Written Answers Nos. 163 - 176
163. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the reason dividends received from commercial semi-State companies were €304 million behind profile at the end of October 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36730/16]
View answerThe reason for dividends from commercial semi-State companies being behind profile by €304 million in the end-October Exchequer returns is due to a review of the timing of payment by Ervia, by way of special dividend, of the proceeds from the Bord Gais Energy sale transaction.
A special dividend payment of €370 million by Ervia, relating to the sale transaction, had been profiled to be received by end-October. However, this payment has now been rescheduled for receipt in December and will now be in the amount of €100 million rather than the €370 million originally profiled. The reason for this change in the timeframe for payment to the Exchequer of the remainder of the Bord Gais Energy sale proceeds, by way of special dividend, is in order to maximise the positive GGB impact of the transaction proceeds and thereby also maximise the potential use to which these funds can be put by Government, within the restrictions imposed by Eurostat accounting rules.
Stripping out the effect of the Ervia dividend, the position in relation to the dividends received from the other commercial semi-State companies would show that these are at 106% or €66 million ahead of profile.
164. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the cost of public service pensions in payment for each year from 2010 to 2016 to date; the estimated projected cost for each year from 2016 to 2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36749/16]
View answerDetails of the annual cast cost of public service pensions in each of the years 2010 to 2017 are presented in the following table. Pension cost information (and information on pay and headcount) for past years is publicly available on my Department's website http://databank.per.gov.ie/. The 2016 and 2017 Estimates provided in the table are as published in the Revised Estimates Volume 2016 and the Expenditure Report 2017, respectively. My Department does not have forecasts for the annual cash cost of public service pensions beyond 2017, but is currently working on updating the actuarial estimate of the accrued liability for Public Service pensions, which at end December 2012 was costed at €98 billion. Further information on the Public Service pensions accrued liability can be found at http://www.per.gov.ie/en/public-service-pensions-accrued-liability.
PUBLIC SERVICE PENSIONS 2010 - 2017
|
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
|
|
COST (€000) |
2,731,226 |
2,870,910 |
3,122,133 |
2,760,404 |
|
2014 |
2015 |
2016 (estimate) |
2017 (estimate) |
|
|
COST (€000) |
2,978,175 |
2,908,964 |
2,929,410 |
3,037,219 |
165. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the total public sector gross pay, net pay, Government income and the total public sector net pay as a percentage of total Government income in each of the years 2005 to 2015 in tabular form. [36819/16]
View answerThe following table outlines the Exchequer pay bill (gross and net) and compares these amounts with Exchequer tax revenue for the period 2005 to 2015.
|
(€bn) |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
|
Gross Pay |
14.1 |
15.4 |
16.6 |
17.2 |
17.5 |
16.0 |
15.7 |
15.3 |
15.1 |
14.7 |
15.1 |
|
Net Pay |
13.9 |
15.2 |
16.6 |
17.1 |
16.6 |
15.0 |
14.7 |
14.3 |
14.1 |
13.8 |
14.5 |
|
Tax Revenues |
39.3 |
45.5 |
47.2 |
40.8 |
33.0 |
31.8 |
34.0 |
36.6 |
37.8 |
41.3 |
45.6 |
|
(% Tax Revenues) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gross Pay |
36% |
34% |
35% |
42% |
53% |
51% |
46% |
42% |
40% |
36% |
33% |
|
Net Pay |
36% |
33% |
35% |
42% |
50% |
47% |
43% |
39% |
37% |
33% |
32% |
166. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the total amount of pension related deduction in each of the years 2009 to 2015 in tabular form. [36821/16]
View answerThe public service Pension-Related Deduction (PRD) was introduced in March 2009 under the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2009.
The Exchequer yield from PRD since its inception in 2009 up to 2015 is as follows:
|
Year |
PRD Yield |
|
2009 |
€837,419,000 |
|
2010 |
€948,605,000 |
|
2011 |
€960,224,000 |
|
2012 |
€934,739,000 |
|
2013 |
€925,986,000 |
|
2014 |
€877,800,000 |
|
2015 |
€875,985,000 |
The amounts in the table do not include non-Exchequer PRD receipts, as arising for example in the local government sector.
167. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of public sector workers by county, the total number of employees in the public and private sectors by county and the total number of public sector employees by county as a percentage of total employed in the public and private sectors by county, in each of the years 2005 to 2015 in tabular form. [36822/16]
View answerIn relation to the Civil Service, my Department holds information on numbers employed by county and I will forward the details to the Deputy's office under separate cover. For the public service as a whole, individual level data - such as relating to location - is not held centrally by Department rather it resides as part of the individual employee data record held and maintained in different sectors of the public service. The Deputy may wish to follow-up with the main sectoral Departments, such as Health, Education, Defence and Justice to ascertain the availability of this information in each case.
In terms of that element of the Deputy's question relating to private sector employment, The Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS) is the official source of employment estimates in the State and is conducted in line with relevant European regulations for the conduct of labour force surveys.
The labour market estimates produced by the QNHS are designed to meet strict quality criteria set down by EUROSTAT, which specify the level of statistical accuracy that these estimates must achieve at national level. The CSO also produces regional labour market estimates from the QNHS (NUTS 3 regions) which is beyond the level of regional detail (NUTS 2 regions) required by EUROSTAT. It is not possible to produce robust county level estimates from the current QNHS data. Achieving representative samples at county level on which to base labour market estimates would require a substantial increase in the number of households interviewed and the number of field interviewers required to interview them. The main source of detailed county and small area level information is the Census of Population. The Census asks respondents to declare their Principal Economic Status (PES), which classifies their usual situation with regard to employment, and includes the categories of employed and unemployed, amongst others. A detailed analysis of the change in 'PES' between 2011 and 2016 will be available at county level and below when the 2016 Census results are published in 2017.
168. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of full-time and part-time public sector workers in each of the years 2005 to 2015 in tabular form. [36823/16]
View answerThe following table presents data on full and part time workers in the Civil Service (including traditional part-time - i.e. 50% of full-time - and other work sharing patterns) from end 2006 to Q2, 2016. Data for the prison service, which is part of the Civil Service, is recorded separately as prison staff are predominantly full-time. The "other" category refers to a small number of instances where a breakdown on a full or part time basis is not readily available and therefore is recorded on a full-time equivalent (FTE) basis.
Information on the number of public servants in each sector on a whole time equivalent basis is available on http://databank.per.gov.ie/, however more detailed information on work patterns in the wider public service, including in health and education, is not held centrally by my Department. The main Government Departments responsible for individual sectors may be able to provide the information requested by the Deputy for those sectors.
CIVIL SERVICE WORK PATTERNS, 2006 - Q2, 2016
|
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
|
|
Full-time |
28,583 |
29,020 |
29,600 |
28,203 |
27,388 |
27,692 |
|
Work-share |
3,542 |
3,735 |
3,799 |
3,524 |
3,615 |
3,638 |
|
Prisons/other |
3,346 |
3,565 |
4,022 |
3,942 |
3,820 |
3,755 |
|
Total |
35,471 |
36,320 |
37,421 |
35,670 |
34,823 |
35,085 |
|
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
Q2, 2016 |
|
|
Full-time |
27,498 |
26,801 |
27,253 |
27,511 |
28,573 |
|
Work-share |
3,655 |
4,192 |
3,892 |
3,920 |
3,779 |
|
Prisons/other |
3,705 |
3,715 |
3,661 |
3,601 |
3,686 |
|
Total |
34,858 |
34,707 |
34,807 |
35,032 |
36,038 |
170. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the number of vacancies on boards or agencies within her Department's remit that currently exist; the number that have been filled since 8 May 2016; the number of these that were filled through the Public Appointments Service; the timeline for filling remaining vacancies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36641/16]
View answer172. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the number of vacancies on State boards in her Department; the number filled since she took office; the number filled through the Public Appointments Service; the timelines to fill vacancies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36833/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 170 and 172 together.
The information sought by the Deputy is provided in the following table.
The Public Appointments Service operates a dedicated website, www.stateboards.ie, through which it advertises vacancies on State Boards. Following a recruitment campaign organised by Public Appointments Service via its website, I intend to make appointments to the boards of the Arts Council and of the Crawford Art Gallery in the coming weeks. Arrangements are also in train in co-operation with the Public Appointments Service to fill vacancies on the National Archives Advisory Council. It may be noted that the National Archives of Ireland has an Advisory Council, rather than a Board.
In the case of appointments to the boards of Foras na Gaeilge and the Ulster-Scots Agency, being agencies of the North South Implementation Body, An Foras Teanga, these are made by the North South Ministerial Council, arising from nominations on a 50:50 basis by each jurisdiction.
|
State Agency |
Current No. of Vacancies |
No. of vacancies filled since 08/05/2016 |
No. of vacancies filled through PAS since 08/05/2016 |
|
Arts Council |
6 |
0 |
0 |
|
Chester Beatty Library |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Crawford Gallery |
7 |
1** |
0 |
|
Foras na Gaeilge |
5* |
0 |
0 |
|
Heritage Council |
0 |
11 |
11 |
|
Irish Film Board |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
National Archives |
10 |
0 |
0 |
|
National Concert Hall |
0 |
9 |
9 |
|
National Gallery of Ireland |
0 |
7 |
7 |
|
National Museum of Ireland |
0 |
16*** |
12 |
|
Údarás na Gaeltachta |
0 |
1**** |
0 |
*3 to be nominated by the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.
**The Chair of the Crawford Art Gallery was temporarily reappointed on 4 June 2016 until the PAS recruitment process for new members is complete.
***Four appointments based on nominations from external bodies in accordance with the provisions of the National Cultural Institutions Act 1997.
**** Appointment of a local authority nominee in accordance with the provisions of the Gaeltacht Act 2012.
171. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 169 of 16 November 2016, the amount of funding awarded and the nature of the project supported; the names of the company in receipt of funding under the capital grants scheme in 2015 and to date in 2016 by Údarás na Gaeltachta in County Donegal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36734/16]
View answerThe Deputy will appreciate that the details sought by him are extensive and, accordingly, it has not been possible to collate the requested information in the time available. Údarás na Gaeltachta has been requested to supply the relevant data as soon as possible and I will arrange to forward the relevant data to the Deputy shortly, within the timeframe set down in Standing Orders.
173. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of an operation in respect of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36591/16]
View answerUnder the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.
The National Waiting List Management Policy, A standardised approach to managing scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures, January 2014, has been developed to ensure that all administrative, managerial and clinical staff follow an agreed national minimum standard for the management and administration of waiting lists for scheduled care. This policy, which has been adopted by the HSE, sets out the processes that hospitals are to implement to manage waiting lists.
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
174. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of a hospital appointment in respect of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36595/16]
View answerUnder the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.
The scheduling of appointments for patients is a matter for the hospital to which the patient has been referred. Should a patient's general practitioner consider that the patient's condition warrants an earlier appointment, he or she should take the matter up with the consultant and the hospital involved. In relation to the specific case raised, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
175. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if it can be facilitated for a district nurse to call to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36597/16]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
176. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health the status of the situation at the Mater Hospital following an orthopaedic surgeon going on leave due to health reasons; and the status of finding their locum replacement [36598/16]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
