Tuesday, 15 Jul 2014

Written Answers Nos. 1-74

Cabinet Committee Meetings

Ceisteanna (12)

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

12. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on public service reform last met. [17508/14]

Freagraí scríofa

The Taoiseach

The Cabinet Committee on Public Service Reform last met on 24 February 2014. While its next meeting hasn't been scheduled, I anticipate that it will meet again soon, possibly in September.

Question No. 13 resubmitted.

EU Meetings

Ceisteanna (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26)

Micheál Martin

Ceist:

14. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach if he has discussed banking with Chancellor Merkel recently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17513/14]

Micheál Martin

Ceist:

15. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach the selection process for the new President of the European Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19927/14]

Micheál Martin

Ceist:

16. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach if he is putting forward agenda items for discussion at the next EU Council meeting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20851/14]

Micheál Martin

Ceist:

17. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach if he will provide an update on the implementation of the agreement at the June 2012 EU Council meeting, in particular as it applied to Ireland; the progress that has been made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20852/14]

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

18. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his meetings in Brussels on 27 May; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24127/14]

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

19. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach if he will provide details of his meetings with Heads of State at the Brussels EU meeting on 27 May. [24128/14]

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

20. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach if the crisis in Ukraine was discussed during his meetings in Brussels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24129/14]

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

21. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach if the rise of extreme right-wing parties was discussed during his meetings in Brussels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24130/14]

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

22. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach if he met with British Prime Minister, David Cameron, during his meetings in Brussels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24131/14]

Richard Boyd Barrett

Ceist:

23. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach if he discussed the worsening situation in Ukraine in his recent meeting with Prime Minister, David Cameron, in Brussels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24236/14]

Ruth Coppinger

Ceist:

24. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Taoiseach if the issue of the recent crisis in Ukraine was discussed during his meetings in Brussels at the end of May; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25456/14]

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

26. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent visit to Berlin and his conversation with German Chancellor, Angela Merkel. [30738/14]

Freagraí scríofa

The Taoiseach

I propose to take Questions Nos. 14 to 24, inclusive, and 26 together.

I attended the Informal meeting of Heads of State and Government in Brussels on 27 May. Since then I also attended the European Council meeting in Ypres and Brussels on 26 and 27 June. I reported to the House on the outcomes of that Council in a comprehensive statement on 2 July. While I did not have any separate bilateral meetings with PM Cameron at either meeting I did, of course, see him and all of my colleagues at both meetings.

The agenda for the June meeting of the European Council was prepared in the normal way. President Van Rompuy prepared an annotated draft agenda. This was considered by the General Affairs Council on 13 May which was attended by Minister of State Donohoe.

President Van Rompuy then circulated Draft Conclusions for the June European Council, which were discussed by Ambassadors and senior officials in Brussels and by Ministers at the meeting of the General Affairs Council, attended by Minister of State Donohoe, on 24 June. In the usual manner, at each step in the process, Ireland contributed views, as appropriate.

The meeting of Heads of State and Government on 27 May took place shortly after the European Parliament elections and leaders discussed the results, including those of extremist parties. At that meeting we also discussed the process for the election of the new President of the European Commission and tasked President Van Rompuy to consult with the presidents of the new political groups, and to report back. This led to the nomination, which I welcomed, of Jean Claude Juncker at the June European Council.

The selection process for the President of the European Council is determined by Article 15 (5) of the Treaty on European Union which states that the European Council shall elect its President, by a qualified majority, for a term of two and a half years, renewable once.

The term of office of the current President of the European Council, Mr Van Rompuy, ends on 30 November 2014. The European Council is convening tomorrow, 16 July to discuss a number of high level key appointments.

At our May meeting, Heads of State and Government also had an initial discussion on the Union's future priorities and strategic agenda for the period ahead. There was general agreement that we must maintain the focus on growth and jobs. This important discussion was continued at the June European Council and led to the adoption of a strategic agenda for the EU for the coming period.

The Strategic Agenda identifies the priorities which will guide the work of the European Union over the next five years. These cover: (1) jobs, growth and competitiveness, (2) empowering and protecting all EU citizens, (3) energy and climate policy, (4) freedom, security and justice, and (5) the EU's external relations. The agenda forms part of the Conclusions adopted by the June European Council and are a public document. Overall I am pleased that the Strategic Agenda reflects a clear commitment to strengthening the economic recovery across Europe.

Ukraine

We discussed Ukraine at the meeting of Heads of State and Government in May and again at the June European Council. Although there have been some positive developments in recent weeks – not least the Presidential elections, and the announcement of a peace plan together with a ceasefire by President Poroshenko on 20 June – we remain very concerned about the situation in eastern Ukraine.

At the June European Council leaders called for several steps to be taken, including agreement on a verification mechanism, monitored by the OSCE, for the ceasefire and for effective control of the border; the return to the Ukrainian authorities of three border checkpoints; the release of hostages including all of the OSCE observers; and the launch of substantial negotiations on the implementation of President Poroshenko's peace plan. We also urged the Russian Federation to actively use its influence over illegally armed groups, and to stop the flow of weapons and militants across the border with Ukraine, in order to achieve rapid and tangible results in de-escalation.

In the meantime, there have been contacts between the Foreign Ministers of Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine with a view to restoring peace and stability in Ukraine, and they have adopted a Joint Declaration reconfirming their commitment to that objective.

Ireland supports their efforts.

Direct Bank Recapitalisation.

Deputies as you are aware, the Euro-area Heads of State and Government agreed in June 2012 that "it is imperative to break the vicious circle between banks and sovereigns", and that when a Single Supervisory Mechanism, involving the ECB, is in place and operational, the European Stability Mechanism, the ESM, could recapitalise banks directly.

On 10 June 2014 the euro area Member States reached a preliminary agreement on the operational framework for the ESM’s Direct Recapitalisation Instrument. This includes a specific provision in relation to the retroactive application of the instrument. Therefore, the agreement, keeps open the possibility to apply to the European Stability Mechanism for a retrospective direct recapitalisation of the Irish banks, should we wish to avail of it.

Berlin Visit

In terms of recent political contacts with European partners, I visited Berlin on 3 July for a programme of economic and trade promotion engagements, during which I met with Chancellor Merkel. This programme included a networking event at the Embassy of Ireland with clients of IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, Tourism Ireland and Bord Bia as well as members of the Global Irish Network. I also participated at the formal opening of a new Primark store in Berlin, the Irish group’s 13th store in its expanding network in Germany.

My programme concluded with a speech at the opening session of the annual economic conference of the Wirtschaftsrat Economic Council, entitled “Real Recovery, Sustainable Jobs and Lasting Growth – Ireland’s story and Europe’s next steps”. My speech set out the progress of Ireland’s recovery so far, drawing attention to the sacrifices of the Irish people and to the remaining fragilities in our economy including debt-related issues. I outlined my priorities for an action-focused EU agenda for the years ahead while also setting out the advantages of trading with Ireland given the presence of a large number of major German employers in the audience.

Chancellor Merkel participated at the same session of this conference, prior to which we met together to discuss current European issues and the Irish economy. The main focus of our discussion was tomorrows European Council, which will deal with the ongoing situation in the Ukraine and the remaining appointments to high-level positions in the EU institutions following the nomination of Jean-Claude Juncker as Commission President.

We discussed the Irish economy and in that context I pointed to ongoing progress with the completion of Banking Union, in particular the recent provisional agreement reached among EU Finance Ministers on the operational framework for the European Stability Mechanism’s Direct Recapitalisation Instrument. As I have already stated, this is a further important step in the context of Ireland’s legacy banking debt.

Chancellor Merkel and I also discussed the strong progress made on our previous agreement regarding the investment by the KfW (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau), Germany’s state-owned development bank, in the new Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI). The SBCI will provide over €500million in new credit to be made available to Irish SMEs.

Question No. 26 answered with Question No. 14.

Question No. 27 resubmitted.

Question No. 25 resubmitted.

Cabinet Committee Meetings

Ceisteanna (28, 29, 30, 31)

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

28. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach when the last meeting of the Cabinet committee on health was held. [19970/14]

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

29. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach the number of meetings of the Cabinet committee on health that have been held since the start of 2014. [19971/14]

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

30. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach the number of times the Cabinet committee on health has met since the EU and local Government elections. [24136/14]

Freagraí scríofa

The Taoiseach

I propose to take Questions Nos. 28 to 31, inclusive, together.

The Cabinet Committee on Health has met five times since the start of 2014 with the last meeting held on 30 June. [20 January, 24 February, 7 May, 29 May & 30 June]

Question No. 32 resubmitted.

Departmental Reform

Ceisteanna (33)

Micheál Martin

Ceist:

33. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach the position regarding reforms in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20859/14]

Freagraí scríofa

The Taoiseach

The Department restructured in 2011, transforming it into the equivalent of a Cabinet Office and further restructuring has taken place following the successful Irish Presidency of the Council Of Ministers of the European Union. HR, pensions, payroll, financial management and ICT services in the Department will be all shared services by the end of 2014.

My Department's Integrated Reform Delivery Plan sets out the reforms that are being undertaken by my Department, which includes changes in relation to governance, ICT, financial management, human resource management, and reflects priorities identified in the Public Sector Reform Plan 2014 – 2016 that Minister Howlin published in January.

The Department is securing productivity increases under the Haddington Road Agreement in order to deliver payroll savings and to flexibly meet the changing demands which are inherent in the Department’s role.

To date the Department has reduced its core numbers by almost 20%, and total overall staff by 17%, since January 2008. It has also reduced its overall budget by 54% since 2008.

Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements

Ceisteanna (34)

Micheál Martin

Ceist:

34. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach if he has met members of the McConville family; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20865/14]

Freagraí scríofa

The Taoiseach

I met representatives of the Disappeared, including members of the McConville family in July last year. I had a request last November from another member of the family looking to meet with me. Officials of my Department offered to meet with him to discuss his concerns but to date no response has been received.

Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements

Ceisteanna (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 108, 109, 110)

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

35. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the discussions he had with British Prime Minister, David Cameron, following the arrest by the PSNI of this Deputy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22139/14]

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

36. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach the contact he or his Department officials had with the British Government following the arrest by the PSNI of this Deputy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22140/14]

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

37. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach when he was informed by the British Government of the arrest by the PSNI of this Deputy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22141/14]

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

38. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach if he raised with the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, the need for a new round of negotiations to deal with outstanding issues arising from the Good Friday Agreement. [24132/14]

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

39. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach the number of conversations by telephone and meetings he has held with the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, since Easter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24133/14]

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

40. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach if he raised with the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, the need for his Government to endorse the Haass proposals. [24134/14]

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

41. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach if he raised with the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, the approach of the British Government to the issue of the past and of legacy matters. [24135/14]

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

42. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach if he has had any conversations or contact with the First and Deputy First Ministers of Northern Ireland since the Unionist parties walked out of the all-party talks on 3 July. [30739/14]

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

43. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach if he will report on any discussions/contacts his Department has had with the British Government since the Unionist parties walked out of the all-party talks on 3 July. [30740/14]

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

44. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his conversation with the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, on 6 July regarding the deteriorating situation in Northern Ireland. [30742/14]

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

45. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach if he raised with Mr. Cameron the need for both Governments to implement outstanding elements of the Good Friday Agreement that are the responsibility of the Irish and British Governments. [30743/14]

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

46. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach if he raised with Mr. Cameron the outstanding issues arising from the Good Friday Agreement and subsequent agreements, including the bill of rights, Acht na Gaeilge, the civic forum and the inquiry into the killing of human rights lawyer, Pat Finucane. [30744/14]

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

47. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach if he raised with David Cameron the need for an independent inquiry into the Ballymurphy massacre case. [30745/14]

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

48. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach if he raised with Mr. Cameron the need for both Governments to support the decisions of the Parades Commission and the policing of these by the PSNI. [30746/14]

Micheál Martin

Ceist:

108. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach if he has met the leader of the SDLP regarding his concerns in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30669/14]

Micheál Martin

Ceist:

109. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his telephone conversation with Prime Minister Cameron regarding the Parades Commission decision on the Crumlin Road parade; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30671/14]

Micheál Martin

Ceist:

110. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach if he has had discussions with the First Minister and or Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland regarding the increased tensions in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30674/14]

Freagraí scríofa

The Taoiseach

I propose to take Questions Nos. 35 to 48, inclusive, and 108 to 110, inclusive, together.

I spoke briefly with Prime Minister Cameron en marge at the recent Brussels EU summit meeting and again by telephone on Sunday 6th July. The focus of our most recent discussions has been on the escalation of the situation in Northern Ireland following the Parades Commission determination regarding the Ardoyne parade. We both agreed on the need for calm, restraint, respect for the rule of the law and a resumption of dialogue.

The Prime Minister and I both want to see the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement working and delivering positive outcomes for the people of Northern Ireland. We maintain very close contact and this will continue in the period ahead. Senior officials from my Department visited London yesterday to engage with their UK counterparts.

My Department was informed by the Cabinet Office of the arrest of Deputy Adams at 9pm on the evening of the arrest.

I also spoke to the Prime Minister by telephone over the weekend following the arrest of Deputy Adams. We agreed that due process should be allowed to take place and that concern over any aspect of the case was a matter for the Policing Board of Northern Ireland and the Office of the Police Ombudsman of Northern Ireland. We took the opportunity during that conversation to reaffirm our commitment to the full implementation of the Good Friday and St Andrew’s agreements.

I have not had the opportunity recently to discuss with Prime Minister Cameron specific legacy related cases such as Ballymurphy and Pat Finucane.

I spoke by telephone with the Northern Ireland Minister for Justice and Alliance Party leader David Ford last week. I also held meetings with the leadership of the SDLP and Sinn Féin in Government Buildings, to hear their assessment of the current situation. On each occasion I repeated my message, urging them to use their influence to ensure that any protests are peaceful and that a resumption of dialogue can take place as soon as possible.

Question No. 49 resubmitted.

Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements

Ceisteanna (50, 51, 52, 53, 54)

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

50. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent visit to California; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26567/14]

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

51. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach the discussions he had with the Governor of California, Mr. Jerry Brown; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26568/14]

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

52. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach the organisations, businesses and agencies he met during his visit to California. [26569/14]

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

53. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach if he had meetings with any of the emigrant Irish groups in California during his recent visit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26570/14]

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

54. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach if he had any conversations on the issue of the undocumented Irish during his recent visit to California. [26571/14]

Freagraí scríofa

Taoiseach

I propose to take Questions Nos. 50 to 54, inclusive, together.

I travelled to the United States on Wednesday, 4 June, for a three-day programme in San Francisco and the Silicon Valley area of San Francisco. The aim of my visit was to help cement and reinforce existing investor relationships, as well as build new connections, with a view to securing new jobs and investment for Ireland, and supporting exporting Irish firms and entrepreneurs. Throughout the visit, I emphasised the progress we have made towards economic recovery and highlighted Ireland’s strengths as a location for investment and high-potential start-ups and ambitious entrepreneurs.

I visited the headquarters of a number of companies, including some of the most significant multi-national companies located in Ireland who, between them, employ close to 16,000 people here. The companies I visited included: Apple, Hewlett Packard, eBay, LinkedIn, Facebook, Tesla Motors, Google, CISCO, Yelp, Workday, New Relic, PCH International, and AirBnB. I also met representatives from Boeing, Cubic Telecom and Voxpro.

During my visit, I also opened the Enterprise Ireland Access Silicon Valley event, and met with the representatives of companies participating in the programme. This programme assists Irish companies in breaking into the US market and partnering with US firms. I had the opportunity to meet exporting Irish companies who have recently secured significant contracts with US partners located in California.

I also addressed an event organised by IDA Ireland for its client companies and prospective investors in Ireland. My programme also included a meeting with representatives of the Global Irish Network based in the West Coast area. Ambassador Anderson and Consul General Grant jointly hosted an event at the United Irish Cultural Center in San Francisco, where I met members of the Irish community and local GAA clubs. I had a brief opportunity to meet the Mayor of San Francisco, Mr. Ed Lee, in the margins of this event.

I also met with the Governor of California, Jerry Brown, during my visit. Our discussions focused on strengthening the strong economic, trade, investment and tourism links between Ireland and California. Naturally, I raised the issue of undocumented Irish immigrants and the prospect of immigration reform in the US in this discussion.

Governor Brown is a strong champion of immigration reform and has introduced a number of progressive legislative Bills at State level in California aimed at improving conditions for the undocumented in California.

Since my own U.S. visit and that by then Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore to Washington D.C. to engage with key political and community leaders on the issue, political controversy has arisen in the U.S. Congress in relation to unaccompanied migrant children from Central America  who are seeking to enter the United States via its southern border. This has impacted negatively on the prospects for wider immigration reform legislation being achieved over the period ahead. On June 30, President Obama announced that he intends to address certain immediate immigration-related matters via his executive powers within existing U.S. law.

I must stress that this issue remains a very important focus for this Government. The extent and nature of any action that the U.S. Administration will be ready to take remains to be seen.  The legal terrain involved is highly complex and there is clearly no guarantee as to the outcome that can be achieved for Ireland’s interests. 

We are continuing to press our case at all levels through Ambassador Anderson and her Embassy team in Washington D.C. and the Irish American community groups with whom they are working closely.

Questions Nos. 55 to 57, inclusive, resubmitted.

Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements

Ceisteanna (58)

Patrick O'Donovan

Ceist:

58. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Taoiseach if he will provide an update on the recent meeting of the British-Irish Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29233/14]

Freagraí scríofa

The Taoiseach

I attended the 22nd British-Irish Council (BIC) Summit hosted by Chief Minister, Jonathon Le Tocq, in Guernsey on 13 June 2014. The Council discussed the current economic situation in Member Administrations. It also discussed the various initiatives that are in place to stimulate the economy.

The Council reviewed the latest youth employment statistics, welcomed the recent encouraging trends and acknowledged the value that focussed discussion on the economy had on the overall work of the BIC.

The Council had a detailed discussion on the economic importance of transport links focussing on how the promotion of effective transport links between Member Administrations can be beneficial to their economic development.

The Council also received an update of the work that had taken place across each of the twelve work sectors since the last Summit in November 2013. In particular the Council welcomed the paper produced by the Collaborative Spatial Planning Work Sector setting out the various positions of Member Administrations

Cabinet Committee Meetings

Ceisteanna (59)

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

59. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach the number of meetings of the Cabinet Committee on Irish and the Gaeltacht that have taken place since the beginning of July. [30747/14]

Freagraí scríofa

The Taoiseach

There has been no meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Irish and the Gaeltacht in July to date.

Job Creation Data

Ceisteanna (60)

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

60. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Taoiseach the total number of extra jobs lost or created in each of the past six years to date. [23795/14]

Freagraí scríofa

The Taoiseach

The exact information requested by the Deputy is not available.

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) compiles information on jobs created and destroyed and jobs lost by linking P35L returns from the Revenue Commissioners with the CSO Business Register. The information relates to all employing enterprises from key sectors of the business economy as classified by the standard European classification of economic activity NACE Rev.2 B-N excluding activities of holding companies. The most recent data are only available for the years 2006 - 2011. A breakdown of data by county level is not available.

Job creation for an enterprise in a given reference year is measured as the positive difference in the number of paid employees recorded with non-zero reckonable pay in the reference year compared with the previous year. Job creation in the business economy as a whole is the sum of all enterprise job creation.

Job destruction for a given reference year is measured as the negative difference in the number of paid employees recorded with non-zero reckonable pay in the reference year compared with the previous year. Job destruction in the business economy as a whole is the sum of all enterprise job destruction. It should be noted that when interpreting figures, job destruction for a particular year means that these jobs were identified in the previous year but not in reference year, but some of these jobs may have disappeared sometime during the previous year.

Table 1 shows the level of job creation and destruction in the Business Economy each year from 2006 to 2011. A positive figure for net job losses indicates more jobs were destroyed than created relative to the previous year.

Table 1 - Net job losses for the Business Economy, 2006 - 2011

Business economy excluding activities of holding companies	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011
	000's	000's	000's	000's	000's	000's
Jobs as measured by employment records (Number)	1,972	2,119	1,987	1,624	1,516	1,525
Job creation (Number)	354	375	218	147	183	211
Job destruction (Number)	198	228	350	512	288	201
Net Job losses (Number)	-155	-147	132	365	105	-10

This information and further detailed breakdowns are available online and are updated annually.

http://www.cso.ie/shorturl.aspx/216

Question No. 61 resubmitted.

Unemployment Data

Ceisteanna (62, 107)

Willie O'Dea

Ceist:

62. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Taoiseach the current number of young persons not in education, employment or training here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30813/14]

Stephen Donnelly

Ceist:

107. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Taoiseach the number of young persons aged between 16 and 24 years who are currently not in education, employment or training; the way the number has changed since March 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31060/14]

Freagraí scríofa

The Taoiseach

I propose to take Questions Nos. 62 and 107 together.

The Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS) is the official source of estimates of employment and unemployment in the State and the data also provides information on persons Neither in Employment nor in Education and Training (NEET).

The table shows the estimated number of persons aged 16-24 who are classified as being Neither in Employment nor in Education and Training (NEET) together with the change over the period Q1 2011 to Q1 2014.

The Q1 2014 estimates are the most recent QNHS figures available.

Persons aged 16 - 24 Neither in Employment nor in Education and Training (NEET) Quarter 1, 2011-2014

-	Q1 11 Thou	Q1 12 Thou	Q1 13 Thou	Q1 14 Thou	Change Q1 2011 to Q1 2014 Thou
Neither in Employment nor in Education and Training (NEET)	102.7	94.4	82.8	74.3	-28.4

Source: Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS), Central Statistics Office, Ireland.

Data may be subject to future revision.

Reference period: q1=Jan-Mar.

Note: The indicator on people Neither in Employment nor in Education and Training (NEET) corresponds to the population of the age group who is not employed and not involved in further education or training, i.e. persons who meet the following two conditions: (a) they are not employed (i.e. unemployed or inactive according to the International Labour Organisation definition) and (b) they have not received any education or training in the four weeks preceding the survey.

Questions Nos. 63 to 69, inclusive, answered orally.

Job Creation

Ceisteanna (70)

Peadar Tóibín

Ceist:

70. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the policies she aims to put in place to resolve growing unemployment among young persons and to resolve the high long-term unemployment figures. [30949/14]

Freagraí scríofa

Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection

Official figures from the CSO show that both long-term and youth unemployment are actually falling, and not rising as suggested by the Deputy. Since the lowest point of the jobs crisis, the unemployment rate has fallen from a peak of over 15% to 11.6% at present. The latest QNHS figures show that the number of long-term unemployed has fallen from 204,000 (9.5%) in the first quarter of 2012 to 156,000 (7.3%) in the same period this year. The number of unemployed young people has fallen from 64,000 (29.7%) to 47,500 (25.3%) over the same period. The Government’s primary strategy to reduce unemployment has been through policies to create the environment for a strong economic recovery by promoting competitiveness and productivity. Economic recovery will underpin jobs growth. This strategy is working. Employment has risen by about 70,000 since the recovery began in 2012.

Despite the progress that has been made, the Government acknowledges that both youth unemployment and long-term unemployment remain unacceptably high. Hence, the Government also recognises the need for additional activation measures in the interim while the economy recovers. This is the rationale behind the Government’s Pathways to Work strategy and the Youth Guarantee, both of which are being led by my Department.

Pathways to Work includes a wide range of programmes and services to help jobseekers back to employment. These include programmes such as JobBridge, JobsPlus and Momentum introduced by this Government and schemes such as Community Employment and TÚS where we have significantly increased the number of places available.

The Statement of Government Priorities 2014 – 2016 commits to the continued roll-out of the Youth Guarantee, building on the successful lessons of the Ballymun Youth Guarantee Pilot Programme. The Youth Guarantee offer of training, education or work experience for those aged 18-24 years after a four month period will be implemented on a phased basis. Its implementation will be facilitated by changes included in recent social welfare legislation.

As an initial step, during 2014 – 2015, all long-term unemployed young people under 25 will be engaged by the Public Employment Service and will receive a Youth Guarantee offer if still unemployed after four months of this engagement process commencing.

Over 28,000 programme places are being provided for unemployed young people in 2014, and detailed breakdown of these has been published in the Youth Guarantee Implementation Plan.

Question No. 71 answered orally.

Social Welfare Code Reform

Ceisteanna (72)

Patrick O'Donovan

Ceist:

72. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on any proposals she may have to reform the current system in order that provision may be made for social welfare payments for the self-employed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30812/14]

Freagraí scríofa

Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection

Self-employed persons pay PRSI at the Class S rate of 4%. This entitles them to access valuable long-term benefits including the State pension (contributory), widow’s, widower’s and surviving civil partner’s contributory pension and maternity benefit. The self-employed with insufficient means can also access social assistance payments such as jobseekers allowance and disability allowance subject to satisfying other qualifying criteria.The Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare found that the current system of means tested jobseeker’s allowance payments adequately provides cover to self-employed people for the risks associated with unemployment. The Group was not convinced that there was a need for the extension of social insurance for the self-employed to provide cover for jobseeker’s benefit. The Group also found that extending social insurance for the self-employed was warranted in cases related to long term sickness or injuries. To this end, the Group recommended that Class S benefits should be extended to provide cover for people who are permanently incapable of work, because of a long-term illness or incapacity, through the invalidity pension and the partial capacity benefit schemes. In this regard the Group recommended that the rate of contribution for Class S should be increased by at least 1.5 percentage points, payable on a compulsory basis only.

This recommendation will be considered in conjunction with the Actuarial Review of the Social Insurance Fund 2010 finding that the self-employed achieve better value for money compared to employed workers. My colleagues in Government and I will reflect on this issue taking into account future developments in terms of the budgetary and fiscal situation.

Social Welfare Fraud Investigations

Ceisteanna (73)

Patrick O'Donovan

Ceist:

73. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will provide details on the initiatives her Department has taken in order to reduce social welfare fraud; her views that changes to data protection laws are required to aid detection; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30811/14]

Freagraí scríofa

Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection

The new Compliance and Anti-Fraud Strategy 2014 – 2018, which I published in April this year, sets out the strategic approach to tackling fraud and abuse over the next 5 years. It also provides strong assurances to taxpayers - and society generally - that the system of control is robust and effective. The Strategy builds on the approaches that we have been successfully rolling out over the past few years under the Fraud Initiative 2011-2013, as well as setting out a number of new measures. These new measures include increasing the investigative presence on the ground through the secondment of Gardaí to the Department’s Special Investigation Unit and the use of predictive analytics technology to help identify fraudulent claims. The Garda officers will undertake the full range of duties in detecting and investigating social welfare fraud.

As part of the ongoing measures to control fraud and abuse the Department has, in the last number of years, been actively engaged in data matching with a number of other Government Departments and public bodies. Data matching is an efficient and effective mechanism to target control related activity.

The legislative provisions which allow for the specific sharing of data are contained in section 261 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act, 2005 and the Department operates in compliance with the basic principles and legislation underpinning data protection. In addition, the Department liaises with the Data Protection Commissioner on a regular basis on issues that may data protection implications.

I am satisfied with the current legal structure that is in place under social welfare legislation to support the sharing of data for the purpose of controlling the entitlement to and the payment of benefits.

Question No. 74 answered orally.