Written Answers Nos. 491-507
491. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his views on the way in which EUROSTAT is classifying public private partnerships; and if this definition will impede on any of the Government projects already announced or in the pipeline. [27016/16]
View answerIn response to PPP stakeholders' calls for greater clarity on the way in which Eurostat is classifying public private partnerships, the European PPP Expertise Centre (EPEC) and Eurostat have worked together over recent months to produce a practitioners' guide on this topic. The Guide has been developed with a desire to bring greater clarity and improve the understanding of how the rules used by Eurostat on PPPs are applied in practice, and is due to be published on 29 September. A meeting of the EPEC working group on the statistical treatment of PPPs has also been arranged for 11 October, to consider and discuss the EPEC/Eurostat Guide in detail. It will not be possible to establish whether this latest guidance will impact on the classification of any of the Government's PPP projects already announced or in the pipeline until there has been sufficient time to consider and assess the new guidance and fully consider its implications for our PPP projects.
492. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the extent to which the Morrell drainage programme continues to be progressed with a view to making the necessary provisions to prevent flooding of land and homes in the area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27181/16]
View answerThe Lower Morrell River flood relief scheme is being progressed by Kildare County Council (KCC) as the Contracting Authority for the scheme with funding provided by the Office of Public Works (OPW). Following the completion of a full Feasibility Study, Cost Benefit Analysis and Environmental Impact Statement by the consultants designing the scheme, KCC is proceeding with the detailed design of the scheme and it is anticipated that the scheme will be submitted for planning approval later in the year.
It is not possible to indicate when exactly works can be commenced until the scheme has been advanced through the planning process by the Council as outlined above but it is anticipated that works should commence around mid 2017. I can confirm that the Lower Morrell scheme remains a priority and the OPW has included provision for the cost of the proposed works in its financial profiles in the period up to 2018.
493. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the extent to which progress can be reported in regard to improvement to the structure at Taghadoe Round Tower, County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27182/16]
View answerTachadoe ancient monastic settlement and Round Tower Co. Kildare is a National Monument in the care of the Office of Public Works.
Structural issues within the walls of the Church are under investigation by a specialist Architectural Conservancy firm and its report is expected by the end of the year. The Round Tower at the site is unaffected.
Any works proposals contemplated, whether they are preliminary investigations or substantive solutions, will need specific consent of the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs which is a requirement of National Monuments legislation and this will be sought as soon as feasible.
494. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the OPW is aware that some of the houses which are currently being occupied by Ordnance Survey Ireland are in disrepair with water entering electrics, cracks in the ceilings and with the wall plastering collapsing; if the OPW will meet its obligations as some of the buildings within this area are listed and becoming compromised due to the disrepair; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26566/16]
View answerThe Office of Public Works (OPW) owns properties in the grounds of Ordnance Survey Ireland (OSI) in the Phoenix Park. These properties have to date been managed by OSI who are about to commence a schedule of works which includes replacing guttering, rainwater pipes and chimney repairs.
495. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if EU directives 2014/23 - award of concession contracts, 2014/24 - public procurement, and 2014/25 - procurement by entities operating in the water, energy, transport and postal services sectors, have been transposed into Irish law; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26589/16]
View answerThe three EU Public Procurement Directives were adopted in April 2014 and Member States are in the process of transposing the directives into national law. The Directives clarify the existing framework of procurement law and are designed to improve the effectiveness of the regime and to codify recent procurement case law.
Directive 2014/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 covers public procurement, and repeals the previous Directive 2004/18/EC. This Directive was transposed into law by Statutory Instrument (S.I. 284 of 2016) on 5 May 2016.
Directive 2014/25/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 covers procurement by entities operating in the water, energy, transport and postal services sectors, and repeals the previous Directive 2004/17/EC. This Directive was transposed into law by Statutory Instrument (S.I. 286 of 2016) on 5 May 2016.
Directive 2014/23/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 covers the award of concession contracts and does not directly replace any previous Directive. I understand that this Directive will be transposed by the end of this year.
The Statutory Instruments transposing the Directives are available for download on the Office of Government Procurement (OGP) website www.procurement.ie/publications. The OGP is currently updating guidance that will assist buyers and suppliers to make the best use of these new rules.
496. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if necessary works will be carried out on a drain (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26599/16]
View answerThe channel referred to by the Deputy forms part of the River Maine Catchment Drainage Scheme, which falls under the remit of the Office of Public Works (OPW) under the 1945 Arterial Drainage Act.
Each year the OPW carries out work to approximately 2,000km of channels and some 200 structures around the country as part of its ongoing and rolling arterial drainage maintenance programme. While the average cycle of maintenance is generally in the range of 4 to 7 years, the OPW does routinely inspect all channels and structures for which it has maintenance responsibility.
It is envisaged that maintenance of the channel in question will be included in the 2017 Annual Programme. At present the OPW's resources are prioritising the repair to the damaged flood defence embankments on the River Maine scheme.
497. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the steps he is taking to implement the appropriate legislative changes or other which are required in order to enable persons who reach the retirement age of 65 years of age in public service jobs to continue, if they so desire, working in their places of employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26624/16]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, in August I published the Report of the Interdepartmental Group on Fuller Working Lives which was agreed by Government. The Group, which was chaired by my Department, considered policy around retirement age in both the public and private sectors, examining implications arising from retirement ages now and in the future. The report makes recommendations on a policy framework to address the issues identified and to support fuller working lives.
The Group identified a set of framework principles to underpin policy in this area and made the following recommendations to be implemented by the relevant Departments: the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation is to ask the Workplace Relations Commission to prepare a code of practice around the issue of longer working; employers should take steps to ensure that their policy on retirement age is clearly articulated; employers and workers representatives should take measures to improve awareness among both workers and employers of options, rights and responsibilities around longer working; the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is to review, with public service employers, the barriers to extended participation in the public service workforce up to the age of entitlement to the State Pension; the Department of Justice is to ask the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission to ensure that appropriate guidance material is made available to employers on the use of fixed-term contracts beyond normal retirement age; and the Department of Education is to request SOLAS (The Further Education and Training Authority) and the Education and Training Boards in the context of the National Skills Strategy to develop appropriate solutions tailored to the needs of older workers in order to support them in staying attached to the workforce.
In relation to the public service specifically, I can report that work has commenced in my Department in preparation for a review of the barriers to extended participation in the public service workforce up to the age of entitlement to the State Pension. This review will be carried out in association with public service employers. Any further action that may be involved in terms of possible legislative change or otherwise, will be considered following that review.
498. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the extra costs to the Exchequer in 2017 of demographic pressures without any change in current tax or spending policy, with a breakdown by Department. [26646/16]
View answerExpenditure Report 2016 and the Mid-Year Expenditure Report 2016 outlined a total allowance for demographic pressures of approximate €0.36bn outlined in the following table. This funding, which does not form part of the additional fiscal space of €0.61bn available for current expenditure increases in Budget 2017, will help provide for State Pension payments to additional retirees, additional teachers to cope with increasing student enrolments and certain pressures within the health sector.
|
Estimated Demographics included in 2017 Pre-Budget Current Expenditure Ceilings. |
€bn |
|
Social Protection |
0.23 |
|
Health |
0.07 |
|
Education |
0.06 |
|
|
0.36
|
499. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the costs to the Exchequer in 2017 of measures that are already committed in 2017, both capital and current and including pay and extra services, with a breakdown of each. [26647/16]
View answerPage 8 of the Mid-Year Expenditure Report 2016 outlined the Pre-Budget position for 2017 including approximately €0.9bn worth of measures already committed for 2017. This is elaborated upon in Table 1.
The total includes provision for demographic related pressures across Health, Social Protection and Education of c €0.4 billion in total. A saving arising from lower numbers on the live register has also been taken into account. Excluding the Lansdowne Road Agreement, the carryover impact of the measures set out in Budget 2016 accounts for just over €0.1 billion. The impact of the Lansdowne Road Agreement amounts to €0.3 billion in 2017.
|
Table 1: Impact of Pre-Existing Commitments on 2017 |
- |
|
€bn |
2017 |
|
Baseline for 2017 |
55.8 |
|
Additional: |
|
|
Carry forward of Budget Measures and Demographics |
0.5 |
|
Live Register Savings |
-0.2 |
|
Lansdowne Road Agreement |
0.3 |
|
Public Capital Plan |
0.2 |
|
Mid-Year Expenditure Report: Pre-Budget Position |
56.7 |
500. Deputy Ciarán Cannon asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the OPW is in receipt of any funding applications for minor flood relief works from Galway County Council. [26652/16]
View answerI provided the Deputy with details of applications approved up to 31 August 2016 for Galway County Council (GCC) under the Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme in my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 614 of 16 September, 2016. Since that reply, a further two projects have been approved under the scheme and are set out in the following table.
Applications approved up to 31 August 2016 for Galway County Council (GCC)
|
Town |
Amount |
|
|
Kilcreevanty, Tuam |
Construction of an earthen embankment, installation of flood barrier and associated works |
€14,400 |
|
Kilcloghans, Tuam |
Construct a reinforced concrete wall and associated works |
€19,845 |
|
Project |
Details |
Amount approved |
There are no other applications from GCC are under consideration at this time.
501. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the total travel expenses and reimbursement costs incurred by his Department per annum from 2011 to 2016 to date, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26866/16]
View answerIn response to the Deputy's question, the total travel expenses and reimbursement costs incurred by my Department since 2011 are outlined in the following table.
|
Year |
Amount |
|
2011 |
€180,241 |
|
2012 |
€299,887* |
|
2013 |
€426,953** |
|
2014 |
€291,841 |
|
2015 |
€321,569 |
|
2016 |
€187,388
|
*The number of staff in my Department has increased significantly since 2012 with the establishment and further development of Shared Services Centres, the Office of Government Procurement and the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer.
** The increase in expenditure during 2013 was as a result of Ireland's Presidency of the European Council.
502. Deputy Frank O'Rourke asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his Department has a specific data protection officer in place; if that position is exclusive or if the position holder has other duties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26882/16]
View answerIn response to the Deputy's question, my Department has a specific Data Protection Officer. As well as holding this position, the officer has other duties. The Department is a "Data Controller" for the purposes of the Data Protection Acts. The duties of a Data Controller are discharged within the Department through its procedures of control and systems of assurance and by each member of staff in how they do their work.
My Department issued an internal policy document to all staff in May of this year to support awareness of the key legal concepts and data protection rules. The Department's internal audit function may undertake reviews of this policy in individual Divisions.
Responsibility for keeping and using personal information on computer or in structured manual files is a matter for all staff in the relevant Divisions and all staff are expected to discharge their duties in compliance with the law. Managers have a particular duty to ensure that processes involving personal data within their sections are compliant with the Data Protection Acts. The Chief Operations Officer seeks confirmation from the heads of Divisions annually to ensure that sections are compliant.
The Corporate Support Unit (CSU) of my Department has responsibility for registering the Department with the Office of Data Protection Commissioner each year. The CSU also has responsibility for assigning any data protection requests received in the Department to the relevant areas and liaison with the Office of Data Protection Commissioner as and when required.
503. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the cost to the State of introducing a minimum wage of €12, €13, €14 or €15 an hour for all State and semi-State employees. [26902/16]
View answer504. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the cost to the State to introduce a minimum weekly gross wage of €480, €500, €520, €560 or €600 for all State and Semi-State full time employees. [26903/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 503 and 504 together.
The following tables outline the approximate annual costs of introducing a minimum wage at the rates specified in the questions for employees in my Department and the bodies under its aegis.
|
- |
€12 per hour |
€13 per hour |
€14 per hour |
€15 per hour |
|
Department of Public Expenditure and Reform |
€1,223,893 |
€1,909,547 |
€2,678,299 |
€3,558,937 |
|
State Laboratory |
€27,081 |
€27,081 |
€31,595 |
€33,851 |
|
Public Appointments Service |
€228,271 |
€353,216 |
€481,853 |
€610,490 |
|
Office of Public Works |
€417,000 |
€876,000 |
€1,495,000 |
€2,392,000 |
|
Office of the Ombudsman |
€57,034 |
€95,968 |
€140,220 |
€193,518 |
|
Institute of Public Administration |
* |
* |
€5,000 |
€7,000 |
|
Special EU Programmes Body |
* |
* |
* |
* |
|
- |
€480 per week |
€500 per week |
€520 per week |
€560 per week |
€600 per week |
|
Department of Public Expenditure and Reform |
€635,126 |
€943,342 |
€1,238,661 |
€1,872,259 |
€2,576,127 |
|
State Laboratory |
€25,046 |
€26,090 |
€27,133 |
€29,221 |
€31,308 |
|
Public Appointments Service |
€125,608 |
€177,788 |
€230,932 |
€346,524 |
€466,582 |
|
Office of Public Works |
€485,000 |
€700,000 |
€971,000 |
€1,617,000 |
€2,656,000 |
|
Office of the Ombudsman |
€30,579 |
€44,146 |
€57,713 |
€93,737 |
€134,481 |
|
Institute of Public Administration |
* |
€2,000 |
€5,000 |
€7,000 |
€11,000 |
|
Special EU Programmes Body |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
*No cost implications
My Department is aware of a proposed masterplan for Haulbowline Island in County Cork, including a proposal for investment in an innovation hub. Any specific proposals would have to be considered by the relevant Departments in the first instance.I understand that Enterprise Ireland, an agency of the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, recently invited Expressions of Interest regarding the establishment of a Marine Campus Incubation Centre and is currently considering proposals received.
505. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if, in regard to the proposed move of his Department to Miesian Plaza, where it will pay approximately €9 million per year to lease space from a private entity, any examination of whether NAMA could supply property at a lower cost to his Department was made prior to this decision being made. [26910/16]
View answerThe Commissioners of Public Works advise that the Miesian Plaza property is being acquired in the first instance to facilitate the move of the Department of Health from Hawkins House and the Department of Children from Mespil Road, the latter representing a saving of €1.6m per annum to the exchequer.
The new building will allow for more efficient use of floor space and will also meet the most recent legislative targets for energy efficiency. This latter requirement can only be met in new developments in the city as they represent a significant challenge for building design. As negotiations around the lease on Miesian Plaza are ongoing, it is not possible to confirm the annual rent at this point in time, but the rate negotiated in conjunction with the savings that will accrue through a lease surrender, will result in a nett annual payment substantially below the figure quoted in the Deputy’s question.
506. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the reason it is taking so long to implement a Labour Court ruling dating back to 2008 relating to an issue (details supplied); if the Government has learned anything in relation to this over the past eight years; the way this has been progressed to date; if there is a specific deadline for the introduction of this measure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26958/16]
View answerThe question is in relation to the issue of pension entitlements for Community Employment Supervisors which was the subject of a Labour Court recommendation in 2008. The position in this regard is that although the employing bodies concerned are mainly funded by public expenditure programmes, the State does not have any role as an employer in this sector and the employees of such bodies are not public servants.
This matter together with other related issues is however the subject of discussion at the Community Sector High Level Forum (or Working Group) (previously the Informal Forum) which was reconvened in the last quarter of 2015.
507. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his Department has received a detailed proposal for funding for the development of a masterplan for Haulbowline Island in County Cork, including proposals for investment in an IMERC innovation hub, a national ocean racing hub and other developments; the overall cost of any such proposals; the details of any assessment of the proposals and their current status; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27189/16]
View answerMy Department is aware of a proposed masterplan for Haulbowline Island in County Cork, including a proposal for investment in an innovation hub. Any specific proposals would have to be considered by the relevant Departments in the first instance.
I understand that Enterprise Ireland, an agency of the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, recently invited Expressions of Interest regarding the establishment of a Marine Campus Incubation Centre and is currently considering proposals received.
