Tuesday, 23 Jul 2019

Written Answers Nos. 1-5

Exports Data

Ceisteanna (1)

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

1. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Taoiseach the value of exports in goods and services in each of the years 2007 to 2018 in tabular form. [32445/19]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach

The official measure of Ireland's trade in goods and services is produced by the Central Statistics Office. The value of exports in goods and services is presented in the International Accounts publication. The table below taken from the databank shows the value of exports in goods and services in years 2007-2018.

Exports of Merchandise and Services

	2007 € million	2008 € million	2009 € million	2010 € million	2011 € million	2012 € million
Merchandise & Services	159,305	157,943	158,602	172,794	177,308	183,014
Merchandise	99,787	96,165	97,276	103,254	100,576	101,869
Services	59,518	61,778	61,326	69,540	76,732	81,145

	2013 € million	2014 € million	2015 € million	2016 € million	2017 € million	2018 € million
Merchandise & Services	186,243	214,350	320,565	328,236	359,655	396,384
Merchandise	98,732	114,461	200,327	193,160	197,824	216,307
Services	87,511	99,889	120,238	135,076	161,831	180,077

Climate Change Policy

Ceisteanna (2)

Timmy Dooley

Ceist:

2. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the first meeting of the delivery board for the climate action plan 2019. [32877/19]

Freagraí scríofa

The Taoiseach

The Climate Action Plan, published on 17 June 2019, outlines significant new governance structures to ensure that climate policy is implemented including the establishment of a Climate Action Delivery Board within my Department.

Tackling climate action is the right thing to do, in terms of stabilising our climate, for all of us but particularly the young people here. But it is also beneficial in other ways - it is warmer homes, it is cleaner air, it is shorter commutes, less time in the car. It is also about creating new jobs, new wealth and new businesses for the future. So, even if there were no targets to reach, even if there were no fines that we might incur, this is good policy anyway. It is good economic policy, it is good social policy, it is good environment policy and we just need to make it happen.

The first meeting of the Delivery Board took place on 16 July 2019. The Board is jointly chaired by the Secretary General of my Department and the Secretary General of the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment. The membership comprises of Secretaries General from Departments responsible for the actions outlined in the Plan, including Secretaries General from Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine; Department of Transport Tourism & Sport; Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government; Department of Education and Skills; Department of Finance; Department of Public Expenditure and Reform; Department of Business, Enterprise, and Innovation; Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; Department of Rural and Community Development; Department of Culture, Heritage & the Gaeltacht and; Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. The Secretariat for the Board is provided by my Department.

At the first meeting, the Board discussed the importance of the delivery of actions outlined in the Plan and the deep level of collaboration required across Government to achieve this. The approach for measuring progress, closely following the model adopted for the Action Plan for Jobs, was also discussed as well as preparations for the first quarterly progress report on delivery of the Plan. The agenda also included discussions around the terms of reference for the Board; carbon budgets; the research base and communications strategy for the Climate Action Plan.

Social Welfare Schemes Data

Ceisteanna (3)

John Brady

Ceist:

3. Deputy John Brady asked the Taoiseach the number of households relying on a primary social welfare payment. [33161/19]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach

The primary focus of the Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC) is the collection of information on the income and living conditions of different types of households in Ireland, in order to derive indicators on poverty, deprivation and social exclusion. The latest results from SILC 2017 span the income reference period of January 2016 – December 2017.

According to the Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC) 2017, an estimated 17.7% of households reported having income from social welfare sources alone.

Property Valuations

Ceisteanna (4, 5)

Pearse Doherty

Ceist:

4. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Taoiseach the size of the commercial real estate sector; and the net and gross asset value, respectively in tabular form. [33508/19]

Pearse Doherty

Ceist:

5. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Taoiseach the size in units, net asset value and gross asset value of the real estate sector by residential and commercial in Dublin city and county and outside of Dublin, respectively in tabular form. [33511/19]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach

I propose to take Questions Nos. 4 and 5 together.

The gross value added for the real estate sector is shown in the table below. Please note that these figures were published in August 2018 and are based on the National Income and Expenditure release of 2017 (NIE 2017). Figures based on the National Income and Expenditure release of 2018 (NIE 2018) will be available later this year.

Year 2017	Current Prices	Constant Prices
Gross Value Added for Real Estate (Euro Millions)	17,300	16,367
Gross Value Added for the Whole Economy (Euro Millions)	273,174	272,104
Real Estate as a Percentage of the Whole Economy	6.3%	6.0%

The Net Capital Stock and Gross Capital Stock for

- Dwellings;

- Other Buildings and Structures including Roads; and

- Roads

are shown on the following table. The Net Capital Stock includes the effect of depreciation while the Gross Capital Stock does not. Please note that these figures exclude the value of land. These figures were published in November 2018 and are based on the National Income and Expenditure release of 2017 (NIE 2017). Figures based on the National Income and Expenditure release of 2018 (NIE 2018) will be available later this year.

Year	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017
Dwellings (excluding land)
Net Capital Stock Held at End of Year at Current Prices (Euro Million)	198,865	202,819	207,850	218,641	225,964	235,583	248,269
Net Capital Stock Held at End of Year at Constant 2016 Prices (Euro Million)	238,411	237,280	236,295	235,651	235,234	235,583	236,871
Gross Capital Stock Held at End of Year at Current Prices (Euro Million)	247,528	254,723	263,350	279,314	290,934	305,383	323,568
Gross Capital Stock Held at End of Year at Constant 2016 Prices (Euro Million)	296,690	298,028	299,495	301,142	302,909	305,383	308,674
Other Buildings and Structures including roads
Net Capital Stock Held at End of Year at Current Prices (Euro Million)	104,106	109,259	115,477	124,554	135,740	150,605	168,460
Net Capital Stock Held at End of Year at Constant 2016 Prices (Euro Million)	129,345	131,950	135,540	139,629	144,342	150,605	158,561
Gross Capital Stock Held at End of Year at Current Prices (Euro Million)	167,042	176,782	187,888	203,588	222,411	246,543	274,575
Gross Capital Stock Held at End of Year at Constant 2016 Prices (Euro Million)	207,535	213,525	220,570	228,268	236,516	246,543	258,427
Roads
Net Capital Stock Held at End of Year at Current Prices (Euro Million)	25,317	26,248	26,789	28,057	29,584	31,444	33,217
Net Capital Stock Held at End of Year at Constant 2016 Prices (Euro Million)	31,454	31,699	31,444	31,452	31,435	31,444	31,265
Gross Capital Stock Held at End of Year at Current Prices (Euro Million)	36,535	38,391	39,909	42,447	45,460	49,055	52,713
Gross Capital Stock Held at End of Year at Constant 2016 Prices (Euro Million)	45,393	46,364	46,842	47,585	48,305	49,055	49,616