Written Answers Nos. 292-311
292. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if he is aware of the outsourcing of jobs within Departments; how much this has cost; if there will be a move to cut back on outsourcing in future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13423/25]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that there are no functions, roles or services within my Department that were outsourced to the private sector which were previously carried out by civil servants. My Department does not hold such information in respect of other Government Departments, so the Deputy may wish to submit separate Questions to the relevant Ministers.
293. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the date for the roll out of the digital wallet; when persons will have access to the digital wallet; the status of the project; if Departments are involved in the project, and if so, their respective roles; if changes to the Social Welfare Act 2022 are needed for public bodies to benefit from the digital wallet; the way the digital wallet interact with the HSE health app; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13429/25]
View answerMy Department is leading on digitalisation of public services, which is a core component of the Better Public Service Transformation strategy to 2030. Under this strategy it is the intention that Ireland achieves the 90% target of key public services consumed online by 2030. Key enablers to deliver on this target will be through the use of the Government Digital Wallet and Life Events Portal.
Users will be able to access integrated digital public services through the Government Digital Wallet and Life Events Portal, ultimately improving their service experience. The Government Digital Wallet has been developed/tested and will be available to members of the public, on a voluntary basis, to securely store digital versions of important documents such as a driving licence, birth certificate or European Health Insurance card, all in one place on their phone.
The model for this service spans all key public services. The service design and technical work is progressing on a phased, prioritised basis informed by user needs and in line with international best practice recommendations. A public service digitalisation roadmap plan, laying out key milestones for delivery to 2030 is currently in development and will be published this year.
Each life event service offering is being developed in collaboration with the relevant Departments and public service bodies and their services. For example, with the ‘Access Social Housing’ life event, there has been engagement with the Departments of Housing and the LGMA. The nature of interaction with the HSE health app will be determined as part of this model.
My Department is also working with national and European stakeholders to ensure the Government Digital Wallet meets key current and upcoming regulatory requirements for security, trust, and cross-border interoperability of digital identities. This process will determine the optimal solution to providing the legal basis for the Wallet now and into the future for a public release.
294. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to examine a case of flooding (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13445/25]
View answerThe Office of Public Works (OPW) is responsible for the maintenance of Arterial Drainage Schemes completed under the Arterial Drainage Acts 1945 and 1995, as amended. The location referenced forms a part of the Feale Arterial Drainage Scheme. Officials from the OPW South-Western Drainage Maintenance section have recently examined the sluice gates in question and have determined that the hangers on the sluice gates were damaged. These have since been repaired and the gates are now working correctly. These gates will continue to be monitored as part of standard OPW procedures.
295. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to detail the total expenditure on public procurement by his Department and its agencies, including spending on goods, services and works acquired through public procurement processes, in each of the past five years, in tabular form. [13543/25]
View answerThe total expenditure through public procurement by my Department and the bodies under its aegis during the years in question is set out in the tables below.
Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform
|
Year |
Total Spend on Public Procurement |
|
2020 |
€24,707,000 |
|
2021 |
€24,550,000 |
|
2022 |
€45,689,000 |
|
2023 |
€47,493,000 |
|
2024 |
€51,619,000 |
Office of the Ombudsman
|
Year |
Total Spend on Public Procurement |
|
2020 |
€1,638,567 |
|
2021 |
€1,845,956 |
|
2022 |
€1,490,578 |
|
2023 |
€1,781,786 |
|
2024 |
€1,830,294 |
State Laboratory
|
Year |
Total Spend on Public Procurement |
|
2020 |
€4,873,248 |
|
2021 |
€4,818,378 |
|
2022 |
€5,088,171 |
|
2023 |
€5,381,745 |
|
2024 |
€5,215,315 |
Public Appointments Service
|
Year |
Total Spend on Public Procurement |
|
2020 |
€3,820,865 |
|
2021 |
€4,022,043 |
|
2022 |
€4,883,632 |
|
2023 |
€5,648,891 |
|
2024 |
€5,646,367 |
National Shared Services Office
|
Year |
Total Spend on Public Procurement |
|
2020 |
€14,062,648 |
|
2021 |
€24,323,212 |
|
2022 |
€26,943,706 |
|
2023 |
€33,081,869 |
|
2024 |
€27,488,675 |
Office of the Regulator of the National Lottery
|
Year |
Total Spend on Public Procurement |
|
2020 |
€0 |
|
2021 |
€0 |
|
2022 |
€0 |
|
2023 |
€0 |
|
2024 |
€84,905 |
Office of Public Works
|
Year |
Total Spend on Public Procurement (€ million) |
|
2020 |
€372m |
|
2021 |
€378.6m |
|
2022 |
€415.4m |
|
2023 |
€519.8m |
|
2024 |
€524.7m |
296. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to provide an update on the status of a project (details supplied) which has been granted planning permission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13568/25]
View answerThe Irish Coast Guard, a Division of the Department of Transport, has 44 Units based in 58 coast guard stations. The 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 and the Department is the Approving Authority.
The estimated costs for the development of a new coast guard station at Castlefreake, Co. Cork have been submitted by the OPW to the Department of Transport for approval as per the Infrastructure Guidelines. The OPW is awaiting approval from the Department of Transport before proceeding with the detailed design and tender process. Until such approval is provided an estimate of timelines to tender and contract placement cannot be made.
297. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to provide a list of regulatory, appeal or other bodies, either funded by or under the remit of his Department, which are quasi-judicial in nature. [13580/25]
View answerOn the basis of the definition provided by the Deputy O' Gorman, i.e., non-court bodies empowered to adjudicate issues and disputes in particular areas, I am informed that the Office of the Regulator of the National Lottery is deemed quasi-judicial in nature.
In relation to the status of the six bodies falling within the remit of the Office of the Ombudsman, I am informed by the Office that the functions of only two, or possibly three, bodies could be described as ‘quasi-judicial’ using the definition provided. It is clear that both the Information Commissioner (OIC) and the Commissioner for Environmental Information (OCEI) adjudicate issues and disputes, as both are appeal bodies which make decisions affecting the rights of the parties to the appeal. Some, but not all, of the functions of the Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) could possibly be described as ‘quasi-judicial’. On one hand, some of their functions may result in findings of wrongdoing by individuals. On the other hand, SIPO’s functions do not involve adjudication of disputes or issues as between parties, as its investigations only affect the subject of the investigation.
While acknowledging the definition provided by Deputy O' Gorman, there is no generally accepted definition of the term ‘quasi-judicial’. In some cases, it is used to refer to tribunals that adjudicate disputes in a manner akin to the courts, whereas in other cases it is used to refer more generally to all bodies that make findings in relation to disputes. The Office of the Ombudsman recommends caution in labelling any bodies as being quasi-judicial, or not, in circumstances where the meaning of that term is not generally accepted.
298. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to provide an update on the progress of flood prevention measures for an area (details supplied); if the diversion of the local river around the town is still being considered as part of such measures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13794/25]
View answerThrough the Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management Programme, (CFRAM), the largest study of flood risk was completed by the Office of Public Works (OPW), in 2018. Since 2018, and working with local authorities, the OPW has trebled, to some 100, the number of flood relief schemes at design and construction. As it is not feasible to deliver all flood relief schemes concurrently (due to limited capacity in OPW, the local authorities, and in the specialised consultancy market), the flood-relief delivery programme was subdivided into two tranches, focusing initially on Tranche I schemes and those already in the delivery pipeline. Under the national programme, work has yet to commence on the design of some 54 Tranche II flood relief schemes. Planning for the delivery of the Tranche II schemes has commenced through the Tranche II Pilot.
CFRAM identified fifteen additional flood relief schemes for Cork County. Under the national delivery model, Cork County Council is leading the delivery of six flood relief schemes in Tranche I, with nine schemes planned in Tranche II, including Castlemartyr. The OPW is funding nine staff in Cork County Council to support its delivery of this programme of schemes.
The Flood Risk Management Plan identified potentially viable flood relief works for Castlemartyr that may be implemented after project level assessment and planning or Exhibition and Confirmation which may include Flow Diversion & Flood Defences. The potentially viable flood relief works consist of the diversion of the Kiltha River around the town via an existing bypass channel through the grounds of the hotel and the construction of flood walls to protect vulnerable properties at the confluence of the Kiltha and the bypass channel. However, the proposed physical flood relief works or 'Schemes' set out in the Plans that have been developed through the CFRAM Programme are to an outline design, and are not at this point ready for construction. Further detailed design through a project-level of assessment will be required for such potential works before implementation, including local surveys, further public and stakeholder consultation and environmental assessment.
The OPW is piloting a new delivery model for flood relief schemes through four Tranche II schemes in counties Kilkenny and Donegal. The Tranche II Pilot will transfer the management of data gathering, as a first step in designing a scheme, from consultant engineers for a single scheme to the local authorities for all schemes in the Pilot and, where feasible, within their administrative areas. The Pilot means that data gathering may be scaled up from individual communities to all schemes in a county. The Pilot will better inform the prioritisation of future schemes nationally, including Castlemartyr, and the scope of services required from consultants to design and construct flood relief schemes. Significant preparatory work is underway, with the Pilot schemes’ range of information and data-gathering requirements currently being considered and outlined.
The Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme was introduced by the OPW on an administrative, non-statutory basis in 2009. Applications for funding from local authorities for measures or studies costing up to €750,000 can be made under this scheme. Funding of up to 90% of the total cost is available, subject to meeting specific economic, technical, social, and environmental criteria.
In September 2024, the OPW approved funding of €81,800 under the aforementioned scheme for flood mitigation works in Castlemartyr. Works included cleaning of the Kiltha River channel and the removal of overhanging trees obstructing the river flow.
Castlemartyr is included in the Midleton and East Cork Individual Property Protection (IPP) Scheme, which is a Cork County Council scheme with €5.8m of funding by the OPW. Under this IPP Scheme, property owners who experienced flooding during Storm Babet (October 2023) are eligible to apply for receipt of IPP measures. Property surveys are ongoing with floodgate delivery to suitable properties commencing in the coming weeks.
299. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if Minister of State Higgins met with the Governor of Western Australia during her visit there for Saint Patrick's Day events. [13867/25]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that Minister of State Higgins undertook an extensive programme of engagements during her St. Patrick’s Day visit to Australia. This included meetings with South Australia Under Treasurer Tammie Pribanic, Senator Don Farrell, Minister for Trade and Tourism and Minister Stephen Dawson, the current Minister for Emergency Services, Innovation, Digital Economy, Medical Research, Science, and the Minister assisting the Minister for State and Industry Development, Jobs and Trade. I understand that Minister of State Higgins did not meet the Governor of Western Australia during her visit.
300. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the number of WTE OPW-employed staff, by job title and gender, working in Dublin Castle as of 18 March 2025. [13868/25]
View answerThe number of whole time equivalent staff employed by the OPW in Dublin Castle, as at 18 March 2025, is set out in the list at the link below.
This list includes staff across a range of OPW operational and established grades.
301. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to outline, in relation to public procurement carried out at local authority level, his views on reports (details supplied) that chief executives are aware of the European Commission’s statement that ‘The 2014 Public Procurement Directives allow contracting authorities to introduce social and ethical considerations in public procurement, including those related to human rights due diligence in international supply chains’, as currently some councillors are being informed by certain chief executives that such ethical considerations are incompatible with current EU procurement directives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13894/25]
View answerLocal authorities are entirely independent corporate entities having full responsibility under law for the performance of their functions and the discharge of their governance and other responsibilities. Procurement and tendering processes carried out by each local authority, and compliance with EU and national procurement rules in relation to the same, are directly a matter for the relevant Chief Executive. As set out Under Section 149 of the Local Government Act 2001 the Chief Executive is responsible for the executive functions of the local authority. This includes general management, administration and day to day running of the local authority, subject to law
302. Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the refurbishment works that the OPW has scheduled to carry out at Coolock Garda station for the remainder of 2025; and when each of those refurbishment works projects will commence, in tabular form. [13996/25]
View answerI can confirm that the Office of Public Works has scheduled refurbishment works to Coolock Garda Station, to be carried out in 2025 as outlined in the table below.
The commencement/completion dates for the scheduled works are subject to the final sign-off of operational and design requirements by An Garda Síochána.
|
Garda Station |
Nature of works |
Commencement Date |
|
Coolock. |
Universal Access Works - comprising works to the external entrance ramp and steps, and public reception area. |
Q2 2025. |
303. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the percentage of social media video accessible, such as providing the information or activities posted on each of his Department’s social media accounts, or the social media accounts of public bodies and agencies that operate under its remit, including closed captioning and subtitling and Irish Sign Language translations, between 1 January 2024 and 31 December 2024, inclusive. [14057/25]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that 52.5% of the social media video posts published by my Department during 2024 included closed captioning or subtitles. One of these posts used Irish Sign Language. 37.5% of the Department’s videos also consisted only of text or images with no voiceover and so did not require closed captioning/subtitles/sign language.
The following table outlines the position in regard to the bodies under the aegis of my Department. The Deputy may wish to note that the State Laboratory and the Office of the National Lottery Regulator do not use or post on social media platforms.
Bodies under the aegis of the Department
|
- |
Included closed captioning/subtitles |
Irish Sign Language translations |
|
Office of Public Works |
70.4% |
0% |
|
Department |
52.5% |
2.5% |
|
National Shared Services Office |
100% |
0% |
|
Public Appointment Service |
88% |
0% |
304. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to confirm that Mogeely, County Cork, will be included under tranche two of the OPW flood protection scheme. [14187/25]
View answerThe delivery of the Flood Risk Management Plans that are a key output of the Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management programme (published in 2018) is supported by €1.3bn through the National Development Plan. It is not possible to progress all 150 flood relief schemes identified by the Flood Risk Management Plans simultaneously, due to the limited availability of the professional and specialised engineering and other skills and services that are required to design and construct flood relief schemes.
Since 2018, the Office of Public Works (OPW) has trebled the number of flood relief schemes at design, planning, and construction to some 100 schemes. Cork County Council can introduce localised flood mitigation measures with up to 90% funding from the OPW's Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme. Under the Minor Works scheme, applications are considered for projects that are estimated to cost not more than €750,000 to address localised fluvial flooding and coastal protection problems within their administrative area. The scheme applies where a flood defence solution can be readily identified and achieved within a short timeframe.
Cork County Council submitted a Minor Works funding proposal in January 2025 to the OPW for funding for a study into the potential for Natural Water Retention Measures as an interim mitigation measure in Mogeely. This application is currently under review by the OPW. The OPW understands that Cork County Council is currently exploring a further Minor Works funding proposal for flood mitigation works at Mogeely.
The OPW has ongoing engagement with Cork County Council in relation to flood risk at Mogeely, Castlemartyr, and other communities and the optimal means of implementing flood relief measures for these areas. In the interim, the village of Mogeely is included in the Midleton and East Cork Individual Property Protection (IPP) Scheme, which is a Cork County Council scheme with €5.8m of funding by the OPW. Under this IPP Scheme, property owners who experienced flooding during Storm Babet (October 2023) are eligible to apply for receipt of IPP measures.
305. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the efforts being made to oppose the Mercosur Deal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13988/25]
View answerWhile the operational aspects of the transfer of particular files and functions will be managed between my Department and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade over the coming period, in line with the established cross-government protocols, I am continuing to oversee the government’s handling of the EU-Mercosur Agreement. In this regard, I am working closely with the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, who under the Programme for Government assumes the overall leadership role on matters of trade policy and negotiation.
The Government is committed to supporting free, fair and open trade. Our EU membership makes us part of the growing network of EU Free Trade Agreements, supporting more opportunity for exports and investment, helping support jobs and growth at home, maintaining strict EU standards on food safety, animal and plant health, and supporting better environmental and human rights standards around the world.
We have always been clear, however, that such agreements must defend our most vulnerable sectors and that our farmers’ livelihoods must not be undermined through weak or ineffective environmental standards in other countries.
In regard to the EU-Mercosur agreement, in addition to our specific sector sensitivities such as agriculture, Ireland has repeatedly raised concerns at EU level regarding the strength of the trade and sustainability commitments in the original agreement negotiated in 2019. As a response to those concerns, the European Commission engaged in further negotiations with Mercosur on a new, interpretative legal instrument aimed at addressing and strengthening sustainability commitments. On 6 December 2024, the European Commission announced that it had concluded negotiations with Mercosur.
I wish to assure the Deputy that my officials and I have continued to engage at EU level at every opportunity – with both the European Commission and with counterparts in EU Member States – to voice our concerns in relation to the EU-Mercosur Agreement. Such engagements have taken place at the Foreign Affairs Council (Trade) with other EU Member State Ministers, as well as at meetings of officials in the Trade Policy Committee. I and officials have emphasised Ireland's requirements for credible, legally binding commitments on matters relating to trade and sustainable development, including climate, biodiversity, and deforestation protections, as well as protections and assurances in regard to incomes of farmers in Ireland.
Furthermore, in December I met virtually with the new Commissioner for Trade, Maroš Šefcovic, along with other EU Trade Ministers, where I outlined my concerns over possible unintended consequences of the agreement. The Commissioner has committed to travel to Ireland to meet with stakeholders, which I welcome as an important opportunity to engage constructively with the Commission as we seek clarifications and assurances on the legally binding nature of the commitments in the agreement.
Since the Commission announced the conclusion of negotiations, officials from my Department and other departments, including the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, have been carefully analysing the text of the additional legal instrument and have engaged with the Commission to interrogate the outcome of negotiations to assess if our concerns have been adequately addressed.
Engagements with the Commission are continuing as we seek sufficient clarification on the priority areas of climate, biodiversity, deforestation and the protection of farmer's incomes in advance of any final decision by Government. In advance of receiving the additional clarifications and assurances that we require on all of these issues, Ireland's position on the EU-Mercosur Agreement will remain as clearly outlined in the Programme for Government.
306. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment whether the Government has considered expediting a targeted support plan for SMEs, particularly in rural and regional areas, to mitigate economic uncertainties if US foreign direct investment were to decline (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14222/25]
View answerClient engagement and the changing global landscape informed the development of IDA’s 2025-29 strategy that was published in February 2025. In the context of heightened trade policy uncertainty, IDA’s priority is to maintain a close partnership with existing client companies at Irish site and overseas parent level while continuing to monitor developments, assess impacts and provide client / FDI insights to inform Ireland’s overall response. Under IDA’s new strategy, the agency will partner with the existing FDI base on growth and transformation to strengthen long-term investment in Ireland through productivity enhancing investments in RD&I, talent development, sustainability and digitalisation. IDA’s strategy includes targets to drive €7bn in new RD&I investment and to upskill 40,000 over the next five years as part of efforts to build innovation capacity and promote upskilling across the client portfolio.
IDA will also retain a focus on new growth opportunities across our core sectors, aligned to four key growth drivers of digitalisation and AI; semiconductors; health; and sustainability. Against a challenging external backdrop, IDA will also continue to advocate for improvements in Ireland’s relative competitiveness which Government is already addressing through NDP investments and a range of commitments in the Programme for Government, including work on an Action Plan for Competitiveness and Productivity – a factor within the country’s control.
In the years ahead, we will match our ambition for continued strong FDI performance with a focus on strengthening Irish-owned firms. The government's White Paper on Enterprise sets out that SMEs and entrepreneurship are central to our objective of diversified, sustainable growth. Ireland has long targeted programmes at indigenous firms in the manufacturing and internationally traded services sectors, with a particular focus on growing exports.
Enterprise Ireland's new Strategy for 2025-2029 sets out plans to implement a series of robust measures to support the SME sector, focusing on financial aid, innovation, sustainability and digital transformation. One of the key initiatives includes an increase in funding for the Seed and Venture Capital Scheme. This increase in funding aims to provide start-ups with the necessary capital to scale their operations, enter new markets, and drive technological advancements. Additionally, Enterprise Ireland will continue to offer support tailored to the needs of SMEs, ensuring they have access to the financial resources required to sustain and grow their businesses.
Balanced regional development is a key focus of our enterprise policy. My Department and its agencies contribute to this agenda in several ways, including through nine Regional Enterprise Plans. These are bottom-up plans developed and led by regional stakeholders, which focus on collaborative initiatives to strengthen the enterprise ecosystem in each region. Since 2017 the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment has approved regional enterprise development funding of over €150 million through a variety of schemes and funds administered by Enterprise Ireland.
My Department will continue to work with the enterprise agencies to support SMEs as the backbone of our economy and to provide them with the resources and support they need to thrive in a challenging economic environment.
307. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if an appeals process will be introduced for the increased cost of business and power up grant schemes, as a number of businesses failed to meet the application deadline due to administrative issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13340/25]
View answerIn total, the Increased Cost of Business (ICOB) and Power Up grant schemes paid out over €400 million in 2024.
Following an extension to the deadline, the ICOB scheme closed on 29th May, 2024 and the Power Up grant closed on 22nd November, 2024 also following an extension to the deadline. The Local Authorities contacted eligible businesses to let them know how to register for the schemes and they were also widely advertised including on local radio and on social media. Both grant schemes are now closed and it is not possible to reopen at this stage for those that have missed the deadline.
Separately, my Department is aware of issues that have arisen during the registration period, in particular, in relation to businesses that were ineligible for the grant due to incorrect classification of their business type while registering for ICOB. The Department is currently reviewing this issue and are considering next steps in consultation with the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform and the local authorities.
308. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his Department plans to carry out an analysis on the economic and local and community impact of data centres in rural areas; if the type and condition of land used for these developments and their potential impact on the agri-food industry will be assessed by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13362/25]
View answerData centres are critical infrastructure for our modern economy as they provide the foundation for almost all online aspects of our lives. Without data centres, much of the digital world that we rely on day to day, from online banking and shopping, accessing health and public services online, to streaming movies, would not be possible. In addition to these services, data centres enable remote working and facilitate improved work life balance for employees.
To date, Ireland has supported the evolution of the data centre sector in Ireland with some of these data centres owned and operated by large multinationals while others serve Ireland’s indigenous technology-based service providers.
Looking to the future, it is important that Ireland manages data centre development in a manner that ensures we can continue to enhance Ireland’s global position in the ongoing digital revolution while at the same time ensuring we are able to meet our climate and energy security objectives.
To inform future policy on data centre development in Ireland, my Department is currently in the process of procuring independent experts to undertake research and analysis to provide a detailed view of the economic and societal benefits arising from data centres in Ireland. This work will look to identify opportunities for Ireland to evolve our data centre landscape in a way that optimises future economic and societal returns.
While the IDA aims to deliver best-in-class enterprise property and site infrastructure for their clients, my Department is not typically engaged in the assessment of the suitability of any relevant lands for a given type of development, and questions in relation to planning may be more appropriate to the Minister of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, whose Department has responsibility for planning. While my Department does engage with and contribute to the planning system, it generally does so at the level of the National Planning Framework (NPF), which sets the overarching spatial planning and development strategy for Ireland at the national level. The high-level objectives set out in the NPF are subsequently reflected at the other levels of the planning system, as under the three Regional and Spatial Economic Strategies, and from there in City and County Development Plans.
309. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the specific data fields included in prompt payment reports as mandated by Government decision S29296; and if he will provide a sample template illustrating the required information. [13507/25]
View answerIn May 2009, Government Decision of 19 May 2009 put in place formal arrangements to reduce the payment period for Government Departments from 30 days to 15 calendar days.
This Prompt Payment obligation was extended to the HSE, Local Authorities, State Agencies and all other public authorities (excluding commercial Semi-State bodies) in March 2011 (Government Decision of 2 March 2011 and Government Decision of 8 March 2011 refer).
In March 2017 these bodies were obligated to report quarterly on their compliance with the Government’s 15 Day Prompt Payment Commitment using a revised payment performance template (Government Decision of 28 March 2017).
The data fields included in the report are:
• The total number and value of payments made in the quarter
• The number, value and percentage of payments made within 15 days
• The number, value and percentage of payments made within 16-30 days
• The number, value and percentage of payments made in excess of 30 days that were subject to Late Payment Interest and compensation costs
• The number, value and percentage of payments made in excess of 30 days that were not subject to late payment interest and compensation costs
• Amount of late payment interest paid in the quarter
• Amount of compensation costs paid in quarter
Templates are provided of the report to be completed by Government Departments and the report to be completed by HSE, Local Authorities, State Agencies and all other public authorities (excluding commercial Semi-State bodies).
310. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the legal or policy framework underpinning the requirement for public sector bodies to submit prompt payment reports, referencing Government Decision S29296 and any related legislation or guidelines. [13508/25]
View answerThe issue of 'late payment in commercial transactions' is governed by the European Communities (Late Payment in Commercial Transactions) Regulations 2012 - SI 580 of 2012 as amended. The purpose of these regulations is to give legal effect to Directive 2011/7/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 2011 on combating late payment in commercial transactions.
The legislation requires that commercial transactions for all goods and services where the purchaser is a public authority, should be paid for, on receipt of valid invoice, within 30 days or such payments will incur late payment interest and compensation for recovery of costs.
Since 2009, central government departments have been obliged to pay their suppliers within 15 days of receipt of a valid invoice (Government Decision of 19 May 2009). This policy initiative was implemented to improve their respective payment times to assist the cash flow of businesses. A requirement that all departments report to my Department on the implementation of these arrangements was also included.
Subsequently, the 15-day prompt payment requirement was extended beyond central government departments and rolled out to the Health Service Executive, the Local Authorities, State Agencies and all other Public Sector Bodies (excluding Commercial Semi-State bodies) (Government Decision of 2 March 2011 and Government Decision of 8 March 2011 refer). This included the requirement for each body to report quarterly to its parent department on performance in respect of these arrangements.
311. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to clarify which public sector entities are mandated to submit prompt payment reports; and if he will provide a comprehensive list of these entities. [13509/25]
View answerSince 2009, central government departments have been obliged to pay their suppliers within 15 days of receipt of a valid invoice (Government Decision of 19 May 2009). This policy initiative was implemented to improve their respective payment times to assist the cash flow of businesses. This also included the requirement that departments report to my Department on the implementation of these arrangements.
Subsequently, the 15-day prompt payment requirement was extended beyond central government departments and rolled out to the Health Service Executive, the Local Authorities, State Agencies and all other Public Sector Bodies (excluding Commercial Semi-State bodies) (Government Decision of 2 March 2011 and Government Decision of 8 March 2011). This included the requirement for each body to report quarterly to its parent department on performance in respect of these arrangements.
My department does not maintain a list of all entities covered by this reporting requirement. Government Decision of 2 March 2011 requires that each body report quarterly to its parent department on performance in respect of these arrangements. Parent departments are best placed to know which bodies should be reporting to them and whether those bodies are meeting the reporting requirements.
