Written Answers Nos. 41-60
41. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation his targets to reduce long-term unemployment in terms of specific numbers and percentages in each of the years 2016 to 2020; and the measure that will be taken to achieve this. [4530/16]
View answerThe goal of this Government has been to replace all of the jobs lost during the economic crisis and deliver sustainable full employment by the end of 2018. This whole of Government effort has been integrated into the Action Plan for Jobs process which aims to strengthen the enterprise base, support entrepreneurship and start-ups, regain Ireland’s lost competitiveness and ensure the potential of the regions for development and job creation through Action Plan for Jobs-Regional is fully realised, supported by competitive regional funds.
The Action Plan for Jobs complements the Government’s new Pathways to Work which sets out actions to be taken in support of those that are currently unemployed in order to help them access the labour market and new job opportunities.
The Government’s strategy is working. Since the first Action Plan for Jobs was launched in Q1 2012, 135,800 more people are at work. Action Plan for Jobs 2016, the fifth Plan, was launched in mid-January and marks the transition from an economy recovering from the most severe recession to a competitive, innovative, highly productive economy providing sustainable full employment for its people. It also marks the transition to the implementation of key Government policies that plan for medium term growth. Enterprise 2025 is our ten year jobs and enterprise strategy, which sets out the roadmap to build a sustainable economy and have 2.18 million people at work by 2020, the highest in the history of the State.
Enterprise 2025 was launched in November 2015. It sets out the potential to reach 2.180 million in employment and an overall unemployment rate of 6 percent by 2020. Enterprise 2025 envisages an additional 266,000 people in employment by 2020 starting from a 2014 baseline. Achieving this ambition is based on the premise of export led growth and the additional indirect jobs stimulated by the activities of exporting enterprises in the wider economy. Annualised targets have not been set out in the strategy for job creation or specifically for reducing long-term unemployment.
The ambition is predicated on taking the actions set out in Enterprise 2025 which are focused on supporting the productive sector, enhancing our relative competitiveness, leveraging existing comparative advantage in key sectors, addressing structural issues in the economy, improving productivity and the capacity of enterprises to innovate. Enterprise 2025 is complemented by the Pathways to Work (PtW) strategy 2016-2020 that that reflects a shift in focus from ‘activation in a time of recession’ to ‘activation in a time of recovery and growth’. PtW involves maintaining a priority focus on addressing the young and long term unemployed and also aims to increase labour market participation and employment progression of people who are not currently active in the labour market.
In addition, the Action Plan for Jobs sets out a more detailed annualised programme of action aimed at achieving the 2020 ambition and is subject to ongoing monitoring in term of delivery of actions and resulting impact.
Regional Action Plans for each of the eight regions in Ireland have been developed through a collaborative process, and launched over recent months. They aim to realise employment growth throughout the country, leveraging the assets and potential of each and every region in Ireland.
Through coordinated action across Government and strong alignment across relevant strategies we have ensured a commitment and strong focus on job creation, on reducing unemployment and on realising our ambition for sustainable growth over the coming decade.
42. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason for the delay in a person (details supplied) in County Cork receiving a grant under the area aid scheme; when the application will be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4489/16]
View answerMy Department received a 2015 Private Contract Clause application from the person named seeking the transfer of land and entitlements by lease as transferor. There was an issue with regard to one land parcel that was subject of this application which required to be resolved in order to process the application. Officials in my Department are resolving this issue to facilitate processing of the application. Payment under the Basic Payment Scheme will issue as soon as possible.
43. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if tier 3 farmers will be allowed into the second tranche of the green low-carbon agri-environment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4495/16]
View answerThe unprecedented level of applications to the Scheme has meant that for GLAS 2, priority is being given to what are called Tier 1 and Tier 2 candidates, i.e. those who either manage key environmental assets like endangered birds, protected habitats or high-quality water courses, or who have committed to undertake particularly valuable environmental actions like growing feed-crops for wild birds, adopting low-impact tillage techniques or using low-emission slurry spreading methods.
Farmers had been urged to present the highest standard environmental plans under GLAS 2, and to adopt actions that would promote them from Tier 3 to a higher tier, thereby significantly increasing the chance of selection. I am delighted that over 80% of applicants in this second tranche of GLAS opted to do so, and with the funding available to me I have been able to approve all of these.
In addition all GLAS 2 applications from new entrants to farming in 2015, and from new farm partnerships, have been granted priority access under this round, because of difficulties they had in applying under GLAS 1. This includes applications by new entrants or partnerships from Tier 3.
A third tranche of GLAS will open later this year and any applicant who was unsuccessful this time round has the opportunity now to re-examine their proposed farm-plan in consultation with their advisor and see how it might be improved to increase their chance of selection under GLAS 3.
44. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Clare will receive farm payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4496/16]
View answerAn application under Basic Payment/Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme was received from the person named on 5 April, 2015. Processing of the Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme application is complete and payment has issued to the nominated bank account of the person named. The person named also submitted a 2015 Transfer of Entitlement Allocation Right and Reference Value application to my Department seeking the transfer of allocation rights and values as transferee by gift of holding. My Department wrote to the person named on 13 January 2016 regarding issues in relation to land parcels that need to be resolved to further process this application. No reply has been received to date by my Department. Once a reply has been received the application can be further processed with a view to making payment under the Basic Payment Scheme as soon as possible thereafter.
The person named has also submitted an application under the Young Farmers Scheme. Once payment under the Basic Payment Scheme has been made the application under the Young Farmers Scheme will be finalised with a view to payment shortly thereafter.
45. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps whereby a person can retain payment under the areas of natural constraint scheme while entering a long-term leasing arrangement with another person; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4527/16]
View answerThe Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme provides for applicants where their holdings comprise of a minimum of three hectares of designated lands. Suitable lands may be owned, leased or rented, but must be under the control of the applicant for the scheme year in question.
46. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the supports in place or to be put in place for a person (details supplied) in County Kerry who has been unable to fish for the past few months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4533/16]
View answerIt is important that the fishing industry take every precaution to avoid risk of injury or worse during periods of stormy weather and have full regard to local weather warnings before venturing to sea. Fishermen who may be experiencing financial difficulties while ashore during periods of adverse weather should contact the Department of Social Protection which offers income support payments, subject to certain eligibility criteria. The new Seafood Development Operational Programme under the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund was adopted by the European Commission in December 2015. That Programme provides a comprehensive range of supports for the seafood sector worth €241 million, including a dedicated scheme of supports for the inshore sector to address the various economic and sustainability challenges facing the sector.
In relation to specific measures to support fishermen affected by significant losses arising from adverse weather events, the EMFF and the Operational Programme provide for the establishment by fishermen of a Mutual Fund for Adverse Climatic events and Environmental Incidents, which when established can provide aid to fishermen affiliated to the Fund in line with pre-defined rules. The Operational Programme will co-fund the Mutual Fund, together with subscriptions from member fishermen. In that sense, the viability of such a Mutual Fund is dependent on the extent to which fishermen commit to membership of that Fund.
Following the December 2015 adoption of the Programme, I launched the initial tranche of schemes on 14 January 2016 at the Government Press Centre with the support of the European Commission. Further schemes will follow during 2016. I will be discussing with fishing representatives how they may establish this Mutual Fund over the course of 2016.
47. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a person (details supplied) in County Wexford has not received a payment under the basic payment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4539/16]
View answerApplications for this herd number for the 2015 Basic Payment Scheme were received in the Department on 27 March 2015, 13 April 2015 and 28 May 2015 . These applications were from different legal entities. The issues caused by these multiple applications have been resolved recently and payment will issue to the appropriate nominated bank account shortly.
The person named submitted a 2015 Transfer of Allocation Right and Reference Value application to my Department seeking the transfer of allocation rights and reference values as transferor to a company. He also submitted a 2015 Private Contract Clause application to my Department. My Department was required to resolve a customer dual claim in this case in order to process the transfer application. This has now been resolved, the transfer application has been fully processed and payment under the Basic Payment Scheme will issue shortly.
48. Deputy John Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to facilitate a payment to a person (details supplied) under the green low-carbon agri-environment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4551/16]
View answerThe person named has been approved under Tranche 1 of GLAS with a contract start date of 1 October 2015. GLAS applicants with a start date of 1 October 2015 are entitled to a 2015 part-year payment in respect of certain actions, and covering the three month period 1 October 2015-31 December 2015.
During the prepayment validation checks on the application of the person named a query was identified. Department officials are examining this query with a view to resolving it and moving to process the application for the part-year payment as soon as possible.
49. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Defence if he will provide details of the humanitarian work of the Defence Forces in Tibnin in Lebanon; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3907/16]
View answerThe Defence Forces have been involved in humanitarian activities overseas in conjunction with their participation in peace support missions for many years. In the years prior to the withdrawal of the Irish Battalion from UNIFIL in November 2001, that ‘reaching-out’ was done in numerous practical ways such as the support given to the orphanage at Tibnin, the Irish Battalion Medical Clinics run for the local people, the aiding of the elderly and the annual helping with the harvests. The main source of funding towards this Humanitarian work comes in the form of a financial subvention from Irish Aid. Since the return of the Irish Contingent to UNIFIL in mid 2011, Irish Aid has funded the following projects which have been identified and supported by Irish Contingents:
- Installation of solar powered street lighting in Ayn Ibil (US$24,000)
- Erection of a fence around the waterhole in Bayt Yahoun (US$ 5,600)
- Purchase of physiotherapy equipment and wheelchairs for the Mosan Centre, Tyre (US$10,983)
- Purchase of an electrical generator for the village of Yarun (US$11,660)
- Purchase of a vegetable drying machine for a women’s agricultural cooperative in the municipality of Bint Jubayl (€6,000)
- Lebanese Association for Human Promotion and Literacy (€4,000)
- Generator to provide power to 200 houses without power in the municipality catchment area of Bayt Yahoun ($25,000)
- Community Garden in the village of Aytarun ($12,500) to provide a neutral area for locals and Syrian Refugees who have been relocated to the village.
Although Tibnin village lies outside of the Irish Contingent’s current area of operations, a project supported by the Defence Forces for the provision of a replacement minibus for Tibnin orphanage ($15,000) has also recently been funded by Irish Aid.
50. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Defence if relatives of 1916 veterans who did not accept a State pension are permitted for inclusion on the register to attend State centenary events; the procedure for inclusion on the register; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4526/16]
View answerWhilst responsibility for the Decade of Centenaries Programme rests with my colleague the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, one of the tasks assigned to my Department is that of custodian of the Register of Relatives of those who participated in the 1916 Easter Rising. Relatives of participants involved in the Rising, who had not previously attended annual events to commemorate it, or expressed their interest in such events in previous years, were invited to complete an application form to register their interest in attending a major State ceremony to commemorate the Centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising at the GPO, O’Connell Street on Easter Sunday 2016. This was a preliminary process to gather relevant details and to assess the numbers of Relatives who wish to receive an invitation to an area reserved for Relatives at the commemoration.
As stated in the Application Form, submission of an application is not a guarantee of an invitation. This registration process commenced on 1 April 2015 and closed on 30 September 2015. This closing date was necessary to allow sufficient time required to plan for a State ceremonial event of this scale and to fully consider all of the logistical and operational challenges involved.
Applicants were required to provide details of their relationship to a participant in the 1916 Rising and, where possible, to briefly outline the part played by their Relative in the Rising. Information provided was verified by the Department of Defence, principally, but not solely, by reference to Department records held as part of the Military Service Pensions Collection. In the circumstances where the Department was unable to confirm the relationship to the 1916 service of the relative mentioned on the Application Form the applicants were contacted and invited to provide additional information in support of their application.
Those that were not included on the register can view the Parade all along the Parade route and it is intended that there will also be a public viewing area on O’Connell Street. Large screens will also be erected for maximum visibility.
51. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the progress in giving effect to the 2011 decision to establish the Parole Board on a legally independent basis; the details of appointments made to the board in the past three years; if the vacancies were advertised; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4511/16]
View answerIn September 2014 I published the report of the Penal Policy Review Group which was tasked with carrying out a strategic review of penal policy. As an initial step, the Government agreed in principle in November 2014 to proceed with the implementation of a number of key recommendations, including the bringing forward of legislative proposals to establish the Parole Board on a statutory footing. Work is ongoing on the preparation of a general scheme.
I can inform the Deputy that I made the following appointments to the Parole Board in the last three years:
|
YEAR |
NAME |
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January 2013 |
Mr. Mick Duff |
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February 2014 |
Dr. Michael Mulcahy (re-appointed) |
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July 2014 |
Mr. John Costello, Chairman (re-appointed) |
|
Ms. Ciairín de Buis (re-appointed) |
|
|
January 2015 |
Mr. Martin Smyth (ex officio) |
|
July 2015 |
Mr. Willie Connolly (re-appointed) |
|
Mr. Shane McCarthy (re-appointed) |
|
|
Ms. Nora McGarry (re-appointed) |
|
|
Mr. Eddie Rock (re-appointed) |
|
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September 2015 |
Mr. Noel Dowling (ex officio) |
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January, 2016 |
Mr. Ray Kavanagh (appointed in January 2013 and re-appointed in January 2016) |
As I have stated previously, the members appointed by me represent a diverse range of experience and expertise which I believe is invaluable to the work of the Parole Board.
52. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 143 of 26 November 2015 and her statement that the statistics were being compiled and would be provided to the Deputy in due course, if she will forward same to this Deputy. [4532/16]
View answerI am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the information sought by the Deputy will be available very shortly and in that regard I will write to the Deputy directly on the matter.
53. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she is aware of the continued concern of the local community at the increased crime levels in Tallaght in Dublin 24; her views on the need to provide additional resources to An Garda Síochána to deal with this situation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4543/16]
View answerI am of course very conscious of the impact of crime on communities and An Garda Síochána treat all incidents of crime extremely seriously. In this regard Gardai engage extensively with the community in Tallaght and elsewhere in a range of fora to take on board and respond to local community safety concerns.
It should be noted that the Recorded Crime Statistics published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) for Quarter 3 of 2015 show some encouraging trends across a number of crime categories. In particular, the latest CSO figures show a notable decrease of 47.4% in the number of murders recorded as well as reductions in other important crime categories such as robbery and weapons offences which were down 9.1% and 7.3% respectively.
The Government is tackling crime in all areas of the country by investing heavily in policing resources. In particular, the Capital Plan 2016 - 2021 makes provision for the ongoing delivery of new Garda vehicles, as well as very significant investment in new technology and information systems for An Garda Síochána, amounting to an investment of €205m over the life of the Plan. In addition, the Government has ended the moratorium on Garda recruitment and Budget 2016 made provision for the recruitment of 600 new Gardaí this year bringing to 1,150 the number of new Gardaí who will have been recruited since the reopening of the Garda College in Templemore in September 2014. Early operational feedback from the Garda authorities indicates that the investments in policing are paying off. For example since its launch on 2 November 2015, Operation Thor has made a significant impact on crime, in particular burglary, with an estimated decrease in burglary of 34% when compared to the same period the previous year (these figures will be subject to further analysis and verification by the CSO in due course, in advance of the publication of the full official crime figures for 2015). Operation Thor provides for intensive overt and covert patrols and maximises all available operational resources to prevent crime, disrupt criminal activity and apprehend criminals .
While the deployment of Garda resources in particular locations is a matter for local Garda management in the first instance, I am informed by the Garda authorities that the Tallaght Garda District is policed by regular uniformed units, community policing units as well as District Detective and District Drug Units. It is also supplemented by resources from Divisional units including the Divisional Traffic Unit and the Divisional Burglary Unit. I am confident that the greatly increased resources which the Government has made available will enable An Garda Síochána to make a significant impact on all forms of crime, to the benefit of communities in Tallaght, as elsewhere.
54. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children being home educated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4498/16]
View answer55. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the status of the review of the guidelines on home school tuition, including the next steps he will take in furthering the review; when it will be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4499/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 54 and 55 together.
Tusla, the Child and Family Agency under the remit of my Department, has a statutory obligation under Section 14 (1) of the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000, to maintain a register of children being educated in a place other than a recognised school. This requirement exists in order to safeguard a child's constitutional and legal right to a certain minimum education.
The legislation states that where a parent chooses to educate his or her child in a place other than a recognised school he or she shall apply to the Agency to have the child placed on the register. This includes children whose parent chooses to educate them at home. I am advised by the Agency that 1,111 children were included on this register on 29 January 2016.
Following receipt of an application by a parent to have their child placed on the register, the Agency arranges for a preliminary assessment, and if necessary a further comprehensive assessment to be undertaken, to determine whether the child is in receipt of a certain minimum education. Assessments are carried out by authorised persons appointed by the Agency. When the Agency is satisfied that the child concerned is receiving a certain minimum education, the child is placed on the register.
Under the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000, the Minister for Education and Skills has a function to issue guidelines for the purposes of determining whether a child is receiving a certain minimum education. These guidelines were issued by the Minister for Education and Skills in 2003. In relation to the review referred to in the Deputy's question, I am advised that the Agency has initiated a consultation on the arrangements involved in carrying out the assessment process to determine whether a child is in receipt of a certain minimum education and how the Agency engages with families who are home schooling. The purpose is to inform the Agency's deliberations in relation to its delivery of services. The consultation commenced in November 2015 and has now concluded. It included on-line consultations and workshops with home schooling families and private schools and others. I am advised that the Agency plans to publish the outcome of the consultations in the coming months.
56. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the steps he has taken and when he will establish a group to agree a model for after-school care, including a quality framework (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4559/16]
View answerThe Inter-Departmental Working Group on Future Investment in Childcare, which reported in July 2015, recommended that my Department, with relevant partners, should develop a model for after-school care, including a quality standards framework.
My Department will shortly be establishing a Working Group to develop quality standards for after-school and out-of-school care. In preparation for this, and in accordance with the Working Group’s recommendations, my Department considers it important to seek the views of children of primary school age in relation to what their concerns and priorities would be. The Department is currently planning consultations with children aged 5 to 12 years. The plan is to work separately with 5-7 year olds and 8-12 year olds. It is anticipated that this consultation will be completed by June 2016.
57. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will publish a national strategy on children’s cyber safety and to ratify United Nations treaties to protect children online; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4564/16]
View answerIn relation to the first part of the question, I have no plans to publish a National Strategy on Children’s Cyber Safety.
Responsibility for children’s safety when accessing the internet and social media extends across a number of Government Departments. Areas of concern include cyber bullying, accessing illegal or inappropriate content, and the dangers of posting content online.
The Action Plan On Bullying, which was published in January 2013, clearly recognised the necessity to tackle the issue of bullying in a holistic way which saw schools as pivotal, but placed the issue within a much wider social context. Cyberbullying is just one aspect of bullying but one, given the rapid expansion of access to technology by young people, that has come much more sharply into focus. The implementation of the Action Plan on Bullying, which is being led by the Department of Education and Skills, provides the framework for the Government’s absolute commitment to working with a broad base of interests to protect children and ensure a safer childhood.
The Children First National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children is also an important resource in the identification, investigation, assessment, reporting, treatment and management of child abuse, including bullying. Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has an important role in this regard.
My Department supports the National Youth Health Programme which is in partnership with the HSE and the National Youth Council of Ireland. The programme's aims are to provide a broad-based, flexible health promotion / education support and training service to youth organisations and to all those working with young people in out-of-school settings. The ‘Web Safety in Youth Work’ resource, available on the National Youth Council’s website, provides valuable advice to young people on reporting online behaviour and on passing on concerns about the protection and welfare of a child or young person.
In relation to illegal content and the posting of personal content online, the important role of parents in talking to their children and providing a space for them to explore issues and voice their concerns cannot be over-emphasised. Parents also have an important function in setting boundaries and implementing parental controls to ensure that their children are not accessing age-inappropriate material.
The Office for Internet Safety is an Executive Office of the Department of Justice and Equality and was established by the Government to take a lead responsibility for internet safety in Ireland, particularly as it relates to children. As part of its work it holds an annual Safer Internet Day. This year’s Safer Internet Day will be held on 9th February and the focus of the day is to highlight the issues around explicit self-generated images of minors being posted on the Internet, and how any image or video posted on the Internet immediately ceases to be private.
The Office for Internet Safety supports the Hotline.ie service, which provides an anonymous facility for Internet Users to report suspected illegal content, particularly Child Sexual Abuse Material, accidentally encountered online, in a secure and confidential way. In addition to Hotline.ie, there are a number of other websites such as Childline, webwise, Facebook and Twitter, that have the capacity to facilitate anyone to report a concern that they have come across online.
The second part of the Deputy’s question refers to the ratification of United Nations Treaties and I am answering on the basis that he is referring to Ireland’s ratification of the United Nations Second Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography. My Department has a co-ordinating responsibility for implementation of the Convention and its related Protocols.
The ratification of the Protocol is pending, to ensure that all arrangements are in place to fully comply with the related obligations. The substantive criminal law elements of the Optional Protocol have largely been implemented by the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act 1998 and the Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) Act 2008.
On 23rd September 2015 the Minister for Justice and Equality published the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill. The Bill is currently being considered by Dáil Éireann. It includes wide-ranging provisions to enhance the protection of children and vulnerable persons from sexual abuse and exploitation. These provisions include new measures to protect children from online predators.
When enacted, the Bill will comply with the criminal law provisions of a number of international legal instruments including the UN Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. Ireland will then be in a position to proceed with its commitment to ratify the Protocol.
58. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health why a drugs treatment centre (details supplied) in Dublin 17 is being forced to close due to threats and intimidation; to act on this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4567/16]
View answerThe issue raised by the Deputy is a service matter for the Health Service Executive (HSE). Accordingly, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
59. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Health why surgery has been delayed for a person (details supplied) in Dublin 18; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4490/16]
View answerI am advised by the HSE Treatment Abroad Scheme office that this patient has been contacted and has been informed that he is approved for assessment, the surgery and one follow up treatment.
60. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health the urgent steps he is taking to fill the 120 vacant nursing posts at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin 9; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4491/16]
View answerThe issue raised by the Deputy is a service matter for the Health Service Executive (HSE). Accordingly, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
