Written Answers Nos. 388-404
388. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his Department, or the agencies that report to it, entered any non-disclosure or confidentiality agreements with any organisation due to court action or threatened court action; and, if so, the persons or groups with which these agreements exist. [37629/16]
View answerMy Department has not entered into any non-disclosure or confidentiality agreements with any organisation arising from a court action or a threatened court action. As there are no agencies under the aegis of my Department, the issue of non-disclosure or confidentiality agreements related to agencies does not arise.
391. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of the appointment of additional special advisers by him and Ministers of State in his Department. [37890/16]
View answerThis matter is currently being given due consideration in accordance with the D/PER Instructions to Personnel Officers – Ministerial Appointments for the 32nd Dáil.
392. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his Department will complete the statute law revision project which has completed the majority of its work but which still needs to review all primary legislation from 1950 to date and all secondary legislation from 1820 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36944/16]
View answerThe Statute Law Revision Programme was initiated in 2003. It formerly operated within the auspices of the Office of the Attorney General and is now contained within the Government Reform Unit of my Department. Its purpose is to modernise and simplify the Statute book by removing spent and obsolete pieces of legislation, thereby reducing its size and thus making it more understandable and accessible to those who use it. There has been a particular need for such revision in Ireland because our unique legislative past has left us with a complex stock of legislation, with enactments from the Parliaments of Ireland, England, Great Britain and the United Kingdom as well as our own Oireachtas.
To date, the Oireachtas has passed five Statute Law Revision Acts as follows:
- The Statute Law Revision (Pre-1922) Act 2005, which repealed a selection of pre-1922 statutes;
- The Statute Law Revision Act 2007, which was a comprehensive revision of pre-1922 Public General Acts;
- The Statute Law Revision Act 2009, which revised all Private Acts up to and including 1750 and all Local and Personal Acts up to and including 1850;
- The Statute Law Revision Act 2012, which revised all Private Acts from 1750 to 1922 and all Local and Personal Acts from 1850 to 1922; and
- The Statute Law Revision Act 2015, which revoked Secondary Instruments made before 1 January 1821.
A sixth Statute Law Revision Bill, covering primary legislation enacted between 1922 and 1950, is currently progressing through the Houses.
The progress we have made with the Statute Law Revision Programme has been considerable. To date, over 60,000 pieces of legislation have been either expressly or implicitly repealed under the programme. Collectively this is the most extensive set of repealing measures in the history of the State and the most extensive set of statute law revision measures ever enacted anywhere in the world. I propose, however, in view of the progress made, to pause the Statute Law Revision Programme at this time in order that my Department can progress other priorities.
393. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of staff from his Department seconded to other Departments or agencies in the Civil Service per annum from 2010 to date in 2016, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36970/16]
View answerPlease see below in tabular form the number of Department of Public Expenditure and Reform staff seconded to other departments or agencies in the civil service per annum 2010 to 2016. The table comprises staff in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the National Shared Services Office and the Office of Government Procurement.
The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform was established in 2011. Since 2013, Economists recruited to the Irish Government Economic & Evaluation Service are recruited to as Department of Public Expenditure and Reform staff and seconded to other civil service Departments under the IGEES scheme these secondments are reflected in the figures below.
The National Shared Service Offices was established in 2013
The Office of Government Procurement commenced operations in 2014.
|
Year |
Department |
Number of staff seconded to other Depts. Or agencies in the civil service |
|
2011 |
DPER |
1 |
|
2012 |
DPER |
3 |
|
2013 |
DPER |
5 |
|
|
NSSO |
2 |
|
2014 |
DPER |
5 |
|
|
NSSO |
1 |
|
|
OGP |
0 |
|
2015 |
DPER |
17 |
|
|
NSSO |
5 |
|
|
OGP |
0 |
|
2016 |
DPER |
19 |
|
|
NSSO |
9 |
|
|
OGP |
3 |
394. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of staff from his Department who have appealed against secondment per annum from 2010 to date in 2016, in tabular form; the appeals mechanism involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36986/16]
View answerThe Department of Public Expenditure and Reform was established in 2011. No staff from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform have appealed against secondment from 2011 to 2016.
395. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of staff from his Department seconded to firms in the private sector per annum from 2010 to date in 2016, in tabular form; the details of the company; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37002/16]
View answerThe Department of Public Expenditure and Reform was established in 2011. There have not been any staff seconded from the Department to a private sector firm between 2011 and 2016.
396. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of staff from his Department seconded from firms in the private sector per annum from 2010 to date in 2016, in tabular form; the details of the company; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37018/16]
View answerThe Department of Public Expenditure and Reform was established in 2011. There have been no staff seconded from a private sector firm between 2011 and 2016.
397. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will address a matter (details supplied) concerning the application of the Lansdowne Road agreement to a public servant due to retire in May 2017. [37041/16]
View answerI refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No. 376 on 25 October 2016.
PQ No. 32140/16 [25 October 2016, Séamus Healy]
To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if, in view of the fact that the FEMPI Act 2013 pay reductions for serving higher earners, over €65,000 per annum will be restored in two stages, the first half of the reduction will be restored on 1 April 2017, the second half of the reduction will be restored on 1 January 2018, the equivalent pensioner will receive an increase equivalent to that of serving peer on those dates; if by 2 January 2018 all public service pensioners with full service will have had their pensions restored to 50% of the salary of serving peer; if the traditional principle of parity of public service pension increases with pay increases of serving peer will be honoured by the Government into the future; his views on whether pension restorations are particularly urgent in view of the much reduced life expectancy of older persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
REPLY:
The Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (FEMPI) 2013 Act provided for a "grace period" by which the retired counterparts of public servants in grades affected by the 2013 pay cuts already receive pensions unaffected by those pay cuts. This means that persons retiring since 1 July 2013 from grades affected by the pay cuts on that date were awarded, and are paid, pensions based on the higher "pre-cut" salaries; in like manner, the pensions of equivalent earlier retirees, who retired before 1 July 2013, are unaffected by those 2013 pay cuts. I should also point out that, neither of the two direct salary reductions in the public service under the FEMPI legislation, occurring in 2010 and 2013, or the reduction effected under the FEMPI 2009 Act through the imposition of the Pension Related Deduction on remuneration of public servants, were passed on to the pensions of same-grade retirees.
Public service pensioners have been impacted by another FEMPI measure, the Public Service Pension Reduction (PSPR). The PSPR reduces the pay-out value of pensions with pre-PSPR values above specified thresholds in a progressively structured way which has a proportionately greater effect on higher value pensions. At all times, public service pensions up to a value of €12,000 have been unaffected by PSPR, while a higher exemption threshold of €32,500 has applied to pensions awarded from 1 March 2012 onwards.
PSPR is being significantly reversed in three stages under FEMPI 2015, with PSPR-affected pensioners getting pension increases via substantial restoration of the PSPR cuts on 1 January 2016, 1 January 2017 and 1 January 2018. When fully rolled-out from 1 January 2018, the changes will mean that all public service pensions with pre-PSPR values of up to €34,132 will be fully exempt from PSPR, while those pensioners not fully removed from the reach of PSPR will, in the majority of cases, benefit by €1,680 per year. The cost of these changes is estimated at about €90 million on a full-year basis from 2018.
As we move beyond FEMPI and PSPR restoration towards more normal pay and pension setting conditions in the public service, the issue of how to adjust the post-award value of public service pensions through appropriate pay or other linkages will be considered by Government.
398. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his proposals for the position of staff officer in the Civil Service, particularly in the context of the proposals contained in the Haddington Road agreement; the consultations he has had; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37185/16]
View answerDiscussions on the merging of the Staff Officer grade with that of Executive Officer are the subject of current discussions with the relevant civil service union interests. The outcome to this process has yet to be concluded between the management and union sides.
399. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the funding that has been provided to County Louth over the previous three years, from 2014 to 2016, by project name, location and funding amount, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37227/16]
View answer400. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the applications submitted for funding projects from Louth County Council in each of the years 2014 to 2016 in tabular form; and if the applications were successful. [37243/16]
View answer401. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the funding for projects in 2017 in County Louth to be funded by his Department, by project name, location and funding amount, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37259/16]
View answer402. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the funding that has been provided to County Meath over the previous three years, from 2014 to 2016, by project name, location and funding amount, in tabular form. [37275/16]
View answer403. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the applications submitted for funding and projects from Meath County Council in each of the years 2014 to 2016, in tabular form; if the applications where successful; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37291/16]
View answer404. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the funding for projects in 2017 in County Meath to be funded by his Department by project name, location and funding amount, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37307/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 399 to 404, inclusive, together.
As the Deputy will be aware, the Government's Capital Plan was announced on 29 September, 2015 and outlined exchequer capital spending of €27 billion over the next six years. In the 2016 Summer Economic Statement, the Government committed to additional capital investment of €5.14 billion over the period of the plan. Individual Ministers will be able to advise on the range of projects and initiatives in County Louth and County Meath that are being funded under the Capital Plan by the relevant line Departments.
In relation to my Department, in reply to your questions 37227 and 37275, the Office of Public Works (OPW) has provided funding for projects in County Louth and County Meath over the past three years and details of these projects are set out in the tables.
Louth County Council
|
2014 |
2015 |
2016 (to 24/11/16) |
|
|
Blackrock- Flood Relief Minor Works |
€27,000 |
|
|
|
Carlingford- Flood Relief Minor Works |
€9,990 |
|
|
|
Ballagan- Flood Relief Minor Works |
€1,502 |
||
|
Annagassan- Flood Relief Minor Works- |
€10,726 |
€10,800 |
|
|
Whitestown- Storm Damage Works |
€50,884 |
||
|
Blackrock Sea Wall- Storm Damage Works |
€11,703 |
||
|
Gyles Quay- Storm Damage Works |
€32,200 |
€25,411 |
|
|
Cruisetown-Storm Damage Works |
€11,354 |
€23,969 |
|
|
Annagassan- Storm Damage Works |
€4,357 |
||
|
Corstown, Dunany- Storm Damage Works |
€7,968 |
||
|
Omeath- Storm Damage Works |
€23,154 |
||
|
Coastal minor works Baltray Report |
€16,937 |
||
|
Coastal minor works Bellurgan |
€9,000 |
€45,000 |
|
|
Seabank Flood Relief Minor Works |
€13,381 |
||
|
Total to Louth Council |
€190,838 |
€71,761 |
€72,737 |
Meath County Council
|
Project |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 (to 24/11/16) |
|
Fee for facilities provided at Hill of Tara |
€18,500 |
€20,000 |
|
|
Ashbourne State Ceremonial Event |
€55,012 |
||
|
Contribution to proposed road works |
€21,000 |
||
|
Northlands Bettystown-Flood Relief Minor Works |
€65,872 |
||
|
Ashbourne Flood Relief Minor Works |
€58,983 |
||
|
Laytown/Bettystown coastal storm damage |
€75,000 |
||
|
Laytown/Bettystown coastal storm damage |
€51,792 |
||
|
Total to Meath County Council |
€18,500 |
€147,792 |
€199,867 |
In relation to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 400, 401, 403 and 404, the OPW will respond directly to the Deputy in the next ten days.
The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 42A.
Minor Flood Mitigation Works & Coastal Protection Scheme Louth County Council
Louth County Council has been approved total funding of €286,200 for 7 coastal & 1 non-coastal project under the above Scheme from 2014-2016. Details outlined in the table.
0 applications submitted in 2014, 8 in 2015 & 2 in 2016.
|
Project location |
Approved Funding |
|
2015 |
|
|
Seabank Castlebellingham (coastal) |
€13,500 |
|
Annagassan (coastal) |
€10,800 |
|
Bellurgan, Dundalk (coastal) |
|
|
Dundalk Bay (Greenore, Dillonstown, Blackrock & Whitestown) (coastal) |
€81,000 |
|
Dunleer |
€58,000 |
|
Bellurgan (coastal) |
€45,000 |
|
2016 |
|
|
Baltray (coastal) |
€54,000 |
|
Rampark, Lordship (coastal) |
€14,400 |
Engineering Services
07/12/16
Coastal Protection and Flood Defence Infrastructure damaged by severe weather events in the period 13 th December 2103 to 6 th January 2014
Funding of €191,000 was allocated to Louth County Council in 2014 by the Government Decision of 11th February, 2014.
Minor Flood Mitigation Works & Coastal Protection Scheme Meath County Council
Meath County Council has been approved total funding of €570,183, under the above Scheme from 2014-2016. Details outlined in the table.
0 applications submitted in 2014, 1 in 2015 & 2 in 2016.
|
Project location |
Approved Funding |
|
2015 |
|
|
Ashbourne |
€58,983 |
|
2016 |
|
|
Ashbourne |
€450,000 |
|
Woodtown |
€61,200 |
Engineering Services
07/12/16
Coastal Protection and Flood Defence Infrastructure damaged by severe weather events in the period 13 th December 2103 to 6 th January 2014
Funding of €126,792 was allocated to Meath County Council in 2014/2015 by the Government Decision of 11th February, 2014.
