John Lahart
Ceist:227. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount by which tourism funding has been cut since 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52179/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraTourism Funding
Ceisteanna (227)
Freagraí scríofa
The total Exchequer provision for tourism services decreased from €147.6m in 2011 to €122m in 2017, representing a 17% decrease over the period. While funding for the tourism services programme was reduced in the years between 2011 and 2015 due to pressures on public finances during the downturn, Exchequer funding for the programme has increased incrementally over the past 2 years.
Budget 2018 has provided for further increases for tourism services in 2018. The detailed allocations will be set out in the Revised Estimates Volume for 2018, which is due to be published shortly.
It is worth noting that funding for the tourism programme was reduced from €169.4m in 2008 to €153.3m in 2009 with a further reduction to €147.6m in 2011. This represents an overall reduction of almost €22m or 13% between 2008 and 2011.
It should be noted by the deputy that the government has brought in many measures to help with the tourism industry, measures like the 9% vat rate and the abolition of the airport tax have helped revive the industry and these measures have boosted the economy by hundreds of millions of euros and been an enormous boost to the economy and the industry alike.
Details of the total annual provision for tourism services is available in the annual Revised Estimates Volume published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and available on that Department's website.
Tourism Promotion
Ceisteanna (228)
John Lahart
Ceist:228. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the efforts being made to halt the decline of British tourism here which has increased with the onset of Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52180/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I welcome the overall growth in visit numbers to Ireland in the first ten months of 2017. However, the persistent decline in the numbers visiting from Great Britain continues to be a concern. The fall in the value of sterling against the euro following the Brexit vote in the UK has been the primary factor in this.
At Government level, the Brexit negotiations continue, with the border, common travel area and open skies being of top priority in terms of tourism. And our ongoing commitment to tourism was reflected in the recent Budget when, despite growing demands on the public purse, the 9% VAT rate on tourism services was retained.
The response of the tourism agencies is primarily a matter for the boards and management of those organisations. Accordingly, I have referred the Deputy's question to Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland for direct reply to the Deputy. Please contact my private office if you have not received a reply within ten working days.
A referred reply was forwarded to the Deputy under Standing Order 42A.
Tourism Policy
Ceisteanna (229)
John Lahart
Ceist:229. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to stop price gouging in the tourism industry especially with regard to hotel rooms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52181/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Neither my Department nor Fáilte Ireland has any function with regard to controlling pricing for the various products and services on offer within our tourism industry. With specific regard to hotels, however, it is a statutory requirement that every hotel in Ireland must register its maximum rates with the National Tourism Development Authority (Fáilte Ireland) and display them in the premises. Hotels must then operate within the maximum rates set and any customer who feels that they have been overcharged may make a complaint to Fáilte Ireland.
While I welcome the improved viability of the tourism sector, not least because it is a large employer and a significant contributor to the economy, hotels must ensure that this is done at an appropriate rate and in a sustainable way that visitors perceive as reasonable. If the industry does not continue to provide value for money, the growth it is now experiencing will be undermined. These are points Minister Ross and I constantly stress in our engagements with the industry.
Higher rates at times of high demand are a feature of competitive markets, including the accommodation market. In the specific case of Dublin, a shortage of available hotel bedrooms in the city has caused hotel room rates there to increase in recent years. I am informed by Fáilte Ireland that the most recent information available to it indicates that the rate of increase in hotel room pricing is slowing.
Given that the issue is fundamentally one of supply and demand, I welcome the results of Fáilte Ireland's assessments of hotel accommodation in Dublin, which indicate that there should be sufficient stock to meet projected demand after 2018, with approximately 5,500 bedrooms coming on stream by 2020. This should moderate price increases.
Furthermore, the Government has continued a range of supportive measures, such as the reduced VAT rate, aimed at enhancing Ireland's tourism competitiveness. With specific regard to factors within the Department's and Fáilte Ireland's remit, changes introduced in the revised Hotel Regulations introduced in August 2016 should also make investment more attractive by allowing hotel operators provide more rooms and operate at a lower cost base, thus improving hotel capacity, competitiveness and profitability. Consumers should also benefit from the resulting increased availability, competition and range of accommodation.
Finally I would like to assure the deputy that this is a matter I keep under constant review. I personally check hotel prices on a regular basis and while I will am concerned some room prices seem excessive it can be said that excellent value can still be found throughout the country.
Sports Capital Programme Applications
Ceisteanna (230)
Paul Kehoe
Ceist:230. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason a club was unsuccessful in the 2017 sports capital scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52182/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Details of all local allocations under the 2017 round of the Sports Capital programme were announced on the 30th November and can be viewed on my Department's website. No application was submitted by the organisation referred to by the Deputy by the deadline date of 24 February 2017.
Sports Capital Programme Applications
Ceisteanna (231)
Willie Penrose
Ceist:231. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason a club (details supplied) was unsuccessful in its application for funding under the sports capital programme scheme in view of the fact that this club is in an area of disadvantage and had a 20 year lease on the premises; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52213/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I can confirm that the organisation referred to by the Deputy applied for a grant under the 2017 Sports Capital Programme.
When the 2017 Programme was advertised my Department issued a guide to filling out the application form which set out the Department’s minimum requirements that applicants had to meet to be considered for funding.
Applications were deemed invalid primarily for one or more of the following reasons:
- Title/Access requirements of the Sports Capital Programme not satisfied
- Evidence of own funding not provided in prescribed format
- Insufficient own funding
All applicants have now been contacted with details of the outcome of the assessment of their application, including details of why applications were deemed invalid. Relevant organisations have also been informed that they may appeal these decisions if they believe that an error has been made in deeming their application invalid.
Departmental Expenditure
Ceisteanna (232)
Fergus O'Dowd
Ceist:232. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the expenditure by his Department by heading (details supplied) in each of the years since June 1997 to January 2011, in tabular form; and the miscellaneous expenditure not relating to set Department budgets pertaining to the headings. [52230/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The information requested by the Deputy since the establishment of the Department of Transport in June 2002 is available on my Department's website at the following link
http://www.dttas.ie/corporate/english/expenditure-external-services
Civil Aviation Regulation
Ceisteanna (233)
Clare Daly
Ceist:233. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to Parliamentary Question No. 41 of 22 November 2017, if this makes it easier for a company (details supplied) to carry troops, weapons and ammunition by allowing him to give blanket approval, instead of having to approve each individual flight; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52289/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The carriage of munitions and dangerous goods in aircraft, similar to other aviation safety matters, is quite rightly highly regulated in national, EU and international law. The internal review of the Air Navigation (Carriage of Munitions of War, Weapons and Dangerous Goods) Order 1973 is currently underway and should be completed in the coming months. There are a number of different issues to be looked at given the passage of time and changes to international law since 1973.
It is not appropriate at this point to speculate on the outcome of the review.
Early Childhood Care and Education
Ceisteanna (234)
Darragh O'Brien
Ceist:234. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his plans to assess the possibility of allowing pre schools that are registered with her Department and that operate the early childhood care and education scheme access her Department's group insurance scheme (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52139/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Department of Children and Youth Affairs does not have conventional insurance cover. It operates under a State indemnity which is a self insurance model whereby the State bears the financial risks associated with the cost of claims.
The State indemnity is operated by the National Treasury Management Agency which acts as the State Claims Agency. All Department's claims are delegated for management to this agency. This State indemnity also extends to bodies under the aegis of the Department which include the Adoption Authority of Ireland, the Children Detention Schools, the Child and Family Agency/Tusla and the Ombudsman for Children's office.
Homeless Persons Supports
Ceisteanna (235)
Thomas P. Broughan
Ceist:235. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 47 of 28 November 2017, if she will report to Dáil Éireann on the findings of the study co-funded by her Department on food access and nutritional health among families living in hotel accommodation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52160/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Food Access and Nutritional Health among Families in Emergency Homeless Accommodation report by Dr Michelle Share and Ms Marita Hennessy was published in August of this year. The report, which was jointly funded by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and the Department of Health, outlined the negative impact food poverty has on the health and well-being of children living in emergency homeless accommodation in Dublin. The report highlighted the lack of access to cooking and storage facilities for families living in hotels and B&Bs. For those who were provided with meals there were also issues around the lack of control that they had over their own, and their children’s, food choices and not being able to eat in socially acceptable circumstances as a family.
The report made a number of recommendations regarding:
- Recognition of the severe challenges of homelessness for families in emergency accommodation;
- Standards in emergency accommodation; and
- Emergency accommodation as a temporary measure.
The report was commissioned by Focus Ireland and is available on their website at
https://www.focusireland.ie/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Share-and-Hennessy-2017-Food-Access-Report-%E2%80%93-Main-Report-FINAL.pdf.
This Government recognises that hotels are inappropriate for accommodating homeless families for anything other than a short period of time and this is reflected in the Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, Rebuilding Ireland. As part of the response to the commitment contained in Rebuilding Ireland that commercial hotels and B&B's should only be used as emergency accommodation for families in limited circumstances, housing authorities are delivering a number of family-focused, supported temporary accommodation facilities, also referred to as ‘family hubs’. There are currently more than ten such facilities in operation providing temporary accommodation to more than 300 families. These custom developed hub facilities offer temporary living arrangements for families that have a greater level of stability than is possible in hotel accommodation, including providing for cooking facilities and dining space.
Child Care Services Funding
Ceisteanna (236)
Charlie McConalogue
Ceist:236. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the funding support her Department can offer to a community organisation (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52204/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I am acutely aware of the sustainability challenges facing certain childcare providers; including those in rural or less densely populated areas.
As the deputy may be aware, my Department made €1m of ‘Sustainability Funding’ available in 2017 to support services, which was directed towards those services that had been most severely impacted by staff qualification requirements in the 2016 Regulations.
Having received feedback from multiple stakeholders in the childcare sector, including Pobal, CCCs, and directly from childcare providers themselves, my Department has determined that future sustainability efforts should be broader in scope. Accordingly, in Budget 2018, I obtained an increase in funding for services experiencing sustainability issues (to €1.7M in total). My officials are currently developing policy priorities in respect of this additional funding which I hope will be of assistance to many services in the coming year.
I note that one of the challenges faced by the service in question relates to a decrease in registrations. In light of this situation, my officials have notified Pobal that this service requires urgent monitoring and intervention through the structured case management processes in place.
Departmental Expenditure
Ceisteanna (237)
Fergus O'Dowd
Ceist:237. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the expenditure by her Department by heading (details supplied) in each of the years since June 1997 to January 2011, in tabular form; and the miscellaneous expenditure not relating to set Department budgets pertaining to the headings. [52216/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As my Department was established in June 2011, there is no expenditure incurred for the period concerned.
Early Years Sector
Ceisteanna (238)
Brendan Smith
Ceist:238. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will consider the issues raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52244/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Department of Children and Youth Affairs invests significant resources in the early years sector. In the last three Budgets (2016, 2017 and 2018) investment in Early Years sector has increased by some 87% which reflects the emphasis being placed on developing a quality service with appropriately supported staff. This has helped to address affordability, access and quality, although it is recognised that there is more to be done. Budget 2018 announced an extension of the universal provision of the ECCE scheme accompanied by increases in capitation rates, both standard and higher, by 7% particularly aimed at supporting the workforce.
Budget 2018 also announced €18 million in Programme Support Payments in 2018 will be provided to Early Years services to assist with non-contact costs. Programme Support Payments, previously known as non-contact time payments, are now fully secured and will be available again in 2018 and thereafter. €14.5m was originally secured in Budget 2017, and this was topped up by €3.5m this summer for services who signed up to the September measures. The latter was provided however on a one-off basis. The full allocation of €18 million is now in the early years funding base going forward.
The Programme for Government commits to carrying out an independent review of the cost of providing quality childcare. The 'Independent Review of the Cost of Delivering Quality Childcare' which will be carried out by Crowe Horwath, will examine the costs faced by childcare providers in delivering quality childcare and will include a survey of childcare providers. Following completion the review is intended to be used to strengthen the evidence base underpinning investment in early years. As such, it will feed into future policy development, including in relation to levels of payments to services.
In October 2016 Government approved policy proposals for the Affordable Childcare Scheme (ACS). ACS will provide a new basis for funding childcare with both universal and targeted subsidies available for parents of children between six months and age 15. The scheme will streamline the existing targeted schemes to make them more accessible for both parents and providers; provide a fair and consistent system of progressive financial support towards the cost of childcare; and provide a robust and flexible platform for future investment in childcare in Ireland.
In the interim, a range of measures have been introduced in September to increase investment in childcare. The ‘September measures’ relate to the introduction of the Community Childcare Subvention Universal (CCSU) payment and the increase in band rates across the different strands of the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) Scheme and the Training and Employment Childcare (TEC) Scheme. As part of these 'September measures', a universal subsidy is available for all children aged between 6 months and 3 years of age (or until they qualify for ECCE if later than 36 months) in registered childcare. This amounts to up to €20 a week or €1,040 per year for children in full time childcare.
Although my Department has been successful in securing additional funding for this sector over the past three budgets, as outlined above, it is acknowledged that much more must be done to continue to improve both the affordability and quality of childcare. To this end I will continue to engage with Government colleagues with a view to securing additional investment for the Early Years sector in future budgets. Childcare workers are part of a growing sector, which the Government is strongly supporting. My Department and I believe that by working together with all the stakeholders in the Early Years sector we can ensure that it is a viable and strong sector which makes a significant contribution to the care and personal development of our children. I am committed to ensuring childcare is affordable, accessible and of a high quality.
In response to the second part of the Deputy's question, while the early childhood education and care sector is largely funded and regulated by my Department (DCYA), the Department of Education and Skills (DES) plays an important role in the development and implementation of the two national practice frameworks, Síolta and Aistear. DES also supports and advises DCYA on qualifications and workforce development and is in the process of conducting a review of education and training programmes for early years practitioners. DES, with its agencies, works to ensure that there is a smooth transition for children from pre-school into the primary school sector and also supports DCYA in the implementation of AIM. On my behalf, the Department of Education and Skills has put in place early years education-focused inspections which inspect the educational provision in the ECCE programme. However, beyond the promotion of this alignment and support for quality, there is no plan to further integrate the schools sector, statutory provision for which lies with the Minister for Education & Skills, with the formal ECEC sector which is my responsibility as Minister for Children and Youth Affairs.
Departmental Expenditure
Ceisteanna (239)
Fergus O'Dowd
Ceist:239. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the expenditure by his Department by heading (details supplied) in each of the years since June 1997 to January 2011, in tabular form; and the miscellaneous expenditure not relating to set Department budgets pertaining to the headings. [52228/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Department of Rural and Community Development was established on 19 July 2017. Any information relating to the functions transferred to this Department, for the requested period, will be reported by the relevant parent Departments in their responses.
Rent Supplement Scheme Expenditure
Ceisteanna (240)
Thomas P. Broughan
Ceist:240. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated daily cost of rent supplement payments in 2018; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52155/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Rent supplement plays a vital role in housing families and individuals, with the scheme currently supporting 35,000 recipients at a cost of €253 million in 2017.
The strategic policy direction of my Department is to return this scheme to its original purpose of being a short-term income support with the introduction of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme.
Rent supplement’s outturn forecast is calculated based on its expected level of activity taking into account transfers to, and the impact of, the HAP scheme, on-going transfers of rent supplement tenancies to other social housing options; and the general improvement in the economy. The estimated daily cost of rent supplement payments in 2018 is €491,780.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Money Advice and Budgeting Service Administration
Ceisteanna (241)
Sean Fleming
Ceist:241. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the position regarding a matter (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52078/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Citizens Information Board (CIB), which has statutory responsibility for the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) and the Citizens Information Services (CIS) decided, on 15th February 2017, to restructure the governance arrangements of these services.
The decision taken reduces the number of local CIS and MABS company boards from ninety three to a sixteen regional boards structure, comprising eight CIS boards and eight MABS boards. CIB has taken this operational decision following years of analysis of options and a detailed consultation period with all stakeholders on the need for a more streamlined governance model. The changes are being made at local company board level only. The valuable work carried out by employees and volunteers working in CIS services and employees of MABS services will continue as heretofore.
The staff and boards throughout the CIS & MABS network have been assured by CIB that there will be no changes to the terms and conditions of staff, no change to the level of service delivered to clients and no reduction in the level of investment in the services across the country.
The Citizens Information Board has been allocated €57.410 million to fund its activities and that of its service delivery partners for 2018. I understand from CIB that local services have not yet been notified of their funding allocation for 2018 so I am unaware of the funding cut referred to by the Deputy.
Carlow MABS is not included in the initial phase of the restructuring process. As the restructuring process progresses, all CIS and MABS services will be requested to commence gathering the information required to facilitate what is known as the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employees) (TUPE) process for employees and the transfer of business assets/liabilities.
It is the intention of CIB to provide information and support through the transitional period, and in this regard, information sessions are being organised for Chairpersons of local services, providing an opportunity for Chairpersons to seek clarifications on the process of transfer to the new regional companies and wind up of the existing companies.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Information and Communications Technology
Ceisteanna (242)
Clare Daly
Ceist:242. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her Department regularly carries out information technology security audits; and if so, the regularity with which they are undertaken. [52108/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Department has a robust regime for protecting its Information Systems and regular auditing is a significant element of this. Security audits are conducted within the Department by a range of internal and external bodies. The total number of such audits conducted between 2012 and 2017 was 33.
Information and Communications Technology
Ceisteanna (243)
Clare Daly
Ceist:243. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the security of communications between her Department's central servers and local offices is regularly audited; and if so, the frequency with which such audits are carried out. [52109/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The security of the communications between the central servers and all offices is constantly audited by a range of industry standard software systems specifically acquired for this purpose. This includes scanning for any weaknesses in the network routers and switches and any traffic that crosses the network. The information from these auditing systems is assessed by a network support team on an ongoing basis. My Department’s Internal Audit Unit also carries out independent audits of processes and ICT systems on an ongoing basis.
Departmental Communications
Ceisteanna (244)
Clare Daly
Ceist:244. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 487 of 29 November 2017, the transmission and security protocols used to transmit data across her Department’s network. [52110/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The transmission protocol used to transmit data across my Department’s network is TCP/IP.
The security protocols used to transmit data across my Department’s network are HTTPS, TLS/SSL, SFTP, SSH, Kerberos, RDP, LDAP.
Carer's Benefit Applications
Ceisteanna (245)
Charlie McConalogue
Ceist:245. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of a carer's benefit application by a person (details supplied); if this appointment will be expedited in view of the particular circumstances in this case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52146/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I confirm that my Department received an application for carer’s benefit from the person concerned on 19 October 2017.
Additional information was requested from the person concerned on 2 December 2017. Once the information is received the application will be processed without delay and he will be notified directly of the outcome.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Departmental Expenditure
Ceisteanna (246)
Fergus O'Dowd
Ceist:246. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the expenditure by her Department by heading (details supplied) in each of the years since June 1997 to January 2011, in tabular form; and the miscellaneous expenditure not relating to set Department budgets pertaining to the headings. [52221/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The information as requested by the Deputy is not readily available. A request to gather the information as requested by the Deputy has been made.
The Department will contact the Deputy directly when the information is compiled.
Social Welfare Overpayments
Ceisteanna (247)
Bernard Durkan
Ceist:247. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the basis on which an overpayment of child benefit occurred in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52235/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
In accordance with Social Welfare legislation the person with whom a qualified child normally resides is qualified to receive child benefit in respect of that child.
The person concerned received child benefit for her daughter for a period when the child no longer resided with her. As a result, she was not entitled to payment for the period in question and a revised decision was made disallowing child benefit in respect of the period concerned (August to October 2006). This resulted in an overpayment of €450.00. She was notified of the decision and the overpayment amount in November 2006.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.