Written Answers Nos. 240-249
240. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when Fáilte Ireland will announce its national festival funding for festivals taking place in the second half of 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1672/16]
View answerThe matter raised is an operational matter for Fáilte Ireland. I have referred the Deputy's question to Fáilte Ireland for direct reply. Please contact my private office if a reply is not received within ten working days.
241. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to Parliamentary Question No. 261 of 5 November 2015, if he will provide funding to Monaghan County Council to carry out essential upgrading work on the R190 Ballybay to Cootehill road, due to the serious flooding that has occurred on that road over the past two months, if he is aware this flooding is the cause of very serious concern to local residents and to motorists who use this route, which carries a very heavy volume of traffic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1697/16]
View answerThe improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads in Monaghan is the statutory responsibility of Monaghan County Council, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from the Council's own resources supplemented by State road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for the local authority.
As part of the response to the storms and flooding the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government has sought submissions from local authorities setting out both the estimated short term costs and the costs related to damage to infrastructure, including transport. This is to ensure that a comprehensive picture of the full cost of the recent flood events across all sectors including the road network (national and regional and local) is garnered both by the Department of the Environment and my own Department. So far, 25 of the 28 local authorities have reported on their estimated infrastructure damage costs and my Department is in the process of reviewing the estimates received so far.
Once a full assessment can be made based on information from local authorities which could take some time, my officials will engage with local authority officials with a view to addressing critical repair work and examining the scope for remedial works on particular roads.
242. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the additional specific funding he will allocate to Cavan County Council to carry out improvement works to roads that have been damaged due to the serious flooding problems in December 2015 and January 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1698/16]
View answerThe maintenance of individual national roads in Cavan is a matter for the Transport Infrastructure Ireland (formerly known as the NRA) under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 in conjunction with Cavan County Council. Within its capital budget, the assessment and prioritisation of individual projects is a matter in the first instance for TII in accordance with Section 19 of the Roads Act. Regarding regional and local roads in Cavan, the Council has statutory responsibility for the improvement and maintenance of those roads, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from the Council's own resources supplemented by State road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for the Council.
As part of the response to the storms and flooding the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government has sought submissions from local authorities setting out both the estimated short term costs and the costs related to damage to infrastructure, including transport. This is to ensure that a comprehensive picture of the full cost of the recent flood events across all sectors including the road network (national and regional and local) is garnered both by the Department of the Environment and my own Department. So far, 25 of the 28 local authorities have reported on their estimated infrastructure damage costs and my Department is in the process of reviewing the estimates received so far.
Once a full assessment can be made based on information from local authorities, my officials and those in TII will engage with local authority officials with a view to addressing critical repair work and examining the scope for remedial works on particular roads.
243. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the additional specific funding he will allocate to Monaghan County Council to carry out improvement works to roads that have been damaged due to the serious flooding problems in December 2015 and January 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1699/16]
View answerThe maintenance of individual national roads in Monaghan is a matter for the Transport Infrastructure Ireland (formerly known as the NRA) under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 in conjunction with Monaghan County Council. Within its capital budget, the assessment and prioritisation of individual projects is a matter in the first instance for TII in accordance with Section 19 of the Roads Act. Regarding regional and local roads in Monaghan, the Council has statutory responsibility for the improvement and maintenance of those roads, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from the Council's own resources supplemented by State road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for the Council.
As part of the response to the storms and flooding the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government has sought submissions from local authorities setting out both the estimated short term costs and the costs related to damage to infrastructure, including transport. This is to ensure that a comprehensive picture of the full cost of the recent flood events across all sectors including the road network (national and regional and local) is garnered both by the Department of the Environment and my own Department. So far, 25 of the 28 local authorities have reported on their estimated infrastructure damage costs and my Department is in the process of reviewing the estimates received so far.
Once a full assessment can be made based on information from local authorities, my officials and those in TII will engage with local authority officials with a view to addressing critical repair work and examining the scope for remedial works on particular roads.
244. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if the current legislation on the use of quad or scrambler bikes is sufficient; if he will improve its enforcement; if he will improve the legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1713/16]
View answerQuadricycles and scrambler bikes are mechanically propelled vehicles, which means that they are vehicles intended or adapted for propulsion by mechanical or electrical power. As such, irrespective of engine capacity, under the Road Traffic Acts the user of such vehicles in a public place must have insurance, road tax, a driving licence or learner permit and wear a helmet. Furthermore, such vehicles, when used in a public place, must comply with the requirements of the Road Traffic (Construction, Equipment & Use of Vehicles) Regulations 1963 to 2002 and the Road Traffic (Lighting of Vehicles) Regulations 1963 to 1996. Those Regulations prescribe the requirements in relation to essential matters such as brakes, steering, lighting etc. Enforcement of the legislation is a matter for the Garda Síochána. I do not have any plans to amend the legislation, which I believe to be sufficiently broad in its application in respect of the use of such vehicles in a public place.
245. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the expenditure, the training and evaluations that have taken place, and the number of persons engaged to work on the training and evaluation of competence in Irish in the Civil Service within and outside her Department since the transfer of responsibility for from Gaeleagras to her Department in 2013, and her plans for the future. [1590/16]
View answerFor the past number of years, Foras na Gaeilge has had contractual agreements with Gaelchultúr/Coláiste na hÉireann for the provision of Irish language training services to the public service. The value of the current contract for these services, for the period from March 2015 to February 2018, is €40,000 per annum. In accordance with these contractual agreements, amounts of €66,666, €57,777 and €41,111 were paid to the service provider in the years 2013, 2014 and 2015 respectively.
A total of 3,733 courses were provided over this period which were attended by 789 civil servants and 2,944 public servants. These courses include cases where state bodies paid for employees to attend courses which were already available to the general public. It also includes on-line courses for individuals developed to suit their specific needs. The courses provided under these agreements include:
- Basic, intermediate and advanced Irish;
- Language awareness;
- Advanced Irish Language Grammar;
- Postgraduate Diploma in Translation (NFQ Level 9)
- Certificate in Professional Irish (NFQ Levels 3, 4 & 5)
A total of 82 people have been directly employed in the delivery of these courses, in addition to a small number of staff within both Foras na Gaeilge and my Department to whom other duties have also been assigned.
My Department provides assistance for the development and maintenance by the National University of Ireland Maynooth (NUIM) of Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge. This robust mechanism for testing competency in the Irish language, which is broadly based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, was used by the Public Appointments Service on a pilot basis in the recent recruitment competition for executive officers. Details of the funding provided to NUIM in respect of Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge in recent years are as follows:
|
Year |
2008/09 |
2009/10 |
2010/11 |
2011/12 |
2012/13 |
2013/14 |
2014/15 |
2015/16 |
Total |
|
Paid |
€177,500 |
€169,500 |
€159,000 |
€127,200 |
€127,500 |
€127,110 |
€127,500 |
€127,500* |
€1,142,810 |
*amount sanctioned
246. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if it is acceptable that a person (details supplied) in County Galway must wait over 20 months for a decision on an appeal for compensation to the Peatlands Council; the steps she is taking to address this; if it is acceptable that this appeal, after going before the Council again on 1 October 2015, has been postponed until 2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1614/16]
View answerApplicants to the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme, administered by my Department, may appeal their case to the Peatlands Council in the event that they are informed that the qualifying criteria of the scheme have not been met. The Council may then make recommendations to me, as Minister, on such cases. While the terms of reference in relation to the Peatlands Council’s appeals function have been agreed between the Council and myself, as Minister, the operation of the appeals function is a matter for the Council itself.
I am advised that, following agreement on these terms of reference in January 2015, the Appeals Sub Group of the Peatlands Council considered the appeal on 19 February 2015, 1 April 2015, 22 June 2015 and 19 August 2015.
The Appeals Sub Group reported to the Peatlands Council on this case on 28 April 2015 and 1 October 2015. The Secretary of the Council wrote to the appellant in October last seeking his consent to request relevant documentation from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. This documentation was subsequently received from that Department.
I understand that the Appeals Sub Group considered the appeal further on 7 January 2016 and determined the recommendation it will make to the Peatlands Council.
I am advised it is intended that the Peatlands Council will hold its next meeting in early February 2016 and the recommendation of the Appeals Sub Group will be considered at that meeting with a view to finalisation of this appeal.
247. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht given the concern of protestors who have peacefully occupied the area in recent days if she will intervene in the building works on Moore Street in Dublin 1, to ensure the heritage of the area is preserved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1629/16]
View answerI refer the Deputy to the extensive reply given on this matter yesterday by An Taoiseach, in the course of Leaders Questions. The works that I have approved to the national monument at Nos. 14 - 17 Moore Street are intended to conserve the monument buildings and restore them to the 1916 state. The works are currently the subject of High Court proceedings.
The area outside the bounds of the national monument is generally the responsibility of Dublin City Council, as planning authority.
248. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht why funding for a festival (details supplied) was cut, if it will be restored; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1638/16]
View answerThe Arts Council operates under the provisions of the Arts Act 2003, which provides, inter alia, that the Council is independent in the performance of its functions in funding the Arts. As Minister, I am precluded by law from interfering with or reviewing any decisions of the Council in relation to funding. It may be noted that the Arts Council operates an appeals procedure.
249. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to set out the amount of funding spent on local authority arts programmes, by programme, in each of the years 2007 to 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1737/16]
View answerMy Department does not collect statistics on local authority arts programmes. Under the Arts Act 2003, primary responsibility for the promotion of the arts at all levels throughout the country is devolved to the Arts Council. The Arts Council is the main channel of State current expenditure on the arts and will receive over €60 million in 2016. I understand that some information relating to local authority expenditure on the arts is available in the Arts Council and I have asked the Council to provide statistical information to the Deputy.
