Results 26,021-26,040 of 33,175 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Committee on Arrangements for Budgetary Scrutiny: Engagement with Minister for Finance and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (15 Jun 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I have two points to make on costings. I fully concur with and support the setting up of an independent budget office, an economic service for the Oireachtas. My Department will give any help it can to set up such an office and for the duration of the set-up period. If Deputy Cullinane or any Deputy has concerns on costings that need to be done or concerns about the flow of information to...

Committee on Arrangements for Budgetary Scrutiny: Engagement with Minister for Finance and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (15 Jun 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: As did my Department and I completely agree with the Deputy. We published it on our website a short time after I took office because the Deputy is right.

Committee on Arrangements for Budgetary Scrutiny: Engagement with Minister for Finance and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (15 Jun 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I will begin with the question put to me by Deputy Donnelly in respect of his appreciation of the no policy change information. That is what we seek to do in the mid-year report. My objective is to be able to produce for each sectoral committee the best estimate as to what we believe are the no policy change figures in order that Members will know the truest starting point for the framing...

Committee on Arrangements for Budgetary Scrutiny: Engagement with Minister for Finance and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (15 Jun 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I was about to do so. The reason we have had difficulties to date is twofold. First, we have had changes regarding the allocations and set-up of Departments, which, in turn, has had an impact on the Estimates. Second, we had some changes that took place in the spending of individual Departments, as confirmed by the Cabinet last week. I take Deputy Burton's point that the Estimates should...

Committee on Arrangements for Budgetary Scrutiny: Engagement with Minister for Finance and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (15 Jun 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I answered that. I am in agreement in principle. There is the trade-off, as the Minister, Deputy Noonan, stated already, between the transparency and accuracy of the information. Within that space, however, it is a fair request from the Deputy and I will come back to the committee regarding how we can do that.

Committee on Arrangements for Budgetary Scrutiny: Engagement with Minister for Finance and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (15 Jun 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: On the budgetary office and whether it should be on a statutory footing, in the spirit of where we are now I would have to say that is a matter for the Oireachtas. I believe it is something that should be considered. On the timing, I suggest it would be worthwhile getting the body up and running for a period of time on an administrative basis to learn from how it works; that could then be...

Committee on Arrangements for Budgetary Scrutiny: Engagement with Minister for Finance and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (15 Jun 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank Deputy Chambers for her questions. On information flow, I would hope that we will make a big start on this by the publication of the mid-year expenditure report. We will look to share with the committee where we are for this year and where we believe we will start for next year and will outline in as clear a manner as we can the kinds of factors we think will influence expenditure...

Committee on Arrangements for Budgetary Scrutiny: Engagement with Minister for Finance and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (15 Jun 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I wish to respond to questions posed by Deputy Chambers.

Committee on Arrangements for Budgetary Scrutiny: Engagement with Minister for Finance and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (15 Jun 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I want to answer the final question asked by Deputy Chambers about the level of engagement in a normal year. I believe such engagement should be year-long. If we publish a mid-year expenditure report in July 2017 and start the same engagement that we are about to start now, then we will have all collectively missed a trick. I will outline what should happen. As each Department publishes...

Committee on Arrangements for Budgetary Scrutiny: Engagement with Minister for Finance and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (15 Jun 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: Yes.

Committee on Arrangements for Budgetary Scrutiny: Engagement with Minister for Finance and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (15 Jun 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: We could well face simple logistic challenges in that regard.

Committee on Arrangements for Budgetary Scrutiny: Engagement with Minister for Finance and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (15 Jun 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: Yes.

Committee on Arrangements for Budgetary Scrutiny: Engagement with Minister for Finance and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (15 Jun 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I also want to be consistent in terms of what I said. I did not say that we would be able to accept every proposal that came from the Oireachtas because different Members will have different views on what should be in the budget.

Committee on Arrangements for Budgetary Scrutiny: Engagement with Minister for Finance and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (15 Jun 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: In the spirit of new politics I look forward to having the chance to finish off my answer to the question that colleagues have put to me. Deputy Ryan made a fair point about Ministers coming in and saying what they want to do with this year's budget, which I shall convey to my colleagues. I had envisaged that they would have to do so anyway. It would be very difficult for any Minister to...

Committee on Arrangements for Budgetary Scrutiny: Engagement with Minister for Finance and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (15 Jun 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: Yes.

Committee on Arrangements for Budgetary Scrutiny: Engagement with Minister for Finance and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (15 Jun 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I did when I was Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport.

Committee on Arrangements for Budgetary Scrutiny: Engagement with Minister for Finance and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (15 Jun 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: Deputy MacSharry was talking about the past, and it happened to me when I was Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport. Issues were raised in the Dáil regarding the safety of children in residential estates and that had a direct effect on a decision I made as Minister.

Committee on Arrangements for Budgetary Scrutiny: Engagement with Minister for Finance and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (15 Jun 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: Yes, it does. It happened.

Committee on Arrangements for Budgetary Scrutiny: Engagement with Minister for Finance and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (15 Jun 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I can cover that in my concluding comments.

Committee on Arrangements for Budgetary Scrutiny: Engagement with Minister for Finance and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (15 Jun 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: On the timing of the mid-year expenditure report, the objective of that document is to give us a starting point for the budget for the following year. For that reason, it would be very challenging to provide that information any earlier than July. That said, I will take it away and see if there is any other way of responding to that issue. The idea that I have taken on board, from what...