Danny Healy-Rae
Question:246. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will review an unfair rule (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29162/16]
View answerPlanning Issues
Questions (246)
Written answers
I understand that the Deputy may be referring to the Spatial Planning and National Roads Guidelines 2012 issued by the then Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended. Planning authorities and An Bord Pleanála are required to have regard in the performance of their functions to guidelines issued under this section of the Planning and Development Act. These Guidelines were, I understand, prepared by the then Department of Environment, Community and Local Government in consultation with local authorities, my Department and the National Roads Authority.
The guidelines are aimed at aligning road planning and policy and development planning. The Guidelines indicate that development plans and local area plans should include policies aimed at maintaining the safety and capacity of national roads by avoiding the creation of additional access points and the generation of additional traffic from existing access points on roads where a speed limit greater than 50 kmh applies.
The guidelines also indicate that, in certain circumstances, planning authorities may identify stretches of national secondary roads where a less restrictive approach may be applied as part of the process of reviewing or varying the relevant development plan.
I am not aware of any proposal to revise the guidelines at present.
An Teanga Gaeilge
Questions (247)
Éamon Ó Cuív
Question:247. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív den Aire Iompair, Turasóireachta agus Spóirt an aontaíonn sé gur chóir go mbeadh an Ghaeilge agus an Béarla ar chomharthaíocht bóithre ar chomhchéim agus sa stíl chéanna, de réir an tsaineolais idirnáisiúnta ó Albain agus ón mBreatain Bheag mar a léiríodh i dtuairiscí taighde a cuireadh chuig an Aire, an bhfuil sé sásta bualadh le hionadaí ó Chonradh na Gaeilge chun an t-ábhar seo a phlé; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [28973/16]
View answerWritten answers
Is é an príomh-spreagadh maidir le taispeáint téacs ar chomharthaí tráchta bóthair a chinntiú go bhfuil an t-eolas a dhéanann siad cabhraíonn úsáid shábháilte an ghréasáin bhóithre agus soláthraíonn soiléireacht d'úsáideoirí bóthair ionas nach ndéanfar dochar sábháilteacht ar bhóithre do gach úsáideoir, bíodh cónaitheoirí nó cuairteoirí agus beag beann ar an teanga a labhraíonn siad. Is as an pheirspictíocht um shábháilteacht ar bhóithre a mholadh an dá mo Roinn agus Bonneagar Iompair Éireann (TCT) go bhfanfaidh ár síneacha tráchta láthair mar atá sí. Tuigim go bhfuil an Iompair cló trom reatha úsáidtear faoi láthair le clóscríobh glactha leo go hidirnáisiúnta ar chomharthaí bóthair.
Leanann mo Roinn a choimeád ar bun go bhfuil an polasaí taispeáint Gaeilge agus an Bhéarla téacs araon i éagsúla, ach formáidí ómósach a léiríonn go bhfuil an dá theanga ar leith a bheith ar taispeáint ar chomharthaí bóthair. Tá téacs Gaeilge ar taispeáint i gcónaí os cionn an téacs Béarla agus tá sé claonadh 15 chéim do cheart ón gceartingear; an dara ceann níos fearr léiríonn an cló Gaelach d'aois agus freisin a dhéanann an téacs Gaeilge ar leithligh go hiomlán ón téacs Béarla. Tá an leagan amach an téacs Gaeilge agus Béarla ar chomharthaí tráchta bunaithe ar thaighde, cúrsaí sábháilteachta ar bhóithre agus ar an tuiscint phraiticiúil na ghréasán bóithre na hÉireann.
Cé go bhfuilim ar an eolas faoi thuairimí Chonradh na Gaeilge maidir le húsáid na Gaeilge ar chomharthaí bóthair, tá mé eolach ar mholtaí mo Roinn agus TII maidir leis seo. Cé go bhfuilim i gcónaí sásta a chloisteáil tuairimí na bpáirtithe leasmhara ar ábhar den sórt sin mar seo, mar gheall ar na tosaíochtaí cnaipe shábháilteacht ar bhóithre eile níl mé in ann chun bualadh le Conradh na Gaeilge ag an láthair in am.
Departmental Funding
Questions (248)
Jim Daly
Question:248. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if a use it or lose it by year end rule is or has been in operation within his Department when devolving funding to agencies under his remit on an annual basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29203/16]
View answerWritten answers
Funding is provided to the Agencies under my remit annually as part of the Estimates process and is managed in accordance with public financial procedures. Where underspends or savings arise, my Department will vire funding to meet pressures in other programme headings. For capital funding, there is the option to carry forward unspent funding from one year to the next with the appropriate approvals. Any residual savings or underspends are surrendered to the Exchequer at year end.
Labour Market
Questions (249)
Catherine Murphy
Question:249. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of staff by grade in her Department allocated to process applications for employment permits for those on the critical skills list; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29023/16]
View answerWritten answers
A Critical Skills Employment Permit is designed to attract highly skilled people into the labour market with the aim of encouraging them to take up permanent residence in the State. Eligible occupations under this type of permit are deemed to be critically important to growing Ireland’s economy, are highly demanded and highly skilled, and in significant shortage of supply in our labour market. The list of eligible occupations is set out in the Highly Skilled Eligible Occupations List.
Following the introduction of the Employment Permits Online System (EPOS) which enables submission of online applications, permit applications of all types, whether Critical Skills, General or Renewals, etc., are filtered together into two processing queues, i.e., Trusted Partner applications and Standard Employer applications, critical skills permits are processed through both queues. Applications are then allocated directly to a processor strictly upon date of receipt of the fee that applies. Consequently the allocation of resources responds to the balance of Critical Skills, General or Renewal applications being received at any given time.
The Employment Permits Unit of my Department is composed of grades with designated roles and responsibilities as set out in the table. Staff assigned to process permit applications include members who are experienced and knowledgeable with regard to the legislation and Regulations prescribed in order to exercise the range of criteria when assessing eligibility for employment permits.
|
Grade |
No. |
Grade |
No. |
|
Principal Officer (Vacancy) |
0 |
Staff Officers |
2 |
|
Assistant Principal |
1 |
Staff Officer (temporary placement) |
1 |
|
Higher Executive Officers |
3.1 |
Clerical Officers |
12.2 |
|
Executive Officers |
4 |
Temporary Clerical Officers |
4 |
The Economic Migration Policy Unit attached to the Employment Permits function consists of .5 Assistant Principal and .6 Executive Officer level.
Departmental Funding
Questions (250)
Jim Daly
Question:250. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if a use it or lose it by year end rule is or has been in operation within her Department when devolving funding to agencies under her remit on an annual basis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29199/16]
View answerWritten answers
The management of the annual Exchequer funding provision to my Department and its Agencies is underpinned by the rules governing Public Financial Procedures. In particular grants provided to the Agencies of my Department are subject to the standard requirements set down in the Public Financial Procedures concerning any payment from a subhead, namely that they have to be fully vouched and accounted for to the Comptroller and Auditor General and any balance remaining unexpended at the end of the year must be surrendered to the Exchequer.
The Deputy may be aware that the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform issued a Circular in 2014 regarding the management and accountability of grants to public bodies from Votes of Government Departments. The Circular in addition to prescribing the basis for the management of grant funding to public bodies also sets out the guiding principles which such bodies should apply in the expenditure of exchequer grants, including the need to achieve value for money.
In essence the Circular permits the pre-funding of grants to public sector bodies subject to certain provisos. I would advise the Deputy that a number of the Agencies under the aegis of my Department are provided their grants on a pre-funded basis. The pre-funding of these grants fully complies with the requirements of the 2014 Circular and the monitoring and control arrangements attaching to the pre-funding are available for audit inspection. I would also advise the Deputy that in instances where Agencies have excess funds on hand at year’s end, these are returned to the Department in the following year and returned to the Exchequer as Extra Exchequer Receipts.
It is also the case that all public bodies, including my Department and its Agencies, are obliged to treat public funds with care, and to ensure that the best possible value-for-money is obtained whenever public money is being spent or invested. In this regard, I would point out that all of my Department’s Voted moneys are subject to annual audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General.
I am satisfied that the management of exchequer funding provided to the Agencies operating under the aegis of my Department fully complies with the requirements of Public Financial Procedures and that the requisite processes are in place to ensure that the best value for money possible is achieved by the Agencies in the expenditure of the grants provided to them.
Departmental Staff Data
Questions (251)
Catherine Murphy
Question:251. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of positions filled by participants on community employment schemes, Gateway schemes and Tús schemes within her Department by county, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29085/16]
View answerWritten answers
I can confirm to the Deputy that there are no participants on Community Employment (CE), Gateway or Tús schemes within my Department.
My Department participates in the Willing Able and Mentoring (WAM) Programme. This is a work placement programme which aims to promote access to the labour market for graduates with disabilities and build the capacity of employers to integrate disability into the mainstream workplace. The latest participant on the WAM Programme completed her placement on 9 September 2016.
Child and Family Agency
Questions (252)
Clare Daly
Question:252. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 963 of 27 September 2016, if any person from Tusla has engaged in discussions with a company (details supplied) regarding the company's plans to develop an assessment centre for children aged under ten at (details supplied); if any person from Tusla has engaged with the aforementioned company in regard to Tusla making referrals to that company should the plans for the assessment centre go ahead; and if any assurances, formal or informal, have been given by Tusla to the company in regard to Tusla making referrals to the centre. [29087/16]
View answerWritten answers
Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has advised that there was a scheduled contract renewal meeting in respect of existing services between Tusla Residential Care and the Chief Executive Officer of the provider organisation on September 27 2016. The matter of the proposed Centre was briefly discussed. There was no discussion about referrals to the new venture and no assurances given. In addition, Tusla advised that there was an initial discussion held with the Tusla Inspectorate in respect of the service, but no defined proposals were put forward for consideration at that time.
Special Educational Needs Service Provision
Questions (253)
Darragh O'Brien
Question:253. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will arrange for the application of a special needs assistant for a person (details supplied) for the second ECCE preschool year to be processed without further delay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29093/16]
View answerWritten answers
The Deputy has asked specifically about the provision of a Special Needs Assistant. The Department of Children and Youth Affairs does not fund these services. However, the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM), which is a new programme of supports to enable children with a disability to access and fully participate in the free pre-school programme, was introduced in June 2016 and is administered by Pobal on behalf of my Department. The degree of support provided depends on the needs of the child availing of ECCE, in the context of the pre-school service registered with my Department. My Department has made enquiries of Pobal in relation to this query and it is understood that an application was received for support under Level 7 of AIM. This has been processed in accordance with the agreed protocols ensuring due process, fairness and equity, and the decision has been communicated to the applicants.
I understand that the Early Years Specialist involved in this application has also suggested to the parents and the service provider that this child would benefit from exploring other supports through Level 4 and Level 6 of AIM. They were also encouraged to seek feedback and it is understood that a request for this has been received by Pobal's AIM Team.
Special Educational Needs Service Provision
Questions (254)
Darragh O'Brien
Question:254. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will arrange for the application of a person (details supplied) for a special needs assistant for the second ECCE preschool year to be processed without further delay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29094/16]
View answerWritten answers
The Deputy has asked specifically about the provision of a Special Needs Assistant. The Department of Children and Youth Affairs does not fund these services. However, the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM), which is a new programme of supports to enable children with a disability to access and fully participate in the free pre-school programme, was introduced in June 2016 and is administered by Pobal on behalf of my Department. The degree of support provided depends on the needs of the child in the context of the pre-school service. My Department has made enquiries of Pobal in relation to this query and it is understood that an application was received for support under AIM. This is being processed in accordance with agreed protocols ensuring due process, fairness and equity.
The Parent(s) and Pre-school Provider will be notified of the decision as early as possible and certainly within the next three weeks.
Departmental Funding
Questions (255)
Jim Daly
Question:255. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if a use it or lose it by year end rule is or has been in operation within her Department when devolving funding to agencies under her remit on an annual basis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29191/16]
View answerWritten answers
My Department has a number of agencies under its remit including Tusla, the Adoption Authority of Ireland and the Office of the Ombudsman for Children. In accordance with the budget allocation system operated by my Department each individual agency is allocated a budget at the start of the financial year. Following these allocations each agency provides my Department with a profile of expenditure for the year. Thereafter it is a matter for each agency to manage its budget in accordance with general principles of good financial governance.
In the management and oversight of Exchequer funding my Department is guided by, and operates to, public financial procedures. A key component of these procedures is that funding Voted by the Dáil in a given must be expended in that year or surrendered.
Departmental Funding
Questions (256)
Jim Daly
Question:256. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if a use it or lose it by year end rule is or has been in operation within his Department when devolving funding to agencies under his remit on an annual basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29193/16]
View answerWritten answers
The Department of Defence does not have any agencies under its remit to which funding is devolved.