Written Answers Nos. 194-215
194. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of properties in zones defended by the OPW that have full flood insurance coverage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6524/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will acknowledge that the Office of Public Works has no responsibility for oversight or regulation of the insurance industry in relation to flood risk insurance, or to insurance matters generally. The Government’s strategy is that in return to its investment on flood defence schemes in the most at risk communities, households and businesses should be able to access flood insurance.
The Office of Public Works has a very specific role in the exchange of information with the insurance industry in relation to completed flood defence schemes, to an agreed standard of protection desired by the industry.
A Memorandum of Understanding agreed on 24 March 2014, between the Office of Public Works and Insurance Ireland, the representative body for the insurance companies in Ireland has a specific focus on agreeing a basis on which information can be provided to the insurance industry on flood relief schemes completed by the OPW.
The Memorandum came into effect on 1 June, 2014 with an initial tranche of data provided by the Office of Public Works to Insurance Ireland in respect of twelve completed flood defence schemes; showing the design, extent and nature of the protections offered by these works. Details of a further five schemes were provided in January 2015 and details of the Waterford Flood Defence Scheme was provided in 2017.
Since that time the level of flood insurance cover for homes and small businesses for areas protected by OPW flood defence schemes has on average increased from 77% to 82% with the level of flood insurance cover reported to be up to 90% in areas benefitting from fixed defences.
The Department of Finance and the OPW meet with Insurance Ireland to address issues in relation to this transfer of data. The OPW and the Department of Finance are currently working with the insurance sector to baseline flood cover ahead of schemes being completed. This aims to provide a ‘before’ and ‘after’ of flood insurance cover for communities being protected in the future; and give a baseline to be able to address any concerns about the levels of cover being reported. In 2018, data relating to four schemes has been provided to Insurance Ireland, as the first set of data to pilot a comparative analysis of the levels of flood cover before and after schemes have been completed.
It is important to note that while the Memorandum requires that insurers take full account of information provided by the OPW on completed flood defence schemes, it does not guarantee the availability of flood risk cover in the locations for which information has been provided by the OPW. The provision of insurance cover, the level of premiums charged and the policy terms applied are a matter for individual insurers.
195. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the River Nenagh in areas (details supplied) in County Tipperary will be cleaned in view of the fact that in moderate rainfall it floods land in the area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6552/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Office of Public Works (OPW) is responsible for the maintenance of Arterial Drainage Schemes and catchment drainage schemes designated under the Arterial Drainage Acts of 1945 and 1995.
The section of the Nenagh River at Tiermoyle, Latteragh forms part of the Nenagh Arterial Drainage Scheme and is under the auspices of OPW.
OPW's scheduled maintenance programme for 2019 includes works on this channel. The works are scheduled to be undertaken in the next few months during the appropriate environmental window.
196. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the breakdown of the allocation in 2019 for the forensic science library; the date in 2019 building will commence; if it will be impacted by the cost overrun with the national children's hospital; if he or his officials have been consulted by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6877/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Office of Public Works is undertaking the Forensic Science Laboratory not the Forensic Science Library.
The Government is committed to delivering Project Ireland 2040 within the overall multi-year resource envelope that has been set out. For 2019, the capital allocation has increased by €1,325 million or just over 22% above the 2018 allocation as stated in the Revised Estimates for Public Services 2019. With regard to implications arising from the National Children’s Hospital project, the Government is currently considering how the additional cost pressures will be accommodated within the multi-year envelope, with a minimum of disruption to the planned rollout and delivery of important infrastructure projects under Project Ireland 2040, which I am pleased to report are proceeding at a strong rate.
Enabling works for this complex were complete in 2018. The Office of Public Works has commenced the procurement for the main contractor for the Forensic Science Laboratory development which were published on 24 December 2018 and are due to be returned 29 March 2019. The procurement of reserved specialists will be coordinated with this. It is expected that construction for this project will commence on site in Quarter 3 2019.
197. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the reason the Revised Estimates published on 19 December 2018 took no account of the cost overrun on the national children’s hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6947/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe issue of the cost overrun in the National Children's Hospital, NCH, went to Government on 18 December 2018. Following on from that decision, my Department has been engaging with the Department of Health and with other Departments in relation to how the increased costs of the National Children's Hospital project in 2019 will be managed within the overall agreed capital allocation for 2019, in light of the multi-year management of the broad range of capital projects, amounting to upwards of €7 billion this year.
As this process is ongoing, the effect of the decision could not be included in the revised estimates 2019, which was published on 19 December 2018.
I am bringing proposals to Government in this regard and decisions will be announced in due course. The overall intention is to proceed with our very ambitious agenda of strategic infrastructure investment throughout the course of 2019 and subsequent years, with the minimum of disruption to the rollout and delivery of key projects. Any reallocations will be published in further revised estimates for 2019 for relevant Departments, in due course.
198. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to extend the season during which access is provided to Sceilg Mhichíl, County Kerry from 1 April with the season ending at the end of October to facilitate more persons visiting the island and to reduce pressure on the island during the summer months and to facilitate more persons earning a livelihood from the island; his further plans to provide toilets for visitors to the island using the old lighthouse there; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7021/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Sceilg Mhichíl site generally opens to the public in mid-May, weather permitting and assuming the Island has been made safe and ready to receive visitors, and closes at the end of September -beginning of October. Access to the Island is highly variable due to weather and sea conditions and may not be feasible until later than the generally scheduled opening.
The Office of Public Works has repeatedly stated that to extend the visitor season at the Sceilg Mhichíl site beyond these dates would create unacceptable safety, logistical and operational difficulties for the maintenance and guide operation in the first instance and might also create a greater risk to the fragile built and natural heritage for which the Island is famous. Ensuring the greatest level of visitor and staff safety, at a location where there has been two fatalities in recent years, is of paramount importance during the visitor season. Necessary safety preparations are undertaken on site by OPW staff each year prior to the admittance of visitors to the island. It should also be noted that OPW previously extended the season to the end of October on a three year trial basis from 2011 to 2013 to assess the feasibility of maintaining a visitor service at that time of year but was unable, because of deteriorating weather and sea conditions, to maintain the island open to the end of that month in any of those years and was in each case forced to close early.
Work is underway currently on a new ten year management plan for the World Heritage Site and it is expected that the length of the season will be addressed directly within that. The process to develop the management plan includes a public consultation element which has been underway for the past several weeks and will allow for the full expression of views on all matters relating to the World Heritage Site.
The question of providing a public toilet at Sceilg Mhichíl has been under review for some years. However, the technical challenges of working within the particular environment of the island are considerable and it has not yet been possible to find a viable solution. The former lighthouse property is currently being assessed for potential use in this regard to determine if a suitable facility can be developed there.
199. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if public tenders that require photographic images must be provided in hard copy in addition to digital format; and his views on whether this leads to increased cost for tenderers and therefore the State. [6236/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Office of Government Procurement, OGP, is responsible for developing and setting out the overarching policy framework for public procurement in Ireland. This framework enables a more consistent approach to public procurement across the public sector by setting out the procurement procedures to be followed by public bodies. While the OGP sets out the policy framework, responsibility for adhering to these procedures rests with the individual contracting authorities.
Contracting authorities are encouraged to promote electronic procurement. However, there is no specific requirement in the procurement rules that require photographic images to be provided in hardcopy in addition to digital format. This is a matter for individual contracting authorities who determine the appropriate requirements for their competitions having regard the key principles of equal treatment, non-discrimination, proportionality and transparency.
200. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the offices of Intreo, Garda vetting and penalty points in Thurles, County Tipperary, require extra office space (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6248/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Commissioners of Public Works are not in receipt of any request for extra office space in Thurles for, the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection’s Intreo office, An Garda Síochána’s National Vetting Bureau office or An Garda Síochána’s Fixed Charge Processing office.
201. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his attention has been drawn to the fact that insurance companies are using the OPW website and the flood report on the site to refuse flood insurance at a location (details supplied) and are ignoring the note that the information is not for commercial use; if confirmation will be provided on the website that the estate has not been subject to flooding since its construction 25 years ago; his views on the fact that property owners living in the estate are unable to sell their property due to the report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6393/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will acknowledge that the Office of Public Works has no responsibility for oversight or regulation of the insurance industry in relation to flood risk insurance, or to insurance matters generally including where flood insurance may impact on property sales.
The Government’s strategy is that in return to its investment on flood defence schemes in the most at risk communities, households and businesses should be able to access flood insurance.
The Office of Public Works has a very specific role in the exchange of information with the insurance industry in relation to completed flood defence schemes, to an agreed standard of protection desired by the industry. A Memorandum of Understanding, MOU, agreed on 24 March 2014, between the Office of Public Works and Insurance Ireland, the representative body for the insurance companies in Ireland has a specific focus on agreeing the basis on which information can be provided to the insurance industry on areas defended by flood relief schemes completed by the OPW.
Under the MOU, the OPW requirement is that insurers who are party to the agreement take full account of information provided by the OPW on completed flood defence schemes, when assessing exposure to flood risk. The MOU does not guarantee the availability of flood risk cover in the locations for which information has been provided by the OPW. The MOU recognises that the provision of insurance cover, the level of premiums charged and the policy terms applied are a matter for individual insurers based on the risk they are willing to take on a case by case basis.
The flood maps developed by the Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management, CFRAM, Programme are community based maps on the future risk of flooding in an area, for the purpose of developing community based flood risk management measures. They are not developed based on historic flooding information alone, or to designate individual properties at risk from flooding and cannot be relied upon for commercial purposes. This has been outlined to the Insurance Industry that has informed the OPW that it relies upon its own flood models to make its commercial decisions.
The OPW has published information available to it in relation to past flood events and this is currently accessible, where available and applicable, through individual flood maps on floodinfo.ie. The presence of this information in any given area is indicative of a risk of flooding but individual properties may not have flooded in the past or may not be at risk of future flooding due to local conditions e.g. elevated floor levels, the use of individual property protection measures or for other reasons.
Any person with an insurance-related query or complaint can contact Insurance Ireland's Insurance Information Service 01 676 1914 or feedback@insuranceireland.eu. In addition, the Financial Services Ombudsman, 01 567 7000 or info@fspo.ie, deals independently with unresolved complaints from consumers about their individual dealings with all financial service providers.
202. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his officials and civil servants across the public service are subject to circular 12/2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6427/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraDepartment of Finance Circular 12/2010: Protocol for Civil Servants Nominated to the Boards of Non-commercial State Bodies outlines the steps to be taken when a civil servant nominee to the Board of non-commercial State bodies has an unanswered concern where there is a significant public policy issue at stake which is not being satisfactorily addressed by the Board. The provisions of Circular 12/2010, which are also incorporated within the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies, apply to officials of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and to all civil servants serving on Boards of non-commercial State bodies.
203. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the dates, attendees and purposes of all meetings he or his special advisers had with a person (details supplied) in each of the years 2016 to 2018 and to date in 2019. [6519/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, the person in question is a senior official in my Department. Consequently, like any senior official, he would meet with myself, the Minister of State, advisers and other senior officials in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in the normal course of his work.
The Deputy may wish to note that my diary for the period in question is a matter of public record and is available on my Department's website.
My special advisers had three meetings with the senior official in question in the time period specified, on 9 May 2016, 1 March 2018 and 3 July 2018, to discuss a range of departmental matters.
204. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will publish all correspondence between a person (details supplied) or his office or officials with the Minister, his special advisers, the Secretary General of his Department or the Secretary General's office in each of the years 2016 to 2018 and to date on 2019. [6520/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, the person in question is a senior official in my Department. Consequently, like any senior official, he would be in contact with myself, the Minister of State, advisers and other senior officials in my Department in the normal course of his work. On that basis, I do not plan to publish correspondence as set out in the question.
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2014, any individual can make a valid request for access to official records held by Government Departments or other public bodies as defined by the Act. However, there are some exemptions to the information releasable under Freedom of Information, for example commercially sensitive information, that would need to be taken into account.
205. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of advisers and special advisers employed by his Department in 2017 and 2018 and to date in 2019; the areas of expertise covered by such advisers; the annual salaries associated with same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6576/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to inform the Deputy that non-civil service appointments in my Department are made in line with “Instructions to Personnel Officers - Ministerial Appointments for the 32nd Dáil”, which include “Guidelines on staffing of Ministerial offices” issued by my Department.
Details of special advisers contracted by my Department since 2017 are outlined in the table below:
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PQ 6576/19
|
|||
|
|
Name |
Commencement Date |
Cessation Date |
|
2017 |
Deborah Sweeney |
Appointed 06/05/2016. Reappointed 15/06/2017. |
N/A |
|
2017 |
Stephen Lynam |
Appointed 06/05/2016. Reappointed 15/06/2017. |
16/03/2018 |
|
2018 |
Niamh Callaghan |
Appointed 17/05/2018. |
N/A |
Special Advisers are appointed under Section 11 of the Public Service Management Act 1997. A Special Adviser to a Minister or to a Minister of State, as in the case may be, shall
(a) assist the Minister or Minister of State, as the case may be, by –
(i) Providing advice,
(ii) Monitoring, facilitating and securing the achievement of the Government objectives that relate to the Department, as requested by the Minister or the Minister of State, as the case may be, and
(iii) Performing such other functions as may be directed by the Minister or the Minister of State, as the case may be that are not otherwise provided for in this Act and do not involve the exercise of any specific powers conferred on the Minister or the Minister of State as the case may be or any other office holder by or under any other Act.
The annual costs associated with these advisers are as follows:
|
Name |
Salary |
|
Deborah Sweeney |
5th point Principal Officer (Standard) PPC scale |
|
Stephen Lynam |
3rd point Principal Officer (Standard) PPC scale (resigned March 2018) |
|
Niamh Callaghan |
1st point Principal Officer (Standard) PPC scale |
Current Principal Officer (Standard) PPC Pay Scale (N87 – 1st October 2018)
|
€85,823 |
€89,356 |
€92,862 |
€96,395 |
€99,375 |
€102,465 |
€105,552 |
The appointments of Advisers are kept under review given the breath of my responsibilities across two Departments.
206. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of public projects undertaken by a company (details supplied) in the past ten years that have involved overruns of the original estimated cost. [6597/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraCapital expenditure is sanctioned through the line departments or bodies given a delegated sanctioning role by those departments. These 'sanctioning authorities' are responsible for monitoring the projects and dealing with cost overruns that arise within their capital sanctions. The Public Spending Code published by my Department sets out the principles which apply in relation to project appraisal, value for money etc., and which continue to apply throughout the implementation phase.
Once tenders are received a sanctioning authority must review the tender report and give permission for a contract to be awarded with an established construction budget. It is a matter for the contracting authority who has awarded the contract to manage its performance thereafter and report on budgetary matters to the sanctioning authority concerned.
The extent of cost increases on individual capital projects is a matter for each sanctioning authority and the details are not held centrally.
207. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if all communications between his Department and the Department of Health regarding the national children’s hospital in 2017 and 2018 and to date in 2019 will be published. [6610/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has already released correspondence with the Department of Health through a Freedom of Information request. Under the FOI Act 2014 any individual can request access to official records held by Government Departments. However, there are some potential limits to the information releasable, for example in relation to commercially sensitive information, that may need to be taken into account.
208. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of boards or agencies his officials have been appointed to; if there are guidelines or protocols for members of staff being appointed to boards or agencies; if so, when same were last updated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6651/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn response to the Deputy's question, officials from my Department have been appointed to 21 boards or agencies.
The provisions of Circular 12/2010, Protocol for Civil Servants Nominated to the Boards of Non-commercial State Bodies, which are also incorporated within the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies, apply to officials of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and to all civil servants serving on Boards of non-commercial State bodies. These are the most recent protocols that exist for members of staff being appointed to boards or agencies.
209. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the circumstances surrounding the appointment of an official in his Department to the national paediatric development board; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6655/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra210. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of his officials who have been appointed to the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board since its creation in 2007; the dates these officials were appointed to the board; if he was required to approve these appointments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6658/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 209 and 210 together.
The establishment of the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board, NPHDP, and the appointment of its members is a matter for the Minister for Health.
The Chief Procurement Officer was appointed in a personal capacity to the NPHDP in 2013 for a five year term by the then Minister for Health. He was re-appointed in 2018 by the current Minister for Health. As Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, I was not required to approve this appointment.
The Department of Health, as the accountable Department for the Children’s Hospital Project, established the reporting and governance arrangements for the project through which the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board provides regular updates to it on the project.
As Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, I have responsibility for public procurement policy. However, my Department does not procure public works contracts and has no role in supervising the procurement process of the national children’s hospital project. It is the relevant sanctioning and contracting authority that has responsibility for the management of the tendering process for a public works contract and the administration of the contract once it is awarded.
211. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the date he was first informed of the cost overruns at the national children’s hospital; if he was informed by his officials or officials from another Department; if it was from within his Department, the division that informed him; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6667/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraI've been involved in a number of discussions around the Children’s Hospital over the last few years. The first full assessment of the cost overrun and the reasons for it was received by my Department in the form of a report from the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board submitted by the Department of Health on the 19 November. My Department reviewed the report and met with the Department of Health to discuss it on the 23 November and made a formal submission to me on 26 November.
212. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the purpose of the contracts committee; the person or body that sits on the committee; the Departments represented; the positions or levels they hold in each Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6726/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government Construction Contracts Committee, “GCCC”, was established under Section 11 of Circular 40/02, “Public Procurement Guidelines – revision of existing procedures for approval of certain contracts in the Central Government sector”, which inter alia re-configured the existing arrangements for the Government Contracts Committee.
The GCCC is a forum for the discussion and development of public policy in the tendering and contracting of all aspects of construction projects, apart from the PPP form of contract.
The OGP provides the functions of Chair and Secretariat to the GCCC. The membership of the GCCC, given below, includes representatives from the main capital spending bodies and departments with a significant involvement in public sector construction related activities. In order to draw on the considerable experience in procurement within the public sector, the committee also includes bodies from outside the central government sector.
Relevant departments and bodies nominate representatives to sit on the committee and they have either technical, e.g. civil and building engineering, architectural, quantity surveying, or project management, and/or administrative backgrounds. Representative departments and bodies may change their individual nominees on the GCCC from time to time. Special advisors/consultants or other guests may be invited to participate in the work of the Committee as may be required from time to time.
All public works projects that are delivered under the Exchequer-funded element of the Government's capital plan must be procured in accordance with the provisions laid down in the Capital Works Management Framework, CWMF. The CWMF is mandated by circular and was developed to provide an integrated set of contractual provisions, guidance material, technical templates and procedures which cover all aspects of the delivery process of a public works project from inception to final project delivery and review to assist contracting authorities in meeting their ongoing procurement requirements. The public works contract is a key component of the CWMF and is a lump sum, fixed-price contract which is to be used on all public works projects.
It is possible for public bodies to seek a derogation from the use of the standard forms of contract from the GCCC. This process may be used for complex or large projects which have specific requirements which do not naturally fit with the standard ‘lump sum’ contracts and has been availed of by a number of sanctioning authorities.
A derogation, if agreed, does not approve the approach or strategy of the contracting authority, but simply acknowledges that the circumstances are such as to warrant a different approach than the standard. It is a matter for the contracting authority and the sanctioning authority to satisfy themselves as to the adequacy of the approach with regards to compliance with procurement rules and project appraisal in accordance with the Public Spending Code.
The current details of the GCCC at 12 February 2019 as requested by the Deputy are set out below.
|
Name |
Technical/Administrative Position in Organisation |
Department/Office |
|
David O’Brien |
Senior Construction Adviser (Chair to GCCC) |
Office of Government Procurement |
|
Eileen Dalton |
Assistant Principal (Secretariat to GCCC) |
Office of Government Procurement |
|
Jim Deane |
Principal Officer, Procurement Policy |
Office of Government Procurement |
|
Grainne Connolly |
Engineer, Marine Engineering Division |
Dept. of Agriculture, Food and the Marine |
|
Noel Clancy |
Chief Engineer, Marine Engineering Division |
Dept. of Agriculture, Food and the Marine |
|
Noel Ó Murchú |
Engineer, Marine Engineering Division |
Dept. of Agriculture, Food and the Marine |
|
Deirdre Creaney |
Assistant Principal, Property Management Branch |
Dept. of Defence |
|
Neil Murphy |
Head of Quantity Surveying Services |
Dept. of Defence |
|
Larry McEvoy |
Manager (Professional & Technical), Planning and Building Unit |
Dept. of Education & Skills |
|
Derek Kavanagh |
Quantity Surveying Adviser - Housing Advisers & Building Standards |
Dept. of Housing, Planning and Local Govt. |
|
David O'Grady |
Engineering Inspector Roads Division |
Dept. of Transport, Tourism and Sport |
|
Ciaran McCaffrey |
Senior Manager, Capital Funding |
HEA |
|
Eleanor Masterson |
Deputy Chief Architectural Adviser |
HSE |
|
Peter Finnegan |
Principal Quantity Surveying Adviser |
HSE |
|
Gerard Cahillane |
NDFA Head of Finance and Operations |
NDFA |
|
David Corrigan |
Head of Project Management |
NDFA |
|
Aidan Quinn |
Principal Quantity Surveyor, Quantity Surveying Services |
OPW |
|
Colette Davis |
Assistant Principal, Flood Project Management Services |
OPW |
|
Gerard Kennedy |
Assistant Principal, Intermediate Projects |
OPW |
|
Gerard Harvey |
Assistant Principal Architect |
OPW |
|
Geraldine Fitzpatrick |
Chartered Engineer FIEI, Head of Roads Capital Programme |
Transport Infrastructure Ireland |
|
Patrick Duffy |
Regional Manager |
Transport Infrastructure Ireland |
213. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if a review of capital projects for 2019 has commenced in view of the capital overrun at the national children’s hospital; if there has been consultation with his Department in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6856/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has been engaging with the Department of Health and with other Departments in relation to how the increased costs of the National Children's Hospital project in 2019 will be managed within the overall agreed capital allocation for 2019, in light of the multi-year management of the broad range of capital projects, amounting to upwards of €7 billion this year.
I am bringing proposals to Government in this regard and decisions will be announced in due course. The overall intention is to proceed with our very ambitious agenda of strategic infrastructure investment throughout the course of 2019 and subsequent years, with the minimum of disruption to the rollout and delivery of key projects.
214. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the €50 million to be found within the health Vote and the €50 million to be found in other Departments as a result of the overspend on the national children’s hospital will come from the capital expenditure envelope and not the current envelope. [6860/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government is committed to delivering Project Ireland 2040 within the overall multi-year capital resource envelope that has been set out. For 2019, the capital allocation has increased by €1,325 million or just over 22% above the 2018 allocation as stated in the Revised Estimates for Public Services 2019. With regard to implications arising from the National Children’s Hospital project, the Government is currently considering how the additional cost pressures will be accommodated within the multi-year capital envelope, with a minimum of disruption to the planned rollout and delivery of important infrastructure projects under Project Ireland 2040, which I am pleased to report are proceeding at a strong rate.
215. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the breakdown of the allocation in 2019 for the National Museum of Ireland and Natural History Museum; the date in 2019 the OPW plans to replace the roof of the building; if it will be impacted by the cost overrun with the national children's hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6909/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government is committed to delivering Project Ireland 2040 within the overall multi-year resource envelope that has been set out. For 2019, the capital allocation has increased by €1,325 million or just over 22% above the 2018 allocation as stated in the Revised Estimates for Public Services 2019.
With regard to implications arising from the National Children’s Hospital project, the Government is currently considering how the additional cost pressures will be accommodated within the multi-year envelope, with a minimum of disruption to the planned rollout and delivery of important infrastructure projects under Project Ireland 2040, which I am pleased to report are proceeding at a strong rate.
It is not possible at this stage to state whether works might be undertaken to the museum roof this year as the overall construction programme has not yet been finalised and the exact sequence of the interventions has not been decided.
