Written Answers Nos. 170-187
170. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the correct level of jobseeker's allowance payable in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12707/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs per response to PQ Ref: 7981-17, the person concerned is in receipt of a jobseeker’s allowance payment which comprises a full personal rate, an increase in respect of a qualified adult and 3 dependent children who qualify for a payment under the provisions of the scheme. Additionally the person concerned is in receipt of a fuel allowance.
According to the information available to the Department, the person concerned has 5 children of which 3 are dependant. This is the correct level of payment for a person in these circumstances.
It is open to the person concerned to contact his branch office in Maynooth if their circumstances have changed.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
171. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection when payment of disability allowance will be restored in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12709/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm that my department received an application for disability allowance from this gentleman on 16 January 2017.
On 7 March 2017 the person concerned was requested to supply supporting documentation required by the deciding officer in order to make a decision on his eligibility. On receipt of this information a decision will be made and the person concerned will be notified of the outcome.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
172. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection when restoration of payment of a jobseeker's allowance will be made in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12712/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs per response to PQ Refs: 8896-17 & 5148-17, the person concerned has submitted an application for jobseeker’s benefit. Specific documentation was requested in order to assess entitlement to this benefit. This documentation is still outstanding and the application cannot be progressed. Upon receipt of the requested documentation/information a decision will be made and the person concerned informed of the outcome of his application.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
173. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of freedom of information requests received by his Department that the Chief State Solicitor's office has incurred expenses on dealing with for each of the past three years and to date in 2017; and the amount of fees for counsel and other legal costs incurred respectively, for each of the past three years and to date in 2017. [12781/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraGiven the size of the Department of Social Protection, we receive a large number of FOI requests with some 6,438 requests received over the 3 years from 2014 to 2016. We therefore have a large number of FOI Officers processing requests throughout the organisation. The information requested by the Deputy is not routinely collected and cannot be compiled in the time available to reply to this parliamentary question. I will contact the Deputy with the information as soon as possible.
The deferred reply under Standing Order 42A was forwarded to the Deputy.
174. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans to urge the Egyptian Government to release a person (details supplied) on humanitarian grounds. [12457/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis consular case remains a top priority for the Government. The Taoiseach has been in regular contact directly and personally with the Egyptian President about this case. As Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, I am continuing to devote very considerable time and effort to this case. I travelled to Cairo to raise the case with the Egyptian authorities at the highest levels. I have raised the case with my Egyptian counterpart on many occasions, in meetings, on the phone and in writing. My most recent meeting with Foreign Minister Shoukry took place on 6 March and I again raised this case in the most forceful terms. This was my second meeting with Minister Shoukry to discuss this case in six weeks. I also raise the case regularly with the Egyptian Ambassador in Dublin and did so again most recently in late February following reports of the citizen’s move to the hospital wing of the prison at Torah. A team of officials from our Embassy in Cairo visited this citizen on March 1st and discussed his situation with him at first hand during a visit which lasted 40 minutes.
In all of our dealings with the Egyptian authorities we have called on them to return this citizen to Ireland. In doing so, we have stressed the humanitarian aspects of this case, including this citizen’s young age, the isolation of his situation, his separation from friends and family, the very long time that he has been detained without having been convicted of any wrongdoing, and the concerns about his health.
The clear and consistent response from the Egyptian authorities has been that they must respect the separation of powers, that the Egyptian Government cannot intervene in a matter that is before the courts, and that the Egyptian President will only consider using his discretionary powers to return this citizen to Ireland after the trial process has ended.
I and my colleagues in Government will continue to work day-in and day-out on this citizen’s behalf, and will continue to engage with the Egyptian authorities to seek to ensure his early return to his home and his family in Ireland.
175. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if the particular challenges arising for all of Ireland following Brexit will be part of the discussions with the Northern Ireland Secretary of State and with the political parties represented in the assembly following the recent elections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12611/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra180. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the outcome of discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland following the recent assembly elections in relation to the need to have the assembly and Executive re-established without delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12618/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra181. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the outcome of discussions he has had with each of the party leaders represented in the Northern Ireland Assembly in relation to the need to have the assembly and Executive re-established without delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12619/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra182. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if in his discussions with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and with the leaders of the parties represented in the assembly, he has outlined in detail the need to implement in full the Good Friday Agreement and successor agreements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12620/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 175 and 180 to 182, inclusive, together.
Following the outcome of the Northern Ireland Assembly election the Taoiseach spoke with Prime Minister May on 5 March and I spoke with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. I also had discussions with a number of the main party leaders in Northern Ireland.
Both Governments are agreed on the need for intensive engagement to address outstanding issues including; the implementation of past agreements and addressing the legacy of the past, and to ensure the early establishment of an Executive which can operate effectively and deliver for all of the people of Northern Ireland in a spirit of partnership and mutual respect. Dealing with outstanding issues from previous agreements is a necessary and important part of creating confidence at this critical moment for devolution in Northern Ireland.
As co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement, both Governments have a role to play in supporting the effective operation of the devolved institutions, and in upholding both the letter and the spirit of the Agreement as a whole, in the interests of all in Northern Ireland. All parties eligible to nominate Ministers to the Executive have been invited to participate in the discussions relating to outstanding issues which, in accordance with previous agreements, are being facilitated by the two Governments.
There is a short three week window for the formation of a new Executive. The political parties have each received fresh mandates. Particular responsibilities attach to the two parties who are entitled to nominate a First Minister and deputy First Minister to engage with each other, and to advance discussions with all eligible political parties, on the formation of a new Executive.
Discussions commenced this week in Belfast. I met yesterday with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and a number of the parties, and I am continuing this engagement today. In our first round of discussions with the parties, both I and the Secretary of State have emphasised to the party leaders the significance of the electoral mandate they have each received and discussed with them the role that each party might play in creating the conditions that allow for the formation of a new power-sharing Assembly and Executive. We have also discussed with the parties the ways forward on the full implementation of past agreements and addressing the legacy of the past.
The heart of the Good Friday Agreement is its interlocking political institutions. However, they can only be sustained on the basis of partnership, equality and mutual respect. As a co-guarantor, the Irish Government is determined to uphold the principles of the Agreement and to protect its institutions. These institutions, including the Assembly and the Executive, are indispensable for addressing the needs and concerns of people in Northern Ireland, including peace, prosperity, reconciliation and indeed the considerable challenges posed by the upcoming Brexit negotiations.
In this regard, I hope that the new Northern Ireland Executive will be in place as soon as possible. The interests of the island as a whole and protecting the gains of the peace process will remain a priority for the Government in the upcoming Brexit negotiations. It will remain part of our ongoing engagement with the Northern Ireland parties. The Government’s All-Island Civic Dialogue is also a central strand of our approach to preparing for and managing Brexit. The Government will continue to be proactive in seeking input on Northern Ireland’s interests, as we prepare for the Brexit negotiations.
In the coming weeks I will continue, in cooperation with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, to engage intensively with the political parties to see the power-sharing Assembly and Executive restored to effective and harmonious operation.
176. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if the particular challenges facing business and enterprise in the Border region, which are heavily or totally dependent on exports to the sterling area, will be considered in the context of the all-island civic dialogue on Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12614/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe inaugural plenary meeting of the All-Island Civic Dialogue took place on 2 November 2016. As a direct follow-up to this, to reflect on the main issues raised, the Government organised a series of fourteen sector-specific events which have been hosted by Ministers in a range of locations across the country. A number of those events were held in border areas. The second plenary meeting of the All-Island Civic Dialogue, which took place on 17 February 2017, brought together the work from the sectoral dialogue meetings and discussed further the preparations for Ireland’s response to Brexit. A report bringing together the key themes of the sectoral dialogues, along with more information about the individual events and the two plenary sessions, is available on merrionstreet.ie and may be of interest to the Deputy.
The Civic Dialogue has proven useful for informing preparations for negotiations and outputs from all sixteen Dialogue events so far have been fed directly to the Cabinet Committee on Brexit, chaired by Taoiseach. The meetings have been valuable opportunities for Ministers to engage directly with stakeholders on the implications of the Brexit process for their sector. Over 1100 industry and civic society representatives have participated in the meetings and many compelling and constructive discussions have been held around the implications for the border regions. The Civic Dialogue will continue to inform the process ahead and the Government is considering the best way through which to continue the discussions. The response to Brexit requires a cross-Government response. This is coordinated across Government, being led by the Department of An Taoiseach in close partnership with my own Department. Within this framework, each individual Government Department is taking forward preparations for negotiations in the specific areas under their remit.
In particular, I am informed by my colleague, the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation that, in order to help address the specific issue raised by the Deputy, additional resources have been provided to InterTrade Ireland, the Cross Border Body which has responsibility for developing Cross Border Trade, in order to enable that Body to provide additional services and support to such companies.
The Government is very conscious of the specific challenges facing businesses in the border region who export to Northern Ireland, and will continue to respond to them in any way we can.
177. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the issues discussed at the recent Foreign Affairs Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12615/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI attended the recent Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) meeting in Brussels on the 6th March where the Implementation of the EU Global Strategy, the Western Balkans, Egypt, the Middle East Peace Process, migration, and the Democratic Republic of Congo were on the agenda. EU Foreign Ministers met in joint session with our defence colleagues to discuss progress since the December European Council on implementation of the security and defence elements of the EU Global Strategy. I was pleased to be joined by Minister Paul Kehoe for this discussion. In particular, we discussed how to step up the Union’s efforts to counter instability in the European Neighbourhood and beyond. The Global Strategy envisages a comprehensive approach using political, diplomatic, economic development cooperation, governance capacity building and peace support instruments in a coherent way. Improving the EU’s capacity, through the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), to contribute to international peace and security, particularly in support of the UN, is an important part of that work. High Representative Mogherini briefed the Council on her recent trip to the Western Balkans. Ministers reaffirmed the need for continued EU engagement with the region. There are worrying signs of instability in a number of these countries and the EU has a lead responsibility to assist these countries on their path to peace and stability.
My EU counterparts and I had an informal discussion on Egypt with the Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry. Following that discussion, I had a bilateral meeting with Minister Shoukry where I conveyed directly my concerns about Irish citizen, Ibrahim Halawa. In particular, I emphasised my concern for Ibrahim’s health and welfare during his incarceration and the strong desire of the Irish government and the Irish Parliament to see Ibrahim returned to Ireland.
EU Foreign Ministers had a general exchange of views on the Middle East Peace Process, in particular in light of a number of recent developments - settlement expansion, the recent Legalisation Act; and other issues.
The Council also adopted conclusions on the Democratic Republic of Congo, and had a short discussion on migration, Ukraine and Yemen.
As we move closer to the triggering of Article 50, it is more important than ever that the Government maintains engagement with our EU partners, to ensure that our priorities are heard and understood across Europe. In the margins of the Council, I had bilateral meetings with my Danish and German counterparts where I discussed Ireland’s situation in relation to Brexit, in particular with regard to Northern Ireland, the Common Travel area and our trade situation. While we all have some common concerns, Ireland is in a unique situation. Both Ministers were understanding of Ireland’s unique challenges and I am pleased that both have accepted my invitation to visit Ireland.
178. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the proposals he put forward at the recent Foreign Affairs Council in relation to the urgent need to provide humanitarian assistance to Somalia, Yemen, South Sudan and north east Nigeria, in view of the imminent threat of famine and the desperate need at present for humanitarian assistance in that region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12616/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra179. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if additional humanitarian aid will be provided as a matter of urgency to Somalia, Yemen, South Sudan and north east Nigeria, in view of the desperate plight at present of so many persons in that region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12617/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions 178 and 179 together.
I am deeply concerned about the situation of the more than 20 million people currently facing famine, or threat of famine, in Somalia, Yemen, South Sudan and north east Nigeria. It is also of grave concern that intractable conflict is the main driver of the humanitarian emergencies for people in these countries.
Ireland, working with our international partners, will continue to support a strong focus on the need for peaceful resolution of these conflicts. In addition, the provision of timely humanitarian assistance will remain a key foreign policy priority. In 2016, we provided a total of some €190 million in humanitarian assistance to people affected by crisis and conflict including in Somalia, Yemen, South Sudan and north east Nigeria.
The EU is providing very significant humanitarian assistance to each of the four crises and the European Commission’s humanitarian budget now amounts tom some €1 billion annually.
We are keeping these situations under close review and I would expect we will provide further humanitarian support to each of the four crises in the coming period.
Famine was declared in parts of South Sudan in recent weeks and 7.5 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance. Severe drought, compounded by years of conflict, has led to emergency levels of food insecurity and risk of famine in Somalia, where 6 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance. We are currently preparing a package of humanitarian assistance to cover both of these crises and this will be released in the coming weeks.
This will be in addition to the over €31 million Ireland has provided to South Sudan since December 2013 and over €27 million for Somalia since 2012.
We are also gravely concerned about the situation in Yemen where 70% of the population of 27 million is now in need of assistance. Ireland has provided almost €6 million in humanitarian assistance to Yemen since the conflict began in early 2015 and we intend to maintain similar levels of support in 2017.
At the recent Oslo Conference for north east Nigeria and the Lake Chad region, Ireland made an indicative commitment of at least €5 million in humanitarian funding for 2017 in response to the ongoing severe humanitarian crisis in this region, which encompasses the dire food security situation and risk of famine in North-East Nigeria.
We use every opportunity we have internationally to focus on the unprecedented level of humanitarian need globally, including at the Foreign Affairs Council. The crisis in Yemen was discussed at the Foreign Affairs Council this week. Ministers agreed to increase efforts towards greater humanitarian access. South Sudan was last discussed at the Foreign Affairs Council in December 2016 and the Council issued a strong political statement calling on all parties to end the violence, and to allow unhindered humanitarian access to those in need.
Together with our EU partners, we will continue to monitor these crises closely and to provide significant life-saving humanitarian assistance for those in most need.
183. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of freedom of information requests received by his Department that the Chief State Solicitor's office has incurred expenses on dealing with for each of the past three years and to date in 2017; and the amount of fees for counsel and other legal costs incurred respectively, for each of the past three years and to date in 2017. [12776/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Chief State Solicitor's Office has provided advice to my Department on one Freedom of Information request of the total received by the Department in the past three years and to date in 2017. Any expenses incurred during the period specified by the Deputy, are a matter for the Chief State Solicitor's Office.
184. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if a review of priorities in relation to the capital plan, building on recovery, will be considered in the context of the all-island civic dialogue on Brexit with particular reference to the needs of the Border region due to the particular challenges that will arise following Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12613/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Capital Plan "Building on Recovery", sets out a €42 billion framework to address our priority infrastructure needs up to 2021. This plan is being reviewed to ensure that capital spending continues to be strictly aligned with national economic and social priorities, consistent with Programme for Partnership Government objectives. This includes examining how the additional €5 billion in capital funding committed by Government over the period 2018 to 2021 can best be allocated to address priority needs and underpin sustainable medium-term economic growth and future growth potential.
My Department wrote to all Departments in January initiating the review process and seeking submissions, including proposals for any of the additional capital funding available, by the end of February. These submissions are now being received from Departments. A public consultation will also be undertaken to inform the Review.
I understand from my colleague, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, that the inaugural plenary meeting of the All-Island Civic Dialogue took place on 2 November 2016. As a direct follow-up to this, to reflect on the main issues raised, the Government organised a series of fourteen sector-specific events which have been hosted by Ministers in a range of locations across the country. A number of those events were held in border areas. The second plenary meeting of the All-Island Civic Dialogue, which took place on 17 February 2017, brought together the work from the sectoral dialogue meetings and discussed further the preparations for Ireland's response to Brexit. A report bringing together the key themes of the sectoral dialogues, along with more information about the individual events and the two plenary sessions, is available on merrionstreet.ie and may be of interest to the Deputy.
The Civic Dialogue has proven useful for informing preparations for negotiations, and outputs from all sixteen Dialogue events so far have been fed directly to the Cabinet Committee on Brexit, chaired by the Taoiseach. The meetings have been valuable opportunities for Ministers to engage directly with stakeholders on the implications of the Brexit process for their sector. Over 1100 industry and civic society representatives have participated in the meetings and many compelling and constructive discussions have been held around the implications for the border regions. The Civic Dialogue will continue to inform the process ahead and the Government is considering the best way through which to continue the discussions.
The Deputy will appreciate that the review of the Capital Plan, provides each Department with the opportunity to assess its sectoral capital investment plan in the light of key factors such as Brexit and propose any consequent reprioritisation of resources as part of their submission under the review. This will help ensure that the allocation of the additional capital resources is informed and guided - in an evidence-based way - by key capital investment requirements reflecting Brexit-related factors, including those arising from the work of the All Island Dialogue.
185. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will address a flooding problem (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12481/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Office of Public Works (OPW) has maintenance responsibility only for those Catchment Drainage Schemes and Flood Relief Schemes completed by the OPW under the Arterial Drainage Acts 1945 and 1995.
As outlined to the Deputy in my reply to his parliamentary question number 368 of 31st January last, the location referred to does not form part of any OPW maintained arterial drainage scheme and, as such, this Office has no responsibility for its maintenance.
Local flooding issues are a matter, in the first instance, for each Local Authority to investigate and address, and Kerry County Council may carry out flood mitigation works using its own resources.
The Office of Public Works operates a Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme. This administrative Scheme's eligibility criteria, including a requirement that any measures are cost beneficial, are published on the OPW website at http://www.opw.i. It is open to Kerry County Council to submit a funding application under this Scheme. Any application received will be considered in accordance with the overall availability of resources for flood risk management and the scheme's eligibility criteria, available on the OPW website.
186. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to amend the criteria for grants to local authorities to alleviate and prevent storm damage to allow for applications to ensure no flooding or storm damage occurs to individual houses situated near the coast; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12667/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am assuming the Deputy is referring to the Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme (the Minor Works scheme) which is operated by the Office of Public Works (OPW) to provide funding to local authorities to undertake minor flood mitigation works and coastal protection measures or studies within their administrative areas. This scheme does not apply in normal course to storm damage repairs. However, as an exceptional measure, funding for such work was provided under the scheme in 2014 and 2015 arising from the Government Decision of 11 February 2014 which allocated total funding of up to €69.5 million for clean-up, repair and restoration works in relation to public infrastructure that was damaged in the severe storms during the period 13 December 2013 to 6 January 2014. Of this sum of €69.5 million, up to €19.6 million was allocated for repair of existing coastal protection and flood defences based on submissions and cost estimates made by the local authorities concerned to the then Department of Environment, Community and Local Government. This funding was made available to the local authorities via the OPW based on programmes of works submitted by the local authorities. The Departments of the Environment, Community and Local Government, Transport, Tourism and Sport and Agriculture, Food and the Marine were responsible for the approval of programmes of work and the disbursement of funding for repair of other damaged public infrastructure such as roads, piers, harbours and other community facilities and amenities.
The identification and assessment of problems of flooding or damage to properties due to ongoing coastal erosion is a matter for local authorities in the first instance. If the local authority can identify an economically and environmentally viable solution to address the problem through improving coastal defence infrastructure or some alternative measures then it is open to it to undertake that work using its own resources or, if that is not feasible, to apply for funding under the OPW's Minor Works scheme. Any application received will be assessed under the scheme's eligibility criteria. I would emphasise that the Minor Works scheme is not a grant scheme for individual householders and is not operated in that way. It is a funding mechanism between OPW and local authorities to enable the latter to undertake smaller scale, localised works. All applications must be received from the local authority and, if funding is approved, the works must be organised, contracted and paid for directly by the local authority. Under the scheme, applications are considered for projects that are estimated to cost up to €500,000 in each instance. Funding of up to 90% of the cost is available for approved projects, with the balance being funded by the local authority concerned. Local authorities submit funding applications in the prescribed format, which are then assessed by the OPW having regard to the specific technical, economic, social and environmental criteria of the scheme, including a cost benefit assessment. With regard to the latter, proposals must meet a minimum benefit to cost ratio of 1.5:1 in order to qualify. Full details are available on the OPW website www.opw.ie.
The scheme generally applies to relatively straightforward cases where a solution can be readily identified and achieved in a short time frame. Proposals for larger scale works would require more detailed technical, environmental and economic assessment by the Council.
A review of the Minor Works Scheme is currently underway with a view to examining the criteria for consideration within the Scheme, including for example the various thresholds for the assessment of benefit and the financial limits for applications under the Scheme. The review, which includes consultations with Local Authorities, is examining any potential improvements, administrative or financial, which will encourage applications under the scheme. It is expected that the review will be completed shortly.
187. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the criteria attaching to the devolved works flood prevention scheme operated by local authorities and funded by the OPW; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12668/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Commissioners of Public Works that the Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme was introduced by the Office of Public Works (OPW) in 2009 to provide funding to local authorities to undertake minor flood mitigation works & coastal protection measures or studies within their administrative areas. The scheme generally applies to relatively straightforward cases where a solution can be readily identified and achieved in a short time frame.
Under the scheme, applications are considered for projects that are estimated to cost up to €500,000 in each instance. Funding of up to 90% of the cost is available for approved projects, with the balance being funded by the local authority concerned. Local authorities submit funding applications in the prescribed format, which are then assessed by the OPW having regard to the specific technical, economic, social and environmental criteria of the scheme, including a cost benefit assessment. With regard to the latter, proposals must meet a minimum benefit to cost ratio of 1.5:1 in order to qualify. Full details are available on www.opw.ie.
