Results 2,901-2,920 of 32,547 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: State Bodies (24 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: The Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) is funded as part of the Vote for the Office of the Ombudsman (Vote 19). The activities of SIPO represent one of the programmes making up the overall Vote (the others are: Ombudsman, Commission for Public Service Appointments, Office of the Protected Disclosures Commission, Office of the Information Commissioner, Commissioner for Environmental...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: State Bodies (24 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: The Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) is funded as part of the Vote for the Office of the Ombudsman (Vote 19). The activities of SIPO represent one of the programmes making up the overall Vote (the others are: Ombudsman, Commission for Public Service Appointments, Office of the Protected Disclosures Commission, Office of the Information Commissioner, Commissioner for Environmental...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Funding (24 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy will be aware, my Department previously provided grant funding to Benefacts between the period 2015-2022. The project was funded as a pathfinder initiative in the area of data analytics on the non-profit sector. Benefacts was initially co-funded with philanthropy, however, in recent years the Department had been providing the majority of funding to the entity. In 2019, the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions (24 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: Additional Superannuation Contribution (ASC) is provided for under the Public Service Pay and Pensions Act 2017 (No. 34 of 2017) - the “2017 Act” and is a statutory deduction. ASC is chargeable on pensionable remuneration of pensionable public servants and different rates apply depending on whether a public servant is a member of a standard accrual pension scheme, a fast accrual...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (24 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: The terms and conditions of Adult Education Tutors employed by Education and Training Boards are a matter in the first instance for both the Department of Education and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. The particular matters raised in the proposals are complex and raise significant policy, legal and exchequer cost issues which are being...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Business Supports (24 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I wish to advise the Deputy that there were no measures of the nature specified provided by my Department to businesses from 2020 to 2022.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (19 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I am not in a position to come in front of the House this afternoon, but I am going to come in front of the House at the earliest possible opportunity. I gave an indication in the Dáil, under repeated questioning this morning, that I did want to come back and update the House. I have looked to fulfil my commitments to this House as well as I can. I am committed to continuing to do so.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (19 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: It may be clear, but it is completely and utterly unacceptable.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (19 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: They are options I am willing to look at. We have capital carryovers in place every year. I take the Deputy's point that when the need for new homes and Garda stations to be built and more investment is so great, it is frustrating for Deputies to see significant capital underspends in Departments. The Deputy has asked for the overall figures. The vast majority of Departments have...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (19 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I cannot give an indication that I will agree to more projects coming into the pipeline because that would be an overall Government decision of significance. I am not yet confident that our capital ceilings for the year will allow that to happen but I will look at it in relation to the other two issues the Deputy raised. There are issues with public procurement and the public spending code...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (19 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy will be aware, my Department is responsible for the allocation of public funds across each area of government spending and seeks to ensure that expenditure is managed by Departments in line with these allocations. Those allocations are laid out in the NDP. To answer the Deputy's questions, the Fiscal Monitor for December 2022 recorded gross capital expenditure of more than...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Electric Vehicles (19 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I very much take the Deputy's point. Through my membership of the Cabinet committee on environment and climate change and in my role as Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, I want to support a lot of the work that the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, has on the way. As Deputy Leddin is aware, there are some very positive signs. We know that electric car sales rose 81% year...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Electric Vehicles (19 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I take the Deputy's point. I know how hugely important these workers are to our society. However, as I said, it is an area that is fundamental to the work that the Department of Health does. If any proposals are shared with me that look at the matter that the Deputy has raised, I will certainly keep in mind his observations. I look forward to updating him on any progress that is made on it.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Civil Service (19 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: The Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act 2004 provides the regulatory framework for recruitment and selection that all civil and public service employers are required to adhere to. It provided for the establishment of the Commission for Public Service Appointments, CPSA, as the independent regulator for appointments made under the Act; the Public Appointments Service,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Civil Service (19 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I certainly will check it out. I have seen so many good examples of mobility within the Civil Service in recent years and I know of the positive role that it can play. I would certainly be interested in understanding any limitations or issues regarding its operation. As I said to the Deputy in answering his question, I am not aware of any concerns at the moment, nor have they been raised...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Freedom of Information (19 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 114 and 126 together. I thank the Deputies for giving me the opportunity to address the review of the Act. I want to acknowledge the work that has been put into this project by the Minister, Deputy Michael McGrath. Under his guidance, an update setting out the current position in the review was brought to Government and subsequently issued to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Freedom of Information (19 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I was not aware of the option to make oral FOI requests but I am familiar with the operation of the legislation. As the Deputy will know, Ministers do not play a role in determining what information goes out. On the access that FOI legislation has to the records of a Minister, there should be nothing in your private communication that refers to Government business. My phone and any...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Freedom of Information (19 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: The public system is open to citizens.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Freedom of Information (19 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: As I said, I am not aware of the ability for FOI requests to be granted and issued orally but I accept that the Deputy is raising important matters on governance, transparency and standards in public life. To go back to the FOI request that is at the heart of this parliamentary question, as I have said, this is an Act that works well. I heard Deputy Nash refer to the black marker and I want...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Electric Vehicles (19 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Deputy for his question, which touches on two important issues; the need to maintain adequate provision of care in the community and the need to increase significantly the uptake of environmentally friendly modes of transport that will help decrease our greenhouse gas emissions. As the Deputy will appreciate, consideration of targeted supports for specific categories of workers...