Written Answers Nos. 578-595
578. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to introduce legislation to provide the NTA with greater licensing powers to approve or reject route amendments by Bus Éireann and private operators; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43816/18]
View answerLicensing of commercial bus passenger services is a matter for the National Transport Authority (NTA) under the provisions of the Public Transport Regulation Act 2009. In licensing commercial bus services, it is important to note that the 2009 Act requires the NTA to seek to achieve, in the public interest, regulated competition in the provision of such services. Section 13 of this Act provides for the Authority to apply conditions to a licence in respect of the operation of the bus passenger service to which it relates.
My current proposals for amending the Public Transport Regulation Act, 2009 relate to school transport services provided by commercial operators and this is published as one of the heads in the General Scheme of the Railway Safety (Amendment) Bill 2018 and is available on the Department’s website.
579. Deputy Pat The Cope Gallagher asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to improve the Pettigo to Laghey Road (details supplied) in County Donegal; the progress made on this project since he met with a cross-party delegation from Donegal County Council earlier in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43854/18]
View answerThe position remains as outlined in response to Parliamentary Question No. 2168 of 24 July 2018. A copy of the response is outlined below:
The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from local authorities' own resources supplemented by State road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for the local authority.
Before the financial crisis, local authorities could apply on a regular basis for grants for Specific (schemes costing less than €5m) and Strategic Improvement Grants (schemes costing more than €5m) for the strengthening, widening or realignment of regional and local roads. However, the extent of the cutbacks in grant funding during the crisis meant this grant scheme had to be curtailed from 2013 because expenditure on maintenance/renewal was falling well short of what was required to adequately maintain the regional and local road network.
The current Capital Plan does provide for the gradual build-up in funding for the road network but it will take some years yet to reach the level required even for the basic maintenance and renewal of the network. For this reason, there continues to be very limited scope for funding new or additional projects under the Specific and Strategic Grant Programmes.
Any projects proposed by local authorities for consideration under these Grant Programmes are assessed by the Department on a case-by-case basis. All projects put forward by local authorities for consideration must comply with the requirements of the Public Spending Code and the Department's Capital Appraisal Framework (CAF) and it is important for local authorities to prioritise projects within their overall area of responsibility with these requirements in mind. To date, Donegal County Council has not submitted a proposal to my Department regarding the R232 Pettigo to Laghey.
My Department is providing grant funding this year for the Tír Chonail bridge and Fintra bridge projects. An allocation of €600,000 has been provided to Donegal County Council in 2018 for Tír Chonail bridge and approval has been granted to Donegal County Council by the Department to award the contract for works on the bridge.
As regards Fintra bridge, an allocation of €150,000 has been provided in 2018 for preparatory work associated with the project, including project appraisal.
As regards the timeframe to deliver the projects, the implementation of individual projects within grant programmes is the responsibility of the relevant local authority. Grant funding for these projects in 2019 will be considered in liaison with Donegal County Council as part of the decision making process for next year's grant allocations.
580. Deputy Pat The Cope Gallagher asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans for a new bridge at Fintra, Killybegs, on the R263 in County Donegal; the timeline for the delivery of this project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43855/18]
View answerThe position remains as outlined in response to Parliamentary Question No. 2168 of 24 July 2018. A copy of the response is outlined below:
The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from local authorities' own resources supplemented by State road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for the local authority.
Before the financial crisis, local authorities could apply on a regular basis for grants for Specific (schemes costing less than €5m) and Strategic Improvement Grants (schemes costing more than €5m) for the strengthening, widening or realignment of regional and local roads. However, the extent of the cutbacks in grant funding during the crisis meant this grant scheme had to be curtailed from 2013 because expenditure on maintenance/renewal was falling well short of what was required to adequately maintain the regional and local road network.
The current Capital Plan does provide for the gradual build-up in funding for the road network but it will take some years yet to reach the level required even for the basic maintenance and renewal of the network. For this reason, there continues to be very limited scope for funding new or additional projects under the Specific and Strategic Grant Programmes.
Any projects proposed by local authorities for consideration under these Grant Programmes are assessed by the Department on a case-by-case basis. All projects put forward by local authorities for consideration must comply with the requirements of the Public Spending Code and the Department's Capital Appraisal Framework (CAF) and it is important for local authorities to prioritise projects within their overall area of responsibility with these requirements in mind. To date, Donegal County Council has not submitted a proposal to my Department regarding the R232 Pettigo to Laghey.
My Department is providing grant funding this year for the Tír Chonail bridge and Fintra bridge projects. An allocation of €600,000 has been provided to Donegal County Council in 2018 for Tír Chonail bridge and approval has been granted to Donegal County Council by the Department to award the contract for works on the bridge.
As regards Fintra bridge, an allocation of €150,000 has been provided in 2018 for preparatory work associated with the project, including project appraisal.
As regards the timeframe to deliver the projects, the implementation of individual projects within grant programmes is the responsibility of the relevant local authority. Grant funding for these projects in 2019 will be considered in liaison with Donegal County Council as part of the decision making process for next year's grant allocations.
581. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when the review of the traffic signs manual, which constitutes a ministerial direction to road authorities under section 95(16) of the Road Traffic Act 1961, will be completed; when he plans to publish the results of this review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43959/18]
View answerThe Traffic Signs Manual is available from my Department's website and stipulates the traffic signs to be used on Irish roads, their layout and symbols, the circumstances in which each sign should be used and the rules for positioning them.
Work towards updating the Manual is at an advanced stage and it is expected to be completed during 2018 with a view to publication early in 2019.
582. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the method by which new members of the mother and baby home collaborative forum will be appointed as vacancies arise. [43363/18]
View answerThe independent Selection Panel which I appointed to nominate representatives to the Forum for my consideration, selected 19 applicants from the expressions of interest received.
All 20 members of the Collaborative Forum, which includes the Chairman, are Ministerial appointments. Should a vacancy arise, I will consider any further appointments on a case by case basis, having due regard to the representative nature of the Forum.
A number of factors are considered when appointing a member to the Collaborative Forum. The key consideration in selecting a replacement for the Forum, will be maintaining a balanced and inclusive representation within the Forum, of the various Mother and Baby Homes and related institutions being examined by the Commission of Investigation.
583. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the details of engagements, meetings or correspondence that she has had with a person (details supplied) in the past three years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43387/18]
View answerI can inform the Deputy that I have had no engagements, meetings or correspondence with the person concerned.
I was once briefly introduced to the person referred to.
584. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views on the issues raised by the disclosures tribunal with respect to the Child and Family Agency, Tusla; the measures she is taking in order to address them; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43425/18]
View answerIn my view the report from the Disclosures Tribunal is devastating in its assessment of the poor management, supervision and record management in Tusla's Cavan Monaghan area. It is clear that the standards of local management and administration expected from a publicly funded body were not met. In this context, the apology made by Tusla to the McCabe family is the least that could be expected.
I have written and spoken to the Chair of Tusla about the findings of the Tribunal and I will be meeting the Board of Tusla shortly to underline the need to address these and other serious shortcomings in Tusla, as identified by the report.
The Deputy will be aware that in March 2017, as a result of what had come to light in respect of Sgt McCabe and his family, I directed HIQA to carry out a separate statutory investigation into Tusla. This report was published in June 2018.
In September 2018, I received the Action Plan from Tusla's Board to address the findings from the HIQA investigation. The implementation of this plan will also address many of the findings in the Disclosures Tribunal report.
Tusla has stated that it is addressing the findings in the Disclosures Tribunal report by:
- Reorganising and improving management and governance arrangements;
- Introducing a dedicated specialist team to manage retrospective abuse;
- Increasing supervision of the staff involved;
- Increasing quality assurance of policies on the ground.
Tusla has accepted that the practice and governance in this case was exceptionally poor and has commenced a HR process around the management of this case. It is expected that this process will be completed in due course.
The Government has increased funding to Tusla by over €30 million for 2019, which will enable these and other reforms to take effect.
585. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the status of the serious incident review announced by her on 28 March 2018 into concerns regarding the management of a serious and complex case of alleged child abuse and neglect involving a number of children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43471/18]
View answerThe Deputy is referring to an independent review which I intend to commission, in agreement with the Minister for Justice and Equality, to examine and report on the management of a complex and serious case of alleged child abuse and neglect involving sixteen children in four families.
While there is no evidence of any serious mishandling of the case by either Tusla or An Garda Síochána, I believe that it would be good practice to arrange for a short, focused independent ‘Serious Incident’ review of the actions taken in the case.
The primary purpose of the review will be to ensure that any learning which may arise in relation to information exchange is captured and informs future work.
The Special Rapporteur on Child Protection, and Chair of the Review Panel, Dr Geoffrey Shannon, has assisted with drafting the terms of reference for the review. These Terms of Reference have now been agreed with the Department of Justice and Equality, and have been jointly submitted by myself and Minister Flanagan for the consideration of the Attorney General.
It is not possible to give a timeframe for the delivery of the report at this stage, given the complex and unusual nature of this case, and the importance of ensuring that this non-statutory review does not risk prejudicing the on-going investigation and criminal prosecution.
586. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the categories of funding available to local authorities through her Department; the amount of funding provided for each scheme in 2016 and 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43724/18]
View answerThe types of funding available to local authorities from my Department primarily relate to youth programmes and services. In addition, my Department provides funding for national recreation and play funding, children participation activities and children and young people's services committees.
The amount of funding in the period concerned is set out in tabular format below.
|
- |
2017 |
2016 |
|
Youth Programmes and Services |
€2,523,532 |
€2,457,812 |
|
Comhairle na nÓg |
€624,465 |
€662,849 |
|
Children and Young People's Services Committees |
€11,100 |
€104,368 |
|
National Recreation Week |
€42,500 |
€33,488 |
|
National Play Day |
€16,000 |
€14,102 |
587. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she or the board of Tusla have received a disclosure which includes a complaint in regard to the performance of a person (details supplied) among other named national managers or former national managers in Tusla since its formation in 2014. [43769/18]
View answerI would like to inform the Deputy that it would not be appropriate for me to comment on disclosures under the Protected Disclosures Act 2014 relating to any individual. I have referred the Deputy's question to the Board of Tusla for direct reply.
588. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if the human resources section of Tusla has received a disclosure which includes a complaint in regard to the performance of a person (details supplied) among other named national managers or former national managers in Tusla since its formation in 2014. [43770/18]
View answerIt would not be appropriate to comment on disclosures under the Protected Disclosures Act 2014 relating to any individual. I have referred the Deputy's question to Tusla for direct reply.
589. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children awaiting paediatric occupational therapy appointments in each CHO area to date in 2018, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43771/18]
View answerI can inform the Deputy that the matter referred to is under the remit of my colleague the Minister for Health.
590. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 586 of 16 October 2018, the reason the full and original report by a company (details supplied) is not being made available for public scrutiny as opposed to a review of the report. [43797/18]
View answerThe Minister for Children and Youth Affairs has been advised by Oberstown Children Detention Campus that the Report referred to by the Deputy was shared with the relevant parties, including the Oberstown Board of Management, staff representatives and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. It was not made available to the public as the review was intended for internal purposes, with a focus on evaluation and improvements in efficiency and effectiveness of processes.
591. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to audit or investigate the penalisation of managers within Tusla that have raised complaints or submitted protected disclosures in regard to the practice and performance of the organisation in regard to child safety. [43814/18]
View answerIt would not be appropriate for me to comment on disclosures under the Protected Disclosures Act 2014 relating to any individuals. This is an operational matter for Tusla under their Grievance Procedure and also their Protected Disclosures Policy and Procedure. I have referred the Deputy's question to Tusla for direct reply.
592. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the reason an organisation (details supplied) was not informed or given the opportunity to make an input into a review process carried out by Tusla in counties Galway and Roscommon on the decision to terminate its service level agreement with the organisation despite the fact that it is a partnership organisation that meets the criteria specified as priority areas for Tusla; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43955/18]
View answer594. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the reason a decision was taken by Tusla in counties Galway and Roscommon to terminate its service level agreement with an organisation (details supplied) and to no longer fund its services from December 2018 despite positive outcomes of its programmes over a 16 year period; if this decision will be reversed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43957/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 592 and 594 together.
Earlier this year, Tusla, the Child and Family Agency undertook a process to develop a Creative Community Alternative (CCA) plan in all 17 Tusla Areas, including the Galway/Roscommon area. The CCA plan establishes regional frameworks to provide outcome-focused alternatives for young people in residential or foster care, or those who may be at risk of admission to care.
Following this process, in June 2018, Tusla made a decision not to renew its Service Level Agreement (SLA) with the organisation in the Galway/Roscommon area, referred to by the Deputy.
Under the terms of the current Agreement, the organisation in question is contracted to provide a support service to 18 young people in need in the Galway/Roscommon area. The young people are assigned an advocate that will work with them over a 6 month period.
Tusla has advised that it is of the view that the organisation referred to by the Deputy does not meet the needs of high-risk young people, particularly those who require long-term intervention that is provided by professionally qualified staff.
Tusla's CCA plan for the Galway/Roscommon was informed by a detailed analysis of the demographic profile of the area, rates of referrals to Tusla social workers and family services teams, and a financial analysis. The CCA plan is also aligned with Tusla's key strategies, including its Commissioning Strategy, Prevention Partnership and Family Support (PPFS) Strategy, and Child Protection and Welfare Strategy.
Tusla has also advised me that the decision to suspend the SLA with the organisation referred to by the Deputy was communicated to its CEO and Director of Services on 28 June, 2018. A further face-to-face meeting was held in September 2018 and no change was made to the earlier decision.
It is good practice for Tusla to review its services on a continuous basis, including the work carried out by Tusla staff in the Galway/Roscommon area through its CCA plan. This may include, but does not necessarily require, input from third-party organisations that are commissioned by Tusla to provide services.
Tusla will continue to work with the organisation to which the Deputy refers until the end of 2018, which is in line with the SLA signed by both parties.
593. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the amount of funding allocated to an organisation (details supplied) in each of the years 2011 to 2017 and to date in 2018, by county in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43956/18]
View answerMy Department has not provided direct funding to the named organisation in the years specified by the Deputy. However, the Deputy might wish to note that Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, provides funding to the organisation in question under Sections 56-59 of the Child and Family Agency Act, 2013. In addition, Oberstown Children's Detention Campus provide funding to the organisation for the purpose of targeting young people leaving Oberstown.
My Department does not hold detailed information on the amount of funding these two agencies provided to the organisation as this is an operational matter. However, I have asked both agencies to reply directly to the Deputy with the information requested.
595. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if funding will be made available to build new libraries at Mohill and Carrick-on-Shannon; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43779/18]
View answerOur Department funds a Libraries Capital Programme that will invest €29m in 19 projects, as well as the My Open Library service, between 2016 and 2022. While the programme is currently fully committed, funding for new library projects will be considered as additional funds become available.
In the meantime, Leitrim County Council might consider submitting applications for Mohill and Carrick-on-Shannon libraries as elements of broader regeneration proposals under the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund. The fund supports coordinated and integrated projects that seek to revitalise rural Ireland and make a significant and sustainable impact on rural communities. Some €315m is available under the fund between 2019 and 2022. The first call for proposals closed at the end of September, but a further call is expected to issue in 2019.
The provision of library services, including the provision of library buildings, is primarily a matter for local authorities in their capacity as library authorities under the Local Government Act 2001.
