The eligibility criteria for Fuel Allowance ensures that the payment goes to those who are more vulnerable to fuel poverty including those reliant on social protection payments for longer periods and who are unlikely to have additional resources of their own.

As part of Budget 2022, I announced a number of expansions to the eligibility criteria for the Fuel Allowance payment.

The weekly means threshold for the Fuel Allowance scheme was increased by €20 to €120 above the appropriate rate of contributory State pension representing a 20% increase in the threshold which enables more people to qualify for this support.  The €120 allowable means limit is significantly more than the €33 weekly rate of Fuel Allowance.

With effect from September 2022 the qualifying period for Jobseeker’s and Supplementary Welfare Allowance recipients to be in a position to access the Fuel Allowance payment will be reduced from 15 to 12 months.

The Government has, therefore, implemented significant improvements in relation to Fuel Allowance through Budget 2022.  Any proposal for further changes to the eligibility criteria would have to be considered in this context and in the context of the overall policy and budgetary situation.

Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, Exceptional Needs Payments may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which customers are unable to meet out of their own resources, and this may include exceptional heating costs.  Decisions on such payments are made on a case-by-case basis.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

The Programme for Government commits to introducing a pensions automatic enrolment (AE) system.  A key objective in establishing this system is to address the low proportion of employees in Ireland with supplementary pension cover, which includes both occupational and personal pensions.

According to CSO figures, the rate of active supplementary pension coverage is around 56% of the working population (Pension Coverage Survey 2021).  It is estimated that this rate could be as low as 35% when the private sector is considered in isolation.  As a consequence of this low supplementary pension coverage rate, many retirees may suffer an unwanted reduction in living standards when they retire.

My Department has finalised a proposal for Government on the overall design of the Auto Enrolment system and I intend to bring that to Government for consideration towards the end of this month.  If that proposal is approved, I will be publishing the design in detail, including how the system will be administered and how savings can be invested.

In the meantime I can confirm, as previously agreed by Government, that:

- There will be a phased roll-out, over a decade, of the contributions made by workers and employers.

- Matching contributions will be made by both workers and employers and the State will top up those contributions.

- There will be an opt-out provision for those who choose to opt out.

- Workers will have a range of retirement savings funds to choose from.

- There will be a charges cap imposed on fund managers.

I hope this clarifies the matter at this time.

People arriving from Ukraine have been granted the status to avail of income supports from the Department of Social Protection under the EU Temporary Protection Directive.  

A reception centre has been set up in Dublin Airport where officials from my Department and from the Department of Justice are available to meet people fleeing the war in Ukraine.  They will be given correspondence by the Department of Justice confirming that they have been granted Temporary Protection and are permitted to reside in Ireland for a period of 1 year, a period which may be extended. 

They will be eligible for financial support initially under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme.  Under the Temporary Protection Directive, Ukrainian citizens and others fleeing the war will be deemed to satisfy the Habitual Residence Condition, or HRC, and the relevant means test.

My Department has also established a number of additional dedicated centres in Dublin and Cork cities and intends to open a further centre in Limerick this week.  Community Welfare Officers and Interpreters are available at all of these centres.  Department staff are also meeting people arriving on the ferry at Rosslare port and are reaching out to visit people accommodated in hotels provided by the Department of Children, Disability, Equality and Integration.

A fast-track approach has been put in place which includes quick processing of PPSNs and a simplified decision-making process for applications for supplementary welfare allowance.  The aim is to process applications as quickly and efficiently as possible to provide immediate financial assistance to these people.  My Department will also arrange for payments such as child benefit to be made within a very short period.  

Interpretation services are available at the reception centre in Dublin Airport and are also available by phone if required to assist Ukrainian citizens to access my Department’s services.  

To receive Fuel Allowance an applicant must be in receipt of a qualifying DSP payment, satisfy a means test and satisfy the household composition test.  This ensures that the Fuel Allowance payment goes to those who are more vulnerable to fuel poverty including those reliant on social protection payments for longer periods and those who are unlikely to have additional resources of their own. 

It should be noted that receipt of an occupational pension in itself does not debar an applicant from receiving Fuel Allowance.  If an applicant is in receipt of a qualifying payment and an occupational pension, the amount of occupational pension received will be included in the means test to determine whether the applicant will qualify for the Fuel Allowance payment.  In Budget 2022, I increased the weekly means threshold for the Fuel Allowance scheme by €20 to €120 above the appropriate rate of contributory State pension which enabled more people in receipt of occupational pensions to qualify for this support. 

Any decision to change the qualifying criteria for fuel allowance to exempt income from occupational pensions from the means test would have very significant budgetary consequences and would result in many better off families qualifying for the payment.  Such a decision could only be considered while taking account of the overall budgetary context and the core policy priority to direct scarce resources to those most in need.

Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, support may be available to those in receipt of occupational pensions who are struggling with the cost of heating their homes.  Exceptional Needs Payments may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which customers are unable to meet out of their own resources, and this may include exceptional heating costs.  Decisions on such payments are made on a case-by-case basis.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

My Department is prioritising the allocation of Public Personal Service numbers, or PPSNs, to people arriving from Ukraine and the immediate provision of income supports. 

A fast track approach in processing these supports has been put in place which includes a simplified decision making process and quick processing of PPSNs to allow people access to public services.  The aim is to process applications as quickly and efficiently as possible to provide immediate financial assistance.  Thereafter arrangements will be made to approve the appropriate primary social welfare payments.  We have also arranged for payments such as child benefit to be made within a very short period.

People will be eligible for financial support initially under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme.  Ukrainian citizens and others fleeing the war who are covered by the Directive are deemed to satisfy the Habitual Residence Condition, or HRC, and their means are assessed as nil.

A reception centre has been set up in Dublin Airport where officials from my Department and the Department of Justice are available to meet people fleeing the war in Ukraine.  My Department has also established a number of additional dedicated centres in Dublin and Cork cities and intends to open a further centre in Limerick this week.  Community Welfare Officers and Interpreters are available at all of these centres.  Department staff are also meeting people arriving on the ferry at Rosslare port and are reaching out to visit people accommodated in hotels provided by the Department of Children, Disability, Equality and Integration.

Young people on lower rates of jobseeker payments can avail of the full adult rate if they participate on any of the large range of education, training or employment programmes available through Intreo and the ETBs.  This payment structure was deliberately designed  to giving young jobseekers a strong financial incentive to engage in education and training or to take up employment.  Ultimately it is through engaging in education, training or employment programmes that young people can improve their employment prospects.  This approach is not unique to Ireland; a number of other countries have similarly reduced unemployment payments for young jobseekers.

There are exceptions to the application of the age related rates including for those living independently of family members and in State supported housing. 

A key priority for this Government is to get these young people back to work or into training and education.  As we move away from Covid restrictions, there has been a strong exit from unemployment as the economy has re-opened.

Prior to the pandemic, the seasonally adjusted youth unemployment rate for 2019 averaged approximately 12.5 percent.  At its peak in May 2020, the Covid-adjusted unemployment rate for people under the age of 25 was 70 percent.  This has fallen substantially, to around 13 percent as of February 2022, or 12.6 percent according to the traditional seasonally adjusted measure.

In addition, the recently published Pathways to Work 2021-2025 has a particular focus on young jobseekers and provides for the following key measures in this regard:

- Ring-fenced places on the Work Placement Experience  Programme for young people.

- Expanding the JobsPlus scheme to 8,000 places and enhancing the incentive to recruit young jobseekers in particular, by increasing the youth age limit from 25 to 30 years.  The subsidy is available, on an earlier basis than normal, to employers when they recruit young people.

- Providing 50,000 additional further education and training places.

- Additional Community Employment and Tús places for young people.

- Targeting 10,000 apprentice registrations per year by 2025.

My Department will continue to monitor and evaluate Government’s policy in this area focusing on getting young people back to work or into training and education, thereby reducing their future risk of poverty.  

The accommodation needs of victims of domestic violence are met through a joined-up service delivery model provided by Tusla with the close involvement of the various housing authorities nationwide.  

I introduced important changes for victims of domestic violence so that the standard rent supplement means test does not apply for an initial three month period.  After three months, a further three month extension may be provided, subject to the usual rent supplement means assessment. 

After six months, if the tenant has a long-term housing need, they can apply to their local housing authority for social housing supports and, if eligible, will be able to access the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), a social housing support provided by Local Authorities. 

Access to Rent Supplement can be provided on referral by Tusla or by prescribed Tusla-funded service providers.  This provides victims of domestic violence with a fast track approval and screening process with a simplified means test  to get immediate access to rent supplement so that they are not prevented from leaving their home because of financial concerns.

While the protocol to assist victims of domestic violence in accessing rent supplement was initially introduced in response to the pandemic, I was pleased to announce in November last year that the 

measure has been made a permanent feature of the Rent Supplement Scheme, recognising that the underlying rationale for this support will be required after the impact of the pandemic has receded. 

There are 47 victims of domestic violence currently being supported under the Protocol, with 199 cases supported since the Protocol came into operation in August 2020.  There have been no refusals to date.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy. 

I welcome the support provided by host families willing to provide whatever assistance they can, including the offer of temporary accommodation to people arriving from Ukraine. On 4 March 2022, the Council of the European Union unanimously adopted the implementing decision regarding the Temporary Protection Directive, due to the mass influx of persons fleeing Ukraine as a consequence of the war.  This means that people arriving into Ireland from Ukraine have been granted the status to avail of income supports from my Department. 

We have an excellent record in reacting quickly and appropriately to emergency situations.  Officials from my Department and the Department of Justice are in Dublin Airport to meet with people arriving from Ukraine to ensure that temporary residence certificates and PPSNs are allocated quickly and that financial supports are provided without delay.  A number of additional dedicated centres are being set up at locations across the country including in Dublin, Cork and Limerick city centres.  The Department's network of Intreo and local offices are also being used to help people from Ukraine who arrive in the country.  

People who are covered by the Temporary Directive are eligible for financial support initially under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme.  These people are deemed to satisfy the Habitual Residence Condition and their means are assessed as nil.  Applications are being fast tracked to ensure payments are made as quickly as possible.  Thereafter arrangements will be made to approve the appropriate primary social welfare payments.  We have also arranged for payments such as child benefit to be made within a very short period. 

Interpretation services are available in person at the reception centre in Dublin Airport and in many of our offices and are also available by phone if required to assist Ukrainian citizens to access my Department’s services.  Application forms and information on supports are bring made available in a number of languages.  

I propose to take Questions Nos. 23 and 58 together.

The Cost of Disability research findings are significantly broader than income supports and it is clear that this issue will not be addressed through income support alone.  The research has implications for many areas of public policy including the delivery of care services, health, housing, education, transport and income supports.

In order to implement an all-Department response, the Government has referred the report to the National Disability Inclusion Strategy Steering Group, chaired by the Minister of State with responsibility for Disability, Anne Rabbitte, T.D.  It will consider and monitor actions required by the various Government Departments on foot of this report on a bi-annual basis.

All Departments have been asked to consider actions that are currently being implemented and any proposed new actions that they will be undertaking in the context of the findings of the Report.

From the perspective of my Department, it is worth noting that a number of measures were introduced as part of Budget 2022 in relation to people with disabilities and their carers, which will go towards alleviating the financial costs experienced.  These include a combination of core weekly payment rate increases, increases in earnings disregards as well as supports to employers, as follows:-

- €5 increase in maximum rate of all core weekly payments including people with disabilities and carers, with proportionate increases for qualified adults, with effect from January.

- €3 increase for qualified child dependants aged 12 and over and €2 for those up to age 12, in all core weekly payments.

- An increase in the general weekly means disregard for Disability Allowance from €2.50 to €7.60 per week.

- An increase in the earnings limit on Disability Allowance from €350 to €375.

- €3 increase in the weekly Living Alone Allowance from €19 to €22 for people with disabilities who are living alone.

- €5 increase in the Fuel Allowance from €28 to €33 per week, from 12 October 2021.

- The employment and recruitment service for people with a disability, Employability, will now provide grants directly to those who qualify.

- An increase to the Wage Subsidy paid to employers who employ people with a disability from €5.30 to €6.30 an hour, thereby encouraging more employers to employ people with a disability.

- An increase in the Capital/Savings disregard for Carer’s Allowance from €20,000 to €50,000 from June.

- An increase in the weekly income disregard for Carer’s Allowance to €350 a week for single carers and to €750 for carers with a spouse/partner, also from June.

- Domiciliary Care Allowance will be paid for children who go into hospital for up to 6 months (currently 3 months).  Carer’s Allowance will also continue to be paid in respect of children who go into hospital for 6 months. 

Furthermore, under the Roadmap for Social Inclusion my Department has a commitment to develop and consult on a ‘strawman’ proposal for the restructuring of long term disability payments.  I have asked my officials to revisit the ‘strawman’ proposal to take on board the findings in the Cost of Disability research.

One of the key conclusions contained in the report referenced the significant challenges faced in accessing employment and that a high priority should be given to facilitating an increase in employment opportunities for people with disabilities.  In this regard the Pathways to Work Strategy, includes a key action to extend targeted employment supports to groups facing additional challenges accessing work, such as people with disabilities.  My Department is also actively feeding into the new Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities with a range of actions and associated timelines.

I trust that this clarifies the matter.

The Pensions Commission was established in November 2020 to examine the sustainability of the State Pension system and the Social Insurance Fund, in fulfilment of a Programme for Government commitment.  The Commission's Report was published on 7th October 2021.  It established that the current State Pension system is not sustainable into the future and that changes are needed. 

The Report takes account of an assessment of various analyses of population, labour force and expenditure projections; and an examination of international approaches.  The Commission also undertook an extensive consultation process designed to encourage as many people as possible to have their say on sustainable State Pensions arrangements into the future.  The submissions to the consultation are available on the Pensions Commission website at pensionscommission.gov.ie.

The Commission’s report set out a wide-range of recommendations in relation to the State Pension system and Social Insurance Fund, including recommending legislative provision to align retirement ages in employment contracts with the State Pension age.

Successive Governments have committed to supporting older peoples’ continued engagement in economic and social life, including in the National Positive Ageing Strategy (2013), the Report of the Interdepartmental Working Group on Fuller Working Lives (2016) and the Roadmap for Pensions Reform 2018 – 2023 (2018).  Building on the work of these previous groups, the Pensions Commission supported measures to facilitate and encourage fuller working lives.  The Commission also fully supported Government commitments to facilitate employees remaining at work past the prevalent contractual retirement age of 65 if they wish to.

The Government agreed in October 2021 that the Commission’s report and recommendations would be referred to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection and also to the Commission on Taxation and Welfare for its views.  That Joint Oireachtas Committee published its views on the 2nd February 2022.  The Commission on Taxation and Welfare also submitted its views on the Pensions Commission’s PRSI related recommendations at the end of February.  These various views will be considered carefully as part of our deliberations over the coming weeks.

In the interests both of older people and of future generations of older people, the Government intends to consider the comprehensive and far reaching recommendations in the Pensions Commission’s Report very carefully and holistically.  My officials are currently examining each of the recommendations and in this regard are consulting across Government through the Cabinet Committee system.  I think it is really important that we complete that work and get those views before reaching conclusions on any one recommendation such as the recommendation to align retirement ages in employment contracts with the State Pension age.  In this regard, I intend to bring a recommended response and implementation plan to Government in April.

As the bedrock of the pension system in Ireland, the State Pension very effective at ensuring that our pensioners do not experience poverty.  This Government is committed to ensuring that this remains the case for current pensioners, those nearing State Pension age and today’s young workers including those who are only starting their careers.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

My Department is currently progressing a significant expansion in the provision of employment services.  To date, only contracts for phase one of the Intreo Partners - Local Area Employment Service (LAES) have been awarded.  This phase saw the procurement of LAES for four lots across seven counties, in the Midlands and North-West.  These services will focus on clients farthest from the labour market and those unemployed for longer than 24 months in particular. 

In Lot 1 (Donegal), Donegal Local Development CLG was awarded the contract for Intreo Partners - LAES.  In Lot 2 (Sligo and Leitrim), Co. Sligo LEADER Partnership CLG was successful.  In Lot 3, (Laois and Offaly) Turas Nua was successful, while Seetec was successful in Lot 4 (Longford and Westmeath).

I am encouraged that non-profit Tenderers were successful in two of the three lots they tendered for in areas where they had not provided employment services of a similar scale. 

In phase two, I would encourage all existing service providers to submit a bid for one of the seventeen lots being procured.  The emphasis in the request for tender is on demonstrating the ability to deliver quality services to those farthest from the labour market with a specific focus on delivering social value.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 26 and 85 together.

The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,506 schools and organisations benefitting 230,000 children.  The objective of the programme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children who are unable, due to lack of good quality food, to take full advantage of the education provided to them.  The programme is an important component of policies to encourage school attendance and extra educational achievement. 

A budget of €68.1 million has been provided for the scheme in 2022. 

Funding under the school meals (local projects) scheme can be provided for breakfast, snack, lunch, dinner, hot meals and afterschool clubs and is based on a maximum rate per child per day, depending on the type of meal being provided.

As part of Budget 2019, funding was provided for a pilot scheme from September 2019, providing hot school meals in primary schools at a cost of €1m for 2019 and €2.5m in 2020.  The pilot involved 37 schools benefitting 6,744 students for the 2019/2020 academic year and was aimed primarily at schools with no onsite cooking facilities.

An evaluation of the Hot School Meals Pilot which was completed in July 2020 found that all stakeholders indicated that the pilot project had a positive impact on children’s diet, behaviour, attentiveness and psychological wellbeing. 

In Budget 2021, I announced an additional €5.5m to extend the provision of hot school meals to an additional 35,000 primary school children, currently receiving the cold lunch option.  Invitations for expressions of interest were issued to 705 primary schools (612 DEIS and 93 non-DEIS) in November 2020.  A total of 281 (256 DEIS and 25 non-DEIS) expressions of interest were received in respect of 52,148 children.

The 35,000 places were allocated to each local authority area based on the number of children applied by local authority as a percentage of the total number.  A minimum of one school for each Local Authority area was selected.  Thereafter, a process of random selection was used for each area.

Budget 2022 is providing for the hot school meals to be extended from January 2022 to the 81 DEIS schools that submitted an expression of interest but were not selected in the extension to 35,000 children as referred to earlier.

I am committed to continuing to grow the hot school meals element of the school meals programme for DEIS schools and building further on the significant extension announced as part of Budget 2022.  In this regard, I have commissioned an evaluation of the school meals programme to be undertaken in 2022 to inform future policy decisions on the scheme, which will fall to be considered in a budgetary context.

I trust this clarifies the matter.

The Department of Social Protection is prioritising the allocation of Public Personal Service numbers (PPSNs) to people arriving from Ukraine and the immediate provision of income supports. 

A reception centre has been set up in Dublin Airport where officials from the Department of Social Protection and the Department of Justice are available to meet people fleeing the war in Ukraine. 

The Department has also established a number of additional dedicated centres in Dublin and Cork cities and intends to open a further centre in Limerick this week.

Those who have already arrived in the country or arrive without coming through a reception centre are invited to call into their local Intreo or local office to apply for a personal public service number, supplementary welfare allowance and child benefit if applicable.

In all of the above settings, a fast-track approach to processing these supports has been put in place.  This approach includes a simplified decision-making process and quick processing of PPSNs to allow people access to public services without delay.  Resources have been made available to prioritise these claims with the aim of processing applications as quickly and efficiently as possible to provide immediate financial assistance.  We have also arranged for payments such as child benefit to be made within a very short period.  

I propose to take Questions Nos. 28 and 86 together.

My Department is currently undertaking a significant expansion of employment services.  In particular, specialised employment services for those farthest from the labour market - currently available in just twelve counties - will soon be available State-wide for the first time.  

In the first phase of this procurement, contracts for Intreo Partners - Local Area Employment Services (LAES) were agreed in late 2021 across four lots in seven counties in the Midlands and North-East.  These new services are now operational and accepting referrals.  

Phase two of the Intreo Partners - LAES procurement commenced with the publication of the request for tender on 21 December last.  My Department recently extended the deadline for tenders to 19 April to ensure all interested parties, including the non-profit sector, have sufficient time to prepare quality tender responses that reflect their experience and capacity to deliver a quality service.  It is envisaged that these will be in place during July.

Also, a request for tenders for the Intreo Partner National Employment Service was published on 3 March, also with a deadline of 19 April.  This service will focus primarily on jobseekers on the Live Register for between twelve and twenty-four months.  

As the procurement is being undertaken within my Department and within existing resources, with the assistance of the Chief State Solicitor's Office, there is no separate additional cost incurred in organising these procurements.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 29, 63, 74 and 76 together.

On 4 March 2022, the Council of the European Union unanimously adopted the implementing decision regarding the Temporary Protection Directive, due to the mass influx of persons fleeing Ukraine as a consequence of the war.  This means that people arriving from Ukraine have been granted the status to avail of income supports from my Department. 

A reception centre has been set up in Dublin Airport where officials from my Department and the Department of Justice are available to meet people fleeing the war in Ukraine.  They will be given correspondence by the Department of Justice confirming that they have been granted Temporary Protection and are permitted to reside in Ireland for a period of 1 year, which may be extended.  

Where accommodation is required, they will be referred to the International Protection Accommodation Service of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, who will also have staff onsite at the airport.  If accommodation isn’t required immediately, it can be requested at any time later on.

In the case of an unaccompanied child under age 18 years who arrives in Ireland seeking temporary protection, they will be referred to the Child and Family Agency (TUSLA), who will provide them with the relevant supports.

The priority for my Department is the allocation of PPSNs and the provision of immediate financial supports.  A fast-track approach in processing these supports has been put in place which includes a simplified decision-making process and quick processing of PPSNs to allow access to public services.  People will be eligible for financial support initially under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme and will be deemed to have satisfied the Habitual Residence Condition and the relevant means test.  Thereafter arrangements will be made to approve the appropriate primary social welfare payments.  We have also arranged for payments such as child benefit to be made within a very short period. 

The Ukraine is not covered by EU Social Security Coordination regulations and nor does Ireland have a bilateral agreement with the Ukraine on Social Security.  However, social security contributions are not required to access social assistance payments such as the Supplementary Welfare Allowance.

Interpretation services are available at the reception centre in Dublin Airport and are also available by phone if required to assist Ukrainian citizens to access my Department’s services.

A dedicated webpage has been published on the Department’s website  to ensure those arriving from Ukraine are aware of the supports and services available to them.  The webpage is entitled ‘Social Welfare supports for those arriving from Ukraine under the EU Temporary Protection Directive’. 

The information on the webpage is in Plain English and also in the Ukrainian and Russian languages.  It also has a list of the all locations of all Intreo centres or local social welfare offices.

Pathways to Work 2021-2025, the Government’s national employment strategy, was published in July of last year.  The strategy outlines 83 commitments aimed at reducing unemployment back to, or below, pre-pandemic levels and to support inclusive employment outcomes for those who, prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, faced disadvantage in the labour market.

One such group that face additional barriers in the labour market are migrants.  These barriers are varied, as ‘migrants’ refers to a diverse group.  Consequently, addressing these barriers requires a range of actions, many of which are captured in one of the Pathways to Work’s five key strands, namely ‘Working for All – Leaving No one Behind’.  This strand outlines steps that are being taken to promote better labour market outcomes for all, including groups such as migrants.

All eligible jobseekers, including migrants, can access Public Employment Services supports to seek referrals and access to employment opportunities.  Intreo and its partner organisations will deliver targeted support measures that are specific to migrants such as the provision of English language and integration classes and increased access to further education and training opportunities via Education and Training Boards.

Moreover, since December 2021, my Department, through its Intreo offices, will promote more referrals of people most distant from the labour market, including migrant groups, who meet the eligibility criteria, to the Community Employment scheme.  For migrants experiencing disadvantage, such as those with refugee status, there are additional supports available such as earlier access to JobsPlus.  Refugees in receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance are eligible for JobsPlus without any qualifying period.

In terms of evaluation of Pathways commitments, progress made with respect to the delivery of its 83 commitments is reported on a quarterly basis.  External oversight of the strategy falls under the remit of the Labour Market Advisory Council, which will provide me with an annual report outlining its view on progress, remedial actions that may need to be taken and any new actions that it considers should be included.  This report will be published on the Department’s website in Q4 of each year.

Furthermore, a formal review of the strategy will be undertaken with the Labour Market Advisory Council and an updated strategy will be published in 2023.  This robust oversight will ensure that Pathways to Work adapts as necessary to future labour market challenges.

Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, my Department can make a single Exceptional Needs Payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income.  An urgent needs payment (UNP) may be made to persons who may not normally qualify for supplementary welfare allowance but who have an urgent need which they cannot meet from their own resources or where an alternative is not available at that time.  Government has provided €45.75 million for the exceptional and urgent needs schemes in 2022.

The scheme is demand led and payments are made at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case in order to ensure that the payments target those most in need of assistance.  

My Department provides discretionary Exceptional Needs Payments to people who face difficulties in meeting fuel bills.  In 2021, over 2,300 exceptional needs payments of almost €735,000 were made to assist with electricity, heating, and gas costs. 

Statistics are maintained on the number of applications awarded under the SWA scheme.  They are not maintained on the number of applications made or applications refused.  My Department is currently compiling more extensive statistics in relation to the number of applications made to the SWA schemes in 2022.

Table 1 below shows the number of ENPs paid towards energy costs by county in 2022 to the end of February 2022.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Table 1 - Number of ENPs paid towards energy costs by county in 2022 to the end of February 2022

EURES Ireland, which is part of the Intreo service of the Department of Social Protection, hosted its first online on-line recruitment event on Tuesday 15th March 2022 from 10am to 2pm.  Jobs in Ireland 2022' was the first of a number of recruitment events planned for this year to support employers in finding suitable candidates for their vacancies while also supporting the mobility of workers across the EU/EEA area.  These online recruitment events are supported by the European Commission and the European Labour Authority and are hosted on the European online jobs fair platform www.europeanjobdays.eu,  The event brought jobs opportunities with Irish employers in the hospitality, construction and transport sectors to jobseekers and job changers in Ireland and across EU/EEA countries, the UK and further afield.

156 employers registered to participate in the event offering 1,080 positions across 368 different roles.  1,380 jobseekers registered with 1,079 CVs being uploaded.  A total of 199 interview invitations were issued through the portal and the employers had the option of holding interviews online.

As part of the event, there were presentations by employers and employer representative groups from the hospitality, construction and transport sectors.  EURES Advisers from Ireland gave an overview of the various aspects of living and working conditions in Ireland and the financial supports available for jobseekers and job changers who relocate for work from another EU/EEA country.  Advice on CV preparation and job interviews in Ireland was given and during the event and EURES Advisers were available online to answer question.  Jobseekers also had an opportunity to talk directly to employers though the private chats and to attend online interviews.

I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 33 and 69 together.

The Arts and Culture Taskforce recommended the introduction of a pilot basic income scheme for artists.  This was reflected in the National Economic Recovery Plan.  Budget 2022 included an announcement of €25 million to pilot a new Basic Income Guarantee scheme for artists. 

My colleague the Minister for Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media has lead responsibility for this initiative and the matter is being progressed by Minister Martin and her Department.

Officials from our two Departments have been in regular contact in relation to the pilot scheme.  Any specific issues regarding the interaction between the new pilot payment and existing payments from my Department will fall to be addressed in due course as work on the proposed pilot is progressed.

The Government is committed to protecting vulnerable households from the impact of energy costs through a combination of supports, energy efficiency awareness initiatives and investment in programmes to improve the energy efficiency of the housing stock. 

With regard to income supports my Department provides a range of schemes to assist with energy costs.  These include -

- The Fuel Allowance which is a payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks (giving a total per recipient of €924 each year) from October to April (estimated to cost €366 million in 2022).

- Electricity or gas allowances under the Household Benefits scheme (at an estimated cost in 2022 of €203 million).

- A special heating supplement under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme.

- Exceptional needs payments to help meet an essential once-off cost which an applicant is unable to meet out of his/her own resources.

- As part of the overall welfare budget package of €600m in increases secured for 2022, I increased the Fuel Allowance payment by €5 per week effective from Budget night.  I also increased the weekly income threshold for Fuel Allowance by €20 which enables more people to qualify for this support. 

- Further Government measures were recently announced to help mitigate the effects of rising energy costs.  As part of these measures totaling over half a billion euro, an additional lump sum payment of €125 was paid to all households in receipt of the Fuel Allowance payment.  It is expected that this additional lump sum will cost an estimated €49 million.

- This payment in addition to the Budget increase will mean low-income households will see an increase of 41% this Fuel Allowance season compared to last season.

- The recently announced Electricity Costs Emergency Benefit Payment is another key measure and will be paid in addition to the gas and electricity element of the HHB package to qualifying households.  Approximately 2.1m households will benefit by €200 each from the new scheme. 

- The combined worth of these payment to fuel allowance recipients is €325, which is the equivalent of almost 10 weeks of the Fuel Allowance payment.

- Furthermore, due to the continuing rise in inflation and as part of the economic consequences of the tragic conflict in Ukraine, the Government reduced excise duty on some fuels.

- The provision of any further additional supports would have cost implications and could only be considered while taking account of the overall budgetary context and the availability of financial resources.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 35 and 77 together.

The Farm Assist Scheme is a means tested support for farmers on low incomes who satisfy the schemes's statutory conditions including a means test.  The estimated expenditure for the scheme for 2022 is approximately €53.9 million.

A commitment was made under the Programme for Government and in the 'Our Rural Future Rural Development Policy 2021-2025' to conduct a review of the means test disregards for Farm Assist to better reward farmers who avail of the scheme.  This review has been completed and I intend to publish the report shortly.

As part of the review process it was recommended to provide for an extensive expansion to the list of Agri-Environmental schemes which will qualify towards the disregard of €2,540 with 50% of the balance assessed as means.  The Social Welfare Act 2022, which enacts Budget 2022 measures, extended the list of schemes to which this measure applies. 

The measure was originally due to take effect from October 2022 but will now be implemented from June.  It will support the Government’s climate change agenda and act as an incentive to farmers to participate in these schemes.

I have since agreed to carry out a review of how income from land leased out by farmers is treated in the means assessments for the State Non-Contributory Pension and the Farm Assist scheme.  This is being progressed within the Department. 

I trust that this clarifies the position at this time.

Enhanced illness benefit was introduced in 2020 in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and is currently due to continue until the end of June 2022.  Changes have been made on an ongoing basis in line with public health advice and government guidelines.

Under the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 (No. 1), the Government extended the Social Welfare Acts to provide for entitlement to illness benefit for persons who have been diagnosed with, or are a probable source of infection with Covid-19.

In addition to this medical requirement, people must be under pensionable age and have the required number of Pay Related Social Insurance contributions in order to qualify.

The rate of this enhanced payment is higher than the normal maximum personal rate of illness benefit, for a limited period only.  The enhanced rate is €350, with additional payments in respect of dependent adults and children.

From March 2020 the benefit was payable for up to 2 weeks where a person was isolating as a probable source of infection of Covid-19, and up to 10 weeks where a person had been diagnosed with Covid-19.  The duration of payment was reduced to 7 days for those considered a probable risk from 14 January 2022, in line with government guidelines.  From that date, asymptomatic people who are close contacts are not required to restrict their movements, and are not eligible for the payment.  If, however, they start showing symptoms they should immediately self-isolate and, in this circumstance, may apply for enhanced illness benefit. 

Enhanced illness benefit continues to be paid for a maximum of 10 weeks if a person has been diagnosed with COVID-19, subject to ongoing medical certification.  In a case where a person continues to be ill beyond 10 weeks, standard Illness Benefit may be paid for an extended period but for a maximum of two years, based on the person’s continued eligibility. 

As the payment was intended as a temporary public health measure, the Act includes a sunset clause to ensure the cessation of the benefit.  The enhanced payment has been extended on several occasions due to the ongoing nature of the pandemic.  The Government has agreed that the payment will remain in place on its current terms until the end of June 2022, at which point the position will be considered further in light of public health advice.

Expenditure on the scheme was €56 million in 2020 and €106 million in 2021.  In the week from Friday 4 March to Thursday 10 March, 11,121 people were in receipt of enhanced illness benefit.  As of 11 March 2022, this department has made 628,069 payments since the start of the payment in March 2020 with an average payment of €425.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

The Pensions Commission’s Report was published on 7th October 2021.  It established that the current State Pension system is not sustainable into the future and that changes are needed.  The report set out a wide-range of recommendations in relation to the State Pension system and Social Insurance Fund.  It also recommended that long-term carers (defined as caring for more than 20 years) should be given access to the State Pension (Contributory) by having retrospective contributions paid for them by the Exchequer for any gaps in their contribution history arising from that caring. 

The Government agreed in October 2021 that the Commission’s report and recommendations would be referred to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands and also to the Commission on Taxation and Welfare for its views.  The Committee published its views on the 2nd February 2022 and the Commission on Taxation and Welfare submitted its comments on the PRSI related recommendations at the end of February.  The various views will be considered carefully as part of the Government’s deliberations over the coming weeks. 

In the interests both of older people and future generations of older people, the Government intends to consider the comprehensive and far reaching recommendations in the Pensions Commission’s Report very carefully and holistically.  My officials are examining each of the recommendations and consulting across Government through the Cabinet Committee system. 

I think it is really important that we complete that work before reaching conclusions on any one recommendation, such as the recommendations related to long-term carers.  In this regard, I intend bringing a holistic recommended response and implementation plan to Government in April.  

As the bedrock of the pension system in Ireland, the State Pension is extremely effective at ensuring that our pensioners do not experience poverty.  This Government is committed to ensuring that this remains the case for current pensioners, those nearing State Pension age and today’s young workers including those who are only starting their careers.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy. 

Pathways to Work 2021-2025, the Government’s national employment strategy, was published in July of last year.  The goal of Pathways to Work is to help ensure that as many jobs as possible go to people who are unemployed.  The strategy is not just about those who lost their jobs during the pandemic, it is also about helping those who, prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, faced disadvantage in the labour market.

One of the strategy’s five key strands is ‘Working for All – Leaving No one Behind’, which has the objective of promoting better labour market outcomes for all, including those facing additional barriers to work such as lone parents, people with disabilities, minority groups, older people who may be distanced from the labour market and people who have been away from the labour market for some time and are seeking to return to employment.  Pathways to Work has targeted measures aimed at reducing unemployment for each of these groups.

For example, a key goal in the Pathways strategy is to increase employment rates of people with disabilities.  Measures aimed at helping people with disabilities find employment include implementing the Early Engagement Roadmap for jobseekers with disabilities who wish to voluntarily engage with my Department’s employment services.

The Traveller and Roma community face particular disadvantage in the labour market.  Pathways to Work commits to engaging with community representative bodies to produce Traveller (and/or Roma)-specific employment service engagement tools and developing a Traveller and Roma training, enterprise and employment plan.

Moreover, since a Government decision in December 2021, my Department through its Intreo offices will promote more referrals to Community Employment schemes of people most distant from the labour market including persons with disabilities, members of the Traveller and Roma communities, ex-offenders and migrant groups, who meet the eligibility criteria.

In terms of evaluation of Pathways commitments, progress made with respect to the delivery of its 83 commitments is reported on a quarterly basis.  External oversight of the strategy falls under the remit of the Labour Market Advisory Council, which will provide me with an annual report outlining its view on progress, remedial actions that may need to be taken and any new actions that it considers should be included.  This report will be published on the Department’s website in Q4 of each year.

Furthermore, a formal review of the strategy will be undertaken with the Labour Market Advisory Council and an updated strategy will be published in 2023.  This robust oversight will ensure that Pathways to Work adapts as necessary to future labour market challenges.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Disability allowance (DA) is a means tested payment for people with a specified disability who are aged 16 or over and under the age of 66.  The applicant must be suffering from an injury, disease, congenital deformity or physical or mental illness or defect, which has lasted for one year or is expected to last for one year and as a result of which, they are substantially restricted in undertaking work which would otherwise be suitable having regard to the person’s age, experience and qualifications.  The person must also satisfy a means test and be habitually resident in the State.  

At the end of December 2021, there were 154,106 recipients of DA in payment.

In general, social welfare schemes with a number of complex qualifying conditions like DA can require a large amount of evidence on which to base the decision on entitlement.  Before a decision can be made on entitlement to DA, evidence must be provided in respect of the person’s medical condition, the extent to which it restricts them from taking up employment, their means and their habitual residency.  If the required documentation is requested and is not submitted within the allotted timeframe it may result in a case being disallowed in the initial stages.  If the missing documentation is later supplied the case is reviewed and may be subsequently awarded.

Any unfavourable decision of a Deciding Officer (DO) is communicated in writing to the claimant setting out the reasons for the decision.  It is open to any person to request a review and or an appeal of any statutory decision made by my Department and any new evidence or information provided to my Department will be considered as part of this review or appeal.  It is important to note that any decision of a DO can be revised in light of additional evidence without it ever being in the appeal process.  This can result in several reviews being carried out on a single application and several disallowances being counted against a decision which is then ultimately allowed.

Our operational areas continuously seek to optimise their processes for applicants and have taken a number of initiatives to try and encourage applicants to provide all relevant information with their application at the outset.  One of the most important initiatives in this regard was a redesign of the DA application forms which included clearly highlighting the information that needs to be submitted with the application in order to expedite the claim process and in order to minimise the number of disallowances.  The redesign was carried out with input from representative bodies and advocacy groups via the disability consultative forum.  The new DA application form was recently put into operation and my Department is monitoring the improvements arising from the redesign.

I would encourage all people who apply for Disability Allowance, or other Social Welfare payments, to provide as much information as possible with their application so that their claim can be decided at the earliest date possible.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

One-Parent Family Payment and Jobseeker's Transitional Payment are means tested payments for people who are parenting alone.  One of the conditions attached to these schemes is a requirement for people to make efforts to seek maintenance from their child's other parent.

The Programme for Government commits the Government to act to reform our child maintenance system and in line with this commitment, we established a Child Maintenance Review Group to examine certain issues in relation to child maintenance in Ireland.  The Group is chaired by former Circuit Court Judge Catherine Murphy and includes legal, policy and academic professionals as well as officials from my Department and the Department of Justice.

The Group's Terms of Reference are to consider and make recommendations on:

(i) the current treatment of child maintenance payments in my Department;

(ii) the current provisions regarding liable relatives managed by my Department; and

(iii) the establishment of a Child Maintenance Agency in Ireland.

These Terms of Reference encompass an examination of the "efforts to seek maintenance" requirement to which the Deputy refers.

The work of the Group is well underway.  To date, the Group has held sixteen meetings and further meetings are planned on a regular basis until the report's completion.  A consultation process to facilitate feedback from stakeholder groups and members of the public in order to inform the Group's work was undertaken last year. 

I have been advised by the Chair that the Group's report is expected to be submitted to me before Easter.  I look forward to considering it conclusions and recommendations.

I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Illness Benefit is not paid for the first 3 days of an illness. Up to March 2021, there was no payment for the first 6 days.  The “waiting days” reduced to 3 from 01 March 2021.  There are no waiting days where a customer is  getting certain other social welfare payments within 3 days of the start of the claim.

154,274 customers benefitted from the reduction in waiting days in the period since 1 March 2021. These claims were put into payment from the 4th day of illness, resulting in the customer receiving payment for a period for which they would have previously been ineligible.

I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

The Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020 - 2025 is a whole of Government strategy that aims to reduce consistent poverty and improve social inclusion in Ireland.  The Roadmap contains seven high level goals with 22 specific targets, which will be delivered by 66 unique commitments.  

Implementation of Roadmap commitments is underway with a number of commitments fully achieved or close to completion and with work ongoing in relation to a number of other commitments.  This was achieved despite a challenging backdrop with many Departments having to redirect resources during 2020 and 2021 to address the range of social, health, community and economic consequences of COVID-19.   

Delivery of Roadmap commitments will continue throughout 2022 including: 

- The completed expansion of Parent’s Leave and Parent’s Benefit in July when 7 weeks leave will be available to each parent within 2 years of the birth or adoption of a child (Commitments 7 & 29). 

- Department of Social Protection communications campaigns in 2022 will include campaigns on welfare benefits that can be retained when taking up employment and in-work income support payments available to families on low-incomes (Commitments 6 & 16).

- Under the Primary Care Education, Pathways and Research in Dementia (PREPARED) project GPs and primary care teams will continue to be trained in the management of dementia (Commitment 26).

- The implementation of a range of sectoral strategies that will support people who are experiencing poverty or social exclusion and contribute to the achievement of Roadmap goals including: Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025; Further Education and Training Strategy: Future FET; Pathways to Work 2021-2025; National Childcare Scheme; DEIS Plan 2017; National Disability Inclusion Strategy; Comprehensive Employment Strategy; Our Rural Future; and the National Volunteering Strategy (Commitments 1, 3, 8, 39, 41, 47 & 48).

- As part of the annual budgetary process the Department of Social Protection will continue to target a reduction in poverty among children and families on low incomes (Commitment 18).

- The 2021 Progress Report is expected to be published later this year and will provide an update on progress towards the Roadmap Goals. It will be the second progress report, following the publication in January 2022 of the first report, which covered the period January 2020 to September 2021.  It will be accompanied by a Report Card detailing progress on each of the Roadmap commitments.  The Progress Report and Report Card are available on the Department of Social Protection pages on Gov.ie. 

- The Mid Term Review of the Roadmap is scheduled to take place in the second half of 2022.  This will facilitate an evaluation of the impact of Roadmap commitments and progress towards the achievement of the Roadmap goals.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 43 and 72 together.

The Government is committed to protecting vulnerable households from the impact of energy costs through a combination of supports, energy efficiency awareness initiatives and investment in programmes to improve the energy efficiency of the housing stock in Ireland.

As part of the overall welfare budget package of €600m in increases secured for 2022, I was pleased to be able to increase the Fuel Allowance payment by €5 per week effective from Budget night.  I also increased the weekly income threshold for Fuel Allowance by €20 from €100 to €120 over the relevant State Pension Contributory rate.

Aware of the increase in consumer prices in recent months, especially the increase in fuel and other energy prices, the Government recently announced additional expenditure measures to a total of over half a billion euro to help mitigate the effects of these rising costs.

As part of these measures, an additional lump sum payment of €125 was paid to all households in receipt of the Fuel Allowance payment.  It is expected that this additional lumpsum will cost an estimated €49 million.

This payment in addition to the Budget increase will mean low-income households will see an increase of 41% this fuel allowance season compared to last season.

The recently announced Electricity Costs Emergency Benefit Payment is another key measure and will be paid in addition to the gas and electricity element of the HHB package to qualifying households.  Approximately 2.1m households will benefit by €200 each from the new scheme. 

The combined worth of these payment to fuel allowance recipients is €325, which is the equivalent of almost 10 weeks of Fuel Allowance payment.

Furthermore, due to the continuing rise in inflation and as part of the economic consequences of the tragic conflict in Ukraine, the Government recently reduced excise duty on fuel.

Finally, the Department of Social Protection operates both Exceptional and Urgent Needs Payments as part of the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme for people who have an urgent need, which they cannot meet from their own resources.  These payments are available through our Community Welfare Officers.

Any further expansion of the qualifying criteria or increase in rate of Fuel Allowance would have cost implications and could only be considered while taking account of the overall budgetary context and the availability of financial resources.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputies.

The following table outlines the salaries paid to Ministerial special advisers in the Department of Social Protection in the years 2020 and 2021.

My Department holds no record of any pensions that may be payable to former special advisers.  This is a matter for the Payroll Shared Services Centre.

The European Union has put in place a temporary protection Directive to allow Ukrainian citizens and others fleeing Ukraine to move through the EU akin to EU citizens.  This Department will provide support and services to assist people covered by this Directive who are fleeing Ukraine and who arrive in Ireland.  As the situation is evolving, the Government will, of course, keep all aspects of the Department's various schemes under review to ensure that this cohort of people receive the supports and services they require.

Where a person in receipt of social welfare income supports (such as fuel allowance or the living alone allowance) provides accommodation in their home to a person fleeing Ukraine, the Department is exploring the implementation of any necessary changes to regulations or guidelines to ensure that providing such accommodation does not impact on the person’s social welfare entitlements.  Proposals in this regard will be brought forward shortly.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

The Government is committed to protecting vulnerable households from the impact of energy costs.  As part of the overall welfare budget package of €600m in increases secured for 2022, I increased the Fuel Allowance payment by €5 per week effective from Budget night.  I also increased the weekly income threshold for Fuel Allowance by €20 which enables more people to qualify for this support.   

Further Government measures were recently announced to help mitigate the effects of rising energy costs.  As part of these measures totaling over half a billion euro, an additional lump sum payment of €125 was paid to all households in receipt of the fuel allowance payment.  It is expected that this additional lumpsum will cost an estimated €49 million. 

This payment in addition to the Budget increase will mean low-income households will see an increase of 41% this fuel allowance season compared to last season. 

The recently announced Electricity Costs Emergency Benefit Payment is another key measure and will be paid in addition to the gas and electricity element of the HHB package to qualifying households.  Approximately 2.1m households will benefit by €200 each from the new scheme.   

The combined worth of these payments for fuel allowance recipients is €325, which is the equivalent of almost 10 weeks of the Fuel Allowance payment.  

Furthermore, due to the continuing rise in inflation and as part of the economic consequences of the tragic conflict in Ukraine, the Government recently reduced excise duty on fuel. 

The provision of any further additional supports such as an additional bonus Fuel Allowance payment would have cost implications and could only be considered while taking account of the overall budgetary context and the availability of financial resources. 

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

The Pensions Commission was established in November 2020 to examine the sustainability of the State Pension system and the Social Insurance Fund.  The 2020 Programme for Government committed that, pending the Commission’s report and any subsequent Government decisions, the State Pension age would remain at 66 years and the increase to 67 years would be deferred.  This was implemented in the Social Welfare Act 2020, which repealed the legislative provisions increasing the State Pension age.

The Pensions Commission’s Report was published on 7th October 2021.  The Report established that the current State Pension system is not sustainable into the future and that changes are needed.  The Report set out a wide-range of recommendations in relation to the State Pension system and Social Insurance Fund, including a recommendation to gradually increase the State Pension age beginning in 2028.  The Report notes that this recommendation is in line with other EU Countries.  In almost every EU Member State, current legislation means that State Pension qualifying ages will rise over the next 50 years.

The Government agreed in October 2021 that the Commission’s report and recommendations would be referred to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands and also to the Commission on Taxation and Welfare for its views.  The Committee published its views on the 2nd February 2022 and the Commission on Taxation and Welfare submitted its comments on the PRSI related recommendations at the end of February.  These various views will be carefully considered as part of our deliberations over the coming weeks.

In the interests both of older people and of future generations of older people, the Government intends to consider the comprehensive and far reaching recommendations in the Pensions Commission’s Report very carefully and holistically.  My officials are examining each of the recommendations and consulting across Government through the Cabinet Committee system.  I think it is really important that we complete that work before reaching conclusions on any one recommendation such as the recommendation to gradually increase the State Pension age.  In this regard, I intend bringing a recommended response and implementation plan to Government in April.  

As the bedrock of the pension system in Ireland, the State Pension is very effective at ensuring that our pensioners do not experience poverty.  This Government is committed to ensuring that this remains the case for current pensioners, those nearing State Pension age and today’s young workers including those who are only starting their careers.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

The Pensions Commission’s Report was published on 7th October 2021.  It established that the current State Pension system is not sustainable into the future and that changes are needed.  The report set out a wide-range of recommendations in relation to the State Pension system and Social Insurance Fund, including potential PRSI base broadening measures.

In the interests both of older people and future generations of older people, the Government intends to consider the comprehensive and far reaching recommendations in the Pensions Commission’s Report very carefully and holistically.  

The Government agreed in October 2021 that the Commission’s report and recommendations would be referred to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands and also to the Commission on Taxation and Welfare for its views.  The Committee published its views on the 2nd February 2022 and the Commission on Taxation and Welfare submitted its comments on the PRSI related recommendations at the end of February.  All of these various views will be considered as part of our deliberations over the coming weeks.

My officials are examining each of the recommendations and consulting across Government through the Cabinet Committee system.  I think it is really important that we complete that work before reaching conclusions on any one recommendation such as the Commission's recommendation to remove the exemption to pay PRSI on supplementary pension income, occupational and personal pensions and public sector pensions.  In this regard, I intend bringing a holistic recommended response and implementation plan to Government in April.  

As the bedrock of the pension system in Ireland, the State Pension is very effective at ensuring that our pensioners do not experience poverty.  This Government is committed to ensuring that this remains the case for current pensioners, those nearing State Pension age and today’s young workers including those who are only starting their careers.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

The Department of Social Protection is prioritising the allocation of Public Personal Service numbers (PPSNs) to people arriving from Ukraine and the immediate provision of income supports.  A fast track approach in processing these supports has been put in place which includes a simplified decision making process and quick processing of PPSNs to allow people access to public services. 

Officials from my Department and the Department of Justice are in Dublin Airport and other entry points to meet with people arriving from Ukraine to ensure that temporary residence certificates and PPSNs are allocated quickly and that financial supports are provided.  To further support this process the Department has also established a number of dedicated centres in Dublin and Cork cities and intends to open a further centre in Limerick this week. 

Those who have already arrived in the country or arrive without coming through a reception centre are invited to call into their local Intreo or local office to apply for a personal public service number, supplementary welfare allowance and child benefit if applicable.

The aim in all settings is to process applications as quickly and efficiently as possible to provide immediate financial assistance to these people.  Thereafter arrangements will be made to approve the appropriate primary social welfare payments.  We have also arranged for payments such as child benefit to be made within a very short period. 

People will be eligible for financial support initially under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme.  Ukrainian citizens and others fleeing the war who are covered by the Directive are deemed to satisfy the Habitual Residence Condition, or HRC, and their means are assessed as nil.

This Department provides a wide range of income and employment supports to assist jobseekers and existing employees with disabilities, and their employers.  

Budget 2022 introduced several measures to encourage the employment of people with disabilities in respect of the Disability Allowance, the Blind Pension, the Wage Subsidy Scheme and the Reasonable Accommodation Fund grants.

Regarding the Disability Allowance and the Blind Pension, Budget 2022 introduced an increase of €25 per week in the earnings threshold from €350 to €375.  

Currently, when an individual commences employment, they can avail of an income disregard of €140 per week.  In addition, 50% of earnings between €140 and €350 are also disregarded for the purpose of the means test.  Earnings above €350 are assessed at 100% - this means that for every euro earned above €350 a euro reduction is applied.  

The increase in the earnings threshold means that from June 2022, only earnings above €375 are assessed at 100%.  As a result, people on Disability Allowance and Blind Pension will be able to earn more and keep more of their disability payment.  

Budget 2022 also increased the general weekly means disregard entry point for Disability Allowance from €2.50 to €7.60.  The effect of this measure will be to increase the weekly rate of payment by up to €5.10 per week for Disability Allowance recipients who have means.  This measure also brings the general weekly disregard for the Disability Allowance in line with that of the Blind Pension.  This measure will take effect from June 2022.

Budget 2022 provided for three of the Reasonable Accommodation Fund grants to be made available to people with disabilities and their employers through EmployAbility contractors in 2022.  These grants were previously only accessible through the department’s Intreo offices.  The three grants are the Workplace Equipment/ Adaptation Grant, the Job Interview Interpreter Grant and the Personal Reader Grant.  

Work is ongoing to put the necessary processes in place to make the grants available through individual contractors.  In the interim, the grants continue to be available through the network of Intreo centres.

Budget 2022 also provided for an increase in the Wage Subsidy Scheme’s basic hourly rate (Strand I subsidy) from €5.30 to €6.30 in January 2022.

The Wage Subsidy Scheme is an active labour market programme that targets private sector employers and is aimed at encouraging the employment of people with disabilities through the provision of financial incentives (a wage subsidy).

The increase in the Strand I subsidy will have an impact on the amount of Strand II subsidy as well.  In situations where an employer employs between 3 and 6 employees, a Strand II 10% top-up is applied to the hourly rate, increasing the payment rate to €6.93 for each employee.  In the case of an employer who has more than 23 qualifying employees, the payment rate is €9.45 per hour for each employee.

Currently there are 1,506 employers availing of the subsidy in respect of some 2,376 employees.

My Department continues to keep the range of income and employment supports under review.  Any changes to the current system would need to be considered in an overall policy and budgetary context.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

I wish to inform the Deputy that this is a matter that falls within the remit of my colleague the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications.  

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 52 and 61 together.

The Household Benefits package (HHB) comprises the electricity or gas allowance, and the free television licence.  The package is generally available to people living in the State aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of a social welfare type payment or who satisfy a means test.  The package is also available to some people under the age of 66, who are in receipt of certain welfare type payments.  My Department will spend approximately €273 million this year on HHB. 

In 2022 the estimated cost of the gas and electricity element of the package is €203 million and will benefit over 479,000 households.  The gas and electricity element is paid at a rate of €35 per month, 12 months of the year. 

Any decision to enhance or increase the electricity and gas aspect of the package would have budgetary consequences and would have to be considered in the context of overall budget negotiations.  

The Government is acutely aware of the increase in consumer prices in recent months, especially the increase in fuel and other energy prices.  To help mitigate the effects of these rising costs, the Government has announced additional expenditure measures to a total of over half a billion which will make a positive impact on the incomes of all households in our country.

As part of these measures, I was delighted to announce an additional lump sum payment of €125 that was paid to all households in receipt of the Fuel Allowance payment.  It is expected that this additional lump sum will cost an estimated €49 million.

Other significant measures announced by the Government include the Electricity Costs Emergency Benefit Payment which is a key measure being developed by the Government to help mitigate the effects of the recent rise in electricity prices.  The scheme, under the auspices of the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications and supervised by the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities, will be paid in addition to the gas and electricity element of the HHB package to qualifying households.  Approximately 2.1m households will benefit by €200 each from the new scheme.

The combined worth of the Electricity Costs Emergency Benefit Payment and the additional fuel lumpsum payment is €325 or the equivalent of nearly 10 weeks of additional fuel allowance or over 9 months of additional HHB payments.  I have also announced that the Working Family Payment budget increase announced on Budget Day will be brought forward from June to April this year.

Furthermore, due to the continuing rise in inflation and as part of the economic consequences of the tragic conflict in Ukraine, the Government recently reduced excise duty on fuel.

Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, my Department also provides Exceptional Needs Payments which may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which customers are unable to meet out of their own resources, and this may include exceptional heating costs.  Decisions on such payments are made on a case-by-case basis.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputies.

The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) from October to April, which is supporting up to an estimated 400,000 households in 2022, at an estimated cost of €366 million in 2022.  The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs.  The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household.  It is not intended to meet those costs in full.  Only one allowance is paid per household.

In Budget 2022 and with immediate effect the Government increased the weekly means threshold for the fuel allowance scheme by €20 to €120 above the appropriate rate of Contributory State Pension representing a 20% increase and enabling more people to qualify for this support.  The €120 allowable means limit is significantly more than the €33 weekly rate of fuel allowance.

Further changes to the Fuel Allowance scheme in Budget 2022 included increasing the weekly rate of fuel allowance by €5 to €33 per week with immediate effect, and with effect from September 2022 the reduction of the qualifying period for Jobseeker’s and Supplementary Welfare Allowance recipients from 15 to 12 months.

The Government has, therefore, implemented significant improvements through Budget 2022.  Any proposal to further increase the allowable means for Fuel Allowance purposes or any further changes to the eligibility criteria would have to be considered in this context and in the context of the overall policy and budgetary situation.

Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, Exceptional Needs Payments may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which customers are unable to meet out of their own resources, and this may include exceptional heating costs.  Decisions on such payments are made on a case-by-case basis.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

The Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) provides income support for jobseekers and others in receipt of certain social welfare payments who pursue courses of education at second or third level.  The provision for the scheme for 2022 is €105.4 million. 

A person wishing to pursue a course of study under the BTEA scheme must satisfy the conditions of the scheme, including being in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment for a specified time, pursuing a full-time course of study leading to a recognised qualification in a recognised college and progressing in the level of education.

The qualifying period for the second-level option is three months while the qualifying period for third-level courses is nine months prior to the date of commencement of the course.  This qualifying period has already been waived for people coming from the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) where they must first establish an entitlement to a Jobseekers or other qualifying payment. 

As the economy has now fully reopened with the removal of trading restrictions the Government has agreed the winding down of the PUP and the transfer of recipients to standard social welfare terms.  PUP recipients who remain in receipt of the support at the end of this month will start transitioning to standard jobseeker terms.  The BTEA scheme guidelines will be reviewed in advance of the 2022/2023 academic year and will be updated to reflect the closure of the PUP scheme.

The Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) Grant, payable by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, is the primary support for people pursuing third level education.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy. 

There are no Commissions, within the meaning of the Commissions of Investigation Act 2004, ongoing under the aegis of my Department.

My Department is currently procuring new employment services that will see a significant expansion of employment services, including, for the first time, State-wide services for those farthest from the labour market.  My Department is procuring a new Intreo Partners Local Area Employment Service over two distinct phases. 

Phase one of the new Intreo Partners Local Area Employment Service is complete and referrals under Phase one commenced in January 2022.  New services are now established in seven counties in the Midlands and North West that previously did not have a Local Employment Service (LES).

Phase two of the process has commenced, with the publication on 21 December last of a request for tender for seventeen lots covering 19 counties.  The deadline for tenders is 19 April and services for this phase will begin in July 2022.  

As part of this process my Department met with trade unions, providers and representative bodies.  My Department held a specific stakeholder online Information Session on 9 November last, which was attended by over one hundred and fifty interested parties.  My officials provided a comprehensive overview of the planned Phase 2 procurement before engaging in a ninety-minute questions and answers session.  Participants were invited to submit written comments and suggestions including feedback from phase 1, in advance of the finalisation of the phase 2 RFT. 

It is this feedback and my officials' engagements with relevant stakeholders that informed the design of phase two of the procurement process.   

The Phase 2 RFT differs from the Phased 1 RFT in relation to minimum referral numbers, referral contract values and addressing issues such as up-front advances to assist cash flow for potential tenderers. Following feedback received, there were also significant changes to Lot boundaries and sizes to those recommended by consultants. 

Other elements of the Phase 2 RFT have also been revised and improved to ensure the employment service reflects best practices and is best positioned to attract quality tenders that can provide the services needed for those furthest from the labour market. 

The Programme for Government commits to introducing a pensions automatic enrolment (AE) system.  The objective of this commitment is to address the low proportion of employees in Ireland with supplementary pension cover, which includes both occupational and personal pensions.

According to CSO figures, the rate of active supplementary pension coverage is around 56% of the working population (Pension Coverage Survey 2021).  It is estimated that this could be as low as 35% when the private sector is considered in isolation.  As a consequence of this low supplementary pension coverage rate, many retirees may suffer an unwanted reduction in living standards when they retire.

This Government, recognising the exceptional strain that both employers and employees are under as a result of the COVID-19 emergency and the increases in the cost of living, will seek to gradually deliver an AE system based on the following principles:

- There will be a phased roll-out, over a decade, of the contributions made by workers and employers.

- Matching contributions will be made by both workers and employers and the State will top up those contributions.

- There will be an opt-out provision for those who choose to opt out.

- Workers will have a range of retirement savings products to choose from.

- There will be a charges cap imposed on pension providers.

- My Department has finalised a proposal for Government on the overall design of the AE system and I intend to bring that to Government for formal approval towards the end of this month.  The overall design has been informed by a lengthy consultation and development process, including considerable engagement with industry bodies, employer and employee representatives, advocacy groups, as well as members of the public.  This included the "Strawman Consultation" process, which provided stakeholders with the opportunity to share their own thinking on various aspects of the system.

- Once the final design is agreed it is intended that the necessary legislative, organisational and process structures will follow over the course of this year and next, as set out in the Economic Recovery Plan 2021, and in this regard ongoing engagement with key stakeholders will continue to inform the process.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

A number of studies in recent years have considered the indexation of various categories of social protection payments.

Following publication of the Roadmap for Pensions Reform in 2018, which included a recommendation to benchmark and index State Pension rates, my Department undertook a consultation process in 2019 with interested stakeholders to hear views on possible approaches to the indexation of pensions, and social welfare rates more generally.  This process also included discussion with representatives of the community and voluntary sector at the Pre-Budget Forum in July 2019, as well as at bilateral meetings with stakeholders.

The outcome of these discussions was considered, and in consultation with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, the Department has developed proposals for setting a formal benchmark for State Pension Contributory payments and the indexation of future changes in pension rates of payment.

The approach developed, known as the “smoothed earnings” approach, aims to ensure that the relative value of welfare payments compared to market earnings would be maintained over time and that, in the short-term, the real value, or purchasing power, of these payments would be protected.

This commitment was reiterated in the Roadmap for Social Inclusion which also outlined a potential approach for benchmarking and indexing pension rates. 

Finally, the Pensions Commission report also examined the issue of benchmarking pension rates and has endorsed implementation of the “smoothed earnings” approach.

The recommendations of the Pensions Commission are being considered.  I intend to bring proposals to Government in April in relation to these recommendations.

I am acutely aware of the increase in consumer prices in recent months, especially the increase in fuel and other energy prices.  To help mitigate the effects of these rising costs, the Government announced a package of measures in February, costing in excess of a half a billion Euro.

These measures include an additional lump sum payment of €125 which was paid last week to households in receipt of the Fuel Allowance payment.  This lump sum payment is intended to target the most vulnerable social welfare recipients to protect against rising fuel costs.

This payment, in addition to the Budget increase to the Fuel Allowance, will mean low-income households see an increase of 41% in their fuel allowance payments this season compared to the last season.

A further measure to help with energy costs is an Energy Credit of €200 to be applied to electricity accounts for all households.

The increase of €10 to the weekly income threshold of the Working Family Payment will be brought forward, now taking effect from early April 2022 rather that than from June.  For those in receipt of more than a minimum payment on the Working Family Payment, the €10 increase in all earnings thresholds will result in an increased payment of €6 per week.

These measures are in addition to those introduced as part of Budget 2022, which provided for the largest social welfare Budget package in 14 years.  In January, around 1.4 million people received a €5 increase in weekly payments, and more if they have dependents.

There were also a number of targeted measures designed to support those most vulnerable to poverty, including increases in the rates of qualified child payments and the Living Alone Allowance. 

The Pensions Commission was established in November 2020 to examine the sustainability of the State Pension system and the Social Insurance Fund.  The 2020 Programme for Government committed that, pending the Commission’s report and any subsequent Government decisions, the State Pension age would remain at 66 years and the increase to 67 years would be deferred.  This was implemented in the Social Welfare Act 2020, which repealed the then existing legislative provisions which would have increased the State Pension age in 2021 and again in 2028.

The Pensions Commission’s Report was published on 7th October 2021.  The Report established that the current State Pension system is not sustainable into the future and that changes are needed.  The Report set out a wide-range of recommendations in relation to the State Pension system and Social Insurance Fund, including recommendations to gradually increase the State Pension age.

The Government agreed in October 2021 that the Commission’s Report and recommendations would be referred to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands and also to the Commission on Taxation and Welfare for its views.  The Committee published its views on the 2nd February 2022 and the Commission on Taxation and Welfare submitted its comments on the PRSI related recommendations at the end of February.  These various views will be carefully considered as part of our deliberations over the coming weeks.

In the interests both of older people and of future generations of older people, the Government intends to consider the comprehensive and far reaching recommendations in the Pensions Commission’s Report very carefully and holistically.  My officials are examining each of the recommendations and consulting across Government through the Cabinet Committee system.  I think it is really important that we complete that work before reaching conclusions on any one recommendation such as the recommendation to gradually increase the State Pension age.  In this regard, I intend bringing a recommended response and implementation plan to Government in April.  

As the bedrock of the pension system in Ireland, the State Pension is very effective at ensuring that our pensioners do not experience poverty.  This Government is committed to ensuring that this remains the case for current pensioners, those nearing State Pension age and today’s young workers including those who are only starting their careers.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Promotional campaigns are an important part of how my Department ensures our customers are informed of the schemes and supports to which they may be entitled.

In quarters 2 and 3 of 2019 my Department ran a public information campaign to promote the Working Family Payment (WFP).  The objective of the campaign was to provide customers, particularly working families on low to moderate incomes, with more information about the Working Family Payment, especially those who may not be aware of the payment or who may not realise that they qualify for it.

In 2020, 2021 and in early 2022 the main focus of my Department's communications and campaign activity was on promoting the supports available to those who had lost income as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.  My Department undertook extensive communications campaigns during this time to promote the COVID-19 Enhanced Illness Benefit, COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment, and the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme. 

We are now working on campaign planning in line with our commitments under the Pathways to Work and Roadmap for Social Inclusion strategies.  In 2022 we are shifting our focus to the promotion of the Public Employment Service and the income supports available to those in work.  

Dedicated campaigns are in planning for later this year, promoting transitioning into employment and the ability of people to retain key social welfare supports when taking up employment.

The supplementary welfare allowance scheme is the safety net within the overall social welfare system in that it provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependants. 

Families living in emergency accommodation placements may have additional costs, such as travel.  Under the SWA scheme my Department may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income.  In addition support can be provided through a supplement under the SWA scheme which can be awarded to assist with ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met from the person's own resources and are deemed to be necessary. 

Decisions on ENPs and SWA supplements are made at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case in order to ensure that the payments target those most in need of assistance.  Assistance can be provided for travel costs where there are no other supports available.

I would encourage any person who considers they may have an entitlement to an exceptional needs payment or a supplement to contact the Community Welfare Service at their local Intreo Centre.  There is a national Income Support Helpline in place - 0818-800024 - which will direct callers to the appropriate office.    

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy. 

My Department provides a comprehensive package of carer's income supports including Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant.  At the end of January, there were 90,934 people in receipt of Carer's Allowance.  The estimated expenditure on Carer’s Allowance in 2022 is approximately €990 million.  Combined spending on all these payments to carers in 2022 is estimated to exceed €1.5 billion.  

In so far as my role as Minister for Social Protection is concerned, I have done my utmost to support the invaluable role played by carers in our society.  Despite the extra financial demands due to the Covid-19 crisis, I increased the Carer’s Support Grant by €150 to a rate of €1,850.  This is the highest rate since its introduction. 

In Budget 2022, I introduced a range of measures benefitting family carers directly, including:

- €5 increase in maximum rate of all core weekly payments, with effect from January,

- €3 increase for qualified child dependants aged 12 and over and €2 for those up to age 12, in all core weekly payments,

- €5 increase in the Fuel Allowance from €28 to €33 per week, from 12 October 2021,

- An increase in the weekly income disregard for Carer’s Allowance to €350 a week for single carers and to €750 for carers with a spouse or partner,

- An increase in the Capital/Savings disregard for Carer’s Allowance from €20,000 to €50,000.  This will bring the capital means test in line with that of Disability Allowance.    

- Domiciliary Care Allowance will be paid for children who go into hospital for up to 6 months (currently 3 months).  Carer’s Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant will also continue to be paid in respect of children who go into hospital for 6 months.

- I can assure the Deputy that I am very aware of the key role carers play in our society and of the particular challenges they faced in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.  However any further improvements to the Carer's Allowance payment can only be made in an overall Budgetary and policy context.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Enhanced Illness Benefit for Covid-19 is a scheme that was introduced in March 2020, to support people who are incapable of work or who are required to self-isolate, as a result of a COVID diagnosis or being a probable source of infection.  It is paid at a rate of €350 per week and is paid for a maximum of 7 days where a person is self-isolating due to being a probable source of infection, and for a maximum of 10 weeks if a person has been diagnosed with COVID-19.

In order to qualify for this payment, a person must be absent from work and confined to their home or a medical facility.  They must be self-isolating or restricting their movements on the instruction of a doctor, in line with public health guidance, due to being symptomatic and a probable source of COVID-19 infection or diagnosed with COVID-19.

A person must be under pensionable age on the day for which the benefit is claimed.  For employed workers, they must have a contract of employment and have at least 1 paid qualifying social insurance contribution in the 4 weeks immediately before claiming the payment.  For self-employed workers, they must have worked immediately before applying for the enhanced payment and have reckonable income in the current contribution year.

Applications for Enhanced Illness Benefit can be submitted online through MyWelfare.ie or they can be submitted by post.

Applicants must also submit medical evidence to support their claim.  For those self-isolating due to being a probable source of infection, they must submit medical certification from their doctor indicating that they have symptoms of COVID-19 and are a probable source of infection.

For those who have been diagnosed as a positive case of Covid-19, they can submit either confirmation from the HSE that they have tested positive for COVID-19 either through a RT-PCR test or having registered a positive antigen test or they can submit medical certification from their doctor that they have tested positive for Covid-19.

I trust this clarifies the procedure for the Deputy.  

The Government recognises the crucial role that family carers play in Irish society and is fully committed to their support.

As part of Budget 2022, improvements were introduced to the income and capital limits for the Carer’s Allowance (CA) means assessment, effective from June 2022.  The weekly income disregard increases to €350 from €332.50 for a single person, and to €750 from €665 for carers with a spouse/partner.  The Carers Allowance disregard when assessing capital increases to €50,000 from €20,000.  

These measures bring significant changes to the Carer's means assessment and is the first time there have been changes to the means assessment in almost 14 years.  These changes will mean that more Carers will now qualify for Carer’s Allowance, while those Carers that are currently in receipt of a reduced rate will see increases in their payments.  

To accurately assess CA customers means, it is necessary to obtain up to date income and capital information and to review existing CA entitlement to ensure that the Budget 2022 changes are applied correctly and that people are issued with the correct rate of payment in line with the improvements we are making to the means test.

The Budget 2022 improvements will benefit thousands of Carers currently on a reduced rate due to means and will enable more carers with modest incomes to qualify for Carer’s Allowance

 I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

The social welfare package in Budget 2022 was the largest in 14 years and provided for a €5 across the board increase to all weekly payments, as well as a number of other targeted measures intended to focus resources in the most effective way, and to protect the most vulnerable social welfare recipients from poverty. 

As energy prices were increasing, the €5 increase to the Fuel Allowance rate was implemented from October 2021.  At the same time, the income threshold for qualifying for the Fuel Allowance was increased by €20 per week.

The following measures were introduced in January 2022:

- Core social welfare rates were increased by €5 per week, with proportionate increases for qualified adults and those on reduced rates of payment;

- The Living Alone Allowance was increased by €3, from €19 to €22 per week;

- The weekly rate of the qualified child increase for children aged 12 and over was increased by €3, from €45 to €48 per week, while the rate for children aged under 12 was increased by €2, from €38 to €40 per week;

- The rate of Wage Subsidy Scheme for people with disabilities was increased by €1 per hour.

- Eligibility for the disregard of PhD scholarship income in the means test was extended to      recipients of Blind Pension;

- The period during which Domiciliary Care Allowance can be paid for children in hospital will be extended from 3 months to 6 months.

- The remaining measures will be introduced on various dates in 2022:

In April:

- The income threshold by for Working Family Payment will increase by €10 for all families.  The implementation date for this measure was brought forward from June, as part of the package of measures introduced by Government last month to help mitigate the impacts of the increase in the cost of living.

In June:

- Under the Treatment Benefit scheme, a grant of up to €500 towards the cost of wigs/hairpieces/hair replacement systems due to illness will be introduced;

- The number of Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) contributions required by younger contributors to qualify for Treatment Benefit will be reduced;

- The list of agri-environmental schemes that attract a disregard under the Farm Assist scheme will be expanded.  The implementation date for this measure has been brought forward from October 2022;

- The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance income thresholds will be equalised for one and two parent households;

- The rate of Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance will be increased by €10.  This will bring the rate for each child aged 4-11 years to €160 and for each child aged 12 and over to €285;

- The income disregard for Carer's Allowance will be increased from €332.50 to €350 for a single      person and from €665 to €750 for a couple, while the capital disregard will increase from €20,000 to €50,000;

- The earnings threshold above which means is fully assessed will increase by €25, from €350 to €375 per week, for both the Disability Allowance and Blind Pension.  In addition, the general weekly means disregard will be increased from €2.50 to €7.60 for Disability Allowance.

In July:

- The duration of Parent's Benefit will be extended from 5 weeks to 7 weeks. 

In September:

- Jobseeker's Allowance and Supplementary Welfare Allowance recipients will be able to access Fuel Allowance after 12 months duration on their payment, instead of the current 15 months.  I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

The Pensions Commission’s Report was published on 7th October 2021.  It established that the current State Pension system is not sustainable into the future and that changes are needed.  The report set out a wide-range of recommendations in relation to the State Pension system and Social Insurance Fund, including enhanced pension provision for long-term carers (who are caring for over 20 years).

Subject to the standard qualifying conditions for State Pension (Contributory) also being satisfied, the State pension system already provides significant recognition to those whose work history includes an extended period of time outside the paid workplace, often to raise families or in a full-time caring role.

This is provided through the award of credits and/or the application of the Homemaker’s Scheme (under the Yearly Average method for payment calculation) and/or the application of HomeCaring Periods (under the Aggregated Contribution Method, also known as the interim Total Contributions Approach). 

Details of these are: 

- Credits – PRSI Credits are awarded to recipients of Carer’s Allowance (and Carer’s Benefit) where they have an underlying entitlement to credits.  Credits are also awarded to workers who take unpaid Carer’s Leave from work.

- The Homemaker’s Scheme - The scheme, which was introduced with effect from 1994, is designed to help homemakers and carers qualify for State Pension (Contributory).  The Scheme, which allows periods caring for children or people with a caring need to be disregarded (from 1994), can have the effect of increasing a person's Yearly Average.

- HomeCaring Periods – HomeCaring Periods may be awarded for each week not already      covered by a paid or credited social insurance contribution (regardless of when they occurred) to a maximum of 20 years.  HomeCaring Periods can only be used under the Aggregated Contribution Method (also known as the Interim Total Contributions Approach) of pension calculation. 

- Since April 2019, all new State (Contributory) Pension applications are assessed under all possible rate calculation methods, including the Yearly Average and the Total Contributions Approach, with the most beneficial rate paid to the pensioner.  The elements which make up each method are set out in legislation. 

- Foster parents are entitled to the benefits of the Homemakers Scheme or HomeCaring Periods, on the same basis as other homemakers, and will qualify if the carer is in receipt of Child Benefit.  If the foster parent is not in receipt of Child Benefit s/he can still qualify for the Homemaker’s scheme or HomeCaring Periods provided the caring periods are confirmed by TUSLA (these are cases where caring is for a short period of time).

- It should be noted that if a person does not satisfy the conditionality to qualify for State Pension (Contributory), s/he may qualify for the means-tested State Pension (Non-Contributory), the maximum rate of which is over 95% that of the maximum rate of the State Pension (Contributory).  Alternatively, if his/her spouse is a State pensioner and has significant household means, his/her most beneficial payment may be an Increase for a Qualified Adult, based on his/her personal means, and amounting to up to 90% of a full contributory pension. 

- In the interests both of older people and future generations of older people, the Government intends to consider the comprehensive and far reaching recommendations in the Pensions Commission’s Report very carefully and holistically.  My officials are examining each of the recommendations and consulting across Government through the Cabinet Committee system.  The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection and the Commission on Taxation and Welfare have submitted their views on the recommendations.  These various views will be considered carefully as part of the Government's deliberations.

- I think it is really important that we complete that work before reaching conclusions on any one recommendation, such as the recommendations related to long-term carers.  In this regard, I intend bringing a holistic recommended response and implementation plan to Government in April.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

My Department previously undertook an evaluation of JobPath in partnership with the OECD.  The 2019 OECD econometric evaluation of JobPath published by the Department demonstrated that the outcomes for participating jobseekers, both in terms of employment and earnings, are better than those of non-participants.  Weekly earnings of people who secured employment after JobPath engagement are 17% higher than the weekly employment earnings of people who secured employment without the support of JobPath in 2018.

Taken with the 26% improvement in employment outcomes in the same period, it means the overall positive employment/earnings impact is 37% in 2018 for those who are supported by the JobPath service.  These findings demonstrate that jobseekers who engage with JobPath are significantly more likely to get a positive employment outcome than those not supported by the service.

The Department will be updating this exercise in the coming months and will continually review its employment service provision including the new services, which are currently being procured.  As per the Programme for Government commitments the Department is expanding and extending employment service provision so that for the first time the full range of employment services will be available to those furthest from the labour market across the entire State.

I understand that the Deputy has clarified that the question specifically refers to third party operators that have assisted the Department in its schemes or delivery of services to the public during 2021 and to date in 2022.  My officials have identified four main areas which meet this criterion: externally contracted employment services, payment services, translation & interpretation services and customer helpline support.  

1.  Externally Contracted Employment Services   

The Department contracts external employment services through four programmes: JobPath, Local Employment Services (LES), EmployAbility and Job Clubs.  Externally contracted provision supports the Department with additional capacity and access to specialised skills to meet the requirements of jobseekers.  My Department has committed in a number of policy documents (e.g., Make Work Pay for People with Disabilities, Roadmap for Social Inclusion, and Pathways to Work) to extend employment support services to a wider range of cohorts including people with disabilities, lone parents and qualified adults.  It is important that the Department maintains sufficient jobseeker support capacity to meet current and future needs in order to be able to provide a high-quality service to these customers and respond effectively and quickly to rises in unemployment.    

The table below shows the expenditure on these services for 2021 and to date in 2022.  The Deputy will be aware that payments to individual contractors is commercially sensitive information and to publish would place the State at a disadvantage both in terms of the contracts currently in place and in any future procurement that may be undertaken.  Therefore, the overall expenditure on each programme per year has been provided. 

2.  Payment Services   

My Department’s payment services are provided by Danske Bank and An Post.  The cost of the An Post cash payment services contract for 2021 is €49.6m.  Note that this figure has not been fully reconciled so it may change slightly when the 2021 accounts are finalised later this year. 

3.  Interpretation & Translation Services 

Details of annual expenditure on services is set out in the table below:   

* This figure does not include translation of documents - interpretation and on-the-spot translation only.

The Department has not been invoiced yet for services in 2022.

4.  Contact Management/Customer Helpline support 

A third-party provider was engaged to support contact management and related services on a drawdown basis to assist the Department in responding to queries from customers relating to the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP).  This support enabled the Department to provide a fast and flexible response to surges in customer call volumes.  Under the terms of the contract, the third-party operator provides information to customers.  This contracted provision is being utilised to supplement the Department’s existing income support line.  To represent the true cost of services the figure provided for in 2021 includes costs paid in 2022 but incurred in 2021.   

Finally, my Department operates an extensive network of Social Welfare Branch Offices which utilise contracts for the management and operation of the office.  However, Branch Offices are fully integrated with the Department’s systems and work processes and are effectively presented as an office of the Department, distinguished only by the employment status of the Branch Manager.  On that basis, Branch Offices are not directly comparable with service providers who operate at arm’s length from the Department and who clearly adopt a separate public identity. 

Dental and Optical Benefits are provided to qualified PRSI contributors and their dependent spouses under the departments Treatment Benefit scheme.  To qualify a person must have paid a minimum numbers of contributions since starting work and also have a required number of contributions/or credits, in the relevant tax year that relates to their application.  The number of such PRSI contributions will vary, depending on the persons age.

Amongst the actions taken by Government to mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic was a provision to attribute social insurance contributions to insured persons who were beneficiaries of certain Covid-19 income support payments including the pandemic unemployment payment. 

The purpose of this measure is to ensure that the social insurance records of the people who lost their jobs due to the impact of the pandemic would not be disadvantaged in accessing social insurance benefits in the future.

The measure provides that persons entitled to and in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment will have social insurance contributions attributed to them at the same value as they were paying while employed immediately before going on that payment.

Contributions have been attributed in respect of former employees and self-employed persons who were entitled to and in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment in 2020.  The process to attribute contributions to such employees who were entitled to and in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment in 2021 is scheduled to be undertaken in the coming months.  

Finally, If the Deputy is referring to a specific case I would advise that they should forward the details to my Department for review.

I trust that this clarifies the position.

One of my Department’s roles is to ensure the correct class of PRSI is being returned for individuals, in order to protect their PRSI contribution record and future welfare entitlements.  We must also ensure the correct flow of funds into the Social Insurance Fund.

To begin with, it is worth noting that there are approximately 340,000 self-employed individuals in Ireland, the vast majority of whom are genuine entrepreneurs operating their own businesses.

The term 'bogus self-employment' is a provocative one that implies falsehood and a deliberate attempt to commit fraud.  However, false self-employment does not always involve a deliberate or fraudulent misclassification of an employee.  Sometimes it happens that both employer and employee are genuinely mistaken in their approach and are happy to correct the position once the Department’s officials make a determination.  Accordingly, it is clear that the misclassification of employees for PRSI purposes can occur through a lack of knowledge or error or due to changes that occur over time in the relationship between an employer and its contractors.  Therefore, it is really important that employers and workers have clear information and guidance when looking at employment status.  That is why I put great value on the Code of Practice on Determining Employment Status.  I published a revised version of this Code last year ensuring that it reflects both the modern world of work, and the relevant legislation and case law that has emerged from various court cases over the years.  I would encourage all affected stakeholders to make sure they are familiar with its content.

It is also worth noting that there is no compelling evidence that false self-employment is widespread, as some might suggest.  That said, it does exist and, as such, is a matter that I and the Department take very seriously.  I do not want to see a situation where any workers are denied their social insurance entitlements or where much-needed funds are denied to the Social Insurance Fund.  Therefore, I want to be very clear that, where it does occur, the deliberate misclassification of a worker as a self-employed contractor for PRSI purposes, in a situation where they are actually working as an employee, is wrong.  That is why the Social Welfare Consolidation Act contains specific offences in relation to the return of employment contributions which, on conviction, can result in fines and/or imprisonment. 

There is no ‘silver bullet’ solution that would completely eradicate false self-employment.  The primary way to deal with it is through inspection, compliance and deterrence.  My Department's Employment Status Investigation Unit (ESIU) is a team of Inspectors with the sole objective of investigating false self-employment.  Since it was established in late 2019, the unit has investigated over 500 employers.  Additional resources are currently being allocated to both investigation and decision-making units in the Department to increase efforts in this area.

In addition to the ESIU, there are approximately 380 Social Welfare Inspectors appointed nationwide who carry out work across the various social welfare schemes.  This includes engagement in a programme of employer inspections nationwide in which they investigate employment status as part of their more general duties.  More than 100 of these Inspectors are members of the Department’s Special Investigation Unit who work specifically to detect social welfare fraud.  My Department’s Inspectors also work jointly with other agencies including the Revenue Commissioners and the Workplace Relations Commission.

This Government takes the issue of false self-employment very seriously.  A new working group, to be chaired by Minister English, to review false self-employment was recently announced by the Tánaiste.  This will bring my Department together with the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment, the WRC, Revenue and various social partners representing both workers and employers to examine this area to see what further measures may be possible.

If someone has any individual concerns of false self-employment or bad practice in this respect, they can provide my Department with the details and investigators will be more than happy to review the employment.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy. 

The Wage Subsidy Scheme (WSS) aims to encourage private sector employers to employ people with disabilities and thereby increase the numbers of people with disabilities participating in the open labour market.  The scheme provides financial incentives to private sector employers to hire people with a disability for between 21 and 39 subsidised hours per week under a contract of employment. 

As part of Budget 2022, I increased the basic rate of subsidy by €1 to €6.30 per hour giving a total annual subsidy available of €12,776 per annum based on a 39-hour week.  Strand II subsidy is payable when an employer employs three or more people with disabilities who are supported by a Wage Subsidy Scheme Strand I payment.  It ranges from an additional 10% of wage subsidy for 3 to 6 employees with a disability to a maximum of 50% of wage subsidy for 23+ employees with a

disability.  Therefore an employer with 3 to 6 employees, gets a 10% top-up applied to the hourly rate bringing it to €6.93 and rising to €9.45 per hour where an employer has more than 23 employees.

The WSS is a demand-led scheme and participation was negatively affected by Covid-19.  Currently there are 1,506 employers availing of the subsidy in respect of some 2,376 employees.  It is notable that 62 new employees have taken up employment under the scheme since January. 

As the new subsidy rate only came into effect on 3 January as restrictions were being lifted, it is too early to assess this measure’s long-term impact at this time.  However, I believe that the increased rate paid to employers will encourage more mainstream employers to employ or increase the numbers of people with a disability in their work force.  Most employers will agree that the new rate is a substantial contribution to the employer’s wage costs and this measure has immediately benefitted all current employers on the scheme.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy. 

The Pensions Commission’s Report was published on 7th October 2021.  It established that the current State Pension system is not sustainable into the future and that changes are needed.  The report set out a wide-range of recommendations in relation to the State Pension system and Social Insurance Fund.

In the interests both of older people and future generations of older people, the Government intends to consider the comprehensive and far reaching recommendations in the Pensions Commission’s Report very carefully and holistically.  

The Government agreed in October 2021 that the Commission’s report and recommendations would be referred to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands and also to the Commission on Taxation and Welfare for its views.  The Committee published its views on the 2nd February 2022 and the Commission on Taxation and Welfare submitted its comments on the PRSI related recommendations at the end of February.  The various views will be considered carefully as part of the Government’s deliberations over the coming weeks. 

My officials are examining each of the recommendations and consulting across Government through the Cabinet Committee system.  I think it is really important that we complete that work before reaching conclusions on any one recommendation.  I will be bringing a holistic recommended response and implementation plan to Government in April. 

As the bedrock of the pension system in Ireland, the State Pension is very effective at ensuring that our pensioners do not experience poverty.  This Government is committed to ensuring that this remains the case for current pensioners, those nearing State Pension age and today’s young workers including those who are only starting their careers.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

The Work Placement Experience Programme (WPEP) is a key policy initiative under the Government's new national employment services strategy; Pathways to Work 2021-2025.  WPEP is a funded work placement scheme to provide work experience opportunities for up to 10,000 jobseekers who are unemployed for more than six months, including time spent on the pandemic unemployment payment (PUP).  Participation on WPEP is entirely voluntary.  All participants are paid €311 per week plus any social welfare increases for qualified adults and children.  

As of 11th March 2022, 276 participants have been approved for a placement on WPEP, with 174 currently participating and 20 placements are approved to start shortly. 29 participants have completed the 6 month programme with another 51 participants finishing early due to a variety of reasons, including 19 who found employment while on the programme.  There are 108 WPEP opportunities currently advertised on JobsIreland.  

Of those approved 45% are male and 55% are female.  The Sector with the largest percentage of WPEP placement(s) for those approved is Health and Social Work at 19% followed by Wholesale and Retail Trade at 17%.  The largest age cohort are those under 30 years of age which accounts for 50% of participants.

The cost to the Exchequer since the programme commenced is €1.153m. 

The scope of the work experience on offer for each placement is reviewed in advance to ensure that the roles are training and learning opportunities consistent with the objectives of the programme.  To assist participants to achieve the requirement for 20 hours accredited training work, a new WPEP Work Placement award designed and delivered by the Education and Training Boards is available to participants.  All host organisations must also demonstrate that they can provide supervision and mentoring to participants and Case Officers liaise with the host and the participant to ensure progress is being made by the participant in the personal learning plan agreed with the host.  The Case Officer is also available to provide advice and support to both the host and the participant during the placement. 

As the economy and labour market continues to recover from COVID, work is ongoing to encourage take-up on this programme by employers and jobseekers.  A particular focus is on jobseekers whose previous employment has not returned post COVID - who will require support to reskill and retrain to find new jobs, at times in new sectors.  I am pleased to see that post COVID labour market trends and unemployment levels are much more positive than had been forecast.  

I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.

The Household Benefits package (HHB) comprises the electricity or gas allowance, and the free television licence.  The package is generally available to people living in the State aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of a social welfare type payment or who satisfy a means test.  The package is also available to some people under the age of 66, who are in receipt of certain welfare type payments.  My Department will spend approximately €273 million this year on HHB. 

All proposals, including any proposal to introduce a new broadband allowance as part of the HHB package could only be considered while taking account of overall Government policy and budgetary considerations. 

Given the many competing demands for the limited funding available to my Department, recent Budget spending increases have been targeted to ensure that it goes to those people who need help the most. Therefore, as well as increasing Social Welfare payments weekly rates, the Government has increased the rate of targeted “household” based schemes such as the Living Alone Allowance and the Fuel Allowance.  These supports are targeted towards households that are at a higher risk of poverty, as evidenced by recent ESRI research. 

HHB is only one of my Department’s schemes.  My Department also pays the Telephone Support Allowance (TSA) to over 137,000 customers weekly.  TSA is an allowance of €2.50 per week which supports recipients by assisting them with the cost of communications and/or home security solutions.  The primary objective of the TSA is to support the most vulnerable people at risk of isolation, including the elderly and those with disabilities, to have access to critical communications infrastructure.  In order to receive the allowance, a customer of the Department must be in receipt of a qualifying payment and also in receipt of both the Living Alone Allowance and the Fuel Allowance – this means that the scheme is very specifically targeted at those people who need it the most. 

Furthermore, my Department operates both Exceptional and Urgent Needs Payments as part of the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme for people who have an urgent need, which they cannot meet from their own resources.  These payments are available through our Community Welfare Officers. 

I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.  

The Pensions Commission’s Report was published on 7th October 2021.  It established that the current State Pension system is not sustainable into the future and that changes are needed.  The report set out a wide-range of recommendations in relation to the State Pension system and Social Insurance Fund.

In the interests both of older people and future generations of older people, the Government intends to consider the comprehensive and far reaching recommendations in the Pensions Commission’s Report very carefully and holistically.  

The Government agreed in October 2021 that the Commission’s report and recommendations would be referred to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands and also to the Commission on Taxation and Welfare for its views.  The Committee published its views on the 2nd February 2022 and the Commission on Taxation and Welfare submitted its comments on the PRSI related recommendations at the end of February.  These various views will be considered carefully as part of the Government’s deliberations over the coming weeks. 

My officials are examining each of the recommendations and consulting across Government through the Cabinet Committee system.  I think it is really important that we complete that work before reaching conclusions on any one recommendation or perspective.  In this regard, I intend bringing a holistic recommended response and implementation plan to Government in the near future.   

As the bedrock of the pension system in Ireland, the State Pension is extremely effective at ensuring that our pensioners do not experience poverty.  This Government is committed to ensuring that this remains the case for current pensioners, those nearing State Pension age and today’s young workers including those who are only starting their careers.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Medical Appliance benefit can be paid to those PRSI contributors and their dependent spouses with the required number of recorded contributions.  The scheme provides for a grant towards the provision of hearing aids and contact lenses required for medical reasons.

The amount paid by the Department in respect of the Medical Appliance scheme in 2021 was €20.003m and to date in 2022 it is €4.88m.

Details of payments by county are detailed below: 

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy. 

The table below details the external consultant reports, including external Information Technology (IT) consultancy, commissioned by my Department in each of the years 2019 to 2021 and to date in 2022.

Expenditure by my Department for the supply of face masks since March 2019 was €2,359.96, with the first purchase in March 2020. These were purchased for the most part under contract with Musgrave Limited, but other suppliers were used on occasion depending on urgency and availability.

Expenditure by my Department for the supply of hand sanitiser products since March 2019 was €10,220.46, with the first purchase in March 2020. These were procured and purchased for the most part from Ecolab Limited but other suppliers were also used on occasion depending on urgency and availability.

The Government is committed to improving the lives of the Traveller and Roma Communities in Ireland. Across all of Government, a wide range of specific and targeted policy approaches, designed in consultation with Traveller and Roma community representatives, are in place to pursue those improved outcomes and bring about far greater inclusion across all of Irish society

The recommendations contained in the Report of the Special Oireachtas Committee on Key issues affecting the Traveller Community will inform the next iteration of the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy. The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is leading on this strategy and the support of all Government Departments will be crucial in ensuring the successor strategy will have a more outcomes focused approach.

In January 2019, the then Taoiseach attended the World Economic Forum’s annual event in Davos, Switzerland.

While I have received invitations from the World Economic Forum (WEF) to attend their annual forum in 2021, which was ultimately cancelled, and their planned forum in May this year, I have not personally been in contact with them.

Officials in my Department have been in contact with the WEF, by email and phone, in relation to the then Taoiseach’s 2019 visit; his subsequent cancelled visit in 2020; and invitations to me to the cancelled 2021 annual forum and the planned 2022 Forum.

The forthcoming vacancy in the position of Secretary General to the Government and Secretary General of the Department of the Taoiseach will be filled following a request for expressions of interest from all suitable officers in the Civil Service.

The post does not come within the remit of TLAC. The appointment will be made by the Government, on my advice.

There is no departure from the process that was followed in respect of this post on previous occasions, most recently in 2011.

Under Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/543, the CSO is legally obliged to produce data on sex with response options limited to male and female only in Census 2022. This is reflected in Question 2 on the census form which asks “What is your sex?” with response options of “Male” and “Female”.

CSO launched a public consultation on the content of the Census 2022 questionnaire in late 2017. As part of this consultation, members of the public and interested stakeholders were invited to submit their requests for new questions and revisions to existing questions. To assist the CSO in assessing the submissions, a Census Advisory Group (CAG) was formed. Membership of the CAG was drawn from organisations and groups who regularly use census data. The CAG made recommendations on which new and revised questions should be tested during a Census Pilot survey which was held in September 2018. Following the Pilot, the CAG assisted the CSO in deciding which questions should be recommended to government for inclusion on the census form.

During the consultation process, several submissions were made requesting a new question on gender identity. As gender identity is an emerging area for statistical data collection, the CAG proposed that the CSO should test and develop a new question that would capture robust data on gender identity before it should be considered for inclusion on a census. Subsequent to the consultation, the CSO has introduced a new gender identity question on both a household survey and as part of the new PULSE surveys. The CSO’s view is that the new question has performed well and that it will be recommended for Pilot testing as part of the preparations for the next census. Inclusion of the new gender identity question in the next census will be subject to approval by the CAG and ultimately by government.

The CSO is aware that in the absence of a question on gender identity on the census form, some members of the public may have difficulty in responding to the question on sex as it appears on the census form. In order to make the census as inclusive as possible, the CSO has advised that for people who have such a difficulty, they can mark both male and female boxes.

In order to meet the aforementioned EU regulation, the CSO is legally obliged to categorise the sex of all persons on the census as either male or female. When both response options have been marked on the census form, the CSO will be required to impute a value of either male or female to each digital record. The imputation of these values will reflect the distribution of the sex variable across the population, which is approximately 50/50. The digital data will be used as the basis for census statistical publications and will only be released in aggregated form.

The CSO will not make any amendments to the paper forms returned from the public. Thus, should someone mark both boxes in the sex question on their census form, this paper record will remain unchanged and will be what is made public 100 years after the census in line with Section 35 of the Statistics Act 1993.

Census 2022 also contains a new time capsule section which provides a space on the form where households have the option to write a message of their choosing. Along with the rest of the census forms, these messages will be placed in secure storage until the release of the forms after 100 years. The time capsules provide an opportunity for members of the public to record information not otherwise captured on the census form.

Under Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/543, the CSO is legally obliged to produce data on sex with response options limited to male and female only in Census 2022. This is reflected in Question 2 on the census form which asks “What is your sex?” with response options of “Male” and “Female”.

CSO launched a public consultation on the content of the Census 2022 questionnaire in late 2017. As part of this consultation, members of the public and interested stakeholders were invited to submit their requests for new questions and revisions to existing questions. To assist the CSO in assessing the submissions, a Census Advisory Group (CAG) was formed. Membership of the CAG was drawn from organisations and groups who regularly use census data. The CAG made recommendations on which new and revised questions should be tested during a Census Pilot survey which was held in September 2018. Following the Pilot, the CAG assisted the CSO in deciding which questions should be recommended to government for inclusion on the census form.

During the consultation process, several submissions were made requesting a new question on gender identity. As gender identity is an emerging area for statistical data collection, the CAG proposed that the CSO should test and develop a new question that would capture robust data on gender identity before it should be considered for inclusion on a census. Subsequent to the consultation, the CSO has introduced a new gender identity question on both a household survey and as part of the new PULSE surveys. The CSO’s view is that the new question has performed well and that it will be recommended for Pilot testing as part of the preparations for the next census. Inclusion of the new gender identity question in the next census will be subject to approval by the CAG and ultimately by government.

The CSO is aware that in the absence of a question on gender identity on the census form, some members of the public may have difficulty in responding to the question on sex as it appears on the census form. In order to make the census as inclusive as possible, the CSO has advised that for people who have such a difficulty, they can mark both male and female boxes.

In order to meet the aforementioned EU regulation, the CSO is legally obliged to categorise the sex of all persons on the census as either male or female. When both response options have been marked on the census form, the CSO will be required to impute a value of either male or female to each digital record. The imputation of these values will reflect the distribution of the sex variable across the population, which is approximately 50/50. The digital data will be used as the basis for census statistical publications and will only be released in aggregated form.

The CSO will not make any amendments to the paper forms returned from the public. Thus, should someone mark both boxes in the sex question on their census form, this paper record will remain unchanged and will be what is made public 100 years after the census in line with Section 35 of the Statistics Act 1993.

Census 2022 also contains a new time capsule section which provides a space on the form where households have the option to write a message of their choosing. Along with the rest of the census forms, these messages will be placed in secure storage until the release of the forms after 100 years. The time capsules provide an opportunity for members of the public to record information not otherwise captured on the census form.

The employment permits system is designed to facilitate the entry of appropriately skilled non-EEA nationals to fill skills and/or labour shortages, in circumstances where there are no suitably qualified Irish/EEA nationals available to undertake the work and that the shortage is a genuine one.  The system is managed through the use of lists designating highly skilled and ineligible occupations.

Since March 2020, the Department has implemented Covid-19 contingency arrangements moving employment permit operations seamlessly to a totally remote working environment.  Indeed, Ireland was one of the few countries which managed to keep their employment permit system fully operational throughout the crisis.

From the outset of the crisis, in order to assist the HSE and all other medical providers in the State to respond to, and to assist with, the public health response to the threat of Covid-19, all medical employment permits are expedited with immediate effect.

My Department experienced a significant increase in applications for employment permits in the past year.  Applications for Employment Permits increased significantly over the course of 2021, impacting on processing times.  From the start of January to the end of December 2021, some 27,666 applications were received, representing a 69% increase over the same period in 2020 (16,293) and a 47% increase on 2019 (18,811), which itself represented an 11 year high in applications. 

My Department has issued 16,275 employment permits in 2021, and processed a total of 17,968 applications which represents a significant volume of activity. 

In addition, the extension of categories of employment permits following the latest Review of the Occupational Lists has increased the availability of employment permits for these roles. 

Processing times have been impacted by this increase in demand but also because of the HSE cyber-attack.  As a result, employment permit applications associated with the July Doctors rotation (which occurs twice yearly in January and July) had to be submitted either manually or through other nonstandard methods. 

My Department recognises the impact delays on the processing times for work permits has for businesses and their workers and has developed a plan of action to reduce processing times built up over the pandemic.  

The plan includes both additional staffing and systemic changes.  Staffing actions include recruitment of additional permanent and temporary staff.  When all recruitment is completed, the team will be three and a quarter times the size it was in early November.  There has also been an increase in overtime and the temporary reassignment of staff from other areas of the Department with relevant skills.

These measures have already delivered a considerable increase in processing capacity.  As the plan of action is fully implemented it is expected that there will be positive progress achieved in reducing the backlog by the end of Q1 with it substantially reduced by the end of Q2 2022.  This should see a return to more normal processing timeframes.  Indeed

In addition, further systemic changes have also been introduced.  My Department has worked with the Department of Health, the Health Service Executive and the Department of Justice to streamline and extend the time period for General Employment Permits (GEP) issued to doctors.  A new two-year multi-site GEP for Medical Doctors in Public hospitals and Public health facilities was introduced in respect of the January 2022 Doctors rotation.  This will result in significant benefits for applicants, as well as major efficiencies for the Employment Permits Section, by eliminating the necessity to apply for additional employment permits when moving to a different Public hospital or Public health facility within this two year period.

The Employment Permits Section is currently processing General Employment Permit Trusted Partner applications from 25 November and Standard applications from 26 October. 

The Department provides regular updates on its website in relation to processing times and engages directly with key stakeholders including the IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, AmCham, IBEC, representative groups and individual companies, as required.

Applicants can keep track of Employment Permit applications current processing dates at enterprise.gov.ie/en/What-We-Do/Workplace-and-Skills/Employment-Permits/Current-Application-Processing-Dates.

As the Deputy will be aware, the European Union imposed Safeguard Measures on steel imports into the EU in July 2018 in response to the United States applying a 25% tariff on steel imports originating from 3rd Countries, including the European Union. As a result of the US Measures, there was an increased risk of steel originally destined for the US market being diverted to the EU and thereby distorting the EU steel market.

To address this risk, the EU introduced Steel Safeguards Measures in 2018 for an initial period of 3 years. These measures were extended following a review of the mechanism in June 2021. The decision to continue the measures for a minimum period of 2 years was based on a Commission-led review which recommended the prolongation of the measures in order to defend the Single Market against 3rd country steel flooding the market, which could potentially injure EU steel producers across the Union.

The current Safeguard Measures allow for the importation of steel from 3rd Countries by way of quotas, determined in line with traditional volumes of trade in steel before the Safeguard tariff is applied.  Thus, traditional trade flows should not be impacted by the ongoing Measures.

Additionally, as of the 1st January of this year a quota-based system on exports of EU steel and aluminium into the US was implemented in place of the 2018 tariffs on all such imports. This system allows all EU Member States to export steel and aluminium products to the US - within traditional trade volumes - without attracting the additional 25% tariff. In response, the EU suspended its rebalancing countermeasures against the US that were imposed in 2018, these rebalancing measures are separate to the Steel Safeguard measures that continue to be applied to third county imports. These joint actions are welcomed but are considered to be incremental steps in finding a permanent solution to the issue of trade in steel and aluminium between the EU and US.

As the Deputy will know on the 24 February 2022, the Russian Federation commenced a large scale military invasion of Ukraine. As one element of its response, the European Union implemented an import ban on steel products originating in the Russian Federation and Belarus and this action was taken due to the unacceptable and illegal Russian military aggression against Ukraine.

In light of these developments, the EU Commission recognised that its Safeguard Measures needed to be recalibrated to take into account changed internal market dynamics due to the ban of imports of steel and aluminium products from the Russian Federation and Belarus.

Therefore, the EU Commission proposed to Member States to adjust the functioning of the EU Safeguard measures to ensure that these import bans do not create a shortage of supply in the Union and that Union steel users can continue to source those volumes from other third country sources.

The proposals themselves aimed to proportionately redistribute the quota volumes allocated to both countries among other exporting third countries based on the most recent data available to the EU Commission, the overall share of imports from 2021. This approach by the EU is also in line with the logic of the functioning of the measure, as it preserves traditional trade flows in terms of volumes and origins, adapted to the current exceptional circumstances.

This proposal has been formally adopted by the European Union and came into force as of 16th March 2022.

Officials in my Department continue to engage with Irish industry and representative groups and liaise closely with EU officials regarding the operation of the safeguard measures to ensure that they continue to meet their objective in guarding EU steel producers from the harmful impact of trade diversion of steel while at the same time ensuring that the EU market stays open to fair and sustainable competition where EU importers can secure supply at competitive prices.  

As always, steel sourced within the EU is not subject to any such tariffs as part of the Single Market.

‘Dual-use’ items are products and components, including software and technology, that can be used for both civil and military applications. The list of ‘Dual-use’ items subject to Export Control is set out in Annex 1 to Regulation (EU) 2021/821. The bulk of ‘Dual-use’ exports from Ireland are mainstream business ICT products, both hardware and software, (networking, data storage, cybersecurity etc). They are categorised as ‘Dual-use’ items as a consequence of fact that they make use of strong encryption for data protection purposes.

My officials assess all ‘Dual-Use’ export applications on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with the relevant legislation and against the eight assessment criteria set out in Council Common Position 2008/944/CFSP.  In assessing such applications the views of the Department of Foreign Affairs is also considered as well as any EU Restrictive Measures in place.

The value of individual ‘Dual-Use’ export licences issued in respect of Israel from 2017 to date is presented below in tabular format. No licences were issued in respect of exports to Palestine over this period. 

My Department responded swiftly and effectively to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the primary focus being on public health.  Set out in the table below are the expenditure details by supplier regarding the procurement of face masks and face shields undertaken by the Department and its Offices since February 2020 which is when the pandemic hit Ireland. 

The Offices of the Department include the Companies Registration Office (including the Register of Beneficial Owners and the Registry of Friendly Societies), the Intellectual Property Office of Ireland, the Labour Court, the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement and the Workplace Relations Commission. The Department and its Offices are spread across 11 locations across the country in Dublin, Carlow, Clare, Cork, Kilkenny and Sligo.

Reusable masks and face shields were provided for staff. Disposable masks were provided for any contractors and visitors when permitted in attendance onsite in accordance with the prevailing Government restrictions and Public Health guidelines.

Where possible, suppliers used were procured utilising existing frameworks in place via the Office of the Government Procurement (OGP).  Where no OGP framework was available at a point in time, then every effort was made to request quotes from a minimum of three suppliers and subject to availability of supply.

My Department responded swiftly and effectively to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the primary focus being on public health.  Set out in the table below are the expenditure details by supplier regarding hand sanitiser and related products, including dispensing units, pumps and stands, undertaken by the Department and its Offices since February 2020 which is when the pandemic hit Ireland. 

The Offices of the Department include the Companies Registration Office (including the Register of Beneficial Owners and the Registry of Friendly Societies), the Intellectual Property Office of Ireland,  the Labour Court, the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement and the Workplace Relations Commission. The Department and its Offices are spread across 11 locations across the country in Dublin, Carlow, Cork, Clare, Kilkenny and Sligo.

Hand Sanitiser was, and still is, provided across all of our buildings for the use of staff, contractors and any visitors as allowed in attendance and in accordance with the Government restrictions and Public Health guidelines.

Where possible, suppliers used were procured utilising existing frameworks in place via the Office of the Government Procurement (OGP).  Where no OGP framework was available at a point in time, then every effort was made to request quotes from a minimum of three suppliers and subject to availability of supply.

Each year, Enterprise Ireland offers a programme of trade missions and events which support the goal of securing high-level market access for companies based in Ireland who are aiming to grow business overseas and increase domestic employment. 

In recent years the majority of Ministerial-led Trade Missions have taken place to the Eurozone, North America and Asia Pacific, which represented the strongest growth opportunities for Irish companies. These Trade Missions focused on promoting the innovative capabilities and competitive offerings of Irish companies to international buyers in sectors including internationally traded services, fintech, high-tech construction, engineering, ICT and lifesciences.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, trade missions took place virtually throughout 2020 and during Quarters 1 to 3 of 2021. Physical trade missions took place during Quarter 4 of 2021. 

My Department is currently working closely with its agencies on a trade mission schedule for Q2 of 2022 which will maximise opportunities to help Irish companies to access new markets and to increase the levels of foreign direct investment into Ireland.  Trade missions are being planned for the the second quarter to the USA, Mexico, European and New Zealand. The trade mission schedule for 2022 is being planned and reviewed on a quarterly basis due to the changing global environment and adjustments will be made where deemed necessary.

There are no specific recommendations in the report that fall under the remit of my Department.  The agencies of my Department, such as Enterprise Ireland and the Local Enterprise Offices, provide a range of supports designed to assist entrepreneurs, sole traders and small and medium enterprises to establish and grow businesses. These supports are available to members of the Travelling Community that are involved in such endeavours.

The Managing Director of the Centre for the New Economy and Society, World Economic Forum, was a key note speaker at the Future Jobs Ireland Summit 2019 organised by my Department in collaboration with the Department of the Taoiseach.

In the period from March 2019 to May 2019, there was correspondence and discussions between officials in the Digital Economy Policy Unit of my Department and World Economic Forum officials regarding the French Artificial Intelligence (AI) strategy and World Economic Forum projects on AI Governance.

In October 2019, officials from my Department attended an online event for the pre-launch of the Global Competitiveness Report 2019. The key findings of the report were presented by a Project Specialist at the World Economic Forum.

In the period from October 2020 to May 2021, my office received a number of email communications from representatives of the WEF regarding invitations to attend WEF events including:

- 'The Great Reset' dialogue, December 2020

- Global tech governance summit, April 2021

- Special annual meeting, Singapore, August 2021 (this event was subsequently deferred until 2022)

Due to other commitments, I did not attend these events.

In November and December 2021, my office was in correspondence with World Economic Forum representatives regarding my planned attendance at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, which had been scheduled for January 2022. In November, one of my special advisers had a call with the WEF’s Deputy Head of Europe and Eurasia to discuss my participation in this event. The event was subsequently deferred until May 2022 due to the Covid-19 situation and I have received an updated invitation from the WEF.

In the area of furniture fire safety, there are no harmonised EU standards. The Irish standard (I.S. 419:2011) and regulations (SI No. 316/1995) were introduced to protect consumers by preventing the rapid spread of a fire started on or near furniture. The Irish Regulations set out a more robust safety standard than applies in other EU Member States in order to provide a higher level of safety in this area.

Due to competing priorities as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic,  progress on the assessment of submissions was delayed, however analysis of the submissions has resumed again at pace. There have been a number of reports comparing mortality rates due to fires in the EU and the United States along with reports looking at the causes of domestic fires and these reports are being taken into account by my officials, where relevant.

I hope to have recommendations on any revised regulations on foot of that evaluation process in the later in the year.

The Government has agreed to have a once-off public holiday on Friday 18th March 2022 in recognition of the efforts of the general public and Ireland’s frontline workers during the Covid-19 pandemic and in remembrance of people who lost their lives due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

From next year there will be a new permanent public holiday established in celebration of Imbolc/St. Brigid’s day. This will be the first Monday in every February, except where St. Brigid’s day, the 1st day of February, happens to fall on a Friday, in which case that Friday 1st February will be a public holiday. The Government want to ensure that the new public holiday provides for a long weekend for people. The first St. Brigid’s day public holiday will be Monday 6th February 2023.

The legislation which provides for public holidays is the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997. Section 21 of the Act provides that:

(1) Subject to the provisions of this section, an employee shall, in respect of a public holiday, be entitled to whichever one of the following his or her employer determines, namely—

(a) a paid day off on that day,

(b) a paid day off within a month of that day,

(c) an additional day of annual leave,

(d) an additional day’s pay:

Ireland has a comprehensive body of employment legislation, in respect of which the Workplace Relations Commission is mandated to secure compliance.

Where an individual believes they are being deprived of employment rights applicable to employees they may refer a complaint to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) where the matter can be dealt with by way of mediation or adjudication leading to a decision that is enforceable through the District Court. WRC inspectors can also be asked to investigate certain breaches. Complaints can be made on a single online complaint form available at the WRC’s website www.workplacerelations.ie . 

At the outset, I would point out that the funding of any State funded organisation is a matter for the Minister with policy responsibility for the area in question.

Regarding enforcement of recommendations from the Workplace Relations Commission; it is well established that the system of industrial relations in Ireland is essentially voluntary in nature.

A complaint may be submitted for adjudication under the Industrial Relations legislation, where a “trade dispute” (other than a dispute connected with rates of pay, or hours or times of work or annual holidays of, a body of workers) exists. 

The procedure followed in investigating a trade dispute by an Adjudication Officer is substantially different to that used in cases involving legal rights and results in a “Recommendation” rather than a “Decision” from the Adjudication Officer.

“Its recommendation has no strictly legal effect but rather relies upon the moral authority of the expert statutory body from which it emanates. It does not give rise to justiciable rights such as would permit the applicants to seek judicial review” – (Noonan J in Mullally and ors v Labour Court [2015] IEHC 351)

Therefore, the state cannot compel a party to comply with a “recommendation” issuing from the WRC.

While I would strongly encourage the parties to comply with the recommendation of the WRC, the ultimate responsibility for the resolution of industrial disputes between employers and workers, rests with the employer, the workers and their representatives.

The factory in Carrickmacross was officially opened in November 2019 when the fit out of the facility was completed.  As a proposed manufacturer of infant formula supplying the Chinese market, the company is required to have their facility fully audited and approved for operations prior to the commencement of any production.

As the Deputy may be aware, this process includes approval by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) and also inspection and approval by the Chinese authorities. However, delays to this mandatory regulatory approval process were encountered due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and associated travel restrictions.

Whilst DAFM approved the site for production in mid-2021, Chinese approval is still outstanding.

Officials from DAFM are in the process of liaising with their Chinese counterparts in order to determine whether Irish officials can undertake this approvals process on their behalf. In that regard, DAFM hopes to be able to undertake this work later this year.

I understand that there are currently 7 workers employed on site, across business development, finance and engineering functions, with an expectation to grow employment as the business builds.

My Department’s Agency, Enterprise Ireland, continues to build their relationship with the company and are actively supporting them to look at wider business opportunities across the nutritional powders market.

The Government is committed to providing emergency support to meet the immediate needs of those fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine. My Department will be working alongside the Department of Social Protection and other relevant Departments in facilitating full access to the labour market for those arriving from Ukraine, as guaranteed under the EU’s Temporary Protection Directive.

I discussed some of these issues with businesses at a meeting of the Enterprise Forum last week. We will consider further how we can ensure those arriving can take up appropriate employment as soon as possible and that businesses are adequately informed.

As well as full labour market access, the Temporary Protection Directive guarantees rights and supports for those arriving in Ireland, including: 

- Permission to reside in Ireland for a period of 1 year. This permission may be further extended after this year has elapsed.

- Social welfare income supports

- Access to education

- Access to medical care

In addition to a support centre established in Dublin Airport, three new city centre hubs to support Ukrainian nationals have been established by the Government, in Dublin, Cork and Limerick. These ‘Ukraine supports centres’, as well as a number of Intreo Centres, will assist Ukrainians in obtaining PPS numbers, in availing of social welfare income supports and receiving referrals to other State services.

The Intreo employment services are available to assist those arriving from Ukraine as they seek employment in the Irish labour market, including through skills audits and CV preparation.

A dedicated section on the Department of Social Protection’s free recruitment platform, www.jobsireland.ie , is also being developed to provide information to newly arrived Ukrainians; this will include a document of Frequently Asked Questions which will be available in English, Ukrainian and Russian. This will be advertised through social media and at the Ukraine Support Centres, while the Employment Services Officers of the Department of Social Protection will also be available to Ukrainians seeking assistance.

Employers who wish to support Ukrainians through provision of employment opportunities, which should be compliant with employment law and good practice and offer market rates of pay, should register on www.jobsireland.ie . This will enable Employment Services Officers to match the skills of those seeking employment with available work opportunities. Ukrainians seeking employment will also be able to access the service directly, to upload details of their skills and experience for matching with available employment opportunities.

It should be remembered that many of those newly arrived are traumatised and that while some have a good level of English, many others have little or none. The aim will be to match those in a position to work with jobs for which they have recognised qualifications and the language skills necessary to undertake the work.

The Department of Social Protection will be working with the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and its agencies to support Ukrainian jobseekers in acquiring English language and other skillsets as necessary. My Department will also be making available enterprise supports, to facilitate those with entrepreneurial experience in re-establishing where possible businesses in Ireland.

In Ireland, there is a robust suite of employment protections in place.  I wish to confirm to the Deputy that migrant workers benefit from the same statutory employment protections as their Irish and EEA resident counterparts.

Along with the Government, our State Agencies, Trade Unions and employer representative organisations are committed to ensuring that every Ukrainian person who arrives in Ireland is welcomed and provided with all the supports and protections they require to make them feel safe and integrated into our communities right across the country.

My Department is in ongoing consultation with the IDA regarding the factory closure at Tosara Pharma Ltd. in Baldoyle.

Tosara has informed my Department, through IDA Ireland, that it is on track to cease activity in the plant in November 2022 and the facility will be decommissioned in Q1 2023. From my understanding, Tosara intends to sell the site as is and marketing materials will be released in due course by its Agent to both IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland to assist in promoting the facility across its network.

The Department of Social Protection is aware of the situation, and it will ensure all necessary provisions are in place to support the over 100 affected employees when the closure happens. These supports will include welfare entitlements, help with job search and educational/upskilling opportunities.  

I have also been made aware that Teva facilitated an educational programme which included diplomas, degrees, and green/yellow belt training, all conducted by Skillnet via a budget from Teva. This support is ongoing as Teva plan to roll out outplacement services in July 2022, providing support for employees for interviews and CV writing.

Tosara have confirmed to the IDA that the redundancy packaged being offered to its staff is above statutory levels. The package has been discussed with all staff, with the terms of the redundancy being part of negotiations over the past number of months.

As part of the response to the displacement of persons in Ukraine, temporary protection has been granted to Ukrainian citizens in accordance with Section 60 of the International Protection Act, the Temporary Protection Directive (2001/55/EC) and Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/382 of 4 March 2022. The implementing decision applies from 24 February to those who have fled Ukraine as a result of the war following the Russian invasion.

The operation of the Temporary Protection Directive is the responsibility of the Department of Justice.

This temporary protection permission will allow individuals covered to reside in Ireland for a period of 1 year, with the possibility of such permission being extended for further periods. The granting of temporary protection will include a range of entitlements individuals may wish to avail of, including the entitlement to seek employment or self-employment and vocational training education activities in Ireland.

Individuals covered by the Temporary Protection Directive will not be subject to the employment permits legislation and criteria and will not be required to secure an employment permit in order to take up employment.

The Department of Justice have provided a FAQ document which provides the most up to date arrangements for Ukrainian Citizens and their Family members wishing to travel to Ireland which will be updated by the Department of Justice on an ongoing basis as the arrangements and developments change: www.irishimmigration.ie/faqs-for-ukraine-nationals-and-residents-of-ukraine/.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 111 and 112 together.

Further to Parliamentary Question No. 203 of 28 September 2021; the European Commission raised a query on foot of a complaint it had received alleging non-conformity of Irish legislation with Directive 2009/38/EC on European Works Councils. My Department has replied to the queries raised. However, as the process is incomplete it is not appropriate for me to comment further at this time. 

A European Works Council (a “EWC”) is a body that facilitates information and consultation with European employees on transnational issues. EWC are subject to the law of the Member State in which they are located. They derive from Directive 1994/45/EC (the “EWC Directive”) as transposed into Irish law by the Transnational Information and Consultation of Employees Act 1996. A recast by Directive 2009/38/EC was given effect by European Communities (Transnational Information and Consultation of Employees Act 1996) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 (S.I. No. 380 of 2011).

The purpose of the recast Directive is to improve the right to information and to consultation of employees in Community-scale undertakings and Community-scale groups of undertakings. 

The general provisions of the Irish Regulation follow the provisions of Directive 2009/38/EC faithfully providing mechanisms for dispute resolution. There is no caselaw to support an assertion that the provisions of the Regulation are insufficient.

My Department are satisfied that the Transnational Information and Consultation of Employees Act, 1996 as amended fully and correctly transposes Directive 2009/38/EC into national law. However, should any inadequacies be identified, they will be addressed in due course.

The electricity and gas retail markets in Ireland operate within a European regulatory regime wherein electricity and gas markets are commercial, liberalised and competitive. Responsibility for the regulation of the electricity and gas markets is a matter for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU).

The most immediate factor affecting electricity prices in Ireland is high international gas prices where we are a price taker.  In Europe, wholesale natural gas prices have risen and remained high since the second half of 2020. Gas prices are now unprecedently high, with UK wholesale gas prices recently reaching record levels. 

This feeds directly through to retail electricity prices as the wholesale price of electricity correlates strongly with the price of gas.

Energy security and prices were two of the issues raised by business representatives at the most recent meeting of the Enterprise Forum hosted by my Department last week, and which was attended remotely by An Tánaiste, Leo Varadkar.

While the Government cannot resolve all the difficulties with energy supplies, we will do all we can to mitigate the impact on businesses and households. While the hope is that the crisis can be resolved within a matter of months, there is no guarantee this will be the case. 

The Tánaiste said it was clear that the problems raised are broader than energy supplies alone, and that the Government are committed to engaging with the business sectors on how best to deal with these issues, and also how to maintain consumer confidence in the medium term.  A further meeting of the Enterprise Forum will take place in the coming weeks.

Separately, the recently launched Climate Toolkit 4 Business is an important resource for SMEs and micro enterprises. With climate change, changing regulations, rising resource costs and changing customer expectations adopting an eco-friendlier approach is one way forward for business.

The Climate Toolkit 4 Business promotes an understanding of the enterprises current carbon footprint, assists enterprises in their journey to become more energy efficient and signposts the energy efficiency supports available to them. The Toolkit directs users to advice, grants and other resources available from the LEOs, EI, SEAI, Irish Water, EPA, IDA and others.

In March 2021, the Local Enterprise Office Green for Micro programme was launched on a pilot basis. The Local Enterprise Offices approved 269 Green for Micro projects in 2021, assisting Micro enterprises to prepare for the low carbon, more resource efficient economy of the future. This support is open to a broad range of micro enterprises, including retail, with fewer than ten employees.

My colleague, Minister Eamon Ryan TD., Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications, may be able to assist the Deputy further in relation to SEAI Business Grants.

I extend my sympathies to the employees of Roadbridge Limited who are at risk of redundancy at this time. I fully appreciate how difficult the situation is for those involved and for their families.

The Protection of Employment Act 1977 imposes a number of obligations on employers who are proposing collective redundancies. It includes an obligation to engage in a 30-day information and consultation process with employees’ representatives and to provide certain information relating to the proposed redundancies. Where an employee believes the employer to be in breach of the Act, they may pursue a complaint to the Workplace Relations Commission.

It is not possible to waive the consultation period. The employer – or a receiver or liquidator appointed to the employer – has a statutory obligation under sections 9 and 10 of the Protection of Employment Act 1977 to consult with employees. There are no provisions allowing for waiving of the consultation period set out in law.

Following engagement with my Department, the receiver confirmed to employees there is no statutory restriction on employees taking up additional employment during a statutory redundancy consultation period, in circumstances where they are not expected to attend the workplace. Provided they do not resign from their current employment, there should be no obstacle to retaining their statutory redundancy entitlements.

I assure you Government will work in a coordinated way to assist the workers of Roadbridge Ltd. The Department of Social Protection is currently working to provide income support for employees affected by Roadbridge’s immediate cessation of trade and has been in contact with the receiver in this regard. 

Further, in situations where the employer cannot pay statutory redundancy and other wage related entitlements due to insolvency, the State provides a safety net for employees to ensure they receive their statutory entitlements from the Social Insurance Fund.

The Employment Permits Section of my Department inform me that a General Employment Permit was issued on 17th February 2022 in respect of the person concerned (details supplied).

A whole of Government response is required in order to respond to the recommendations of the Pensions Commission, of which the issue of mandatory retirement clauses is only one element. My Department is considering the Commission's recommendations in relation to mandatory retirement ages in certain contracts of employment.

There is no statutory retirement age for employees in Irish legislation, apart from for certain public sector employees where statutory retirement ages may apply. A contract of employment will generally contain a retirement age but this is a matter of contract between the parties.

Employment equality must be a core consideration in reforms to address mandatory retirement clauses, and the needs of both employees and employers will require consideration and further consultation. In this regard, it will be necessary to liaise closely with employer groups as any changes in this area have potential to have a significant impact on workforce planning, particularly for SMEs.

Other pension related reforms, such as the national auto-enrolment pension scheme, will be an important tool to address the issues involved.  The delivery of an auto-enrolment pension scheme will make it easier for people to access retirement savings options to help them meet their own income expectations for when they retire and is a current Programme for Government commitment.

The Employment Permits Section of my Department inform me that a Critical Skills Employment Permit application was received in respect of the person concerned (details supplied) on 13th December 2021.

The Employment Permits Section of my Department are currently processing standard Critical Skills Employment Permit applications received on 13th December 2021, so this application should be considered within the next week.

The Employment Permits Section of my Department inform me that on 14th March 2022 the Critical Skills Employment Permit application submitted for the person concerned (details supplied) was withdrawn.

I understand that the application was withdrawn as it would not meet the criteria required for a Critical Skills Employment Permit.  The Employment Permits Section of my Department understand that it is intended that a new application for a General Employment Permit will be submitted in due course.

A Checklist Document has been prepared to assist applicants when applying for a General Employment Permit and this document is available on my Department's website and can be accessed through this link:-General-Employment-Permits-Checklist.pdf (enterprise.gov.ie).

As a result of a settlement agreement reached in December 2021, the Security ERO as approved was quashed and the draft proposals remitted back to the Labour Court. 

A Division of the Labour Court decided on the 7 February 2022 to direct the holding of a fresh hearing involving all interested parties desiring to be heard. This hearing took place in March.

If the Court decides to adopt the proposals, having heard from the interested parties, it will submit the proposals to me for consideration.

The cost incurred by my Department for the supply of Covid-19 related face masks and face coverings since March 2019 to date is €18,591.21.  

The table below sets out the expenditure incurred by supplier.

The cost incurred by my Department for the supply of Covid-19 related hand sanitiser since March 2019 to date is €9,732.90.  

The table below set out the expenditure by supplier.

An Post is a commercial semi-state company with a mandate to act commercially and it is longstanding Government policy that postal services will not be directly subsidised by the taxpayer. The Government remains fully committed to a sustainable An Post and post office network as a key component of the economic and social infrastructure throughout Ireland. A long-term low interest loan of €30m was provided to the company in December 2017, of which €15m was to support and protect the renewal of the post office network.

Ireland has a comprehensive National Plan for Nuclear and Radiological Emergency Exposures  which details  our planning and preparedness for a national response to a major nuclear incident. My Department is the Lead Government Department under the plan with responsibility for delivering a whole of Government response to any emergency, supported by the Environmental Protection Agency. The Plan is available at www.gov.ie.  

The plan sets out the trigger points which would require the National Emergency Coordination Group (NECG) to be convened and for the plan to be invoked. These include specific notifications to Irish authorities of nuclear or radiological emergencies abroad. While my Department does not believe the current circumstances require either the NECG to be convened or that the plan to be brought into operation, it continues to liaise with the EPA and other Departments and agencies as the situation unfolds.

My Department is committed to providing an inclusive work environment. Our Statement of Strategy, Le Chéile 23, is underpinned by the values set out in the Civil Service Renewal Plan and is committed to human rights, equality and anti-discrimination. A key action for 2022 arising from this is Ag Obair Le Chéile. This is a comprehensive action plan to develop the Department's people, culture and organisation to deliver, improve and transform the Department. The Department’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Group was established last year with the aim to promote an inclusive and diverse workplace. This Group is a cross representative group and will play an integral role in driving forward the Department’s vision for inclusion, diversity and equality to create a fairer and more inclusive workspace for employees from all backgrounds. The Irish public sector operates within a legislative framework that recognises the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workforce and work environment. This includes polices that promote the rights and inclusion of groups across the equality grounds. Some strategies include specified targets; for example, an increase from 3% to 6% of people with disabilities in the workforce by 2024 (Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities) and 1% of the workforce to comprise ethnic minorities (Migrant Integration Strategy, National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021).

The Public Appointments Service (PAS) as recruiters of staff for the public service play a central role in recruiting diverse talent to take up public service employment opportunities, as outlined in their Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy which includes access and the effect of recruitment and selection processes to attract candidates from diverse backgrounds, including the Traveller Community.

Contractors installing insulation under any scheme supported by a Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) grant must carry out the works using approved materials and in line with the SEAI’s Domestic Technical Standards and Specifications and best practice and technical guidance documents, including: - S.R. 54:2014 Code of practice for the energy efficient retrofit of dwellings;

- Building Regulations Technical Guidance Documents (Latest updates of Part L, Part B, Part C, Part D, Part F, Part J, Part M in particular);

- The System Supplier/ Product Manufacturer Guidelines;

- National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) Agrément certificates; and

- Irish, British or European Standards Guides.

The materials used must be manufactured to a relevant Irish, British or European Standard and be certified by the NSAI Agrément or equivalent.

All spray foam attic insulation must be Irish Agrément Certified or have equivalent certificate. The issue of equivalence is raised frequently and it was agreed that the NSAI will assess equivalence as it is outside SEAI’s remit. NSAI have deemed that this particular product does not have equivalent certification.

The National Retrofit Plan sets out the Government's approach to achieving the Climate Action Plan targets of upgrading the equivalent of 500,000 homes to a Building Energy Rating of B2/cost optimal level and installing 400,000 heat pumps to replace older, less efficient heating systems by 2030. The Plan is designed to address barriers to retrofit across four key areas: driving demand and activity; financing and funding; supply chain, skills and standards; and governance. In line with commitments in the Plan, the Government recently approved a package of significantly enhanced supports to make it easier and more affordable for homeowners to undertake home energy upgrades. The new National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme will provide increased grant levels of up to 50% of the cost of a typical deep retrofit to a B2 BER standard. A network of One Stop Shops will offer a new end-to-end project management service for homeowners. This includes surveying the home; designing the upgrades; managing the grant processes; helping with access to finance; engaging the contractors to deliver the work and then quality-assuring that work.

In addition, increased grants for attic and cavity wall insulation have also been made available, covering 80% of the cost to homeowners of these highly cost-effective upgrade measures. Free upgrades are also available for households at risk of energy poverty. My Department is also developing a residential retrofit loan guarantee scheme which will enable financial institutions to offer loans with reduced interest rates for retrofit projects. An equity release scheme is not being considered at this time.

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) is developing the Atlantic Marine Energy Test Site (AMETS) to provide a full-scale grid-connected offshore renewables test facility. AMETS will form part of a national suite of infrastructural facilities set up to enable offshore renewable technology development and progression towards commercial viability. It is intended that full scale marine energy devices could be tested at their final stages of pre-commercial development at AMETS.  

Since the AMETS site was announced in 2010 the development of the site has progressed with work on environmental assessments for the site (onshore and offshore), applications for grid connection, planning permission for the onshore component, foreshore license and consent applications. Originally intended to test wave energy converter devices, the focus of the test-site has shifted to floating offshore wind due to slower than anticipated development of wave energy technologies. The investment to date has been €6.86 million, including environmental surveys on both land and sea and grid connections. Funding in the form of an EU Interreg project called AFLOWT was secured in 2018 and that project is ongoing. The test site development is ongoing with an application for consent due to be submitted in Q1 2023 under the new Maritime Area Regulatory Authority, established in the Maritime Area Planning Act (December 2021). Onshore substation building works are also in preparation and due to commence in 2023. The aim is to bring the test site into service before the end of 2025. This ongoing development is based on stakeholder engagement and an Expression of Interest survey undertaken in 2021 by SEAI, highlight the continued interest in having a full-scale test site on the Atlantic coast. The AMETS project when operational, will facilitate testing in the unique conditions of the Atlantic (a harsh environment, high resource location), thus reducing investor risk and strengthening Ireland as a centre for Floating Offshore Wind (FOW), wave, hydrogen, and floating solar research in Europe.

The application referred to by the Deputy is under consideration by my Department. All applications for petroleum authorisations are assessed against a number of criteria in accordance with Section 9A(1) of the Petroleum and Other Minerals Development Act, 1960 and Section 3 of the Licensing Terms for Offshore Oil and Gas Exploration, Development and Production. This includes the technical competence of the applicant and the financial resources available to it in order to undertake the work programme and any other commitments pursuant to the relevant petroleum authorisation. My Department does not publish information on individual applications for authorisations whilst they are under consideration.

Section 57 of the Petroleum and Other Minerals Development Act 1960 requires that I lay before the Houses of the Oireachtas every six months a report detailing all exploration activities, including petroleum exploration authorisations granted during the period of the report. The last such report laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas was in respect of the six-month period ending 31 December 2021. A report on the status of all petroleum authorisations is also published on a quarterly basis on gov.ie (www.gov.ie/en/publication/10d43-acreage-reports-and-concession-maps/). The most recent such report was published in respect of the three month period ending 31 December 2021. The table below contains the information sought in relation to the numbers of current extensions applications.

As Minister, I participate and engage regularly with a number of international bodies, including The World Economic Forum. Summary details of my engagement with The World Economic Forum, since my appointment as Minister in June 2020, and engagement by a former Minister of State and officials in my Department since 2019, are set out below in tabular form.  

Please see table below with the breakdown of the current and capital budget allocations for my department for each subhead in the revised estimates for 2022.  

Please see table below with the breakdown for the current and capital budget allocations for each subhead of the revised estimates for 2021 for my department.

Please see below.

The final design of the Micro-generation Support Scheme (MSS) was approved by Government in December 2021 and will be published shortly. Community enterprises including sports clubs and community halls will be eligible to participate, either as individual micro-generators or as community projects within the MSS. At present, community enterprises with existing renewable micro-generation are eligible to receive the Clean Export Guarantee tariff for all residual electricity exported to the grid. They can contact their supplier to obtain information on the Clean Export Guarantee. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) is due to extend the domestic solar PV grant scheme to the non-domestic sector, including community enterprises, in July of this year. A Capital grant for new renewable micro-generation up to 6.0kW in size (maximum grant €2,400) will be available. The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) is currently working on the regulatory framework to facilitate renewable energy communities following a recent public consultation. The CRU has published a summary note alongside the main Conclusions Paper which specifically contains the conclusions and next steps the CRU is planning to take to implement the enabling regulatory framework for energy communities and active consumers. The CRU is also due to consult on an implementation plan for the Clean Export Premium (CEP) tariff in Q3 of this year. The CEP tariff will be Eur13.5c/kWh in 2022 and 2023 for new renewable micro-generation from non-domestic applicants between 6.1kW and 50kW in size, fixed for 15 years.

I refer to the reply to Question No. 112 of 24 February 2022. The position is unchanged.

The National Retrofit Plan sets out the Government's approach to achieving the Climate Action Plan targets of upgrading the equivalent of 500,000 homes to a Building Energy Rating of B2/cost optimal level and installing 400,000 heat pumps to replace older, less efficient heating systems by 2030. The Plan is designed to address barriers to retrofit across four key areas: driving demand and activity; financing and funding; supply chain, skills and standards; and governance. In line with commitments in the Plan, the Government recently approved a package of significantly enhanced supports to make it easier and more affordable for homeowners to undertake home energy upgrades. The new National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme will provide increased grant levels of up to 50% of the cost of a typical deep retrofit to a B2 BER standard. A network of One Stop Shops will offer a new end-to-end project management service for homeowners. This includes surveying the home; designing the upgrades; managing the grant processes; helping with access to finance; engaging the contractors to deliver the work and then quality-assuring that work.

Households in receipt of a State Pension, whose homes meet the eligibility criteria, can apply for support including whole home upgrade grants under the National Home Energy Upgrade scheme and individual grants for energy efficiency measures.

Free upgrades available under the Warmer Homes scheme are currently available to households who are in receipt of certain Department of Social Protection payments including the Fuel Allowance.  I understand that the State Pension is a qualifying payment for the Fuel Allowance, which is a means tested payment. Households can contact the Department of Social Protection to check whether they meet the relevant means test.

The European Commission issued a Letter of Formal Notice (Case 2012/4228) on 31 May 2012. This Infringement remains open but has not been escalated to Reasoned Opinion stage by the Commission. The most recent written correspondence from the Commission relating to this infringement was dated 6 February 2019, to which Ireland responded on 26 April 2019.  The infringement was also discussed with the Commission in November last year at a Package Meeting. As this case is still ongoing, it would not be appropriate to release details of it.

The Electricity Costs (Domestic Electricity Accounts) Emergency Measures Act 2022 has established a scheme for the making in 2022, of a once-off Electricity Costs Emergency Benefit Payment to each domestic electricity account, having regard to the exceptional rise in energy prices. This scheme is in addition to the Government’s ongoing measures to address energy poverty and the protection of vulnerable customers, and is in addition to the measures introduced in the Budget.Where a domestic electricity account is set up directly by a member of the Traveller community, with the provider of their choice, payment of utility bills are matters between the account holder and their suppliers. In the event that local authorities hold the domestic electricity accounts, but a member of the Traveller community pays their electricity through local authorities, this is a matter between them and the local authority. Should members of the Traveller community have a dispute with their local authority, they should bring that up with their local authority in the first instance. The Ombudsman can examine complaints relating to local authorities. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, is contacting local authorities to ensure that, electricity credit is being passed on to occupants of halting sites, as appropriately, in situations where tenants pay local authorities directly for energy.

The levy, charged on the sale of most petroleum products at the point of sale, is collected and paid by the oil companies on a monthly basis to the National Oil Reserves Agency, to fund the activities of NORA and the Climate Action Fund. The levy is currently set at the rate of 2 cent per litre. The levy income for the last 4 years is as follows:2021 - 120.2m2020 - 120.6m2019 - 133.4m2018 - 134.2m

The carbon capture and storage (CCS) feasibility study, which is being carried out by Ervia, comprises a desktop study examining technical, economic, safety, regulatory, and environmental aspects of capturing, transporting and storing CO2 emissions. Ervia has provided regular updates to the Steering Group, established to examine the feasibility of CCS in Ireland under the 2019 Climate Action Plan, on the study’s progress. The latest update was in December 2021 when, as requested by the CCS steering group, Ervia submitted a report “Assessment of the Feasibility of CCS for Deployment in Ireland” to assess the feasibility of CCS deployment in Ireland against criteria developed by the steering group. In addition, as an EU Project of Common Interest (PCI), included on the 4th EU PCI List, project promoter, Ervia, successfully applied for €1 million in EU grant funding through the EU Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) in May 2020. Using this grant funding, Ervia is carrying out a further detailed study regarding the transport of CO2 in the Cork and Dublin areas. This includes the network transport and conditioning of CO2 for storage in the Kinsale Head gas field or export via ship to CO2 storage facilities in other countries. Funding secured through the successful CEF application will cover approximately half of the study’s anticipated €2 million cost, with the study scheduled to conclude in 2022. In conjunction with this, Ervia is part of a Horizon 2020 project “Realise” which is developing a lower cost technology for capturing CO2 for industrial emitters. This involves testing the CO2 capture technology at Whitegate oil refinery and assessing how it could be integrated into a wider industrial carbon capture cluster.

The Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme delivers free energy upgrades for eligible homeowners in low-income households who are most at risk of energy poverty. It is administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). Since the start of the scheme in 2000, over 143,000 free upgrades have been supported by the scheme. In 2021, the average cost of the energy efficiency measures provided per household was €17,100. There are currently just over 7,000 homes awaiting works on the Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme work programme. This includes homes that are:

- Awaiting the initial survey of their home;

- Have completed an initial home survey and are awaiting allocation to a contractor;- Have been allocated to a contractor for works; or

- Currently undergoing works.Activity under the scheme, and the associated expenditure, were significantly impacted in both 2020 and 2021 by the COVID pandemic, when construction activity was paused for approximately 12 months in total, in line with Government guidelines. SEAI data indicates that for homes completed in 2021, the average time for a surveyor to be allocated was approximately 18 months. The average cycle time from application to completion was approximately 26 months, taking into account the increase in waiting times due to the impact of COVID-19 restrictions and the deeper measures being provided under the scheme since 2018.The following key actions have already been taken:

- The budget for this year, at €109 million, is nearly three times the 2021 outturn (€38 million) and funding has also been sought through the European Regional Development Fund;- The number of homes retrofitted under the scheme are to increase from 177 per month in 2021 to 400 per month in 2022;

- SEAI has been allocated additional staff for the Warmer Homes Scheme;- Increasing contractor output through contract management.Works under the scheme have now recommenced in line with activity in the residential construction sector and activity did ramp up again towards the end of last year. Based on the foregoing, SEAI target clearing the homes currently on the waiting list in approximately 18 months. This will be done by targeting those homes that are longest on the waiting list first, and then prioritising the worst performing properties, i.e. homes that were built before January 1993 and have a Building Energy Rating of E, F or G.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 142 and 143 together.  142 and 143 together.

My Department does not provide funding to either organisation directly. However my Department does provide funding to the Irish Environmental Network (IEN) who fund smaller member organisations. These national environmental NGOs are active on a broad range of environmental issues, including wildlife conservation, biodiversity and climate change.

In this context, I provided funding of €1,764,000 for the IEN and its constituent members in 2021 from the Environment Fund. This was an increase of €704,000 on the level of funding provided in 2020.  This funding is granted subject to the recipients complying with the provisions of Department of Finance Circular 13 of 2014, “Management of and Accountability for Grants from Exchequer Funds”.

The IEN is an independent umbrella organisation for environmental NGOs with its own corporate governance structures.  The distribution and allocation of funding to its members is decided by the IEN.  Member organisations are requested by the IEN to submit funding proposals, and member applications for core funding are then evaluated by an independent panel of adjudicators.

Neither of the organisations referred to come under the aegis of my Department and I have no jurisdiction to comment on their administration or governance.

I propose to take Question Nos. 145 and 146 together.

Capital Carryover is derived from the Department’s annual underspend up to a maximum 10% of the Capital Allocation in that year and the remainder is surrendered to the Exchequer.

A Capital Carryover of €57.9m was carried forward into 2022. This carryover allocation is a portion of the 2021 provisional underspend of €85.5m which arose across all Programmes in the Department.  The final outturn for each Programme will be available in the 2021 Appropriation Account when published.  The carryover was allocated on the basis of the maximum 10% limit for carryover and an assessment of the Department's funding requirements for 2022.  On that basis the €57.9m was allocated to Programme B - Energy Transformation, details of which are in the table below.

There was no change to the allocation of the Capital Carryover for 2022 as a result of the supplementary estimate earlier this month.

A Capital Carryover of €37.75m was carried forward into 2021. This carryover allocation was a portion of the 2020 underspend of €101.0m published in the 2020 Appropriation Account and occurred across all Programme areas.  The carryover was allocated on the basis of the maximum 10% limit for carryover and an assessment of the Department's funding requirements for 2021.  On that basis the carryover was allocated to Programmes A and B as set out in the table below.

The Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme delivers free energy upgrades for eligible homeowners in low-income households who are most at risk of energy poverty. It is administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). Since the start of the scheme in 2000, over 143,000 free upgrades have been supported by the scheme. In 2021, the average cost of the energy efficiency measures provided per household had increased to €17,100. At the end of February, there are currently just over 6,900 homes awaiting works on the Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme work programme. This includes homes that are: Awaiting the initial survey of their home; Have completed an initial home survey and are awaiting allocation to a contractor; Have been allocated to a contractor for works; or, Currently undergoing works. Activity under the Scheme, and the associated expenditure, were significantly impacted in both 2020 and 2021 by the COVID pandemic. SEAI data indicates that for homes completed so far in 2022, the average cycle time from application to completion was approximately 27 months. While this delay was largely driven by COVID related issues, the deeper measures being provided under the scheme since 2018, also involve more substantive works. In order to reduce this timeline to completion, the following key actions are being taken:

- The budget this year, at €109 million, is nearly three times the 2021 outturn (€38 million) and funding has also been sought through the European Regional Development Fund;

- The number of homes retrofitted under the scheme are due to increase from 177 per month in 2021 to 400 per month in 2022;- SEAI has allocated additional staff for the Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme;- SEAI is working to increase contractor output through active contract engagement and management.Works under the Scheme recommenced in line with activity in the residential construction sector and activity did ramp up again towards the end of last year. Based on the foregoing, SEAI target clearing the homes currently on the waiting list in approximately 18 months.

The development in question has not previously come to the attention of my Department. Gas prices are not capped in Ireland, and the position of successive Governments, for almost 20 years, has been that competitive energy markets result in greater choice for consumers and businesses. Given recent international developments, however, the importance of moving away from our reliance on imported gas has been underpinned and, instead, we are accelerating the development of renewable energy generation across the country. 

This Government recognises the potential to make use of renewable and waste energy to heat homes and businesses as part of a range of measures to reduce carbon emissions. The Climate Action Plan 2021 contains actions that will provide a solid basis for the appropriate expansion of district heating in Ireland, including the establishment of a Steering Group to oversee the rollout of district heating and ensure that a robust governance framework is put in place. These actions will also ensure consumer protection, in accordance with legislation.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 149 and 150 together. Gas prices are not capped in Ireland, and the position of successive Governments, for almost 20 years, has been that competitive energy markets result in greater choice for consumers and businesses. Given recent international developments, however, the importance of moving away from our reliance on imported gas has been underpinned and, instead, we are accelerating the development of renewable energy generation across the country. 

The Climate Action Plan 2021 contains actions that will provide a solid basis for the appropriate expansion of district heating in Ireland, including the establishment of a Steering Group to oversee the rollout of district heating and ensure that a robust governance framework is put in place. These actions will also ensure consumer protection, in accordance with legislation.

Government is acutely aware of the impact that the recent increases in energy prices is having across the economy including the sectors highlighted by the Deputy.The most immediate factor affecting electricity prices in Ireland is high international gas prices where we are a price taker. In Europe, wholesale natural gas prices have risen and remained high since the second half of 2020. Gas prices are now unprecedentedly high, with UK wholesale gas prices recently reaching record levels. This is a global phenomenon and expert bodies, including the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the European Commission, have attributed this to a range of demand, supply and geopolitical events, particularly the invasion of Ukraine by Russia that has significantly exacerbated the tightening of the European gas market supplies and the consequent upward trend in wholesale gas prices we have witnessed since mid 2020. This feeds directly through to retail electricity prices as the wholesale price of electricity correlate strongly with the price of gas. This is an issue across all EU member states. The position of successive Governments, has been that competitive energy markets result in greater choice for consumers and businesses, in terms of suppliers, products and prices. The best long-term approach to insulate consumers from volatility on international wholesale energy markets is to invest in energy efficiency, renewable energy, the expansion of interconnection with our European and neighbouring markets and to deepen internal electricity market integration. Cutting our dependence on fossil fuels and generating power from our own renewable sources will ensure a cleaner, cheaper energy future in the long term. This is what Government is working toward. In relation to energy efficiency the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) administers a number of schemes funded by my Department including the Communities Energy Grant (CEG) Scheme that may be particularly relevant in this instance. The Communities Energy Grant Scheme supports new approaches to achieving high quality improvements in energy efficiency. By bringing together groups of buildings under the same retrofit programme, these projects facilitate community-wide energy improvements more efficiently and cost effectively than might otherwise be possible. A new call for CEG projects for 2022 will issue from the SEAI shortly. More information on the Community Energy Grant Scheme, including details of Project Co-ordinators, is available on the SEAI website or SEAI may be contacted directly on 1850 927 000 or by e-mail at bec@seai.ie.

Further to Action 187 of the Climate Action Plan 2021, my Department has established a District Heating Steering Group. This Steering Group draws together the expertise of key stakeholder organisations in order to inform the setting of targets and other key elements for the rollout of district heating at far greater scale. A function of the Steering Group is to address barriers to the rollout of district heating in order to ensure that advantage can be taken of this technology to decarbonise the built environment and diversify energy supply for heat. The Steering Group will report to Government later this year and integral to its report will be recommendations for targets for the rollout of district heating that are both realistic and ambitious in scale.

The final design of the Micro-generation Support Scheme (MSS) was approved by Government in December 2021 and will be published shortly.On the 15 February this year I signed the Regulations that transpose Articles 21 and 22 of the recast Renewable Energy Directive which brings these Articles into force. These Regulations allow the Clean Export Guarantee tariff to become available for new and existing micro-and small-scale generators so that they will receive payment from their electricity supplier for all excess renewable electricity they export to the grid, reflective of the market value. Following a public consultation, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) published a decision on an interim enabling framework for the CEG on 1 December 2021.This decision outlines the interim arrangements for the implementation of the CEG, including eligibility criteria and remuneration methodology. The CRU has decided that suppliers will set their individual CEG tariffs on a competitive market basis. I believe some suppliers have already published their tariffs. The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) is not setting a date or deadline for the timing of the first payment. However, initial payments or credits from suppliers are expected within a reasonable timeframe after June 2022. The CRU has asked suppliers to communicate their decision on when initial Clean Export Guarantee (CEG) payments will be made – at the earliest opportunity. Furthermore, the Minister for Finance introduced a tax disregard of €200 in Budget 2021 in respect of personal income received by households who sell residual renewable electricity, which they generate, back to the grid.

The Government has recently approved a package of supports to make it easier and more affordable for homeowners to undertake home energy upgrades, for warmer, healthier and more comfortable homes, with lower energy bills. The key measures include:

- a new National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme providing increased grant levels of up to 50% of the cost of a typical deep retrofit to a B2 BER standard (up from 30%-35% grants currently).

- One Stop Shops to offer a start-to-finish project management service, including access to financing, for home energy upgrades.

- The grant available for an air to water heat pump installation has increased from €3,500 to €6,500. A grant of €4,500 is available for apartments.

- For homes undergoing a deeper energy upgrade on the National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme or the Communities Energy Grant Scheme a bonus payment of €2,000 is available this year for those which achieve a post works BER of B2 or better and install a heat pump.

In addition, the year of construction has been amended to bring the relevant SEAI schemes into alignment:

Heat pump systems are at their most efficient and effective when generating heat at a lower temperature. Poor insulation, draughts and single glazing will affect the performance of a heat pump system. On this basis, one of the requirements for a dwelling to qualify for an SEAI grant for a heat pump system is that the dwelling has low heat loss. Some homes will already meet this requirement and other homes can achieve it through a package of upgrades. Grants are available for measures that can help a home achieve the required heat loss indicator, such as roof, wall and floor insulation, and window and door replacements.

Heat pumps supported through SEAI grant programmes are required to meet minimum heat pump product performance standards, be designed and sized correctly to meet the heat loads for that specific home, that the home meets minimum energy performance and they are designed and installed by competent installers or personnel.

To avail of a grant the heat pumps must meet the requirements specified in SEAI’s Domestic Technical Standards and Specifications which include:

- Meeting national requirements for domestic heating and building services and wiring regulations

- Fully comply with the EU Energy Label and Eco-design regulations

- Provide the data required for the Domestic BER assessment based on EN14825 and EN16147 testing standards

- Be CE marked and have the EC declaration of conformity

- Be listed on the SEAI Triple E register

- Satisfy the minimum Seasonal Performance Factor (Main Space Heating Efficiency) calculated according to the dwelling energy assessment procedure methodology

Heat pump systems must be installed by suitably qualified personnel. Personnel nominated to supervise and inspect the works, and to sign off the Declaration of Works must be competent in the different aspects of the works. This includes design, sizing and installation of the whole heat pump system. The minimum qualification and training requirements that must be met by personnel nominated to sign off the Declaration of Works for grant purposes are:

- Fetac/QQI Level 6 Advanced Craft in Plumbing, including a module on minor electrical works, or equivalent

- Certificate of competence from the specific manufacturer of the heat pumps installed, based on an adequate training programme

- Fetac/QQI Level 6 Heat Pump Systems (Course Code C30263) and supplemental Domestic Heat Pump Installation (Code 700606) or equivalent

A Registered Electrical Contractor (REC) is required to supervise and sign off the electrical installation of a heat pump system, in accordance with the definition of “Controlled Works and Restricted Works” by the CRU.

An F-Gas engineer is required to carry out and certify heat pump system installations involving refrigerant pipework and charging as per the F-Gas Regulation.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 155, 156 and 157 together.

The Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy (WAPCE) , which was published in September 2020, contains over 200 measures that will be delivered over a five-year period. Delivery of its objectives will be instrumental in meeting the challenges identified in the Ireland 2040 project, with a key focus on minimising waste generation and extending the productive life of the materials we use.  Some measures have been delivered already, such as the inclusion of soft plastics in the household recycling bin. A large number of transformational measures, such as the introduction of a Deposit and Return Scheme, are well-advanced and others will be introduced through the forthcoming Circular Economy Bill, such as provisions to improve segregation of waste in the commercial sector, and a national food waste prevention roadmap.

Local Authorities are statutorily responsible for the preparation of Waste Management plans.  Regional Waste Management Planning Offices are currently preparing a new National Waste Management Plan, informed by, inter alia, the National Planning Framework. The plan will set out the required actions at local and regional levels to deliver on the Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy (WAPCE) and support Ireland's circular economy transition.

The new National Plan will contain targets for reuse, repair, resource consumption and recycling through measures such as:

- the introduction of a Deposit and Return Scheme;

- the application of incentivised pricing to commercial waste;

- the enhanced use of civic amenity sites as circular economy hubs;

- supporting the development of indigenous treatment capacity to reduce reliance on export.

 The National Waste Management Plan will be published in 2022.

The work of the Inter-Departmental Group, which was established to, inter alia, examine the feasibility of additional Government services being provided through An Post and the post office network, is being considered by Minister Naughton and its report will be submitted to Government in due course.

Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) are a key element of the NBP providing high speed broadband in every county in advance of the roll out of the fibre to the home network. My Department has now prioritised primary schools with no high speed broadband and continues to work with the Department of Education in this regard. In late 2020, Government and NBI agreed to accelerate the rollout of high-speed broadband to some 679 schools across the State, ensuring that all schools in Ireland will have the necessary infrastructure to carry out their critical day to day educational activities unimpeded by poor broadband.In County Cork, 27 schools have been installed by NBI to date for educational access. My Department continues to work with the Department of Education to prioritise schools with no high speed broadband, within the Intervention Area. Further details of schools in scope are available on the NBI website at nbi.ie/primary-schools-list/.

The school referred to in the Question forms part of this initiative and the aim is for this school to be connected before the end of this year. 

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport.  The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure, including the provision of bus stops/shelters. 

Noting the NTA's responsibility in the matter, I have referred the Deputy's question to the NTA for a direct reply.  Please contact my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 days.

An applicant for a driving licence must provide evidence of normal residence. A certificate of registration such as the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) card fulfils this requirement. A person who has applied for a GNIB card may not make a driving licence application until the GNIB card is received.

An Irish driving licence can be renewed up to 10 years after its date of expiry.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 162, 164, 189 and 191 together.

The regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry, including the setting of maximum fares, is a matter for the National Transport Authority (NTA) under the provisions of the Taxi Regulation Act 2013.

Under the Taxi Regulation (Maximum Fares) Order which took effect on 1 February 2018, it is not possible to allow a surcharge to be applied by the SPSV industry to fares, as the Deputy suggests. The Deputy may be aware that work on the latest NTA Review of the National Maximum Fare is well underway and fuel costs are a major contributor in considering fare increases.  The objective of the Review is to determine whether changes need to be made to the current level of maximum fares in response to market changes facing the taxi industry as well as changes in annual taxi operating costs.  The NTA has confirmed that it is endeavouring to conclude the review process as quickly as possible in 2022 whilst still ensuring that all steps, including a consultation process, are appropriately completed.

In relation to the rising cost of fuel, the Government announced on March 9th last, a temporary reduction in the excise duties charged on petrol, diesel and marked gas oil. Excise duty is being reduced by 20 cent per litre of petrol and 15 cent per litre of diesel. These reductions are in place until 31 August 2022 and should help to reduce the operating costs of non-electric SPSVs.

Recognising that the replacement of a vehicle is the single largest cost faced by any SPSV operator, and in view of my commitment to support the transition of the SPSV fleet towards zero/low-emission vehicles, I announced on February 4th last, the re-opening of the eSPSV Grant Scheme with a further €15 million allocated to it for 2022.  The take-up rate for this Scheme was exceptionally high in 2021: almost 600 drivers successfully applied for grants, with over €11 million paid out as well as €4 million in provisional grant offers.  The operation of the Scheme is a matter for the NTA and details of the Scheme are available on the NTA’s website. 

Under legislation, the Road Safety Authority is responsible for the Driver Testing Service. The information requested is held by the RSA. I have therefore referred this question to the Authority for direct reply.  I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days.

The table below sets out the costs incurred by my Department for the supply of Covid-19 related faces masks and face coverings.

The table below sets out the costs incurred by my Department for the supply of Covid-19 related hand sanitiser since March 2019 to date.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport.  The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure, including the provision of bus stops/shelters. 

Noting the NTA's responsibility in the matter, I have referred the Deputy's question to the NTA for a direct reply.  Please contact my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 days.

All enquires relating to driver licensing are handled by the National Driver Licence Service, the provision of which I have delegated to the Road Safety Authority under the relevant legislation. My Department does not have access to individual applications. 

I have referred this question to the Authority for direct reply. I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days.

Providing a sustainable, low-carbon transport system is a key priority of my Department. The Programme for Government commits to 7% average annual emissions reduction to 2030.

The grant schemes are kept under continuous review to ensure that they are as effective as possible in driving the decarbonisation effort.

The Low Emission Vehicle Toll Incentive (LEVTI) Scheme which offers toll discounts for alternatively fuelled vehicles was introduced in July 2018 and is expected to run until December 31st, 2022 (available only to a maximum of 50,000 LEVs). BEV and PHEVs qualify for 50% and 25% toll reductions respectively up to a maximum €500 annual threshold for private vehicles and a maximum annual threshold of €1,000 for commercial vehicles (greater off-peak rates also apply to the M50 toll). The Scheme was expanded in 2020 to include toll reductions for electric motorbikes, hydrogen fuelled passenger cars and SPSVs, and heavy duty vehicles (trucks, buses and coaches) fuelled by compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied natural gas (LNG), hydrogen or electricity.

As part of preparations for Budget 2023, I have asked Departmental officials to review the full range Exchequer supports currently provided to EV owners, including the LEVTI scheme.

As Minister for Transport I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to Active Travel. Funding is administered through the National Transport Authority (NTA), who, in partnership with local authorities, have responsibility for the selection and development of specific projects in each local authority area. 

Noting the role of the NTA in this matter I have referred your correspondence to them for their attention and a more detailed reply. Please contact my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.

Officials in my department have contacted the RSA, and they have confirmed that a response has since issued to the Deputy.  The delay was due to the collation of the extensive amount of data involved.

In response to Question 10, a breakdown of how many years fully licensed drivers have held a full license, please see table below -

Number of Full Licences holders current at 28th February 2022 broken down by number of years fully licensed drivers have held a full license for.

While the recommendations in the report supplied are not an area of direct policy responsibility for my Department, the Irish public sector operates within a legislative framework that recognises the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workforce and work environment. This includes polices that promote the rights and inclusion of groups across the equality grounds. Some strategies include specified targets; for example, an increase from 3% to 6% of people with disabilities in the workforce by 2024 (Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities) and 1% of the workforce to comprise ethnic minorities (Migrant Integration Strategy, National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021).

The Public Appointments Service (PAS) as recruiters of staff for the public service play a central role in recruiting diverse talent to take up public service employment opportunities, as outlined in their Equality, Diversity and Inclusion strategy which includes access and the effect of recruitment and selection processes to attract candidates from diverse backgrounds, including the Traveller Community.

In relation to travel costs, the Deputy will be aware that a new suite of measures is being introduced by Government to help with the rising cost of living, including a 20% average fare reduction on PSO public transport services until the end of 2022. These discounted fares will benefit the hundreds of thousands of people across the country who use PSO services every day. €54m in Exchequer funding has been secured to allow for the introduction of these discounted fares; this funding does not include an extension of the scheme to private coach and bus operators. As the Deputy will be aware, unlike with PSO services, the National Transport Authority (NTA) do not set, monitor or regulate fares on services run by commercial operators.

Also, in recognition of the importance of incentivising young people to use public transport, as part of Budget 2022 I secured €25m of funding to provide for the introduction of a young adult card (YAC) which will allow any person nationwide who is between 19 and 23 years old, to avail of an entitlement for discounted travel costs, and to increase the level of discount over and above the current student discount to an average of discount of 50% across all services, including city, intercity and rural services. It is envisaged that the discount will initially be made available on PSO services, and then broadened to include commercial operators at a later date.  This will not only promote modal shift in the transport sector among this age group but should also contribute towards a reduced reliance on private transport with associated benefit of transport emission savings.

These measures align with our objectives of decarbonisation, decongesting cities, improving liveability, and providing accessibility on an equitable basis which will have a real impact in people’s pockets.

I can confirm to the Deputy that I am aware of the proposal by the daa to impose a drop-off charge.  The daa has statutory responsibility to operate, manage and develop Dublin Airport and this matter is an operational matter for the company. It does not require Government approval.

It is not mandatory to have a public services card (PSC) to apply for a driving licence. Applications can be made in person at a National Driver Licence Service (NDLS) office. A PSC may be used to establish an applicant's identity, but it is not mandatory for in-person applications and an applicant may use one of several options. 

A verified MyGovID account, for which a PSC is required, is needed to apply for a licence online. MyGovID satisfies the requirement for verifying a person’s identity online in place of a face-to-face verification carried out in person.

The recent agreement between the Department of Social Protection and the Data Protection Commission (DPC) acknowledged that the Department of Social Protection and other specified bodies can continue to use MyGovID as the sole means of authenticating identity for accessing online services, provided that an alternative service channel is available. The NDLS offices provide this alternative channel.

The Road Safety Authority is a specified body for the use of a PSC under the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 (as amended by the Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Act 2009).

I propose to take Questions Nos. 175 and 176 together.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport; however, I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of public transport.

Further, Bus Éireann's Expressway services, including route 64, are commercial bus services and responsibility for the operation of those services is a matter for the company.

I have, therefore, referred the Deputy's question to Bus Éireann for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.

I would like to thank the Deputy for his question.  However, as previously advised, given that City of Derry Airport is not eligible for funding from the Irish Exchequer under the Regional Airports Programme, I do not think it appropriate for me to meet with Strabane District and Donegal County Council to discuss that issue at this time.

As Minister for Transport, I participate and engage regularly with a number of international bodies, including the World Economic Forum. Summary details of my engagement with the World Economic Forum, since my appointment as Minister in June 2020, are set out below in tabular form:

As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport in Ireland. Since 2010, the award of Public Service Obligation (PSO) funding falls under the independent statutory remit of the National Transport Authority (NTA).  The allocations to the transport operators for the provision of public transport services are decided by the NTA in exercise of its statutory mandate and in accordance with the various contract arrangements that it has in place with PSO service providers. 

The funding allocation for PSO public transport services for 2023 will be subject to the annual Budgetary process and therefore the allocations for 2023 are yet to be determined in the context of future Estimates processes.

The regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) sector, including the amount specified in a fixed payment notice, is a matter for the National Transport Authority (NTA) under the provisions of the Taxi Regulation Act 2013. 

I have, therefore, forwarded your correspondence to the Authority for consideration and direct reply. Please advise this office if you do not receive a response within 10 working days.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 181, 182, 183 and 184 together.

I propose to take PQs 14233/22, 14234/22, 14235/22 and 14236/22 together.

The operation of the National Car Test (NCT) service is the statutory responsibility of the Road Safety Authority and I have therefore referred these questions to the Authority for direct reply.

I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days.

The Government’s policy regarding the increased usage of Electric Vehicles (EVs) is primarily driven by the Climate Action Plan which sets a target of 945,000 EVs by 2030. 

Home charging is considered the primary method of charging for the majority of EVs in Ireland and is a convenient, cost effective and environmentally friendly means of charging, especially when using night rate electricity. It accounts for circa 80% of EV charging sessions and will continue to be the primary method of charging in the future. The EV Home Charger Grant Scheme has been in operation since January 2018 to support the installation of home chargers for purchasers of new and second-hand BEVs and PHEVs.  The grant provides generous support towards the full cost of installation of a home charger up to a maximum of €600. 

The Government has introduced a requirement that new buildings and those undergoing substantial renovation works will have to include charging points for electric vehicles if they have more than 10 car parking spaces. 

As regards existing apartment buildings, work is currently being progressed to expand the EV home charger grant to include shared parking in apartment blocks and similar developments. My Department is working closely with the SEAI and expects a scheme for apartments to open shortly.

The Deputy will be aware that the Government is fully committed to supporting a significant expansion and modernisation of the public electric vehicle charging network over the coming years. A national charging infrastructure strategy is due to be published for public consultation in the coming month which will set out a pathway for infrastructure provision ahead of demand over the critical period out to 2030. This strategy will specifically address the challenge for citizens without access to a driveway, and plans for EV charging infrastructure provision for people in this category. 

In terms of existing supports for public charging, the primary focus of the Public Charge Point Scheme is to provide support for the installation of infrastructure which will facilitate owners of electric vehicles, who do not have access to a private parking space, but instead rely on parking their vehicles in public places near their homes to charge their EVs. The scheme continues to be available to provide local authorities with a grant of up to €5,000 to support the development of on-street public chargers. My Department is reviewing the Scheme at present to ensure that it is as effective as possible in driving the decarbonisation effort and an updated scheme is likely to be launched shortly after publication of the EV Infrastructure Strategy

I propose to take Questions Nos. 186 and 187 together.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to the National Roads Programme.  Once funding arrangements have been put in place with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 and in line with the National Development Plan (NDP), the planning, design and construction of individual national roads is a matter for TII, in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. This is also subject to the Public Spending Code and the necessary statutory approvals. 

Approximately €600m of exchequer capital funds have been provided for national roads through TII to local authorities in 2022. The 2022 funding allocations are made having regard for the NDP, which balances investment in transport against other priorities of Government, such as housing and health over the lifetime of the Plan. It was necessary to prioritise projects for funding in a manner which seeks to achieve key outcomes in line with the NDP. Resulting from this, while a large majority of the projects under the NDP were issued a funding allocation in 2022, TII were unable to provide an allocation for the N2 Clontibret to the Border project. The delivery programme for this project will be kept under review for next year and considered in terms of the overall funding envelope available to TII.

In this context, TII is best placed to advise on the latest status of this proposed project.  I have referred your question, on this occasion, to TII for a direct reply in this regard.  Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.

The current spike in energy prices arises from the global recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic in conjunction with current international tensions and supply constraint issues. The causes of these price pressures are not within our control. This is being witnessed across the European Union as well as many other regions.

Minister Ryan and I have been closely engaged with the haulage sector since last December, exploring options that might address cost burdens while at the same time tackling the decarbonisation challenge for heavy goods vehicles.

The recent crisis in Ukraine has had a further dramatic impact on fuel prices.

Following discussions with the sector, on 11 March 2022, my Department announced an emergency support measure for licensed hauliers to address cost pressures arising from current high fuel prices. This targeted, temporary grant scheme will provide a fixed payment of €100 per week for each heavy goods vehicle (over 3.5 tonnes) as listed on a road haulage operator’s licence. The scheme will operate for a period of 8 weeks and will be reviewed thereafter. The estimated cost to the State for the temporary measure is €18 million. Details on how to avail of the Scheme will be communicated to hauliers.

In addition to the Scheme, you will also be aware that the Government on 9 March 2022 reduced Excise duty by 20 cent per litre of petrol, 15 cent per litre of diesel and 2 cent in the excise duty charged on marked gas oil in order to reduce the cost of fuels.

Further, the Diesel Rebate Scheme offers a partial excise refund to qualifying operators when the price of diesel is high. In Budget 2020, in light of the challenges arising from Brexit uncertainty facing the industry, the marginal rate of compensation at prices over €1.32 (VAT inclusive) was doubled up to the maximum repayment rate of 7.5 cents per litre. In recognition of the vital role that the haulage sector plays in the economy, this increase has been maintained since.

In addition, businesses that are registered for VAT may deduct the VAT charged to them on the purchase of business inputs, such as road diesel and other motoring costs.

There are also supports available for operators to switch to alternatively fuelled vehicles. These include a purchase grant and reduced tolls for vehicles powered by a number of alternative fuels including hydrogen, electric, and gas. In addition, Budget 2022 announced an expansion of the Accelerated Capital Allowance (‘ACA’) scheme for Gas Vehicles and Refuelling Equipment. This ACA scheme provides an accelerated wear and tear allowance for capital expenditure incurred on qualifying vehicles and refuelling equipment.

The past two years have presented many challenges for the sector - the measures I have outlined above reflect Government understanding of that pressure and recognition of the important role that the haulage industry plays in keeping the country going.  Minister Ryan and I will continue to monitor this issue as it evolves.

The Merchant Shipping (Safety of Fishing Vessels) (15-24 Metres) Regulations 2007, require that vessels in this category shall be fitted with an automatic identification system (AIS), which shall meet the performance standards drawn up by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Similar provisions apply to fishing vessels of 24m length and over and these are set out in the European Communities (Vessel Traffic Monitoring and Information System) Regulations 2010, as amended.

In accordance with IMO Resolution A.1106(29), AIS should always be in operation when vessels are underway or at anchor. If the Master believes that the continual operation of AIS might compromise the safety or security of the vessel or where security incidents are imminent, the AIS may be temporarily switched off for as short a period as possible, unless it would further compromise the safety or security of the vessel. In such circumstances, the Master is obliged to record this in the vessel’s logbook together with the reason for doing so and to report this action to the Marine Survey Office of my Department.

In addition to the above, Council Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 requires that a fishing vessel exceeding 15 metres in length overall shall be fitted with and maintain in operation AIS, which meets the performance standards drawn up by the IMO according to Chapter V, Regulation 19, Section 2.4.5 of the 1974 SOLAS Convention.

I wish to advise the Deputy that Aer Rianta International (ARI) is not operating any retail space in Russian airports and that ARI divested from Russia in 2013.

The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is a statutory function of each road authority in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993.

Works on regional and local roads are funded by local authorities' own resources supplemented by State grants. Within the overall resources available to it, the selection and prioritisation of works including the maintenance of road verges is a matter for each local authority.

Section 70 of the Roads Act 1993 sets out the responsibility of landowners to take all reasonable steps to ensure that trees, hedges and other vegetation growing on their land are not, or could not become, a danger to people using a public road or interfere with the safe use of a public road or the maintenance of a public road.

A local authority can serve notice requiring a landowner to take action to address a hazard. This section also allows the relevant road authority to step in where a landowner fails or is unable to take action to remedy a hazard and to seek recovery of reasonable costs from the landowner.  This is, therefore, a matter for management between the landowner and the relevant local authority.

As Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and the relevant local authority are responsible for maintenance of national roads, I have referred the Deputy's Question to TII for direct reply. If the Deputy does not receive a reply within 10 working days please advise my Office.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. However, I am not involved in the day-to-day management and operational aspects of public transport.

Bus Éireann fleet comprises PSO (procured by the National Transport Authority), school transport and commercial buses (Expressway). Therefore, the query raised regarding the number of buses in the Bus Éireann fleet excluding school transport fleet as at 31/12/2019, 30/12/2020 and 01/03/2022 is a matter for the company.

Accordingly, I have forwarded the Deputy's question to Bus Éireann for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.

I am aware of media reports of so called "ghost flights" being flown by airlines to maintain control of slots at congested European airports. I have no specific information of this practice occurring at Dublin Airport.

Slots at congested European airports are governed by European regulations. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the EU has adopted measures to address the impact the introduction of travel and public health restrictions has had on the ability of airlines to maintain their historic slots at congested airports throughout Europe. This has enabled airlines to retain the airport slots they historically held even during a period of decreased demand for air services.

The alleviation measures applied have been gradually  reduced as European aviation has recovered from the impacts of COVID.  The purpose of the alleviation measures was intended to reduce the commerical risks to airlines of not utilising slots where trafic had fallen away.  Any airline operating empty flights solely to retain control of certain airport slots is a cause for concern particularly from a climate impact perspective.

In this regard, the European Commission is monitoring the situation and may make proposals for continuing alleviation measures should evidence suggest that it is necessary.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 196, 197, 199 and 223 together.

The regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) sector, including vehicle standards for taxis, is a matter for the National Transport Authority (NTA) under the provisions of the Taxi Regulation Act 2013.

The NTA has developed a comprehensive and detailed set of standards by which all vehicles operating in the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry must comply. These standards are explained in the SPSV Initial Suitability Inspection Manual (available at Forms and guides - National Transport).

Recognising that the replacement of a vehicle is the single largest cost faced by any SPSV operator, and in view of my commitment to support the transition of the SPSV fleet towards zero/low-emission vehicles, I announced on February 4th last, the re-opening of the eSPSV Grant Scheme, with a further €15 million allocated to it for 2022. The grants will enable owners of taxis and hackneys, to buy electric vehicles (EVs).

Administered by the NTA, SPSV drivers can apply for grants of up to €10,000 towards the purchase of a new, full-battery eSPSV, with a further €2,500 available to convert it to a wheelchair-accessible model.  Taxi drivers are eligible for double the normal grant when they scrap an older, more polluting or high mileage vehicle and make the switch to electric. By scrapping and switching, up to €20,000 can be available for a new, fully electric SPSV and if the taxi is a wheelchair-accessible electric vehicle, the supports rise to €25,000.  A driver can apply to combine both the eSPSV grant scheme and the WAV grant scheme up to a maximum of €32,500.

The take-up rate for this Scheme was exceptionally high in 2021: almost 600 drivers successfully applied for grants, with over €11 million paid out as well as €4 million in provisional grant offers.  The operation of the Scheme is a matter for the NTA and details of the Scheme are available on the NTA's website.

Considering the NTA's responsibility in these matters, I have forwarded the Deputies questions to the Authority for consideration and direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within 10 working days.

The Deputy will be aware that the Government is fully committed to supporting a significant expansion and modernisation of the electric vehicle charging network over the coming years.

As part of this policy pathway, my Department is developing plans for a seamless public charging network that will provide for situations or instances where home charging is not possible such as on-street and residential charging, and destination charging.

A national charging infrastructure strategy is due to be published for public consultation shortly which will set out a pathway to stay ahead of demand over the critical period out to 2030.

The Public Charge Point Scheme, which is administered by the SEAI, continues to be available during 2022 to provide local authorities with a grant of up to €5,000 to support the development of on-street public chargers. The primary focus of the scheme is to provide support for the installation of infrastructure which will facilitate owners of electric vehicles, who do not have access to a private parking space, but instead rely on parking their vehicles in public places near their homes to charge their EVs.

A number of local authorities have been in touch with SEAI in relation to the scheme. To date, letters of offer have issued to Louth County Council and Dublin City Council in 2021, to install a total of 29 charge points within their administrative areas. It is anticipated that Tipperary County Council will receive an offer of funding shortly from the SEAI.  The scheme remains open to Local Authorities to apply. 

*A charging station can be dual which results in two charge points being available for cars to use.

In the interim, my Department is currently reviewing the Scheme to ensure that it is as effective as possible in driving the decarbonisation effort, and a revised Scheme is likely to be launched shortly after publication of the EV Infrastructure Strategy.

My Department is also developing a new scheme which will support the installation of destination charge points in locations such as visitor centres, leisure facilities and parks. This new initiative will help provide another critical link in the overall network for public charging.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport; however, I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of public transport, nor decision making on fares. It is the National Transport Authority (NTA) that has responsibility for the regulation of fares charged to passengers in respect of public transport services, provided under public service obligation (PSO) contracts.

In light of the impact of COVID on commuter travelling patterns, with a potential move away from a regular 5-day commute, the NTA is evaluating the possibility of a new flexi taxsaver commuter ticket. My Department has held discussions with the NTA and also with the Department of Finance on this issue.  The NTA is proceeding with the detailed technical work associated with the introduction of a more flexible Taxsaver product.

Further, from the beginning of April, Taxsaver fares on all subsidised public transport services are to be reduced by an average of 20 per cent. This is the first phase in the implementation of the programme to reduce public transport fares. The reduced Taxsaver fares apply to customers on all subsidised public-service obligation (PSO) public transport services, including those provided by Iarnród Éireann, Bus Éireann, Dublin Bus, Luas and Go-Ahead Ireland. Customers purchasing annual or monthly Taxsaver tickets in 2022 that are valid from the beginning of April will see an immediate 20 per cent reduction in the cost of their ticket.

In light of the Authority's responsibility in relation to Taxsaver area, I have forwarded the Deputy's question in relation to an update on the matter to the NTA for direct reply.  Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.

The regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry, including SPSV licensing, is a matter for the National Transport Authority (NTA) under the provisions of the Taxi Regulation Act 2013.

I have, therefore, forwarded your question to the NTA for attention.  Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, many local authorities sought to implement certain transport related measures on roads and streets. The types of measures developed included widening of footpaths to accommodate social distancing, developing temporary cycling facilities, enhancing pedestrian movement including additional pedestrianisation, alterations to bus stops/routes, plus the introduction of lower speed limits. Most of these interventions were implemented through temporary construction involving bollards, pencil cones, plastic barriers, road markings and signage.

The two main legislative provisions to enable the implementation of the above types of measures are:  Section 95 of the Road Traffic Act 1961 (as amended by Section 37 of the Road Traffic Act 1994) and Section 38 of the Road Traffic Act 1994.

The Government has committed to a significant step-change in investment for Active Travel with €360m per annum to be invested in walking and cycling infrastructure in all parts of the country. It is to be expected, therefore, that there will be an increase in planning applications of all types, be that Part VIII or Section 38 or applications to An Bord Pleanála due to the increased number of projects that this funding will support.

I do not have any data on whether or not Section 38 has been used more frequently in recent years. However, we have seen some fantastic examples of local authorities using it to great effect to make improvements to the public realm in towns and villages by re-orientating streets toward the pedestrian, the cyclist and public transport. Dublin City Council and Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, to name just two, have demonstrated how infrastructure can be delivered quickly, safely and appropriately, using this legislative provision.

We do not tend to hear about the many uncontroversial projects that are progressed using Section 38 which I consider to be a very useful piece of legislation. We should not shy away from utilising the expertise of our town planners and engineers to progress projects that benefit society and help to reduce our emissions by improving the accessibility of our towns and villages for people walking and cycling.

As Minister for Transport I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme. Under the Roads Acts 1993-2015, the operation and management of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. Therefore, matters relating to the day to day operations regarding national roads, including toll roads and the establishment of a system of tolls, are within the remit of TII.  More specifically, the statutory power to levy tolls, to make toll bye-laws and to enter into agreements with private investors are vested in TII under Part V of the Roads Act 1993 (as amended).

Given the above position, I have referred the question to TII for a direct reply. I ask the Deputy to please advise my private office if he does not receive a reply within 10 working days.

CIÉ has prepared and submitted draft Statutory Instruments (SIs) to give effect to the proposed changes to the Regular Wages Scheme (RWS).

As the Deputy is aware, in accordance with the provisions of Section 44(3) of the Transport Act 1950, I directed CIÉ to publish a statutory notice of the draft SIs in Iris Oifigiúil, which was advertised on the 14th of January 2022. Within 45 days from the publication of this notice, any person may make objections and representations in relation to the Scheme to me. I must consider any objections or representations which have been made during this period, prior to confirming a Scheme or any amendments to such Scheme.

The consultation period ended on the 28 February 2022 and officials in my Department are currently examining the submissions received. Following this process, preparations will be made to allow for signing of the SIs, including consultation with the Minster for Public Expenditure and Reform as required under the Transport Act 1950.

The setting of special speed-limits on public roads is a reserved function of Members of Local Authorities. The Elected Members already have the power to introduce special speed limits including lower speed limits outside schools and these limits can apply on a 24 hour basis or on a periodic basis.

In addition, both the NTA (in respect of schools in urban areas) and TII (in respect of schools on national roads) provide assistance to local authorities to improve safety on roads outside schools. In the case of urban roads, the NTA, where appropriate, may also look at improving safety on the approach roads leading to a school.

Under action number 6 of the Road Safety Strategy a working group has been established to examine and review the framework for the setting of speed limits. As part of this review there will be a specific consideration of the introduction of a 30 km/h default speed limit in urban areas. It is also appropriate for this working group to consider what speed limit arrangements should apply outside schools and childcare facilities on a general basis.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. However, I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally.

In light of the Authority's responsibility in this area, I have forwarded the Deputy's question in relation to the role in relation to the roll-out of the Brown bus route, to the NTA for direct reply.  I ask the Deputy to please advise my private office if he does not receive a response within ten working days.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally, and for the allocation of associated funding to the relevant transport operators.

Licensed bus and coach operators are an integral part of the overall public transport system particularly in areas which are not covered by existing public service bus and rail services. In recognition of this, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic the Government have provided temporary financial supports for certain licensed commercial services with a view to protecting capacity across the public transport sector throughout the crisis.

The temporary support was initially introduced for a period of 6-months in June 2020, however owing to the continued impact of Covid-19 on passenger numbers and the associated drop in fare revenue, these supports have been extended a number of times. I am aware of the issues facing the sector and I am pleased to inform the Deputy that I recently approved an extension of the supports for a further 3 months, up to the 30 June 2022.

The RSA has been in discussions with the Ukrainian authorities with a view to considering a licence exchange agreement. However, this process is currently paused.

The RSA has received a completed questionnaire from the Argentinian authorities. This is the first step in examining licensing systems. This information is currently being considered by the RSA.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 209 to 214, inclusive, together.

The Government is strongly committed to helping combat the rising cost-of-living being experienced throughout the country. In this context, a suite of new measures is being introduced by Government to help with this issue, including a 20% average fare reduction on Public Service Obligation (PSO) transport services until the end of 2022. These discounted fares will benefit the hundreds of thousands of people across the country who use PSO services every day. €54m in Exchequer funding has been secured to allow for the introduction of these discounted fares; this funding does not include an extension of the scheme to private coach and bus operators. As the Deputy will be aware, unlike with PSO services, the National Transport Authority (NTA) do not set, monitor or regulate fares on services run by commercial operators.

Also, in recognition of the importance of incentivising young people to use public transport, as part of Budget 2022 I secured €25m of funding to provide for the introduction of a young adult card (YAC) which will allow any person nationwide who is between 19 and 23 years old, to avail of an entitlement for discounted travel costs, and to increase the level of discount over and above the current student discount to an average of 50% across all services, including city, intercity and rural services. It is envisaged that the discount will initially be made available on PSO services, and then broadened to include commercial operators at a later date.  This will not only promote modal shift in the transport sector among this age group but should also contribute towards a reduced reliance on private transport with associated benefit of transport emission savings.

Licensed bus and coach operators are an integral part of the overall public transport system particularly in areas which are not covered by existing public service bus and rail services. In recognition of this, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic the Government have provided temporary financial supports for certain licensed commercial services with a view to protecting capacity across the public transport sector throughout the crisis.

The temporary support was initially introduced for a period of 6-months in June 2020, however owing to the continued fall in passenger numbers and associated drop in fare revenue, the support has been extended a number of times. I am aware of the issues facing the sector and am pleased to inform the Deputy that I recently approved an extension of this support for a further 3 months, up to the 30 June 2022.

Given the NTA's statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally, I have also referred the Deputy's questions to the NTA for direct reply. I ask the Deputy to please contact my private office if he does not receive a reply within 10 days.

Question No. 212 answered with Question No. 209.

Question No. 213 answered with Question No. 209.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 215 and 216 together.

While my Department has not had engagement with the Polish authorities on providing transport for Ukrainian refugees to Ireland, the National Transport Authority (NTA) has taken the decision to allow free travel for newly arriving Ukrainian refugees on any Public Service Obligation (PSO) public transport service from port of entry to their end destination. This initiative is being applied across all PSO contracted services (including commercial bus services included in emergency PSO contracts), and those services that are part of the emergency commercial bus operator grant scheme. It will take effect immediately until the end of April 2022, at which point it will be reviewed.

To date, approximately 10,000 refugees from Ukraine have arrived to Ireland on buses and airplanes and there is substantial capacity on air routes from Poland to Ireland at present.A webpage on the whole-of-Government response to the situation is now available at www.gov.ie/ukraine which includes information on supports and services available to people arriving from Ukraine. This webpage will be supplemented and updated on an ongoing basis with the support of the relevant departments, including the Department of Transport. The webpage is available in English, Ukrainian and Russian.

A cross departmental team is looking at all of the issues arising in relation to Ireland's response to the humanitarian crisis as residents of Ukraine seek refuge away from the war zone, including the consideration of any further measures that may be needed to assist people fleeing the conflict. However, our immediate priority is to support the hundreds of people already spontaneously arriving in Ireland every day to seek temporary protection. 

The query raised by the Deputy in relation to the gender breakdown of the NTA's Cork office is a matter for the NTA. I have therefore forwarded the Deputy's question to the NTA for direct response. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 218 and 219 together.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to Greenways. As of 20  September 2021 and in line with Section 32 (2) of the Roads Act 1993,  the planning, design, and construction of individual Greenways is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. Investment in Greenway projects is also subject to the requirements of the Public Spending Code and necessary statutory approvals.

Funding drawn down by Mayo County Council on this project, prior to the transfer of responsibility for planning and delivery of greenways to TII in September 2021, was as follows:

2019 - €0

2020 - €348,864

2021 (Prior to 20th September) - €0.00

TII is best placed to advise on the current status of the project and any funding drawn down since 20 September 2021. Noting the above position, I have referred your question, on this occasion, to TII for a reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.

As Minister for Transport I have responsibility for overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to the National Roads Programme. Under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 and in line with the National Development Plan (NDP), the planning, design and construction of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. This is also subject to the Public Spending Code and the necessary statutory approvals.

The N20 road corridor options are currently being progressed by TII with rail-based alternatives as comparators. These options include a new motorway, the M20, or the upgrading of various sections along the existing N20. The two rail scenarios being considered include the existing Cork to Limerick rail line and a new rail line from Charleville to Limerick. The road options largely follow the existing N20 corridor.

An online public consultation on the possible route options, carried out by the N/M20 Project Team, had unprecedented public engagement with the closing date for submissions extended by four weeks from the 18 December 2020 to the 15 January 2021. In order to take into account possible changes to appraisal requirements, the assessment work on options continues, with a preferred route to be selected by Quarter 2 of this year and public consultation to follow.

Subsequent to this, work on scheme design and environmental evaluation will be undertaken, in addition to the scheme Business Case, which is required under the Public Spending Code. The scheme Business Case is expected to be submitted to my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in early 2023. Subject to its approval, the submission of statutory documents for the project to An Bord Pleanála will follow thereafter. TII has allocated €6 million to the scheme for 2022.

Noting the above position, I have referred your question to TII for a direct reply as to the latest status of this project. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.

The aim of the Electric Small Public Service Vehicle (eSPSV) Grant Scheme is to increase the uptake of fully electric SPSVs and zero-emission capable wheelchair accessible SPSVs.

It is aimed at improving air quality in urban areas, reducing the CO2 emissions of a sector which typically has very high mileage, and also can positively influence the uptake of zero emission passenger cars by improving general perception and awareness of the benefits of electric vehicles. The SPSV industry is regarded as a champion in the normalisation of electric vehicle use. The Scheme is funded by the Department and administered by NTA acting as agents of the Department with delegated authority and as the licensing authority for SPSVs. €15m was allocated in 2022 to support SPSVs to switch to electric. The scheme is kept under continuous review but at present the eSPSV scheme does not include vehicles used in driving instruction. .

There are a range of incentives available to driving instructors with their own business including;

- Tolling reductions of 25% up to a threshold of €500 per annum per household for private vehicles and a maximum annual threshold of €1,000 for commercial vehicles;

- Low rate of annual motor tax;

- Home charger grant of €600 per household;

- VRT relief of up to €5,000 for BEVs; 

- 0% Benefit in Kind and;

- Accelerated Capital Allowances.

When applying in person at a National Driver Licence Service (NDLS) office for a driving licence or learner permit, attendance is by appointment only. Appointments may be made online at www.ndls.ie or by telephone on 0818 919 090.

An appointment-only service gives certainty to customers and prevents overcrowding, queueing and long delays for those attending in person to apply for or renew their licenses. The previous non-appointment service generated complaints from members of the public because of waiting times and delays.

Licence applications may also be made online. In addition, applicants aged over 70 may, if they wish, make licence applications by post.

The Government recognises the impacts of the current fuel price increases. These trends are driven primarily by global factors and it is not possible for the Government to fully insulate consumers against these price impacts.

However, I took the decision to alleviate some of these impacts through the domestic taxation of fuel with a temporary reduction in the excise rate for auto fuels.  Effective from 10 March 2022 there is a reduction of 20 cent in the excise rates for petrol and 15 cent on auto diesel.  These measures are VAT inclusive and will last until 31 August 2022.

The excise reductions come in addition to the extensive cost of living supports already announced this year, including a €200 energy credit, public transport fare reductions, fuel allowance increases, an enhanced Drug Payment Scheme, and bringing forward the working family payment.

The price of petrol and diesel is determined by a number of factors including taxation, the price of the raw material, the prevailing exchange rates as well as the fact the different wholesalers can enter into forward contracts at different rates for the purchase of oil. The price of fuel on the forecourt is set by the individual retailer and would likely take into account the costs associated with the retail of the product such as those mentioned above together with the cost of having oil delivered.

Garages are not committing an offence simply by charging a higher price than competitors. However, all garages must operate within the bounds of consumer protection and competition law in relation to their pricing policies and practices. I have no function in this area. 

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) is the statutory independent body responsible for the promotion of consumer rights and the enforcement of consumer law. The CCPC provides information on consumer rights and enforces consumer protection laws, including rules on pricing and deceptive trading practices.   

If an individual believes that a breach of their consumer rights has occurred, they may make a complaint directly to the business concerned, but also to the CCPC.  The CPCC provides advice and guidelines on the process of making a complaint. Full information is available at: www.ccpc.ie.

I wish to advise the Deputy that I am answering this PQ on behalf of my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.  This is due to the sharing of facilities management between both Departments.

The cost incurred by both Departments for the supply of Covid-19 related face masks and face coverings since March 2019 to date are tabulated below: 

I wish to advise the Deputy that I am answering this PQ on behalf of my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.  This is due to the sharing of facilities management between both Departments.

The shared costs incurred by both Departments for the supply of Covid-19 related hand sanitiser since March 2019 to date are tabulated below: 

The EU VAT Directive provides that auto fuels must be charged at the standard rate and there is no provision to apply a reduced rate for such fuels. Accordingly, VAT on auto fuels (petrol and diesel) is standard rated at 23%.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 228 and 242 together.

On 11 March Minister Eamon Ryan and Minister of State Hildegarde Naughton announced the implementation of an emergency support measure for licensed hauliers to address cost pressures arising from current high fuel prices. 

A targeted and temporary grant scheme will provide a payment of €100 per week for every heavy goods vehicle (over 3.5 tonnes) as listed on a road haulage operator’s licence. The scheme will operate for a period of 8 weeks and will be reviewed thereafter.

This measure comes in addition to the VAT inclusive reduction of 15 cent per litre of diesel and 20 cent per litre of petrol which came into effect on 10 March and will apply until 31 August 2022. 

Qualifying road haulage operators may also apply for relief under the Diesel Rebate Scheme (DRS) which was introduced in 2013 with the aim of providing support to road haulage and bus transport operators when the retail price of auto diesel is relatively high. The DRS is provided for in section 99A of Finance Act 1999 and operates on a sliding scale basis, whereby a partial rebate of Mineral Oil Tax (MOT) is available when the retail price of a litre of diesel exceeds €1.00 excluding VAT. The repayment rate increases gradually as the retail price increases up to a maximum repayment rate of 7.5 cents per litre.  In Budget 2020, the marginal rate of repayment was increased from 30% to 60% at prices over €1.07 excluding VAT. The rate of repayment is currently capped at 7.5 cents per litre which is reached when the average price of diesel, excluding VAT, is €1.16 or more per litre.

The Energy Tax Directive sets minimum rates for the taxation of auto fuels. The combination of the temporary excise reduction and the Diesel Rebate Scheme mean it is not possible to reduce the rate of MOT on diesel any further.

As the Deputy will be aware, VAT registered businesses are also eligible to claim a refund on the VAT paid for diesel used in the course of business activities. 

The Government is very aware of the impact of increased fuel prices on business and society alike and for this reason, we have taken the decision to provide additional financial support by reducing the excise rate temporarily and providing a grant scheme to licenced hauliers.   The combined cost of these measures is over €300 million euro.   

The temporary excise reduction, grant scheme, DRS and VAT refund scheme all provide support to road haulage operators as well as businesses dependent on transport services and will help to lessen the impact of the current inflationary trend in fuel prices.

Ireland applies excise duty, in the form of Mineral Oil Tax (MOT) to specified mineral oils, such as petrol, diesel, and kerosene. MOT is comprised of a carbon component and a non-carbon component. The carbon component is commonly referred to as carbon tax. The non-carbon component is often referred to as “excise” or “fuel duty” but it is important to note that both components of MOT are excise.

In response to the current fuel crisis I introduced cuts, effective from March 10, to MOT applying to petrol, diesel and Marked Gas Oil (green diesel). These cuts of 20c, 15c and 2c per litre inclusive of VAT will remain in place until the end of August this year.

As Minister for Finance, I do not have a direct function in the operations of any bank. Although the State is a shareholder in some of the banks operating in the State, they must be run on a commercial and independent basis. Actions taken by the banks, including the services they choose to provide, are matters for the board and management of each institution.

While decisions regarding the number of bank counters in branches is a commercial decision for each regulated entity, the Central Bank and I expect that all regulated firms will take a consumer-focused approach and act in their customers’ best interests, particularly in dealings with vulnerable consumers. People who may be experiencing particular vulnerabilities must be provided with whatever reasonable arrangements and/or assistance they need in their dealings with regulated entities.

On 25 June 2021, the Central Bank issued an industry letter regarding its consumer protection expectations in the changing retail banking landscape. In respect of vulnerable customers, this industry letter sets out that all customers are potentially vulnerable to the risk of making uninformed decisions, or decisions that are not in their best interests, particularly during times of uncertainty and change. The Central Bank sets out the following expectation of regulated entities in respect of vulnerable customers:

Consider specifically the impact of their decisions on vulnerable customers and provide the assistance necessary to reasonably mitigate those impacts and retain access to basic financial services.

Have specific and effective processes and communication plans to support vulnerable customers during a time of increased uncertainty.  

More generally my Department engages regularly with the banking sector on a wide variety of relevant issues including consumer related matters.

My Department is also currently undertaking a review of the retail banking sector. This Retail Banking Review has commenced its work and is currently in its research phase. As part of the Review, a survey of consumers is currently underway  to ascertain their experience and perceptions of the retail banking sector in Ireland.

In addition, there will also be a public consultation process this year where members of the public can make a submission to the Department of Finance on issues that fall within the Terms of Reference.

Ireland’s taxation of fuel is based on European Union law as set out in the Energy Tax Directive which sets the legal framework for taxation of fuels and electricity in the EU.  Ireland applies Mineral Oil Tax (MOT) to fuels used for motor or heating purposes. 

MOT is comprised of a non-carbon and a carbon component; the carbon component is also referred to as carbon tax. The Deputy will be aware that the 2020 Programme for Government committed to increasing the amount that is charged per tonne of CO2 emissions from fuels to €100 by 2030. I followed through on this commitment by introducing legislation in Finance Act 2020 to provide for a 10-year trajectory for carbon tax increases to reach €100 per tonne of CO2 by 2030. This measure is a key pillar underpinning the Government’s Climate Action Plan to halve emissions by 2030 and reach net zero no later than 2050. 

It is important to note that a significant portion of carbon tax revenue is allocated for expenditure on targeted welfare measures and energy efficiency measures, which not only support the most vulnerable households in society but also in the long term, provide support against fuel price impacts by reducing our reliance on fossil fuels. 

The Government recognises the impacts of the current fuel price increases. These trends are driven primarily by global factors and it is not possible for the Government to fully insulate consumers against these price impacts. 

However,  I took the decision to alleviate some of these impacts through the domestic taxation of fuel with a temporary reduction in the excise rate for auto fuels and Marked Gas Oil.   Effective from 10 March 2022 there is a reduction of 20 cent in the excise rates for petrol, 15 cent on auto diesel, and a 2 cent reduction for the excise on Marked Gas Oil (green diesel).  These measures are VAT inclusive and will last until 31 August 2022.

This excise reduction comes in addition to the package of measures announced by Government in February 2022 which includes:

- an increase in the energy credit to €200 including VAT, estimated to impact just over 2 million households

- a lump sum payment of €125 on the fuel allowance will be paid to 390,000 recipients

- there will be a temporary reduction in public transport fares of 20% from the end of April to the end of the year. This will impact approximately 800,000 daily users of Bus Éireann, Iarnród Éireann, Dublin Bus, Go Ahead, Luas, DART and Local Link services.

- a reduction of the Drug Payment Scheme from €144 to €80. This will benefit just over 70,000 families

- the working family payment budget increase will be brought forward from 1 June to 1 April and

- reduced caps for multiple children on school transport fees to €500 per family post primary and €150 for primary school children.

In designing a support package, the Government was conscious of the increase in energy costs but the need to target these supports. This suite of measures strikes the appropriate balance and provides support to every domestic electricity account via the electricity credit, but also provides specific supports for more vulnerable households through targeted welfare measures.

I wish to inform the Deputy that the issues included in the recommendations in the report of the Joint Committee on Key Issues Affecting the Traveller Community are not directly relevant to my Department.  My Department does not have policy responsibility for health, education, employment and accommodation, and accordingly it is not involved in the implementation of these recommendations.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 233, 234 and 266 together.

Ireland's taxation of fuel is subject to European Union law as set out in Directive 2003/96/EC, commonly known as the Energy Tax Directive (ETD). The ETD prescribes minimum tax rates for fuel with which all Member States must comply. ETD provisions on mineral oils are transposed into national law in Finance Act 1999 (as amended). Finance Act 1999 provides for the application of excise duty, in the form of Mineral Oil Tax (MOT), to specified mineral oils, such as petrol, diesel, and kerosene, that are used as motor or heating fuels.

MOT is comprised of a non-carbon component and a carbon component. The carbon component is commonly referred to as carbon tax and the non-carbon component is often referred to as “excise”, “fuel excise” or “fuel duty”. In complying with ETD minimum rates, total MOT rates are taken into account. To clarify the position in relation to PQs 13696/22 and 13697/22 answered on 10th March, there was an incorrect reference to MOT in relation to kerosene. This should have read as the non-carbon component of MOT. While the non-carbon component is zero, there is a carbon component of MOT on kerosene, currently set at €84.84 per 1000 litres.

Under the ETD, the minimum rate of taxation on kerosene used for heating purposes is set at zero. While kerosene is the predominant oil used for heating, gas oil (diesel) is also used. Where gas oil is used for heating the ETD minimum tax rate is €21.00 per 1,000 litres. Kerosene used for heating purposes is marked red, and gas oil is marked green and is usually referred to as Marked Gas Oil (MGO) or green diesel.

The non-carbon component of MOT on heating kerosene is zero so the total applicable MOT comprises the carbon component (carbon tax) only. MGO attracts both components of MOT. On 1 May 2022, the basis of carbon tax applied to non-propellant fuels will increase from €33.50 to €41.00 per tonne of carbon dioxide emissions. Current MOT rates, and those applying from 1 May 2022, are given in the table below in euros per 1,000 litres. The breakdown rates for carbon and non-carbon components are also given, along with ETD minima.

MOT rate from 10 March 2022                                             MOT rate from 1 May 2022

When introducing MOT rate cuts earlier this month I ensured that the overall rate on MGO will, from 1 May 2022, be set at the 2021 level of €138.17 per 1,000 litres instead of the rate of €158.50 per 1,000 litres legislated for in Finance Act 2020.

I am advised by Revenue that the cost of reducing MOT on heating kerosene to zero cents per litre for periods of one month, three months, six months, until the end of 2022 and for one year are estimated at the amounts set out in the table below.

I am further advised by Revenue that these estimates are based on levels of consumption in 2021, projected forward based on growth rates as anticipated by my Department in Budget 2022. Therefore, they may not fully reflect the current levels of uncertainty in the market for fuels.

MOT receipts, including both carbon and non-carbon components, for home heating oil (kerosene) for the years 2017 to 2020 are published on the Revenue website at: www.revenue.ie/en/corporate/documents/statistics/excise/net-receipts-by-commodity.pdf.

Current MOT rates for all mineral oils and vehicle gas are published on the Excise Duty rates page on Revenue’s website. Further details, including rates prior to 10 March 2022, are available in the Tax and Duty Manual on Excise Duty Rates on Energy Products and Electricity which is also published on Revenue’s website.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 235 and 239 together.

As the Deputy may be aware, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, has established an Independent Working Group to examine the issue of defective housing. Officials from my Department participate in this Working Group. The objectives of the group are to identify the scope of relevant significant defects in housing, to evaluate the scale of housing affected, to propose a means of prioritising defects, to evaluate the cost of remediation, to recommend appropriate mechanisms for resolving defects and, to consider financing options in line with the Programme for Government commitment to identifying options for those impacted by defects to access low-cost, long-term finance. A final paper is due to be completed by Q2 2022.

Separately, my Department's Tax Expenditure Guidelines are clear that a tax-based intervention should only be considered where it would be more efficient than a direct expenditure measure. 

In the circumstances, any intervention by me would seem to be premature at this point.

Ireland transposed the fifth Anti-Money Laundering Directive into Irish law by way of the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) (Amendment) Act 2021 and the provisions of the 2021 Act, that relate to Virtual Asset Service Providers, commenced on 23 April 2021.

In order to provide a comprehensive response to the Deputy’s question, my officials consulted with the Central Bank and understand that the Central Bank web page relating to Virtual Asset Service Providers and details of their registration requirements, went live on 23 April 2021.

Furthermore, the Central Bank is currently engaging with a significant number of firms in relation to their registration applications, which are at varying stages of the application process. To date, no firms have been registered as Virtual Asset Service Providers (‘VASPs’) in Ireland. However once a firm has completed the process and has been approved, the VASP Register on the Central Bank’s web page will be updated.

Section 106D of the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Acts 2010 to 2021 (‘CJA 2010 to 2021’) outlines the scope of the Central Bank's supervision obligations in relation to VASPs.

I have been informed that the Central Bank adopts a robust, structured and risk-based process that seeks to ensure that only those applicants that demonstrate they are in a position to effectively comply with their AML/CFT obligations are registered. In order for the Central Bank to approve a VASP's application for AML/CFT registration, the Central Bank must be satisfied that the firm's AML/CFT policies and procedures are effective in combatting the money laundering and terrorist financing (ML/TF) risks associated with its business model. In addition, it must be satisfied that the firm's management and beneficial owners are fit and proper.

The Central Bank may refuse an application on any of the grounds set out in Section 106H(1) of the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Acts 2010 to 2021.

The Ireland for Finance strategy was launched in 2019 and implementing its objectives is a commitment in the Programme for Government: Our Shared Future. The purpose of the Ireland for Finance strategy is the further development of Ireland's international financial services sector to 2025. The process of the registration of Virtual Asset Service Providers is a robust process that must be completed and as the providers complete the registration process, it will progressively aid in meeting the objectives of the strategy. 

Direct employment is the primary metric used to assess the benefit to Ireland of the international financial services sector and of the Ireland for Finance strategy. The target set for the strategy is an increase of 5,000 jobs over the target set in the previous strategy, Ireland for Finance 2020 (IFS2020). At the end of 2021, employment in the sector is a record 52,800 people. 

I would first note that there is nothing specific in the Section 110 securitisation regime that is of particular relevance to Russian investors or originators, and such vehicles are fully in scope of the sanctions regime. 

Furthermore, Central Bank data shows that the direct exposures of the Irish Financial System as a whole to Russia are very small. A statistical release on the direct financial links to Russia by economic sector, issued on 4th March and incorporating the latest available data on financial services sectors, stated that, at end-2021, Special Purpose Entities (SPEs) had holdings of €37.1 billion of Russian-issued assets. There were 33 Russian sponsored SPEs identified with total assets of €35.5 billion, accounting for 8% of the non-securitisation SPE sector. Russian-issued assets held by regulated investment funds represented 0.3% of total assets held by regulated investment funds (or €11.5 billion in total). The exposure of on and off balance sheet financial assets and liabilities to Russian counterparties held by Irish authorised banks represented 0.1% of total (or €1.7 billion in total).  Russian-issued securities held by Insurance companies represented 0.1% of the sector's total assets (or €97 million in total).

Section 110 is intended to create a tax neutral regime for bona-fide securitisation and structured finance purposes.  Securitisation involves the creation of tradeable securities out of an income stream or projected future income stream generated by financial assets.  Securitisation allows banks to raise capital and to share risk, thereby supporting their lending to individual and business borrowers. In addition, by providing a repackaging and resale market for corporate debt, it lowers the cost of debt financing for businesses.  Such financing is useful for the productive economy as it can underpin the supply of finance to industries and companies in Ireland, Europe and further afield. 

Ireland is not unique in having a specific regime for securitisations. The importance of securitisation has been recognised by the European Commission through their work on the Capital Markets Union.  A main objective of the Capital Markets Union is to build a sustainable securitisation regime across the European Union. 

In terms of property, Section 22 of the Finance Act 2016 made an amendment to address concerns that some section 110 companies were being used to minimise the Irish tax exposure on Irish property transactions.  The core effect of the amendment was to remove the possibility for section 110 companies to use what are known as 'profit participating notes' to sweep Irish property or distressed debt profits out of the company in a way that ensures little or no Irish tax liability arises.

As illustrated by these amendments, my officials monitor the regime on an ongoing basis and, where issues of concern have been identified, I have taken steps to address them and will continue to do so in future where necessary.

As the Deputy is aware, the VAT Compensation Scheme for Charities was introduced in Budget 2018 to reduce the tax burden on Charities and partially compensate them for the VAT incurred in delivering on their charitable purpose. 

A total annual capped fund of €5m is available for payment under the Scheme and where the total amount of eligible claims from all Charities in a year exceeds the capped amount, claims are paid on a pro-rata basis.

A review was undertaken of the operation of the scheme after its third year and a copy of the review is available as an annex in the Tax Strategy Group paper on VAT published in 2021. The paper can be found at www.gov.ie/en/collection/d6bc7-budget-2022-tax-strategy-group-papers/.

On foot of this review, and on the basis of a request by the charity sector, to future proof the scheme to ensure no single claim disproportionately draws on the Scheme in favour of any one charity, I introduced a maximum claim amount of €1m.

Any future changes in the operation of the scheme will be considered as part of the normal budgetary process.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Government agreed to give a recognition payment of €1,000, for eligible frontline health and ambulance workers. An equivalent payment will be provided for relevant staff in private sector nursing homes and hospices that were affected by Covid-19. Policy in relation to the payment is, in the first instance, a matter for the Minister for Health. However, as the Deputy may be aware, section three of the Finance (Covid-19 and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022 provides that the payment would not be subject to income tax, USC or PRSI.

I have no plans at present to provide for the Deputy's proposal.

The Annual Meetings of the World Economic Forum (WEF) normally take place in Davos, Switzerland in January of each year. An invitation to the Minister for Finance is usually received annually and officials in my Department liaise with the organisers regarding ministerial attendance and participation in panel discussions. I last attended the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in January of 2019 when I participated in a panel entitled “Rethinking Taxes: Creating a Fair and Balanced System”. I also attended an IDA reception, and held a number of bilateral meetings with key international partners in the financial and political sphere.  

I did not attend the Annual Meeting in 2020 as the General Election was called around that time. Covid restrictions over the intervening period have meant that the Annual Meetings have not taken place since 2020. There has however been communication between the organisers and officials in my Department at various stages during that period when the WEF was intending to progress with an Annual Meeting, though this did not proceed due to the on-going Covid situation globally. In November 2021, I had a short courtesy phone call with the recently appointed Deputy Head of Europe and Eurasia, Andrew Caruana Galizia, to discuss my possible participation at future meetings, if my diary commitments permit.

The Annual Meeting for 2022, scheduled for January this year, was postponed again to 22-26 May 2022 in Davos. Officials from my Department will continue to liaise with the organisers regarding my potential participation at this year's Meeting.

It is first important to note that Russia’s war is illegal, immoral and unjustified. Ireland’s support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is unwavering.

We have been working closely with our EU partners and fellow Member States in the adoption of sanctions in response to Russia’s violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and all aspects of the EU sanctions packages agreed to date, including those related to the financial sector, have been implemented immediately.

Sanctions will not be cost-free for the EU and Ireland, but Russia’s behaviour leaves no alternative. Entities in the Financial Services Sector in Ireland, including section 110 special purpose entities, are within scope of the sanction measures agreed unanimously by the 27 EU Member States. The sanctions apply in respect of the provision of funds either directly or indirectly to sanctioned persons, as set out in Council Regulation (EU) No 269/2014.

Central Bank data shows that the direct exposures of the Irish Financial System as a whole to Russia are very small. A statistical release on the direct financial links to Russia by economic sector, issued on 4th March and incorporating the latest available data on financial services sectors, stated that, at end-2021, Special Purpose Entities (SPEs) had holdings of €37.1 billion of Russian-issued assets. There were 33 Russian sponsored SPEs identified with total assets of €35.5 billion, accounting for 8% of the non-securitisation SPE sector. Russian-issued assets held by regulated investment funds represented 0.3% of total assets held by regulated investment funds (or €11.5 billion in total). The exposure of on and off balance sheet financial assets and liabilities to Russian counterparties held by Irish authorised banks represented 0.1% of total (or €1.7 billion in total).  Russian-issued securities held by Insurance companies represented 0.1% of the sector's total assets (or €97 million in total).

Section 110 is intended to create a tax neutral regime for bona-fide securitisation and structured finance purposes.  Securitisation involves the creation of tradeable securities out of an income stream or projected future income stream generated by financial assets.  Securitisation allows banks to raise capital and to share risk and, by providing a repackaging and resale market for corporate debt, it lowers the cost of debt financing.  Such financing is useful for the productive economy as it can underpin the supply of finance to industries and companies in Ireland, Europe and further afield. 

Ireland is not unique in having a specific regime for securitisations. The importance of securitisation has been recognised by the European Commission through their work on the Capital Markets Union.  A main objective of the Capital Markets Union is to build a sustainable securitisation regime across the European Union.  It is important to note that there is nothing specific in the Section 110 regime that is of particular relevance to Russian investors or originators, and such vehicles are fully in scope of the sanctions regime.

Notwithstanding this, my officials monitor the regime on an ongoing basis, and where issues of concern have been identified I have taken steps to address them.

Home Building Finance Ireland was established to increase the supply of new homes for owner-occupiers, renters and social housing by providing funding on commercial terms to housebuilders for commercially viable developments throughout Ireland.  To December 2021, HBFI has approved funding of €835m across 71 projects in 18 counties.  This funding will support the building of 3,729 new homes. 

Drawdowns have already taken place in respect of 57% of the facilities approved at end December 2021, with construction in progress or completed. There is a lag between funding being approved and it being drawn down, with funds being drawn over the duration of the project.

Information on individual loan facilities is commercially sensitive and cannot be disclosed. HBFI like any lender has confidentiality obligations to its borrowers.   

I am informed that 43% of all homes funded are for owner occupiers, 30% for renters, 23% for social housing and 4% for Part V. In line with the market, 96% of homes being built for Owner Occupiers are houses and 4% apartments.  In the case of renters, 98% are apartments and 2% houses.

HBFI provides funding for the cost of the construction of new homes. The average sales price expected when the homes are built and sold individually on the market is €319k. Homes that are being built for private rental are sold in bulk when completed and HBFI’s loan is repaid.  Therefore, HBFI does not have any ongoing exposure to the rental market.

The Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) has informed me that it is a commercial investor in businesses, platforms and projects which support the delivery of new homes in Ireland.  These investments are in private market commercial operations, typically featuring a significant quantum of third-party investment.  As such, the activities of individual investments are commercial matters and as such it is not appropriate for me to comment on them.  However, ISIF has provided me with the following information.

ISIF invests on a commercial basis in the Irish homebuilding sector to catalyse the development of starter and mid-market homes across a range of dwelling types and tenure.  Its overarching objective is to increase supply and optimise the existing housing stock. The Fund achieves this by targeting financing gaps in the marketplace which are an impediment to supply, and by crowding in third party capital. Furthermore, ISIF seeks to embed resilient sources of capital in the market to help ensure a robust funding environment to support Irish homebuilding through the cycle.

In total ISIF has committed over €950m to housing related investments. These investments have supported over €3.3bn of homebuilding activity, which cumulatively are expected to deliver over 15,000 new homes by 2025.

ISIF has directly supported platforms in the areas of development finance for homebuilding, on-site infrastructure finance and build to rent.  These investments have contributed significantly to increasing the availability and robustness of funding for Irish homebuilding.

In 2016 ISIF funded the establishment of Activate Capital, a new lender in the Irish market focused on the provision of construction finance to Irish homebuilders at a time when this market was highly constrained.  Reflecting the success of this investment and an on-going need in the market, in 2020, ISIF rolled over its initial investment in Activate to enable it to continue to support homebuilding nationwide.  Activate reports that since inception it has funded construction on 62 sites, predominantly focused on mass market homes. All sites funded to date have the capacity to deliver 15,000 new homes. 

ISIF has also invested to support the development of new homes by small and mid-sized developers nationally through Pearl Residential Equity Fund which is targeting the delivery of 2,000 new homes.  

ISIF has been active in the provision of infrastructure funding which can unlock landbanks and accelerate the delivery of new homes.  In Cherrywood Co. Dublin, ISIF invested in the up-front provision of infrastructure such as roads, water, parks to unlock the site which is now in production and will result in the construction of over 4,000 new homes.  ISIF has now supported the roll out of this model more broadly, through a platform called Housing Infrastructure Services Company (“HISCo”).

In the period 2017-2019, ISIF sought to support new apartment construction and rental supply at a time when supply was constrained.  The largest commitment in this segment was €140m made to Irish Life Residential Fund, an evergreen fund focused on forward purchasing and forward funding of new apartments for rent. This means that ISIF’s investment in this segment is entirely focused on new construction.  

In total, this segment represents c.25% of ISIF’s total investment in Irish homebuilding and has stimulated the development of over 2,800 new homes for rent in the greater Dublin area through investments with Irish Life, Avestus, Niche and Urbeo.  More recently, in 2021 ISIF invested €25m with Harrison Street with the objective of supporting the development of new Purpose-Built Student Accommodation in Ireland.

The implementation of the Pandemic Stabilisation and Recovery Fund in 2020/2021 resulted in a reduction of investment in new homebuilding opportunities.  However, ISIF has a strong pipeline of new opportunities in this area and continues to be focused on investing in opportunities which provide risk capital and infrastructure solutions to Irish homebuilders.

The Affordable Housing Act 2021 laid the foundation for two new affordable purchase schemes: the first to be delivered via Local Authorities and the Land Development Agency, and the second a national 'First Home' shared equity scheme supporting purchases in the private market.

On the basis that the purchaser of a home will generally require a mortgage to secure a home, I can confirm that in the development of both schemes, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH) is engaging with the Banking and Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI) and its members. 

The First Home Scheme will be delivered via a strategic partnership between the State and participating mortgage lenders.  Officials from my Department are assisting the DHLGH in relation to the development of the First Home Scheme.

Both of the affordable purchase schemes will use an equity support model to assist eligible purchasers.  In the case of Local Authority Affordable Purchase, this equity stake will be equivalent to the reduction in price from the full market value of the home and the stake will be held by the Local Authority. 

In the case of the national First Home scheme, the equity stake will be the funding provided to bridge the gap between someone's maximum mortgage and the price of a new home (within regional price ceilings).

It is envisaged that purchasers will use bank mortgages or the Local Authority Home Loan with these schemes, just as in any home purchase, so the equity stake will therefore rank behind whatever loan is secured on the property. This is because the equity support is not a loan, a second mortgage, or any form of 'State debt', so it cannot take precedence over the debt on the property.

As the Deputy may be aware, as Minister for Finance I am Ireland’s Governor to a number of global and European International Financial Institutions (IFIs) including the World Bank, the IMF, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) as well as a number of other regional multilateral development banks. The IFI community has reacted quickly to provide vital financial support for Ukraine. On 9 March, the Executive Board of the IMF approved a disbursement of US$1.4 billion under the Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI) to help Ukraine meet urgent financing needs and mitigate the economic impact of the war. This follows a US$723 million package of support approved by the World Bank; a €668 million immediate financial support package for Ukraine to be provided by the EIB; and a €2 billion ‘resilience package’ approved by the EBRD.

In the absence of full funding by bilateral donors, debt cancellation or debt forgiveness by the IMF risks impairing the Fund's financial integrity which, in turn, could jeopardise future financing for Ukraine and other countries in need. Instead, the IMF’s ability to provide debt service relief on its loans to members must be underpinned by donor grants for the repayment of those loans.  For example, during the COVID-19 crisis, the IMF used the donor-supported Catastrophe and Containment Relief Trust to provide debt relief totalling almost US$1 billion to cover debt obligations owed to the Fund between April 2020 and April 2022.

Finally, I can assure the Deputy that my Department has very clearly articulated the Irish Government position in relation to what is happening in Ukraine. We are working with our EU partners and other like-minded members of these IFIs in supporting these institutions’ evolving response to the situation and their initiatives to provide support and financial assistance to the government and people of Ukraine.

The regulation of gambling in Ireland is the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Justice. Gambling regulation is currently provided for principally by the Betting Act 1931 (as amended) and the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956 (as amended).

Gaming is defined by section 2 of the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956 as playing a game (whether of skill or chance or partly of skill and partly of chance) for stakes hazarded by the players. This contrasts with betting where a bet is placed on the outcome of a competition, sporting activity or some other unpredictable future event.

Gaming, including eGaming and the playing of gaming machines and amusement machines, is subject to VAT at the standard rate, currently 23%. I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that traders are not required to separately identify the yield generated from a particular activity or product type on their VAT return. Therefore, it is not possible to provide data on the amount of VAT specifically collected from gaming as the Deputy has requested.

Betting activities are exempt from VAT in accordance with Article 135(1)(i) of VAT Directive 2006/112/EC. However, in Ireland betting activity is subject to other taxes.  Sections 67 and 67A of the Finance Act 2002 provide for Betting Duty at a rate of 2%, in respect of every bet entered into by bookmakers with persons in the State including bets entered into by remote means. In addition, section 67B of the Finance Act 2002 provides that remote betting intermediaries are liable to Betting Intermediary Duty, at the rate of 25%, on commission charges. The total Betting Duty and Betting Intermediary Duty receipts in the years 2019, 2020 and 2021 are as follows:

There are also specific licensing requirements for betting and gaming activities. All bookmakers, remote bookmakers, and remote betting intermediaries are required to hold a valid excise licence. Similarly, where the playing of gaming and amusement machines takes place, the premises must have a valid gaming licence, or an amusement permit and all machines located in those premises must be appropriately licensed as gaming or amusement machines. Currently there are no licensing requirements for eGaming. Registers of all licences issued are published on Revenue’s website.

The Gaming and Lotteries (Amendment) Act 2019 was introduced as an interim measure pending the comprehensive reform of gambling in Ireland. The Government is committed to the modernisation of our licensing and regulatory environment for gambling. In this regard, I am aware that in line with the Programme for Government commitment work is ongoing in Department of Justice to comprehensively reform the regulation of gambling activities and to provide for an independent Gambling Regulator. The Gambling Regulator will be responsible for enforcing appropriate licensing and regulatory measures in respect of all gambling activities, including online.

As Minister for Finance, I do not have a direct function in the operations of any bank. Although the State is a shareholder in some of the banks operating in the State, they must be run on a commercial and independent basis.

While the charging of fees is a commercial decision for regulated entities, within the parameters of the regulatory framework, under Section 149 of the Consumer Credit Act, 1995 (as amended) (‘the Act’), credit institutions must notify the Central Bank if they wish to:

- Introduce any new customer charge for providing certain services; or

- Increase any existing customer charge for providing certain services.

Each notification received by the Central Bank is assessed and robustly challenged in accordance with the specific criteria set out in Section 149 of the Act. Having considered the proposed charge(s) under the assessment criteria as set out under the legislation, the charges are either rejected, approved at lower levels than requested by the credit institution, or approved in full.  Credit institutions are free to impose any pricing differentials for the service up to the permitted maximum and are free to waive charges at their discretion for commercial or competitive reasons.

Separately, the European Union (Payments Accounts) Regulations 2016 requires that a consumer must be provided with a Fee Information Document setting out all fees linked to an account, in good time before entering into a framework contract. A consumer must also be provided, at least annually, with a Statement of Fees, setting out all fees incurred in respect of the account. These requirements ensure the consumer is fully informed of all fees linked to a payment account.

If customers are unhappy with their current account provider for any reason, including cost, they have the right to switch to a different provider. The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission operates a comparison tool for current account fees on its website, this can be used by consumers to find the account which best meets their needs.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 250, 259, 260 and 268 together.

This Government recognises the importance of credit unions. The Programme for Government contains commitments to:

- Review the policy framework within which Credit Unions operate;

- Enable and support the Credit Union movement to grow; and

- Support Credit Unions in the expansion of services, to encourage community development.

With regard to fulfilling the commitments in the Programme for Government for credit unions, the Review of the Policy Framework is in its final stages following a recent engagement session with all the credit union representative bodies on the emerging proposals.

Legislative proposals arising will go to Cabinet shortly. The proposals being considered aim to better position credit unions to grow as a key provider of community banking.

In developing these proposals, Minister of State Fleming conducted extensive stakeholder engagement, meeting with the representative bodies, collaborative ventures, service providers, the Credit Union Advisory Committee, the Registrar of Credit Unions and individual credit unions. The information gained from these meetings will help inform the next steps taken by Government. 

In terms of supporting the sector to provide essential financial services to local communities, the following are some recent developments which highlight the potential of the sector to grow and fulfil a role in relation to community banking. 

Lending and Investment

The Central Bank has in recent years reviewed both the lending and investment frameworks. Since 1 January 2020, credit unions now have a combined capacity to provide up to €1.1 billion in additional SME and mortgage loans, with further capacity available to credit unions who can comply with certain conditions or on approval by the Central Bank. As of September 2021, credit unions had a combined mortgage and SME loan book of circa €387 million, an increase of 19% year-on-year.  

Credit unions are permitted to place their surplus funds that have not been lent to members in a range of investments including Tier 3 Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs). Three credit union backed funds have received approval from the Central Bank. Credit unions will be able to invest up to €900 million in these regulated funds, which will subsequently lend to AHBs. 

SME Lending 

Nineteen credit unions were approved in early 2021 for participation in the Covid-19 Credit Guarantee Scheme. Further, in November five credit unions were announced as participants in the Brexit Impact Loan Scheme (BILS).

In total, SME lending has grown 6.9% year on year to end September 2021.  Further development of SME lending in a controlled manner could also assist credit unions in growing and diversifying their loan book.

Access to Finance for Retrofit 

The Government significantly increased the funding available to support retrofit. My officials have been engaging with stakeholders to support increased credit union participation in retrofit loan schemes. 

Other Services

Other than member savings and lending, in order to provide “additional services”, a credit union must receive approval from the Central Bank. 

68 credit unions are approved to provide current accounts. 

The Central Bank has prescribed a list of exempt services which may be provided without requiring approval. The Central Bank is undertaking a review of the Exempt Services Schedule to ensure that the services listed reflect the current financial services landscape. The Central Bank has commenced a public consultation seeking views from stakeholders on the proposed changes arising from this review.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 251, 252, 253, 254, 255, 256, 257 and 258 together.

I am advised by Revenue that the total number of taxpayer queries dealt with through its telephone and MyEnquiries service channels for the years 2018 to 2022 (to date) is set out in the table below. Revenue has also confirmed that approximately 68% of queries received through MyEnquiries were responded to within 5 days in 2021, while over 90% were responded to within 20 days. (Revenue’s Customer Service Standard across all service channels is within 20 days, or 25 days during peak periods.) Taxpayer queries where further information is needed or where there are complex issues involved can sometimes take longer than the normal 20 day/25 day turnaround time.

Regarding the average waiting times for the PAYE Helpline, Revenue has confirmed that the peak period for this service occurs during the early months of the year (January to April) when taxpayers submit their income tax returns for the previous year/s, claim any refunds or reliefs to which they are entitled, and check their tax credits for the current year. To date in 2022, the PAYE service has processed over 730,000 tax returns, answered more than 163,000 telephone calls, and dealt with over 224,000 items of correspondence received through the online services and the post.

To ensure optimum support to PAYE taxpayers throughout the year, Revenue continuously reviews its service channels and deploys its resources on an agile basis to meet demand. For example, analysis of PAYE taxpayer telephone activity indicates that most contacts are received during the morning, with much reduced demand in the afternoon. Operating the PAYE Helpline from 9.30am to 1.30pm each day ensures that the service is there to meet demand while also ensuring adequate resources are available to provide timely replies to queries received through the increasing online channel and through the post. The service is currently answering between 4,000 and 5,000 calls per day while also responding to between 4,500 and 6,000 correspondence items per day.

Revenue has acknowledged that the average waiting time on the PAYE telephone service during the current peak period is approximately ten minutes. Much of this delay is attributed to clarifying the taxation arrangements for Pandemic Unemployment Payments (PUP) and Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) payments, which can result in some calls taking longer than would normally be the case. It is expected that this waiting time will reduce over the coming weeks as the peak period passes.

Regarding public office arrangements, I am aware that Revenue has invested very significantly in IT based solutions that allow taxpayers manage their tax affairs at a time that suits them, for the most part without the need to engage directly with officials or visit the tax office. These systems are available on a 24/7 basis, are intuitive and easy to use, and are secure to the highest standards. The online systems include the already mentioned MyEnquiries service, which allows taxpayers send queries to Revenue should they need to do so. As already outlined, most of these queries are responded to within 5 days. The year on year increase in online activity (2020 had reduced customer queries due to COVID-19) is testament to the popularity of the services with taxpayers and significantly negates the requirement to operate public offices.       

However, Revenue accepts that there will always be a requirement for direct discussions where more complex issues exist or where a taxpayer experiences IT related difficulties. To support taxpayers and tax agents where such circumstances arise, Revenue provides a virtual appointment service, which can be booked through a dedicated telephone number (01-7383660). The appointment service started in March 2020 and has received over 250 requests to date. Appointments are usually facilitated within two days of the request.

Revenue has confirmed that it will expand the virtual appointments service to include face to face appointments as part of its post-pandemic blended working arrangements. It is anticipated that this service will be available in the coming weeks as the blended working arrangements are bedded in.

*Includes calls to the Collector-General’s Office, the ROS Helpdesk, Vehicle Registration Tax, Customs, Stamping and Local Property Tax.  

Excludes queries received through the post.

I am advised by Revenue that the person’s standard rate tax band was allocated in full to his other income, which meant that his annuity pension was taxed at the higher rate.

I am further advised that following discussions with the person, Revenue has reallocated the appropriate portion of his standard rate tax band to his annuity pension for 2022 and has updated his Universal Social Charge (USC) status to exempt. The overpayments of tax and USC deducted from the person to date in 2022 will be refunded to him by his pension provider in the next payroll run.

As Minister for Finance, I am responsible for the development of the legal framework governing regulation of the insurance sector.  Neither I, nor the Central Bank of Ireland, can direct the pricing or provision of insurance products, as this is a commercial matter which individual companies assess on a case-by-case basis. This position is reinforced by the EU Single Market framework for insurance (the Solvency II Directive) which expressly prohibits Member States from doing so. Consequently, I am not in a position to direct insurance companies as to how they price their policies or what terms and conditions they apply in those policies, nor can I direct insurance companies to provide cover to specific individuals or businesses.

Having said that, my officials contacted Insurance Ireland for further comment on this matter, so that I could provide some further information. Insurance Ireland stated that its members are focused on ensuring they make it as practical as possible for those arriving from Ukraine to take out policies in their own name over time. It also stated that in general its members are accepting the addition of named drivers who hold a full Ukrainian licence to existing motor policies of Irish host families.  Any charge that applies depends on the individual circumstances of the driver, and if it is a temporary or permanent addition to the motor insurance policy, in some cases no charge will apply. In general at the moment, my officials understand that insurers will treat Ukrainian licences as the equivalent of an EU licence and they will be subject to the same acceptance criteria and rules as EU licence holders.

Finally, it should be noted that issues in relation to driver licencing, including equivalence and exchange issues, are a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Transport and his Department.

The EU Payment Accounts Directive, which is transposed in Ireland by the Payment Accounts Regulation 2016, introduced the right for any consumer who is legally resident in the European Union and who does not already have a payment account with a credit institution in the State to open and use a payment account with basic features. 

The Directive explicitly states that a consumer who is legally resident in the European Union has this right regardless of his or her place of residence and regardless of whether he or she has a fixed address, is an asylum seeker, or is a consumer who has not been granted a residence permit but whose expulsion is not possible for legal or practical reasons.

Credit and financial institutions (firms) are obliged to identify and verify their customer’s identity on the basis of documents or information that they have reasonable grounds to believe can be relied upon to confirm the identify of their customer.  Institutions often use official documents, like passports or driving licences in order to verify a customer’s identity.  However neither the relevant legislation (Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2010, as amended, nor the Central Bank of Ireland are prescriptive as to what documents and information can be relied upon. 

Accordingly firms have some flexibility in this regard, including in situations where an asylum seeker or refugee may be unable to provide traditional forms of identity documentation.

While providing asylum seekers or refugees with access to financial products and services can create challenges for institutions where the identity of such persons cannot be verified on the basis of ‘traditional’ forms of identification like passports or driving licences, the European Banking Authority (EBA) has previously issued Guidance on this point which provides that official identity documents issued by an EU Member State to asylum seekers/refugees which confirms their status and right to reside in that EU Member State are likely to satisfy the verification requirement.

In addition, the Payment Accounts Directive provides that credit institutions cannot refuse the opening of payment account unless the opening of the account or its subsequent use would result in a breach of national law transposing the applicable Anti-Money Laundering (AML)/ Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) Directive, for example, because the credit institution cannot manage the Money Laundering (ML)/ Terrorism-Financing (TF) risk associated with the business relationship. 

The EBA’s Guidance provides that a situation where an asylum seeker can only provide less robust evidence of identity, is unlikely to be sufficient AML/CFT grounds to refuse the opening of an account, given that it is likely that the firm could manage the ML/TF risks presented by such a prospective customer by ensuring that only a basic payment account is offered, for example with no overdraft facility and with monthly turnover/transfer limits.

In 2021 the Banking & Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI), in conjunction with a number of retail Banks, issued guidance to assist asylum seekers and refugees on opening a bank account in Ireland, which included information on the type of non-standard documentation, including state issued documents, that will be accepted as forms of identification when opening an account. This information can be found here - bpfi.ie/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Final-BPFI-Guide-to-Opening-Bank-Accounts-in-Ireland-for-Protection-Applicants-Final.pdf.

Ukrainian citizens coming to Ireland can use either their passport or their Ukrainian Identity Card as proof of identity. A proof of residence document letter will be provided by the Centre Manager of the International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) Accommodation Centres on request. Those not residing in IPAS accommodation, should inquire with their bank of choice on what would be acceptable as proof of residence.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 264 and 265 together.

I understand that the proposal for reform of VAT rates is currently being finalised, this process involves, inter alia, ensuring consistent translations of the text in every working language of the European Union. Once finalised I expect the proposal will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union in the coming weeks.

Officials in my Department are currently reviewing the options now available to Ireland in setting VAT rates. This will include consideration of the new options available to Member States when setting VAT rates as well as the new limitations introduced on how reduced rates may be applied.

Decisions about tax changes are generally taken in the context of the Budget and, as part of our normal annual Budget preparations, various options for tax policy changes will be considered by the Tax Strategy Group prior to Budget 2023. The papers presented to the Tax Strategy Group, including a paper on VAT, are published in advance of the Budget.

In Finance Act 2021 I extended the BIK exemption to end 2025 with a tapering mechanism that represents a value for money consideration and serves to indicate the removal of the relief altogether in 2025. This extension is in support of Government policy to incentivise the transition to electric vehicles, while the lead in time allows for fleet planning.

In Finance Act 2019 I legislated for a CO2-based BIK regime for company cars from 1/1/2023. From that date the amount taxable as BIK remains determined by the car’s original market value (OMV) and the annual business kilometres driven, while new CO2 emissions-based bands will determine whether a standard, discounted, or surcharged rate is taxable. The number of mileage bands is reduced from five to four.

I believe that better value for money for the taxpayer is achieved by curtailing the amount of subsidies available and building an environmental rationale directly into the BIK regime. It was determined in this context that reforming the BIK system to include emissions bands provides for a more sustainable environmental rationale than the continuation of the current system with exemptions for electric vehicles.  The BIK exemption was intended as a temporary measure and forms part of a broader series of very generous measures to support the uptake of electric vehicles, including a reduced rate of 7% VRT, a VRT relief of up to €5,000, low motor tax of €120 per annum, SEAI grants, discounted tolls fees, and 0% BIK on electric charging.

The onset of the new BIK regime on 1/1/2023 will see electric vehicles benefit from a preferential rate of BIK, ranging from 9 – 22% depending on mileage (as well as the tapered exemption until end 2025). Internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles will be subject to higher BIK rates, up to 37.5%. This new structure with CO2-based discounts and surcharges will incentivise employers to provide employees with low-emission cars.

I am advised by Revenue that the home carer tax credit may be claimed by jointly assessed married persons or civil partners where one spouse or civil partner (the ‘home carer’) cares for one or more dependent persons.

A dependent person includes an individual who, at any time in the year of assessment, is:

- a child in respect of whom the home carer, or his or her spouse or civil partner, is in receipt of child benefit;

- aged 65 years or over; or

- permanently incapacitated by reason of mental or physical infirmity.

The dependent person must normally reside with or in close proximity to the married couple or civil partners for the relevant year of assessment.

To obtain the full tax credit (€1,600 for the 2022 year of assessment), the home carer’s income for the year must not exceed €7,200. Carer’s Benefit and Carer’s Allowance received by the home carer is disregarded for this purpose.

Where the home carer’s income is over €7,200, the tax credit available is reduced by one half of the excess amount earned over this limit. The home carer tax credit will therefore not be available for the 2022 year of assessment where the home carer’s income exceeds €10,400. 

In addition, a couple or civil partners cannot claim both the increased standard rate band for dual income couples and the home carer tax credit in the same year of assessment. In practice, Revenue will grant whichever relief will provide the most beneficial treatment to the couple.

The home carer tax credit can be claimed through myAccount or by completing an annual Income Tax Return. Taxpayers who do not have access to Revenue’s online services can submit a paper claim form.  I am advised that where a person makes a claim for any tax credit, such claims are made on a self-assessment basis and Revenue’s ‘presumption of honesty’ principle, as set out in its Customer Service Charter, applies.  This principle, however, is underpinned by periodic compliance checks to ensure the veracity of tax credit claims based on Revenue’s risk prioritisation framework.

Regarding the automatic application of the home carer tax credit, where this credit is claimed for a year of assessment, Revenue will automatically apply the credit in the following year in certain circumstances. This treatment applies in the scenarios outlined below:

1. Where the dependent person is a child in respect of whom either the home carer or his or her spouse or civil partner is in receipt of child benefit. This is subject to the following additional criteria being met:

1. the couple are married or in a civil partnership and are jointly assessed to tax; 

2. Revenue records indicate that only one spouse or civil partner is in employment;

3. Revenue records indicate that the income of the unemployed spouse or civil partner is less than €7,200; and

4. Revenue receives confirmation from the Department of Social Protection that either the home carer or his or her spouse or civil partner is in receipt of child benefit.

Where the dependent person is a person aged 65 years or over, or a person who is permanently incapacitated due to mental or physical incapacity. This is subject to the following additional criteria being met:

1. the couple are married or in a civil partnership and are jointly assessed to tax;

2. Revenue records indicate that only one spouse or civil partner is in employment;

3. Revenue records indicate that the income of the unemployed spouse or civil partner is less than €7,200; and

4. there are no details of the home carer or his or her spouse or civil partner being in receipt of child benefit.

Preliminary End of Year Statements are made available to all employees and pension recipients and may indicate that there has been an underpayment of tax and USC in the year of assessment. In such cases the taxpayer should file an Income Tax Return to ensure that he or she has claimed all tax credits and deductions due, as this may impact the final income tax or USC position. Once a return has been submitted a Statement of Liability will issue, explaining how the underpayment will be collected.

The Preliminary End of Year Statements in respect of the 2021 year of assessment were made available in January of this year. As there are a number of reasons why an underpayment of income tax may arise, it is not possible to readily identify the number of cases where an underpayment related directly and exclusively to receipt of the home carer tax credit.

Detailed guidance in relation to the home carer tax credit can be found on Revenue’s website and Tax and Duty Manual Part 15-01-29, which are available using the links detailed below:

- www.revenue.ie/en/personal-tax-credits-reliefs-and-exemptions/health-and-age/home-carer-credit/index.aspx, and

- www.revenue.ie/en/tax-professionals/tdm/income-tax-capital-gains-tax-corporation-tax/part-15/15-01-29.pdf.

Alternatively, taxpayers may contact the Revenue office which deals with their tax affairs for assistance in determining the full range of credits and reliefs which he or she may be entitled to claim, based on their personal circumstances. Contact details for various Revenue offices can be found at www.revenue.ie/en/contact-us/index.aspx.

I am advised by Revenue that arising from an employee’s entitlement to a tax deduction under section 114 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997, in respect of certain expenses, there exists a long-standing Revenue practice under which employers may reimburse tax-free to employees the expenses of travel and subsistence relating to that travel, subject to certain conditions being fulfilled.

The conditions under which the reimbursement to employees of the expenses of travel and subsistence may generally be made without deduction of tax are as follows:

(a)  the employee must be temporarily away from his/her normal place of work in the performance of the duties of his/her employment;

(b)  the travel expenses must be necessarily incurred in the performance of the duties of the office or employment, and

(c)  arising from a long-accepted position, supported by tax case law, the expenses of subsistence must attach to travelling necessarily incurred in the performance of the duties of the office or employment.

The reimbursement to an office holder or employee of expenses of travel and subsistence is a matter for the relevant employer. Where an employer reimburses his/her employee for travel and subsistence, it may be on the basis of either actual vouched expenses or applying a flat rate allowance.  

Vouched Expenses

Where travel expenses are reimbursed to an employee based on actual vouched expenses, then, provided the relevant conditions are satisfied and the employer retains receipts, Revenue will disregard for income tax purposes the reimbursement of such vouched expenses by her/his employer.

Flat Rate Allowance

Alternatively, provided the employee bears the cost of all expenses of travel necessarily incurred in the performance of the duties of his/her employment (and bears the cost of subsistence relating to such travel), Revenue will disregard for income tax purposes the reimbursement of expenses of travel and subsistence, where such reimbursement is made by way of:

(a) a flat rate up to, but not exceeding, the prevailing Civil Service rates for travel and subsistence, or

(b) a flat rate based on any other schedule of rates and related conditions of travel and subsistence, which do no more than reimburse the employee for actual expenditure necessarily incurred.

Furthermore, notwithstanding that expenses of travel are reimbursed by an employer, an office holder or employee retains her/his statutory right to claim tax relief, in accordance with section 114, against her/his emoluments of the office or employment in respect of actual allowable expenses incurred. However, where the employee decides to make such claims, any reimbursement of expenses by the employer, including any flat rate allowances, is regarded as pay and taxed accordingly.

The Civil Service rates for travel and subsistence allowances are available on Revenue’s website. The setting of these rates is a matter for the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.

In addition, comprehensive guidance on the tax treatment of the re-imbursement of expenses of travel and subsistence to office holders and employees can be found in Tax and Duty Manual Part 05-01-06 available on Revenue’s website.

The Help to Buy (HTB) incentive is a scheme to assist first-time purchasers with the deposit they need to buy or build a new house or apartment. The incentive gives a refund on Income Tax and Deposit Interest Retention Tax (DIRT) paid in the State over the previous four years, subject to limits outlined in the legislation. Section 477C Taxes Consolidation Act (TCA) 1997 outlines the definitions and conditions that apply to the HTB scheme.

An increase in the supply of new housing is fundamental to resolving the current housing crisis.  The HTB scheme is specifically designed to encourage an increase in demand for new build homes in order to encourage the construction of an additional supply of such properties. A move to amend the scheme to include second-hand properties would not achieve this aim; on the contrary, it could serve to dilute the incentive effect required in terms of encouraging additional supply of new properties.

In passing, I might note that the number of housing commencements for 2021 at over 30,700, and up from 21,686 in 2020, is encouraging. As the Deputies may be aware, the Housing for All Strategy has as a  target the construction of an average of at least 33,000 new homes per year out to 2030.

As the Deputy will appreciate, decisions regarding taxation measures are usually made in the context of the annual Budget and Finance Bill process. Such decisions must have regard to the sound management of the public finances and my Department's Tax Expenditure Guidelines. The guidelines make clear that any policy proposal which involves tax expenditures should only occur in limited circumstances where there are demonstrable market failures, where a tax-based incentive is more efficient than a direct expenditure intervention.

Finally, I announced in my Budget 2022 address that a formal review of the scheme will take place in 2022. The review will be fundamental in nature and will inform decisions for Budget 2023 and Finance Bill 2022. My Department has recently put the review exercise out to tender.

At the outset, the Deputy should note that I am assuming he is referring to a second property as opposed to a second-hand property, and I am responding to his question accordingly.  I would firstly like to note that, for property owners selling their own home there is an exemption from Capital Gains Tax (CGT) for the transfer or sale of an individual’s principal private residence (PPR), including land of up to one acre around the residence.  More information is available at www.revenue.ie/en/gains-gifts-and-inheritance/cgt-reliefs/index.aspx. 

Taxes on capital including CGT ensure that taxation is not focused solely on income and that those who benefit from gains in the value of their assets are included within the tax net on an equitable basis. Where an individual disposes of a second property, whether through a sale or a gift to a family member, CGT is currently levied at 33% on the chargeable gain usually the difference between the price paid for the asset and the price it is disposed for.

I would note that in general where the property is inherited after the death of the owner no CGT is due. If the property is gifted while the owner is still alive, while CGT and CAT may be both due, you can use the CGT paid as a credit against the CAT due. The credit cannot be greater than the amount of CAT which is due on the gift or inheritance.

While I can understand the thinking behind the proposal to exempt property transactions from CGT in order to encourage property owners to sell or gift their property to family members,  taxation is only one of the policy levers available to the Government through which to boost overall housing supply. The presumption should be that non-tax measures should be considered before the use of a tax–based measure. I would wish to avoid any tax expenditures that could distort the market, particularly where it is not clear that they would in this instance result in additional supply and could reduce the availability of rental properties. Such an exemption would also be unlikely to reduce prices for purchasers. Previous experience with tax incentives in this area has demonstrated a considerable potential for unexpected consequences to such changes which can end up being unhelpful to the broader market. Therefore, I do not currently propose to exempt second properties from CGT.

The Government is however, very conscious of the need to do everything it can to address the difficulties in the housing market. The comprehensive "Housing for All" plan published last year is intended to deliver more homes of all types for people with different housing needs.  Housing for All includes actions aimed directly at increasing supply in the housing market.  These include 33,000 new units per year, on average, until 2030, (including over 10,000 social and 6,000 affordable units) and an average of €2.4 billion per year in direct State funding to 2025, and €3.5 billion in funding through the Land Development Agency.  The plan commits to a supply of an unprecedented 4,000 affordable purchase homes, on average, every year for families, couples and single people.

My Department has recently received a copy of the Final Report of the Joint Committee on Key Issues Affecting the Traveller Community and is considering in detail the actions that the Committee has proposed to assign to my Department.

The Deputy will appreciate that any requests for additional funding supports for specific measures recommended must be considered and addressed by relevant Line Departments as part of the annual Estimates process.

As Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, I have policy responsibility for recruitment to the civil service.  As reflected in the Civil Service Renewal 2024 Strategy, the civil service is strong committed to equality of opportunity for all in terms of its recruitment and employment practices and building a more diverse and inclusive workforce that is reflect of the modern Ireland that it serves.

OneLearning, the Civil Service Learning and Development Shared Service Centre based within my Department, shall shortly be rolling out a second generation of training courses for civil servants following extensive stakeholder engagement, including by representatives from IHREC.  New equality, diversity and inclusion training courses are being introduced to support our goal to develop more diverse and inclusive workplaces, with a particular emphasis on the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty.

As the Deputy may recall, my Department and the Public Appointments Service (PAS) made submissions to the Joint Committee in the context of the 80% unemployment rate amongst members of the Traveller community.  PAS, which is a body under the aegis of my Department, is the primary recruiter for the civil service and other parts of the public service.  PAS plays a central role in attracting a diverse range of talented people from all backgrounds, including members of the Traveller and Roma community, to take up employment opportunities in the civil service.

PAS launched its first Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2021-2023 following extensive and ongoing engagements with NGOs, including with representatives from organisations representing members of the Traveller and Roma communities such as PaveePoint, the Travellers In Prison Initiative, Involve, St Stephen’s Green Trust and the Irish Traveller Movement.

As part of its outreach activities, PAS has held workshops with Traveller and Roma organisations to provide guidance and information on recruitment opportunities and to provide an overview of the recruitment process. PAS has advertised employment opportunities in key publications such as the ‘Traveller Voice’ Magazine as well as sponsoring the Traveller Education awards.

As reflected under the Civil Service 2024 Renewal Strategy and the PAS EDI Strategy 2021-2023, my Department and PAS are committed to exploring alternative pathways as a more inclusive approach to attracting underrepresented groups to apply for roles in the civil service.  Leveraging the very positive experiencing of developing disability internships across the civil service, and in line with a core recommendation from the Joint Committee and Pathways to Work 2021-2025, a Pilot Civil Service Internship Programme for members of the Traveller and Roma communities will be launched during Q2 2022, with paid placements of 12 months duration being made available. 

This Pilot Internship Programme will be hosted by the Department of Justice, who have led out on its development in consultation with an Advocacy Group made up of representatives of the Traveller and Roma communities, and its launch had intentionally been deferred previously owing to pandemic workplace restrictions.  The leanings from this pilot will inform the future development and expansion of the Internship Programme.

The Office of Public Works has been engaged, in conjunction with the Office of the Attorney General and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, in the drafting of the Heads of a River Shannon Management Body Bill.  The purpose of the Bill is to create a statutory management body with responsibilities and functions to identify, coordinate, monitor and communicate flood risk management actions and activities for the river Shannon catchment and to provide for related matters.  A number of legal considerations have been identified during the drafting of the Bill and The Office of the Attorney General has recently appointed Counsel to provide additional support for the progression of the work necessary to address these matters with a view to finalising the drafting of the Heads of the Bill as a priority.

Works have taken place at Conna Castle on an ongoing basis since 2015.  However, due to the pandemic and the resourcing of other projects, works were temporarily suspended in the last two years. It is hoped to resume works there by the end of 2022.

Since 2015 a number of works have taken place at the castle, including localised repointing of the interior, upgrading of security grills to windows and openings on the interior to make it safe.

In 2019, a significant project was undertaken which involved the installation of a temporary timber lintel and corbels to the upper battlements of the castle.  This temporary measure was required to secure a particular section of the battlements that had become vulnerable to stone loss and OPW anticipates replacing the temporary works with stone as part of ongoing works on the site in the future.

Scaffolding will need to be installed to the exterior of the building for further works to be undertaken which will include localised repointing of the exterior and the removal of organic growth. I am pleased to advise that the grounds surrounding the Castle remain open to the public for the enjoyment of visitors and normal landscaping maintenance continues at the site.

I wish to advise the Deputy that I have not had any engagement with the World Economic Forum since my appointment as Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.  This is also the position with regard to officials of my Department.

I have been advised that my predecessor as Minister attended the 2019 meeting of the World Economic Forum which took place in Davos and participated in a panel entitled “Rethinking Taxes: Creating a Fair and Balanced System”.  He also attended an IDA dinner and held a number of bilateral meetings with key international partners in the financial and political sphere.

Motor travel rates were last reviewed in 2017 and the current rates are set out in Circular 05/2017: Motor Travel Rates. These rates are currently being reviewed by my officials and work is ongoing on devising new rates reflecting current input costs.  Proposals for revised rates will be discussed, as per existing agreements, with staff representative associations.

It is anticipated that the review will be completed shortly with a view to seeking agreement with staff representative associations by the end of the second quarter of this year.

The Office of Public Works (OPW) has responsibility on behalf of the State for managing and maintaining a substantial and complex estate - comprising approximately 2,500 properties -– valued at €3.3bn.

This extensive and diverse portfolio of State properties includes office accommodation for all Government Departments, the property estate for An Garda Síochána and numerous properties for many State Agencies. The portfolio also encompasses specialised spaces such as public offices, laboratories and cultural institutions, in addition to warehouses, heritage properties, visitor centres and sites.

In any major portfolio, there will always be a certain level of vacant properties. It is normal to have an amount of space vacant, or vacant properties, at any given time as the portfolio could not function without the flexibility that it provides. Not all vacant properties will be deemed surplus to the State’s requirements or deemed suitable for disposal. The OPW has actively pursued its disposal policy over the past number of years.  From 2014 to 2021, the OPW has disposed of 128 surplus properties, generating an income in excess of €22m.  The disposal programme will continue throughout 2022-2023 for 101 currently surplus properties, with 3 auctions already planned.

The OPW, by default, consults with Local Authorities, the Health Service Executive, Government Departments, the Land Development Agency and other State bodies in relation to any vacant building or site that is surplus to its requirements.  The purpose of consultation with other State bodies is to ascertain a State use or a public interest, in advance of a decision to sell on the open market. Over the past number of years, the OPW has facilitated a number of property disposals to other public bodies to help meet challenges in the housing area in particular.

If no State use is identified, the OPW considers if open market disposal is an option, depending on prevailing market conditions.  Alternatively, the OPW may consider community involvement, subject to a detailed submission that demonstrates that the community or voluntary group seeking to use the property has the means to insure, maintain and manage it in order to reduce costs to the Exchequer.

In line with the above policy, the OPW has sought alternative State use for both the former Garda station properties in Dalkey and Kill o' the Grange. 

As no alternative State requirement has been identified for the former Garda station in Dalkey, it is currently being prepared for disposal by public auction.

The former Garda station in Kill O The Grange is transferring to Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council (DLRCC) under the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Circular 11/15: Protocols for the Transfer and Sharing of State Property Assets.  The Chief State Solicitor’s Office has prepared contracts for sale and the OPW and DLRCC are working to complete the transfer over the coming months.

My Department, along with Department of Finance in Northern Ireland, has Member State responsibility for the 2021-2027 PEACE PLUS programme.

As with the current INTERREG VA and PEACE IV EU programmes, the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) will be the Managing Authority for PEACE PLUS.  The SEUPB is a North South Implementation Body under the joint sponsorship of my Department and the Department of Finance in Northern Ireland.  As Managing Authority, the SEUPB will be responsible for organising the application process; assessing applications; managing payments and claims; and monitoring and reporting, as well as supporting the Programme Monitoring Committee.

The delivery of the new programme will be overseen by a Programme Monitoring Committee, a governance structure which is required by EU Regulations. The Programme Monitoring Committee  will include northern and southern representatives from both central and local government, business, trade unions, the community and voluntary sector as well as environmental, rural, equality, youth and health sector organisations. Officials from my Department, as well as from the Department of Finance in Northern Ireland, will serve as Member State representatives on the Programme Monitoring Committee.

PEACE PLUS will be implemented via individual projects, which will be awarded funding on foot of thematic Calls for Application issued by the SEUPB. The selection of projects will be the responsibility of a Steering Committee, appointed by the Programme Monitoring Committee. The Steering Committee will include representatives of the programme Member States as well as of relevant sectoral Departments in Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Currently there are no plans to introduce menopause leave in the Civil Service. Whilst there is no leave for menopause, we support women through the Civil Service Employee Assistance Service (CSEAS). The CSEAS recently held a civil service-wide webinar on menopause at work and is in the process of establishing a Menopause in the Workplace working group. With almost 60% of the Civil Service workforce made up of women, this working group will be established to proactively understand and better support women through the menopause in the Civil Service. This is in line with Programme for Government commitments in the area of women’s health.

Motor travel rates were last reviewed in 2017 and the current rates are set out in Circular 05/2017: Motor Travel Rates.  See attached.  These rates are currently being reviewed by my officials and work is ongoing on devising new rates reflecting current input costs.  Proposals for revised rates will be discussed, as per existing agreements, with staff representative associations.

It is anticipated that the review will be completed shortly with a view to seeking agreement with staff representative associations by the end of the second quarter of this year.

Motor Travel Rates

The Office of Public Works is aware of the concerns raised by staff in relation to air quality at the reception area of the Swiss Cottage.

The OPW is committed to providing safe workplaces for all of its staff at all times. I am pleased to advise that arrangements are currently in hand to install new, temporary welfare facilities for staff at Swiss Cottage in order to address the issues raised and it is expected this work will be completed in the coming weeks.

There is currently not enough information in the parliamentary question to enable this department to respond. The Deputy may wish contact this department to discuss or alternatively resubmit the question with further clarification to enable an appropriate response to be made.

Please find below the list of all statues of persons in parks and gardens managed by the Office of Public Works in Dublin which includes the name of the statue and the park in which it is located.

List of Statues

The Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022 will establish Coimisiún na Meán as a multi-person Media Commission, including an Online Safety Commissioner. It will dissolve the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, establish regulatory frameworks for online safety and the regulation of audiovisual media services, and transpose the revised Audiovisual Media Services Directive.

It will be the role of the Online Safety Commissioner to oversee the regulatory framework for online safety. As part of the framework, the Commissioner will devise binding online safety codes that will set out how designated online services, including social media services, are expected to deal with certain defined categories of harmful online content on their platforms.

In particular, online safety codes will ensure that designated online services take appropriate measures to reduce the availability of harmful online content linked to existing criminal offences, as set out in Irish legislation, on their services. Policy and legislation relating to the definition of the criminal offences referenced is a matter for the Minister for Justice. 

Section 45 of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022 sets out these offence-specific categories of harmful online content. Such content includes content which is in contravention of relevant sections of the Incitement to Hatred Act, 1989. It is intended that this will have the effect of tackling the availability, on designated online services, of hate speech.

Under the Bill, in the event of a failure to comply with a relevant online safety code, and subject to Court approval, Coimisiún na Meán will have the power to sanction non-compliant online services, including through financial sanctions of up to €20 million or 10% of turnover.

The Minister for Justice published the General Scheme of the Criminal Justice (Hate Crime) Bill in 2021, which will update existing offences relating to hate speech and introduce will create new, aggravated forms of certain existing criminal offences (hate crimes).

I propose to take Questions Nos. 286, 287 and 294 together.

As part of a suite of supports for the live entertainment sector, €5 million was allocated to the Live Performance Support Scheme – Strand II to support pantomime and seasonal musical theatre impacted by the Covid restrictions in place in December and January.

In order to be eligible for this scheme a business must have VAT-exclusive turnover of €100,000 or above as a result of seasonal musical theatre /pantomime for each of at least two of the past 3 years (2018-2020) in order to be considered.

Officials in my Department have engaged with the applicant the Deputy refers and their application is  now being considered under the appeals process for this scheme, further details of which can be found on my Department's website here: www.gov.ie/en/publication/c2f62-live-performance-support-scheme-2021-strand-ii-seasonal-musical-theatre-panto-support-scheme-appeals/.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 288 and 289 together. 

The information sought by the Deputy in relation to my Department's Covid-19 related expenditure on face masks and hand sanitiser is set out below.   No expenditure was incurred in 2019.  

Value for money is always an important consideration for my Department when procuring goods and services.

Under Section 99 of the Broadcasting Act 2009, RTÉ is required to prepare a Statement of Strategy which is presented to the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) and to my Department every five years. The current RTÉ Strategy, for the period 2018-2022, was reviewed by the BAI prior to being submitted to my Department and was subsequently laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas.

On foot of concerns regarding its financial position in 2019, RTÉ developed a revised financial strategy for the period up to 2024, which includes a range of measures to reduce costs and increase revenues, and commits RTÉ to achieving savings of €60 million over the three year period 2020–2022.

This revised financial strategy, which was submitted in August 2019, does not replace the existing statutory Statement of Strategy and as such did not require formal review by BAI. However, it was reviewed by my Department in consultation with NewERA, following which the Government decided to allocate an additional €9.3 million in funding to RTÉ as part of Budget 2020. This funding was provided through an increased contribution from the Department of Social Protection in respect of free TV licences, to enable the implementation by RTÉ of the package of agreed measures.  A new reporting process was also introduced to enable ongoing monitoring by NewERA and my Department of the delivery by RTÉ of the revised strategy cost savings.

The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth have primary responsibility for such events, and I understand funding opportunities may be available through the Community Foundation for Ireland. A core objective of funding from my Department is to promote the widest possible participation in cultural, sports and Irish language activities.   Culture 2025, the National Cultural Framework to 2025, recognises the right of everyone to participate in the cultural and creative life of the nation.

Primary funding for the arts is delivered through the Arts Council.   Across its various funding schemes, the Arts Council supports more than 160 festivals annually. Through its festival investment scheme, the council makes significant investment in festivals nationwide. The addition of festivals supported under the arts grant and strategic funding schemes ensures that there is a flexible and comprehensive support for festivals in Ireland. The Council recognises the distinctive role arts festivals play in sustaining a vibrant and sustainable arts profile at local level. Festivals provide opportunities for artists and audiences to experience new work and ways of making work.  The Arts Council introduced its equality, human rights and diversity policy in early 2019 and is being implemented through its awards.    Further information on gender, disability and ethnicity in individual awards can be found on the Arts Council’s website.

My Department also operates a small-scale local festivals and summer schools funding scheme. The scheme is designed to support local cultural festivals and summer schools which are not in receipt of other essential Government moneys and which may not be eligible under funding criteria for larger scale events supported by Fáilte Ireland, the Arts Council or similar bodies.  

In addition, the Deputy  may be interested to note that a number of local authorities support small-scale festivals, in some cases, under the all-of-Government Creative Ireland Programme 2017-2022, led by my Department.  The Programme seeks to enable each citizen to realise their full creative potential with implications for individual, community and national wellbeing.  Under its Creative Communities initiative, annual funding is provided to the 31 local authorities to enable them implement their individual Culture and Creativity Strategies 2018-2022, with €6.6 million provided in 2021. This funding also supports Cruinniú na nÓg, the national day of free creativity for children and young people. Across the programme of events and initiatives, it is open to local authorities to use some of this funding for creative programming in support of diversity and equality. Creative events have included the Virtual LGBT+ Awareness & Inclusion Youth Festival in Galway, as part of Cruinniú na nÓg 2021. In 2022, on World Down Syndrome Day, an exciting immersive, inclusive and highly participatory piece for children with additional needs, Lullaby Leaf by Ceol Connected, will take place in counties Monaghan, Cavan, Meath, Louth and Galway.

Fáilte Ireland as the National Tourism Development Authority, also provide supports for festivals and participative events focus predominantly on internationally-motivating festivals/events from the point of view of inbound international tourism and bednights. More information on these can be found on the agencies' websites.

I am advised that none of the recommendations contained in the report of the Joint Committee on Key Issues Affecting the Traveller Community in November 2021 referenced by the Deputy are addressed to my Department.

As the Deputy will be aware, the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021 (NTRIS) is the Government policy framework for addressing the health and other needs of Travellers and Roma. Monitoring of the NTRIS is led by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. My Department is represented on the Steering Committee chaired by Minister O’Gorman which meets quarterly to report on the implementation of the strategy.

I am advised that during the period referred to by the Deputy, Department officials have not attended World Economic Forum events or engaged in communication with the World Economic Forum.

A list of the companies who have received relief from tax in relation to the production of a qualifying film under section 481 of the Taxes Consolidation Act (1997), as amended, is available on the Revenue website at  www.revenue.ie/en/companies-and-charities/documents/beneficiaries-of-tax-relief-from-2016-2021.pdf.

This information is released under the authorisation granted by section 851A of the Taxes Consolidation Act (1997), as amended. This list is published to comply with the requirements of OJEU communication C332/01.

The details available on the Revenue website cover the scheme from 2016 to 2021.

Regulation (EU) No. 609/2013 (as amended) and Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/127 (as amended) set out European Union (EU)-wide rules for information requirements in respect of infant (meaning a child under 12 years) and follow-on formulae. I am informed by the Minister for Health that these Regulations set out detailed compositional and labelling requirements for infant and follow-on formulae intended for use by infants in good health and recognise the importance of the World Health Organisation International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes.

Under section 42 of the Broadcasting Act 2009, the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) prepares codes governing standards and practices to be observed by broadcasters ('broadcasting codes'). The BAI, as independent regulator, has issued the General Commercial Communications Code, which provides that, inter alia, commercial communications for infant and follow-on formulae shall comply with all relevant Irish and European legislation and with rules regulations and codes of practice issued from to time by a relevant competent authority.

Section 9 of the Online Safety and Media Regulation (OSMR) Bill 2022 provides that the new regulator established by the Bill, Coimisiún na Meán, may make codes governing the standards and practices of broadcasters and providers of audio-visual on-demand media services ('media service codes'). In particular section 9 inserts a new section 46N into the Broadcasting Act, which sets out that media services codes may provide for standards and practices to ensure that commercial communications protect the interests of children and that Coimisiún na Meán may consult with the relevant public health authorities regarding any provision made for that purpose.

The OSMR Bill 2022 provides that the existing broadcasting codes in place, including the General Commercial Communications Code, shall remain in force until amended or revoked by Coimisiún na Meán.

Section 44 of the OSMR Bill 2022 provides for the designation of online services for regulation and for the making of binding online safety codes applicable to those services by Coimisiún na Meán. In particular, section 44 inserts a new section 139K into the Broadcasting Act 2009 which sets out that an online safety code may make provision with a view to ensuring that service providers take any measures in relation to commercial communications on their services that are appropriate to protect the interests of users of their services, and in particular the interests of children.

I am satisfied that these provisions of the Bill as published are sufficient to enable Coimisiún na Meán, in making and applying media service codes and online safety codes, to rely on the appropriate public health advice from relevant Government Departments and public bodes and to reference and require adherence to the appropriate legislation regulating the marketing of infant and follow-on formulae. As the Minister with responsibility for media regulation, I will ultimately be guided by my colleague the Minister for Health on this matter.

As I advised the House in my reply to Dáil Question No. 74 of 9th March, 2022, my Department is responsible for a number of programmes and provides funding to a wide range of organisations from various sectors of society. 

Many of the beneficiaries of these programmes, for example sports clubs, are eligible for charitable status or operate on a non-profit basis.    

Details of funding schemes including eligibility criteria, rates of payment and how to apply are published from time to time on my Department's website.  All expenditure is undertaken in accordance with the Public Financial Procedures as set out by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. Details of Department expenditure are published annually in the Department's Appropriation Accounts, which can be found here. 

Should the Deputy have a specific query in relation to funding provided to a particular group or organisation, my officials will seek to assist upon receipt of the relevant details.

The management of Tourist Information Offices is an operational matter for Fáilte Ireland.  Accordingly, I have referred the Deputy's question to Fáilte Ireland for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.

The Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) was launched in 2018 to provide Exchequer support for larger sports facility projects, including swimming pools, with at least €100 million being made available over the period to 2027.

The first allocations under the LSSIF were announced in January 2020 and, thus far, approximately €86.4 million has been awarded to 33 different proposals. The total funding applied for under the scheme significantly exceeded the amount available to allocate and it was not possible to provide all successful applicants the full amount sought.

While the priority in the short term is to advance all of the projects that were allocated funding, as it is now two years since the first allocations were made, and in view of the issues faced by grantees as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was considered timely to review progress on all projects allocated grants. My Department has now met with all successful grantees and work is at an advanced stage in drafting the review. I expect this work to be finalised shortly.

Once that review is complete the scope for awarding any additional grants, adjusting the level  of existing grants and the timing of any new call for proposals will be considered.

The Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP) is the primary vehicle for Government support for the development of sports and recreation facilities and the purchase of non-personal sports equipment throughout the country. 

The 2020 round of the Programme closed for applications on 1 March 2021.  By this date, 3,106 applications were submitted seeking over €200 million in funding.  This is the highest number of applications ever received.   

The scoring system and assessment procedures were finalised and published prior to assessment work commencing and all applications were assessed in accordance with these procedures. All of the improvements which were introduced for recent rounds of the Programme to make the process as user-friendly as possible were maintained for this round. This included giving applicants a second chance to submit corrected documentation. The full scoring system and assessment procedures can be viewed on the sportscapitalprogramme.ie website.

Approximately one thousand of the submitted applications were for 'equipment-only' projects. These applications were assessed first and grants with a total value of €16.6m were announced on 6 August 2021. The remaining capital applications were then assessed and 1,865 individual grant offers with a total value of over €143.8 million were announced on Friday 11 February 2022. 

In relation to unsuccessful applicants, my Department was in contact with relevant organisations earlier this month in relation to the appeals process. Appeals will be accepted if a mistake was made by the Department during the assessment process or if these organisations submit corrected documentation to validate their application.  Appeals will be accepted until Monday 4th April, 2022. Of the record €150 million made available for capital projects, €6 million has been kept in reserve for any successful appeals lodged by unsuccessful applicants. 

When the appeals process is complete, a full review of the 2020 round of the SCEP will be undertaken and any recommendations contained therein will be included in the terms and conditions of the next round.  The precise timing of this next round of the Programme will be announced once this review is complete. 

In relation to my Department's responsibilities, capital funding support is available for new swimming pools or the refurbishment of existing pools. Previously, this Government support was provided through the Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme (LASPP). A total of 52 pools have been completed under the LASPP and three swimming pool projects (Lucan, Buncrana and Edenderry) remain in the programme with the Lucan project currently under construction.

My Department's capital support for any new swimming pools is now being provided through the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF). The National Development Plan provided a capital allocation of at least €100m for the Fund over the period to 2027. 

The first call for proposals under the LSSIF closed in 2019 with applications confined to local authorities and National Governing Bodies (NGBs) of Sport. All applications were assessed in accordance with the published Evaluation Procedures and Guidelines and the first allocations were announced in January 2020. Thus far, approximately €86.4 million has been awarded to 33 different proposals. These initial allocations include funding for 8 swimming pool projects as follows:

Laois: Portarlington Leisure Centre Swimming Pool

Sligo: Waterpoint Aqua Park

Kilkenny: The Watershed Development,

Limerick: Askeaton Pool and Leisure          

Wicklow: Wicklow Swimming Pool and Leisure Centre    

Louth: Dundalk Leisure Centre

Galway: Galway Regional Aquatic & Fitness Centre

Dublin: Samuel Beckett Civic Campus Phase 2      

The priority in the short term is to advance all LSSIF projects, including these swimming pools, to  construction stage.

In relation to future swimming pool funding, my Department is currently undertaking a review of progress on all existing LSSIF grants. As part of this review, my Department is also considering the timing of any new call for proposals. The review work is at an advanced stage and is expected to be finalised shortly.

In addition, the National Sports Policy commits to the development of a National Swimming Strategy. As part of this, there will be a review of swimming pool provision to identify where gaps exist and how these can be met. Furthermore, the Sports Action Plan 2021-2023, which was published in November 2021, contains an action to develop and implement a National Swimming Strategy to provide additional swimming opportunities indoors and outdoors. Initial preparatory planning work has been undertaken by my Department in this regard. It is intended to establish a working group in the near future to take forward the detailed work of preparing a national swimming strategy, with a view to its completion and publication later this year.

The outcome of these reviews and strategies will be fully considered when deciding on the future funding provision for swimming pools.

As part of the €50 million suite of supports for the Live performance sector in 2022, I recently announced details of a new €15 million Live Performance Restart Grant Scheme (LPRGS). 

This scheme will provide a new grant for businesses engaged in staging live events in the arts and culture live performance sector. The scheme aims to help underpin the recovery of the live performance sector by providing business restart grants to successful applicants as a support to de-risk the planning of events across spring and summer of 2022.

Grants of up to €100,000 will be available to eligible businesses under the scheme.  

This scheme opens for applications today and will remain open for four weeks via an online application portal on my Department’s website. 

Further information in relation to this scheme can be accessed on my Department’s website here - www.gov.ie/en/publication/d1d0c-live-performance-restart-grant-scheme-lprgs-guidelines/. 

Throughout the pandemic I have been very cognisant of the challenges the restrictions caused for the arts, culture and live entertainment industry and I remain committed to supporting musicians and artists as the industry recovers following the lifting of all restrictions in January. 

To this end I have provided a €50 million suite of supports d for the live performance sector in 2022 including;

- €5m allocated for the LPSS 2 to support pantomime and seasonal musical theatre impacted by the Covid restrictions in place in December and January.

- €15 million allocated for the Live Performance Restart Grant Scheme to support the recovery of the live performance sector by providing business restart grants as a support to de-risk the planning of events across spring and summer of 2022.

- €4m allocated for the MEBAS 2022 (Music and Entertainment Business Assistance Scheme) scheme specifically to support small music and entertainment businesses which do not operate out of a rateable premises;

- €5m for Local Authorities to support local artists and performances through the LLPSS (Local Live Performance Support Scheme).  This scheme in particular has provided thousands of hours of employment for local musicians, artists and crews, and;

- €5m to continue the capital supports scheme (CECGS) to venues, including for ventilation upgrades and other COVID adaptations. This scheme opens for applications today.

- €1m for the Saint Patrick's Festival 2022

Up to €20 million was allocated for the LPSS 3, another strand of the Live Performance Support Scheme to support events which were due to be staged in December 2021 and January 2022 and have been curtailed, cancelled or rescheduled due to the restrictions on audience capacity at live performances at 50% and a closing time of 8pm.

128 applications were submitted for this scheme and grants of €8.1m have been offered to date.  Payments of €1.5m have been made under this scheme so far and payments will continue to issue on a weekly basis as grantees submit their documentation and payment requests.

At the outset I should clarify that, although Greenways form part of our overall tourism offering, lead responsibility for their development rests with my colleague, Eamon Ryan, T.D., Minister for Transport. Accordingly, queries regarding core funding for Greenway projects such as the one referenced by the Deputy might be more appropriately addressed to Minister Ryan. 

On the general matter of any possible capital funding from my Department or the statutory body specified, it should be noted that all Exchequer funding voted to my Department for tourism product development is channelled through Fáilte Ireland, the National Tourism Development Authority.  On the specific matter of whether any tourism funding was provided for this particular Greenway project over the past four years, I can confirm that it received no tourism funding.

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 or she is responsible.  My Department will continue to work with the local government sector in respect of its involvement in the response to the Ukrainian situation.

My Department’s Rural Water Programme provides funding under an annual subsidy to group water schemes towards their operational and management costs of supplying water for domestic use. The day-to-day administration of the Programme, including for subsidy payments, is devolved to local authorities. Kerry County Council, which is the local authority for the schemes named in the details supplied may be able to update the Deputy on the position.

The Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2021 regulates the tenant-landlord relationship in the private rented residential sector. The Acts require that a landlord not charge anyone more than 1 month’s rent in advance and/or a deposit equal to more than 1 month’s rent for the purpose of securing a tenancy.

Section 12 of the Acts obliges a landlord to return or repay promptly any deposit paid by the tenant to the landlord on entering into the agreement for the tenancy or lease, less any amount for rent arrears, lawful charges or damage beyond normal wear and tear.

Where there is a dispute regarding the retention or refund of a deposit, the tenant may bring a dispute to the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) for resolution.

My Department and the RTB keep the operation of the rental market and the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2021 under constant review to ensure that the legislation is fit for purpose.

The provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003. My Department supports fire authorities through setting general policy, providing the legislative framework, running a central training programme and issuing guidance on operational and other related matters and providing capital funding for priority infrastructural projects. The National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management manages fire service issues in my Department.  

Fire services in Ireland are provided by the local authorities in accordance with the provisions of the Fire Services Acts, 1981 and 2003. Under this legislation, 31 authorities provide fire prevention and fire protection services for communities through 27 service delivery structures. Approximately 3,300 local authority staff engaged at 217 fire stations nationwide deliver local authority fire services. 16 of these stations being staffed by full-time firefighters, a further 4 are mixed full-time and retained, and 197 are staffed by retained firefighters, with approximately 2,065 retained firefighters around the country. It is important to note that the numbers of fire service front-line staff have been maintained at a constant high level throughout the economic challenges of the past number of years, even when staffing numbers, by necessity, were reduced in other areas of the local authority sector.  

In 2013, my Department published 'Keeping Communities Safe (KCS) - A Framework for Fire Safety in Ireland'. The adoption of KCS as national policy saw national norms/ standards established for fire services in Ireland for the first time, against which local authority fire services could benchmark themselves.   The report of the Fire Service Validation Group, 'Fire Services in Ireland, Local Delivery - National Consistency', published in 2016, noted the staffing arrangements in place in fire services across Ireland to achieve these standards and that fire services manage staffing levels in fire stations to achieve the national standards of fire service response. 

The provision of fire services by local authorities is based on a risk management approach, which involves an analysis of the nature of the fire hazards and the incidence and extent of fires that occur, as well as the fire protection measures in place. There has been a welcome downward trend in the incidence of fire, with the fire fatality rate per million of population, using a three-year average, currently at 4.3 deaths per million of population. While each death is one too many, this figure is a third of what it was twenty years ago when it stood at 12.9 deaths per million of population and positions Ireland among countries with very low fire fatality rates. 

In May 2021, the Management Board of the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management mandated a small internal project team to undertake a review of the model of local authority ‘Retained’ fire services delivery. This review will have a particular emphasis on the recruitment and retention of staff, with the proviso that due consideration also be given to input from the County and City Management Association. 

The objective of the review is to explore and understand the issues that are impacting on service delivery, to undertake research and analysis and to propose options that will underpin the continuing provision of effective and inclusive local authority fire services into the future. The Project Team will work with and report to the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management Fire Service Operations Committee in the performance of its functions. 

The initial engagement element of the review is the gathering of appropriate data and information, to inform the needs analysis and option appraisals for further development. To that end, the project team undertook a procurement process and engaged the services of an independent consultant to survey the views of the personnel who work in the retained fire services and those that have recently retired from the retained fire services. In preparing the survey, the project team sought the views of retained services trade union representatives through the Fire Services National Oversight and Implementation Group. 

That feedback in conjunction with consultation at appropriate stages with all key stakeholders during the review process, including central and local government, fire service management/staff, and the staffing interest groups will form the basis of the final review report. It is the expectation of the project team that the final review report will be submitted to the Management Board of the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management before the end of the year.  

I propose to take Questions Nos. 309 and 310 together.

My Officials have made contact with the Department of Health, Fingal County Council, the European Commission and its own Legal Advisor in relation to progressing the recommendations contained in the first interim report of the Urban Gulls Consultative Committee. My Officials will continue to progress these issues towards the conclusion of this work. Submissions, will, as is customary, be published.

In terms of schools, and/or any other location, there is a facility under Section 35 of the Wildlife Acts 1976 which allows licence applications to be made to apply to use a decoy, or an instrument or appliance, including electrical or other recording apparatus emitting or imitating birdcalls (including distress calls), intended for the purpose of repelling, scaring or capturing a protected wild bird. All such applications are investigated by local NPWS staff and recommendations made on the most practical method of stopping or controlling the problem. 

The information requested is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders.