Written Answers Nos. 193-207
193. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the cost of reintroducing public sector allowances for public sector workers in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17685/16]
View answerThe Outcome of the Review of Public Sector Allowances was published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on 18 September 2012. In relation to my Department, the abolished allowances in question were the Deputy Head of Division allowance and the disturbance allowance (an allowance designed to assist with costs associated with a return from posting abroad). The disturbance allowance has been replaced by vouched expenses for officers returning from being posted abroad. In relation to the Deputy Head of Division allowance, it has been largely phased out as officers have been assigned to new roles, with no further appointments being made.
194. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the cost of ensuring that public sector workers recruited in his Department post-2011 are paid on the pre-2011 rate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17695/16]
View answerPolicy making in relation to terms and conditions including determination of salary rates for public servants is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.
195. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade following his statement at the Paris Middle East peace summit regarding the urgent need for action and the danger caused by settlement building (details supplied), if he will act on recommendations by several leading NGO's such as Sadaka, Trócaire and the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and Christian Aid, to consider seeking an European Union wide ban on all settlement goods; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17836/16]
View answerThe European Union has taken a number of actions to distinguish between settlements and Israel proper, and between settlement goods and Israeli goods. Ireland has supported and indeed advocated for many of these.
Goods from settlements are charged a higher tariff to enter the European market; meat from settlements may not be certified by Israeli veterinary authorities, and is thus in effect excluded; settlement goods may not be misleadingly labelled as produce of Israel. Other measures prevent the spending of EU research funding in institutions located in settlements, and advise citizens against investing in settlements.
However, as successive Ministers have made clear in the Dáil, there is no possibility of reaching agreement at EU level on an outright ban on settlement goods.
196. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the actions he has taken in 2016 at the European Union, United Nations and other international bodies to support moves to bring the wars in Syria and Iraq to an end; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17843/16]
View answerI have repeatedly discussed the conflicts in Syria and Iraq as well as the threat of terrorism at the EU since the start of this year.
The January Foreign Affairs Council discussed the situation in Syria and EU support for the UN-led negotiations. The Syrian conflict was also discussed at the February Council and the May Council adopted conclusions on Syria, Iraq and Daesh, as well as approving a comprehensive review of the EU’s regional strategy on Syria, Iraq and Daesh.
Ireland spoke at the March and June debates at UN Human Rights Council Sessions on the situation in Syria.
I have repeatedly made clear Ireland’s continued and strong support for political solutions to the conflicts in Syria and Iraq. I remain strongly of the view that any viable political solution must be based on the principles of the 2012 Geneva Communique, and support the need for a political transition based on the formation of an inclusive transitional Governing body and a full end of violence and the legal accountability for the victims of the conflict.
197. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his relationship with representative bodies in Kurdistan; the details of any Irish contribution on ending violence against the Kurdish people; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17844/16]
View answerIreland does not have any diplomatic relations with Kurdish representative bodies in Turkey, Iraq and Syria. Ireland, along with its EU partners, supports the territorial integrity and sovereignty of those States. Ireland has repeatedly raised the human rights situation in Syria and Iraq at the UN and the EU. Ireland has called for referral of the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court, given the multiple and credible reports of crimes requiring international action and the failure to prevent and reported accountability of the Syrian authorities for the overwhelming majority of these crimes.
Ireland has also repeatedly made clear its strong support for the UN-led negotiations to agree a political solution to the Syrian crisis, based on the 2012 Geneva Communique principles. Ireland has urged international stakeholders, including the Assad regime’s backers, to give their full backing to the UN process.
The Government is also strongly supportive of the 2014 political reform and national reconciliation programme announced by PM Abadi of Iraq. Integration of all religious and ethnic groups in Iraq is a vital response to supporting Iraq’s unity, integrity and sovereignty. This is a critical political response to parallel security efforts to confront Daesh and to end the threat of jihadist terrorism and the safe haven posed by Daesh control of parts of the territory of Syria and Iraq.
The domestic situation in Turkey remains a matter of concern, both for Ireland and our European partners. I would like to reiterate the serious concern I have expressed several times already in this House at the escalation of violence since the breakdown of the ceasefire between the Turkish Government and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) last summer. This breakdown has been all the more regrettable given that there were positive signs in the peace process as recently as early 2015.
Ireland has been a strong supporter of the peace talks between the Turkish Government and the PKK and, through the work of the Conflict Resolution Unit of my Department, financial assistance has been provided to an international NGO which has facilitated study visits to Ireland by Turkish and Kurdish MPs, journalists, and advisers working for peace. The current situation demonstrates clearly the critical importance for all sides to cease hostilities and return to dialogue and I take this opportunity to urge again all sides to do so. The most recent Progress Report on Turkey, published by the European Commission in November 2015, emphasised the importance of this too.
The Taoiseach has participated in discussions at the European Council on the issue of human rights in Syria, Iraq and Turkey. Officials in my Department, both at headquarters in Dublin and in our Embassies in Cairo, Riyadh and Ankara, will continue to follow these developments very closely.
198. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the cost of reintroducing public sector allowances for public sector workers in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17688/16]
View answerThe Outcome of the Review of Public Sector Allowances was published by this Department on 18 September 2012. (The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform was established in July 2011.)
The Delegates (and Chairpersons) Allowance (payable to officials who travel outside of Ireland and the UK to represent Ireland at meetings of the EU or other international organisations, or who act as Chairpersons of EU committees) was abolished for both new beneficiaries and existing staff. This allowance was estimated to cost in the region of €1 million in 2011 across all Government Departments. It is not possible to estimate the cost of re-introducing this allowance for officers in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform as the Department was only established in July 2011.
199. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the cost of ensuring that public sector workers recruited in his Department post-2011 are paid on the pre-2011 rate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17698/16]
View answerThe issue of addressing the difference in incremental salary scales between those public servants, who entered public service employment since 2011 and those who entered before that date was addressed with the relevant union interests under the provisions of the Haddington Road Agreement (HRA). Any further consideration of remuneration for any group of public servants, including issues relating to more recently recruited public servants, will fall to be examined within the provisions of the Public Service Stability Agreement 2013 -2018 (Lansdowne Road Agreement). Such arrangements will of course require compliance with provisions of the Lansdowne Road Agreement on the part of the staff interests. It will also of course have to comply with the terms of the Financial Emergency in the Public Interest Acts 2009 - 2013 (FEMPI), as well as its affordability being underpinned through delivering enhanced work place practices and productivity.
Under the Lansdowne Road Agreement the process of restoring public pay is commencing. An important feature of this is the flat rate increase which is being implemented. As a result, there is no distinction between officers of this Department pre or post 2011.
200. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the timeline for reversing the public service pension reductions introduced during the crisis in line with the Fine Gael election manifesto; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17807/16]
View answerI refer to my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 108 on 9 June 2016.
In June 2015, Government approved proposals for a significant amelioration of pension reductions which had been applied under the financial emergency (FEMPI) legislation to all public service pensions above specified thresholds. This amelioration of the Public Service Pension Reduction (PSPR), which subsequently became law under the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2015, provides for changes to occur in three phases, on 1 January 2016, 1 January 2017 and 1 January 2018.
On 1 January 2016, increases in the exemption thresholds for PSPR application were activated. These exemption threshold increases fully removed PSPR from a significant number of pensions with relatively lower values, while those pensions which continue to be impacted by PSPR received a boost of €400 per year.
On 1 January 2017, additional PSPR amelioration, acting principally via further exemption threshold increases, will fully remove PSPR from another significant tranche of public service pensioners, while at the same time boosting those pensions which remain affected by PSPR by €500 per year.
On 1 January 2018, the third phase of PSPR amelioration will ensure that all PSPR-impacted pensions with values up to €34,132 will be fully restored, meaning that PSPR will no longer affect such pensions, while those pensions which continue to be impacted by PSPR will get a boost of, in most cases, €780 per year.
These phased PSPR changes across the public service will cost an estimated €90 million on an annual basis and, when fully implemented, will ensure that only the top 20% higher value public service pensions will continue to be impacted by the PSPR. I have no plans to propose alterations to the dates on which these phased changes to the PSPR are to occur, as provided for under FEMPI 2015.
As Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, I am required to undertake an annual review of the necessity of the FEMPI legislation and report to the Houses of the Oireachtas. That report is currently being prepared and will be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas later this month.
201. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his views on the delay in the issuing of guidance to local authorities on the use of social contracts in public contracts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17810/16]
View answerThe Government is keen to explore to scope for including social clauses in public contracts where they are suited to the objective of the contract and would have the greatest impact. In this context, the Office of Government Procurement (OGP) is examining social clauses with a view to assessing where they can be deployed to contribute to employment or training opportunities for the long term unemployed.
It is important to adopt a targeted approach to the use of social clauses in contracts where employers are likely to be hiring additional workers to deliver the contract. This is likely to mitigate the risk of displacing workers already in employment while offering the opportunity of assisting with labour activation measures for the long-term unemployed.
Two examples of this approach currently in progress are the Grangegorman Development and the Devolved Schools Build Programme. In relation to the latter, a clause has been included in the Public Works contracts which require that:
- 10% of the aggregate time worked on site to have been undertaken by individuals who have been registered on a national unemployment register within the EU for a continuous period of at least 12 months immediately prior to their employment on the project.
- 2.5% of the aggregate time worked on site to have been undertaken by individuals who are employed under a registered scheme of apprenticeship or other similar national, accredited training or educational work placement arrangement.
Experience of these pilots have been positive and is contributing to the development of policy on this issue.
It should be noted that social clauses are not new. A social clause requiring compliance with all aspects of Employment Law has been incorporated into the suite of public works contracts since their introduction in 2007. The clause permits deductions from the interim payments scheduled under the contract for non-compliance and places considerable a burden on both the contracting authority and Contractor in demonstrating and verifying compliance.
However, this is a complex area and account must also be taken to ensure that:
- value for money is not adversely affected;
- additional costs are not placed on domestic suppliers relative to other potential suppliers;
- contracts are of a minimum scale to absorb the increased administrative requirements, and;
- the targeted benefit is capable of being measured and monitored during the execution of the contract.
In this context also, care must be taken not to disproportionately impact on SME's bidding for public contracts.
The OGP advised that it would issue guidance on social clauses after the transposition of the new public procurement EU Directives, two of which were transposed last month. I understand that the OGP will be issuing practical guidance to Public Bodies in the coming months.
202. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the amount deducted from those persons in receipt of a public sector pension, under the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest, FEMPI, Acts from 2009 onwards in terms of those in receipt of a pension pre-2010, and those in receipt of a pension post-2010; the cost of restoring public sector pensions to pre-FEMPI levels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17811/16]
View answerPublic service pensions affected by the Public Service Pension Reduction (PSPR) are simply reduced in pay-out value: as such no deduction, levy or other stoppage arises.
There is no special or mutually distinguishing difference between pre-2010 and post-2010 pensions in terms of PSPR impact. However, such a difference does exist in respect of pensions awarded to persons retiring before and after the end of February 2012.
Pensions awarded in respect of retirements up to end-February 2012 benefit from the "grace period" instituted under the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Act 2009. This means that such pensions are based on higher final salaries, that is to say salaries which do not reflect the pay cuts of 1 January 2010 under that Act.
By contrast, pensions awarded to post-February 2012 retirees do not benefit from that "grace period", being based on lower final salaries which factor in the 2010 pay cuts. This means such pensions are lower, on a like-for-like basis, than earlier awarded pensions and on that account are subject to a lighter, less impactful, PSPR regime, featuring higher exemption thresholds and lower percentage reduction rates. In fact the majority of post-February 2012 pensions have never been affected by the PSPR, due to the fact that an exemption threshold of €32,500 has applied since 1 July 2013.
My answer to PQ 17210/16 on 21 June 2016 gives a breakdown of the PSPR effects on a sample of public service pensions in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. Table A of that breakdown covers pensions awarded up to the end of February 2012, while Table B covers pensions awarded from 1 March 2012.
The 2015 figures in those tables reflect the PSPR rates position legislated with effect from 1 July 2013 under the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2013, while the 2016, 2017 and 2018 figures in the tables reflect the significant part-restoration of the PSPR cuts now underway under the terms of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2015. Earlier (pre-July 2013) PSPR rates are set out in my Department's Circular 18/2015: Changes to the Public Service Pension Reduction (PSPR).
Based on available data, reasonable assumptions about future retirements and mortality rates, and the programmed restoration steps under FEMPI 2015, the estimated savings in public service pension costs delivered by PSPR over the years 2011 to 2018 are as follows; €100 million in 2011, €100 million in 2012, €120 million in 2013, €140 million in 2014, €135 million in 2015, €105 million in 2016, €75 million in 2017 and €45 million in 2018.
These figures indicate that, by comparison with the savings attributable to PSPR in 2015, the estimated full-year cost of abolishing PSPR is €135 million.
203. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will grant a section 32 permit to a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17819/16]
View answerTwo applications have been received in my Department from the individual in question for permits under Section 42 of the Wildlife Acts to hunt deer out of season. These applications are currently under examination by my Department and a decision will be made as soon as possible.
204. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the cost of reintroducing public sector allowances for public sector workers in her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17681/16]
View answer205. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the cost of ensuring that public sector workers recruited in her Department post-2011 are paid on the pre-2011 rate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17692/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 204 and 205 together.
A reduction of 10% in pay rates and fixed term allowances was introduced for new entrants to the public service effective from 1 January 2011. Under Section 2.31 of the Haddington Road Agreement those grades which were subject to reduced pay scales in 2011 were assimilated to revised scales effective from 1 November 2013.
Payment of salaries and allowances to staff of my Department is made in line with policies and pay scales set by the Department for Public Expenditure and Reform. However, I am advised that the estimated cost of re-introducing allowances would be in the region of €20,000 per annum, while the estimated annual costs of paying public service workers recruited in my Department post January 2011 at notional pre-2011 rates would be in the region of some €70,000 per annum.
206. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht when the vacant posts on the board of the National Museum will be filled; the reason for the delay in appointing members to this board; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17848/16]
View answerLast Friday, 17 June 2016, I announced the appointment of a new board to the National Museum of Ireland (NMI). I made the appointments following a public advertising and assessment process managed by the Public Appointments Service (PAS) in line with Government guidelines. Other than the nominees of the RDS and RIA, and the staff representative, all of the appointments were from applicants who had been vetted and short-listed by PAS. The board members are:
Catherine Heaney (Chair): Founder and MD of DHR Communications
Former board member of Heritage Council and Chair of its Audit Committee
John Bowen: Former Chairman of the Crawford Gallery
Chairman and CEO of the Bowen Group (1998-2011)
Mary Crotty: Managing Director of Mary Crotty PR (1983-date)
Board member of NMI 2011-2016
Ambrose Loughlin: Chair of the Audit Committee of the Department of Finance
Partner McCann Fitzgerald Solicitors (1989-date)
Judith McCarthy: Museum Curator, Donegal County Museum
Member of Donegal Tourism Sectoral Forum
Denise Moroney: Managing Director Brand Dynamics (1994-date)
Head of Marketing Irish Times (2015)
Declan Nelson: Board member, Pobal
Former County Manager
Gearóid Ó Tuathaigh: Associate Professor of History, NUIG (1989-2010)
Board member, National Museum of Ireland (2011-2016)
Andrew Power: Head of Registry, IADT (2015-date)
Board Member, Classification of Films Appeals Board
Lynn Scarff: Director, Science Gallery TCD
Lecturer, Faculty of Engineering, Maths and Science
Virginia Teehan: Former Director Hunt Museum Limerick (2003-2009)
Director of Heritage and Visual Arts, UCC
Aidan Walsh: Former Director of the Northern Ireland Museums Council (1993-2001)
Former Board member of the International Committee for Museums Management
Ms Heaney will appear before the relevant Oireachtas Committee as soon as the necessary arrangements to that end have been made.
I have also appointed nominees of the Royal Dublin Society (RDS) and the Royal Irish Academy (RIA), as well as a staff representative from the NMI, as follows:
Ingrid Hook (RDS)
Head of the School of Pharmacy, TCD
Kathleen James-Chakraborty (RIA)
Professor of Art History, School of Art History and Cultural Policy, UCD
Mary O’Dowd (RIA)
Professor of Gender History and member of the Irish Manuscripts Commission
Karen Wilson (NMI)
Staff representative, NMI.
207. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the avenues available to a long established voluntary community musical organisation (details supplied) to apply for funding to ensure their continued existence into the future to continue their service to the public and the next generations of youth who wish to join the organisation. [17850/16]
View answerPrimary responsibility for the promotion and support of the arts at all levels, including music and musical performance, is devolved to the Arts Council. The 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. Full details are available on the Council's website at www.artscouncil.ie
My Department funds targeted initiatives for music, which are channelled through the Music Network. These include the Music Capital Scheme, which is designed to assist individuals and groups to purchase musical instruments and is administered by the Music Network on behalf of my Department. Further details in relation to the Music Network and its schemes are available at www.musicnetwork.ie.
