The Dáil ordered on Thursday, 18 December 2014 that the following Revised Estimates for public services be referred to this sub-committee for consideration: Vote 1 - President's Establishment, Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach, Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General, Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office, Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, and Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor. The purpose of this meeting is to consider the Revised Estimates and the supplementary information regarding the outputs and impacts of programme expenditure. I welcome the Taoiseach, Deputy Enda Kenny, and his accompanying officials. The Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach, Deputy Paul Kehoe, is unavailable to attend today due to a recent family bereavement. I extend the committee's sympathies to the Minister of State and his family. As the Taoiseach has a number of commitments and he must leave at 4.30 p.m., I ask that members be as focused as possible with their questions and their comments. I now call the Taoiseach to make his opening statement.
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised)
A Chathaoirligh, thank you very much indeed. I am joined by personnel from the President's establishment, the Office of the Attorney General, the Central Statistics Office, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Office of the Chief State Solicitor together with staff from my Department. I welcome the opportunity to appear before the select sub-committee as it considers the 2015 Estimates for Votes 1 to 6, inclusive. These Votes are made up as follows: the President's Establishment, €3.444 million; the Department of the Taoiseach, €27.022 million; the Office of the Attorney General, €15.03 million; the Central Statistics Office, €52.836 million; the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, €37.834 million; and the Office of the Chief State Solicitor, €26.966 million. I will describe for the sub-committee the broad areas of work undertaken by the Department of the Taoiseach. I will also briefly outline the proposed Estimate allocations for the President's Establishment, the Office of the Attorney General, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Office of the Chief State Solicitor. As members will be aware, while I have certain responsibilities to the Oireachtas in respect of administrative matters in the legal offices, they operate completely independently of my Department. I will also make a short statement on the Estimates for the Central Statistics Office for which Minister of State, Deputy Paul Kehoe, has delegated responsibility. He is unable to attend because of the death of his father last week.
The Revised Estimate for 2015 for Vote 1 - President's Establishment is €3.444 million. This includes just over €2.3 million for pay and administration, with the balance to fund the centenarians' bounty. Based on last year's figures and recent trends, it is estimated that approximately 400 centenarians will receive the bounty in 2015, although it is impossible to be precise.
A total of €27.022 million has been provided in the Estimates in 2015 for Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach. My Department has a current staffing complement of 185. Of my Department's €27 million budget for 2015, €15.8 million is allocated towards pay and administration costs, €4.755 million is allocated towards the Moriarty tribunal third party costs and €2 million is allocated towards the costs of the Fennelly commission of investigation. It should also be noted that my Department's 2015 allocation reflects new areas of responsibility assigned to my Department, including the assignment of three Ministers of State to the policy areas of diaspora affairs, data protection and international financial services, and some additional responsibilities in relation to renewal of the Civil Service. In accordance with the programme for Government, my Department provides a strategic centre to ensure a joined-up approach to the development and implementation of Government policy, including a small office to monitor delivery of the programme for Government across all Departments. As well as a number of executive functions appropriate to the centre of Government, much of this work involves support for meetings of the Government and of Cabinet committees, including the Economic Management Council.
Across all the areas of my Department's responsibility, considerable time and effort goes into answering parliamentary questions, preparing material for use in the Oireachtas, processing freedom of information requests, answering ordinary letters and queries from the public, organising events, preparing speeches and responding to media queries. For example, in 2014 my Department dealt with 58 Government meetings, 76 Cabinet committee meetings, 952 Government memoranda, 20,000 pieces of correspondence, 805 parliamentary questions, and 173 freedom of information requests. Carrying out this work to a consistently high standard is central to my Department's role in serving the Government and the Oireachtas, as well as providing public accountability.
My Department's strategy statement for 2015-2017, which will be published in the coming weeks, reflects the changed context since 2011 and my Department's role in meeting the emerging challenges and opportunities our country faces. I will briefly outline for the sub-committee the progress made by my Department on key priorities in 2014 and indicate where we intend to focus our efforts in 2015.
The Government is determined to continue Ireland's journey towards sustainable economic recovery and is committed to ensuring that the recovery is felt in the daily lives of individuals, families and communities throughout the country. Creating the circumstances for job creation and supporting job seekers in finding work is absolutely central to this task. The Cabinet committee on economic recovery and jobs oversees policies and actions that support job creation and maximise the employment and training opportunities for those who are on the live register.
In January 2015, the Government published the 2015 Action Plan for Jobs which identifies 382 specific actions to be delivered in the year ahead, building on the 1,000 or so delivered since 2012. The Government has set itself an ambitious target for job creation: to grow employment by 40,000 in 2015, in addition to the 80,000 net increase in employment since the beginning of 2012. It has also set a goal of restoring employment to 2.1 million by 2018.
My Department plays a central role in ensuring the implementation of the action plan, including through the Cabinet committee and the quarterly reports on delivery of each action. In parallel, the Pathways to Work strategy aims to ensure that as many as possible of these jobs are filled by people who are on the live register. In October 2014, the Government published the Pathways to Work 2015 document, which has a special focus on long-term and youth unemployment. My Department also helps to ensure that initiatives and opportunities in this area are well-communicated to and understood by employers, job seekers and the wider public. This work will continue throughout 2015.
In May 2014, the Government published its Construction 2020 strategy, which reflects the importance of the construction sector to economic recovery. The primary focus of the strategy is to return the construction sector to sustainable levels to meet housing needs and maximise sustainable employment in the sector. The strategy contains detailed actions to identify and remove obstacles to appropriate development, including in housing, and to ensure that future growth and activity in the sector is sustainable and is underpinned by proper data and proper analysis.
There have been encouraging signs of recovery in the construction sector in recent months, albeit from a very low base. According to the CSO, 7,000 more people were working in the construction sector in the third quarter of 2014 compared with the same period in 2013. Activity in the sector has risen for 16 consecutive months and housing completions increased significantly in 2014, although they still fall far short of housing demand. A new Cabinet committee was established last September to oversee the implementation of Construction 2020. This is to be a priority for 2015.
The IFSC directly employs more than 35,000 people, not only in Dublin but in centres throughout the country. Given the importance of the sector, the Government appointed Deputy Simon Harris as Minister of State with responsibility for international banking, including the IFSC. Deputy Harris is working on preparing a new strategy for the sector, which has been informed by an extensive consultation process over recent months. The strategy will be submitted to Government and published in early March 2015.
There is an ever-increasing presence of digital technology in almost every single facet of modern life. This results in an increase in the generation and use of personal data and, in turn, the need to protect the rights of the user. Coupled with this is the recognition of the importance of the digital sector to our economy and the need to take a whole-of-government approach to data related issues. Ireland needs a data protection regime that is fit for purpose and which can keep pace with technological developments. The Government has therefore given the Minister of State, Deputy Dara Murphy, lead responsibility for data protection issues with a small section in the Department of the Taoiseach to ensure that there is a co-ordinated approach to this important issue.
In September 2014, the Government established a new Cabinet committee on economic infrastructure and climate change. In 2015, the committee will continue its work on the negotiation of the EU 2030 targets to ensure a fair and achievable target for Ireland while also making progress on meeting Ireland's 2020 targets. Once the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill is enacted, the Government will also be engaged in developing national mitigation and adaptation plans. My Department will continue to support me in a strategic programme of international engagement to increase trade and investment and build on the progress that has been made in restoring Ireland's international reputation.
In 2015, the Government will continue to focus on the priority of markets with significant trade and investment potential for Ireland. During the planning and organisation of overseas visits, my Department will aim to prioritise value for money and minimise costs. I attended the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos in January. While there I hosted an IDA Ireland dinner which was attended by senior executives of several major multinational firms, principally in the high tech and financial services areas. I expect to travel again to the US in March for St Patrick's Day where my focus will be on enhancing our strong economic, political, and business links with the US and progressing issues of concern to the Irish community, including immigration reform and the undocumented Irish.
In July 2014, the Government appointed Deputy Jimmy Deenihan as Minister of State for diaspora affairs at the Department of the Taoiseach and at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The key priority for the Minister of State, Deputy Deenihan, for the end of 2014 and early 2015 has been to conclude the review of Ireland's diaspora policy, which process is drawing close to finalisation. The diaspora policy will put in place a range of actions that will deepen our engagement with members of our diaspora for mutual benefit. The main goal is to build long-term sustainable relationships with diaspora communities around the world. This will include strengthening connections with emigrants and promoting opportunities that are available to them as we continue to grow the economy and create jobs back at home. The policy will also emphasis local activation, building on the lessons of the year of The Gathering in 2013, and recognising the importance of a sense of place and equipping people to act at the county level to reach out to their own communities overseas.
There is an allocation of €1 million in the 2015 budget for my Department for new initiatives and projects for the diaspora. This funding will be used to support local communities to develop relationships with their diaspora and to bring forward other new initiatives and projects which will arise from the forthcoming publication of the diaspora policy. This €1 million is in addition to the €11.595 million which has been allocated to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for the emigrant support programme.
The Cabinet committee on social policy and public service reform oversees reforms across a wide range of areas. In many cases the focus is on ensuring a joined-up response by all Departments to issues such as homelessness, alcohol misuse, older people, people with disabilities and people with mental health issues, as well as reforms in areas such as education. The committee and the Department also support the implementation of the Government's public service reform programme, with actions in areas such as shared services, procurement, and external service delivery.
The Government also published a new public service ICT strategy recently. Each department and sector prepares and reports progress on an integrated reform plan to deliver reforms and make the situation more efficient. An important new development is the Civil Service renewal plan, which was published by the Government in October 2014. The plan sets out a vision for the Civil Service for the future and 25 individual actions to build the capability to meet the needs and the expectations of the Government and the public into the future. For the first time, a Civil Service management board, chaired by the Secretary General of my Department, has been established to implement the plan. A new accountability board, which I will chair, is being established to strengthen accountability and performance across the Civil Service. This reform programme for the Civil Service will be an important aspect of my Department's work in 2015.
Last year the Government also established a Cabinet committee on justice reform which is overseeing major changes to policing in Ireland, including the establishment of the new Garda authority. Delivery of these reforms will be a major focus in 2015.
The Cabinet committee on health continues to meet regularly to oversee the ongoing reform programme in the health service, while also seeking to maintain and improve services in a fiscally constrained environment.
Promoting Ireland's interests in the European Union is a core function of my Department. Our economic well-being is interlinked with that of the wider Union, and throughout 2015 we will continue to focus particular attention on initiatives which support jobs and growth. In this context, we have welcomed the new investment fund and will push for further improvements to the trade and investment environment. This includes full implementation of the Single Market in services and advances in the digital area.
We remain a strong advocate of the transatlantic trade and investment partnership. Improved access to the US market will benefit Irish companies. We hope the negotiations with the US can be concluded before the end of President Obama's term of office. We will also work with partners to take forward the Union's climate policy and energy goals.
Another vital European Union interest for Ireland is keeping the United Kingdom within the Union. That is why the Government has consistently made its position on the EU-UK question clear. We want our closest neighbours across the Irish Sea to remain in the EU. We will be following carefully the evolving debate on the matter in 2015, especially given the impending British general election in May. We will try to help, where we can, to create the conditions where the UK will feel more comfortable within the European Union. My Department will deploy increased resources to deal with all aspects of British-Irish relations, including Northern Ireland and North-South relations, east-west relations and the implications of potential changes to Britain's relationship with the European Union.
Beyond that horizon and further afield, there have been several troubling recent developments within the Union's borders and in our neighbourhood that will require our attention throughout 2015, such as countering terrorism and radicalisation as well as encouraging a peaceful resolution to the situation in Ukraine.
Advancing Ireland's interests in Europe demands an excellent network of strategic alliances, including alliances with the institutions and other member states. I will continue to represent Ireland at regular meetings of the European Council. Earlier this month, I participated in a productive set of meetings with the new Presidents of the European Council and the Commission. At a time of institutional renewal in Europe, we have been developing relations with the new and restructured college of Commissioners and the new European Parliament. We have had ministerial visits to plenary sessions of the European Parliament in Strasbourg in recent months. These have involved meetings with political groups, members of key committees and Irish MEPs. Ministers are required to and continue to maintain high levels of attendance at Council meetings.
We are also deepening our long-term relationship with the European Commission and other institutions by maximising the number of Irish people working there on a permanent and temporary basis. For this reason, the Department's Estimate for 2014 provided €1.2 million towards efforts to increase our presence, including meeting the cost of seconded national experts in EU and international organisations. In 2015, this funding is being increased to €1.6 million to provide for the full-year costs of the posts already filled and to fill several additional posts, including in the OECD. This is an important investment in our future and will increase the understanding of Ireland within those institutions as well as our understanding of the institutions, whose work often impacts significantly at national level. My Department's 2015 Estimates also include an allocation of €250,000 for supporting EU engagement. This money is being spent to support work in primary schools, through the well-known blue star programme, in local community groups, NGOs and others, as well as on work with other stakeholders to build awareness of the EU jobs available to Irish citizens.
An important aspect of the work of the Department is supporting lasting peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland and continuing to enhance and strengthen our relations with Britain. As committee members will be aware, after 11 weeks of intensive negotiations involving significant commitment from both Governments and all parties, the Stormont House Agreement was successfully concluded on 23 December 2014. The agreement sets out a firm foundation for Northern Ireland and its politicians and people to move forward together. The Stormont House Agreement covers a broad range of political, social and economic issues. It sets out a plan for financial and budgetary reform. It proposes a way forward on flags, identity, culture and tradition through the establishment of a commission. It envisages the devolution of responsibility for parades to the Northern Ireland Assembly. It establishes a programme of institutional reform at Stormont and progresses several outstanding aspects from the Good Friday Agreement and the St. Andrews Agreement. It also establishes a new comprehensive framework and structure for dealing with the legacy of the past. These include a new historical investigations unit, an independent commission for information retrieval and an oral history archive. The immediate priority is to progress the implementation of the agreement and ensure that all the institutions and structures are established and commence operating as soon as possible.
Last March, the UK Prime Minister, Mr. Cameron, and I renewed our support for the joint statement agreed between us in March 2012. This sets out plans for closer bilateral engagement on a wide range of areas to increase economic trade and investment between our two countries in addition to our joint commitment to Northern Ireland as well as continued co-operation on EU and global issues. Significant progress continues to be made across a range of areas, supported by the work of the Secretaries General and Permanent Secretaries.
The Government will continue to develop the North-South institutions, with a particular emphasis on economic and infrastructural development in the Border region. The Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland will work closely together through the North-South Ministerial Council and beyond on common interests that are beneficial to both parts of the island. I look forward to chairing the next plenary meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council, to be held on 5 June in Dublin Castle. We will discuss new sectoral priorities for co-operation that will contribute to economic renewal in Northern Ireland and, as a consequence, bring benefit to the all-island economy. I look forward to the next British-Irish Council summit as well, which I will host this year in Dublin Castle in June.
The 2015 commemoration of the 1916 Easter Rising will take place at the GPO on Easter Sunday, 5 April, while the national day of commemoration ceremony will be held in the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham on Sunday, 12 July. Regional ceremonies mirroring the national day ceremony in Dublin will be organised by the local authorities in Cork, Galway, Kilkenny, Limerick, Sligo, Mayo and Waterford. It is hoped that members of the Oireachtas who cannot attend the national ceremony in Dublin will attend a ceremony in their area. In addition, work in my Department has started on the 1916 centenary commemoration, which will take place at the GPO on Easter Sunday, 27 March 2016. This event is part of the broad programme of events planned for the decade of commemorations.
The Constitutional Convention completed its work in March 2014. Nine reports were submitted by the convention. The convention is of course independent of Government and reports directly to the Houses of the Oireachtas. The Government has responded to five of the reports and the remaining four are under consideration. The Government will hold two referendums in May on foot of reports from the Constitutional Convention on the age of candidacy for presidential elections and marriage equality. In 2015, my Department will support a proposal by the convention's academic and legal support group for further research, dissemination and communication on the work and impact of the convention. I thank all those who have contributed.
Following the Seanad referendum I met the leaders of the parties and groupings in both Houses in December 2013 to hear their views on how we should proceed with reform. There was agreement that procedural reform of the Seanad should proceed immediately and that the parties and groupings, including the Government, through the Leader of the House, should present their reform proposals to the Seanad Committee on Procedure and Privileges. In February last year, the Government submitted a package of reform measures to the committee. In 2014, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government published the general scheme of a Bill to give effect to the 1979 referendum decision to allow the State to extend the franchise for the election of members of the Seanad by certain universities to other institutions of higher education in the State. Following public consultation on the general scheme, I understand the Minister expects to publish the Bill. In addition following an announcement in the Dáil on 11 November 2014, I established a working group on Seanad reform, chaired by Dr. Maurice Manning. The principal focus of the working group is on possible reforms of the Seanad electoral system within the existing constitutional parameters. The group will also explore ways of reforming Seanad Éireann generally and the manner in which it carries out its business, again within existing constitutional parameters. The group also undertook a consultation process and received numerous submissions from many interested parties. The group has been asked to report to the Government not later than the end of March of this year.
The Moriarty tribunal is currently dealing with applications for third party costs. The sole member has indicated to my Department that the majority of applications for costs have been considered by him and that he hopes to have this process finalised in the near future. To the end of 2014, a total of 49 bills of costs amounting to €10.76 million have been settled for a total of €4.77 million. Settlements in excess of €20,000 are published on the Department's website each quarter.
The Department's Vote also includes a provision of €2 million for the commission of investigation chaired by Mr. Justice Fennelly. This follows my agreement, on foot of a request from the commission, to extend the timeframe for reporting until the end of 2015.
I have outlined some of the priorities my Department will be working to make progress with during the course of this year. The Department seeks to ensure value for money and maximise efficiency in all areas. It will continue to do so in 2015, while adhering to best practice in terms of procurement. The Department actively participates in a number of shared services initiatives. It will continue to exploit the opportunities and efficiencies that such initiatives provide. I thank them all for their service.
Under Vote 3, for 2015 the Office of the Attorney General has a net budget of €15.03 million, which is broken into €13.408 million for the administration subheads, €2.437 million for programme expenditure and an appropriation-in-aid of €815,000. The majority of the administrative expenditure relates to staff salaries, which will cost €11.532 million in 2015. The next largest expenditure is €2.149 million in respect of the Law Reform Commission. This is provided for in subhead A4. Funds for the operation of the commission are channelled through the Vote of the Office of the Attorney General as a grant-in-aid. Since 2008, the office has reduced its gross budget by 18.9%. Measures taken include reductions in expenditure where possible. For example, there has been a reduction of almost 16% in the number of administrative staff. Staff losses have been confined to administrative positions to avoid any interruption of the core work of the office, which is the provision of legal advice and drafting services to its clients. The office is fully engaged in all the public service reform initiatives.
Vote 4 relates to the Central Statistics Office, CSO, which is responsible for the collection, processing and publication of official statistics on economic, social and general conditions in Ireland. While its main focus is on meeting the statistical requirements of the Government, the information it publishes is also used by other public bodies, business, universities, research institutes and the public. There is a significant international dimension to the work of the CSO. The EU institutions, the IMF, the OECD and other international bodies are important users of official statistics. These bodies have a significant role in defining and monitoring standards for the compilation of comparable information. The CSO subscribes to the standards set out in the UN fundamental principles of official statistics and the European statistics code of practice.
The net allocation for the CSO in 2014, which amounted to €39.577 million, included preparatory funding for the 2016 census of population. The net allocation for this year, which amounts to €52.836 million, provides funding for core outputs and for the 2014-15 Irish health survey, the 2014-15 national employment survey, the 2015-16 household budget survey and the 2016 census of population. The CSO is implementing a long-term programme of changes in how it organises household surveys in order that it can meet future information needs as efficiently as possible. The CSO will publish approximately 300 releases and publications in 2015. All of these statistics are published online. Members of the public are increasingly aware of and able to access statistics and indicators on the social, economic and environmental issues which affect their daily lives.
The CSO's statement of strategy gives priority to delivering the core statistics needed for policy, while keeping a strong focus on cost reduction. The CSO continues to meet all its commitments under the public service reform programme. It is implementing a programme of reform and continuous business process improvement in the collection and processing of statistics. It is taking a lead role in developing the Irish statistical system by working closely with other Departments and public bodies to promote a more coherent approach to meeting data needs through the development of a code of practice for the Irish statistical system and the promotion of a national data infrastructure which will support greater usage of administrative data for statistical purposes. Making better use of data throughout the public sector, which is an important part of public service reform, will contribute to more evidence-informed decision-making and better measurement of policy outcomes.
Better co-ordination also contributes to reducing the burden on data providers. Since 2008, the CSO has continued to reduce the response burden placed on Irish enterprises and agricultural holdings by surveys. The response burden barometer for 2013 represented a reduction by 18.9% since it was first measured in 2005. When measured against the peak year of 2008, the response burden barometer had reduced by 32.4% by 2013. The CSO Vote for 2015 provides for a total of 750 staff. This represents an increase over the 2014 figure. This increase relates primarily to the data collection and processing phase of the household budget survey and the preparation for the 2016 census of population.
The Estimate for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, which is set out in Vote 5, is €37.834 million. This provides for the salaries and expenses of the director and her staff, the cost of the local State solicitor service, fees to counsel engaged by the director to prosecute cases in the various courts, and legal costs awarded against the State arising from judicial review and other legal proceedings. The Estimate for 2015 represents an increase of 3%, or almost €1 million, over last year's Estimate. There are two principal factors driving this increase. First, the provision for salaries and wages has increased by €819,000. The majority of this is to fund the extra payroll which will fall in 2015, but there is also provision for the payment of increments and for some extra staff. Second, there has been an increase of €650,000 in the provision made in input A3, fees to counsel. This input provides for the fees paid to barristers who prosecute cases on behalf of the director. The increase is required to deal with a number of lengthy and complex financial trials that are scheduled for 2015.
The 2015 Estimate for the Office of the Chief State Solicitor, which is set out in Vote 6, is €26.966 million. Within the administrative budget, salaries, wages and allowances account for €15.318 million out of a total of €17.626 million. The remaining €2.3 million is attributable to the general running costs of the office. That includes provision for items such as information technology services, training, security, cleaning, utilities and upkeep of offices. A figure of €11.2 million is allocated for the payment of legal fees incurred by the office. This can be broken down into €9.6 million for counsel fees, €1.4 million for general law expenses and €200,000 for the use of external solicitors. Appropriations-in-aid are estimated at €1.86 million and will include legal costs recovered by the office along with the recoupment of the pension levy.
I thank Deputies for their attention and commend these Estimates to the committee.
I welcome the Taoiseach. It is always good to see him here in person with the financial Estimates for the various establishments for which his Department is responsible. Given that the Taoiseach has presented the Vote for the President's Establishment, perhaps he might comment on whether he has any concerns about, or is happy with, the security of the President. Is more funding needed within the Vote or is it strictly a matter for the Garda Síochána Vote? As the Head of Government, with responsibility for all costs associated with the Office of the President, is the Taoiseach happy or does he have any concerns in this regard? It is a simple question.
I was concerned when I saw the activities of a number of people who disrupted the President's visit to a school recently. I considered that to be disgraceful behaviour. I admire the President's courage and the method in which he dealt with that. Clearly, security is a matter for the Garda Síochána, which discusses the security of the President with the President and his staff. If there is a need to increase security around the President, I assume that will be provided for. It is a matter in the first instance for Garda information in respect of security issues, terrorist issues or protests that go way beyond the norm.
The President is above politics in his office and should not be subject to the kind of activity that I saw on our television screens recently. If it is a case that security for the President needs to be increased, I assume that would come as a consequence of discussions between the Garda and the President's office and obviously would be provided.
I know the Garda will make that call after the discussion. Have there been any discussions between the Taoiseach's Department and the Garda authorities on security for the Taoiseach or the Government along the lines of those that have taken place between the Garda and the President's office?
Around security?
The Taoiseach said the Garda Síochána has had discussions with the Office of the President regarding the security of the President. While it is fine to have that on the record, I am interested to know if the Taoiseach or those in his office have had any discussions on security for the Office of the Taoiseach.
I have not. The Garda has been interested in providing security but I am the kind of person who is out and about a lot. Similar facilities that have been provided over the years have not been provided in this case. I did not feel they were necessary and I do not feel they are necessary now either.
I wish to ask a few questions on the Taoiseach's own Vote and I will keep the CSO and the legal offices separate. The Vote in the Taoiseach's Department has gone from €21 million to €27 million this year, a 26% increase. How much of the €27 million would be attributable to special advisers and people who are not permanent public servants operating in the Department?
Second, there is a new figure in the Vote of €500,000 for data protection under the remit of the Minister of State, Deputy Dara Murphy. How does new departure in the Taoiseach's Department gel with the role of the Data Protection Commissioner? Is the Taoiseach not happy with it or does he think it needs beefing up? Why could that €500,000 not be dealt with by the Data Protection Commissioner rather than by the Taoiseach's Department? Why did he have to put someone from his Department especially on the job?
While we are on the issue of data protection and given that the Taoiseach's Department has taken a direct interest in it with the special allocation for data protection, will people be required to give their PPS numbers to get the water conservation grant? I am reading from the briefing note on data protection and privacy. The Taoiseach's Department has a direct role in the data protection and data privacy area, so will PPS numbers be required?
The Taoiseach mentioned the centenary of the Easter Rising at the GPO on Sunday, 27 March 2016. The Taoiseach might tell us if the general election will have been held by then. Has he a date for that?
What date?
The Taoiseach mentioned Sunday, 27 March 2016 in his speech. Does he plan on being Taoiseach of this Dáil by then? We can discuss the next Dáil again but does he expect this Dáil to still be in operation by that date?
It is my intention, but it is outside my control.
Can the Government legally go beyond that date? I am sure the brains in the Department know the latest date on which a general election can be held.
It can be on Thursday or a Friday.
In respect of the security issues, the Garda was more than anxious to provide security facilities but I declined those because they are available if required.
Regarding the extra items of funding, there is €1 million for the diaspora. It is the first time we have ever had a Minister dealing directly with diaspora and I appointed Deputy Jimmy Deenihan, with the consent of the Government, to that office at my Department and at the Department of Foreign Affairs in order for it to be very much co-ordinated. Given the capacity to tie our diaspora together in all the different countries, it is an important dimension to our Irishness as we approach the centenary in 2016.
The sum for data protection is €500,000. As the Deputy is aware, the Data Protection Commissioner has an office in Portarlington and that will continue to be there. Data protection will be a central economic issue and what we want to do, in appointing a Minister of State with direct responsibility for this, based in the Department of the Taoiseach to give it that imprimatur, is to be a leader in regulation and data protection. Given all of the multinational companies that are in Ireland, the formation of companies and the interest there is in investing in the country, it is critical from an economic perspective that we are seen to be in a leading role in this area. That is the responsibility of the Minister of State, Deputy Dara Murphy, appointed to my Department.
On the issue of PPS numbers, the Department of Social Welfare has responsibility in that regard.
A sum of €150,000 has been allocated for travel. We are down to one flying instrument at the moment and we will have to travel as everyone else does, which I am well used to anyway.
There is €200,000 for IT.
A sum of €3.3 million has been allocated for the Moriarty tribunal third party costs. These costs are up to the judge. He sets those and engages with the Department as required.
The figure of €400,000 for EU personnel is an important investment in the future, in order that we have good people employed within the institutions of the Commission.
The Fennelly commission of investigation costs of €1.5 million to run in a full year.
In respect of pay, subhead A1, €900,000 is provided because there is an extra payday in this year, costing €350,000, and because there is a small number of extra staff to support new responsibilities. The Deputy asked about the staff of the Taoiseach. As of today, there are four special advisers, five personal assistants and two personal secretaries working in my private office and the constituency office. The annual cost of the staff currently employed is €910,153. One personal assistant in the private office will be finishing up in March of this year. The cost of the office under the previous Administration was €1.237 million, so there is a difference of about €330,000.
There are three law offices under the Taoiseach's Department, the Office of the Attorney General, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Office of the Chief State Solicitor, and I will group my questions to cover the three. If the Taoiseach does not have the information with him, he can send it on. My first question concerns the new Court of Appeal which was set up recently. Will the Taoiseach indicate the extra costs and possible workload that might entail for the Chief State Solicitor's office or any of the other legal offices? We have the High Court and the Supreme Court and now we have this new in-between court. There must be an implication in terms of costs. The Taoiseach might indicate how that works.
This is a question mainly for the Attorney General's Vote, specifically the role of senior counsel and junior counsel appointed by the State to various functions relating to tribunals. One tribunal is directly under the Taoiseach's Department. I understand the daily rate is in the range of €2,500 or whatever and that the Attorney General's office would have had a role in agreeing the rates, performance and other issues. From a taxpayer's point of view, would all these legal advisers and senior counsel be required to produce professional indemnity insurance? We see the claims that come through the State Claims Agency in the health area. Such claims occur in many areas where people provide a professional service which means they must have professional indemnity insurance.
Recently, the Supreme Court has been scathing of some of the unprofessional work carried out by the legal teams involved in the Mahon tribunal; has the Taoiseach or the Attorney General's office looked at the professional indemnity insurance of the people involved to establish whether they acted in a fully professional manner? Is it possible for the State, in the interests of the taxpayer, to recover some of the additional cost that will now be incurred? It would be very poor if we were to pay €2,500 per day to barristers if there was no comeback against them or their insurance if they acted in an unprofessional manner. I believe the taxpayer would like this to be pursued. It may upset some people but I think the taxpayer would like to see these people upset. Does the Taoiseach have a view on that? If he does not have that information available, he can send it to the committee at a subsequent point.
I will discuss the matter with the Attorney General and come back to you on both of these questions. On many occasions in the Dáil I have criticised the scale of daily fees for tribunals which continued for very long periods. The new Court of Appeal is the responsibility of the Vote of the Director of Public Prosecutions. From reports it seems to be making great headway with the backlog of appeal cases. It is too early to state what the costs will be for 2015.
I am talking about the costs in the DPP's office to service the activities that are happening in the Supreme Court.
I will come back to you with that information.
If the Chairman wishes to continue, I want to return to the issue of the CSO but I can do so later.
Gabhaim mo bhuíochas leis an Taoiseach as ucht an cur i láthair a rinne sé. Tá an Taoiseach tar éis foireann peile a thabhairt leis inniu, tá an méid sin daoine leis.
Ní as m'oifig féin iad. Dúirt mé é sin sular tháinig an Teachta isteach.
Tá go maith.
At present, one in four new Irish graduates are working abroad; this figure is the highest level since the late 1990s. How many interns from JobBridge and other job activation schemes are currently working within the Department of the Taoiseach or any offices that are being discussed by this committee today? What kind of roles have those interns been given? What kind of qualifications do they have? What percentage of interns who have worked within the Department of the Taoiseach have achieved a full time position within the Department?
The Department of the Taoiseach has no interns at present; one past intern will begin a permanent role in the Department shortly.
So there are no JobBridge or other interns in any of the offices?
Not in the Department of the Taoiseach.
Are there interns in any of the offices that are under discussion today?
As far as I know there are no interns, but I will have that confirmed. There is one intern in the office of the CSSO.
With regard to the Action Plan for Jobs, if exact figures regarding job creation are not identified it will be difficult to perform the proper analysis, and if there is no proper analysis it will be difficult to develop appropriate policies. If one looks at the CSO figures, between March 2011 and February 2015 58,600 new jobs were created by the State. There is a significant discrepancy between that figure and the figure quoted by the Government of 80,000, or 100,000, depending whom one listens to. If one includes the activation jobs in this figure, it is about 21%. Does the Taoiseach agree that there is a necessity for a more honest appraisal of the state of play with regard to job creation? That is the first question.
There are sections within society that have not benefitted from job creation. Between March 2011 and February 2015, the west and south west of Ireland continued to experience a reduction in the number of existing jobs. There are 48,500 fewer people under the age of 35 in employment. There are 1,783 fewer long-term unemployed; this is a marginal decrease. Ireland still has the highest rates of underemployment in the EU and the lowest pay among OECD countries. How will the Action Plan for Jobs tackle these issues?
First of all, 134,000 people came off the live register last year. There is always a very significant movement of people into work and out of work. The Action Plan for Jobs is driven by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and is monitored by both that Department and the Department of the Taoiseach. Representatives from the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation are required to attend at Cabinet sub-committee meetings on a regular basis to ensure that the targets that have been set are achieved. The evidence we have is that there has been an increase in employment in most areas around the country. We hope to have full employment by 2018; that means a return to 2.1 million people working. Over the years almost 300,000 young people have emigrated, but I hope that by the end of 2016 we have net immigration of Irish people back into the country. In other words, by the end of 2016 there will be more young people returning to Ireland than leaving.
The Action Plan for Jobs sets out more than 380 actions for 2015. A number of those are very specific. They are what we call disruptive reforms; in other words, they really shake things up. One is the national talent drive, which aims to attract and retain world-class talent, ensure that work pays for all and provide a great place to live and work. We are targeting 13,800 graduates in the science, technology, engineering and maths disciplines by 2018; that will be an increase from 10,200 in 2011.
Then there is the delivery of regional potential, including the launch of competitive funding initiatives of up to €25 million to promote entrepreneurship and innovation in the regions. The Europe Energy Innovation Hub, which was driven by Deputy Pat Rabbitte when he was Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, provides a one-stop shop to attract mobile investment and position Ireland at the forefront of innovation. One can argue the figures depending on which base one is using, but the clear evidence from the live register is that 135,000 moved off it last year and there is evidence that 80,000 net jobs have been created by the present Government over the last number of years. The Government target this year is the creation of 40,000 new jobs, which will hopefully go a long way towards surpassing its target of creating 100,000 net new jobs by 2016.
I agree with the Taoiseach that there have been improvements with regard to job creation, but I would argue that the rate of job creation has not been ambitious enough to deal with the crisis that we are in. If full employment is to be achieved by 2018, the Government, over the next three years, will have to triple the rate of job creation that has occurred over the past four years. We wish the Government luck with that.
The issue of the construction industry is also mentioned in your notes. I want to draw the Taoiseach's attention to the Kishoge dispute. The Taoiseach may be aware that there is a principal contractor who is building a school in Lucan; that contractor has about 13 different contracts with the State at the moment. There has been a dispute going on there for almost a year. Some of the staff there claim that they are being paid half the minimum wage and that they have been forced into self-employment. They have been to the Labour Court; the Labour Court ruling has been ignored by the contractor. The machinery of the State - Scope and NERA, which are investigating the situation - is moving so slowly that there will be children learning in the school by the time they make any determination. Meanwhile men are getting up at 6 o'clock in the morning to stand on the picket line day in and day out to try to get paid at least the minimum wage.
What can be done to ensure that justice, in the construction industry, is served in a timely fashion by the instruments of the State? A plethora of people feel they have been forced down the route of self-employment as a result of these practices. It is leading to a very corrupt construction industry.
On employment, although we are heading in the right direction and progress has been made, it has not been enough. As the economy begins to improve and confidence begins to rise, one has to deal with the expectations of people for faster results in terms of their lives and lifestyles. It is always a challenge to meet this.
The Deputy mentioned that the west and south west were not measuring up in the overall employment figures. This has always been a challenge in terms of infrastructure - namely, roads, water, broadband, power and energy. Agendas are in place and progress is being followed. For instance, more than 200 secondary schools have been fully linked in to effective broadband. We expect to have approval shortly from the European Commission for the regional development programme that we negotiated under Ireland's Presidency. It includes a budget of €2.5 billion for 2014 to 2020. It will include measures in respect of the Leader programmes which are coming to an end at the end of March. This is an important element in the development of provincial and rural Ireland.
With the abolition of milk quotas, as the Deputy is aware, we will become the most productive dairy unit on the planet. There are projections for several thousand on-farm jobs over the next number of years. Quite a lot of interest has been expressed in land acquisition and leasing of land. There have been changes, in the budget, to facilitate young farmers and the evidence is that many of them are choosing the agri sector as a primary career. All of the courses in agriculture colleges are booked out. It is important to note that the Japanese and American markets have been opened for specialist Irish beef. Ireland is the first country in Europe, for a long time, to achieve this. Negotiations have also been under way for some time in respect of China and a number of other counties. These are important elements of the community response to facilities provided by Government and its agencies.
Quantitative easing from the ECB has weakened the euro against both the dollar and the pound sterling. From an export point of view, this benefits Ireland. It also means that from a product point of view, principally the hospitality sector, the Border regions are now becoming busier in terms of what they offer. Initiatives such as the Wild Atlantic Way, which goes from northern Donegal to Kinsale, offer a unique opportunity to develop these sectors and create jobs. The Government abolished the travel tax and reduced VAT, stabilised the industry and created 35,000 jobs.
I congratulate Darren Clarke on being appointed the next European Ryder Cup captain. The Irish Open in Northern Ireland this year will attract very heavy numbers, as the world's number one will be there. These are opportunities in the hospitality sector which can provide a really good basis for careers and jobs.
On subcontracting, 2020 is the programme. It is very detailed. The Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government is working on two planning Bills which will deal with Part V provisions, development levies and the question of contractors getting on site. There is a very big demand for housing in the greater Dublin region. This cannot be dealt with unless more houses and accommodation are provided. We need to stimulate this. One of the big problems for contractors - competent contractors and not cowboy contractors - is getting finance to start a project. The funding model has been changed by the Central Bank. The subcontractor legislation has gone through the Dáil and is now law. This should be applied in the case of the site mentioned by the Deputy.
It is inadequate.
The Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government will look at it if it is inadequate.
It is not being applied.
We are supposed to be dealing with the Estimates and we are very quickly running out of time. I still have to read through everything. One more Deputy may contribute.
I have just one more question.
Time is very tight.
The subcontractor law is not being applied. It has not been fully completed as the adjudicators have not been selected. Therefore, it still has not been of any use to any of the subcontractors in the State, although it has spent four years making its way through the Houses.
On the programme for Government, the Taoiseach referred to the completion of the work of the Constitutional Convention. This examined voting rights for citizens living abroad, amending the clause on the role of women in the home, substantial Dáil reform, amending the current Dáil electoral form, the removal of blasphemy from the Constitution, reducing the voting age and amending the Constitution to strengthen the protection of economic, social and cultural rights. This work has not been completed. Is there an intention to complete it?
I will bring the first matter to the attention of the Minister of the Environment, Community and Local Government directly.
There are four reports to which the Government has not responded. The reason is that the relevant Departments were to consider some of the recommendations made by the Constitutional Convention. I expect that to be concluded shortly. I have already stated in the Dáil that, as previously committed, there will be an opportunity to discuss these recommendations in the House. I regret that it was not possible to meet the timelines set by Government in the first instance with regard to the reports from the Constitutional Convention.
One of the areas mentioned by the Deputy concerns a consultation process on voting rights for the diaspora. The Minister of State with responsibility for the diaspora has reflected on the practical consequences of having potentially very serious numbers of people who might be eligible to vote depending on the criteria set down. The Government has not made a decision on how best to consult on these practical arrangements. Reduction of the voting age, blasphemy, women's rights and the role of women in the home are matters which will be responded to in the four reports which have yet to be debated by the Dáil. It is hoped that this will happen in the not too distant future.
I thank the Taoiseach for the comprehensive outline he gave us today and I compliment him on the Action Plan for Jobs, which has been working very successfully over the past few years. He mentioned Leader funding. I hope this funding comes fairly quickly because it is badly wanted. I would hate there to be a view that rural Ireland is somewhat behind. Things have never been so optimistic in rural Ireland. As the Taoiseach is aware from his visit to Mitchelstown, there have been huge developments in construction in the area. It is fabulous to see it. People who say rural Ireland is going backwards need to put their finger on the pulse.
The Taoiseach mentioned ten posts for Irish staff in the European Commission and other institutions. Was this due to the recent Presidency? What skills are these people bringing to the posts? What does the Taoiseach feel their roles should be? Are these people liaising with MEPs and the Commissioner?
How is the Civil Service renewal plan progressing? When does the Taoiseach feel it will reach completion?
I have one further small point. There are 16% fewer staff in the Office of the Attorney General. Travel expenses have dropped hugely, by 42%. Its contract legal expertise costs are down by 4%. Has this been compensated for in-house? It was curious to see this figure was down.
I agree with the Deputy in respect of optimism in provincial and rural Ireland. A number of the Leader companies faced quite a number of challenges. The funding approval coming very shortly will allow for a continuation of the very good work done by the Leader groups in communities throughout the country.
The Deputy mentioned ten posts for Irish staff. An officer from the Department of Finance was placed in the European division with the German finance Ministry. An official from the Department of Foreign Affairs was placed with the policy co-ordination unit in the Foreign Affairs Council. An official from the Department of Agriculture, at assistant agricultural inspector grade, was placed with the European Commission, dealing with climate, finance and deforestation. A principal officer from the Department of Justice and Equality is working with the Commission in the Directorate General dealing with the support group for Cyprus.
An official from the Revenue Commissioners is dealing with the Directorate General for Taxation and Customs Union, TAXUD, and the development of a one-stop shop for the EU VAT system and e-services, simplification of VAT systems and so on. An official from the Department of Finance based in the Commission is dealing with fiscal policy and surveillance. Another official from the Department of Finance is dealing with retail financial services and consumer policy, while another is dealing with the secretariat of the EPC banking union, the future of the EMU and the preparation of ECOFIN and Eurogroup meetings. These officials will get experience in these other offices and will bring that experience to the Department. It will lead us to a point at which Ireland has had a really strong permanent representation in Brussels as well as people working in the different institutions who have added greatly to both our information level and our capacity to influence matters.
There was a reduction of 16% in the administrative subhead for the Office of the Attorney General. The number of legal staff increased by eight in the past two years. As Deputy Rabbitte will be aware, the pressure on the Office of the Attorney General in terms of capacity in the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel has been enormous. Some of the complicated Bills that were put through and are in passage through the Oireachtas demand an inordinate amount of time. Let us take the example of the Children and Family Relationships Bill 2014, on which the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel has been working flat out over the past four or five weekends to be able to draw all of the different threads together. It is difficult to get a continuous stream of competent people, so I thank those who have given an extraordinary commitment to drafting the legislation for consideration by the Oireachtas.
The Civil Service renewal plan was published recently and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, is very anxious that it be followed through. It will be monitored by my Department also. There was a extensive consultation with staff, who gave a commitment to make this work. When people approach the public service, they know they will get the expected high-quality service.
As the Minister of State, Deputy Paul Kehoe, is not present - I extend sympathy to him - I am happy for the officials to take my questions and send the replies to the committee secretariat. I do not need to detain the Taoiseach any longer than is necessary. We can deal with it among ourselves when we get the replies.
My questions with regard to the CSO are as follows. The Estimate for this year is €53 million, up from €39 million last year. This is a 34% increase, which is significant. I know the Taoiseach may say the office is getting ready for the census, but there may be more to it than that. There was a report at the weekend about crime statistics not being published because of some difficulties regarding how information was recorded in the Garda Síochána Pulse information system. The CSO is getting the lion's share of the Estimate, €53 million, so we want to ensure it is well spent before the Dáil votes it through. Will the CSO send a report on what is holding the crime figures up, as well as a report on any other delayed, not finalised or unpublished statistical outputs that should in the normal course of events have been published? I know about that because I read it in the newspaper. Are there several other examples or is that an absolutely isolated case? It is often the case that some public bodies do not get the published information, and we would like to see that.
My final question relates to the market corporation test for Irish Water. The CSO is the key organisation in Ireland with a role in this. I have a reply to a parliamentary question from the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Alan Kelly, in which he states:
The Central Statistics Office is responsible for engagement with Eurostat on such matters ... The Government remains confident that Irish Water will pass the Market Corporation Test. The decision is ultimately a matter for Eurostat.
I think the Government has a great deal invested in Irish Water being successful in the market corporation test. I would like a breakdown of the number and grades of staff and the time allocated to working on this area. I am sure it is a new area. What level of training was provided to staff who will pull the information together for the market corporation test. When does the CSO expect to complete the work? When will EUROSTAT complete its work?
I am happy that a response to these questions will be sent in writing to the committee secretariat.
We will send the replies on to Deputy Fleming. There was an increase of €13.2 million on the 2014 Estimate for Vote 4, Central Statistics Office. The allocation provides for advance preparation for the 2016 census of population and the commencement of the 2015-2016 household budget survey. Staff costs for a national employment survey and an Irish health survey are also included. That is the cyclical impact of the CSO's activities. I am informed that the office is facing significant challenges in delivering statistical requirements for users as both national and international demands, particularly those from the EU, continue to expand at a rapid rate in the context of a greater focus on evidence-based policy making. Clearly the market corporation test is an important part of the Government's consideration in setting up Irish Water. Funding for year one of a three-year investment programme was approved by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform as provided for in the 2015 allocation. The 2015 allocation provides for a maximum of 750 staff, and the increase relates primarily to project staffing requirements for surveys of a cyclical nature. We will send on the answers to the specific questions on crime statistics and so on.
I came across an astounding figure last week. I was researching the unemployment figures and I found that 7,500 people over the age of 65 who are unemployed are not counted in the live register. There has been a change in the past number of years with regard pensions and the pension age has been increased. The CSO counts these individuals but they are not included in the live register. To put that figure in perspective, that number represents about 12% of all the new jobs the Government has created since 2011. It is no mean figure. If we do not analyse the figures, how do we come up with the policies to resolve these individuals' specific life experiences? It does not show respect for that age cohort if they are excluded from the liver register figures even though they are unemployed. What can be done from the perspective of the Taoiseach's office or the CSO to ensure that when the live register figures are communicated they are not skewed by the numbers that are lacking?
The Central Statistics Office is very particular about the way it does its business. One would not want to interfere in the work it does. The live register is not an accurate figure of the number of people who are unemployed. There are people on the live register who work two or three days. I think we can get the Deputy an answer on the cohort he mentioned. Last year 134,000 moved off the live register. They were replaced by some others, but there has been a net increase in the number who are employed and the number of new jobs created. The figure does not give the numbers who are unemployed on a full-time basis, but when the CSO provides the analysis of the registry figures, it goes into detail about the different sectors.
I would need to reflect on the detail of the cohort the Deputy mentioned who are over 65 and are not included. I will come back to Deputy Tóibín on that.
I will read out the list of Votes that we have considered and we can agree on them. Vote 1 - President's Establishment. Members can comment if they wish.
Subhead A.1 and A.2 - administration, pay and non-pay. Are there any comments? No. Are there any comments on outputs and output targets? No.
I now turn to Programme B, centenarians’ bounty. Subheads B1 and B2 - administration and administration non-pay. Are the any comments? No. Subhead B3 - centenarian’s bounty. Are there any comments? No. Are there any comments on outputs, output targets and context and impact indicators? No. Are there any comments on appropriations-in-aid? No.
I turn now to Vote 2 – Department of the Taoiseach. Are there any comments on administrative subheads A(i) to A(vii)? No.
I turn now to Programme A, Supporting the work of the Taoiseach and Government. Subheads A1 and A2 - administration pay and non-pay. Are there any comments? No. Subhead A3 - National Economic and Social Council. Are there any comments? No. Subhead A4 - Tribunal of Inquiry. Are there any comments? No. Subhead A5 - EU engagement. Are there any comments? No. Subhead A6 - Irish personnel in EU and international institutions. Are there any comments? No. Subhead A7 - Commission of Investigation. Are there any comments? No. Subhead A8 - Data protection, and Subhead A8 - Diaspora affairs. Are there any comments? No. Are there any comments on outputs, output targets and context and impact indicators? No. Are there any comments on appropriations-in-aid? No.
I turn now to Vote 3 – Office of the Attorney General. Are there any comments on administrative subheads A(i) to A(viii)?
I wonder if we could mull over this until we get the reply about the Attorney General's office and professional indemnity insurance in respect of barristers employed with the assistance of that office. We can complete it the next day when we get the information.
Thank you, Deputy.
I turn now to Programme A, delivery of professional legal services to Government, Departments and offices. Subheads A1 and A2 - administration, pay and non-pay. Are there any comments? No. Subhead A3 - contributions to international organisations. Are there any comments? No. Subhead A4 - Law Reform Commission. Are there any comments? No. Subhead A5, general law expenses. Are there any comments? No. Are there any comments on outputs, output targets and context and impact indicators? No. Are there any comments on appropriations-in-aid? No.
I turn now to Vote 4 – Central Statistics Office. Are there any comments on administrative subheads A(i) to A(viii)?
Yes. There is quite a bit of information to get. We will conclude on this area as soon as we get the information.
Thank you, Deputy.
I turn now to Programme A, delivery of annual statistical programme. Subheads A1 and A2 - administration, pay and non-pay. Are there any comments? No. Are there any comments on outputs, output targets and context and impact indicators? No. Are there any comments no appropriations-in-aid? No.
I turn now to Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. Are there any comments on administrative subheads A(i) to A(vii)?
We are waiting for information from the DPP on costs arising from the establishment of the new Court of Appeal. We will note it as soon as we get the information.
Thank you, Deputy.
I turn now to Programme A - Provision of Prosecution Service. Subheads A1 and A2 - administration, pay and non-pay. Are there any comments? No. Subhead A3 - fees to counsel. Are there any comments? No. Subhead A4 - general law expenses. Are there any comments? No. Subhead A5 - local State solicitor service. Are there any comments? No. Are there any comments on outputs, output targets and context and impact indicators? No. Are there any comments on appropriations-in-aid. No.
I turn now to Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor. Are there any comments on administrative subheads A(i) to A(vii)? No.
I turn now to Programme A, provision of legal services. Subheads A.1 and A.2 - administration, pay and non-pay. Are there any comments? No. Subhead A3 - external legal services. Are there any comments? No. Subhead A4 - fees to counsel. Are there any comments? No. Subhead A5 - general law expenses. Are there any comments? No. Are there any comments on outputs, output targets and context and impact indicators? No. Are there any comment on appropriations-in-aid? No.
I would like to thank the Taoiseach and the officials in assisting the committee with our consideration of the revised Estimates and programmes. As some members have requested that further information be sent to the committee, I propose that we await that information so that we can complete our consideration of the Revised Estimate for Votes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 before we send a message to that effect to the Clerk of the Dáil, in accordance with Standing Order 87. Is that agreed? Agreed. Members will note that the committee clerk will circulate the information once received and will schedule a meeting to complete the task.
We will do that ourselves.
I thank the Chairman for his courtesy and also thank the members for attending. We will have the information requested by Deputy Fleming sent on to the committee.
Thank you, Taoiseach.