Written Answers Nos. 104-116
104. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach the stage the draft legislation in relation to Cabinet confidentiality is at within his Department, the number of meetings that have taken place to discuss same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36950/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs I have previously said in the House, Cabinet confidentiality is provided for in the Constitution and I have no plans to hold a referendum on the matter.
106. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach the annual saving to the Exchequer if all board members fees paid to agencies under his aegis were cut by 25%, 35% and 50%, respectively. [36953/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Economic and Social Development Office (NESDO) is the only State Agency under the aegis of my Department. The NESDO was established under the NESDO Act 2006 and is the body corporate for the National Economic and Social Council (NESC). NESDO Board Members and NESC members do not receive any fees.
Although the National Statistics Board (NSB) is not classified as an agency under my aegis, I am providing the following for the information of the Deputy. Under the Statistics Act, 1993, the National Statistics Board comprises a Chairperson and seven Board members. My functions in relation to the NSB were delegated to the Government Chief Whip, Minister of State Paul Kehoe T.D., on the 22 March 2011.
Appointments to the NSB are made in line with the provisions of Section 18 of the Statistics Act 1993. The Chairperson receives an annual stipend of €8,978 and four of the seven Board members are paid an annual stipend of €5,985. The other members are serving cvil servants and receive no additional remuneration for serving on the Board. The costs of the Board are met from the CSO Vote.
The following savings would arise if the stipends paid to board members were reduced by 25%, 35% and 50%:
|
% Reduction |
Potential Savings |
|
25% |
€8,229.50 |
|
35% |
€11,521.30 |
|
50% |
€16,459.00 |
107. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach the annual saving to the Exchequer if the pay of all chief executive officers of State agencies under his aegis were capped at €100,000. [36954/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe saving that would accrue in relation to the only agency under the aegis of my Department would be €57,196 per annum.
108. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach if he will provide in tabular form a list of all professional fees including but not limited to legal, consultancy, IT related, advisory, advertising, and accountancy; the company name; and the amount invoiced since March 2011 to the end of June 2012. [36955/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe following table provides details of professional fees paid by my Department from 1 March 2011 to end June 2012.
1 March 2011 to end December 2011
|
Company Name |
Description |
Amount Paid € |
|
Bearing Point Ireland |
IT related |
1,854.35 |
|
Brindley Advertising Ltd |
Advertising |
94,095.59 |
|
Conradh na Gaeilge |
Advertising |
200.00 |
|
IPoptions Ltd |
IT related |
4,235.00 |
|
IT Force Ltd |
IT related |
102,808.86 |
|
QTS Ltd |
Consultancy |
1,270.50 |
|
RITS Pondera |
IT related |
11,495.00 |
|
System Dynamics Ltd |
IT related |
317.63 |
|
Tower Watson (Ireland) Ltd |
Consultancy |
12,100.00 |
|
Truvo Ireland Ltd |
IT related |
6,766.32 |
2012
|
Company Name |
Description |
Amount Paid € |
|
Bearing Point Ireland |
IT related |
1,166.37 |
|
Brindley Advertising Ltd |
Advertising |
369,044.02 |
|
Caroline Erskine |
Consultancy |
19,803.00 |
|
IT Force Ltd |
IT related |
46,936.80 |
|
Lesley Conroy |
Advertising |
3,129.20 |
|
MacGeehin Toale Solicitors |
Legal |
241,675.75 |
|
OTS Ltd |
IT related |
1,270.50 |
109. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach the cost to the Exchequer of the provision of agency staff in his Department or State agencies under his aegis. [36956/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraNo cost arises for the Exchequer as agency staff are not employed by my Department or the National Economic and Social Development Office (NESDO).
110. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach if he will provide a list of his Department's public private partnership projects currently in payment in a tabular format; the name of the project; the capital cost of the project and the total projected amount of the PPP repayments by Government for each project. [36957/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has funded no Public Private Partnership projects to date in 2012.
111. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach if he will provide in tabular form details of public service provision responsibilities of his Department outsourced to the private sector; and the cost of each service outsourced over the past 12 months. [36958/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraNone of my Department's responsibilities is outsourced to the private sector.
112. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach if he will provide a list of all current time-related savings or delayed spending of budget 2012 allocations on staff and and-or resources in his Department. [36959/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are no current time-related savings/delayed spending of Budget 2012 allocations on staff and/or resources in my Department.
113. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach if he will provide a list of all State agencies under his aegis; and the total annual cost of each agency to the Exchequer. [36960/12]
Amharc ar fhreagra119. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Taoiseach the number of agencies, authorities, boards, committees, working groups, tribunals, council services, task forces, agencies or other quangos set up by his Department since February 2011; the number abolished since then; the extra cost of quangos which were established; the savings from the abolition of quangos; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37252/12]
Amharc ar fhreagra120. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Taoiseach the estimated cost of each quango in his Department; the amount expected to be saved from the mergers of quangos in his Department; the basis for this figure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37268/12]
Amharc ar fhreagra141. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Taoiseach the number of State bodies that have been set up since 9 March 2011; the rationale behind these decisions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40002/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 113, 119, 120 and 141 together.
The National Economic and Social Development Office (NESDO) is the only agency under the aegis of my Department. It was established under the NESDO Act 2006 and is the body corporate for the National Economic and Social Council (NESC). NESDO has already completed a substantial restructuring programme. On 1 April 2010, two of its constituent bodies, the National Economic and Social Forum (NESF) and the National Centre for Partnership and Performance (NCPP) were dissolved. This led to substantial savings on both pay and non-pay expenditure, mainly as a result of reduced accommodation, rent, staffing levels and administrative costs. The 2012 Estimate for NESDO is €2,220,000. This is a reduction of over €1.1m on 2010.
My Department also rationalised the work and achieved substantial savings in relation to three other bodies which were formerly within its remit in recent years. The total separate programme funding for the work of the Ireland Newfoundland Partnership and the Active Citizenship Office ceased in 2009. The separate Offices in these areas have been discontinued which has given rise to savings in my Department’s Estimates of approximately €356,000 per annum. The National Forum on Europe was closed in 2009 which also gave rise to savings in the Estimates of €360,000.
The only working groups set up by my Department since February 2011 are: the China Follow-Up Group, which was established following my visit to China in March 2012; and the Communications Working Group, established earlier this year to ensure a coordinated approach to promoting Ireland’s international reputation. Both of these interdepartmental groups comprise officials from across Government Departments and agencies. Meetings are chaired by officials from my Department.
114. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach the number of retired civil or public servants that have been rehired by his Department since March 2012; their positions and accompanying salaries. [36961/12]
Amharc ar fhreagra115. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach the number of retired civil or public servants that have been retained by his Department since March 2012 on a short-term contract or on a consultancy basis where normal abatement rules do not apply. [36962/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 114 and 115 together.
No retired civil or public servants have been either rehired or retained by my Department since March 2012.
116. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach if he will provide details of his telecommunications services 2012 budget. [36963/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe total telecommunications budget for my Department for 2012 is €496,000 which includes telephonist salaries, fixed voice, mobile and data costs as well as Voice Over IP, Video Conferencing and maintenance costs.
