Written Answers Nos. 508-525
508. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to set out the number of persons, in increments of €5,000, in receipt of lump sums on retirement from the public service; and the corresponding amount of the lump sum in each of the years 2013, 2014 and 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27235/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe response relates to lump sums paid to civil servants, as this is the area which falls within my responsibility. The payment of pensions has been largely centralised to the Payroll Shared Service Centre, which is part of my Department, over recent years. However, for the period covered by the question a number of Departments paid retirement lump sums at a local level. The following table shows the number of lump sums paid centrally to civil servants on retirement in 2013, 2014 and 2015, broken down by the bands requested by the Deputy, and the corresponding total value of lump sums paid centrally in each year. It also shows the total value of lump sums paid to all civil servants on retirement in the year.
|
Band |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
|
0- 5,000 |
87 |
25 |
47 |
|
5,000-10,000 |
25 |
80 |
115 |
|
10,000 - 15,000 |
30 |
61 |
79 |
|
15,000-20,000 |
32 |
55 |
68 |
|
20,000-25,000 |
15 |
40 |
53 |
|
25,000-30,000 |
18 |
30 |
45 |
|
30,000 -35,000 |
9 |
32 |
45 |
|
35,000-40,000 |
10 |
33 |
35 |
|
40,000- 45,000 |
10 |
26 |
43 |
|
45,000-50,000 |
6 |
33 |
33 |
|
50,000-55,000 |
13 |
49 |
44 |
|
55,000-60,000 |
7 |
27 |
36 |
|
60,000-65,000 |
12 |
45 |
30 |
|
65,000-70,000 |
9 |
39 |
54 |
|
70,000-75,000 |
8 |
34 |
42 |
|
75,000-80,000 |
12 |
40 |
34 |
|
80,000-85,000 |
9 |
31 |
42 |
|
85,000-90,000 |
13 |
38 |
41 |
|
90,000-95,000 |
15 |
38 |
34 |
|
96,000-100,000 |
3 |
21 |
30 |
|
100,000-150,000 |
47 |
179 |
172 |
|
150,000-200,000 |
7 |
37 |
43 |
|
200,000-250,000 |
3 |
11 |
11 |
|
250,000-300,000 |
1 |
2 |
5 |
|
300,00-350,000 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Total number of lump sums paid by PSSC (was PMGs) |
402 |
1,006 |
1,181 |
|
Total value of lump sums paid by PSSC (was PMGs) |
€18,991,776 |
€65,983,922 |
€71,695,586 |
|
Total value of lump sums paid to civil servants |
€43,774,896 |
€85,984,735 |
€80,895,256 |
509. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to outline the position regarding the cessation of a contract (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27263/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy is referring to the contract which was awarded to B&E Limited to administer the pension payments in respect of the Waterford Crystal PIPS Pension Payroll. These pensions are covered by the Pension Insolvency Payment Scheme (PIPS) which was introduced on 1st February, 2010 to assist the former employees of companies that became insolvent and where their defined benefit pension scheme was in deficit. Approximately 700 pensioners have been taken on by this Department since the inception of the scheme. They are now pensioners of this Department. Around 170 of these are currently paid by the Payroll Shared Service Centre (PSSC) with the remaining pensioners paid via a contract with a third party, B & E Limited.
This fixed term 3 year contract with B&E Limited was extended by one year and was due to conclude in September 2016. Given that the contract was scheduled to complete, it was decided to transfer the Waterford Crystal PIPS Payroll administered by B&E to the PSSC.
The first payment by the PSSC occurred on 22nd September and will cover the period 9th to 22nd of September. Given the transition arrangements involved and to minimise disruption and impact on the approximately 530 pensioners impacted a number of supports have been put in place. In addition to termination payments made to B&E in accordance with their contract, B&E were also retained until the end of November to provide support and advice to those affected by changeover.
510. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if funding will be provided for flood relief (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27277/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraNo current applications under the Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme have been received from Kerry County Council for funding for the areas referred to by the Deputy.
511. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to set out the cost of restoring staffing levels throughout local authorities to 2008 levels. [27495/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe issue of addressing the cost of restoring staffing levels in the Local Authorities is a matter, in the first instance. for the consideration of my colleague the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government.
512. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to set out the cost of the restoration of pay and conditions to public servants via the immediate repeal of all financial emergency measures in the public interest measures. [27496/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer the Deputy to my reply to PQ 43 of 31st May 2016.
513. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to set out the cost of ensuring that all public servants are paid on the same salary scale as their counterparts employed prior to 2010. [27497/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 10% reductions in starting pay for certain new entrants were introduced in January 2011 as part of the National Recovery Plan in order to reduce the Public Service Pay Bill by the then Government.
The issue of addressing the difference in incremental salary scales between those public servants who entered public service employment since 2011 and those who entered before that date was addressed with the relevant union interests under the provisions of the Haddington Road Agreement (HRA). From 1 November 2013 pre and post-2011 pay scales were merged into a single consolidated scale applicable to each grade. Generally, the third point of 1 November 2013 payscale is equivalent to the first point of scale of the pre 2011 scale. Guidelines in relation to the merging of the scales are available on my Departments website http://www.per.gov.ie/en/haddington-road-agreement/.
There are various factors which impacted on the pay scale and point of scale under which employees were recruited in the period from January 2011 such as prior public service experience and incremental credit agreements. Detailed costings would require collation and estimation on an individual sector level, based on detailed data on the position of staff on each salary scale across the public service for each individual grade. This detailed data is not available to my Department.
514. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to set out the cost of the full restoration of pensions to public servant pensioners via the immediate repeal of all financial emergency measures in the public interest measures. [27498/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (FEMPI) Act 2015 provides for a significant phased amelioration of the cuts to public service pensions imposed by the Public Service Pension Reduction (PSPR).
This pension restoration under FEMPI 2015 is now underway, with pension adjustments scheduled in three phases, on 1 January 2016, 1 January 2017 and 1 January 2018. These adjustments will cost an estimated €90 million on an annual basis when fully implemented from 2018.
The cost of going beyond this phased restoration under FEMPI 2015 of the pension cuts and removing PSPR entirely is estimated at approximately €45 million on an annual basis.
515. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to set out the cost of ensuring that all public servants are being paid the minimum living wage of €11.50 per hour or above. [27499/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn response to the Deputy's question, the following table outlines the cost of ensuring that all staff in my Department and the bodies under its aegis are paid €11.50 per hour or above. Such information in respect of other Government Departments and bodies under their aegis would have to be the subject of separate questions to the relevant Ministers.
|
Organisation |
Annual Cost |
|
Department of Public Expenditure and Reform |
€778,057 |
|
Institute of Public Administration (IPA) |
As the lowest salary offered exceeds the living wage, the introduction of the living wage of €11.50 per hour would have no cost implications |
|
Public Appointments Service |
€140,004 |
|
Office of Public Works (OPW) |
€207,645 |
|
Office of the Ombudsman |
€55,252 |
|
Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) |
As the lowest salary offered exceeds the living wage, the introduction of the living wage of €11.50 per hour would have no cost implications |
516. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs to outline the timeframe for progressing actions as outlined in the Kerr report to safeguard the post office network; the number of times the network renewal working group and the community hubs working group have met this year; the total number of meetings planned for the remainder of 2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26443/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe postal sector has been undergoing systemic change both nationally and internationally in recent years, with increased use of electronic communications resulting in the decline in core mail volumes year on year. In recognition of this changing business environment, the Post Office Network Business Development Group, chaired by Mr. Bobby Kerr, was established in 2014 to examine the potential for new and existing Government services that could be transacted through the post office network, and to identify new business opportunities for the network.
The final report of the Post Office Network Business Development Group, which was published in January of this year, made a number of recommendations to support the future sustainability of post offices. These include recommendations in relation to the renewal of the post office network, and the creation of hubs around which local economic and social activity could revolve. The report also recommended that An Post should, following appropriate consultation with postmasters and others, review and amend the five-year strategy for the post office network.
The Programme for a Partnership Government commits to acting on the recommendations in the report of the Post Office Network Business Development Group. A number of Working Groups have been established to progress the recommendations, including through the establishment of a Network Renewal Implementation Group, which is being independently chaired by Mr. Kerr. This Group is examining the number and spatial distribution of post offices, branch modernisation, the streamlining of products and services, postmaster payments and contracts, and training and qualifications for post office employees.
The Group is continuing to meet monthly, with the intention of finishing its deliberations soon and reporting back to the Board of An Post in the first instance.
I have also established the Post Office Hub Working Group, to identify potential models under which the post offices could act as community hubs, especially in rural areas. This Group has met twice since it was established in July, most recently on 14th September. I anticipate that this Group will meet at least twice more in 2016 with a view to finalising its proposals.
I will be reporting back to the Cabinet Committee on Regional and Rural Affairs on a regular basis on the progress being made on the recommendations in the Final Report of the Post Office Network Business Development Group.
517. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs to set out the number of cases of Japanese knotweed identified across all local authority areas in the country; the actions being taken at both local and national level to eradicate this dangerous weed; if a national eradication strategy is in place; the person or bodies overseeing this, if it exists; the details of the strategy; if funding has been made available to local authorities for this purpose; if she will commit funding in budget 2017 to local authorities to deal with this problem; and if research either nationally or internationally is ongoing to attempt to find a product to eradicate Japanese knotweed. [26628/16]
Amharc ar fhreagra518. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if any surveys have been carried out on the way to address the growing problem with Japanese knotweed; the steps she is taking to eradicate or control the plant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26746/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 517 and 518 together.
I am very aware of the growing public concern about the impact of invasive species here, including Japanese Knotweed. In this regard, I wish to advise that my Department is responsible for the enforcement of the Wildlife Acts and the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011 (S.I. No. 477/2011), both of which prohibit the spreading of invasive species.
In law, control of invasive species such as Japanese knotweed is a matter for landowners. While my Department carries out considerable work on controls in National Parks and Nature Reserves - for example on the rhododendron threat in Killarney National Park – it does not have the resources required to extend such work into urban areas or the wider countryside, and is not in a position to provide dedicated funds for such work to other bodies, including local authorities.
There is considerable work being carried out at present by a range of agencies in this area. While there is no national eradication plan, I will be considering options for improved national co-ordination of work on invasive species.
My Department does not collect data from local authorities on the incidence of Japanese knotweed in their areas or indeed their actions to deal with this species. However, information on the distribution of invasive species in Ireland, including Japanese knotweed, is available on the invasive species section of the National Biodiversity Data Centre (NBDC) website at http://maps.biodiversityireland.ie.
My Department has worked closely over the years with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) to fund and manage the Invasive Species Ireland Project and this initiative has resulted in Best Practice Management Guidelines for a number of invasive species, including Japanese knotweed, being published on the project website at www.invasivespeciesireland.com.
519. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs when the report from the post office network renewal working group will be published; the reasons for the delay to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26753/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe post office network plays an important role in serving the needs of business and domestic customers alike. However, the postal sector is undergoing systemic change both nationally and internationally, with the increased use of electronic communications leading to a decline in core mail volumes year on year.
The Post Office Network Business Development Group, chaired by Mr. Bobby Kerr, was established in 2014 to examine the potential from new and existing Government and commercial business that could be transacted through the post office network, and to identify new business opportunities for the network.
The final report of the Group, which was published in January of this year, made a number of recommendations to support the future sustainability of the post office network, including network renewal. A Post Office Network Renewal Implementation Group was established to progress this particular recommendation. The Implementation Group is an independent group chaired by Mr. Kerr and includes representatives of An Post and the Irish Postmasters Union. The Group has been examining issues such as the number and spatial distribution of Post Offices, branch modernisation, the streamlining of products and services, postmaster payments and contracts, and training and qualifications for post office employees.
Some of the issues under consideration are quite complex in nature, but I understand that the Group should be in a position to finalise its work shortly. It is intended that the work of Post Office Network Renewal Implementation Group will be communicated directly to the Board of An Post in the first instance for its consideration.
520. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs to outline her views on a matter (details supplied) regarding the upkeep of a river; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26833/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraWhen water levels permit, officials from my Department will seek to remove fallen tree limbs and refuse from the location referred to in the ‘details supplied’.
521. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs to set out the average length of time it takes for the National Parks and Wildlife Service to completely respond to local authorities with regard to their planning inputs; and the greatest length of time it has taken. [27056/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs is a statutory consultee in relation to any proposed development under consideration by a planning authority, which may have an effect on the built or natural heritage. In such cases, my Department may make observations or recommendations, as appropriate, on referrals from the relevant planning authority.
From 2011 to 2015, my Department received an average of almost 5,400 planning referrals per annum from planning authorities relating to the natural and built heritage, consisting of developments of various types and scale, as well as local area plans, regional and national development plans, strategic infrastructural developments and projects of common interest. The interaction between these projects and plans and the natural and built environment can be complex. While my Department does not collate response times for individual planning referrals, it does endeavour to respond within statutory deadlines, which generally, for a standard development, is within a period of 5 weeks from receipt by the planning authority of the planning application. After this time, the planning authority may determine the application without further notice to prescribed bodies.
522. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs to outline the extent to which progress continues on meeting the need to ensure an adequacy of services to rural Ireland, thereby meeting the education, health and security need of rural communities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27187/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for a Partnership Government contains a suite of commitments for delivery across Government relating to the protection of local services in rural Ireland. The measures detailed in the Programme include the provision of next-generation broadband coverage, addressing the renewal of the Post Office network, supporting local jobseekers, and the provision of other services in areas such as education, health and security.
From my own Department’s perspective, I have recently established a National Taskforce on Mobile Phone and Broadband Access with the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and the Environment, Denis Naughten T.D., to identify practical measures which can be taken in the short-term to improve broadband and mobile phone reception in rural areas. I have also established two Regional Broadband Action Groups, involving all of the Local Authorities in the country, to prepare for the roll-out of broadband under the National Broadband Plan once contracts are awarded in 2017. My Department is also working on proposals for the renewal of the Post Office network, including through the Post Office Hub Working Group, which is chaired by Minister of State Michael Ring. This Group is identifying potential models under which the post offices could act as community hubs, especially in rural areas.
I am currently developing an Action Plan for Rural Development which will act as an overarching structure for the co-ordination and implementation of initiatives across Government which have the potential to benefit rural Ireland. The implementation of these initiatives will contribute significantly to the protection and enhancement of local services and help generate increased economic activity in rural areas.
The Action Plan for Rural Development will be published by the end of the year.
523. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs to outline the efforts being made to facilitate a request from landowners (details supplied) for a formal meeting at which she, the designated areas appeals advisory board, and personnel from the National Parks and Wildlife Service have been requested to attend to discuss a proposed site designation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26466/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraOfficials of my Department and I have met with landowners representing the special protection area in question. My Department also wishes to move forward with a management plan for the site, to be developed in full consultation with landowners and the relevant local authority.
My Department has recently been in contact with a representative of the landowners with a view to arranging another meeting.
524. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs when new regulations in respect of gorse burning and hedge cutting will be introduced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26651/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraSection 40 of the Wildlife Acts 1976, as amended, prohibits the cutting, grubbing, burning or destruction of vegetation, with certain strict exemptions, from 1 March to 31 August.
Following a review of Section 40, which involved, inter alia, consideration of submissions from interested parties, I announced proposals in December 2015 to introduce legislation to allow for managed hedge cutting and burning at certain times within the existing closed period on a pilot two year basis. The legislation required to allow for these pilot measures was included in the Heritage Bill 2016, which was published in January 2016 and subsequently completed Second Stage in Seanad Éireann.
Steps are in hand to reintroduce the Heritage Bill into Seanad Éireann at the earliest opportunity. In the meantime, the existing provisions relating to Section 40 of the Wildlife Acts are still in operation.
525. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if she will increase matching funding to optimum levels to draw down the optimum amount of European funding for community and rural development; the amounts involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26688/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe total amount of funding provided for the LEADER 2014-2020 Programme is €250 million. This funding is being provided by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) at the rate of 63% of total costs, with the remaining 37% in matching funding being provided by the Exchequer. The percentage matching funding provided, at 37%, is higher than the percentage applied under the previous LEADER programme which ran from 2007-2013.
Based on the level of matching funding provided, I am confident that the full level of EU funding for the LEADER 2014-2020 Programme will be drawn down during the lifetime of the Programme.
