Results 21,081-21,100 of 27,945 for speaker:Michael McGrath

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pension Provisions (6 Oct 2020)

Michael McGrath: Officials from my Department are currently examining a request regarding pension increases proposed for An Post pensioners. As part of the decision making process further information and clarifications on issues arising from the request has been sought from the Department of Communications, Climate Action and the Environment. Typically, as part of any such decisions due account must be taken...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Defence Forces Remuneration (6 Oct 2020)

Michael McGrath: As the Deputy will be aware, the Public Service Pay Commission in its Report on certain health professionals published in August 2018, recommended "that the parties to the Public Service Agreement should consider putting arrangements in place, at an appropriate time, and without compromising the stability of the public service pay bill, to allow for the adequacy of current pay arrangements...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Data (6 Oct 2020)

Michael McGrath: The July Stimulus set out a range of tax and expenditure measures to provide targeted supports to stimulate activity across the economy, provide assistance to firms and to support employment. Table 1 below sets out the 2021 cost of tax and expenditure measures announced as part of the July Stimulus. Table 1 – 2021 Cost of July Stimulus Measures (€bn) ...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Standards in Public Office Commission (6 Oct 2020)

Michael McGrath: I propose to take Questions Nos. 303 and 304 together. The appointment of the Secretary General of my Department as a non-Executive Director at this sporting organisation is in a purely personal capacity and is being undertaken on a voluntary basis. He is continuing to serve in his role as Secretary General and the steps raised in these questions do not arise.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Contracts (6 Oct 2020)

Michael McGrath: I wish to advise the Deputy that the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has not incurred any costs associated with social media monitoring in the years specified.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Data (6 Oct 2020)

Michael McGrath: The table below outlines the number of staff in the Department for whom sick leave was recorded per month for the period of March to September in 2019 and 2020. Sick pay arrangements: The arrangements for paid sick leave in the Public Service are in accordance with the Public Service Sick Leave Regulations (S.I. 124 of 2014) and the administration of the Scheme is managed on a sectoral level...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Office of Government Procurement (7 Oct 2020)

Michael McGrath: The Government has set out a number of commitments in the Programme for Government in relation to public procurement including a commitment to continue to support and train Irish indigenous SMEs so that they can compete for public procurement contracts in Ireland and abroad. The Office of Government Procurement (OGP), an office within my Department, has been actively engaged in this area and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Community Employment Schemes (8 Oct 2020)

Michael McGrath: The Deputy will be aware that the matter of community employment schemes falls within the policy remit of my colleague the Minister for Employment Affairs & Social Protection. I have however a strong appreciation of the role of Community Employment Schemes in communities right across the country and I know this role could not be fulfilled without the leadership of the Scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Properties (8 Oct 2020)

Michael McGrath: There is no property in the specified locations under the direct control of my Department or the Office of Government Procurement, which is also part of my Department. Most State property which vests in the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform under the State Property Act is controlled by other Government Departments and agencies and some of this property may be relevant to the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Travel Trade Sector (8 Oct 2020)

Michael McGrath: The Government has introduced a range of supports to assist businesses during this period including income supports via The Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme, the provision of direct grant aid through The Restart Grant Plus and commercial rates waivers provided by local authorities. . In addition to this a number of loan schemes have been expanded to provide additional liquidity supports such...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Contracts (8 Oct 2020)

Michael McGrath: The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the table below. Responsibility for Project Ireland 2040 communications was assigned to my Department on 21 November 2018. Since that date, my Department has utilised the services of PHD Media Ltd and TBWA Dublin and spent €46,401.72 and €64,438.45 respectively on public information measures related to Project Ireland 2040...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff (8 Oct 2020)

Michael McGrath: I wish to advise the Deputy that comprehensive details on my Department’s organisational structure, its Divisions and its senior management team (including their names and a description of all individual roles from Secretary General to Principal Officer level) are available on the ‘whodoeswhat’ website at the following link – .The email structure to contact...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (8 Oct 2020)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Chair and members of the committee for the invitation to meet in advance of budget 2021, which I will present to Dáil Éireann next Tuesday with the Minister for Finance, Deputy Paschal Donohoe. The economic and fiscal situation has changed dramatically in the past several months as the Covid-19 pandemic has had a severe impact on the economy, public finances, and the...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (8 Oct 2020)

Michael McGrath: My thanks to Deputy Farrell for the question. That is the budgetary framework that has been agreed by Cabinet. That is, in effect, as Deputy Farrell has correctly described, an estimate at this stage. That is what it is. It is a work in progress of the amount of Covid-19 related expenditure that we will have to incur again next year. It is subject to considerable uncertainty because it...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (8 Oct 2020)

Michael McGrath: We are very much working in ranges here. Let us consider health expenditure in 2020. A Revised Estimate with an additional €2 billion has already been brought forward to the House, as Deputies are aware. We have signalled that there will be further expenditure in health. Under the current Estimate, expenditure in the course of 2020 will be somewhere of the order of €2.5...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (8 Oct 2020)

Michael McGrath: Is Deputy Farrell talking about this year or next year?

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (8 Oct 2020)

Michael McGrath: What we have signalled so far is that on a no-policy-change basis, taking into account the expenditure framework that we have set out for 2021, we would be looking at a deficit of the order of 5%. That is before any new decisions we take on budget day. As Deputies are aware, we are also considering a recovery fund and considering making additional funding available next year that we can...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (8 Oct 2020)

Michael McGrath: In effect we are borrowing to fund the deficit. We are going to have a very large deficit in 2020, somewhere of the order of the mid-20s in billions. In net terms the addition to our national debt will be less than that because the National Treasury Management Agency, which manages our national debt, holds cash reserves. A significant proportion of that will result in additional debt and...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (8 Oct 2020)

Michael McGrath: I think it is important to put it in context. The capital budget for 2020 was a little under €8.2 billion. We made funding available on an exceptional basis of the order of an extra €1.5 billion during the year. Much of that was for grants. This would not be typical capital expenditure in the form of bricks and mortar. We provided approximately 1.5 billion extra on a...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (8 Oct 2020)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy. It is a very fair question. We are looking at very significant borrowing again next year and we need to do that because it is the right thing to do. We need to support the Irish economy through 2021, and maintain and improve public services where we can. We are anxious to make progress on some core programme for Government commitments because the crises pre-Covid have...