Written Answers Nos. 195-211
195. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the progress in the preparation of a national coastal erosion strategy or plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30662/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Office of Public Works (OPW) does not have responsibility for the preparation of a national coastal erosion strategy or plan. The OPW's prime responsibility in this area is the management of flood risk.
To assist Local Authorities, meet their statutory obligations in relation to coastal erosion, the OPW has undertaken a national assessment of coastal erosion (including erosion rates) under the Irish Coastal Protection Strategy Study (ICPSS) and the results of this study have been published on the OPW website. This Study enables Local Authorities to meet their responsibility to develop appropriate plans and strategies for the sustainable management of the coastline in their counties.
The Local Authorities may carry out coastal erosion works using their own resources. Where coastal erosion could give rise to a coastal flood risk, the OPW operates the Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme, under which applications for funding from Local Authorities are considered for measures costing up to €750,000 in each instance. In that context, funding for coastal erosion risk management studies may also be applied for under this scheme. Funding of up to 90% of the cost is available for projects which meet the eligibility criteria including a requirement that the proposed measures are cost beneficial.
The OPW guidelines for coastal erosion risk management measures and funding applications under the Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme, are available on the OPW website www.opw.ie
196. Deputy Noel Rock asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to reimburse public servants in temporary acting-up roles who paid the pension related deduction at their full salary rate but were paying or receiving pension contributions at their substantive rate; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the Protection of Employees (Fixed-Term Work) Act 2003 provides that fixed term workers are afforded no less favourable treatment than their comparable permanent counterparts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30671/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraPRD liability is calculated on all remuneration whether pensionable or not pensionable in accordance with Section 2(3) of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2009 (as amended). Section 7 of the Act further provides that a deduction under Section 2 is not a pension contribution for the purposes of the Pensions Act 1990.
Remuneration as defined in the Act includes allowances which are never pensionable, e.g. overtime, or which are only pensionable if held at time of retirement, e.g. higher-duty allowance, acting-up allowance, shift allowances. An allowance which is not held in the 3 years prior to retirement, or under the “best 3 in 10 years” prior to retirement, is not included in the final pensionable remuneration. There is no provision to refund PRD on such remuneration.
It should be noted that the above liability is applied regardless of whether the individual is a permanent or a fixed-term worker. There is no difference in the treatment of either category of staff.
197. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the OPW's plans regarding Dunsoghly Castle, Dublin 11; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30672/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraDunsoghly Castle is a National Monument in State ownership and is maintained by the Office of Public Works. Discussions are ongoing in respect of the surrounding lands in relation to securing additional space for the purposes of carrying out necessary conservation and safety works to the Castle which would be an essential prerequisite for any future visitor development. Currently, a response is awaited in respect of certain legal issues to progress that.
The development of visitor facilities at the Castle is not a priority for the OPW and the Office has no plans currently in that respect. However, it is my understanding that interest in addressing this need has in the past been expressed locally and that the conservation and safety works proposed by the OPW will facilitate the progression of this local development in the future.
198. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when flood alleviation funding will be made available for three flood prevention works in Ballybay, Inniskeen and Monaghan, County Monaghan; when work will commence; if planning has been commenced, completed or approved for the works; when the works will be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30881/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme was the largest ever flood risk study carried out in the State and covered 300 areas believed to be at significant flood risk. The CFRAM programme culminated with the launch on 3 May, 2018 of 29 flood risk management plans which propose 118 new outline flood relief projects on top of the 42 major projects already completed and the 33 major schemes within the existing capital works programme of the Office of Public Works (OPW). All of these projects are to be funded under the Government's 10 year flood risk investment programme of almost €1 billion under the National Development Plan 2018 – 2027.
As it is not possible to progress all 118 proposed new schemes at once, funding of €257 million for an initial phase of 50 flood relief projects throughout the country was also announced which would be progressed to detailed design and construction, including the five largest schemes identified in the Plans and 31 small or minor projects under €1 million which will be progressed directly by local authorities. Aside from the 5 largest schemes and the 31 small or minor projects, the remaining projects in the initial phase of implementation were selected on the basis of those projects which would provide the greatest benefit in terms of the greatest number of properties protected on a regionally balanced basis.
The proposed schemes for Ballybay, Iniskeen and Monaghan town are not in the first tranche of projects to be progressed but the OPW and the local authority will work closely to ensure that they will be commenced as soon as possible within the 10 year timeframe for the programme of investment.
A proposed flood relief scheme at Ballybay has been identified by the CFRAM programme to be progressed at an estimated cost of €3.6 million. This proposed scheme consists of a series of flood embankments and walls and will protect 71 properties when completed.
A proposed flood relief scheme at Iniskeen has been identified by the CFRAM programme to be progressed at an estimated cost of €2 million. This proposed scheme consists of a series of flood embankments and walls and will also include the raising of a road where space is restricted for walls or embankments. The scheme will protect 14 properties when completed.
A proposed flood relief scheme at Monaghan Town has been identified by the CFRAM programme to be progressed at a projected cost of €12.5 million. This proposed scheme consists of a series of flood embankments and walls with measures also included to protect properties in the Milltown Area. The scheme will protect 47 properties when completed.
Once consultants are appointed to progress the schemes, consultation with statutory and non-statutory bodies as well as the general public takes place at the appropriate stages to ensure that all parties have the opportunity to input into the development of the schemes.
199. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of public sector jobs offered as internal competitions or restricted to existing Civil Service or public service staff in 2017 and to date in 2018 (details supplied); the number in each starting salary bracket at intervals of €10,000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30882/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, I have overarching responsibly for employment in the Civil Service. Other Ministers are responsible for employment in other sectors such as local authorities, HSE etc.
As the Deputy will be aware, Government Departments and Offices have been working under delegated sanction arrangements for their recruitment and staffing issues since 2015. Under these arrangements, which are in place for most central Government Departments and Offices, there are multi-annual pay ceilings agreed and set. Thereafter, decisions about recruitment and promotion and overall grade composition up to an including Principal Officer level are devolved.
As the Deputy will be aware, in general, selection competitions within the Civil Service take place by way of;
- competitions confined to particular Departments (Internal promotion) or
- from competitions open to candidates from all Departments (Interdepartmental promotion) or
- from open competitions to all eligible candidates including members of the public
Interdepartmental competitions are organised on behalf of the Civil Service by the Public Appointments Service (PAS), which is an independent statutory body. They have supplied the following information on the number of staff assigned from interdepartmental competitions for 2017 and 2018. Salary Information requested by the Deputy is not available. However, all salary scale circulars are available on my Department's website.
Assignments from Interdepartmental Competitions 2017-2018
|
Grade |
Assigned in 2017 |
Assigned in 2018 |
|
Assistant Principal Officer |
|
|
|
AP2016 |
62 |
- |
|
AP2017 |
77 |
82 |
|
Higher Executive Officer |
|
|
|
HEO2016 |
369 |
32 |
|
HEO2017 |
21 |
206 |
|
Executive Officer |
|
|
|
EO2014 |
65 |
0 |
|
EO2016 |
146 |
86 |
Internal competitions are a matter for individual Departments and Offices and replies to that part of this Parliamentary Question are being supplied directly by them. The information in respect of internal competitions in my own Department is set out in the following table.
Assignments from DPER Confined Competitions 2017-2018
|
Grade |
Assigned in 2017 |
Assigned in 2018 |
|
Principal Officer Higher |
5 |
0 |
|
Assistant Principal Officer Higher |
14 |
0 |
|
Higher Executive Officer |
5 |
2 |
|
Executive Officer |
1 |
2 |
All starting pay on promotion calculations following a confined competition are calculated on a case-by-case basis and in accordance with the relevant circular. The current salary scales can be found in Circular 22/2017.
200. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if requests from the Department of Justice and Equality to refurbish, renovate or make repairs to a habitable standard official Garda residences for the purposes of providing accommodation have been reviewed; if so, when; the location and the number of requests made; and the number that were expedited in each of the years 2015 to 2017 and to date in 2018. [30935/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm that the Office of Public Works, (OPW) has dealt with approximately 100 maintenance requests in relation to official Garda residences in the years in question.
It was not possible to compile all the details requested in the timeframe for this response. The information requested will be furnished directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
201. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the estimated cost to the State of the upcoming visit of Pope Francis in view of the fact that it is a private rather than a State visit. [31559/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Office of Public Works and the Department of An Taoiseach are in ongoing discussions regarding the visit of Pope Francis. Intensive planning of all the many elements of the Papal visit is continuing and evolving daily. For that reason and with further contracts yet to be agreed it is not possible to estimate accurately the cost involved.
202. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Education and Skills if extending the remit of the family support allocated to a family (details supplied) in County Dublin to address the difficulties encountered in accessing additional supports which are necessary will be considered. [30112/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra210. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties encountered by a person (details supplied) in County Dublin in accessing supports to school transport; and if the supports will be allocated. [30130/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 202 and 210 together.
School transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.
Currently over 116,000 children, including over 12,000 children with special educational needs, are being transported in over 4,500 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres annually at a total cost of almost €190 million in 2017.
The purpose of my Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.
Children are generally eligible for school transport if they satisfy the distance criteria and are attending their nearest school having regard to language and ethos.
Should the Deputy wish to provide more detailed information on the family in question my Department will request a report from Bus Éireann regarding their eligibility for school transport and the availability of school transport services.
The terms of the School Transport Scheme are applied equitably on a national basis.
203. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of students that have registered to study pre-medicine at medical schools here for the academic year 2018-2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30415/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra230. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of Irish, EU and non-EU students that have registered for pre-med courses in UCD for the 2018-2019 academic year, in tabular form; the applicable fees for each category; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30428/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra231. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of Irish, EU and non-EU students that have registered for pre-med courses in medical schools here for the 2018-2019 academic year, in tabular form; the applicable fees for each category; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30429/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 203, 230 and 231 together.
Information for 2018/19 academic year is not yet available, and pre-med courses are not available in all of the medical schools. I am arranging for the latest information to be collated, and I will arrange for it to be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is available.
204. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which business and enterprise continues to be appropriately supplied with apprenticeships in line with requirements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31001/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraApprenticeship is a demand driven educational and training programme, which aims to develop the skills of an apprentice in order to meet the needs of industry and the labour market. Consequently, the number of apprentices being registered is determined by employers within each sector. My Department is committed to supporting the increased registration of apprentices across all sectors. New apprenticeship registrations have risen from 2,698 in 2014 to 4,843 in 2017, which represents an increase of almost 80%.
As the Deputy is aware, the Government is currently expanding the range of apprenticeships on offer to meet the identified skill needs of industry. Arising from our first call for apprenticeship proposals in 2015 eleven new apprenticeships have been developed in a wide range of sectors, including financial services, engineering, ICT and accounting. Further new apprenticeships will get underway later in 2018.
In addition, arising from last year’s second call for proposals, I recently announced 26 new programmes for further development into national apprenticeships across a wide variety of sectors including construction, engineering, horticulture and agriculture. These new programmes, once developed, will add to and complement the range of apprenticeships currently on offer in developing the skill needs of our economy.
205. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of a new school project (details supplied); the projected timeframe for commencement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30020/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe school to which the Deputy refers is at an advanced stage of the tender process. The Design Team was recently authorised to issue the Letter of Intent to the preferred tenderer. Subject to no issues arising it is anticipated that construction should commence in quarter 4 2018.
206. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a person (details supplied) has been refused a SNA for the 2018-19 academic school year. [30046/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible for allocating a quantum of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support for each school annually taking into account the assessed care needs of children qualifying for SNA support enrolled in the school.
The NCSE allocates SNA support to schools in accordance with the criteria set out in Department Circular 0030/2014, which is available on the Department's website at www.education.ie, in order that students who have care needs can access SNA support as and when it is needed.
In considering applications for SNA support for individual pupils, the NCSE take account of the pupils' needs and consider the resources available to the school to identify whether additionality is needed or whether the school might reasonably be expected to meet the needs of the pupils from its current level of resources.
SNAs are not allocated to individual children but to schools as a school based resource.
SNA allocations to all schools can change from year to year as children with care needs leave the school, as new children with care needs enrol in a school and as children develop more independent living skills and their care needs diminish over time.
My Department’s policy is to ensure that every child who is assessed as needing SNA support will receive access to such support. In line with this policy, I announced in May 2018 that 800 additional SNAs will be allocated for the beginning of the next school year, with a further 140 expected to be allocated by the end of the year.
By the end of this year, there will be a total of 15,000 Special Needs Assistants working in our schools, a 42% increase on 2011.
The NCSE have advised that they have been in contact with the school regarding an appeal.
As this question relates to a particular child, I have referred the question to the NCSE for their direct reply.
207. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a person (details supplied) will receive the July provision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30058/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Purpose of July Provision Programme Grant Scheme is to provide funding towards an extended school year for children with a severe or profound general learning disability or children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Where eligible students cannot be accommodated in a school based programme, funding may be provided towards the provision of 40 hours home based tuition. As home based tuition takes place outside the usual school structure it is important that the educational programme provided generally reflects that which would be provided in a school environment.
It is appropriate therefore that the qualification standard for home based tuition generally reflects that required in a school environment. Accordingly, it is a condition of the scheme that parents/guardians must recruit a tutor who is qualified in the relevant sector, and is registered with the Teaching Council, similar to the requirement for teachers in schools.
Where all efforts have failed to secure the services of a teacher qualified to teach in the sector concerned, the Department may consider the engagement of a person who is registered with the Teaching Council and has a primary degree (minimum Level 7 on the National Framework of Qualifications) in a relevant area.
It is also a requirement of the scheme that all tutors must be vetted prior to commencing the delivery of tuition. Parents are required to satisfy themselves that tutors have been vetted by the Teaching Council of Ireland 2016 via the Teaching Council’s online vetting process.
The terms and conditions of the July Provision Grant Scheme 2018 is set out in the Department's Information Note on the scheme which was published with the application forms on 11 April 2018 and is available on my Departments website at www.education.ie.
Parents engage tutors for the provision of home based tuition in a private arrangement. It is the responsibility of the parent to source a tutor at the earliest possible opportunity to allow for applications for registration/vetting to be made by the tutor to the Teaching Council, if necessary.
The application for the July Provision Grant referred to by the Deputy cannot be approved until the Parent sources a tutor that is registered and vetted by the Teaching Council of Ireland.
208. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if adequate accommodation will be provided to a school (details supplied) for the 2018-2019 school year following the removal of the existing school entrance, vestibule, administration offices, two classrooms and the principal's office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30060/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Design Team for the project referred to by the Deputy has explored various accommodation options with the contractor. A preferred solution has been identified in order to mitigate delay and to ensure that the accommodation can be provided in the shortest timeframe possible.
209. Deputy Colm Brophy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department has identified laws which are dependent on or in place as a consequence of Article 41.2 of the Constitution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30098/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraNo legislation under the auspices of the Department of Education and Skills has been identified which is dependent on, or in place as a consequence of, Article 41.2 of the Constitution.
211. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Education and Skills if there is a process by which a child with a progressive disability can automatically renew their home tuition rather than having to reapply on an annual basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30273/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will be aware that the purpose of the Home Tuition Scheme is to provide a compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of reasons, are unable to access a school placement.
The scheme operates on a school year basis and is governed by an annual Circular which sets out the purpose, eligibility, criteria and details of the Scheme. The approval periods for home tuition reflect the school year and include breaks at Christmas, Easter and mid-term in the first and second terms and summer holidays.
Under the medical strand of the Scheme eligibility is assessed having regard to, although not limited to, the following criteria
- The student’s attendance levels during the previous school year.
- A relevant medical report
For children with medical conditions the hours granted are reflective of the time the child has been absent from school.
At the end of each school year the operation of the scheme is reviewed taking into consideration any matters arising during the past year. As such applications must be made on an annual basis.
The Circular and Application forms for 2018/19 school year will be available on my Department's website in the coming weeks.
