Michael Ring
Ceist:2584. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if any person can apply for a position (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19876/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAppointments to State Boards
Ceisteanna (2584)
Freagraí scríofa
The Public Appointments Service (PAS) is the centralised provider of recruitment and assessment services for the Civil Service, including management of the process to identify people for consideration for appointment to State Boards.
The website www.stateboards.ie is the channel used by the PAS to both inform the public of vacancies on State Boards and to collate expressions of interest in those roles. Applications are welcome from people who believe they have the relevant skills and experience to join a State Board.
Applications are processed by way of a transparent assessment system designed and implemented by PAS to support the Minister in making the appointments. A rigorous process of selection is applied to all applicants for State boards in order for final selection to ensure a full complement of experience, qualifications and expertise.
Local Improvement Scheme
Ceisteanna (2585)
Niamh Smyth
Ceist:2585. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of the local improvement scheme; if she will urgently allocate further funding to the scheme to clear the backlog; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19914/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) is just one of a number of initiatives funded under my Department's Rural Development Investment Programme.
A total of €58 Million has been allocated under the Scheme since it was reintroduced in 2017 and this funding has benefited over 10,000 landowners and residents across 2,400 road projects. This has made a real difference to the landowners and residents on these roads and I understand that there continues to be considerable demand for more investment on other roads across the country.
This year I expect to allocate €10.5 million through the Local Improvement Scheme to support improvement works on these roads. This represents a 5% increase compared to last year. I will be launching the 2021 Local Improvement Scheme in the coming weeks and the allocation for each Local Authority area will be announced at that stage.
Community Services Programme
Ceisteanna (2586, 2587)
Éamon Ó Cuív
Ceist:2586. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of community services programme projects in place throughout the country; the number of participants and managers respectively being funded on these schemes; her plans to expand the scheme to include new projects and extra participants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20167/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraÉamon Ó Cuív
Ceist:2587. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if her Department is accepting applications for new projects to date under the Community Services Programme; the details of the way to apply; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20168/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 2586 and 2587 together.
My Department's Community Services Programme (CSP) supports over 420 community organisations to provide local services through a social enterprise model. The CSP provides an annual co-funding contribution of €19,033 for each fulltime equivalent (FTE) position being supported, and, where warranted, provides €32,000 towards the cost of employing a manager. Qualifying organisations must be social enterprises capable of generating income from their activities in order to meet the full salary costs of the supported posts, for example, from income received from the public use of facilities and services.
In the year to date, the Programme has supported 419 CSP services nationally via 415 organisations. Approximately 325 Managers and 1,691.5 FTEs have been supported under CSP.
In 2020, Indecon International Economic Consultants carried out an independent review of the Community Services Programme on behalf of my Department. The final report was published in September 2020 and is available on my Department's website. My Department and Pobal have now commenced work on the restructuring of the Programme. Pending the transition to the new restructured Programme, the Expression Of Interest process is closed.
It is expected that, in future, the Programme will facilitate new entrants via targeted calls to address identified gaps in service delivery.
Question No. 2588 answered with Question No. 2569.
Library Projects
Ceisteanna (2589)
John Paul Phelan
Ceist:2589. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the current progress and eventual timeline for the provision of grant support for a library (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20322/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Carlow County Council submitted an application to my Department for funding in respect of Carlow Central Library in August 2020. However, as the Libraries Capital Programme 2016 - 2021 is fully committed, the Council were advised to consider making an application for funding to the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) which is administered by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
Carlow County Council were also requested to simultaneously submit their application to my Department for technical assessment of the proposed new library which is a requirement under the Four Stage Capital Management Process, to ensure that the Standards and Benchmarks for public libraries are being adhered to. This is the practice for all new library projects, including URDF-funded library projects. My Department issued Stage 1 approval-in-principle in respect of the Standards and Benchmarks for public libraries on 18 December 2020 and the Council submitted a Stage 2 application on 20 April 2021, which will now be considered.
Appointments to State Boards
Ceisteanna (2590)
John McGuinness
Ceist:2590. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the efforts her Department is making to achieve gender balance on all State boards and agencies under the remit of her Department; if she will set out the changes achieved to date on each; if 50% of the membership of all boards, policy groups or agencies that provide advice to Government on matters of policy will be reserved for appropriately qualified individuals from the private sector in order to achieve a balance between the public and private sectors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20732/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
My Department actively promotes gender balance on the State Boards under its auspices.
Since September 2014 the Public Appointments Service (PAS) has responsibility for managing an open, accessible, rigorous and transparent system to support Ministers in making appointments to State boards.
Under the Guidelines for Appointments to State Boards, these board positions are advertised and recruited through the dedicated website, www.stateboards.ie.
This process enables accomplished, experienced, and qualified people, from all relevant sectors, to apply to be considered for particular vacancies and to register to have suitable vacancies notified to them.
The table here provides the Gender Balance Percentage for the Agencies under my remit. These Boards exceed the Government target of a minimum of 40% representation of each gender in the membership of State Boards, with the exception of Water Safety Ireland which has a Gender Balance Percentage: Female (38%), Male (62%) and this is a matter which is being kept under review
|
Board |
Gender Balance Percentage: Female |
Gender Balance Percentage: Male |
|
Western Development Commission |
50% |
50% |
|
Charities Regulatory Authority |
42% |
58% |
|
Pobal |
60% |
40% |
|
Water Safety Ireland |
38% |
62% |
The membership of the Charities Regulatory Authority is set out under the Charities Act 2009. The 2009 Act provides that the Minister ensure that members are persons with requisite knowledge and expertise.
The membership of the Council of Water Safety Ireland is set out under the Water Safety Ireland (Establishment) Order 2019. All appointments must meet the specific and detailed criteria determined by the relevant Minister, in consultation with the Chair, as necessary for a member of a particular Board.
When seeking expressions of interest for appointment to the Pobal Board in 2020 the booklet issued stated “The Minister for Rural and Community Development invites expressions of interest from members of the public with significant expertise, which should be evidenced in their application". The Pobal Board is drafting a Board Competency Framework to support the Chairperson to assist the Department in drawing up the specification for Board appointments and ensuring that it has due regard for the benefits of diversity on the Board including gender, as required by the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies.
My Department participated on the Inter-Departmental Group on gender balance chaired by the Department of Justice, and has brought the Group’s recommendations to the attention of each of the agencies under our remit. The Inter-Departmental Group recommendations are invaluable in providing guidance to focus on actions which are supportive of building a gender balanced culture.
Remote Working
Ceisteanna (2591)
Pearse Doherty
Ceist:2591. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if an application process is planned for interested pub owners in the recently announced proposal for a pilot scheme to turn rural pubs into remote working hubs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20800/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Government’s ambitious new five year policy for rural Ireland, Our Rural Future, commits to the development of a pilot scheme to support the use of rural pubs as community spaces and hubs for local services.
I have met with the Vintners Federation of Ireland (VFI) and my officials are currently working with VFI to develop the pilot project. Through the pilot, it is envisaged that a small number of pubs would explore how they might be used as community spaces and hubs for local services.
The pubs to be included in the pilot will be identified by the VFI in consultation with its members and they will work with community stakeholders locally to identify the interventions that might be supported at the identified locations.
Further details will be announced over the coming months.