Results 12,341-12,360 of 32,864 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure Policy (5 Mar 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 136, 139, 140, 142 and 144 together. The improvement in economic conditions over the last number of years has enabled the Government to increase investment in public services. Priority has been given to additional funding in the areas of infrastructure, education, childcare and health. This investment delivers on immediate social and economic needs while...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure Policy (5 Mar 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 137, 141 and 145 together. Following a period of consolidation, it has been possible since 2015 to provide for moderate, sustainable expenditure growth on an annual basis. The Government has prioritised spending that mitigates risk, enhances the resilience of the economy and raises our growth capacity whilst making incremental and sustainable improvements in...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (5 Mar 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I refer the Deputy to my replies to PQ 46978 of 14 November 2019 and PQ 39967 of 1 October 2019. As the Deputy is aware, to date, salary rates up to €50,000 have been fully restored. By October 2020, salary rates up to €70,000, which accounts for over 90% of the public service, will be fully restored. For public servants who have not achieved full restoration of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Reform Implementation (5 Mar 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the significant reforms in the public sector that the Government has brought about since 2011 continues to deliver improved services and value for money across a range of themes such as governance, accountability, procurement, shared services, organisational reform and property management. The current framework for public service reform and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Standards in Public Office Commission (5 Mar 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: In accordance with section 2 of the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015 (the Act), I launched the second statutory review of the Act on 12 April 2019 by means of a press release. On the same day, my Department launched a public consultation process, inviting submissions from interested parties by 10 May 2019.  A copy of the public consultation paper is available at the following...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pension Provisions (5 Mar 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: Applications for increases in pension for retired ESB pensioners are normally submitted to the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment for his approval and subsequently sent to this Department for my consent. I can confirm that this Department has not recently received an application for approval of an increase in pension for retired ESB pensioners.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Service Stability Agreement (5 Mar 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I would advise the Deputy that the pension increase policy that is currently in place in respect of the pre-existing public service pension schemes (i.e. not including the Single Pension Scheme) represents a time-limited, conditions-bound return to the non-statutory, pay-linked method of pension adjustment which prevailed until the onset of the financial emergency. Under that policy,...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Appointments Service (5 Mar 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 172 and 173 together. As the Deputy will be aware, the Public Appointments Service (PAS) is the independent recruiter of people into the civil service.   I understand from PAS that they recruited and assigned 25 people from dedicated Civil Service panels for those with a competence in both the English and Irish languages in 2019 to various...

Taoiseach a Ainmniú - Nomination of Taoiseach (20 Feb 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: A Cheann Comhairle, I also want to begin by wishing you continued success in your role as re-elected Ceann Comhairle for this Dáil. You were a model of fairness in overseeing the previous Dáil and I am sure you will continue to be the same in this one. I also thank my constituents. I thank the people of Dublin Central for re-electing me on the second occasion. As I do so, I...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Brexit Preparations (18 Dec 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I am advised by Revenue that during 2018, Revenue chaired an interdepartmental group established to consider the adequacy of port and airport infrastructure and facilities post Brexit. The group included representatives from Revenue; the Departments of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and Health; the HSE's environmental health service; the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport; the...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Brexit Preparations (18 Dec 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: Budget 2020, including the macroeconomic outlook which underpins it, was based on the prudent assumption that the UK would leave the EU on 31 October without an agreement. The macroeconomic outlook is set out in the Economic and Fiscal Outlook published with Budget 2020. This included, at Box 4, an assessment of the macroeconomic outlook that would apply in the event of an agreed exit by the...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Brexit Preparations (18 Dec 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I am advised by Revenue that currently 63,984 businesses have a customs registration and acquired an EORI number. 23,939 of these businesses obtained an EORI number in 2019. When Revenue analysed the 2018 VAT Information Exchange System (VIES) returns, they identified some 94,000 businesses that traded with the UK in 2018. Of these 94,000 businesses, approx. 55,000 do not currently have...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Central Bank of Ireland Investigations (18 Dec 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The Central Bank’s role in relation to anti-money laundering/countering the financing of terrorism is to monitor credit and financial institutions’ compliance with the systems and controls requirements as set out in Part 4 of the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2010, as amended (‘the CJA 2010’). The Central Bank is not...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Banking Sector Remuneration (18 Dec 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The Deputy will be aware that Government policy on banking remuneration has remained unchanged since the financial crisis. Extensive restrictions are in place and these are not simply confined to a small number of senior bankers whose pay is restricted by the €500,000 pay cap (excluding a standard pension contribution). These affect c.23,000 workers across the three banks in which the...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Insurance Industry Regulation (18 Dec 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: At the outset, it is important to note that while as Minister for Finance, I am responsible for the development of the legal framework governing financial regulation, my Department does not have a role in the regulation of claims harvesting websites in Ireland nor in the collection of data on the number of these websites.  Allegations of companies engaging in such practices were brought...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Insurance Industry (18 Dec 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: In response to a similar PQ Dail Question No. 150 (Ref. 25484/19) earlier this year, my officials contacted the Central Bank of Ireland on this non-disclosure issue.  The Central Bank advised that there is no requirement on life assurance companies to report data on claims refused due to issues of non-disclosure, and therefore it does not receive such notifications.  In that regard,...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Motor Insurance Data (18 Dec 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The Motor Insurers Insolvency Compensation Fund (MIICF) is an ex-ante fund which has been set up to collect contributions from motor insurers in order to fund the increase in compensation for third party motor claims from 65% to 100% arising from a motor insurer insolvency. This change was introduced by the Insurance (Amendment) Act 2018 and became operational on 1 December 2018. What it...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: NAMA Portfolio (18 Dec 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The Deputy will be aware that NAMA’s role is as secured lender and the property assets securing NAMA’s loan portfolio remain under the ownership and control of debtors and receivers. Set out in the attached file is information, in the format held by NAMA, relating to property collateral in Co. Galway that secured NAMA’s loan portfolio for each of the years from 2015 to...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Departmental Staff Recruitment (18 Dec 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I wish to inform the Deputy that the number of new staff recruited to the Department of Finance from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2019 and the title of each employment position is shown in the table below: New entrants Jan 2019 - Dec 2019 Grade Numbers AP 2 AO 26 HEO 1 EO ...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Compliance (18 Dec 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I am advised by Revenue that a “chargeable person” – that is, an individual or other body who is chargeable to tax for a chargeable period (for example, a tax year) – is required to file a tax return.  This could include a voluntary non-profit making organisation in receipt of taxable income.  Voluntary non-profit making organisations can register for tax...