Written Answers Nos. 684-699
684. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the value of all projects approved by each LAG under the Leader programme; the amount expended on projects by each LAG to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31940/18]
View answerA breakdown of project approvals and expenditure by Local Action Groups (LAGs) under the 2014-2020 LEADER Programme is provided in Table 1.
The level of project activity has increased significantly in recent months, and 1,150 projects have now been approved for funding of over €34.2 million. A further 298 project applications requesting an additional €18.7 million are at various stages in the approval process.
Project payments under the programme to date amount to over €3.4 million, with almost €2.8 million of this having been paid out in 2018.
While the pace of approvals and payments varies between LAGs, I am confident that the progress now being made by the LAGs in approving projects, along with the administrative improvements which my Department introduced over the last year, will result in a continued increase in project approvals and payments under the LEADER programme over the coming months.
Table 1: Total LEADER Approvals and Expenditure by LAG as of 10th July 2018
|
Local Action Group |
No of Projects Approved |
Value of Projects Approved |
Total Project Payments |
|
Carlow |
16 |
€1,060,804 |
€306,500 |
|
Cavan |
17 |
€853,786 |
€52,221 |
|
Clare |
74 |
€1,456,094 |
€147,662 |
|
Cork North |
29 |
€1,076,479 |
€51,497 |
|
Cork South |
14 |
€458,698 |
€0 |
|
Cork West |
18 |
€636,649 |
€9,959 |
|
Donegal |
79 |
€2,889,001 |
€485,534 |
|
Dublin Rural |
29 |
€811,557 |
€71,131 |
|
Galway East |
5 |
€56,787 |
€0 |
|
Galway West |
20 |
€367,239 |
€0 |
|
Kerry |
142 |
€2,518,113 |
€204,991 |
|
Kildare |
12 |
€346,781 |
€0 |
|
Kilkenny |
44 |
€1,112,431 |
€178,784 |
|
Laois |
37 |
€892,485 |
€51,732 |
|
Leitrim |
38 |
€1,561,634 |
€89,700 |
|
Limerick |
59 |
€2,604,948 |
€0 |
|
Longford |
29 |
€578,185 |
€4,109 |
|
Louth |
28 |
€504,118 |
€64,566 |
|
Mayo |
66 |
€2,314,964 |
€225,641 |
|
Meath |
14 |
€539,107 |
€19,956 |
|
Monaghan |
24 |
€1,101,072 |
€136,508 |
|
Offaly |
71 |
€1,277,417 |
€286,852 |
|
Roscommon |
16 |
€587,224 |
€27,003 |
|
Sligo |
56 |
€1,647,101 |
€305,454 |
|
Tipperary |
76 |
€2,007,271 |
€100,155 |
|
Waterford |
34 |
€2,388,200 |
€511,796 |
|
Westmeath |
31 |
€473,460 |
€11,644 |
|
Wexford |
47 |
€1,441,057 |
€75,856 |
|
Wicklow |
25 |
€712,824 |
€0 |
|
Grand Total |
1,150 |
€34,275,488 |
€3,419,251 |
685. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the capital expenditure of his Department for the six months to 30 June 2018 by subhead; the provision for each subhead in the estimates for 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31941/18]
View answerThe Revised Estimates in respect of the Department of Rural and Community Development sets out gross capital expenditure of €87.5m in respect of my Department for 2018. This capital allocation is supplemented by some €7.7m in respect of capital carried forward from 2017.
I have set out in the following table details of capital expenditure to date for the six months to June 30 in respect of my Department.
A significant portion of capital underspend against profile relates to the Town and Village Scheme (Subhead A8), which funds capital projects administered by the Local Authorities. I am conscious of the particular demands which were placed on Local Authorities in the early months of this year in responding to severe weather emergencies and these may have been a contributory factor to the underspend. However, my Department is in regular contact with Local Authorities and other stakeholders with a view to accelerating activity on all capital schemes, including the Town and Village Renewal Scheme and I expect to see an increase in capital spending as the year progresses.
For example, while the LEADER programme also shows an underspend against profile to the end of June, the delivery of this programme on the ground is continuing to grow rapidly. At present 1,150 projects with a value of over €34 million had been approved for funding by the LEADER Local Action Groups. Almost 300 further projects are going through the approvals process. Payments will be made to all of these projects as they become operational and submit payment claims.
It should be noted that all figures provided are provisional, pending audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General.
|
SUBHEAD |
YTD - Actual |
Provision |
|
|
JUN-18 |
JUN-18 |
|
|
€'000's |
€'000's |
|
|
|
|
|
V42 - GROSS |
11,968 |
87,508 |
|
|
|
|
|
A - REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT & REGIONAL AFFAIRS |
11876 |
78155 |
|
A.2 - ADMINISTRATION - NON PAY |
112 |
166 |
|
A.3 - DORMANT ACCOUNT MEASURES |
0 |
2,006 |
|
A.5 - NATIONAL RURAL DEVELOPMENT SCHEMES |
997 |
15,383 |
|
A.6 - LEADER - RURAL ECONOMY SUB PROGRAMME |
7,176 |
35,000 |
|
A.8 - TOWN AND VILLAGE REGENERATION |
3,579 |
15,000 |
|
A.9 - RURAL BROADBAND, REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT |
11 |
600 |
|
A.10 - LOCAL IMPROVEMENT SCHEMES |
0 |
10,000 |
|
B - COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT |
90 |
9353 |
|
B.2 - ADMINISTRATION - NON PAY |
79 |
136 |
|
B.6 - RAPID |
11 |
3,767 |
|
B.8 - PROGRAMME FOR PEACE AND RECONCILIATION |
0 |
700 |
|
B.10 - LIBRARY DEVELOPMENT AND ARCHIVE SERVICE |
0 |
2,750 |
|
B.11 - COMMUNITY FACILITIES FUND |
0 |
2,000 |
686. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the expenditure on the Leader Programme to date in 2018, broken down between administration and projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31942/18]
View answerLEADER is a multi-annual programme for the period 2014-2020 and has a total budget of €250 million over that period, including both national and EU funding. The programme is administered by Local Action Groups (LAGs) which deliver funding in accordance with Local Development Strategies that have been agreed for each LAG area.
Table 1 details the expenditure incurred nationally under the programme in 2018. This expenditure relates to:
- the administration costs of the LAGs and the costs of their engagement with communities to generate projects - also referred to as "animation" costs; and,
- the expenditure incurred on projects.
The level of project activity under the LEADER programme has increased significantly in recent months, and 1,150 projects have now been approved for funding of over €34.2 million. A further 298 project applications requesting an additional €18.7 million are at various stages in the approval process.
I am confident that the progress now being made by the LAGs in approving projects, along with the administrative improvements which my Department introduced over the last year, will result in a continued increase in project approvals and payments under the LEADER programme over the coming months.
Table 1: LEADER 2014-2020 Expenditure in 2018 as of 10 th July 2018
|
Name |
Amount |
|
Administration and Animation Costs in 2018 |
€ 4,433,024 |
|
Project expenditure in 2018 |
€ 2,757,407 |
|
Total Programme Expenditure - 2018 |
€ 7,190,431 |
687. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the funding provided towards capital projects in counties Meath and Louth in 2016, 2017 and to date in 2018, by project name, location and cost in tabular form. [31996/18]
View answerThe information requested is currently being compiled by my Department and will be provided to the Deputy as soon as possible.
The deferred reply under Standing Order 42A was forwarded to the Deputy.
688. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the applications submitted for funding and projects from Meath and Louth County Councils in 2016, 2017 and to date in 2018 for projects decided upon or in progress in tabular form. [32012/18]
View answerThe following table contains the relevant information requested in respect of the applications submitted for funding and projects from Meath and Louth County Councils in 2016, 2017 and to date in 2018 for projects decided upon or in progress.
|
County |
Number of applications submitted for funding |
|
Meath 2016 |
21 |
|
Meath 2017 |
62 |
|
Meath 2018 decided upon |
18 |
|
Meath 2018 in progress |
1 |
|
Louth 2016 |
19 |
|
Louth 2017 |
48 |
|
Louth 2018 decided upon |
9 |
|
Louth 2018 in progress |
3 |
689. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the cost of implementing a living wage of €11.90 for all employees directly employed and or in agencies funded by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32229/18]
View answerMy Department has calculated that, as of July 2018, the cost of implementing a Living Wage of €11.90 per hour is estimated to be €60,301.28 for all staff in respect of a full year.
In respect of the bodies under the aegis of my Department, information relating to pay in those bodies is a matter for the bodies concerned.
690. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if CLÁR funding will be provided to a school (details supplied) which is in urgent need of alternative parking arrangements. [32305/18]
View answerCLÁR is a targeted capital investment programme for rural areas which have experienced significant levels of depopulation.
I launched the 2018 CLÁR programme on the 15th March last, with an indicative allocation of €5 million for qualifying projects under the following measures:
- Measure 1: Support for Schools/Community Safety Measures
- Measure 2: Play Areas/Multi-Use Games Areas
- Measure 3: First Response Support Measure
The closing date for CLÁR 2018 was 30th April and more than 400 applications were received. Applications under Measure 1 were submitted by Local Authorities following consultation with communities in their CLÁR areas.
On the 29th June, I announced funding of €4.8 million for 170 projects under Measure 1 of the 2018 CLÁR programme.
In general, applications were assessed on the basis of their eligibility under the scheme criteria and on the quality of the documentation supporting their proposals, as required in the scheme guidelines.
I can confirm that two applications in respect of the school referred to by the Deputy were received from the relevant Local Authority. Both were submitted under Measure 1, and one of these was successful.
The second application was not successful as it did not comply with the eligibility criteria indicated in the scheme guidelines. In particular, evidence of planning approval had not been obtained for the proposed project.
691. Deputy Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated cost per annum to increase the weekly direct provision allowance to €188. [32161/18]
View answerIreland has opted in to the EU (recast) Reception Conditions Directive with effect from 30 June 2018. As a result, direct provision allowance is being renamed daily expenses allowance. The Government has provided over €5.6 million for the allowance in 2018. This payment is administered by my Department on behalf of the Department of Justice and Equality and is paid to applicants for international protection who live in the direct provision system where they are provided with full board accommodation and other facilities/services.
The allowance is currently paid at the rate of €21.60 per week per adult. There are approximately 3,700 adults residing in the system of direct provision in respect of whom the allowance is being paid.
It has been clarified with the Deputy that he is requesting the cost of increasing the allowance to the rate of jobseekers allowance which is €198 per week. The full-year cost, based on the current numbers, of increasing the weekly adult rate, for each adult, to €198 is approximately €34 million.
Under the jobseekers allowance scheme a claimant may receive an increase in respect of an adult dependant, usually their spouse, civil partner or cohabitant. This is paid at the rate of €131.40 per week. There are some 400 cases of daily expenses allowance which include payment for a second adult. The cost of increasing the allowance to the jobseekers allowance payment rates to reflect this family composition would be approximately €32.6 million.
Any increases to the rate of this allowance would have to be approved by Government and considered in a budgetary context.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
692. Deputy Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated cost per annum to reverse the cuts to one parent family payments. [32168/18]
View answerThe full year cost of reversing changes made to the One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) would be very difficult to estimate with any accuracy.
There are three significant barriers to undertaking such an exercise. Firstly, a reversal of the amendments made to the OFP scheme could result in a cohort of lone parents that are currently not in receipt of a social welfare payment becoming eligible and therefore moving onto a social welfare payment. As members of this cohort are not currently in receipt of a social welfare payment it would be difficult to for the Department to estimate the numbers involved.
Secondly, some customers could seek to move from alternative payments such as Jobseekers Allowance (JA), the Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment (JST) and the Back to Work Family Dividend (BTWFD) back to the OFP. Again, it would be difficult for the Department to estimate the magnitude of this flow between schemes with any degree of accuracy.
Finally, reversing the changes to the OFP would also increase the incidence of dual payments of OFP and the Working Family Payment (WFP) (formerly FIS). It is not possible to predict the impact on payments as a result of the interaction between both schemes without having detailed knowledge of individuals’ working patterns and the degree to which these might change.
These factors are critical to providing a reliable costing. The Department is therefore not in a position to provide the costing requested.
693. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if protocols have been put in place by her Department to ensure that procedures are in place within her Department to deal with future adverse weather conditions in view of the difficulties posed to fuel allowance recipients in recent bad weather; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31645/18]
View answerThe fuel allowance is a payment of €22.50 per week from October to April, to over 364,000 low income households, at an estimated cost of €227 million in 2018. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. It is not intended to meet those costs in full. Only one allowance is paid per household.
Recent changes to the scheme which helped increase its effectiveness include in Budget 18 extending the duration of the scheme to 27 weeks and from the start of the 2017/18 fuel season the introduction of an option to receive the fuel allowance payment in two lump sums, thereby allowing people to buy fuel in bulk and potentially avail of special offers or discounts.
My Department is very aware of the hardship that all people, including fuel allowance recipients, face during adverse weather conditions. Members of my Department attend the National Emergency Centre during adverse weather conditions to ensure a coordinated and quick response to help our customers.
During the severe weather in March this year my Department automatically paid all people in receipt of the Fuel Allowance an extra payment of €22.50 at that time. This was the equivalent of an additional week’s payment of the Allowance and this was to ensure our customers were safe and warm.
My Department also plays an important role in assisting households in the immediate aftermath of severe weather conditions. Officials engage with staff in the relevant local authorities and Community Welfare Service contact details are provided to those seeking support.
Exceptional Needs and Urgent Needs Payments are provided on a year-round basis by the Community Welfare Service to help customers to meet essential expenditure arising from a once-off exceptional or urgent need, and this may include exceptional heating costs.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
694. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of an application by a school (details supplied). [31655/18]
View answerThe school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,580 schools and organisations benefiting 250,000 children at a total cost of €54 million in 2018 representing an increase of €6.5 million over the previous year. The objective of the scheme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children who are unable, due to lack of good quality food, to take full advantage of the education provided to them. The programme is an important component of policies to encourage school attendance and extra educational achievement.
The Department was a member of the Inter-Departmental Advisory Group for the Review of the DEIS Programme undertaken by the Department of Education and Skills (DES), following which DEIS Plan 2017 was published in February 2017. The Plan sets out targets and actions aimed at improving the educational outcome for pupils at greatest risk of not reaching their full potential by virtue of their socio-economic circumstances.
Some 240 additional schools, including DEIS and non-DEIS schools, were identified to receive support under the school meals scheme from September 2017 in consultation with DES, which has developed a more robust and responsive framework for assessing individual schools levels of concentrated disadvantage as part of this process.
In 2018 the Department liaised with DES with a view to including additional non-DEIS schools in the scheme, deemed in need of support under the school meals programme, from September. The individual schools were contacted and invited to participate in the scheme.
The school referred to by the Deputy was not identified by DES as requiring support under the school meals programme and I regret that funding cannot be provided at this time. Their application was refused on 12 June 2018 and a letter issued to the Principal to that effect.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
695. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the ratio of men and women at each Civil Service grade within her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31692/18]
View answerThe following table provides the ratio of men and women at each civil service grade within my Department at 30h June 2018.
|
Grade |
Male (FTE) |
Female (FTE) |
Ratio |
|
Service Officer |
127.10 |
18.94 |
6.71 : 1.00 |
|
Clerical Officer |
583.14 |
1921.29 |
1.00 : 3.29 |
|
Executive Officer |
446.21 |
982.90 |
1.00 : 2.20 |
|
Higher Executive Officer |
546.84 |
959.25 |
1.00 : 1.75 |
|
Administrative Officer |
17.00 |
9.55 |
1.78 : 1.00 |
|
Assistant Principal |
155.35 |
115.03 |
1.35 : 1.00 |
|
Medical Assessor |
8.00 |
20.70 |
1.00 : 2.59 |
|
Principal Officer |
41.60 |
19.80 |
2.10 : 1.00 |
|
Assistant Secretary |
4.00 |
5.00 |
1.25 : 1.00 |
|
Deputy Secretary |
0.00 |
1.00 |
0.00 : 1.00 |
|
Secretary General |
1.00 |
0.00 |
1.00 : 0.00 |
The Government are implementing transformational reforms under the Civil Service Renewal agenda. A key commitment in the Civil Service Renewal Plan is to maximise the contribution of all staff, by nurturing and rewarding talent and by encouraging civil servants to develop their potential in a workplace committed to equality and diversity.
696. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the average cost of a community employment scheme employee; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31727/18]
View answerCommunity Employment (CE) schemes are typically sponsored by groups (known as CE Sponsors) wishing to benefit the local community. Such schemes provide a valuable service to local communities, while at the same time, providing training and educational opportunities to job seekers.
The CE Programme has a budget of €350.03m. At the end of June 2018, there were 21,026 CE participants and 1,334 CE Supervisors/Assistant Supervisors.
The weekly average participant wage is €245.32 and the weekly average cost per participant is €305.17. The average participant cost includes all associated scheme costs including the training and materials costs and the participant and supervisor wages, which are necessary for the effective operation of the scheme.
The Government is very conscious of the role CE schemes play to support the delivery of vital services in local communities.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
697. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of households in receipt of the domiciliary care allowance in tabular form. [31913/18]
View answerThe detail requested on the number of families in receipt of domiciliary care allowance at 30 June 2018, along with the number of children involved is set out in the following table:
|
Domiciliary Care Allowance |
|
|
Number of claimants |
Number of children |
|
37,182 |
40,658 |
698. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) for a State pension (non contributory); and if the appeal will be expedited. [31981/18]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer who will consider the appeal in light of all the evidence submitted. It is expected that that a decision will issue to the person concerned within the next week.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
699. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the funding provided towards capital projects in counties Meath and Louth in 2016, 2017 and to date in 2018, by project name, location and cost in tabular form. [31989/18]
View answerMy Department has not provided funding towards capital projects in counties Meath and Louth during the period 2016 to 2018. As a Department our aim is to provide active participation and inclusion in society through the provision of income support, employment services and other services. Department funding is not delivered on a county basis.
The Department can however provide the Deputy with details of the support provided in Meath and Louth through Community Employment, Tús, Job Clubs, Local Employment Services etc in 2016,2017 and for the year to date should that be of assistance.
I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
