Written Answers Nos. 206-211
206. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if consideration has been given to keeping a building (details supplied) open to the public all year round; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53822/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Office of Public Works provides guided services at 70 historic sites nationwide, admitting 7.9m visitors in total at these locations last year. In addition to directly-managed sites, unaccompanied public access is also facilitated at approximately 300 open National Monuments such as Carrigafoyle Castle where visitors are free to enjoy these sites on a self guided basis.
OPW practice is to maintain fulltime access to sites insofar as it is possible. However some locations dictate a different approach. In the case of Carrigafoyle, access is facilitated from the beginning of May until the end of September when the vast majority of visitors come to the site. The underfoot conditions at Carrigafoyle combined with the low light conditions during winter months elevates the risk of accidents and it is not considered advisable to maintain the site fully open throughout the year.
207. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of civil servants that applied to transfer from Dublin zone 46 to another county in Munster, Leinster, Connacht and Ulster, respectively, according to grade in each Department under the service-wide mobility scheme launched on 13 November 2017; the number of civil servants that requested a transfer to Dublin zone 46 by grade based in each province and county outside Dublin in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53934/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Civil Service Mobility scheme which comes under the remit of my department, and is administered through HR Shared Service, National Shared Service Office, offers an opportunity for staff members to apply for mobility through an open and transparent system. The establishment of the scheme fulfils one of the requirements of Action 15 of the Civil Service Renewal Plan; and Action 14 of the People Strategy for the Civil Service which calls for the further expansion of a coherent mobility policy to facilitate staff development and strategic alignment with other HR policies builds upon this.
As the Deputy is aware, the scheme launched on 13th November 2017 and is being implemented on a phased basis. Phase 1A of the scheme is for the general Civil Service grades of Clerical Officer (CO) and Executive Officer (EO) to apply for mobility between and within 46 zones - excluding mobility within Zone 46 (Dublin) which will be included in Phase 1B. There has been a high level of interest in the scheme since its launch with over 3,500 staff members applying for mobility and making an average of 9 organisational choices.
The location choices in the scheme are divided into mobility zones rather than county or province. An applicant may express a preference for mobility for a maximum of 3 zones from the list of 46 zones (full list is available on the Mobility webpage –see below link) with a choice of any or all organisations in each zone. Staff members can apply for mobility within their current zone (excluding Phase 1B, Zone 46 Dublin) as well as other zones. A number of mobility zones also have an option to include or exclude a choice of satellite towns.
To date, 963 staff members (541 COs and 422 EOs) based in Zone 46 (Dublin), have applied for Mobility to organisations outside of Dublin. In the same period, 154 staff members (112 COs and 42 EOs) have applied for Mobility to organisations located in Zone 46.
Phase 1B for the general Civil Service grades of CO and EO for mobility within the zone of Dublin and Phase 2 for the general Civil Service grades of HEO and AP will launch at a later date. Further information on the Mobility scheme is available to view at http://hr.per.gov.ie/civil-service-mobility/.
208. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the appropriations-in-aid for each Department; the amount taken in; the amount spent; the net position in each of the years 2011 to 2017 and to date in 2018, by Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53979/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAppropriations-in-aid are Departmental receipts which, as set out in Public Financial Procedures, need not be paid directly into the Exchequer, but which may be retained to defray the expenses of the Vote to which they refer. The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform databank, http://databank.per.gov.ie , sets out appropriations-in-aid for each Vote broken down into non-pay, pay, pensions, and capital.
In the databank appropriations-in-aid represent the difference between gross and net voted expenditure. The data in the databank is updated to reflect the latest published Estimates structure. Table 1 in the attached document sets out the position with regard to appropriations-in-aid for each of the years 2011 to 2017 on a Vote group basis. The Revised Estimates Volume includes within the gross expenditure amounts for the Employment Affairs and Social Protection Group, and the Education and Skills Group, expenditure respectively of the Social Insurance Fund and the National Training Fund. For consistency, this expenditure is also reflected within the overall appropriations-in-aid figures on the databank and in the table attached. For information, this expenditure is also set out separately in Table 2.
Table 3 sets out the position for 2018, showing the initial allocation made in REV 2018, the end-November outturn and the forecast outturn for the year as notified by Departments and Offices. The forecast outturn includes anticipated additional EU receipts in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and European Social Fund receipts in the Department of Education and Skills.
Table 1: Total Appropriations-in-Aid by Vote Group 2011 – 2017
|
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
|
|
€000 |
€000 |
€000 |
€000 |
€000 |
€000 |
€000 |
|
|
Taoiseach's Group |
7,648 |
8,357 |
7,587 |
6,216 |
6,776 |
4,937 |
4,968 |
|
Finance Group |
83,350 |
80,841 |
86,738 |
86,140 |
90,603 |
83,527 |
78,623 |
|
Public Expenditure and Reform Group |
123,532 |
122,598 |
124,077 |
143,680 |
178,802 |
200,280 |
245,877 |
|
Justice Group |
253,449 |
252,982 |
264,958 |
256,285 |
258,076 |
252,136 |
252,179 |
|
Education & Skills Group |
943,752 |
921,409 |
912,791 |
905,834 |
883,026 |
831,847 |
823,908 |
|
Foreign Affairs Group |
46,170 |
49,153 |
49,154 |
49,303 |
53,039 |
58,421 |
64,565 |
|
Communications, Climate Action & Environment Group |
239,648 |
237,320 |
237,231 |
230,796 |
235,466 |
228,535 |
232,599 |
|
Agriculture, Food and the Marine Group |
429,883 |
378,256 |
241,748 |
71,220 |
438,683 |
453,147 |
258,906 |
|
Transport, Tourism & Sport Group |
428,319 |
450,541 |
439,637 |
390,277 |
405,663 |
383,627 |
379,175 |
|
Business, Enterprise & Innovation Group |
56,085 |
50,342 |
51,295 |
49,248 |
51,925 |
52,680 |
52,528 |
|
Housing, Planning & Local Government Group |
47,917 |
70,658 |
95,369 |
85,607 |
45,920 |
19,863 |
63,229 |
|
Defence Group |
48,634 |
52,080 |
54,093 |
50,848 |
50,195 |
46,104 |
36,084 |
|
Employment Affairs & Social Protection Group |
7,599,556 |
6,852,782 |
7,389,908 |
7,966,607 |
8,590,661 |
8,859,664 |
9,168,374 |
|
Children and Youth Affairs Group |
4,254 |
12,387 |
5,351 |
22,898 |
24,598 |
22,007 |
20,996 |
|
Rural & Community Development |
7,903 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
21,663 |
|
Health Group |
1,463,142 |
1,494,433 |
1,377,269 |
1,341,887 |
527,975 |
460,408 |
459,319 |
|
Culture, Heritage & the Gaeltacht Group |
5,897 |
6,245 |
6,033 |
9,135 |
6,788 |
8,620 |
5,468 |
|
Total |
11,789,139 |
11,040,384 |
11,343,239 |
11,665,981 |
11,848,196 |
11,965,803 |
12,168,461 |
Table 2: Expenditure on the National Training Fund and Social Insurance Fund Included in Table 1 and Table 2
|
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
20181 |
|
|
€000 |
€000 |
€000 |
€000 |
€000 |
€000 |
€000 |
€000 |
|
|
National Training Fund |
326,269 |
340,896 |
348,806 |
346,906 |
334,210 |
344,399 |
357,235 |
415,450 |
|
Social Insurance Fund |
7,366,803 |
6,607,958 |
7,139,905 |
7,714,064 |
8,320,109 |
8,586,821 |
8,903,890 |
9,362,191 |
|
Total |
7,693,072 |
6,948,854 |
7,488,711 |
8,060,970 |
8,654,319 |
8,931,220 |
9,261,125 |
9,777,641 |
1 Forecast Outturn
209. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the amount spent on social media by his Department in 2016, 2017 and to date in 2018; the projected spend in 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53995/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra210. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the amount spent on marketing and media by his Department in 2016, 2017 and to date in 2018; the projected spend in 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54012/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 209 and 210 together.
The table below outlines the spend by my Department on marketing and media in the years 2016, 2017 and to date in 2018. The figures include, for example, awareness campaigns in relation to MyGovID and the work of the Office of Government Procurement which is part of the Department. At present, there are no figures available for the projected spend on marketing and media in 2019.
|
Year |
Total Spend |
|
2016 |
€14,987.14 |
|
2017 |
€282,144.00 |
|
2018 |
€182,882.71 |
The table below outlines the spend by my Department on social media in the years 2016, 2017 and to date in 2018. Similarly, these figures include expenditure by the Office of Government Procurement. At present, there are no figures available for the projected spend on social media in 2019.
|
Year |
Total Spend |
|
2016 |
€2,444.07 |
|
2017 |
€46,634.04 |
|
2018 |
€47,337.07 |
211. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which apprenticeships are available in all areas throughout the country at present; the uptake of such places; the extent to which the places available meets the demand; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53843/18]
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 and the expansion of the apprenticeship model into new sectors of the economy. The 2019 budget allocation for apprenticeship training is €142m which represents an increase of over 16% on the 2018 allocation of €122m.
This Government is committed to expanding the apprenticeship model into new sectors of the economy. Arising from two calls for apprenticeship proposals issued by the Apprenticeship Council in 2015 and 2017, 17 new apprenticeships have now been developed in a range of new occupations, including financial services, engineering, ICT, hospitality, logistics and accounting. Further new apprenticeships will get underway throughout 2019 in a 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. All of these apprenticeships are national programmes that can be delivered on a nationwide basis.
As well as developments in new apprenticeships we have seen strong growth in registrations across the craft trades nationally during 2017 with 4,508 at year end, which represents a 20% increase on 2016.
In addition, education and training providers are also engaging positively with the Regional Skills Fora in order to address skills deficits in their regions. This engagement informs the planning for education and training programmes, including apprenticeship.
Apprenticeships have a balanced regional spread and the delivery of Action Plan to Expand Apprenticeship and Traineeship will bring real opportunities for learners and employers throughout the country.
