Written Answers Nos. 88-94
88. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if there is a discrepancy between the redeployment scheme and the Fáilte Ireland career break scheme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47635/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Public Service Agreements (PSA) covering the period 2010 -16 (the Croke Park and Haddington Road Agreements) provide for agreed redeployment arrangements to apply in the Civil Service and Non-Commercial State Sponsored Bodies (NCSSB). Under the PSA, redeployment generally takes precedence over all other methods of filling a vacancy and supersedes any existing agreements on the deployment of staff.
Redeployment operates through a Resource Panel system, which is managed by the Public Appointments Service (PAS) for the Civil Service and Non-Commercial State Sponsored Bodies (NCSSBs) under their aegis. PAS also manages cross-sectoral assignments where necessary.
The detailed operational arrangements that have been agreed with the Staff Unions are set out in the Redeployment Toolkit which is available at http://hr.per.gov.ie/redeployment/.
The Redeployment Toolkit provides that where a Department is above its Employment Control Framework (ECF) ceiling, or does not have the salary budget available to pay an official returning from career break, the post will be put on the resource panel.
The implementation of these arrangements in Fáilte Ireland are the responsibility of the management of that agency. However, on the basis of the information available to it the assessment of my Department is that the correct provisions of the PSA as they apply to personnel returning from career breaks have been complied with by Fáilte Ireland in this case.
89. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the reason a commencement order has not been signed to bring the National Asset Management Agency within the Freedom of Information Act; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47680/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Freedom of Information Act 2014, a commencement order is not required to make the National Asset Management Agency subject to FOI under the Act. All the provisions, other than section 8 relating to publication schemes, came into effect on the date of enactment, that is on 14th October 2014.
In accordance with Section 1(3)(b) of the FOI Act 2014, in the case of a public body - such as is referred to in the Deputy's question - that was not subject to FOI under the FOI Act 1997 but is subject to FOI under the 2014 Act, the Act will apply to that body 6 months from enactment or on such later day, not later than 12 months from enactment, as the Minister may by order appoint. Following the recent enactment of the FOI reform legislation, I intend that all such bodies will be subject to F.O.I. on 14th April 2015 unless a compelling case is made to me to apply a later commencement date.
90. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation when he will approve the funding for the new business development manager programme for community enterprise centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47508/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI understand from Enterprise Ireland that since the launch of the first Community Enterprise Centre scheme in 1989, Enterprise Ireland has approved €64 million for the development of Community Enterprise Centres in towns and villages across the country. There are currently 117 such centres across the country.
There is no new Community Enterprise Centre Scheme to fund Business Development Management in 2014. The last scheme rolled out was in 2012 and 2013 when Enterprise Ireland provided funding of €2 million to support the recruitment of a total of 46 Business Development Managers. That programme included funding to support the employment of 9 Business Development Managers for a two year period in 2013-2015.
On the wider issue of the Centres, the success levels, occupancy levels and sustainability of jobs at the Centres varies and therefore I have asked Enterprise Ireland to review the operations of the Community Enterprise Centres in the context of regional enterprise development and how the Community Enterprise Centres and the Local Enterprise Offices might work more closely in support of business start-ups before giving further consideration to the matter.
There are a number of dimensions to this issue such as the role of other players such as the Local Authorities, private sector involvement and the level of supply and demand for business space in the locality.
The Action Plan for Jobs 2014 includes a commitment to develop a framework for Regional Enterprise Strategies that will enable us to better integrate the efforts of the enterprise development agencies and other regional stakeholders, including Community Enterprise Centres, in supporting enterprise growth and jobs in the regions. While there is already a significant amount of practical cooperation taking place at local and regional levels between many public bodies, developing a framework in which cooperation can be improved, is timely.
I have been actively working on a template for the development of Regional Enterprise Strategies and it is my intention that this framework will be applied initially on a pilot basis to produce action-oriented plans to support enterprise growth and jobs in the Midlands region and the South East region. These pilots will inform any adaptations that might need to be made prior to the framework being applied to other regions. I fully expect that the existing network of Community Enterprise Centres will have a role to play in the creation and implementation of enterprise strategies in their regions.
91. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress made to date in implementing the CEDRA report; the progress he plans making in this regard in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47613/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the deputy is aware, my colleague Ann Phelan, TD was appointed Minister of State in July of this year with specific responsibility for implementing the report of the Commission for the Economic Development of Rural Areas (CEDRA ). The scope of this report is extensive and multi-sectoral and encompasses 34 recommendations on areas as diverse as investment and finance, local enterprise support, broadband, water, rural transport, social enterprise, roads, artisan foods, creative industries, tourism & recreation, community capability building, marine and renewable energy.
The report’s implementation must be viewed as an ongoing process rather than a short term project but nevertheless in the four months since her appointment, Minister Phelan has taken significant steps in this regard. She has established and is chairing the CEDRA high level Inter-Departmental Group (IDG) involving all the main departmental actors dealing with the recommendations. There have been three meetings of this group, including one today, at which an initial evaluation of each recommendation has been made, lead responsibility assigned in line with statutory responsibility and an integrated CEDRA work programme with specific actions and timelines, up to end 2015 almost finalised. In addition, Minister Phelan is in the process of identifying a number of priority proposals to support the economic development of rural communities. Work on these proposals is progressing well and should be finalised in early 2015.
Ongoing implementation of the multi-sectoral programme, described above, as well as the finalisation and activation of a priority programme are the main plans to be progressed in 2015.
92. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a person (details supplied) in County Cork had their single farm payment penalised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47499/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the terms and conditions of the Single Payment Scheme and other area based schemes an applicant, as well as meeting the Scheme criteria, is required to comply with EU regulatory requirements relating to Cross Compliance. The person named was the subject of a Nitrates inspection on 21 March 2014, carried out by my Department on behalf of the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government. This inspection identified non-compliances with the cross compliance requirements under the Nitrates Regulations relating to a slurry pit which contained slurry, soiled water and silage effluent and which had no evident floor or walls to contain runoff and, in addition, a large amount of farmyard manure was being stored on the land during the closed period.
As similar breaches under the Nitrates Regulations had been identified within the previous three years, the regulatory provisions required that the rules on repetition be applied and this resulted in a final penalty of 100% being applied against the 2014 Direct Schemes payments.
The person named was notified of this decision on 2 July 2014. The person named has appealed this decision and this request is currently being examined. The person named will be notified of the outcome as soon as possible.
In the event that the person named is dissatisfied with the outcome of this review, the decision can be appealed to the independent Agriculture Appeals Office, within 3 months.
93. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the pay arrangements, including bonuses and performance-related pay, for executives of semi-State commercial bodies under the remit of his Department. [47509/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe pay arrangements, including bonuses and performance related pay, for executives of semi State commercial bodies is a matter for the State Bodies themselves within the context of Government Public Sector Pay Policies.
94. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo, will have their 2014 payments processed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47518/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person named submitted a 2014 Single Farm Payment /Disadvantaged Areas’ scheme application on 4 April 2014. EU regulations governing the administration of these schemes require that full and comprehensive administrative checks, including in some cases on-farm or remote sensing (i.e. satellite) inspections, be completed before any payments issue.
The application of the person named was selected for a Remote Sensing eligibility inspection. This inspection has been completed and the payment due under the Single Farm Payment Scheme will issue to the nominated bank account of the person named this week. Payment due under the Disadvantaged Areas’ Scheme is expected to issue shortly.
