significant funding to the Environment Sector, e.g. the Environment Fund and through the Vote of the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government.
403. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to allow civil servants who are presently required to retire at 65 years of age but who are not eligible for the State pension, the option of remaining in employment until they reach the age at which they are eligible for the State pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30498/15]
View answer404. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if there is a difference in the amount of pension due to a pre-1995 and a post-1995 Civil Service retiree, if the years' service and credits were equal, and the basis for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30499/15]
View answer408. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will amend the Civil Service retirement age from 65 years of age to synchronise with the State pension age, for those who choose to work on rather than draw jobseeker's benefit until they are eligible for their pension. [30785/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 403, 404 and 408 together.
I have no proposals to make any amendments to the civil service retirement age. The amount of pension to which a civil servant may be entitled and both the compulsory retirement age and minimum pension age provisions to which a civil servant may be subject, depend on the pension conditions applicable at the date of original recruitment. Furthermore, the calculation of pension entitlements is related to a civil servant's level of remuneration and service at time of retirement. The pensions (and contributions) of the majority of civil servants who are fully insured and are in defined benefit pension schemes are, like many occupational pension schemes, integrated (or co-ordinated) with social welfare benefits. This means the occupational pension is paid on the assumption that the pensioner also receives the State Pension. In instances when the State Pension is not payable, a supplementary pension may be payable under the relevant public service pension scheme to bring the pension up to the same amount as would be paid to a public servant whose pension is not integrated.
405. Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of internal audit across his Department; internal audit's relationship with external auditors and audit committees, as well as internal audit's adherence to professional standards. [30514/15]
View answerStatus of Internal Audit
The Internal Audit Unit of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) provides an internal audit service to DPER and to the Department of Finance (DFIN) on a shared service basis. The terms of reference of the internal audit function are set out in:
1. An internal audit charter with DPER
2. A service level agreement with DFIN
The Internal Audit Unit derives its authority from the Accounting Officer, Senior Management and the Audit Committee of each Department. It works under the general direction of the Accounting Officers in the two Departments and has the right of direct access to him/her on all internal audit matters. In both Departments, the Internal Audit Unit has unrestricted access to all functional areas, records (both manual and electronic), property, and personnel in the performance of its audits.
The IAU has a primary and secondary reporting line:
- Primary: To the Accounting Officer who has overall responsibility for the efficient and effective functioning of their specified areas of responsibility;
- Secondary: To the Audit Committee whose main responsibility is to review progress of the Internal Audit Unit quarterly and consider, at a high level, the adequacy of internal controls and the management of risk.
Relationship with external auditor (C&AG)
The Unit liaises closely with the external auditor of the two Departments (Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General) and any other external auditors who may audit schemes funded by those specified areas of responsibility of the Accounting Officers (e.g. shared services).
All internal audit reports are made available to the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General for their review.
The external auditor meets the Head of Unit at least once annually and attends at least one audit committee meeting annually.
Relationship with Audit Committees
The role of the Audit Committee in each Department is:
1. To consider the adequacy and effectiveness of the Department's internal control systems, control environment and control procedures.
2. To provide advice and guidance in relation to the systems of risk management and internal control within the Department.
The Unit reports at Audit Committee meetings at least 4 times annually. The Head of Unit has direct access to the Chair of each Audit Committee on any issue relating to internal audit and risk.
Adherence to Professional Standards
The Internal Audit Unit is guided by the Standards of the Institute of Internal Auditors which the Minister for Public Expenditure & Reform determined, in November 2012, should apply across all Departments and other Vote Holders. In line with the Standards (1300 Quality Assurance and Improvement Programme) the Unit undergoes, at least once every five years, an external assessment to evaluate the Unit's conformance with the Standards, its efficiency and effectiveness and identify any opportunities for improvement. The next assessment is planned for November 2015.
406. Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will allow a period of time for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons, who are working or who have worked in the Civil Service and who have entered civil partnerships or who will marry, to change their single person pension to a spouse and children pension on payment of equitable contributions in view of the fact that such a change would recognise that civil partnerships and marriage were not previously available to these persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30591/15]
View answer418. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform following the introduction of civil partnership in 2011, the number of civil servants, serving and retired, who have applied, following their civil partnership, to change their pension option or made inquiries as to doing so; the number of such requests that were granted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31172/15]
View answer419. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform following on the introduction of divorce, the number of civil servants, serving and retired, who have applied, following their divorce and remarriage, to change their pension options or made inquiries as to doing so; the number of such requests that were granted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31173/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 406, 418 and 419 together.
The civil service operates Contributory Pension Schemes which provide benefits to spouses and/or children of deceased members. In summary, when a member dies after retirement, a spouse's pension of up to one-half of the former member's pension is payable. Dependent children are also entitled to a child's pension.
Changes in legislation following the introduction of civil partnerships in 2011 and the proposed legislation to allow for same sex marriages do not necessitate a scheme member revising their superannuation arrangements as these are automatically catered for under the existing Revised Scheme rules.
The original pre-1984 scheme did not allow for the payment of a spousal pension where the scheme member married or had children post retirement. Thus, the scheme allowed a refund of contributions if the scheme member had not been married up to the point of retirement.
In 1984, a Revised Scheme which extended eligibility for benefits to spouses of members who married or had children after retirement was introduced and membership was compulsory for all new appointees after that date. Members of the original scheme, certain retirees and those who had not joined the original scheme were given the option of transferring to the Revised Scheme.
The Revised Scheme allowed for payment of spousal pension where the marriage occurred post retirement. Therefore scheme members do not have to make special arrangements to have their civil partner or same sex spouse made a beneficiary as it will happen automatically. The Scheme did not contain the facility for repayment of contributions on retirement if the scheme member concerned did not have a spouse and would not therefore be in a position to avail of any benefit under the Scheme.
For members who remained in the Original Scheme there was an entitlement to claim a refund of contributions in the event that the member remained unmarried at the date of retirement. Many members of the Scheme availed of this option and received a refund.
Across the entire public service approximately 30,000 staff who were not members and an unquantified number who had been members of the Original Scheme opted not to join the new Revised Scheme. Their reasons for doing so were presumably varied, including not expecting to get married, being in a relationship with a separated person who was not then able to divorce or that it was personally more beneficial to them not to join the scheme. For example, prior to 1981 women were not entitled to join the pension scheme and therefore did not pay any contributions. Some of those may have decided that continuing that arrangement was better financially for them.
In recent years, some individuals have sought to reverse the decision they made at that point and have sought a new opt-in. More specifically, a number of people have argued that they could not have envisaged that same-sex civil partnerships would be legalised in the state. While I understand that the number of enquires in this area is relatively low, I do not have precise statistics to hand. My Department's position has always been that if decisions freely made about pensions or other matters could be reversed at any time this would have grave consequences for public administration. Where changes have been made to pension schemes, individuals have only been allowed to opt in to the new arrangements at the time of the introduction of the new scheme. This approach is in line with that of the Commission on Public Service Pensions. I do not propose to make any changes in this regard.
407. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the reason a person's (details supplied) employment status in relation to their pension was changed from constable to labourer; and the implications on the rate for payment to this person. [30778/15]
View answerI am advised by the Commissioners of Public Works that there has been no change made by them in the pensionable status of the person concerned.
409. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to make available an audit report (details supplied) recently completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30822/15]
View answerI understand from the Commissioners of Public Works that the space audit in the Government Offices, Abbeyleix Road, Portlaoise and in the Eircom Building is now complete. The analysis of these surveys is still ongoing in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
The space audit, however, consist of floor plans of both buildings and I would be happy to arrange for the Deputy to meet with officials to discuss the proposals insofar as they have been developed to date.
410. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide funding for a gratuity or lump sum payment to community employment supervisors and assistant supervisors who retire on age or other grounds in advance of the possible introduction of a pension scheme for such workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30883/15]
View answer411. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to provide funding for a pension scheme for community employment scheme supervisors and assistant supervisors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30884/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 410 and 411 together.
I refer the Deputy to my previous reply on this matter (9 July 2015) Ref No: 28196/15
412. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to address a matter (details supplied) regarding the River Feale; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30951/15]
View answerThe River Feale Catchment Drainage Scheme was carried by the Office of Public Works (OPW) under the Arterial Drainage Act, 1945, and the OPW continues to have a statutory responsibility for the maintenance of this scheme. Each year the OPW carries out work to approximately 2,000km of channels and about 200 structures around the country as part of its ongoing and rolling arterial drainage maintenance programme.
While the river at the location mentioned by the Deputy is part of the River Feale Catchment, it was not included as part of the original scheme and consequently is not maintained by OPW. The OPW does not have the authority to carry out any drainage maintenance operations on this channel as such operations are outside of its statutory remit.
413. Deputy Brian Walsh asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if a person (details supplied) in County Galway can be considered for pension entitlements based on post 1 July 2013 salary rates; his plans to extend or eliminate the retirement grace period date for pensions of 30 June 2016 in order to achieve pension parity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31055/15]
View answerIn line with paragraph 5.4 of the Lansdowne Road Agreement, which has recently been ratified by the Public Services Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU), the Government intends to extend the retirement grace period to the duration of the Lansdowne Road Agreement, that is out to September 2018. Under this provision the pension and retirement lump sum payable to retiring public servants during the grace period will not be reduced as a consequence of the Haddington Road Agreement, which introduced the pay cuts effective from 1 July 2013.
Details concerning the pension entitlements of individual public servants are a matter for the relevant employer, pension administrator or Government Department in the first instance.
414. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will consider introducing formal arrangements within the Civil Service to facilitate requests for transfers to other locations where vacancies may arise at grades above clerical and staff officer level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31057/15]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware at the moment there are no formal arrangements in place within the Civil Service to facilitate requests for transfers to other locations/employments, except in the case of grades represented by the Civil Public & Services Union. Transfers for these grades (mostly Clerical and Staff Officers) are arranged in accordance with formal procedures agreed with the Staff Side at General Council under the Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme for the Civil Service.
Interdepartmental transfers between other grades in the Civil Service can be arranged on an informal, head-to-head, basis. Such transfers are arranged between the officers seeking to move and the relevant Personnel Units and require the agreement of both Personnel Officers.
Under Action 15 of the Civil Service Renewal Plan, my Department is considering ways to improve mobility across both the Civil Service and the wider Public Service.
415. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the planned use of the newly-refurbished former Social Welfare office at Bohernasup, Ballina, County Mayo; the cost of the refurbishment; the expected ongoing running and maintenance costs of the building; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31098/15]
View answerThe former Social Welfare Office at Bohernasup is currently being used for the archiving of files for both the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and Department of Social Protection.
As this is a State owned property, the Commissioners of Public Works have a duty of care to ensure that the building fabric is maintained and have carried out essential works by replacing the roof, windows, doors, insulation and laying new tarmac. These works cost in the region of €146,700 (including VAT).
The ongoing running costs for Bohernasup will consist only of utilities and whatever maintenance issues may arise.
416. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his views in relation to Retired Public Service Pensioners who will continue to pay the public service pension reductions in view of the fact that many retirees have been removed from this situation; his plans to address this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31115/15]
View answerI am happy to have delivered on my commitment to move towards lessening the impact of the Public Service Pension Reduction (PSPR) at the earliest date the economic and fiscal recovery enabled this Government to do so, with the majority of the planned benefit focussed on benefitting those PSPR-affected public service pensioners who are in receipt of relatively lower public service pensions.
My proposals in this regard, which have been accepted by Government, were announced on 16 June 2015. Those proposals provide for the part-restoration of the PSPR pensions cuts in three stages effective from 1 January 2016, 1 January 2017 and 1 January 2018. From 1 January 2018, all public service pensions in payment with pre-PSPR values of €34,132 or less will be fully exempt from PSPR, while those pensioners not fully removed from the PSPR "net" will, in general, benefit by €1,680 per year.
The PSPR was introduced in 2011 through Financial Emergency in the Public Interest (FEMPI) Acts, and its constitutional legitimacy is based on the presence of an overriding public interest, in this case the fiscal crisis, and because it is general in application, fair and proportionate. I am legislatively required to review all aspects of the FEMPI measures annually and the announced changes in the application of PSPR up to January 2018 reflect the outcome of my most recent review in June 2015. The cost of the announced changes is estimated at €90m over the three years out to 2018 which can be accommodated within our ongoing budgetary constraints. Following the implementation of the changes only some 25,000 higher level pensions will remain subject to PSPR out of an originally hit total of about 90,000 pensions. I have no plans at this time to make any additional changes to the application of the PSPR.
417. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the position regarding public service workers returning to work under specific circumstances (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31119/15]
View answerUnder the relevant legislation and Commisison for Public Service Appointments (CPSA) Code of Practice for Appointment to Positions in the Civil Service, a civil servant who has retired from the Civil Service in any circumstances can only seek a civil service appointment by way of a competition i.e. they must compete successfully at an open recruitment competition run by the Public Appointments Service or such other competitions that may be run, under licence, by individual Civil Service Departments or Offices and also meet health requirements for appointment.
Where an officer retires from the civil service on grounds of ill-health the procedures are set out in Circular 22/07, titled, Ill-Health Retirement from the Civil Service. Under this policy the Chief Medical Officer for the Civil Service certifies that in his/her opinion the civil servant is incapable on medical grounds of regular and effective service, due to an ongoing medical condition and that the condition is likely to be permanent. There is no, consequently, no provision under Circular 22/07 whereby a person may initiate an application for reinstatement who has retired with prior notification on ill health grounds.
420. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his attention has been drawn to a matter (details supplied) regarding pension rate of pay and medical leave threshold under the PeoplePoint project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31205/15]
View answerThe Minister would like to clarify the following for the Deputy:
- PeoplePoint is the HR and Pensions Administration shared service for the Civil Service. It transacts on behalf of the client Departments and Public Service Bodies it serves, which is currently 26,500 Civil Servants.
- In line with D/PER Circular 6/2014 Arrangements for Paid Sick Leave and Public Service Management (Sick Leave) Regulations 2014, PeoplePoint takes instruction from the officer's employing Department or Body.
- PeoplePoint informs the employer when the officer has surpassed their medical leave threshold and seeks instruction on whether or not to award TRR (Temporary Rehabilitation Remuneration). When instructed to award TRR to an individual officer, PeoplePoint then carries out the appropriate calculations and informs the relevant salary section of the adjustment to the officer's salary.
- PeoplePoint is not required to notify the Department of Social Protection that an officer has been awarded TRR.
- When absent on sick leave for 6 days or more, officers who are Class A PRSI contributors are required to submit Social Welfare MC certificates directly to PeoplePoint who complete the administration of the absence record and forward the completed certificate to the Department of Social Protection.
- As Illness Benefit is now taxable, the PeoplePoint process is that all Social Welfare MC1 forms are mandated to be paid to the employer, unless specifically instructed otherwise by the employing Department/Office. This allows salary sections to apply any applicable tax before payment of the personal rate of Illness benefit to the employee.
- Illness Benefit is a Department of Social Protection payment that is subject to eligibility criteria and restrictions. PeoplePoint has no knowledge of any individual's Illness Benefit payment record or their eligibility for continued payment. The Department of Social Protection has confirmed that under Data Protection policy, PeoplePoint has no entitlement to such information. The Department also confirmed that they do not require to be informed of each individual award of TRR.
- In order to assist salary sections in the reconciliation and recoupment of Illness benefit as appropriate, PeoplePoint provides a weekly report to all organisations serviced by it with details of social welfare certificates forwarded to the Department of Social Protection in the previous working week.
421. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the position regarding reinstatement in the public service in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 5; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31330/15]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, that while I cannot comment on individual cases or circumstances the following sets out the position in relation to selection procedures in the civil service.
There is no provision in the legislation to allow the reinstatement to the Civil Service of a former civil servant other than by way of competition. Such persons wishing to rejoin the Civil Service must compete in the normal recruitment process i.e. they must compete successfully at an open recruitment competition run by the Public Appointments Service or such other competitions that may be run, under licence, by individual Civil Service Departments or Offices.
Where an officer retires on grounds of ill Health the procedures are set out in Circular 22/07, titled, Ill-Health Retirement from the Civil Service. There is no provision under circular 22/07 whereby a person may initiate an application for reinstatement who has retired with prior notification on ill health grounds.
422. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform further to previous parliamentary questions, when approval will be given for a drainage scheme on the Clare river; the reason for the delay with the approval; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31373/15]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, the Office of Public Works (OPW) has submitted the proposals for the Clare River (Claregalway) flood relief scheme for statutory approval or confirmation by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, as required by the Arterial Drainage Acts.
A report commissioned by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) on a required independent evaluation of the Environmental Impact Statement prepared for the Scheme by the OPW and its environmental consultants is still under consideration by DPER. Any queries arising from this evaluation are being addressed and until the evaluation is completed the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform will not be in a position to confirm the proposed scheme for Claregalway.
I am advised however that the final evaluation report is due imminently and wish to reiterate that the OPW remains committed to carrying out the scheme, subject to the Minister's sanction, and has provided for the scheme's cost in its multi-annual capital expenditure profiles to 2017.
423. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the position regarding works required to prevent damage to land by a river for persons (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31382/15]
View answerThe river concerned does not form part of any Arterial Drainage Scheme which would fall under the remit of the Office of Public Works (OPW) under the 1945 Arterial Drainage Act. The OPW therefore has no responsibility for the maintenance of the channel, nor any authority to carry out any works there.
Local flooding issues are a matter, in the first instance, for each Local Authority to investigate and address, and Kerry County Council may carry out flood mitigation works using its own resources.
The Council may also apply to the Office of Public Works for funding of flood mitigation works under the Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme. This purpose of this scheme is to provide funding to Local Authorities to undertake minor flood mitigation works or studies to address localised flooding and coastal protection problems within their administrative areas. The scheme generally applies to relatively straightforward cases where a solution can be readily identified and achieved in a short time frame. Under the scheme, applications are considered for projects that are estimated to cost not more than €500,000 in each instance. Funding of up to 90% of the cost is available for approved projects, with the balance being funded by the local authority concerned. Any application received will be considered in accordance with the scheme eligibility criteria, which comprise economic, social and environmental criteria including a requirement that any measures are cost beneficial, and having regard to the overall availability of resources for flood risk management.
424. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the planned Cork Events Centre was included on the list of projects sent to the European Commission for consideration under the €315 billion investment plan proposed by Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker; if additional funding is being sought from the European Investment Plan for the Cork Events Centre or if it is proposed that the investment plan would underwrite private sector investment in the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31392/15]
View answerThe Cork Event Centre project was included in the Exchequer Stimulus package announced in Budget 2014. The project is being part funded from the proceeds of the National Lottery Licence transaction with an Exchequer grant of €12m being provided through the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.
The project featured on the initial Irish project list submitted to the EU/EIB Task Force last year, as part of an exercise to gauge the level of projects that might be available in the period 2015-2017, should investment resources be found. However, the project list submitted outlined only a cross section of available projects that could commence in this period. It did not involve any form of prioritisation, nor did it bestow any special status on the projects included on the list.
It is a matter for the relevant line Departments concerned to advance these, or other, projects in accordance with their Capital programme and their overall spending priorities. Any further queries in relation to this particular project should be addressed to my colleague, the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.
