Written Answers Nos. 275-283
275. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the provisions incorporated in the overall proposed flood relief scheme for the Bandon river to ensure the village of Innishannon, County Cork is also given adequate protection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1294/16]
View answerThe village of Innishannon, County Cork is not part of the proposed Bandon Flood Relief Scheme. Innishannon is one of 300 locations nationwide that is being assessed under the OPW's Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme. The CFRAM Programme involves the production of predictive flood risk and hazard mapping for each location, the development of appropriate and viable preliminary flood risk management options and the production of flood risk management plans. Under the South Western CFRAM Study, draft flood maps for Innishannon have been produced and were the subject of a local Public Consultation Day on 13 February 2015. Following the conclusion on 23 December 2015 of the national statutory public consultation on the draft flood maps, the maps will be finalised in early 2016.
Work on the Preliminary flood risk management options phase of the CFRAM Study is underway. In that regard, a Public Consultation Day was held in Innishannon on 1 December 2015.
Following the finalisation of the flood mapping and the identification of appropriate and viable preliminary flood risk management options, the final output from this important project will be integrated Flood Risk Management Plans containing specific measures to address in a comprehensive and sustainable way the flood risks identified in the South Western River Basin District including Innishannon. The CFRAM Programme will be used to determine national priorities for future State investment in flood defences. Further information is available on the South Western CFRAM Study website www.southwestcframstudy.ie.
276. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the recourse available to public servants who believe they have been unfairly treated by their employer in the workplace as a result of raising a concern in the course of the performance of duties relating to value for money for the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1312/16]
View answerA number of human resource policies applicable in the civil service provide for procedures for employees who consider themselves unfairly treated (e.g. grievance, dignity at work etc.). I understand that equivalent policies are in place on a sectorial basis throughout the public service. If the matter of concern raised by a public servant amounts to a defined wrongdoing (for example, something that could be regarded as an act or omission that is grossly negligent or constitutes gross mismanagement) it may also be covered by the Protected Disclosures Act, which provides a number of robust protections for workers who consider themselves to have been unfairly treated because they raised concerns about wrongdoings that came to their attention in the workplace.
The Protected Disclosures Act applies to both the public and private sectors and covers a range of persons connected with the workplace (direct employees, contractors etc.). Under the Act, workers who are direct employees are provided with access to the existing industrial dispute resolution mechanisms of the state (Rights Commissioner, the Labour Court etc.) and compensation payable under those mechanisms is increased in respect of persons penalised for having made a protected disclosure. An employee dismissed for having made a protected disclosure can claim unfair dismissal and seek interim relief pending final determination of their case. The Act also provides immunity against civil and criminal liability relating to the disclosure and a duty of protection for the identity of the discloser.
All public bodies are obliged under the Protected Disclosures Act to have procedures to deal with protected disclosures in place and made available to their workers. A number of public bodies have already prepared and published detailed written procedures and my Department has prepared guidance for public bodies on their implementation of the Act which is intended to be issued, in its final form following a recently completed public consultation, over the coming weeks.
278. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the discussions his Department has had with suppliers or service contractors to his Department or to agencies of his Department to ensure that employees of such suppliers and contractors are paid the living wage of €11.50 per hour; the cost of implementing this wage for these employees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1377/16]
View answerIt is important that Ireland's statutory National Minimum Wage and the Living Wage concept are not conflated. The Living Wage is a voluntary societal initiative centred on the social, business and economic case to ensure that, wherever it can be afforded, employers will pay a rate of pay that provides an income that is sufficient to meet an individual's basic needs, such as housing, food, clothing, transport and healthcare. The Living Wage is voluntary and has no legislative basis and is therefore not a statutory entitlement and cannot be imposed on suppliers or contractors.
It is different to the National Minimum Wage which is a statutory entitlement and has a legislative basis. This Government established the Low Pay Commission to annually assess the appropriate level of the National Minimum Wage. The national minimum hourly rate of pay increased to €9.15 per hour on January 1 this year following Government acceptance of the Low Pay Commission recommendation of July 2015 to increase the rate from €8.65 per hour.
Separately, wage rates and other conditions of employment are provided for in Employment Regulation Orders for the Contract Cleaning and Security sectors. These statutory Orders came into effect on October 1 2015 and provide for minimum rates in excess of the National Minimum Wage, with €10.75 per hour payable to workers in the Security sector and €9.75 per hour payable to workers in the Contract Cleaning sector.
Statutory minimum rates of pay may also be supplemented by social transfers such as Child Benefit, Family Income Supplement or health, education or housing assistance payments where the need arises and to reflect family circumstances.
279. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of the planned flood relief scheme for the Glanmire area (details supplied) in County Cork including the timeline for its delivery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1388/16]
View answerA flood relief scheme for Glanmire, known as the Glashaboy Flood Relief Scheme, is being advanced by Cork County Council which is the Contracting Authority for the proposed works. The Council appointed consultants for the project in late 2013 and two public information days have been held on the project in order to gather information from and assess the views of the local residents and businesses. A preferred option is expected to be finalised in the coming months which will allow the Council to bring the proposed scheme to formal public exhibition in the third quarter of this year. The detailed design process, contractor procurement and statutory approval process will be undertaken after this and the Council expect that works may be commenced in the first half of 2017.
The Office of Public Works is funding the project and has included the costs of the Glashaboy Scheme in its multi annual budget profiles over 2016-2018.
280. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will establish dedicated task forces comprising multiple agencies and bodies to be responsible for co-ordinating flood protection plans along rivers located within each of the current designated flood risk catchment areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1393/16]
View answerIn line with government policy, the Office of Public Works (OPW) is in the process of undertaking the Catchment-based Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme to give a clear and comprehensive picture of flood risk in areas at significant risk of flooding and to set out how the risk can be prioritised and managed effectively and sustainably.
Engineering consultants have been appointed by the Office of Public Works (OPW) to implement the Programme, through six regional studies. Local authorities and a wide range of other statutory and other stakeholders are involved, in partnership with the OPW, on Steering Groups and Progress Groups across the six study areas. These structures are providing the requisite co-ordination for the development of the Flood Risk Management Plans.
One of the CFRAM Study areas is the River Shannon catchment and the Government has announced the establishment of a River Shannon Co-ordination Group. The terms of reference for this Group are to be announced shortly.
The CFRAM programme is a strategic approach that recognises the need, in line with international best practice, to move to a more sustainable, planned and risk-based approach to dealing with significant flooding risks.
The CFRAM Programme is the principal vehicle for implementing national policy on flood risk management and the European Directive on the Assessment and Management of Flood Risk (2007/EC/60). Further information is available on the Programme website www.cfram.ie.
In brief, the CFRAM Programme has three principal milestones:
- Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment
- completed and designated 300 areas at significant risk and impact from flooding
- Flood Maps, including their impact
- public consultation completed in December 2015 and to be finalised in early 2016)
- Flood Risk Management Plans
- draft Plans available in summer 2016, for public consultation and to be finalised at the end of 2016.
281. Deputy Michael P. Kitt asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the reason for the delay on the Dunkellin river project; if the full scale works are going ahead; the details; when work will commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1433/16]
View answerFunded by the Office of Public Works, Galway County Council (GCC) is the Contracting Authority with overall responsibility for the management and implementation of the Dunkellin River and Aggard Stream Flood Relief Scheme.
GCC appointed the Engineering and Environmental Consultants needed to complete the design and to attain the necessary statutory permissions for the scheme which is being progressed through An Bord Pleanala (ABP) under the Strategic Infrastructure Act.
Works proposed under the Dunkellin River and Aggard Stream Flood Relief Scheme can be divided into two distinct Channels which are:
- The Dunkellin/Craughwell River from upstream of Craughwell Village to the N18 at Kilcolgan
- The Aggard Stream and Monksfield River from Cregaclare (near Ardrahan) to its outfall at the confluence of the Dunkellin and Craughwell Rivers.
Works on the Dunkellin River will consist of channel deepening from Craughwell Village to the confluence with the Aggard Stream, local channel widening at Rinn Bridge and out of channel maintenance from downstream of Rahasane Turlough, to Rinn Bridge.
The scheme was submitted to An Bord Pleanála for consideration in November 2014 for planning approval in line with Section 175 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended. A number of submissions from interested parties were received by An Bord Pleanala in relation to the proposals and the Board issued a request for further information (RFI) to GCC on 2 March 2015.
I am advised that the Council requested an extension of time in which to respond to the Board's request and the period for response was extended to 10 July 2015. In light of the significant additional data submitted by the Council, An Bord Pleanala requested that both the Statutory Authorities who were advised of the Planning Application and the general public be made aware of the additional information and that further submissions or observations could be made to the Board within a specific time frame. An Oral Hearing on the proposed scheme commenced on Tuesday 27 October 2015. The hearing concluded on Tuesday the 3 November 2015 and An Bord Pleanala has advised GCC that they will make a determination on the case by the end of February 2016.
We must wait for An Bord Pleanala to issue its determination on the proposals but, subject to this, I can assure the Deputy that the Government remains committed to the provision of a flood relief scheme for the Dunkellin River and Aggard Stream and the OPW has made provision for the cost of implementing the scheme in its Multi-Annual Budget Profiles into the future.
282. Deputy Ruairí Quinn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when he expects the proposed flood protection works at a location (details supplied) in Dublin 12 along the River Poddle to be carried out; what these works are; the type and amount of funding required; if the funding has been ring-fenced in the multi-annual budgeting process; the flood protection work carried out so far along the Poddle; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1511/16]
View answerThe proposed flood protection works, for the area referred to, form part of the overall options for dealing with flood risk on the Poddle River. These options were identified under the Eastern Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (ECFRAM) study. The proposals for flood mitigation measures on the River Poddle also involve some downstream defence works. The proposed works at the location referred to are likely to be progressed first and consist in the main of the creation of additional storage capacity to attenuate downstream flows in the river in flood conditions.
The proposed works for the overall scheme cross two Council boundaries and South Dublin County Council (SDCC) working in collaboration with Dublin City Council (DCC) will take the proposals forward through planning and eventual construction. Documents for the procurement of the design and environmental consultants for the Scheme are currently being finalised. The consultants will also prepare a detailed Cost Benefit Analysis for the proposed works.
Subject to the identification of an environmentally viable and cost beneficial scheme and successful completion of the planning process it is hoped to be in a position to commence construction of the main scheme works in 2017. As indicated it would be the intention to commence works in the location mentioned in advance of the main scheme works.
The Office of Public Works (OPW) has given a commitment, in principle, to funding a viable, cost beneficial and environmentally acceptable scheme for the Poddle and has made indicative provision for its cost in its Multi-Annual Capital Budget Profiles. The construction of any proposed scheme is expected to take at least two years.
The works proposed to alleviate flooding on the Poddle are to be designed to the standard level of protection often referred to as the 100-year flood, which is to prevent flooding during events with a 1% annual exceedance probability (AEP) for fluvial floods. The design will take account also of climate change.
I am advised that Interim works carried out to date by SDCC involve new debris screens placed on culverts on the river which are monitored remotely by telemetry. Any alarms can be responded to quickly so that debris built up can be removed in good time.
283. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of Office of Public Works buildings in the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown local authority area in County Dublin that are not currently in use, or are only partly in use, and if he will provide the address and location of these. [1569/16]
View answerIn Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Local Authority catchment area, the Commissioners of Public Works have two properties relevant to this question.
Trident House, Blackrock, is a leased property which is not fully occupied. The lease is due to expire in early 2017 at which time it is the intention of the Commissioners to surrender the premises. It would not be practical to put additional tenants into the building given the proposed surrender.
91a Lower George St, Dún Laoghaire is also leased premises which is surplus to requirements. This property is the subject of legal issues which are being worked through by the OPW and the office of the Chief State Solicitor and the Landlord.
