Written Answers Nos. 103-120
103. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to unwind professional fee cuts that were imposed on barristers during the period 2008-2011 who are instructed to prosecute criminal cases on behalf of the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32469/21]
View answerThank you Deputy for this question. To provide some background to this issue, you will be aware that counsel fees were reduced in both 2009 and 2010 respectively as part of a broader Government agenda to reduce escalating legal costs. A further reduction was imposed in 2011 primarily to control spending under the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme. These reductions were underpinned by Government decisions and formed part of a broader Government need to reduce costs across the public service.
I fully acknowledge and appreciate the very important work undertaken by barristers who prosecute criminal work on behalf of the State and my Department has engaged constructively with key stakeholders including the Bar Council of Ireland, the Office of Director of Public Prosecutions and the Department of Justice in relation to this matter. In particular it has sought evidence to support any claims that the reductions imposed are linked to significant recruitment and retention issues, thereby potentially adversely impacting the administration of justice. While my Department has not yet been provided with evidential data to support such claims., it remains available to review any further information that may be provided.
My Department has also sought advice from the Attorney General's Office as to whether the State has an obligation in relation to these professional fees.
My Department will continue to keep this issue under review and engage with key stakeholders, as appropriate.
109. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he plans to review the provisions of the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012. [32331/21]
View answerThe Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012 (the 2012 Act), represents the delivery of a key structural reform measure.
Among other things, the 2012 Act provided for the creation of the Single Public Service Pension Scheme (Single Scheme), the extension of pension abatement across the public service and the extension of the 40 years' (or equivalent) pensionable service cap across all public service pension schemes.
The Single Scheme, established under the 2012 Act, is the default pension scheme for all new entrants to the public service since 1 January 2013. It represents the largest ever reform to public service pensions and remains critical to addressing the long-term sustainability of public service pensions in the face of significant demographic challenges over the coming decades. The Single Scheme will be instrumental in stemming the future growth in expenditure on public service pensions by driving estimated savings of up to 35% over the long-term, as compared to the cost if all new entrants were granted membership of the pre-2013 public service pension schemes.
At the end of 2013, there were 12,800 active members of the Single Scheme. By the end of 2020 there were 166,000 Single Scheme members, representing an average annual increase in membership of over 20,000 since 2013. It is possible that Single Scheme membership could exceed 200,000 by 2025, given current levels of recruitment. As pre-2013 public servants resign or retire, they will continue to be replaced by Single Scheme members. Single Scheme members are likely to form the majority of public service pensioners by the second half of the century.
Given the key importance to the long-term stability and sustainability of the public finances of the Single Scheme, as provided for under the provisions of the 2012 Act, I have no plans to revisit those provisions. The operation of the Single Scheme is, of course, subject to ongoing monitoring by my Department.
113. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the steps he is taking to fulfil the Programme for Government commitment to direct a proportion of the proceeds of the carbon tax towards climate focused measures in the agri-food sector. [32352/21]
View answerThe Programme for Government recognises the special economic and social role that agriculture plays in Ireland, but also commits to the creation of schemes that will encourage and incentivise farmers to farm in a greener and more sustainable way. This is with the aim of developing a sustainable Irish agricultural sector that protects the environment and aligns with emerging consumer sentiment, while benefiting farmers and rural communities.
The Programme for Government commits to the allocation of €1.5bn in projected carbon tax receipts over the next ten years for this purpose. This allocation to a new agri environment programme will help to encourage and incentivise farmers to farm in a greener and more sustainable way. The first step in meeting this commitment was in Budget 2021 through the allocation of €20m in anticipated additional carbon tax receipts for the creation of pilot environmental programmes. This was supplemented with the continuation of the €3m in funding that was provided for agricultural programmes from carbon tax receipts in 2020, bringing the total funding for carbon tax supported measures in the agricultural sector to €23m in 2021.
These funds are being used to create and operate the Results Based Environment Agri Pilot Programme or REAP scheme. Farmers in this scheme will be rewarded for their committed environmental effort and the delivery of environmental benefits including improving biodiversity, water quality, soil health, and sequestering carbon. Payments will be linked to the quality of environmental outcomes delivered. It is expected that the REAP scheme will help to inform the development of future agri environment schemes.
The use of carbon funds in 2021 was detailed in the Budget Day publication "The Use of Carbon Tax Funds 2021" which continues to be available on the budget.gov.ie website. Carbon tax funding in the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine is allocated to a specific sub-head, B.13, against which progress on spending the allocated funds can be tracked.
Questions regarding the operational details of the REAP scheme should be directed to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine.
114. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the lessons he has learned in the course of the pandemic with regard to maintaining staffing levels in key areas of the public sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31412/21]
View answerIn the period 2014 to 2019 there was increased expenditure on public services and infrastructure, with steady increases in current expenditure underpinned by sustainable increases in revenue, and significant growth in capital investment reflecting the reductions over the period 2008 to 2014 and the importance of capital investment in delivering on social and economic objectives. This sustainable level of overall expenditure growth has provided investment in our public services, particularly in the key frontline areas of Health, Education, Housing and Childcare, while at the same time bringing the General Government Balance from a deficit of 3.6% of GDP in 2014 to a surplus of 0.5% of GDP in 2019. This left the public finances in a stronger position as we faced into the crisis caused by Covid-19.
Over this period, this increased expenditure has allowed for increased staffing in key frontline areas, with staffing in the Health sector increasing by 18% and in the Education sector by 17% when comparing Quarter 4 2014 with Quarter 4 2019.
In 2020, numbers in the Health sector increased to 124,816, a 4% increase over end-2019 and in the Education sectors, overall numbers increased by 3% to 113,336 in the same period. This demonstrates the ongoing commitment to allocate funding for recruitment of staff in order to provide vital frontline service provision to respond to Covid-19.
In addition to making available €12 billion in funding for Covid and Brexit related measures, Budget 2021 also provided an increase of 6.2% for core current expenditure programmes. The pandemic has demonstrated how much we rely upon our health service. In addition to providing for Covid-19 related funding, core current expenditure in the Department of Health was increased by 10.7% in Budget 2021. As outlined in Expenditure Report 2021, this Health allocation will fund an increase of approximately 16,000 posts in the health sector above the pre-Covid funded levels for 2020.
The approach being adopted in relation to overall expenditure is to ensure that the growth in expenditure on public services is sustainable over the medium term. This will allow for additional staffing resources to be allocated to meet the demands for public services over the coming years.
115. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his role in setting the salary level for the Secretary General of the Department of Health; if he is satisfied that the new salary is justified; and if he has concerns that the increase in salary for this position will lead to further pay claims in other Departments. [32040/21]
View answerAs Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, I have statutory responsibility for the terms and conditions of service, including remuneration, of civil servants, as set out in the Civil Service Regulation Acts.
In meeting these responsibilities as regards the terms to apply for recruitment to the post of Secretary General in the Department of Health, I engaged with the Taoiseach, the Minister for Health and the Secretary General to the Government.
In that context, I took account of a number of factors, including that the post is a highly complex one with a very challenging brief, particularly so in the midst of a global pandemic. There are very significant responsibilities attached to this role including: the ongoing management of the response to the COVID public health emergency; implementing the Government’s ambition for the rollout of Sláintecare; and the management of the greatly increased budget of €22 billion for Health in 2021.
Reflecting these, I consider that a salary of €292,000 is commensurate with the scale of the responsibilities and the unique challenges attached to this role, not least at the current time.
There are no changes to pay rates for other Secretary General posts, and I do not envisage this decision resulting in any change in relation to general pay policy at senior level.
As the deputy may be aware, I have previously provided information relating to my responsibilities regarding this matter in the context of my statement and appearance before the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach on 2nd February last.
Documents related to the matter have also been published by my Department, and are available on the Department’s webpage.
116. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he plans to engage with trade union representatives advocating a four-day working week; if he will consider such a proposal for the civil and public sectors; if he has examined similar proposals in other jurisdictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32214/21]
View answerThe matter of a four day working week has been raised by the Four Day Week Ireland campaign led by Forsa, ICTU and other civil society groups. Correspondence on this issue has been received in my Department and I note that the campaign has engaged with the Tanáiste on their proposals.
In the context of the civil and public service, there are two main concerns in considering a move to a four day week - the cost to the taxpayer and ensuring the continuity of services to the public.
On the issue of costs, there are potentially significant costs associated with a move to a four day week in the public service. Significant additional recruitment would be required in order to ensure the continued delivery of essential public services, in particular in terms of frontline and emergency public services that must be available on a seven day basis.
A comprehensive analysis of the potential costs involved would involve a high degree of complexity, as it would encompass over 342,000 public servants in nearly 200 organisations. At a very high level, paying people for four days but providing services to the citizen over five and in some cases seven days would add at least a fifth to the current pay bill of approximately €21bn. That equates to an extra €4.2bn that would have to be found to deliver the same level of services. This is likely a conservative estimate, given the premiums associated with overtime and agency staffing, which would likely be required.
In addition, maintaining the accessibility of services to citizens would be a huge challenge. For example, would there be sufficient time in four days to teach our children properly? What would happen to childcare costs if the public service moved but parts of the private sector did not? And how would the emergency services - hospitals, fire brigades, lifeguards and the Gardaí - operate on a four day week?
These are essential public services, the importance of which has been underlined by the Covid-19 pandemic. The wider implications of this proposal also need to be carefully considered for the entire labour force, not just the public service. Indeed any movement by the public service in isolation could have serious consequences for, in particular, small to medium businesses already struggling in the face of Covid-19.
I would also like to make the point that the State is already a good employer that offers considerable flexibility to staff through the availability of, amongst other things, work sharing, flexible working hours, shorter working years, career breaks and now remote working. At this time, work is underway on developing a framework for ‘blended’ working, which is a priority area for my Department.
In my role as Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform I have to ensure that quality public services are delivered to the Irish people in a manner that delivers value for money to the Irish taxpayer.
With this in mind, and in light of the large potential costs and disruption to critical services I do not believe that it is the right time to consider a transition to a four day week.
117. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the work his Department has undertaken to date to deliver on the plain language requirement on all public service communication as referenced in the Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32344/21]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware, my Department is currently developing the next phase of public service reform, to follow on from Our Public Service 2020 (OPS2020)- the development and innovation framework for the Public Service. It is in this context that we are considering how to best progress the Programme for Government commitment to “(I)ntroduce a plain language requirement on all public service communication so people can understand information the first time they read or hear it.”
The next phase of public service reform will address the plain language requirement by building on the achievements of OPS2020 Action 2 ‘Improve Services for our customers’ and Action 3 ‘Make Services More Accessible to All’. These include:
- Promotion of the Customer Communications Toolkit for the Public Service. The toolkit was prepared by the Quality Customer Service Network (QCSN), which my Department leads on under Our Public Service, in collaboration with the Centre for Excellence in Universal Design at the NDA. This toolkit received the 2019 National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) Award for best use of plain English by an organisation. The toolkit is used extensively across the Public Service as a key reference tool.
- The Toolkit complements the Plain English Style Guide for the Public Service, which was developed by DPER in collaboration with NALA, which is also available on the OPS website.
The Reform Delivery Office, in my Department, which is responsible for delivering OPS is furthermore responsible for driving the Quality Customer Service Initiative (QCSI). The QCSI sets out 12 Guiding Principles of Quality Customer Service. Principles 2: Equality/Diversity; 3: Physical Access; and, 4: Information; relate to making services more accessible to all, and have been a key part of the work programme of the Quality Customer Service Network (QCSN) since its establishment in 2000. Progressing Guiding Principle No 4, ‘Information’ is of particular relevance and focuses on taking a “proactive approach in providing information that is clear, timely and accurate, is available at all points of contact, and meets the requirements of people with specific needs”
Promotion of the QCSI principles, the Customer Communications Toolkit for the Public Service and the Plain English Style Guide for the Public Service is undertaken through the public service-wide Quality Customer Service Network (meets quarterly, membership of over 130 Public Service Organisations) and the OPS website.
118. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to enhance freedom of information legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32343/21]
View answerIt is important to acknowledge from the outset that by any objective measure the Freedom of Information system as it stands appears to be operating effectively and delivering on its goal of openness, transparency and accountability for public bodies.
The volume of requests processed annually by public bodies has almost doubled since the introduction of the 2014 Freedom of Information Act. In 2019, the last year for which statistics are available, FOI bodies in Ireland processed 41,176 requests, once more setting a record for the greatest number of requests processed annually, and representing an increase of 8% on the previous year. 87% of the requests that were decided on in 2019 were granted in full or in part.
In addition, it should be noted in any given year approximately 60% of requests are from the general public for personal information relating to them, such as medical or social welfare files. No fee applies to this class of request at any stage, and in most years such requests tend to be fully granted in well over 90% of cases. Comprehensive review mechanisms are available under the Freedom of Information Act where a requester is dissatisfied with the decision they receive. It is noteworthy that, in 2019, only 3% of requesters sought an internal review of an FOI decision, while just 1% of requesters went on to apply for an independent review with the Office of the Information Commissioner.
However, while objective indications are that the system as it stands is robust and functioning well, that is not to say that it could not be further improved. Given that almost 7 years have passed since the enactment of the 2014 Act, I believe that a review of the legislation would now be timely.
I believe there is scope for a careful and thorough appraisal of the system as it stands, as well as a wide-ranging consideration of where we might go from here. Submissions will be sought in due course from stakeholders across the system, in particular from the general public. I look forward to considering any observations the Deputy might wish to make as the review progresses.
119. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the changes that will be made to the scheme for secretarial assistants in the Houses of the Oireachtas to recognise the evolution of the secretarial assistant role in Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31919/21]
View answer161. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the reason for the below living wage starting salary for secretarial assistants under the scheme for secretarial assistants in the Houses of the Oireachtas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31918/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 119 and 161 together.
The Houses of the Oireachtas Commission is responsible for the salaries of staff employed under the Secretarial Assistance Scheme who provide administrative support to Members of the Oireachtas.
The Deputy will be aware that SIPTU has been engaging with the Commission in relation to the terms and conditions of its members who are political support staff of Oireachtas Members. The staff in question are employed in the Houses of the Oireachtas by individual TDs and Senators.
A conciliation conference took place in April 2021 at the WRC and this process remains available to the parties to seek resolution of the issues between them.
The Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Act, 2003 requires the Commission, in relation to secretarial facilities, to obtain my consent before reaching an agreement with any person in relation to conditions of employment.
120. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the monitoring mechanisms employed by his Department regarding the costs associated with the national children’s hospital; and the final estimated cost of this project. [32041/21]
View answerThe Minister for Health and his Department have oversight responsibility in relation to the National Children’s Hospital. I understand that the Minister for Health is in the process of preparing an update on this matter for Government.
