Written Answers Nos. 244-263
244. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the discussions which have taken place between his Department and the EU authorities regarding the arrangements for the basic payment scheme post-2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26116/17]
View answerThe future of the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is of huge importance to Ireland's agriculture sector and is a key strategic priority for my Department. I have met with Commissioner Hogan to discuss a number of key issues including the Basic Payment Scheme post 2020. In addition, officials from my Department continue to actively engage in various EU committees and working groups on this issue and my Department will continue to take a lead role at EU level in the development of the CAP post 2020.
245. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a person (details supplied) has not received a 2016 GLAS payment; when payment will be received; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26156/17]
View answerThe person named was approved into GLAS 1 with a contract commencement date of 1 October 2015 and has received full entitlements in respect of the 2015 scheme year.
The 2016 prepayment checking established that the interim commonage form issued to the person named had not been signed and returned as required to support payment. This form has now re-issued to the assigned Commonage Advisor and when it is completed and returned by the person named the application will be further processed for payment.
246. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the details of the plans for a broadband service upgrade at Ballinamuck, County Longford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26078/17]
View answer248. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if Bree, County Wexford is part of the Government's national broadband plan; when it will be rolled out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26153/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 246 and 248 together.
The National Broadband Plan (NBP) aims to deliver high speed broadband services to every city, town, village and individual premises in Ireland. The Programme for Government commits to the delivery of the NBP as a matter of priority. This is being achieved through a combination of commercial investment by the telecommunications sector and a State Intervention in those areas where commercial investment has not been fully demonstrated.
A key principle of the NBP is to support and stimulate commercial investment through policy and regulatory measures. Since the publication of the NBP in 2012, commercial investment has been considerable. To date, the commercial telecommunications sector has invested over €2.5bn in upgrading and modernising networks which support the provision of high speed broadband and mobile telecoms services.
There has been significant progress in relation to broadband roll-out so that today, approximately 1.4m or 61% of premises in Ireland can get high speed broadband of a minimum of 30 Megabits per second. The NBP has been a catalyst in encouraging investment by the telecoms sector, which is continuing to expand this footprint.
In April, I signed a commitment agreement with eir in relation to its plans to provide broadband to an additional 300,000 premises in rural areas on a commercial basis. Eir has committed to doing this work over a 90 week period, with an average of 500 premises passed per day. My Department will be monitoring this roll-out to ensure that eir meets its obligations under the Agreement. A copy of the Commitment Agreement is available on my Department's website www.dccae.gov.ie.
On the same day I published an updated High Speed Broadband Map which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie, which finalises the State Intervention area for the procurement process. The updated Map shows the following categories of areas for delivery of broadband:
- The BLUE areas represent those areas where commercial telecommunications providers are either currently delivering or have indicated plans to deliver high speed broadband services,
- The AMBER areas on the High Speed Broadband Map represent the areas that will require State Intervention and are the subject of the current procurement process.
It is intended that all premises will have access to services of at least 30 megabits per second when the procurement process is completed and the network rolled out.
The map shows that 100% of Bree in the townland of Knocknagoss, Co Wexford falls within a BLUE area where eir is planning to deliver high speed broadband by end 2018. The map also shows that 28% of Ballinamuck in the townland of Shanmullagh Co Longford is in an AMBER area and will require State Intervention while the remaining 72% falls within the BLUE area covered by commercial operators.
Individuals can themselves check whether their premises is in a BLUE or an AMBER area by accessing the High Speed Broadband Map and entering their Eircode at www.broadband.gov.ie
A formal procurement process is in train to select a company or companies who will roll-out a new high speed broadband network within the State Intervention Area. The procurement process is being intensively managed, to ensure an outcome that delivers a future-proofed network that serves homes and businesses across Ireland, for at least 25 years. The finalisation of the State Intervention Area for the procurement process is an important milestone as it means that bidders can progress their business plans and the Department can move to the next stage of the procurement. The three bidders have indicated that they are proposing a predominantly fibre-to-the-home solution. A fibre-to-the-home solution means that householders and businesses may get speeds not just of 30 Megabits per second but much higher, potentially up to 1000 Megabits per second.
The State Intervention network will be a wholesale network and retail service providers will be able to use the network to provide enhanced broadband services to their customers.
The timeframe for the procurement continues to be dependent on a range of factors including the complexities that may be encountered by the procurement team and bidders, during the procurement process. During the Department's extensive stakeholder consultations in 2015, telecommunications service providers indicated a 3-5 year timeline to roll-out a network of the scale envisaged under the NBP, once contracts are in place.
The Department will engage with winning bidder(s) on the best roll-out strategy, in order to target areas of particularly poor service, business needs and/or high demand.
The Programme for Government also commits to measures to assist in the roll-out of the network once a contract is awarded.
In this regard, I established a Mobile Phone and Broadband Task Force in July 2016 together with Minister Humphreys to identify immediate solutions to broadband and mobile phone coverage deficits and investigate how better services could be provided to consumers prior to the full build and roll-out of the network planned under the National Broadband Plan State intervention. The report of the Task Force was published in December and is available at the following link:http://www.dccae.gov.ie/communications/en-ie/Pages/Publication/Report-of-the-Mobile-Phone-and-Broadband-Taskforce.aspx.
In producing this report, the Task Force worked with Departments, local authorities, ComReg, State agencies, the telecoms industry and other key stakeholders. The report contains 40 actions that will alleviate some of the telecommunications deficits across Ireland and the implementation programme on mobile phone and broadband access identifies 19 of these actions as areas where immediate and direct action by Departments and State agencies can ensure accelerated benefits to consumers.
The work of the Task Force will also assist local authorities in preparing for the roll-out of the new NBP network once contracts are in place.
In addition, I signed regulations allowing ComReg to proceed with the allocation of spectrum in the 3.6 GHz radio spectrum band. On 22 May, ComReg announced the result of its 3.6 GHz spectrum award which will provide an 86% increase in total spectrum available for mobile and fixed wireless services.
In my Department's Estimates for 2017, I have secured an €8 million provision for RTE to allow it to free up the 700 MHz spectrum band. ComReg in turn will make plans to allocate this spectrum to provide for significantly enhanced mobile coverage. The 700 MHz band is particularly suited to rural environments where the signal can travel long distances.
These initiatives should assist in enhancing the quality of mobile phone and data services across Ireland and particularly in rural Ireland.
247. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the cost to the State to extend the warmer home scheme to include the upgrade of windows and doors over five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26147/17]
View answerThe Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) administers the Better Energy Warmer Homes scheme on behalf of my Department. The scheme provides energy efficiency upgrades free of charge to people who meet the eligibility criteria. Typical measures available under the scheme include attic and cavity wall insulation, draught proofing, lagging jackets and low energy light bulbs.
The measures currently offered under the Warmer Homes schemes were selected as the best balance that could be achieved between the limited resources available to the scheme, the number of homes that can receive support and the energy savings that can be delivered. In short, the measures supported are those that can deliver the most energy savings at the lowest cost to the highest number of people. While upgrading windows and doors does improve the energy efficiency of a home, the cost of these measures is high in relation to the energy efficiency gains made.
For example, SEAI estimate that the cost of installing a basic energy efficient window package is €6,000 per home. The inclusion of windows under the Better Energy Warmer Homes scheme, which is free to those in receipt of the Fuel Allowance, would increase the average cost per home to €8,641 rather than the 2016 average of €2,641. In 2016, this would have required an extra €41m to complete the same number of homes, or could have meant that 4,800 fewer homes in energy poverty would have received upgrades from the 2016 budget allocation.
Nevertheless as we move towards deeper renovation of homes, as will be necessary to meet our 2020 and 2030 climate and energy goals, window and door replacement could become cost effective as part of a wider package of upgrades to the fabric of a building. My Department and SEAI are now testing out the channels for carrying out deeper renovation in homes across the country to inform future policy.
For this reason window and door upgrades are eligible for funding under the Better Energy Communities scheme in 2017, when carried out as part of a combined fabric upgrade, which also includes upgrades to insulation and ventilation. Grant funding is available for up to 50% of the cost of these works in homes and up to 95% funding is available for those in energy poverty.
Additionally, under the Warmth & Wellbeing pilot scheme, energy efficient windows and doors are installed wherever a surveyor deems them necessary. This scheme is currently only available in certain areas of Dublin but an independent research project is underway to determine the health benefits the efficiency improvements deliver and at the conclusion of the pilot I will consider the scope for the wider expansion of the scheme.
The Deputy may also note that the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government funds the Housing Aid for Older People scheme. This scheme is administered by Local Authorities and provides grants to older people living in poor housing conditions to have necessary repairs or improvements carried out. Eligible works include structural repairs or improvements, re-wiring, repairs to (or replacement of), windows and doors, provision of water supply, sanitary facilities and heating.
249. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the fact that persons in County Cork are waiting seven weeks to be issued their driving licence from the date of application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26073/17]
View answerThe operation of the National Driver Licensing Service is the statutory responsibility of the Road Safety Authority. I have therefore referred the Question to the Authority for direct reply. I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days.
250. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when he will announce the recipients of the sports capital grant scheme programme 2017; the funding he has at his disposal for 2017 allocations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26075/17]
View answerA record 2,320 applications were submitted under the 2017 Sports Capital Programme and all of these are being assessed by officials in my Department.
Given the number of applications received and the detailed information submitted, it will take a number of months to complete the assessment process with allocations not expected until September.
A total of €30m is available for allocation.
251. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will carry out a feasibility study of the possible development of a deep sea port at Arklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26162/17]
View answerArklow harbour is under the control of Wicklow County Council. The council is responsible for any development works at the harbour.
252. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if applications have been made to his Department for the construction of a port access road in Arklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26163/17]
View answer253. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if applications have been made to his Department for the construction of roads in Arklow; the stage each application is at; the decisions which have been made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26164/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 252 and 253 together.
The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads in Wicklow is the statutory responsibility of Wicklow County Council, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from the Council's own resources supplemented by State road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for the Council.
I can confirm that no applications were received by my Department for the construction of a port access road in Arklow. Applications for these types of works are usually submitted through the Departments Specific and Strategic Grant schemes; however, in order to protect funding for regional and local road maintenance and repair in recent years these schemes have been curtailed.
It is however open to the Council to fund such projects from their own resources. The purpose of Exchequer funding is to supplement the own resources of local authorities, not to meet the full cost of schemes.
254. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if a safety audit has been carried out on the N83 at Dunmore town; if not, when it will occur; the reason it has not occurred; the safety measures his Department in conjunction with Transport Infrastructure Ireland are examining to address calming measures on entering the town; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26185/17]
View answer255. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if a safety audit is being carried out on the N65 at Killmeen Cross; if not, when it will occur; the reason it has not occurred; the safety measures his Department in conjunction with Transport Infrastructure Ireland are examining to address lighting, signage, flooding and speed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26186/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 254 and 255 together.
As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme. The planning, design and operation of individual road projects (including the N83 and N63) is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned.
Noting the above position, I have referred the Deputy’s question to TII for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you don’t receive a reply within 10 working days.
256. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if young persons aged 16 and 17 years of age will continue to be able to undertake a driver theory test in view of the new policy applying from June 2017 that all applicants must hold a public services card to sit a driver theory test; if he has received an assurance from the Department of Social Protection that young persons aged 16 and 17 years of age will be able to apply for and receive a public services card which is now a requirement to sit the driver theory test; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26268/17]
View answerI would like to assure the Deputy that the Road Safety Authority (which has responsibility for the driver theory test) has been working closely with the Department of Social Protection in the implementation of this change.
The Public Services Card (PSC) is available to any person with a PPS Number over 16 years of age. Face-to-face registration for a Public Services Card is called SAFE (Standard Authentication Framework Environment) registration. An appointment to get a PSC can be made online, by phone or by calling into one of the 100 SAFE locations nationwide. Details are available on www.welfare.ie. Once a person has successfully SAFE registered, their PSC will be issued to them within 5-7 working days.
257. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the details of discussions she has had with the Minister for Social Protection regarding the potential impact of international trade agreements such as CETA on the social protection system here, particularly in view of the fact that the only social protection-related issues included on the negative list in the CETA text refers to services relating to convalescent and rest houses and old people's homes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26194/17]
View answerIreland is an open trading economy. Under successive governments Ireland has continued to promote a policy for open international trade and competition. This has greatly benefitted our economy. My Department consults relevant Government Departments at every stage of a negotiation of a free trade agreement. My Department consulted the Department of Health in relation to privately funded convalescent and rest houses and old people’s homes as the Department of Health has primary responsibility in this area.
The EU – Canada Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) commits Canada, the EU and it’s Member States to permit access to each other’s domestic services market (the Market Access Commitment) and to treat foreign services suppliers no less favourably than their own service suppliers (the National Treatment Commitment).
There are exceptions to the general commitments to liberalisation of the services market. These are listed in Annex I (Reservations for existing measures and liberalisation commitments) and Annex II (Reservations for future measures) to the Agreement. There are EU specific exceptions that cover all of the Member States and Ireland is also covered by its own specific exceptions.
Annex II lists all the existing measures and restrictions that the EU and Ireland want to maintain in relation to Canadian service providers. These include measures regarding public services, public monopolies and public utilities such as health, education, water supply and social services at all levels of government. In addition, the EU and Ireland reserve the right to adopt new or different and even more restrictive measures in the future.
In Annex II, Ireland also reserves the right to adopt any measure with respect to the supply of privately funded social services other than services relating to convalescent and rest houses and old people’s homes. This exception was included as it is important to support and encourage investment in relation to convalescent and rest houses and old people’s homes given the pressures Ireland faces with an increasingly aging population.
I would also point out that Ireland can continue regulating any liberalised services sector but it will have to do so without imposing quotas or discriminating, so rules should apply in the same way to domestic and foreign service suppliers alike.
258. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation her plans to raise the minimum wage to meet the living wage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26196/17]
View answerThe Living Wage concept is grounded in the idea that a person’s wage should be sufficient to maintain a safe, decent standard of living. At an individual level the resources required to achieve a minimum essential standard of living is very dependent on family circumstances and thus the interaction of individual earnings with household income and State-provided supports such as Child Benefit, Family Income Supplement as well as supports available in relation to housing, education and health all contribute to an individual’s standard of living.
It is important that Ireland’s statutory National Minimum Wage and the Living Wage concept are not conflated. The Living Wage is a voluntary societal initiative centred on the social, business and economic case to ensure that, wherever it can be afforded, employers will pay a rate of pay that provides an income that is sufficient to meet an individual’s basic needs, such as housing, food, clothing, transport and healthcare. The Living Wage is voluntary and has no legislative basis and is therefore not a statutory entitlement. It is different to the National Minimum Wage which is a statutory entitlement and has a legislative basis.
The Low Pay Commission was established in 2015 and its primary function is to, on an annual basis, examine and make recommendations on the national minimum wage, with a view to securing that the national minimum wage, where adjusted, is adjusted incrementally over time having had regard to changes in earnings, productivity, overall competitiveness and the likely impact any adjustment will have on employment and unemployment levels. The Commission presented its first report in July 2015 in which it recommended an that the minimum wage increase to €9.15 per hour. That increase, which was accepted by Government, came into effect on 1 January last 2016.
The Commission presented its second report in July 2016 and its recommendation that the minimum wage be increased to €9.25 per hour was subsequently accepted by Government and came into effect on January 1 last.
The Deputy might note that figures published by EUROSTAT in March of this year show that Ireland has the second highest national minimum wage of any country in the EU at €1,563 per month, behind only Luxembourg whose minimum wage is €1,999 per month. (EUROSTAT for comparison purposes converts countries hourly or weekly rates into monthly rates).
I have no plans to bring forward proposals outside of the work of the Low Pay Commission.
259. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation her plans to immediately increase staff or funding in the interim to the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement. [26090/17]
View answerSince I took up office as the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, five forensic accountants have joined the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement and a recruitment process is underway for a further two. Additionally, a senior digital forensics specialist is expected to take up duty with the ODCE in June.
In addition, and due to a combination of retirement, promotion and transfer, three senior enforcement positions are currently vacant. The Department is working with the Director towards the filling of those vacancies with suitably qualified and experienced candidates.
The Department has no outstanding sanction requests from the Director of Corporate Enforcement.
260. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation her views on whether the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement can be kept within the remit of her Department; and her further views on whether it would be more successful under the auspices of another Department. [26091/17]
View answerThe investigative shortcomings of the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) identified by Judge John Aylmer in this case are unacceptable. They fell far short of the standard impartial, unbiased and thorough investigation we expect and demand.
I have written to the Director of Corporate Enforcement on Wednesday May 24, requesting a report under section 955(1)(a) of the Companies Act 2014. This report is to outline issues arising from the investigations by the ODCE into Anglo Irish Bank since 2008. In particular, I have ordered that the report include an explanation of the following:
- the coaching of witness statements;
- late disclosure of documents;
- a perceived bias by ODCE investigators;
- the shredding of documents; and
- any other relevant matters.
I expect this report to be finalised as a matter of urgency and no later than June 23. I have already stated in this House that I will consider all options to ensure mistakes of this nature cannot reoccur. This includes procedures, organisational change, enhanced powers, legislative solutions or an entirely new model.
261. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the stage at which her attention was drawn to the serious failings and problems within the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement as highlighted in a case (details supplied). [26092/17]
View answerI was briefed by Department officials on developments with the Anglo investigations shortly after taking up office as the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation.
As a matter of course, previous ministers were similarly briefed on issues related to the Anglo investigations. In particular, a Memorandum to Government accompanied the ODCE Annual Report each year which would have outlined progress in key cases.
262. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the engagement her Department had with the ODCE in advance of a case (details supplied); if resources were discussed in the context of that case; the decisions made; if the attention of her Department was drawn to the shredding of documents; if so when; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26199/17]
View answerUnder the provisions of the Companies Act 2014, the Director of Corporate Enforcement is independent in the exercise of his functions.
On March 16, 2011, the Secretaries General of the then Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation and the then Department of Justice and Law Reform met with the Garda Commissioner and officials from the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement. The meeting was arranged to ensure that all appropriate resources were available to the Gardaí and the ODCE to progress their investigations. It was made clear at the meeting that the independence of all the agencies involved in carrying out the investigations was fully respected and there was a clear desire at all levels that nothing would be done which would in any way impinge on that.
In response to inquiries, both the Gardaí and the ODCE stressed that as far as they were concerned they had adequate resources. The Commissioner stressed that both himself and his predecessor had at all times ensured that the Garda team had all the resources they required. For their part, the ODCE were satisfied with the resources available to them and had received anything that they looked for. If they felt at any stage that anything further was required they would, of course, look for it.
Both the Gardaí and ODCE were asked to reflect again on whether there was anything at all by way of additional help that could be made available to them in their work. It was stated that any such requests would be responded to positively.
The then Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton T.D., met the Director of Corporate Enforcement with Department officials on 6 May 2015. At that meeting, the Minister was informed of the destruction of documents and other weaknesses in the investigation.
As the matter was before the courts, it was sub judice. It was considered that no steps should be taken that would interfere with the prosecution of the case and the separation of powers between the Executive and the Judiciary.
263. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation her plans to abolish the sub-minima rates of the minimum wage for trainees and youth workers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26260/17]
View answerIn October 2016 the Low Pay Commission submitted its report on the sub-minima rates of the National Minimum Wage Act 2000, which included a study by the ESRI on the usage of sub-minima rates both in Ireland and internationally. The Commission found that sub-minima rates of a similar nature are in use in a number of OECD countries. It concluded that incidence of usage of the sub-minima rates in Ireland is extremely low, with available evidence suggesting that just 0.1% of employees are currently in receipt of the youth rates and between 0.2 and 0.3% are in receipt of the trainee rates. Their report also indicated that there is no evidence of significant abuse when it comes to the application of sub-minima rates.
Given that the remit of the Low Pay Commission is to make its recommendations using an evidence-based approach, the Commission had agreed with the Central Statistics Office (CSO) in early 2016 the inclusion, on a pilot basis, of a specific question on the national minimum wage, and the use of sub-minima rates, in the CSO’s Quarterly National Household Survey series. The Commission indicated in its 2016 report that it did not consider it appropriate to make recommendations on the appropriateness of the current sub-minima rates at that stage, but would await the availability of the up-to-date data on usage of the rates from the CSO before making any recommendation.
I understand that the results from the pilot question for 2016 are currently being verified by the CSO, and I understand that the Low Pay Commission intends to submit its recommendations in a supplementary report, on receipt of the verified data from the CSO. The question of whether a change in the current system might be warranted or desirable will be considered further in light of the Commission’s recommendations.
