Jonathan O'Brien
Question:162. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the projected cost of public sector pay for the two years after the new deal expires in 2020. [51462/17]
View answerPublic Sector Pay
Questions (162)
Written answers
The Budget 2018 estimate of the public service pay bill is €17.4bn. This includes the 2018 cost of the Public Service Stability Agreement. The costs of the PSSA in subsequent years are:
- 2019 - €370m
- 2020 - €339m
There are carryover costs associated with the Agreement of €227m in 2021.
However, the actual level of the public service pay bill for the years 2021 and 2022 is not fixed as it will also depend on public service recruitment decisions taken in the interim.
Legislative Measures
Questions (163)
Mary Lou McDonald
Question:163. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the establishment and annual costs associated with the Office of the Public Sector Standards Commissioner. [51518/17]
View answerWritten answers
The Public Sector Standards Bill 2015 provides for the establishment of the Office of the Public Sector Standards Commissioner and the holder of that office shall be known as the Public Sector Standards Commissioner. It provides that the appointment of the Commissioner shall be made by the President on the advice of the Government following a resolution passed by both Houses.
It provides that the legislation will come into operation on the day that is 6 months from the passing of the Bill as an Act, or such earlier day as the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform may appoint by order. The Bill also provides that the Standards in Public Office Commission shall stand dissolved on the establishment of the Office of the Commissioner. The chairman and members of the Standards in Public Office Commission shall cease to hold office on such dissolution.
The Bill was published on the 23rd of December 2015 and completed second stage in the Dáil on the 20th of January 2016. Committee Stage commenced on the 6th of April 2017. The Bill aims to significantly enhance the existing framework for identifying, disclosing and managing conflicts of interest and minimising corruption risks, to achieve a shift towards a more dynamic and risk-based system of compliance and to ensure that the institutional framework for oversight, investigation and enforcement is robust and effective.
The establishment and annual costs associated with the Office of the Public Sector Standards Commissioner will be mitigated by the cost savings arising from the dissolution of the Standards in Public Office Commission. As the Bill to establish the Office of the Commissioner is still being considered, it is not possible at this stage to provide overall costings in relation to the office. However, my Department will strive to ensure that existing structures are used as much as possible in the transition from the Standards in Public Office Commission to the Office of the Public Sector Standards Commissioner.
The 2018 estimates provide for an amount of €2.073m in relation to the running of the Standards in Public Office Commission. In addition, the Office of the Ombudsman provides shared corporate services staffing resources, such as HR, IT and Finance Unit services to the Standards in Public Office Commission. The cost of this is not reflected in the estimate provision for 2018.
Flood Relief Schemes Status
Questions (164)
Dara Calleary
Question:164. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the announcement of €10 million for the Crossmolina flood relief channel will be confirmed; the next steps for this project as projected; the timeframe for its completion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51681/17]
View answerWritten answers
Following the completion of extensive technical survey work, the engineering consultants for the proposed flood relief scheme in Crossmolina will present to the Office of Public Works (OPW) shortly their final Report on the assessment of options for the scheme. The consultants have indicated that their Report will show a diversion channel upstream of Crossmolina as the preferred option for dealing with flooding in the town.
The preferred option will be presented at a Public Exhibition in the town in early 2018 in accordance with the provisions of the Arterial Drainage Acts. This is the formal, statutory public consultation process for the proposed scheme. Provided the preferred Scheme is acceptable to the public overall, it will then enter the detailed design phase, and will subsequently be sent to the Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform in late 2018 for Confirmation or formal approval.
If approved by the Minister, it is envisaged that construction will commence in early 2019 and will take approximately two years to complete. The OPW will fund the proposed scheme from its overall capital allocation for flood relief works, estimated to cost in the region of €10m, and has provided for the estimated costs in its multi annual capital budgets for the progression and completion of this scheme.
Office of Public Works Properties
Questions (165, 166)
Louise O'Reilly
Question:165. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the length of time a property (details supplied) has been vacant. [51759/17]
View answerLouise O'Reilly
Question:166. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the amount of rent paid to date for a property (details supplied) while it has been vacant. [51760/17]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 165 and 166 together.
The property in question was leased by the OPW and occupied by Customs and Excise in 2000. It was vacated by Customs and Excise in 2005. The OPW sought other State occupiers for the premises but there was no demand for such property in that area. The Landlord was asked to accept an early surrender of the premises however he refused. The lease has another two years to run during which time OPW will continue to seek alternative uses for it.
The annual rent for this property is €32,505.
Civil Service Staff Data
Questions (167)
Michael Fitzmaurice
Question:167. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of full-time or equivalent personnel in the Civil Service, by grade (details supplied). [51780/17]
View answerWritten answers
As requested by the Deputy, the number of full-time equivalents (FTEs) in general Civil Service grades at the end of September 2017 (latest reconciled numbers) are set out in the followed table.
|
GRADE |
NUMBERS |
|
Secretary General |
28 |
|
Deputy Secretary |
12 |
|
Assistant Secretary General |
142 |
|
Principal Officer |
771 |
|
Assistant Principal |
2,238 |
|
Administrative Officer |
642 |
|
Higher Executive Officer |
4,364 |
|
Executive Officer (Including former Staff Officer Grade)* |
6,606 |
|
Clerical Officer |
10,335 |
|
Temporary Clerical Officer |
1,100 |
|
Services Officer |
583 |
*Executive Officer and Staff Officer Grades have been amalgamated as of March 2017.
Civil Service Staff Data
Questions (168)
Michael Fitzmaurice
Question:168. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the percentage of each Civil Service grade (details supplied) comprising members of a staff association or union as per wage deduction. [51781/17]
View answerWritten answers
The number of full-time equivalents in general Civil Service grades at the end of September 2017 (latest reconciled numbers) are set out in the following table.
|
GRADE |
NUMBERS |
|
Secretary General |
28 |
|
Deputy Secretary |
12 |
|
Assistant Secretary General |
142 |
|
Principal Officer |
771 |
|
Assistant Principal |
2,238 |
|
Administrative Officer |
642 |
|
Higher Executive Officer |
4,364 |
|
Executive Officer (Including former Staff Officer Grade)* |
6,606 |
|
Clerical Officer |
10,335 |
|
Temporary Clerical Officer |
1,100 |
|
Services Officer |
583 |
* Executive Officer and Staff Officer Grades have been amalgamated as of March 2017.
Membership of a staff association or trade union is a matter for individual staff. While staff are facilitated in having their membership fees deducted from their pay, I have no responsibility in relation to membership of such bodies and as such it would not be appropriate to provide the breakdown for the Civil Service sought by the Deputy.
Freedom of Information Data
Questions (169, 170)
John McGuinness
Question:169. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of freedom of information requests received by his Department to date in 2017; the number fully or partially granted; and the number of such requests that were refused. [51857/17]
View answerJohn McGuinness
Question:170. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of freedom of information requests received by his Department to date in 2017; the number of which the period of consideration was completed within four weeks of the receipt of the request; and the number of which the period of consideration was extended by up to four weeks in view of the fact that the necessary resources to complete the request within the original timeframe were not available, in tabular form. [51874/17]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 169 and 170 together.
My Department received 227 requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2014 from 1 January 2017 to 1 December 2017. Of these, 142 requests were fully or partially granted, with 25 being refused. The remainder of the requests include requests that are not yet due for answer, have been withdrawn by the requester and requests where the period of consideration has been suspended for the payment of deposits, third party consultation or clarification of scope.
Of the 227 Freedom of Information requests received up to 1 December 2017, 185 have been closed, of which:
- 147 were completed within the due date; and
- 38 were completed outside the due date.
Office of Public Works Data
Questions (171)
Seán Sherlock
Question:171. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the cost of outsourcing the collection of admission fees at Garnish Island, County Cork, to a private company; the savings this makes for the OPW; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51910/17]
View answerWritten answers
Prior to the opening of Bryce House on Garnish Island, the Office of Public Works employed three seasonal guides at the Island to sell admission tickets. The Foreman and Head Gardener sold admission tickets in the evenings, after the guides had finished duty, and on Sundays.
In 2016, OPW guides were recruited specifically to undertake tours of the newly refurbished Bryce House on Garnish Island. Visitors to the Island enter via a reception area which is not adjacent to Bryce house. It was decided, for operational reasons, to include the selling of admission tickets with the new tearoom concession, which is located alongside the reception area.
In 2017, the OPW incurred a cost of €51,298 for outsourcing the collection of admission fees at Garnish Island to the private company which operates the tearoom concession on the Island. The savings to OPW were in excess of €1,500. This figure is the difference between salary costs (for OPW staff to sell tickets) and the costs incurred.
The tearoom concession agreement for Garnish Island will be advertised again in 2018. The arrangement whereby the Concessionaire collects the admissions fees will be reviewed as part of that agreement.
Third Level Costs
Questions (172)
Clare Daly
Question:172. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the cost over four years of training each pre-registration direct-entry midwifery student to completion of their degree. [51483/17]
View answerWritten answers
It is estimated that the average cost per annum to the State of a midwifery student is c. €10,000 - €11,000. Therefore for a four year undergraduate degree this would amount to €40,0000-€44,000 over the period. This takes into account State grant and tuition fee funding paid by the State (where appropriate). It excludes the Student Contribution of €3,000 which is paid by the student, or paid on behalf of the student in cases where the student qualifies for assistance under my Department’s Student Grant Scheme. The HEA only funds undergraduate-level students, and postgraduate-level nursing students are excluded from the HEA funding model. This figure excludes any payments by the HSE in respect of student nurses in clinical training.
Departmental Funding
Questions (173)
Mattie McGrath
Question:173. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills the funding provided by his Department to each member of a group (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51435/17]
View answerWritten answers
Funding has been made by my Department to two organisations from the list provided by the Deputy in the period 1st January 2017 to date. Set out below is the total paid to each organisation and the purpose of the payments.
1. BeLong To - Total Paid €58,000. Funding was provided to support the programme costs of the 2017 Stand Up! Awareness Week, which is an anti-bullying initiative in schools.
2. TENI - Total Paid €500. This payment was in respect of Continuing Professional Development Training for Psychological Staff in the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) in the area of Transgender Awareness.
My Department also made payments to the IMPACT Trade Union during the period stated above. These payments related solely to union subscription deductions from the Staff and Teacher Payroll Operations.