Written Answers Nos. 262-281
262. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of drainage works to be undertaken by the Office of Public Works in County Clare in February 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3948/21]
View answerThe status of works to be undertaken by the OPW at locations in County Clare in 2021 is as follows:
MeelickArterial Drainage Maintenance – My Office is currently undertaking arterial drainage maintenance works in the Meelick area, near the Old Cratloe Road. Maintenance will be continuing on channels in this area through February. In addition, vegetation management works are being carried out on embankments adjacent to the Radisson Hotel in Meelick and will continue through February.
Ennis LowerFlood Relief Scheme – Works are being undertaken at Bank Place in Ennis as part of the Ennis Lower Flood Relief Scheme. This is the last section of works on this scheme. Works are on course for completion by March/April this year.
Ennis South Flood Relief Scheme – Works at the St. Flannans and Ballybeg areas are substantially complete. In the Clareabbey area piling works are complete, but some back drain works and pumping station construction still remain with the scheme on course to be completed by June/July this year.
Springfield Flood Relief Scheme – Clare County Council, as the contracting authority, is the lead on progressing this scheme, with funding and support provided by the OPW. The current position is that An Bord Pleanála granted approval in November 2020 to the Part 10 planning application submitted by Clare County Council in respect of the Scheme. Consultants Byrne Looby are currently working on the detailed design of the embankments and pumping station on behalf of Clare County Council. Ground investigations, archaeological monitoring and a topographical survey are scheduled to commence on site imminently and Clare County Council is currently negotiating with landowners to acquire the lands to construct the scheme. The works are programmed to commence in May 2021 and are expected to be substantially complete before the end of 2021.
Shannon Town and EnvironsFlood Relief Scheme – Consultants have been appointed to carry out the scheme development and preliminary design and tender documents for topographical survey, cctv and ground investigation works are currently being prepared. An Online/virtual Public Information Session is being scheduled for late April 2021.
Kilkee Flood Relief Scheme – Consultants have been appointed to carry out the scheme development and preliminary design. An Online/virtual Public Information Session consultation was held in August 2020. CCTV and topographical surveys are ongoing along with preliminary design of the scheme.
263. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the specific funding streams available to local authorities to apply for; the amount that has been given, by county; the amount awarded under each scheme in each of the years from 2018 to 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4061/21]
View answerLocal flooding issues are a matter, in the first instance, for each local authority to investigate and address. All local authorities may carry out flood mitigation works, within their own capital works programme and using their own resources, or by applying for funding under the Office of Public Works Minor Flood Mitigation Works Scheme. The purpose of the scheme is to provide funding to Local Authorities to undertake minor flood mitigation works or studies to address localised flooding within their areas. The scheme generally applies where a solution can be readily identified and achieved in a short time frame. Under the scheme, applications are considered for projects that are estimated to cost not more than €750,000 in each instance. Funding of up to 90% of the cost is available for approved projects. Applications are assessed by the OPW having regard to the specific economic, social and environmental criteria of the Scheme, including a cost benefit ratio.
The OPW guidelines for funding applications under the Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme, together with a full list of funding approvals since 2009 is available on the OPW website at https://www.gov.ie/opw
264. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 146 of 16 June 2020, if an indenture of lease can be provided in respect of a property (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4158/21]
View answerIn response to the previous Parliamentary Question in this case (PQ 146 of 2020) my officials advised that the matter had been referred to the Chief State Solicitor’s Office (CSSO) for advice and that correspondence would follow.
I am advised that the CSSO emailed the applicant’s solicitor, O’Donoghues Solicitors of Langford Street, Killorglin, Co. Kerry, on 23rd June 2020, enclosing a letter of the same date and advising that the Minister had no power under the State Property Act 1954 to provide the requested Indenture of Lease, but did have the power of waiver of the Minister's interest (if any) in certain circumstances. This letter requested further information in respect of the application. No reply was received to this letter. On the 1st July 2020 the CSSO again wrote to the applicant’s solicitor, this time by DX, again enclosing a copy of the letter of 23rd June 2020 and requesting a response. To date no response has been received.
When a response is received to the CSSO’s letter of 23rd June 2020 it may be possible to progress this case, but the requested solution of an Indenture of Lease is not one available to the Minister.
265. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the details of the way in which the capital carryover of €710 million from 2020 to 2021 will be allocated in 2021; if a debate in Dáil Éireann will be facilitated on the carryover amount; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4313/21]
View answer266. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his views on the opinion of the Parliamentary Budget Office in respect of the lack of transparency associated with the capital carryover of €710 million from 2020 to 2021, given that the amount is shown for accounting purposes as having been spent by the Exchequer in 2020 when in fact it will be spent by Departments in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4314/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 265 and 266 together.
The distribution of the €710 million capital carryover has already been detailed in the Appropriation Act 2020 and by subhead in the Revised Estimates Volume 2021. A table setting out the overall carryover request by Vote is set out.
It may be helpful to the Deputy if I outline the carryover procedure and the transparent scrutiny that this procedure receives.
To begin with, capital and current allocations are set out in the Revised Estimates and are subject to Dáil scrutiny each year before being voted on by all members of the House. Members vote on the ambit and amount for each Vote. The ambit for each Vote states the year for which the amount being voted is to be expended.
As the amounts are voted for use in 2020 they have to be drawn down from the Exchequer in 2020, otherwise any unspent Exchequer moneys would have to be surrendered to the Central Fund at the end of the financial year. However, Section 91 of the Finance Act, 2004, gives legal effect to the carryover of unspent Voted Exchequer capital to the following year of up to 10% of capital by Vote, subject to certain conditions, by deferring this surrender requirement. This procedure is designed to promote value-for-money in the use of capital funding, in particular by mitigating any incentive on the part of public bodies to Departments to spend any remaining capital allocation at end-year in an accelerated manner rather than surrender it to the Exchequer. Allowing for up to 10% of the original capital allocation to be carried over into the following year allows for the capital funding to be drawn down in a considered and deliberate manner, that maximizes public benefit.
While the carryover amount is deferred into the following year, subject to the conditions set out in Section 91 of the Finance Act 2004, it is drawn down from the Exchequer in the year it is voted. Therefore the carryover is included in the Fiscal Monitor as it has been drawn down from the Exchequer in 2020. As such, the carryover amount is not classified as an underspend or saving in the year from which it is being deferred as it is funding that is already committed for expenditure.
To allow for spending of the capital carryover amounts in the following year, I am required to make an Order no later than 31 March of that year determining the capital carryover amounts by subhead which will be available for expenditure. Dáil approval of this draft Ministerial Order is required before I can make the Order. As the Deputy will appreciate, it is a matter for the Dáil to decide on what topics it wishes to debate and on the scheduling of such debates.
Once the order is made, the carryover amounts become a first charge against the subheads concerned. If the carryover sums are not spent in the year of carryover, they must be surrendered to the Central Fund.
|
Capital Envelope |
Gross 2020 Allocation |
Indicative Carry over from 2020 to 2021 |
|
Vote |
||
|
2020 into 2021 |
€,000 |
€,000 |
|
Vote 13 - OPW |
204,049 |
20,000 |
|
Vote 17 - PAS |
2,000 |
200 |
|
Vote 18 - NSSO |
14,350 |
1,435 |
|
Vote 20 - GARDA |
127,500 |
12,750 |
|
Vote 21 - PRISONS |
54,689 |
5,468 |
|
Vote 22 - COURTS |
71,017 |
4,895 |
|
Vote 24 - JUSTICE |
39,901 |
3,900 |
|
Vote 29 - DECC |
377,477 |
37,747 |
|
Vote 30 - DAFM |
316,030 |
31,600 |
|
Vote 31 - DoT |
1,981,240 |
151,480 |
|
Vote 32 - DETE |
1,551,000 |
106,200 |
|
Vote 33 - DTCAGSM |
169,424 |
16,892 |
|
Vote 34 - DHLGH |
2,390,335 |
214,000 |
|
Vote 37 - DSP |
15,000 |
910 |
|
Vote 38 - HEALTH |
1,074,250 |
68,174 |
|
Vote 39 - OGP |
587 |
59 |
|
Vote 40 - DCEDIY |
41,000 |
4,100 |
|
Vote 42 - DRCD |
168,644 |
13,180 |
|
Vote 45 - DFHERIS |
191,949 |
16,700 |
267. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 320 of 29 September 2020, the status of the proposed transfer of Westgate House, Drogheda to Louth County Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4352/21]
View answerIn relation to the property in question, my officials have informed me that they are now in possession of a draft contract of sale which has been prepared by the Chief State Solicitor’s Office (CSSO).
Once this draft contract has been reviewed and finalised, it will issue to the solicitor acting on behalf of Louth County Council. It is anticipated that the transfer will be completed during the first half of 2021.
268. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he has considered making amendments to the public sector sick pay scheme or occupational injury and illness schemes in relation to long Covid; if so, if a cost estimate or range of estimates will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4420/21]
View answerAmendments have not been made to the Public Sector Sick Leave Scheme or to occupational injury schemes as a result of COVID as public sector employees absent from work due to COVID-19 get Special Leave With Pay (SLWP) rather than sick pay.
The arrangements for pay of public servants who fall ill with COVID-19 was set out clearly by DPER at the outset of the crisis to protect public health and encourage disclosure of COVID-19 symptoms. The decision to award SLWP was made from a public health perspective: so that employees affected by COVID-19 would report symptoms regardless of whether they had high sick leave or not. This minimises a risk of staff with a high sick leave record not reporting symptoms by decoupling arrangements from the standard sick leave limits.
The current arrangements for SLWP are as follows:
- Where an employee had been in the work premises (outside the home) during the 14 days prior to contracting COVID, SLWP may be paid, including for long COVID, where necessary and for as long as needed.
- Where an employee has not been in the work premises in the 14 days prior to contracting COVID SLWP may continue for up to 28 days. If an employee is still unwell after 28 days they will move to ordinary sick leave arrangements.
The arrangements relating to the application of special leave with pay for COVID-19 are kept under regular review.
269. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the amount of funding allocated by his Department on the Covid-19 communications strategy since the beginning of the pandemic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4441/21]
View answer270. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the amount of funding spent by his Department on the Covid-19 communications strategy since the beginning of the pandemic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4442/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 269 and 270 together.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, my Department has neither allocated nor spent any funding on a Covid-19 communications strategy from its own Votes, which are Vote 11 (Department of Public Expenditure and Reform), Vote 39 (Office of Government Procurement) and Vote 43 (Office of the Government Chief Information Officer).
The Deputy may wish to note that my Department, through its Civil Service HR Division, communicates regularly to civil and public servants on Covid-19 matters pertaining to them through the normal channels without engaging external communications assistance.
271. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the budgetary analysis being carried out in his Department and each State agency under the remit of his Department to plan for the impact of long Covid-19 impacts, in tabular form. [4492/21]
View answerI note that the Deputy has submitted this question to all Departments and that each Minister will be replying in respect of their own Department and the bodies under their aegis.
As a result of its business continuity plans, investment in (and effective use of) technology and the commitment of its staff, the work of my Department has been able to continue since the pandemic began. This has involved large scale remote working by the staff of the Department. In this context, I am pleased that the Department, including the Office of Government Procurement (OGP) and the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO), has been able to execute its duties and deliver its public goods, albeit in some cases in a different manner to other years. Furthermore, the Deputy may wish to note that the OGCIO has numerous client organisations across Government for whom it has been able to use its own voted financial resources and knowledge to enable them to deliver their public goods as normal by facilitating remote working on a large scale.
Looking to the future, my Department and the aforementioned two Offices therein expect to be able to continue to operate as normally as possible in 2021 and that any additional costs associated with the pandemic will be managed within the Department’s voted allocation without affecting its operations. This position will be kept under ongoing review in respect of future years.
The position of the bodies under the aegis of the Department is set out in the table at the following link.
272. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the absolute and relative number of persons with disabilities employed by his Department in each of the years from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2020; if these persons are in full-time or part-time roles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4532/21]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy in respect of my Department and the Office of Government Procurement, which is also part of my Department, is set out in the following tables. I wish to advise the Deputy that the number of staff with a disability noted only reflect employees that have declared a disability, given that the declaration of a disability is voluntary. While all posts in my Department are appointed on a full-time basis, the Deputy should be aware that the Civil Service is a leader in providing a range of flexible working opportunities for staff.
|
Year |
Number of staff with a declared disability |
|
2020 |
The Disability Staff Census figures for 2020 are not yet available |
|
2019 |
17 |
|
2018 |
19 |
|
2017 |
14 |
|
2016* |
52 |
|
2015* |
54 |
* Figure inclusive of Office of Government Procurement and National Shared Services Office
Office of Government Procurement
|
Year |
Number of staff with a declared disability |
|
2020 |
The Disability Staff Census figures for 2020 are not yet available |
|
2019 |
15 |
|
2018 |
11 |
|
2017 |
16 |
273. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if a matter (details supplied) will be addressed and clarified; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4415/21]
View answerA key measure in Budget 2021 was the provision of an additional €55m in Business Continuity funding to support strategic tourism businesses. This funding will be administered by Fáilte Ireland who are considering all sectors within tourism and are particularly mindful of those that have not been able to avail of other Government supports, such as the COVID Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS).
Accordingly I have forwarded the Deputy's question to them for further information. Please advise my private office if you do not received a reply within ten working days,
274. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if the case of a person (details supplied) will be reviewed; if allowances can be made for this grant under the circumstances; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3545/21]
View answerThe matter raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for Fáilte Ireland. Accordingly, I have referred the Deputy's question and associated correspondence to them for consideration and direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
275. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media when Fáilte Ireland will announce its plan to disburse the funding of €50 million made available by her Department to aid inter alia activity tourism and other tourism businesses that were not eligible for the Covid restrictions support scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3577/21]
View answerBudget 2021 included a number of substantial measures to support and strengthen the tourism sector and are supplemented by the economy-wide business supports and social welfare measures. A key measure in Budget 2021 was the provision of an additional €55m in Business Continuity funding to support strategic tourism businesses. This funding will be administered by Fáilte Ireland who are considering all sectors within tourism and are particularly mindful of those that have not been able to avail of other Government supports, such as the COVID Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS). I am informed by Fáilte Ireland that they expect to be in a position to announce details of the scheme in February.
276. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the funding supports that were granted to the disability support programmes of an organisation (details supplied) in 2019 and 2020. [3589/21]
View answer277. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the funding supports that were granted to an organisation (details supplied) in 2019 and 2020. [3590/21]
View answer278. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the funding or other supports that have been granted to an organisation (details supplied) through Sport Ireland. [3591/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 276 to 278, inclusive, together.
Sport Ireland, which is funded by my Department, is the statutory body with responsibility for the development of sport, including the allocation of funding under its various programmes. Sport Ireland channels its funding through the relevant National Governing Bodies of Sport. The organisation mentioned by the Deputy is not a National Governing Body and does not receive annual funding from Sport Ireland.
Sport Ireland has informed me that funding was provided to the organisation in each of the years 2015 to 2018 for the promotion of its activities during the European Week of Sport in each of those years. The focus for the initiative was to introduce new members to the organisation's activities.
|
Year |
Amount allocated |
|
2015 |
€1,650 |
|
2016 |
€1,000 |
|
2017 |
€2,000 |
|
2018 |
€2,000 |
The organisation did not receive funding from Sport Ireland in relation to its disability support programme in 2019 and 2020.
No grant funding was awarded to the organisation through my Department's Sports Capital Programme in 2019 and 2020.
279. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if a grant or bursary is available for a person seeking to write a history book; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3599/21]
View answerAs the Government’s development agency for the arts, the Arts Council is the major funder of the arts in Ireland. The Arts Council's grant from the Irish Exchequer in 2021 is €130 million. The Arts Council supports high quality writing in English and in Irish but does not offer support for writing in areas such as screenwriting, journalism, history, religious writing, professional, instructional and academic writing. While there is in general no grant or bursary in my Department for the writing of history books, supports for such publications are offered in certain limited instances where they relate to the Decade of Centenaries.
Further advice and direction may also be available from local authority arts officers or heritage officers.
280. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media when applications will be accepted for the next round of live event funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3678/21]
View answerAn allocation of €50 million was made in Budget 2021 for the live performance sector. It is intended that the rollout of the funding would include measures that will build on grant schemes launched under the July stimulus, such as the pilot "Live Performance Support Scheme" and the "Music Industry Stimulus Package". Officials in my Department have gained valuable insights from these schemes and will apply these learnings when allocating funding this year. Other measures are also under consideration including those which have emerged from engagement with the sector and with stakeholders. This engagement is ongoing and it is hoped that further details and decisions will be announced shortly.
281. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the amount spent to date on the marketing and advertising of the stay and spend initiative as it relates to Fáilte Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3840/21]
View answerThe administration of the Stay and Spend Initiative is a matter for the Department of Finance. I have referred the Deputy's question to Fáilte Ireland for further information and direct reply on the amount spent by them on marketing and advertising the stay and spend initiative. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
