Tuesday, 23rd April, 2013

Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Finance the number of non-residential properties the National Asset Management Agency has control over in Waterford City and county following the liquidation of the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation.

Reply from Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan: NAMA advises that detail on the breakdown, by county, of the value of property securing NAMA’s loans is provided in its Annual Reports and Financial Statements for 2011, which is available on the NAMA website, www.nama.ie.  

Properties under the control of receivers or other insolvency professionals appointed by NAMA are listed on its website at http://www.nama.ie/about-our-work/properties-enforced/.  The site allows for searches by both property type and country/area.  In each instance, information about the firm dealing with the insolvency and its contact details are provided. Potential purchasers are encouraged to contact the receivers to obtain additional information on specific properties and to submit expressions of their interest to purchase. 

In the case of property under the control of debtors, NAMA is precluded, under Section 202 of the NAMA Act 2009, from disclosing confidential information. Confidential information is specifically defined to include information relating to debtors. 

Furthermore, Section 99 of the Act provides that, on acquisition of a loan, NAMA takes over the obligations of the participating institution under the loan, one of which is the contractual duty of confidentiality which the debtor enjoyed while still a customer of the participating institution. Information about individual debtors or guarantors is also protected against disclosure by the Data Protection Acts with which NAMA must comply as a data controller. 

However, in cases where NAMA receives enquiries from potential purchasers about specific properties under the control of debtors, it can facilitate contact with a view to enabling sales transactions to take place.   

For the Deputy’s information, as part of the Government’s decision on 7th February to appoint Special Liquidators (SL) to IBRC, it was decided that NAMA would acquire those loans which have not been sold after the SL have completed their current valuation and sales process. 

The SL is currently in the valuation stage of this process.  NAMA has therefore not yet acquired any loans from the SL, nor has it any sight of those loans, and all such loans remain under the management of the SL until such time as the sales process has been completed. 

Wednesday, 27 March, 2013
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Finance if he will ensure that Revenue change their local property tax registration form to include the option for full payment in cash in order to avoid confusion amongst members of the public who wish to avail of this option rather than a weekly or monthly payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
 
Reply from Minister Michael Noonan: I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that a wide range of payment options have been made available to liable persons, which will allow them to pay their Local Property Tax (LPT) liability in full or by way of phased payments. One payment option allows persons to pay the LPT by cash through one of the three approved payment service providers, which are An Post TaxPay, Payzone and Omnivend.
 
I am further advised by the Commissioners that, although the LPT Return only provides the option to pay LPT by cash in weekly or monthly instalments through the payment service providers, customers are free to choose whether to make their cash payments in one lump sum or spread their payments in equal instalments between July and December 2013.  Accordingly, liable persons wishing to pay their LPT liability in cash, should choose the weekly or monthly option on the LPT Return, even where they intend to make one lump sum payment in cash. 
 
I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that in cases where a liable person wishes to pay their LPT in full using cash, all payment service providers have been informed to accept the lump sum payment.  I am also advised that the LPT booklet accompanying the letters and LPT Returns that are currently being sent to liable persons by the Revenue Commissioners explains at page 7 that cash payments can be made in full. Indeed I understand that some property owners have already paid in full using cash.
 
As the general issue of LPT Returns has already commenced, it is not possible to amend the return form at this stage but I am satisfied that this should not impede a property owner who wishes to pay their LPT charge in full using cash.

Tuesday, 26 March, 2013
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will outline the process involved in resetting the different commercial rate levels once town councils are abolished and local authorities are amalgamated.

Reply from Minister Phil Hogan: The Government’s Action Programme for Effective Local Government, Putting People First, indicates that in the context of reorganisation of local governance structures, the proposed new municipal districts will provide an opportunity to achieve a more coherent approach to rates and charges on a county-wide basis, having regard to funding requirements and the need to support employment and business competitiveness.

The Action Programme proposes rates harmonisation to cater for differences between Annual Rates on Valuation (ARVs) of towns and counties. My approach to rates harmonisation will seek to ensure, on the one hand, that harmonisation does not lead to significant net loss of revenue in individual counties with consequential implications for services, and on the other hand, that increases in rates do not impact negatively on businesses and employment. Definitive details, arrangements and procedures in relation to the funding of district level functions, and financial relations between district and county levels, will be developed in the context of the new local government funding arrangements generally, implementation of the new sub-county system and preparation of the legislation in relation to the reform programme.

Tuesday, 5 March, 2013
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason for the delay in issuing files from the invalidity pension section to the appeals office; if she will examine the case of a person (details supplied) in County Waterford who requested an appeal on 27 March 2012 and whose file has not yet reached the appeals office; if she will ensure that information between the sections in her Department are passed on within a reasonable amount of time; and if she will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton (above): Invalidity pension section has been involved in a business process improvement review and backlog elimination programme. This programme has led to a significant reduction in the number of invalidity pension claims awaiting decision, down from 7007 claims at end May 2012 to 2593 claims at end Feb 2013. In addition, new claims are now processed on receipt with a decision being made based on information provided or, if this is not possible, further medical evidence or additional information is requested and a decision is made on receipt.

As a consequence of the very high number of decisions made in the last 9 months, there has been a corresponding substantial increase in the number of appeals being received. Delays in the preparation of claims for appeal are arising as a consequence and this is regretted. Invalidity pension section is now focussed on reducing the backlog in the appeals area.

Tuesday, 5 March, 2013
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide funding for urgent improvements to the harbour slipway at Dunmore East, County Waterford, in view of the importance of this work being carried out before the summer.

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney: The harbour at Dunmore East is one of the six designated Fishery Harbour Centres which are owned, managed and maintained by my Department. Funding is made available on an annual basis by my Department to the Fishery Harbour Centres, including Dunmore East, via the Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Capital Development Programme. The allocation of funding for projects within the 2013 Programme is currently under consideration for each of the Fishery Harbour Centres.

Tuesday, 5 March, 2013
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the position regarding the proposed Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011 in view of the EU Commission's concerns about Irish legal costs and the need for system reforms and independent regulation.

Reply from Minister for Justice and Equality, Alan Shatter: The Programme for Government 2011-2016 undertakes to “establish independent regulation of the legal profession to improve access and competition, make legal costs more transparent and ensure adequate procedures for addressing consumer complaints”. These undertakings complement those structural reforms in the EU/IMF/ECB Troika Programme of Financial Support for Ireland aimed at removing restrictions to trade and competition in the provision of legal services and at the reform of the legal costs regime.

Effect is being given to these structural reform commitments in the form of the extensive provisions of the Legal Services Bill 2011 which remains a priority under the Government Legislation Programme, has completed Second Stage in the Dáil and is currently awaiting Committee Stage - the Deputy will recall that priority also had to be given to the enactment of the Personal Insolvency Bill by the end of last year as a competing Troika programme objective. In meeting the concerns raised by the Deputy, the Legal Services Regulation Bill has four main levers of modernisation and reform, namely:

Tuesday, 5 March, 2013
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the limbo endured by aspirant providers due to the setting up the new Quality and Qualifications Ireland; when new applications for FETAC level accreditation will be accepted; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Reply from Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn: "As the Deputy will be aware, FETAC, HETAC and the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI) were formally dissolved on 6 November and their functions are now undertaken by the new amalgamated qualifications and quality assurance body, Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI). Significant work was undertaken by those bodies on the necessary core administrative preparations for the establishment of the new Authority, such as the establishment of a new organisational structure, change of accommodation and integration of ICT infrastructure. 

In addition, the establishment of QQI has also involved the amalgamation of processes, including ones that have operated differently in the different agencies due to the history and nature of the different sectors. This requires the reconfiguration of current services such as the registration process for new providers, the validation and accreditation of programmes, the monitoring and review of providers and the development, review and certification of awards. It also includes the development of formal guidelines, criteria and procedures pursuant to the new Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Act 2012.

QQI is currently developing those guidelines, criteria and procedures and it is expected that new applications will be accepted by QQI in the near future. However, it should be noted that QQI continues to provide services to more than 1,000 providers which were registered with FETAC and HETAC and continues to make awards to learners."

Thursday, 21 February, 2013
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the input, if any, his Department has had into the review of Irish ports with a view to ensuring better regional balance within our €124 billion export sector.

Reply from Minister Richard Bruton: In the context of the Action Plan for Jobs 2012 I asked the Competition Authority to carry out a study of the ports sector in Ireland.  As part of this study, the Competition Authority met with a number of Government Departments and agencies, industry representatives, port companies, terminal operators, shipping companies, stevedores, freight forwarders, hauliers and other port users.  

The Authority also undertook a public consultation and I understand that the submissions received are currently being examined by the Authority.  I am aware that the Authority met with and received a joint response from Forfás, Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland.  I expect the Authority’s report to be published by Q4 of this year.

The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, who is responsible for policy development and implementation in relation to ports, is also engaged in a review of national ports policy. I understand that Forfás, Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland also made a joint submission to a public consultation that formed part of this review. I expect that the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport will take account of the Competition Authority’s study in due course.

Thursday, 21 February, 2013
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will expedite new technological universities in view of the fact that our intake of skilled ICT workers from overseas will increase from 700 to 1,900 in 2013.

Reply from Minister Ruairí Quinn:
As you are aware, I endorsed the framework for system development laid out in the National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030 which outlines a developmental pathway towards designation as a Technological University for merged institutes of technology who seek to apply. The implementation process of this is well underway.

The Landscape document published in February 2012 lays out a clear four stage process and criteria for institutes of technology who wish to apply for designation as a technological university. The process for designation is designed to ensure educational quality, objectivity, international expertise, fairness and transparency. The first stage requires institutes of technology to submit a formal expression of interest in merging and seeking designation. The Higher Education Authority are considering proposals and their advice on system configuration later this year will include their advice on the progress of institutes of technology interested in seeking designation to the second stage of the designation process.