Written Answers Nos. 81-100
81. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will report on the initiatives that he has facilitated to encourage the recruitment of mature apprentices; if he is considering additional measures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49347/21]
View answerThe Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025 was launched on 19th April and sets out a five year plan which sets out new ways of structuring, funding, and promoting apprenticeships to make apprenticeship accessible to employers and learners. The actions set out in the plan seek to deliver on a target of 10,000 apprenticeship registrations per annum by 2025.
The Plan will address the clear need to broaden the awareness of apprenticeship as a work-based route to internationally recognised qualifications and experience for people of all ages, be they progressing in their career, school leavers, career changers or the unemployed. Growing that message is a key feature of planning for apprenticeship in the coming years.
Currently 31.1% of the overall apprenticeship population are over 25 years of age. In a number of recently developed apprenticeships such as CGI Technical Assistant, Equipment Systems Engineer and Principal Engineer the over 25 cohort rises to 100%.
A new National Apprenticeship Office will make accessing information on, and engagement with, apprenticeship more straightforward for both learners of all ages and employers. In 2022 we will launch financial supports for employers of apprentices and the public service will set out a roadmap for the recruitment of apprentices. Under the Action Plan the impacts of, and outcomes from, existing access to apprenticeship and pre apprenticeship programmes as well as other interventions across the sector will be examined to provide an evidence base for best practice and future interventions to deliver an apprentice population which better reflects the general population. Enhanced cooperation with the State's Public Employment Service as set out in the Plan will also increase visibility of apprenticeship to employers and career changers.
82. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the measures in place or planned to increase the supply and affordability of student accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49816/21]
View answerI’m acutely aware of the challenges facing students in securing accommodation this year, and my Department and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage recognises this as a critical issue and are working closely together to address these issues.
Approximately 40% of students who rent accommodation do so in purpose built student accommodation, with 60% in the wider private rental market. Accommodation shortages in the private rental market, which have been made worse by the effects of Covid, have impacted significantly on students this year.
Fundamentally, the challenge is one of supply. As a country, we need to dramatically increase the supply of all types of housing and accommodation, including student accommodation.
That is why the Government has launched Housing for All, led by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. This sets out a series of actions which will be delivered to fix the housing crisis. The plan is backed by the largest ever housing budget in the history of the State to transform our housing system, in excess of €20bn.
We have also been taking steps under the National Student Accommodation Strategy to support increased supply.
This has included ensuring that higher education institutions have access to low-cost financing. Since 2017, the Housing Finance Agency has approved a total of €157 million in loans, to support the provision of more than 1,400 new student bed spaces across three universities.
During the Summer, together with Minister Donohoe and Minister O’Brien, I announced that €75 million of financing had been successfully sourced for the Council of Europe Bank for the building of student accommodation in universities.
Housing For All also contains a commitment to support technological universities to develop purpose-built student accommodation, through access to appropriate financing, and a specific action in relation to legislating to allow for Technological Universities to borrow from the Housing Finance Agency. I will be working to progress this with colleagues across Government.
Officials from the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science worked with the Department of Housing, Heritage and Local Government on legislation which should ensure greater affordability of student accommodation. The Residential Tenancies (No.2) Act 2021 restricts any upfront payment required to secure a tenancy or license (including rent, deposit and any other charges) to no more than the equivalent of two months’ rent, and limits payments thereafter to one month’s rent at a time. This legislation also applies to students residing under license in student-specific accommodation, allowing students to pay monthly. My Department has also been engaging with the higher education sector, together with the Department of Housing, to work through the range of issues identified by institutions to seek to develop a stronger pipeline of student accommodation.
84. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the increase in SUSI grant amounts for students that have taken place since 2011; the increase in the eligible income limits; the changes that have taken place for postgraduate students in these grants; if he plans on increasing the grants or income limits for the 2022-2023 academic year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49841/21]
View answerIn line with the Programme for Government commitment to address the gap in postgraduate grants, from September 2021 I increased the postgraduate fee grant from €2,000 to €3,500. This increase will allay some of the costs for postgraduate study and will give greater certainty for students in terms of supports. In addition, the fee grant income threshold increased from €31,500 to €54,240 from September 2021.
Following taking up my Ministerial appointment, I initiated a review of the Student Grant Scheme to see where improvements would be most effective. The review is at an advance stage. The final report will be presented to me later this year and I intend bringing this review to Government for approval. It is the intention that this review will inform policy priorities and future considerations regarding development of student grant policy.
In the context of Budget 2022 I am currently giving consideration to the scope to commence the process of making priority improvements to the Student Grant Scheme for the academic year 2022-2023. This would allow early progress in address key themes emerging from the Review's consultations and research and recent trends in the cost of living.
The attached table sets out the increase in SUSI grant amounts for students that have taken place since 2011 and the increase in the eligible income limits.
Please note that the income threshold for the special rate of grant is adjusted in line with Budget increases to the State Contributory Pension plus the maximum Qualified Adult Allowance for a person over 66 years. In 2020, the threshold increased from €24,000 to €24,500.
Also postgraduate students who meet all of the qualifying conditions for the special rate of grant under the Student Grant Scheme are eligible for a maintenance grant of up to €5,915; the income threshold for this grant for the 2021/22 year is €24,500. Qualifying postgraduate students may also be eligible to have their tuition fees paid up to a maximum fee limit of €6,270.
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85. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the position regarding the percentage of third-level courses that have not yet returned to full-time in person learning; the steps he is taking to reduce this figure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49346/21]
View answerFollowing Government approval, I published A Safe Return: Plan for a safe return to on-site Further and Higher Education and Research in 2021/22 on June 15th. The Safe Return Plan can be accessed at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/bcd91-a-safe-return-to-on-site-further-and-higher-education-and-research/.
The plan, which is predicated on the sector’s full commitment to a significant increase in on-site teaching and learning activities and research, was developed following extensive discussions between sectoral representatives, public health and other relevant stakeholders, and provides a framework for higher education institutions to enable a return to on-site campus learning that that is in line with public health guidance.
In that context, the sector has now arrived at a position where the return to on-site is well underway with approximately 400,000 learners having returned to on-site activity across all our further and higher education institutions. At a minimum, on-site activity includes laboratory teaching and learning, classroom based teaching and learning, tutorials, workshops, smaller lectures, research, return to work-spaces and access to libraries with appropriate protective measures in place.
As part of the safe return to on-site learning, other on campus non-educational activities and facilities such as sports, bars, canteens, clubs and societies are operating in line with prevailing general public health advice for those activities.
Higher education institutions are autonomous bodies, and the way in which the Plan is implemented varies from institution to institution, recognising their own local context and physical infrastructure. However, the extent of planning and engagement undertaken by the sector in preparing for and implementing the safe return for staff and students is testament to its commitment to significantly increase the level of on-site provision for the 2021/22 academic year.
As part of the implementation phase, the sector continues to work in close alignment with public health and accordingly, some large HEIs are seeking to adjust and adapt to increasing levels of on-site learning as they move forward. The Higher Education Authority (HEA) has provided me with figures to establish presence rates across the higher education institutions using a reference point of the 4th October 2021. The data shows that the average daily student presence on campus at that point in time was 111,971 students or 48.7% of the student population. This represents an increase of 420% in the numbers of students on-site this time last year, in October 2020.
86. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his plans to acquire sites in counties Waterford and Wexford and the level of capital allocation required to develop these sites into the future in respect of the commitment given in the National Development Plan to develop the footprint of a university of the southeast offering; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49848/21]
View answerAs the Deputy will appreciate, the detail of any site acquisition process must remain commercially sensitive. However, I have been clear in my commitment to expanding the imprint of higher education across the south east region. This includes a larger footprint for higher education in Waterford and the acquisition of a site to accommodate a purpose-built campus in Wexford.
I can confirm that IT Carlow has been approved, within certain value for money parameters, to acquire suitable lands in Wexford to facilitate the development of a new campus there.
WIT is currently undertaking an appraisal process, in accordance with the requirements of the Public Spending Code, to examine options for expanded provision. This analysis takes account of factors such as the planned population growth in Waterford, regional and national skills needs, and existing campus capacity.
The level of capital costs of future campus development can only be determined following a detailed planning and design process and investment is likely to be on a phased basis. My Department and the HEA will work closely with the institutions involved in relation to future planning.
87. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his plans to extend the SUSI eligibility criteria to include holders of exceptional stamp 4 permissions including children and young persons in the care of the State or aftercare and dependent children and young persons who hold stamp 3 permissions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49876/21]
View answerThe Department of Justice and Equality adjudicates on a person's entitlement to remain in the State and on the stamp that is awarded where permission to remain is sanctioned.
The granting of certain permissions to reside in the State conveys certain rights as provided for in legislation, including access to education in line with the rights of an Irish citizen. However some permissions do not convey such entitlements. Determination of these permissions are a matter for the Department of Justice and Equality and are outside the remit of my Department.
In relation to funding under the Student Grant Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means.
The nationality requirements for the Student Grant Scheme are set out in Section 14 of the Student Support Act 2011 and Regulation 5 of the Student Support Regulations 2021. To qualify for a student grant, the candidate's nationality or his/her immigration status in the State determines whether or not he/she meets the nationality requirement outlined in the Act and Regulations. Further information in relation to the nationality requirements are available from SUSI's website: https://susi.ie/nationality-criteria/
Permission to remain in the State on the basis of a Stamp 3 Visa does not meet the nationality requirements of the Student Grant Scheme 2021. However, article 32 of the Student Grant Scheme 2021 provides for a review of eligibility for the award of a grant in the event of a change of circumstances in the academic year, including a change in relation to a student's nationality or immigration status. Where a student acquires Irish citizenship by naturalisation, or is granted one of the permission to remain criterion provided for in the Act or Regulations during the course of their studies, he/she may apply to SUSI to have his/her application re-assessed.
The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter for SUSI to determine. However, a comprehensive appeals process is in place for any student who is of the view that the scheme has not been interpreted correctly in his/her case. Details of same are available from SUSI’s website: susi.ie/quick-links/appealing-your-grant-decision/.
Apart from the Student Grant Scheme, students in third-level institutions experiencing exceptional financial need can apply for support under the Student Assistance Fund. This Fund assists students, in a sensitive and compassionate manner, who might otherwise be unable to continue their third level studies due to their financial circumstances. Details of this fund are available from the Access Office in the third level institution attended. This fund is administered on a confidential, discretionary basis.
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
88. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the detail of the work and engagement his Department has had with third-level institutions in relation to sexual violence, information campaigns, reporting tools and support; if there are plans in the near future to further expand such engagement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49763/21]
View answerOur higher education institutions have a responsibility to their students and staff to foster a campus culture that is clear in the condemnation of unwanted and unacceptable behaviours, which act as barriers to their safety and their active participation in college life.
In April 2019 the Framework for Consent in Higher Education Institutions:“Safe, Respectful, Supportive and Positive – Ending Sexual Violence and Harassment in Irish Higher Education Institutions” was launched and to assist institutions with its implementation funding of over €400,000 has been provided to a number of initiatives. In addition, the Higher Education Authority (HEA) has allocated over €500,000 towards such areas as consent workshops, the development of the anonymous report and support tool, and the UCC Bystander intervention programme. Prior to and since the launch of the Framework, our institutions have undertaken activities in this area as part of their student services remit from within their overall funding allocations.
Last year I wrote to the Presidents of the publicly funded higher education institutions, as I wanted to strengthen institutional action in this area. I requested our institutions to produce individual action plans on tackling sexual violence and harassment. These action plans were completed earlier this year, and institutions must report annually on their progress in implementing the Framework.
In April 2021, I launched surveys into staff and student experiences of sexual violence and sexual harassment in our higher education institutions. The surveys, which were conducted by the HEA, were sent to all students and staff by their higher education institution, and a report on the surveys will be submitted to my Department shortly.
In July this year, together with Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Hildegarde Naughton, I launched a new online learning hub to provide an integrated, publicly available resource on sexual consent awareness and consent learning resources. At the heart of this partnership will be a dedicated website, with resources that the Active Consent research team in NUI Galway has already developed for the third-level sector, as well as newly-designed resources supported by this project. This online learning hub will provide an important resource not only for our higher education institutions, but also for a wider community. This initiative builds on the work of the pioneering Active Consent team and is part of a government initiative to improve the understanding on the meaning of, and importance of, consent in sexual activity.
In addition, Speak Out, an Online Anonymous Reporting Tool for Sexual Harassment and Violence across higher education institutions will shortly be launched. This project is led by the Psychological Counsellors in Higher Education in Ireland, with the support of the HEA.
I want to ensure that our higher education institutions embed the Framework for Consent into their policies and procedures, so as to ensure their long-lasting impact. This is a priority for my Department and we will be closely following progress in this area.
89. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will address the multiple problems faced by trainee psychologists including the difficulty of supporting themselves thought their doctorates, the lack of availability of appropriate and funded placements for educational and counselling trainees, the cost of registering an MSc from abroad and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49873/21]
View answerMy Department understands there is a longstanding arrangement in place under which the HSE, and indeed former Health Boards, recruit Trainee Clinical Psychologists and sponsor their training in order to encourage employment with the HSE of suitably qualified professionals. This arrangement is made by the HSE and is not the responsibility of my Department.
The question of whether similar arrangements should be put in place in relation to other psychological specialities in order to meet their workforce needs is a matter for consideration by the appropriate recruiting bodies. My Department does not have a role in relation to placement arrangements in organisations such as the National Educational Psychological Service or the HSE for students enrolled on these programmes. Issues arising from sponsorships and employment eligibility in relation to psychologists, and indeed more generally, are matters for relevant employers rather than the responsibility of my Department. The issue of fee levels for courses is a matter for the individual institution.
90. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the details of and progress regarding the 18 consortia-led apprenticeships in development in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49807/21]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy in relation to the details and progress of apprenticeships in development are contained in tabular form in attachment 1. There are now 62 apprenticeships available for employers and learners with 17 apprenticeships currently known to be in development as of the first week of October 2021.
92. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the steps he is taking to increase the uptake of apprenticeships. [49539/21]
View answerApprenticeship is an employer-led offering based on a contract of employment between the apprentice and their respective employer. The number of apprentices in any specific sector is therefore determined directly by employer provision.
The Apprenticeship Incentivisation Scheme was established to ensure that apprenticeship plays a key part in supporting economic recovery during and immediately following COVID-19 measures. It comprises a €2,000 payment when employers register a new apprentice, followed by an additional €1,000 payment one year later where that apprentice is retained. The scheme has supported the continued recruitment of apprentices over the COVID-19 period, with almost €11m approved for payment in respect of 5,471 apprentice registrations by the first of October.
From the 1st July 2021 access to the scheme has included a requirement to either have published the apprentice vacancy on apprenticeshipjobs.ie or provide a stated rationale for non-advertisement of the post. This facilitates increased accessibility of apprentice jobs and is also providing information on the rationale behind employer decision making on non-advertisement of opportunities. This will support future policy in relation to advertising of apprenticeship openings.
The establishment, funding and success of the scheme is a strong demonstration of both my and the Government's commitment to the development and growth of apprenticeship in Ireland. This growth will be sustained and intensified through the implementation of the Action Plan on Apprenticeship 2021-2025 which sets out a five year pathway to make apprenticeship accessible to employers and learners.
Targeting 10,000 apprenticeship registrations per annum by 2025 the Plan addresses the clear need to broaden the awareness of apprenticeship as a work-based route to internationally recognised qualifications and experience for people of all ages, be they progressing in their career, school leavers or career changers. Growing that message is a key feature of planning for apprenticeship in the coming years.
A new National Apprenticeship Office will make accessing information on, and engagement with, apprenticeship more straightforward for both learners and employers. In 2022 we will launch financial supports for employers of apprentices and the public service will set out a roadmap for the recruitment of apprentices.
Under the Action Plan the impacts of, and outcomes from, existing access to apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programmes as well as other interventions across the sector will be examined to provide an evidence base for best practice and future interventions to deliver an apprentice population which better reflects the general population. Enhanced cooperation with the State's Public Employment Service will also increase visibility of apprenticeship to career changers and job seekers.
Supporting students to make informed choices on future careers, information on apprenticeship and further education and training opportunities will be available on the CAO site from late Autumn 2021. The development of apprenticeship taster courses is also being explored as part of Transition Year and Senior Cycle reform with the NCCA.
Under actions set out in the plan, linkages to and from major career guidance and further and higher application resources will drive initial recognition of the range of offerings available to learners across the system. Apprenticeship will also be positioned within career guidance websites and support structures, as a clear route to qualifications and a career in areas of proven skills need for learners of all ages.
94. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his plans to remove hospitality workers from the ineligible list of occupations for employment permits in view of the ongoing recruitment issues facing the hospitality sector as it continues to reopen in line with the Reframing the Challenge, Continuing Our Recovery and Reconnecting plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49993/21]
View answerThe employment permits system is designed to facilitate the entry of appropriately skilled non-EEA nationals to fill skills and/or labour shortages, in circumstances where there are no suitably qualified Irish/EEA nationals available to undertake the work and that the shortage is a genuine one.
The system is managed through the operation of the Critical Skills and Ineligible Occupations Lists which determine employments that are either in high demand or are ineligible for an employment permit where there is a surplus of those skills in the domestic and EEA labour market.
In order to maintain the relevance of these lists of occupations to the needs of the economy and to ensure their ongoing relevance to the State’s human capital requirements, they undergo twice-yearly evidence-based reviews. The reviews are guided by research undertaken by the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN), the Skills and the Labour Market Research Unit (SLMRU), SOLAS and involves public/stakeholder consultation. Account is taken of education outputs, sectoral upskilling and training initiatives and known contextual factors such as Brexit and, in the current context, COVID-19 and their impact on the labour market. Consideration is also taken of the views of the Economic Migration Interdepartmental Group, chaired by my Department and of the relevant policy Departments. Officials from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media are represented on the Economic Migration Interdepartmental Group.
The current review of the occupations lists is drawing to a close with submissions received from a range of sectors - including from the hospitality industry – considered during the process. It is expected that the final report on the review will be submitted for approval shortly and any changes necessary to deal with verified skills or labour shortages will be made in the coming weeks.
My Colleague, Catherine Martin, T.D., the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, is the Minister responsible for the Hospitality Sector.
95. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he plans to amend the Limited Partnership Act 1907; if not, if he will take other measures to prevent the use of limited partnerships in the State to facilitate offshore tax evasion or money laundering; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50022/21]
View answer96. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the policy steps he will take in response to the release of documents (details supplied) and Ireland's role in same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50023/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 95 and 96 together.
The recent revelations from Pandora Papers give rise to a number of questions which we need to get to the bottom of as they raise serious reputational concerns.
The Government leaders decided that we would ask officials in the Department of Finance and in my Department to initiate work right away to examine these issues.
On taxation while this is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Finance, I understand that Ireland participates in several International initiatives on the Automatic Exchange of Information for tax compliance purposes. Furthermore, Ireland is an active member of the OECD’s Joint International Taskforce on Shared Intelligence and Collaboration (JITSIC) Network. It has already started discussions in respect of the Pandora Papers leak and, as it has with previous leaks, will respond quickly. Through JITSIC participation Ireland will continue to work together with partners to pool resources, share intelligence and use existing frameworks to investigate relevant arrangements identified through the Pandora Papers data.
On limited partnerships, the most important safeguard against the misuse of business structures is transparency. A public consultation on the Review of the Limited Partnership Act 1907 was carried out in 2019 and it is intended to bring forward a General Scheme of a Limited Partnerships Bill in 2022.
The objective of the reform of the 1907 Act is to modernise and reform the legislation given the significant developments in laws governing business activity since its enactment. A particular focus will be increased transparency requirements, for example, increasing the information requirements at registration and introducing regular reporting obligations.
97. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he has received a work permit application by a person (details supplied); and if so, when it will be processed. [50056/21]
View answerThe Employment Permits section of my Department inform me that an application for a General Employment Permit for the person concerned was received on 15 September 2021.
The Department has seen a significant increase in applications for employment permits this year. Latest statistics show to the end of September, some 17,084 applications were received, representing a 41% increase over the same period in 2020 (12,115) and a 23% increase on 2019 (13,868), which itself was an 11 year high.
Processing times have been impacted by this increase in demand but also because of the HSE cyber-attack. As a result, employment permit applications associated with the July Doctors rotation (which occurs twice yearly in January and July) had to be submitted either manually or through other nonstandard methods. This resulted in a significant additional administrative burden in dealing with these applications, requiring staff to be temporarily reassigned to assist in the process and had a direct impact on wider processing times for other permit applications.
It is important to point out that when set against other international employment permit regimes, Ireland continues to compare extremely favourably, even at current processing times. However, my Department is very conscious of the recent lengthening of timeframes for processing Employment Permit applications and is committed to reducing these further. My Department is taking a range of measures to reduce the current backlog as quickly as possible. It advises employers to take current timelines into account as part of their recruitment plans.
My Department updates the employment permit processing timelines on its website on a weekly basis and regularly issues updates on relevant employment permit matters to Trusted Partners such as the recent update on employment permit processing timelines. The Employment Permits section of my Department is currently processing Standard applications from 29 June and Trusted Partners from 13 July.
98. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the way it is proposed to increase the geographic coverage of the existing 4G network to address blackspot areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49964/21]
View answerThe provision of telecommunication services, including mobile phone and broadband services, is a matter for the relevant service providers operating in a fully liberalised market regulated by the Commission for Communication Regulation (ComReg), as independent Regulator.
Obligations in relation to mobile coverage are set out in licences granted by Comreg to the mobile operators and ComReg advises that the current minimum coverage obligations are being exceeded considerably by all operators. ComReg is currently managing the next spectrum award process for wireless broadband services and commissioned studies and technical reports to inform its approach to the award process and the consideration of appropriate coverage and rollout obligations in that context. These studies are available at www.comreg.ie.
In relation to mobile coverage, ComReg has developed a national outdoor coverage map (available at this link), which can help consumers choose the network provider that best meets their needs for where they live, work and travel. ComReg has also published the results of tests carried out on mobile/smartphone handsets currently available in Ireland (available at this link). These findings will further allow consumers to make informed decisions based on the handsets which best address their needs.
99. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will give further consideration to a submission by a union (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50001/21]
View answerAn Post is a commercial semi-state company. The Government remains fully committed to a sustainable An Post and post office network as a key component of the economic and social infrastructure throughout Ireland. In this regard the Government continues to provide significant business to An Post through the Department of Social Protection’s Social Welfare contract and the National Treasury Management Agency business. Government efforts have been focussed on supporting An Post in the roll out of new services and the delivery of its strategic plan.The Inter-Departmental Group, co-chaired by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, was established to, inter alia, examine the feasibility of additional Government services being provided through to An Post and the post office network. The work of the group is at an advanced stage and the report will be submitted to Government in the near future. The submission made to the group by the organisation referred to by the Deputy will help inform its work.
100. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will address the lack of broadband in parts of rural Ireland which is making remote working extremely difficult; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50017/21]
View answerThe National Broadband Plan (NBP) State led Intervention will be delivered by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) under a contract to roll out a high speed and future proofed broadband network within the Intervention Area which covers 1.1 million people living and working in the over 544,000 premises, including almost 100,000 businesses and farms along with some 699 schools. The NBP roll out is currently a 7 year plan under the contract and deployment is due to be complete by the end of 2026.
I appreciate people's frustration when they are living so close to a fibre network but cannot get a connection to that network, particularly given the heightened importance of connectivity during the Covid-19 pandemic. The NBP will ensure that in all such cases a future proofed high speed broadband network will be built to serve these premises and work to deliver on this is underway.
Despite the unprecedented challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic, National Broadband Ireland has made steady progress on delivery of the new high speed fibre broadband network under the National Broadband Plan. I am advised by NBI that, as of 7 October, over 264,000 premises across all counties have been surveyed with over 108,000 premises under construction in Counties Cork, Cavan, Galway, Limerick and Monaghan. Almost 17,000 premises have been passed and are available for connection in Counties Cork, Cavan, Galway, Limerick and Monaghan. In addition, over 10,000 premises are available for pre order which means that they will be connected in the coming months. Build work is continuing across the country in 19 Deployment Areas covering townlands in Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kerry, Limerick, Monaghan, Roscommon, Louth, Wicklow, Waterford, Wexford, Kildare, Dublin, Tipperary, Mayo, Sligo, Westmeath. Make ready works are underway in a further 11 Deployment Areas.
In addition to the challenges to the delivery of the NBP due to the Covid-19 pandemic, NBI has faced a range of other challenges due to the sheer scale and complexity of rolling out fibre to the home in a rural environment. These include significant tree trimming to ensure cable can be placed on overhead poles, remediation of ducting that has been in place for many decades, the co-ordination of hundreds of contracting crews and addressing the many issues arising week on week which could not have been foreseen until the build crews commenced work on the ground. My Department has worked closely with NBI to put in place a remedial plan under the Contract. This plan addresses delays experienced by NBI, primarily arising as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, and re-baselines milestones for 2021. Work is underway to re-baseline milestones for 2022 and beyond.
In line with the Programme for Government, NBI and my Department are also engaged in a review of potential measures that can be taken to accelerate the network rollout in parallel with the measures required to mitigate delays arising as a result of Covid-19. My Department continues to engage with NBI to explore the feasibility of accelerating aspects of the NBP rollout to establish the possibility of bringing forward premises which are currently scheduled in years 6 and 7 of the current plan to an earlier date. However, the primary focus must be on addressing the delays which have arisen and ensuring that the National Broadband Ireland build programme gets back on track and is building momentum month on month.
