Departmental Finance - The Government Review
* Regaining economic stability in its first 12 months. Focus now on recovery.
* The Tánaiste boldly declared yesterday that while there is a long way to travel “the economy is back growing again”.
* Banks are being re-structured and following robust stress tests, Anglo is being wound down.
* Unemployment is stabilising and we are once more seeing jobs and investment coming back in.
* The Government has claimed that a major success has been the re-negotiation of the interest rate payable on the bailouts which will save the taxpayer €10bn.
* It has also stuck to the commitment not to increase income tax and to protect the 12.5% rate of corporation tax.
* Leap card successfully introduced and expected to be used by 130,000 passengers by the end of the year.
* Real-time passenger information in Dublin and Cork. nFunding to link two Luas lines given go-ahead in order to link the network, and an extra €60m given to local authorities for road repairs.
* A taxi regulation review was carried out, and €9.7m put into rural transport schemes, as well as a national cycle scheme for implementation by 2016.
* As sports minister, Mr Varadkar decided not to designate the Heineken Cup and Six Nations tournaments as live and free-to-air, as Government noted “a balance had to be struck which ensured the financial viability of sports as well as maximum access for viewers”.
* Work under way on reforming the Junior and Leaving Certificate exams with changes in place by 2014. This will address curriculum overload and rote learning, and promote increased creativity and innovation. Project Maths under way.
* More time being dedicated to literacy and numeracy in schools with more assessment of reading and maths.
* The Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in primary schools, launched April 2011, has had significant engagement with the public and stakeholders.
* Educate Together has been formally recognised as a second-level school patron.
* New criteria set for technological universities.
* Over 450,000 training and education places to promote lifelong learning.
* Political reform, many under this department.
* Legislation published to reduce the spending limits, limit political donations and effectively ban corporate donations.
* Legislation to increase participation of women in politics.
* Stopping decentralisation, reversing it in some cases.
* Programme for abolishing state agencies abolished.
* Tipperary North and Tipperary South county councils have been merged.
* The www.fixyourstreet.ie has been launched in the South Dublin County Council area and will be rolled out elsewhere, allowing people to alert their council if something needs to be worked on.
* The only mention of the Environment is to say that climate change policy is under review.
* No reduction in primary social welfare rates. The payments that were not effected by Budget 2012 include: the state pension, the carers’ allowance, the blind pension, widow and widowers’ pension, job seekers’ benefit and allowances.
* Rights and Responsibilities policy which will lead to reduced rates of welfare payments for those who fail to engage in job activation begun.
* Over 500 people have had payments reduced, typically from €188 to €144 a week.
* Savings of €645million from fraud prevention schemes.
* Affordable energy strategy, to eliminate fuel poverty published.
* Value for money review of disability services. €1m a year for three years for child autism services.
* The creation of this new department.
* It has led the public service reform plan which contains a target reduction of 23,500 staff numbers by 2015.
* Public service pay capped at €200,000 and the pay of ministers has been cut from €181,486 to €169,275. Ministerial car fleet reduced.
* A target of €3bn set for the sale of state assets. The Government has secured agreement from the bailout troika that a third of the proceeds will go towards job creation, with two thirds going to pay off debt.
* A comprehensive spending review has taken place, with each minister coming up with suggestions on where savings can be made. The same process is promised for autumn 2013 and spring 2014.
* Doubled funding for home energy efficiency with an extra €30 million for the better energy scheme.
* NewEra will work with departments channelling investment into state assets and help govern agencies overseeing natural resources.
* Proposed sale of state assets amounting to €3bn, a third which will go to job creation.
* Bord Gáis assets sale, not including transmission, distribution and interconnector systems.
* Consideration will be given to the sale of some of Coillte’s assets and the state’s stake in Aer Lingus.
* New patent regulations set up to protect intellectual property rights.
* Awarding of 13, new, offshore licensing options.
* A task force set up to establish a new child and family support agency in 2013.
* The heads of the children’s first bill aimed at protecting youngsters will be brought to a Dáil committee before summer.
* Legislation making it easier for adoptees to trace birth parents progressing.
* New laws on vetting to be published by Easter.
* Preparation for children’s rights amendment to the constitution continues.
What the Government said about the Department of Foreign Affairs
* Helped Government “pull the country back from the edge of a cliff”, but admits that progress on combating mortgage misery has been “frustrating”.
“I would say that dealing with the issue of distressed mortgages has proven far more complex and involved that we anticipated, and progress has been frustratingly slow.”
* As foreign minister, Eamon Gilmore held a successful global Irish economic forum with 250 key decision-makers.
* Foreign Affairs now has an added trade role to push the export drive.
* Review of overseas development agency under way. Ireland’s reputation and engagement in Europe transformed.
* Judges’ pay reduced.
* New laws to help gardaí probe white-collar crime.
* New laws proposed to overhaul legal services.
* Citizenship application process improved.
* New addiction strategy.
* Insolvency bill published.
* Laws to ban female genital mutilation published.
* Changes to sentencing which help a court make the offender do community service.
* Reduced plans for the new Thornton Hall prison. Consideration also being given to a replacement prison in Cork.
* Group set up to look at actions to deal with harm caused from drugs.
* Mediation bill.
* New domestic violence laws.
* Planned review of Irish Red Cross.
* €740,00 given to arts council for 33 organisations and artists.
* Examining a pilot scheme to get funding from the private sector for the arts or through philanthropic support.
* Culture night 2011 took place in 30 towns and cities with 200,000 visitors participating in events.
* Meetings are held by the minister with arts officers regularly to encourage co-operation.
* Engagement is ongoing with NAMA to get buildings to be used for the arts.
* €4.5 million was given to 111 local authority sports projects.
* Progress has been made on the 20-year Gaeltacht strategy with new legislation being processed.
* Minimum wage restored to €8.65 from July 2011.
* Corporation tax unchanged.
* Lower rate of PRSI halved on jobs paying up to €356 weekly.
* Action plan for jobs.
* Sectoral strategies in agriculture, financial services, digital gaming, cloud computing, tourism.
* Export trade council set up with visits to BRIC countries.
* Amendments to R&D tax credit regime allowing companies to reward key employees. First €100,000 of qualifying expenditure can get tax credits.
* Reform of Joint Labour Committee (JLC) structure to effect changes to low-paid workers. Committees reduced from 13 to six.
* Credit guarantee scheme and microfinance start-up fund for businesses on cards.
* Actively involved in CAP reform to ensure a fair share for Irish farmers.
* Food Harvest 2020 will encourage farmers to set production targets and business plans.
* Innovation in dairy sector helped by new research centre.
* Reduction in rate on stamp duty on land from 6% to 2%.
* Development of a single brand for Irish agri-food through Bord Bia.
* Working to create jobs for Irish seafood, with 260 new jobs created last year.
* Exempt farm diesel from further increases in carbon tax in the budget.
* New AEOS scheme launched in 2011 with payments of €4,000 per farmer.
* Strengthened animal cruelty laws with a new hotline for reporting offences.
* New HSE board, direct ministerial responsibility. HSE will be abolished completely over time.
* Special delivery unit to deal with problems in hospital emergency departments, particularly numbers waiting on trolleys. 12-month max waiting list.
* Work on legislation for the extension of free GP care to patients on long-term illness scheme — first phase of universal free access to GP services.
* Extra funding for mental health services of €35m, and extension of cervical cancer vaccination services.
* Set up a group to look at introduction of universal health insurance, with white paper on reform scheduled for the end of this year.
* Moves to extend the range of medical practitioners who can provide care to patients.
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