Written Answers Nos. 254-271
254. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the type of contract that is issued to civilian drivers; and the way in which they are redeployed and or made redundant in the event that they are replaced on issues of national security. [3120/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe process approved by Government for the appointment of Civilian Drivers to Ministers and Ministers of State is set out in the Instructions to HR Managers – Ministerial Appointments for the 33rd Dáil that is published on gov.ie. Civilian Drivers are appointed on a temporary basis by the relevant Department for a period co-terminus with the relevant officeholder or for other stated reasons. This is reflected in the Contract of Employment that issues to Civilian Drivers, a template for which is included at Appendix 9 in the referenced Instructions to HR Managers.
It would be a matter for Government to initially consider the impacts of any prospective recommendation to vary the current Civilian Driver arrangements. I can confirm that these matters are under review.
258. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if construction work has commenced on a new Garda station at Bailieborough, County Cavan; if so, the estimated timeframe for completion; the estimated cost of the project; the name of the company that was awarded the contract to construct the new Garda station; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3416/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe project for a new Garda Station at Bailieborough, Co. Cavan includes conservation of the existing former National Irish Bank building and the construction of a new three storey over basement building to the rear on a site of circa 0.15 hectares located on the town’s main street. Following the tender process, which included a most economically advantageous tender assessment, the contract was awarded on 12th of November 2021. The preferred bidder is Adston Construction Ltd. and the contract value is €10,976,632 excluding VAT.
I can confirm that construction work has now commenced (January 2022) and that the construction programme is projected to take approximately twenty months to complete with a target completion date of September 2023.
259. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the breakdown of the organisations that receive finance through the good causes Lottery funding (details supplied); and the amount that was received by each organisation. [3451/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraInformation requested in relation to organisations in receipt of Good Causes lottery funding is not available in my Department. The assignment of such funds is a matter for the individual line Departments with expenditure subheads part-funded by the National Lottery.
As set out in section 41 of the National Lottery Act, 2013 the National Lottery Regulator transfers moneys from the National Lottery Fund to the Central Fund of the Exchequer and in such amounts, as the Government may determine from time to time, including sports and recreation; national culture and heritage; the arts; health of the community; youth; welfare and amenities and the natural environment.
The Deputy may wish to note that I have recently commissioned a review of Good Causes lottery funding to consider the transparency and effectiveness of how funding is distributed and to ensure that it is best targeted in support of Good Causes. I expect that this work will conclude in the second quarter of 2022.
260. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of the flood relief scheme for the River Slaney, Enniscorthy town, County Wexford; if there is a completion date for this work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3486/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Enniscorthy (River Slaney) flood defence scheme is being progressed by Wexford County Council on behalf of the Office of Public Works as a scheme under the Arterial Drainage Acts 1945 and 1995. This is a significant scheme within the Office of Public Works €1.3 billion flood relief investment programme nationally, as part of the NDP 2018-2030, from which the relevant funding for the Enniscorthy scheme will be made available. On completion, the scheme will protect 236 properties in the town.
The proposed scheme includes river channel widening, river deepening, bridge relocation, and the construction of extensive glass panelled flood walls through the town. The estimated Total Project Budget will be approximately €51m when other costs such as fees, site investigation works, environmental mitigation, VAT, property/landowner compensation and future maintenance costs are taken into consideration.
The scheme is going through the confirmation process under the Arterial Drainage Acts, following submission to the Minister for Public Expenditure & Reform for assessment in mid 2020. It is important to note that under Section 7.E of the Arterial Drainage Act Regulations 2019, the Minister can (a) make an order confirming the scheme, (b) refuse to confirm the scheme, or (c) refer the scheme back to the Commissioners for revision in specified respects.
There is a statutory obligation incumbent upon the Minister for Public Expenditure & Reform to ensure that all aspects of complex legal and environmental compliance issues are satisfactorily resolved before a decision can be made in relation to the Enniscorthy scheme, on the basis of the options available to him. The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is currently awaiting finalised reports and recommendations from the expert environmental consultants in relation to this matter before making that determination. A decision in relation to the Enniscorthy Flood Relief Scheme, as per the three options available to him, will be made at the earliest possible opportunity.
261. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his Department’s total capital and current expenditure budget for 2021 and 2022 for domestic, sexual and gender-based violence with a breakdown for each related allocation for both years in tabular form. [3505/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraDue to the nature of its role, my Department has no specific programme with a budget related to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence in its own Votes (Vote 11, Department of Public Expenditure and Reform; Vote 39, Office of Government Procurement; and Vote 43, Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO)).
262. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of transfers of civil servants to County Donegal that have taken place through the mobility list in each of the past three years; the way that staff transfers are selected between the mobility list and the internal list within the civil service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3517/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraCivil Service Mobility offers an opportunity for staff members to apply for Mobility (i.e. transfer) through an open and transparent system.
It is one of a number of arrangements put in place to fulfil the requirements of Action 15 of the Civil Service Renewal Plan which calls to “expand career and Mobility opportunities for staff across geographic, organisational and sectoral boundaries” and Action 14 of the People Strategy for the Civil Service which calls for the further expansion of a coherent Mobility policy to facilitate staff development.
The country is divided into 46 zones/locations for the purpose of the mobility scheme. County Donegal encompasses Zone 1, 2 & 3.
In the last 3 years 19 staff members have moved under the scheme to transfer within or to the Donegal area - breakdown per grade is as follows:
- 12 Clerical Officers (7 of whom transferred from Departments already located in Donegal); and
- 7 Executive Officers (6 of whom transferred from Departments already located in Donegal).
These moves were made in accordance with the following organisational sequencing for mobility which is applied nationwide rather than per zone/location;
- Clerical Officer – 1 in 2 vacant posts will be filled though Mobility.
- Executive Officer – 50% Open: 25% Interdepartmental** : 25% Internal.
** one in every two Interdepartmental vacancies to be filled by Mobility.
For further information on the scheme please visit the Mobility website at:
www.hr.per.gov.ie/en/corporate-pages/career/mobility/
263. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if EU Digital COVID Certificates should be used in swimming pools to fall in line with gyms and leisure centres; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2955/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFollowing public health advice, the Government has decided, with effect from 22 January, that most of the public health measures previously in place can be removed. This includes the previous requirement to present a valid Digital COVID Certificate to enter gyms and indoor leisure facilities.
264. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if records are available for the Census of Population undertaken in 1821 and 1831; and if there is work in progress to try to recover relevant data. [3607/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMost of the censuses of population undertaken in 1821 and 1831 were destroyed in a fire at the Public Record Office in 1922. A small number of records of Census 1821 and Census 1831 survive. These are available on the National Archives census website:
www.census.nationalarchives.ie/help/pre1901.html
On the website, the records can be searched by year, surname, forename and various address fields.
265. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if her attention has been drawn to the widespread concerns in Northern Ireland in relation to limited access to RTÉ channels for many viewers with further difficulties emerging with the availability of television streaming services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2944/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder Section 114(1) of the Broadcasting Act 2009, RTÉ, as part of its public service objects are required to establish, maintain and operate a national television and sound broadcasting service which shall have the character of a public service, be a free-to-air service and be made available, in so far as it is reasonably practicable, to the whole community on the island of Ireland. However, I have no role in relation to this matter as in accordance with Section 98 of the Act, RTÉ is independent in its day-to-day functions.
The issue raised by the Deputy regarding access to streaming services is primarily to do with broadcast rights and access to broadcasts of sports events. At an operational level, the acquisition of sports rights and the geographical areas in which they are broadcast is a commercial matter for the relevant sporting bodies, which usually provide broadcasting licences on an exclusive territorial basis. I do not have a role in these commercial arrangements.
266. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the financial support that her Department can provide to a club (details supplied); if her attention has been drawn to the significant financial cost for the club associated with participating in the European club championships. [3062/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraSport Ireland, which is funded by my Department, is the statutory body with responsibility for the development of sport and increasing participation at all levels and raising standards, including the allocation of funding across its various programmes. Sport Ireland does not provide direct funding for clubs but channels the funding through the relevant National Governing Body of Sport.
I understand that the National Governing Body for the sport in question can provide a grant towards the travel costs for a club team attending the European Club competition. The club mentioned by the Deputy should accordingly contact their National Governing Body to see what financial support may be available.
267. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she will consider the use of an antigen test to allow access to a leisure facility in Dún Laoghaire, County Dublin for a child with special needs who cannot attend swimming therapy as their mother does not have a vaccine passport; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3152/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFollowing public health advice, the Government has decided, with effect from Saturday 22 January, that most of the public health measures previously in place can be removed. This includes the previous requirement to present a valid Digital COVID Certificate to enter gyms and indoor leisure facilities.
268. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the criteria and methodology for determining the allocations for the local sports partnership small grant scheme five, the resumption of sport and physical activity under the Covid-19 investment fund; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3258/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra269. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the criteria and methodology for determining the allocations for the local sports partnership grassroots sport support scheme five, the resumption of sport and physical activity under the Covid-19 investment fund; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3259/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra270. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the criteria and methodology for determining the allocations for the local sports partnership under the Covid-19 investment fund; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3260/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra271. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the criteria and methodology behind the allocations given under scheme two, National Governing Body Resilience Fund; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3261/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra272. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the reason for the proportional disparity of funding between counties (details supplied) cumulatively across the three schemes, local sports partnership small grant, local sports partnership grassroots sport support and local sports partnerships; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3262/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 268, 269, 270, 271 and 272 together.
On 13 December, Minister Martin and I announced the allocation of almost €80m for the sport sector under two separate support programmes. This includes €73.6m in Covid-19 funding under five separate streams to help sports organisations to recover and grow post-pandemic, support our grassroots networks of clubs and local sports partnerships, and ensure that people of all ages and abilities return to sport and physical activity.
The funding was administered by Sport Ireland and invested through grant schemes with Sport Ireland’s recognised funding partners, including the National Governing Bodies of Sport, Local Sports Partnerships and other funded sporting organisations.
The funding criteria for each of the grant schemes was established by Sport Ireland and the funding guidelines were issued by Sport Ireland directly to National Governing Bodies and Local Sports Partnerships.
As the criteria for funding and the allocation of funding under each of the schemes is a matter for Sport Ireland, I have referred the Deputy's questions to Sport Ireland for direct reply. I would ask the Deputy to inform my office if a reply is not received within 10 working days.
