Written Answers Nos. 102 - 110
102. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will report on his recent proposals to reform the Junior Certificate exam and the timetable for their introduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43813/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraI published A Framework for Junior Cycle on 4 October 2012. This document contains details of my plans to reform the junior cycle in post-primary schools. A Framework for Junior Cycle builds upon proposals developed by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment and published in November 2011 under the title, Towards a Framework for Junior Cycle - Innovation and Identity. My Framework adopts many of the curricular changes proposed by the NCCA but it also contains more radical changes in relation to how students' progress and learning are assessed at junior cycle.
A clear timetable for implementation which will be carried out on a phased basis up to 2020, is set out in the document. Implementation will begin in schools for those students entering first year in 2014, with English and some short courses. An extensive programme of continuing professional development will be made available to teachers to support implementation. This will begin in 2013. I have arranged that a copy of my Framework document will be given to all members of the Oireachtas so that you are fully aware of its details and timetable.
103. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the expenses that the head of each university and Institute of Technology here claimed in each year over the past four years to date in 2012 in addition to their salaries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43820/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information sought by the Deputy is not readily available in my Department. Officials of my Department have asked the Higher Education Authority to contact each University and Institute of Technology seeking a response and I will forward the available data to you as soon as possible.
104. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Education and Skills the expected total legal costs to be incurred in his Department in 2012; his proposals to reduce these costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44064/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraInformation relevant to the Deputy's question is currently being compiled. A further reply will issue to the Deputy as soon as possible.
105. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform with regard to the voluntary redundancy programme for public servants, the date on which it will open and close; the number of public servants that he hopes will avail of this offer; the amount the severence package will cost; the savings that will be achieved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43548/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government is committed to reducing the size of the Public Service and to creating, a leaner more efficient Public Service. At mid 2012 Public Service numbers were 292,000. This is 28,000 below the peak numbers level of 320,000 in 2008 and is comparable to the 2005 staffing levels. Service levels have been largely maintained, and in fact increased in some areas, notwithstanding these considerable staff reductions due to increased productivity/workplace flexibilities. The Government have agreed to accelerate the programme of staff reductions in order to maximise paybill savings. Where staff surpluses are identified a targeted voluntary redundancy (VR) scheme would be made available for selected areas throughout the Public Service.
Identification of staff surpluses is underway. My Ministerial colleagues are actively examining particular work areas, bodies, locations or grades at which voluntary redundancy can be targeted because of changes to work configuration or service delivery models, for example. Of course there will be full regard for the skills needs and priorities of Departments now and into the future during this process. I would stress that there will be no automatic right to redundancy and all applications will be subject to ongoing business needs. This will ensure that critical frontline services will be maintained. Details of the scheme are being finalised and will be announced in due course.
Final decisions on numbers reductions to be achieved in each sector will take account of the surpluses identified by Ministers in respect of their portfolios and of expected rates of retirements in those sectors over the next few years. A full cost benefit analysis will of course be required as part of this assessment. When this assessment has been completed further details of this scheme will be made available by my Department.
106. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 221 of 2 October 2012, if he will provide a breakdown of the €810 million reduction in the public sector pay bill for the first two years under the Croke Park agreement; if he will outline the amount of this wage reduction that was achieved by way of reduction of pay in the public service prior to the commencement of the Croke Park agreement; if he will provide further information regarding the increase in the public sector pay bill for employees remaining within the public service for the duration of the Croke Park agreement when the reductions due to voluntary redundancy and the embargo on recruitment are factored out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43607/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder Paragraph 1.16 of the Public Service Agreement, the Implementation Body is required to undertake an annual review of the sustainable savings generated from the implementation of the Agreement and of the agreements in each sector. Two such reviews have been carried out to date. In the course of these two annual reviews, the Implementation Body has found that €810m in sustainable savings have been achieved in the first two years of the Agreement. This comprises €289m in respect of the first year of the Agreement and €521m in respect of the second year. Full details of these figures, as well as a breakdown by sector, are available in the two Annual Progress Reports published by the Body to date. These reports are available on its website at www.implementationbody.gov.ie/publications.
The pay bill savings reported by the Body are calculated on average annualised savings per employee arising from the reduction in public service staff numbers during the relevant review period. It encompasses savings due to numbers reductions and other reductions in the cost of the public service pay bill (e.g. in overtime, allowances etc). Accordingly, the €810m relates to savings that have been achieved during the lifetime of the Public Service Agreement. There has been no increase in the public sector pay bill since the commencement of the Agreement.
107. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the actions, if any, he has taken on foot of the recommendations in the report by the Joint Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht entitled Eight proposals urgently required to tackle flooding on the River Shannon, it's tributaries and the waters feeding into it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43610/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraI welcome the report of the Joint Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht entitled “Eight proposals urgently required to tackle flooding on the river Shannon, its tributaries and the waters feeding into it”. While not all the matters raised in the Committee Report come within the remit of the Office of Public Works, the general scope of the Report has relevance to OPW’s present engagement with matters on the Shannon catchment. In response to the Committee Report, I brought the recent report carried out by Jacobs Engineering on the River Shannon Level Operation Review to the attention of the Committee and offered to facilitate a briefing on this report to Committee members.
The Deputy will be aware that the Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management Study for the River Shannon is being carried out by Jacobs Engineering. The study also involves a very widespread public and stakeholder consultation process to better inform the assessment of flood risks. In that context I have forwarded the Committee’s Report to Jacobs Engineering for incorporation into its analysis and development of option recommendations under the Flood Risk Management Plan which is due for completion by end 2015.
In advance of the completion of that Plan, the OPW will, in conjunction with the ESB and Waterways Ireland, continue to monitor the position on the management of water levels along the Shannon. I can assure you that I will maintain the close interest and involvement in this matter that I have demonstrated to date. I recently met again with Waterways Ireland and the ESB to review operational control protocols for water flows and levels on the Shannon. It was agreed at that meeting, in the light of stakeholder requests, to carry out a water level monitoring exercise, involving controlled raising and lowering of weir boards at selected locations. The carrying out of this exercise is contingent on favourable hydrological conditions and for this reason it has not been possible to date to undertake the exercise
I also met recently with the representatives of the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland (IWAI), and the Irish Boat Rental Association (IBRA) to discuss their concerns regarding operational controls on the Shannon. These concerns have been passed to Jacobs Engineering for active consideration in the context of its Catchment Flood Risk Assessment & Management (CFRAM) Study for the River Shannon, as part of the national CFRAM programme. It is my intention to ensure that constructive dialogue continues with all the main stakeholders and that progress can be made towards achieving a balanced and fair solution where the water in the Shannon and its lakes is maintained at levels which meets the needs of business, navigation, power generation and the welfare of those farming and living directly adjacent to the main river channel.
108. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the net saving to the Exchequer from the reduction in public sector worker numbers since March 2011 taking into account pensions paid out to retirees and the loss of pension related contributions to the Exchequer. [43615/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraPublic Service pay peaked in 2009 at €17.5bn and is estimated to be at €15.37 by the end of this year, a gross saving of €2.1bn. This saving was achieved through the implementation of a number of ongoing cost saving measures across the public service. The pay and pensions savings from 2009 to 2015 are set out below.
Pay and Pension Savings 2009-2015
|
. |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2009-2015 reduction net of PRD |
|
. |
€bn |
€bn |
€bn |
€bn |
€bn |
€bn |
€bn |
. |
|
Exchequer Pay Bill - Gross |
17.5 |
15.9 |
15.6 |
15.37 |
15.0 |
14.7 |
14.6 |
. |
|
Pension Related Deduction (PRD) |
0.837 |
0.945 |
0.950 |
0.930 |
0.916 |
0.911 |
0.911 |
. |
|
Exchequer Pay Bill Net of PRD |
16.7 |
15.0 |
14.7 |
14.45 |
14.1 |
13.8 |
13.7 |
3.8 |
|
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
2009-2015 increase |
|
Exchequer Pension Bill - Gross |
2.6 |
2.7 |
2.7 |
3.0 |
3.0 |
3.1 |
3.1 |
. |
|
Increase over previous year |
0.175 |
0.020 |
0.285 |
-0.059 |
0.120 |
0 |
0.5 |
The Gross pay bill peaked at €17.5bn in 2009 and is estimated to fall to €13.7bn net of Pension Related Deduction (PRD) in 2015. Taking into account the affect of the PRD, the estimated reduction in the pay bill cost from 2009 to 2015 is €3.8bn. The pension bill is expected to increase from €2.6bn in 2009 to €3.1bn in 2015, which is an increase of approximately €0.5bn. Offsetting the pension bill increase against the Gross pay bill reduction will see the overall Exchequer Pay and Pensions Bill fall by approximately €3.3bn by 2015.
109. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he has given due regard to commitments in the Good Friday Agreement to make efficiencies in the delivery of public services through cross-border co operation and harmonisation services; and if any cost analysis has been undertaken as to the way in which this cooperation could provide savings for the State's budgetary calculations. [43752/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraI remain committed to implementing the elements within the Good Friday Agreement that further North South cooperation and I continue to pursue areas of collaboration that could deliver cost savings during bilateral contacts with Northern Ministers and through NSMC meetings.
At meetings of the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC), Ministers North and South have re-iterated their commitment to practical and mutually beneficial cooperation, and to exploring areas where cost savings might be achieved. Opportunities for achieving economies of scale by working together to deliver cost savings have also been discussed by Government officials North and South. Some areas that have potential in achieving efficiency and mutually beneficial savings on a North South basis include the development of common procurement strategies and joint awareness-raising campaigns. Additionally, there is some scope for efficiency gains in long term infrastructure planning on an all-island basis. In order to advance this matter, my officials have previously made proposals to their Northern Ireland counterparts and these are being pursued.
I would also like to state that North South Bodies have had to make efficiency savings of at least 3% cumulative per annum since 2009 in accordance with guidance issued by my Department and the Department of Finance and Personnel, Northern Ireland.
110. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 210 of 2 October 2012, if he will estimate the number of new jobs that would have been created if the 2012 infrastructure and capital spend budget, which to the end of August 2012 was underspent by €120m compared with profile, and to the end of September 2012 was underspent by €268m compared with profile, had in fact been spent according to profile. [43753/12]
Amharc ar fhreagra113. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the consideration given to the creation of employment when the 2012 infrastructure and capital spend budget was profiled at the start of 2012 in order that 45% of the total annual budget, amounting to €1.65bn out of an annual budget of €3.6bn, was to be spent in the last 25% of the year. [43756/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 110 and 113 together.
The profiling of capital expenditure is carried out by individual Departments on the basis of the likely timing of payments related to capital projects and programmes which they deliver. Job creation is not a factor in the profiling exercise. Queries in relation to the profiling of capital allocations are a matter for individual Ministers and their Departments. In responding to the Deputy's question however, I feel it is important to point out that a variance of around 12% in capital expenditure is not unusual. Despite such variances, over the last five years capital expenditure at end December has generally been back on profile with a variance of less than 2%.
While my Department is not responsible for the profiling of capital expenditure it does set the overall expenditure allocations of Departments which includes setting the five year multi-annual capital envelopes. The present five year envelope was outlined in the "Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2012-2016: Medium Term Exchequer Framework" which was published last November following a Government-wide review of the public capital programme.
There will, of course, be direct employment benefits in the delivery of the infrastructure proposed in the Investment Framework; however, it is important to note that the most important contribution capital investment can now make is in providing the capacity for the economy to grow, which will in turn create employment. In this context, the review made a point of protecting supports to the enterprise sector primarily through agencies such as Enterprise Ireland and the IDA. The unprecedented level of investment over the past few years and in 2012 delivered through the Enterprise Development Agencies can foster sustainable and valuable employment in the exporting sectors of the economy which will be critical to recovery.
