Written Answers Nos. 369-382
369. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to establish dedicated units in each Department to deal with Brexit; when recruitment will commence to fill those units with the appropriate expertise; if the positions will be advertised and recruited by the Public Appointments Service; when he expects the Brexit units to be fully functioning; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11851/17]
View answerBrexit issues in my Department are coordinated centrally by the Department's EU/North South/Brexit Unit. The Unit oversees Brexit work across the Department and acts as the contact point with the Department of the Taoiseach and other Government Departments. It is represented on the Inter-Departmental Group on Brexit and related groups, and supports me in my work as a member of the Cabinet Committee on Brexit. Brexit issues are also addressed by staff in relevant areas across the Department.
The arrangements for Brexit Units in other Departments are a matter for Departments themselves.
370. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding the Civil Service pension scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11853/17]
View answerI take it that the Deputy is referring to the Single Public Service Pension Scheme that was introduced for new entrants to the public service, including the civil service, from 1 January 2013.
There is no specific provision in the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012 which established the Single Pension Scheme, to provide for the purchase or transfer of additional pension benefits by Single Scheme members. Notwithstanding this, a commitment has been given that a purchase and transfer facility would be provided by way of Regulations under the Single Scheme Act.
Appropriate Regulations are being drafted and these will set out the rules of the new scheme. Consistent with the structure of the Single Scheme, it is intended that the Regulations will allow Single Scheme members to purchase additional pension and lump sum referable amounts to augment pension benefits accrued under the Scheme. Under the new facility, it is expected that each purchase agreement will be entered into and completed on an annual basis and paid for either by way of a lump-sum contribution or by periodic deductions from salary, where the Relevant Authority offers such a facility. The Regulations are also expected to provide for the transfer of pension entitlements accrued in certain other Revenue approved pension schemes to the Single Scheme. The pricing of purchased benefits will be based on the actuarially calculated cost of paying out those benefits at retirement and will operate on a cost neutral basis to the Exchequer.
The draft scheme is currently subject to detailed legal and other considerations and the intention is to bring forward Regulations on the new scheme as soon as these considerations are complete.
371. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of the application of Wexford County Council to co-fund coastal protection works at Rosslare Warren Middle, County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11960/17]
View answerI am advised by the Commissioners of Public Works that an application for funding under the Office of Public Works' (OPW) Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme has been received from Wexford County Council for a project at the location in question. Further information has been requested from the Council in order to consider the application.
Furthermore, officials from the OPW met with officials from Wexford County Council on Tuesday 7th February to discuss how to progress issues arising at Rosslare Strand. In particular, the scope of the coastal erosion risk management study of Rosslare Strand commissioned by the Council, which formed part of the application under the Minor Works Scheme, was discussed. It was agreed that further work was required to ensure that the study and its conclusions reflected a full and balanced assessment, including cost benefit analysis, of the range of potential options for managing the risk of erosion across Rosslare Strand as a whole including environmental impacts and which would provide a sound basis for the Council to prioritise any required actions in this regard.
372. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if persons who have given long service as temporary veterinary inspectors with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food will have public pension service entitlements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11984/17]
View answerThe issue raised by the Deputy is a matter for the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in the first instance. However, I am advised that Temporary Veterinary Inspectors are engaged as and when required by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to assist its permanent veterinary staff. I am further advised that they are not employees of that Department, rather they are engaged on a contract for services.
373. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform regarding the position of CEOs of State and semi-State bodies when an initial contract expires, if there is an opportunity to reapply for the post; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11994/17]
View answer374. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform regarding the position of CEOs of State and semi-State bodies when an initial contact expires, if there is an opportunity to extend the contract with the relevant boards approval; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11995/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 373 and 374 together.
The 2016 Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies provides that the term of a contract of a CEO of a Commercial Semi State Company is normally limited to a single contract period of between five and seven years but there is no maximum length of service for CEO's.
The updated Code can be found at the following link: http://govacc.per.gov.ie/governance-of-state-bodies/.
Under exceptional circumstances, the Board of a Commercial State Company can request an extension of the contract of an existing CEO on terms and conditions approved by the relevant Ministers.
Any such request should be submitted in the first instance as a business case from the Board of the Commercial State Company to the parent Department. Once that Department has considered the matter, it can make a recommendation to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform which will be examined in turn.
375. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of a flood defence scheme (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11997/17]
View answerClare County Council commissioned Arups Engineers to carry out a coastal erosion and flood risk management study for Seafield and Clohaninchy, Quilty, Co. Clare with funding provided by the Office of Public Works (OPW) under the Minor Works scheme.
The preferred option presented in the study report for flood prevention measures for Clohaninchy was not economically viable.
The OPW met with Clare County Council and its consultants in September 2016 to explore possible alternative risk management options and measures which would be economically viable. The Council has now advised that it hopes to submit a revised proposal shortly which will comply with OPW requirements and at the same time be acceptable to the local community.
The OPW acknowledge the ongoing local community involvement and have highlighted to Clare County Council the importance of keeping the local community informed of the proposed plan.
376. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of the provision of a flood alleviation project (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12009/17]
View answerThis area is part of the Shannon Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Study. Flood maps were published for public consultation in November 2015 and were developed with information that was available at that time, including information on the flood event of November 2009. In light of the extreme flooding experienced in this area in December 2015 and January 2016, the OPW has instructed the consultants for the Shannon CFRAM Study to undertake further analysis to better understand the specifics of the flood event and to review the hydraulic modelling and flood mapping for this area. This work is almost completed and involves the review of the modelling, flood mapping, the assessment of options. The further analysis will also explore if a feasible measure can be recommended for this area.
The OPW is currently finalising dates and arrangements for a further Public Consultation Day that will provide a forum for the OPW to present the outcome of this further analysis. The OPW is planning to hold this event in March and will shortly publish the details of the local event through local newspapers.
377. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if her attention has been drawn to the negative impact on the welfare of the bee population, if there is an extension of licences to cut hedgerows into the month of August as proposed in the Heritage Bill 2016; if her Department conducted any study to determine the potential environmental knock-on effects of reducing the bee population due to this measure; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11212/17]
View answerThe Regulations that I am proposing to make on the extension of hedge cutting into August will confine the extension to hedges on roads and internal fields on a farm where re-seeding or tillage is occurring. The Regulations will provide for limited managed hedge cutting, under strict criteria, during August to help tackle the impact overgrown hedges can have on road safety. With these restrictions and conditions in place, the expert advice of my officials is that the overall impact of limited, managed hedge cutting in August on the bee population will be minimal.
I understand that for most hedgerow plant species, flowering is largely over by August. The main hedgerow nectar resources will have been provided earlier in the year by species such as willow, blackthorn and hawthorn.
Furthermore, the Heritage Bill provides for a ‘sunset clause’ in that the provisions allowing hedge cutting in August are only in force for a pilot phase of 2 years and can only be extended by the Oireachtas. The National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department will be tasked with monitoring activity under the proposed new provisions and an assessment of any impacts will be carried out before any decision is taken on continuing the measures beyond the 2 year pilot phase.
I will also be issuing guidelines on hedge management along with the proposed Regulations; and these guidelines will advise that the best practice for hedge management is a 3–year or longer cycle of cutting.
378. Deputy Shane Cassells asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if she will review the policy in her Department of excluding equine-based or equine-related projects from assistance or financial support through the Leader programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11325/17]
View answerThe race and sport horse industries were deemed as ineligible activities under the 2007-2013 LEADER programme. However, ancillary activities for the provision of services to those industries were eligible for support, where this was in keeping with the Local Development Strategies developed in each area. Ancillary activities included a broad range of actions, such as equestrian centre and riding school projects.
In light of the considerable level of investment already undertaken in ancillary activities under the previous programme, it was decided that support for such activities would not be eligible under the 2014-2020 LEADER programme. However, in the period since I launched the implementation of the new LEADER Programme in July last year, it has become clear to me that there is still some demand for further investment in ancillary activities, particularly where this contributes to rural tourism.
On 28 February last I announced that I will be amending the ineligible list of activities to allow for funding of ancillary activities for the equine industry. This will be on a targeted basis, with a particular emphasis on ensuring that the supported infrastructure is widely accessible to the public.
379. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the amount her Department spent on public relations consultants and all matters relating to public relations costs in 2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11423/17]
View answerI am advised by my Department that the total expenditure on external communications and public relations services in 2016 was €22,478. This expenditure was in respect of two distinct projects, one in relation to employment opportunities for Irish speakers, the other in relation to identifying a sponsor for the Tidy Towns competition. A breakdown of these costs is given in the following table.
|
Company |
Service Provided |
Cost |
|
Q4PR |
Publicity campaign for Irish Language employment opportunities in the European Institutions |
€17,000 |
|
PSG Communications Ltd |
Source and identify a sponsor for the Tidy Towns competition |
€5,478 |
Value for money is a critical consideration in assessing whether external firms should be engaged to provide public relations services or any other services.
380. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the reason Ireland has the very restrictive red zones on hen harrier-designated land when other EU countries do not in view of the fact that this is having a negative impact on the development of nursery businesses and the resultant loss of opportunity for job creation in these businesses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11456/17]
View answerThe term “red zone” or “red area” refers to afforested areas in Special Protection Areas where procedures are put in place to minimise the impact of forestry management on likely nesting areas of the hen harrier. The procedure is set out in Appendix 21 of the Forestry Standards Manual, published in November 2015 by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
Both Departments are committed to continue to seek further refinements to the process in order to improve its effectiveness and to reduce the burden on forest owners.
As this concerns management of existing forests, it is not directly related to the nursery business.
381. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the moneys spent on the Leader programme in each year since 2014, by county, in tabular form; the status of these payments versus target in each county; the payments that have been granted but not drawn down in each county; her views on the performance of the programme to date; if there will be an underspend in the programme; her plans to address this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11460/17]
View answerIt has not been possible, in the time available, to compile all of the information requested by the Deputy. I have asked that a response be prepared and forwarded to the Deputy in accordance with Dáil Standing Orders.
The referred reply under Standing Order 42A was forwarded to the Deputy.
382. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the percentage of the Leader budget which has been spent on administration costs to date; the way this compares to each other country participating in the Leader programme, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11461/17]
View answerIreland’s LEADER programme 2014-2020 has a total budget of €250 million over the lifetime of the programme. In line with Article 35 of EU Regulation 1303/2015, up to 25% of total expenditure incurred by LEADER Local Action Groups may be claimed in respect of administration and animation costs over the duration of the 2014-2020 programme.
Approximately €1.8 million has been spent on administration and animation costs by Local Action Groups in Ireland since the commencement of the 2014-2020 LEADER programme, with most of this expenditure being incurred in 2016. In addition, approximately €1.4 million in total has been provided in preparatory support for the development of the LEADER Local Development Strategies in each LEADER area.
No project expenditure has yet been incurred under the LEADER 2014-2020 programme. However, the Local Action Groups are currently concluding calls for proposals and are working with potential applicants to develop and finalise project applications in each LEADER sub-regional area. I anticipate a significant increase in project approvals and payments over the coming months.
Figures in relation to the administration and animation costs of LEADER Local Action Groups in other countries participating in the LEADER Programme are not available in my Department. However, the ceiling of 25% of total programme expenditure for administration and animation costs applies to all Member States.
