Wednesday, 14 Dec 2022

Written Answers Nos. 1-14

Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements

Ceisteanna (1, 4, 6, 12)

Ivana Bacik

Ceist:

1. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his meeting with the French President. [60877/22]

Mick Barry

Ceist:

4. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent meeting with the President of the French Republic. [61295/22]

Paul Murphy

Ceist:

6. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his meeting with President of France. [61292/22]

Richard Boyd Barrett

Ceist:

12. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach to report on his meeting with President of France. [61289/22]

Freagraí scríofa

The Taoiseach

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1, 4, 6 and 12 together.

I attended a working lunch with President Macron in Paris on Thursday, 24 November.

The meeting was an opportunity to mark the intensification of our bilateral relations in recent years, and to exchange views on current EU and international issues ahead of the December European Council.

Relations between Ireland and France have never been stronger, underpinned by the Joint Plan of Action we agreed when he visited Dublin in 2021.

This includes the significant increase in maritime connections to Cork, Rosslare and Dublin, as well as progress on the Celtic Interconnector, which will link the Irish and French electricity grids when it comes online in 2026.

President Macron and I agreed that the EU will only rise to the many challenges it faces if we continue to stand together, to work with unity and purpose, and support each other through difficult times.

We discussed our shared, unequivocal support for the people of Ukraine; further steps in the EU’s coordinated response on energy prices and security of supply; and driving forward with the digital and green transformations while maintaining the EU’s global competitiveness.

We also discussed renewing and strengthening the EU’s partnerships with key allies, including the US and the UK, at a time when democracy is under pressure in many parts of the world.

I took the opportunity to express again my personal thanks to President Macron for his unswerving solidarity with Ireland throughout Brexit.

Departmental Functions

Ceisteanna (2)

Ivana Bacik

Ceist:

2. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the social policy and public service reform division of his Department. [60878/22]

Freagraí scríofa

The Taoiseach

The role of the Social Policy and Public Service Reform Division is to assist me, as Taoiseach, and the Government in delivering programme for Government objectives and public policies and services which help create a socially inclusive and fair society.

Specifically, the Division assists the work of:

- the Cabinet Committee on Social Affairs and Equality and the associated senior officials' group established to oversee implementation of Programme for Government commitments in the areas of social policy, equality and public services, including matters relating to arts and culture, children, justice, policing reform and community safety, disability, social inclusion, gender equality, direct provision, the Irish language and sport;

- the Cabinet Committee on Education and the associated senior officials' group established to oversee implementation of Programme for Government commitments in the area of education and further and higher education;

- the Cabinet Committee on health and the associated senior officials' group established to oversee Programme for Government commitments in the area of health, including implementation of health reforms, including Sláintecare and the development of mental health services;

- the Cabinet Committee on Accommodation and Supports for Ukrainian Refugees and the associated senior officials’ group established to oversee the whole-of-Government humanitarian response to supporting people from Ukraine who have sought temporary protection here; and

- the Cabinet Committee on Covid-19 and the associated senior officials' group established to assess the social and economic impacts of the potential spread of Covid-19 and to oversee the cross-government response.

The Division also assists the work of:

- the Civil Service Management Board which oversees Civil Service Renewal and other matters;

- has departmental oversight of the National Economic and Social Council; advancing the Dublin North East Inner City Initiative, including through supporting the work of the programme implementation board, programme office, and oversight group;

- leads on the oversight of the implementation of A Policing Service for our Future

- assists the delivery of public service reform through membership of the public service leadership board and public service management group;

- provides me with briefing and speech material on social policy and public service reform issues; and

- participates in relevant interdepartmental committees and other groups.

Cabinet Committees

Ceisteanna (3)

Ivana Bacik

Ceist:

3. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on Environment and Climate Change will next meet. [60879/22]

Freagraí scríofa

The Taoiseach

The Cabinet Committee on the Environment and Climate Change oversees the implementation of the ambitious Programme for Government commitments in relation to the environment and climate change.

The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021 sets out Ireland’s key climate change commitments. It sets challenging carbon reduction targets for the period to 2030 and a statutory commitment of achieving a climate neutral economy by 2050.

Following approval of the carbon budget programme by the Houses of the Oireachtas in April, sectoral emission ceilings determining the upper limits of greenhouse gas emissions for all sectors have been agreed by Government, save for the Land Use Sector, which requires further analytical work to be undertaken.

Agreed policies and measures designed to ensure that sectors quickly and significantly reduce their emissions have been set out in the Climate Action Plan 2021.

Extensive work is underway across Government Departments to prepare the updated Climate Action Plan.

The Cabinet Committee first met on 30 July 2020 and has met on a total of 15 occasions, most recently on 27 October 2022. The next meeting of the Cabinet Committee has not yet been scheduled.

Question No. 4 answered with Question No. 1.

Cabinet Committees

Ceisteanna (5)

Mick Barry

Ceist:

5. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on Economic Recovery and Investment will next meet. [61296/22]

Freagraí scríofa

The Taoiseach

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Recovery met most recently on 28 November. The next meeting is not yet scheduled.

Question No. 6 answered with Question No. 1.

Departmental Reports

Ceisteanna (7, 13)

Paul Murphy

Ceist:

7. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach his views on the new report published by his Department on The Response to Ireland’s Competitiveness Challenge 2022. [61293/22]

Richard Boyd Barrett

Ceist:

13. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach his views on the new report published by his Department on The Response to Ireland’s Competitiveness Challenge 2022. [61290/22]

Freagraí scríofa

The Taoiseach

I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 and 13 together.

The National Competitiveness and Productivity Council published its annual Competitiveness Challenge report in September. This makes recommendations to the Government across a range of policy areas. On 29 November, the Government published a formal response to the council's recommendations. This response was co-ordinated by my Department, drawing together material from relevant Departments.

This is the third year in which a formal response was issued by the Government to the Competitiveness Challenge report.

The council outlined a set of twenty priority actions or recommendations across a broad set of areas for Government consideration. These areas include boosting productivity, enhancing the labour market, supporting infrastructure investment, and managing business costs. The Government welcomed the focus of the council on the priority areas outlined and agreed both on their importance and relevance to Ireland's continued competitiveness.

Cabinet Committees

Ceisteanna (8, 14)

Paul Murphy

Ceist:

8. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee that deals with Planning and Marine Development will next meet. [61294/22]

Richard Boyd Barrett

Ceist:

14. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee that deals with Planning and Marine Development will next meet. [61291/22]

Freagraí scríofa

The Taoiseach

I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 14 together.

Issues relevant to planning in our maritime area and marine development are discussed, as required, at a number of Cabinet Committees. This could include the Cabinet Committee on Economic Recovery and Investment, the Cabinet Committee on the Environment and Climate Change and the Cabinet Committee on Europe.

Planning issues in relation to infrastructure and housing issues in our land area are also discussed as required at a number of Cabinet Committees. This could include the Cabinet Committee on Economic Recovery and Investment, the Cabinet Committee on the Environment and Climate Change and the Cabinet Committee on Housing.

As with all policy areas, issues arising in relation to planning (both marine and on land) and marine development are also regularly discussed at full Government meetings and that is where all formal decisions are made.

In addition to meetings of the Cabinet and Cabinet Committees, I regularly meet with relevant Ministers, to discuss particular issues, as well as with representatives of the relevant sectors.

EU Data

Ceisteanna (9)

Thomas Pringle

Ceist:

9. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Taoiseach if he will provide details of all fines, including the amounts, that his Department or agencies under the remit of his Department, have paid since the start of the 33rd Dáil term to the European Commission relating to cases for infringements of European Union law or failure to transpose EU law in tabular form. [62429/22]

Freagraí scríofa

The Taoiseach

Responsibility for the transposition of EU legislation into Irish law rests in each case with the relevant Minister. There are no EU directives that fall under the remit of my Department.

Cabinet Committees

Ceisteanna (10)

Patricia Ryan

Ceist:

10. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the recent work of the Cabinet Committee on Ukraine. [62595/22]

Freagraí scríofa

The Taoiseach

The Cabinet Committee on Accommodation and Supports for Ukrainian Refugees, which I chair, oversees the whole-of-Government humanitarian response to supporting people from Ukraine who have sought temporary protection here.

Membership of the Cabinet Committee, includes the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications; and for Transport, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Minister for Social Protection, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. Other Ministers and Ministers of State attend the Cabinet Committee as required.

Since the start of this terrible war, more than 67,000 people arriving from Ukraine have availed of Temporary Protection in Ireland. It is expected that figure will rise to more than 70,000 by year-end.

Following a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Ukraine on 24 October, the Government agreed that a move from an emergency response to a more mainstreamed approach was appropriate, in light of the high numbers of people seeking asylum and the need to maximise all existing capacity.

A number of measures were agreed:

- New Local Authority-led Unoccupied Homes Call

- Doubling of the tax-free Recognition Payment from €400 to €800

- €50 million Community Fund to recognise local efforts

- Expansion of Rapid-Build and accommodation refurbishment programme

- Maximising places by allowing for dormitory style accommodation

- Focus on future trends and planning for sustainable supports

The Cabinet Committee met again this week to review progress.

Social Media

Ceisteanna (11)

Seán Sherlock

Ceist:

11. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Taoiseach the amount spent on social media advertising in 2021 and to date 2022, in tabular form; and the amount spent per platform. [62771/22]

Freagraí scríofa

The Taoiseach

In 2021 and to date in 2022 my Department incurred expenditure of €739,468.81 on social media advertising. All expenditure related to advertising campaigns on a range of social media platforms - Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Tiktok, Snapchat and Youtube.

€720,631.26 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. 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.

Campaign	2021 Social media expenditure
Nationwide Level 5	€9,833.10
#Safe Christmas Phase 1	€15,361.08
#SafeChristmas P3 - Gathering/Dinner	€15,832.92
Stay at home - Do the Right Thing	€17,894.02
Stay the Course - Do the Right Thing	€17,998.34
Reopening of Schools Spring	€15,245.63
How it started	€11,998.54
Avoid the Surge	€9,998.78
30th March Announcement	€13,574.26
Stay Local for April	€19,999.07
Stay Local for April update	€6,875.48
Recovery Plan Summer - May	€30,996.69
Economic Recovery Plan	€23,997.55
Recovery Plan Summer - June	€7,818.85
Recovery Plan Summer - July	€24,751.67
Protect our Progress - August	€9,116.46
Reframing the Challenge - September	€12,727.09
Protect our Progress - October	€7,993.17
#Antiviral	€283,586.00
Future of Media Commission public consultation	€12,291.80

Campaign	2022 Social media expenditure
Protect our Progress – November 2021	€17,999.99
When to Antigen	€19,997.14
Reframing the Challenge – December 2021	€7,991.10
RSVP	€56,833.72
Maintain Progress – Christmas	€3,995.10
Reframing the Challenge – January Reopening	€19,477.38
Well-being Framework	€2,097.14
RSVP Phase 2 (June and July)	€38,738.13
Storm Barra	€1,999.99
Storm Dudley	€2,448.62

Question No. 12 answered with Question No. 1.

Question No. 13 answered with Question No. 7.

Question No. 14 answered with Question No. 8.