Written Answers Nos. 243-260
243. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the current and capital expenditure by Waterways Ireland in each of the years 2014 to 2016; the estimated level of current and capital expenditure for 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40607/17]
View answerThe current and capital expenditure by Waterways Ireland for the years 2014-2016 and the estimate of expenditure for 2017 are set out in the tabler.
Waterways Ireland is jointly co-sponsored and co-funded by my Department and the Department for Infrastructure, Northern Ireland. The current expenditure of Waterways Ireland is funded 85% by this State and 15% by Northern Ireland. Capital expenditure by the Body is supported directly by each jurisdiction.
In addition to the core grants provided by the two Departments, Waterways Ireland activities are also supported from third-party funding contributions towards specific projects and from its own income from licences and property.
|
Year |
Current expenditure |
Capital South |
Capital North |
Total |
|
2017 |
€24,490,343 |
€9,043,000 |
€1,289,907 |
€34,823,250 |
|
2016 |
€23,436,940 |
€6,829,788 |
€900,141 |
€31,166,869 |
|
2015 |
€24,035,514 |
€3,974,955 |
€420,153 |
€28,430,622 |
|
2014 |
€23,808,690 |
€4,510,598 |
€277,565 |
€28,596,853 |
244. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of employees that have moved from the OPW to Waterways Ireland in the past three years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40608/17]
View answerI am informed by Waterways Ireland that no employees from the OPW have transferred into Waterways Ireland in the past three years.
I am also advised by Waterways Ireland that it does not keep track of the previous employers of staff it has recruited through open competition.
245. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 149 and 150 of 5 July 2017, the location in which this register is maintained; the way in which the trainees receive their ultimate qualifications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40668/17]
View answer246. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 149 and 150 of 5 July 2017, when these traineeships will be completed, rolled out and available; if years of work experience will also be counted towards official accreditation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40669/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 245 and 246 together.
The Irish Film Board is responsible for the strategic development of the Irish film, television and animation industry training through Screen Training Ireland. These are operational matters for the Irish Film Board and Screen Training Ireland and I have requested the Board to reply to the Deputy directly on these matters.
247. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Catherine Connolly den Aire Cultúir, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta cad é an costas iomlán a bhaineann le Raidió na Life a athlonnú ó Chearnóg Mhuirfean go dtí ceanncheathrú nua ar Shráid Amiens agus trealamh, doirse agus fuinneoga acústacha á gcur san áireamh; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh. [40684/17]
View answer248. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Catherine Connolly den Aire Cultúir, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta cad é an costas iomlán a bhaineann le Foras na Gaeilge a athlonnú go dtí Sráid Amiens agus cíos agus troscán á gcur san áireamh; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh. [40685/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 247 and 248 together.
Is é €412,365 an costas iomlán a eascraíonn as athlonnú Fhoras na Gaeilge go dtí a cheanncheathrú nua ar Shráid Amiens. Clúdaíonn an figiúr sin na costais a bhaineann le Raidío na Life a athlonnú go dtí Sráid Amiens mar aon leis an Áisíneacht Dáiliúchán Leabhar a athlonnú go dtí trádstóras nua.
Maidir le Raidió na Life, cuireadh deontas €133,215 ar fáil i ndáil le trealamh nua craoltóireachta a shuiteáil sna stiúideonna nua i Sráid Amiens. Anuas air sin, d’eascair costais daingnean €34,150 d’Fhoras na Gaeilge i ndáil le doirse agus fuinneoga acústacha a chur ar fáil mar chuid de na háiseanna ina cheanncheathrú nua.
Maidir leis na costais eile, tuigtear dom ón bhForas gur baineadh an úsáid is mó as an troscán reatha agus go raibh costas €173,220 ar throscán nua. Bhain costas €15,215 le córas gutháin nua agus costas €12,277 leis an trealamh a bhogadh go dtí an cheanncheathrú nua. Faoi dheireadh, bhain costas €44,288 leis an Áisíneacht Dáiliúchán Leabhar a athlonnú go dtí trádstóras nua fosta.
Tuigtear dom ó Fhoras na Gaeilge nach mbeidh an costas cíosa bliantúil deimhnithe go dtí go mbeidh an tomhas deiridh déanta ar an bhfoirgneamh agus go bhfuil an obair sin ar bun i láthair na huaire. Is féidir a rá, áfach, gur ráta €33 in aghaidh na troighe cearnaí atá i gceist agus, ar an mbunús sin, samhlaítear go mbeidh an costas cíosa thart ar €600,000 in aghaidh na bliana.
249. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the position regarding the re-opening of the Ulster Canal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40695/17]
View answerOne of my priorities since taking Ministerial office has been the restoration of the Ulster Canal. I secured Government approval to restore a 2.5 km stretch of the Ulster Canal from the Shannon-Erne Waterway to the International Scout Centre at Castle Saunderson, County Cavan on 24 February 2015.
The project, which comprises three work phases, is being undertaken by Waterways Ireland.
The contract for the completion of the third and final phase of the works, the construction of a new road bridge north of the existing Derrykerrib Bridge and a new 250 m section of canal running parallel to the existing river, was awarded to the successful tenderer on 25 March 2017.
The contractors are currently on site with completion anticipated by autumn 2018, subject to weather conditions and water levels over the 2017 /2018 winter. The temporary access road is complete and work has started on the canal wall excavations.
I remain firmly committed to delivering this flagship project for the border region.
250. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the measures she will take to ensure that the regulations for coursing clubs, including the condition that no hare will be coursed more than once per day, will be upheld; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40707/17]
View answerThe control of live hare coursing, including the operation of individual coursing meetings and managing the use of hares for that activity, is carried out under the Greyhound Industry Act 1958, which is the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. My responsibility relates to the conservation status of the hare.
In August this year, my Department issued licences under the Wildlife Acts to the Irish Coursing Club, covering its affiliated coursing clubs, to capture and tag hares for use at regulated hare coursing meetings for the 2017/18 coursing season, which extends from the end of September 2017 to the end of February 2018.
There are 22 conditions associated with the licences issued to the Irish Coursing Club which have been developed and refined over the year. One of the conditions requires that hares may not be coursed more than once on the same day. In addition, the licence specifically requires that hares that have been coursed can be readily identified to ensure that this condition is rigidly observed.
Veterinary staff from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine carry out inspections during the coursing season to monitor compliance with the rules governing animal welfare relating to greyhounds and hares. The Irish Coursing Club also attends local coursing meetings. In addition, where resources allow, local National Parks and Wildlife Service Conservation Rangers attend coursing meetings, on a spot-check basis, to monitor compliance with licences issued to the ICC and its affiliated clubs.
251. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the status of the process to instate a new director of Creative Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40756/17]
View answerI intend to fill the position of Director of the Creative Ireland programme through an open competition, managed by the Public Appointments Service (PAS). I am advised that applications for the position will be sought shortly.
252. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if her attention has been drawn to the lack of artist-run studio spaces and the fact that Ireland lags far behind other European countries in this regard. [40757/17]
View answerI am aware of the issue regarding the provision of affordable studio space, particularly as a result of the changing property market. My Department has had discussions with the Arts Council, Dublin City Council and the OPW to consider some possible short-term and longer-term approaches to the issue, both in relation to specific issues in Dublin and to wider national approaches.
This year I announced details of €10.078 million in capital funding to a total of 122 arts organisations around the country under the Arts and Culture Capital Scheme 2016-2018. This allocation included over €900,000 in funding for projects involving artists' studios and creative spaces.
In addition, as part of the Government’s initiative on the North East Inner City, I awarded a grant of €35,000 last year to Fire Station Artists' Studios, Buckingham Street, to assist in providing additional studio space in conjunction with Dublin City Council.
The list of successful projects under the Arts and Culture Capital Scheme 2016-2018 is available on my Department’s website at the following link https://www.chg.gov.ie/arts/creative-arts/grants-and-funding/.
253. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the progress on the built heritage investment scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40758/17]
View answerThe Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS), which I launched in 2015, is one of a number of State financial supports that provide for the conservation and preservation of heritage structures.
The scheme is operated in partnership with the local authorities. In 2016, the scheme supported over 270 projects across the country, creating over 17,000 days of employment in the conservation and construction industries, while helping to regenerate urban and rural areas. The scheme also leveraged aggregate investment of just under €5.5 million, more than double the scheme’s Exchequer allocation of €2 million.
The 2017 Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) was announced in January 2017. It has an Exchequer allocation of €3.5 million.
Nationwide, more than 500 projects across 31 local authority areas received funding approval in 2017.
Work is currently under way on the vast majority of these projects, with a number of them already completed. My Department keeps in close contact with all local authorities throughout the year to ensure the smooth running of the scheme and that the best possible use of funding is achieved.
The Built Heritage Investment Scheme is very popular and successful and I expect the full €3.5 million to be expended in 2017, supporting the owners of protected structures, creating employment in traditional construction and leveraging and encouraging private investment in protecting our heritage buildings.
254. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the actions she will take in the coming year to increase children's access to music, art and drama; and the funding she will dedicate to same. [40759/17]
View answerThe Creative Ireland Programme, which I launched in December 2016, places a special focus on “Enabling the Creative Potential of Every Child”. Building on the Arts in Education Charter, this will involve the development of an integrated plan – Creative Children – to enable every child in Ireland to access tuition in music, drama, art and coding by 2022. My Department officials continue to work with relevant Departments and other stakeholders to develop this plan. The plan will be a primary driver of actions in this area in 2018.
I am pleased to say that continuing professional development through teacher - artist partnerships is ongoing and in July 2017 there was a significant increase in the number of courses taking place across twenty-one Education Centres throughout the country.
In addition, the Arts Council commissioned report Arts and Cultural Participation among Children and Young People: Insights from the Growing Up in Ireland Study, which was published in September 2016, concluded that arts and cultural participation leads to a range of positive outcomes for children, both in terms of their cognitive development and their wellbeing. This study found that schools are important arenas for access to arts/culture and school emphasis on culture has a positive impact on student engagement in these activities.
This year the Arts Council increased funding in this area from €3.1 million in 2016 to €3.7 million in 2017 on foot of the significant increase of support of €5 million which I secured for the Arts Council as part of Budget 2017. I also provided an additional €70,000 to the Arts Council to assist in the expansion of the Teacher Artist Partnership this year.
In terms of next steps, my Department is working closely with the Department of Education and Skills, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and the Arts Council in preparing the Creative Children plan to deliver the objectives of Pillar 1 of the Creative Ireland Programme. This plan will be launched later in the year.
255. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the year two programme of work for Creative Ireland; and the steps she will take to advance the plan in 2018. [40760/17]
View answerIn terms of practical support, so far this year I have announced funding of over €10 million under my Department's Arts and Culture Capital Scheme 2016-2018 to a total of 122 arts organisations around the country in 2017. This allocation included over €900,000 in funding for 12 projects involving artists' studios and creative spaces. In addition, as part of the Government’s initiative on the North East Inner City, I awarded a grant of €35,000 last year to Fire Station Artists' Studios, Buckingham Street, to assist in providing additional studio space in conjunction with Dublin City Council.
The Creative Ireland Programme is an all-of-Government programme which is being led by my Department in partnership with other Departments and Agencies, local authorities, the third level sector, arts and culture organisations (including the National Cultural Institutions), and relevant NGOs. The launch document for the programme identified ten actions for 2017, under five specific pillars:
- Enabling the Creative Potential of Every Child
- Enabling Creativity in Every Community
- Investing in our Creative and Cultural Infrastructure
- Ireland as a centre of Excellence in Media Production
- Unifying our Global reputation
There has been significant progress in relation to the delivery of these initiatives. My Department, together with its other partners, is now in the process of drawing up plans for 2018 and beyond in respect of the five pillars of the programme.
256. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if her Department will support the Arts Council to move to a longer-term funding model for smaller arts organisations as recently discussed in the media. [40761/17]
View answerI understand that the Deputy may be referring to the new funding framework (Making Great Art Work Funding Framework) as recently announced by the Arts Council.
The strategic context for the Arts Council’s support of arts participation and all other artforms and areas of arts practice is set out in Making Great Art Work: Arts Council Strategy (2016 –2025). A key commitment in the Council's Three-Year Plan 2017–2019 was to review its funding programmes, schemes and initiatives under its Making Great Art Work priorities. Such a review would assist the Council in how it invests in art and arts practice in a more effective way. It would also help streamline the supports available to artists and to arts organisations, and simplify and clarify the application, assessment and decision-making processes operated by the Council. The Making Great Art Work Funding Framework was the outcome of this review. Further details of the funding framework can be accessed on the Arts Council's website at the following link http://www.artscouncil.ie/Funding/Funding-Framework/.
I will continue to support the Arts Council, as set out in the Programme for a Partnership Government, which contains a commitment to work to progressively increase funding to the arts, including the Arts Council and the Irish Film Board, as the economy continues to improve. To this effect in Budget 2017, I secured significant additional funding for the Arts Council. The increase in the Arts Council's allocation in 2017 is €5 million, or 8%. This will assist the Council greatly in implementing its 10-year strategy Making Great Art Work (2016-2025) including under its new funding framework.
257. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Health the costs of inquiries into allegations of historical abuse of persons with intellectual disabilities in community healthcare organisation, CHO, 5 in 2015 and 2016; the likely costs in 2017; and the estimates of costs either directly from Government or through the HSE of such inquiries in 2018. [40245/17]
View answerThe HSE undertook two major pieces of work in respect of the South East foster care case, i.e. the Devine Report (2012) and the Resilience Ireland Inquiry Report (March 2015 and Addendum August 2015).
As the Deputy's question partially relates to reports commissioned by the HSE, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, she can contact my Private Office and it will follow the matter up with the HSE.
The previous Government's approval to the establishment of a Commission of Investigation was given in principle, subject to a further decision to be made by the Government on detailed terms of reference, timelines and costs which was informed by the work undertaken by Mr. Conor Dignam senior counsel into related matters. Following the decision by Government concerning the establishment of a Commission, additional resources were allocated to Mr. Dignam and he was asked to identify matters which would assist in framing the Terms of Reference for the Commission. The total cost of the review carried out by Mr. Conor Dignam S.C. amounted to €67,650.
In relation to the likely costs for the Farrelly Commission of Investigation, the Government has noted costs in relation to the staffing, legal and administrative needs of the Commission. This is an active Commission of Investigation and the set up and running costs which have been paid from May to 21 September 2017 amount to €415,442.
258. Deputy Seán Barrett asked the Minister for Health the reason staff working in section 39 organisations are not provided for under the Haddington Road and Lansdowne Road Agreements (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40752/17]
View answerUnder section 39 of the Health Act 2004, the HSE has in place Service Level Agreements with voluntary providers which set out the level of service to be provided for the grant to the individual organisation. Employees of Section 39 organisations are not public servants and are therefore not encompassed by the Public Service Stability Agreements. This means that they were not subject to the FEMPI legislation which imposed pay reductions. Section 39 organisations are not obliged to pass on any pay reductions to their staff members or to provide for any pay restoration that may be negotiated as part of these public service agreements.
Any individuals employed by these section 39 organisations are not HSE employees and therefore, the HSE has no role in determining the salaries or other terms and conditions applying to these staff. It is a matter for Section 39 organisations to negotiate salaries with their staff as part of their employment relationship and within the overall funding available for the delivery of agreed services.
259. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if an appointment will be scheduled for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40136/17]
View answerUnder the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.
The National Waiting List Management Policy, A standardised approach to managing scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures, January 2014, has been developed to ensure that all administrative, managerial and clinical staff follow an agreed national minimum standard for the management and administration of waiting lists for scheduled care. This policy, which has been adopted by the HSE, sets out the processes that hospitals are to implement to manage waiting lists.
In response to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to you directly.
260. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health when the FreeStyle Libre system will be made available under the long-term illness scheme for persons with diabetes; if availability will not be restricted only to people with type 1 diabetes but will be made available to all persons on multiple daily insulin injections based on clinical need; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40142/17]
View answerUnder the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the HSE has statutory responsibility for the administration of the community drug schemes; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
