Written Answers Nos. 507-521
507. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the progress his Department has made in respect of the funding, planning and development of the electrification of the Maynooth railway line; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31565/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA), working with other relevant State bodies, is responsible for ensuring the planning, development and delivery of the public transport infrastructure priorities in the GDA. This includes the electrification of the Maynooth railway line which, as the Deputy is aware, is part of the DART Expansion Programme for which €2 billion has been allocated under the National Development Plan.
In light of the NTA’s role, I have forwarded the Deputy’s questions to the NTA for further response regarding progress to date.
508. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when the next round of sports capital funding will be announced; the application process for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31595/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 2017 round of the Sports Capital Programme attracted a record 2,320 applications. In November and December last, Minister Ross and I announced allocations to a record 1,800 projects under the 2017 round. A review of the 2017 round of the programme has now been finalised and published on my Department's website (www.dttas.ie). This review highlights aspects of the 2017 round of the SCP that worked well but also suggests some further improvements which are being considered prior to the next round of the programme opening for applications. Some of these changes require amendments to the Department's online application system and work in this regard has now commenced.
I have received sanction from the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform for a new round and I expect to make an announcement in relation to the timing of the next round and the amount available shortly. All clubs and organisations registered on the Department's online application system will be notified at that time.
509. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when the N22 Macroom bypass will go to tender; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31596/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme. The planning, design and operation of individual roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned.
Noting the above position, I have referred the Deputy's question to TII for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you don't receive a reply within 10 working days.
510. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the measures he has taken in his Department further to the Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform's statement (details supplied) that the Data Sharing and Governance Bill 2018 is needed to provide a legal basis for certain data transfers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31746/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Data Sharing and Governance Bill, responsibility for which falls under the remit of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, was published on 8 June 2018 and is currently at Report Stage in the Seanad.
As the Data Sharing and Governance Bill 2018 is still under consideration, my Department is not yet in a position to prepare and implement appropriate measures. This will be done when the final outcome of the Bill is known.
511. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the estimated cost of extending the school completion programme to all schools. [31103/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has requested a reply from the Educational Welfare Service of Tusla to your question, and the information will be forwarded directly to you soon as it becomes available.
512. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the position regarding the estimated 9,000 families that are yet to benefit from the affordable childcare scheme (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31187/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn order to fast-track many of the benefits of the Affordable Childcare Scheme, in September 2017 I introduced a range of interim measures. These involved an increase of up to 50% in current targeted childcare subsidy rates and a new universal subsidy for all children aged between 6 months and 3 years who are in a Tusla-registered setting. To date these measures have seen very good take-up rates and 76,000 children have benefitted. These measures will continue to be available over 2018 and 2019.
Prior to the introduction of those measures in September 2017, it was estimated that approximately 9,000 children, who would not benefit from these interim measures, would benefit from the Affordable Childcare Scheme once launched. This estimate was based on:
(a) the numbers of children aged 3 and older whose family incomes are above the threshold for a GP Visit Card but below the threshold for the Affordable Childcare Scheme, and
(b) the numbers of children aged 3 and older whose parents may be eligible for a GP Visit Card – or other eligibility criterion – but have not taken it up.
However, in advance of the Scheme starting, there is considerable difficulty in predicting the number of children who will benefit from subsidies under the Scheme, because of uncertainty around 'dynamic' effects on the demand for childcare. This uncertainty means that the figure of 9,000 was, and continues to be, a tentative estimate.
The Deputy has asked about the date from which the scheme will be available.
I am glad to report that officials at my Department are making good progress in the development of the Affordable Childcare Scheme. This involves intensive work across legislative, ICT, administrative, governance and communications areas, with positive progress being made across all of these areas.
With regard to the legislation establishing the new Affordable Childcare Scheme, the Childcare Support Act 2018 was signed by the President on Monday, 2nd July. The Act will be underpinned by detailed secondary legislation and formal policy guidelines. Work is currently ongoing on both of these and also on the development of regulations to provide, for the first time, for the registration of school-age childcare services by the Tusla Early Years Inspectorate. These latter regulations will be introduced in advance of the Affordable Childcare Scheme to allow school-age childcare services to register and thereby participate in the scheme from its inception.
With regard to the ICT system to underpin the scheme, my Department has just concluded a full open tender public procurement process and I have awarded a contract for the development of the system. The launch of the scheme is dependent on this ICT system. As such, now that a contractor is in place, my officials are finalising a detailed project plan and I will shortly confirm and communicate a planned start date for the Affordable Childcare Scheme.
513. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of part-time and full-time media advisers employed in her Department; the Civil Service grade of each media adviser; and the cost over a full year of employing all such advisers. [31241/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, I have appointed two Special Advisers on a full-time basis in my Department, one of whom focuses on media matters.
The appointment of this adviser has been made in accordance with Instructions for Ministerial Appointments as published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. These instructions set specific conditions to be met in respect of such appointments including the salary to be applied.
The relevant Special Adviser has been placed on the Principal Officer Standard Scale (PPC) and is currently on the 5th point of this scale, with an annual cost of €108,291, inclusive of salary and Employer's PRSI.
514. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the specific projects which will receive the €4 million in extra capital expenditure in 2019 as outlined in Annex 1 of the National Development Plan 2018-2027; the amount each project will receive of this €4 million in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31269/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra515. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the specific projects which will receive the €32 million in capital funding allocated in 2019; the amount each project will receive of the €32 million in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31284/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 514 and 515 together.
The National Development Plan sets out the Government`s capital investment priorities that will underpin the new National Planning Framework. My Department has been allocated €156 million in capital expenditure over the period 2018-2022. This includes the provision of €32 million for 2019.
It is not possible at this time to identify the specific amounts that will be allocated to each programme area in 2019 as this will be considered in the context of the finalisation of the budget/estimates process for next year. However, at this stage I can confirm to the Deputy that the resources will support continued investment in the following areas:
- Childcare, to ensure quality and supply of sufficient childcare places.
- Youth services that support and target disadvantaged young people and improve their employability.
- Tusla, through the continued development of ICT and standards of accommodation, and
- Oberstown Children Detention Campus through the provision of safe and secure places.
516. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the specific reason for the underspend in gross voted expenditure of €5 million as outlined in Appendix V of the June 2018 Fiscal Monitor; the specific projects that have an underspend; the value of the underspend on each project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31301/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Exchequer Statement (Fiscal Monitor) for June 2018, as published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, shows that the capital expenditure outlays by my Department are below the expenditure profile by €5 million.
The Deputy might note that the level of underspend at this time specifically relates to timing factors associated with the drawdown of funds across a number of programme areas and that the situation is expected to reverse over the coming months. Details of the programmes are set out in the following table:
|
Subhead |
Programme area |
ExpenditureProfile- €000 |
ExpenditureOutlay - €000 |
Variation€000 |
|
A.3 |
Child and Family Agency |
6,495 |
4,628 |
-1,867 |
|
A.4 |
Oberstown Children Detention Campus |
2,990 |
531 |
-2,459 |
|
B.4 |
General Childcare Programmes |
5,960 |
5,350 |
-610 |
|
B.6 |
Youth Organisations and Services |
675 |
118 |
-557 |
|
Total |
16,120 |
10,627 |
-5,493 |
517. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the changes she has made to allow access by persons to their own data held by her Department and bodies under its aegis following the introduction of GDPR; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31465/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAny person whose personal data has been or is being processed by my Department is entitled to lodge a subject access request with the Department. My Department recognises that the response timeframe under the GDPR has been reduced to one month, following validation of the identity of the person making the access request.
The bodies under the aegis of the Department are data controllers in their own right, and I have asked them to respond to the Deputy directly.
518. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the staffing complement and resources of her Department's data protection officer; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31489/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has assigned a person at the grade of Assistant Principal Officer to act as the Department's Data Protection Officer. The Data Protection Officer has been assigned a Higher Executive Officer to assist in their function. An Executive Officer is also due to be assigned when the opportunity arises.
519. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the data protection impact assessments her Department has commenced since 15 May 2018; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31506/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraOne data protection impact assessment has been undertaken by my Department since 15 May 2018. This relates to the application process for the forthcoming Affordable Childcare Scheme.
520. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the changes she has made to allow access by adopted persons to their own data following the introduction of the GDPR; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31609/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) significantly increases the obligations and responsibilities for organisations and businesses in how they collect, use and protect personal data. At the centre of the new law is the requirement for organisations and businesses to be fully transparent about how they are using and safeguarding personal data, and to be able to demonstrate accountability for their data processing activities.
The Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2016 has passed Second Stage in the Seanad. The implications of the introduction of the GDPR for all relevant individuals in the context of information and tracing are being carefully considered by my Department in advance of the committee stage debate on the Bill.
521. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the measures she has taken in her Department further to the Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform's statement (details supplied) that the Data Sharing and Governance Bill 2018 is needed to provide a legal basis for certain data transfers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31617/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Data Sharing and Governance Bill 2018 is still under consideration by Government, my Department is not in a position to prepare or implement plans until the final outcome of the Bill is known.
It is my understanding that this Bill in its current format will provide the legal basis for sharing data, including personal data, among certain public sector bodies and will assist in stipulating the specific safeguards that should be put in place for such data sharing arrangements. Detailed data sharing arrangements are outlined in this Bill, and if implemented in their current format, will assist in ensuring the governance of such data transfers.
My Department will be proactive in its approach to the implementation of any measures necessary to ensure adherence to the final Bill, once passed.
