Written Answers Nos. 163-167
163. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans for local authorities to publish online details of how funds are spent; the projects the funds are spent on; and the sources of the funds received to facilitate the public in viewing where and how the funds were used. [36732/15]
View answerLocal authorities are multi-purpose bodies responsible for an extensive range of services, which include public parks; libraries; open spaces and leisure amenities; planning and development; fire and emergency services; roads; maintenance and cleaning of streets and street lighting.
Income from local sources such as commercial rates, housing rents, environmental and other waste charges provide approximately 70% of the current funding needs of local authorities. The balance of the funding is provided through local property tax allocations from my Department and specific State grants from a range of Departments and agencies. It is a matter for each local authority to determine its own spending in the context of the annual budgetary process having regard to both locally identified needs and available resources. Local Authorities are independent in the execution of their powers and the directly elected members have many and varied functions which are reserved for them alone. One of the most important reserved functions is that they are required to pass the annual budget for their local authority and are democratically accountable for all expenditure of the authority.
Local authorities are required to prepare their annual budget and annual financial statement (AFS) in the prescribed format in accordance with the Local Authority Accounting in Ireland Code of Practice and Accounting Regulations, issued by my Department and available at the following link:
http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/LocalGovernment/Administration/FileDownLoad,19134,en.pdf.
The Code sets out the underlying accounting concepts and pervasive principles contained in the international conceptual framework for financial reporting, and which underpin the local authority AFS. Each local authority is required to prepare an AFS by the end of March following the year end and to publish it by the end of June. These financial statements undergo an independent audit by the Local Government Audit Service. Local authorities are also subject to the requirements of the Public Spending Code, details of which are available from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform at the following link; http://publicspendingcode.per.gov.ie/.
The provision of detailed information on projects and services is a matter for each individual local authority. Local authorities make reports and other information on the cost of their services available to the public, including through publication on their websites. An Annual Report of the local authority, which is required under section 221 of the Local Government Act 2001, must include information in relation to the performance of its functions during the preceding year. This report may include financial statements or other such information as the local authority may determine.
164. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of freedom of information requests, in tabular form, received by his Department in 2015 to date; the number of these where the period of consideration was completed within four weeks of the receipt of the request; and the number where the period of consideration was extended by up to four weeks because the necessary resources to complete the request within the original timeframe were not available. [36747/15]
View answerThe information in respect of Freedom of Information requests for the period January 2015 to date received by my Department is set out in the following table.
|
Total FOI requests received January 2015 to date |
Completed within the initial four week timeframe |
|
308 |
199 |
Cases may take longer than 4 weeks to be completed for a range of reasons, including the requirement for search and retrieval fees, the refinement or clarification of a request or the requirement to undertake third party consultations. While the broad scope of particular Freedom of Information requests may present challenges in finalising responses within a 4 week period, I am satisfied that the processing of FOI is appropriately prioritised in my Department and is kept under regular review.
165. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to amend Statutory Instrument Number - 349/1989 - European Communities (Environmental Impact Assessment) regulations, 1989 as a result of the 2014 Environmental Impact Assessment Directive, that is, Directive 2014/52/EU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36779/15]
View answerDirective 2014/52/EU of 16 April 2014 amends Directive 2011/92/EU on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment. The deadline for Member States to transpose Directive 2014/52/EU into national legislation is 16 May 2017. It is my intention to transpose the necessary legislative amendments required by the amending Directive in advance of the set deadline.
166. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if grants are available to employers to upgrade their buildings to make them accessible to persons with mobility issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36811/15]
View answerEmployers or persons with a disability who have been offered employment or are in employment may be able to obtain a grant towards the cost of adapting premises or equipment under the Workplace Equipment Adaptation Grant scheme administered by the Department of Social Protection. I have no function in relation to this scheme.
167. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the number of freedom of information requests, in tabular form, received by his Department in 2015 to date; the number of these where the period of consideration was completed within four weeks of the receipt of the request; and the number where the period of consideration was extended by up to four weeks because the necessary resources to complete the request within the original time frame were not available. [36744/15]
View answerMy Department has received 125 FOI requests to date in 2015, of which 59 have been answered within the statutory deadline. Of the remainder, 22 recent requests are still open, 25 were answered later than the 4 week period, 2 were transferred to other FOI bodies, 11 were withdrawn and 6 were closed following failures of requestors to respond to correspondence from the Department.
