Written Answers Nos. 117-134
117. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the extent reform remains a feature of his Department's policy with particular reference to ensuring good value for the taxpayer and quality service for the consumer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40732/17]
View answerPublic Service Reform continues to be a key feature of my Department's policy. Considerable progress has been made since the first Public Service Reform Plan was published in 2011. We are now moving from a stage of reform to one of development and continuous improvement which will cover the period to 2020. My Department is currently developing a new Public Service Development and Innovation Framework, Our Public Service 2020. This will set out a series of actions to be delivered out to 2020 which will both build on the achievements of the last six years and respond to new challenges.
Our Public Service 2020 will have a particular emphasis on quality service for the customer. We aim to place the customer's needs at the core of every decision from policy formulation to service design through to the service delivery. The framework will focus on increasing access, enabling better delivery and engagement with our customers using new tools such as increased digitisation, increasing accessibility of services and better data-sharing.
The approach of the framework will be underpinned by the principles of evidence, flexibility, inclusion, outcomes focus and evaluation and review. These will ensure a continued focus on quality service for the customer and on value for money. There will be a strengthened effort to move from an emphasis on outputs and processes to focus on outcomes and impact. Regular evaluation and review with indicators measuring whether the aims of the plan are on target will ensure we measure progress.
Ensuring value for the taxpayer is an important element of public expenditure management. In July this year I published the output of the spending review. The papers prepared for the Spending Review cover a wide range of policy areas and account for a significant proportion of current expenditure. In total, 17 papers were produced by officials in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and other Departments. In addition, an analysis of expenditure trends in key sectors was also published. This was the first in a planned series of 'rolling' selective reviews that will take place each year to 2019. The aim of the Spending Review process was to examine existing spending by reference to the principles of efficiency, effectiveness, sustainability and impact. This approach allows for systematic examination of existing spending programmes to assess their effectiveness in meeting policy objectives and also to identify scope for reallocating funding to meet expenditure priorities. In this way, we can ensure that value for money is achieved for every euro of public funding spent.
As the Deputy may already be aware, in July my colleague Minister of State Patrick O’Donovan launched the following four public service reform initiatives:
1. The final progress report on the implementation of the 2014-16 Public Service Reform Plan which reflects on reforms implemented during that period, highlighting a wide range of improved services for the public and savings across a range of projects. The report showed that almost 90% of the 227 actions in the plan were on target or completed.
2. The OECD Assessment of the 2014-16 Public Service Reform Plan which was undertaken with a view to informing future public service reform efforts. The OECD Assessment acknowledges the achievements made and identifies the key areas where public service reform needs to focus on going forward.
3. The first ever public consultation on public service reform which was carried out in preparation for the third phase of the Plan. Our Public Service 2020 – Development and Innovation Framework. The framework aims to deliver better outcomes for the public and to build more responsive and agile public service organisations. It identifies a series of actions grouped under the following three pillars:
1. Delivering for our Public
2. Innovating for our Future
3. Developing our People and Organisations
Two case-studies on recent major reform projects; the creation of the Office of Government Procurement and the establishment of the INTREO one-stop-shop service for job-seekers. These address a gap in access to public service case studies to date, and are educational resources for free use in third-level and public policy environments.
The four initiatives reflect well on the progress on reform to date, across the public service and show how we are using past experience to inform the next phase of reform, which is due to be launched before the end of the year. All documents are available on www.reformplan.per.gov.ie.
118. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the degree to which current expenditure levels are likely to impact on capital expenditure requirements in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40733/17]
View answer122. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the extent to which he expects to be in a position to allow the various capital projects already announced to proceed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40737/17]
View answer127. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the degree to which his Department can facilitate capital expenditure under various headings with particular reference to addressing infrastructural deficits thus generating great employment and providing a basis for future economic development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40743/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 118, 122 and 127 together.
Both current and capital expenditure levels for 2018 will be published in the Revised Estimates for Public Services. All Departments will provide profiles for how this expenditure will be allocated across the year.
As set out in the Summer Economic Statement 2017, published in July, the Government will invest a further €4.1 billion in key infrastructure supporting economic and social progress over the period 2018-2021. This is in addition to the extra €2.2b in Exchequer funding already allocated to housing under Rebuilding Ireland.
Consequently between 2014 and 2021 public capital expenditure in Ireland will have more than doubled and as set out by the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council, this will see public investment in Ireland moving to among the highest in the EU.
I am satisfied that this new planned level of capital investment represents an appropriate balance between the need for additional investment, the capacity of the economy to deliver additional public infrastructure consistent with fiscal and macroeconomic sustainability and the need to adhere to the responsible spending path agreed by Government with reference to the requirements of the EU Fiscal Rules.
In the meantime, the delivery of the Capital Plan as published in 2015 is proceeding and while the position in relation to any individual project is a matter, in the first instance, for the relevant responsible Minister, the review of the Capital Plan which I published on 14 September, includes an update for each Department setting out the progress already being made in delivering the Capital Plan. A copy of the Review has been supplied to all Deputies. My Department also published a major projects tracker, providing an update on progress on all significant projects and programmes with a value in excess of €20m.
120. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the extent to which salary and wage cuts incurred during the economic downturn continue to be a priority in terms of restoration to the public in line with good practice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40735/17]
View answer126. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the unions that signed up to the various agreements including the Lansdowne Road agreement will not be penalised as a result; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40741/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 120 and 126 together.
As the Deputy is aware this Government believes in collective agreements and that the full benefits of a collective agreement should flow to those who subscribe to that agreement.
Under the terms of the Public Service Stability Agreement there are a series of affordable pay increases which will unwind FEMPI pay reductions for all those earning up to €70,000, which is equal to almost 90% of public servants over the period to 2020.
In total the benefits under the Agreement range from 6.2% to 7.4% and again we have weighted these benefits towards those on lower pay.
This Agreement, voted on and endorsed by ICTU, achieves the right balance between addressing the legitimate expectations of public service workers for increases in their pay while ensuring that the Government continues to exercise a prudent approach to the overall management of our public finances while securing industrial peace to support the ongoing delivery of our public services.
The improvements in pay provided for in this Agreement mark another important step in the gradual normalisation of our collective bargaining approach to pay arrangements in the public service through the process of unwinding the FEMPI legal framework on pay that has been in place for the last number of years.
123. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the extent to which procurement procedures continue to achieve good value for the taxpayer and speedy delivery to the consumer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40738/17]
View answerProcurement reform is a key element of the Government's overall reform programme and is aimed at delivering increased value for money, more accurate and timely data and improvements in the capacity and capability of the procurement function across the public service and supporting increased compliance. The fragmented procurement arrangements across the public service which existed prior to this facilitated among other things suppliers charging different public service bodies different prices for the same goods and services. This was not sustainable, as the State could not afford to continue to purchase works, goods and services in a manner that undermined the efficient delivery of services.
All public bodies are keenly aware of the importance of maximising the value for money achievable when procuring any commonly acquired goods or services. The central procurement frameworks and contracts established by the Office of Government Procurement (OGP) have been designed to optimise benefits to the public service through the strategic aggregation of its buying power.
Central procurement frameworks are targeted at securing best value for money and facilitating contracting authorities to deliver services within their budgetary constraints. In this regard, public bodies are encouraged to use these frameworks arrangements. The benefits arising from these central procurement frameworks include: cash savings; administrative savings from reduced duplication of tendering; greater purchasing expertise; improved consistency; enhanced service levels and legal certainty. It is Government policy, as set out in Circular 16/2013, that public bodies, where possible, should make use of all such central arrangements. Where public bodies choose not to use central procurement frameworks they should be in a position to provide a value for money justification. It should also be noted that the OGP issued Circular 10/2014 which contains initiatives aimed at facilitating SME access to public contracts.
The State spends around €12 billion on goods, works and services each year. This represents a very significant portion of overall spending and it is, therefore, essential that the public service achieves maximum value for money and operational efficiency in its approach to public procurement. Developing a strategic approach to public procurement means that the state can deliver much needed public service in a sustainable manner.
While each procurement arrangement is different, each and every procurement competition must adhere to the rules and timelines prescribed in the relevant regulations. Notwithstanding this the professional service provided by the OGP enables the delivery of compliant arrangements within the most expeditious time frame possible. In particular, availing of OGP Frameworks offers a shorter timeframe than running standalone competitions. In terms of delivery of the OGP's programme of work, the OGP Schedule of Frameworks and Contracts sets out the OGP's service delivery plan for Q2 2017 to Q1 2018 and provides details of when key contracts and frameworks will be available for use by public sector bodies. The Schedule has been published to inform public sector bodies and suppliers. The Schedule is updated on a quarterly basis so that a rolling nine-month forward view is visible.
Ireland's procurement reform programme has been successful in establishing new structures and building momentum. The OGP is continuing to refine the model in order to strengthen and improve it, in line with the Programme for Government commitments.
128. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the extent to which his Department has received communication from other Departments and bodies or agencies under its aegis seeking expenditure on such issues as upgrade of motorways, new roadworks, investment in water and other items of infrastructural importance; if he expects to be in a position to respond favourably to such requests in the near future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40744/17]
View answerI can confirm that my Department has received communications in respect of the Review of the Capital Plan and the 2018 Estimates. The Deputy will be aware that I published the Review of the Capital Plan on the 14th of September, and a copy of the report was made available to each Deputy on that day.
The Review draws on an evidence base that included detailed submissions by Departments and Offices, an extensive public consultation, as well as an Infrastructure Capacity and Demand Analysis completed by the Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service (IGEES) in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
My Department has also published a range of supporting documentation, including Departmental submissions, which underpin the evidence base of the Review. Copies of the documentation can be found at www.per.gov.ie.
Based on the analysis, the review of the Capital Plan has identified a number of key sectors as priorities for investment, including transport, education and housing. These findings provide a detailed evidence base which will assist Government in making decisions, in the context of the 2018 Estimates, on the allocation of the €4.1 billion of additional funding now available for allocation over the period 2018 to 2021. Reflecting this significant planned increase in public capital investment, between 2014 and 2021 public capital expenditure in Ireland will have more than doubled and as set out by the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council, this will result in public investment in Ireland moving to among the highest in the EU.
From a longer-term perspective, the review of the Capital Plan will also provide a significant input into the development of the proposed new 10 year National Investment Plan, to be published in conjunction with the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government’s new National Planning Framework (NPF) - the objectives of which are fundamental to the achievement of long-term economic, social and environmental sustainability.
I am satisfied that this new planned level of capital investment represents an appropriate balance between the need for additional investment, the capacity of the economy to deliver additional public infrastructure consistent with overall fiscal and macroeconomic sustainability and the need to adhere to the responsible spending path agreed by Government with reference to the requirements of the EU Fiscal Rules.
129. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills the legislation that his Department is responsible for that puts a particular primary or secondary level curriculum on a legislative footing. [40128/17]
View answerPursuant to Section 41 of the Education Act 1998, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment develops curriculum and provides advice to me on matters relating to the curriculum for early childhood education, primary and post-primary schools. Once curricula are approved by my Department the content is advised to schools through Circular letters. The Rules and Programmes for Secondary Schools also set out curriculum requirements for schools.
130. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to formalise the SPHE curriculum to ensure it is being taught in an inclusive and diverse manner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40129/17]
View answerThe Social Personal Health Education (SPHE) curriculum is mandatory at primary level and up to junior cycle at post-primary level. Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) is embedded within SPHE at Junior Cycle level. A framework for Senior Cycle SPHE is available to schools and while its implementation is not mandatory, schools are required to provide an Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) programme in Senior Cycle.
The SPHE curriculum aims to provide a range of diverse and inclusive skills such as communicating, making decisions, knowing where to find reliable data, belonging and integrating, handling conflict constructively, dealing with bullying, expressing feelings and emotions, substance abuse, resisting peer pressure, personal safety, values and mutual respect.
The Wellbeing area of learning has been introduced into the Junior Cycle programme from the start of the 2017/2018 school year. Up to 400 hours will be available for learning in the area of wellbeing in junior cycle. This began with a minimum of 300 hours of timetabled engagement from this year, 2017 and will move to the full complement of time as the new junior cycle is fully implemented in schools.
131. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an appeal by a school (details supplied) in respect of the provision of a special needs assistant, SNA; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40139/17]
View answerSpecial Needs Assistants (SNAs) are provided specifically to assist recognised schools to cater for pupils with disabilities, who have additional and significant care needs, in an educational context and where the nature of these care needs have been outlined in medical and other professional reports as being so significant that a pupil will require additional adult assistance in order to be able to attend school and to participate in education
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), which is an independent statutory agency, is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating a quantum of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support for each school annually taking into account the assessed care needs of children qualifying for SNA support enrolled in the school.
The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. The criteria by which SNA support is allocated to pupils is set out in my Department's Circular 0030/2014.
In considering applications for SNA supports for individual pupils, the SENOs take account of the pupils' needs and consider the resources available to the school to identify whether additionality is needed or whether the school might reasonably be expected to meet the needs of the pupils from its current level of resources. SNAs are not allocated to individual children but to schools as a school based resource.
Students who have significant care needs requirements are therefore granted access to SNA support, whereby a quantum of SNA support is allocated to a school, which is reflective of the assessed individual needs of a group of identified children. Those SNAs will then be in a position to cater for the care needs of those designated pupils, as the need arises, and as they require assistance, with the level of support being provided reflecting actual need at any given time.
A key aspiration for pupils with special educational needs is that they will, on completion of their school-based education, be able to graduate as young independent adults in so far as this is possible. There is therefore a need to balance the support provided in schools with each pupil’s right to acquire personal independence skills. As such, in order to give those pupils every opportunity possible to develop independent living skills, the assistive SNA support which is given to them should always be at the minimum level required to meet the care needs of the pupil.
The NCSE advised all schools of their allocations for SNA support for the coming 2017/18 school year on 6th July 2017. Details of SNA allocations which have been made to schools have been published by the NCSE on their website at http://ncse.ie/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/NCSE-17_18-SNA-Teaching-Allocation-to-Special-Schools2.pdf.
The level of SNA support allocated to all schools can change from year to year, as students with care needs leave the school, as new students with care needs enrol, or as students develop more independent living skills as they get older and their care needs diminish over time.
Where a school has received its allocation of SNA support for 2017/18, but wishes new enrolments or assessments to be considered, which were not taken into account when the initial allocation was made, they may continue to make applications to the NCSE.
In circumstances where a school, or parent, is unhappy with the allocation of SNA support which has been made, or considers the level of support allocated is not sufficient to meet the care needs of the pupils concerned, the school or parent, may appeal that decision via the NCSE appeals process. Details of the NCSE appeals process is available at www.ncse.ie; the closing date for receipt of appeals is the 29th September 2017.
132. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress to date in the determination of availability of additional funding required for school buildings in the case of a school (details supplied) with particular reference to the increase in building costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40184/17]
View answerThe school to which the Deputy refers was approved funding in March 2015 to provide 2 mainstream classrooms with en suite toilets and to convert an existing 40m2 classroom into a multi-purpose room.
Additional funding was subsequently approved as a contribution towards a GP Hall.
However the school has proposed a project which is outside the scope of that normally approved. In the circumstances, my Department has advised the school that any works over and above that approved must be funded from the school's own resources.
In July 2017 the school was requested to submit an updated Detailed Design Submission (Stage 2) to my Department. This is still awaited.
133. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a site has been acquired for a new school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40204/17]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, a project to deliver accommodation for the school to which she refers is included on my Department's Capital Programme. The acquisition of a site by my Department is required for the purpose of this project.
With the assistance of officials in the relevant local authority, a number of site options were identified and assessed. Of these, the two most suitable options have been selected. Engagement with the landowner of both of these is currently ongoing.
The Deputy will appreciate that, due to commercial sensitivities, I am not in a position to identify the specific sites involved but the patron of the school in question will be informed of its proposed permanent location as soon as it is possible to do so.
134. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the catchment area map that applied to the competition to award the patronage to a new school in the Carpenterstown and Castleknock area, which was won by an organisation (details supplied), will be the permanent catchment area for that particular school once it is established; if the school’s board of management will be able to amend the catchment area in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40207/17]
View answerFor school planning purposes, my Department divides the country into 314 geographic areas known as school planning areas which facilitates the orderly planning of school provision and accommodation needs. In identifying the requirement for additional school places, my Department uses a Geographical Information System to identify the areas under increased demographic pressure nationwide.
As the Deputy may be aware, on foot of the last nationwide demographic exercises, the establishment of four new primary schools and nine new post-primary schools to open in 2017 and 2018 was announced. A number of these schools were announced as regional solutions to serve a number of school planning areas under increased demographic pressure, including the new post-primary school announced to serve the Carpenterstown and Castleknock school planning areas in Dublin 15, which opened in September 2017 in interim accommodation at the Le Chéile Secondary School in Tyrellstown.
When it is decided that a new school is required to meet demographic needs in a school planning area(s), a patronage process is conducted to decide who will operate the school. Parental preferences for each patron from parents of children who reside in the school planning area(s) are key to decisions in relation to the outcome of this process.
All new schools established since 2011 to meet demographic demand are required to prioritise pupil applications from within the designated school planning area(s) which the school was established to serve. This does not preclude schools from enrolling pupils from outside of the designated school planning area(s), rather it reflects the need to accommodate in the first instance the demographic for which the school was established. The Department’s focus is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places within that school planning area(s).
