Brendan Smith
Question:80. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Transport when the Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023 will come into force. [34604/23]
View answerLegislative Programme
Questions (80)
Written answers
The Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023 was recently signed into law by the President on 23 June 2023. This is a large piece of legislation which covers a multitude of topics.
In the Programme for Government, we committed to addressing a number of concerns, such as the use of e-scooters, variable speed limits, rollout out of zero to low emissions vehicles and the necessary infrastructure, BusConnects Projects, E-Bikes, and prohibiting the anti-social use of scramblers and quads. The Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023 will aid in the implementation of these commitments.
Work on the relevant commencement orders has already begun and it is anticipated that the first tranche of commencements will be completed by the end of July. The provisions commenced in this tranche will include a number of sections such as those relating to scramblers, BusConnects, variable speed limits, the Motor Insurance Database, penalty points for dangerous overtaking, and Local Authority powers in relation to maintenance works.
Work is ongoing on the remaining provisions to be commenced. It is anticipated that these will come into effect over the remainder of this year or in early 2024.
Dublin Bus
Questions (81, 82)
Martin Kenny
Question:81. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Transport to provide a breakdown of those resigning from Dublin Bus per year between 2017-2023, in tabular form. [34662/23]
View answerMartin Kenny
Question:82. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Transport to provide a breakdown of staffing levels within Dublin Bus per year between 2017-2023, in tabular form. [34663/23]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 81 and 82 together.
As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport; however, I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of public transport.
The queries raised by the deputy in relation to a breakdown of those resigning from Dublin Bus per year between 2017-2023, and a breakdown of staffing levels within Dublin Bus per year between 2017-2023, is an operational matter for Dublin Bus.
I have, therefore, referred the Deputy's questions to the company for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
A referred reply was forwarded to the Deputy under Standing Order 51
Question No. 82 answered with Question No. 81.
Fishing Industry
Questions (83)
Pádraig Mac Lochlainn
Question:83. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Transport what engagement he and his Department had prior to the introduction of the European Union (International Labour Organisation Work in Fishing Convention) (Safe Manning) Regulations 2023, SI 315/2023, and their impact on the Irish fishing industry; what plans he has for further engagement to discuss the impact; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34740/23]
View answerWritten answers
Ensuring that fishing vessels are sufficiently manned and that the crew working on board are appropriately trained are crucial for safety purposes. As referred to by the Deputy, I recently signed the European Union (International Labour Organisation Working in Fishing Convention) (Safe Manning) Regulations 2023 (SI 315/2023) which aim to achieve that objective.
Importantly, the regulations restate existing manning arrangements for fishing vessels which have been in force since 19 December 2019 and bring together the manning requirements for all fishing vessels, those 15m-24m in length and those over 24m, which had been set out in separate instruments up until now. They implement the manning requirements of the Annex to EU Directive 2017/159 implementing the Work in Fishing Convention. They also implement Regulation 14 of Chapter V of the Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea. Extensive consultation was undertaken with the social partners by the European Commission in the development of this Directive at EU level and then at national level by my Department with industry when developing the regulations to implement EU Directive 2017/159 in 2018 and 2019.
These regulations are progressively introducing a requirement for a safe manning document for all fishing vessels of 15m and over. They also set out the manning arrangements that must be put in place if there is no safe manning document in place. The manning requirements are being implemented over a four-year period which commenced in December 2019 to allow fishing vessel owners sufficient time to comply with its requirements.
The new manning regulations are part of a package of two new statutory instruments dealing with fishing vessel manning and qualifications, and are part of a modernisation of the arrangements for fishers. The manning regulations are complemented by the new certification arrangements set out in the Fishing Vessels (Certification of Deck Officers and Engineer Officers) Regulations 2023 (SI 313/2023) which were developed following a recent consultation process set out in Marine Notice 83 of 2022. These regulations provide for a new qualification of Skipper (Limited) less than 24m.
Once the 4-year transitional period ends on 19 December this year, all fishing vessels will be required to carry a safe manning document issued by the Marine Survey Office before proceeding to sea. In relation to fishing vessels operating in the limited area between 15m in length overall and less than 24m in length that do not have a safe manning document in place yet, the requirement is for one officer: either a Skipper Limited less than 24m or a Second Hand Special. This has been clarified in Marine Notice No 43 of 2023 on the Safe Manning Document for fishing vessels.
In addition to the transitional periods being provided since 19 December 2019, I would also like to highlight that Regulation 7(9) of SI 315/2023 allows for the owner and master of a fishing vessel to propose that only one qualified skipper is necessary for their vessel in their application for an initial safe manning document. If the Marine Survey Office is satisfied with this proposal, it will issue a safe manning document for the vessel that is valid for two years. This two-year period will allow the owner and master the additional time needed to ensure that their personnel receive appropriate training, including training to become qualified skippers, before applying for a new safe manning document. Throughout the process, the Marine Survey Office will work with fishing vessel owners and masters to ensure safety while maintaining operations.
There is no question of fishing vessels not being able to operate on foot of these regulations. I am sure the Deputy will agree that the safety of fishing vessels and their crew is the priority, and I am satisfied that requirements put in place, along with suitable transition periods, ensures we achieve that objective.
Road Projects
Questions (84)
Fergus O'Dowd
Question:84. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Transport if he is aware of a report received by Meath County Council recommending the progression of the Julianstown bypass; if so the details of same; if he can seek a full update on the status on the draft appraisal of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34743/23]
View answerWritten answers
The Department is aware that Meath County Council commissioned the preparation of a Strategic Assessment Report (SAR) concerning options in relation to a potential Julianstown bypass. The SAR was submitted to the Department for review in accordance with the then Public Spending Code. The appraisal of the scheme will now need to be considered in light of the Department’s revised Transport Appraisal Framework (TAF).
Tax Exemptions
Questions (85)
Pearse Doherty
Question:85. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance the estimated first and full-year saving associated with restricting the employer's PRSI exemption for share-based remuneration for all companies other than small, micro and SME companies. [34405/23]
View answerWritten answers
The Department of Finance has opened its pre-budget costings service, this is available with effect from 3 July 2023. The procedures for availing of this service are set out in a letter dated 3 July 2023 from the Secretary General of the Department to all recognised parties and technical groups in Dáil Éireann.
To ensure efficiency and fairness all costing requests should be made in this manner, via the standard request format template, instead of the Parliamentary Question system at this time.
Housing Schemes
Questions (86)
Jim O'Callaghan
Question:86. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Finance if he will detail in tabular form on a county basis how many homebuyers in each county have availed of the enhanced help-to-buy scheme since 23 July 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34457/23]
View answerWritten answers
The original Help to Buy (HTB) Scheme allowed for relief to the lesser of:
• €20,000
• 5% of the purchase price or approved valuation
• The amount of Income Tax (IT) and Deposit Interest Retention Tax (DIRT) paid for the 4 years prior to when the application is made
The enhanced HTB scheme allows for relief to the lesser of:
• €30,000
• 10% of the purchase price or approved valuation
• The amount of IT and DIRT paid for the 4 years prior to when the application is made
Where the relief allowed is less than €20,000, it is not possible, in the available data, to classify claims as being subject to the Enhanced HTB scheme, as their relief allowed may have been limited by their Income Tax and DIRT paid, rather than the percentage of the purchase price. However, it is possible to identify those claims where the cost to the Exchequer was impacted by the Enhanced HTB Scheme, that is, the relief allowed is greater than 5% of the purchase price/approved valuation.
The table below sets out the number of claims broken down by County where the relief exceeded €20,000 or exceeded more than 5% of the purchase price/approved valuation as of 7 July 2023.
|
County |
Number of Claims |
|
Carlow |
190 |
|
Cavan |
180 |
|
Clare |
330 |
|
Cork |
2,740 |
|
Donegal |
370 |
|
Dublin |
2,920 |
|
Galway |
980 |
|
Kerry |
240 |
|
Kildare |
2,780 |
|
Kilkenny |
330 |
|
Laois |
480 |
|
Leitrim |
50 |
|
Limerick |
580 |
|
Longford |
50 |
|
Louth |
780 |
|
Mayo |
400 |
|
Meath |
1,990 |
|
Monaghan |
200 |
|
Offaly |
350 |
|
Roscommon |
160 |
|
Sligo |
170 |
|
Tipperary |
310 |
|
Waterford |
490 |
|
Westmeath |
260 |
|
Wexford |
680 |
|
Wicklow |
780 |
|
Total |
18,790 |
Rental Sector
Questions (87)
Jim O'Callaghan
Question:87. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Finance if he will detail in tabular by county how many taxpayers are currently claiming the rent tax credit [34458/23]
View answerWritten answers
The Rent Tax Credit, as provided for in section 473B of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 (TCA 1997), was introduced by Finance Act 2022 and may be claimed in respect of qualifying rent paid in 2022 and subsequent years to end-2025.
Claims in respect of the 2022 year of assessment can be made by PAYE taxpayers by submitting an Income Tax return for that year. For claims relating to 2023, PAYE taxpayers have the option of claiming the rent tax credit due to them either as rent is incurred or at the end of the year through their Income Tax return.
I am advised by Revenue that the Rent Tax Credit statistics currently available refer only to claims by PAYE taxpayers for the 2022 tax year and the 2023 tax year to-date. Data on claims by self-assessed taxpayers is not yet available as these taxpayers’ returns are generally submitted later in the year. The statutory filing date for the 2022 tax return for self-assessed taxpayers is 31 October 2023.
Rent Tax Credit claims made are on a ‘taxpayer unit’ basis. A taxpayer unit is either an individual with any personal status who is singly assessed or a couple in a marriage or civil partnership who have elected for joint assessment.
I am further advised that over 266,120 Rent Tax Credit claims have been made by 238,066 taxpayer units up to and including the 9th July 2023, consisting of:
(i) 197,435 taxpayer units that made claims for 2022 only,
(ii) 28,054 taxpayer units that made claims for both 2022 and 2023, and
(iii) 12,577 taxpayer units that made claims for 2023 only.
These are set out by county in the table below.
|
County |
Number of Taxpayer Units Claiming up to 9 July 2023 |
|
Carlow |
2,095 |
|
Cavan |
1,854 |
|
Clare |
2,829 |
|
Cork |
26,533 |
|
Donegal |
2,878 |
|
Dublin |
110,614 |
|
Galway |
16,923 |
|
Kerry |
3,479 |
|
Kildare |
8,195 |
|
Kilkenny |
2,427 |
|
Laois |
1,790 |
|
Leitrim |
747 |
|
Limerick |
11,452 |
|
Longford |
1,335 |
|
Louth |
3,056 |
|
Mayo |
3,270 |
|
Meath |
4,207 |
|
Monaghan |
1,532 |
|
Offaly |
1,840 |
|
Roscommon |
1,493 |
|
Sligo |
2,726 |
|
Tipperary |
3,924 |
|
Waterford |
4,487 |
|
Westmeath |
3,381 |
|
Wexford |
3,601 |
|
Wicklow |
2,753 |
|
Not available currently |
8,645 |
|
Total |
238,066 |
Departmental Expenditure
Questions (88)
Seán Sherlock
Question:88. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Finance the amount paid by his Department in 2022 and to date in 2023 on outside or third-party reports of a technical nature or qualitative and quantitative nature, by payee, in tabular form. [34469/23]
View answerWritten answers
Details of outside/third-party report costs incurred by my Department in 2022 and 2023 to date are set out in the table below.
|
Year |
Reports |
Payee |
Amount (Ex-VAT)€ |
|
2022 |
Help to Buy Review |
Mazars |
€64,300 |
|
2022 |
Research, preparation, production and revision of research paper on outbound income flows related to direct investment |
Seamus Coffey |
€4,800 |
|
2022 |
Joint Research Programme on the Macroeconomy, Taxation and Banking* |
ESRI |
€235,148 |
|
2022 |
SME Credit Demand Survey (October-21 – March-22) ** |
Behaviour and Attitudes |
€56,000 |
|
2022 |
International Comparison of Banking Sectors, Retail Banking Review |
Deloitte Ireland |
€96,800 |
|
2022 |
Switch Your Bank consultancy, part 1** |
ESRI |
€56,790 |
|
2022 |
Banking Review survey |
Behaviour and Attitudes |
€61,800 |
|
2022 |
Report of interdepartmental review group on implementation of restrictive measures |
Dr. Conan McKenna |
€2,100 |
|
2022 |
Project Emerald |
KPMG |
€80,000 |
|
2022-2023 |
Delivery of technical solution for interconnection of registers to EU portal |
SIA Partners |
€212,312.50 |
|
2023 |
HBFI Benchmarking MEOP (Isif Rate) Report |
KPMG |
€30,000 |
|
2023 |
SME Credit Demand Survey (April-22 – Sept-22)** |
Behaviour and Attitudes |
€56,000 |
*The Joint Research Programme (JRP) is a shared programme between the Department of Finance, the Revenue Commissioners and the ESRI launched in 2015 to focus on a range of macroeconomic and taxation concerns in Ireland, with the programme later expanded in 2017 to include research on banking and financial stability issues in Ireland. In total, four projects were published under the JRP in 2022.
**The SME Credit Demand surveys are recouped from Bank of Ireland and Allied Irish Bank. The Switch Your Bank consultancy is recouped from Allied Irish Bank and Permanent TSB.
Public Sector Pay
Questions (89)
Michael Moynihan
Question:89. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Finance when arrears of pay due under Building Momentum 2022-2023 will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34552/23]
View answerWritten answers
I am informed that payroll for Revenue staff is managed by the National Shared Services Office (NSSO). Regarding the pay arrears due to a Revenue staff member under the Building Momentum Agreement, the NSSO has informed Revenue that it faced a number of significant challenges in delivering these increases in a short time frame. In response to this challenge, the NSSO created a dedicated project team, incorporating experts from both its HR and payroll areas. The NSSO has now completed over 99% of the February and October pay increases and is working hard to deliver the remaining arrears as quickly as possible. These remaining cases are complex and require extensive manual investigation, however, significant progress has been made to date and the NSSO has commenced processing arrears for these staff members, the first of which were made on pay day 22 June 2023. The NSSO is continuing to work through the outstanding cases and endeavour to process payment for those staff members in the coming months.
Tax Reliefs
Questions (90)
Paul Kehoe
Question:90. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Finance whether a person (details supplied) can apply for tax relief for health expenses for a procedure that is undertaken overseas and without a referral from a GP or service in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34561/23]
View answerWritten answers
The position is that section 469 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 provides for tax relief in respect of qualifying health care expenses.
Health care is defined as the “prevention, diagnosis, alleviation or treatment of an ailment, injury, infirmity, defect or disability, and includes care received by a woman in respect of a pregnancy”.
For the purposes of tax relief health expenses are expenses in respect of the provision of health care and may include the following:
• doctors’ and consultants’ fees;
• diagnostic procedures carried out on the advice of a practitioner;
• maintenance or treatment in a hospital or nursing home provided the expenses are necessarily incurred in association with the services of a practitioner or refer to diagnostic procedures carried out on the advice of a practitioner; and
• drugs or medicines prescribed by a practitioner.
A practitioner is defined in the section as "any person who is:
• registered in the register established under section 43 of the Medical Practitioners Act 2007,
• registered in the register established under section 26 of the Dentists Act, 1985, or
• in relation to health care provided outside the State, entitled under the laws of the country in which the care is provided to practice medicine or dentistry there".
I am advised by Revenue that based on the information provided, it would appear that the surgical procedure would qualify for tax relief, where the conditions outlined above are satisfied.
However, where the health care is available in the State but the patient opts, for whatever reason, to receive the health care elsewhere then no travel or accommodation expenses will qualify for tax relief.
Detailed guidance material regarding tax relief for health expenses (including how to make a claim) is available on Revenue’s website at the following links:
• www.revenue.ie/en/personal-tax-credits-reliefs-and-exemptions/health-and-age/health-expenses/index.aspx
• www.revenue.ie/en/tax-professionals/tdm/income-tax-capital-gains-tax-corporation-tax/part-15/15-01-12.pdf
Tax Exemptions
Questions (91)
Steven Matthews
Question:91. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider an adjustment to the tax exemption limit of €200 per annum for domestic solar microgeneration to further incentivise their installation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34577/23]
View answerWritten answers
Micro-generation of electricity is the small-scale production of electricity by consumers who generate electricity at their own homes for their own consumption and sell the excess electricity produced.Section 216D in the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 provides for an exemption of up to €200 from income tax, USC and PRSI for certain profits arising to a qualifying individual who generates energy from renewable, sustainable or alternative energy sources for their own consumption. The profits which are exempted are those from the generation of residual electricity at an individual’s qualifying residence from 1 January 2022 until 31 December 2024.Any income in excess of this €200 which is earned from micro-generated electricity must be declared by the individual on their annual tax return and will be subject to income tax, USC and PRSI in the usual manner.The exemption is available to any individual who is the electricity bill payer, and who resides in the property. If there are two or more people named on the electricity bill, each person may avail of the €200 exemption.The aim of the tax exemption is to remove the potential administrative barrier that could be created by the declaration and payment of tax on a relatively modest amount of income earned from the micro-generation of electricity from renewable, sustainable or alternative forms of energy. The €200 disregard was set to ensure that the majority of domestic renewables self-consumers, who typically have an installation of below 6kW, will pay no tax on income from this source. It is not intended to act as a financial incentive in and of itself.With regard to income, it is a general principle of taxation that, as far as possible, income from all sources should be subject to taxation. Ireland has a progressive income tax system which is structured such that the more income you have, the more tax you pay. As a person’s income increases they move up through the various rates and bands and, as a result, while the levels of net pay increase overall, the amount of tax they pay also increases.While decisions regarding taxation measures are usually made in the context of the annual Budget and Finance Bill process, I currently do not have any plans to increase the amount of the disregard.
Film Industry
Questions (92)
Steven Matthews
Question:92. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Finance the position regarding supports for the non-scripted television sector (details supplied) in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33494/23]
View answerWritten answers
As part of his Budget 2023 speech, my predecessor Minister Donohoe announced that he had instructed officials to explore opportunities to support the unscripted sector. This process is currently being undertaken within my Department. However, while this process is on-going, it is, as stated, an exploration of options and it should not be taken as an indication that a tax credit or alternative form of support for the unscripted sector will be introduced. My officials will present the outcomes of this analysis to me for consideration when complete.
The Deputy may be aware that there is an audio-visual tax credit in place in the form of the Section 481 film tax credit. This credit does not however cover unscripted works.
Section 481 provides relief in the form of a corporation tax credit related to the cost of production of certain films. Finance Bill 2022 provided for the extension of Section 481 from its current end date of 31 December 2024 to 31 December 2028. This extension is subject to European Commission approval. Extension of the relief in advance of this date demonstrates this Government’s commitment to the Irish audio-visual industry, and is intended to provide certainty regarding the future availability of the relief. This certainty will foster further confidence in Ireland as a centre of excellence for screen production.
State Bodies
Questions (93)
Thomas Gould
Question:93. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the public bodies that currently operate a barter account, and the amount processed through these accounts in the past 12 months, in tabular form. [34456/23]
View answerWritten answers
I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department does not operate a barter account. This is also the position with regard to the bodies under the aegis of my Department.
The position is respect of other Departments and the bodies under their aegis would need to be the subject of separate Questions to the relevant Ministers.
Departmental Expenditure
Questions (94)
Seán Sherlock
Question:94. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the amount paid by his Department in 2022 and to date in 2023 on outside or third-party reports of a technical nature or qualitative and quantitative nature, by payee, in tabular form. [34475/23]
View answerWritten answers
The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the table below.
|
Supplier |
Report Title / Purpose |
Amount Paid |
|
CAAS Ltd |
Environmental Consultancy |
€30,565 |
|
Institute of Public Administration |
Review of organisational capacity for climate action within the Civil Service |
€15,000 |
|
OECD |
Study to examine the efficiency and effectiveness of the public procurement processes in Ireland |
€50,000 |
|
EY Ireland |
Review of inflation provisions in contracts published under the Capital Works Management Framework |
Nil to-date (€9,500 to be paid before the end of the year) |
|
Sonas |
Analysis and design of data, processes and systems allowing the identification of Data Models / Schema Definitions for the current Self-Assessment Questionnaire for Public Works Contracts |
€62,730 |
|
Great Place to Work Ireland |
Surveying and reporting qualitative and quantitative data in relation to employee engagement in the Office of Government Procurement as part of the Great Place to Work Programme |
€24,108 |
|
KHSK |
Preparation of report relating to legal proceedings |
€5,314 |
|
Storm Technology |
External Assessment of the capabilities and effectiveness of the eDocs document and records management solution |
€30,000 |
|
IPSOS |
Customer satisfaction survey in the context of the FOI review |
€9,889 |
|
Mazars |
e-cohesion information security audit |
€13,591 |
|
Mazars |
e-cohesion information security audit follow up |
€6,150 |
|
Indecon Economic Consultants |
Research / Consultancy on the Review of the Distribution and Utilisation of National Lottery Funding |
€90,774 |
|
Indecon Economic Consultants |
Report relating to the open data strategy |
€28,044 |
|
Gerry Finn Consultant |
Preparation of Partnership Agreement 2021-2027 (Cohesion Funds) document, including chairing of workshop and producing a Final Moderators Report |
€2,250 |
|
Institute of Public Administration |
Research to inform the development of guidance for Departments preparing action plans to address the recommendations of an Organisational Capability Review |
€15,300 |
Departmental Expenditure
Questions (95)
Louise O'Reilly
Question:95. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the breakdown of the €750 million in non-core expenditure listed as "other" in the summer economic statement (details supplied); and the monetary value of funding from that non-core expenditure which will be set aside for the temporary business energy support scheme. [34510/23]
View answerWritten answers
The 2023 Summer Economic Statement (SES) was published on 4 July 4. The SES sets out the Government’s medium-term budgetary strategy and outlines the fiscal parameters within which discussions will take place ahead of Budget 2024. In planning the fiscal and budgetary response for 2024, Government will continue a balanced approach of supporting society while seeking to ensure fiscal sustainability.
In addition to additional core expenditure package of €5.2 billion, bringing core spending to €91.2 billion, Budget 2024 will also provide for non-core spending of €4 billion.
This non-core funding will continue Government's support for measures towards mitigating the temporary challenges our society is facing. This overall amount includes €2½ billion to provide humanitarian supports for arrivals to Ireland from Ukraine, €¾ billion for areas experiencing legacy impacts from the Covid-19 pandemic and an indicative €¾ billion for other non-core challenges.
This ‘other’ provision will provide for areas including necessary project funding to address the impact of Brexit, implementation of existing projects under our National Recovery and Resilience Plan and funding for RePowerEU projects. Exact allocations for each of these categories and other areas where there are expected to be temporary funding needs will be determined as part of the 2024 Estimates process.
The Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme (TBESS) was put in place to support businesses with increasing energy costs. €650 million was made available in 2022 with a further €650 million provided for eligible claims in 2023. At this point no provision has been made for the scheme under the 2024 ceiling. As such the reference to the TBESS in the footnote of the table referenced only applies to 2023.
Public Sector Pay
Questions (96)
Niall Collins
Question:96. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 394 of 13 June 2023, when a retired person (details supplied) will receive their FEMPI restoration of pay given that the target deadline has been missed; the reason such a delay is being experienced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34576/23]
View answerWritten answers
In response to your pension-related query on behalf of your constituent, I am informed by the National Shared Services Office (NSSO), who administer the pensions of retired civil servants, that they have been in contact with the HR Department of his former employer to determine what increase may be due to his pension.
Once clarified, any increase due to the pension will be processed. Once this has happened, we will ensure an update for the Deputy.
Office of Public Works
Questions (97)
Thomas Gould
Question:97. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the total cost, broken down by category, including advertising and social media advertising, for an event titled “The Elizabethan Conquest of Ireland” in Doneraile on 16 July; the number of additional staff broken down by grade above the usual staff complement; whether speaker fees will be paid; if so, the amount; whether travel and accommodation will be covered; whether the event was initiated by the OPW or the proposed speaker; the number of tickets for sale; and the number that are available or have been offered complimentary for the event. [34608/23]
View answerWritten answers
The OPW will reply directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
Equality Issues
Questions (98)
Cian O'Callaghan
Question:98. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the current status of Action 2.1 of the National LGBTI Inclusion Strategy (for which his Department is responsible), to implement LGBTI+ inclusive recruitment practices across the public sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34695/23]
View answerWritten answers
As the Deputy is aware, my Department has policy responsibility for recruitment to the civil service. As reflected in the Civil Service Renewal 2024 Strategy, the civil service is strongly committed to equality of opportunity for all in terms of its recruitment and employment practices, and building a more diverse and inclusive workforce that is reflective of Ireland and the people it serves.
The Public Appointments Service (PAS), which is a body under the aegis of my Department, is the primary recruiter for the civil service and some parts of the public service. PAS are committed to recruiting a diverse workforce with the skills and attributes to meet the future challenges of the public service. Three key areas of focus include:
• better knowledge and understanding of who works in our civil service,
• creating more inclusive and equitable processes for all candidates, and
• leading by example in creating and encouraging their clients to foster more inclusive work places.
Several pieces of work are underway that will support underrepresented groups in general to access opportunities in the civil and public sector. A key priority is to develop a data driven, evidence-based diversity profile of candidates throughout the recruitment process. To achieve this priority PAS commissioned the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) to review their equality data. As part of the project, the ESRI assessed the robustness of their equality data by conducting a ‘health check’ and analysed data relating to over 1,000 competitions across the civil and public service (over 2019-2021). A deep dive was also undertaken in relation to ethnicity, gender, and disability. PAS are now working to publish equality data reports on a regular basis in order to better understand the makeup of the workforce.
Workforce equality data provides powerful insights into the composition of a workforce. This type of data will enable organisations to identify and address inequality of access, discrimination and under representation. This year’s Civil Service Engagement Survey, issued by my Department, will ask, for the first time, equality monitoring questions including membership of LGBTQ+ community, to further enhance our understanding of diversity in the civil service.
The PAS Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (ED&I) participated in Pride@Workconference on 23 May, part of this year’s Dublin Pride, on a panel entitled “The Data Don’t Lie,” which discussed the importance of equality monitoring data to drive diversity and inclusion for LGBTQ+ colleagues. PAS staff also hosted a stall during the conference to promote careers in the civil service for the LGBTQ+ community. The Civil Service offers support to all of its employees to engage and participate in LGBTQ+ events representing their respective organisations.
An ED&I diagnostic review of PAS’ internal and external recruitment operations took place in 2022 and recommendations to drive inclusion from that review are currently being implemented.
PAS have also developed a School Resource Kit to bring careers in the civil and public sector to life for young people from all backgrounds and in this resource kit PAS profile people from all backgrounds including members of the LGBT+ community.
Furthermore, OneLearning, the Civil Service Learning and Development Shared Service Centre based within my Department, provides staff with the opportunity to undertake a self-guided eLearning module developed by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) on Equality and Human Rights in the Public Service. This eLearning module has been developed to support and enable staff to understand and meet their obligations under the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty (Public Sector Duty) within public bodies and to support the goal to develop more diverse and inclusive workplaces. Since its inception this eLearning programme has been completed by 2,060 staff, with a further 404 going through it at the moment. A further instructor-led module entitled "Equality and Human Rights: Understanding Your Role (Level 1)" was launched in January 2023 and has been completed by 180 staff.
Equality Issues
Questions (99)
Cian O'Callaghan
Question:99. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the current status of Actions 2.3 and 3.1 of the National LGBTI Inclusion Strategy (for which his Department is responsible), specifically regarding the inclusion of diversity and inclusion perspectives in Civil Service training courses since the start of this year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34696/23]
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Ensuring all OneLearning courses reflect Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in their content, is a guiding principle in the development of all OneLearning courses. OneLearning provides training for Civil Servants across all grades, organisations and locations. Contracts were signed in 2021 for a range of new Civil Service-wide training courses, including four specifically related to EDI (for general staff, people managers and senior leaders).
Leadership, Customer Service and People Management courses have Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) principles embedded throughout. In 2022 and 2023, 25 new courses have been developed by OneLearning in these areas and are available for Civil Servants to enrol in with another Customer Service course due to be launched in the coming weeks.
In addition, the OneLearning Learning Management System hosts the IHREC eLearning module ‘Equality and Human Rights in the Public Service'. The eLearning module provides those who complete it with an understanding of equality, human rights and the Public Sector Duty, and how to put the learning into practice in their day-to-day work.
OneLearning and the Civil Service Employee Assistance Service (CSEAS) host at least one Health and Wellbeing webinar a month covering a range of topics, including EDI from a personal perspective e.g. three webinars for Civil Servants, were hosted throughout June 2023, to celebrate Pride month:
• Pride Month – Letters and Stripes, delivered by Pride at Work. A presentation on the evolving LGBTQI+ terminology, with an emphasis on understanding pronouns, the differences between sexual orientation, gender identity and biological sex.
• Pride Month – The Journey of Pride, delivered by Pride at Work . On the history of Pride and LGBTQI+ activism and how that activism has shaped and influenced generations of LGBTQI+ people.
• Pride Month - Growing up in Ireland as a transgender woman, delivered by Jenny Behan. A personal account of Jenny’s experience of being a transwoman in Ireland – offering an insight into her experiences before and after transition and the issues currently facing the Transgender community, and indeed the LGBTQI+ group as a whole.