Vol. 1040 No. 6
34. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to outline the interaction his Department has had with the Department of Transport with respect to the delivery of projects under the NDP; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30990/23]
The question arises from a report that the Department of Transport has a major underspend so far this year. Will the Minister comment on this? Is this the case? If there will be an underspend at the year's end, is the money to be handed back to his Department? Was there an underspend last year?
The following figures for 2023 are in the public domain and I have no doubt that they have prompted the Deputy's question. At the end of May, the cumulative net capital expenditure for the Department of Transport was €2.343 billion which was 19.1% behind the profile of €2.89 billion.
The Department of Transport has a capital underspend versus where it was a year ago. It is not so far behind where it is on profile. I have had a lot of engagement with the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, on this. His view is that with continued focus on this issue throughout the year, there should be no underspend or it will be minimal. I am very aware of the recent history we have had in large capital Departments underspending. I will work closely with the Minister, Deputy Ryan, on that to try to minimise the risk developing with the Department of Transport.
I thank the Minister for his comprehensive response. What was the situation last year? Was there an underspend last year? If so, what was it and what happened to that funding? Was it handed back to his Department or what happens in cases such as that?
Is he concerned about roads projects that are advanced to a certain level, costing in some cases millions of euro, and then halted? If they are halted for quite a while, they might have to start again, including public consultation and so on. Is the Minister or his Department concerned about the loss of finance in such instances? The Mallow relief road is a project I have brought to the attention of the House previously and on which quite a lot of money has been spent. This is going back quite a while, when the Minister was Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport. He okayed the project. Now it has been halted for the sake of €1.4 million that was expected by the local authority and TII but was not delivered. The Minister for Transport says that a shortage of money in his Department has stopped the project. Mallow town is truly suffering because of lorries and cars passing through the main street, which they should not do. The town has a very good project, which includes active travel, cycling, walkways and so on. It is at an advanced level and it has been halted or no reason whatsoever. The reason I have been given is lack of finance.
I was very interested in the Minister's response to Deputy Stanton's question. There seems to be a theme of underspend within the Department of Transport. I understand that part of that probably relates to the fact that a lot of these projects must be shovel-ready.
On that note, there is a project that could have a massive benefit nationally, namely the EuroVelo routes. This is a cycling route that extends from the Continent right up to Scandinavia, with the west coast of Ireland, in particular, being part of that. These are not greenways or dedicated cycling routes; they are shared spaces. The project presents a fantastic opportunity to upgrade rural coastal roads in order that they are improved not only for drivers but also, most importantly, for people on bikes who decide to do these incredibly successful EuroVelo routes, which see families all over Europe participating in cycling. That is a shovel-ready project if expenditure is being sought.
Thank you for letting me in, a Chathaoirligh. Deputy Stanton has asked a vital question. As I said in my previous contribution, the underspend in the Department of Transport last year was €193 million. The N17 project needs only a small allocation to continue its development for such vital infrastructure. It does not make sense at all. I know the Minister will say it is for the Department of Transport to examine and the project is its responsibility but somebody in his Department not only needs to examine these cases but also hold Departments to account while also providing them with what they need to ensure that these projects that were committed to are delivered. There are mixed messages coming from the different strands of government. People in these locations who are dependent on this roads infrastructure do not know where they stand with the Government. It would be good if the Minister could bring some clarity to the matter.
One of many issues I have relates to the Ardee to Castleblayney bypass scheme on the N2 and the fact that an allocation of €600,000 - it does not matter whether that comes from a Minister or the TII - was made to Monaghan County Council, which is the lead on the scheme, to meet commitments but it is not sufficient to even cover the design phase. We are talking about a determination that was made to upgrade a road rather than to build a new road or whatever else. It was all making complete sense. What is happening now does not make any sense from a money point of view or from a safety point of view. This infrastructure needs to be built but, once again, it falls into the quagmire as regards Government determinations. We really need to look at the means by which those determinations are made.
As I explained in dealing with the more general questions earlier in this session, it is the responsibility of individual Ministers regarding particular capital projects for which they are responsible. It is also the case at the moment that the Department of Transport in the latest Exchequer returns that we published for May was pointing to a capital underspend. The Minister and his Department are confident that as they move through that year, either that underspend will be minimised or it will come in broadly in line with the spend it has profiled. I have heard the views of Deputies on individual roads projects and I am happy to raise those particular matters with the Minister on their behalf.
I return to the questions I asked. Was there an underspend last year and, if so, how much was it and was any of that funding returned?
Is the Minister concerned with projects that have cost in some cases millions of euro being abandoned, with the risk of that funding being lost or wasted?
There was an underspend last year. I can come back to the Deputy with the figure; I do not have it now. His question referred to particular projects rather than the overall budget. I can get that information for the Deputy and I will make sure he gets it tomorrow.
As for projects being abandoned, there is no budgetary reason that I am aware of for projects of a certain level to which the Department is committed stopping. I am not aware of such a reason they cannot move forward. As I said, looking at where we are up to the end of May, from a capital spend point of view, there was an underspend for this year. It may be the case that as the Minister looks to the medium term, he is worried about the inability of all these projects to be funded in a few years. That could be a reason. However, looking at where we are at the moment, inside this year there is a capital underspend, but I am assured that it will be minimised as the year goes on. I will work with the Minister for Transport on that.
35. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if he has had any engagement or correspondence with the Minister for Justice or her Department on issues concerning the pensions of post-1995 prison officers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30908/23]
Has the Minister had any engagement or correspondence with the Minister for Justice or her Department on issues concerning the pensions of post-1995 prison officers, and will he make a statement on the matter?
As the Deputy may be aware, I have overall policy responsibility in respect of public service occupational pension schemes payable to retired public servants.
For all new entrants to the public service on or after 6 April 1995 and before 1 January 2013, pension payment comprises three components: a public service occupational pension payable by the public service employer; social insurance benefits payable by the Department of Social Protection; and, where the full rate of the State pension contribution is not payable, a supplementary pension equivalent to a non-integrated pension, which is payable by the public service employer.
Where the public servant does not qualify for the State pension contribution or qualifies for a social insurance benefit at less than the value of the State pension contribution, he or she may be entitled to a supplementary pension, subject to eligibility criteria. Those criteria include whether the retired public servant is in paid employment; whether the retired public servant, due to no fault of his or her own, fails to qualify for social insurance benefits or qualifies for a benefit at less than the value of the State pension contribution; and the retired public servant must have reached the minimum pension age or retired on grounds of ill health. The second condition is important to ensure no duplication of payments from public funds.
My Department is aware that there are some issues concerning the procedures for qualifying for the payment of an occupational supplementary pension and we have liaised with the Department of Justice on these matters. My officials are currently reviewing the processes involved to establish if there is a more efficient and streamlined approach to the procedures because we appreciate the importance of the issues being raised. However, reducing the administrative burden is likely to include a technological solution that will require some time to agree and implement.
The issue of retirement age and supplementary pension for prison officers is very important to me.
As the Minister knows, the pensions of post-1995 prison officers are integrated with the contributory State pension. Pensions of members recruited on or after April 1995 comprise two elements, those being, a partial pension paid by the employer and the contributory State pension. The Prison Officers Association recently raised the matter of the supplementary pension at its annual conference, pointing out that there was a lack of clarity for its members. The Minister is probably aware that the then Minister for Justice, Deputy Harris, wrote to the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform and to the Minister for Social Protection in an effort to find a resolution to the issue. Policy around public sector pay is a matter for the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform and I know that its Minister, Deputy Donohoe, is anxious to see that this issue is sorted. As the situation stands, staff are required upon retirement to attend their local social welfare offices to sign on as being available and looking for work, and in some cases to fulfil the criteria associated with that.
I am aware of some of the issues involved. My Department is engaging with the Department of Justice and other Departments on the matter. We are going to commence a consultative process with stakeholders to see if there is a way in which we can streamline the process involved in accessing the pension and dealing with some related issues. I cannot give the Deputy a commitment or guarantee this evening about whether or how this matter can be resolved, as there are some issues that are important from the point of view of equity and how we treat other citizens, but we are examining the matter. If there is any progress, I will let the Deputy know.
I thank the Minister. I will provide two examples of where I was contacted about people who had to retire on grounds of age. They were both post-1995 recruits but were treated differently. One prison officer from Dublin attended his welfare office and asked for a letter stating that he was not looking or available for work. He received that letter and forwarded it to the National Shared Services Office, NSSO, and his pension was paid in full without it being necessary to sign on and meet the jobseeker’s allowance criteria. A second prison officer in a different county had to sign on and do a course prescribed by social welfare officers, and he could not go on holidays for more than two weeks without losing his payment.
It would make sense for the pension to be administered by the NSSO from day one. There would be no extra cost for the Government and would save the Department of Social Welfare time and effort, which would be important.
Mine is a similar issue. Some of the rules on forced retirements and so forth were introduced to address pensions, particularly in the Defence Forces. These rules are from a different time. The Minister has allowed short-term fixes so that particular ranks can stay on beyond 50 years of age, which is welcome. He mentioned the interdepartmental working group. What is its timeline? Could there be a short-term fix as we await the group’s outworking? I hope it can offer a solution. There is a significant retention issue in the Defence Forces. I imagine all of us have been approached about anomalous abatement situations. That might be a wider conversation, but the issue needs to be addressed.
With respect, the issue Deputy Ó Murchú has raised is completely different from the question I am dealing with at the moment. Deputy Murnane O’Connor is asking me about prison officers whereas Deputy Ó Murchú is asking me about the Defence Forces. I am happy to revert to Deputy Ó Murchú on his issue at some point, but they are different matters.
I would appreciate that.
The question submitted by Deputy Murnane O’Connor refers to an issue that has a particular relevance for a certain group of prison officers and how they are accessing their pensions. We are aware of the issue and we are examining it. If she gives me the specifics of the cases she described, I will feed them into the process. The Minister, Deputy Harris, has also raised the issue with me.
I thank the Minister.
37. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform for an overview of the progress made to date under national strategic outcome, NSO, 7 of the National Development Plan 2021-2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30879/23]
Will the Minister provide an overview of the progress made to date under NSO 7 of the National Development Plan 2021-2030 and will he make a statement on the matter?
I will indeed. It has just occurred to me that, in the Deputy’s other question on the national development plan, he put to me a specific point about a cycleway or greenway and I did not revert to him. If he gives me details in the context of the discussions I am having with the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, on transport funding, I will raise the matter with him. I meant to revert to the Deputy on it.
I thank the Minister.
NSO 7 of the national development plan relates to enhancing amenities and heritage. It recognises that our cultural heritage is as an essential component, not only in our response to the profound climate challenge we are facing, but also in how we make our cities, towns and villages the kinds of environment we want communities to live and prosper in. There are ongoing investments in the maintenance and upgrading of the national parks and nature reserves throughout the country to enhance conservation, improve visitor facilities and develop new routes. The Wexford Wildfowl Reserve visitor centre is a good example of such a facility. In 2022, €8 million was provided to assist the National Monuments Service and built heritage with the conservation and restoration of our built heritage across the country through the Historic Structures Fund and the built heritage investment scheme.
The Government continues to support our cultural institutions in many different ways. I could mention projects such as the Crawford Art Gallery, which the Deputy is undoubtedly familiar with, the wider urban regeneration under way in Limerick and the work being done to ensure that our National Archives are made available digitally, which is an amazing project. Great work is under way in supporting facilities across the country. These are the three ways in which we are delivering against that objective in the plan.
NSO 7 is a broad area and the Minister tried to focus on various areas of expenditure. Great work is being done in terms of investments. The Minister probably has no idea which area I will focus on, so I will tell him: tourism. There is supposed to be strategic investment in tourism under NSO 7. This overlaps with investment in sports. I firmly believe that Ireland can put itself in a position to be a leader in Europe and, potentially, the world in terms of outdoor activities and pursuits and adventure tourism, for example, sailing, mountain biking, hiking and whale watching, something in which I have a keen interest. Ireland has it all, but we lack two elements: a strategy for outdoor adventures and becoming the New Zealand of the northern hemisphere; and investment in infrastructure. For whale watching and sailing, we need piers and harbours. For mountain biking, we need trails.
Mine is a general question, but we need to consider this matter seriously in terms of positioning Ireland in Europe.
I take the Deputy's point. If I look at the projects that are under way in different parts of our country, for example, the greenways we have developed and some of the projects I mentioned, it appears to me that we have a sharp focus on how we can invest in either amenities or sporting facilities to create the kind of atmosphere described by the Deputy. If he has particular projects in mind or knows of examples of things we are not doing, he might share them with me in his response.
My own sense of it generally is that I have rarely seen as much funding going into the area as is the case at the moment. As I travel around different parts of the country as part of my work, let alone hoping to go on holiday in Ireland later on in the year, I can see lots of great things happening from an amenity perspective.
To be fair to the Minister, the first piece is to put the strategy in place in terms of what outdoor activities we focus on and that we become leaders in. Is it hiking, mountain biking, sailing, kayaking or whale watching? There is obviously an overlap then in Departments because for something like whale watching or sailing, we need pier and harbour infrastructure, which is improving, but there is a whole section of coast - I am thinking of Cork which has the longest coastline in the country - where investment is needed. That is what I am talking about.
While I am here, the Minister mentioned investment in sports infrastructure and I am hoping he has an update on when we can press "Go" on the sports capital grant scheme and start inviting clubs to apply.
As I said, if the Deputy has particular projects that he believes are not being progressed because we do not have a broad strategy in place for them, I am sure he will let me know about them. When I engage with the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, and their officials, I have a sense of their huge commitment to this area and to trying to make a difference. I will follow up on behalf of Deputy O'Sullivan with the Minister of State regarding sports capital funding. I have already engaged extensively with him on the matter and I too look forward to seeing that round go ahead.
38. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 41 of 11 May 2023, the status of the review of the programme for the Coirib go Cósta flood relief scheme; the status of the revised programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30904/23]
My question relates to flooding defence works in Galway and the absence of any progress or urgent progress in relation to the matter. Specifically, I seek an update on the status of the review of the programme of the Coirib Go Cósta flood relief scheme and the status of the revised programme. I ask that question because I was on Galway City Council previously and left in 2016. At that point, the catchment flood risk assessment and management, CFRAM, works were coming to an end. A huge amount of work was carried out by the Office of Public Works, OPW, with hundreds of maps produced. The work started in 2012. I left the council in 2016 and here we are, in 2023, with the programme being revised and reviewed but no works to date.
The Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, has asked me to answer his questions relating to the OPW this evening.
In response to the Deputy’s question and previous questions with respect to the status of the Coirib go Cósta project, I am happy to provide an update. As the Deputy is aware, major flood relief schemes involve complex engineering and construction operations that can impact on people's living, built and natural environment and therefore require lengthy planning and decision lead-in times. The process follows a number of stages, from feasibility through procurement and public consultation to construction. It is important that the work is done correctly and achieves its objectives. Detailed technical analysis is required to establish the most appropriate solution, technically and environmentally, from a range of possible mitigation options.
As previously stated, while not complete, early indications from the ongoing hydrological and hydraulic modelling for the scheme indicate that there may be a requirement to provide significantly more defences across the city than was originally anticipated through the CFRAM programme.
Part of stage one, which is project appraisal, for any flood relief scheme is the review and update of design flow and water level data. On the Coirib go Cósta project this review and update, since completion of the western CFRAM study, have resulted in several years of additional flow and water level recordings being utilised, which, together with detailed wave overtopping analysis, has resulted in a potentially significant increase in flood risk to several areas of Galway city. This increase in flood risk is primarily due to higher tidal design levels and an increase in wave overtopping volumes, which has led to larger flood extents and a greater number of properties that are potentially affected.
The process of confirming the scope, though time-consuming and complex, is an important part of the project and, as previously advised, will result in an impact on the scheme's programme. The Deputy should also note that although the programme will be extended, other aspects of the project are continuing to progress. It is expected that these additional flood relief works will be scoped and agreed in the third quarter of 2023 between Galway City Council, the OPW and the scheme consultants and that the revised project programme will then be made available and uploaded to the project website.
I thank the Minister of State, who used the phrase "as previously advised" a few times. As previously advised, I was told it would be ready in the first quarter of this year. As previously advised in response to my next question in May, I was told it would be finished at the end of June. Now the Minister of State has moved it on to another quarter. We are talking about eight areas in Galway and I am going to be parochial because it is my area. The areas in question are Nimmo's Pier, Claddagh Quay, Raven Place, Eglinton Canal, Wolf Tone Bridge, Merchant's Quay, Long Walk in the New Docks, Salthill area 1 and Salthill area 2. Can I have some dates please and a sense of urgency? I realise the complexity of the works. I realise that Galway city is a particularly beautiful city architecturally, as demonstrated by the Eglinton Canal opened in 1852 by Lord Eglinton. I spent 17 years of my life on the local authority. I know the work that went into this. My serious concern is with the failure to make progress. There has been an utter failure and the timeline keeps shifting. Like water spilling, the date keeps shifting and changing.
I appreciate that the Minister of State may not have the details now but it is my understanding that the Crossmolina flood relief scheme is waiting to be signed off in the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. All of the environmental reports have been done and, as I understand it, everything else has been done. We are just waiting for it to be signed off. Will the Minister of State let me have an update on that and confirm whether that is actually the case? That is the information I have been receiving for several months now.
I want to join this conversation, if possible. There are various projects, like those described by my colleagues, that were urgently required many years ago. The need was demonstrated many years ago. Particularly in relation to flooding relief, the emphasis now is on re-flooding areas. I would hate to think that in deference to re-flooding, we might put on the back burner those projects that were urgent many years ago and are equally, if not more, urgent now. Progress needs to be visible in the shortest possible time.
In response to Deputy Connolly regarding dates, the only date I have available is that the scoping of the revised works should be agreed in the third quarter of 2023 between Galway City Council, the OPW and the scheme consultants. I am happy to take any additional questions that she wants to refer to me or to the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan.
Deputy Conway-Walsh asked whether the Crossmolina flood relief scheme is waiting to be signed off in the Department. I will have to check on the status of that scheme. I am happy to revert to the Deputy on that. If she contacts my office directly, I will be happy to talk to her about it.
Deputy Durkan underlined the importance of making progress with these schemes. Indeed, I listened to the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, referring to schemes all over the country that will have specific local effect and are of great importance, all of which are caused by climate change.
I am almost losing the will to live at this point. There are 940 properties in the eight areas I mentioned. The Minister of State asked me if I have any more questions. What is the delay? The consultants were appointed back in 2020. We are into our third year. They were building on the work done by the OPW which began in 2012. I realise that it is a bigger job than originally imagined or planned for, that it is more complex and all of that. We are into our third year after the consultants were appointed and the timelines are shifting all of the time. I am asking how the Minister of State can stand over this. How can he stand over this happening in Galway city, with the dangers that flooding presents? I live in the Claddagh and have seen it flooded. My house was safe, luckily, but many people were not so lucky. That has happened numerous times.
I am also concerned at the sentence that refers to a one-in-100-years event. We are out of all of that kind of talk now in relation to the catastrophic effects of climate change.
Finally, last year or the year before artists erected visual display, with lights, of where the water would go in the Claddagh. Please let me have a more urgent response.
I am advised that the project is delayed due to the review and update of the design flow and water level data. This review, since the completion of the western CFRAM study, resulted in several years of additional flow and water level recordings being used.
Together with detailed wave overtopping analysis, this has resulted in a potentially significant increase in flood risk to several areas of Galway city. In other words, the scope of the original project was not sufficiently broad and the environment changed in the period while it was being analysed. This increase in flood risk is primarily due to higher tidal design levels and an increase in wave overtopping volumes, which has led to larger flood extents and a greater number of properties potentially being affected. The consultant noted an increase in project scope on 9 December 2022. At the time, the hydrological and hydraulic analysis was still ongoing and any redefinition in project scope would have been premature. There were also a number of iterations of modelling outputs which the project team reviewed in detail and it was important to obtain ground truth in respect of these predictions, which is a time-consuming process. It is important to note, however, that the progress of the project has not been affected to date by the redefinition of the project scope.
39. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform for an overview of the progress made to date under national strategic outcome 8 of the National Development Plan 2021-2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30880/23]
I ask the Minister to provide an overview on the progress to date under national strategic outcome 8 of the National Development Plan 2021-2030 and to make a statement on the matter.
This refers to our focus on the transition to a lower-carbon and climate-resilient society. The next decade is critical in order to address the climate crisis and this is a core part of the national development plan.
In terms of the figures in the plan, through the period out to 2030 an additional €5 billion of the expected €9.5 billion in carbon tax receipts will be invested in energy efficiency. In terms of strategic investment priorities for the sector, this includes supporting the delivery of offshore renewable energy, retrofitting homes and the installation of heat pumps.
I will provide examples of what is now happening. More than 27,200 home energy upgrades were supported in 2022, an increase of 12,000 homes compared with the previous year. The first renewable electricity support scheme auction for onshore wind and solar projects was held in 2020, with 63 projects progressing through delivery milestones in 2021 and 2022. More than 5,000 ha of Bord na Móna peatlands were rehabilitated in 2022 as part of the enhanced decommissioning, rehabilitation and restoration scheme, which is co-funded under this heading by the EU recovery and resilience facility. From a transport perspective, 172 new buses for public service obligation, PSO, bus fleets were delivered in 2022, including 107 fully electric vehicles and 24 hybrids. There is a huge selection of themes under that heading but I have provided a sample of some of the areas of progress.
One of the areas included under that heading is the roll-out of smart meters. The Minister may not have the figures in front of him and if he does not, that is understandable. It is a big part of transitioning to more sustainable energy in particular. The target is for 2.2 million or 2.25 million smart meters to be rolled out. We are at approximately 1.2 million of them, which is slightly more than 50% of the target. That is certainly an improvement. Key to this, however, is encouraging people to use those smart meters. For example, only 6%, or 80,000, of those 1.2 million smart meters are being used. I believe that is down to the simple fact that the night-time rate, through which people can avail of cheaper energy, kicks in at 11 p.m. People do not put on appliances after 11 p.m.; many of them are in bed at that hour. I know it is not directly under the Minister's Department but I appeal to the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, to ensure the night rate kicks in earlier in order that more people make use of it through their smart meters, thereby saving emissions.
One thing that is for certain is that the Deputy and I will not be in bed by 11 p.m., given the questions we are dealing with here. The night rate is but a dream for us.
The Minister of State, Deputy Smyth, has just informed me that there is good news in terms of the roll-out of smart meters as the figure is now up to 1.5 million meters. I understand there is every prospect that we will deliver on the target next year. To be frank, I was not familiar with the issue raised by the Deputy, which will obviously influence the use of the meters. I can see the point he is making. I am sure the CRU is involved in making that decision but I will certainly pass the point on to the Department. Given all the effort we are making to make these meters available and their potential to have a good and positive impact, I can see the point the Deputy is making regarding incentivising their use. I will pass it on and I thank the Deputy for raising it.
The Minister and I will turn on our washing machines as soon as we go home. We will be able to avail of the night rate.
To clarify the point I am making, of the 1.5 million-odd meters that have been rolled out so far, only 80,000, or 6%, of them are being used to avail of that cheaper rate. The smart meters are not being used to their capacity and that is because the night rate kicks in too late. If it was brought in earlier, such as at 7 p.m. or 8 p.m., which are after peak time, more people would use their appliances then, thereby saving money, but also saving energy and emissions. That is the point I am trying to make. There would be a far bigger uptake in use of smart meters.
The Minister referred to retrofitting. Is he confident the State has the skilled tradespeople to deliver that retrofitting? He stated we are currently at approximately 27,000. Do we have the materials to deliver the 500,000 target? Are we on course? Is the one-stop-shop system operating?
The Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy Harris, has a green skills programme under way to help ensure we have the best chance of getting people available to deliver our retrofitting programme. I have an update in respect of where we are with our overall apprenticeship programme. As regards construction, we now have 8,286 total apprenticeship registrations and our total construction apprenticeship has grown to 19,550. The Deputy will be aware that the CAO options portal has been amended to include applications for traineeships. We are making progress in getting the right people together to further support our retrofitting programme. I will get that information from the Minister, Deputy Harris, for the Deputy. I anticipate, however, that a shortage of people to do this work will continue to be a difficulty.
40. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the position regarding the recruitment of in-house expertise at the OPW to ensure a full complement of competencies in ecological, botanical, horticultural or biodiversity-related roles; whether a gap analysis has been completed across the organisation; whether a biodiversity officer has been appointed at a level which enables significant influence across the organisation, as outlined in action 1.1 of the biodiversity action strategy 2022-26; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30962/23]
I might take the prize for longest question of the evening. I ask the Minister to outline the position regarding the recruitment of in-house expertise at the OPW to ensure a full complement of competencies in ecological, botanical, horticultural and biodiversity-related roles; whether a gap analysis has been completed across the organisation; whether a biodiversity officer has been appointed at a level which enables significant influence across the organisation, as outlined in action 1.1 of the biodiversity action strategy 2022-26; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Tógfaidh mé an cheist seo ar son an Aire Stáit, an Teachta O'Donovan. The Office of Public Works is committed to protecting, promoting and enhancing biodiversity across its operations. The OPW biodiversity action strategy 2022-26 identifies strategic actions to help deliver Government policy. As part of that strategy, the knowledge, creativity, commitment and innovation of OPW staff will be utilised to enhance the organisation's contribution to biodiversity.
The OPW cares for 780 national monuments and buildings and more than 2,300 ha of historic parks, botanical gardens and designed landscapes, which include an extensive range of habitats. For example, the dunes and coastal area at Derrynane, County Kerry, are of great ecological value and form part of two Natura designations of international significance, namely, the Kenmare River special area of conservation, SAC, and the Iveragh Peninsula special protection area, SPA. The International Council on Monuments and Sites, ICOMOS, has designated 11 historic properties to be of international significance and three of national significance from a historic gardens perspective. This includes sites such as Castletown Demesne, Fota Arboretum and the Phoenix Park.
The implementation of the biodiversity action strategy is currently managed through five working groups. These working groups are based on the five strategic themes within the strategy, which are: planning for nature; natural leaders; working with water and wildlife; diversity by design; and natural knowledge. Each working group is chaired at senior management level with a broad range of staff from across the OPW. Significant progress has been made over the last 12 months with the recruitment of a biodiversity manager which is ongoing. This includes development of training on biodiversity in co-operation with the National Parks and Wildlife Service, NPWS, and SOLAS; participation in the development of Ireland’s 4th national biodiversity action plan; the establishment of the national seed bank at the National Botanic Gardens; and delivering the biodiversity conservation plans for significant heritage sites in 2022 with reports on a further ten sites being undertaken in 2023. An OPW-wide biodiversity conference is also planned for 2023. In addition to this work, the inclusion of biodiversity enhancement features such as artificial nest boxes are a component of how the OPW is supporting biodiversity.
I thank the Minister of State. That was certainly an answer to a question, as they say, but not to this one as far as I can ascertain. I asked about gap analysis and whether the appointment of the biodiversity officer was at a sufficiently senior level that it could make a difference with the organisation. There is absolutely no doubt that the OPW, if it engages fully on this, stands to make an enormous difference not just in climate mitigation where it will have a huge role, particularly in respect of flooding, but how we layer the biodiversity crisis and our response to that on top of it. There is no doubt that there is goodwill in the organisation. More than 50% of the staff responded to the survey that was conducted in-house. A total of 91% of those surveyed felt that there were many ways the OPW could do more to help biodiversity and 90% said it was important to them. However, the essential piece of work is needed. It is a great strategy but have we the people to put it in place? A great strategy is all fine and well, and we have seen many of them come and go, but in respect of the implementation of that strategy that is important. That is why I asked about the senior appointments and particularly that piece around the gap analysis of the skills and the skills deficit that exists within the organisation.
Under action 1.1, the OPW is currently in the process of recruiting an OPW biodiversity manager at assistant principal level. Interviews for this post are due to take place in early July and once appointed, the biodiversity manager role will be supported by a team of two ecologists and a clerical officer. The ecologists will be recruited following the appointment of the biodiversity manager and the clerical officer has been requested from the Public Appointments Service.
With regard to gap analysis and the availability of trained staff, the OPW has been collaborating with the NPWS and SOLAS to develop a training module that will specifically cover the gap in traditional training. The first meeting took place in Tullamore last month and, once approved, this programme will be rolled out to all staff beginning next year.
Somebody is being appointed as the assistant principal followed by two ecologists and one clerical officer. That is within an organisation which as the Minister of State pointed out, deals with 780 national monuments, 300 plus hectares of parklands and 1,700 staff. It feels a little thin on the ground to me.
I refer in the brief time I have to two recommendations in particular from the Citizens' Assembly on Biodiversity Loss. Recommendation 100 relates to the Arterial Drainage Act 1945 and states that it is no longer fit for purpose. This also relates to article 7 of the nature restoration law which deals with returning room to the rivers and an approach we are not seeing from the OPW currently. Recommendation 101 states that nature-based solutions must be included in State and community programmes to tackle flood management and should include whole-of-catchment area, hydromorphology planning and restoration. Hydromorphology is a skill in and of itself. It was not one of the skills listed or mentioned by the Minister of State in terms of gap analysis.
I ask the Minister of State about the potential and the capacity within his Department to undertake all-island projects on biodiversity. There is huge potential in this regard particularly with the oncoming PEACEPLUS programme and the elements within that for biodiversity. Is there capacity or is there an intention within the Department to facilitate communities to twin with other communities? I always think of our own Ballycastle, County Mayo, which could be twinned with, say, Ballycastle in the North to be able to do really good biodiversity projects and exchange of learning across the country because we obviously need to tackle this on an all-island basis.
Deputy Ó Cathasaigh refers to two recommendations from the Citizens' Assembly on Biodiversity Loss. Nos. 100 and 101 relate to the revision of the Arterial Drainage Act 1945 and consideration of schemes such as room for the river. The OPW has been co-operating with its Dutch counterparts and the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, has spoken enthusiastically about the work it has done there. I will have to refer the question on hydromorphology to the Minister of State's office for a reply.
Similarly, Deputy Conway-Walsh asked about all-island projects and whether the OPW has the capacity to co-operate with projects north of the Border. Again, I will have to refer the Deputy's question to the Minister of State to provide a correct answer rather than guessing what the answer to that might be.
42. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to outline progress towards enhancing productivity in the construction sector, including utilising modern methods of construction as committed to in the programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30983/23]
Will the Minister outline the progress towards enhancing productivity in the construction sector, including the utilisation of modern methods of construction, MMC, as committed to in the programme for Government? The programme states:
Work to enhance productivity in the construction sector includes utilising modern methods of construction. This work will be guided by the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform.
Given the ongoing housing crisis, will the Minister outline the progress he has made in promoting the use of MMC and the impact that has had on the productivity of the construction sector?
My Department has continued to work closely with the construction sector through the construction sector group, CSG, to improve productivity and delivery capacity. The CSG provides a useful forum for engagement with the sector on these issues. The Building Innovation report published by my Department has identified a range of actions to drive innovation in the sector. There are 43 actions in this report. These are being progressed by key industry players such as the Construction Industry Federation, the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland, RIAI, Engineers Ireland, and the Office of Government Procurement, OGP.
To drive the delivery of seven specific actions from the Building Innovation report, an innovation and digital adoption subgroup of the CSG has been established. Important initiatives that have been launched include the build digital project to look at how we can better digitise the construction sector; construct innovate, to provide and fund cutting edge research; and the demonstration park for modern methods of construction to showcase innovative building techniques. The build digital project is funded through a €2.5 million grant from my Department and is led by Technological University Dublin. This project will support the construction sector to deliver future public projects to a higher standard using digital efficiencies. Furthermore, a leadership and integration group, led by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, has been established. This group will ensure a co-ordinated approach between new and existing entities of new building methods and will focus on the risks, challenges, and barriers to promote modern methods of construction. The group has commenced looking at the environment we have in this country for MMC, and to facilitate the further development of this sector, we will be shortly publishing a procurement roadmap to help facilitate the acceleration of these kind of technologies.
I thank the Minister. This is the way forward in procurement but I will quote David Browne, a member of the RIAI, last month when the organisation was before the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage:
Modern methods of construction, if adopted at scale in Ireland, can have an important role to play in meeting the targets of the National Development Plan by helping to address current significant productivity, labour and skills challenges. It is important to understand that the application of modern methods in both public and private sectors in Ireland cannot be achieved by the construction sector acting alone.
Procurement is highlighted as one of the key areas of reform. The Minister is saying that this is planned. It is hugely important. The most powerful tool available to him to promote the use of MMC is the leverage procurement.
The State is the biggest spender in the economy. Public procurement amounts to approximately €20 billion per year. Will the Minister commit to using public procurement to facilitate the adoption of modern methods of construction? That would give us the scale.
I thank the Deputy. That is exactly what is under way at the moment. The value of a procurement framework is it provides an overall framework within which public bodies should have consistent standards for being able to procure services or goods and it is of help in making procurement processes work more efficiently. For that reason, we are now looking at the roll-out, as I said a moment ago, of a procurement roadmap for these various technologies. I would be happy to find more exact timings on it for the Deputy as there is great potential in it and the Deputy obviously agrees.
I am glad we agree on that. I would be interested in the timescale for that. Will the Minister work with the line Departments to implement mandated targets for the use of modern methods of construction in public sector programmes to establish that consistent level of demand? If targets are put in there, that will bring extra focus into what we are trying to achieve here.
I will certainly think about it. I appreciate the point the Deputy is making that we should have a target for the number of homes delivered via modern methods of construction. I can definitely see the logic of that. The only thing is, I would not want to agree to any further targets that make the delivery of our overall housing targets even more complex than it already is. Where we agree is these technologies, if deployed at scale, can make a big difference. I have seen some examples recently that I have been a bit taken aback by. I have been impressed by the amount of preconstruction happening for housing projects that is not done on the site where the homes are going to be and the difference that is now making to the delivery of a really big housing project. I am reluctant to commit to a subtarget because for me the target in housing delivery is all, but as I said, I will come back to the Deputy with more exact timings on the roadmap for procurement because I agree the more scale we grow in there, the better it can help deliver our housing targets in a way that is consistent with all our other goals, especially from a climate perspective. Procurement is a huge tool for doing that.
44. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to outline the progress made on reforming public procurement in order to improve environmental, economic and social impacts; making particular reference to the objective of including green criteria in all procurements using public funds, to be completed within three years, as committed to in the programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30981/23]
Will the Minister outline the progress made on reforming public procurement to improve the environmental, economic and social impacts, making particular reference to the objective of including the green criteria we talked about earlier in all procurement using public funds, which was to be completed within three years as committed in the programme for Government? As I have outlined, procurement is a powerful tool for implementing reform. This was recognised by the Government in the inclusion of green criteria in all procurement using public funds within the 36 months and I want to see where that is at.
I thank the Deputy. My Department has made significant progress on incorporating environmental, economic and social considerations into public procurement which must be undertaken in accordance with the EU directives. In 2018, the OGP within my Department published an information note entitled Incorporating Social Considerations into Public Procurement. The OGP subsequently issued Circular 20/2019: Promoting the use of Environmental and Social Considerations in Public Procurement. This instructed Departments to consider including green public procurement, GPP, criteria in public procurement processes. The OGP launched the online GPP criteria search tool in 2022 to further assist public buyers in selecting appropriate national green procurement criteria that have been developed by the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA. An OGP web page on sustainable public procurement provides additional information, including a frequently updated sustainable public procurement news section.
The interdepartmental strategic procurement advisory group chaired by the OGP and its environmental subgroup, co-chaired with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, promote strategic procurement encompassing the circular economy, climate, energy and wider social challenges. The small and medium enterprise, SME, advisory group I chair provides a forum for business representative bodies to discuss procurement issues including consultation on the recent Circular 05/2023: Initiatives to assist SMEs in Public Procurement. This circular provides measures promoting SME participation in public procurement competitions. In practical terms, the OGP and its partner central purchasing bodies across the health, education, defence and local government sectors are incorporating green and social considerations into their framework agreements. The OGP has implemented GPP criteria in 47 of its solutions to date.
The Government's Climate Action Plan 2021 introduced a requirement to procure electric vehicles in the public sector climate action mandate, which the OGP supported through a central purchasing arrangement. Climate Action Plan 2023 expands public sector GPP commitments to specific categories such as paper, vehicles, heating, catering and construction, and implementation in line with the EPA's Green Public Procurement Guidance for the Public Sector published in 2021.
I thank the Minister of State for all that. He rightly said a circular was published in 2019 promoting the use of environmental and social considerations in public procurement. Then the programme for Government set a specific deadline of this week for the inclusion of the green criteria in all procurement using public funds and nothing like that level of ambition seems to have been achieved. Is there a revised deadline on that and when will we see the inclusion of green criteria in all procurement using public funds?
In my previous role as spokesperson on further and higher education I repeatedly called for the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to use social clauses for procurement to incentivise companies to take on apprentices. I was initially pleased to see an information note was prepared for public bodies. However, there were again no targets set. There was an information note, but there was no requirement to use procurement to incentivise apprenticeships in that sense and we have not achieved what we might have had we done it differently.
Specifically, the programme for Government includes a target of updating all procurement frameworks for green procurement within the first three years of Government, so in other words within this week. The Deputy is absolutely right. I believe we are on target to meet that. Throughout that time I have convened a committee that covers not just our central procurement arrangements that come from the OGP, but also those that come from the Department of Defence, the Department of Education, the Department with responsibility for local government and the HSE.
All the procurement frameworks have been reviewed. Not all of them are capable of being updated for green procurement. For example, it is difficult to see how a procurement framework that relates to legal services could be updated for green procurement. However, in general if we are not there we are at about 98%. In the coming month I will publish a new green procurement strategy document that will provide guidelines and specific information that is easy to digest and accessible for all those procurement bodies so they know how to implement green procurement. That will add to the EPA's guidance that came out last year.
What concerns me is we seem to present lots of guidelines, and rightly so, but if we do not break those down into actual obligations for what the different bodies need to do then we find the outcomes are not what we might have hoped they would be. Thus, we need to look at some other mechanisms and targets to ensure we are getting the outcomes we need.
I agree it is unfortunate if we produce guidelines that do not produce the correct outcomes. However, the OGP's function and powers are not to direct Departments in how to do things. It provides the information and the guidance, but the decision that something must be done in a Department is one taken by Government. If the Government wants to direct that every Department must buy electric vehicles from now on that decision must come from Cabinet, and that particular decision has done. Many of those decisions are appearing in the climate action plan. They are all enumerated and included are things that must be done as they are commands to public sector bodies. The OGP, unfortunately, is not a police force. It is not a policy-making body in that it cannot order Departments. It can provide the direction and the guidance and that is why all these guidance things come out. Another thing it can do is provide data and show to what extent we are greening our procurement. Then I guess it is the function of the Comptroller and Auditor General to ensure public sector bodies are complying with the guidance that has been supplied by the OGP.
We are almost at an end. There are three minutes left. Deputy Conway-Walsh is on again but she will not have her full time.
45. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform in relation to recent reform of the public spending code, to outline how said reforms will achieve greater speed and efficiency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30982/23]
The public spending code was updated in December 2019. When will the infrastructure guidelines be published on the public spending code? Will the Minister outline how the changes announced so far will increase speed and efficiency in the delivery of capital projects? The key to delivering a project on time and on budget is to get the design and the planning phase right. There are no magic shortcuts. The national children's hospital delays and the skyrocketing costs were not caused by any administrative budget. I am not sure if the public spending code will achieve again what we need it to achieve here. I ask for the Minister's reassurance on that.
I am responsible for the public spending code, which sets the value-for-money requirements and guidance for evaluating, planning and managing Exchequer-funded capital projects. In March this year, I informed the Government of a package of significant actions aimed at enhancing project delivery for the national development plan, NDP. This package represented a fresh approach to securing delivery as part of the Department's enhanced remit around the NDP.
The actions include significant changes to reduce the administrative burden for Departments and public bodies developing capital projects. Some specific changes designed to streamline the project life cycle and approval process include the general threshold for major projects increasing from €100 million to €200 million, allowing for projects below this limit to progress more speedily through the appraisal and evaluation process. Changes also include the reduction of the number of approval stages prior to implementation from five to three, reducing the administrative burden on Government Departments charged with developing and delivering projects. Another change is the removal of the requirement for a project to prepare a separate strategic assessment report, SAR, at the start of the process. All the requirements previously required as part of a SAR must now be completed and incorporated as part of the preliminary business case at the first approval stage.
The changes have already been implemented through Government Circular 06/2023. Further appraisal guidance will be published shortly, known as the infrastructure guidelines, which will replace the existing public spending code.
In that case, it remains unclear to me how the reforms the Minister has outlined will make any substantial difference in terms of the speed of project delivery. The Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael McGrath, alluded to that when he said that the timelines associated with public spending code compliance are a fraction of the time required for compliance. I need to see how it is going to speed up the projects that we need to do, in the context of delivery.
Any process that reduces the number of steps that need to be taken and decreases the number of projects that need to go through a more thorough and broader evaluation process, which we have done by increasing the threshold from €100 million to €200 million, is going to help with speed. I anticipate that the improvements for projects overall in how much time will be saved by this will be measured in months. Every month helps.
