Results 301-320 of 5,551 for speaker:Mairéad Farrell

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Developments in the Economy in the Year to Date: Minister for Finance (28 May 2025)

Mairéad Farrell: Okay. My next question is question No. 4 that was sent in. It relates to the note the Minister sent and the forecast for tax revenues as set out in the summer economic statement versus the actual outturn the following year.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Developments in the Economy in the Year to Date: Minister for Finance (28 May 2025)

Mairéad Farrell: In the table the Minister provided, it is interesting that for four of the past five years, excluding 2023, the outturn was, on average, €7 billion ahead of the forecast. The general trend has been to outperform the estimates. The Minister mentioned that we have a sense of permanent crisis. We have had unusual times, with Covid-19 and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. There is now...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Developments in the Economy in the Year to Date: Minister for Finance (28 May 2025)

Mairéad Farrell: I take that point. The Minister is saying that we live in a new normal and a strange time. My next question is about capital expenditure and ties into the discussion the Minister had with Senator Conor Murphy. The Minister talked about regional jobs with numerous people. There is an infrastructural deficit in more isolated areas and regions, for example, in the west or wherever else....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Developments in the Economy in the Year to Date: Minister for Finance (28 May 2025)

Mairéad Farrell: That is fair enough. The Minister and an Teachta Cian O'Callaghan talked about the risks posed by our concentrated corporate tax and the measures that are being taken as a result. The measure to which the Minister alluded was budget surplus. That is fair enough, but it does not shift industrial policy. I know there was a White Paper by the Department on that topic. It is an issue of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Developments in the Economy in the Year to Date: Minister for Finance (28 May 2025)

Mairéad Farrell: Údarás na Gaeltachta as well.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Developments in the Economy in the Year to Date: Minister for Finance (28 May 2025)

Mairéad Farrell: That brings me to another question from what was discussed earlier, namely, how we support our indigenous industry. The Minister made quite an interesting point - I cannot remember who it was in response to - that, sometimes, for people who have put all the risk into their business and had the idea, the aim has been to sell it on to a greater company. An Teachta Timmins mentioned the Irish...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Developments in the Economy in the Year to Date: Minister for Finance (28 May 2025)

Mairéad Farrell: We are hearing more talk of tariff engineering. That has come up a bit. We are obviously trying to avoid these tariffs. At this point, it is hard to know when we will know exactly what the tariffs will be. Does the Minister predict that will be something that will take off and have an impact going forward in reducing the impact of tariffs? Does he think that will not be the case?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Developments in the Economy in the Year to Date: Minister for Finance (28 May 2025)

Mairéad Farrell: No. It is the concept of tariff engineering, whereby a third country is used to try to impact on the-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Developments in the Economy in the Year to Date: Minister for Finance (28 May 2025)

Mairéad Farrell: Okay.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Developments in the Economy in the Year to Date: Minister for Finance (28 May 2025)

Mairéad Farrell: That is interesting. I have one last question regarding a concept that was floated by the Minister, Deputy James Browne, which is the idea of a state saving scheme for housing funding. Does the Minister have any details on the outline of that proposed scheme? Would it work in a similar way to schemes in other countries?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Developments in the Economy in the Year to Date: Minister for Finance (28 May 2025)

Mairéad Farrell: Does anybody else want to come in? Go raibh míle maith agaibh. Lá fada a bhí ann. It has been quite a long day. I thank the Minister and his officials for coming in and engaging with us. That concludes the committee's business in public session. I thank members for participating in today's meeting. The joint committee is adjourned until 11 June, when it will meet in...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Naval Service (28 May 2025)

Mairéad Farrell: 87. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence in relation to the two new custom made boats/ships purchased by his Department, to clarify what will become of the two older boats they are replacing. [27955/25]

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Naval Service (28 May 2025)

Mairéad Farrell: 88. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence to confirm the cost of the overhaul of the LÉ Niamh; the number of crew the boat currently has; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27956/25]

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Office of the Ombudsman (28 May 2025)

Mairéad Farrell: 145. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he can provide the full year cost of funding five additional procurement specialists to establish a new Public Procurement Ombudsman in 2026 within the general Office of the Ombudsman; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27964/25]

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (28 May 2025)

Mairéad Farrell: 146. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he can provide the cost savings to the State in the year 2026 from a reduction in the salary top up of politicians including an Taoiseach, an Tánaiste, Ministers and Ministers of State by 25%, 50% and 75%, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27965/25]

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (28 May 2025)

Mairéad Farrell: 147. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the cost of hiring five forensic accountants for the Comptroller and Auditor General in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27967/25]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Services (27 May 2025)

Mairéad Farrell: 194. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to Parliamentary Question No. 19 of 8 May 2025, if consideration has been given to providing toilet facilities on the 424 bus which can take over two hours from end to end; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27101/25]

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Civil Service (27 May 2025)

Mairéad Farrell: 231. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform in general, the rules his Department has set regarding determining the date of promotion in the Civil Service; and are there any circumstances where the date of promotion could be considered to be a date prior to the signing of the contract by the successful candidate. [27154/25]

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Civil Service (27 May 2025)

Mairéad Farrell: 240. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the policy, in general, that his Department has set regarding determining the date of promotion in the Civil Service; and if there are any circumstances where the date of promotion could be considered to be a date prior to the signing of the contract by the successful candidate. [27608/25]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (27 May 2025)

Mairéad Farrell: 300. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide the annual additional cost of providing pensions parity to school secretaries and caretakers, in line with the demands of a union (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27210/25]