Written Answers Nos. 233-250
233. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the number of employment-related permanent injury compensation schemes for civil and public servants; and the total budget for each of the years 2021, 2022 and 2023, in tabular form. [29650/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department does not hold the information requested by the Deputy. I believe that the information sought by the Deputy will be collated by the State Claims Agency that is within the remit of the National Treasury Management Agency for my colleague the Minister of Finance.
234. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if the OPW has any contracts with either of two companies (details supplied) in the years of 2023 and to date in 2024; the nature of service each company provided to the OPW; and the amount that the OPW paid each company for such services, in tabular form. [29684/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraA breakdown is provided below in relation to the overall spend in regard to Pulse Security for 2023 and to date in 2024. There has been no expenditure in these years for Sword Security. This expenditure covers security at OPW sites and events. It also covers these services provided through the OPW on the behalf of other Government Departments.
|
Company |
2023 |
To date 2024 |
|
Pulse Security |
€43,097.98 |
€42,050.63 |
|
Sword Security |
N/A |
N/A |
235. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if there is any change to the policy of providing civil servants with laptops in order for them to work from home; if so, the reasons for this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29700/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy may be aware a blended working policy for staff in my Department was published on 31 August 2022. This policy provides for staff to work remotely for up to two days per week.
Employees availing of blended working are provided with equipment as outlined in the policy document and there has been no changes to this policy since it's publication.
Please see the link below to our Blended Working Policy:
per.cloud.gov.ie/KnowledgeBase/BlendedWorking/Shared%20Documents/DPER%20Blended%20Working%20Policy.pdf.
236. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if he is aware of concerns that the civil service mobility scheme is suffering from very long wait times for offers of mobility to be made; if he has any plans to improve waiting times; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29701/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware the Civil Service Mobility offers an opportunity for staff members to apply for Mobility (i.e. transfer) through a list-based and advertisement-based system. It is an open and transparent scheme offering equal opportunities for Mobility to all general service staff members.
The List Based Mobility Scheme is open to permanent Civil Servants (Clerical Officer, Executive Officer, Higher Executive Officer and Administrative Officer). The maximum amount of zones selectable when making mobility applications is 2 Zones, with a limit of 5 organisational choices within each Zone. There are 46 mobility location zones. Priority is based on the date of application.
The Advertisement Based Mobility Scheme is open to permanent Civil Servants (Higher Executive Officer, Administrative Officer, Third Secretary, Assistant Principal, First Secretary, Principal Officer, Counsellor). Staff apply directly to the advertising organisation. Depending on the number of applications, paper short-listing may take place, followed by an informal meeting/interview for further short-listing.
The Mobility scheme is one of a number of arrangements that was put in place to fulfil the requirements of Action 15 of the Civil Service Renewal Plan which calls to “expand career and Mobility opportunities for staff across geographic, organisational and sectoral boundaries” and Action 14 of the People Strategy for the Civil Service which calls for the further expansion of a coherent Mobility policy to facilitate staff development.
It is important to be aware that not all vacant positions are filled through Mobility. The timing of vacant positions, and the filling of same through Mobility are subject to
• the nationwide sequencing of filling vacancies per grade (recruitment/promotion/mobility); and
• the business needs of each individual civil service organisation.
All applicants have access to the Mobility list-based system and can view their waitlist positions for each of their chosen Mobility applications. An applicant does not need to be at the top of a waitlist in order to be made an offer. In some instances applicants with waitlist positions as high as 35 are being made offers. This occurs where applicants on the list ahead of them are either ineligible, or have their applications placed ‘on-hold’. It can also occur where an organisation are taking multiple applicants off the list at the same time.
For further information on the scheme please visit the Mobility website at: hr.per.gov.ie.
237. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the position regarding funding allocated to Cork City Council for the reinstatement of the weirs at Ballincollig Regional Park; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29739/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management or CFRAM Programme, the largest study of flood risk in the state, was completed by the Office of Public Works (OPW) in 2018. The output from this study was the Flood Risk Management Plans that are providing the evidence for a proactive approach for designing and constructing flood relief schemes for the most at-risk communities.
The Lower Lee Flood Relief Scheme is the largest flood relief scheme in the state. It encompasses an area from Inniscarra Hydroelectric plant to the Port of Cork, some 16 kilometres away. The Lower Lee Flood Relief Scheme is expected to provide protection against the 100-year fluvial flooding event from the River Lee and the 200-year tidal flooding event for 2,100 properties, 900 residential and 1,200 commercial, at an estimated cost of over €200 million.
While there are no hydraulic benefits to the Lower Lee Flood Relief Scheme from the Ballincollig weir, the OPW has committed to assessing the feasibility of repairing Ballincollig Weir and incorporating the repair works into the construction contract and budget for the Lower Lee Flood Relief Scheme, if appropriate.
The OPW commissioned the consultants for the Lower Lee Flood Relief Scheme to undertake a preliminary feasibility assessment and constraints study for the reinstatement of Ballincollig Weir and this was produced in early May 2024 and was subsequently forwarded to Cork City Council for consideration, as the Weir is in the ownership of Cork City Council, following the boundary change between Cork County and Cork City in June 2019.
The consultants have proposed three options to consider. Each option has planning, structural, fisheries and cultural heritage considerations that must be accommodated. Options that have cultural and heritage benefits, also have negative fisheries implications. There is also a different cost estimated for each of the three options, and this will require further assessment to inform the preferred feasible option and the appropriate planning consent route.
The OPW is committed to continued collaboration with Cork City Council on this matter.
238. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform when a flood defence scheme (details supplied) will advance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29740/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraSince 2009, the Office of Public Works, (OPW) has approved funding under the Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme of circa €5.9 million to County Cork for some 45 projects.
The Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme was introduced by the OPW in 2009. Applications for funding from local authorities are considered for flood relief and erosion protection measures costing up to €750,000 in each instance. Funding of up to 90% of the cost is available for approved projects. Applications are assessed by the OPW having regard to the specific economic, social and environmental criteria of the scheme, including a cost benefit ratio and having regard to the availability of funding for flood risk management. Full details of this scheme are available on floodinfo.ie.
Funding approval under this scheme of €295,027 was allocated to Cork County Council in 2021 for minor embankment and improvement works, construction of a flood defence, a storm water pumping station, new drainage pipes and associated works at the location concerned. Cork County Council confirmed that they are providing additional funding to allow an enhanced scheme to be developed, building on the elements of the approved OPW Minor Works Scheme. Hydraulic modelling work that was completed in early February 2024 will further inform the scheme.
While Cork County Council had planned to advertise the tender for a Consultant to undertake the detailed design, planning, procurement and management of the delivery of the project in Q2 2024, they have confirmed that due to circumstances beyond their control, there has been a delay in proceeding to tender for a Consultant to deliver this project. The Council now propose that the Consultant tender will be advertised in Q4 2024.
239. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the balance between the funds spent on foreign direct investment and on funds given to indigenous industries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29742/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraWhile matters relating to Foreign Direct Investment and enterprise support for indigenous industry are, in the first instance, for the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, balanced regional development is a key priority of this Government and is at the heart of Project Ireland 2040.
We are continuing to deliver and improve infrastructure in all regions in areas such as transport, broadband connectivity, housing and energy. These investments in public infrastructure projects will in turn have a positive effect in delivering employment opportunities and further investment by the private sector. As Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform I am responsible for setting the overall capital allocations across Departments and for monitoring monthly expenditure at Departmental level. My Department therefore allocates expenditure on a departmental basis, not a geographic basis. The responsibility for the management and delivery of individual investment projects or sectoral policy strategies, within the allocations agreed under the National Development Plan (NDP), rests with the individual sponsoring Department in each case.
The Government has committed €165 billion funding for capital investment, as set out in the NDP published in October 2021. An additional €2.25 billion of windfall corporate tax receipts has also been allocated from 2024 to 2026, to provide funding for critical infrastructure projects that are at an advanced stage.
In 2024, over €13 billion will be made available from the Exchequer for investment in public capital projects, which will provide more schools, homes, improve hospital facilities and other pieces of vital infrastructure. This level of expenditure will be pivotal in consolidating the progress already made, supporting balanced regional development and, most importantly, delivering the necessary infrastructure to support our future climate change obligations as well as our social and economic requirements.
The Government is committed to increasing public awareness of the capital investment in Project Ireland 2040 in all regions. A Project Ireland 2040 report on each regional assembly area is published each year. The 2023 annual reports are expected to be published in Q3 2024 and will be available on gov.ie/2040. The reports detail the specific regional projects and programmes, which are being planned and delivered in each region as part of the public investment detailed in the NDP.
240. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the current levels of staffing in the Office of the Information Commissioner; the current number of vacant positions; and the total target workforce. [29863/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra241. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the current levels of staffing in the Office of the Commissioner for Environmental Information; the current number of vacant positions; and the total target workforce. [29864/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 240 and 241 together.
The Office of the Ombudsman that it consists of six separate statutory functions, funded via one vote. The statutory functions share office space, ICT staff and systems, legal and HR support as well as procurement and finance staff. This approach gives the Office functional independence across core work areas, but allows it to realise the benefits and economies of scale.
That vote is broken down into three programme subheads. One of these subheads represents two of the Office’s statutory functions - the Office of the Information Commissioner and the Office of the Commissioner for Environmental Information. Accordingly, the figures provided are in respect of that programme area.
The staffing allocation for the overall Vote as per REV 2024 is 36. The staff complement at the end of Q2 2024 is 31, including three staff on maternity leave. Currently, there are five vacancies.
242. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the extent to which the levels of savings achieved through reform across the public sector has been quantified on an annual basis in the past three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29956/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra244. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the extent to which reform, as a component in economic strategy, has achieved savings in line with projections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29958/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra245. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the extent to which efficiency and cost-effective targets continue to be met throughout the public sector; the extent to which this has benefitted the economy in general; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29959/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra246. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to indicate, by each Department, the extent to which costs have been reduced under the separate headings of public expenditure reduction and or public sector reform, in each of the past five years to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29960/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra247. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if any particular Government Department and the bodies under its aegis are expected to improve their performance in respect of savings, cost-cutting or reform targets over the next twelve months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29961/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra251. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the extent to which reform, as a component in economic strategy, has achieved savings in line with projections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29965/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 242, 244 to 247, inclusive, and 251 together.
My Department regularly reviews budgetary and expenditure monitoring processes to ensure the adequate tracking of Government spending and provides best practice guidance and approaches to assessing the impact of public expenditure investment. In implementing further reforms, my Department will look to build on the budgetary reforms already in place and the significant work on public service reform already achieved. These reforms include:
• The 'whole of year' budgetary framework with publications at key points in the year including the Public Service Performance Report, the Summer Economic Statement, the Mid-Year Expenditure Report, and the Spending Review papers. These publications seek to support enhanced transparency, engagement in relation to budgetary issues and value for money.
• Improving and supporting the use of evidence informed policy making through the Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service (IGEES).
• Enhancing the focus on performance and national well-being through the performance and well-being frameworks.
These processes complement the monitoring of drawdown of funds from the Exchequer reported each month against expenditure profiles in the Fiscal Monitor.
Together, these reforms broaden the approach to how public expenditure is appraised, implemented and reviewed. They govern not only how and where the money is spent but also the impact of public expenditure across different cohorts of society and the different categories of expenditure.
In respect of enhancing efficiency and effectiveness of policy delivery, improving and supporting the evaluation capacity within Government Departments has formed an important part of the reform programme. Supported by IGEES, this has led to the development of a number of additional processes and reports to support the budgetary framework. The IGEES website contains a database of publications on reform and enhancing efficiency, across sectors of Government and society.
Better Public Services’, the public service transformation strategy which was launched in 2023, ensures reform will continue to play a central role in ensuring prudent expenditure and optimum value for money in the provision of public services throughout 2024.
The strategy comprises three central pillars aimed at delivering transformation at scale: ‘Digital and Innovation at Scale’; ‘Workforce and Organisation of the Future’; and ‘Evidence-Informed Policies and Services Designed for and with our Public’ and my Department is currently coordinating a number of cross government reform initiatives under each of these pillars.
This strategy also incorporates priorities articulated in a number of sectoral reform programmes. This will ensure that the public service will work collaboratively to deliver those reforms at a scale that will ensure value for money for the people of Ireland.
By way of ensuring the delivery of organisational reforms and service improvements, Public Service Bodies are requested to identify and prioritise relevant actions that align to the overarching themes of ‘Better Public Services’ when developing their own corporate strategies and business plans.
To ensure these reform efforts are delivered at scale across the wider Public Service, my Department coordinates the Public Service Leadership Board, which draws on senior leadership from across the Public Service to monitor and advance progress in driving reform.
248. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the Government Departments or bodies under their aegis that have shown the least progress in terms of public sector reform in the past four years; how this compares with those Departments that have achieved most in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29962/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm that significant achievements have been made right across Government Departments, Offices and Agencies in terms of reform and carrying out their functions, many of which involve front-line public service delivery.
My Department published the Public Service Performance Report (available at gov.ie/en/publication/c5258-public-service-performance-report-2023/) last month. This is the 8th annual Public Service Performance Report which provides a comprehensive account of how each government Department performed against targets set in the Revised Estimates Volume for the delivery of services in 2023. The report documents many of the achievements we have had in the delivery of public services. The Government is committed to continuing to deliver better public services and this is the focus of Better Public Services , our transformation strategy to deliver for the public and build trust.
Departments and agencies are responsible for reporting on their progress on reform programmes approved by Government through the full range of established accountability mechanisms including their Annual Reports.
249. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the extent to which any audit of deficits in vital infrastructure has been undertaken with a view to identifying major capital works which might have a substantial positive impact on the economy in the event of the availability of appropriate funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29963/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government committed €165 billion towards capital investment through the National Development Plan (NDP) 2021-30 published in 2021. An additional €2.25 billion from the windfall tax receipts was made available to capital expenditure over the period 2024-26 in the Summer Economic Statement (SES) last year. This was to facilitate the progression of important projects and enable more rapid development of key Programme for Government commitments. Additional capital expenditure of €250 million is being made available for 2024 from windfall exchequer receipts with a further €2 billion being made available across 2025 (€750 million) and 2026 (€1.25 billion).
The additional €2.25 billion builds on the existing funding already available under the NDP out to 2026 and it will mean more schools, housing, transport and healthcare projects can be progressed and delivered for our people. As a percentage of national income, annual capital investment is among the largest in the EU. Deliverability was of critical focus in the recent NDP allocation process with funding to be provided to those projects and programmes that will be successfully delivered or on track for delivery at end-2026.
The process commenced in December 2023, with a Memorandum to Government setting out the parameters of the review and the key criteria that should guide the sectoral prioritisation. The Departments were asked to respond with their key programmes and projects for consideration by late-January 2024. Throughout this process, there was significant Ministerial engagement as well as extensive negotiations at senior official level, with approximately 35 Ministerial bilateral meetings between myself and my Ministerial colleagues. On the agreement of allocations with each of the sectoral Ministers, the distribution of the additional €2.25 billion across Departments was agreed by Government on March 27.
Recognising the capacity constraints in the economy, the additional funding will be targeted at projects that are at the appropriate stage of development for advancement in 2025 and 2026. This would include the consideration of which sectors have been able to utilise existing NDP allocations in recent years and who have a good track record of delivery.
In terms of accessing the impacts, or benefits, of major projects, my Department is responsible for setting out the framework for appraising projects captured in the Infrastructure Guidelines. Each individual project proposal is required to be appraised in line with these guidelines and this requires an assessment of project need and demand, an estimate of project cost and benefits and a post-completion review to consider the accuracy of the assumption made before the project commenced. This allows for lessons to be learned which can improve the delivery of upcoming projects being delivered.
250. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the extent to which normal retirement, early retirement, or other factors are likely to feature in the context of staffing levels throughout the public sector in the course of the current year and the remaining years up to 2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29964/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are no centralised forecasts of public service staffing over the period to 2030 conducted by my Department. Public service staffing is largely managed through a policy of delegated sanction, which been in place since 2015. Under this delegated sanction framework, Departments are permitted to fill vacancies through recruitment and/or promotion, in grades up to and including Principal Officer Standard or equivalent, subject to remaining within the overall pay bill ceiling. This pay bill ceiling forms part of the annual budget agreement.
Public service employee whole time equivalent outturns are collected and collated after the end of each quarter. Forecast end-year public service employee numbers are published in the Revised Estimates Volume (REV) in December of the preceding year. The end-2024 public service employee numbers forecast in REV 2024 are 406,571 full-time equivalents, excluding Oireachtas staff.
In relation to future public service retirements, analysis of projected Civil Service retirements is undertaken periodically, most recently in 2021. This paper may be accessed at: gov.ie/pdf/?file=https://assets.gov.ie/203587/62b1f52c-373c-450e-9e18-d16f6dca1528.pdf#page=null.
