Micheál Martin
Ceist:111. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach when Cabinet committee E on health last met. [38527/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraCabinet Committee Meetings
Ceisteanna (111)
Freagraí scríofa
Cabinet Committee E last met on 11 April 2018. Work continues on the issues/projects raised at that meeting. Most notably the Sláintecare report was published and launched.
Cabinet Committee Meetings
Ceisteanna (112)
Micheál Martin
Ceist:112. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach when Cabinet committee D on infrastructure last met. [38528/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Cabinet Committee D last met on 1 February and its next meeting is not yet scheduled.
As I have previously indicated to the House, the Committee works to ensure a coordinated approach to the delivery and ongoing development of policy across the areas of infrastructure investment and delivery, housing, and climate action.
Since the last meeting there is significant work underway across Government departments and agencies on each of these areas, in particular through regular discussion of these matters at meetings of Government.
Cabinet Committee D also provides a forum for strategic oversight of the implementation of Project Ireland 2040, the Government’s overarching policy initiative to achieve balanced development and meet the infrastructure needs of our growing population.
Under the two pillars of Project Ireland 2040 - the National Planning Framework and the National Development Plan – four funds, totalling €4 billion in investment, have been launched in the areas of rural and urban regeneration and development, climate action, and disruptive technologies.
In addition, the Land Development Agency, another cornerstone initiative of Project Ireland 2040 was recently launched. It will work to ensure the optimal use and management of State land through strategic development and regeneration, with an immediate focus on delivering homes, including social and affordable homes.
Housing remains a central priority for the Government. While the indicators show that the numbers of new houses being built is up by more than a third compared to this time last year and is increasing month on month, we recognise that we are still facing a huge challenge in meeting demand. We will continue to focus on increasing housing supply, tackling homelessness and increasing the availability of affordable and social housing through the delivery of Rebuilding Ireland and the additional policy measures announced by Minister Murphy to tackle these issues.
Climate action objectives are also at the heart of Project Ireland 2040 and building on the National Mitigation Plan an investment of €22 billion in Exchequer and non-Exchequer funding will be made to ensure a step change in climate action policy.
Cabinet Committee Meetings
Ceisteanna (113)
Micheál Martin
Ceist:113. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach when Cabinet committee B on social policy and public services last met. [38593/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Cabinet Committee B last met on 7 June.
The Committee, which covers the areas of Social Policy and Public Service Reform, ensures a co-ordinated approach to the delivery of commitments in the Programme for Partnership Government, and provides the opportunity to shape proposals on issues such as equality, disability and disadvantage which require input from multiple Departments.
Work continues as always on the agenda items to make further progress.
Departmental Reports
Ceisteanna (114)
Micheál Martin
Ceist:114. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach the number of persons in his Department, both at official and other levels, who received the Scally report before it was leaked to the media on 11 September 2018 and before the victims had received a briefing on same; and his plans to investigate the leak. [37936/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The leaking of some information from the Scally Report before the women and families most affected could be briefed was wrong. The report concerned a very sensitive issue touching on the lives of women, some of whom are very ill, and of families, some of whom are grieving a devastating bereavement.
The leaking of this information was done without any regard to the interests of the families and the women concerned and frustrated the plans that had been put in place to have Dr. Scally brief the women and families and patients’ representatives at the same time as the Cabinet meeting and ahead of the publication of the report.
The matter is being investigated by a senior official who did not receive a copy of the report in advance of its publication, and I do not wish to pre-empt the investigation by attempting at this stage to answer questions which will have to be considered as part of that investigation.
Commissions of Investigation
Ceisteanna (115)
Catherine Murphy
Ceist:115. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Taoiseach if the Commission of Investigation into Irish Bank Resolution Corporation is still due to report by year end 2018; the cost of the investigation to date; and the costs for legal fees to date. [38150/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
In December 2017, following a request from the IBRC Commission of Investigation, I extended its deadline for reporting on the first module of its investigation, the Siteserv transaction, to 31 December 2018.
To the end of August 2018, the IBRC Commission spent a total of €4,268,887, of which €1,829,867 was spent on legal fees in relation to the Counsel engaged on behalf of the Commission. It should be noted that no third party legal costs have been paid to date.
Departmental Properties
Ceisteanna (116)
Peadar Tóibín
Ceist:116. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Taoiseach the land his Department or agencies under its remit own in County Meath; the location of same; the use to which the land is put; the location of the land that is vacant, not in use or being used for agricultural purposes; the land his Department has made available to Meath County Council or other housing agencies for the purpose of house building; and the amount of this land that could be made available for housing. [38391/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
My Department does not own any properties or land in County Meath or elsewhere. Properties occupied by my Department and the National Economic and Social Development Office - the only body under the aegis of my Department - are located in Dublin and are provided and managed by the Office of Public Works.
Departmental Expenditure
Ceisteanna (117)
Róisín Shortall
Ceist:117. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Taoiseach the expenditure savings that are earmarked for his Department for 2019 that are not accounted for in the mid-year expenditure report or are not included in the fiscal space calculations for 2019. [38493/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
My Department is currently engaging with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on its 2019 Estimate provision. Any expenditure savings will be identified as part of that process and announced by the Minister for Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform at Budget time.
European Council Meetings
Ceisteanna (118)
Micheál Martin
Ceist:118. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach if he has spoken with the Prime Minister of Spain, Dr. Sánchez, while attending the informal European Council meeting in Salzburg or since. [38375/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I was honoured to be the first EU leader to meet with Pedro Sánchez following his appointment as Prime Minister of Spain, when I visited Madrid on 14 June. We discussed a range of issues across the EU agenda, including Brexit, migration and the EU budget, as well as foreign policy issues, and bilateral relations. The Prime Minister assured me of his strong support in relation to our unique concerns arising from Brexit, and agreed on the need to ensure that a legally operable version of the backstop is included in the Withdrawal Agreement. My visit to Madrid also included an event with the Spanish-Irish business network, where I had the opportunity to engage with our state agencies working in Spain, and representatives from the telecommunications, banking, tourism, and agrifood sectors.
More recently, I had the opportunity to engage informally with Prime Minister Sánchez at the Informal EU Summit in Salzburg on 19 and 20 September, where I was glad to hear that solidarity with Ireland among all 26 Member States and the EU Institutions remains absolutely solid.
I look forward to interacting with the Prime Minister and my other EU counterparts again at the European Council on 17 and 18 October.
Ongoing political engagement with our EU and international partners remains crucial, especially as negotiations on Brexit proceed, and I continue to take advantage of every opportunity to advance Ireland's interests with my fellow members of the European Council.
Departmental Communications
Ceisteanna (119)
Alan Kelly
Ceist:119. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Taoiseach if he or Ministers, ministerial advisers or officials in his Department have ever used private email to communicate on departmental issues between one another or with other persons or organisations; if so, the reason; and if so, if he will publish these emails. [38565/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I and the staff working in my Department have been assigned Departmental email accounts which are used for official business. These accounts are only accessible through my Department's secure network and, in some circumstances, remotely using officially supplied and appropriately secured mobile devices such as laptop computers or mobile telephones.
My Department's ICT Policy stipulates that where personal email accounts are used for business purposes, due regard must be taken of the sensitivity and confidentiality of the information being transmitted.
The Policy further requires that, where personal email accounts are used for business purposes, a copy of any record created must be retained in an appropriate official electronic filing system and/or hard copy file which can be accessed should the need arise.
There may be occasional operational reasons to use a personal email account or from time to time, a third party may email me about official business using an address other than my Departmental address. This has occurred previously where the third party may have had a particular address to contact me prior to my appointment as Taoiseach.
In line with my Department's ICT policy, if such correspondence is received, I or my staff copy the reply to Government officials thereby creating a record of the correspondence which can be accessed at a later date. Indeed, such correspondence has been released under Freedom of Information.
Departmental Expenditure
Ceisteanna (120)
Róisín Shortall
Ceist:120. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the expenditure savings that are earmarked for his Department for 2019 that are not accounted for in the mid-year expenditure report or are not included in the fiscal space calculations for 2019. [38483/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Mid-Year Expenditure Report (MYER) set out the starting baseline in relation to the gross voted expenditure for 2019. As outlined in the MYER, the technical pre-Budget position for current expenditure is the current expenditure allocation for this year set out in REV. This pre-Budget position will be adjusted to reflect the allocation to the Department of a central provision in relation to the Public Service Stability Agreement.
The capital ceiling set out in the MYER is consistent with the ceiling for 2019 published in the National Development Plan.
The figures set out in the MYER do not include expenditure savings targets specifically earmarked for my Department. However, as usual as part of the Estimates process, my Department will be examining the allocations across its programme area, including taking into account expenditure trends in 2018, to identify how services can be delivered within the overall fiscal parameters for 2019.
Departmental Communications
Ceisteanna (121)
Alan Kelly
Ceist:121. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if Ministers, ministerial advisers or officials in his Department have ever used private email to communicate on departmental issues between one another or with other persons or organisations; if so, the reason; if so, if he will publish these emails; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38563/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I can confirm that neither myself, nor my special advisers, have used a private email account for official business.
An official email account is provided to all officials in my Department for use in all official email correspondence. In addition, employees provide a private email address to the National Shared Services Office to allow for direct communication with the individual in relation to their own individual HR and payroll matters. This is to facilitate communication in circumstances where an employee may be on leave or absent due to illness.
Air Corps Equipment
Ceisteanna (122)
Thomas P. Broughan
Ceist:122. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if there are plans to replace the CASA fixed-wing aircraft in the Air Corps; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38667/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
My priority as Minister with Responsibility for Defence is to ensure that the operational capability of the Defence Forces is maintained to the greatest extent possible so as to enable the Defence Forces to carry out their roles as assigned by Government.
The White Paper on Defence provides for the replacement of the two CASA 235 Maritime Patrol Aircraft with consideration of their replacement with larger more suitable aircraft, which would enhance maritime surveillance and provide a greater degree of utility for transport and cargo carrying tasks. A public tender competition for the replacement of the CASA Maritime Patrol Aircraft is underway in my Department at present, following the publication of a Request for Proposals on the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) in May. The cost of the aircraft will only be known once the tender competition is concluded.
The Deputy may wish to note that the White Paper also provides for the replacement of the current Air Corps Cessna fleet with three larger aircraft which will be equipped for Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR). Following an open tender competition, a contract was placed with Pilatus Aircraft Ltd in December 2017 at a cost of some €32 million for the provision of three PC-12 fixed wing utility aircraft suitably equipped for ISTAR tasks which will replace the Cessna fleet. It is expected that the three aircraft will be delivered by 2020.
The National Development Plan provides for a Capital allocation of €541 million for Defence for the five year period 2018-2022. This allocation will allow the Defence Organisation to undertake a programme of sustained equipment replacement and infrastructural development across the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service, as set out in the White Paper. The replacement of the Air Corps Cessna aircraft and the CASA 235 Maritime Patrol Aircraft are among the projects included.
EU Sanctions
Ceisteanna (123)
Micheál Martin
Ceist:123. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the proposed sanctions against Hungary in view of the recent developments and decisions that breach European values. [37934/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
On 12 September 2018, the European Parliament, under A7 of the Treaty on European Union, adopted a reasoned proposal to the Council, inviting the Council to determine whether there is a clear risk of a serious breach by Hungary of the values on which the European Union is founded. The President of the European Parliament formally communicated this proposal to the President of the Council of the European Union, the Austrian Chancellor, Mr. Sebastian Kurz, on 18 September. The Austrian Presidency will now determine how it intends to take this forward.
Fundamental values and the rule of law are a shared EU interest and call for a common approach. Our concerns about issues relating to the rule of law in Hungary are well known and were raised by the Taoiseach when he met with Prime Minister Orban on 4 January last.
Brexit Issues
Ceisteanna (124)
Micheál Martin
Ceist:124. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has met his Polish counterpart to discuss Brexit or other issues recently. [38606/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Maintaining regular contact with our fellow EU Member States, and the EU Commission, has been a vital aspect of ensuring that Ireland’s priorities, in particular the continued protection of the Good Friday Agreement, are understood and reinforced as part of the Brexit negotiations. To this end, I, as well as other members of Government and senior officials, meet with Ministers and officials from the EU27 on a very regular basis, either bilaterally or on the margins of EU Council meetings.
Most recently, while attending the GAC (Article 50) in Brussels on 18 September, I spoke with Konrad Szymañski, the Polish Minister for European Affairs. On 3 October, I shall be visiting Warsaw, where my meetings will include one with the Foreign Minister, Jacek Czapotowicz.
Brexit Issues
Ceisteanna (125)
Micheál Martin
Ceist:125. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has spoken with his Spanish counterpart in relation to his request for legal guarantees regarding Gibraltar. [38375/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
In June I met with my Spanish counterpart, Josep Borrell, in the margins of the Foreign Affairs Council and expressed my appreciation for Spain’s continued support for Ireland and for the inclusion of a legally binding backstop arrangement in the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland which is to form part of the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement.
We also discussed the ongoing discussions between Spain and the UK with regard to Gibraltar. At the most recent GAC (Article 50) on 18 September, Spain provided an update to the EU27 on the status of these negotiations. I expressed Ireland’s support for continued efforts to resolve the important issues regarding Gibraltar which arise in the context of the UK’s exit from the EU.