Wednesday, 14 Sep 2022

Written Answers Nos. 41-60

Ministerial Staff

Ceisteanna (49)

Carol Nolan

Ceist:

49. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Taoiseach the expenses paid to Ministerial advisers in his Department in each of the years 2020 and 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form [43164/22]

Freagraí scríofa

The Taoiseach

The expenses paid to advisers in my Department in the years 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022 are set out in the table below.

Year	Expenses
2020	€1,678.53
2021	€2,557.18
2022 (to date)	€757.55
Total	€4,993.26

Central Statistics Office

Ceisteanna (50)

Michael Healy-Rae

Ceist:

50. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Taoiseach if he will address a matter in relation to a person (details supplied) employed in the Central Statistics Office. [42379/22]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach (Deputy Jack Chambers)

In line with Government advice regarding resuming work at employers’ premises as COVID related restrictions were relaxed, CSO staff commenced a regime of one day per week on-site attendance at their designated CSO office in September 2021, rising to two days per week in February 2022. These arrangements were communicated as forming part of a “transition phase” of post-COVID CSO Office attendance, pending finalisation of the civil service Blended Working Framework, published on March 31st 2022, which provided the basis for the development of the CSO’s own recently finalised Blended Working Policy.

On the basis of extenuating circumstances, a limited number of alternative “transition phase” attendance arrangements were agreed reflecting specific personal-to-holder considerations, decided on a case-by-case basis. As with other “transition phase” arrangements, the latter were clearly identified as being in place pending implementation of the CSO Blended Working Policy.

The CSO’s Blended Working Policy attendance model combines time spent working from a designated Home workstation with time spent working on-site from an assigned CSO premises and access to this flexibility is contingent on satisfying a combination of eligibility criteria comprising an assessment of role suitability, person suitability and ergonomic assessment of the available home workspace.

The CSO physical offices will continue to be the primary workplace for all employees as designated during the point of hire, which is consistent with the Civil Service wide policy. Where role, person and ergonomic suitability assessments are deemed satisfactory, the Policy provides that CSO staff may apply to work from a designated home workspace up to a maximum of 60% of weekly rostered hours. This equates to up to three full days in a standard working week for FTEs (pro-rata for work sharers). Final determination of the appropriate level of on-site versus homeworking within the parameters provided for in the Policy rests with section/team or Divisional Managers and such decisions are taken having regard to meeting the needs of the business.

CSO Staff will be given the opportunity to submit their application for Blended Working from mid-September 2022. The Policy will come into effect from November 1st 2022 and all prior attendance arrangements will then lapse. Any staff member not having applied for or not having been approved on application for Blended Working will thereafter be required to attend at the employer’s premises on a whole-time basis by default, where this is consistent with their contract of employment.

Blended Working, where made available, is a flexible benefit not an entitlement or a right and is subject to oversight, review and withdrawal at the discretion of line managers having regard to defined eligibility provisions and based on the needs of the business.

CSO HR and Line Managers have been engaging with staff in preparation for the opening of the application process (mid-September 2022). Any staff member with a specific query regarding Blended Working should speak to their line manager in the first instance, and then HR. During the last few months CSO HR have engaged with a number of staff, including the member of staff referred to in this PQ, in relation to concerns regarding Blended Working and has provided advice and guidance to inform staff of options open to them and to support decision making. CSO HR continues to be available to support staff as the Civil Service moves to a Blended Working model.

Local Authorities

Ceisteanna (51)

Catherine Murphy

Ceist:

51. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Taoiseach the totality of grant-aid and or subsidy provided to each local authority in 2019, 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022 (details supplied). [42836/22]

Freagraí scríofa

The Taoiseach

My Department has not allocated any grant-aid or subsidies to any local authorities in the years in question.

Departmental Advertising

Ceisteanna (52)

Seán Sherlock

Ceist:

52. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Taoiseach the amount that his Department has spent on advertising on social media in 2021 and to date in 2022; the amount spent per platform; and the campaigns per platform in tabular form. [43367/22]

Freagraí scríofa

The Taoiseach

In 2021 and to date in 2022 my Department incurred expenditure of €727,162.88 on social media advertising. €708,325.33 of this spend was on 26 COVID-19 public information campaigns as part of the Government’s coordinated approach to COVID-19 public health communications. All expenditure related to advertising campaigns on a range of social media platforms - Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Tiktok, Snapchat and Youtube.

A number of other campaigns were also advertised on social media including promotional campaigns to raise public awareness of a formal public consultation process run by the Future of Media Commission and to raise awareness of the Well-being Framework for Ireland and a public survey to support its development. Expenditure of €4,448.61 was also incurred to raise public awareness of Storm Barra in December 2021 and Storm Dudley in February 2022.

The table below outlines the expenditure by campaign by my Department on social media.

Campaigns

Constitutional Amendments

Ceisteanna (53, 54)

Mick Barry

Ceist:

53. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Taoiseach if he plans to examine constitutional amendments on religious oath taking for public office positions following the recommendations of the United Nations Human Rights Committee (details supplied). [42405/22]

Neasa Hourigan

Ceist:

54. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Taoiseach when he plans to bring forward a bill in view of the recent United Nations Human Rights Committee recommendations (details supplied) to amend the Constitution to remove the requirement for religious oaths to take up senior public office positions. [42919/22]

Freagraí scríofa

The Taoiseach

I propose to take Questions Nos. 53 and 54 together.

Constitutional Reform takes account of priorities identified in the Programme for Government and from the Citizens Assemblies and it is viewed as an ongoing process.  

In relation to a constitutional amendment with regard to the declarations required to be taken by the President, members of the Judiciary and Council of State on taking office (Articles 12, 31 and 34), the matter is kept under ongoing review.  However, there are no plans at present to amend the Constitution in this regard.

Question No. 54 answered with Question No. 53.

Local Authorities

Ceisteanna (55)

Fergus O'Dowd

Ceist:

55. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Taoiseach the details on the total amounts of monies awarded to Louth County Council by his Department in each of the years 2016 to 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form; if he will seek details on the total monies drawn down and spent by Louth County Council over the same years in tabular form, and if not spent, the total monies that were returned to his Department respectively over the same years in tabular form. [43528/22]

Freagraí scríofa

The Taoiseach

Louth County Council received €10,000 in 2016 under the Local Diaspora Strategy Development Fund (LDSDF) which made up to €10,000 available for each Local Authority to invest in developing strategies for diaspora engagement at local and community level. A total of 24 Local Authorities received funding under this programme in 2016.

Diaspora funding was transferred to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade from 2017, and there has been no other funding schemes in operation in my Department in the years in question.

Commissions of Investigation

Ceisteanna (56)

Catherine Connolly

Ceist:

56. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Taoiseach further to Parliamentary Question No. 152 of 10 May 2022, the status of the investigation into the leak of the report of the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation which was reported on in an article which appeared in a national newspaper on 10 January 2021; the details of any interim reports received to-date from the senior official in charge of the investigation; the terms of reference of the investigation; when it commenced; when it is expected to be concluded; the position of the person overseeing the investigation; the number of hours that have been spent on the investigation to date. [44193/22]

Freagraí scríofa

The Taoiseach

Certain information relating to matters in the Final Report of the Commission of Investigation on Mother and Baby Homes were disclosed in a newspaper report prior to the consideration of that report by the Government. In that context, I requested that an investigation be carried out.

A senior official in my Department is carrying out the investigation and it is being done in the context of a broader examination of the overall arrangements in place for the management of documents for Government meetings and their confidentiality.

I have not sought to involve myself in the conduct of the investigation and I am informed that it is ongoing. I am not in a position at present to indicate to the Deputy when the process may be concluded.

Central Statistics Office

Ceisteanna (57)

Thomas Pringle

Ceist:

57. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Taoiseach the number of persons who have emigrated nationwide by age in 2022, in tabular form. [44376/22]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach (Deputy Jack Chambers)

The CSO publishes annual estimates of migration in its Population and Migration Estimates publication. The latest figures are for April 2022 and the following table shows the number of immigrants and emigrants in the 12-month period to April 2022 broken down by age group.

Estimated Migration classified by Age group, April 2022

-	Immigrants	Emigrants
Age Group	(thousand)	(thousand)
0 – 14	18.7	6.1
15 – 24	24.9	17.5
25 – 44	59.9	28.3
45 – 64	12.5	6.7
65 +	4.7	1.0
Total Persons	120.7	59.6

Housing Data

Ceisteanna (58)

Paul McAuliffe

Ceist:

58. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Taoiseach the total number of residential dwellings that have been purchased by households since the formation of the Government by county in tabular form; and the total number of first-time buyers who have purchased residential dwellings. [44104/22]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach (Deputy Jack Chambers)

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) compiles monthly statistics on the volume of purchases of residential property, together with the monthly Residential Property Price Index (RPPI). The main source of data for these statistics is the electronic stamp duty returns collected by the Revenue, which include all transactions of residential properties. The tables on volume of transactions by the CSO include a breakdown of the number of dwellings purchased by type of buyer.

The latest RPPI statistics available are for June 2022 and the following two tables provide information from January 2020 to June 2022.

Table 1 shows the total number of residential dwellings purchased by households at market prices in 2020, 2021 and in the six months from January to June 2022, broken down by Local Authority area. In the period January 2020 through to June 2022 a total of 104,409 dwellings were purchased by households.

Table 2 shows the total number of residential dwellings purchased by first-time buyers at market prices in 2020, 2021 and in the six months from January to June 2022, broken down by Local Authority area. In the period January 2020 through to June 2022 a total of 33,976 dwellings were purchased by first-time buyers.

More detailed statistics and further information can be found in the CSO’s PXStat table publication service (data.cso.ie/product/RPPI - tables HPM03 and HPA03).

Table 1: Number of residential dwellings purchased by households at market prices from January 2020 to June 2022 classified by year and Local Authority Area

NUTS3 Region	Local Authority	January 2020 - December 2020	January 2021 - December 2021	January 2022 - June 2022
All	All	37,906	46,324	20,179
Border		2,749	3,470	1,480
	Cavan	544	711	272
	Donegal	1,099	1,317	570
	Leitrim	333	418	183
	Monaghan	245	282	148
	Sligo	528	742	307
Midland		2,079	2,810	1,207
	Laois	587	887	322
	Longford	287	423	177
	Offaly	490	629	341
	Westmeath	715	871	367
West		3,357	4,173	1,775
	Galway City	597	685	336
	Galway County	1,164	1,484	590
	Mayo	994	1,260	524
	Roscommon	602	744	325
Dublin		11,087	13,244	5,818
	Dublin City	3,953	5,045	2,196
	Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown	2,216	2,557	1,073
	Fingal	2,706	3,213	1,474
	South Dublin	2,212	2,429	1,075
Mid-East		6,608	7,916	3,464
	Kildare	2,235	2,788	1,239
	Louth	1,029	1,241	585
	Meath	1,961	2,217	950
	Wicklow	1,383	1,670	690
Mid-West		3,319	4,101	1,762
	Limerick	1,397	1,657	707
	Clare	897	1,153	460
	Tipperary	1,025	1,291	595
South-East		3,438	4,186	1,906
	Carlow	365	483	219
	Kilkenny	552	739	332
	Waterford	1,105	1,292	620
	Wexford	1,416	1,672	735
South-West		5,269	6,424	2,767
	Cork City	853	1,029	445
	Cork County	3,342	4,133	1,754
	Kerry	1,074	1,262	568

Table 2: Number of residential dwellings purchased by first-time buyers at market prices from January 2020 to June 2022 classified by year and Local Authority area

NUTS3 Region	Local Authority	January 2020 - December 2020	January 2021 - December 2021	January 2022 - June 2022
All	All	12,601	14,777	6,598
Border		574	715	335
	Cavan	154	208	74
	Donegal	169	186	88
	Leitrim	55	81	45
	Monaghan	70	77	51
	Sligo	126	163	77
Midland		603	941	426
	Laois	225	376	127
	Longford	68	120	49
	Offaly	149	200	137
	Westmeath	161	245	113
West		915	1,102	461
	Galway City	168	195	89
	Galway County	366	428	189
	Mayo	246	313	104
	Roscommon	135	166	79
Dublin		4,310	4,736	2,023
	Dublin City	1,507	1,796	771
	Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown	691	706	289
	Fingal	1,048	1,126	497
	South Dublin	1,064	1,108	466
Mid-East		2,608	3,129	1,423
	Kildare	979	1,290	598
	Louth	318	392	188
	Meath	836	924	401
	Wicklow	475	523	236
Mid-West		954	1,106	512
	Limerick	396	479	213
	Clare	260	308	134
	Tipperary	298	319	165
South-East		866	1,029	548
	Carlow	116	172	83
	Kilkenny	178	194	98
	Waterford	280	320	187
	Wexford	292	343	180
South-West		1,771	2,019	870
	Cork City	295	338	142
	Cork County	1,235	1,440	625
	Kerry	241	241	103

Departmental Staff

Ceisteanna (59)

Catherine Murphy

Ceist:

59. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Taoiseach the number of persons employed in his Department that have a formal agreement to work from home one day per week, two days per week and five days per week; his Department’s policy in respect of facilitating requests by persons to work from home; and the number of persons that have made requests to work from home in 2021 and to date in 2022, that have been declined. [44588/22]

Freagraí scríofa

The Taoiseach

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant number of the staff in my Department have been working from home since March 2020 with some business units maintaining a continuous on site presence throughout due to the nature of their work supporting the essential operation of Government Buildings to support the work of the Taoiseach and Government.

A phased return to the workplace has been underway since the easing of restrictive measures on 21 January 2022. The current working arrangements require staff to attend on site at least 2 days per week. In line with the rest of the Civil Service, my Department is in the process of finalising its blended working policy for the longer-term which will be implemented in the coming weeks.

This policy will be guided by the Central Policy Framework for Blended Working in the Civil Service as published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and will set out the application process by which staff of my Department can formally request blended working arrangements. In the meantime, remote working alongside attendance on site will continue in line with business needs.

More detailed information on requests for blended working arrangements will be available once the Department's Blended Working Policy has been finalised and implemented.

Commemorative Events

Ceisteanna (60)

Mary Lou McDonald

Ceist:

60. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach the date on which the State commemoration will be held in remembrance of all those who lost their lives in the Civil War period. [44806/22]

Freagraí scríofa

The Taoiseach

As part of the programme of events for the Decade of Centenaries, a cultural event will take place on Saturday, 17 September to reflect on the Centenary of the Civil War and to remember those whose lives were lost.

The event will take place in the National Concert Hall, Dublin and it will include a variety of musical and spoken-word performances, involving the National Symphony Orchestra and Cór na nÓg as well as a number of solo performers.