Written Answers Nos. 289-304
289. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive a decision on their application and appeal for carer's allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53065/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, has decided to allow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. The person concerned was notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision on 3rd December 2013.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.
290. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Social Protection when she will implement the Labour Court recommendation for community employment scheme supervisors and assistant supervisors; the reasons this has not been implemented to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53115/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Labour Court recommended in July 2008 (LCR19293) that an agreed pension scheme should be introduced for Community Employment (CE) scheme supervisors and assistant supervisors, and that such a scheme should be adequately funded by FÁS. Notwithstanding the positions of the Department (who now has responsibility for CE) in rejecting that liability for these costs to be met from public funds, this matter has been the subject of discussions with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the unions representing CE supervisors. In the event that funding was required from the Department of Social Protection, the implementation of the claim is not considered sustainable in light of the current and ongoing fiscal environment and the requirement to contain and reduce public expenditure. The costs of the introduction of any scheme are likely to be of the order of €3m per annum with retrospective costs of the order of at least €30m.
It should also note that the Department of Social Protection is not the employer of CE supervisors and such employees are not public servants. The responsibilities of the sponsoring organisations and the individuals concerned must also be recognised when considering pension provision arrangements.
291. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if an oral hearing will be carried out in relation to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny in view of the fact that they did not receive notification of the scheduled oral hearing for 18 November 2013; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53116/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, decided to disallow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision on 29th November 2013. I am advised that the Social Welfare Appeals Office has agreed to re-open the appeal of the person concerned by way of granting another oral hearing. The person concerned will be contacted when the arrangements of his/her appeal have been finalised.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.
292. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount of funding that her Department gives to Irish charities; the name of each organisation that receives funding; the amount of funding each organisation receives; the number that are open and transparent regarding salaries; and the steps she is taking to deal with non-disclosures. [53554/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested is not immediately available in the Department. My Department will write to the Deputy when the information is compiled.
293. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the funding that he has provided to celebrate the 2014 millennium commemorations of the Battle of Clontarf. [52740/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Millennium Anniversary of the Battle of Clontarf and the Death of Brian Ború will be the focus of a series of events organised at community, regional and national levels. At national level, it is envisaged that the National Museum of Ireland will present an exhibition highlighting the Viking heritage of Ireland during the time of Brian Ború and my Department will be making funds available for this. I have continued to encourage regional authorities, including Dublin City Council and Fingal, Clare, Waterford and Tipperary County Councils, to make provision for a series of events that will form part of a major festival commemorating the Battle of Clontarf for the week following Easter 2014. I support and encourage Fáilte Ireland to give particular consideration for events related to the Battle of Clontarf when considering funding applications to their festivals and events budget, and I have engaged with organisations such as Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann to ensure they their existing funding allocation be targeted towards events relating to this significant anniversary. Cognisant of the potential of these events to be of wider tourist interest, I continue to encourage the co-ordination of organisations in Waterford, Killaloe and Ballina in emphasising their Viking heritage and links to Brian Ború, as well as with Dublin City Council and groups from Clontarf, to maximise the potential benefit to these areas from increased tourism.
The particular funding allocation for commemorative events in 2014 has not been finalised as yet and I must take into account the need to commemorate important events, including the centenary of the founding of Cumann na mBan, the Curragh Mutiny, the Howth, Kilcoole and Larne gun-running, and, of course, the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War. If the Deputy has particular events relating to the Millennium of the Battle of Clontarf that he feels should be given consideration, I would be happy to receive his input.
294. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will provide a breakdown of the annual infrastructure and capital expenditure by his Department on a regional basis and a county basis over the past five years. [52794/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will recall, my Department was established in June 2011. Details of the annual capital allocation to my Department at subhead level are published in the annual Revised Estimates Volume. Through these subheads, my Department administers and delivers a wide range of programmes and measures, descriptions of which are available on its website at http://www.ahg.gov.ie.
Expenditure under these programme areas is recorded and accounted for on a national basis and it is not possible to give a regional or county-by-county breakdown of that expenditure. For example, a number of my Department’s programmes are delivered through agencies and other intermediary bodies that operate across county boundaries and in respect of which there is no detailed breakdown on a county basis held by my Department. Groups and organisations that receive grants directly from my Department are not typically constituted on a single-county basis.
In view of this and because of the wide range of my Department’s schemes and programmes, and the large volumes of payments and grants involved, it is not possible to provide the information sought. However, if the Deputy has specific queries relating to a particular programme or grant, I will endeavour to provide him with relevant information in that regard.
295. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will provide the necessary funding to reinstate the roads through Killarney National Park, County Kerry (details supplied); if he will accept that this health and safety matter needs to be addressed urgently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52820/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department keeps under review the condition of infrastructure, including roadways, in the National Parks and, where funding is available, priority maintenance and upgrading is carried out. In 2013, my Department commenced a programme of road maintenance works in Killarney National Park and further works will be considered for 2014, having regard to the available funding.
296. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the reason for the under-expenditure of €2 million in capital funds which was recorded as not spent under the expenditure profile at the end of November in the most recent analysis of gross Voted expenditure Exchequer figures; if he will provide a breakdown of the capital projects or outlays that have not commenced as yet, as per the profile; if any of the €107.2 million in total capital carryover in government for 2012 relates to his Department; the amount of same; if it has been spent; on what it has been spent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52958/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraGross Capital expenditure for my Department on November 30th 2013 totalled some €29.4m. This was equivalent to 94% of the amount which was expected to be spent by the end of November when the Department set out its forecast expenditure profile for 2013 at the beginning of this year. Expenditure was slightly behind forecast because a small number of capital projects progressed at a slightly slower rate than was originally anticipated. No projects which were to be funded through the capital provision have not commenced.
In addition to this expenditure, my Department carried forward €1.2m from 2012 into 2013 in respect of the heritage area. This €1.2m accounts for just over 1% of the total carryover to which the Deputy refers and has been fully expended.
297. Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht when a person (details supplied) may expect to receive payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53034/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn application for compensation under the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme has been received by my Department from the individual referred to in the Deputy’s Question. I am advised that a payment of €1,500 in respect of Year 1 of 15 (2011) has been made to this applicant.
The qualifying criteria for the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme are that:
- The claimant must have a legal interest in one of the 53 raised bog special areas of conservation – ownership or turbary right;
- The claimant must have been the owner or entitled to exercise turbary rights on the land in question on 25 May 2010;
- The turbary on the site must not be exhausted;
- The claimant must have been cutting turf on the land in question during the relevant five year period; and
- No turf cutting or associated activity is ongoing on the property.
Officials from my Department are examining the application in view of the qualifying criteria for the scheme and will write to the applicant in relation to his position shortly.
298. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will provide an update on the progress in creating language plans for Galway Gaeltacht regions as per the provisions of the Gaeltacht Act 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53126/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn line with the language planning process set out under the Gaeltacht Act 2012, existing Gaeltacht areas will be redefined as Gaeltacht Language Planning Areas. On foot of consultations with Údarás na Gaeltachta, the Deputy may recall that I announced in May that there will be 26 such Gaeltacht Language Planning Areas, 10 of which will be in the Galway Gaeltacht. It is my intention to formally designate by notice, in line with the provisions of section 7(3) of the Act, the first three Gaeltacht Language Planning Areas as soon as possible. A Language Planning Area in the Galway Gaeltacht will be included.
A number of other key measures are in hand to accelerate the implementation of the process on foot of the publication in September, in line with section 12 of the Act, of the language planning criteria which will apply in approving language plans for Gaeltacht Language Planning Areas, Gaeltacht Service Towns and Irish Language Networks. These measures include:
- The finalisation of language planning guidelines, which will explain the language planning process under the Act. The guidelines will also contain guidance on how to prepare and implement plans, as well as clarifying the roles of the various key stakeholders.
- The design of a suitably robust and transparent system by which organisations will be selected by Údarás na Gaeltachta or Foras na Gaeilge, as appropriate, to prepare and implement language plans.
- The provision of up to date quantitative information regarding Irish language usage in the Gaeltacht, as contained in the Comprehensive Linguistic Study of the Use of Irish in the Gaeltacht, 2007. The provision of this up to date data will greatly assist in establishing the current baseline status of the language in Gaeltacht areas. This work, commissioned by Údarás na Gaeltachta, is being undertaken by NIRSA (the National Institute for Regional and Spatial Analysis).
The Deputy may be assured that my Department will continue to advance the implementation of the language planning process in consultation with the various key stakeholders as expeditiously as possible.
299. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the amount of funding that his Department gives to Irish charities; the name of each organisation that receives funding; the amount of funding each organisation receives; the number that are open and transparent regarding salaries; and the steps he is taking to deal with non-disclosures. [53545/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, my Department provides funding for a wide range of groups and organisations to support their activities in relation to arts, heritage, the Gaeltacht and the islands. The Deputy will appreciate that pending the establishment of an official register of charities, it is not possible to identify which, if any, of such groups or organisations hold charitable status and, consequently, it is not possible it provide the information sought by the Deputy.
If, however, the Deputy has a query in relation to any particular organisation funded from my Department's Vote Group, I will, of course, endeavour to provide any information held by my Department that may be of assistance to him in that regard.
300. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when the new inland fisheries Bill is due before Dáil Éireann and the level of consultation with angling organisations. [52818/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra303. Deputy Seamus Healy asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the position regarding the proposal to introduce a compulsory angler registration charge; if he has considered the damage this would do to angling tourism and the development of angling generally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53098/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra309. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will address the ongoing concerns of many trout anglers, who are extremely concerned after being informed by the CEO of Inland Fisheries Ireland that a compulsory angler registration charge is to be levied on every angler in Ireland as part of the new inland fisheries legislation (details supplied); when this charge will come into effect; the amount the charge will be; the way this charge will be monitored; and the amount of the revenue raised from this charge that will be put back into the development of the fishing industry. [52782/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 300, 303 and 309 together.
I refer to the reply to Question No 219 (51905/13) on 3 December last which addresses comprehensively the issues raised by the Deputies.
The legislative code governing inland fisheries is dated and scattered across a range of instruments, with a clear need for modernisation. This is an important task and I have organised a number of public meetings to which the public and fisheries interests were invited and I arranged a briefing on these issues for members of the Oireachtas on the evening of Wednesday 27 November to update on the progress of the review and outline the issues under consideration. One of the issues that we have sought to address as part of consultation is how funding could be mobilised for the development of the sector. There are a range of views on this issue which requires broad support across the angling sector. Some I want to make it absolutely clear that no rod licence was proposed, nor is it intended to introduce such a licence.
I have undertaken to have further stakeholder engagement and will not finalise legislative proposals before this is concluded.
301. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources in view of comments made that Irish biofuel is from waste material and that we do not use any food crop in its manufacture, if his attention has been drawn to the inaccuracy of this statement since, according to the National Oil Reserves Agency 2012 Annual Report on the Biofuels Obligation Scheme, Document No: 457-X0098 Rev 2, September 2013 (details supplied), all of the 38,522,508 litres of bioethanol used here were from food crops, maize, sugarcane, wheat and about one tenth of that, 3.8 m litres, from Guatemalan sugarcane, such that 45% of the biodiesel used in Ireland in 2012 came from food crops; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53056/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra302. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if his attention has been drawn to the fact that biofuels undermine food production and food security; if he will commit to Ireland supporting a 5% cap at the 12 December meeting of EU energy ministers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53057/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra318. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will meet the Department of Foreign Affairs to discuss the serious issue of biofuels undermining food security and food production; if they will commit to Ireland supporting a 5 % cap at the 12 December meeting of energy Ministers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53058/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 301, 302 and 318 together.
The 2009 Renewable Energy Directive sets all Member States a binding target that 10% of the energy used in the transport sector must come from renewable sources by 2020. In all Member States, biofuels will be the largest contributor to meeting this obligation and all biofuels used in doing so must comply with a strict set of sustainability criteria. The Government shares the concerns expressed that biofuel production and its use, unless properly regulated, may not deliver the required greenhouse gas savings and could impact negatively on food production and on food prices. My Department has been in regular contact with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, on the issue of sustainability and land-use implications of biofuels, including food security and food production.
In light of these concerns, during discussions on the European Commission's proposal to address the risk of indirect land-use change (ILUC), Ireland has argued for a restriction on first generation biofuels that can contribute to the 2020 renewable energy targets and for incentives to encourage the development of advanced biofuels that do not affect food production. Our preference is to see as low a cap on biofuels with a risk of ILUC effects as is realistically achievable in order to mitigate the potential conflict between biofuel use in the EU and land use in the developing world. Ireland will re-emphasise the importance of these concerns at the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council meeting taking place on 12 December.
As regards biofuel use in Ireland, based on figures provided by the National Oil Reserve Agency (NORA) to my Department, over 16 per cent of the biofuel used in 2012 was produced indigenously with the remainder imported from a number of different countries. Currently, there is only one biofuel producer of scale in Ireland and it produces biodiesel from waste materials, such as used cooking oil and tallow. It produced over 99.75 per cent of the indigenously produced biofuels placed on the Irish market last year. One other Irish producer produced a small amount of biodiesel from rapeseed.
Table 2 of the Biofuel Obligation Scheme Annual Report for 2012 produced by NORA provides a breakdown of the biofuel placed on the Irish market since the sustainability criteria were fully applied in 2012. It also sets out all the countries from which the biofuels were sourced.
304. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources following the close of submissions under the first phase of public consultation towards the development of an export policy for renewable energy on 22 November, the number of submissions received; the process which will be followed by his Department in the review of all submissions to ensure balance and transparency and to assuage an already sceptical public; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52565/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are three stages in the development of the Renewable Energy Export Policy and Development Framework. I have stated on a number of occasions that transparency in the development of the framework is crucial and that the views of local communities must be at the heart of the transition to renewable energy. The Stage 1 consultation, which involved the publication of Stage 1 information and summary documents, ran from 23 October to 22 November, and gave all interested parties an opportunity, at the outset, to present their views on how we should develop national policy to realise the opportunity to trade renewable energy with other EU Member States and, in the first instance, with the United Kingdom.
My Department received nearly 1,400 responses to the consultation and is now in the process of assessing the responses to inform the development of the framework. In order to complete Stage 1 of the development of the framework, taking into account the feedback received, my Department will now prepare the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) scoping report. The process will then move to Stage 2 with the publication of the scoping report for public consultation in Quarter 1, 2014. National press advertisements and updates on my Department's website will inform all stakeholders of the commencement of the Stage 2 consultation. During Stage 2 a report on the Stage 1 consultation will also be published providing an overview of the consultation process, feedback and analysis.
During Stage 3 the draft policy, the Environmental Report (on which the Strategic Environmental Assessment will be based) and Natura Impact Statement (on which the Appropriate Assessment will be based) will all be published and a public consultation will provide all stakeholders a further opportunity to contribute to or make observations on the development of the framework.
