Results 141-160 of 18,520 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe in 'Written Answers'

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure Policy (14 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: A key part of the annual budgetary cycle is determining the amount of funding required for Departments to carry out their existing functions, before any new decisions are taken. This is referred to as the ‘Existing Level of Service’ or ELS. ELS funding provides for the maintenance of our existing services and schemes, with the overall affordability limits set out in the Medium...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Reviews (14 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: I am informed by the National Shared Services Office (NSSO) that to ensure compliance with Data Protection they cannot comment publicly on an individual case. However, I am informed that the NSSO has reviewed the case and is contacting the individual in question as well as the related HR unit.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Referendum Campaigns (14 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: My Department has received a guidance note from the Department of the Taoiseach in respect of the application of the principles of the various Court judgments relevant to the Government’s role in referendum campaigns. This guidance has been noted at the Department's Management Board and circulated to all staff in the Department. It has also been shared with the bodies under the aegis...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Brexit Supports (13 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: The European Union’s Brexit Adjustment Reserve (BAR) is a unique regulation established specifically to provide support to counter the adverse economic, social, territorial, and environmental consequences of the withdrawal of the UK from the European Union. The regulation is clear that in order to be eligible for BAR funding, the expenditure must fall within the eligibility period for...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Office of Government Procurement (13 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: The Office of Government Procurement (OGP) currently has 44 vacant posts. The table below shows the number of current vacant posts by grade and the estimated full year cost of filling each vacancy. Grade Number of vacant posts Estimated full year cost Estimated Total Annual Cost of filling vacant posts Assistant Principal 4 ...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure Policy (8 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: My Department plays a key role in developing and monitoring overall expenditure in line with Government objectives and agreed fiscal policy. Since 2020 external shocks, including Covid, war in Ukraine, and elevated inflation have required Government to take a responsive approach to fiscal policy. This has resulted in a higher level of Supplementary Estimates in recent years. In 2023, 31...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Climate Action Plan (8 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: The monitoring and quarterly reporting of actions due under successive updates of the Climate Action Plan is conducted by the Department of the Taoiseach with input from relevant Departments. Progress reports up to quarter three of 2023 are accessible on gov.ie. The Progress Report for Q4 2023 is being finalised and will be made available following consideration by Government. The status of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure Policy (8 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: Evaluation of Government expenditure is a vital component of the public expenditure management framework. This goal is fully embedded across Government and is progressed in a number of ways from the day-to-day management of resources, regular engagement across Departments and through the public service reform programme. It is also progressed through a range of budgetary reform initiatives...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Services Provision (8 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: I am pleased to say that great progress is being made across government to digitalise public services. I am delighted to report that this progress has been recognised nationally and internationally, most recently in the OECD’s 2023 Digital Government Index. Ireland is ranked amongst the top 10 international performers alongside countries such as Korea, Denmark, the United Kingdom,...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (8 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 100 and 104 together. Reform and transformation of our public services remains a key priority for Government and it is always a feature of Public Service Agreements. As such, the proposed Public Service Agreement 2024 – 2026 includes a chapter on transformation. If ratified, the Agreement will underpin the ongoing transformation of our public services,...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Development Plan (8 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: The National Development Plan (NDP) provides investment of €165 billion over the period 2021 - 2030 and supports a broad range of infrastructure projects and programmes across the country. As Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, I am responsible for setting the overall capital allocations across Departments. My Ministerial colleagues in Government are responsible...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Development Plan (8 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: A comprehensive review of the National Development Plan involving several strands of work was undertaken over the course of 2020 and 2021. The Phase 1 report was published in April 2020 and drew upon a number of pieces of research and policy papers. This work culminated in the publication of an updated National Development Plan 2021-2030 (NDP) in October 2021. The NDP provides for...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (8 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: I welcome the proposed agreement that was made at the WRC two weeks ago, following a challenging set of discussions. In my view, it is an Agreement that seeks to achieve a balanced approach to public service pay that rewards the ongoing efforts of public servants, while ensuring the responsible management of public finances. This has been Government’s ambition throughout this process....

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Development Plan (8 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 109, 125 and 129 together. As Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform I am responsible for setting the overall capital allocations across Departments and for monitoring monthly expenditure at Departmental level. The responsibility for the management and delivery of individual investment projects, within the allocations agreed under the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure Policy (8 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: Since 2017 my Department has been responsible for the co-ordination and management of the annual Spending Review process. This involves individual Departments choosing an expenditure or policy area to review and conducting analysis that improves our knowledge of and the data around that policy or programme with the aim of making it more effective and efficient. The objective and scope of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts (8 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: I have been informed by the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) that Spain’s National Commission for Markets and Competition published a resolution (Resolución Obra Civil 2 S/0021/20) on 5 July 2022, imposing fines for infringement of Spanish and European competition laws on six Spanish construction companies. The NDFA understands from correspondence with one of the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Brexit Supports (8 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: The European Union’s Brexit Adjustment Reserve (BAR) is a unique regulation established specifically to provide support to counter the adverse economic, social, territorial, and environmental consequences of the withdrawal of the UK from the European Union. The regulation is clear that in order to be eligible for BAR funding, the expenditure must fall within the eligibility period for...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Development Plan (8 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: The Government has committed to €165 billion in capital investment through the National Development Plan (NDP) published in 2021. As a percentage of national income, annual capital investment is now among the largest in the EU. In 2024, €13 billion will fund vital infrastructure in areas such as housing, transport, education, enterprise, sport and climate action. Achieving value...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ethics in Public Office (8 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: The 2020 Programme for Government contains a commitment to “reform and consolidate the Ethics in Public Office Legislation”, which inter alia underpins the operation of the Standards in Public Office Commission. As the Deputy’s question notes, the Minister at the time asked my Department to undertake a review of the statutory framework in advance of bringing new proposals...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure Policy (8 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: Budgetary and expenditure reform is a key feature of public expenditure management and is progressed in a number of ways including through regular engagement across Departments on cross cutting issues and through the public service reform programme. The promotion of innovation may be seen within the overall context of budgetary reform through a range of initiatives including: •...