Written Answers Nos. 68-92
68. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the extent to which the number of visitors visiting various national historic sites or buildings have been recorded in the past two years to date by county; the degree to which adequate visitor facilities exist in such locations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38005/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Office of Public Works maintains admission records for all Heritage sites in its care where it provides guided visitor services and at certain other, unstaffed, locations where data is recorded by automatic means. Visitor admissions for the sites managed by the OPW are recorded by reference to a number of methods:
- online ticketing systems;
- traditional countertop ticket sales;
- passive electronic counter.
There are approx 70 sites nationally in OPW care where Guide services are made available on either a seasonal or full-time basis. A listing of these sites, broken down by County, together with visitor data records for the years 2017 & 2018 is provided in attached table in the link below. This list also includes a number of sites which are not staffed by Guides but which are open sites available to visit and where footfall is recorded electronically. Passive counter systems may be deployed either as the sole means of recording footfall or at staffed sites in combination with countertop ticket sales (this will occur where there are separate paid and free visitor offerings; for example a house and grounds; eg Kilkenny Castle).
The OPW is responsible for managing visitor access to those sites in its care which are owned by the State only. Certain National Monument sites in care are privately owned and the decision as to whether or not to permit general public access in those cases is a matter for the landowners involved. If however owners are willing to facilitate access, it remains open to the OPW to measure that footfall using electronic means and this will sometimes be undertaken for conservation management reasons.
Notwithstanding the considerable extent of locations, both staffed and unstaffed sites, which are currently available, it is clear that further visitor potential exists within the portfolio of properties in State care and both the OPW and the Department of Culture Heritage and the Gaeltacht remain open to developing such possibilities, either directly themselves, through engagement with the Fáilte Ireland Tourism Capital Development Programme 2016 - 21, or in conjunction with community groups or other stakeholders in local communities.
National Monuments and National Heritage Properties Estate Visitor Data 2017.2018
69. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the supplemental expenditures in each year since 2012 by Department in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38026/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraSupplementary Estimates are an important element of our expenditure management toolkit, allowing for the proper alignment of resources with allocations. Due to the scale of Government expenditure and the cash basis of Government accounting, the need for Supplementary Estimates can arise for a number of reasons, including policy decisions, timing issues and overspends.
The attached document sets out the additional funding provided by way of Supplementary Estimates by Vote for each year from 2012 to 2018. The tables for each year reflect the Vote structure that was in place in that year. Where transfers of functions have occurred in the intervening years, these have not been accounted for in the attached tables in the link below.
70. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the Miesian Plaza Office of Public Works fit-out of offices has been completed; if not, when it is expected to be completed; the estimated cost of the project; the amount spent to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38039/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe fit-out of the offices at Miesian Plaza on behalf of the Office of Public Works is complete. The estimated cost of the fit out is €20.5m plus VAT and €15.4m plus VAT has been spent to date. The final account is the subject of ongoing discussions with the developer.
71. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the Skibbereen flood relief scheme has been completed; if not, when it is expected to be completed; the estimated cost of the project; the amount spent to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38040/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra72. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the Bandon flood relief scheme has been completed; if not, when it is expected to be completed; the estimated cost of the project; the amount spent to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38041/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra73. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the Bray flood relief scheme has been completed; if not, when it is expected to be completed; the estimated cost of the project; the amount spent to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38042/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra76. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the Enniscorthy flood relief scheme capital project has commenced; if so, the stage the project is at; when the project is expected to go out for tender; when construction will commence; when the project will be completed; the estimated cost of the project; the amount spent to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38072/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra78. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the Arklow flood relief scheme capital project has commenced; if so, the stage the project is at; when the project is expected to go out for tender; when construction will commence; when the project will be completed; the estimated cost of the project; the amount spent to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38074/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra79. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the stage the Lower Lee Cork city flood relief scheme project is at; when the project will go out for tender; when construction will commence; when the project will be completed; the estimated cost of the project; the amount spent to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38090/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra80. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the stage the Clonakilty flood relief scheme project is at; when the project will go out for tender; when construction will commence; when the project will be completed; the estimated cost of the project; the amount spent to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38091/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 71 to 73, inclusive, 76, and 78 to 80, inclusive, together.
The information requested by the Deputy is provided in the following table.
|
Flood Relief Scheme |
Current Stage |
Expected date for Project to go to tender for construction* |
Expected date for Construction commencement* |
Expected date for Construction completion |
Estimated total project cost** €m |
Expenditure to date
€m |
|
Clonakilty |
Construction (Commenced Q2 2018) |
N/A |
N/A |
Q2 2020 |
€24.1 |
€14.2 |
|
Bandon |
Substantially Complete |
N/A |
N/A |
Q3 2020 |
€28.4 |
€24.2 |
|
Lower Lee (Cork City) |
Detailed design |
Mid to late 2020 |
2021 |
Anticipated construction period of 5-6 years |
€140m (currently under review to take account of design changes since Public Exhibition) |
Approx €9m. (this includes Site Investigation works, surveys, Consultants’ fees and Invasive Species treatment) |
|
Bray |
Complete |
N/A |
N/A |
Complete |
€43 |
€42.6 |
|
Arklow |
Design |
2021 |
2021 |
2023 |
€28 |
€0.9 |
|
Enniscorthy |
Detailed Design |
2020 |
2020 |
2023 |
€44.5 |
€3.57 |
|
Skibbereen |
Substantially complete |
N/A |
N/A |
Q4 2019 |
€34.5 |
€25.4 |
* Dates given for projects to go to tender and for construction commencement are best estimates at this stage and are subject to planning approval or Ministerial Confirmation
**These are current best estimates of cost based on information available at this time and are subject to change.
74. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the Hawkins House capital project has commenced; if so, the stage the project is at; when the project is expected to go out for tender; when construction will commence; when the project will be completed; the estimated cost of the project; the amount spent to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38070/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe OPW took possession of the vacated Hawkins House from the Dept. of Health on 24 June, 2019 and has appointed a multi-disciplinary team to progress the 'demolition phase' of this project. It is anticipated that following the tender process and award of contract, demolition works will commence on site in 2020. This demolition phase is expected to take approximately 12-14 months to complete.
Planning permission was secured for an office development on this site and the OPW is currently considering a number of options that includes potential future investment, in consultation with a range of stakeholders.
75. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the Leeson Lane redevelopment capital project has commenced; if so, the stage the project is at; when the project is expected to go out for tender; when construction will commence; when the project will be completed; the estimated cost of the project; the amount spent to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38071/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Office of Public Works (OPW) is managing the delivery of the Leeson Lane Office Building project.
Planning permission for this project was granted on 10th October, 2017. At present the detailed design and tender documentation are being finalised and are expected to be published in Q3 2019 with a view for construction to commence in early 2020 . It will take approximately two years to complete on site.
77. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the children’s science museum National Concert Hall project has commenced; if so, the stage the project is at; when the project is expected to go out for tender; when construction will commence; when the project will be completed; the estimated cost of the project; the amount spent to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38073/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraWithin the context of Project Ireland 2040 plan, the Government launched in 2018 a major investment plan in our Culture, Language and Heritage for the period 2018 to 2027. As part of this plan, the Government has provided funding of €78m for a major refurbishment and extension of the National Concert Hall's facilities at Earlsfort Terrace. The Office of Public Works has already appointed a Design Team in order to progress this prestigious project. It is expected that works will commence next year and will be carried out on a multi phased basis over the life time of the plan, subject to the receipt of any necessary statutory, planning approvals.
Planning permission for the proposed new National Children's Science Museum, which is currently estimated to cost €37m, was received from An Bord Pleanála in September 2016. A design team is progressing into the detail design stage and it is anticipated that tenders will issue in 2020 with construction starting in the latter half of 2020, which will take approximately two years to complete. Expenditure to date for the two projects totals €400,000.
81. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he has considered adding a column to the capital tracker to indicate whether a project has been delayed or not; the reason for not including such a column; if he has considered inserting a column to indicate when construction of a project is set to commence and if this expectation has been met in addition to the reason it has not been met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38102/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Investment Projects and Programmes tracker is currently being revised and updated. It focuses mainly on projects with estimated costs greater than €20 million. The updated version of the tracker will be published in autumn 2019.
It will contain information on the current status of projects and also columns detailing expected project construction commencement and completion dates. The updated version will contain more granular information on delivery scheduling including milestones for key stages in the project lifecycle. The updated version of the tracker will also include dashboards and other information to aid interpretation of the data.
82. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the pre-committed expenditure which is committed to demographics in each of the years 2020 to 2024 by vote. [38116/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Mid-Year Expenditure Report, published in July of this year, set out baseline current expenditure ceilings on a Ministerial level to 2022. These ceilings are inclusive of pre-committed expenditure of €0.5 billion per annum for demographics in the areas of Health, Social Protection and Education. These are primary areas of current expenditure that are particularly impacted by demographic pressures. These demographic projections are informed by the Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service (IGEES) paper ‘Budgetary Impacts of Changing Demographics 2017 – 2027.’ 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. The following table shows these costs for the period to 2022.
|
|
2020 €m |
2021 €m |
2022 €m |
|
Education & Skills Group |
54 |
47 |
47 |
|
Employment Affairs & Social Protection Group |
260 |
260 |
260 |
|
Health Group |
137 |
148 |
148 |
|
Total |
451 |
455 |
455 |
Going beyond the period set out in the Mid-Year Expenditure Report, the paper suggests demographic costs of approximately €0.4 billion in 2023 and 2024. However, as part of the 2019 Spending Review process, an update of this paper is due to be published. 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.
The Department of Finance publication 'Population Ageing and the Public Finances in Ireland' published in 2018, and which can be found on the gov.ie website here https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/2e8463-population-ageing-and-the-public-finances/ , may also be useful in examining the area of demographics. There is also some demographic information presented in the Stability Programme Update, which was published in April, such as Table 24 in chapter 8, which outlines long-term spending projections of age-related expenditure as a share of GNI*.
83. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the outstanding allocations for the public service stability agreement and other public pay agreements in each of the years 2020 to 2024 by vote, Department and agency. [38117/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraPublic Service Stability Agreement 2018-2020
The cost of the Public Service Stability Agreement (PSSA) was estimated at €339m in 2020 with carryover costs of €227m in 2021.
In addition a number of other costs have arisen in respect of the PSSA including the following:
New Entrants under the PSSA
Under section 4 of the PSSA there was a commitment to examine remaining salary scale issues in respect of Post 2011 recruits at entry grades. In September 2018 agreement was reached with the Public Services Committee of ICTU. Costs associated with the agreement are estimated at: €46.6m in 2020; €31.8m in 2021; €22.9m in 2022; €15m in 2023; and €18.5m in 2024.
Public Service Pay Commission Recommendations under the PSSA
Under Section 3 of the Public Service Stability Agreement, the Public Service Pay Commission was tasked with examining certain areas of identified recruitment and retention difficulties. In fulfilment of this mandate the PSPC made a recommendation with a full year cost of approximately €20m in respect of Nurses and Midwives and a further recommendation with a full year cost of approximately €10m in respect of the Defence Forces.
Labour Court Recommendations under the PSSA
Within the Public Service Stability Agreement the Labour Court issued recommendations on both the Nursing and Midwifery dispute and Health Support Grade Dispute. Costs associated with these recommendations are currently being examined through the estimates process.
A break out by Vote for 2020, taking account of all pay factors, will be published as part of the Budget.
84. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of civil servants who have left and or retired from his Department in the past ten years who were bound by a cooling-off period in respect of taking up new employment in the private sector by grade, year and sector the staff moved on to; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38157/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra85. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of civil servants who have left and or retired from his Department in the past ten years who were not bound by a cooling-off period in respect of taking up new employment in the private sector by grade, year, and sector the staff moved on to; the reason for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38173/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 84 and 85 together.
The Regulation of Lobbying Act was enacted in 2015. Section 22 of the Act provides that specific categories of Designated Public Officials (“DPOs”) are subject to a one-year “cooling-off” period, during which they cannot engage in lobbying activities in specific circumstances, or be employed by, or provide services to, a person carrying on lobbying activities in specific circumstances.
The relevant DPOs for whom a “cooling-off” period applies are Ministers of the Government and Ministers of State, Special Advisers appointed under section 11 of the Public Services Management Act 1997 and public servants prescribed as a DPO by the Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure & Reform under section 6(2) of the Regulation of Lobbying Act, such as Secretary General, Second Secretary, Deputy Secretary, Assistant Secretary or Director. A list of the current DPOs in my Department is maintained on the departmental website.
The cooling-off period is a statutory requirement and applies for the full one-year term unless the relevant DPO applies to the Standards in Public Office Commission for consent to waive or reduce their cooling-off period. It is the responsibility of the relevant DPO to seek consent prior to taking up an offer of employment (or to provide services). Statistics on the number of applications for consent under section 22 of the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015 are included in the annual Regulation of Lobbying report published by the Standards in Public Office Commission.
The Civil Service Code of Standards and Behaviour sets out further guidance on the acceptance of outside appointments and of consultancy engagement following resignation or retirement (Section 20). Civil Servants who hold positions which are “designated positions” for purposes of the Ethics Acts shall not, within twelve months of resigning or retiring from the service, accept an offer of appointment from an employer outside the Civil Service or accept an engagement in a particular consultancy project where the nature and terms of such appointment or engagement could lead to a conflict of interest, without first obtaining approval from the appropriate authority. Officers occupying “designated positions” below Assistant Secretary level must apply for this approval to the Secretary General or Head of Office in which they are serving, or have last served before retirement or resignation. No requests for such approval have been received from officers occupying “designated positions” since the foundation of my Department in July 2011. Officers occupying “designated positions” at and above Assistant Secretary level must apply for this approval to the Outside Appointments Board.
86. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when the revised public spending code will be released; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38198/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs part of the ongoing reform of Ireland’s public investment management systems, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is updating the Public Spending Code. The purpose of this update is to strengthen the existing guidance to better align with the realities of project delivery and with a particular focus on improved appraisal, cost estimation and management. The Office of Government Procurement is conducting a review of construction procurement which will align with the updated Public Spending Code.
The updated Public Spending Code will include the following reforms:
- Strengthened and harmonised capital appraisal guidance;
- Greater clarity on governance and roles and responsibilities;
- New mechanisms to improve the accuracy of cost estimates;
- Improved project life cycle to better reflect the realities of project delivery; and
- Increased transparency through publication of business cases and evaluation reports.
The revised central elements of the Public Spending Code relating to the appraisal and management of public capital projects will be published this Autumn. Further technical guidance building upon these central elements will follow later in 2019 and in 2020.
87. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the details of the appropriate assessment report made pursuant to the provisions of Directive 92/43/EEC as amended for the dredging project being carried out by Waterways Ireland on behalf of the Office of Public Works in a section of the River Shannon close to Meelick weir, County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38202/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Shannon Flood Risk State Agency Co-ordination Working Group was established by the Government in early 2016 to enhance the on-going co-operation across all of the State Agencies involved in the River Shannon.
The Group is focused on ensuring the best possible level of co-ordination between all of these statutory bodies. It is solutions focused and designed to deliver the highest level of efficiencies to add value to the Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme.
In 2017, targeted maintenance activities were identified for seven locations along the River Shannon. This work includes the removal of reeds and vegetation from the area immediately upstream of Meelick Weir on the Shannon, on the boundary between Counties Galway and Offaly.
The Office of Public Works applied for a license to carry out this work and it was granted by the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht under Regulation 30 of the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011, SI No. 477 of 2011. As part of the assessment process, a screening for appropriate assessment was carried out by National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). The assessment determined that there were no likely significant effects from the work on Natura 2000 sites.
The removal of reeds and vegetation from Meelick Weir is currently being undertaken as part of the works required for the refurbishment of Meelick Weir and its Walkway for which planning consent was received by Waterway Ireland.
88. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills when he expects a school building to be put in place for a special needs school (details supplied) in County Cork; the process and timeline in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37963/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can inform the Deputy that discussions are ongoing with the relevant stakeholders in relation to providing a new building for the school in question.
In the meantime, my Department is currently considering an application from the school under the Emergency Works Scheme to carry out necessary repair works to their existing building.
89. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to compensate victims of sexual abuse in day schools in view of the findings of the report of a person (details supplied) published in July 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37967/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraCompensation payments are being made to a number of victims of child sexual abuse in day schools on foot of the assessments made by the person referred to by the Deputy. The current position is that sixteen offers of payment have been made and, to date, seven have been accepted. I am hopeful that the remaining applicants would also accept a payment from the existing scheme.
The existing scheme of compensation, the Ex Gratia Scheme, is currently being reviewed by my Department.
90. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 79 of 8 November 2018, the outcome of the debate and or discussions with his officials; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37994/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will be aware that the Programme for Government contains a commitment to increase financial supports for postgraduate students with a particular focus on those from low income households. In meeting this commitment, additional funding of €7m was secured in Budgets 2017 and 2018 to facilitate the reinstatement of full maintenance grants from September 2017, for the most disadvantaged postgraduate students. This benefitted circa 1,000 postgraduate students who met the eligibility criteria for the special rate of maintenance grant and reversed the budgetary cut that was imposed on this cohort of students in 2012.
The statutory based Student Grant Scheme and Student Support Regulations are reviewed annually by my Department, following consultation with various stakeholders.
The Student Grant Scheme and Student Support Regulations for the 2019/20 academic year, were published on 11 April 2019.
With regard to the application of the distance criterion, the measurement criteria have not changed for the 2019/20 academic year. The measurement of the distances relating to the award of adjacent or non-adjacent rates of student grant is a matter for the relevant grant awarding authority. The distance measurement for student grant rates is governed by Article 27(3)(a) and (b) of the Student Grant Scheme 2019. This provides that the relevant distance will be measured in line with agreed guidelines.
The guidelines require that the shortest most direct route between the applicant's normal residence and the institution being attended should apply. In determining the shortest most direct route, the relevant awarding authority shall establish:
- the method for measuring a route; and
- the factors to be taken into account in establishing and measuring a route.
SUSI has progressively introduced a number of measures that are intended to make the Student Grant Scheme more efficient for students. One of these measures is the introduction of Eircode which has helped to reduce processing times for applicants.
However, the actual calculation of distance from a student's home to college has not changed from previous years, and SUSI continues to use google maps to calculate distance.
91. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to review the policy that even large schools are only allowed one Department-funded caretaker; if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties this presents for certain schools in relation to extracurricular activities and providing cover for holidays and illness; if exceptions can be made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38022/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department provides funding for Secretary, Caretaker and Cleaner posts in the Community, Comprehensive (C&C) and Education and Training Board (ETB) Sectors.
A recruitment moratorium was introduced in the Public Service in 2009. This applied to Secretary, Caretaker and Cleaner posts in both Sectors.
Alleviation measures were put in place which permitted schools to fill Clerical Officer and Caretaker vacancies so as to maintain staffing levels at a maximum of 1 Clerical Officer and 1 Caretaker per school.
I acknowledge the need to improve these arrangements, particularly for the larger schools but I must be prudent in the context of ongoing budgetary pressures and prioritise where it is not possible to do everything that I would like to do in the education sector in any one year.
However in acknowledging the administrative burden on larger schools, I have relaxed the moratorium for those schools with enrolments of 700 and more to allow them employ an additional Clerical Officer up to a maximum of 2 with effect from 1st April this year.
Schools in the Community, Comprehensive and ETB Sectors are permitted discretion to use the School Services Support Fund (SSSF) in accordance with their own needs and priorities. However, the provision of the secretarial and maintenance services is a particular focus of this fund which is a significant resource for schools in regard to employing additional administrative and maintenance staff.
92. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the University College Dublin Confucius institute has been completed; if not, when it is expected to be completed; the estimated cost of the project; the amount spent to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38030/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Confucius Institute of Ireland at University College Dublin was completed and opened for the commencement of the 2018/19 academic year. The total cost of the project was €11.7m. The Exchequer contribution provided for the project was €3m and this amount has been fully drawn down.
