Written Answers Nos. 221 - 231
221. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 255 of 15 February 2017, if he will ensure that the green cert courses will continue past the 2017-2019 timeframe he has outlined; if he will provide a list of locations in which green cert courses will be delivered in 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8941/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Green Cert is the core education programme delivered by Teagasc education staff and will continue to be offered on an annual basis as heretofore. The scheduling of Green Cert courses is an operational matter for Teagasc. I understand that Teagasc is currently making arrangements to schedule courses for the current academic year. As the list of locations is not currently finalised, Teagasc will forward it to the Deputy as soon as it is available.
222. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if legislation is being brought forward to ban the use of wild animals in circuses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9068/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe conditions under which circus animals are kept and managed come under the scope of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, which contains rules relating to the welfare of all animals and requires a person having an animal under his or her control to safeguard and not endanger the health and welfare of the animal.
My Department continues to engage with stakeholders, including circus groups and animal welfare organisations, in relation to the welfare of wild animals in circuses. According to the information currently available to my Department, there are in fact very few wild animals currently performing in Irish circuses. I have no plans at this juncture to ban the use of wild animals in circuses.
223. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will make direct contact with Bord na gCon with a view to requesting it to reconsider its decision to dispose of Harold's Cross Stadium and to establish a mediation process involving it and the relevant stakeholders and with a view towards achieving an outcome that would meet the objectives of all parties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9084/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraBord na gCon has statutory responsibility for the development of the greyhound racing industry. In that context, it runs commercial operations in a number of greyhound stadia, including Harold's Cross.
In 2014, against the background of reducing income for the organisation through the recession, and a significant debt burden, my department commissioned an independent report into certain matters relating to Bord na gCon, including its financial performance and prospects. That report provided a road map for the sustainable development of the greyhound sector, and in that context recommended a number of asset disposals, including Harold's Cross, in order to reduce that debt burden.
I understand that Bord na gCon, in view of its substantial debt burden, having considered the matter and having regard to the recommendations in the Indecon Report, has decided to cease racing at Harold's Cross and initiate the sale of the stadium in order to reduce its debt levels and increase its capacity to provide support and assistance to the industry.
While this is very regrettable, its view is that there is no other option if the burden of debt on the organisation is to be reduced in any meaningful way. I understand that its intention is to transfer the Harold's Cross racing schedule to Shelbourne Park, a few kilometres away, and that all 12 staff at Harold's Cross will be offered redeployment.
224. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if each Minister of State in his Department has appointed a programme manager or adviser; the date of such appointment; and the remuneration and expenses allowance for each. [9528/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Minister of State in my Department has not appointed a programme manager or advisor.
225. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of the renewable heat incentive, RHI, grant and other relevant measures to support the sector; if purchases of a biomass boiler from January 2017 onwards will be included in the RHI grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8838/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe introduction of a Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) is a commitment in the programme for Government and will be the primary support mechanism in the heating sector designed to meet Ireland’s renewable energy obligations. The aim of the RHI is to build on the progress already made in the renewable heating sector and to help reach Ireland’s 12% target by 2020. In 2015, 6.5% of heat was derived from renewable sources in Ireland. During 2016, my Department undertook a detailed economic assessment on the design and cost of the RHI for the industrial/commercial sector. This assessment included a range of renewable energy technologies including biomass and focused on the approximately 3,000 large commercial and industrial heat users in the non-Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) in Ireland. The focus on the larger heat users was underpinned by analysis completed in 2014 which indicated that it would not be cost effective, at this stage, to include the domestic heating sector in the RHI. This is due to a number of factors including the much higher support tariff per kilowatt hour of energy that would be required to incentivise households to change heating systems, as well as the significantly greater costs associated with administering the scheme for a large number of households in what is an unregulated sector.
In order to support on-going investment in renewable heat installations, the Department will seek clearance from the European Commission that RHI support can apply to RHI applicants, who meet the criteria of the scheme, and were completed and first commissioned between the Government announcement on the RHI in 2014 and the start date of the RHI. A final decision on whether this will be facilitated is a matter for the European Commission to decide and will be formally announced at the time the scheme is cleared by the European Commission.
I announced the final public consultation on the design and implementation of the new RHI scheme on 26 January, 2017 which is available on www.dccae.gov.ie. I encourage all interested parties to submit a response to this consultation. The information provided will help inform the final design of the new scheme. The current consultation will close on 3 March, 2017.
Before any RHI scheme is introduced, the overall costs and technologies to be supported will be subject to Government approval and State aid clearance from the European Commission. It is expected that a new scheme will become available at the end of 2017.
226. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when he proposes to commission an independent report incorporating international industry expertise on the proposed North-South interconnector as outlined in the Private Members' motion passed in Dáil Éireann on 16 February 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8886/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra227. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his proposed actions following the recent motion on the North-South interconnector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9009/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 226 and 227 together.
On 21 December 2016 An Bord Pleanála granted planning permission for the North-South Interconnector project in Ireland. The decision concluded a lengthy planning process which included an Oral Hearing completed over eleven weeks from March to May last year. The planning process in Northern Ireland is currently underway, with a planning inquiry commencing today (22 February).
The Private Members Motion included a call on the Government to commission an independent report, incorporating international industry expertise to examine the technical feasibility and cost of undergrounding the interconnector and a number of other related issues. The Dáil Motion is now being examined by my Department in order to understand how best to address the issues raised.
As outlined in my speech during the debate on the motion, all evidence available to me indicates that developing the project underground would cost substantially more and deliver less. I would highlight in particular the International Expert Commission Report in 2012 which found the construction of an underground option to be approximately three times the cost of the overhead option.
228. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment further to Parliamentary Question No. 581 of 24 January 2017, if he will provide details of the basis on which decisions on funding allocations were made for the first instalment of the digital skills for citizens scheme for 2017; and the criteria which applied. [9078/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraA total of 29 applications were received in response to the recent competitive call for proposals from community, voluntary and not-for-profit organisations under my Department’s Digital Skills for Citizens Grant Scheme. Of these, 22 applications were eligible to be evaluated in accordance with section 4 of the scheme’s Statement of Requirements which outlines the qualification and award criteria to be used in the selection process.
Following the evaluation process carried out by my officials, 15 organisations were offered grant funding. It was necessary for my Department to vary original proposals with a view to managing commitments within the budgetary allocation of some €2.2m in respect of the scheme’s operation in the period 2016/2017, while ensuring a geographic spread of digital skills training across all Counties in the country.
Successful organisations signed a Grant Agreement with my Department which details the governance, financial and monitoring arrangements relating to the oversight of the delivery of specified training commitments under the scheme.
Grant funding is advanced to grantees in three instalments, each of which is linked to the delivery of training to a specified number of citizens, in line with the terms of their respective Grant Agreement. Funding is paid to grantees as follows:
- First instalment - 30% of overall grant awarded, subject to a maximum payment of €60,000
- Second and third instalments – the balance of the grant to be paid in two equal portions, subject to the successful delivery of the training obligations relating to the preceding drawdown.
The Grant Agreement also provides for the repayment of funding to the Department in the event of underperformance by any organisation. Details of the total amount of grant funding awarded, together with details of the first instalment and respective training targets, are provided in the following table.
|
Grantees – Digital Skills for Citizen Scheme |
Total Grant Awarded 2016/2017 |
Total number of non-liners to be trained |
First Grant Instalment Paid 2016 |
Training commitments linked to first instalment |
|
Age Action Ireland Ltd |
€221,490 |
2,461 |
€59,490 |
661 |
|
Ballyhoura Development Company Ltd |
€90,000 |
1,000 |
€27,000 |
300 |
|
County Sligo Leader Partnership Company Ltd |
€92,000 |
1,000 |
€27,600 |
300 |
|
ECDL Ireland Ltd |
€90,000 |
1,000 |
€27,000 |
300 |
|
Family Carers Ireland Ltd |
€92,000 |
1,000 |
€27,600 |
300 |
|
Fast Track INTO Information Technology Ltd (FIT) |
€320,000 |
4,000 |
€56,000 |
700 |
|
IE Domain Registry Ltd |
€100,000 |
1,000 |
€30,000 |
300 |
|
Irish Rural Link Co-Operative Society Ltd |
€105,599 |
1,300 |
€31,680 |
390 |
|
Meath Community Rural & Social Development Partnership Ltd |
€85,000 |
1,000 |
€25,500 |
300 |
|
(NCBI) National Council for the Blind Group |
€100,000 |
1,000 |
€30,000 |
300 |
|
Roscommon Integrated Development Company Ltd |
€595,000 |
7,000 |
€59,500 |
700 |
|
South East Community Training & Education Centre Ltd |
€85,000 |
1,000 |
€25,500 |
300 |
|
St Catherine’s Community Services Centre Ltd |
€85,000 |
1,000 |
€25,500 |
300 |
|
The Cork Academy of Music Ltd |
€80,000 |
1,000 |
€24,000 |
300 |
|
Third Age Foundation Co. Ltd |
€80,000 |
1,000 |
€24,000 |
300 |
229. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if each Minister of State in his Department has appointed a programme manager or adviser; the date of such appointment; and the remuneration and expenses allowance for each. [9530/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe office of Seán Kyne TD, Minister of State for Gaeltacht Affairs and Natural Resources is managed and staffed by the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. I understand that Department will respond to the Deputy in respect of Minister of State Kyne.
230. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to any legislative or administrative change that would oblige taxi drivers to produce a copy of the first PSV licence they held in order to renew their insurance as a PSV driver; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8888/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI understand that the Deputy is inquiring as to whether I have enacted any new legislation regarding the renewal of small public service vehicle (SPSV) motor insurance. I have not enacted any such legislation and wish to advise the Deputy that my responsibilities, as Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, with respect to motor insurance, are limited to the requirement under the Road Traffic Acts relating to compulsory insurance for drivers of mechanically propelled vehicles and for the Agreement with the Motor Insurers' Bureau of Ireland regarding uninsured driving.
More generally, I am acutely aware that the rising costs of motor insurance for drivers generally are also affecting the taxi industry. These difficulties being experienced by taxi and hackney operators were highlighted by my Department and the National Transport Authority to the Working Group established last year, by the Minister for Finance, to review the factors which are influencing the increase in cost of motor insurance.
The Report of the Working Group, published on 10 January 2017, states that while neither the Minister for Finance nor the Central Bank of Ireland can direct insurance companies as to how they price their products, the Working Group believes that the implementation of the Report's 33 recommendations and 71 associated actions will lead to greater stability in the pricing of motor insurance and will help prevent the volatility that we have seen in the market in the past (both up and down) and should also better facilitate potential new entrants to the market.
My Department, together with the appropriate bodies, will work towards implementing the recommendations in the Report that are relevant to the taxi industry within the required timelines.
231. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding total revenue and passenger numbers for private bus operators; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8895/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Transport Authority (NTA) is responsible for the licensing of Public Bus Passenger Services under the provisions of the Public Transport Regulation Act 2009.
I have referred the Deputy's question to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.
The referred reply under Standing Order 42A was forwarded to the Deputy.
