Thursday, 14 Dec 2017

Written Answers Nos. 629 - 643

Coast Guard Services

Questions (629)

Robert Troy

Question:

629. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount of funding that has been provided to the Coast Guard each year since 2000. [54095/17]

Written answers

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport

The Irish Coast Guard transferred to the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport from the Department of the Marine in 2006.  I have provided the funding figures from 2007 onwards. 

The following funding figures are inclusive of both capital and current allocations.

Year	Irish Coast Guard Funding (€'000)
2017	71,485
2016	70,085
2015	66,865
2014	69,762
2013	70,683
2012	48,026
2011	51,083
2010	40,743
2009	38,143
2008	36,388
2007	32102

Question No. 630 answered with Question No. 626.

Departmental Contracts Data

Questions (631, 632, 639, 640, 642)

Robert Troy

Question:

631. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount of funding his Department has spent on external consultancy contracts in 2017. [54097/17]

Robert Troy

Question:

632. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the use of external public relations firms employed by his Department per annum since coming into office, in tabular form; the external public relations firms used; the internal departmental policy with regard to employing external groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54098/17]

Shane Cassells

Question:

639. Deputy Shane Cassells asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the use of external public relations firms employed by his Department in each year since March 2011; the list of uses of the external public relations firms; the internal departmental policy with regard to employing external groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54251/17]

Shane Cassells

Question:

640. Deputy Shane Cassells asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the external consultant reports commissioned by his Department since March 2011; the costs per report; the company involved; the title of the report; and the publication date, in tabular form. [54267/17]

Niall Collins

Question:

642. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the level of expenditure by his Department or organisations under the aegis of his Department from 1 January 2017 to date in 2017 on photography, advertising, communications advice, public relations, website development, media interview training and preparation; the events, campaigns or policies to which this expenditure related; the company or person to which such payments were made, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54299/17]

Written answers

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport

I propose to take Questions Nos. 631, 632, 639, 640 and 642 together.

The information requested by the Deputy is available on my Department's website at the following link: http://www.dttas.ie/corporate/english/expenditure-external-services.

A separate index of photography costs is provided at: http://www.dttas.ie/corporate/english/photography-costs.

It is the policy of my Department in the exercise of its functions to use internal resources as far as possible. External service providers are hired occasionally in circumstances where particular expertise is not available internally or where it is otherwise deemed to add value or independence to the work of the Department.

Departmental Expenditure

Questions (633, 638)

Robert Troy

Question:

633. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the total photography costs per annum for his Department since coming to office, inclusive of costs incurred from use of the ministerial allowance, in tabular form; the list of occasions for which photographers were booked; the photographers used; the breakdown of costs associated with each occasion that a photographer was used; if there is a policy regarding the booking of photographers within his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54099/17]

Shane Cassells

Question:

638. Deputy Shane Cassells asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the photography costs for his Department in each year since March 2011 inclusive of costs incurred from use of the ministerial allowance; the list of occasions for which photographers were booked; the photographers used; the costs associated with each occasion that a photographer was used, in tabular form; if there is a policy regarding the booking of photographers within his department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54235/17]

Written answers

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport

I propose to take Questions Nos. 633 and 638 together.

Details of photography costs paid from the Department's voted funds are published on the Department's website: http://www.dttas.ie/corporate/english/photography-costs.

These costs are updated and published on a 6 monthly basis, and details for July to December 2017 will therefore be published very shortly.

It is the policy of the Department that photography costs are kept to a minimum and services are provided in-house by staff.  Where services are contracted, best value is sought and a number of quotes are obtained. Services are contracted out on an exceptional basis only.

Driver Test

Questions (634)

Robert Troy

Question:

634. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of the 2014 Road Safety Authority review of the driver test; the steps that have been taken to implement it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54145/17]

Written answers

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport

This is a matter for the Road Safety Authority. I have referred the question to the Authority for direct reply. I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response is not received within 10 days.

A referred reply was forwarded to the Deputy under Standing Order 42A.

Road Projects Status

Questions (635)

Declan Breathnach

Question:

635. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of the available options for the completion of the Narrow Water bridge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54150/17]

Written answers

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport

Options are still being appraised in accordance with the terms of the Fresh Start Agreement in relation to the proposed bridge at Narrow Water, with a view to the relevant Government departments in the two jurisdictions drawing up a joint paper for consideration by relevant stakeholders.

Ministerial Travel

Questions (636)

Niall Collins

Question:

636. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the use his Department has made of the Government jet since coming into office, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54203/17]

Written answers

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport

The information is in the following table.

Date	Flight Details	Passengers
25/09/2017	Dublin – London	Taoiseach + MTTAS
2016	Nil	Nil

Ministerial Travel

Questions (637)

Niall Collins

Question:

637. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the use his Department has made of the Government jet in each of the years March 2011 to February 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54219/17]

Written answers

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport

It is my Department's policy to use regular scheduled flights for official business whenever possible, in accordance with relevant applicable guidelines.

However, there have been occasions over the period in question when use of the Government jet was warranted and relevant flight details of those 7 trips are provided in the following table.

Date	Flight Details	Passengers
2016	Nil	Nil
8/10/15	Baldonnel – Luxembourg – Baldonnel	M/Transport, Tourism and Sport MoS for D/Foreign Affairs Officials x 4
7/10/15	Baldonnel – Luxembourg – Baldonnel	M/Transport, Tourism and Sport Officials x 4
11/6/15	Baldonnel – Luxembourg – Baldonnel	M/Transport, Tourism and Sport Officials x 3
5/6/14	Baldonnel – Luxembourg – Baldonnel	An Tánaiste M/Transport, Tourism and Sport Officials x 9
10/10/13	Baldonnel – Luxembourg – Baldonnel	M/Transport, Tourism and Sport Officials x 4
9/6/13	Baldonnel – Luxembourg – Baldonnel	M/Transport, Tourism and Sport Officials x 4
3/10/12	Baldonnel – Luxembourg – Baldonnel	An Taoiseach An Tánaiste M/ Transport, Tourism and Sport Ministers x 6 MoS x 9

Question No. 638 answered with Question No. 633.

Questions Nos. 639 and 640 answered with Question No. 631.

Departmental Advertising Expenditure

Questions (641)

Niall Collins

Question:

641. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the level of expenditure by his Department from 1 January 2017 to date in 2017 on advertising of Government information campaigns published specifically in national and regional newspapers in addition to all online advertising for all such Government information campaigns; the name for each such information campaign to which this expenditure related; the cost of each, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54283/17]

Written answers

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport

The information for the first six months of 2017 is available on my Department's website at the following link http://www.dttas.ie/corporate/english/expenditure-external-services. The information is updated twice yearly; the second half of 2017 will be available in early 2018.

Question No. 642 answered with Question No. 631

UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

Questions (643)

Clare Daly

Question:

643. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when Ireland will ratify the second optional protocol of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child; and the legal reason Ireland has not done so. [53518/17]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

My Department is working with the Department of Justice and Equality to ensure that all necessary arrangements are in place to fully comply with the provisions of the Second Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography so that Ireland can ratify the Optional Protocol as soon as possible.

The recent enactment of the Sexual Offence Act (2017) constituted a key step on the pathway to ratification as the Act contains a wide range of provisions that will enhance the protection of children and vulnerable persons from sexual abuse and exploitation.

Considerable provisions exist in Irish law to combat the sexual abuse or exploitation of children, including ensuring the necessary flow of information to the relevant authorities about child abuse. The substantive criminal law elements of the Optional Protocol have largely been implemented by the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act 1998 and the Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) Act 2008.

The Criminal Justice (Withholding of Information on Offences Against Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012, makes it an offence to withhold information relating to the commission of certain arrestable offences (including certain sexual offences) against children. Other relevant legislation in the area of reporting is the Protections for Persons Reporting Child Abuse Act 1998 and the Children First Act 2015.