Answered on June 18, 2013
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht his policy regarding the culling of seals to protect fish stocks; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Transferred for answer to the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Jimmy Deenihan (pictured): There are two species of seals in Irish waters - the Harbour or Common Seal and the more numerous Grey Seal. Both are included in a list of species protected under the EU Habitats Directive. Consequently, Ireland is obliged to monitor and report on their status, including in relation to their population, every six years. The next such report is due this month. The assessments of seals will be available shortly on the website of the National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department at www.npws.ie.

My Department has carried out a number of surveys, including aerial surveys, on the population of both the common and grey seals in the past number of years. All data arising from these surveys from the previous years are now being analysed in advance of the forthcoming report to the European Commission.  

The data from both the Harbour and Grey Seal monitoring programmes will be comparable with previously-collected data and will inform my Department’s view as to the current status of the respective populations.

In terms of ascertaining the likely effects of seals on the fishing industry, I will be informed not only by the population monitoring undertaken by my Department, but also by investigations into seal-fisheries interactions that have been commissioned by Inland Fisheries Ireland and Bord Iascaigh Mhara and I understand that both organisations will report later in 2013.

While seals are protected under the Wildlife Acts, licences may be obtained under section 42 of the Wildlife Act to hunt seals where damage is being caused. Licences are issued in response to specific applications and each application is considered on its merits. This redress is available to individual fishermen to control damage to fisheries by seals at particular locations.

Answered on June 18, 2013
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the fact that a new European Commission study, The Gender Gap in Pensions in the EU, indicates that Irish women aged 65 years and over receive an average pension which is 35% lower than the average for Irish men in the same age group; her view on the reason for this imbalance; and the efforts being made to address same.

Reply from Minister Joan Burton: The recently published European Commission report, ‘The Gender Gap in Pensions in the EU’, deals with the gender gap in pensions across Europe and is the first study of its kind. The study reveals that across the 27 EU Member States, women who are currently in receipt of pensions, receive average amounts which are 39% lower than those of men. For Ireland, the report indicates this pensions gender gap is 35%.  

The report considers total income received from all sources including State, occupational and private pensions. I am pleased to note that for those on modest levels of income, which would broadly include the State pension, the report details that the gender pensions gap in Ireland is considerably lower at 3.5% compared to the EU average of 48.7%.  This indicates that the Irish State pension has been successful in providing citizens with a basic level of income in a more gender balanced manner than our European counterparts.

Answered on June 18, 2013
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to improve the practical skills of third level graduates in the information communications technology sector before they enter the workplace.

Reply from Minister Ruairí Quinn: Work placements have a key role to play in helping students to develop the practical work place skills required by employers. In recent years higher education institutions have expanded the work placement opportunities available to students in ICT and other disciplines and the National Strategy for Higher Education recommends further expanding work placement and service learning opportunities across higher education programmes.  

The joint Government-Industry Action Plan, which I launched in January 2012, contains a comprehensive, system wide response aimed at building the supply of high quality ICT graduates. As part of the Plan almost 1,500 places have been provided for graduate jobseekers on intensive honours degree level ICT conversion courses. The courses, which are designed and delivered in partnership with industry, all contain a structured work placement. 

The Action Plan also provided for the establishment of a high level Academic Industry Foresight Group chaired by the Chair of HEA and with strong high level industry membership. The Group, which was established in January 2012, has a work programme to review existing provision and ensure that third level ICT programme development is aligned to enterprise skills needs. 

Answered on June 11, 2013
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount of funding Waterford Airport Company has received from his Department under the capital expenditure grant scheme in each of the past eight years, 2013 inclusive.

Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount of funding Waterford Airport Company has received from his Department under the regional airports operational expenditure subvention scheme in each of the past eight years, 2013 inclusive.

Reply by Minister Leo Varadkar: (I propose to take Questions Nos 1093  and 1094 together.) Exchequer funding provided to Waterford Airport under the capital expenditure grant (Capex) scheme and under the operational expenditure subvention (Opex) scheme from 2006 to date is set out in the following table:

Answered on June 11, 2013
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Defence the number of retirees from the armed services, all ranks, in each of the past five years.

Reply from Minister Alan Shatter: It was not possible to provide the detailed information sought by the Deputy in the time available. My Department is currently seeking to compile the relevant data and I will provide the information directly to the Deputy once it comes to hand.

Answered on June 11, 2013
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount of funding County Waterford operators has received from his Department under the rural transport programme in each of the past seven years.

Reply from Minister of State Alan Kelly: As Minister of State for Public and Commuter Transport I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to the Rural Transport Programme (RTP).  The RTP including allocation of funding was managed on behalf of the Department by Pobal until 31st March 2012.  Following the Government Decision of 26th January 2012 in relation to integrated local and rural transport, responsibility for the management of the RTP was assigned to the National Transport Authority (NTA) with effect from 1st April 2012. The Programme is currently managed by Pobal in conjunction with the NTA as part of the Programme transition.

Noting this I have referred the Deputy's question to the NTA/Pobal for direct reply.  Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.

Answered on June 11, 2013
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount of funding each local authority in County Waterford has received from his Department under the transport capital investment programme’s roads sub-programme in each of the past six years.

Deputy Deasy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount of funding each local authority in County Waterford has received from his Department under the non-national roads grants programme in each of the past six years.

Deputy Deasy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount of funding each local authority in County Waterford has received from his Department under the national roads programme in each of the past seven years.


Replies from Minister Leo Varadkar: (I propose to answer questions  1087 ,1090 and 1091 together.) Details of funding for regional and local roads provided by my Department to local authorities in County Waterford are outlined in the regional and local road payment booklets available in the Dáil Library.
 
With regard to national roads, details of the allocations to each local authorities are also available in the Dail library.  However, details of the actual drawdowns for these roads are a matter for the National Roads Authority.
 
Noting the above position, I have referred the Deputy’s question to the NRA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you don’t receive a reply within 10 working days.

Answered on June 11, 2013
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the total amount of grant aid his Department has historically allocated for works, including construction and land acquisition costs, specifically relating to the Waterford Airport Road, which is designated as a strategic non-national route.

Reply from by Minister Leo Varadkar: The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads in its area, is a statutory function of each road authority in accordance with the provisions of section 13 of the Roads Act, 1993.  Works on such roads are a matter, for the relevant local authority to be funded from its own resources supplemented by State road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for the local authority.
 
Waterford County Council was provided with a total of €11,085,091 towards the R708 Airport Road between 2003 and 2009.