Written Answers Nos. 145-164
145. Deputy Pat The Cope Gallagher asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the details of his Department's proposed eel licence buy-out scheme; the timeframe for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19146/18]
View answer146. Deputy Mary Butler asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the details of the proposed buy-out scheme for eel fishery licence holders; when it will be finalised; the way in which the licenceholder will be dealt with under the terms of the proposed scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19230/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 145 and 146 together.
Ireland’s Eel Management Plan (EMP), including the closure of commercial fishing, was approved, in 2009, by the European Commission under EU Regulation 1100/2007. Fishing for eel was by way of public licence and therefore the issue of compensation does not arise.
However, I directed my officials to write to the European Commission in relation to Ireland's proposals to fund a support scheme for former eel fishermen. Consultation with the Revenue Commissioners may also be required.
Until consultations are completed, it is not possible to elaborate on the terms and conditions for, or the prospective number of participants in, any potential support measure.
147. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to develop improved bus services for persons using the bus to access Connolly Hospital and St. Francis Hospice in Dublin 15; his further plans to ensure buses serve the hospital on a more frequent basis and collect and drop off persons closer to the entrance to Connolly Hospital; if realtime bus displays and a bus shelter will be installed at the hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19209/18]
View answerThe issue raised is a matter for the National Transport Authority (NTA) and I have forwarded the Deputy's question to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.
148. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if the level of public transport service to Connolly hospital, Blanchardstown, will be improved (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19211/18]
View answerThe issue raised is a matter for the National Transport Authority (NTA) and I have forwarded the Deputy's question to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.
149. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if a matter (details supplied) regarding funding will be addressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19218/18]
View answerThis 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.
150. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the outcome of discussions to date he has had with his British counterpart on legislation in the British Parliament regarding the certification of hauliers' licences and vehicles and its implications for the haulage industry here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19256/18]
View answerThe UK Haulage Permits and Trailer Registration Bill is designed to put in place a system of UK international road transport permits for UK operators that will then provide the option of mutual recognition between EU road transport permits (Community Licences) and UK road transport permits and facilitate continued liberalised access for commercial haulage – such a provision will be vital if the final EU/UK deal requires a permit system, which will not be clear until negotiations have reached final agreement. The Bill was passed in the House of Lords on 24 April 2018 and has been sent to the House of Commons. My Department continues to monitor developments in relation to the Bill as it progresses through the legislative process.
The Bill also provides for the establishment of a trailer registration scheme in line with the 1968 Vienna Convention, to ensure that UK operators driving on the continent can comply with the requirements of those EU countries which require the registration of all trailers travelling on their roads. As Ireland already registers trailers this is not an issue for us.
I welcome the Bill as a constructive contingency measure in preparation for Brexit. The ongoing focus of the Government in Brexit negotiations is to protect Ireland’s interests and to advance our priorities. In the context of the haulage sector it is vital to minimise the impact of Brexit by avoiding any new regulatory burden for hauliers travelling to or transiting the UK. I can assure you that I and other Government Ministers will continue to work with our EU counterparts, both in EU capitals and within the EU institutions, to protect the interests of the Irish haulage sector.
151. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to launch the 2018 sports capital programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19266/18]
View answerThe 2017 round of the Sports Capital Programme attracted a record 2,320 applications. Last November and December, Minister Ross and I announced €60m in allocations for a record 1,800 projects under the 2017 round. A review of the 2017 round of the programme has now been finalised and published on my Department's website www.dttas.ie. This review highlights aspects of the 2017 round of the SCP that worked well but also suggests some further improvements which should be considered prior to the next round of the programme opening for applications. An announcement in relation to the timing of the next round is expected in the coming weeks.
152. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children seeking asylum awaiting the allocation of a social care worker; the average wait time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19143/18]
View answerSeparated children seeking asylum, who are in care, are allocated a social worker. While they may receive services from social care workers, their dedicated point of contact remains their allocated social worker.
Children who are with their parents or families, and applying for asylum, remain in the care of their parents. They may receive supports from social workers or social care workers, as required. Tusla does not collate information who are unallocated on the basis of their nationality or asylum status.
I have written to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency and requested the information to which the Deputy refers, and will respond directly once I have received it.
153. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children seeking asylum here awaiting an aftercare plan. [19144/18]
View answerI have written to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, and will provide the information to which the Deputy refers once I have received it.
154. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the maximum age for a person to commence fostering children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19170/18]
View answerFollowing extensive consultation with relevant stakeholders, Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, approved revised Policy, Procedures and Best Practice Guidance for Foster Care Committees in February of last year.
I can confirm that one of the issues that arose during consultation, and which has been addressed in the revised document, concerns the previous guidance in relation to the age of applicants. The guidance in relation to the age of would-be foster carers has been removed, with the focus now being placed on appropriate matching and the use of professional judgement when approving carers, placing children and making long-term matches. The guiding rule is, of course, the child’s best interests.
155. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children in foster care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19171/18]
View answerTusla, the Child and Family Agency, most recent figures indicate that there were 6,161 children in care at the end of February 2018. Of the children in care, 92% were in foster care nationally; there were 4,037 (65%) children in general foster care, 1,646 (27%) in relative care and 357 (6%) children were in a residential care placement, with the remaining children in other care placements appropriate to their assessed needs.
Foster care is the preferred option for children who have been received into care. This can be as a result of abuse and/or neglect and their parents' inability to care for them due to a combination of difficulties in their own lives. In recent years, more than 90% of children in care were in a foster care placement.
156. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if he will report on the progress of the Atlantic Economic Corridor, the work of the task force and the support his Department is providing for this initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18943/18]
View answerThe Programme for Partnership Government and the Action Plan for Rural Development both contain a commitment to progress the concept of an Atlantic Economic Corridor.
The overarching objective of the Atlantic Economic Corridor proposal is to maximise the assets along the western seaboard and connect the economic hubs, clusters and catchments of the region to attract investment, support job creation and contribute to an improved quality of life for those who live there.
The Atlantic Economic Corridor Taskforce was established in March 2017 to progress the proposal. Minister of State Seán Kyne chairs the Taskforce, which includes senior representatives from the business sector, key Government Departments, other public bodies, and Third Level institutions.
The Taskforce has met five times since it was established, most recently in Limerick on 12th March 2018, and it will continue to meet on a regular basis. A number of sub-groups of the Taskforce have also been established to progress specific aspects of the overall proposal, such as examining infrastructure needs and enterprise property assets, and developing a communications strategy so that the objectives of the initiative are widely understood.
My Department provides the Secretariat to the Taskforce and the sub-groups and is represented on these groups at senior level. My Department is also providing funding to the ten Local Authorities along the Atlantic Economic Corridor to support the designation of an Atlantic Economic Corridor Officer in each Authority. These Officers, who will be co-funded by the Local Authorities, will work to further develop the Atlantic Economic Corridor concept and support the work of the Taskforce and its sub-groups.
Based on the progress which has been achieved to date, the Atlantic Economic Corridor has been recognised in the National Planning Framework as a potential key enabler to the regional growth objectives of the NPF.
157. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of the work to address mobile phone coverage blackspots which is a measure of the action plan of the mobile phone and broadband task force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18944/18]
View answerThe Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce was established in July 2016 to examine broadband and mobile phone coverage deficits in Ireland and identify tangible actions to improve the quality of these services.
The Taskforce Report was published in December 2016, and included 40 actions to alleviate barriers to mobile phone reception and broadband access. An Implementation Group was established in 2017 to oversee the delivery of actions in the Taskforce's report and progress updates are published on my Department's website on a quarterly basis at
http://drcd.gov.ie/about/rural/rural-development/national-broadband-plan/.
With regard to mobile phone blackspots, my officials in conjunction with the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, are actively engaged with local authorities and mobile phone operators to identify priority blackspots and take action to address this issue.
During 2017 officials from both Departments worked with a group of local authorities to identify the issues associated with mapping local blackspots. This pilot exercise has been completed.
All local authorities were then asked to identify local blackspots on an online map and to identify infrastructure that could potentially be used to provide additional coverage. At this point, approximately two thirds of local authorities have responded. A number of additional local authorities are in the process of finalising their response, following which a meeting with mobile operators will be convened to progress solutions in identified locations.
A focus group has also been established by the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment to provide guidance on categories of locations where high quality reliable mobile coverage should be made available as a priority. The group is aiming to finalise its work by the middle of the year.
In addition, ComReg will shortly launch a scheme for the use of mobile phone repeaters, which will allow householders and businesses to boost signals into their premises, and bring immediate improvements in mobile phone coverage, particularly in rural Ireland.
158. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the funding allocated for the Leader programme in 2017; the expenditure at the end of 2017; the funding allocated for and the expenditure to date in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19253/18]
View answerFunding for the LEADER Programme in my Department’s Vote provides for expenditure on project payments, administration costs of the Local Action Groups (LAGs) who deliver the programme, costs associated with their engagement with communities to generate projects, and LEADER operational costs incurred directly by my Department.
The original allocation for the LEADER programme in 2017 was €40 million, as reflected in the Vote for the former Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. Of this €40 million allocation, €17.4 million was transferred within my Department's budget to support a new Local Improvement Scheme for non-public roads. A further €3.8 million was transferred to increase expenditure on developing Libraries in local communities. The final overall expenditure from the LEADER subhead in 2017 was €14,420,728. This includes expenditure of approximately €109,000 in respect of the 2007-2013 LEADER programme.
A total of €40 million has been provided in my Department's 2018 Vote to support the LEADER programme, comprising a provision of €35 million in Subhead A6 of the Vote, supplemented by a carry over of unspent capital funds of €5 million from 2017. Overall expenditure from the LEADER subhead to date in 2018 is €4,595,668.
There has been a significant increase in the number of projects approved for LEADER funding by the Local Action Groups since the middle of 2017. To date, more than 900 projects with a value of over €27 million have been approved for LEADER funding by the LAGs. A further 320 projects requesting over €17 million in funding are at various stages in the approval process. This funding will be drawn down as projects start to incur expenditure and submit payment claims.
I anticipate that there will be a significant increase in project expenditure over the course of 2018 based on the progress which has been made by the LAGs in approving projects. My Department has also introduced a number of administrative improvements to the LEADER programme which will also assist LAGs and project promoters in their delivery of the programme.
159. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which he expects to be in a position to examine eligibility for grant aid through his Department for various community-based groups throughout County Kildare, including integration groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19287/18]
View answerIn Budget 2018, my Department secured in excess of €220million giving us the foundation we need to drive both the rural and community agenda and to deliver initiatives that can foster growth right across the country. My Department delivers a variety of schemes that provide support for the sustainable development of communities in line with commitments in the Programme for Partnership Government and the Action Plan for Rural Development. These schemes and programmes include flagship programmes such as the LEADER and the Social Inclusion and Community Activation (SICAP) Programmes, the Community Services Programme, the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme, the CLÁR Programme, the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS), the Seniors Alert Scheme and the Communities Facilities Scheme. My Department is also responsible for the overall administration of the Dormant Accounts Fund. The legislation governing Dormant Accounts provides the framework for the disbursement of funds to measures targeted at socially, economically and educationally disadvantaged people and people with a disability. All schemes are open to applications from relevant parties who meet the specific eligibility criteria during the application timeframes set for each scheme or programme. My Department will continue to work with key stakeholders including local authorities, community and voluntary groups, and dedicated agencies to deliver and review these schemes and programmes including the eligibility criteria to ensure that maximum use is obtained from the resources allocated and that value for money is delivered in respect of the 2018 schemes and programmes. Further information on schemes and programmes can be found on my Department's website www.drcd.gov.ie.
160. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if voluntary and or community groups in County Kildare engaged in the production of musical and dramatic productions at local level can apply for assistance under the various schemes operated by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19288/18]
View answerMy Department's Action Plan for Rural Development, Pillar 4, commits to Fostering Culture and Creativity in Rural Communities and sets the objectives of increasing access to the arts, further developing and enhancing culture and creativity in rural Ireland through the Creative Ireland programme.
The Action Plan outlines 29 specific actions to be progressed to achieve these objectives. The relevant actions are led by a range of Government Departments and agencies including the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, the Arts Council and Local Authorities.
The schemes operated by my Department are predominantly focused on capital projects in local communities and various groups may be eligible for such funding should they meet the criteria for eligibility.
These schemes are rolled out by a variety of partners, including Local Authorities and Local Community Development Committees, and details of how to apply are available from my Department's website, www.drcd.gov.ie.
161. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which local voluntary groups such as men's sheds or women's groups may be eligible to apply for assistance to his Department in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19289/18]
View answer162. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the main headings under which his Department expects to be in a position to offer financial assistance to voluntary groups throughout County Kildare and the country at large; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19290/18]
View answer165. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the criteria within which groups in the voluntary sector can apply to his Department for assistance in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19293/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 161, 162 and 165 together.
My Department operates a number of funding programmes and schemes that are open to applications from relevant parties, including groups in the voluntary sector, who satisfy the relevant criteria during the application timeframes set for each scheme/programme.
In 2017, capital grants were provided to such groups across the country under both the RAPID programme and Communities Facilities Scheme, for which applications were processed by Local Community Development Committees. These schemes are currently being reviewed, and it is intended to have the 2018 launch in May of this year.
Funding may also be available under my Department's LEADER Programme to support groups in the voluntary sector. Applications for funding can be made directly to the relevant Local Action Groups.
The Seniors Alert Scheme provides personal monitored alarms to enable older people, of limited means, to continue to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind. The Scheme is administered on behalf of my Department by Pobal, with applicants applying via community organisations operating in their local area. Since Pobal took over the administration of the Scheme in September 2015, 15 community organisations have been approved to operate the Scheme in Kildare.
Further information on all funding programmes and schemes is available on my Department's website www.drcd.gov.ie.
163. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which his Department will interact with the Leader programme when identifying suitable projects for attention and support in 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19291/18]
View answerThe LEADER programme comes under my Department’s remit and is administered by Local Action Groups (LAGs) which deliver funding in accordance with Local Development Strategies that have been agreed for each LAG area.
LEADER has a total budget of €250 million over the period 2014-2020. €220 million of this funding has already been allocated to the LAGs covering 28 LEADER sub-regional areas throughout the country. The balance of €30 million in funding is available for schemes which will be selected at a national level based on submissions from the Local Action Groups.
Each LAG is responsible for deciding how their allocation is distributed to LEADER projects over the duration of the programme, based on the objectives in their Local Development Strategies. Project applications are made to, and approved by, the relevant LAG in each LEADER area.
To date, more than 900 projects with a value of over €27 million have been approved for LEADER funding by the LAGs. A further 320 projects requesting over €17 million in funding are at various stages in the approval process. This funding will be drawn down as projects start to incur expenditure and submit payment claims.
I anticipate that there will be a significant increase in project expenditure over the course of 2018 and into 2019 based on the progress which has been made by the LAGs in approving projects in recent months. My Department has also introduced a number of administrative improvements to the LEADER programme which will also assist LAGs and project promoters in their delivery of the programme.
164. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development his plans for various voluntary and community groups and projects throughout the country and County Kildare in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19292/18]
View answerMy Department delivers a variety of schemes that provide support for the sustainable development of communities in line with commitments in, inter alia, the Programme for Partnership Government and the Action Plan for Rural Development. These schemes and programmes include flagship programmes such as the LEADER and the Social Inclusion and Community Activation (SICAP) Programmes, the Community Services Programme, the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme, the CLÁR Programme, the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS), the Seniors Alert Scheme, RAPID, and the Communities Facilities Scheme.
My Department is also responsible for the overall administration of the Dormant Accounts Fund. The legislation governing Dormant Accounts provides the framework for the disbursement of funds to measures targeted at socially, economically and educationally disadvantaged people and people with a disability. Depending on their focus, these measures would be implemented in urban and rural areas all across the country.
I am also very pleased to be able to continue and enhance some key initiatives, many of which are delivered by the Voluntary and Community Sector, as well as some private providers, such as SICAP, Seniors Alert and the volunteering programme.
All schemes are open to applications from relevant parties who meet the specific eligibility criteria during the application timeframes set for each scheme or programme. My Department will continue to work with key stakeholders including local authorities, community and voluntary groups, and dedicated agencies, to deliver and review these schemes and programmes, including the eligibility criteria, to ensure that maximum use is obtained from the resources allocated and that value for money is delivered in respect of the 2018 schemes and programmes.
Further information on schemes and programmes can be found on my Department's website www.drcd.gov.ie.
