Written Answers Nos. 110-118
111. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the position of his Department with respect to maternity and paternity leave where the parent has applied for such leave after securing a successful surrogacy arrangement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14355/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraMaternity leave is granted to civil servants in accordance with the Maternity Protection Acts 1994 and 2004. The granting of maternity leave in the Civil Service is conditional on the employee being eligible for statutory maternity leave. The maternity protection legislation is under the remit of the Department for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.
The arrangements applying to civil servants in relation to paternity leave are as specified in the Paternity Leave and Benefit Act 2016.
The Civil Service maternity leave circular and paternity leave circular are shared below for information.
www.gov.ie/en/circular/14e9052a487746d5a765fbfb8f52abf2/
www.gov.ie/en/circular/963bc3f9543c4e2481d8d88bf5b40b95/
112. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she has plans to propose a broadcasting charge on all households; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14119/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraA diverse, vibrant and independent media sector is vital to our democracy and society as a whole, and the important role the sector plays was underlined in the report of the Future of Media Commission, which also highlighted the value which the public places on public service media content.
The Commission's report highlighted the necessity of continued, and sustainable, public funding, particularly at a time when advertising revenues are falling for traditional media platforms. While the Commission recommended a move to a fully-Exchequer funded model, Government considered that any funding model should retain and build on the existing revenue stream from the sale of TV licences which provides an important direct link between broadcasters and the Irish public, and one which has underpinned the independence of the broadcasting sector.
After its consideration of the Commission's report, Government agreed to establish a Technical Working Group to examine the necessary reform required of the current TV licence system to properly provide for the funding requirements of public service media in Ireland. The Group commenced its work in September last year and is expected to report to me at the end of this month after which the report will be considered by Government. It would not be appropriate for me to speculate as to the contents of the Technical Working Group's report.
113. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív den Aire Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán an bhfuil iarratas faighte ó eagraíocht (sonraí tugtha) ar mhionbhus a cheannach; má tá, cén uair a dhéanfar cinneadh ar an iarratas; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh. [14169/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraMar is eol don Teachta is tríd an gClár Tacaíochtaí Pobail agus Teanga de chuid mo Roinne a chuirtear cúnamh caipitil airgid ar fáil do choistí agus eagraíochtaí cáilithe Gaeltachta chun áiseanna pobail, teanga agus caitheamh aimsire a fhorbairt nó a athchóiriú sna ceantair Ghaeltachta.
Cé nach bhfuil aon iarratas faighte go dáta ón eagraíocht atá luaite ag an Teachta ina cheist, ní gá a rá - i gcás go bhfaightear, go scrúdófaí an t-iarratas sin faoi réir gnáthchritéir an chláir agus go mbeidh feidhmeannaigh na Roinne ar fáil chun pé comhairle agus treoir is gá a chur ar fáil don iarratasóir maidir leis an ábhar seo.
114. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she will provide data, if available, on the qualification levels (details supplied) of civil servants in her Department as of 31 December 2022; how educational attainment levels have evolved in recent years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14635/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised that my Department does not maintain a register of academic qualifications held by officials in my Department. Accordingly, I am not in a position to provide this data to the Deputy or comment on the evolution of educational attainment levels.
115. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the average number of days training per grade, in her Department in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022; how this compares internationally; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14865/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is committed to supporting the ongoing development of staff at all grades through its Learning & Development Unit. This is an integral part of the Human Resource function in my Department. The information requested by the Deputy is not recorded by my Department in the format outlined and, therefore, it is not possible for my Department to provide this data.
116. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the additional staff sought by Cork City Council for its housing directorate, by division, that is, vacancy, adaptation, maintenance and so on, in the past 12 months, in tabular form. [14108/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra117. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the additional staff sought by Cork County Council for its housing directorate by division, that is, vacancy, adaptation, maintenance, etc. in the past 12 months, in tabular form. [14109/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra118. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of additional staff sought by each local authority, by directorate, in tabular form, in the past 12 months. [14110/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 116 to 118, inclusive, together.
Under Section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he/she is responsible. My Department oversees workforce planning for the local government sector, including the monitoring of overall local government sector employment levels. To this end, my Department gathers aggregate quarterly data on staff numbers in each local authority on a whole time equivalent basis.
Granular data, in terms of the detailed breakdown of the numbers and grades of the overall number of staff allocated to specific work areas or directorates within local authorities, is not collected and consequently is not available in my Department. While local authorities will seek sanction from my Department for certain posts, 1093 staffing sanction requests for new posts were submitted to my Department in the period 1 January to 31 December 2022, such requests are not on a directorate basis. The relevant information would be available from each local authority.
That said and in the context of housing delivery specifically, Housing for All commits to strengthen the capacity of local authorities to initiate, design, plan, develop and manage housing projects and recognises that it requires the resourcing of housing services of local authorities. In this context, I approved funding for 250 posts for local authority housing teams to support the delivery of social housing. I believe there have been delays in some areas but recruitment is well underway and that over 180 posts have been filled to date. Funding has been approved for a five-year period from 2022 to 2026 with a potential to extend the funding to 2030, subject to the availability of the capital funding as well as the delivery of targets in each local authority area. In total, 11 additional posts have been approved for social housing delivery in Cork City and 9 additional posts for Cork County.
Furthermore, an initial tranche of 69 affordable housing staff posts were approved in October 2022 and communicated to each of the respective local authorities with an affordability constraint. This is a key requirement to underpin affordable housing delivery and ensuring the required structures are in place to enable affordable housing delivery as a matter of priority. My Department and the Housing Delivery Coordination Office in the Local Government Management Agency will be monitoring this programme further to a review of any additional supports being examined in 2023. In total, 4 additional posts for affordable housing delivery have been approved for Cork City and 5 additional posts for Cork County.
