Wednesday, 20 Jan 2016

Written Answers Nos. 74-79

Public Sector Staff Retirements

Ceisteanna (74)

Seán Fleming

Ceist:

74. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will end age-related compulsory retirement in the public sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2441/16]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform

For public servants other than those who are members of the 2013-commenced Single Public Service Pension Scheme, responsibility for occupational pension terms and any maximum or compulsory retirement ages in particular sectors in general lies with the relevant employer, pension administrator or Government Department in the first instance.

In the civil service, for which I am responsible, the maximum retirement age of 65 years applicable to civil servants recruited before 1 April 2004 is provided for in the Civil Service Regulation Act 1956, and also applies to such staff in bodies under the aegis of my Department.

Any consideration of changes to existing public service compulsory retirement ages would need to have regard to the service-delivery requirements of the particular sectors, existing terms and conditions of employment, including pension provision and other entitlements of the staff concerned, workforce planning issues and impacts on the public finances.

It should be noted that, for certain occupations, such as Gardaí and military personnel, maximum retirement ages in the public service can be lower than the standard age; this applies both in respect of relevant members of the Single Public Service Pension Scheme and earlier "pre-existing" schemes.

The issue of retirement age (usually 65 years) as it applies in the workplace both in the public and private sectors of the economy in the context of the age of eligibility for the State Pension (currently 66 years, rising to 67 in 2021 and 68 in 2028), has been the subject of some initial consultations by my officials with relevant Government Departments.

In recognition of the complex and wide ranging nature of this issue, the Government recently (19 January 2016) approved my proposal to establish an Interdepartmental Working Group to conduct a focused examination (to include consideration of public service aspects) and to make recommendations to Government on a policy framework to support longer working lives. This Group will be chaired by a senior official from my Department and will include representatives from the Departments of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Justice and Equality, Education and Skills, Health and Social Protection. My intention is that the Group will convene in the coming weeks.

Lansdowne Road Agreement Implementation

Ceisteanna (75)

Seán Fleming

Ceist:

75. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the implications for members of those unions or associations who have to date subscribed to the terms of the Lansdowne Road agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2442/16]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform

I refer the Deputy to my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 33410/15 of 1 October 2015. The necessary legislation to give effect to the provisions of the Lansdowne Road Agreement from 1 January 2016 was enacted by the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act, 2015.

Infrastructure and Capital Investment Programme

Ceisteanna (76)

Seán Fleming

Ceist:

76. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the capital plan will deliver infrastructure investment of less than 2% of gross domestic product per annum and result in many necessary projects not taking place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2444/16]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform

The levels of investment provided for in the Capital Plan must be put into context and set against a backdrop of long term public investment policy. 

Exchequer capital investment peaked in 2008 at over €9 billion. This was at the end of a period of unprecedented levels of public capital funding that were directed towards addressing long-standing infrastructural deficits. While the severe fiscal challenges certainly contributed to the subsequent reductions in capital investment following this period, there is also wide recognition that a considerable amount of Ireland's infrastructural deficits and bottlenecks, particularly across the roads network, had been largely addressed. 

The Government's Capital Plan "Building on Recovery: Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2016-2021" announced an Exchequer capital spend of €27 billion over a six year period.  If we add investment from the wider semi-state sector, and PPPs, total state backed investment amounts to €42 billion over the period. For Ireland, GNP is a better indicator for the size of the Economy that GDP, and at the time of publication of the capital plan, state-backed capital investment constituted a forecast average of 3.5% of GNP per annum over the relevant period. This is set to be reviewed given the recent updated economic projections published in Budget 2016.

It is also important to situate State capital investment within the broader context of the total level of investment in the economy. The ESRI in its Quarterly Economic Commentary for Winter 2015 published last month pointed out that the present investment rate would appear to be in line with its long-run steady state rate.

The scale and profile of the Exchequer component of the Capital Plan was developed with reference to the Government's medium term economic growth forecasts and is fully consistent with Ireland's fiscal targets over the coming years. As the Deputy will be aware, this represents a step-change in public investment, setting a course for a return to the normal, long run capital investment levels required to meet social needs and sustain a modern, growing open economy - the feasibility of which is attributable to the successful achievement of fiscal and economic stability in recent years, and the requirement to maintain that stability. 

National Monuments

Ceisteanna (77)

Seán Fleming

Ceist:

77. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when online booking will be available to members of the public looking to visit Kilmainham Gaol in County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2445/16]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (Deputy Simon Harris)

Online Booking services are scheduled to be introduced at Kilmainham Gaol during March, 2016.

Departmental Properties

Ceisteanna (78)

Seán Fleming

Ceist:

78. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of former Garda Síochána stations that have been put to an alternative public use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2446/16]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (Deputy Simon Harris)

As part of An Garda Síochána's policing plans in 2012 and 2013, 139 Garda stations were closed.

15 of these former Garda stations have been assigned or are in the process of being assigned, under licence, for community use as identified in the following table. 10 are being retained or are under consideration for State use as detailed in the table below.

Community Use

No.	County	Former Garda Station	Assigned to Community Group
1.	Kerry	Ballinskelligs	Coiste Forbartha na Sceilge
2.	Mayo	Ballycastle	Ballycastle Development Company
3.	Kerry	Beaufort	Beaufort Community Council
4.	Cork	Castletownsend	Castlehaven Community Association
5.	Sligo	Cliffoney	Cliffoney Community Development Group
6.	Roscommon	Cootehall	Cootehall Community Development Group Ltd.
7.	Wicklow	Donard	Glen of Imaal Wicklow (Red Cross) Mountain Rescue Team
8.	Leitrim	Dromahair	Dromahair Community Group
9.	Mayo	Glenisland	Glenisland Development Company
10.	Limerick	Kilfinnane	Kilfinane Community Council
11.	Kerry	Kilgarvan	Kilgarvan Tidy Towns Committee
12.	Limerick	Kilmeedy	Kilmeedy Community Development Group Ltd.
13.	Mayo	Mulranny	Mulranny Community Futures
14.	Dublin	Rush	Rush Musical Society/Tidy Towns
15.	Mayo	Tourmakeady	Coiste Cultur Teanga and Forbartha Thuar Mhic Eadaigh

Alternate State use

No.	County	Former Garda Station	Retained for State use by
1.	Dublin	Harcourt Terrace	Department of Education and Skills
2.	Kildare	Kill	South West Kildare Partnership
3.	Roscommon	Loughlynn	HSE
4.	Limerick	Mary Street	For transfer to Limerick City Council.
5.	Cork	McCurtain St	For transfer to Cork City Council.
6.	Cavan	Stradone	An Garda Síochána.
7.	Kerry	Valentia Island	Irish Coast Guard Service.
8.	Dublin	Whitehall	Office of the State Pathologist and the Dublin City Coroner.
9.	Galway	Shanaglish	Under consideration for other State use.
10.	Cork	Barrack Street / Elizabeth Fort	Cork City Council

Jobs Data

Ceisteanna (79)

Seán Fleming

Ceist:

79. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of gross jobs created and lost and the net increase in employment by the IDA Ireland-supported businesses on a county basis for each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2480/16]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

Employment data for the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Employment Survey is collected and reported annually. Earlier this month, IDA Ireland announced the highest level of employment in its clients in its 67 year history, with 187,056 people now employed in companies supported by the agency. The following table sets out the employment data on jobs created and lost for the period 2011-2015 from the 2015 survey. In 2015, IDA client companies created 18,983 new jobs across a range of sectors, with every region of Ireland posting net employment gains. The total annual net job gain amounted to 11,833. For the period from 2011 to 2015, IDA Ireland client companies created 78,995 new jobs with job losses for the same period amounting to 39,044 which represents a net increase in employment of 39,951.

Our work in continuing to attract international investment in Ireland will be guided by both my Department’s Policy Statement on Foreign Direct Investment and IDA Ireland’s own five-year strategy “Winning - Foreign Direct Investment 2015-2019”. The IDA Strategy details both how the Agency will broaden its target sectors further and seek new markets over the next five years. Its ambitious targets include boosting FDI in Ireland by over 40% and creating 80,000 new jobs in the economy. As part of its growth strategy, IDA has also committed to increasing the level of investment into each region of Ireland by between 30% and 40%.

Table shows on a county by county basis the total number of IDA Ireland jobs created and lost along with the net change from 2011 to 2015.

County	Gain/Loss	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015
Carlow	Gross Gain	197	132	91	45	19
Carlow	Gross Losses	0	-1	-1	-31	0
Carlow	Net Change	197	131	90	14	19
Cavan	Gross Gain	5	10	15	27	29
Cavan	Gross Losses	-28	-54	-8	-26	0
Cavan	Net Change	-23	-44	7	1	29
Clare	Gross Gain	399	320	243	443	646
Clare	Gross Losses	-463	-521	-330	-309	-524
Clare	Net Change	-64	-201	-87	134	122
Cork	Gross Gain	2,200	2,418	2,138	2,209	4,062
Cork	Gross Losses	-1,189	-1,128	-1,015	-1,194	-633
Cork	Net Change	1,011	1,290	1,123	1,015	3,429
Donegal	Gross Gain	277	164	183	247	330
Donegal	Gross Losses	-23	-42	-24	-22	-19
Donegal	Net Change	254	122	159	225	311
Dublin	Gross Gain	7,239	8,432	7,253	8,236	8,864
Dublin	Gross Losses	-3,519	-4,302	-2,446	-3,414	-3,052
Dublin	Net Change	3,720	4,130	4,807	4,822	5,812
Galway	Gross Gain	1,907	932	953	1,097	1,267
Galway	Gross Losses	-114	-230	-391	-725	-785
Galway	Net Change	1,793	702	562	372	482
Kerry	Gross Gain	171	120	101	247	89
Kerry	Gross Losses	-187	-12	-68	-11	-32
Kerry	Net Change	-16	108	33	236	57
Kildare	Gross Gain	355	546	339	463	679
Kildare	Gross Losses	-628	-575	-480	-516	-588
Kildare	Net Change	-273	-29	-141	-53	91
Kilkenny	Gross Gain	1	125	80	124	9
Kilkenny	Gross Losses	-14	0	-35	-25	-75
Kilkenny	Net Change	-13	125	45	99	-66
Laois	Gross Gain	2	0	22	9	10
Laois	Gross Losses	-27	-24	0	-28	0
Laois	Net Change	-25	-24	22	-19	10
Leitrim	Gross Gain	24	0	31	4	16
Leitrim	Gross Losses	-197	-189	-298	-40	-4
Leitrim	Net Change	-173	-189	-267	-36	12
Limerick	Gross Gain	317	577	574	764	1,018
Limerick	Gross Losses	-144	-52	-292	-283	-108
Limerick	Net Change	173	525	282	481	910
Longford	Gross Gain	6	44	25	10	46
Longford	Gross Losses	-67	-6	-20	-61	-10
Longford	Net Change	-61	38	5	-51	36
Louth	Gross Gain	264	426	778	494	317
Louth	Gross Losses	-75	-56	-91	-33	-101
Louth	Net Change	189	370	687	461	216
Mayo	Gross Gain	152	96	242	294	159
Mayo	Gross Losses	-106	-73	-51	-90	-110
Mayo	Net Change	46	23	191	204	49
Meath	Gross Gain	88	53	150	69	89
Meath	Gross Losses	-32	-132	-58	-72	-70
Meath	Net Change	56	-79	92	-3	19
Monaghan	Gross Gain	0	7	29	13	52
Monaghan	Gross Losses	-66	-11	-12	-103	-181
Monaghan	Net Change	-66	-4	17	-90	-129
Offaly	Gross Gain	41	54	21	44	58
Offaly	Gross Losses	-76	0	-26	-50	-46
Offaly	Net Change	-35	54	-5	-6	12
Roscommon	Gross Gain	96	59	29	45	99
Roscommon	Gross Losses	-4	0	0	-129	-30
Roscommon	Net Change	92	59	29	-84	69
Sligo	Gross Gain	187	163	184	65	132
Sligo	Gross Losses	-61	-215	-351	-94	-164
Sligo	Net Change	126	-52	-167	-29	-32
Tipperary North Riding	Gross Gain	22	1	15	0	25
Tipperary North Riding	Gross Losses	-2	-8	-3	-8	-5
Tipperary North Riding	Net Change	20	-7	12	-8	20
Tipperary South Riding	Gross Gain	25	67	180	229	70
Tipperary South Riding	Gross Losses	-301	-69	-518	-38	-116
Tipperary South Riding	Net Change	-276	-2	-338	191	-46
Waterford	Gross Gain	173	137	191	353	536
Waterford	Gross Losses	-1,066	-284	-120	-288	-122
Waterford	Net Change	-893	-147	71	65	414
Westmeath	Gross Gain	161	177	131	261	212
Westmeath	Gross Losses	-68	-38	-177	-37	-79
Westmeath	Net Change	93	139	-46	224	133
Wexford	Gross Gain	111	100	149	196	101
Wexford	Gross Losses	-110	-136	-86	-106	-118
Wexford	Net Change	1	-36	63	90	-17
Wicklow	Gross Gain	84	105	73	35	49
Wicklow	Gross Losses	-265	-105	-57	-108	-178
Wicklow	Net Change	-181	0	16	-73	-129
Total	Gross Gain	14,504	15,265	14,220	16,023	18,983
Total	Gross Losses	-8,832	-8,263	-6,958	-7,841	-7,150
Total	Net Change	5,672	7,002	7,262	8,182	11,833