Results 16,141-16,160 of 34,135 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: National Broadband Plan: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (28 May 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: Sure.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: National Broadband Plan: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (28 May 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: My Department and Secretary General had access to the options paper and work which was ongoing. At three points in the process different options were looked at, namely in 2015, 2018 and 2019. My Department was involved at each of those three points to look at different options. On their costings, work was done, and I think it is something that the Minister for Communications, Climate...
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: National Broadband Plan: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (28 May 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: I believe it may have been but I will double check. The Deputy asked about all the advice and economic competence available to me. I answered Deputy Cowen's questions about whose advice I sought quite carefully. It was advice within Departments. Fundamentally the reason I decided on balance that this was the course of action that the Government should proceed with goes back to the...
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: National Broadband Plan: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (28 May 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: He did indeed. When we get into the broader debate on this I will ask those who disagree with the Government's decision to offer an alternative that achieves the same level of coverage, which might be cheaper. We will also put this in the round along with all the other things going on in the economy. There has been 4% expenditure growth in recent years compared with 7% ten years ago with a...
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: National Broadband Plan: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (28 May 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: On the gap funding model and the front-loading from the tax payers, the key is that we are seeking to expand a broadband network, where we do not own the current network. The fundamental factor which made the gap funding model the appropriate one to take is that we are looking to extend an asset which is not currently owned by the State. If we were looking to create an asset to deliver 100%...
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: National Broadband Plan: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (28 May 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: There are a number of options available with regard to how this could be done but I again draw the Deputy's attention to the fact that during the period, the cost of this is due to accrue. Because we are running a surplus this year of 0.2% of national income that, even with the risk we have built in, is due to rise next year and the years beyond that to well in excess of 0.5%, there are...
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: National Broadband Plan: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (28 May 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: That is correct.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: National Broadband Plan: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (28 May 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: I have not yet made that decision because that is a decision I will make in the context of the summer economic statement and then budget day. The only caveat I could add to what I have told the Deputy is that for each of those years, it is up to that. The reason I say up to that is because within those figures is included a subsidy that may or may not be drawn down.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: National Broadband Plan: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (28 May 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: That is definitely a likely outcome of it but I have yet to make those decisions. The decision point for me will be in the summer economic statement when I will outline the capital ceilings for the next few years and also the recommended budgetary stance for those years.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: National Broadband Plan: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (28 May 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: That decision will have to be made in the same way. The decision must be made as to whether we want to run a higher surplus, a lower surplus or a higher deficit across that period.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: National Broadband Plan: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (28 May 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: That is correct. The figure of €1.6 billion is correct and yes, it will affect the net position of the Government of the day.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: National Broadband Plan: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (28 May 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: Yes, across the lifetime of the national development plan.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: National Broadband Plan: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (28 May 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: With regard to the-----
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: National Broadband Plan: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (28 May 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: I do not believe so. I believe that when the contract is signed, it will give us legal protection on that.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: National Broadband Plan: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (28 May 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: It will be if and when a contract is signed. A key part of the figure being high is because of all of the contingent subsidies that are built into the contract to deal with the different risks identified by the Deputy.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: National Broadband Plan: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (28 May 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: When the contract is signed.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: National Broadband Plan: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (28 May 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: When we get to the final point of the decision being made in terms of signing the contract, it will have to deliver the certainty I have described to the committee.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: National Broadband Plan: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (28 May 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: It will be-----
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: National Broadband Plan: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (28 May 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: That particular matter is one the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment might be better equipped to answer in terms of its detail but my understanding is that the majority of it will come from revenue streams and the contribution the consortium will make. The Minister, Deputy Bruton, answered questions about this matter at the communications committee.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: National Broadband Plan: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (28 May 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: I just said "revenue streams". As the Deputy knows, a charge will be made for access.