Written Answers Nos. 108 - 115
108. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Peadar Tóibín den Aire Caiteachais Phoiblí agus Athchóirithe an bhfuil beartas earcaíochta faoi leith i bhfeidhm chun aon chuóta maidir le líon daoine a bhfuil cumas feidhmeach acu sa Ghaeilge, má tá a leithéid ann, a bhaint amach. [30107/16]
View answerMar is eol don Teachta Dála, sa bhliain 2014, cheadaigh an Rialtas cur chuige nua chun tacú le cumas Gaeilge sa státseirbhís.
Faoin gcur chuige nua seo tá bearta chuireadh i bhfeidhm chun deireadh a chuir leis an bpolasaí maidir le marcanna bónais a bhronnadh as inniúlacht Ghaeilge in earcaíocht agus i gcomórtais d'arduithe céime sa státseirbhís nach raibh dírithe ar na spriocanna teanga atá leagtha amach ag an rialtas.
Faoin gcur chuige nua, tá bearta á dtabhairt isteach chun an cohórt de dhátheangaigh feidhmiúla sa státseirbhís a mhéadú a fhéachann le líon na ndátheangach atá feidhmiúil sa Ghaeilge i leith earcaíochta agus, nuair is cuí, i leith comórtais d'arduithe céime, atá bunaithe ar inniúlacht.
Ó thaobh Pleanála Fórsa Oibre do na Ranna go léir, beidh sé riachtanach go sonrófar i bpleananna fórsa oibre gach Roinn amach anseo na poist/réimsí oibre ina mbeidh dátheangaigh feidhmiúla ag teastáil. I gcomhréir le beartas an Rialtais, aithneofar i scéimeanna teanga de chuid na Roinne amach anseo faoi Acht na dTeangacha Gaeltachta 2012 na poist atá lonnaithe i gceantair Ghaeltachta nó ag freastal ar na ceantair sin.
Beidh an próiseas sin lárnach i gcinntiú go ndéanfar foráil dóthanach i gcomórtais earcaíochta agus arduithe céime idir-Rannacha a bheidh á reáchtáil ag an tSeirbhís um Cheapacháin Phoiblí do cheapacháin i bpoist ina dteastaíonn dátheangaigh feidhmiúla. I gcás comórtais earcaíochta agus arduithe céime Rannacha, déanfar measúnú ar an riachtanas do dhátheangaigh feidhmiúla agus, nuair is gá agus is cuí, cuirfear fo-phainéal de dhátheangaigh feidhmiúla ar bun.
Chuireadh na socrúcháin nua i bhfeidhm in áit an scéim maidir le marcanna bónais a bhronnadh as inniúlacht Ghaeilge, a chuireadh i bhfeidhm daichead bhliain ó shin nuair a chuireadh deireadh le Ghaeilge éigeantach do phost sa Stáit Seirbhís.
Faoi na socraithe seo, nuair atá Gaeilge riachtanach don bpost, líonfar é le dhátheangaigh feidhmiúla.
109. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 164 of 5 October 2016 to outline his views on the value of creating a potent disincentive to corrupt practices and whether the recovery of lost revenues where same are exposed and the patterns of success demonstrated in the jurisdiction he cited are strong arguments favouring a more expansive system of protected disclosure; and his further views on whether soft inspections of financial data from the corporate sector here leads to moral hazard. [30138/16]
View answerIn so far as the arrangements referred to in the Deputy's earlier question relate to a scheme operated by the United States' Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and accessible to Irish citizens under the U.S.'s Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, by which monetary awards are available for tip-offs leading to successful enforcement actions by the SEC, it would be a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Finance, in the first instance, to examine the merits or otherwise of replicating these arrangements in Ireland's statutory framework for financial markets.
Ireland's whistle-blower regime under the 2014 Protected Disclosures Act, for which I am responsible, goes beyond the financial services sector and is intended to provide a single overarching framework that protects whistle-blowers in a uniform manner in all sectors of the economy, both public and private. As I pointed out in my earlier reply, the aim is to create a supportive environment to allow for disclosures of wrongdoing to be made in the public interest rather than providing financial incentives for whistle-blowing, which may entail certain negative incentives, as I described. In so far as there may be a case to introduce financial rewards into our uniform and generally applicable regime, and whether and how this would be linked to any recoupment of funds by the Exchequer. I consider this to be a matter most appropriately examined in the context of the review of the Act to be commenced by my Department in 2017, as provided for in Section 2 of the Act.
The statutory framework for financial reporting by companies and its enforcement are matters, in the first instance, for my colleague the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement.
110. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to set out the total drainage works programme of the Office of Public Works in 2016 in County Monaghan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30182/16]
View answer111. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to outline his proposals to allocate funding in 2016 to Cavan County Council to enable it to undertake drainage works to deal with flooding in a number of areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30184/16]
View answer112. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to outline his proposals to allocate funding in 2016 to Monaghan County Council to enable it undertake drainage works to deal with flooding in a number of areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30185/16]
View answer113. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to set out the total drainage works programme of the Office of Public Works in 2016 in County Cavan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30186/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 110 to 113, inclusive, together.
As I outlined to the Deputy in my reply to his parliamentary questions of 21st July last (PQs Nos. 397 and 398 refer), it is a matter for Cavan and Monaghan County Councils in the first instance to identify and address localised flooding issues in their counties. It is open to the Councils to undertake any local flood mitigation works using their own resources or, if necessary, to submit an application for funding under the Office of Public Works' (OPW) Minor Flood Mitigation Works & Coastal Protection scheme.
To date in 2016, the OPW has approved funding of €200,130 to Monaghan County Council under the above scheme in respect of proposed projects at Drummillard/Lakeview, Castleblaney (€37,530),Corleck/Annahaia (€15,000 for study), Donaghmoyne (€85,500), Bunnoe River (€40,500 for study) and Edengilrevy (€21,600).
Applications for funding from Monaghan County Council in respect of two other proposed projects at Cornawall, Doohat and at Munmurry, Glaslough are still being assessed by OPW engineering staff. No applications for funding from Cavan County Council are currently to hand in the OPW.
All applications for funding under the Minor Works administrative scheme are assessed in accordance with the eligibility criteria for the scheme which includes a requirement that all proposed works are cost beneficial and subject to the availability of funding for flood risk management. The eligibility criteria for the scheme are published on the OPW's website www.opw.ie.
The OPW only funds drainage works related to fluvial or river flooding. Any necessary works to address flooding caused by pluvial or inadequate surface water drainage systems are the responsibility of the local authority. The local authority is responsible also for the ongoing maintenance of certain watercourses within Drainage Districts in the county.
The OPW carries out its own programme of Arterial Drainage Maintenance to a total of 11,500 km of river channel and approximately 730 km of embankments nationally. These maintenance works relate to arterial drainage schemes completed by the OPW under the Arterial Drainage Acts 1945, whose purpose was primarily to improve the drainage of agricultural lands. The OPW has a statutory duty to maintain the completed schemes in proper repair and in an effective condition. The annual maintenance programme typically involves some clearance of vegetation and removal of silt build-up on an average five-yearly cycle.
The planned OPW maintenance programme in Co Cavan in 2016 includes work on some 18 km on the Inny scheme, approximately 7 km on the Boyne scheme and 3 km of the Glyde and Dee scheme.
The planned OPW maintenance programme in Co Monaghan in 2016 includes work on approximately 65 km of the Monaghan Blackwater Arterial Drainage Scheme and some 35 km of the Glyde and Dee scheme.
114. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs to outline her views on the fact that persons who pay for a company's (details supplied) bin tags via prepay in a post office pay 30 cent more than customers who pay for tags via automated means by saving a credit or debit card to their account; the proportion of this 30 cent that consists of the post office's merchant commission; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30153/16]
View answerThe issue raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for An Post and the commercial provider concerned. My Department has no statutory function in relation to the matter and I have no information in relation to the commercial arrangement in question.
115. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if she will amend the criteria pertaining to the Leader programme to include the provision of community child care facilities as potential eligible projects, since some rural areas lack preschool care places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30041/16]
View answerFunding under the LEADER Programme is targeted at innovative approaches to addressing the needs of rural areas as identified in the Local Development Strategies prepared for each sub-regional area. The funding can be provided under a broad range of themes, including enterprise development and social inclusion. It is important, however, to ensure that the available funding is targeted at policy areas where it can provide the greatest added value.
Provision for community childcare is available through the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and the local County Childcare Committee. The Government has also announced increased support for childcare in Budget 2017. It is not, therefore, proposed to extend the LEADER Programme to include the provision of childcare facilities at present.
