Written Answers Nos. 164-174
164. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the contracts his Department and agencies under his remit are engaged in for the provision of security services; the name of each contractor; the procurement process involved; the duration of each contract; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30247/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department does not have any contracts for the provision of security services in respect of buildings in which its staff are located.
I have set out in the following tables the relevant details in respect of the bodies under the aegis of my Department.
National Shared Services Office
|
Security Provider |
Location of Service |
Procurement Process |
Duration of Services contract |
|
Manguard |
Clonskeagh |
Open procedure in line with OGP Guidelines |
36 months |
|
Manguard |
Tullamore |
Open procedure in line with OGP Guidelines |
36 months |
Office of the Ombudsman
|
Security Provider |
Location of Service |
Procurement Process |
Duration of Services Contract |
|
Noonan |
Leeson Street Dublin 2 |
No current contract. Will be considered in context of relocation of premises later this year. |
New contract can be entered into in January 2020 for new premises, if service required. |
State Laboratory
|
Security Provider |
Location of Service |
Procurement Process |
Duration of Services Contract |
|
Apleona |
Backweston Campus |
The facilities management contract is managed by OPW. |
The facilities management contract is managed by OPW. |
Neither the Public Appointments Service nor the Office of the Regulator of the National Lottery have directly engaged companies for the provision of security services.
The Office of Public Works will respond directly to the Deputy on this question, in line with Standing Order 42A.
165. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the Departments, agencies and individual votes the €0.3 billion in carryover costs due to measures introduced in budget 2019 as outlined in the recent SES will be allocated to in tabular form; if the sums are already accounted for in the expenditure ceilings for each specific Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30277/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraCarryover costs for 2020 are set out in Table 7 on page 43 of Expenditure Report 2019. These costs relate to current expenditure measures introduced in Budget 2019 which have further cost implications for 2020. These costs are set out in the table.
Carryover Impact of Certain Budget 2019 Current Expenditure Measures
|
Department |
Impact in 2020 (€m) |
|
Employment Affairs and Social Protection – Gross Cost of Social Welfare Package |
135 |
|
Education – Funding for New Measures |
26 |
|
Justice – Funding for Garda Reform, including Recruitment |
50 |
|
Health – Funding for New Measures |
55 |
|
Housing – Gross Cost of HAP |
45 |
|
Total Additional Cost in 2020 |
311 |
As is usual, carryover costs will be reassessed as part of the Estimates 2020 process and allocated to specific Ministerial ceilings in Budget 2020.
166. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the Departments, agencies and individual votes the €0.4 billion cost for public sector pay increases in 2020 provided for in the SES in tabular form; if it provides for the hiring of additional staff in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30278/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe amount of €0.4 billion included in the SES in respect of public service pay increases relates to public servants covered by the Public Service Stability Agreement. This amount will be included in the medium term expenditure ceilings published in the Mid-Year Expenditure Report, on an aggregate basis. Specific allocations will be made to individual Vote groups as part of the Estimates 2020 process and will be included in the Ministerial expenditure ceilings published in Budget 2020.
These allocations will be made based on existing staff numbers. As is usual, any decisions with regard to the recruitment of additional staff would have to be made within allocated pay ceilings and will be a matter for individual Departments.
167. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the Departments, agencies and individual votes the €0.5 billion in demographic costs as outlined in the SES will be allocated to in tabular form; if he will provide a copy of specific reports submitted to him from individual Departments outlining the demographic requirements in each case; the breakdown by Department and sector for the hiring of additional staff or the expansion of existing schemes in each case; the projected demographic requirements in each of the years 2021 to 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30279/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraCurrent estimates of certain demographic pressures in the areas of Health, Social Protection and Education were set out in Expenditure Report 2019 and included in the pre-committed current expenditure baseline for the period to 2021. These costs are set out again on an aggregate level in the recently published Summer Economic Statement. For 2020 and 2021, an allocation of €0.5 billion is set out to meet demographic pressures. The amounts allocated for 2020 are set out in Table 1 below.
Table 1: Estimated Demographic Pressures 2020
|
Department |
€m |
|
Health |
137 |
|
Employment Affairs and Social Protection |
260 |
|
Education |
54 |
|
Total |
451 |
These allocations are informed by the paper ‘Budgetary Impacts of Changing Demographics 2017 – 2027’, published by the Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service (IGEES). The paper can be found on the IGEES website here: https://igees.gov.ie/budgetary-impact-of-changing-demographics-2017-to-2027/ .
This paper covers a number of areas of expenditure, including pensions, child benefit, education provision and health schemes such as the Nursing Home Support Scheme. These pure demographic costs are factored in to Ministerial Expenditure Ceilings for Health, Social Protection and Education.
As part of the 2019 Spending Review process, an update of this paper is due to be published in the coming months. This forthcoming paper will again look at the key areas of Health, Social Protection and Education and will examine demographic pressures in these areas over a ten year period. In light of this publication, demographic estimates will be reassessed as part of the Estimates 2020 process.
168. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the areas to which the €200 million allocation in the SES for the expenditure reserve will be allocated; the amount which will be allocated to the national children’s hospital and the national broadband plan, respectively; if the €200 million will be capital expenditure that recurs annually; the way in which it will be profiled for beyond 2020; if the capital allocations to specific Departmental vote groups will be updated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30284/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs set out in the Summer Economic Statement (SES) an expenditure reserve of up to €0.2 billion is to be established in 2020 to accommodate funding requirements liable to arise in connection with the National Broadband Plan and National Children’s Hospital. No decision has been made at this time regarding the specific allocation of this reserve as the funding of additional costs in relation to these projects will be considered as part of the Budget 2020 estimates process, reflecting the most up-to-date position relating to capital spending at the time. Beyond 2020, the SES reflects the impact on the General Government Balance of additional expenditure in respect of the National Broadband Plan.
169. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the projected additional fiscal space for budget 2020 from savings on the live register; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30285/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe allocation for Live Register spending in 2020, as with all other lines of expenditure, will be considered during the forthcoming discussions on the Estimates process. In this context, my Department will also prepare a Live Register analysis paper to inform these discussions. As usual this paper will be published on Budget day.
170. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the areas by vote group to which the €0.7 billion increase in capital expenditure as outlined in the SES will be allocated in 2020; if this is already included in the expenditure ceilings; if he expects to change these; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30287/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe multi-annual capital investment ceilings by Ministerial Vote Group for the period 2019 to 2022 were published in the Revised Estimates for Public Services 2019 and are set out below. These include provision for the €0.7 billion increase in capital expenditure provided for in the National Development Plan and referenced in the recently published Summer Economic Statement (SES).
In the SES an expenditure reserve of up to €0.2 billion is being established in 2020 to accommodate funding requirements for the National Broadband Plan and the National Children’s Hospital.
|
Capital Envelope |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
€million |
|
(€millions) |
Exchequer Capital Funding |
Exchequer Capital Funding |
Exchequer Capital Funding |
Exchequer Capital Funding |
Total 2019 - 2022 |
|
Ministerial Vote Group |
|||||
|
AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND THE MARINE |
255 |
258 |
265 |
275 |
1,053 |
|
BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND INNOVATION |
620 |
630 |
640 |
715 |
2,605 |
|
CHILDREN AND YOUTH AFFAIRS |
32 |
31 |
32 |
33 |
128 |
|
COMMUNICATIONS, CLIMATE ACTION AND ENVIRONMENT |
277 |
297 |
317 |
400 |
1,291 |
|
CULTURE, HERITAGE AND THE GAELTACHT |
76 |
76 |
80 |
110 |
342 |
|
DEFENCE |
106 |
113 |
120 |
125 |
464 |
|
EDUCATION AND SKILLS |
941 |
942 |
1,006 |
1,100 |
3,989 |
|
EMPLOYMENT AFFAIRS AND SOCIAL PROTECTION |
14 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
62 |
|
FINANCE GROUP |
26 |
22 |
18 |
19 |
85 |
|
FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE GROUP |
21 |
13 |
13 |
14 |
61 |
|
HEALTH |
667 |
774 |
780 |
825 |
3,046 |
|
HOUSING, PLANNING, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT |
2,137 |
2,205 |
2,269 |
2,280 |
8,891 |
|
JUSTICE AND EQUALITY GROUP |
205 |
265 |
208 |
216 |
894 |
|
PUBLIC EXPENDITURE AND REFORM GROUP |
201 |
214 |
223 |
232 |
870 |
|
RURAL AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT |
141 |
150 |
152 |
175 |
618 |
|
TRANSPORT, TOURISM AND SPORT |
1,613 |
2,058 |
2,526 |
2,405 |
8,602 |
|
Total * |
7,332 |
8,063 |
8,666 |
8,941 |
33,001 |
|
Total Investment as a % of GNI* |
3.5% |
3.7% |
3.8% |
3.8% |
* Rounding affects totals
171. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when the OPW expects to agree a template and parameters for a coastal monitoring programme (details supplied). [30399/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe OPW is currently preparing a plan for regular coastal monitoring surveys to be undertaken at a number of coastal sites that are considered to be at risk of coastal flooding and/or coastal erosion. These surveys will provide important and detailed information to assist with the ongoing monitoring of local rates of coastal erosion and to inform associated risk assessments. One such site includes the coastline from Portrane to Rush, County Fingal.
The OPW expects to be in contact with Fingal County Council in the coming weeks in relation to the planned coastal monitoring surveys at Portrane and Rush.
172. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of submissions made in response to the Phoenix Park Visitor Experience Strategic Review; when these will be collated; the process that will be taken from here on; if there will be further public consultation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30401/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraDuring the observation period, which ran from 19th March 2019 until 31st May 2019, one thousand, five hundred and twelve (1,512) comments were submitted to the Office of Public Works in respect of the Draft Phoenix Park Visitor Experience Strategic Review.
OPW is now engaged in a detailed process of reviewing all of these comments and observations. It is not possible at this stage to say when this will be completed. Any proposed developments or conservation projects which might arise out of this draft review would be subject to the full statutory planning processes.
173. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the yield to date in 2019 from the increase in the national training fund levy in budget 2019; the estimated projected end of year yield; the projected yield from a further 0.1% increase in 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30296/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs part of Budget 2018, the National Training Fund (NTF) levy was increased by 0.1 per cent in 2018 from 0.7 per cent to 0.8 per cent – providing over €47m (net) of additional investment in the Higher and Further and Training Education Sectors. On foot of decisions taken in Budget 2019, the levy increased to 0.9 per cent in 2019 providing €69 million (net) of additional investment in higher and further education and training bringing the total expenditure allocation from the NTF to €486 million in 2019. A further increase to 1.0 per cent in 2020 was announced in Budget 2019. There is no further increase in the levy planned beyond the level of 1.0 percent in 2020 and, therefore, no further increases due to levy changes are projected.
Decisions taken as part of Budget 2019 will also see the creation of a new ring-fenced funding line, the Human Capital Initiative, to be established within the NTF to draw down €60 million per annum from the accumulated surplus, over the 5 year period 2020- 2024.
The following table sets out the annual forecasts for NTF levy receipts for 2019 to 20201, based on different levy rates. These forecasts were provided by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection and are based on macroeconomic employment and wage projections.
The net additional expenditure available from increases in the levy are lower than the gross revenue yield as the calculation of such increases must take account of the increased costs which arise for public sector employers. The expenditure ceiling for the NTF is set as part of the Estimates process, having regard to the Government's overall budgetary and fiscal stance, and so the amount available for expenditure in any given year may vary from the forecast income.
|
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
|
|
Forecasted Income generated from 0.8% levy |
€589.2m |
€620.1m |
€650.3m |
|
Forecasted Income generated from increase to 0.9% levy from 2019 |
€662.1m |
€703m |
€737m |
|
Forecasted Income generated from increase to 0.9% levy from 2019 & 1% from 2020 |
€662.1m |
€780.5m |
€824.9m |
174. Deputy Brendan Ryan asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 279 of 21 May 2019, if there has been progress in finalising the project brief; if so, the details of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30091/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is included on the Department's school building programme to be delivered as part of the National Development Plan.
The process for finalising the accommodation brief for the school in question is in train and my Department will be in contact with the school authorities as soon as this process has been completed.
