Written Answers Nos. 43-67
43. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he or officials on his behalf were in contact with President Erdogan of Turkey following the murder of a person (details supplied). [45883/18]
View answerOur thoughts and condolences in recent weeks have been with Jamal Khashoggi’s fiancée, family, friends and colleagues, all of whom have been affected by this appalling and outrageous crime. Neither I nor my officials have been in contact with President Erdoðan or other Turkish political leaders in relation to the death of Mr. Khashoggi. However, we are closely following the facts as they emerge through our Embassies in Riyadh and Ankara. In addition, I met with the Saudi Ambassador on 18 October and stressed the widespread shock caused by the case and the necessity for a credible and open investigation, echoing High Representative Mogherini’s call for a thorough, credible and transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding this case, and for the perpetrators of the crime to be held fully accountable. The Secretary General of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade also met with the Saudi Ambassador on 30 October and again reiterated our concerns.
The horrific details that are coming to light in relation to Mr. Khashoggi’s death are of grave concern, and Ireland is deeply troubled by the egregious attack on press freedom that this killing represents.
Press freedom is a fundamental right, and it is essential that journalists feel safe to pursue their work in any country. Together with our European partners, Ireland will continue to raise our serious concerns about all actions that undermine freedom of expression, including media expression, across the globe.
I discussed this case with my EU colleagues at the October meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) and I anticipate that we will return to the issue at the next meeting of the FAC on 19 November.
44. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if the findings of a study (details supplied) are available to the Government; and if these findings will be made available to persons and members of Dáil Éireann. [46011/18]
View answerThe North South cooperation we enjoy today brings tangible benefits to the daily lives of people in the border region and contributes to economic opportunity and development. It is also a very practical outworking of the peace process which allows for the normalisation of relationships between people across the island, to mutual benefit. The Government is therefore firmly focused on protecting the full range of areas in which North South cooperation exists today in the context of the ongoing negotiations between the EU and the UK, and in doing so works closely with the Commission Taskforce. This includes our involvement in discussions, where appropriate, while respecting the negotiations structures that have been mandated by the European Council. At the request of the EU and UK Coordinators for the High Level Dialogue on Ireland/Northern Ireland, officials carried out detailed work over October and November 2017 to map out areas of cooperation that operate on a North South basis on the island of Ireland and which rely on EU law and policies.
This included looking at the six North South implementation bodies, the areas of cooperation under the North South Ministerial Council, which cover agriculture, environment, health, education, transport and tourism; as well as other areas where there is practical cooperation between North and South, including justice and security, energy, broadcasting and communications, inland fisheries, sport and culture.
It has been made public that an initial listing established over 140 areas of North-South cooperation within this framework. This number was identified in the early stages of the process and was not prepared by the Irish Government. The listing provided a basis for further discussions in the course of the dialogue.
The exercise overall highlighted how the maintenance and future development of meaningful North South cooperation relies on the EU legal and policy frameworks to give direction to this cooperation and to facilitate its operation. The EU frameworks are both overarching and the foundation to North South cooperation in many instances. Much of the cooperation is interconnected, mutually supporting and complementary; it is not easily quantifiable.
The Joint Report agreed by the EU and UK negotiators on 8 December 2017 acknowledged that cooperation between Ireland and Northern Ireland is a central part of the Good Friday Agreement, and that the UK departure from the Union gives rise to substantial challenges to the maintenance and development of North-South cooperation. The UK has accordingly committed to protecting and supporting continued North-South cooperation across the full range of contexts and frameworks of cooperation, including the continued operation of the North-South implementation bodies. This is further reflected in the draft Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland, including in Article 8, the text of which has been marked green, meaning that it is agreed at negotiator level.
As the mapping exercise was conducted by the EU and UK in the course of their dialogue on Ireland and Northern Ireland, joint publication of a final report is ultimately a matter for the EU and UK.
45. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of staff in each consulate and embassy in each of the years 2016, 2017 and to date in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46031/18]
View answerIreland’s diplomatic network of missions around the world is critical to the achievement of our foreign policy and trade goals such as ensuring the efficient delivery of passport and consular services to our citizens, supporting emigrant organisations and outreach to the diaspora and other networks of influence. Our Embassies and Consulates contribute directly to safeguarding our interests in negotiations on the UK exit from the European Union and they are helping to ensure that Ireland plays a full part in shaping the future development of the European Union. The work of my Department in promoting a more just, fair, secure and sustainable world continues through mission engagement with multilateral institutions and agencies, including those of the United Nations, and via implementation of the Irish Aid programme in partner countries.
Our staff in Embassies and Consulates also make a strong contribution to job creation, exports, tourism and education in Ireland by assisting Irish businesses overseas in close cooperation with State agencies.
Our capacity to deliver on these key goals will increase with the expansion of my Department’s mission network abroad under the Global Ireland Initiative announced in June of this year. This includes the opening of an Embassy in New Zealand in August, the opening of a Consulate General in Vancouver in October and the opening of new missions in Bogotá, Santiago, Amman, Mumbai and Cardiff early in 2019 and in Los Angeles, Frankfurt, Rabat, Kyiv and Manila by the end of 2020.
Our missions are staffed by Departmental officers posted from headquarters; by staff seconded from other Government departments in certain missions including the Permanent Representation in Brussels and Visa Officers seconded to missions from the Department of Justice, and by locally recruited staff.
|
Mission |
Number of Staff 2016 |
Number of Staff 2017 |
Number of Staff 2018 to date |
|
Abu Dhabi |
12.5 |
13 |
14 |
|
Abuja |
11 |
14 |
11 |
|
Addis Ababa |
8 |
9 |
11 |
|
Ankara |
11 |
12 |
12 |
|
Athens |
6.3 |
8 |
7 |
|
Atlanta CG |
3 |
3 |
4 |
|
Austin CG |
3 |
4 |
4 |
|
Bangkok |
8 |
9 |
10 |
|
Beijing |
23 |
25 |
24 |
|
Berlin |
13.6 |
20.6 |
18.6 |
|
Berne |
5 |
5 |
5 |
|
Boston CG |
5 |
7 |
6 |
|
Brasilia |
5 |
6 |
4 + 1 Vacancy |
|
Bratislava |
4 |
3 |
3 |
|
Brussels incl Brussels PFP |
12 |
12 |
12 |
|
Brussels PR |
91 |
99 |
100 |
|
Bucharest |
6 |
7 |
6 |
|
Budapest |
6 |
6 |
6 |
|
Buenos Aires |
6 |
5 + 1 Vacancy |
5 |
|
Cairo |
9 |
9 |
7 |
|
Canberra |
10.6 |
11 |
11 |
|
Chicago CG |
6.4 |
5.4 |
6.4 |
|
Copenhagen |
5.9 |
6.9 |
6.5 |
|
Dar-es-Salaam |
8 |
8 |
9 |
|
Edinburgh CG |
4 |
3 + 1 Vacancy |
5 |
|
Edinburgh BIC |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
Freetown |
4 |
4 |
5 |
|
Geneva PMUN |
15.5 |
16 |
17 |
|
Hanoi |
9 |
10 |
11 |
|
Helsinki |
5 |
5 |
5 |
|
Holy See |
2.75 |
2.75 |
3.75 |
|
Hong Kong CG |
5 |
5 |
5 |
|
Jakarta |
8 |
7 |
6 |
|
Kampala |
7 |
8 |
9 |
|
Kuala Lumpur |
5 |
6 |
6 |
|
Lilongwe |
7 |
7 |
9 |
|
Lisbon |
6 |
6 |
6 |
|
Ljubljana |
5 |
5 |
5 |
|
London |
56.5 |
66.6 |
64.6 |
|
Lusaka |
7 |
7 |
7 |
|
Luxembourg |
4.5 |
3.5 |
3.5 |
|
Madrid |
13.5 |
14 |
15 |
|
Maputo |
7 |
11 |
13 |
|
Mexico |
9 |
9 |
8 |
|
Monrovia |
0 |
0 |
3 |
|
Moscow |
17 |
18 |
17 |
|
Nairobi |
3 |
9 |
8 |
|
New Delhi |
14 |
14 |
15 |
|
New York CG |
17.5 |
16.5 |
16 |
|
New York PMUN |
17 |
17 |
29* |
|
Nicosia |
4 |
4 |
4 |
|
Oslo |
5 |
5 |
4 |
|
Ottawa |
10 |
10 |
10 |
|
Paris |
18 |
21.2 |
19.2 |
|
Paris OECD |
4 |
6 |
5 |
|
Prague |
7.5 |
7 |
7 |
|
Pretoria |
10 |
13 |
13 |
|
Ramallah |
6 |
6 |
6 |
|
Riga |
3 |
3 |
3 |
|
Riyadh |
9 |
10 |
9 |
|
Rome |
13.3 |
13.42 |
14.72 |
|
San Francisco CG |
6 |
6 |
9 |
|
Sao Paulo CG |
4 |
4 |
4 |
|
Seoul |
6 |
6 |
6 |
|
Shanghai CG |
8 |
7 |
8 |
|
Singapore |
6.5 |
6.3 |
6.3 |
|
Sofia |
6 |
6 |
6 |
|
Strasbourg CoE |
5 |
6 |
6 |
|
Stockholm |
5.62 |
5.62 |
5.62 |
|
Sydney CG |
5 |
6 |
6 |
|
Tallinn |
3 |
5 |
3 |
|
Tel Aviv |
5 |
5 |
6 |
|
The Hague |
9 |
10.8 |
11.6 |
|
Tokyo |
10 |
10 |
11 |
|
Valletta |
4 |
4 |
4 |
|
Vancouver CG |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
Vienna |
9 |
9 |
9 |
|
Vienna OSCE |
4 |
4 |
5 |
|
Vilnius |
4 |
4 |
5 |
|
Warsaw |
8 |
8 |
10 |
|
Washington DC |
20 |
18 |
17 |
|
Wellington |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
Zagreb |
3 |
3 |
3 |
|
TOTAL |
750.47 |
811.59 |
833.79 |
*11 of these new positions are temporary advisor roles.
46. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the issues discussed at the recent British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference; the outcome of such discussions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46120/18]
View answerA meeting of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference (BIIGC) took place in Dublin on 2 November. The Minister for Justice and Equality, Charles Flanagan TD, and I represented the Government. The UK Government was represented by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, David Lidington MP, and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Karen Bradley MP Set up under the Good Friday Agreement, the Conference brings together the Irish and UK Governments to promote bilateral co-operation at all levels on all matters of mutual interest within the competence of both Governments. Following on from the most recent meeting of the BIIGC, in London on 25 July, last week’s meeting provided the opportunity to continue our discussions on legacy issues, security co-operation, East-West matters, and political stability in Northern Ireland. At the meeting, we reaffirmed our commitment to implementing the framework established in the 2014 Stormont House Agreement to comprehensively address the legacy of Northern Ireland’s past, taking account of the UK Government’s public consultation on establishing the legacy institutions.
On security-cooperation, both Governments recalled the commitments made in the 2015 Fresh Start Agreement to ending paramilitarism and welcomed the first report of the Independent Reporting Commission (IRC) established under that Agreement. In considering the findings and recommendations contained in the report, the Conference noted in particular the IRC’s view that the full operation of the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement is essential to ending paramilitarism and achieving community transformation.
The Conference discussed a joint paper by Irish and British officials which outlined a number of possible models to maintain and strengthen the high level of bilateral co-operation between the UK and Ireland post-Brexit. Both Governments agreed that these new structures for systemic bilateral co-operation should demonstrate the strength and depth of the relationship, provide opportunities for ministers and officials to continue to engage with each other, and provide an overall architecture for cooperation that is both meaningful and sustainable in the future. As announced following the Conference, this model would include top level summits involving Heads of Government and senior ministers and would alternate between Ireland and the UK. These summits would be supported by close bilateral work by ministers. Officials on both sides have been asked to turn these ideas into a detailed practical plan of work with a view to presenting a fully worked through proposal for future East-West cooperation for consideration at the next meeting of the Conference.
The Conference provided both Governments the opportunity to reaffirm our strong support for the Good Friday and subsequent Agreements. It was recognised that the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement have been essential for the progress made in Northern Ireland over the past two decades and that they remain the indispensable framework for the political process in Northern Ireland. Both Governments reiterated their shared commitment to securing the operation of the devolved power-sharing Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly and the consequent resumption of meetings of the North-South Ministerial Council at the earliest opportunity.
It was agreed that the BIIGC would reconvene in spring 2019.
47. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the outcome of the most recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and with the political parties in Northern Ireland on the need to have the Assembly and Executive restored; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46121/18]
View answerSince the Northern Ireland Assembly elections of March 2017, the Irish and British Governments, as co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement, have worked tirelessly to support and facilitate the parties in their efforts to form a new power-sharing Executive. Unfortunately, to date, it has not proved possible to reach an agreement on the formation of an Executive, despite intensive engagement. The absence of the Executive also means that North South Ministerial Council cannot meet. I am currently engaging with Secretary of State Bradley on how both Governments can most effectively secure the full operation of all of the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement. I met with Secretary of State Bradley in Dublin on 17 September, in Belfast on 8 October and most recently in Dublin last Friday 2 November at the British Irish Inter-Governmental Conference.
Both Governments are continuing to engage with all of the political parties to seek a way forward to get the Institutions up and running again. All parties have re-affirmed their commitment to operating the devolved institutions and have provided views on their key concerns and issues.
In the period ahead, I believe a new political process is required to get beyond the current impasse and secure the necessary agreement between the parties on operating the devolved institutions again.
I do not underestimate the way to go in achieving that, but I firmly believe that a resolution is possible and that the calls from across all sections of the community in Northern Ireland for the devolved institutions to operate will be heeded.
The Government will continue to do everything in its power, in accordance with its responsibilities as a co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement, to secure the effective operation of all of the institutions of the Agreement.
48. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Finance his most recent engagement with his EU counterparts on the proposed digital tax; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45975/18]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that the Commission proposal for an interim Digital Services Tax, which imposes a 3% levy on the turnover of certain companies’ digital activities, is currently being debated among Member States – both at a technical and political level.
I recently reiterated Ireland's opposition to the proposal at ECOFIN on 6 November where I highlighted particular concerns I have regarding the negative consequences for Europe, as a predominantly exporting bloc, from creating a precedent of taxation at point of consumption rather than where value is created. I also pointed out that taxing revenue rather than profits would undermine European competitiveness and could intensify already heightened trade tensions.
While Ireland is among a number of Member States which object to the fundamental nature of the proposal, we are joined by a wider group which share our concerns on a series of technical issues yet to be resolved.
Ireland remains committed to global tax reform and believes that global solutions are needed to ensure tax is paid by companies where value is created. That is why Ireland has been a committed participant in, and strong supporter of, tax reform efforts led by the OECD through the BEPS process. Ireland will continue to actively engage with work in the area of the digital economy at both OECD and EU level.
49. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Finance if he will complete a table (details supplied). [45997/18]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware the projections set out by my Department in Budget 2019 Economic and Fiscal Outlook run to 2023. Projections beyond 2023 are not available at this stage.
Annex 4 of the Economic and Fiscal Outlook contains the nominal GDP and GNI* series used in the calculations below.
|
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
|
|
a. National Development Plan (NDP), € million |
7,300 |
7,900 |
8,600 |
8,900 |
9,400 |
|
b. NDP, per cent GNI* |
3.5 |
3.6 |
3.8 |
3.7 |
3.8 |
|
c. NDP, per cent GDP |
2.1 |
2.2 |
2.3 |
2.3 |
2.3 |
|
d. alternative plan, € million |
7,300 |
9,500 |
10,100 |
10,800 |
11,500 |
|
e. alternative plan, % GNI* |
3.5 |
4.3 |
4.4 |
4.5 |
4.6 |
|
f. alternative plan, % GDP |
2.1 |
2.6 |
2.7 |
2.8 |
2.8 |
|
g. (=d-a) additional capital expenditure, € millions |
0 |
1,600 |
1,500 |
1,900 |
2,100 |
|
h. impact of g on expenditure benchmark (after smoothing), € millions |
0 |
400 |
775 |
1,250 |
1,775 |
50. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Finance the number of help-to-buy grant applications received; the number of applications that reached claim stage; and the number of claims approved under the help-to-buy scheme since its inception in July 2016. [46007/18]
View answerI am advised that Revenue publishes a monthly update on the Help to Buy (HTB) scheme on the Revenue website. The most recent update to 01 October 2018 in respect of applications, both approved and pending, and claims made can be found at: www.revenue.ie/en/corporate/documents/statistics/tax-expenditures/help-to-buy-stats.pdf.
Revenue’s statistics show the number of applications received at 20,298 and the number of approved applications at 14,656 or 72.2%. Compliant taxpayers who complete their HTB application are provided with an application number and a summary of the maximum relief available to them under the incentive. Revenue encourages prospective applicants to file any necessary tax returns, and resolve any outstanding issues, before making the HTB application. This reduces processing delays when a person makes their HTB application.
When an applicant has purchased a qualifying property from a qualifying contractor, or a self-builder has drawn down the first tranche of his or her mortgage on a qualifying property, the application can progress to the claim stage. Details of claims made and approved as well as the value of approved claims are also provided in the monthly statistics referenced above. To the end of September, 9,034 HTB claims had been made, of which 8,841 had been approved.
51. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Finance if consideration will be given to the establishment of a high pay and wealth commission to assemble data to review the levels of high pay, bonuses, dividend and other incomes in the property, financial, information technology, pharma and other industries and the accumulation of wealth resulting from these payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46048/18]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware, there is already considerable work undertaken in the area of high wealth individuals and high income earners.
In terms of policy measures to support equity in the tax system, Finance Act 2011 outlined a ‘super tax’ on banking bonuses in the aftermath of the financial crises. A tax rate of 89 per cent is applied to any variable remuneration in the banking sector which is not regular salary, including remuneration awarded in shares. While this restriction on banking bonuses remains in place, I have committed my Department to tender for an external evaluation to determine whether the remuneration policy remains fit for purpose.
In addition, a high income individual’s restriction (HYIR) has been in place since Budget 2007, limiting the use of certain tax reliefs and exemptions by high income earnings individuals. Its aim is to balance the promotion of tax equity in relation to those on high incomes with the incentive effect of specified tax reliefs. The restriction works by limiting the total amount of specified reliefs that a high income individual can use to reduce their tax liability in any one tax year. A recent report on its operation in 2016, published by the Revenue Commissioners signals that the measure continues to work as intended. The declining levels of tax revenue associated with the restriction signify that the amount of income being sheltered from tax (and as a result falling within the HYIR) continues to fall. Those on incomes over €400,000 (149 individuals) face an effective tax rate of 30 per cent, with average tax rates rising to 40.9 per cent once the USC is included. Some 372 individuals on incomes between €125,000 and €400,000 paid an average tax rate of 28.6 per cent once USC was included.
From a wealth monitoring perspective, the Revenue Commissioners have a dedicated High Wealth Individuals (HWI) unit within their Large Cases Division, which has been in operation since 2003. This is supported by an Anti-Avoidance function allowing for the specialised focus highlighted by the 2009 OECD report Engaging with High Wealth Individuals on tax compliance . As of June 2018, this unit which is responsible for profiling, risk assessment and tax compliance, was actively monitoring 480 high wealth individuals with wealth in excess of €50 million. A sectorial decomposition of these individuals reveals a third are predominantly active in the real estate sector, with just 4 per cent active in the financial and insurance sector. The operations of this unit were reviewed in 2007 and again in 2015 with no change recommended.
Furthermore, the Controller & Auditor General’s Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2017 outlines the State’s management of high wealth individuals tax liabilities and notes the relatively high effective tax rate on income earned by HWIs who face a rate of 39 percent, compared to an average rate of 16.3 per cent for all tax payers.
As regards transparency of information, from a data collection perspective the CSO publish earnings by NACE sector, including the Information and Communication, the Professional, Scientific and Technical, and the Financial Insurance and Real estate sectors. This forms part of the Earnings Hours and Employment Costs Survey (EHECS). Data are published on irregular earnings (bonuses), non-statutory social contributions (i.e. employer contributions to pension funds, life assurance and income continuance insurance), and benefits-in-kind (covering for example stock options, share purchase schemes, voluntary health insurance and company cars).
As regards data on wealth, the Central Bank publish a quarterly net worth of Irish households series. In addition, the CSO conduct the Household Finance and Consumption Survey (HFCS 2013), compiling comprehensive data on Irish household wealth. The net wealth Gini coefficient - a commonly used measure of inequality (where a figure of 100 indicates that one household holds all the wealth and 0 indicates that wealth is evenly divided among all households) indicates that wealth inequality in Ireland was lower (64) than the euro area average (69). The HFCS results also indicate that wealth in Ireland was less concentrated at the top of the distribution than the euro area average.
52. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Finance the status of the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46066/18]
View answerSetanta Insurance was placed into liquidation by the Malta Financial Services Authority on 30 April 2014. As it was a Maltese incorporated company, the liquidation is being carried out under Maltese law. The Deputy will be aware that the Insurance (Amendment) Act 2018 (Act 21 of 2018) was signed into law in July this year. The Act, inter alia, provides for the payment of 100% of the compensation due to Setanta third party personal injury motor insurance claimants including the additional 35% to those who have settled their claims and have already received compensation of 65% of their claim. The Act also provides for revised arrangements for the on-going administration of the Insurance Compensation Fund, including for the relevant applications to the President of the High Court. These revised arrangements have now been put in place.
I have been informed by the State Claims Agency that a High Court date has been agreed for Monday, 19 November. Payments can then be issued to qualifying Setanta claimants by the Agency within 10 working days of obtaining the funds from the Central Bank on foot of the High Court order. Therefore, based on this information, I anticipate that the next tranche of payments will be made to claimants in the late November/early December period.
While I cannot comment on individual cases, the Agency has advised that the next tranche will comprise of: (a) newly settled claims requiring 100% payment, (b) all those cases where 65% was previously paid and where the balance of 35% is due and (c) a number of third party legal costs payments. In total, it is expected that next tranche of claims will comprise in the region of 1,500 separate payments with a value of approximately €21 million.Finally, it should be noted that the process of settling claims is still ongoing and is subject in some cases to court procedures. The liquidator of Setanta estimates that the process of settling the vast majority of these outstanding claims should be completed by end-2019.
53. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Finance if it is standard practice for the Revenue Commissioners to request from a person a completed tax return and letters of administration for their deceased spouse who was only in receipt of a State pension and had no assets other than the family home. [46077/18]
View answerI am advised by Revenue that it would not be normal to seek tax returns and letters of administration relating to a deceased individual, where that individual’s income consisted solely of a State pension and he or she had no assets, other than the family home.
However, there are situations where such documentation may be required, for example, in a case where the deceased individual did not have income, other than a State pension, but his or her spouse or civil partner may have other income or assets.
The information provided in the question is not sufficient to allow Revenue to review a particular case. If the Deputy has a specific case in mind and provides relevant details to my officials, I will arrange to have this information passed to Revenue.
54. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Finance the reason the costs of sending children to college are not allowable against tax (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46141/18]
View answerSection 473A of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 provides for tax relief at the standard rate of income tax (20%) in respect of qualifying fees paid by an individual for a third level education course, subject to the terms and conditions set out in that section. Qualifying fees mean tuition fees in respect of an approved course at an approved college, reduced by the amount of the "student contribution" which, in the case of a full-time course, is currently €3,000. Full details of the relief, including the terms and conditions that apply, are set out on the Revenue website at
www.revenue.ie/en/personal-tax-credits-reliefs-and-exemptions/education/tuition-fees-paid-for-third-level-education/index.aspx.
There is no specific provision for tax relief in relation to the living costs associated with attending college e.g. accommodation costs. However, the rent-a-room scheme provides significant levels of relief to the providers of accommodation within their own home to persons on both a 7 day a week and "digs" basis.
55. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the cost to send out voting cards to each registered voter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46027/18]
View answerThe most recent information available relates to the Referendum to repeal the 8th Amendment held on the 25 May 2018. For that election event, polling cards were delivered to an electorate of 3.3m at a total cost of €2.5m.
56. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of the issue of pension provision for community employee supervisors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46028/18]
View answerI would refer the Deputy to my response to PQs 43892/18 and 43895/18 given on 24 October 2018.
57. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if a company (details supplied) is eligible to engage in future State tenders for construction projects. [46075/18]
View answerPublic Procurement is governed by EU and National rules. The aim of these rules is to promote an open, competitive and non-discriminatory public procurement regime which delivers transparency and value for money outcomes.
As Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform I have responsibility for the formulation of policy, dissemination of best practice and guidance in public procurement. I am not in a position to comment on whether or not a particular business is eligible to engage in future public contracts as it will depend on the circumstances of the business and the criteria that have been established for a particular procurement.
An applicant’s eligibility to participate in public procurement competitions must be determined in a manner that meets the principles of transparency, non-discrimination and mutual recognition. Criteria for qualitative selection are defined in the EU Procurement Directive and essentially break down into two categories; exclusion grounds and selection criteria.
Applicants may be excluded from a procurement where their particular circumstances meet the grounds for exclusion defined in the Directive. These break down to grounds that must be applied by the contracting authority which typically cover convictions for crimes such as money laundering, corruption, etc. They also include an applicant’s failure to meet its obligations with respect to tax and social welfare payments. There is a further range of grounds that a contracting authority may choose to apply covering such matters as insolvency, poor past performance, serious misrepresentation, etc.
Selection criteria are applied to determine an applicant’s financial and economic standing and their professional and technical capacity. All requirements should be relevant and proportionate to the specific contract. Those who do not meet the minimum standards set for the applied criteria may be excluded from further participation in a tender competition.
There is no provision in the Directive to exclude a business from all procurement procedures. The assessment as to whether a business is excluded or not is made on a case by case basis for each competition.
The management of the tendering process for a public contract including the application of certain exclusion grounds and selection criteria is a matter for each contracting authority. It is the responsibility of each contracting authority to ensure that tenderers comply with all the requirements of the process.
When evaluating responses to the eligibility criteria the contracting authority must consider the facts and must arrive at a decision based on evidence.
58. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the rationale for the OPW’s decision to dispose of sites zoned for development on Church Avenue, Dublin 9, and Herbert Lane, Dublin 2, instead of reserving them for affordable housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46144/18]
View answerThe Office of Public Works policy with regard to non-operational (vacant) State property and sites is to:
1. Identify if the property is required/suitable for alternative State use by either Government departments or the wider public sector.
2. If there is no other State use identified for a property, the OPW will then consider disposing of the property on the open market if and when conditions prevail, in order to generate revenue for the Exchequer.
3. If no State requirement is identified or if a decision is taken not to dispose of a particular property, the OPW may consider community involvement (subject to detailed written submission, which would indicate that the community/voluntary group has the means to insure, maintain and manage the property and that there are no ongoing costs for the Exchequer).
The former Model School at Church Avenue, Glasnevin and the site at Herbert Lane, Dublin were evaluated in line with above disposals policy. As the OPW had no further use for these properties they were offered to all other State sectors to determine if they might have a need to utilise the properties. Neither Dublin City Council, the HSE or the education sector declared an interest in acquiring the properties. As such, the properties were deemed surplus to requirements and a decision was taken to place the property on the open market. All proceeds from the disposal of these properties is returned directly to the Exchequer for appropriate further distribution to public needs such as housing, health and education.
59. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the amount of EU funding made available to Ireland under the Youth Guarantee; the reason this has not been drawn down to date; when it will be drawn down; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45966/18]
View answerThe Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) is one of the main EU financial resources to support the implementation of the EU Youth Guarantee. It is integrated into European Social Fund (ESF) programming as a dedicated priority axis within the ESF Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning 2014-2020 (PEIL). The specific YEI allocation for Ireland of €68m is matched by equal amounts from our ESF allocation and from the Exchequer, giving an overall allocation of €204m.
All ESF activities, including YEI activities, are fully funded up-front by the Exchequer with the EU (ESF/YEI) funding being claimed in arrears. While no payment application has been made to date to the Commission under the PEIL, it is expected that the funding will be fully drawn down.
The ESF authorities must be designated in accordance with the EU regulations prior to making the first payment application. This designation is based on the opinion of the Independent Audit Body (IAB) which must be satisfied across a range of criteria that systems are in place to allow the ESF authorities to perform their required functions. These systems requirements include the provision of a computerised accounting and information system for EU funds to meet the 2014-2020 functionality requirements. The final phase of the IT system went live at the end of March 2018 and the consultants retained to conduct an independent review of the eCohesion IT System so as to provide assurance that the system is sufficient to meet the Designation Criteria, submitted their final report in September 2018. The ESF authorities have had extensive engagement with the IAB on the designation process which is expected to conclude very shortly.
At the same time, preparations are being finalised for the submission of a first payment application to the Commission and the ESF authorities will ensure that sufficient payment applications are submitted to fully drawdown the EU funding allocations.
60. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the budget allocation for apprenticeships in 2018 and 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45967/18]
View answer61. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of persons who registered on newly developed apprenticeship programmes in 2018. [45968/18]
View answer62. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the details of the new apprenticeship programmes that were introduced in 2018. [45969/18]
View answer63. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the apprenticeship population to date in 2018. [45970/18]
View answer64. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of new apprenticeship registrations to date in 2018. [45971/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 60 to 64, inclusive, together.
The information sought by the Deputy is set out in the following tables.
Apprenticeships that became operational in 2018
|
Trades |
NFQ Level |
|
AUCTIONEERING |
|
|
Auctioneering & Property Services |
6 |
|
BIOPHARMACHAM |
|
|
Laboratory Analyst |
7 |
|
Laboratory Technician |
6 |
|
FOOD MANUFACTURING |
|
|
Butcher |
5 |
|
HOSPITALITY |
|
|
Chef de Partie |
7 |
|
ICT |
|
|
ICT Associate Professional Network Technician |
6 |
|
ICT Associate Professional Software Developer |
6 |
|
LOGISTICS |
|
|
Logistics Associate |
6 |
|
APPRENTICESHIPs AS OF 31st October 2018 |
|
|
Total Apprenticeship Registrations |
4,655 |
|
New Consortia Apprenticeship Registrations |
520 |
|
Total Apprenticeship Popoulation |
14,953 |
|
APPRENTICESHIP BUDGET ALLOCATIONS |
|
|
2018 |
€122m |
|
2019 |
€142m |
65. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps he will take to ensure provision of adequate supports at a school (details supplied) for children with special educational needs attending this school; the further steps he will take to address the lack of suitable educational placements at primary level for children with special educational needs and the lack of future educational placements at second-level for children with special educational needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45973/18]
View answerMy Department's policy is to provide for the inclusive education of children with special educational needs in mainstream school settings, unless such a placement would not be in the best interests of the child concerned, or the children with whom they will be educated.
The greater proportion of children with special educational needs (SEN) attend mainstream class, where they may access additional supports if required.
Some students with SEN, although academically able to access the curriculum in mainstream, may find it too difficult to manage full-time placement there and placement in a special class should be considered.
Special school placements are provided for other students with SEN and very complex special needs who wouldn’t manage in a mainstream school even for part of the week. Enrolment of a child in a special school is based on a professional assessment in consultation with the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).
There is therefore not one preferred educational environment for children with SEN, rather there is a model which takes into account the assessed educational needs of individual pupils.
The range of supports and services which are made available to schools include additional special educational support teaching, Special Needs Assistants support, funding for the purchase of specialised equipment, services of the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS), enhanced levels of capitation in Special schools and Special Classes and additional teacher training.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible for the establishment of special class and special school placements in various geographical areas where there is an identified need, in consultation with the relevant education partners and the Health Service Executive (HSE).
Since 2011, the NCSE has increased the number of special classes by over 150% from 548 in 2011 to 1,459 across the country now.
While most schools fully embrace an open and inclusive policy, some students with Special Educational Needs continue to experience difficulties in securing enrolment. My Department has acknowledged that in recent years the establishment of special class provision in some schools and communities has been challenging.
The Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018 when fully commenced will assist in addressing these issues.
The Deputy will be aware that, on the 3rd October 2018, my predecessor Minister Bruton, commenced a number of sections of the Act. On that date the Minister also announced the commencement of Section 8 of the Act, from Monday 3rd December 2018, which will provide the Minister with a power, after a process of consultation with the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), the board of management and the patron of the school, to compel a school to make additional provision for the education of children with special educational needs.
This power will come into effect on Monday 3rd December 2018. The NCSE will engage with the education partners and finalise procedures in advance of this date. This new power will build on the work which has been done in recent years to facilitate schools to open special classes.
Section 67 of the Act will provide certain powers to the NCSE to designate a school placement for a child in circumstances where a child is experiencing difficulties in securing enrolment.
A number of the remaining sections of the Act which have not yet been commenced including Section 67, require regulations and procedures to be drafted, and will require consultation with the Education Partners prior to commencement.
I intend to have the other remaining sections of the Act commenced in time for admissions to the 2020/21 school year.
DES Circular 0010/2018 for primary schools set out the details of the new model for allocating special education teachers to schools to support students with SEN enrolled in mainstream classes.
The new Special Education Teaching allocation provides a single unified allocation for special educational support teaching needs to each school, based on each school’s educational profile.
No school, has lost supports as a result of the implementation of the new model. In addition, no school received an allocation, for the support of pupils with complex needs, less than the allocation they received to support such pupils during the 2016/17 school year.
Where a school profile significantly changes following the allocation process e.g. a developing school where the net enrolment numbers significantly increase year on year, additional allocations may be made.
The criteria for qualification for mainstream school developing school posts for the 2018/19 school year were set out in DES Circular 10/2018 (Primary School Staffing Schedule) and DES 7,8,9/2018 (Post Primary School Staffing Schedule).
The National Council for Special Education will be available to support schools where schools have developed and implemented appropriate plans for the deployment of their special education needs teaching resources, but the school considers that further support may be required.
The NCSE has published details of how schools can seek a review of their allocations, including the utilisation of their allocations, in circumstances where a school considers that very exceptional circumstances have arisen subsequent to the development of the profile.
Should schools consider that they fulfil the criteria for a review on the grounds of exceptional circumstances, details of this review process are available at:
http://ncse.ie/review-of-special-education-teacher-supports-where-there-are-exceptional-circumstances-or-needs-arising-in-a-school .
I can also advise that profiles for all schools are currently being reviewed, based on updated data, with a view to making revised profiled allocations for all schools effective from September 2019.
66. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the new school premises for a school (details supplied); if his attention has been drawn to the fact that an organisation was first granted patronage of this school in March 2013 and it has been located at a temporary premises since August 2016; if his attention has been further drawn to the fact that the lease on this temporary premises expires in April 2019 and its first junior certificate exams are due in June 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45987/18]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, a major capital project to provide permanent accommodation for the school in question is being addressed through my Department's Capital Programme.
It is envisaged that this accommodation will be provided through a campus arrangement with a local Institute of Further Education on its current site. This project will also include the redevelopment and provision of enhanced accommodation for the Institute. In the context of initiating architectural planning for the project, the Department is liaising with Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board. The Department will also continue to liaise with the school's Patron in this regard.
67. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Education and Skills the deficit accumulated at Waterford Institute of Technology; his plans to address the deficit; the measures that may be considered in relation to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46016/18]
View answerThe audited accounts for 2015/16 for Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) has a significant accumulated deficit (€4.4m deficit after FRS 102 adjustments). The draft accounts for 2016/17 and projections for 2018/19 continue to show an operating deficit which will further impact on the accumulated deficit position of the institute.
In order to address these financial issues the HEA is liaising closely with WIT and has agreed a financial plan to bring the institute back into a balanced budget. The plan includes new programme development linked to industry engagement, restructuring of campus companies, recruitment strategy to return student base to 2012 levels and the implementation of a plan to address retention weaknesses.
A quarterly financial report is submitted to the HEA by the President in relation to the financial position. The issues which have affected WIT financial position are a continued reduction in student numbers, reduction in completion rates, restructuring costs, on-going cashflow issues, a reliance on research income and repayment of a capital loan to DES.
My Department has agreed to defer repayments of the WIT loan in 2018 to aid the financial situation at the institute. The HEA is receiving quarterly reports and monitoring the situation closely in consultation with my officials.
