Written Answers Nos. 295-312
298. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 268 of 19 October 2021, if he will oppose attempts to classify nuclear energy as an environmentally sustainable economic activity at an EU level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53267/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs referred to in my reply to PQ No 368 on 19th October 2021 it is for the European Commission, under the provisions of the regulation on the EU Taxonomy for sustainable activities, to propose for adoption a complementary climate delegated act on activities not covered in the first delegated act, which itself is not yet adopted. This complementary act is expected to determine whether nuclear power will be classified as an environmentally sustainable economic activity under the Taxonomy.
To date, the Commission has not consulted Member States on a draft for the complementary delegated act.
I am aware of opposition to nuclear energy’s inclusion as being environmentally sustainable, as well as the clear support from others who deem it sustainable and rely on its use daily to meet their energy needs and climate goals.
Nonetheless, as stated previously, regardless of whether or not agreement is reached to define nuclear energy as an environmentally sustainable economic activity in the context of the taxonomy, nuclear powered electricity generation plants are prohibited in Ireland and the Government has no plans to revisit the prohibition on nuclear powered electricity generation in Ireland.
299. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Finance if the Finance Bill 2021 contains measures to assist businesses that have ceased trading as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic with the cost of redundancy payments. [53335/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment that in situations where employers are genuinely unable to meet their financial obligations, due to Covid-19 or any other reason, in paying statutory redundancy to their employees due to financial difficulties or insolvency, the State can fund statutory redundancy payments from the Social Insurance Fund (SIF) on their behalf.
An application for payment may be submitted to the redundancy payments scheme of the Department of Social Protection. The employer is required to provide evidence of their inability to pay redundancy, such as a Statement of Affairs or verified financial accounts. When such a redundancy payment is made from the Social Insurance Fund, a debt is raised against the employer.
In order to support employers, a flexible and discretionary approach will be taken in relation to recovery of the redundancy debt. The Department of Social Protection will engage with employers directly and each case is assessed on its own merits. A mutually agreed repayment plan can be put in place, including repayments by instalment to ensure financial hardship is minimised. In many cases the debt can be repaid over a number of years.
In insolvency situations, such as liquidations, the Minister for Social Protection becomes a preferential creditor and the redundancy debt recovery is managed in the insolvency process under company law provisions.
There are no further measures proposed in Finance Bill 2021.
300. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Finance if he will engage with a bank (details supplied) on behalf of residents and businesses in Ballyhaunis, County Mayo with the aim of securing the ongoing use of the premises of the closed bank as a community resource and in order to maintain an ATM in the town; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53125/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy may be aware, as Minister for Finance, I have no role in the commercial decisions made by any bank in the State. This includes banks in which the State has a shareholding.
Decisions in this regard, including the management of branch or ATM networks, are the sole responsibility of the board and management of the banks, which must be run on an independent and commercial basis. The independence of banks in which the State has a shareholding is protected by Relationship Frameworks which are legally binding documents that cannot be changed unilaterally. These frameworks, which are publicly available, were insisted upon by the European Commission to protect competition in the Irish market. The Bank of Ireland Relationship Framework can be found on my department's website.
Accordingly, the use of the bank branch you refer to is a matter for Bank of Ireland.
On ATMs specifically, Bank of Ireland has confirmed that no location will be left without access to financial services or cash facilities. Many locations will see an enhancement of services through the bank’s new partnership with An Post. However, in the small number of locations (four) where there is no alternative ATM available, Bank of Ireland will continue to maintain an ATM.
301. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Finance the steps he is taking to ensure that life insurance policies provide cover in the case of stillborn children. [53354/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAt the outset, I am very conscious that the issue raised by the Deputy is a sensitive issue, and that the death of a child is a tragic event for any parent. However, the Deputy will be aware that neither I, nor the Central Bank of Ireland, can intervene in the provision or pricing of insurance products, or have the power to direct insurance companies to provide cover in such circumstances. This position is reinforced by the EU framework for insurance (the Solvency II Directive).
Officials in my Department consulted with Insurance Ireland, the representative body for insurance providers in this country, for further information on this matter. Insurance Ireland noted that while some insurers do provide cover in the case of stillborn children under life cover policies, this remains a decision for individual insurers and the approach to this is not standard across the industry. In this regard, they noted that some insurers may cover childrens lives from birth; or for certain specified conditions from birth; or from a specified age, for example three months. Given this difference in approach by insurers, I believe it is important that individuals taking out life insurance products familiarise themselves with the terms and conditions of a policy prior to purchasing it, and to shop around in accordance with their needs.
Where somebody feels they have been treated unfairly by a particular insurance provider with regard to the above, they have the option of making a complaint to the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (FSPO). The FSPO acts as an independent arbiter of disputes that consumers may have with their insurance company or other financial service provider. The FSPO can be contacted either by email at info@fspo.ie or by telephone at 01-567-7000.
Finally, it may interest the Deputy to know that Insurance Ireland also operates a free Insurance Information Service for those who have queries, complaints or difficulties in relation to insurance. This can be accessed at feedback@insuranceireland.eu.
302. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the extent to which he is of the view economic recovery is likely to spread across the island of Ireland with regard to the National Development Plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52861/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe recently published National Development Plan (NDP) provides a detailed and positive vision for the whole of the country over the next 10 years, and sees total investment of €165 billion over the period 2021-2030. The NDP will support economic, social, environmental and cultural development across all parts of the country under Project Ireland 2040, in parallel with the National Planning Framework (NPF) which sets the overarching spatial strategy for the next twenty years. The revised NDP has been drafted very much as a response to economic recovery from the pandemic with this Government recognising the value and role of infrastructure investment across the country.
The alignment of the NDP and NPF under Project Ireland 2040 creates a unified and coherent plan for the country by ensuring our investment strategy supports spatial planning behind a shared set of strategic objectives for rural, regional and urban development and will strengthen the link with the new Climate Action Plan and other sectoral policies.
Departments will continue to develop strategic investment frameworks in line with the National Planning Framework to ensure investment is regionally spread. The data examined shows a clear spread in the number of investment projects across the three Regional Assembly areas largely in line with the NPF growth targets. The Project and Programmes Tracker and interactive map myProjectIreland was published alongside the National Development Plan in early-October 2021 and provides a composite update on the progress of Project Ireland 2040. The following details some high-level statistics on the regional spread of projects contained with the Project and Programmes Tracker and the MyProjectIreland Map:
Project and Programmes Tracker (376 Projects and 133 Programmes, mostly over €20m)
- Eastern/Midlands - 181 Projects (21 over €100m)
- Southern - 122 Projects (12 over €100m)
- North and West - 55 Projects (8 over €100m)
- Nationa l- 18 Projects (7 over €100m)
MyProjectIreland Map (includes 947 Projects)
- Eastern/Midlands - 396 Projects
- Southern - 324 Projects
- North and West - 234 Projects
The regional spread broadly echoes the National Planning Framework and recognises the importance of balanced regional development. The regional reports for 2020, also published alongside the NDP, further show the breadth of investment across the country.
303. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his attention has been drawn to the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52168/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis case relates to the rules of the purchase of notional service scheme. My Department has been working with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) on this matter and issued initial guidance in early January 2021.
Subsequent to this, additional background information on the same query was provided by DAFM. As a result, it was necessary to seek guidance from the Office of the Revenue Commissioners to clarify the interaction of Revenue requirements with the rules regarding the purchase of notional service scheme as these rules are complex in nature.
That engagement is ongoing and is being prioritised. Once the necessary clarifications have been obtained from Revenue, a full response will be issued to both DAFM and the individual as soon as possible.
304. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the OPW has engaged with insurance providers regarding OPW maps and flood risk and its mapping of same in respect of the use of their models in the context of assessing risk associated with insurance products; his plans to make it obligatory for insurers to consider the maps compiled by the OPW when a dispute arises between an insurance company and a customer in respect of the refusal by the insurance company to provide flood cover; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52190/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Office of Public Works (OPW), through its Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme, carried out the largest ever flood risk study in Ireland to date, which assessed 80% of properties at risk from Ireland’s main causes of flooding. The OPW Flood Maps, that show the flood risk for 300 communities, are a key output of the study together with 29 Flood Risk Management Plans, with the proposed flood relief measures to address the flood risk in each community and nationwide. These maps are available to the public at www.floodinfo.ie however, it is important to note that the Flood Maps are community based and that they are not designed to designate individual properties at risk. The maps show the probable extent of flooding based on future projections. The maps do not show individual properties and therefore they do not identify, if a property is or is not within, or close to, an area at risk of flooding.
The Department of Finance has overall responsibility for policy matters in relation to insurance. The OPW has a role to assist insurance companies to take into account the protection provided by completed flood defence schemes. In this regard, the OPW has a Memorandum of Understanding with Insurance Ireland, the representative body of the insurance industry. This Memorandum sets out principles of how the two organisations work together to ensure that appropriate and relevant information on these completed schemes is provided to insurers to facilitate, to the greatest extent possible, the availability to the public of insurance against the risk of flooding. Insurance Ireland members have committed to take into account all information provided by OPW when assessing exposure to flood risk within these protected areas.
The Disclaimer and Conditions for Use of OPW Flood Maps on www.floodinfo.ie includes a provision that users of the website must not use the Flood Maps, or any other content of the website for commercial purposes. As such, the Disclaimer prevents insurance companies from using the flood maps generated by the OPW. The insurance industry has its own flood modelling tools for assessing the level of risk that it is willing to underwrite in relation to individual properties. The decision on whether to offer insurance, level of premiums charged and the policy terms applied are matters for individual insurers. Insurance companies make commercial decisions on the provision of insurance cover based on their assessment of the risks they would be accepting on a case-by-case basis.
Insurance related complaints or queries may be directed to Insurance Ireland's Insurance Information Service (01 676 1914 or feedback@insuranceireland.eu). In addition, the Financial Services Ombudsman (1890 88 20 90) deals independently with unresolved complaints from consumers about their individual dealings with all financial service providers.
305. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his attention has been drawn to the destruction of a bat roost at Emo Court House; if the necessary authorisation was obtained; and if so, if the authorisation will be made available. [52302/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe OPW has not been involved in the destruction of a bat roost at Emo Court House. The current works at Emo Court are being carried under Derogation Licence No.: DER/BAT 2020 – 73, under supervision of Ecological Consultants Scott Cawley Ltd. National Parks & Wildlife Service carried out a routine inspection of the works on 28th September 2021.
306. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the amount of the Brexit adjustment reserve allocated to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine; the way he plans to allocate this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52430/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland is to receive almost €1.1 billion from the Brexit Adjustment Reserve, or BAR. This represents just over 20% of the total Reserve and is the largest allocation for any Member State.
The aim of the BAR is to provide financial support to the most affected Member States, regions and sectors to deal with the adverse consequences of Brexit.
The Government will use this funding to help counter the economic and social impact of Brexit in areas such as enterprise supports; supports for the fisheries and agri-food sectors; reskilling and retraining; and checks and controls at our ports and airports.
To qualify for BAR funding, expenditure must be incurred between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2023. It will need to meet stringent EU funding requirements, and demonstrate the negative impact of Brexit.
Given these requirements, BAR funding will be allocated in tranches when the eligibility requirements have been subject to a full assessment. These allocations will be made across 2022 and 2023 in Revised Estimates, or Supplementary Estimates, as appropriate.
This approach is intended to allow flexibility around the allocation of funding as the impacts of Brexit on different sectors become clearer.
307. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his views on a matter regarding a community centre (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52620/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs you are aware the Kilgarvan Community Development CLG has the use of the former Garda station on the basis of a two year licence.
As per my reply to your query on 9th September, the lease on the Community Centre is the subject of a query with the Chief State Solicitors Office (CSSO). My officials have requested an update from the CSSO on the matter.
308. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the reason some temporary clerical officers in the civil service who can perform their duties remotely are being denied the ability to work remotely despite Government advice continuing to promote working from home where possible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52749/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra309. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the reason some temporary clerical officers in the civil service are being denied laptops specifically to ensure they cannot work from home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52750/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 308 and 309 together.
Decisions in relation to those who are required to attend the workplace, and the provision of equipment, during COVID-19 is a matter for individual employers.
In order to assist civil and public service organisations with their work-related obligations during COVID-19, the Civil Service HR Policy Division within my Department regularly issues Guidance and FAQs for Public Service Employers during Covid-19, which can be found here;
https://www.gov.ie/en/news/092fff-update-on-working-arrangements-and-leave-associated-with-covid-19-fo/. The most recent update was released on the 29th September 2021. Section 1.1 of this document, which is based on public health advice and the Resilience and Recovery Plan 2021, provides guidance for employers in relation to who should attend the work premise during the pandemic. In line with public health advice, a cautious and careful return to workplaces should take into account appropriate attendance levels, with the use of staggered arrangements such as non-fulltime attendance and flexible working hours, and that attendance is for specific business requirements.
Additionally, the LEEF Consultative Group has published a Guidance Note on the Work Safely Protocol for returning safely to the workplace, which can be found here; https://enterprise.gov.ie/en/Publications/Work-Safely-Protocol.html
The LEEF guidance note outlines that, on 19th October, the Government, taking into account the latest developments with regards to the incidence and behaviour of COVID-19, and progress in the roll out of vaccinations, announced further steps in reopening, to take effect from 22 October. A key element of Reframing the Challenge: Continuing our Recovery and Reconnecting, is the facilitation of a phased and staggered return to the workplace for specific business requirements.
310. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he has received notice from the OPW that it will miss its deadline for completion of the Garda HQ project at Military Road; the sum of the additional works that are to be completed following design detail changes; and the additional budget allocated to this project. [52906/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraConstruction of the new Garda Security and Operational Command Centre at Military Rd is progressing in a very satisfactory manner. It is on schedule to be completed on time and it is being developed within its approved total project budget.
311. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the amount that the OPW spend on the refurbishment of Navan Garda station. [53044/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Office of Public Works can confirm that a contract for the refurbishment of Navan Garda Station to the value of €1,638,816.32 excluding vat was awarded on 15th April 2021. The total expenditure to date for the project is €239,864.66 which includes vat and consultancy fees.
The project is co- funded by the Office of Public Works and An Garda Síochána.
312. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the timeline for the commencement of work on the new Bailieborough Garda station; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53221/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe procurement phase for this project is well progressed and this phase will be completed shortly. It is expected that a contract for the works will be placed following successful completion of all procurement processes. Construction should commence shortly thereafter.
