Written Answers Nos. 226-245
226. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Finance the full-time vacancies, by job title, in the office of the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman as of 14 February 2023; the estimated full-year cost of filling each of these vacancies; and when each of these vacancies will be filled, in tabular form. [8362/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Office of the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman, that as of 14 February 2023, the FSPO has the following vacancies within its overall staff complement, noting that the FSPO intends to fill nine of these vacancies in Q1 2023:
|
Vacancy Type |
Number of Vacancies |
Estimated full year cost of filling each vacancy |
Timeframe for filling vacancies |
|
Executive Officer |
10 |
€38,812* |
Q1 2023 |
* Based on all appointed staff starting on point 1 of the revised pay scale for Executive Officer, effective from 1 March 2023.
The filling of the above vacancies will create some further Clerical Officer vacancies which, together with the remaining Executive Officer vacancy, are intended to be filled in Q2 2023.
227. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Finance if he has plans to review the 41% exit tax charged on exchange-traded funds, as reported in the media; if he will ask the Tax Strategy Group to undertake such an assessment ahead of budget 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8390/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy may be aware, as part of his Budget 2023 speech, my predecessor announced the intention to establish a working group to consider the taxation of funds, life assurance policies and other investment products, as well as commencing a review of specified institutional investment regimes. Specific detail on the parameters of such a review and timelines are still being worked out and once a thorough consideration of the matter takes place, I will share the terms of reference in due course.
In this context I do not propose to ask the TSG to undertake a separate assessment of the exit tax charged on gains from exchange traded funds ahead of Budget 2024.
228. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Finance the revenue generated through customs and excise duties on petrol and diesel imported for retail use for each month from January 2019 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8448/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by Revenue that the breakdown of the carbon tax and non-carbon components of the excise duties charged on petrol and diesel for the years 2019 to 2022 are provided in the tables below. Please note that the 2022 figures are provisional and may be subject to revision.
I am further advised by Revenue that Customs data in relation to this query is not readily available, but the revenue generated for Ireland is likely to be negligible relative to the excise generated on these products.
Carbon component:
|
- |
2022 €m |
2022 €m |
2021 €m |
2021 €m |
2020 €m |
2020 €m |
2019 €m |
2019 €m |
|
Petrol |
Diesel |
Petrol |
Diesel |
Petrol |
Diesel |
Petrol |
Diesel |
|
|
Jan |
6.7 |
30.4 |
5.2 |
23.9 |
4.7 |
19.0 |
3.9 |
14.7 |
|
Feb |
6.0 |
27.4 |
2.8 |
16.6 |
4.5 |
19.3 |
3.6 |
14.8 |
|
Mar |
5.9 |
29.0 |
3.1 |
18.2 |
4.4 |
19.1 |
3.4 |
14.2 |
|
Apr |
7.1 |
31.3 |
4.2 |
21.9 |
3.9 |
16.0 |
3.8 |
15.4 |
|
May |
7.1 |
31.1 |
4.8 |
22.8 |
1.5 |
9.2 |
3.9 |
15.7 |
|
Jun |
7.5 |
32.1 |
5.2 |
24.6 |
2.7 |
13.0 |
4.1 |
16.3 |
|
Jul |
7.2 |
30.6 |
5.9 |
25.6 |
3.4 |
16.9 |
3.8 |
14.9 |
|
Aug |
7.3 |
30.6 |
6.1 |
26.4 |
4.4 |
19.2 |
4.0 |
15.8 |
|
Sep |
7.3 |
30.5 |
5.8 |
25.0 |
4.3 |
18.3 |
3.9 |
15.3 |
|
Oct |
7.2 |
30.9 |
5.9 |
26.0 |
4.4 |
19.4 |
3.8 |
15.5 |
|
Nov |
8.0 |
34.4 |
6.4 |
29.1 |
4.1 |
20.9 |
4.6 |
19.5 |
|
Dec |
8.4 |
38.0 |
6.6 |
31.9 |
3.9 |
22.3 |
4.8 |
20.5 |
Non-Carbon Component:
|
- |
2022 €m |
2022 €m |
2021 €m |
2021 €m |
2020 €m |
2020 €m |
2019 €m |
2019 €m |
|
Petrol |
Diesel |
Petrol |
Diesel |
Petrol |
Diesel |
Petrol |
Diesel |
|
|
Jan |
39.9 |
121.0 |
38.3 |
118.9 |
44.8 |
123.9 |
47.9 |
121.3 |
|
Feb |
36.1 |
108.8 |
20.8 |
83.8 |
42.5 |
125.6 |
44.8 |
122.4 |
|
Mar |
35.2 |
117.9 |
23.1 |
91.6 |
41.5 |
124.6 |
42.6 |
118.7 |
|
Apr |
34.1 |
102.3 |
30.6 |
111.1 |
37.2 |
117.3 |
47.4 |
130.2 |
|
May |
29.2 |
87.1 |
35.3 |
115.8 |
14.0 |
59.2 |
49.1 |
131.4 |
|
Jun |
30.8 |
90.8 |
38.4 |
123.7 |
25.8 |
84.4 |
50.3 |
137.0 |
|
Jul |
29.5 |
87.0 |
43.1 |
128.7 |
31.8 |
105.7 |
47.2 |
126.5 |
|
Aug |
30 |
83.5 |
44.8 |
131.9 |
42.0 |
125.7 |
49.9 |
133.2 |
|
Sep |
30.1 |
86.8 |
42.5 |
125.7 |
41.2 |
119.7 |
48.3 |
129.9 |
|
Oct |
29.6 |
89.6 |
43.2 |
130.8 |
41.5 |
126.3 |
46.8 |
130.2 |
|
Nov |
29.4 |
86.6 |
45.7 |
139.5 |
33.5 |
118.2 |
47.3 |
135.9 |
|
Dec |
29.2 |
91.6 |
39.7 |
128.3 |
29.0 |
112.0 |
74.9 |
134.2 |
230. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Finance the amount expended on advertising and promotion in his Department and all agencies under the remit of his Department in 2022 and in January 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8685/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that the amount spent on advertising and promotion by my Department in 2022 was €185,000. No such expenditure was incurred in January 2023.
The bodies under the aegis of my Department which incurred such expenditure in the timeline specified have provided the details in the table below.
|
Body under aegis of Department of Finance |
Amount spent on advertising and promotion |
|
|
2022 |
January 2023 |
|
|
Central Bank of Ireland |
€50,602 |
€3,813 |
|
Credit Review Office |
€41,720.85 |
€1,660.50 |
|
Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman |
€41,268 |
€3,283.50 |
|
Home Building Finance Ireland |
€34,413 |
€5,338 |
|
National Treasury Management Agency |
€150,185.52* |
€10,055.25* |
|
Office of the Revenue Commissioners |
€413,208.98 |
€37,549.90 |
|
Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland |
€268,052 |
Nil |
|
Tax Appeals Commission |
€196.80 |
Nil |
*This amount includes costs recharged to Home Building Finance Ireland (HBFI) and the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI), attributable to them as part of a shared services agreement. Direct payments made by HBFI and the SBCI are accounted for in their respective amounts above.
231. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Finance the number of communications staff currently employed in his Department; the cost of these staff for 2022; the expected cost for 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8703/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to inform the Deputy that the Dept. of Finance has one Communications and Media officer at Assistant Principal Higher, scale; €80,389 - €94,429.
The Department of Finance also has four staff in the Press Office.
2 AP Higher, scale; €80,389 - €94,429.
1 Higher Executive Officer, scale; €52,897 - €62,164
1 Clerical Officer, scale; €26,599 - €41,190
232. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Finance the total number of applications for the rent tax credit for 2022 and to date in 2023; if he will provide a breakdown of the claims, by county; the average amount claimed, per county; and when the first credits will be paid. [8756/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra235. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Finance the number of renters who have claimed the rent credit to date. [8849/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 232 and 235 together.
The Rent Tax Credit, as provided for in section 473B of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 (TCA 1997), was introduced by Finance Act 2022 and which may be claimed in respect of qualifying rent paid in 2022 and subsequent years to end-2025.
I am advised by Revenue that as of Friday, 17 February 2023, 154,273 claims had been made in respect of the 2022 year of assessment. These claims were made by PAYE taxpayers by submitting an Income Tax return for 2022 through Revenue’s online facility, myAccount. I am further advised that the resulting refunds have been issuing since the 3 January 2023.
For claims relating to the 2023 year of assessment, those in receipt of income which is subject to tax under the PAYE system will be able to claim the rent tax credit due to them in-year, from mid-February 2023 onwards, or by way of an end of year claim included in his or her Income Tax return for 2023.
The maximum value of the Rent Tax Credit is €500 per year, or €1,000 per year in the case of jointly assessed married couples or civil partners. The amount of Rent Tax Credit that can be claimed will depend on the amount of rent and income tax a taxpayer pays.
The following table provides further information on the number of claims and the average value of the Rent Tax credit, broken down by county:
|
County |
Claims |
Average Value of Rent Tax Credit € |
|
CARLOW |
1,337 |
566 |
|
CAVAN |
1,114 |
606 |
|
CLARE |
1,741 |
574 |
|
CORK |
17,860 |
552 |
|
DONEGAL |
1,773 |
588 |
|
DUBLIN |
75,446 |
538 |
|
GALWAY |
11,495 |
539 |
|
KERRY |
2,078 |
563 |
|
KILDARE |
5,307 |
570 |
|
KILKENNY |
1,515 |
563 |
|
LAOIS |
1,122 |
576 |
|
LEITRIM |
456 |
585 |
|
LIMERICK |
7,645 |
547 |
|
LONGFORD |
801 |
601 |
|
LOUTH |
1,900 |
573 |
|
MAYO |
1,938 |
583 |
|
MEATH |
2,499 |
589 |
|
MONAGHAN |
884 |
588 |
|
OFFALY |
1,081 |
597 |
|
ROSCOMMON |
922 |
594 |
|
SLIGO |
1,723 |
539 |
|
TIPPERARY |
2,279 |
581 |
|
WATERFORD |
2,932 |
559 |
|
WESTMEATH |
2,164 |
588 |
|
WEXFORD |
2,303 |
591 |
|
WICKLOW |
1,713 |
588 |
|
UNMATCHED |
2,245 |
544 |
|
Total |
154,273 |
573 |
I am advised by Revenue that the most recent breakdown of Rent Tax Credit claims on the Revenue website was published on 17 February 2023. It is available at:
www.revenue.ie/en/corporate/information-about-revenue/statistics/number-of-taxpayers-and-returns/peoys.aspx
233. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Finance if he will respond to concerns and proposals raised by a person (details supplied) in respect of the current tax demands in what is an extremely difficult climate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8781/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraOne of the primary functions of Revenue is the collection of tax and ensuring that all taxpayers pay the correct amounts due in a timely manner. The majority of taxpayers want to do the right thing and file and pay their taxes on time, and do not require notification from Revenue to pay outstanding debts. The time limit for filing a VAT return for taxpayers who file and pay through Revenue’s on-line facility (ROS) is the 23rd day of the month following the end of each taxable period.
As the Deputy is aware, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Revenue suspended debt enforcement in line with the Government’s introduction of the Debt Warehousing Scheme which provided a vital liquidity support to businesses experiencing cash-flow and trading difficulties due to the pandemic. Under the scheme, businesses were able to temporarily ‘park’ certain tax debts on an interest free basis. In view of the current difficult economic climate, the period during which these debts can remain ‘parked’ has been extended to May 2024. Importantly also, businesses will still be able to avail of the reduced 3% interest rate from 1 January 2023, as opposed to the general interest rate of 10%, when they come to pay the debt. Almost 67,000 individual entities are availing of Debt Warehousing to the value of €2.3 billion. Consequently, these debts are not subject to current debt collection or enforcement action. However, to remain eligible for the Debt Warehousing Scheme, in addition to filing all returns for the warehouse periods, current liabilities must also be filed and paid on time.
During 2022, Revenue commenced a phased return to standard debt collection for non-warehoused debt which had been partially suspended since the start of the pandemic in March 2020. As part of Revenue’s standard debt collection procedure, where current taxes become overdue, a request for payment will issue with details of the tax(es) due, requesting payment within a set timeframe. The request for payment outlines the consequences of continued non-payment and affords the taxpayer up to 10 days to engage. In the absence of customer engagement, a final demand issues allowing another 7 days for the customer to engage. Where there is continued lack of engagement from the customer in response to these notices, the case is escalated for further action.
Generally, on receipt of a 7-day final demand, the majority of taxpayers take action to resolve their payment difficulty. Revenue encourages taxpayers to engage early when payment difficulties arise, particularly during the current energy costs crisis. Revenue only refers outstanding tax liabilities to its enforcement agents, including Sheriffs, as a last resort. Before any such action is taken, Revenue makes every effort to engage with the taxpayer to resolve the situation. Revenue has a strong track record of successfully working with individuals and businesses to resolve their payment difficulties. For example, taxpayers can enter into a Phased Payment Arrangement to pay off their debt in instalments over a period of time. Furthermore, Revenue has introduced a number of flexibilities into its payment arrangements to assist businesses, including reduced down payments, longer repayment periods and the option to take a payment break.
The important message for taxpayers is to engage with Revenue at the earliest opportunity so that a mutually acceptable solution can be found to enable them work through their difficulties. I am assured that Revenue appreciates the challenge for businesses in paying their outstanding liabilities in a difficult economic and financial climate and Revenue is committed to finding solutions which are flexible, and which take account of the financial circumstances of the business concerned.
234. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Finance if his Department has reviewed the possible introduction of an accommodation tax for tourists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8791/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, the report of the Commission on Taxation and Welfare recommended the introduction of an accommodation tax. The Commission was tasked by government to independently consider how best the taxation and welfare systems can support economic activity and promote increased employment and prosperity in Ireland.
Decisions about tax changes are generally taken in the context of the Budget and, as part of the normal annual Budget preparations. The Deputy should note that there are currently no plans to consider this matter.
236. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Finance if parents who are paying private rent for their adult children who are in third level education can qualify for the €500 tax credit for renters to assist with the rising cost of living; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8855/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraFinance Act 2022 introduced the Rent Tax Credit, which is provided for in s. 473B of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997. This is an income tax credit of up to €500 per year (or up to €1,000 for jointly assessed couples) which may be claimed in respect of qualifying rent paid in 2022 and subsequent years to end-2025.
Where a claimant is paying rent for a property used by his or her child, there are certain conditions which must be met in order for the claimant to be eligible to claim the Rent Tax Credit. These are:
- The claimant must have made a qualifying rental payment in respect of the property within the State during the tax year;
- The property must be used by the claimant’s child for the specific purpose of facilitating the child's attendance at or participation in an approved course, as defined in s. 473A of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997;
- The property must be the child’s principal private residence during term time. Where the child returns to the family home outside of term time (including weekends) this will not preclude the claimant from receiving the Rent Tax Credit;
- Neither the claimant nor tenant can be related to the landlord;
- The claimant's child must have been under 23 at the start of the tax year in which he or she first commenced an approved course in order for the Rent Tax Credit to apply;
- The claimant must not be a ‘supported tenant’ and the landlord must not be a 'specified landlord' within the meaning of s. 473B of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997; and
- The tenancy must be of a type which is required to be registered with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) and where the landlord has complied with any such registration requirement, which means that the credit will not be available where the tenancy is of a type which is exempt from RTB registration, such as a ‘Rent a Room’ or ‘digs’ type arrangement.
In designing tax reliefs, there is always a balance to be struck between providing support to as many people as possible, consistent with the overall policy intention behind the measure, and ensuring that there is an appropriate degree of control in the management of limited Exchequer resources. The current rules for the Rent Tax Credit seek to achieve such a balance.
The operation of the Rent Tax Credit will be closely monitored by my Department in conjunction with Revenue in the coming months and the question of whether any further adjustments are needed will be considered in the context of the Budget and Finance Bill process later this year.
237. Deputy Chris Andrews asked the Minister for Finance the total receipts from the 2% betting tax in each of the years 2019 to 2022; if he will provide a breakdown between retail, online and phone betting amounts, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8857/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by Revenue that Betting Duty is charged on all bets placed by a person with a Licensed Bookmaker (Traditional Licence), a Licensed Remote Bookmaker (Remote Licence) or a Licensed Remote Betting Intermediary (Commissions Licence). The rate of Betting Duty charged on bets placed with holders of a Traditional and/or Remote Licence is 2%, while the rate of Betting Duty applicable to commissions charged by licensed intermediaries is 25%.
The receipts for 2019 to 2021 and the provisional receipts for 2022 in respect of Betting Duty broken down by licence type are provided in the table below:
Betting Duty Collected €m
|
- |
Traditional Licence |
Traditional Licence |
Remote Licence |
Commissions Licence |
|
Year |
In-house |
Phone |
Online |
Online |
|
2019 |
51.888 |
0.001 |
40.622 |
2.501 |
|
2020 |
39.013 |
0.008 |
44.935 |
2.815 |
|
2021 |
24.362 |
0.018 |
60.550 |
4.197 |
|
2022* |
46.988 |
0.012 |
50.750 |
4.120 |
* 2022 values are provisional and may be subject to revision
238. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Finance the details of the supports his Department has provided for Ukraine and for Ukrainian people since February 2022, whether in Ukraine or within the State; the number of people supported, where relevant; the estimated cost and value of the support, where available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8866/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, the direct provision of service and supports to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people primarily falls to other Government Departments. However, the Department does provide support through a number of indirect channels, notably EU Member State guarantees for Macro-Financial Assistance (MFA) loans and monies to cover the associated interest rate costs; the Revenue Commissioners' tax treatment of Ukrainian citizens who work remotely in the State for Ukrainian employers; and through Ireland’s involvement with the International Financial Institutions.
As regards the first of these, a critical part of the EU’s response to the war has been supporting Ukraine’s financing needs, primarily through MFA loans, which is a form of EU financial aid to EU partner or neighbour countries experiencing a balance of payments crisis. In 2022, a total of €7.2 billion in MFA loans was disbursed to Ukraine. For 2023, the Ukrainian government has estimated a financing gap of approximately €3 billion per month. To help with this, the European Commission proposed an MFA+ package of highly concessional loans of up to €18 billion in 2023. The first disbursement of €3 billion took place in January.
Normally, MFA loans are guaranteed by the Common Provision Fund (CPF) in the EU Budget. This was the case for €1.2 billion of the €7.2 billion loans granted to Ukraine in 2022. However, the high level of MFA activity depleted the CPF in the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2021-2027. As such, budgetary guarantees were required to assure market participants regarding repayment of the loans, in the event of default by the beneficiary country. As a result, €6 billion of the €7.2 billion loans are provisioned at a rate of 70 per cent of the value of the loans, with the CPF covering 9 per cent and Member State guarantees covering 61 per cent.
This entails national parliamentary procedures. In Ireland, legislation is being enacted to enable the Minister for Finance to enter into the guarantee agreement on behalf of the State. The Member State shares of the guarantee are calculated on a pro-rata GNI basis and Ireland’s share of the guarantee is approximately €76.9 million.
In addition, the EU also proposes to cover Ukraine's interest rate costs on the 2023 MFA loans, through the EU Budget, to the greatest extent possible, with the remainder from Member States. While it is not possible at this juncture to provide an exact cost, the Commission estimates that Ireland’s share of the interest rate subsidy, over the lifetime of the current MFF 2021-2027 ranges between €46 million and €61 million respectively under the baseline and stressed scenarios. However, Ireland’s share of the interest rate subsidy will be dependent on our share of EU GNI in any given year.
239. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Finance the number of discrimination cases taken and won against his Department over the past ten years, under each of the grounds applicable, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8893/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that there have been no discrimination cases taken against the Department for the past ten years in each of the nine grounds of Gender, Civil Status, Family Status, Sexual Orientation, Religion, Age, Disability, Race and Membership of the Travelling Community as stated in the Employment Equality Act 1998-2015.
Under the Civil Service Diversity Policy - A Policy of Equality of Opportunity, the Department of Finance is strongly committed to equality of opportunity in all of its employment practices. As an employer, the Department must fulfil its obligations under equality legislation, particularly the Employment Equality Act 1998-2015.
The Employment Equality Act 1998-2015, outlaws discrimination in a wide range of employment and employment-related areas. These include recruitment and promotion; equal pay; working conditions; learning opportunities - whether on the job or formal training; dismissal and harassment including sexual harassment.
In 2015, the Civil Service published its revised Dignity a Work Policy which was developed in partnership between the Civil Service Management and staff unions. The revised policy which applies to staff of the Department of Finance, aims to promote respect, dignity, safety and equality in the workplace. Every member of staff is advised of this policy on entry into the Department and aware that all forms of bullying, harassment and sexual harassment are unacceptable and every member of staff has a duty to behave in an acceptable and respective manner.
In addition, the Civil Service Employment Service (CSEAS) is a neutral support service and provides a wide range of free and confidential supports to all employees of the Department for their mental health and wellbeing.
Lastly, I wish to advise the Deputy that the Department of Finance, has run Unconscious Bias training for staff in 2021 and 2022. 143 staff attended this training. The Department is committed to continuing to promote Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the workplace.
240. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if he will include private nursing homes in the schedule of bodies covered by the Freedom of Information Act 2014. [8081/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 2014 Freedom of Information Act expanded the scope of FOI to cover nearly 500 state entities directly. Generally FOI, applies by default to public bodies, that is those which were created by the state or have significant state involvement in their governance structures. Where a body is subject to FOI in its own right, this brings with it significant additional obligations beyond just processing requests.
However, the reach of FOI can in appropriate circumstances extend to beyond the four walls of the entities that are subject to FOI in their own right. Where an a state body that is subject to FOI contracts for services, the FOI legislation provides that records generated and held by the "service provider" are in principle accessible insofar as they relate to the service.
As such, where treatment or services from a private provider are funded under contract by a state body, related records may be requested under FOI through that body. If relevant records relating to the service are held by the "service provider", they should be treated in the same way as if they were held directly by the body concerned.
Therefore, the FOI legislation as it stands makes clear provision for FOI to follow state funding, even where records relating to the funded service are created and held by private entities. In addition, the data protection regime provides a mechanism by which individuals may request personal data relating to them directly from any entity that holds it, public or private. This would in most instances provide an alternative route for accessing information of this nature, given that personal requests are by far the most prevalent use for FOI in the health sector.
A comprehensive review of the Freedom of Information regime is currently nearing completion. One of the issues currently under consideration, and around which submissions were sought in a public consultation, is the question of designating FOI bodies. In particular, the review process has sought to examine whether the provisions that relate to outsourced services are sufficiently clear and robust to be relied to ensure access to records in relation to state-funded services.
241. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if he will report on the implementation of the Irish Sign Language Act 2017 by his Department and by agencies which operate under the remit of his Department. [8245/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is committed to providing accessible communications to all members of society. As such, the communications team in my Department are including the Irish Sign Language Act 2017 in their communications planning. My Department is currently undertaking a stakeholder mapping exercise and will be engaging with internal and external stakeholders to support the drafting of a new communications strategy. As part of this, strategic communication options available to the Department will be reviewed.
In addition, the Office of Government Procurement (OGP), which is part of my Department, has recently facilitated a disability awareness campaign for its staff. The communications strategy for the OGP outlines a commitment to adhering to the Irish Sign Language Act 2017, to providing Irish Sign Language services as required, and to making events more accessible to the deaf community by making available an Irish Sign Language interpreter, for example, for the OGP’s Public Procurement Client Conference 2022.
The position in relation to the bodies under the aegis of my Department is set out below.
Office of Public Works (OPW)
The OPW has implemented the following steps for the provision of interpretation to persons seeking to access the services of the OPW through Irish language sign language (ISL):
- Provision of ISL tours at OPW Heritage sites upon request. The OPW also run a programme of scheduled ISL tours throughout the year on Heritage sites. In addition, the OPW also request the interpretation service to put up an ISL video promoting the tour on the ISL vlogs and films Facebook group page;
- The OPW only engage ISL interpreters whose competence has been verified by having been accredited in accordance with the accreditation scheme funded by the Minister for Social Protection;
- In 2021, the OPW’s Learning and Development Unit arranged Deafness Awareness Training courses which were delivered by the Irish Deaf Society and attended by 57 OPW staff. ISL provided sign language interpreter services for course participants. ISL services are similarly provided for all training courses where participants require this support;
- In 2022, the OPW’s intranet content creators received Assistive Technology Fundamentals training delivered by the National Council for the Blind. This training course provided an understanding of the technology and supports available for people working with or providing services to people with a visual impairment;
- Delivery of NDA Disability Awareness Training; and
- Delivery of specific training on communicating with persons who are deaf or hard of hearing and or persons whose first language is ISL, along with funding for employees to attend ISL classes.
National Shared Services Office (NSSO)
The NSSO continues to review its obligations under the Act. The NSSO provides services to Civil and Public Servants including pensioners rather than the general public. All of its services can be accessed via email or webpages.
Public Appointments Service (PAS)
PAS provides Irish Sign language interpreters where required for candidates to participate in all of its selection processes at no cost to the persons concerned.
Office of the Ombudsman
Communications were issued to all staff in the Office of the Ombudsman of the provisions and requirements of the Irish Sign Language Act 2017. The communications provided information to staff on how to arrange access to an interpreter to support deaf people in receiving full and equal access to information and also on the steps to be taken, with the support of the Access Officer for the Office, when information comes to hand that a deaf person may be attending an appointment, meeting or event. An example of the successful implementation of the Act was the provision of ISL Interpreters at two recently held workshops (in person and online) by the Ombudsman on the issue of Public Services and People with Disabilities.
State Laboratory
The State Laboratory is not a public facing body. As such, the State Laboratory has had no requirement to ensure that interpretation into Irish Sign Language is provided to a person seeking to avail of or access statutory entitlements or services provided by the Laboratory.
Office of the National Lottery Regulator (ORNL)
The ORNL does not provide any statutory entitlements or services that may require the provision of Irish Sign Language to persons seeking such services.
242. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the progress of the Office of Public Works refurbishment of Carlow courthouse railings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8271/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe current phase of works for the repair of railings at Carlow Courthouse is progressing well. It is anticipated that the repair works will be complete before the 17th March 2023. The hoarding has been removed from the street-side of the site. The site compound is being cleared and the site will be re-grassed before handover of the site area to the Courts Service. The next phase of conservation and repair works to the railings at Carlow Courthouse is yet to be agreed between OPW and the Courts Service.
243. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if he will provide a list of properties in counties Carlow and Kilkenny that are under the ownership of the Office of Public Works; the plans for any remedial works at these sites; if there are plans for Ballymoon Castle; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8274/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are 49 National Monuments in the care of the Office of Public Works in counties Kilkenny and Carlow. The Office of Public Works also manages and maintains two National Historic Properties in the area - Altamont House and Gardens in County Carlow and Kilkenny Castle. All sites are maintained on a regular basis by the Office of Public Works. Conservation works are scheduled on the basis of regular monitoring and available resources, with emergency works being prioritised. At any one time, nationally, there will be a number of projects ongoing at various stages of design, development and action. Specifically in relation to Counties Carlow and Kilkenny, significant works will be undertaken this year at Dunmore Cave in relation to rock and soil stabilisation at the mouth of the cave, while at Kilkenny Castle works are ongoing to repair lead windows and complete a refurbishment of another interior room to further enhance the visitor experience at the Castle. OPW is also working closely with Kilkenny County Council in relation to works around St Francis Abbey. At Altamont Gardens, a clean-up of the farmyards is planned in addition to working on the provision of disability parking at the site. It is also hoped to undertake a survey of the wall-tops on Carlow Castle. Routine maintenance will continue at Ballymoon Castle, a National Monument in State guardianship. The Office of Public Works is responsible for the conservation, preservation and management of approximately 780 National Monuments and 32 Historic properties in State care. For the Deputy’s information, those sites designated as National Monuments under legislation are in the ownership or guardianship of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage on behalf of the State.
List of heritage properties in counties Carlow and Kilkenny in State ownership and guardianship:
|
NAME |
DESCRIPTION |
TOWNLAND |
COUNTY |
RMP NUMBER |
LEG_STATUS |
|
|
Carlow Castle |
Castle |
Carlow Town |
Carlow |
CW007-018002- |
Ownership |
|
|
Aghade (Cloghaphoill) |
Holed Stone |
Aghade |
Carlow |
CW013-034---- |
Guardianship |
|
|
Lorum |
Cross Fragment |
Lorum |
Carlow |
CW019-010001-, CW019-010002- |
Ownership |
|
|
Ballyloughan Castle |
Castle |
Ballyloughan |
Carlow |
CW019-018---- |
Ownership |
|
|
Nurney |
Cross |
Nurney |
Carlow |
CW012-048003- |
Ownership |
|
|
Killoughternane |
Church |
Killoughternane |
Carlow |
CW019-048001- |
Guardianship |
|
|
Leighlinbridge Castle |
Castle |
Leighlinbridge |
Carlow |
CW012-070003- |
Guardianship |
|
|
Straboe |
Medieval Grave Slab |
Straboe |
Carlow |
CW003-017002- |
Ownership |
|
|
Ballymoon Castle |
Castle |
Ballymoon |
Carlow |
CW016-055001- |
Guardianship |
|
|
Castlemore |
Motte & Bailey & Cross Slab |
Castlemore |
Carlow |
CW008-033001-, CW008-033007- |
Guardianship |
|
|
Baunogenasraid |
Burial Mound (Cist) |
Baunogenasraid |
Carlow |
CW008-031001-, CW008-031002- |
Ownership |
|
|
Rathvilly Moat |
Burial Mound |
Knockroe |
Carlow |
CW004-014---- |
Ownership |
|
|
Browneshill |
Portal Tomb |
Kernanstown |
Carlow |
CW007-010---- |
Ownership |
|
|
St Mullins |
Early Medieval Ecclesiastical Site |
Straboe |
Carlow |
CW003-017002- |
Ownership |
|
|
St. Francis Abbey (Kilkenny) |
Friary (Franciscan) |
St. Mary's Parish |
Kilkenny |
KK019-026101- |
Ownership |
|
|
Sheepstown |
Church |
Sheepstown |
Kilkenny |
KK031-015001- |
Ownership |
|
|
Knocktopher Church |
Church |
Knocktophermanor |
Kilkenny |
KK031-017003-, KK031-017004-, KK031-017005-, KK031-017018-, KK031-017019-, KK031-017021- |
Ownership |
|
|
Grangefertagh |
Round Tower & Church |
Grangefertagh |
Kilkenny |
KK008-047004-, KK008-047001- |
Ownership |
|
|
Killamery |
High Cross |
Killamery |
Kilkenny |
KK030-008004- |
Ownership |
|
|
Kilree |
Church, Round Tower & Cross |
Kilree |
Kilkenny |
KK027-044001-, KK027-044003-, KK027-044004- |
Ownership |
|
|
Clonamery |
Church |
Clonamery |
Kilkenny |
KK033-021001- |
Ownership |
|
|
Ullard |
Church |
Ullard |
Kilkenny |
KK025-038001- |
Ownership |
|
|
Kilkieran |
High Crosses |
Castletown |
Kilkenny |
KK034-032003-, KK034-032004-, KK034-032005-, KK034-032006-, |
Ownership |
|
|
Jerpoint Abbey |
Abbey (Cistercian) |
Jerpoint Abbey |
Kilkenny |
KK028-062005- |
Ownership |
|
|
Tullaherin |
Round Tower |
Tullaherin |
Kilkenny |
KK024-062004- |
Ownership |
|
|
Kells Priory |
Priory (Augustinian) |
Rathduff |
Kilkenny |
KK027-029004- |
Guardianship |
|
|
Thomastown |
Church |
Thomastown |
Kilkenny |
KK028-040001- |
Ownership |
|
|
Gowran |
Church |
Gowran |
Kilkenny |
KK020-060006- |
Ownership |
|
|
Granny Castle |
Castle |
Granny |
Kilkenny |
KK043-034001- |
Ownership |
|
|
Clara Castle |
Castle |
Clara Upper |
Kilkenny |
KK020-003---- |
Ownership |
|
|
Ballylarkin |
Church |
Ballylarkin Upper |
Kilkenny |
KK013-018001- |
Ownership |
|
|
Kilfane |
Church |
Kilfane Demesne |
Kilkenny |
KK028-013001-, KK028-013003- |
Guardianship |
|
|
Burnchurch |
Castle & Tower |
Farmley |
Kilkenny |
KK023-071001-, KK023-071003- |
Ownership |
|
|
Kilmogue (Leac an Scáil) |
Portal Tomb |
Kilmogue, Harristown |
Kilkenny |
KK035-044---- |
Guardianship |
|
|
St John's Abbey (Kilkenny) |
Priory (Augustinian) (part of & chancel) |
Gardens |
Kilkenny |
KK019-026068- |
Guardianship |
|
|
Aghaviller |
Church & Round Tower |
Aghaviller |
Kilkenny |
KK031-030001-, KK031-030003- |
Ownership |
|
|
John's Priory |
Abbey |
Kilkenny |
Kilkenny |
KK019-026068- |
Ownership |
|
|
Callan |
Motte |
Westcourt Demesne |
Kilkenny |
KK026-010009- |
Ownership |
|
|
Rathealy |
Ringfort |
Rathealy |
Kilkenny |
KK013-059001- |
Ownership |
|
|
Dunmore Cave |
Cave |
Mohil |
Kilkenny |
KK014-017---- |
Ownership |
|
|
Callan |
Church |
Callan South |
Kilkenny |
KK026-010012- |
Ownership |
|
|
Callan Abbey |
Friary (Augustinian) |
Callan North |
Kilkenny |
KK026-010016- |
Guardianship |
|
|
Magdalan Castle |
Castle |
Gardens |
Kilkenny |
KK019-026074- |
Ownership |
|
|
Ballyboodan |
Ogham Stone |
Ballyboodan |
Kilkenny |
KK031-058---- |
Ownership |
|
|
Graiguenamanagh Abbey (Duiske) |
Abbey (Cistercian) |
Graiguenamanagh |
Kilkenny |
KK029-018001- |
Ownership |
|
|
Kells |
Motte & Bailey |
Garrynamann Lower |
Kilkenny |
KK027-029001- |
Guardianship |
|
|
Coolhill Castle |
Castle |
Coolhill |
Kilkenny |
KK033-027001- |
Guardianship |
|
|
Knockroe |
Passage Tomb |
Knockroe |
Kilkenny |
KK034-019001- |
Ownership |
|
|
Tullaroan |
Church |
Tullaroan |
Kilkenny |
KK018-032001- |
Ownership |
244. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if he will provide an update on the status of the proposed new station at Kilmore Quay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8284/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Coast Guard building programme, which includes the provision of new or upgraded facilities at a number of locations across the country, is managed by the Office of Public Works (OPW) on behalf of the Department of Transport. These projects are funded by the Department of Transport.
New accommodation for the Kilmore Quay Coast Guard Unit is included as one of the key priorities on this delivery programme. The Commissioners of Public Works have acquired a site in Kilmore Quay from Wexford County Council and the development of the new Coast Guard facility will progress in accordance with the availability of resources.
245. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if the refurbishment works on the new Garda office in O’Connell Street, Dublin, have been completed; if so, when the OPW will transfer this building over to An Garda Síochána. [8351/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Office of Public Works (OPW) can confirm that the works on the new Garda Station at 13A O'Connell St. Dublin will be substantially complete on 8th March 2023, handing over to An Garda Síochána thereafter.
