Written Answers Nos. 81 to 89
81. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the total severance packages, individually detailed, received by any special advisers in his Department, or those under his aegis, since January 2014, specifically in respect of persons (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8498/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm that there have been no severance packages received by any special advisers in my Department since January 2014.
82. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the reason the Office of Public Works has deemed a portion of land (details supplied), in County Cork, to be a flood plain; if this adjudication could be reviewed in view of the fact that this land has never been the subject of, or at risk to, flooding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8502/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Office of Public Works (OPW) is currently undertaking, in partnership with its consultants, local authorities and other stakeholders, the Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme. This is a strategic approach that recognises the need, in line with international best practice, to move to a more sustainable, planned and risk-based approach to dealing with flooding problems. The CFRAM Programme is the principal vehicle for implementing national policy on flood risk management and the European Directive on the Assessment and Management of Flood Risk (2007/EC/60). Further information is available on the Programme website www.cfram.ie.
In brief, the CFRAM Programme has three principal milestones:
- Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment (completed)
- Flood Maps (for finalisation 2015)
- Flood Risk Management Plans (for finalisation 2016)
This national programme of CFRAM Studies, which is being carried out by several engineering consultancies over six regions, is focused on 300 Areas for Further Assessment (or “AFAs”). The designated AFAs were selected following the Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment (PFRA) phase which involved public consultation including the public exhibition of consultation documentation in Cork Co. Council (and all other City and County Councils) in Autumn 2011. Arising from the PFRA, the town of Dunmanway has been designated as one of the AFAs and is being assessed under the South Western CFRAM Study.
Predictive flood mapping has been produced by engineering consultants based on extensive survey data and watercourse modelling. A Public Consultation Day on the draft flood maps was held in Dunmanway on 10th February last. The draft flood maps for Dunmanway are currently available for inspection on the Study website www.southwestcframstudy.ie and members of the public may provide feedback on same. A national statutory consultation is due to be held in early summer.
All feedback received during the draft flood maps consultation period will form part of the process of finalisation of the flood maps. It is important to emphasise that flood risk areas within Dunmanway will not be formally identified by the South Western CFRAM Study until the flood maps are finalised later in 2015.
Following the finalisation of the flood mapping and the assessment of appropriate flood risk management options, the final output from this important project will be integrated Flood Risk Management Plans containing specific measures to address in a comprehensive and sustainable way the significant flood risk identified. The CFRAM Programme will be used to determine national priorities for future State investment in flood defences.
83. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the average length of time taken by the Valuation Office to issue a valuation certificate; if that time period has increased during the Thirty-First Dáil; if this represents a satisfactory level of public service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8508/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Commissioner of Valuation is independent in the exercise of his duties under the Valuation Act, 2001 and the carrying out of valuations for rating purposes is his sole prerogative. The Act does not accord me as Minister any function in this regard.
There are two provisions in the legislation governing the assessment of valuations which result in the issue of valuation certificates, i.e. revaluation and revision. They are dealt with under Parts 5 and 6 of the Valuation Act 2001 respectively. There has been no change in the legislative provisions during this Dáil.
Revision of valuation is the mechanism used to maintain local authority valuations lists. It is used to add new properties to the list, to amend the valuations of altered properties and to remove demolished or defunct properties from the list. By contrast, in a revaluation the entire commercial valuation list for a local authority is brought up-to-date by reference to a specific valuation date. The entire list is published on one date (usually 31 December) and it comes into effect for rating purposes on 1 January the following year.
The revaluation of a rating authority area is commenced by the making of a Valuation Order by the Commissioner of Valuation which among other things specifies the publication date of the new valuation list. It is for the Commissioner to set the publication date which would take account of factors such as the number of items to be valued. The Act states that the publication date shall not be more than three years after the date the valuation order is made. In practice the gap between the date the valuation order was signed and the publication date is between 24 and 33 months. Prior to 2011 the gap was between 26 and 33 months. Since 2011 the gap between the order date and the publication date has been between 24 and 33 months. As can be seen from the figures below nearly 2/3 of the properties revalued have been completed on valuation orders signed in 2011 or later with 1/3 of properties revalued on valuation orders signed between 2005 and 2011.
To-date, revaluations of all local authorities in Dublin, Waterford and Limerick have been completed comprising approximately 49,500 properties, representing approx. 57% of the national rateable valuation base in monetary value terms or 33% in numerical terms. In addition, 13 public utilities representing some of the largest ratepayers in the State have been valued on a national basis.
Since 2011, as part of the national revaluation programme the Valuation Office has issued in excess of 32,000 proposed valuation certificates and 31,482 final valuation certificates, all within the required timelines. The latter are broken down as follows:
Dublin City 20,845
Waterford City & County 3,917
Limerick City & County 6,720
Valuations of commercial properties at revision are determined under Part 6 of the Valuation Act 2001, by reference to the net annual values of comparable properties on the same valuation list. The Act provides for applications for revision to be made to the Commissioner by an occupier, a rating authority, an interest holder in a rateable property or the occupier of another rateable property in that same rating authority area. On receipt of a revision application the Commissioner appoints a revision officer to deal with the application and the Act requires that officer to deal with that application within 6 months of his/her appointment.
Revision applications are received on an ongoing basis throughout the year and, in so far as reasonably practicable, the statutory timelines provided for in the Valuation Act 2001 are adhered to. While there are always some arrears of revision casework, these are not significant. The vast majority of applications are lodged by local authorities with whom the Valuation Office maintains close liaison, to ensure that revision applications are dealt with as expeditiously as possible and to agreed timelines having regard to the local authority budgetary year. Revision applications relating to new properties and those received from the public are disposed of expeditiously; the Valuation Office aims to deal with the majority of ratepayer revision applications within 3 months of receipt of the application.
During 2014, 3,467 revision applications were received, 4,204 revision applications were dealt with which resulted in 1,804 new records being created and 6,024 valuation certificates being issued in total.
84. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the Ombudsman's remit extends to An Bord Pleanála and EirGrid; when this changed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8520/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn line with the commitment in the Programme for Government, the Ombudsman (Amendment) Act 2012 extends the Ombudsman's remit to all public bodies which conform to the definition of public bodies as set out in Part 1 of the First Schedule to the Act, except for those which are specifically exempt in whole or in part. The administrative actions of some 180 additional public bodies were brought within the Ombudsman's remit under the Act representing the most substantial extension in both the powers of the Ombudsman and the Ombudsman's remit in over three decades and significantly enhancing the accountability of public bodies to citizens.
The approach taken achieved automatic application of the Ombudsman's Act to public bodies in place of the previous approach which required bodies to be scheduled individually by way of Government Order for inclusion on a case-by-case basis. In this case, the bodies the subject of the Deputy's question, EirGrid and An Bord Pleanála, had never been scheduled and as such were never under the Ombudsman's remit.
85. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if a Canadian national who is married to an Irish citizen but has not previously worked or been a resident here requires a work permit to work here if that person accompanies an Irish spouse here; if so, if this can be applied for in advance of arrival here or whether that person, or a potential employer, must apply for a work visa following a specific job offer. [8539/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraIf the non-EEA national spouse or civil partner of an Irish or EEA national is resident in the State with his or her spouse or partner, he or she does not require an Employment Permit to work in the State, though the permission of the Minister for Justice and Equality should be sought in relation to his or her residence in the State.
86. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if it is the case, except in certain specific employment, that an applicant for a job from the European Union must always have priority over an applicant who is not from the European Union, even if the non-European Union applicant is married to an Irish citizen. [8540/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraIf the non-EEA spouses and civil partners of EEA nationals are resident in the State without their Irish or EEA spouses or civil partners, the normal criteria for granting of an employment permit apply (but the fee is waived). Therefore, if fulfilling a Labour Market Needs Test is required for the grant of an Employment Permit, this will be required. If the non-EEA spouse or civil partner of an Irish or EEA national is residing in the State with his or her spouse or partner, he or she does not require an Employment Permit in order to work in the State.
87. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if there have been discussions between his Department and the local enterprise offices in relation to grant-aid to companies and businesses which require training in order to be able to comply with the new regulation requiring a CE (Conformité Européenne) mark on structural steel; the progress made with this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8688/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn general, the implementation of the Construction Products Regulation, which sets out requirements regarding the CE Mark for Structural Steel, is a matter for the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (D/ECLG). I understand that officials in that Department have worked with a broad range of stakeholders to ensure the industry was aware of, and prepared for, the implementation of the Construction Products Regulation in Ireland. I also understand that a significant number of steel fabricators operating in the State have already established the systems necessary to comply with their obligations under the Construction Products Regulation and, more specifically, the requirements of I.S. EN 1090-1. D/ECLG remains committed to working with all stakeholders in order to continue to raise awareness and facilitate the implementation of the Construction Products Regulation in Ireland. With regard to your specific question concerning the role of the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) in providing training support for companies affected by the Construction Products Regulation, the role of the LEOs is to provide information to small and micro firms and to signpost them to relevant agencies / bodies for training and certification.
The provision of the specialist technical training required to achieve certification to an International or European Standard, such as that required by steel fabricators in this instance, is outside of the remit of the LEO services. However, I understand that to date the LEOs, in conjunction with the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) have provided four general awareness / information seminars on the topic at various venues around the country. In view of the NSAI’s final certification role, and given the roles and responsibilities of other Departments and agencies, my Department has discussed the requirements of the CPR with the relevant Departments and agencies i.e. Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, Department of Education and Skills, the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) network and the NSAI.
I also understand that the Education and Training Boards (ETBs) in Cork, Dundalk, Galway, Shannon, Tralee and Waterford provide metal fabrication apprenticeship training, which incorporates elements of certification training. The ETBs come under the remit of the Department of Education and Skills. It may be beneficial for companies to explore what economies of scale might be achieved for companies seeking the same upskilling in the same area.
88. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the total severance packages, individually detailed, received by any special advisers in his Department, or those under his aegis, since January, 2014, specifically in respect of persons (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9092/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can advise the Deputy that there have been no severance packages paid in my Department to Special Advisors in the period referred to.
89. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding a payment under the agri-environment options scheme 2 in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8509/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person named was approved for participation in the 2011 Agri Environment Options Scheme (AEOS 2) with effect from 1 September 2011 and payment has issued in respect of the 2011, 2012 and 2013 Scheme years. Under the EU Regulations governing the Scheme and other area-based payment schemes, a comprehensive administrative check, including cross-checks with the Land Parcel Identification System, must be completed before any payment can issue. These checks have been successfully completed in respect of the 2014 Scheme year and 75% payment will issue shortly. The balancing 25% payment will follow thereafter.
