Written Answers Nos. 213-224
213. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the reason for the delay in the Office of Public Works, OPW, formally approving the lower Morrell river flood relief scheme and the funding of same in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20966/17]
View answerI refer the Deputy to my previous reply on this matter on the 12 April, 2017.
Kildare County Council (KCC) is the Contracting Authority for the Lower Morrell River Flood Relief Scheme and the Council is managing and overseeing the necessary work to progress the scheme.
Formal approval of the scheme and its funding by the Office of Public Works (OPW) will happen when the Council and its consultants complete the detailed design and the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and are ready to submit the scheme for planning approval. This is expected to happen very shortly. The Council is working on finalising the detailed design and the EIS which includes liaising with the various landowners/stakeholders who will be impacted by the proposed works.
I can confirm that the Lower Morrell Scheme remains a priority and the OPW has included provision for the cost of the proposed works in its financial profiles in the period up to 2020.
214. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the additional funding that will be made available to the Health Service Executive, HSE, for section 39 organisations' pay restoration in view of the fact that pay cuts were imposed following 2009 funding cuts from the HSE; the decisions taken regarding section 39 organisations in the discussions around pay restoration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20987/17]
View answerThe issue raised by the Deputy is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Health to consider in the first instance as the organisations in question come within the purview of the Department of Health in respect of the matters referred to.
215. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the criteria and the processes which will be applied to proposed capital projects for inclusion in the Government's capital investment plan for 2016 to 2021. [21020/17]
View answerThe Capital Plan "Building on Recovery", sets out a €42 billion framework to address our priority capital projects up to 2021.
The Plan is now being reviewed to ensure that capital spending is strictly aligned with national economic and social priorities, consistent with Programme for Partnership Government objectives. This includes examining how available capital funds can best be allocated to underpin sustainable medium-term economic growth and future growth potential.
The process will comprise a focused review of priorities aimed primarily at advising Government, in the context of Budget 2018, on how the additional capital funding committed by Government should be allocated over the remainder of the plan. This will examine priority areas for investment, consistent with the objectives of the existing Capital Plan and the specific investment priorities contained in the Programme for Government.
My Department has written to all Departments initiating the Review process and has sought submissions, including proposals for any of the additional capital funding available. In the first instance, it is therefore a matter for each Department as to how it has assessed its sectoral capital plan in the light of any factors since the plan was originally published in 2015, and propose any consequent reprioritisation or additional priorities when making their submission.
A public consultation has also been undertaken to inform the review of the Capital Plan, as detailed on my Department's website (http://www.per.gov.ie/en/public-consultations/). As part of that consultation we have sought views as to what criteria could be used to assess capital programmes. Possible criteria include: economics benefits; positive impact on equality and social inclusion; consistency with the achievement of Climate and Energy Goals; alignment with the new National Planning Framework; and addressing current bottlenecks. Views were also sought as to whether any other criteria should be considered.
Taking these submissions into account and drawing on analysis carried out by my Department, the proposals received from Departments will be assessed with a view to making recommendations to Government in Q3 2017, to inform final decisions by Government on revised capital allocations, to be announced in the context of Budget 2018.
It should also be noted that, as specified in the Capital Plan itself, each Government Department must ensure that individual projects and investment proposals are subject to all of the relevant appraisal processes and value for money tests in accordance with the Public Spending Code (PSC) before Exchequer resources are committed under the Capital Plan. The Capital Plan itself sets out the framework and broad direction for investment priorities and provides Exchequer allocations to Departments.
216. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of submissions received as part of the consultation process on the legislative review of the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015; if he will provide a list of the persons and bodies that made submissions; and the reason these submissions are not yet published on his Department's website. [21076/17]
View answer217. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his views on the report on the review of the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015; and the reason the report was not brought to the Houses of the Oireachtas in March 2017 as required by legislation. [21077/17]
View answer218. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans for changes in legislation following the review of the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015. [21078/17]
View answer219. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to honour the committment given by his predecessor (details supplied) to extend the category of officials that are designated public officials under the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015 to include civil servants at principal officer level. [21079/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 216 to 219, inclusive, together.
The Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015 commenced on 1 September 2015. The Act is designed to provide appropriate transparency on “who is lobbying whom about what” and is viewed internationally as an exemplar to others. There are currently 1,600 organisations and individuals who have registered on the lobbying register, and just over 11,000 returns have been submitted and are available for viewing on lobbying.ie. It is clear that the work undertaken by my Department and the Standards Commission in leading awareness and understanding of the Act has been effective and I am confident that this momentum will be maintained as the work continues.
Section 2 of the Act required that the first review of the operation of the Act be commenced by 1 September 2016, that a consultation process be undertaken in the context of that review and that the report of the review be submitted to both Houses of the Oireachtas. The Act also requires further reviews to be carried out every three years.
I am pleased to advise that there was a good outcome from the public consultation process with some 31 submissions received from different sectors of society including academia, representatives of business and other interest groups, Government Departments and public affairs organisations. The submissions are broadly supportive of the legislation and consider that it provides an instrument for the public to gain insights into the decisions and actions of public servants and the communications that lead to these outcomes. The submissions are available on my Departments website and can be viewed on http://www.per.gov.ie/en/regulation-of-lobbying/.
As regards the report of the review, it sets out the purpose of the Act, the approach taken in the review, the international perspective, the findings in terms of an overview of the issues raised in the submissions and our responses, and recommends a number of administrative actions to be taken. This report has been sent to the Ceann Comhairle of the Dáil, the Cathaoirleach of the Seanád and the Chairman of the Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach on 2 May 2017 and laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas. It is available to view at http://www.per.gov.ie/en/regulation-of-lobbying/.
Extension of the categories of officials comprehended by the Act was considered by my officials in the context of the review. In this regard, consideration was given to a number of factors including:
- it was a matter raised by a number of stakeholders but stakeholders disagreed on who should be included with some seeking that the list of Designated Public Officials (DPOs) should include senior officials in influential public bodies, and some seeking that the Principal level be included on a case by case basis only. The majority of submissions however considered that inclusion of the Principal in the civil service or any other categories of public officials as DPOs would place a great burden on lobbyists in terms of reporting relevant communications.
- The categories of DPOs comprehended by the Act already covers the major categories of positions who are the decision makers in respect of both the civil service and the local authorities.
- The Act itself is in force for a relatively short period and the enforcement provisions only commenced in January this year.
Taking the above into account, I consider that the Act needs further time to bed down before any extension of the cohort of DPOs takes place. This will provide the opportunity for further evidence of the groups of persons to be considered for inclusion as DPOs to be gathered and the matter can be considered in the 2019 review of the Act or before that if I deem it necessary.
I am not recommending that any amendments be made to the Act at this stage for a number of reasons. I believe that it would be prudent to allow further time for the system to establish itself, and for additional evidence regarding how the operation of the Act is proceeding to be gathered and assessed. In addition, Ireland is in a small leading group of countries with effective lobbying regulation. Introducing the prospect of potential legislative change at this early stage clearly has the potential to give rise to significant uncertainty regarding the future shape of the legislation which runs the risk of adversely affecting the operation of the lobbying regime.
Furthermore I am advised that the majority of issues raised have either already been dealt with by the Standards Commission through its work and use of the website or, in my view, can be handled administratively without any requirement for legislative change. I have set out a number of administrative actions to be taken such as development of further guidance, FAQs etc. My strong view is that legislative change is not something that should be embarked upon unless there is a compelling business case for change, such as in circumstances where the legislation is not functioning effectively in a significant way, in terms of the policy objectives for the legislation. This is clearly not the situation we find ourselves in with this Act as reflected in the positive results to date and in international commentary.
220. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Peadar Tóibín den Aire Ealaíon, Oidhreachta, Gnóthaí Réigiúnacha, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta cad é go praiticiúil atá beartaithe aici a dhéanamh chun dul i ngleic leis na scéalta tubaisteacha go bhfuil titim tagtha ar líon na nGaeilgeoirí sa stát don chéad uair ó 1946 i leith, agus titim ollmhór tagtha ar líon na ndaoine a labhraíonn Gaeilge go laethúil sa Ghaeltacht; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh. [20954/17]
View answer221. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Peadar Tóibín den Aire Ealaíon, Oidhreachta, Gnóthaí Réigiúnacha, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an gcuirfidh sí an maoiniú cuí ar fáil anois, i bhfianaise fhigiúirí tubaisteacha an daonáirimh, leis an phlean infheistíochta Gaeilge, atá aontaithe ag 80 grúpa Gaeilge ar fud na tíre, a chur i bhfeidhm ina iomláine, le postanna is breis deiseanna úsáide Gaeilge a chruthú; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh. [20955/17]
View answer222. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Peadar Tóibín den Aire Ealaíon, Oidhreachta, Gnóthaí Réigiúnacha, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an aontaíonn sí gur chóir scéim fostaíochta shuntasach a chruthú sa Ghaeltacht i bhfianaise fhigiúirí tubaisteacha an daonáirimh faoin titim ollmhór atá tagtha ar líon na gcainteoirí Gaeilge sna ceantair Ghaeltachta; an aontaíonn sí gurb í an dóigh is éifeachtaí chun an méid sin a dhéanamh maoiniú a chur ar fáil don phlean infheistíochta Gaeilge; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh. [20956/17]
View answerTógfaidh mé Ceisteanna Uimhir 220 , 221 agus 222 le chéile.
Dírím aird an Teachta ar an bhfreagra a thug mé ar a Cheist Dála Uimhir 40 agus na freagraí a thug mé ar Cheisteanna na dTeachtaí Connolly agus Uí Chuív inné Uimhir 68 agus 79 a thugann léargas ar an obair bhreise atá ar bun trasna an státchórais mar a bhaineann sé le feidhmiú na Straitéise 20-Bliain don Ghaeilge.
Maidir leis an gceist faoi scéim fostaíochta shuntasach a chruthú sa Ghaeltacht ní miste dom a rá go bhfuil, dar liom, obair den scoth déanta ag Údarás na Gaeltachta ón uair gur bunaíodh é sa bhliain 1980 agus freagracht air as forbairt eacnamaíochta, shóisialta agus chultúrtha na Gaeltachta. Is cinnte gur éirigh le hÚdarás na Gaeltachta infheistíocht shubstaintiúil a mhealladh chun na Gaeltachta thar na blianta agus tá sé thar a bheith tábhachtach a chinntiú go leanfar leis an infheistíocht sin chun pobal labhartha na Gaeilge a choinneáil sa Ghaeltacht. I dtaca le sin chuir mé fáilte roimh seo roimh dhea-fhigiúirí fostaíochta an Údaráis do 2016. Tógáil croí é a fheiceáil go bhfuil leibhéal fostaíochta seasmhach sna Gaeltachtaí agus go bhfuil borradh faoi ghnóthaí nua fós ann le 36 comhlacht nua ag dul i mbun gnó in 2016 agus 100 post cruthaithe iontu roimh dheireadh na bliana.
Maidir le buiséad caipitil an Údaráis do 2017, bhí €1m breise i maoiniú caipitil aonuaire faighte mar chuid de Mheastacháin Athbhreithnithe 2016. Tá sé seo coinnithe don bhliain reatha, rud a chiallaíonn gurb é €6.687m an bunlíne nua caipitil i mBuiséid 2017 d’Údarás na Gaeltachta, €1m níos airde ná an bunlíne i mBuiséid 2016. Ar ndóigh bhí áthas orm gur éirigh liom maoiniú breise dé €2.4m a chur ar fail do bhuiséad caipitil Údarás na Gaeltachta le linn 2016. Táim sásta gur chuir an maoiniú breise seo ar chumas Údarás na Gaeltachta poist a choinneáil ina gcliant-chomhlachtaí sa Ghaeltacht agus tuilleadh infheistíochta a mhealladh go ceantair Ghaeltachta. Chuige sin, is í mo thuiscint go bhfuil sí mar aidhm ag an Údarás 500 post nua a chruthú sa Ghaeltacht in 2017. Ba mhaith liom a rá freisin, ós rud é go bhféadfadh cur i bhfeidhm pleananna teanga faoi Acht na Gaeltachta 2012 a bheith ag tosú sa bhliain reatha i suas le 13 Limistéar Pleanála Teanga Gaeltachta, úsáidfear an ciste €735,000 atá á chur ar fáil agam don Údarás i mbliana - atá ardaithe ó €400,000 in 2016, chun cur ar chumas na limistéar, Oifigeach Gaeilge a fhostú le cúram a dhéanamh d’fheidhmiú phlean teanga an limistéir sin. Leanfaidh mé orm ag lorg mhaoinithe breise don Údarás sa tréimhse amach romhainn. Ní miste dom a lua chomh maith go bhfuil ról lárnach ag Údarás na Gaeltachta i bhfeidhmiú an Phlean Gnímh do Cheantair Tuaithe na hÉireann.
Mar is eol don Teachta, tá ról reachtúil ag Foras na Gaeilge chun an Ghaeilge a chur chun cinn i ngach gné den saol ar fud oileán na hÉireann. Tá iliomad oibre idir lámha aige ar bhonn leanúnach chun a dhualgais reachtúla a chomhlíonadh:
- Tá Pleananna Gnó agus Corparáideacha Fhoras na Gaeilge, agus na pleananna atá aontaithe idir Foras na Gaeilge agus na 6 Cheanneagraíocht, dírithe ar mhéadú a dhéanamh ar líon na ndaoine a úsáideann an Ghaeilge ar bhonn rialta agus iad curtha in oiriúint don Straitéis 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge.
- Tá an Cur Chuige Comhpháirtíochta leis na 6 Cheaneagraíocht i bhfeidhm anois ó dheireadh 2014, agus tá ag éirí leis na Ceanneagraíochtaí dul i bhfeidhm ar an phobal. Mar sin féin, glacfaidh sé tamall de bhlianta go bhfeicfimid toradh na hoibre sin ar fhigiúirí an daonáirimh.
- Beidh Foras na Gaeilge agus Gaeloideachas ag tacú le forfheidhmiú an Pholasaí don Oideachas Gaeltachta, rud a imreoidh tionchar ar úsáid na Gaeilge sa Ghaeltacht.
- Tá obair phleanála ar siúl faoi láthair i dtrí cinn de bhailte atá sé beartaithe a ainmniú mar Bhailte Seirbhíse Gaeltacht, agus i dtrí cinn de bhailte atá sé beartaithe a ainmniú mar líonraí Gaeilge.
- Beidh Foras na Gaeilge agus na 6 Cheanneagraíocht ag déanamh anailíse ar na figiúirí daonáirimh ag an Fhóram Comhpháirtíochta, agus ag déanamh athbhreithnithe ar a gcuid pleananna bunaithe ar an anailís sin.
- Tá moltaí curtha faoi bhráid mo Roinne ag Foras na Gaeilge ar bhealaí le tacú le forbairt phobail labhartha Gaeilge tríd Éire Ildánach, trí Fhíorú Acmhainneacht na Tuaithe agus i leith infheistíocht caipitil in ionaid Ghaeilge ar fud na tíre.
- Beidh Foras na Gaeilge ag cur comhairle i láthair na Roinne Oideachais agus Scileanna i leith theagasc na Gaeilge i mbunscoileanna agus i leith thacú le forbairt na Gaeilge labhartha i measc dhaltaí scoile dara leibhéal trí mhéadú a dhéanamh ar an Ghaelbhratach.
- Tá moltaí forbartha ag leibhéal na réamhscolaíochta curtha faoi bhráid na Roinne Leanaí agus Gnóthaí Óige ag Foras na Gaeilge i gcomhar le Gaeloideachas le tacú le forbairt na Gaeilge sa phobal i naíonraí.
Tá réimse leathan ábhar agus gníomhaíochta ar leith clúdaithe sa phlean infheistíochta, agus tá dul chun cinn suntasach á dhéanamh in an-chuid de na ghníomhaíochta seo cheana féin, agus maoiniú bhreise curtha ar fáil do chuid acu. Mar shampla, tá an Roinn ag cur maoinithe de os cionn €300,000 ar fáil i mbliana chun cúrsa céime ar líne sa Ghaeilge agus i gCultúr Traidisiúnta na hÉireann a fhorbairt, i gcomhpháirtíochte le hOllscoil Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath. Cé nach miste a admháil gur plean uaillmhianach atá curtha le chéile ag na grúpaí Gaeilge agus Gaeltachta - atá ag lorg ollmhaoiniú breise thart €5m in 2017 agus €30m thar an tréimhse 2018-2019 - tig leis an Teachta glacadh leis go leanfaidh mé, feadh mo chumais, ag lorg acmhainní breise don earnáil Gaeilge agus Gaeltachta, laistigh den oll-sholáthar airgeadais atá ar fáil don Rialtas.
223. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost per child of introducing a baby box scheme similar to that operating in Scotland. [20998/17]
View answerIn relation to the particular query raised, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
