Written Answers Nos. 150-173
150. Deputy Michael Harty asked the Minister for Education and Skills if an application for emergency works to a school (details supplied) in County Clare will be sanctioned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32873/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe application from the school to which the Deputy refers was made under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme. The application is under consideration and a decision will be conveyed to the school authority as soon as possible.
151. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide a commitment that minor works scheme applications will be processed, sanctioned and paid out as a matter of urgency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32877/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe normal practice is for the Minor Works Grant to be announced late in the year if funding permits. The issue of the Minor Works Grant 2016/2017 will be considered in the context of my Department's overall capital position later this year.
Subject to funding, the Minor Works Grant issues to primary schools without the need for primary schools to submit an application.
152. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide estimates for the amount academic libraries in third level institutions spend each year on accessing electronic serial subscriptions such as academic or paid subscription journals. [32881/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFunding for the substantial proportion of access to electronic-journals is coordinated through IReL, a highly successful shared service. IReL is an essential element in Ireland’s research and education infrastructure delivering access for students and staff of all seven universities and the RCSI to over 30,000 journals as well as databases and e-books. It also underpins key areas of research funded through national bodies, such as SFI, IRC, EI, HRB and Teagasc, and through European and international funding streams. IReL promotes research among others by attracting principal investigators from across the globe with its unique depth and wealth of content, and by supporting them throughout the lifecycle of research: from preparing a grant application to the publication of research output in high-impact journals. Access to all major research fields is ensured by IReL licences.
Currently DJEI fund Science Engineering and Technology (€5.7m was provided in 2016), while Humanities and Social Sciences are funded by the Department of Education and Skills via the HEA’s core grant allocation to the seven universities (€4.104m in 2016). A third grant provides access to two journal collections by EBSCO to the institutes of technology via their core grant at €221,000. Higher education institutions may also pay from their own resources to access electronic journals in addition to IReL.
153. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the amount that his Department spent on external legal advice in each of the years 2013, 2014 and 2015; the names of each of the legal firms that provided advice to his Department in each of those years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32918/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm to the Deputy that the total costs for external legal advice incurred by my Department during the years in question are as follows:
- 2013 - €47843.07
- 2014 - €19312.94
- 2015 - €13591.50
The external bodies providing the advice were as follows:
- Conor Feeney, BL
- Peter Ward, BL
- Patrick Donaghy and Co.
State Claims Agency
154. Deputy Mary Butler asked the Minister for Education and Skills when he expects a decision to be made on an application for funding by a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32922/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers has submitted an application to my Department for additional school accommodation.
The application will be assessed and a decision will be conveyed to the school authority as soon as the assessment process has been completed.
155. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a school's building project cannot proceed to pre-qualification stage (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32925/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe major building project for the school in question is included in my Department's six-year construction programme 2016-21 and is scheduled therein to commence construction in 2017.
The project is at an advanced stage of architectural planning - Stage 2(b), which includes the applications for the Fire Certificate and Disability Access Certificate and the preparation of Tender Documents. Planning Permission and the Disability Certificate have been secured. The Design Team recently responded to a further information request from the Local Authority in respect of the Fire Certificate application and a decision on the application is awaited from the Local Authority. In September, the Design Team was also requested to review the impact of the recently introduced changes to the Public Works Contracts (PWC) and to revert to my Department with an assessment of what, if any, additional works are required to bring the tender documents into line with those changes.
Until all statutory approvals have been received and the Design Team has submitted its proposals in respect of the PWC changes, it would be premature to consider approval to commence pre-qualification of Contractors.
156. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to exempt primary and post-primary schools from having to pay water charges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32928/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will appreciate that the implementation of the Government decision on water charges for schools is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Housing, Planning Community and Local Government in conjunction with Irish Water.
157. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider increasing the resource hours for children with Down's syndrome and a mild intellectual disability from 2.5 hours per week to five hours per week. [32965/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn March 2015, the then Minister for Education and Skills announced the introduction of an interim measure to give some certainty for children with Down syndrome in relation to their teaching allocations, until a new model for the allocation of resource teachers in mainstream schools is in place.
Provision was made for the NCSE to make additional allocations of 2.5 Resource Teaching hours per week to schools, in respect of any child with Down syndrome, currently not eligible for Low Incidence resource teaching hours.
The allocation of 2.5 hours per child reflects the allocation rates for children in the mild general learning difficulty range, including those with Down syndrome, prior to the introduction of generalised allocations for schools.
This measure was provided in recognition of the fact that children with Down syndrome experience a cluster of difficulties relating to this syndrome, in addition to general learning difficulties, including speech and language developmental delays.
It was intended that this would address a central concern parents had, that children with Down syndrome with a Mild General Learning Difficulty did not have, adequate support or certainty of the support they would receive, under the General Allocation schemes, as schools have many competing demands in this area. It was advised at the time that such provision would continue to remain in place until a new model for allocating resource teaching support was introduced for schools.
The Deputy will be aware that the NCSE recommended the introduction of a new resource allocation model, which it had contended would overcome difficulties potentially affecting all children with mild general learning disabilities, including children with Down syndrome, and which will allow schools to allocate resources to pupils taking account of their individual learning needs, as opposed to being based primarily on a diagnosis of a particular disability.
As part the recent Budget announcements, I announced that following development and piloting over the past number of years, a new model for the allocation of teaching resources for children with special educational needs will be implemented from September 2017. As the new model will be implemented from September 2017, I do not propose to review the existing allocation basis in the interim.
An additional €18 million will be provided in 2017 to provide for around 900 resource teacher posts.
Further details regarding implementation of the new model will be announced in the coming months.
158. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of applications for ACELS recognition that are awaiting a decision; if there is an indicative timeframe for the processing of applications for recognition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32972/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraACELS (the Accreditation and Coordination of English Language Services) is a voluntary national scheme responsible for the recognition and inspection of English language schools. It is administered by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI).
ACELS has been closed for new applications since January 2014, therefore there are no new applications for ACELS recognition awaiting a decision.
ACELS continues to operate on a voluntary, contractual basis for existing providers.
159. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the changes involved in moving from GAM, the general allocation model, to TAM, the teacher allocation model, of resource learning support teaching; when these changes will be implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32973/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has a statutory role under the Education of Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 to provide me with policy advice in relation to matters concerning the education of persons with special educational needs.
The NCSE identified that the current model for allocating resource teachers to schools is potentially inequitable, because access to the range of professional assessments required for the diagnosis of low incident disabilities is not always readily available to those who cannot afford to access them privately. The NCSE has also advised that the current model can lead to unnecessary labelling of children from a young age.
The NCSE has proposed a new resource teaching allocation model which will, when introduced, remove the formal requirement for diagnostic assessment to access additional support and which will provide resources to schools based on school profiles.
A pilot of this new model was conducted in 47 primary and post primary schools over the course of the 2015/16 school year.
A review of this pilot has been completed and a report of the review is currently being finalised.
I understand that the review will indicate that the new model has been positively received by schools and parents.
Schools indicated that they welcomed the increased flexibility and autonomy provided by the model to allocate resources based on need. Most schools believe the model allows more scope for team teaching, targeted interventions, mix of in-class and group work, with less focus on withdrawal and one to one teaching. Schools welcome the move away from the unnecessary labelling of children in order to secure resources. Schools also welcomed that they no longer need to wait for diagnosis and that this facilitates intervention at an earlier stage based on the schools identification of need. In addition schools indicated a belief that they were broadly well supported in meeting the needs of children with Special Educational Needs.
As part the recent Budget announcements, I therefore announced that following development and piloting over the past number of years, a new model for the allocation of teaching resources for children with special educational needs will be implemented from September 2017.
An additional €18 million will be provided in 2017 to provide for around 900 resource teacher posts.
Further details regarding implementation of the new model will be announced in the coming months.
160. Deputy Brendan Ryan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of new building works for a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32994/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe major building project for the school to which the Deputy refers is at an advanced stage of architectural planning, Stage 2(b) - Detailed Design, which includes the applications for Planning Permission, Fire Certificate and Disability Access Certificate and the preparation of Tender Documents. All statutory approvals have been secured and the Design Team have been authorised to complete Stage 2(b).
161. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of apprentices in construction-related trades in 2016; and if he will provide the equivalent figures for each of the past ten years with a breakdown by trade. [33021/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe statistics sought by the Deputy are set out in the following table:
Apprentice Craft Population 2006 - 2016 (October 24th)
|
Apprentice Population |
|||||||||||
|
CRAFT |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 (Oct 24th) |
|
Construction |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Brick & Stonelaying |
1,865 |
1,635 |
1,062 |
534 |
202 |
147 |
85 |
54 |
53 |
54 |
85 |
|
Cabinetmaking |
668 |
671 |
495 |
275 |
150 |
101 |
35 |
10 |
4 |
5 |
3 |
|
Carpentry & Joinery |
6,967 |
6,815 |
5,036 |
2,925 |
1,745 |
1,169 |
716 |
406 |
471 |
657 |
826 |
|
Floor & Wall Tiling |
114 |
125 |
91 |
41 |
21 |
15 |
7 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
|
|
Painting & Decorating |
481 |
440 |
345 |
202 |
101 |
89 |
69 |
37 |
33 |
40 |
44 |
|
Pipefitting |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
34 |
60 |
|
Plastering |
948 |
874 |
633 |
340 |
175 |
116 |
63 |
40 |
28 |
34 |
35 |
|
Plumbing |
4,730 |
4,842 |
3,679 |
2,237 |
1,396 |
1,098 |
688 |
604 |
779 |
798 |
986 |
|
Stonecutting and Stonemasonry |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
16 |
28 |
26 |
|
Wood Machining |
60 |
50 |
30 |
17 |
5 |
4 |
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
Wood Manufacturing |
- |
- |
- |
- |
13 |
23 |
29 |
42 |
51 |
84 |
120 |
|
Sub Total |
15,833 |
15,452 |
11,371 |
6,571 |
3,808 |
2,762 |
1,694 |
1,197 |
1,437 |
1,735 |
2,185 |
162. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Education and Skills the changes he will make to the RACE scheme, following significant criticism of the current operation of the scheme by the Ombudsman for Children and the way it applied to students with learning difficulties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33026/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. The Commission in this regard operates a scheme of Reasonable Accommodations in the Certificate Examinations.
In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.
163. Deputy Noel Rock asked the Minister for Education and Skills if provisions will be put in place to help junior and leaving certificate students catch up on classes that will be lost due to the ongoing teachers' strike. [33053/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am disappointed at the decision of the ASTI to take industrial action and the major disruption caused last Thursday to over 250,000 students and their parents and potential further disruption from Monday onwards. Talks between ASTI and my Department are continuing this week. I have continually stated that dialogue between my Department and ASTI is in the best interests of schools, parents, students and teachers. I hope that parties can re-engage urgently with a view to working towards a resolution in order to avoid further disruption from Monday onwards. This is an unnecessary dispute in my view as the issues in the dispute have been dealt with in deals with other unions.
It is important to note that ASTI currently have four separate disputes with the Department. Within these particular issues there are two separate industrial actions on two separate issues causing the current stoppages in the ASTI dispute:
Firstly, the series of one-day strikes by ASTI members on the issue of new entrant pay – starting last Thursday 27 October and continuing on six additional days from Tuesday 8 November.
Secondly, the withdrawal from supervision and substitution duties (i.e. substituting for absent colleagues and supervising yards/communal areas etc. before and after school and at break times) on an indefinite basis starting from Monday 7 November. Since the Haddington Road Agreement, these duties are a core part of teachers’ duties, as set out in a Department circular at that time.
In relation to new entrant teachers - there is a deal on offer to ASTI which would see pay increases of 15% and 22% for new entrant teachers. The recent agreement reached with TUI and INTO in effect reverses the decision to withdraw qualification allowances from post-1 February 2012 entrant teachers.
When other Lansdowne Road increases are also factored in, there will be a 15% increase in the starting pay of new entrant teachers between 31 August 2016 and 1 January 2018 (from €31,009 to €35,602). For an individual TUI/INTO member who started teaching in September 2015, they will see a 22% increase in their pay (including increment) between 31 August 2016 and 1 January 2018 (from €31,009 to €37,723).
In relation to the withdrawal from supervision and substitution - there is also a deal on the table which would see payments for supervision and substitution restored, as well as a whole series of other benefits.
I have offered on several occasions to suspend the implementation of measures associated with ASTI's repudiation of the Lansdowne Road Agreement, if the union suspend their directive to withdraw from the Croke Park hours. This would provide a more constructive context for talks to take place. It would also mean that thousands of ASTI teachers would receive the payment for supervision and substitution as well as other benefits and protections, under the Lansdowne Road Agreement, including:
- Avoiding a 2 year increment freeze;
- Addition of the S&S allowance of €1,592 into the teacher pay scale;
- The Ward Report measures and a revised sequence for filling posts which enable fixed-term and part-time teachers to gain permanent, full-time jobs more easily and quickly than before;
- Continued alleviation of the FEMPI Act pay reductions;
- An increase in the quantum of the Croke Park hours that can be worked on other than a whole-school basis;
- A review of the usage of the Croke Park hours; and
- Protection against compulsory redundancy.
Unfortunately, ASTI have refused this offer thus far, but it remains open to them.
The Croke Park hours are at the heart of this dispute – less than an hour a week, agreed in previous public service pay deals, to allow schools host planning meetings and parent teacher meetings outside of school time. Similar hours are worked across the public service. In fact, most public servants agreed to work 100 extra hours per year, compared to the 33 per year for teachers.
In respect of the withdrawal from S&S from 7 November, this obviously poses a serious health and safety concern. In those circumstances, there is an obligation on the Department to do everything possible to put in place alternative arrangements for supervision and substitution so as to keep the maximum possible number of schools open. However, given ASTI’s refusal to allow their principals cooperate with contingency arrangements, and given their failure to agree to the Department’s request to give adequate notice of industrial action to allow external supervisors be recruited, ASTI’s actions will lead to widespread closures from Monday onwards.
164. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills when funding will be provided to a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33054/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is in receipt of an application for additional accommodation from the school referred to by the Deputy. The application concerned will be assessed and a decision will be conveyed to the school authority as soon as the assessment process has been completed.
165. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his plans to exempt primary and post-primary schools from having to pay water charges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32929/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraWith effect from 1 January 2014, Irish Water is responsible for public water services. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides that Irish Water shall collect charges from its customers in receipt of water services provided by it. The Act also provides that responsibility for the independent economic regulation of the water sector is assigned to the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) and the CER has been given statutory responsibility for protecting the interests of customers.
The Water Services Act 2016 suspends domestic water charges for a period of 9 months, to allow for an extensive deliberative process on the future funding of public domestic water services and make recommendations thereon. These will be considered by an Oireachtas committee and, ultimately, the Oireachtas will then determine the enduring funding model for domestic public water services into the future.
From 2001, national water pricing policy required local authorities to recover the costs of providing water services from all non-domestic users of these services. This policy provided for charges based on actual metered consumption and is consistent with the requirements of the Water Framework Directive. Any non-domestic customers, including schools, connected to a public water supply are liable for charges. It should be noted that the existing tariffs for all non-domestic customers are remaining in place with no changes for the time being.
The CER is progressing a review of all aspects of non-domestic water tariffs and in conjunction with Irish Water will establish an enduring non-domestic tariff framework. The CER has recently published an information note informing customers and interested parties about the project and will shortly engage in a period of public consultation on the enduring tariff framework for non-domestic water and-or wastewater customers of Irish Water.
166. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if any exception or allowance is being made to the rules governing the spreading of slurry where flooding situations have arisen and where factors are outside the farmer's control; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33025/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe European Union (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations 2014, as amended, give legal effect in Ireland to the Nitrates Directive and to our Nitrates Action Programme (NAP). The Directive requires all member states to define set periods when the land application of fertiliser, including slurry, is not allowed and in Ireland the closed season commenced on 15 October.
The closed periods in Ireland were decided following extensive consultation and were discussed with farming bodies and the European Commission when Ireland’s Nitrates Action Programme was introduced. The provisions of the Regulations are underpinned by scientific research and good agricultural practice. The most recent scientific studies carried out on a diverse range of farm and soil types as part of Teagasc’s on-going Agricultural Catchments Programme has provided further evidence in support of the efficacy of the prohibited spreading periods in reducing nutrient losses to waters.
Ireland faces considerable challenges in meeting the requirements of the Water Framework Directive to bring all waters back to good status at least. Taking those challenges and the evidence in support of the benefit of closed periods into consideration, I am not proposing any blanket variation at the present time to the terms of the NAP.
However, my Department and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine have been closely monitoring the situation and where there is a risk to animal welfare due to circumstances outside the farmer's control, farmers have been advised to contact the Nitrates Section of the Department of Agriculture at (053) 9163444 or by email to nitrates@agriculture.gov.ie with details of the flooding situation, their herd number and other relevant data. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine will follow up directly with farmers who have been in touch with the Nitrates Section to advise them of the appropriate action to take in each individual case.
167. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the progress made in the programme for Government on housing. [33056/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraProviding affordable, quality and accessible housing for people is a top priority for the Government, as outlined in the Programme for a Partnership Government. In order to effectively deal with housing and homelessness, the Programme included two key initial actions; firstly, a new Cabinet Minister for Housing would be appointed and, secondly, that Minister would prepare an action plan for housing.
Following my appointment as Minister, and building on the excellent work of the Special Oireachtas Committee on Housing and Homelessness, as well as drawing from an extensive stakeholder engagement process, including a number of large stakeholder consultation events around the country, Rebuilding Ireland: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness was published on 19 July 2016.
Given the inter-connectedness of the issues impacting on housing and homelessness and the cross cutting nature of these issues it was important that Rebuilding Ireland dealt with all areas of the housing system. Therefore, Rebuilding Ireland is based across the five key pillars of Addressing Homelessness; Accelerating Social Housing; Building More Homes; Improving the Rental Sector; and Utilising Existing Housing. The Plan includes over 80 practical and time-based actions structured around these five key Pillars and is available to view and download at www.rebuildingireland.ie.
Once the Plan was published, the focus quickly switched to active implementation of the Plan which is overseen by the Cabinet Committee on Housing, chaired by An Taoiseach. The Cabinet Committee reviews progress on delivery across the range of actions to be delivered by various Departments and Agencies.
Rebuilding Ireland contains a clear commitment to reporting regular progress, through both a monthly housing activity report and a quarterly overall progress report. The First Quarterly Progress Report will be published shortly and will be available to view and download at www.rebuildingireland.ie.
168. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the progress made to deliver the Gaoth Dobhair sewerage scheme; the details of the latest correspondence exchanged between his Department and the European Commission concerning the infringement case to which the scheme relates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32535/16]
Amharc ar fhreagra179. Deputy Pat The Cope Gallagher asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will provide a progress report on Gweedore sewerage scheme; the status and timeframe moving forward for its delivery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32758/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 168 and 179 together.
The Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) requires that all agglomerations greater than 2,000 population equivalent are provided with collecting systems for urban waste water and that collected waste water receives the appropriate level of treatment before discharge.
The Directive also provides that where the establishment of a collecting system is not justified either because it would provide no environmental benefit or because it would involve disproportionate cost, individual appropriate systems (e.g. septic tanks) which achieve the same level of environmental protection can be used.
The European Commission has queried the provision of a collecting system for Gaoth Dobhair as part of a wider infringement procedure concerning implementation of Directive 91/271/EEC on urban waste water. In January 2016, my Department, assisted by Irish Water, and in consultation with the Environmental Protection Agency, responded to the Commission in relation to this infringement procedure. The response pointed to consideration of possible options being reviewed by Irish Water in relation to Gaoth Dobhair. In September 2016, a reasoned opinion on this infringement issued from the European Commission. My Department, with the support of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Irish Water, is currently preparing a response to this reasoned opinion. The response will include an update on the position in relation to Gaoth Dobhair.
Since 1 January 2014 Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels, including the management of urban waste water collection and treatment infrastructure. Irish Water has set out in its Water Services Strategic Plan its approach and strategies for the delivery of these services in a manner that will protect the environment and provide wastewater services in an efficient and economic manner. Irish Water has established a dedicated team to deal with representations and queries from public representatives. The team can be contacted via email to oireachtasmembers@water.ie or by telephone on a dedicated number, 1890 578 578.
169. Deputy Colm Brophy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the status of the implementation of reforms to the fire service in line with "Keeping Communities Safe". [32559/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe provision of Fire Services in Ireland is supported by the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management in my Department, which also develops standards and oversees the delivery of quality services by the Fire Authorities. In February 2013, the National Directorate published the Keeping Communities Safe (KCS) policy document which is the blueprint for the direction of fire safety and fire services, aimed at delivering consistent, effective and quality fire services in Ireland. KCS aims to continue to reduce the risk from fires in our communities and to prioritise the safety of fire personnel in their work.
On 17 December 2015, a new national agreement was signed between fire service management and staff representatives on further implementation of KCS. The agreement provided for the replacement of the Consultative Committee element of the National Directorate’s original structure. A new Fire Services National Oversight and Implementation Group (FSNOIG) structure, comprised of employers’ and employees’ representatives, has been established and brought into operation in 2016.
Earlier this year, my Department published a report titled Fire Services in Ireland Local Delivery – National Consistency. This is the first report of a new external validation process on fire risk management in Ireland arising from implementation of KCS. The report examines and reports conclusions on the four specific areas of enquiry - Area Risk Categorisation; Fire Safety; Fire Service Operations and Major Emergency Management; and Health and Safety Management. The report concludes with an overview of themes and issues before making some recommendations for future directions. Among the main conclusions of this report are:
- Ireland is in the league of safest countries in respect of fatalities caused by fire, with a three year average rate of 6.4 fire deaths per million of population in the years under consideration. There is, however, no room for complacency on this aspect, as each death is one too many and there are indications of a reversal of the downward trend;
- Fire Services are applying and refining internationally-recognised risk management approaches to reduce the fire risk and the annual toll of life and property loss caused by fire. Local authorities are matching the assessed fire risk in their individual fire station areas with services based on both full-time and retained fire service models, with a comprehensive support infrastructure, and applying a range of appropriate fire prevention and fire protection approaches;
- Local authorities have benchmarked their fire services against national standards and national norms and a strong degree of consistency, linked to area risk categorisation, now exists in fire service provision; all local authorities are using, or are working towards, national norms as minimum standards;
- Local authority and fire service management are highly cognisant of their statutory responsibilities to ensure the safety, health and welfare of their staff. They are working to appropriate national guidance, as well as internationally accepted norms, to achieve necessary cultural change. Local authority fire services have been recognised as leaders of best practice in safety management by independent assessors;
- Ireland’s fire services are in a transition process from what might be characterised as a self-contained, individual focus to a position where collaboration with each other and partnerships with other branches of local government and other statutory and voluntary sectors are seen as key to achieving the objective of safe communities. Although services are at different stages along the road to transition, and further improvement is required in a number of identified areas, the public are served well by the evolved arrangements and can retain confidence in the integrity and professionalism of those with responsibility for managing and delivering fire safety and fire services in Ireland.
170. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the reason a person who is taxing a van first registered in 2009 as a private vehicle is required to tax it based on its engine capacity rather than its CO2 emissions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32526/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraMotor tax based on carbon emissions was introduced by the Motor Vehicle (Duties and Licences) Act 2008. The legislative provisions apply to Revenue Category A/EU Category M1 vehicles only i.e. passenger cars.
Commercial vehicles, depending on their size, are Revenue Categories B or C and EU Categories N1, N2 or N3 and, if being used in a private capacity, must be taxed on the basis of engine capacity.
171. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the details of the buy-and-renewal scheme; the way it can be accessed; when it will be rolled out in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32565/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe initiative to support the purchase and renewal of private houses for social housing use will be available in all local authority areas, including Dún Laoghaire Rathdown, from 2017. I will be making an initial €25 million available for this initiative in 2017 and propose to increase this to as much as €50 million in 2018. I expect this investment to deliver between 400 and 500 renewed houses for social housing use. The full details of this initiative are being finalised and will be communicated to all local authorities in due course. The initiative will present opportunities for local authorities and approved housing bodies to tackle dereliction in towns and urban areas, but prospective housing units will always need to be suitable for social housing use, in an area of need and to represent reasonable value for money.
172. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his plans to extend the pilot schemes of funding for CCTV cameras for community alert schemes. [32618/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraA rural CCTV initiative was announced by the then Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government in September 2015. This was, however, a small pilot scheme only, with a limited overall budget. This scheme came to an end earlier this year with no provision for further funding.
I understand that the Minister for Justice and Equality is currently developing proposals to give effect to the Programme for a Partnership Government commitment to provide investment in CCTV systems. This process has been informed by learnings from the pilot initiative managed by my Department.
173. Deputy Pat The Cope Gallagher asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will consider introducing a provision for early voting in future general elections and referenda in line with many other European countries; if provision will be made for those persons on holidays, those on pilgrimage or absent due to work commitments; his views on whether the present system of postal voting is out of date for a modern country and on the many alternatives which are working effectively elsewhere which still protect the integrity of the ballot and democratic process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32642/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraElectoral law provides that a person who is entitled to vote at an election or referendum shall vote in person at a polling station allotted to him or her unless they are included in the postal voters list or in the special voters list for the constituency concerned.
Postal voting is provided for in electoral law in respect of certain categories of person who are entered in the register of electors including electors whose occupation, service or employment makes it likely that they will be unable to vote in person at their local polling station on polling day.
While electoral law is subject to ongoing review, I have no proposals at present to extend existing arrangements for postal voting or to introduce an early or advance voting system. In 2014, in responding to the recommendation in the Fourth Report of the Convention on the Constitution that there should be greater access to postal voting, the Government proposed that an Electoral Commission be tasked in due course with considering the issue and advising in detail on the electoral and operational implications, including costs, of implementing change in this area.
A Programme for a Partnership Government includes a commitment to establish an Electoral Commission. I am not in a position at this point to indicate a definitive timeline for the establishment of an Electoral Commission, which will bring a fundamentally changed approach to the management and administration of elections. The necessary detailed consideration and analysis is being undertaken in my Department towards the preparation of an Electoral Commission Bill.
