Patrick Costello
Ceist:140. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Taoiseach the role envisaged for civic society engagement as part of the shared island unit. [36427/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraShared Island Unit
Ceisteanna (140, 141)
Patrick Costello
Ceist:141. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Taoiseach the role for philanthropy in facilitating all-island engagement between groups in relation to the shared island unit. [36428/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 140 and 141 together.
The Programme for Government sets out the Government’s commitments on a Shared Island and to working with all communities and traditions on the island to build consensus around a shared future, underpinned by the Good Friday Agreement.
On 22 October, I set out the Government’s vision and priorities on Shared Island in an online event at Dublin Castle. Over 800 people participated online, comprising a broad range of civil society, community, sectoral, and political representatives, across the island of Ireland and in Britain.
In Budget 2021, the Government announced the Shared Island Fund, with a planned €500m to be made available out to 2025. The Shared Island Fund provides significant new, multiannual capital funding for investment on a strategic basis in collaborative North/South projects that will support the commitments and objectives of the Good Friday Agreement.
A Shared Island unit has been established in my Department and its work is proceeding to examine the considerations for a shared future in which all traditions are mutually respected, underpinned by the Good Friday Agreement. Operationally, the unit is focusing its work in three areas: commissioning research, fostering dialogue, and building a Shared Island agenda, including delivery of the commitments in the Programme for Government.
Strengthening social, economic and political links on the island and the promotion of all-island approaches to the strategic challenges facing Ireland, North and South are key objectives for this work.
As I said in Dublin Castle on 22 October, the role of civil society is central to the Shared Island initiative. Reflecting that, I launched the Shared Island Dialogue series to foster constructive and inclusive civic dialogue on all aspects of a shared future on the island.
The Dialogue series will start later this month and focus on important issues for people on the island in the years ahead, such as the environment, health, education and economy, and on key civic concerns that are addressed in the Good Friday Agreement, including identity and equality.
The Shared Island Dialogues will actively seek as broad a range of perspective and experience from civil society on the island as possible and ensure the inclusion of voices that have been under-represented in the Peace Process, including women, young people and new communities on the island.
The Dialogue series is complimentary to the range of discussions and engagement that already happen in community and civic settings, which has always been an important part of the Peace Process founded on the Good Friday Agreement.
Philanthropic support for civic and community engagement has also been a long-standing and welcome feature of the Peace Process. I am fully supportive of that continuing, as a valuable complement to Government support, including through our Reconciliation Fund, contributions to the International Fund for Ireland, and cooperation with the European Union and the UK to deliver the EU PEACE PLUS programme over 2021-27.
Economic Policy
Ceisteanna (142)
Ged Nash
Ceist:142. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Taoiseach the status of the proposed national economic plan; and when it will be published. [36729/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The development of the National Economic Plan is progressing well and it is intended to be published over the coming weeks.
The Plan will set a high-level framework of our priorities and policy objectives for a sustainable recovery, while signalling pathways and further workstreams over the year towards these medium-term goals drawing on the Programme for Government. The approach to the Plan will be based on a number of key themes - Building Resilience Across Enterprise and Sectors, An Inclusive and Balanced Recovery, and Future Proofing our Economy and Society - and will be supported by two core principles, maintaining sustainable and credible public finances and supporting strategic investment to boost jobs and growth. Underpinning our approach is the belief that climate action will profoundly change how our society and economy operates in the coming decades.
The process of developing the Plan has included stakeholder engagement, with approximately 200 stakeholders from business representative groups, social partners, environmental groups and non-governmental bodies taking part in a virtual event in October.
Budget 2021
Ceisteanna (143, 149)
Ged Nash
Ceist:143. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Taoiseach the amount of additional ring-fenced funding to be provided to domestic violence services under budget 2021 in order that services can respond adequately to increased incidence of domestic violence through Covid-19 and beyond. [37137/20]
Amharc ar fhreagra
Fergus O'Dowd
Ceist:149. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Taoiseach the additional ring-fenced funding to be provided by his Department to domestic violence services in budget 2021 in order that services can respond adequately to the shadow pandemic of domestic violence through Covid-19 and beyond. [36351/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 143 and 149 together.
There is no ring-fenced funding for domestic violence services in the Department of the Taoiseach's 2021 budget allocation.
Covid-19 Pandemic
Ceisteanna (144)
Matt Carthy
Ceist:144. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Taoiseach if his Department or an agency operating under his Department has encountered expenditure in respect of hand sanitisation products or other PPE products that were subsequently subject to a recall by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in 2020; if so, the expenditure in respect of such products; and if the expenditures will be recouped from the sellers [36012/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Neither my Department nor any body under the aegis of my Department, incurred expenditure in respect of hand sanitising or other PPE products which were subject to a recall by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in 2020.
Climate Action Plan
Ceisteanna (145)
Ged Nash
Ceist:145. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Taoiseach the number of meetings of the climate action delivery board that have taken place to date in 2020; and the number scheduled for the remainder of 2020. [36072/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Climate Action is a key priority for this Government and progress is overseen by the Cabinet Committee on the Environment and Climate Change, and the Senior Officials Group which supports it.
The Cabinet Committee last met on 9 November 2020 and is scheduled to meet again on 7 December 2020.
It is chaired by the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications and Transport, Eamon Ryan.
The Cabinet Committee oversees the implementation of the Programme for Government commitments in relation to the environment and climate change. These include:
- the Climate Action (Amendment) Bill;
- Just Transition;
- agriculture and land use considerations;
- access to finance for climate action;
- the development of a National Retrofitting Plan; and
- the progression of matters in furtherance of our move to a higher rate of renewable energy, such as the Marine Planning and Development Bill and the Wind Energy Guidelines.
In addition, it considers progress made on the implementation of the current Climate Action Plan, and the planning which is now underway to develop the next iteration of the Plan.
The Climate Action Delivery Board is chaired by the Secretary General to the Government and the Secretary General of the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. The Board has met three times since its establishment in July 2019. It was due to meet in March 2020 but this was postponed due to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. The next meeting of the Climate Action Delivery Board will be held in the coming weeks.
Departmental Offices
Ceisteanna (146)
Catherine Murphy
Ceist:146. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Taoiseach if his Department leases additional office space outside its departmental building and the estates section of the OPW; and if so, the details of the lease including the terms of the lease, location, price and duration. [35883/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
My Department does not have any property lease arrangements.
Office of the Attorney General
Ceisteanna (147)
Alan Kelly
Ceist:147. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Taoiseach if a detailed breakdown will be provided of all trips taken by the Attorney General outside the State since June 2017; the itineraries and details of those who accompanied him; and the purpose of each trip and any other relevant information. [36143/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I am advised by the Office of the Attorney General that since June 2017 the then Attorney General travelled outside the State on official business as detailed in the table.
He was variously accompanied by officials including on occasion the Director General, Advisory Counsel or Special Adviser as required.
Attorney General Travel outside the State 2017 – 01/02/2020
|
Year |
Date |
Destination |
|
2020 |
30/01 -01/02/2020 |
Strasbourg |
|
2019 |
24-26/01/2019 |
Strasbourg |
|
09/02/2019 |
Belfast |
|
|
11-17/03/2019 |
Washington |
|
|
11-12/05/2019 |
Edinburgh |
|
|
13-14/06/2019 |
Brussels |
|
|
18-19/06/2019 |
The Hague |
|
|
15/07/2019 |
London |
|
|
4-8/09/2019 |
Dallas |
|
|
14-26/9/2019 |
Luxembourg |
|
|
11-13/10/2019 |
Venice |
|
|
27-29/11/2019 |
Brussels |
|
|
2018 |
25-27/01/2018 |
Strasbourg |
|
13-18/03/2018 |
Seattle |
|
|
09/04/2018 |
Belfast |
|
|
11-13/04/2018 |
Copenhagen |
|
|
18-20/04/2018 |
Luxembourg |
|
|
3-4/05/2018 |
Brussels |
|
|
15/06/2018 |
London |
|
|
20-22/09/2018 |
Stockholm |
|
|
8-9/11/2018 |
Brussels |
|
|
4-6/12/2018 |
The Hague |
|
|
2017 |
24-25/09/2017 |
Edinburgh |
|
28-30/09/2017 |
Brussels |
|
|
7- 8/08/2017 |
Brussels |
Official Travel
Ceisteanna (148)
Alan Kelly
Ceist:148. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Taoiseach the travelling party that went to Washington DC for St. Patrick’s Day in 2019; if the Government was asked to provide a list of persons to be accredited to attend the White House reception in 2019; and if so, the full list and other relevant details. [36145/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
On his visit to Washington for St Patrick’s Day in 2019 the then Taoiseach was accompanied by the Secretary General of his Department, his Chief of Staff, an Assistant Secretary General, the Government Press Secretary, his Private Secretary, an advisor, an assistant, and a security officer, as well as by the Ambassador and relevant Embassy staff.
The St Patrick’s Day reception in the White House is hosted by the President of the United States. Those attending are invited as his guests. I am advised that it is not the practice for the names of those invited to such events to be made public.
The custom has been that, as a courtesy, in addition to his immediate delegation the Taoiseach of the day is invited by the White House to propose a number of guests for invitation to the reception by the President. In keeping with this, the then Taoiseach proposed nine guests who attended the event.
Question No. 149 answered with Question No. 143.
US Presidential Election
Ceisteanna (150)
Patricia Ryan
Ceist:150. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Taoiseach if he will invite the US President-elect, Mr. Joe Biden, to address the joint Houses of the Oireachtas. [36370/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I spoke with President-elect Biden by telephone in the afternoon of 10 November to offer my congratulations on his and Vice President-elect Harris’s recent success in the US election. I also took the opportunity to invite the President-elect to visit Ireland after he takes office, and as soon as circumstances allow. I have sent letters of congratulations reiterating this message.
Any programme for a visit will only be developed once planning for such a visit is underway and will be for agreement between the two sides. However, consideration will certainly be given to an invitation to President-elect Biden to speak to a joint sitting of the Houses of the Oireachtas.
Departmental Strategy Statements
Ceisteanna (151)
Mary Lou McDonald
Ceist:151. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach if the statement of strategy of his Department will be provided. [36802/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
In accordance with the provisions of the Public Service Management Act, 1997 my Department is currently developing its new Statement of Strategy for the three-year period from 2021-2023. The Strategy will reflect the role of the Department to deliver the executive functions of the Taoiseach and Government and the range of commitments in the Programme for Government. The new Statement of Strategy is due to be finalised before the end of the year and will be published on the gov.ie website.
Data Protection
Ceisteanna (152)
Mary Lou McDonald
Ceist:152. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach the number of subject access requests his Department has received annually in relation to the report of the interdepartmental committee to establish the facts of State involvement with the Magdalen laundries from 2013 to date; the number of these requests denied year on year for the same period, in tabular form; and the additional data protection expertise his Department will secure following the Government statement on mother and baby homes. [36823/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
My Department has not received any Data or Subject Access Requests in relation to the Report of the Inter Departmental Committee into the Magdalen Laundries which was published in 2013. There is a dedicated Data Protection Officer (DPO) in place to oversee my Department’s compliance with the GDPR. The DPO is assisted in this role by a number of Data Protection Liaison Officers in various divisions throughout the Department.
In its final report the Committee set out that the archive of the Committee’s work, which is deposited and stored centrally in the Department of the Taoiseach, contains only copies of official records identified from across all Departments, State agencies and bodies. The originals of all such records identified have stayed in their original files and locations in order to avoid disturbance to or destruction of original or archived files. The Committee set out that the archive also contains certain materials generated by, or for, the Committee in the course of their work such as correspondence, minutes, some statements and submissions. Those records of the Religious Congregations consulted by the Committee were returned to those Congregations, with the exception of certain anonymised data drawn from these records.
The Government will set out further information on how it will ensure that the rights of all citizens to access personal information about themselves, under data protection legislation and the GDPR are fully respected and implemented, in the context of the upcoming publication of the Report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes.
Departmental Budgets
Ceisteanna (153)
Catherine Murphy
Ceist:153. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Taoiseach the way in which his Department’s annual amount for contingent liability is set; the factors considered when setting contingent liability; if forecasting is undertaken regarding setting future amounts; the contingent liability figure for his Department for 2020; and if the contingent has been utilised to date in 2020. [36912/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
No amount is set aside on an annual basis by my Department for contingent liabilities. Since 2016 my Department's Appropriation Account includes a note on contingent liabilities in references to ongoing legal cases which may generate future costs. My Department's Appropriation Account is published on an annual basis by the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General.
Wage-setting Mechanisms
Ceisteanna (154)
Holly Cairns
Ceist:154. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the status of the implementation of Action 1.14 of the National Strategy for Women and Girls 2017-2020 to increase the minimum wage to €10.50 per hour over the next five years, relying on the recommendations from the Low Pay Commission on the level of adjustment each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36378/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
In January 2017, the Government increased the level of the National Minimum Wage to €9.25 an hour.
Since the publication of the National Strategy for Women and Girls 2017-2020 in April 2017 the Low Pay Commission has made a number of recommendations to increase the national minimum wage.
These recommendations have always been accepted and implemented by the Government. The current national minimum wage is €10.10 per hour. The Low Pay Commission recently recommended a 10c increase in the minimum wage. This will bring the national minimum wage to €10.20 per hour from January 2021.
The Programme for Government includes a commitment to progress to a living wage over the lifetime of the Government. Consideration is now being given to how best to progress this initiative.
The Programme for Government recognises the importance of the Low Pay Commission in ensuring that those who are in low-paid employment are valued. While the living wage initiative is being considered, the Government will continue to be guided by the recommendations of the Low Pay Commission with regard to any future changes in the minimum wage.
The Government, and the Low Pay Commission, will remain mindful of the aims and objectives of the National Strategy for Women and Girls 2017-20 when considering future changes to the national minimum wage.
Legislative Measures
Ceisteanna (155)
Holly Cairns
Ceist:155. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the status of the implementation of Action 1.15 of the National Strategy for Women and Girls 2017-2020 to bring forward legislation in response to problems caused by the increased casualisation of work and to strengthen the regulation of precarious work among men and women; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36379/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Ireland’s comprehensive body of employment rights legislation protects all employees who are legally employed on an employer-employee basis. Employment rights legislation was strengthened by the commencement, on 4th March 2019, of the Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2018.
The Act delivered on the Programme for Government commitment to address the challenges of the increased casualisation of work and to strengthen the regulation of precarious employment.
The Act of 2018 provides that:
- employers must give to employees their core terms of employment within five days of starting work;
- zero hours contracts are restricted to situations where the work is of a genuinely casual, emergency or short- term relief nature;
- there are minimum payments for people when they are called into work, but sent home without work;
- a 'band of hours' system has been introduced whereby an employee can request to be placed on a contract that better reflects the hours they have worked over a 12 month reference period;
There are strong anti-penalisation provisions, including recourse to the Workplace Relations Commission, for employees who invoke their rights under this legislation.
Covid-19 Pandemic
Ceisteanna (156)
Steven Matthews
Ceist:156. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his Department has provided guidelines to retailers operating under level 5 restrictions as to clothing items that can be sold on compassionate grounds in view of the fact that anecdotal evidence would suggest that some retailers have differing approaches; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36888/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Under Level 5 of the Plan for Living with COVID-19, only essential retail outlets will remain open.
S.I. No. 448 of 2020 Health Act 1947 (Section 31A - Temporary Restrictions) (COVID-19) (No. 8) Regulations 2020 clearly sets out the temporary restrictions under Level 5 of the Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID. A list of essential services can be found at https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/c9158-essential-services/ and the list of essential retail outlets at Level 5 can be found at https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/60ecc-essential-retail-outlets-for-level-5/
Level 5 restricts people from physically going into non-essential stores in order to stop people congregating and browsing for non-essential goods, to limit the spread of the virus. All retailers – essential and non-essential – can however continue to trade via ‘remote ordering’ and fulfil orders for all products including non-essential items, by online or by phone, for home delivery and for collection.
Mixed retailers have been asked to separate their stock and only sell the items that are essential. This is to encourage all of us to stay at home and shop local and to ensure fairness to those non-essential retailers who have had to close.
Retailers can and have made arrangements, on compassionate grounds, for individual customers to urgently purchase a non-essential item in store. This is only in exceptional circumstances where it is not possible to avail of remote ordering services such as in emergencies, e.g., admission to hospital.
I and my colleague Minister of State English met with the Retail Forum members on 21 October to remind those in the retail sector, of the need for strict adherence to the public health guidelines during Level 5. Minister English met again with the Retail Forum members and major multiple grocery retailers on 28 October and Retail Forum members and representatives of the retail grocery and distribution sector on 4 and 13 November to reinforce this message.
I would like to thank retailers and their customers for their efforts at this difficult time. By each of us following the spirit of these new rules and working together we can hopefully return to a lower level of the Living with Covid-19 framework.
Budget 2021
Ceisteanna (157)
Ged Nash
Ceist:157. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the amount of additional ring-fenced funding to be provided to domestic violence services under Budget 2021 in order that services can respond adequately to increased incidence of domestic violence through Covid-19 and beyond; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37127/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
My Department does not provide any funding towards any element of domestic violence services.
Covid-19 Pandemic
Ceisteanna (158)
Jennifer Whitmore
Ceist:158. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the guidelines regarding click and collect for retailers; if a customer who orders online can pay using contactless collection at the business premise under the current guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36217/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Under Level 5 of the Plan for Living with COVID-19, only essential retail outlets will remain open.
S.I. No. 448 of 2020 Health Act 1947 (Section 31A - Temporary Restrictions) (COVID-19) (No. 8) Regulations 2020 clearly sets out the temporary restrictions under Level 5 of the Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID. A list of essential services can be found at https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/c9158-essential-services/ and the list of essential retail outlets at Level 5 can be found at https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/60ecc-essential-retail-outlets-for-level-5/
Level 5 restricts people from physically going into non-essential stores in order to stop people congregating and browsing for non-essential goods, to limit the spread of the virus. All retailers – essential and non-essential, including toy shops – can however continue to trade via ‘remote ordering’ and fulfil orders for all products including non-essential items, by online or by phone, for home delivery and for collection and using contactless payments.
Information about Click/Call and Collect can be found in the NSAI guidelines COVID-19 Retail Protection and Improvement Guide at https://www.nsai.ie/covid-19/
I and my colleague Minister of State English met with the Retail Forum members on 21 October to remind those in the retail sector, of the need for strict adherence to the public health guidelines during Level 5. Minister English met again with the Retail Forum members and major multiple grocery retailers on 28 October and Retail Forum members and representatives of the retail grocery and distribution sector on 4 and 13 November to reinforce this message.
I would like to thank retailers and their customers for their efforts at this difficult time. By each of us following the spirit of these new rules and working together we can hopefully return to a lower level of the Living with Covid-19 framework.
Covid-19 Pandemic Supports
Ceisteanna (159)
Carol Nolan
Ceist:159. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if the restart plus grant is being paid; the number of applications received and approved to date; if there are delays in allocating funding for the grant to Fáilte Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36305/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Restart Grant scheme was launched on 15 May with a budget of €250 million. The Restart Plus scheme was launched on 10 August with an additional budget of €300m from the Government’s July Jobs Stimulus as a result of the increasing demand for the scheme.
The purpose of the scheme was to help with the cost of reopening or adapting business premises so that normal business can resume. Grant payments are administered by the Local Authorities via the commercial rates system and disbursements are made through Enterprise Ireland to the Local Authorities, based on estimated schedules per county. In total, over 106,000 applications have been managed under both Restart schemes, with over 90,000 of these approved for payment. The amounts paid are published every week on my Department's website.
Since the introduction of the Restart Plus scheme, several top-up payments were approved by Government to deal with additional financial pressures caused by necessary COVID-19 restrictions. These included top-ups in Kildare, Laois and Offaly, a top-up for ‘wet’ pubs, top-ups in Dublin and Donegal, and most recently, a top-up of 30% for all eligible businesses nationally.
In view of the additional costs to the scheme arising from these top-ups, my Department has worked with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and Local Authorities on the remaining funding requirements over recent weeks and disbursement is now underway. In this context, my Department has engaged with Fáilte Ireland to introduce the Restart Grant Plus for B&Bs as notified under the July Stimulus. Disbursement for this scheme is now underway.
The Restart Plus scheme closed as of 31 October and has effectively been replaced by the COVID Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS) operated by the Revenue Commissioners.