Results 2,961-2,980 of 32,547 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ethics in Public Office (19 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I am happy to inform the Deputy that my Department has just completed a review of ethics legislation and a report on the Review was submitted to Government by my predecessor Minister McGrath in December. The Government approved the report‘s publication and agreed to the preparation of a General Legislative Scheme to reform the legislation informed by the Review's outcome. On foot of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Development Plan (19 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: My Department is responsible for the allocation of public funds across each area of Government spending and to ensure that expenditure is managed by Departments in line with these allocations. The responsibility for the management and delivery of investment projects, within the allocations agreed under the National Development Plan 2021 – 2030 (NDP), rests with the individual...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Interest Rates (19 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: Budget 2023 set out the Government’s response to assisting households and businesses with inflationary and other cost of living pressures. A winter cost of living package for households, totalling €2.2 billion, was a major part of this Budget. It included: - a double week of social welfare schemes,- a fuel allowance lump sum of €400,- a once-off payment of €500 to...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Irish Language (19 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: The Irish Languages Services Advisory Committee was established by the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media in June 2022 in line with the Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021. This Committee includes representatives from my Department and the Public Appointments Service and has been meeting regularly to prepare a National Plan for Irish Language Services. This...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ethics in Public Office (19 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I am happy to inform the Deputy that my Department has completed the review to which his question refers and a report on the Review was submitted to Government by my predecessor Minister McGrath in December. The Government approved the publication of the Review Report and agreed to the preparation of a General legislative Scheme informed by the Review’s outcome. The Review Report is...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Risk Management (19 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is the consenting authority for flood relief schemes which are prepared by the Office of Public Works under the Arterial Drainage Acts 1945 and 1995. EU Directive 2011/92 obligates the consent authority (DPER) to undertake an independent assessment of the Environmental Impact Statement for flood relief schemes prepared by the OPW. EU Directive...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ethics in Public Office (19 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I am happy to inform the Deputy that my Department has completed the review to which her question refers and a report on the Review was submitted to Government by my predecessor Minister McGrath in December. The Government approved the publication of the Review Report and agreed to the preparation of a General legislative Scheme informed by the Review’s outcome. The Review Report is...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (19 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: It is worth noting that despite tight labour market conditions, staff numbers in the public service have continued to grow over the last number of years. Estimated 2022 public service numbers, including Local Government and the Oireachtas are 380,664, an estimated increase of almost 14,771 (4.04%) over actual end-2021 numbers. Staff retention in the sectors highlighted by the Deputy is...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure Policy (19 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: The response to this PQ is essentially the same as that which I gave to Priority Question 5 today from the Deputy. Supporting rural Ireland is a major, cross governmental policy objective and priority. Firstly, I should say that the amounts allocated to the Department of Rural and Community Development are themselves but a fraction of what we invest in our regions and rural communities....

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Construction Industry (19 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: As Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, I have responsibility for public procurement policy, including the work of the Office of Government Procurement within my Department. There are two main sources for the significant and sustained increases in the price of a broad range of commonly used materials in the construction sector since Q2 of 2021. The first arises from...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions (19 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: Generally, issues such as pension increases are matters for consideration of the sectoral Minister in the first instance and take into account the application of scheme rules as well as the overall sustainability of pension funds. Section 10 of the Eircom scheme rules specifies that discretionary pension increases may be authorised by the Minister for Environment, Climate and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure Policy (19 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: All Government Departments are required to carefully manage public funds and to ensure that the best possible value is obtained whenever public money is spent or invested. Budgetary and expenditure reforms remain a key feature of public expenditure management throughout all Departments. This important goal has been fully embedded across the system of Government and is progressed in a number...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure Policy (19 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 220, 221 and 224 together. International events such as Brexit; Covid-19; inflation and the humanitarian consequences of the war in Ukraine have posed significant challenges to Ireland in recent years. Public expenditure has adjusted to meet the changed circumstances imposed by these external events through providing additional temporary funding to support our...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts (19 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 222 and 223 together. Public procurement is governed by EU legislation and national regulations with the aim of promoting an open, competitive and non-discriminatory public procurement regime that delivers the best value for money. All Irish public bodies are obliged to spend or invest public funds with care, and to obtain optimal value for money in...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Capital Expenditure Programme (19 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: The National Development Plan (NDP) published in October 2021 provides a detailed and positive vision for Ireland over the next 10 years and delivers total public investment of €165 billion over the period 2021-2030. As Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery, and Reform I am responsible for setting the overall capital allocations across Departments. Management and delivery of...

Statement by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (18 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to respond to the different points Deputies have made this evening. I begin by acknowledging that a wide variety of questions have been put to me. First, in my response, I want to give the best answers I can to many of those questions. Second, I emphasise my apology for what has happened and my awareness of the issues that this conveys...

Statement by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (18 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I should have recognised that. In the context of what was a very difficult and very complex election campaign, I should have been more aware of all that was under way during that campaign and in the years that have elapsed since then, I should have taken action to review my electoral submission.

Statement by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (18 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: Second, what I want to emphasise-----

Statement by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (18 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I reiterate my recognition that because I did not know that payments had been made to those individuals, due to that I did not review my election submission form. That was my mistake and I accept responsibility for it. I reiterate my apology again for it. Many, many other questions have been put to me this evening beyond that, on real points of detail which I have done my best to answer...

Statement by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (18 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: -----in a full way on any matters it wants to raise with me.