Wednesday, 11 Jul 2018

Written Answers Nos. 522-537

Walks Scheme

Ceisteanna (522)

Peadar Tóibín

Ceist:

522. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the amount the walks scheme costs per annum by county in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31354/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Rural and Community Development

My Department administers the Walks Scheme which was originally launched in March 2008. The Scheme was an innovative response to facilitating the development and maintenance of 39 of Ireland’s key walking trails. The Scheme currently includes 1,905 landholders as key participants in the provision of high quality walking trails by contracting them to undertake maintenance work on sections of National Waymarked Ways and other priority walks that traverse their lands. The landholders receive modest payments for maintenance work undertaken in line with agreed work plans.

Payments to landholders are disbursed through 16 Local Development Companies, who operate under a Service Level Agreement with the Department in respect of the delivery of a range of recreational services and the implementation of the Walks Scheme. Local Development Companies are also responsible for the purchase of materials used on the Walks in the Scheme.  

The cost of the scheme on an annual basis is in the region of €2.6 million. The table below outlines the costs by county for the implementation of the Scheme in 2017.  The costs include participants and materials payments, the cost of 12 Rural Recreation Officers (RRO) who are employed by Local Development Companies and are integral to the operation of the scheme, and administration fees to the Local Development Companies.  Not all Local Development Companies administering the scheme engage an RRO.

The figures provided below include a contribution of €60,000 by Fáilte Ireland towards the cost of funding the 12 RROs.

COUNTY	Walks scheme Cost 2017
CLARE	€131,757
CORK	€819,139
DONEGAL	€130,511
GALWAY	€96,966
KERRY	€371,442
KILKENNY	€82,471
LAOIS	€64,526
LEITRIM*	€2,097
LOUTH*	€47,727
MAYO	€288,178
OFFALY*	€19,381
ROSCOMMON	€192,621
SLIGO	€103,958
TIPPERARY	€173,848
WICKLOW	€101,979
Total	€2,626,601

* LDC without RRO or €5k contribution from Fáilte Ireland

Walks Scheme

Ceisteanna (523)

Peadar Tóibín

Ceist:

523. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of walkways and trails that have been maintained under the walks scheme per year since 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31355/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Rural and Community Development

My Department currently administers the Walks Scheme, which was originally launched in March 2008. The scheme was an innovative response to facilitating the development and maintenance of many of Ireland’s key walking trails.

The table below outlines the number of walks funded under the Scheme since its inception in 2008.

Number of Trails maintained 2008-2018

Year	Number of walks
2008	14
2009	29
2010	40
2011	40
2012	40
2013	39
2014	39
2015	39
2016	39
2017	39
2018	39

The Programme for a Partnership Government and the Action Plan for Rural Development include a commitment to increase the number of trails covered by the Walks Scheme and my officials are working towards this objective.

I intend to initiate a comprehensive review of the scheme’s operation this year in order to determine how best to expand the scheme and maximise the impact of the resources available to me. I hope to be in a position, by the end of this year, to identify a number of priority walks/trails where the scheme will initially be expanded.

Comhairle na Tuaithe

Ceisteanna (524, 525, 526)

Peadar Tóibín

Ceist:

524. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the amount of funding given to Comhairle na Tuaithe per year since 2008 in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31356/18]

Peadar Tóibín

Ceist:

525. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the membership list of Comhairle na Tuaithe per year since 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31357/18]

Peadar Tóibín

Ceist:

526. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the main achievements of Comhairle na Tuaithe since 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31358/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Rural and Community Development

I propose to take Questions Nos. 524 to 526, inclusive, together.

Comhairle Na Tuaithe (The Countryside Council) was originally established in February 2004 with a primary focus on the priority areas of:

- access to the countryside,

- developing a countryside code and

- developing a countryside recreation strategy.

Comhairle na Tuaithe provides a consultative forum in a partnership framework for countryside recreation, from which a National Countryside Code and a National Countryside Recreation Strategy were developed in a manner that respected the rights of the landowner and the reasonable expectations of the recreational user, and where issues over access could be addressed.

Comhairle na Tuaithe has a broad membership representing farming organisations, state land managers, recreational groups and state bodies with an interest in recreation in the Irish countryside. The table below out the membership since Comhairle was established.

Its remit is to discuss and advise on matters relating to rural recreation and activity tourism in the countryside. It is also engaged in progressing the aims and objectives of the National Countryside Recreation Strategy.

My Department currently chairs Comhairle na Tuaithe and provides the Secretariat for the group. Comhairle na Tuaithe is not a funding body in its own right and therefore it has no funding allocated directly to it. However, Departments with responsibility for Comhairle na Tuaithe since its establishment have provided some funding to progress various projects, including for pilot Mountain Access projects in the MacGillacuddy Reeks and Mount Gable. Funding was also provided for a review of Comhairle na Tuaithe which was completed in March 2016.

The report made a number of recommendations regarding the future structure and remit of Comhairle na Tuaithe and in that regard I met with members of the group on the 13th of February last to hear directly from them their views on the recommendations of the independent review, the future direction of Comhairle, and the development of the outdoor recreation sector in Ireland generally.

I am currently considering that feedback, and additional feedback received through my officials, in the context of a wider focus on the development of the rural recreation sector generally.  I will make a final decision regarding the future operation of Comhairle na Tuaithe shortly.

Member Organisations of Comhairle na Tuaithe:

Member Organisations since 2004

Coillte

Irish Local Development Network (representing Local Development Companies)

The County and City Management Association

Department of Rural and Community Development

Fáilte Ireland

The Heritage Council of Ireland.

The Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association

The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association

The Irish Countywomens Association

Mountaineering Ireland

The Irish Farmers Association

The Irish Sports Council (National Trails Office)

The Irish Uplands Forum

Keep Ireland Open

The National Parks And Wildlife Service

Walking Routes Ireland

Additional members since 2012

The Angling Council of Ireland

Scouting Ireland is the National Scout Association for Ireland

Waterways Ireland

The British Horse Society Ireland

Dog Breeding Industry

Ceisteanna (527)

Michael McGrath

Ceist:

527. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development his plans to carry out a review of the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010 to assess its effectiveness and to consider if it needs to be strengthened further; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31392/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development

On 8 July, I published new Guidelines for Dog Breeding Establishments. These have been put in place in accordance with the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010 and will come into effect on 1 January 2019. These Guidelines are available on the following link.

When developing these Guidelines, my Department took into account responses received though a public consultation process. Some of the issues raised during the consultation process related to matters beyond the scope of the guidelines and these will be considered as part of a wider review of the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010 which will commence later this year.

Ministerial Advisers Data

Ceisteanna (528)

Billy Kelleher

Ceist:

528. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of part-time and full-time media advisers employed in his Department; the Civil Service grade of each media adviser; and the cost over a full year of employing all such advisers. [31253/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Rural and Community Development

The Department of Rural and Community Development was established on 19 July 2017, it employs one full time media advisor at the civil service grade of Principal Officer.

The annual salary for this position is at the level of the Principal Officer Standard pay scale, sanctioned at €84,973.00.

National Development Plan Funding

Ceisteanna (529)

Barry Cowen

Ceist:

529. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the specific projects which will receive the €53 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 €53 million in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31280/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Rural and Community Development

The National Development Plan has provided for a new €1 billion Rural Regeneration and Development Fund to enable towns, villages and outlying rural areas to grow sustainably and support delivery of the strategic objectives of the National Planning Framework.

Funding of €315 million has been provided over the period 2019 to 2022, which will allow both further activity under existing initiatives as well as the introduction of new investment initiatives under the Fund to be supported during this period.

Details on the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund are available online at the following link.

There are no specific projects assigned to this Fund in the NDP; instead the Plan makes clear that allocations from the Fund will be made on a competitive bid based approach.

On July 4th, I announced a first call for proposals under the Fund and invited submissions under two categories:

Category 1: “Ready-to-Go” proposals, or initial phases of projects which can be commenced in 2019, which have the necessary consents (e.g. planning) in place, are at an advanced stage of design, are in a position to satisfy value-for-money requirements in accordance with the Public Spending Code, and are procurement ready.

Category 2: Proposals that have clear potential and quantifiable objectives but require further development to enable them to be potentially submitted as Category 1 proposals in subsequent funding calls.

The deadline for the receipt of applications under the first call for proposals is 27 September 2018.

It is envisaged that an initial announcement of approved projects will be made in late October/early November 2018 following the assessment process, and that projects (or project development in the case of Category 2 proposals) will commence in early 2019. It is expected a further call for proposals will be announced in mid-2019 and that subsequent calls will be announced on an annual basis thereafter.

Departmental Funding

Ceisteanna (530)

Barry Cowen

Ceist:

530. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the specific projects which will receive the €141 million in capital funding allocated in 2019; the amount each project will receive of the €141 million in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31297/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Rural and Community Development

My Department provides funding at programme level to support local authorities and others in the delivery of individual projects. In respect of allocations for 2018, the breakdown of my Department’s capital spend at programme level is as follows.

	Capital allocations	€
		€,000
Administration		302
A3	Dormant Accounts	2006
A5	National Rural Development Schemes	15383
A6	LEADER	35000
A8	Town and Village Regeneration Scheme	15000
A9	Rural Broadband, Regional Economic Development	600
A10	Local Improvement Scheme	10000
B6	RAPID	3767
B8	Programme for Peace and Reconciliation	700
B10	Library Development and Archive Service	2750
B11	Community Facilities Fund	2000

In general, the breakdown of capital funding for my Department between subheads is agreed annually as part of the Estimates process; the breakdown of €141m in capital funding in respect of 2019 will fall to be considered during the upcoming annual estimates process.

In the case of the LEADER programme, the overall allocation for this programme for the period 2014-2020 has been agreed at €250 million as part of the EU co-funded Rural Development Programme 2014-2020.

Details of individual projects supported by my Department are available on my Department’s website.

Departmental Expenditure

Ceisteanna (531)

Barry Cowen

Ceist:

531. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the specific reason for the underspend in gross voted expenditure of €17 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 he will make a statement on the matter. [31312/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Rural and Community Development

The Revised Estimates in respect of the Department of Rural and Community Development sets out gross capital expenditure of €87.5m and current expenditure of €144m in respect of my Department for 2018. The capital expenditure is supplemented by some €7.7m in respect of capital carried forward from 2017.

The figure of €17m referred to in the Deputy’s question reflects the estimate of monthly capital expenditure underspend and excludes capital carryover expenditure from 2017.

In addition to actual gross capital expenditure of €6.9m to the end of June, a further €5.1m has been expended on capital carryover from 2017, comprising an additional €4.5m (LEADER) and €0.6m (National Rural Development Schemes).

I have set out in the attached table details of actual capital expenditure to end of June against profile (-€16.8m) as requested.

A significant portion of capital underspend against profile relates to the Town and Village Scheme (Subhead A8), which funds capital projects administered by the Local Authorities. I am conscious of the particular demands which were placed on Local Authorities in the early months of this year in responding to severe weather emergencies and these may have been a contributory factor to the underspend. However, my Department is in regular contact with Local Authorities and other stakeholders with a view to accelerating activity on all capital schemes, including the Town and Village Renewal Scheme and I expect to see an increase in capital spending as the year progresses.

For example, while the LEADER programme also shows an underspend against profile to the end of June, the delivery of this programme on the ground is continuing to grow rapidly. At present 1,150 projects with a value of over €34 million had been approved for funding by the LEADER Local Action Groups. Almost 300 further projects are going through the approvals process. Payments will be made to all of these projects as they become operational and submit payment claims.

It should be noted that all figures provided are provisional, pending audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General.

CAPITAL EXPENDITURE	YTD - Actual	YTD - Profile	YTD - Variance
	JUN-18	JUN-18	JUN-18
	€'m	€'m	€'m
V42 - GROSS	6.9	23.6	-16.8
A - REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT & REGIONAL AFFAIRS	6.8	21.8	-15.1
A.2 - ADMINISTRATION - NON PAY	0.1	0.1	0.0
A.5 - NATIONAL RURAL DEVELOPMENT SCHEMES	0.4	1.6	-1.2
A.6 - LEADER - RURAL ECONOMY SUB PROGRAMME	2.7	9.4	-6.8
A.8 - TOWN AND VILLAGE REGENERATION	3.6	10.6	-7.0
A.9 - RURAL BROADBAND, REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT	0.0	0.1	-0.1
A.10 - LOCAL IMPROVEMENT SCHEMES	0.0	0.0	0.0
B - COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT	0.1	1.8	-1.7
B.2 - ADMINISTRATION - NON PAY	0.1	0.1	0.0
B.6 - RAPID	0.0	1.5	-1.5
B.8 - PROGRAMME FOR PEACE AND RECONCILIATION	0.0	0.2	-0.2
B.10 - LIBRARY DEVELOPMENT AND ARCHIVE SERVICE	0.0	0.0	0.0
B.11 - COMMUNITY FACILITIES FUND	0.0	0.0	0.0

General Data Protection Regulation Data

Ceisteanna (532, 533)

Catherine Murphy

Ceist:

532. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the changes he has made to allow access by persons to their own data held by his Department and bodies under its aegis following the introduction of GDPR; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31477/18]

Catherine Murphy

Ceist:

533. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the staffing complement and resources of his Department's data protection officer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31501/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Rural and Community Development

I propose to take Questions Nos. 532 and 533 together.

The introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation has given individuals greater control over their data by setting out additional and more clearly defined rights regarding the collection and processing of personal data by organisations, including Government Departments.

My Department has highlighted these rights on its website, www.drcd.gov.ie, and has also published its Data Protection Policy. No staff have been allocated to the Data Protection Officer on a full-time basis at this time, however, staff across my Department are available to assist with data protection issues and with requests for access, when required. The allocation of staff to data protection issues will be reviewed on an ongoing basis.

Details of how to make a request have also been published on our website, along with a Subject Access Request form that can be used by persons wishing to access their data.

General Data Protection Regulation

Ceisteanna (534)

Catherine Murphy

Ceist:

534. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the data protection impact assessments his Department has commenced since 15 May 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31518/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Rural and Community Development

My Department has collated surveys of the Records of Processing Activities information for business sections and will conduct Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIA) where the need is identified.

There has been no new data processing technology introduced into the Department since 15 May 2018, nor are there any due to be introduced in the foreseeable future, so there has been no requirement to conduct a DPIA for this reason.

Data Sharing Arrangements

Ceisteanna (535)

Catherine Murphy

Ceist:

535. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development 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. [31629/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Rural and Community Development

The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has responsibility for Data Sharing and Governance Bill, which was published on 8 June 2018 and is currently at Report Stage in the Seanad.

The purpose of the Bill is to promote and encourage data sharing between public bodies by providing a statutory framework for data sharing for legitimate and clearly specified purposes that are compliant with data protection law; and to improve the protection of individual privacy rights by setting new governance standards for data sharing by public bodies.

National and EU data protection law requires that data sharing needs an explicit legal basis. Data sharing is currently carried out by the public service under existing sectorial legislation. For example, the Student Support Act 2011 provides that public bodies may share data with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) for the purposes of streamlining the processing student grant applications.

The Data Sharing and Governance Bill, provides a flexible legislative gateway for data sharing by public bodies that will simplify the complex legal landscape and supports efforts to modernise and improve public services. The Bill also provides a framework for public bodies to share data in a manner that is compatible with data protection law, including the new General Data Protection Regulation that came into effect on 25 May.

School Meals Programme

Ceisteanna (536)

Kathleen Funchion

Ceist:

536. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the allocation for the school meals programme. [31359/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection

The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,580 schools and organisations benefitting 250,000 children at a total cost of €54 million in 2018 representing an increase of €6.5 million over the previous year. €1.7m of the additional funding will go towards including additional schools in the scheme and supporting some 16,000 additional children. The remainder of the increase is to cover the full year cost of new measures introduced in 2017.

The objective of the scheme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children who are unable, due to lack of good quality food, to take full advantage of the education provided to them. The programme is an important component of policies to encourage school attendance and extra educational achievement.

Pensions Reform

Ceisteanna (537)

Willie O'Dea

Ceist:

537. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason behind the delay in addressing issues in relation to defined benefit pensions and in particular the delay in progressing the Social Welfare, Pensions and Civil Registration Bill 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31139/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection

The Roadmap for Pensions Reform, which was published by the Government earlier this year, details specific measures that will modernise our pension system. It sets out under Strand 4, ‘Measures to Support the Operation of Defined Benefit Schemes’, that the Government is committed to advancing the Social Welfare, Pensions and Civil Registration Bill 2017 to respond to the ongoing difficulties in DB schemes and to increase protections for members as well encouraging employers to ensure that schemes are well funded and managed.

As the Deputy is aware, the General Scheme of the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2017 (now the Social Welfare, Pensions and Civil Registration Bill 2017), was published in May 2017 and contained a number of key measures relating to DB pension schemes. These proposed provisions will ensure that an employer cannot “walk away” at short notice from the pension scheme it is supporting. They seek a middle road between the current position where employers can abandon DB schemes and full and immediate debt on employer provisions. The measures will act to support existing provisions in the Pensions Act and will provide for further protection for scheme members’ benefits and enhance employer responsibilities for their schemes.

The second Stage of the Social Welfare, Pensions and Civil Registration Bill 2017 concluded on 4 October 2017 and Government approval to draft provisions for a number of additional items to be included in the Bill at Committee Stage was obtained from Cabinet. These provisions are currently being finalised with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel. They include, amongst other matters, provisions related to defined benefit pensions and measures related to the General Data Protection Regulation, GDPR.

A key priority for the Government is to provide additional protections for scheme members’ pension benefits. However, it is essential that any new measures recognise the current pension landscape in Ireland so that a balanced, proportionate approach is developed and that unintended negative consequences do not arise.

Under existing pensions law, there is no legislative obligation on the employer to make contributions to a scheme. However, the provisions of this Bill will introduce a new regime into the Pensions Act 1990 which will, amongst other things, enable the Pensions Authority to make a funding obligation direction specifying payments to be made by a sponsoring employer to the pension scheme where no agreement is reached, within a specified time period, to resolve a funding deficit.

In order to achieve a balanced approach it has been necessary to consult with and obtain numerous legal advices from the Office of the Attorney General in respect of the DB provisions.

The provisions relating to defined benefit pensions are quite technical and complex. Work on finalising the provisions is at an advanced stage and when complete an early date for Committee Stage will be requested from the committee.