Tuesday, 8 Feb 2022

Written Answers Nos. 260-281

Tax Code

Questions (260)

Thomas Pringle

Question:

260. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Finance if the convention between the Government of Ireland and the Government of the United Kingdom for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income and capital gains makes provision for a person resident in Ireland but whose sole income is derived and taxed in Northern Ireland to avail of the help to buy scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6578/22]

Written answers

Minister for Finance

The Help to Buy (HTB) incentive is a scheme to assist first-time purchasers with the deposit they need to buy or build a new house or apartment. The incentive gives a refund of Income Tax and Deposit Interest Retention Tax (DIRT) paid in the State over the previous four years, subject to limits outlined in the legislation.

The legislation governing the HTB scheme is set out in section 477C of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997. For the purposes of the scheme, “income tax payable”, in relation to an individual for a year of assessment, means the chargeable tax less the aggregate of the personal tax credits and general tax credits.

I am advised by Revenue that where an individual does not pay Income Tax or DIRT in the State but pays the equivalent in another State, Revenue are not in a position to rebate tax paid in a different jurisdiction. The Double Taxation Agreement concluded between Ireland and the UK does not contain any provisions which permit Revenue to refund tax paid in that jurisdiction for the purposes of the Help to Buy incentive.

Irish tax resident individuals are liable to Irish tax on their worldwide income. Should an individual file an Irish tax return and incur an Income Tax liability on other income streams, then the amount of Income Tax paid may well be refundable under the HTB incentive, subject to the other conditions of the scheme being met.

In this instance, given that the individual has not paid any Income Tax in the State, the HTB scheme cannot be availed of as Revenue cannot refund tax in those circumstances

Tax Yield

Questions (261)

Darren O'Rourke

Question:

261. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Finance the amount of carbon tax raised in each of the years 2017 to 2021; the amount from each year not ring-fenced for climate action; the way that the non-ring-fenced revenue was spent in each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6611/22]

Written answers

Minister for Finance

The revenue raised from Carbon Tax from 2017 to 2021 is set out in the table below. Please note that figures for 2021 are provisional.

Year	Carbon Tax Revenue (VAT exclusive)
2017	€419,603,362
2018	€431,131,924
2018	€430,461,735
2020	€493,572,969
2021	€652,287,332

As announced in Budget 2020 and further endorsed by the 2020 Programme for Government, additional revenue estimated to arise from Carbon Tax rate increases above the baseline rate of €20 per tonne of Carbon Dioxide emitted is being ring-fenced while revenue raised from the baseline rate goes to the central Exchequer. Hypothecated Carbon Tax revenue is allocated for expenditure on measures relating to fuel poverty prevention, ensuring a just transition, funding a national retrofitting programme and funding to encourage and incentivise farmers to farm in a greener and more sustainable way.

Further detail of specific allocations and expenditure measures is set out in publications on the www.budget.gov.ie website ; The Carbon Tax Increase - What it will be spent (Budget 2020), The Use of Carbon Tax Funds (Budget 2021) and Budget 2022, The Use of Carbon Tax Funds.

Information regarding the annual expenditure from the central exchequer is published by the Department of Expenditure and Reform at the website address below:

whereyourmoneygoes.gov.ie/en/

Coastal Erosion

Questions (262)

Cormac Devlin

Question:

262. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the specific commitments contained within the National Development Plan 2018-2027 to address coastal erosion by way of funding for coastal protection by county in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6280/22]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform

Local Authorities are responsible for coastal erosion in their own areas. The Local Authorities may carry out coastal protection works using their own resources. If necessary, they may also put forward proposals to the relevant Government Departments for funding of appropriate measures. Intervention or hard defences has the potential to cause problems further along the coast, any proposed intervention measures are best developed in conjunction with a formal coastal risk management study that has carefully investigated the problem and explored the full range of management options.

To assist Local Authorities in managing the coastline for coastal erosion, the OPW has undertaken a national assessment of coastal erosion (including erosion rates) under the Irish Coastal Protection Strategy Study (ICPSS) and the results of this study have been published on the OPW website floodinfo.ie. This data enables Local Authorities to develop appropriate plans and strategies for the sustainable management of the coastline in their counties.

Under the National Development Plan the Government has allocated €1.3bn to design and construct some 150 additional flood relief schemes to protect those communities, assessed to be at risk from significant flood events. This assessment of flood risk was completed, in 2018, by the OPW’s Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management Programme.

Sixty two of these schemes are in coastal locations. Of these, six are complete, three are at construction and a further thirty two are being progressed by the OPW and local authorities to identify a viable scheme design and through the planning process. Twenty one other schemes are part of the planned programme for delivering flood relief schemes under the National Development Plan. The details of these coastal flood relief schemes are in Table 1 attached.

The Minor Flood Mitigation Works & Coastal Protection Scheme (the “Minor Works Scheme”) was introduced by the Office of Public Works in 2009. The purpose of the scheme is to provide funding to Local Authorities to undertake minor flood mitigation works or studies to address localised flooding and coastal protection problems within their administrative areas. The scheme generally applies where a solution can be readily identified and achieved in a short time frame. Under the scheme, applications are considered for projects that are estimated to cost not more than €750,000 in each instance. Funding of up to 90% of the cost is available from the OPW for approved projects. The commencement and progression of any works for which funding is approved is a matter for each Local Authority concerned. Table 2 attached is a list of approvals under the Minor Works & Coastal Protection Scheme since 2009 which related to coastal locations.

The Government has established an Inter-Departmental Group on Managing Coastal Change to scope out an approach for the development of a national co-ordinated and integrated strategy to manage the projected impact of coastal change to our coastal communities. The Inter-Departmental Group is jointly chaired by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the OPW and will bring forward options and recommendations for the Government to consider.

Costal Flood Relief

Minor Works Scheme

An Garda Síochána

Questions (263)

Sorca Clarke

Question:

263. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the estimated cost of the work carried out at Athlone Garda station, County Westmeath; the length of time this work took to complete; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6452/22]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform

Works on Athlone Garda Station commenced in Q2 2018, the project included the refurbishment, extension and alteration of the existing An Garda Siochána Station to include the adjacent former Government Buildings and a new connection link between the two buildings. Works were completed in November, 2021. It was anticipated that the project would take 2 years to complete, however additional time was required due to a number of unforeseen delays arising from the discovery of Archaeology, the relocation of undocumented underground services and the construction site closures in accordance with Covid 19 Public Health measures. Discussions are ongoing with regard to the final account of the project.

Flood Risk Management

Questions (264)

Seán Sherlock

Question:

264. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if a report will be provided in relation to the flooding of the Blackwater River at Fermoy, County Cork on 24 February 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5856/22]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform

The Office of Public Works commenced construction of the Fermoy North flood defence scheme in 2009, and the scheme was completed in 2011. The Scheme comprises grass embankments, permanent walls and demountable flood barriers, and pumping stations, and is designed to protect 77 properties on the north side of Fermoy against the 1-in-100-year flood event. Damages avoided in such an event in are in the order of €18m.

Cork Co. Council carries out the Operation and Maintenance of the Fermoy North scheme on behalf of the Office Public Works (OPW), the Contracting Authority. An OPW-developed Flood Early Warning System (FEWS), which is used for both the towns of Fermoy and Mallow, is operated by Cork County Council staff in Mallow. Upon receipt of a flood warning, Local Authority staff erect the substantial demountable defences on the completed scheme on the north side.

Following the flood event which occurred in February 2021, Cork County Council, in cooperation with the OPW, have been undertaking a detailed assessment of the causes of the event.

Cork County Council is preparing a comprehensive report and intends to submit it to OPW for review prior to its finalisation. This Flood Incident Report will detail the flood event, causes of the flooding, lessons learnt from the event and what actions are required to mitigate against a future recurrence of this event. The majority of the investigative work is complete and a number of interim measures have already been put in place, with more upgrades to be carried out subject to final report recommendations.

Cork County Council and OPW continue to collaborate and cooperate closely to progress the above report, which is due to be completed within the next 1-2 months.

Office of Public Works

Questions (265)

Seán Sherlock

Question:

265. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the OPW has received an application from Cork County Council in respect of repair works to the sea wall at Roches Point, Cork. [5909/22]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform

I am advised it is a matter for Local Authorities in the first instance to assess and address problems of coastal erosion in their areas. Where necessary, Local Authorities may put forward proposals to relevant central Government Departments, including the Office of Public Works, for funding of appropriate measures, under the OPW's Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal protection Scheme, depending on the infrastructure or assets under threat. I am advised that there is no application on hand, under this Minor Works scheme for the location mentioned in the Deputy’s question.

Departmental Contracts

Questions (266)

Seán Sherlock

Question:

266. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the agencies under the remit of his Department; the amount that has been spent on all Covid-19-related consultancy contracts by his Department and agencies under his remit in 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form; the amount paid for each consultant; and the reason for the consultancy. [6043/22]

Written answers

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform

I wish to advise the Deputy that details of the consultancy services, professional fees and legal advice spend by my Department is regularly updated and published on gov.ie. Details of this spend since the Department’s establishment in 2011 up to the end of September 2021 can be found at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/organisation-information/8b97d6-consultancy-costs/. The costs for the period from October 2021 to end 2021 are currently being finalised and will be published very shortly.

The information requested for the bodies under the aegis of my Department for the period specified is set out in the table below.

Body	Year	Consultants name	Reason for Consultancy	Cost of consultancy
Office of Public Works (OPW)	2020	Better Safety	Physical Distancing Risk Assessments	€2,036
		Cuckoo Events Ltd, T/A Safe Events	Development of Standard Operational Procedures and Risk Assessment for Event builds in context of Covid19 during restrictions	€2,522
		Lenmac Services T/A Sensori FM	Site reports to determine the requirements for Covid19 Information signage and hand sanitising units	€3,375
		Sensori Facilities Management LTD	Site reports to determine the requirements for Covid19 Information signage and hand sanitising units	€1,038
		Egan Safety Solutions	Covid19 Risk Assessment	€1,476
Public Appointment Service (PAS)	2020	TEKenable Ltd.	Software Development consultancy to support the design and build of a system to support the Temporary Assignment Scheme.	€72,296
Office of the National Lottery Regulator	2020	R&D Slua, t/a Arvo	Advice and recommendations into remote working solutions.	€1,039

I am advised that there were no such contracts awarded during the period specified for the Office of the Ombudsman, the State Laboratory or the National Shared Services Office.

Public Appointments Service

Questions (267)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

267. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if a new recruitment campaign will be advertised by Public Appointments Service to fill vacancies arising for fluent Irish speakers at the grade of clerical officer over the next 24 months. [6215/22]

Written answers

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform

As the Deputy will be aware, the Public Appointments Service (PAS) is the principal recruiter for the civil service. It establishes panels from competitions, including for civil service positions requiring fluency in the Irish language, that are available to civil service employers to access as vacancies arise.

PAS last advertised a Clerical Officer with fluency in Irish competition on 25 June 2021 and the recruitment panel established from this competition is available for employers to draw from until 30 June 2023.

All recruitment is demand led and the requirement for new recruitment campaigns, including for posts with fluency in Irish, is kept under regular review by PAS. I am advised that PAS will likely to run a further competition within the next 24 months, although it is too early to confirm when precisely that may be.

Official Travel

Questions (268)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

268. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will be travelling abroad for St. Patrick’s week 2022 on official visits; and if so, the location he is scheduled to visit. [6238/22]

Written answers

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform

I wish to inform the Deputy that the Government is in the process of finalising the programme to mark St Patrick’s Day around the world. This will include a programme of visits by ministers that will be approved by the Government early this month, and which will be made public immediately afterwards.

Flood Risk Management

Questions (269)

Peter Burke

Question:

269. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if works can be carried out on a river (details supplied). [6266/22]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform

The Office of Public Works (OPW) is responsible for the maintenance of Arterial Drainage Schemes and catchment drainage schemes designated under the Arterial Drainage Acts of 1945 and 1995. From the information provided by the Deputy, it would appear that the river channel forms part of the River Brosna Arterial Drainage Scheme for which the OPW has maintenance responsibility.

This channel is scheduled for maintenance works by the OPW in 2022.

Covid-19 Pandemic

Questions (270)

Cian O'Callaghan

Question:

270. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the reason front-line workers that kept supermarkets open during the height of the pandemic have not been considered for the bonus payment for front-line workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6290/22]

Written answers

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform

There are many thousands of people across the country who went above and beyond over the course of the last two years. The continued contribution of so many people in all walks of life has been essential to getting us through this difficult time. Collaboration and solidarity have been the hallmark of our national approach to COVID-19 and the measures announced on 19 January are true to those principles.

After careful consideration, the Government made the decision to give all the people of Ireland a national day of recognition and commemoration on the 18th of March this year, and another permanent public holiday in February commencing in 2023.

The Government took many factors into consideration when coming to a decision in relation to any additional recognition measure for specific sectors, however it ultimately agreed that acknowledging certain frontline healthcare workers in the public sector and in private nursing homes and hospices in particular was the most fair and appropriate, whilst acknowledging all other healthcare workers and sectors with the public holidays.

This is a balanced package of measures that will benefit all workers across the economy, while also recognising in particular the risks faced by certain frontline healthcare workers during this pandemic.

Defence Forces

Questions (271)

Brendan Howlin

Question:

271. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when the third party adjudicator for the Permanent Defence Force conciliation and arbitration scheme will be reinstated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6575/22]

Written answers

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform

The Conciliation & Arbitration Scheme for the Defence Forces is the primary mechanism for addressing industrial relations issues in the Defence sector. In line with the Irish model of industrial relations, it is a voluntary mechanism which provides structures for management and staff to engage on collective issues that may arise. These structures have helped to maintain positive industrial relations in the sector over a number of years.

The Scheme provides for an Arbitration process to assist in the resolution of disputes which remain unresolved following engagement and which become the subject of formal disagreement.

Under the agreed Terms of Reference of the C&A Scheme, the Adjudicator and Arbitration Board appointments are mutually agreed by both sides. While an Arbitration Board is currently in situ, the matter of the appointment of an Adjudicator remains under consideration. I understand that senior officials from both sides are in regular contact with regard to agreeing the appointment of an Adjudicator and that there have been further engagement recently in an attempt to progress this matter.

Office of Public Works

Questions (272)

Mairéad Farrell

Question:

272. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide full list of properties which are vacant and are either owned or being rented by the Office of Public Works by county; the amount of rent paid to date on those vacant rented properties in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6739/22]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform

The Office of Public Works (OPW) has responsibility on behalf of the State for managing and maintaining a substantial and complex estate - comprising approximately 2,500 properties - valued at €3.3bn.

This extensive and diverse portfolio of State properties includes office accommodation for all Government Departments, the property estate for An Garda Síochána and numerous properties for many State Agencies. The portfolio also encompasses specialised spaces such as public offices, laboratories and cultural institutions, in addition to warehouses, heritage properties, visitor centres and sites.

In any major portfolio, there will always be a certain level of vacant properties. It is normal to have an amount of space vacant, or vacant properties, at any given time as the portfolio could not function without the flexibility that it provides. Not all vacant properties will be deemed surplus to the State’s requirements or deemed suitable for disposal.

The OPW, like other State bodies, is obliged to follow central Government policies on the disposal of surplus properties. The arrangements involved are set out in the following Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) Circulars:

- Circular 11/2015: Protocols for the Transfer and Sharing of State Property Assets

- Circular 17/2016: Policy for Property Acquisition and for Disposal of Surplus Property

As a matter of policy, no property or site is disposed of until there is absolute certainty that there is no alternative State use for that property.

The OPW’s approach to managing vacant properties is firstly, to establish if the property is required for alternative State use, including the potential for it to be re-purposed for either Government Departments or the wider public service. A number of strategic properties or sites are retained in anticipation of potential State use/development in line with service demands arising from Government policy changes to public service provision.

Secondly, if no State use is identified, the OPW considers if open market disposal is an option, depending on prevailing market conditions.

Thirdly, the OPW may consider community involvement, subject to a detailed submission that demonstrates that the community or voluntary group seeking to use the property has the means to insure, maintain and manage it in order to reduce costs to the Exchequer.

I am advised by the Commissioners of Public Works that there are currently 68 vacant surplus buildings and 31 surplus sites in its ownership. Of the 68 vacant surplus buildings, over half of these are former Garda stations that closed under the 2012/2013 policing plans of An Garda Síochána.

As of February 2022, there are 36 former Garda station buildings closed under the 2012 and 2013 Policing Plans that are under consideration for alternative State use, disposal or community use. Of the remainder of non-operational or vacant buildings listed in the Appendix, and sites, a number are in the process of being transferred to Local Authorities, being considered/prepared for disposal, are under consideration for community use or are being retained for alternative State use.

During 2022, subject to pandemic restrictions, there are four auctions planned with further auctions planned for 2023.

The current status of surplus and vacant buildings (68) and sites (31) is in Appendix 1 attached.

There are no vacant leased properties on which the OPW pays rent.

Vacant Properties

Sports Funding

Questions (273)

Seán Canney

Question:

273. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if her Department provides funding to sports clubs that are engaged in providing activities for persons with disabilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5941/22]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media

Sport Ireland, which is funded by my Department, is the statutory body with responsibility for the development of sport, increasing participation at all levels and raising standards, including the allocation of funding across its various programmes.

I have referred the Deputy's Question to Sport Ireland for direct reply. I would ask the Deputy to inform my office if a reply is not received within 10 days.

Sports Funding

Questions (274)

Duncan Smith

Question:

274. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media when the allocations given under the sports capital grants will be announced given the challenges faced by many sports clubs such as a club (details supplied) since the Covid-19 pandemic began; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5975/22]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media

The Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP) is the primary vehicle for Government support for the development of sports and recreation facilities and the purchase of non-personal sports equipment throughout the country. Over 13,000 projects have now benefited from sports capital funding since 1998, bringing the total allocations in that time to over €1 billion.

On 30 November 2020, Minister Martin and I announced that a new round of the Programme was opening with at least €40 million available to allocate. The original closing date for applications was 12 February 2021 but, in view of difficulties some applicants were encountering as a result of Covid restrictions, this deadline was extended until 1 March 2021. By this closing date, 3,106 applications had been submitted seeking over €200m in funding. This is the highest number of applications ever received.

The scoring system and assessment procedures were finalised and published prior to assessment work commencing and all applications were assessed in accordance with these procedures.

Approximately one thousand of the submitted applications were for 'equipment-only' projects. These applications were assessed first and grants with a total value of €16.6m were announced on 6 August 2021.

In relation to the remaining capital SCEP applications, including an application from the club referenced by the Deputy, the assessment of all applications is now complete and I will be announcing individual grant allocations shortly. All unsuccessful applicants will be given the opportunity to appeal the Department’s decision and information in this regard will be issued when the grants are announced.

Social Media

Questions (275)

Michael Healy-Rae

Question:

275. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she will address a matter (details supplied) regarding regulation of social media; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5980/22]

Written answers

Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media

The systemic regulation of certain online services is provided for as part of the recently published Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill, initiated in Seanad Éireann on 25 January 2022. Among other things, the Bill will establish a new Media Commission in place of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, provide for the appointment of an Online Safety Commissioner, and establish a regulatory framework for online safety.

The Online Safety Commissioner will oversee the regulatory framework for online safety and ensure, through binding online safety codes, that relevant designated online services, including certain social media platforms, are operating systems and processes which effectively minimise the spread of some of the most serious forms of harmful online content.

While the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill is progressing through the Houses of the Oireachtas, I have established an expert group on an individual complaints mechanism to examine some of the complex practical and legal issues associated with the establishment of such a mechanism. This follows the important work of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media which, as part of its pre-legislative scrutiny report on the General Scheme of the Bill, included recommendations for provision of an individual complaints mechanism for harmful online content.

The issue of providing for avenues of redress in terms of individual pieces of content in the online world is complex. The approach in the development of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill to date has been to provide the Online Safety Commissioner with the power to require that regulated online services have effective complaints mechanisms in place with powers of audit and investigation provided to the Commissioner in that respect. The Bill also provides for a super complaints mechanism whereby nominated bodies may notify the Commissioner of concerns regarding a designated online service’s compliance with an online safety code, or of concerns relating to the availability of harmful online content on a service.

I am conscious that the introduction of an individual complaints mechanism raises a number of complex practical and legal issues, including in terms of the sheer volume of content online, that Ireland will be regulating a number of services on an EU-wide basis, and questions relating to due process requirements and how quickly decisions could reasonably be made by the Online Safety Commissioner.

I attended the first meeting of the expert group on an individual complaints mechanism on 31 January 2022, and look forward to receiving their recommendations, within 90 days, for how best to address these difficult issues. I have published the group's terms of reference on my Department's website and note the appointed members of the group:

- Chair: Isolde Goggin, former Chair of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission;

- Brian O’Neill, independent academic expert on online safety for children and Deputy Chair of the National Advisory Council for Online Safety;

- Ana Niculescu, CEO of Hotline.ie;

- Ronan Lupton, Senior Counsel;

- Baroness Kidron, children’s rights advocate, Chair of 5Rights Foundation; and,

- Peter Tyndall, former Ombudsman, Information Commissioner, and Commissioner for Environmental Information.

Once the work of the expert group is completed, I will consider their recommendations in the context of potential Committee Stage amendments to the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill.

Television Licence Fee

Questions (276)

Michael Healy-Rae

Question:

276. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she will address a matter (details supplied) regarding television licence revenue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5982/22]

Written answers

Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media

Total Television Licence Fee Receipts comprise monies from TV licence sales and exchequer funding from the Department of Social Protection for the operation of the free TV licence Scheme.

The level of evasion is calculated annually and is arrived at through the collation of a number of diverse sources, including housing data from the Census, CSO housing data for new builds and business data from the Revenue Commissioner’s Annual Report. The 2020 level of evasion is estimated to be 15.2% which has increased from 12.6% in 2019. Every effort is made by An Post to bring evaders into the licensed pool and a considerable amount of time and resources are spent in dealing with this issue. It is important to note that in line with public health guidelines, TV Licence Inspections were suspended for periods in both 2020 and 2021. In the period from the 13th March to end 2020, TV Licence Inspectors could only operate as normal for 2 months, and operated on a non-contact basis for 3 and a half months. There was no activity for the first 4 months of 2021 and non-contact inspections resumed on 10th May, with full inspections resuming from 14th June.

The total receipts and the evasion rate from 2011-2021 are provided in the table below.

Year	An Post Receipts €m	DSP Receipts€m	Total Receipts (An Post & DSP)€m	Evasion Rate
2011	160.6	57.2	217.8	16.2%
2012	157.8	57.2	215.0	16.4%
2013	159.2	57.2	216.4	15.2%
2014	161.1	52.2	213.3	15.3%
2015	161.8	52.2	214.0	13.8%
2016	161.5	52.2	213.7	14.6%
2017	161.9	53.2	215.9	14.5%
2018	164.5	54.8	219.3	12.8%
2019	162.8	59.9	222.7	12.6%
2020	152.7	69.9	222.6	15.2%
2021	150.9	69.9	220.7	TBC

Sports Funding

Questions (277)

Michael Healy-Rae

Question:

277. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media when a new round of sport capital grant funding will open in 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5988/22]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media

The Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP) is the primary vehicle for Government support for the development of sports and recreation facilities and the purchase of non-personal sports equipment throughout the country. Over 13,000 projects have now benefited from sports capital funding since 1998, bringing the total allocations in that time to over €1 billion.

On 30 November 2020, Minister Martin and I announced that a new round of the Programme was opening with at least €40 million available to allocate. The original closing date for applications was 12 February 2021 but, in view of difficulties some applicants were encountering as a result of Covid restrictions, this deadline was extended until 1 March 2021. By this closing date, 3,106 applications had been submitted seeking over €200m in funding. This is the highest number of applications ever received.

The scoring system and assessment procedures were finalised and published prior to assessment work commencing and all applications were assessed in accordance with these procedures.

Approximately one thousand of the submitted applications were for 'equipment-only' projects. These applications were assessed first and grants with a total value of €16.6m were announced on 6 August 2021.

In relation to the remaining capital SCEP applications, the assessment of all applications is now complete and I will be announcing individual grant allocations shortly. All unsuccessful applicants will be given the opportunity to appeal the Department’s decision and information in this regard will be issued when the grants are announced. An announcement in relation to the timing of the next round of the Programme will be made when the appeals process is complete.

Departmental Contracts

Questions (278)

Seán Sherlock

Question:

278. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the agencies under the remit of her Department; the amount that has been spent on all Covid-19-related consultancy contracts by her Department and agencies under her remit in 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form; the amount paid for each consultant; and the reason for the consultancy. [6046/22]

Written answers

Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media

The following are the State bodies under my remit:

Tourism

Fáilte Ireland (National Tourism Development Authority)

Tourism Ireland

Arts and Culture

Arts Council

Chester Beatty

Crawford Art Gallery

Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA)

Irish Manuscripts Commission

National Archives of Ireland

National Concert Hall

National Gallery of Ireland

National Library of Ireland

National Museum of Ireland

Screen Ireland

Gaeltacht

Foras na Gaeilge

Tha Boord o Ulster Scotch

Údarás na Gaeltachta

Sport

Sport Ireland

Broadcasting and Media

Broadcast Authority of Ireland (BAI)

Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ)

Teilifís na Gaeilge (TG4)

In relation to the State bodies, the information requested by the Deputy is being compiled and will issue directly to the Deputy in accordance with the timelines set out in Standing Orders.

In relation to my Department, as has been previously advised to the House, my Department commissions experts from time to time to provide technical reports or advice on specific issues. This work is not classified as consultancy services and is not funded from the Department's administrative budget.

Notwithstanding this, the following Covid-19 related external support was procured by my Department for the years in question:

Name of company	Purpose of contract	Amount €	Year
SLUA Event Safety Consultancy	Review COVID-19 related guidance documents	24,000	2020
Eamonn O'Boyle and Assoc (EOBA)	Review COVID-19 related guidance documents	15,920	2020
Indecon Economic Consultants	Consultancy work on the delivery of the Tourism Recovery Plan 2020-2023.	92,543	2020
SLUA	Review COVID-19 related guidance documents	20,000	2021
EOBA	Review COVID-19 related guidance documents	16,400	2021
EOBA	Review plans and findings from Pilot Events	20,000	2021
TPG Interactive (Ireland) Ltd	Development and Maintenance of online application portals	41,881	2021
Quadra	Ergonomic advice	2,583	2020
Quadra	Ergonomic advice	8,178	2021
Quadra	Ergonomic advice	1,402	2022

A referred reply was forwarded to the Deputy under Standing Order 51

Raidió Teilifís Éireann

Questions (279)

Mattie McGrath

Question:

279. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if a full breakdown will be provided of payments made to RTÉ by her Department since March 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6172/22]

Written answers

Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media

The principal mechanism through which my Department provides support to RTÉ is from TV Licence fee receipts. For the period from March 2020 to January 2022 this amounted to €364.8m.

Over the same period, additional funding of €1.906m was provided for the development and broadcast of Arts and Culture projects, as part of the Government's wider response to support the sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the Government agreed, alongside the New Decade New Approach (NDNA) agreement, to provide €100,000 to RTE for each of the 3 years of the agreement, as part of a broader initiative to promote Irish language broadcasting in Northern Ireland.

The full list of payments made to RTE is set out in the table under.

RTE payments March 2020 to January 2022

Period	Category	Amount€m	Funding Type
March-Dec 2020	Licence Fee Funding	152.3	Current
2021	Licence Fee Funding	196.1	Current
January 2022	Licence Fee Funding	16.4	Current
	Total Licence Fee	364.8
March-Dec 2020	Arts and Culture	1.1	Current
	Arts and Culture	0.071	Capital
	Arts and Culture	0.033	Current
2021	Famine Project	0.039	Current
	Arts and Culture	0.082	Current
	Arts and Culture	0.081	Capital
	Decade of Centenaries	0.500	Current
	Total Arts and Culture	1.906
2021	NDNA Funding to promote Irish in NI	0.100	Current
	Total NDNA Funding	0.100

Official Travel

Questions (280)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

280. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she will be travelling abroad for St. Patrick’s week 2022 on official visits; and if so, the location she is scheduled to visit. [6241/22]

Written answers

Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media

The Government of Ireland today announced the 2022 St Patrick's Day programme which will see the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Government Ministers travel to promote Ireland and Irish interests around the world.

In-person Ministerial level visits were possible only in a very limited way in 2020 and not at all in 2021. This year’s St. Patrick’s Day programme will see a promotional programme of 33 high level visits abroad which will take place in line with local Covid-19 public health guidelines.

The central message of this year’s St Patrick’s Day is that Ireland is reopening, and the international programme will focus on the theme of Rebuilding Connections & Supporting Communities across the globe.

St Patrick’s Day is the primary flagship for realising the ambition of the Government’s ‘Global Ireland’ programme to promote Ireland as a great place to live, visit, work, study, and invest, with an integrated, all of Government, Team Ireland approach.

In this centenary year of the foundation of the State, and as Ireland marks the fiftieth anniversary of accession to the EEC, Ministers will underline Ireland’s commitment to the European Union, reinforce Ireland’s commitment to protecting the hard-won peace in Northern Ireland, and celebrate our heritage and renew our links with our global Diaspora and business leaders.

The hugely successful ‘Global Greening’ initiative will continue this year, with over 600 iconic landmark buildings around the world planned to be lit up green to celebrate St Patrick’s Day.

The objectives for the St Patrick’s Day 2022 programme are as follows:

- Recognise the resilience and solidarity of Irish people everywhere throughout the pandemic.

- Acknowledge the Irish overseas and emphasise the importance of our Diaspora, whose connections to Ireland have been so severely impacted by the pandemic.

- Reconnect and strengthen relationships with key political leaders, business leaders, decision makers, influencers and stakeholders across the world.

- Celebrate the country's contemporary and traditional arts, culture and heritage.

- Highlight key national initiatives including EU50, Ireland’s Council of Europe Presidency, Centenary 1922, and Ulysses 100.

- Enhance international understanding of Ireland as a great place to live, visit, work, invest, trade with, and study.

- Widen and deepen international appreciation of Ireland’s values, policies, culture, diversity and global impact, including Ireland’s role on the UN Security Council and in UN Peacekeeping.

- Enhance Ireland’s reputation, visibility and influence.

Where in-person events are not possible due to the pandemic, Ireland’s network of Diplomatic missions will host a series of online community, business and cultural events. This will include country-specific ‘virtual receptions’ that will be broadcast on St Patrick’s Day.

Given the broad array of activity and rich content created for St Patrick’s Day across Government, a St. Patrick’s Day Hub 2022 will be set up on an enhanced ireland.ie website, making available in one place content that will highlight St Patrick’s Day schedules, and signpost visitors to the websites and information across the Government system.

The following visits will take place as part of the St. Patrick’s Day programme:

Taoiseach: London, UK; Washington D.C, USA

Tánaiste: Colombia; Chile

Minister Ryan: New York, USA

Minister Donohoe: The Netherlands; London, UK

Minister McGrath: San Francisco, USA; Vancouver, Canada

Minister Martin: Argentina

Minister O’Brien: UAE (Expo)

Minister Coveney: Minister on call/Engagements on the island of Ireland

Minister Foley: Boston, USA

Minister Humphreys: No travel

Minister O’Gorman: New York, USA; Philadelphia, USA

Minister Harris: France

Minister McEntee: Savannah, USA

Minister Donnelly: Austin, USA

Minister McConalogue: Canada

Minister of State Chambers: Los Angeles, USA

Minister of State Hackett: Greece

Minister of State Naughton: Australia; New Zealand

Minister of State Byrne: Italy

Minister of State O’Donovan: Chicago, USA

Minister of State Smyth: Spain; Portugal

Minister of State Madigan: Slovenia

Minister of State Heydon: Lebanon

Minister of State Rabbitte: Romania

Minister of State Brophy: Mexico

Minister of State O’Brien: Finland

Minister of State Burke: Japan; South Korea

Minister of State Noonan: No travel

Minister of State Troy: India

Minister of State English: Sweden

Minister of State Butler: Belgium

Minister of State Feighan: Poland

Minister of State Collins: Croatia

Minister of State Fleming: North of England; Scotland, UK

Minister of State Browne: Czech Republic

Attorney General: Washington D.C., USA

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Questions (281)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Question:

281. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she will consider allocating a portion of the unspent €353,784 Covid-19 cultural support grants to fund or part-fund a unique festival (details supplied) which has been running festival since 2004. [6304/22]

Written answers

Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media

Over €55.5m was paid out in grants in 2021 to the Live Performance Sector under a number of schemes including:

- Live Performance Support Scheme

- Events Sector Covid Support Scheme

- Music and Entertainment Business Assistance Scheme

- Commercial Entertainment Capital Grant Scheme

- Cultural Capital Scheme – stream D

A small number of grants totalling €353,784 (as per table below) under those schemes were not taken up or not fully drawn down, no grants were returned. Some applicants opted not to drawdown the grants offered, either partly or in full, for a variety of reasons related to their own circumstances. For example, under the LPSS, 6 applicants decided not to go ahead with the events as originally planned.

Name of COVID-19 related grant	Value of grant offers not taken up by applicants
Pilot Live Performance Support Scheme	€106,564
Cultural Capital Scheme Stream D	€10,949
Live Performance Support Scheme 2021	€236,271
Total	€353,784

While €25m was allocated in funding for LPSS 2021, the final spend for this scheme is expected to be just over €25m and therefore no funding will be unspent.