Written Answers Nos. 1038-1053
1038. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government if he will provide detail in tabular form of the names of all external public relations and consultancy persons and organisations used by his Department for the years 2011 and 2010; the amount paid to each; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37508/12]
Amharc ar fhreagra1040. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government if he will detail in tabular form the amount paid on external public relations and communications consultants since February 2011; the reason for the payment; the name of each organisation used; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37541/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1038 and 1040 together.
My Department carries out various awareness campaigns and initiatives to promote public understanding and behaviour change, or to provide information. Details of the amounts paid in respect of hiring external public relations and consultancy persons and organisations for the years 2010 and 2011, and in the period since February 2011, are set out in the following table.
|
Company Name |
Assignment |
Expenditure 2010 |
Expenditure 2011 |
Total |
|
Pembroke Communications |
Promotion of sponsorship campaign for Tidy Towns Competition |
€4,560 |
€4,560 |
|
|
Mary Murphy & Associates |
Climate Change Campaign |
€59,391 |
€59,391 |
|
|
Mary Murphy & Associates |
Sustainable Innovation Forum |
€26,425 |
€26,425 |
1039. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government the gross annual salary costs for his private and constituency offices at present; the same figures for this time last year; the same figures for any Ministers of State in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37525/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraStaffing of my private and constituency offices and that of my colleague, Ms. Jan O’Sullivan, T.D., Minister of State, is in accordance with the agreed reduced staffing numbers set out in the Instructions on Ministerial Appointments for the 31st Dáil and the Guidelines on Staffing of Ministerial Offices of March 2011. During the period in question, former Minister of State Penrose held office from 10 March 2011 to 16 November 2011 and subsequently Minister of State O’Sullivan took up office on 20 December 2011. Minister of State O’Dowd had no staff assigned to his office in my Department in 2011 but has recently had one staff member assigned to his private office.
The current gross annual salary costs for each office and the equivalent costs as at September 2011 are set out in the following table.
|
Office |
September 2012 |
September 2011 |
|
Minister’s Private Office |
€509,021 |
€365,485 |
|
Minister’s Constituency Office |
€157,886 |
€197,992 |
|
Minister’s of State Private Office (O’Sullivan) |
€325,670 |
n/a |
|
Minister’s of State Constituency Office (O’Sullivan) |
€148,717 |
n/a |
|
Minister’s of State Private Office (O’Dowd) |
€79,338 |
n/a |
|
Minister’s of State Private Office (Penrose) |
n/a |
€273,245 |
|
Minister’s of State Constituency Office (Penrose) |
n/a |
€148,377 |
1041. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government if he will detail in tabular form the amount paid to consultants since February 2011; the name of each organisation used; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37557/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested is set out in the following table.
|
Purpose of Consultancy |
Consultant |
Amount Paid Since February 2011 |
|
Retrofitting Code of Practice. |
Building Research Establishment Ltd |
€27,635 |
|
Testing of Hydraulic Efficiency - national annex for septic tanks and wastewater treatment. |
Irish Concrete Federation Ltd |
€2,270 |
|
Sound insulation research to inform the drafting of Part E (Sound) of the Building Regulations. |
Napier University Ventures Ltd. |
€1,423 |
|
Preparation and delivery of a training manual and programme for the implementation of the new Part M (Access and Use) of Building Regulations. |
O'Herlihy Consultancy |
€14,337 |
|
Advise on, and assist tendering process for, Tidy Towns sponsorship. |
Pembroke Communications |
€4,560 |
|
Review of the management by the Department of an application by Wicklow County Council for loan approval in respect of the compulsory purchase of land at Charlesland, Co. Wicklow. |
Mr. Seamus Woulfe SC |
€19,680 |
|
Advisor to the Dormant Accounts Board. |
Mr. David Lovegrove |
€13,271 |
|
Negotiation of the conclusion of lease arrangements for the storage of electronic voting machines. |
DTZ Sherry Fitzgerald |
€2,783 |
|
Feasibility study to inform the design of a main stage national evaluation of the Local and Community Development Programme. |
SQW Limited |
€43,999 |
|
Analysis of Property Tax Options - A report to the Interdepartmental Expert Group on Property Tax. |
Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) |
€60,280 |
|
Provision of valuation services in respect of foreshore lease and licence applications. |
Lisney |
€58,814 |
|
Legal advice on tender and contract documentation for the provision of a premium rate weather service. |
A&L Goodbody Solicitors |
€10,374 |
|
Archaelogical report on Met Éireann site at Valentia. |
Barrow Archaeological Services |
€1,210 |
|
Environmental and engineering advice, EIS Screening Report and planning submission for site at Valentia. |
Malachy Walsh & Partners |
€19,531 |
|
Archaeological Investigation/Works. |
Munster Archaeology |
€24,258 |
|
Recertification audit (Met Éireann) of ISO9001:2008. |
National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) |
€3,993 |
|
Surveillance Audit on IS EN ISO 2012. |
National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) |
€2,706 |
|
Study in respect of provision of fire detection and alarms systems in dwellings. |
ARUP Consulting Engineers |
€29,935 |
|
Review of Homelessness Services in Dublin Region. |
Murtagh & Partners |
€27,800 |
|
Review of the Homeless Strategy 2008-2013 |
Dr. Eoin O'Sullivan, Trinity College Dublin. |
€6,000 |
|
Provision of expertise concerning Strategic Environmental Assessment and Appropriate Assessment techniques for the evaluation and revision of Regional Waste Management Plans. |
RPS |
€36,251 |
|
Operation of the National Litter Pollution Monitoring System (NLPMS). |
Tobin Consulting Engineers |
€99,504 |
|
Ambient air monitoring in the vicinity of the former steelworks site, Haulbowline, Cork. |
White Young Green |
€13,005 |
|
Consultancy services on establishment of National Water Utility. |
Price Waterhouse Coopers |
€131,614 |
1043. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government the amount spent by his Department on drivers and ministerial transport since February 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37589/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has spent €275,389 on ministerial transport arrangements since the formation of the Government.
1044. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government the total amount spent since February 2011 on external reports commissioned by his Department, including payments from ministerial allowances, details of the consultants employed and costs of each; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37621/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraInformation on external reports commissioned and funded by my Department is set out in the following table.
|
Description of Report |
Consultant etc. |
Amount Spent Since February 2011 |
|
Retrofitting Code of Practice. |
Building Research Establishment Ltd. |
€27,365 |
|
Sound insulation research to inform the drafting of Part E (Sound) of the Building Regulations. |
Napier University Ventures Ltd. |
€1,423 |
|
Report of the Pyrite Panel - independent report to provide options to deal with the pyrite problem. |
Pyrite Panel |
€21,470 |
|
2011 Report of the Dormant Accounts Board. |
Mr. David Lovegrove |
€13,271 |
|
Review of the management by the Department of an application by Wicklow County Council for loan approval in respect of the compulsory purchase of land at Charlesland, Co. Wicklow. |
Mr. Seamus Woulfe SC |
€19,680 |
|
Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice - Feasibility Study. |
Fehilly Timoney & Company |
€41,514 |
|
Crop Demo Trials to demonstrate the use of composted and anaerobic digested BMW on crops. |
Methanogen |
€115,594 |
|
Recovered Paper Market in Ireland and Recovered Paper Quality Best Practice Studies. |
Poyry Forest Industry Consulting |
€85,003 |
|
Compost Quality Standard IS441 (NSAI). |
RPS |
€10,000 |
|
Irish Recycled Plastic Waste Arisings Study. |
SKM Enviros |
€37,566 |
|
Evaluation of ICT disaster recovery configuration and capability. |
Version 1 |
€9,363 |
|
Feasibility study to inform the design of a main stage national evaluation of the Local and Community Development Programme. |
SQW Limited |
€43,999 |
|
Analysis of Property Tax Options - A report to the Interdepartmental Expert Group on Property Tax. |
Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) |
€60,280 |
|
Archaelogical report on Met Éireann site at Valentia. |
Barrow Archaeological Services |
€1,210 |
|
EIS Screening Report for site at Valentia. |
Malachy Walsh & Partners |
€6,336 |
|
Report on archaeological investigation/survey. |
Munster Archaeology |
€24,258 |
|
Report of Survillance Audit on IS EN ISO 2012. |
National Standards Authority Ireland (NSAI) |
€2,706 |
|
Study in respect of provision of fire detection and alarm systems in dwellings. |
ARUP Consulting Engineers |
€29,935 |
|
Review of the Homeless Strategy 2008-2013. |
Dr. Eoin O'Sullivan, Trinity College Dublin |
€6,000 |
|
Review of Homelessness Services in Dublin Region. |
Murtagh & Partners |
€27,800 |
|
Provision of expertise concerning Strategic Environmental Assessment and Appropriate Assessment techniques for the evaluation and revision of Regional Waste Management Plans. |
RPS |
€36,251 |
|
Operation of National Litter Pollution Monitoring System. |
Tobin Consulting Engineers |
€99,504 |
|
Ambient air monitoring in the vicinity of the former steelworks site, Haulbowline, Cork. |
White Young Green |
€13,005 |
|
Consultancy services on establishment of National Water Utility. |
Price Waterhouse Coopers |
€131,614 |
1045. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government his views on a planning matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37641/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have no involvement in the implementation of planning legislation in particular cases. However, under the legislation it is open to the National Roads Authority, as it is to any person or body who made a submission, to appeal the decision of a planning authority to An Bord Pleanála.
1046. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government if, in the context of the recent report of the Pyrite Panel, all houses in the 74 identified estates in the report are to be tested for pyrite; and, if not, the reason for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37658/12]
Amharc ar fhreagra1070. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government in relation to the Pyrite Panel report if he has adopted a definition of what constitutes significant damage; the way in which homeowners confirm which category they are in terms of the red and amber categories; the way in which and when he intends to clarify this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37940/12]
Amharc ar fhreagra1071. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government in relation to homes affected by pyrite the way in which he proposes that the issue of sulphate attack will be investigated and remedied; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37941/12]
Amharc ar fhreagra1072. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government if he will introduce the standard of less than 0.5% maximum acceptable level of pyrite in infill building material subject to the conditions outlined on page 93 of the report of the Pyrite Panel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37942/12]
Amharc ar fhreagra1075. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government the way the issue of pyrite in block will be investigated and remedied; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37945/12]
Amharc ar fhreagra1077. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government if he proposes to deal with homeowners who have spent considerable sums of money on pyrite testing if their tests do not conform to the new protocol being developed by the National Standards Authority of Ireland; if he will put in place a pyrite testing scheme at no expense to homeowners to ensure that the full extent of the pyrite problem is identified and remedied; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37947/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1046, 1070 to 1072, inclusive, 1075 and 1077 together.
Seventy four estates were identified to the Pyrite Panel as possibly having pyrite. In the case of 23 of these estates, no pyrite related claims have been made to structural guarantee companies nor did there appear to be any significant evidence, at the time the Panel undertook its work, to support the contention that there are pyrite problems in all or any of these cases. I have asked the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) to develop protocols for:
- testing and categorisation of reactive pyrite in sub-floor hardcore material,
- a method statement specifying a methodology for the removal and replacement of hardcore in buildings with pyrite.
It has set up Technical Standards Committees, with broad representation of people with an expertise in the particular areas, to assist in undertaking this work; they have also sought written submissions from the public.
The testing and categorisation protocol will address the assessment of damage and approaches to testing and categorisation of dwellings. The method statement will give guidance for dealing with sulfate attack where it occurs. The Pyrite Panel considered the issue of sulfate attack and in its report stated that it had been informed by a number of experts, directly involved in cases of damage caused by pyritic heave that sulfate attack had not presented, at that time, as a significant structural issue.
The pyrite report recommends the development of a standalone specification for hardcore for use under concrete floors in buildings, with a requirement for appropriate testing by quarries to demonstrate compliance. I have also asked NSAI to undertake this work and they have agreed to do so. The limits to be applied for pyrite will be considered having regard to the knowledge and expertise developed over the past number of years. The remit of the Pyrite Panel was to consider the issue of pyrite in hardcore used in private housing and it did not deal with the issue of pyrite in blocks. However, according to the Panel it was not informed of any failures of concrete or concrete products, due to aggregates containing reactive pyrite being used as a constituent of the concrete, at the same time or in the locality of where the problems of hardcore occurred.
Pending the completion of the work on the testing and categorisation protocol by the NSAI, I am not in a position to consider what, if any, issues will arise for homeowners who have already undertaken testing but I would hope that the protocol will not create any additional expense for homeowners.
1047. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government if he has asked stakeholders to provide an interim report detailing progress made on the pyrite crisis in consultation with pyrite-affected homeowners and their representatives; and, if not, the reason for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37659/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe pyrite report pointed to the need for Government to ensure that responsible stakeholders should engage constructively in processes to deliver effective solutions for home owners and should bear the costs of remediation. On receiving the pyrite report I engaged with the key stakeholders outlining my position to them in the context of what I expected from them. I set a deadline of the end of September for them to come back to me with credible proposals to provide solutions for homeowners. In setting this deadline, I was conscious of the need to make progress as quickly as possible having regard to the difficult situation in which affected homeowners find themselves. In view of the tight timeframe and the complexity of the issues being considered, I did not believe that requiring an interim report would be constructive or beneficial.
1048. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government if draft legislation has been prepared to impose levies on any stakeholder who has failed to cooperate or implement a required action by an agreed deadline as outlined in the report of the Pyrite Panel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37660/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy preferred approach to advancing solutions for homeowners affected by pyrite is for responsible stakeholders to take ownership of the problem and work with me to provide an industry-led solution for homeowners. In this regard I have set a deadline of the end of September for the relevant stakeholders to come back to me with credible proposals. However, in the absence of positive outcomes from my engagement with the stakeholders I will consider asking Government to examine the imposition of a mandatory levy on the construction/quarrying sector and related insurance sector to fund the prospective Resolution Board, as envisaged in the pyrite report.
1049. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government if he will clarify the status of multi-unit developments and apartments in the pyrite remediation and resolution process given that ground floor dwellings are referred to in the Report of the Pyrite Panel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37661/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Pyrite Panel undertook a desktop study to establish facts in relation to the potential exposure to pyrite in private dwellings, including apartments and duplexes. As the pyrite problem relates to under-floor hardcore stone fill only ground floors in apartments and duplexes were considered.
1050. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government when a site resolution plan will be put in place for a development (details supplied) in County Westmeath so that the development will be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37740/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraSite Resolution Plans have been identified by the National Coordination Committee on Unfinished Housing Developments as a key tool in resolving issues associated with unfinished housing developments. Such plans enable developers to work with local authorities, financial institutions, NAMA and residents in determining how best to pursue resolution of problematic sites. The process also entails working with stakeholders in identifying the best long-term solution for developments in terms of their configuration, use of vacant buildings and ownership. Such solutions also take account of the best interests of residents. My Department is advised by Westmeath County Council that a Site Resolution Plan for this estate will be completed shortly.
1051. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government if he will supply a list of all Labour Court recommendations that have been issued in respect of his Department and organisations under his aegis that have not been complied with in full; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37752/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are no Labour Court recommendations that have been issued in respect of my Department or agency under its aegis that have not been complied with.
1052. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government if he will provide a list of all Labour Court recommendations that have been issued in respect of local authorities that have not been complied with in full; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37766/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraImplementation of Labour Court Recommendations, by individual local authorities, is a matter for the local authority concerned.
1053. Deputy Peter Mathews asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government his plans (details supplied) in respect of the non-principal private residence charge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37775/12]
Amharc ar fhreagra1058. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government his views on correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37847/12]
Amharc ar fhreagra1104. Deputy Peter Mathews asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government if he will permit the non-principal private residence charge to be paid quarterly in order to help landlords facing financial difficulties to meet their obligations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38787/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1053, 1058 and 1104 together.
The Local Government (Charges) Act 2009, as amended, broadened the revenue base of local authorities by introducing a charge on non-principal private residences. The charge is set at €200 and liability for it falls, in the main, on owners of rental, holiday and vacant properties. Under the Act, it is a function of a local authority to collect non-principal private residence charges and late payment fees due to it, and all charges and late payment fees imposed and payable to a local authority are under the care and management of the local authority concerned. In this regard, application of the legislation in particular circumstances is a matter for the relevant local authority.
While I have no plans to introduce an instalment payment system for this charge, I recently issued guidelines to local authorities in relation to the operation of the “care and management” provisions of the Local Government (Charges) Act 2009 in the context of individual situations where genuine hardship in having to discharge a liability in a single payment can be demonstrated. The guidelines set out the modalities for local authorities in relation to entering into payment arrangements for the discharge of outstanding liabilities in instalments over a specified period. I expect local authorities to implement these guidelines appropriately.
