Results 14,061-14,080 of 34,135 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Spending Code (14 Nov 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: As part of the ongoing reform of Ireland’s public investment management systems, my Department has undertaken extensive work on the updating of the Public Spending Code.  The purpose of this update is to strengthen the existing guidance to better align with the realities of project delivery and with a particular focus on improved appraisal, cost estimation and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Development Plan Funding (14 Nov 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: As Minister for Public Expenditure & Reform I am responsible for setting the overall capital allocations across Departments and for monitoring monthly expenditure at Departmental level.  Responsibility for the management and delivery of individual investment projects, within the allocations agreed under the National Development Plan (NDP), rests with individual sponsoring...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Reform Implementation (14 Nov 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: While this Government has already implemented a comprehensive series of reforms in the public sector since 2011, I can assure the House that reform continues to be a key priority and we are already developing ambitious proposals for the future. The current framework for public service reform and innovation, Our Public Service 2020 (OPS 2020), builds on earlier reforms while expanding...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Project Ireland 2040 (14 Nov 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The Investment Projects and Programmes Tracker is currently being revised and updated. The Tracker provides a composite update on the progress of all major investments that make up Project Ireland 2040. It focuses mainly on projects with estimated costs greater than €20 million. The updated version of the tracker will be published in Q4 2019. The updated tracker will contain...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pension Provisions (14 Nov 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: This issue relates to a claim by community employment supervisors and assistant supervisors who have been seeking, through their union representatives, the allocation of Exchequer funding to implement a 2008 Labour Court recommendation relating to the provision of a pension scheme. The matter was the subject of extensive discussion at the Community Sector High Level Forum...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Regulations (14 Nov 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: Work to promote the incorporation of social and environmental considerations in public procurement is being progressed under the National Public Procurement Policy Framework which is the overarching policy framework for public procurement in Ireland. Under this framework, proposals to implement environmental considerations in public procurement are being developed through...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: State Assets (14 Nov 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I assume the Deputy is referring to the State Asset Disposal Programme which was initiated in order to release value from State assets that could be used, as far as possible and subject to the fiscal rules, to support the economy and job creation, while also using some of the proceeds to reduce debt.   There have been no disposals under the programme since 2016, however, the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (14 Nov 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy will be aware Special Advisers are appointed in accordance with Section 11 of the Public Service Management Act 1997. My Department issued ”Instructions to Personnel Officers on Ministerial Appointments for the 32nd Dáil” in June 2016. Under these Guidelines Special Advisers to Ministers and Ministers of State who regularly attend Cabinet are to be placed on...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Reform Implementation (14 Nov 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The significant public service reforms that we have undertaken since 2011 continue to deliver improved services and value for money across a range of areas. Two notable examples are the establishment of a centralised Office of Government Procurement with responsibility (together with the key sectors of Health, Defence, Education and Local Government) for sourcing...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (14 Nov 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The Civil Service is currently developing a new, forward looking and progressive Diversity and Inclusion Policy that will help address our public sector duty to promote equality, eliminate discrimination and protect the human rights of all civil servants.  I understand that the Public Appointments Service (PAS) identified the need to attract more diverse applicant pools in...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts Social Clauses (14 Nov 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Richard Bruton TD, the Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Patrick O’Donovan TD, and I launched the publication of Circular 20/2019: Promoting the use of Environmental and Social Considerations in Public Procurement in October. The Climate Action Plan will require every public body to...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Carbon Tax Yield (14 Nov 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: On Budget Day 2020 I announced that I was increasing carbon tax by €6 per tonne as a first step towards the 2030 target of €80 per tonne. I also announced that this measure will raise €90 million in 2020, all of which will be ring-fenced to fund new climate action measures. Details of the specific measures to receive funding were...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Estimates Process (14 Nov 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: Due to the scale of Government expenditure and the cash basis of Government accounting, the need for Supplementary Estimates can arise for a number of reasons, including policy decisions, timing issues and overspends. Supplementary Estimates are an important element of our expenditure management toolkit, allowing for the proper alignment of resources with allocations. Expenditure Report 2020...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Office of Government Procurement (14 Nov 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The programme for public procurement reform commenced in 2013 as part of the overall public sector reform programme. A new public procurement model was established that resulted in a shift to a new more-centralised model of procurement for government's goods and services spend. The Office of Government Procurement (OGP) commenced operations in 2014 and, since then, has made significant...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Health Services Expenditure (14 Nov 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The Health Budget Oversight Group of officials from my Department, the Department of Health and the HSE was established earlier this year. The overarching purpose of the Group is to monitor and oversee the effective control of Health expenditure and staffing in line with the Budget allocation and to act as an early warning mechanism for any deviations.  It also helps develop an...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (14 Nov 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy will be aware, the Irish Language is an important area for the Government.  The Public Appointments Service (PAS) is an independent, statutory body which provides professional recruitment and selection services to the civil and public service.  PAS is also responsible for the recruitment and selection of candidates with proficiency in Irish to meet the needs of...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: VAT Rate Application (14 Nov 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I can confirm to the Deputy that I have received two items of correspondence, the first in January 2018 and the second in September 2019 that referenced the flat rate VAT on feedlots and raised questions about possible excess flat-rate payments to farmers involved in the rearing of livestock for the beef sector. However, to date Revenue has not established that business models and...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: VAT Rebates (14 Nov 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I am advised by Revenue that the persons in question initially applied for a VAT refund on 23 July 2019. Revenue subsequently requested supporting invoices from the persons on 31 July 2019, which were received on 31 October 2019. Revenue has now completed its review of the invoices and the refund will issue in the coming days.

Written Answers — Department of Finance: VAT Rebates (14 Nov 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 44 to 46, inclusive, together. The Retail Export Scheme allows persons who are resident outside the EU and who make purchases of goods in the EU to avail of a refund of the VAT charged on these goods where the goods are exported from the EU by the tourist or traveller within three months of purchase. The UK will become a 3rd country and UK residents will...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Data (14 Nov 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I am advised by Revenue that information sought by the Deputy is not available on tax returns, or other information sources, in respect of third-party equity investors who could avail of the proposed extension to the existing Entrepreneur Relief. Therefore, it is not possible to accurately estimate the cost of the proposals.