Written Answers Nos. 270-293
270. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason a number of persons (details supplied) employed by a company for 15 and 21 years, respectively, have not yet received overdue wages and holiday pay after the company prematurely exited a contract with Pobal under the community services programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45310/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra271. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the avenue of redress that is available to previous employees of a company (details supplied) that are seeking payment of overdue wages and holiday pay after the company ceased to provide services and prematurely exited a contract with Pobal under the community services programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45311/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 270 and 271 together.
As the Deputy is aware, the Community Services Programme (CSP) provides financial support to community companies that provide revenue generating services of a socially inclusive nature. CSP supports voluntary and community organisations in providing essential services and businesses to their communities.
The organisation referred to by the Deputy decided to voluntarily exit the CSP in advance of the end of their current contract with Pobal, who operate the CSP on behalf of my Department.
The organisation has been in contact with Pobal regarding their final exit payments. Holiday pay has been taken into account with their final claim and staff were paid up to and including the week ending the 26th of May. However, with holiday pay this brought the final exit date to 8th of June.
The company also requested additional payments for TOIL and sick leave from 2016. This was ruled out by Pobal for the following reasons:
- The company had already claimed the full wage contribution for all staff in the 2016 so there can be no further claim for 2016 for these FTEs. If any days or hours are owed to these staff members, it will have to be funded from monies already paid to the company or alternatively from the company’s own monies.
- If an individual is in receipt of their full salary while on sick/maternity leave, the sick/maternity benefit received from this Department should be taken into account and off-set against the grant expenditure when the benefit is received.
In this case it appears that the company claimed sick pay for an employee but did not offset it against wages and, therefore, claimed both wages and sick pay.
The above information has been communicated to the company. Furthermore, the Board of Management were informed that, as the employer who holds the contract of employment with its staff, it is up to the Board to ensure rules and regulations are adhered to and that any irregular payments are investigated and monies returned.
I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
272. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the board of management of a company (details supplied) brought staffing concerns and ongoing incidents to the attention of Pobal with which they were under contract under the community services programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45312/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra274. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the person or body to which a company (details supplied) under the community services programme is ultimately answerable to in cases in which serious staffing concerns and ongoing incidents have not been adequately addressed; the sanctions that are in place regarding same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45314/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 272 and 274 together.
The Community Services Programme (CSP) is funded by my Department and is administered on its behalf by Pobal. The purpose of CSP is to support voluntary and community organisations to provide essential services and businesses to their communities with services designed to:
- Alleviate disadvantage;
- Promote sustainable social and economic development;
- Provide employment for those most distant from the labour market; and
- Strengthen local ownership through participation in decision-making.
The Programme supports the employment of individuals, who have previously been unemployed, in delivering the services to the community. Programme service providers are required to comply with all applicable legal and statutory requirements. They are required to discharge their activities to high standards of corporate governance expected of recipients of public funding.
The organisation referred to by the Deputy decided to voluntarily exit the CSP in advance of the end of their current contract with Pobal.
The manager of the company contacted Pobal in November 2016 and made Pobal aware verbally that there were staffing issues and concerns. Pobal informed the manager that the board of management were the employers and that staffing issues needed to be addressed through this route.
The programme company or co-operative is the employer of all staff in posts supported by the programme and is responsible for determining its recruitment and the terms and conditions of employment. This includes grievance procedures and human resources policies. These are reviewed by Pobal as part of the re-contracting process and form part of the evidence used by Pobal in assessing suitability for continued funding under the programme.
I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
275. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to extend the deadline for farmyard manure spreading in the north west region to accommodate farmers working on the wettest areas of land; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45190/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters Regulations 2014 give legal effect in Ireland to the Nitrates Directive and to our Nitrates Action Programme (NAP).
The objective of the Regulations is to protect groundwater and surface waters, including drinking water sources, primarily through the management of livestock manures and other fertilisers. Ireland has obligations under the Water Framework Directive to protect and improve the quality of its natural waters and it is important to demonstrate that this can be achieved while enabling a sustainable agricultural sector. My Department and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine work closely together in this regard.
The Directive requires all member states to define set periods when the land application of fertiliser is not allowed. Findings from the Agricultural Catchments Programme (ACP) operated by Teagasc support the current closed periods in Ireland. A key message from the research is that there are disproportionately high nutrient losses to waters from agriculture during the winter and the current closed period coincides with the time during which risks of incidental nutrient losses to water are highest. The closed season for the landspreading of farmyard manure in Ireland commences from Wednesday 1 November. The closed periods were decided following extensive public consultation and were discussed with farming bodies and the European Commission at the time.
The NAP was reviewed in 2010 and 2013. The third review of the NAP is due to be completed by the end of this year and we are now at a critical juncture in the context of those negotiations with the European Commission. A major priority for Ireland is the renewal of the Nitrates Derogation, which allows more intensive farms to operate at higher stocking rates and expires at the end of this year.
In that context and with a week to go until 1 November, it is premature to consider any actions outside this agreed framework. However, the situation will be kept under review by both Departments.
276. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his views on whether the likely explanation for the failure to find pyrite in the underfloor fill in housing estates in which damage from pyrite has been proven is the failure of a sampling procedure (details supplied) to comply with the requirements of IS 398 (2013) (details supplied). [45128/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra277. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if houses rated DCR 2 by professionals on the pyrite assessors register and with damage audited by the Housing Agency without challenge to BCA rating DCR 2 will be sampled in accordance with IS 398 (2017) at the location of maximum heave (details supplied). [45129/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 276 and 277 together.
The Pyrite Resolution Act 2013 provides the statutory framework for the Pyrite Remediation Scheme. The Pyrite Resolution Board, with the support of the Housing Agency, is responsible for the implementation of the pyrite remediation scheme.
In accordance with the provisions of the Act, the Board is independent in the performance of its functions, and as Minister, I have no role in the operational matters (including sampling and testing) pertaining to the implementation of the scheme. The Board may be contacted by phone at Lo call 1890 252842 or by email to info@pyriteboard.ie or alternatively at publicreps@housingagency.ie.
278. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if he will report on the Citizens Assembly's recommendation on the right to housing; and if this is being examined by one of the Departments. [40678/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe issue of the right to housing was debated in Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann recently.
Arising from this, a motion to refer the Eighth Report of the Convention on the Constitution, which dealt with economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to housing, to the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach was passed by the Dáil on 28th September 2017 and by the Seanad on 11th October 2017.
279. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the steps his Department is taking to increase the take up of a scheme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45163/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) Scheme administered by my Department, plays a vital role in housing eligible families and individuals. There are currently more than 28,500 households having their housing needs met via HAP and some 20,000 landlords or agents currently in receipt of HAP payments. A weekly average of 350 HAP tenancies have been set up during 2017.
HAP is a form of social housing support under which local authorities will make monthly payments on behalf of tenants directly to landlords in respect of rent, subject to the terms and conditions of the scheme. All the terms and conditions of the HAP scheme for both tenants and landlords are available on the dedicated HAP website, www.hap.ie, or directly from local authorities.
Under the HAP scheme, a tenant sources their own accommodation in the private rented market, the tenancy agreement is between the tenant and the landlord and the tenancy is covered by the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 (as amended).
HAP addresses many long standing issues raised by landlord groups in relation to the operation of Rent Supplement. The scheme has a 99% differential rent collection rate, with minimal arrears arising for tenants or local authorities, and a 99% rent payment rate with minimal difficulties arising for landlords. HAP provides landlords with many advantages including that the landlord does not have to collect the rent; payments are made electronically directly to the landlord on the tenant's behalf; landlords who rent to tenants in receipt of HAP may avail of increased tax relief; and changes in a tenant's employment circumstances do not affect the rental payments made to the landlord.
In order to highlight the benefits of HAP and to provide information on the scheme to interested parties, my Department has taken a number of targeted communications actions during 2017, including the provision of a dedicated HAP website which provides prospective HAP landlords and tenants with the information they need to understand how the HAP scheme works. Local authorities are promoting the scheme locally, and engaging with letting agents and landlords who might be interested in entering into a HAP tenancy, while my Department is promoting the scheme by engaging directly with landlord representative bodies and fora.
A landlord or an agent acting on behalf of a landlord is not legally obliged to enter into a tenancy agreement with a HAP recipient. However, since 1 January 2016, a person cannot be discriminated against when renting because they are in receipt of certain payments, including HAP.
My Department continues to keep the operation of the HAP scheme under review. In general, I am satisfied with the operation of HAP and I consider it to be a key vehicle for meeting housing need and fulfilling the ambitious programme outlined under the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness.
280. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the exceptions to a first time buyer condition in relation to a home choice loan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45192/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraLocal authority house purchase loan finance continues to be made available to first time buyers only, for the acquisition of houses or for the construction of new houses. The Housing (Home Choice Loan) Regulations 2009 which underpin the Home Choice Loan scheme are clear in this regard.
I have no plans, at this time, to alter the Regulations in respect of their application to first time buyers only. This is to ensure effective targeting of limited resources.
The option currently available for non-first time buyers is to seek home loan facilities from one of the commercial lending institutions.
281. Deputy Brendan Ryan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the amount of funding that has been allocated in budget 2018 to the Pyrite Remediation Board for the direct remediation of pyrite affected homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45210/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Pyrite Resolution Act 2013 provides the statutory framework for the establishment of the Pyrite Resolution Board and for the making of a pyrite remediation scheme to be implemented by the Board with support from the Housing Agency. The pyrite remediation scheme is a scheme of “last resort” and is limited in its application and scope. The full conditions for eligibility under the scheme are set out in the scheme which is available on the Board’s website, www.pyriteboard.ie.
The scheme is applicable to dwellings, which are subject to significant damage attributable to pyritic heave established, in accordance with I.S. 398-1:2013 - Reactive pyrite in sub-floor hardcore material – Part 1: Testing and categorisation protocol. In this regard, it is a condition of eligibility under the scheme that an application to the Board must be accompanied by a Building Condition Assessment with a Damage Condition Rating of 2. Dwellings which do not have a Damage Condition Rating of 2 are not eligible to apply under the scheme. This ensures that, having regard to the available resources, the focus of the scheme is on dwellings which are most severely damaged by pyritic heave. I have no proposals to amend this eligibility criterion.
A sum of €22 million was allocated to fund the operation of the pyrite remediation scheme in 2017. Sanction for a further €3 million to support additional activity under the scheme was granted in August 2017. This year's funding will facilitate the remediation of some 400 additional dwellings.
A sum of €30 million was announced under Budget 2018 to fund the operation of the pyrite remediation scheme in 2018. This allocation will facilitate the remediation of some 430 additional dwellings next year and is a clear signal of the continuing importance attached by Government to addressing the issue of significant pyritic damage in private dwellings.
Ultimately, the Pyrite Remediation Board, together with the Housing Agency, will arrange for all eligible dwellings to be remediated to a high standard and at no additional cost to the affected homeowners. Remediation works will continue to be carried out at the earliest possible opportunity having regard to the existing demands of the scheme and the optimum use of available resources.
282. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if he will report on the national emergency co-ordination meetings that he attended prior to and during Storm Ophelia. [44681/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is designated as the Lead Government Department for coordinating the response to severe weather emergencies. My Department’s National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management (NDFEM) is mandated by the Secretary General to decide if and when to convene a National Emergency Coordination Group (NECG) on behalf of my Department and the National Director, or his representatives, are mandated to chair any NECG convened by my Department.
Local authorities are designated as the lead agency for co-ordinating and delivering the response to severe weather emergencies and lead the local response in collaboration with the other Principal Response Agencies – An Garda Síochána and the HSE - in accordance with the mechanisms set out in the “Framework for Major Emergency Management”.
The NDFEM Severe Weather Assessment Team met on Friday morning 13 October to review information on the emerging situation and the likely track and impact of Storm Ophelia. Relevant response agencies were informed of the coming storm that morning, and a preliminary notice was issued that it was likely that an NECG would be convened. In light of weather forecasts and Met Éireann’s indication that they would likely be issuing a RED LEVEL weather warning for Atlantic Coastal counties and ORANGE LEVEL for the remainder of the country, a final decision was made by the National Director on Friday afternoon to convene a NECG meeting for Sunday 15 October and I was informed accordingly.
The preparatory work continued on Saturday 14 October and the NECG met in the National Emergency Coordination Centre on the morning of Sunday 15 October to review the latest information relating to Ophelia, to review preparedness for the anticipated storm and to issue appropriate public safety messages. Met Éireann continued to work with the National Directorate throughout the day and Red level wind warnings were issued for the entire country on Sunday evening.
Work on monitoring the arrival of the storm began at 6.00 am on Monday 16 October. The NECG met formally three times on Monday 16 October to assess the impact of Storm Ophelia as it moved up the country and to identify emerging issues. The objective of Monday’s NECG meetings was to bring all Government Departments and relevant services together to manage national level issues and support the local response. The operation in the National Emergency Co-ordination Centre enabled continuous updating and provision of the latest information regarding the impacts of the storm to the public. It also enabled consistent public safety messaging as the storm impacted on different areas of the country.
The NECG met twice on Tuesday 17 October to co-ordinate the activities of the agencies involved with clean-up and recovery, with a view to prioritising restoration of critical infrastructure. The NECG also collated updates on the post-storm situation and assessed emerging issues in the aftermath of the storm, as well as providing the focus for public information.
The NECG met at 14.00 hrs on Wednesday 18 October to review the on-going clean up, service restoration and recovery operations. Given the situation at the time, and in light of the very considerable progress already made in clearing roads at that stage and the local authorities’ capacity to manage the situation at local level, the decision was taken by the Chair to stand down the NECG as a formal national level co-ordination mechanism. However, the NDFEM continued to liaise with national infrastructure providers and local authorities and took any actions that were deemed necessary.
I attended the three NECG meetings on Monday 16 October and the two meetings on Tuesday 17 October. My colleague, Minister of State Damien English T.D., attended the NECG meeting on Sunday 15 October, the three meetings on Monday 16 October and the two meetings on Tuesday 17 October.
283. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to enable persons avail of the tenant purchase scheme that may not have a weekly income apart from a social welfare payment but are in a position from their own means or through family financial support to purchase their council family home; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the present criteria of the scheme is denying such families the opportunity to retain their homes in family ownership; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45222/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe new Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme for existing local authority houses came into operation on 1 January 2016. The Scheme is open to eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses that are available for sale under the Scheme. To be eligible, tenants must meet certain criteria, including having a minimum reckonable income of €15,000 per annum, have been in receipt of social housing support for at least one year and have been allocated a house under a local authority allocation scheme.
In line with the commitment given in the Rebuilding Ireland An Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, a review of the first 12 months of the Tenant Purchase scheme’s operation has been undertaken. The review has incorporated analysis of comprehensive data received from local authorities regarding the operation of the scheme during 2016 and a wide-ranging public consultation process which saw submissions received from individuals, elected representatives and organisations.
The review is now complete and a full report setting out findings and recommendations has been prepared. Following consultation with relevant Departments on implementation arrangements, I expect to be in a position to publish the outcome of the review in the coming weeks.
284. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to appoint a regulator for student housing due to the considerable increase in student housing built or planned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45244/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has implemented several measures to assist the increase in delivery of student accommodation projects under the Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016, including fast-tracking planning applications to An Bord Pleanála for student accommodation projects of 200+ bed spaces, and facilitating low-cost funding availability from the Housing Finance Agency to the Higher Education Institutes specifically for student accommodation projects.
The Residential Tenancies Act 2004 regulates the tenant-landlord relationship in the private rented residential sector. The application of the act to student accommodation depends on the nature of the tenancy agreement in place. The Act applies to every dwelling that is the subject of a tenancy, subject to a limited number of exceptions which are set out in section 3(2) of the Act. Student accommodation is not specifically exempt under the Act.
Therefore, the Act applies to student accommodation that is the subject of a tenancy and the protections under the Act do apply to such tenancies. However, section 25(4) of the Act provides for an exemption of certain purpose-built student accommodation from Part 4 of the Act, which relates to security of tenure provisions. These tenancies are still protected under the remaining provisions of the Act. Additionally, the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the Act to operate a national tenancy registration system and to facilitate the resolution of disputes between landlords and tenants.
Furthermore, the National Student Accommodation Strategy was launched in July by the Department of Education and Skills, in consultation with my Department, with key targets and actions to support the student accommodation sector.
I therefore have no plans to appoint a regulator for student housing as I consider that there are sufficient measures for protection and regulation in place, as set out above.
285. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to amend the Rebuilding Ireland strategy in view of the increase in entrants to emergency accommodation and the view by many experts that the reliance on the private market to deliver supply is fanciful; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45245/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government recognises the ongoing rates of homeless presentation, which are essentially a result of a shortage of housing supply in both the social and private rented sectors. It is for this reason that the overarching objective of the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness is to increase the supply of new homes, across all forms of housing, to 25,000 per annum by 2020.
Over one year into the plan, all of the key statistical indicators point to a significant scaling up of home building activity with planning permissions, commencement notices and ESB residential connections all on the increase. Over 19,000 households had their social housing needs met in 2016, and I expect that a further 21,000 such supports will be delivered in 2017.
With regard to the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), there are currently more than 28,500 households being supported by the scheme and over 14,500 of these households commenced HAP support since the beginning of 2017; more than 350 households are being set up on HAP each week in 2017.
It is intended that the long-term housing needs of households in emergency accommodation will be met through a range of social housing supports such as the HAP scheme and through general social housing allocations. Progress is being made with over 3,000 sustainable exits from homelessness into independent tenancies being achieved in 2016, while over 2,000 such exits were achieved during the first half of 2017.
I have already been reviewing Rebuilding Ireland to identify any changes or new measures that may be required. In this regard, I have already brought forward a number of new initiatives in relation to social housing, homelessness and the rental sector, which were announced over the course of September, with a particular emphasis on additional direct build of social housing by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies, and further measures and significant additional funding have been announced as part of Budget 2018.
286. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the reason existing Naval Service ships were not refurbished for a fraction of the purchase cost of new ships, including multi-role vessels, the utility of which to the Naval Service is unclear in view of the almost €0.5 billion expenditure on new ships for the Naval Service over recent years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45237/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy priority as Minister with Responsibility for Defence is to ensure that the operational capability of the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service is maintained to the greatest extent possible so as to enable the Defence Forces to carry out their roles as assigned by Government as set out in the White Paper on Defence. Equipment priorities for the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service are being considered in the context of the lifetime of the White Paper on Defence as part of the capability development and equipment planning process.
In this context the principal aim over the period of the White Paper will be to replace and upgrade, as required, existing capabilities in order to retain a flexible response for a wide range of operational requirements at home and overseas. The Defence Capital envelope for the period 2018-2021 is €416m and this will enable investment in major equipment platforms, including the refurbishment and replacement of Naval Service Vessels.
The White Paper underpins the ongoing replacement of the Naval Service fleet. A significant investment over recent years has been on the procurement of new Off-Shore Patrol Vessels for the Naval Service. The third ship in the programme, LÉ William Butler Yeats, was commissioned in to service in October 2016. A contract for an additional sister ship was placed with Babcock International, a British company, in June 2016 bringing investment in the new ships programme to over €250 million since 2010. The fourth ship, to be named LÉ George Bernard Shaw is scheduled for delivery in mid-2018.
The acquisition of these modern new vessels, combined with an ongoing maintenance regime for all vessels within the fleet, and the continuous process of refurbishment, refit and repair, will ensure that the operational capabilities of the Naval Service, as the States principal seagoing agency, are maintained to the greatest extent.
The service life of a Naval Service ship is determined by the level of operational activity. It is normal practice in a ship's life cycle to carry out a mid-life refurbishment programme so as to extend the useful life of the ship to thirty or more years. In that regard, the Defence Organisation has commenced planning for a mid-life refurbishment programme for the LÉ Roisin (built in 1999) and the LÉ Niamh (built in 2001). This structured mid-life refurbishment programme will future proof the vessels, allow for preventative maintenance and address obsolescence of equipment through capitalising on advancements in technology, thus ensuring reliability of the vessels for the next 15 years.
Three ships in the current flotilla are over 30 years old (LÉ Eithne and LÉ Ciara were built in 1984 and LÉ Orla was built in 1985). The White Paper provides for the replacement of the current Naval Service flagship LÉ Eithne with a multi role vessel (MRV) which will be enabled for helicopter operations and will also have a freight carrying capacity. It is the intention to hold a public tender competition in due course to cover the supply of the MRV subject to the availability of funding within the overall Defence capital funding envelope. The cost of the MRV will only be known once the tender competition is concluded. Future Naval Service capabilities are being planned as part of the White Paper project planning process which will determine the Defence Organisation’s maritime capability requirements.
287. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the ratio of his Department's expenditure to the Air Corps, Army and Naval Service respectively in each of the years 2011 2016 and to date in 2017. [45238/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraVote 36 (Defence) is managed through a single programme with all operational outputs delivered from a single set of forces encompassing the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service. Pay and allowances and other support costs are not identified separately, but are included in the overall programme costs of the Vote. As a result, expenditure across the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service is not classified separately.
288. Deputy Lisa Chambers asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the status of the Defence Forces Reserve lieutenant to captain fixed promotion scheme in view of the fact that 37 reserve officers considered for promotion are facing a delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45296/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe White Paper on Defence confirms that the primary role of the Army and Naval Service Reserve is to augment the Permanent Defence Force in times of crisis. In non-crisis situations, the main focus will be on training to prepare for this role. The Government appreciates the service of the members of the Army and Naval Service Reserve and the White Paper on Defence is clear that there is a continued requirement to retain and develop the Reserves. I am informed by the military authorities that there are 43 Reserve Officers (Army Reserve and Naval Service Reserve) eligible for promotion to the rank of Captain, and that these promotions will take place prior to the end of Q4 2017.
289. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the serving strength stationed at Custume barracks Athlone; the way in which this compares to the strength at the time Custume barracks served as headquarters for the western brigade. [45330/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information sought by the Deputy is currently being compiled. When finalised, I will respond directly to the Deputy in writing.
290. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence his plans to introduce parity in industrial relations with members of An Garda Síochána with regard to national level, internal and a scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45331/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Conciliation and Arbitration scheme for members of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) provides a formal mechanism for the PDF Representative Associations, RACO and PDFORRA, to engage with the Official side.
Having regard to commitments made under pay agreements, members of the Permanent Defence Force can make representations in relation to their pay and conditions of service through their representative bodies. Where agreement is not reached it is open to both official and representative sides to refer the matter to an adjudicator or an arbitration Board to settle the matter.
Permanent Defence Force personnel have achieved significant benefits down the years through this process.
When appointed as Minister with responsibility for Defence, the Permanent Defence Force Representative Associations brought to my attention, the fact that the current Conciliation & Arbitration (C&A) scheme requires some refining so that it can remain fit for purpose for the entire Defence Organisation.
The C&A scheme for members of the Permanent Defence Force has been in existence since the early 1990’s and I agree that it is timely to review the scheme. In this regard, I announced my intention previously to review the C&A Scheme for members of the Permanent Defence Force. The review will start by the end of 2017 and will be guided by an independent chairperson.
The Report of the Working Group on Industrial Relations Structures for An Garda Síochána will be considered in the course of the review of the arrangements for the Permanent Defence Force.
291. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of special posts that remain unfilled. [45332/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe military authorities were unable to provide the information requested by the Deputy within the time specified. I will revert to the Deputy with the information when it is to hand.
292. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the actions he is taking to ensure the retention of key military skill sets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45333/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraGiven the unique and demanding nature of military life, there is understandably a very high level of turnover among Defence Forces personnel. However, this is not new and the Defence Forces have always had a significant turnover of personnel on an annual basis. A certain level of turnover is, of course, desirable as a human resource and organisational objective, in order to maintain an appropriate age profile across the Defence Forces and to retain an approach to regular revitalisation.
In order to fill vacancies within the PDF establishment of 9,500 personnel there is significant ongoing recruitment at both enlisted and officer level and it is anticipated that approximately 800 new personnel will have been inducted into the Permanent Defence Force during 2017. This includes general service recruits, apprentices, cadets and direct entry officers. A range of recruitment methods are being employed including direct entry competitions for specialist positions and the scope to further expand direct entry is being considered. I have also directed civil and military management to develop proposals for expanding direct entry recruitment of specialists and a scheme to facilitate former PDF personnel with appropriate skill-sets to re-enter the Defence Forces. As the Deputy will be aware, there is also a significant ongoing programme of HR development within the Defence Organisation.
In terms of pay, following sign up by the Defence Forces Representative Associations to the Lansdowne Road Agreement, members of the Permanent Defence Force have benefitted from pay increases. I was particularly pleased with recent adjustments to salary scales for general service recruits and privates who joined the Defence Forces since 2013 (increases of between 8% and 24% depending on scale point). The Public Service Stability Agreement 2018 -2020 also provides for further pay increases ranging from 5.75% to 7.25% depending on the individual’s current wage threshold and this is under consideration by RACO and PDFORRA. The fact that further consideration by the Public Service Pay Commission of recruitment and retention issues is provided for under the Public Service Stability Agreement 2018-2020, is also a welcome development.
I remain committed to maximising recruitment to the Defence Forces and ensuring that, where possible, the terms and conditions of service are as favourable as they can be within the current budgetary parameters.
With the support of the Chief of Staff and within the resources available, the Government is committed to retaining the capacity of the Defence Forces to operate effectively across all roles and to undertake the tasks laid down by Government both at home and abroad.
293. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the payroll costs for the Defence Forces in each of the years since 2009, in tabular form. [45334/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraPay and allowance costs for the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) are provided for in Subheads A.3 and A.4 of the Defence Vote.
Expenditure for the period from 2009 to 2017 (to end-Sept) is as follows:
Permanent Defence Force Pay & Allowances
|
Year |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 (end-Sept) |
|
PDF Pay €m |
475 |
433 |
421 |
395 |
413 |
396 |
390 |
386 |
297 |
|
PDF Allowances €m |
62 |
44 |
42 |
43 |
40 |
34 |
34 |
35 |
29 |
