Written Answers Nos. 46-67
46. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the annual costs associated with operation of an office at the NATO buildings in Brussels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33043/23]
View answerIreland's relationship with NATO is conducted through Partnership for Peace (PfP), of which Ireland has been a member since 1999. PfP is a voluntary and cooperative framework between NATO and individual non-members of NATO and there are no funding obligations arising from Ireland’s involvement.
In order to manage this partnership, Ireland has a PfP liaison office in Brussels. Along with the offices of a number of other PfP parner countries, this is located in a NATO-owned building in Brussels and the rental and maintenance costs are directly payable to NATO. Set out below are the approximate aggregate costs for the past three years (2020-2022), which are divided between the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Defence.
|
Year |
Description |
Amount |
|
2020 |
Rent & phone costs |
€135,942 |
|
2020 |
Renovation of office space |
€814,655 |
|
2021 |
Rent & phone costs |
€134,286 |
|
2022 |
Rent & phone costs |
€112,980 |
47. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the itemised cost of each contribution made to NATO Trust Funds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33044/23]
View answerIreland has made a number of voluntary contributions to NATO Trust Funds which provide capacity-building support to NATO partners through the Partnership for Peace process, as well as to other UN Troop Contributing Countries. Since 2002, Ireland has supported a number of different Trust Fund projects, as detailed below.
Most recently, in 2021 Ireland provided €100,000 and €50,000, respectively, to Trust Fund projects addressing UN Peacekeeping Training and a Defence Capacity Building package for Jordan. A contribution of €50,000 to the Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC) has been approved to deliver paramedic training to strengthen Ukraine’s medical capacity later this year and will be disbursed later this year.
|
Year |
Amount |
|
2002 - Albania Trust Fund II – for the destruction of small arms and light weapons |
€100,000 |
|
2003 - Albania Trust Fund II – for the destruction of small arms and light weapons |
€50,000 |
|
2004 - Serbia & Montenegro I - for the destruction of anti-personnel landmines in Serbia & Montenegro |
€30,000 |
|
2005 - Serbia & Montenegro II - for the destruction of anti-personnel landmines in Serbia & Montenegro |
€100,000 |
|
2006 - Moldova II to repack and centralise 1,600 tonnes of chemicals |
€15,000 |
|
2006 - Albania Trust Fund II – for the destruction of small arms and light weapons |
€100,000 |
|
2006 - Ukraine II to eliminate small arms and light weapons, excess munitions and MANPADS |
€100,000 |
|
2009-2010 - Building integrity and reducing corruption risk in defence establishments |
€120,000 |
|
2009-2010 - Serbia III – reintegration of redundant military personnel |
€30,000 |
|
2009-2010 - Jordan II – Mine and ERW risk education programme |
€30,000 |
|
2011 - Moldova III-Destruction of pesticides |
€75,000 |
|
2011 - Ukraine II-destruction of SALW and MANPADS |
€75,000 |
|
2013-2014 - Serbia IV – destruction of military equipment |
€80,000 & €5,000 reallocated |
|
2015 - Jordan III –Implementation of UNSCR 1325 |
€100,000 |
|
2016 - Moldova III-Destruction of pesticides |
€50,000 |
|
2016 - Counter-IED Project Iraq |
€60,000 |
|
2017 – Jordan IV |
€50,000 |
|
2018 – Afghanistan National Army Trust Fund |
€200,000 |
|
2021 – UN Peacekeeping |
€100,000 |
|
2021 – Jordan |
€50,000 |
48. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he can expedite a passport application for a person (details supplied). [32887/23]
View answerWith regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service initially requested further supporting documents from the applicant on 21 April 2023. The final set of further supporting documents were received from the applicant on 26 June 2023. The turnaround time following receipt of additional documents is 15 working days. This application is within the turnaround time and has not yet reached its issue by date.
49. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if a passport for a person (details supplied) can be expedited. [33042/23]
View answerWith regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, this application is within the current turnaround times and has not yet reached its issue by date.
50. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the pay and any other benefits, including any loyalty payments/bonuses or other benefit-in-kind, of each chief executive of State/semi-State body or other public body under the aegis of his Department for each year since 2020, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33052/23]
View answerThere are no State, semi-State, or public bodies operating under the aegis of the Department of Foreign Affairs.
51. Deputy David Stanton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs his plans to establish a full-time Consulate General of Ireland in Montreal, Canada; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33124/23]
View answerIreland and Canada have a close relationship based on shared history and common values. There is a significant Irish diaspora in Canada and many Irish people travel to Canada each year to travel, live and work.
The Embassy of Ireland in Ottawa manages Ireland’s relations with Canada, supported by two Consulates General, in Vancouver and Toronto. Both Consulates General were opened in recent years, in 2018 and 2022 respectively. Given this significant recent investment in Ireland's diplomatic representation in Canada, part of the Global Ireland 2023 strategy, there is no current plan to open a third full-time Consulate General there, in Montreal or elsewhere.
In Canada, Honorary Consuls of Ireland in place in Edmonton, Calgary, Halifax, and St. John's. There is currently a process ongoing to appoint an Honorary Consul to the Province of Québec, who would cover the city of Montreal.
Montreal receives a steady number high level visits and engagement, including by Ministers and the Irish Ambassador to Canada. Minister of State for the Diaspora, Sean Fleming TD, will visit Canada later this month and his programme will include elements in Montreal.
Since the launch of the Government's Global Ireland strategy in June 2018, 22 new diplomatic missions have been opened or announced, including as stated previously the recently opened Consulates General in Vancouver and Toronto. Global Ireland aims to see Ireland’s global footprint and influence double in the period to 2025, including through an expanded and strengthened diplomatic presence.
The Government is conscious of the factors that might warrant the opening of new missions in a number of countries and keeps the matter under active review. In determining further expansion of Ireland's diplomatic network, including a possible future Consulate General in Montreal, factors including Ireland's national, political, economic and trade priorities, as well as the availability of resources, will be among the important factors under consideration.
52. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of instances in which his Department used unlicensed software and/or lapsed licenced software in the past ten years to date; the associated expenditure on same to remedy the situation; and the software that was being used. [33156/23]
View answerSecurity of digital resources is a key component of my Department's Digital Transformation Strategy. It is Departmental policy that no unauthorised or unlicensed computer software is permitted on its information and communications networks. Strict controls are in place to prevent installation of such software and a full inventory is maintained. No instance of misuse of software has been identified. Oversight is provided by the Governance Committee for Digital Transformation.
53. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications in 2008 when his officials were drafting the Western Fisheries Region Conservation of Trout Bye-Law No. 840, 2008, did the now defunct Western Regional Fisheries Board provide his Departmental officials with validated scientific data to show that rod and line angling was having a direct and measurable impact on brown trout stocks in Lough Corrib SAC; if his Departmental officials used any scientific data to ensure that the said bye-law was in compliance with the requirements of Regulation 31 of the European Communities (Natural Habitats) Regulations 1997 (S.I. No. 94 of 1997); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32860/23]
View answerI refer to Question No. 168 of 23 June. Bye-law 840 of 2008 is currently being reviewed by my Department, in conjunction with Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI), as part of the process referred to in that response.
The Bye-law relates to the conservation of trout which is not listed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) as a qualifying interest fish species under relevant legislation (SI 477 of 2011).
Notwithstanding this, as part of the current review, subject to the technical and scientific inputs of IFI and relevant legal advice, a screening for appropriate assessment will be carried out of any revised Bye-law in the context of the Habitats Directive.
The existing Bye-law No. 840, 2008 was recommended to the Department by the then Western Regional Fisheries Board (WRFB) following a comprehensive public consultation process.
Following the consultation process, the WRFB produced a document reflecting the views of stakeholders and setting out the main proposals for the Conservation of Wild Brown Trout. A copy of this document is attached for the Deputy's information.
54. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to provide a list of data and sources used to measure the 232 unique UN SDG Indicators in the Voluntary National Review to report Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) progress, broken down by the SDG they relate to (details supplied). [32888/23]
View answerThe Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and associated indicators are broad in scope and the data presented in the Voluntary National Review (VNR) has been sourced from a number of government departments, and agencies.
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) drafted Chapter 6 of the VNR which sets out what the data shows, including a dashboard summary of Ireland’s progress towards achieving the SDG targets using the UN indicator data set and includes an infographic per SDG, highlighting key figures and statistics prepared by the CSO. This is based on the statistical reports the CSO have published for each of the 17 SDGs which can be accessed at UN Sustainable Development Goals - CSO - Central Statistics Office
These reports have been developed in collaboration with the lead Department for each Goal as identified in the SDG Policy Map of the SDG National Implementation Plan. All the indicators under each goal are listed and the source of data for each SDG Indicator is marked clearly in the text. Progress towards the SDGs is measured in the CSO ‘Traffic Lights’ Report- “Measuring Ireland’s Progress Towards the SDG Targets 2019/2022” which uses data from the individual reports on the 17 SDGs and is available at Measuring Ireland’s Progress Towards The Sdg Targets – 2019/2022 (cso.ie).
55. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications regarding the March 2023 agreement to increase the pension of former workers at An Post, the reasons there has been a delay in payment to former workers; when they can expect to receive this payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32956/23]
View answerOn 9 March 2023 An Post wrote to my Department seeking consent to the second phase of their current pay agreement which provides for a 2% increase in pay from 1st January 2023. In addition to this, on foot of a recent Labour Court decision, An Post also wrote to my Department on 9 March seeking approval to make increases to pensions in payment and deferred pensions of a 5% increase from 1 January 2022 and a 1% increase from 1 July 2023.
In accordance with the relevant Code of Practice from the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, An Post must seek Ministerial approval to increase pensions and deferred pensions for members of the An Post superannuation scheme. As per Circular 16/2021, all such proposals require NewERA’s views, as well as a business case setting out the strategic, policy and financial rationale for the proposed increase. Circular 16/2021 states that pension approval requests should be submitted for approval well in advance of any decision to implement changes in acknowledgement of the necessary processes that must be completed and in order to ensure that pension increases are not unduly delayed. It should be recognised that the time taken for the pension approval process is necessary to ensure that robust governance procedures are in place.
Following receipt of the requests and associated documentation in recent weeks and months from An Post, the standard process is now being followed, with NewERA’s views and assessment by officials being required prior to the consent of both Ministers being sought.
Consideration of the consent requests is well advanced and a report from NewERA was submitted on 29 June. The two Shareholding Departments will now expedite consideration of the matter. It is not possible, at this point, to set out the specific timeframe within which the decision-making process will be concluded.
56. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his views regarding the constant electricity power cuts facing north County Dublin, including Donabate, Portrane, Swords, Rush and Lusk; his Department’s policy as to how this should be addressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32995/23]
View answerResponsibility for the regulation of the electricity market is a matter for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) which is an independent regulator, accountable to a committee of the Oireachtas and not the Minister. The CRU was assigned responsibility for the regulation of the Irish electricity sector following the enactment of the Electricity Regulation Act, 1999 and subsequent legislation.
The CRU is responsible for, inter alia, the regulation of the electricity system operators ESB Networks, Distribution, and Eirgrid, Transmission. Building, safely operating and maintaining the electricity system are functions which are assigned to the respective Distribution and Transmission system operators and for which they are accountable to the CRU.
Power outages for most customers will occur at the distribution network level and as such come within the remit of ESB Networks. ESB Networks are independent of the Minister in the exercise of their functions as network operators. The CRU and ESB Networks have respective contact email address for Deputies, of which they are aware, should they wish to raise matters of concern such as that raised in the question.
57. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the pay and any other benefits, including any loyalty payments/bonuses or other benefit-in-kind, of each chief executive of State/semi-State body or other public body under the aegis of his Department for each year since 2020, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33050/23]
View answerThe Annual Reports of the bodies under the aegis of my Department contain details of the remuneration of the CEOs’ and equivalents. The Annual Reports are generally available online at each bodies website and have been laid in the library of the Houses of the Oireachtas.
All directions issued by Government in relation to the remuneration of CEOs and equivalents have been brought to the attention of the relevant semi-State companies and agencies under the aegis of my Department.
58. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the timeline for the public consultation to be undertaken under Regulation (EU) 2023/955 establishing a Social Climate Fund under Article 5 of this Regulation which obliges Member States to undertake a public consultation with local and regional authorities, representatives of economic and social partners, relevant civil society organisations, youth organisations and other stakeholders when developing their social climate plans and requires each Member State to set reasonable timeframes for the public consultation, allowing sufficient time for the public to be informed, to participate and express its views. [33138/23]
View answerI welcome the recent adoption of the European regulation for the establishment of a Social Climate Fund. As set out in the 2023 Climate Action Plan, this Government is committed to a just transition towards a climate neutral Irish society by no later than 2050.
The preparation of the a Social Climate Plan, as required by the Regulation, will build on some of the ongoing work of my Department in this regard, including:
• Implementation of key measures needed to combat energy poverty in Ireland as published in the 2022 Energy Poverty Action Plan.
• The ongoing socially progressive National Residential Retrofit Plan that has been allocated €5 billion of carbon tax revenues to 2030.
• Redistribution of carbon tax revenues to support targeted social welfare payments to low-income households.
Last month, officials in my Department met with the European Commission and representatives of other Member States at the first Social Climate Fund formation of the Commission Expert Group on Climate Change Policy (CCEG – SCF) to discuss the implementation of the Social Climate Fund and the preparation of the Social Climate Plans. The group is currently considering how best to engage with the general public and accurately reflect their input in the Social Climate Plans.
Ireland proposes to use existing public engagement platforms, such as the National Dialogue on Climate Action (NDCA), where possible, to communicate with stakeholders. Officials in my Department are considering this, as well as other methods of engagement, and will prepare a plan outlining proposals for public engagement.
Ireland is uniquely positioned to address the stakeholder engagement element of the Social Climate Fund Regulation due to our NDCA, a well-established tool for public consultation. Initially founded in 2017, the NDCA has since become an integral component of raising awareness on and engagement with climate action in Ireland. A key pillar of the NDCA is to facilitate active engagement at regional and local levels in climate action and conduct public consultations. Further information on the NDCA can be found at: gov.ie - National Dialogue on Climate Action (NDCA) (www.gov.ie).
59. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications whether he has met with NAMA or sought a meeting with NAMA to discuss the issue of affordable housing delivery in the Poolbeg SDZ and the possible transfer of NAMA's 20% equity stake in Poolbeg to Dublin City Council to guarantee the delivery of the extra 15% affordable homes in the SDZ. [33142/23]
View answerI met with Brendan McDonagh, CEO of NAMA on the 12th of April this year to talk about a range of housing issues.
60. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of instances in which his Department used unlicensed software and/or lapsed licenced software in the past ten years to date; the associated expenditure on same to remedy the situation; and the software that was being used. [33154/23]
View answerControls and policies are in place to ensure only authorised software is permitted and used. These have been implemented and as a result, this scenario has not occurred in my Department.
61. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the pay and any other benefits, including any loyalty payments/bonuses or other benefit-in-kind, of each chief executive of State/semi-State body or other public body under the aegis of his Department for each year since 2020, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33047/23]
View answerThe only State body under the aegis of my Department is the Army Pensions Board.
The Army Pensions Board is an independent statutory body established under the Army Pensions Act 1927. The Act specifies that the Board shall consist of a chairman and two ordinary members. The two ordinary members must be qualified medical practitioners of whom one must be an officer of the Army Medical Corps. The chairman and the non military ordinary member are appointed by the Minister for Defence with the concurrence of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. The Chair of the Board is paid €7,619 per annum. The civilian medical practitioner is paid €5,079 per annum. Travel and subsistence is paid according to civil service rates as it arises. The remuneration has been the same amount for each year since 2020.
The Army Medical Corps ordinary member is appointed by the Minister for Defence on the recommendation of the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces and does not receive an additional salary in respect of duties as a member of the Board.
62. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the number of instances in which his Department used unlicenced software and/or lapsed licenced software in the past ten years to date; the associated expenditure on same to remedy the situation; and the software that was used. [33151/23]
View answerMy Department has procedures and controls in place to ensure that unlicensed software cannot be installed.
For security and operational reasons, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on specific details in relation to cybersecurity.
63. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Transport if a renewed emphasis could be placed by the NTA on the allocation of funding to rural towns and villages, as opposed to larger urban centres for active travel funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32883/23]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to Active Travel. Funding is administered through the National Transport Authority (NTA), who, in partnership with local authorities, have responsibility for the selection and development of specific projects in each local authority area.
The Government is committed to expanding our Active Travel and Greenway infrastructure network through the provision of walking and cycling facilities in our cities, towns, villages and rural areas. This commitment was demonstrated by the significant increase in funding to walking and cycling, with around €360 million allocated per annum over the lifetime of the Government.
Notwithstanding the above, while Local Authorities have the responsibility in identifying and submitting projects to the NTA for consideration, it is important to prioritise Active Travel investment in areas where it will have the highest impact in terms of modal shift away from private car use, which is often in our larger urban centres.
The 2023 Active Travel funding allocations to local authorities, available at www.nationaltransport.ie/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Combined_2023_ActiveTravel_Allocations.pdf, will fund over 1,000 projects across the country ranging from high-profile segregated cycling projects in our cities to cycle lane and footpath projects in smaller towns and villages. The NTA will continue to work with the various local authorities to identify projects which will have greatest impact as funding of Active Travel continues in the coming years.
64. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Transport if a driving test can be expedited for a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32896/23]
View answerThe Road Safety Authority (RSA) has statutory responsibility for all aspects of the National Driving Test Service. This includes test applications and scheduling matters. Neither I nor my Department have the power to intervene in individual cases. I believe that the RSA operates a fair and transparent appointment scheduling process such that those who are eligible and have been waiting the longest are offered a test first, while those who fulfil the criteria for being a frontline worker can apply for a emergency test. Full details are available on the RSA website at: Driver testing FAQs from the Road Safety Authority (RSA)
65. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport further to Parliamentary Question No. 31 of 2 March 2023, the degree to which his Department monitors the transfer of taxi licences; if he is aware of social media sites facilitating the transfer of licences; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32898/23]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, the transfer of licences for SPSVs is prohibited under section 14(1) of the Taxi Regulation Act, 2013. All SPSV vehicle licences are unique to the person to whom the licence has been issued and cannot be transferred or sold to another person.
In 2011, the Taxi Review Group examined standards and practice in the taxi sector. The Review Group considered that it was necessary to move away from a system whereby a licence would have value. Instead, a licence should determine a person’s suitability to carry out a function and it should not have monetary value or be traded on the open market. Therefore, the current licensing regime is built on this principle. The Advisory Committee on SPSVs sent advice to me on this subject which indicates that it is not in favour of reverting to a legal situation which allows for the transferability of SPSV licences. I have considered the Committee's Report and I accept the Committee's advice on this issue.
The regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry including licensing, is a matter for the independent transport regulator, the National Transport Authority (NTA), under the provisions of the Taxi Regulation Acts 2013 and 2016. I have no role in the day-to-day operations of the SPSV sector.
Accordingly, I have referred your question to the NTA for direct reply to you. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within 10 working days.
66. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport further to Parliamentary Question 31 of 2 March 2023, the number of section 15 nominations which have been made in each of the years 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32899/23]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, the transfer of licences for SPSVs is prohibited under section 14(1) of the Taxi Regulation Act, 2013. All SPSV vehicle licences are unique to the person to whom the licence has been issued and cannot be transferred or sold to another person.
In 2011, the Taxi Review Group examined standards and practice in the taxi sector. The Review Group considered that it was necessary to move away from a system whereby a licence would have value. Instead, a licence should determine a person’s suitability to carry out a function and it should not have monetary value or be traded on the open market. Therefore, the current licensing regime is built on this principle. The Advisory Committee on SPSVs sent advice to me on this subject which indicates that it is not in favour of reverting to a legal situation which allows for the transferability of SPSV licences. I have considered the Committee's Report and I accept the Committee's advice on this issue.
The regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry including licensing, is a matter for the independent transport regulator, the National Transport Authority (NTA), under the provisions of the Taxi Regulation Acts 2013 and 2016. I have no role in the day-to-day operations of the SPSV sector.
Accordingly, I have referred your question to the NTA for direct reply to you. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within 10 working days.
67. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport further to Parliamentary Question No. 31 of 2 March 2023, the number of enforcement actions taken for suspected breaches of Section 14(1) of the Taxi Regulation Act 2013 in each of the years 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32900/23]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, the transfer of licences for SPSVs is prohibited under section 14(1) of the Taxi Regulation Act, 2013. All SPSV vehicle licences are unique to the person to whom the licence has been issued and cannot be transferred or sold to another person.
In 2011, the Taxi Review Group examined standards and practice in the taxi sector. The Review Group considered that it was necessary to move away from a system whereby a licence would have value. Instead, a licence should determine a person’s suitability to carry out a function and it should not have monetary value or be traded on the open market. Therefore, the current licensing regime is built on this principle. The Advisory Committee on SPSVs sent advice to me on this subject which indicates that it is not in favour of reverting to a legal situation which allows for the transferability of SPSV licences. I have considered the Committee's Report and I accept the Committee's advice on this issue.
The regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry including licensing, is a matter for the independent transport regulator, the National Transport Authority (NTA), under the provisions of the Taxi Regulation Acts 2013 and 2016. I have no role in the day-to-day operations of the SPSV sector.
Accordingly, I have referred your question to the NTA for direct reply to you. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within 10 working days.
