Written Answers Nos. 178-187
178. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which benefit in kind to an employee in the form of pension contributions by their employer is subject to employers and employee PRSI; and her estimate of the financial impact on the social insurance fund in the event of 10% of employee pension contributions switching to employer contributions. [50531/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn a Revenue Approved Occupational Pension Scheme the employer’s contribution is not considered to be a benefit-in-kind to the employee. In the case of a PRSA or an RAC, contributions made by an employer on behalf of an employee are treated as a benefit-in-kind of the employee. In Budget 2011 employee contributions to occupational pension schemes and other pension arrangements became subject to employee PRSI and the employer PRSI exemption for employee contributions was reduced to 50%. In Budget 2012 the 50% relief on employer PRSI for employee contributions was removed.
Contributing to a pension scheme is important to ensure that individuals have made adequate provision for a pension when they come to retire, rather than rely solely on the State pension.
The rules of each scheme determine the respective employer and employee pension contributions. There are no estimates available on the financial impact on the social insurance fund in the event of 10% of employee pension contributions switching to employer contributions.
179. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of bodies that have been abolished or amalgamated by her Department out of the list of bodies listed in the public service reform document of 17 November 2011; the savings or cost of this in 2012; the projected savings or cost of this programme in 2013; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50545/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe statutory bodies operating under the aegis of the Department of Social Protection are the Citizens Information Board, the Pensions Board, the Pensions Ombudsman and the Social Welfare Tribunal.
The Public Service Reform Programme provides that the integration of the regulatory functions of the Pensions Board with the Financial Regulator and the merging of the Pensions Ombudsman with the Financial Services Ombudsman be the subject of a critical review.
The review will include identifying any potential savings arising from such an amalgamation. The Critical Review Group held its first meeting in July 2012. I expect to receive a report from the Group by end 2012. Following receipt of this report, decisions in relation to possible reforms will be taken.
181. Deputy Paudie Coffey asked the Minister for Social Protection when the Pathways to Work initiative will be rolled out to Waterford city and county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50558/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Pathways to Work document states that the introduction of the new Intreo service is a multi-annual project. All elements of the Intreo service will be operational in four offices by the end of November 2012 and a further six offices are expected to be live by the end of the year.
The plans for 2013 are now being developed and the selection of offices will depend upon a range of factors including availability of suitable accommodation and the necessary skilled and trained staff being available in a location to deliver the full range of services.
I will announce the names of the next phase of offices when the final selections have been made.
182. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of promotions made in her Department to principal officer higher scale, principal officer standard scale, assistant principal officer higher scale, assistant principal officer standard scale, higher executive officer scale, executive office scale and staff officer scale; the total for all of her Department; if she will provide a breakdown for for 2009, 2010, 2011 and to date in 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50981/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware since 2009 there is a moratorium on promotion within the Civil Service. However, given the increased demands on the services of my department, exceptional sanction was received from Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to fill critical vacancies in locations where posts could not be filled by the redeployment or transfer of staff.
In addition, under the Programme for Government, the Department has been tasked with the development of a new integrated income support and employment support service, which involved the integration of over 1,700 staff from the Community Welfare Service (CWS) of the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the Employment/Community Services from FAS. The Department is now the largest civil service organisation with a total staff compliment of just over 7,100 employees and 6,700 posts.
The Department put a new regional and divisional management structure in place, to support the new service delivery model and the Department’s business support areas. In this regard, the Department sought and received sanction from Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for additional promotions as no senior management structure, (officials above AP level), transferred with the 1,000 staff from the HSE. Initially, eight higher duty allowances allowing staff to perform duties at Principal Officer level were awarded to manage the transfer of the CWS service and the ongoing operations and integration of this business area. These posts were subsequently assigned on a permanent basis, following a competitive process in early 2012.
The information requested by the Deputy in relation to each of the years 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 is detailed in the accompanying table:
Number of Assignments to Higher Scales and Promotions
|
Grade |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
TOTAL |
|
Principal Officer Higher Scale |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
|
Principal Officer Standard Scale |
Nil |
3 |
Nil |
13 |
16 |
|
Assistant Principal Higher Scale |
6 |
6 |
Nil |
Nil |
12 |
|
Assistant Principal Standard Scale |
8 |
3 |
12 |
12 |
35 |
|
Higher Executive Officer |
18 |
7 |
13 |
11 |
49 |
|
Executive Officer |
32 |
1 |
4 |
17 |
54 |
|
Staff Officer |
55 |
31 |
11 |
19 |
116 |
|
TOTALS |
119 |
51 |
40 |
72 |
282 |
183. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht his plans to include a site (details supplied) as a tentative UNESCO site; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50221/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe current Tentative List of Irish sites submitted to UNESCO in March 2010 for World Heritage status was compiled on the basis of the recommendations of an expert advisory group and an extensive public consultation process. The Tentative List is an inventory of those properties in Ireland considered suitable for inscription on the World Heritage list on the basis of criteria laid down by UNESCO. A property must be on the Tentative List before UNESCO may consider it for inscription on the World Heritage List.
While I appreciate the historical and archaeological importance of the site referred to by the Deputy, there are no proposals at present to submit any amendments or additions to the Tentative List.
184. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht his plans to ensure continued investment in the arts, including the allocation of funding to the Arts Council and local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50278/12]
Amharc ar fhreagra185. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will ensure that funding for the arts is protected in the upcoming budget. [50302/12]
Amharc ar fhreagra186. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will support continued investment in the Arts as part of a jobs creation measure (details supplied). [50454/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 184 to 186, inclusive, together.
Government policy on the arts is set out in the Programme for Government . As Minister responsible for the arts and culture sectors, I am committed to securing the best possible funding provision for them during my term of office.
Government policy is to promote and strengthen the arts in all its forms, increase access to and participation in the arts, make the arts an integral and valued part of our national life, and maximise the potential for cultural tourism. Primary responsibility for the promotion of the arts at all levels throughout the country is devolved to the Arts Council, which, under the Arts Acts, is independent in its funding decisions. In 2012, the Arts Council received an allocation of over €63 million – a curbing of the budgetary decline of previous years.
The Government appreciates the importance of the arts, culture and the creative industries to both our society and to our economy. I am fully aware of the challenges for those involved in the arts and culture sectors and of the tremendous work they are doing. I am committed to supporting the essential elements of the arts and culture sectors, within the available financial resources and in the light of the evolving budgetary and Estimates processes.
187. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of bodies that have been abolished or amalgamated by his Department out of the list of bodies listed in the public service reform document of 17 November 2011; the savings or cost of this in 2012; the projected savings or cost of this programme in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50533/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can advise the Deputy that no organisations or agencies funded from my Department's Vote Group have been abolished. However, the Public Service Reform Plan published by the Government on 17th November 2011 outlined a series of rationalisation measures and some of those measures related to a certain number of the bodies funded from my Department's Vote Group. Since then, my Department has conducted a critical examination of the structure and operation of the institutions included in the Public Service Reform Plan. Summary documents which outline the main outcomes of this examination in relation to these bodies and institutions have been published on my Department's web-site and can be accessed through the following link: http://www.ahg.gov.ie/en/PublicServicereform/
The Deputy should note that savings of €20 million in enhanced service efficiencies and value-for-money were targeted in the Public Service Reform Plan. In this context, it is expected that savings in the region of approximately €1m will be made initially across the institutions involved in the reform programme which are funded from my Department's Vote Group, with further savings to be identified as the various cost saving measures are implemented.
