Written Answers Nos. 563-584
563. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if a place on a college course can be confirmed in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34912/20]
View answerOfficials in my Department have contacted Kildare Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB) regarding this matter. I understand that KWETB had dealt with the issue and that the person's place on their course has been secured.
564. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science when and the way in which the additional payment of €250 for students at third-level colleges will be paid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35284/20]
View answerI am very conscious of the impact the pandemic has had on our students. To ensure the safety of our students and staff in further and higher education, the majority of college will be online for this semester. In recognition of the challenges facing full time third level students the Government has approved once off funding of €50m to provide additional financial assistance in this academic year. My Officials and I are developing the process on how this once-off funding will be utilised for submission to Government prior to commencement. Once finalised the details will be available for students.
Additionally Budget 2021 provides further funding to enhance SUSI grant supports for post-grads and increase support for the PATH access initiative, which seeks to increase participation in Higher Education from the most economically disadvantaged students.
This builds on the specific student supports in response to Covid, which I announced in July including the provision of additional student assistance including a doubling of the Student Assistance Fund, and a €15 million technology fund for devices for students in further and higher education to assist with difficulties in accessing technology to facilitate their course work in a blended capacity. These supports are being distributed through the colleges and further education providers.
565. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he plans as part of the measures to support businesses and so on to compensate accommodation providers in order that families can be refunded (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34582/20]
View answerI am conscious of the challenges faced by students in relation to student accommodation this year due to financial pressures and the blended learning format of the 2020/21 academic year. Throughout the last number of months my Department has been engaging with representatives from the higher education sector to address the challenges faced by students in this difficult time. My Department, in consultation with these key stakeholders will continue to monitor the situation relating to student accommodation closely.
Refund or cancellation policies in student accommodation should be set out in the license agreement signed at the beginning of the academic year. In the first instance students should engage with their accommodation provider to see if an arrangement can be reached in regard to a refund.
If this is not possible, under the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2019 students have access to the Dispute Resolution Services of the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB).
I have asked our higher education institutions, where they have accommodation, to try to show flexibility in terms of its use for the coming academic year, as well as flexibility with regard to cancellations and refunds. I would hope that that private providers will show the same flexibility, however it is not within my remit to issue instruction in relation to the private rental market.
I am very conscious of the impact of the pandemic has had on our students. To ensure the safety of our students and staff in further and higher education, the majority of college will be online for this semester and we will provide financial assistance through a once off €50 million fund. My officials and I are developing the process on how this once-off fund will operate for submission to Government prior to commencement. Further details will be available for students shortly.
A range of supports for businesses impacted by Covid-19 have been put in place, and accommodation providers can apply for such schemes if they are eligible. Further details can be sought from the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation.
566. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the reason those that are on the pandemic unemployment payment since March 2020 are not considered to be permanently impacted and do not qualify for the SUSI grant in 2020 under the change of circumstances appeal criteria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34615/20]
View answerUnder the Student Grant Scheme, grant assistance is available to eligible students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the terms and conditions of funding, including those relating to residency, means, nationality and previous academic attainment.
The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for SUSI to determine. For the 2020/21 academic year, student grant applications will be assessed based on gross income from all sources for the period 1st January 2019 to 31st December 2019.
The Social Welfare (Covid-19) (Amendment) Act 2020 establishes the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment as a social insurance benefit scheme separate from other social protection statutory schemes including the Supplementary Welfare Allowance and Jobseeker Allowance and Jobseeker Benefit schemes.
For student grant purposes the Covid-19 payment has been treated as reckonable income for the SUSI means assessment process since it was introduced in March. This means that the Covid-19 payment is treated in a similar fashion to other Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection payments such as Jobseekers Benefit/Allowance, thus ensuring a consistency of approach and an equitable treatment of students and their families in the SUSI means assessment process.
All applications are assessed nationally with reference to the terms and conditions of the relevant student grant scheme. The terms and conditions of funding are applied impartially to all applicants.
However, if a student or party to their application experiences a change in circumstances that is not a temporary change and is likely to continue for the foreseeable future, they can apply to have their application assessed under the change in circumstances provision of the relevant Student Grant Scheme. The income of all parties to the application will be assessed or reassessed on the current year (2020) and they may also be asked to provide evidence of the current year’s (2020) income.
Apart from the Student Grant Scheme, the Deputy will be aware of the recently announced €168m funding package for the return to education. This package includes a €10m access support package for higher education students. I have approved the allocation of €8.1m of this funding to top up the Student Assistance Fund (SAF). The SAF assists students in a sensitive and compassionate manner, who might otherwise be unable to continue their third level studies due to their financial circumstances. Institutions have the autonomy to maximise the flexibility in the Student Assistance Fund to enable HEIs to support students during the COVID-19 situation. Details of this fund are available from the Access Office in the third level institution attended.
In addition, tax relief at the standard rate of tax may be claimed in respect of tuition fees paid for approved courses at approved colleges of higher education including approved undergraduate and postgraduate courses in EU Member States and in non-EU countries. Further information on this tax relief is available from a student's local Tax office or from the Revenue Commissioners website www.revenue.ie.
567. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the interaction he has had with UCD over the 2% to 4% increase in fees for EU and non-EU students studying graduate entry medicine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34617/20]
View answer571. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will address matters raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34635/20]
View answer575. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his attention has been drawn to a campaign by students applying for the graduate entry medicine course in UCD in relation to the increasing fees for this particular course of study; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34947/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 567, 571 and 575 together.
Students pursuing GEM programmes do so as second degree courses and consequently are not eligible for free fees funding or for student grants. However, in order to widen access to GEM programmes, and give assistance towards the financial burden on each student pursuing these programmes, the fees of participating EU students are partly subsidised by the State via the Higher Education Authority (HEA). Currently, the subsidy is €11,200 per student with the balance of fees payable by the student.
There is no Department supported loan scheme in place for GEM students. As you are aware there are private loans available for GEM students but these are arrangements between the relevant lenders and the students applying for such loans and the Department has no role in such arrangements.
Higher education institutions are autonomous bodies as set out in legislation and are responsible for the day-to-day management and operational affairs of the institution. They retain the right to determine their own policies and procedures. The level of fees to be charged in the case of GEM fees are therefore solely a matter for the relevant institution to determine in line with its own criteria.
568. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the action taken to support students of graduate entry medicine in UCD given that the fees now are higher than the maximum available bank loan to students therefore forcing students out of the course; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34618/20]
View answerUnder the terms of the Student Grant Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means.
To satisfy the terms and conditions of the Student Grant Scheme in relation to progression, a student must be moving from year to year within a course, having successfully completed the previous year or be transferring from one course to another where the award for the subsequent course is of a higher level than the previous course.
In general, under the progression/previous academic attainment criteria of the Student Grant Scheme, students cannot qualify for grant assistance or free tuition fees for a second period of study at the same level or for a different course at the same level, irrespective of whether or not a grant or tuition fees were paid previously.
The main objective of this policy is to assist as many students as possible to obtain one qualification at each level of study. The Scheme operates in the context of competing educational priorities and limited public funding.
To avail of the graduate entry route for medicine, a primary degree in another discipline is necessary. Accordingly such students are ineligible for grant assistance on the basis that they already hold an undergraduate degree.
However, institutions participating in the graduate medical programme have been requested to provide accompanying services and supports to facilitate the participation of disadvantaged students in the programme. Details of these services and supports are available from the relevant institution.
In addition, tax relief at the standard rate of tax may also be available in respect of tuition fees paid for approved courses at approved colleges of higher education. Further information on this tax relief is available from a student's local Tax Office or from the Revenue Commissioners website, www.revenue.ie
569. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the cost to the Exchequer if the same fees were applied for graduate entry medical students as other undergraduate medical students who enter directly from the CAO system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34620/20]
View answer572. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his attention has been drawn to the fact that graduate entry medical students in UCD are facing the third straight increase in fees; his views on whether the proposed increase is necessary to meet to funding needs of the university given the current level of public funding; his further views on whether these increases are appropriate given the fact that the majority of the educational instruction has moved online this semester and the employment opportunities for students have been diminished; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34651/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 569 and 572 together.
As the Deputy will be aware, the fee payable by a student can vary depending on a variety factors including the type of course and the student's access route including previous education.
Under the Department's Free Fees Initiative, the Exchequer pays tuition fees on behalf of eligible undergraduate students attending approved full-time undergraduate courses. In order to qualify for funding under the Department’s Free Fees Initiative, students must meet the criteria of the scheme including the criteria in relation to previous study.
Students pursuing GEM programmes do so as second degree courses and consequently are not eligible for free fees funding or for student grants. However, in order to widen access to GEM programmes, and give assistance towards the financial burden on each student pursuing these programmes, the fees of participating EU students are partly subsidised by the State via the Higher Education Authority (HEA). Currently, the subsidy is €11,200 per student with the balance of fees payable by the student.
Higher education institutions are autonomous bodies as set out in legislation and are responsible for the day-to-day management and operational affairs of the institution. They retain the right to determine their own policies and procedures. Where students do not qualify for free fees funding, they pay the appropriate fee, either EU or Non-EU, as determined by each higher education institution. The total level of fees to be charged in the case of GEM fees are therefore solely a matter for the relevant institution to determine in line with its own criteria.
570. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the cost to the Exchequer if graduate entry medical students were exempt from the progression criteria in SUSI grant application and could access funding as if it was their first undergraduate course; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34621/20]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware to avail of the graduate entry route for medicine, a primary degree in another discipline is necessary. Accordingly such students are ineligible for grant assistance on the basis that they already hold an undergraduate degree.
SUSI holds data on students who have applied for grant support so therefore it is not possible to identify the total number of graduate entry students for the 2020/21 academic year. However, the HEA have advised that in 2018/19, there were 1,580 graduate entry medical students. Therefore, the total cost to the exchequer of funding this cohort of students would be in the region of €7.7m. These costings are based on an average maintenance grant cost.
573. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his plans to ensure that students that have paid for accommodation which is not required during periods when Covid-19 restrictions are in place will be entitled to refunds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34701/20]
View answerI am conscious of the challenges faced by students in relation to student accommodation this year due to financial pressures and the blended learning format of the 2020/21 academic year. Throughout the last number of months my Department has been engaging with representatives from the higher education sector to address the challenges faced by students in this difficult time. My Department, in consultation with these key stakeholders will continue to monitor the situation relating to student accommodation closely.
Refund or cancellation policies in student accommodation should be set out in the license agreement signed at the beginning of the academic year. In the first instance students should engage with their accommodation provider to see if an arrangement can be reached in regard to a refund.
If this is not possible, under the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2019 students have access to the Dispute Resolution Services of the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB).
I have asked our higher education institutions, where they have accommodation, to try to show flexibility in terms of its use for the coming academic year, as well as flexibility with regard to cancellations and refunds. I would hope that that private providers will show the same flexibility, however it is not within my remit to issue instruction in relation to the private rental market.
I am very conscious of the impact of the pandemic has had on our students. To ensure the safety of our students and staff in further and higher education, the majority of college will be online for this semester and we will provide financial assistance through a once off €50 million fund. My officials and I are developing the process on how this once-off fund will operate for submission to Government prior to commencement. Further details will be available for students shortly.
574. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the provisions he has put in place to enable those engaged in apprenticeships up until the lockdown and now out of an apprenticeship to continue their training. [34874/20]
View answerThe majority of the 18,179 apprentices who were registered with SOLAS prior to the 1st March 2020 and who have not yet completed their programme remain registered to their apprenticeship at this time. Government initiatives during the Covid-19 crisis period are targeted towards retaining a relationship between employers and employees (including apprentices), this includes access to the Temporary Wages Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) where applicable. Employers who register a new apprentice between 1st March 2020 and 31st June 2021 are also eligible to apply for a grant of €3,000 per apprentice, paid over two years). The apprentice population reached 18,800 at the end of October.
SOLAS are conducting periodic reviews of status’ from across the Education and Training Boards and Consortia to monitor activity and amelioration measures from across the 58 apprenticeship programmes during Covid-19. The impact of Covid-19 measures on apprentices has been largely dependent on sector with evidence of the use of shorter weeks/temporary layoffs of apprentices during the second and third quarter 2020 as well as a number of redundancies.
Most recently, of those updates received by SOLAS, 134 apprentices are known to have been placed in temporary layoff and 48 are redundant. In addition, 117 apprentices have their employment supported through their employer accessing the temporary wages subsidy scheme.
Authorised Officers in the Education and Training Boards are engaging with apprentices whose apprenticeship has been interrupted due to being made redundant to help them find an alternative employer so that they can continue their apprenticeship. In addition, in the case of some of the new consortia led apprenticeships such as Retail Supervision the consortia have been able to help apprentices who had been laid off to find alternative employers.
576. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of research centres funded by Science Foundation Ireland in each of the years 2017 to 2019 and to date in 2020, in tabular form; and the 2021 budget allocation for same. [34964/20]
View answerSFI Research Centres are research centres of global scale and reputation, undertaking excellent research. All the Research Centre awards are for the duration of six years. These SFI Research Centres are funded to focus on areas of strategic importance to Ireland and are expected to deliver scientific excellence with economic and societal impact. The Centres are expected to leverage equal amounts of funding to that provided by the exchequer, from industry and competitively won international funding, such as EU Horizon 2020.
The budget for the 16 SFI Research Centres in 2021 will be some €67.9 million. Below is the number of Research Centres funded by SFI from 2017 to 2020.
|
Year |
No of Research Centres |
|
2017 |
16 |
|
2018 |
17 |
|
2019 |
17* |
|
2020 |
16 |
*SFI funded INFANT Research Centre until December 2019 when its 6 year funding term ended.
577. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the capital works projects currently ongoing at both Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin that are being part funded or fully funded by his Department; the cost of each project; and the completion date for each project in tabular form. [34965/20]
View answerThe following table includes the information requested by the Deputy. As budgets for projects that have not yet reached the contract award stage are commercially sensitive, I have included a cost range.
|
Name |
Description |
Completion |
Cost Range (€m) |
DFHERIS Contribution (€m) |
|
UCD Future Campus Phase 1 project. |
This is currently at pre-planning stage and will include a new Centre for Future Learning and a Centre for Creativity as Phase 1 of a planned transformative process for the Belfield campus. |
2023 |
>100 |
25 |
|
E3 Trinity College Dublin |
New building on TCD's main campus to accommodate the E3 (Engineering, Environment and Emerging Technologies) Institute. |
2024 |
50-100 |
15 |
In addition UCD received €3,999,000 and TCD received €2,798,000 by way of a devolved capital grant for minor works and equipment for the 2020/21 academic year. This flexible funding complements other large-scale capital investments in the sector that will help expand availability of student places and transform campus infrastructure over the coming years.
578. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his attention has been drawn to the fact that management at the Irish Management Institute which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of University College, Cork refuse to engage with a union (details supplied) which represents the majority of IMI staff for the purposes of collective bargaining; if his attention has been further drawn to the fact that this position is at odds with the well-established industrial relations norms and conventions at UCC in which a union has worked with management to create a positive and progressive industrial relations environment; if he will encourage the President and the governing body of UCC to respond to correspondence from the union issued to the college authorities and UCC-IMI on 29 September 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35349/20]
View answerIt is of course important for all employers and employee representatives to work to create and maintain a positive and progressive industrial relations environment.
I understand that in this instance the Irish Management Institute (IMI) is a wholly owned subsidiary of University College Cork (UCC) and a private company and its staff are private employees. In that context, any internal industrial relations issues arising between the IMI and its staff are matters for the IMI.
Under the current statutory framework, universities such as UCC are independent and autonomous bodies and on that basis are responsible for the conduct of their own operations including the appropriate management of relationships with subsidiary companies including in relation to industrial relations. However I would of course encourage engagement to take place as appropriate.
579. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of full-time equivalent and part-time equivalent roles filled by his Department of posts at principal officer, assistant principal officer, higher executive officer, executive officer and clerical officer grades for the past five years; the cost to the Exchequer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35486/20]
View answerMy department was just established in June of this year with the formation of the new Government. The following are the roles filled from Public Appointments Service panels since the establishment of the Department.
|
Principal Officer |
3 |
|
Assistant Principal Officer |
0 |
|
Higher Executive Officer |
0 |
|
Executive Officer |
3 |
|
Clerical Officer |
5 |
A total of approximately 134 staff are due to formally transfer to my department from the Department of Education in the coming weeks. The figure of 134 includes those staff represented in the table.
580. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice if the audit of the way in which responsibility for domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is segmented across different agencies will be completed by March 2021 as committed to in the programme for Government; if she is overseeing the audit; and the resources allocated to the audit and the NGOs and service providers that will be consulted as part of the audit. [34683/20]
View answerThe Programme for Government commitment, to conduct an audit of how responsibility for Domestic, Sexual and Gender based Violence (DSGBV) is segmented across different government agencies, will be undertaken by an external consultant with meaningful involvement from relevant NGOs and service providers, as well as input from Departments and agencies.
The terms of reference for the audit have been finalised, and very shortly the Department will commence a procurement process to engage an independent person to undertake the audit. It is intended that the audit will be completed within 3 months of commissioning.
Combatting domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is a priority for this Government and for me as Minister for Justice. Funding of just over €2 million euro has been allocated to my Department under budget 2021 to combat domestic, sexual and gender-based violence and a further allocation of €2.1 million has been allocated to support victims of crime, including victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. I have also secured an additional €2.3 million to implement the O’Malley recommendations to support vulnerable victims as set out in Supporting a Victims Journey - A plan to help victims and vulnerable witnesses in sexual violence cases which I published last month.
The Deputy may also be aware that over the last decade work in this area has been conducted through successive DSGBV strategies. My Department coordinates the Second National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence 2016-2021, which is a whole-of-Government approach to delivering on the many actions necessary to address these matters fully. The Strategy includes input from relevant community and voluntary groups as well as other stakeholders across the sector. This is achieved through a Monitoring Committee composed of stakeholders from all sectors working together in partnership; as well as ongoing cooperation between the Department and frontline services and industry partners. The Monitoring Committee and the NGOs represented on it are key partners for my Department in our work to tackle DSGBV and will be a primary focus of our consultations in the audit process.
Overall, the Strategy aims to considerably strengthen the law and structures in Ireland targeting domestic, sexual and gender-based violence and considerable progress has been made in addressing these issues through the Strategy.
Without prejudice to the outcome of the audit, a review of the outstanding actions has been conducted to inform the forthcoming 3rd National Strategy on DSGBV, to be developed and agreed by Government before the end of 2021.
581. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Justice if an application to move from stamp 3 to stamp 4 by a person (details supplied) will be expedited. [34794/20]
View answerThe person concerned submitted an application to the Immigration Service of my Department to change their permission to remain in the State from a Stamp 3 to a Stamp 4. In the interests of fairness to all applicants, all such requests are dealt with in chronological order. Due to the large volume of applications received, it is unfortunately not currently possible to give a specific timeframe for a decision on this particular request. If further information is required to progress the application, the Immigration Service will write to the person concerned.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
582. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the progress to date in the determination of an application for residency status and eligibility for naturalisation in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34818/20]
View answerI am advised that the person referred to by the Deputy has a current permission to remain in the State, on stamp 4 conditions, up to 20 January 2021. Their permission was extended from its original expiry date of 18 April 2020, by the series of automatic extensions of permission provided for in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
An application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person concerned continues to be processed with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation and will be submitted to me for decision as expeditiously as possible. If further documentation is required, it will be requested from the applicant in due course.
The granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is a privilege and an honour which confers certain rights and entitlements not only within the State but also at European Union level and it is important that appropriate procedures are in place to preserve the integrity of the process.
It is recognised that all applicants for citizenship would wish to have a decision on their application without delay. However, the nature of the naturalisation process is such that, for a broad range of reasons, some cases will take longer than others to process. In some instances, completing the necessary checks can take a considerable period of time. It is important that the applicant ensures that his or her contact details, including their current address, is notified to the Citizenship Division of my Department's Immigration Service.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
583. Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Justice if she will consider funding dance hall licence holders to mitigate against the cost of licensing dance halls when there are no dances allowed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35035/20]
View answerOn 28 August 2020, I announced that court fees and their associated excise and stamp duty relating to renewal of licences will be waived in 2020, as part of the wider support package that was announced by the Government.
Further to this, the District Court (Fees) (Amendment) Order 2020 was signed on 13 October 2020. The order implements the Government Decision to waive court fees for specified pub and other liquor licences in 2020 and came into operation on 23 October 2020.
Fees have been waived in respect of the following:
- On an application for a certificate of transfer of a licence - €150
- On the issue of a certificate of renewal of a licence (where the licence is a spirit retailer’s on-licence) - €150
- On an application for a General Exemption Order - €150
- On an application for a restaurant certificate or a limited restaurant certificate - €150
- On an application for a certificate of registration of a club - €150
- On an application for any public dancing licence - €335
- On an application for a music and singing licence - €150
In addition, Revenue has waived the excise duty on on-trade liquor licence renewals and the Finance Bill 2020 will make provision to waive the excise duty in relation to:
- Public dancing licence - €155 excise duty
- Renewal of registration of registered club - €505 excise duty
584. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Justice if her Department has responsibility for the Multi-Unit Developments Act 2011; and if her Department has had contact with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage in terms of a review of the Act. [35287/20]
View answerThe Multi-Unit Developments Act 2011 was enacted with the primary purposes of reforming the law relating to the ownership and management of common areas of multi-unit developments (MUDs) and facilitating the fair, efficient and effective management of owners’ management companies (OMCs). It is important to understand that the involvement of my Department with this issue is limited, and derives only from its current responsibility for land and conveyancing law.
In the Programme for Government, the Government has committed to conduct a review of the existing management company legislation. My Department will engage with relevant Departments in relation to advancing this matter.
