Written Answers Nos. 74-98
74. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Transport the number of driver test applicants in County Donegal who are waiting six, 12, 18 and more than 18 months, respectively in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38682/21]
View answerThe driving test is the statutory responsibility of the Road Safety Authority.
The information requested is held by the Authority and this question is being referred to it for direct reply.
I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days.
75. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Transport if a driving test will be expedited for an essential worker (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38683/21]
View answerThe driving test is the statutory responsibility of the Road Safety Authority.
Individual cases are a matter for the Authority and the question in relation to this case is being referred to it for direct reply.
I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days.
76. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Transport the cost in each of the past four years for Bus Éireann to hire buses to operator its routes; the fees received by each private bus operators over this period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38692/21]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. However, I am not involved in the day-to-day operation of public transport services.
In this regard, the matter raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for Bus Éireann. Accordingly, I have referred the Deputy's question to the company for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
77. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Transport his views on the fact that windows which cannot be opened on long journey trains are in effect a sealed off unit from fresh air and that recirculating air via air conditioning does not have sufficient filtration systems to deal with Covid-19 as noted by the European Railways Agency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31571/21]
View answerI refer the Deputy to my answer to his previous Question on this issue (Ref no. 31192/21).
As I outlined to the Deputy in my previous reply, public transport operators have been advised of, and are following, public health instructions issued by the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) in relation to COVID-19.
The issue raised is an operational matter for Iarnród Éireann and I have forwarded the Deputy's question to the company for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.
78. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Finance the amount being raised from stamp duty on rents greater than €30,000 per annum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38605/21]
View answerIt is assumed the Deputy is referring to Stamp Duty payable on certain leases for residential houses or apartments.
I am advised by Revenue that the amounts raised for the most recent three years through Stamp Duty on all such liable residential leases, including both short-term and long-term leases, is provided in the table below.
|
Year |
Stamp Duty Paid |
|
2020 |
€9.0m |
|
2019 |
€4.5m |
|
2018 |
€7.4m |
Stamp Duty is payable on a lease of land situated in Ireland. Land includes agricultural land and buildings on the land. Buildings include commercial as well as residential buildings.
When a person purchases an apartment, it is done by way of a lease, and Stamp Duty is accordingly paid on the lease. However, a lease for a residential house or apartment is exempt from Stamp Duty if:
- the rent is €40,000 or less per year; and,
- the period of the lease is 35 years or less or is for an indefinite period.
Stamp Duty is chargeable on all other residential leases unless a person can claim a different exemption or relief, and is paid on the average annual rent.
Further information can be found on Revenue's website at www.revenue.ie/en/property/stamp-duty/leases/index.aspx.
79. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Finance the estimated full year yield in 2022 that would be raised by tapering out the personal, employee and earned income tax credits by 4% per €2,000 on individual incomes between €120,000 and €180,000 by year resulting in no entitlements to those with credit in cases in which individual income is excess of €180,000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38186/21]
View answerThe personal, employee and earned income tax credits are currently €1,650. On the basis of a straight line 4% reduction per €2,000 on incomes over €120,000, it would appear that the credits taper out completely by €170,000, with zero credits applying on incomes greater than €170,000.
I am advised by Revenue that the first and full year yield of such a change is estimated to be of the order of €155m and €185m respectively.
I am further advised that these estimates are based on tax returns for 2018 (the latest available year) and that, in analysing the gross incomes of taxpayer units at individual level, a range of assumptions were necessarily made in relation to the distribution of credits (in units). As such, were such a change implemented, it may lead to outcomes different to the above estimates.
80. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Finance if he has spoken formally with his Swedish counterpart in the past six months outside of EU Council meetings. [38187/21]
View answerI have not had a formal bilateral meeting with my Swedish counterpart, Magdalena Andersson, in recent months. Both Minister Andersson and I participate in monthly ECOFIN meetings, with the Finance Ministers of all 27 EU Member States, where there are group discussions. In addition, in my capacity as President of the Eurogroup, I occasionally chair meetings of Eurogroup in inclusive format, which includes non-euro area Member States such as Sweden. The latest such inclusive Eurogroup meeting took place on 12 July. As part of my regular pre-meeting engagement with Eurogroup colleagues, I have had bilateral calls with Minister Andersson, most recently in June of this year, to discuss the Eurogroup’s work and meeting agendas.
Separately, Ireland and a number of other Member States meet informally from time to time as part of the so-called Northern/Baltic Group, of which Sweden is also a member. This format provides a valuable opportunity to regularly discuss and share views on key policy issues and economic developments in the EU with like-minded Member States.
Minister Andersson has been reappointed to her position as Finance Minister under the recently approved Swedish Government and I look forward to continuing my close cooperation with her.
81. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Finance the engagement he or the agencies under his remit has had with the National Broadband Plan in the past two months. [38202/21]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department and the bodies under the aegis of my Department have not had any engagement with the National Broadband Plan in the past two months.
82. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Finance if there are plans to amend the help to buy incentive to increase the purchase price or valuation limit of €500,000 in view of the recent increase in property valuations and prices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38223/21]
View answer89. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Finance his plans with respect to the help-to-buy scheme; if it will continue beyond the end of 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38412/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 82 and 89 together.
The Help to Buy (HTB) incentive is a scheme to assist first-time purchasers with a deposit they need to buy or build a new house or apartment. The incentive gives a refund on Income Tax and Deposit Interest Retention Tax (DIRT) paid in the State over the previous four years, subject to limits outlined in the legislation. Section 477C Taxes Consolidation Act (TCA) 1997 outlines the definitions and conditions that apply to the HTB scheme.
The position is that, as part of the normal course of events, the future of the HTB scheme is a matter that will fall to be considered in the context of Budget 2022 and the subsequent Finance Bill.
83. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Finance if there are guidelines, written procedures or protocols or key performance indicators for acknowledgement of correspondence received and response to correspondence received, respectively by category of correspondence (details supplied) in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38242/21]
View answerIn October 2018, a new correspondence management solution, ‘eCorrespondence’, was rolled out in my Department with the aim of streamlining the internal processing and management of correspondence. This application, provided under the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer’s (OGCIO) Build to Share programme, is used to electronically capture, prioritise, track and respond to correspondence in a single system. The eCorrespondence system has inbuilt guidance notes for staff on how to use the system.
While my Department deals with a high volume of correspondence, the eCorrespondence system allows for in-built date deadlines to be adjusted to respond earlier to urgent or high priority correspondence.
I would also draw the Deputy’s attention to my Department’s Quality Customer Service Action Plan and Charter 2021-2023, available on my Department's website, which sets out the overall level of service that all customers can expect when dealing with my Department.
In line with procedures in place, the following is an overview of the process in place when acknowledging and responding to the specified categories of correspondence received by my Office:
|
Category of Correspondence |
Minister’s Office Acknowledgement / Response |
|
Unsolicited correspondence from members of the public |
Received in Minister’s eMailbox: (1) Auto-acknowledgement issues on receipt; (2) Assigned on eCorrespondence system to appropriate officials for response; or (3) Transferred to appropriate Government Department Received by Post: (4) Assigned electronically (on eCorrespondence) to appropriate officials for response; or (5) Transferred electronically to appropriate Government Department |
|
Solicited correspondence from members of the public |
Received in Minister’s eMailbox: (1) Auto-acknowledgement issues on receipt; (2) Assigned on eCorrespondence system to appropriate officials for response; or (3) Transferred to appropriate Government Department Received by Post: (4) Assigned electronically (on eCorrespondence) to appropriate officials for response; or (5) Transferred electronically to appropriate Government Department |
|
Unsolicited correspondence from TDs and Senators |
Received in Minister’s eMailbox: (1) Auto-acknowledgement issues on receipt; (2) Assigned on eCorrespondence system to appropriate officials for response; or (3) Transferred to appropriate Government Department Received by Post: (4) Assigned electronically (on eCorrespondence) to appropriate officials for response; or (5) Transferred electronically to appropriate Government Department. |
|
Solicited correspondence from TDs and Senators |
Received in Minister’s eMailbox: (1) Auto-acknowledgement issues on receipt; (2) Assigned on eCorrespondence system to appropriate officials for response. Received by Post: (3) Assigned on eCorrespondence system to appropriate officials for response. |
84. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Finance the estimated yield if the 2% stamp duty on transfers of residential properties on the portion of the value that is in excess of €1 million increases to 4.5%. [38261/21]
View answer85. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Finance the estimated full year cost yield if the excise duty on a package of 20 cigarettes increased by 30 cents. [38262/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 84 and 85 together.
A Ready Reckoner is available on the Revenue Statistics webpage at the following link:
www.revenue.ie/en/corporate/documents/statistics/ready-reckoner.pdf.
Revenue's Ready Reckoner includes on pages 18 to 21, the estimated yield from various changes to Stamp Duty rates and on page 25 the estimated yield from changes to Excise charges on cigarettes to which these PQ's relate.
Where the exact changes proposed by the Deputy are not included, the yield or cost can be extrapolated on a straight-line or pro-rata basis from those shown. I am advised that in the case of relatively large changes to rates or thresholds, the cost or yield shown should be considered as more provisional in nature.
86. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Finance his views on correspondence (details supplied); the status of the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38364/21]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, has established an Independent Working Group to examine the issue of defective housing. Officials from my Department participate in this Working Group. The objectives of the group are to identify the scope of relevant significant defects in housing, to evaluate the scale of housing affected, to propose a means of prioritising defects, to evaluate the cost of remediation, to recommend appropriate mechanisms for resolving defects and, to consider financing options in line with the Programme for Government commitment to identifying options for those impacted by defects to access low-cost, long-term finance.
With regard to the proposal for Government to introduce tax expenditure measures as outlined in the details supplied, generally, proposals for such measures are assessed in accordance with my Department's Tax Expenditure Guidelines. These make clear that it is important that any policy proposal which involves tax expenditures should only occur in limited circumstances, for example where there are demonstrable market failures. In particular, they provide that a tax-based incentive should only be considered where it would be more efficient than a direct expenditure intervention. The introduction of such measures is a matter that would fall to be considered in the context of Budget 2022 and the subsequent Finance Bill.
87. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Finance his plans for a stay-and-spend style scheme to incentivise the hospitality sector when it reopens fully; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38388/21]
View answerThe purpose of the Stay and Spend scheme was to provide targeted support to businesses within the hospitality sector whose operations are likely to be most affected by continued restrictions on public health grounds. The scheme ended on 30 April.
Since 1 October 2020, a total of 66,900 receipts have been uploaded to the Revenue Receipts Tracker, as at 8 July 2021. The related expenditure recorded on these receipts amounts to €11,073,537, and the potential tax cost is €2,214,707, assuming all such expenditure is claimed and qualifies in full for tax relief. Subsequent to claims being made in respect of this scheme and any other relief or deduction, verification of such reliefs and deductions forms part of Revenue’s comprehensive risk assessment programme.
The scheme was developed at a time last year when there appeared to be a steady downward trend in infection rates and there was an expectation that the re-opening of the economy could be sustained uninterrupted. Unfortunately, this has not been the case and, with the exception of some short periods, public health restrictions had the effect of impeding the operation of the incentive as originally envisaged.
While I am very mindful of the significant difficulties that remain to be faced by the hospitality sector, I made the determination that the broad interests of taxpayers would not have been best served by extending the scheme over the summer months in circumstances where most will be staying at home and hopefully holidaying in Ireland. This is particularly the case when other very significant support measures will remain in place.
Currently, I do not have plans to re-introduce the Stay and Spend scheme or other similar tax-based measures. However, it may be useful to highlight and summarise the significant supports that remain available to support businesses in the hospitality sector:
- In recognition of the unprecedented challenges facing the Hospitality and Tourism sector, the VAT rate was reduced from 13.5% to 9% from 1 November 2020. This is a temporary but important measure to provide support to the sector, where many businesses remain closed for now and those that are open are operating at significantly reduced capacity. It was originally to apply until 31 December 2021. However, the reduced rate will be extended to 1 September 2022. The extension until the end of the 2022 summer season allows for a longer period of recovery for the sector. It should be noted that this VAT rate reduction came after the introduction of the Stay and Spend Tax Credit and reflects the fact that the latter was not intended to be the sole sector-specific support for hospitality.
- In addition, the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) continues to be a key component of the Government’s response to the COVID-19 crisis to support viable firms and encourage employment in the hospitality and tourism sector and beyond.
- The Covid Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS) is a targeted support for businesses significantly impacted by restrictions introduced by the Government under public health regulations to combat the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The support is available to companies, self-employed individuals and partnerships who carry on a trade or trading activities, the profits from which are chargeable to tax under Case I of Schedule D, from a business premises located in a region subject to restrictions introduced in line with the Living with COVID-19 Plan.
- The extension of the tax debt warehousing scheme to allow the period where liabilities arising can be “warehoused” to be extended to the end of 2021 for all eligible taxpayers, with an interest free period during 2022, and to include overpayments of EWSS in the scheme.
88. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Finance the estimated additional income the State would receive if corporation tax was increased to 15%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38389/21]
View answerOn a straightforward, mathematical basis there is a large theoretical yield from increasing the corporation tax rate for trading income. However, the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) reports that research from both the United States and Europe suggests that foreign direct investment (FDI) and the decisions of multinationals to locate in Ireland are highly sensitive to rates of corporation tax. Therefore, increasing the corporation tax rate would likely lead to lower levels of economic activity, behavioural changes in the locational decisions of multinational companies and employment in the multinational sector. As a result of the difficulty of predicting and quantifying these impacts, particularly in the current economic climate, it is not possible to accurately or robustly estimate the potential yield from the increases proposed by the Deputy. I would note however that ESRI research in 2011 estimated that reducing Ireland’s corporation tax rate from 40% in 1994 to 12.5% in 2003 added almost 4% to the level of economic output in 2005 and around €2 billion in corporation tax revenues.
Furthermore, while corporation tax is statutorily levied on the profits of businesses, the ESRI states that researchers have concluded that a large share of the burden is likely to be borne by workers in the form of lower wages. This can arise from companies deciding to invest less, leading to lower capital and lower labour productivity and wages. As the ESRI found that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) predominantly finance their investments in fixed assets, intangible assets and staff through internal funds, raising the rate of corporation tax would hamper their ability to invest and grow.
90. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Finance the amount of funding raised to date through the application of the carbon tax on green diesel used by agricultural contractors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38452/21]
View answerThe Carbon Tax receipts in respect of Marked Gas Oil (green diesel) for each of the years since its introduction in 2010 up to 2019 are published on the Revenue website at the following link:
www.revenue.ie/en/corporate/information-about-revenue/statistics/excise/receipts-volume-and-price/excise-receipts-commodity.aspx. The provisional Carbon Tax receipts for 2020 are €65.3 million and may be subject to some minor adjustments.
I am advised by Revenue that receipts from Carbon Tax in respect of Marked Gas Oil are not recorded in a manner that allows extrapolation of the amounts directly attributable to agricultural contractors.
91. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Finance the way his Department and public bodies and agencies under his remit are implementing Action 16 of the National Disability and Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021 (details supplied). [38480/21]
View answerMy Department promotes Action 16 of the National Disability and Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021 when implementing the Public Service ICT Strategy and also through implementation of the eGovernment Strategy 2017 – 2020, which states under the specific principle “Inclusiveness and accessibility” that “we will design digital public services that are inclusive by default for the widest possible audience (universal design) and cater for a broad range of needs and abilities, including older people and people with disabilities”.
The commitment to accessibility and universal design is further reflected in the recently published Civil Service Renewal 2030 Strategy under the theme “Digital first and innovation”. It states that “by placing the public at the heart of digital services we will create more accessible and valued digital solutions. Adopting a customer-driven service design approach will help to ensure digital solutions are shaped by the needs and wants of the public”.
My Department continues to work on improving accessibility and adoption of universal design principles and had identified a number of compliance related issues with the web accessibility guidelines on gov.ie, the platform which hosts most Government Department websites. Working with the content owners across the Civil Service the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer addressed the majority of these. A good example where there has been significant improvement is in the adoption by Departments of the use of Plain English in the content they publish on gov.ie which now has an average reading age of 14 as compared to 23 when hosted on individual Departmental sites.
The following is the position in relation to relevant bodies under the aegis of my Department:
In line with the principles of the Central Bank of Ireland, its ICT strategy seeks to enable all staff in the successful completion of their work. ICT assist with the procurement and deployment of specialist software and tools to assist and support staff who have particular needs and requirements. The organisation has work currently underway on the Central Bank’s website to ensure that it meets accessibility requirements. The Central Bank also provides ICT facilities and services to another body under the aegis of my Department, the Investor Compensation Company DAC.
The Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (FSPO) is committed to ensuring its information is available in accessible formats that are easy to understand. Accessibility of its services forms a key commitment within its 3-year Strategic Plan. The FSPO has committed to developing a new website in 2021 which will be in full compliance with the Web Accessibility Directive to ensure the promotion of accessibility and Universal Design principles in the rollout of its IT strategy. The new website will include an Accessibility Statement, confirming the FSPO’s compliance with the regulations under the Directive, as well as details of a mechanism through which users can provide feedback on the accessibility of the FSPO’s digital services.
Further to Action 16 of the National Disability and Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021, in ensuring its information is available in accessible formats that are easy to understand, Home Building Finance Ireland (HBFI) promotes accessibility and universal design principles in the implementation of the Public Service ICT Strategy 2015 where applicable. HBFI is committed to making information accessible to all and further details on its accessibility are outlined under ‘Legal’ on its website.
While the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation (IBRC) is in the very advanced stages of wind down with no employees, the Special Liquidators have always been conscious to observe the principles of inclusion and to provide any public sector information, such as IBRC's Annual Progress Report, in an accessible, easy to understand format.
The Irish Financial Services Appeals Tribunal (IFSAT) has published a National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) approved guideline to the IFSAT Rules and is currently carrying out revisions to its website to ensure that it is in an accessible format.
The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council recognises the importance of ensuring that its ICT infrastructure, in particular its website, is accessible. It ensures that its videos are subtitled, that images have alt text (a short written description of an image, which makes sense of that image when it can't be viewed) and that content on the website is machine readable so that it is compatible with immersive readers. It is committed to ensuring that its website continues to meet the basic four POUR principles (Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust).
The National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) is committed to making the information publicly available on its website accessible to all. NAMA’s accessibility statement is available on its website.
The National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) ensures that its public sector information is available in accessible formats that are easy to understand, promote accessibility and use universal design principles in the implementation of the Public Service ICT Strategy 2015 where applicable to the NTMA. The NTMA is committed to making information accessible to all and this is further outlined on the NTMA website under ‘Accessibility’.
The Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General has promoted accessibility and universal design principles in the implementation of the Public Service ICT Strategy Office by improving accessibility of the Office’s website through installation of software called Recite Me. This accessibility software facilitates a wide variety of people to access the website content in a way that takes account of individual requirements and abilities. This software provides text to speech functionality, fully customisable styling features, reading support aids and a translation tool with over 100 languages, including 35 text to speech voices and many other features. In order to optimise its accessibility, the Office has recently commissioned an accessibility scan and assessment of its website.
The Office of the Revenue Commissioners is committed to making its services fully accessible to all individuals. As part of this commitment, Revenue’s online services are designed in line with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, as set out by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). These Guidelines are an internationally recognised benchmark of accessibility.
The Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI) ensures that its public sector information is available in accessible formats that are easy to understand, promote accessibility and utilise universal design principles in the implementation of the Public Service ICT Strategy 2015 where applicable.
The Tax Appeals Commission has adopted universal accessibility and the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) V2.0 Level AA in the design and development of its website. In its Statement of Strategy 2021-2024, the Commission places a strong emphasis on the right to fair procedures, equal access and equal treatment and strives to ensure that it conducts all activities through this prism for both employees and those who engage with the Commission.
92. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Finance the way his Department and public bodies and agencies under his remit are implementing Action 32 of the National Disability and Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021 (details supplied). [38509/21]
View answerMy Department actively engages with a range of stakeholders in the delivery of its objectives including representatives from the community and voluntary sector and from groups representing people with disabilities, and regularly reviews and refreshes its stakeholder engagement structures to ensure there is a broad level of engagement across sectors.
An example of this is the National Economic Dialogue, an important consultation mechanism used to inform economic and social policy development in the context of the annual budgetary cycle. It provides a deliberative forum for stakeholders to participate in an open and inclusive exchange on the competing economic and social priorities facing the Government. The Dialogue is hosted jointly by my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. Representatives of a variety of community, voluntary and environmental groups participate along with stakeholders from business, trade unions, research institutes and the academic community. Members of the Committee on Budgetary Oversight represent the Oireachtas through their participation in the event. The sessions are structured to maximise the opportunities for stakeholders to actively engage with the Ministers for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform and their Ministerial colleagues as well as senior officials.
A number of bodies under the aegis of my Department provide public services as follows:
The Central Bank of Ireland actively engages with people with disabilities through a number of fora. Its internal employee resource group, the Bankability Network, is responsible for providing support to employees with disabilities, raising awareness among staff of disability issues and attracting prospective employees with disabilities to the Bank. The Bank engages with the Bankability Network on relevant matters to ensure colleagues with disabilities are provided with an opportunity to contribute on these issues. It has a Diversity and Inclusion Working Group which provides an opportunity for members to inform and contribute to the Bank’s overall Disability and Inclusion agenda, and has an internal Disability Taskforce in place that is responsible for coordinating and overseeing compliance with disability legislation. The Bank engages with external organisations to support the employment of persons with disabilities. It continues to engage with the Association for Higher Education Access and Disability (AHEAD) on the facilitation of Willing Able Mentoring (WAM) work placements, ring-fencing roles on its graduate programmes for those who apply via WAM. The Bank participates in various events and workshops including AHEAD’s annual careers event for students and graduates with disabilities.
The Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (FSPO) is committed to the priorities set out in the National Disability Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021. The accessibility of its services for people with disabilities and the consideration of wider human rights and equality issues related to the FSPO’s functions form a key commitment of its 3-year Strategic Plan. In particular, the FSPO has committed to reviewing its key projects over the lifetime of the Strategic Plan through a human rights and equality lens which will involve disability-proofing its services and may include consultation, as appropriate. Recently, the FSPO conducted an open public consultation process to inform the development of its Strategic Plan.
The Office of the Revenue Commissioners is fully committed to providing excellent service to all individuals. As part of that commitment, Revenue provides a network of trained Access Officers who are available to assist customers with disabilities. To ensure the quality of this service is maintained to the highest standards, Access Officers receive ongoing training in disability awareness and equality, guided by material published by the National Disability Authority and the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission. Revenue also works with Sign Language Interpreting Service (SLIS), the national sign language interpreting service for Ireland, to provide a free Irish sign language interpreting service to customers with hearing disabilities.
93. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the engagement he or the agencies under his remit has had with the National Broadband Plan in the past two months. [38207/21]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that neither I nor any officials from my Department have met with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communication’s National Broadband Plan (NBP) project team or National Broadband Ireland within the specified period. This is also the position in relation to the bodies under the aegis of my Department.
Earlier this year, I met with representatives of National Broadband Ireland where I was given a presentation on the progress in rolling out the National Broadband Plan and the future plans in this regard.
Following the signing of the NBP contract in November 2019, my Department no longer has any operational role in relation to the National Broadband Plan. As the contract was signed by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, responsibility for all matters in relation to the contract are now a matter for my colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications.
94. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if there are guidelines, written procedures or protocols or key performance indicators for acknowledgement of correspondence received and response to correspondence received, respectively by category of correspondence (details supplied) in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38247/21]
View answerMy Department is committed to providing a professional, efficient and courteous service to all our customers, in accordance with the 12 Principles of Quality Customer Service. We aim to treat all our customers equally and make every effort to ensure that the services we provide reflect their needs and expectations. The Quality Customer Service Charter for my Department sets out the levels of service all individuals are entitled to expect when they contact the Department.
Whether someone writes, telephones or e-mails the Department, we will deal with their enquiry efficiently and promptly. If the enquiry relates to a matter that comes within the remit of another public body, we will direct their enquiry to that body and inform them that it has been redirected.
In the case of written contact, all correspondence will be acknowledged within 3 working days of receipt, with a full response issuing within 15 working days or, where this is not possible, an interim reply will be given, explaining the reason for the delay and advising when a substantive response will issue. All telephone calls to the main Department switchboard will be answered promptly and all callers will be directed to the correct area or individual. Any callers who must be transferred will be advised of the reason for the transfer and the area or individual to whom they are being transferred.
Voicemail messages will be updated regularly and staff will endeavour to respond to voicemail messages within 1 working day of receipt. In the case of e-mail contacts, all e-mails requiring a response will be acknowledged within 1 working day of receipt, with a full response issuing within 15 working days of receipt or, where this is not possible, again an interim reply will be given, explaining the reason for the delay and advising when a substantive response will issue. An automated e-mail response will issue where staff are out of the office.
In addition, correspondence arriving into the Department via my office or that of the Secretary General is recorded on an eCorrespondence tracking system. Acknowledgements are issued and the correspondence is assigned to the relevant responsible area within the Department.
My Department’s Quality Customer Service Charter and Action Plan can be viewed on the gov.ie website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/organisation-information/79b529-customer-service-in-the-department-of-public-expenditure-and-reform/
95. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the OPW has commenced the resurfacing of the car park to Store Street Garda station, Dublin; if so, when such works will be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38253/21]
View answerThe Office of Public Works intend to carry out the resurfacing of the car park at Store Street Garda Station in 2022. The works have not yet commenced as discussions are ongoing with local Garda management regarding the phasing of the works.
96. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he plans to provide new capital investment for the Oldbridge Estate on the border of counties Meath and Louth which is in the ownership of the OPW, in view of its location on the site of the battle of the Boyne; if there are plans to provide additional seating, car parking, children’s play area and for additional staff to facilitate longer opening hours; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38332/21]
View answerSituated on 500 acres that take in much of the original battlefield, Oldbridge House provides an interpretative centre for those who wish to learn more about the Battle of the Boyne or to explore the battlefield itself. In recent years it has become a popular local amenity for the hinterland areas in Louth and Meath with the parklands now attracting c. 400,000 visitors per year, far in excess of the 100,000 projected when the site was designed.
Oldbridge Estate was acquired by the Irish State for the purpose of conserving and presenting the location of this pivotal event in Irish history, for current and future generations. The Battle of the Boyne site is primarily a historic battlefield and all operations are planned in line with the conservation, preservation and sustainable management of this important heritage site.
The OPW now intends to develop an updated Conservation Management Plan with reference to the unprecedented demand for the site and in order to plan for how we can best develop and manage the estate in the future. Key issues for consideration include the existing parking provision, which we acknowledge is at capacity, but additional parking development will require careful planning.
In terms of seating, we have recently redistributed seating on site in order to better serve visitors and will be introducing additional picnic tables in the coming weeks. The estate already offers an exciting experience for families and children and the OPW encourages visitors to engage with the natural landscape and biodiversity of the site as well as the built heritage and historic battle story.
Since the estate opened to the public in 2008, the OPW has continued to make capital investment in the estate in the order of €2.1m. There is no major capital allocation for Oldbridge at present but OPW will consider further significant investment when funding allows and in line with the recommendations arising from the new conservation management plan.
97. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when the Office of Public Works will reopen Ennis Friary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38400/21]
View answerEnnis Friary re-opened to the public on 13th July with free admission. Guide staff are on site to welcome visitors who are asked to adhere to COVID-19 measures in place.
98. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of the Peace Plus Programme; the level of funding to be provided for this programme; the financial contributions to the programme to be provided by the Government, the British Government and the European Commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38454/21]
View answerThe PEACE PLUS programme is an ambitious new cross-border funding programme under the EU's Structural and Investment Funds. It is anticipated that the value of the programme will be in the region of €1 billion.
PEACE PLUS will combine the previous INTERREG and PEACE cross-border funding strands into a cohesive new programme across an eligible area of Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland (Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Louth, Monaghan and Sligo). There will also be scope for programme activity to extend outside this area.
The development of the draft PEACE PLUS programme has been led by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), a North South Implementation Body established under the Good Friday Agreement, in close cooperation with my Department and with the Department of Finance in Northern Ireland. The SEUPB has been supported and advised by a cross-sectoral Programme Development Steering Group.
Development of the draft PEACE PLUS programme has been shaped by extensive consultation and research, including joint scoping work by government departments in Ireland and Northern Ireland, as well as two public consultations across the eligible area. On foot of this development work, the SEUPB has now finalised a draft PEACE PLUS programme with six thematic areas of activity:
1. Building Peaceful and Thriving Communities
2. Delivering Economic Regeneration and Transformation
3. Empowering and Investing in Young People
4. Health and Inclusive Communities
5. Supporting a Sustainable and Better Connected Future
6. Building and Embedding Partnership and Collaboration.
Detailed information on PEACE PLUS is available via the SEUPB’s website and I encourage all interested stakeholders to visit to learn more about this exciting new programme.
The January 2020 EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement, as well as its accompanying Political Declaration, reflect the commitment of the EU, Ireland and the UK to PEACE PLUS. The respective financial contributions for PEACE PLUS are currently being finalised between the EU and the UK. Match funding will be provided by the Irish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive.
Once funding arrangements are finalised and the, the draft PEACE PLUS co-operation programme will be bought to Government and to the Northern Ireland Executive for approval, before submission to the European Commission for its consideration and approval.
It is anticipated that the first funding awards under PEACE PLUS will be made during 2022.
