Written Answers Nos. 250-272
250. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Finance if there are provisions or exemptions whereby persons that had a share in a house previously and have since been divorced and are now seeking to buy a first-time house on their own can be included in the help-to-buy scheme; if these criteria are consistent with the Rebuilding Ireland home loan scheme in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25644/18]
View answerI am advised by Revenue that the definition of a first-time purchaser for the purposes of the Help to Buy (HTB) scheme is “an individual who, at the time of a claim for HTB has not, either individually or jointly with any other person, previously purchased or previously built, directly or indirectly, on his or her own behalf a dwelling”.
It is not clear what the Deputy means when he refers to “a share in a house”.
For example, take a married couple or co-habitants. A dwelling could have been bought by one of the parties only, and used as a family home. If at some later stage the relationship broke down, it is possible that the individual who had not bought the house may seek to purchase a house. If that individual proves that he/she was not previously involved in the purchase of a house, then that person could, subject to satisfying the conditions of the scheme, be a first-time purchaser for the purposes of the HTB.
If however, what is meant by “a share in a house” is that a person was a joint owner of a dwelling that they formerly purchased or built, then he/she would not qualify as a first time buyer for the purposes of HTB.
In relation to the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan, that scheme is within the remit of the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government and its features are matters for him to decide.
251. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Finance the estimated additional revenue that would be generated if the local property tax rate of 0.25% was increased to 0.40% for houses valued at over €1 million; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25665/18]
View answerFor properties valued over €1 million, Local Property Tax (LPT) is assessed at 0.18% on the first €1 million and 0.25% on the portion valued above €1 million. I am informed by Revenue that such properties yielded approximately €10 million in LPT receipts in 2017.
I am further advised by Revenue that the LPT yield, from increasing the current 0.25% rate on the excess over €1 million to 0.4%, is estimated at approximately €2 million.
252. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance the value of assets purchased each year from Irish financial institutions by either the Central Bank or other eurozone central banks, including the European Central Bank, as part of the Eurppean Central Bank, ECB, asset purchase programme; the value of those assets that were Irish Government bonds; the value of Irish Government bonds held by the Central Bank or other eurozone central banks as part of the ECB asset purchase programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25713/18]
View answer253. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance the value of Irish bank bonds purchased each year by the Central Bank or other eurozone central banks, including the European Central Bank, ECB, as part of the ECB's asset purchase programme; the value of those Irish bank bonds held on the balance sheets of the Central Bank and other eurozone central banks as part of the ECB's asset purchase programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25714/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 252 and 253 together.
Data on asset purchases from Irish financial institutions as part of the ECB Asset Purchase Programme (APP) is not available publicly.
The market value of Irish government bonds held on the Central Bank of Ireland balance sheet at the end of 2017 was €21,813 million (Source: Central Bank Annual Report 2017, p.193, available: https://www.centralbank.ie/publication/corporate-reports/annual-reports)
The ECB has also purchased Irish government bonds as part of Asset Purchase Programme but data on its holdings of Irish government bonds is not publicly available.
Where the Deputy references the value of “Irish bank bonds”, it is assumed that the question refers to Irish covered bonds purchased under the Third Covered Bond Purchase Programme (CBPP3), the latter being a component of the APP. In this context, the breakdown of Irish covered bonds purchased under the APP is not publicly available
The CBPP3 commenced in October 2014. The market value of covered bonds held on the Central Bank of Ireland’s balance sheet as at the end of 2014 was €499 million; €2,193 million at year-end 2015; €3,210 million as at the end of 2016; and €3.596 million as at the end of 2017. It is important to note that incorporated within these numbers are purchases of non-Irish covered bonds. (Source: Central Bank of Ireland Annual Reports 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, available:
https://www.centralbank.ie/publication/corporate-reports/annual-reports).
254. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance if consultation has taken place with the European Commission in relation to the rules regarding the statistical treatment of the rainy day fund; if a decision has been made by the Commission in that regard; if a decision by the Commission is imminent in that regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25715/18]
View answerIt has not been necessary to consult with the European Commission in relation to the statistical treatment of the Rainy Day Fund, as no decision is required from them. The Commission is well aware of, and supportive of, our plans to establish a Rainy Day Fund. They were updated on progress on establishing the Fund in the Stability Programme Update in April and at bilateral meetings.
Any eventual drawdown from the Fund will have to be in accordance with the fiscal rules and the flexibilities that exist therein.
I look forward to discussing our legislative proposals in Committee in the near future, and to publishing the Bill within a short time thereafter.
255. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance the number and value of medical claims settled by the State Claims Agency in each year since 2010 whereby the claim was either fully or partially recouped by the agency from professional indemnity for individual clinicians; the value recouped in each year since 2010 from professional indemnity for individual clinicians; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25717/18]
View answerI am informed by the State Claims Agency (SCA) that as of 11th June 2018, the figures below show cost recoveries and third party payments for clinical claims finalised from 2010 to 2018 year to date.
Table 1 is correct as of 11/06/2018, whereby recoveries refer to money recouped by the SCA from from the “Medical Protection Society” or the “Medical Defence Unit”.
|
Year Claim Finalised |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 YTD |
Total |
|
Total Paid (€) |
€471,519 |
€406,573 |
€3,512,102 |
€8,814,504 |
€592,958 |
€2,126,530 |
€1,787,922 |
€1,434,045 |
€366,929 |
€19,513,082 |
|
Recovered (€) |
€221,595 |
€277,721 |
€1,281,598 |
€2,864,582 |
€7,976 |
€664,500 |
€268,050 |
€247,901 |
€84,259 |
€5,918,181 |
|
Number of claims |
4 |
2 |
3 |
9 |
2 |
3 |
7 |
2 |
2 |
34 |
Figures in respect of paid totals relate to the amount of money paid on a claim over its lifetime. This may include payments made in previous years. It includes damages, legal costs and other expert costs. The year a claim is finalised refers to when a claim and all other matters associated with it have been agreed e.g. costs. There may still be some associated payments and reimbursements outstanding on finalised claims.
256. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the response to the clerical officer competition on publicjobs.ie earlier in 2018; the number of positions filled from the panel; the position of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24238/18]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, The Public Appointments Service (PAS) is an independent statutory recruitment body for the Civil Service and they have advised me that they do not comment on individual cases to third parties. Each application is treated as strictly confidential.
PAS has advised me that the individual concerned should contact them directly at the following email address: clearance@publicjobs.ie.
PAS has also informed me that 4 people have been assigned from the CO 2018 panel to date.
257. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the engagement the Office of Public Works has had regarding a building (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24252/18]
View answerThe 2012 and 2013 Policing Plans for An Garda Síochána identified 139 Garda stations for closure. Many of these properties reverted to the Office of Public Works (OPW) to identify an alternative State use or manage their disposal.
In 2016, An Garda Síochána/Policing Authority undertook a review of the closed Garda stations under the Programme for a Partnership Government. In late 2017, the preliminary review initially identified six stations for re-opening. These were:
Ballinspittle, Co. Cork
Bawnboy, Co. Cavan
Leighlinbridge, Co. Carlow
Donard, Co. Wicklow
Stepaside, Co. Dublin
Rush, Co. Dublin.
The Programme for a Partnership Government also commits to requesting the Policing Authority to oversee a review of ‘both the boundaries of Garda districts and the dispersement of Garda stations in rural areas and in developing urban and suburban areas with a view to ensuring both an efficient and optimum geographical distribution of stations’. In this regard, the Acting Garda Commissioner has requested the OPW not to dispose of any additional former Garda stations, including the former Garda station at Cloghan, Co. Donegal.
An OPW official did meet with members of Donegal Mountain Rescue to discuss their interest in acquiring the former Garda station at Cloghan and they are aware that any decision to dispose or transfer the former Garda station in Cloghan, Co. Donegal is on hold pending the recommendations arising from the proposed review.
258. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of works for a Garda station (details supplied); the completion date for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24521/18]
View answerAs I previously advised the House in response to a similar question on Wednesday, 30th May, 2018, the Office of Public Works is finalising planning documentation and a Part 9 planning application will be lodged in the coming weeks. Once the planning process has been completed the OPW will then undertake the required Public Procurement Process for construction works.
259. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he has spoken to his other EU colleagues regarding the EU cohesion funds recently. [24566/18]
View answerI am engaged in regular and ongoing dialogue with my EU ministerial counterparts both at EU meetings and on a bilateral basis.
Minister of State Patrick O’Donovan represented Ireland at both of the recent General Affairs Council (Cohesion) meetings, in November of 2017 and April 2018. On both occasions he also took the opportunity to arrange bilateral Ministerial meetings.
In November 2017 I published an Irish position paper on Cohesion Funding post 2020. This was circulated to all other EU Member States. We have actively engaged in dialogue at various levels with other Member States on this document and on the position of other Member States.
As the Deputy will be aware, the Commission published their Cohesion Policy Legislative package for the 2021–2027 programming period on Tuesday, 29 May. This followed on from the Multi-annual Financial Framework (MFF) published on 2 May 2018. Both proposals are very detailed and will require careful examination by a number of Government Departments. It is very early in the process, but Ireland will continue to engage constructively with our European partners on these proposals at all levels, including both at senior official and at political level, as appropriate.
260. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his views on whether the inflexibility of State contracts in the face of substantial increases in input costs means construction companies may now be forced out of business or to abandon ongoing public sector projects. [24774/18]
View answerAll public works projects that are delivered under the Exchequer-funded element of the Government's capital plan must be procured in accordance with the provisions laid down in the Capital Works Management Framework (CWMF). The CWMF is mandated by circular and was developed to assist contracting authorities in meeting their ongoing procurement requirements. It provides an integrated set of contractual provisions, guidance material, technical templates and procedures which cover all aspects of the delivery process of a public works project from inception to final project delivery and review.
The conditions of the public works contracts which are used for the delivery of the majority of building and civil engineering projects are fixed price, lump sum contracts. This requirement is key to ensuring greater cost certainty in the delivery of the public capital programme. When tendering public works contracts, contractors are expected to take account of cost increases due to inflation on the primary inputs up to the project’s completion. On projects with long delivery programmes, an adjustment to the contract sum for inflation is possible but only after the pre-determined fixed price period has elapsed.
In order to take cost increases due to inflation into account when pricing a project it is accepted that a degree of foresight is required on the likely increases in the input costs such as labour, materials and plant over the duration of the project.
The primary input costs on construction projects are labour, materials and plant. Increases in the cost of fuel can also impact on certain categories of projects. With regards to labour costs, the Deputy refers to Sectoral Employment Orders (SEOs) which are established in accordance with the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act 2015. An SEO imposes minimum rates of pay and conditions of employment for specified categories of workers. Employers employing the specified categories of workers must comply with the provisions of an SEO covering the sector in which they are operating.
To date, my colleague, the Minister of State at the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation, has signed into law two SEOs that cover workers in the construction sector: SI 455 of 2017 covering the construction sector on 19 October 2017; and SI 59 of 2018 covering the mechanical engineering building services contracting sector on 6 March 2018.
Whilst it is the case that there were no transitional arrangements introduced when the SEOs were signed into law, nonetheless there was an 11 month process leading up to the establishment of the first SEO in October 2017.
In November 2016 an application was made to the Labour Court by the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) to commence the process. As a body who represents significant numbers of employers in the construction sector it must be presumed that this application was made with the knowledge of its members. An invitation for submissions by interested parties was published by the Labour Court in February 2017. This was followed by an invitation from the Labour Court to an oral hearing on 26 June 2017 to those who made submissions. The CIF, having made a submission was one of the bodies invited to the hearing. Having concluded its deliberations, the Labour Court issued a recommendation to the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation on 13 July 2017 which was published shortly thereafter. The Minister, having accepted the recommendation, submitted a draft order to both Houses of the Oireachtas and it was signed into law on 19 October 2017 after a resolution approving it had been passed by each House.
Wages in this sector have experienced increases in recent years as evidenced by average increases of 6% year on year in the biannual tender price index published by the Society of Chartered Surveyors in Ireland since 2014. The foregoing would suggest that contractors should have been taking wage inflation into account when tendering for construction contracts; public or private. Indeed the SCSI tender price index would suggest that contractors have been taking wage inflation into account in pricing work.
I have received several representations on behalf of contractors operating under the public works contracts. The correspondence has identified the difficulties being experienced by those contractors whose tender prices did not account for the increased cost of labour represented by the introduction of the SEOs.
The conditions of the public works contract have been in general use since 2007 and industry is well aware of their fixed price requirement. It must be assumed therefore that this issue has arisen due to a lack of awareness of the process that was being undertaken and this is something that I will bring to the attention of my colleague, the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation.
261. Deputy Mary Butler asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of the outstanding claim by community employment supervisors and assistant supervisors on their pension ex gratia claim; the progress being made on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24975/18]
View answerI would refer the Deputy to my responses to PQ 54985/17 of 16 January 2018, and to PQ 13684/18 of 27 March 2018.
262. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the annual rental cost for the Dublin Passport Office building in 2016, 2017 and to date in 2018, in tabular form. [25154/18]
View answer263. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the annual rental cost for the Cork Passport Office building in 2016, 2017 and to date in 2018, in tabular form. [25158/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 262 and 263 together.
As requested, the following table sets out the annual rent for the Passport Offices in Dublin and Cork. A cut-off date of 6th June was used when calculating the 2018 to date rental liability.
DFAT
Passport Offices Annual Rent
|
Property |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 (01/01/2018 to 06/06/2018) |
|
Passport Office 1 – Balbriggan |
€390,000 |
€390,000 |
€169,088.16 paid to date |
|
Passport Office 2 – Balbriggan |
€99,417.50 |
€99,417.50 |
€43,103.17 paid to date |
|
Passport Office Molesworth Street, Dublin 2 |
01/01/2016-15/04/2016 = €196,859.42 |
NIL |
NIL |
|
Passport Office, Cork |
€290,097.52 |
€290,097.52 |
€53,250.77 paid to date |
*The Dublin Passport office moved to a State owned building in April 2016
264. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if river levels at a location (details supplied) will be investigated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24267/18]
View answerWater levels in Lough Allen and Lough Ree are regulated by the ESB. The ESB advises me that the levels are relatively low at present, as of 6th June 2018.
Consultation with ESB confirms that the weir at Athlone is primarily designed to maintain minimum levels in Lough Ree. Waterways Ireland is responsible for the operation of sluice structures in weirs at Tarmonbarry and three other locations under the direction of ESB. The current level is as required by ESB to maintain services and to ensure enough water to provide for the minimum flow required for environmental purposes.
From April 1st 2013 ESB, in conjunction with Waterways Ireland, has been applying a trial protocol to reduce the minimum target level in Lough Ree during summer periods at the request of OPW. Prior to this trial the minimum target level in Lough Ree was 37.65m O.D. at the end of June. As a result of the trial the minimum target level is now 37.55m O.D. on June 30th. As of 6th June 2018, the level in Lough Ree is at 37.64m O.D. Based on the current weather forecast and with 4 sluices open at Athlone Weir the level in Lough Ree is expected to approach 37.60m O.D. by mid- June. Achieving the minimum target level of 37.55m O.D. by end of June is weather dependent.
265. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform further to the introduction of the new sectoral employment order, SEO, for the construction sector on 19 October 2017, if State contracts signed by companies following a successful public tender award in which the previous SEO was in place and the project costs built into such contracts as a result have to be re-examined following the new SEO; if changes to labour rates of pay are now applicable; if his Department has been contacted by companies in this regard; and the impact this may have on small businesses. [24333/18]
View answerSectoral Employment Orders (SEOs) are established in accordance with the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act 2015 (the Act). An SEO imposes minimum rates of pay and conditions of employment for specified categories of workers. Employers employing the specified categories of workers must comply with the provisions of an SEO covering the sector in which they are operating.
Registered Employment Agreements were the previous means of establishing minimum rates of pay and conditions of employment in certain economic sectors. The manner in which these agreements were registered was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2013 leaving the National Minimum Wage as the only wage rate enforceable by statute.
To date, my colleague the Minister of State at the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation has signed into law two SEOs that cover workers in the construction sector: SI 455 of 2017 covering the construction sector on 19 October 2017; and SI 59 of 2018 covering the mechanical engineering building services contracting sector on 6 March 2018.
All public works projects that are delivered under the Exchequer-funded element of the Government's capital plan must be procured in accordance with the provisions laid down in the Capital Works Management Framework (CWMF). The CWMF is mandated by circular and was developed to assist contracting authorities in meeting their ongoing procurement requirements. It provides an integrated set of contractual provisions, guidance material, technical templates and procedures which cover all aspects of the delivery process of a public works project from inception to final project delivery and review.
The conditions of the public works contracts which are used for the delivery of the majority of building and civil engineering projects are fixed price, lump sum contracts. This requirement is key to ensuring greater cost certainty in the delivery of the public capital programme. When tendering public works contracts, contractors are expected to take account of cost increases due to inflation up to the project’s completion. On projects with long delivery programmes, an adjustment to the contract sum for inflation is possible but only after the pre-determined fixed price period has elapsed.
In order to take cost increases due to inflation into account when pricing a project it is accepted that a degree of foresight is required on the likely increases in the input costs such as labour, materials and plant over the duration of the project.
Whilst it is the case that there were no transitional arrangements introduced when the SEOs were signed into law, nonetheless there was an 11 month process leading up to the establishment of the first SEO in October 2017.
In November 2016 an application was made to the Labour Court by the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) to commence the process. As a body who represents significant numbers of employers in the construction sector it must be presumed that this application was made with the knowledge of its members. An invitation for submissions by interested parties was published by the Labour Court in February 2017. This was followed by an invitation from the Labour Court to an oral hearing on 26 June 2017 to those who made submissions. Having concluded its deliberations, the Labour Court issued a recommendation to the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation on the 13 July 2017 which was published shortly thereafter and was picked up in various national media outlets. The Minister, having accepted the recommendation, submitted a draft order to both Houses of the Oireachtas and it was signed into law on 19 October 2017 after a resolution approving it had been passed by each House.
Wages in this sector have experienced increases in recent years as evidenced by average increases of 6% year on year in the biannual tender price index published by the Society of Chartered Surveyors in Ireland since 2014. The foregoing would suggest that contractors should have been taking wage inflation into account when tendering for construction contracts; public or private. Indeed the SCSI tender price index would suggest that contractors have been taking wage inflation into account in pricing work.
Circular 08/2018 was issued on 24 May 2018 through the Office of Government Procurement (OGP) which sets out the amendments that have been undertaken to the CWMF to reflect the introduction of the SEOs in the construction sector. These amendments will apply to tenders and contracts that are commenced after the periods set out in the circular and do not change the fixed price nature of the contracts.
I have received representations from the CIF, fellow Ministers and Deputies on behalf of contractors operating under the public works contracts. The correspondence has identified the difficulties being experienced by those contractors whose tender prices did not account for the increased cost of labour represented by the introduction of the SEOs.
The conditions of the public works contract have been in general use since 2007 and industry is well aware of the fixed price requirement. It must be assumed therefore that this issue has arisen due to a lack of awareness of the process that was being undertaken and this is something that I will bring to the attention of my colleague the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation.
266. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of public and civil service workers whose pension entitlements are subject to convergence criteria, that is, whose workplace pensions are reduced when they reach the State retirement age. [24432/18]
View answerThe authorities responsible for the administration of the large number of pension schemes operating in the various sectors of the Irish public service are, in general, the relevant employers and Ministers in those sectors.
It would be a matter for those sectoral authorities, including relevant Ministers, to supply such information as may be available in respect of the pension entitlements of members of those individual pension schemes.
I and my Department are responsible for the civil service pension schemes, which cover personnel in established and unestablished civil service and State Industrial posts.
In this response I am interpreting the reference to convergence to mean those pensions which are integrated with the State Pension (Contributory).
As at 31 December 2017, approximately 15,000 civil service workers have pension entitlements which are subject to integration and whose overall pension takes account of the State Pension (Contributory).
These members would be eligible to receive the State Pension (Contributory), based on a member's PRSI record.
267. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the amount by which public and civil service workers' pensions subject to convergence have been reduced in each of the years since 2010. [24433/18]
View answerThe authorities responsible for the administration of the large number of pension schemes operating in the various sectors of the Irish public service are, in general, the relevant employers and Ministers in those sectors.
It would be a matter for those sectoral authorities, including relevant Ministers, to supply such information as may be available in respect of the pension entitlements of members of those individual pension schemes.
I and my Department are responsible for the civil service pension schemes, which cover personnel in established and unestablished civil service and State Industrial posts.
In this response I am interpreting the reference to convergence to mean those pensions which are integrated with the State Pension (Contributory) and the reference to reduction to relate to the effects of integration.
As regards the detailed information sought, it should be noted that, once a pension is calculated and comes into payment, a breakdown of the various components upon which that pension is based is not retained centrally nor readily available. It would take an inordinate amount of official time and effort to obtain the information sought as it would necessitate examination of the files of all retirees in the period concerned.
268. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of the public service superannuation (miscellaneous provisions) (amendment) Bill; when it will be published and introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24451/18]
View answer275. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when legislation which will permit persons in the public service that have reached retirement age to continue working and accrue benefits will be brought before Dáil Éireann; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24991/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 268 and 275 together.
As the Deputies are aware, on 5 December 2017, the Government agreed that the compulsory retirement age of most public servants recruited before 1 April 2004 should be increased to age 70. Primary legislation is required for this change to be implemented. The Government has approved the General Scheme of a Bill to give effect to its decision and I asked the Attorney General to prioritise the drafting of this legislation so that the new compulsory retirement age will become effective as soon as possible. The drafting process is currently under way and the Bill is on the list of priority legislation for publication in the current session. The drafting of the legislation is significantly advanced with an expected publication date, subject to Government approval in the coming weeks.
Deputies will appreciate that it is not possible to determine the length of time it will take for the Bill to be drafted and pass through both Houses of the Oireachtas, given the need for meticulous drafting, ongoing detailed policy considerations, and the scheduling requirements of the Houses of the Oireachtas. The Bill is being treated as a priority and my intention is to bring forward the necessary legislation as soon as possible.
In order to make some accommodation for public servants who reach the age of 65 in the period between the Government Decision of 5 December and the commencement of the necessary legislation, the Government approved some limited interim arrangements which became effective from the date of the Government Decision. The interim arrangements (which have to respect the current statutory position of the compulsory retirement age of 65) will, through retire and re-hire, enable pre-2004 public servants who reach the age of 65 to remain in employment until they reach the age of eligibility for the State Pension (Contributory), which is currently 66, should they wish to do so. Details of these interim implementation arrangements have been put in place by the relevant sectors.
269. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of the implementation of the programme for partnership Government as it applies to his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24580/18]
View answerThe Deputy may wish to note that the latest Annual Report on the implementation of the Programme for Partnership Government will be published by the Department of the Taoiseach shortly. This will provide comprehensive detail on the latest position on the implementation of the programme across the whole of Government. In terms of my own Department, some areas of particular focus include the following:
- Our Public Service 2020 was published in December 2017 and sets out a new framework for public service reform. Its actions will build a stronger public service and deliver better quality services over the period 2018 to 2020 and beyond. Implementation of these actions is well underway.
- The Public Service Stability Agreement 2018-2020, which extends the Lansdowne Road Agreement, has been ratified by all parties and is now in place. The Public Service Pay and Pensions Act 2017 was passed in December 2017 to give effect to its terms.
- Following on from the first round of the three year Spending Review, which saw the publication of 22 papers, the second round is progressing.
- The policy paper 'Equality Budgeting: Proposed Next Steps in Ireland' sets out the pilot approach that is currently progressing for equality budgeting in the 2018 budgetary cycle. Learnings from the pilot, supported by an expert advisory group, will expand the initiative for the next budgetary cycle.
- The 10 year National Development Plan commits to €91 billion of Exchequer capital investment over the period of the Plan (2018-2027), bringing public capital investment levels in Ireland as a % of national income to amongst the highest in the EU.
- The PEACE and INTERREG programmes have been a key element of the EU's continuing commitment to the process of peace building and reconciliation and support for the Good Friday Agreement. A key priority of the PEACE IV programme is Shared Education to bring together school children and teachers from different communities and backgrounds. Projects have also been designed to help people live, learn and socialise with each other free from prejudice and hate.
Further details on the implementation of these and other priorities from the Programme for Partnership Government will be included in the upcoming Annual Report.
270. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the position in relation to a flood protection scheme (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24595/18]
View answer271. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the position in relation to a flood protection scheme (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24596/18]
View answer272. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the position in relation to a flood protection scheme (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24597/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 270 to 272, inclusive, together.
I am advised that in July 2017 the Commissioners of Public Works approved funding of €36,000 to Clare County Council (CCC) under the Office of Public Works (OPW) Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection scheme for the engagement of engineering consultants to progress the detailed design of a project at Cloughaninchy Co. Clare. The Council has indicated that planning approval has been received for the project under the Planning and Development Regulations 2001-2010 and the Council intends now to progress the project to construction.
With regard to Liscannor Bay, I am advised that a Coastal Erosion and Flood Risk Management Study report on Liscannor Bay has been submitted to the OPW by Clare County Council and is currently being reviewed by the OPW who will revert as soon as possible.
Following a review by the OPW of Coastal Erosion and Flood Risk Management Studies submitted by Clare County Council in connection with Whitestrand Milltown Malbay, a meeting took place recently between the OPW and the Council where the reports were discussed. The Council is currently progressing the issues raised with a view to finalising the reports.
