Results 22,041-22,060 of 27,945 for speaker:Michael McGrath

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Covid-19 Pandemic (27 Jul 2021)

Michael McGrath: Workers across the economy, including of course our public servants, have made an extraordinary contribution during the COVID pandemic and I would like to pay tribute to them. Notwithstanding the sacrifices and efforts of the last year or more and the progress we have made in recent months to roll out vaccines, this pandemic remains an ongoing challenge for us all and it continues, for now,...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Industrial Relations (27 Jul 2021)

Michael McGrath: As the Deputy will be aware, the staff in question are not public servants and are instead employed in the Houses of the Oireachtas by individual Senators. I understand that the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission is engaged in an ongoing process including at the Workplace Relations Commission in relation to the terms and conditions of Seanad Secretarial Assistants. As the Deputy...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Budget 2022 (27 Jul 2021)

Michael McGrath: Built on the performance budgeting framework that has been progressively embedded into the budget cycle, Equality Budgeting in Ireland has been developed over recent years with a view to enhancing the role of resource allocation policies in advancing equality, reducing poverty and strengthening economic and social rights. Equality objectives and indicators are published every year in the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Budget 2022 (27 Jul 2021)

Michael McGrath: Following the Government's decision in February 2021 to commence work on developing a well-being framework for Ireland, the Department of the Taoiseach, co-sponsored by the Department of Finance as well as my Department, established an Interdepartmental Working Group on the Development of a Well-being Framework for Ireland. This Working Group provided a forum for representatives from across...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Covid-19 Pandemic (27 Jul 2021)

Michael McGrath: There has been a huge amount of work across Government Departments and the HSE to ensure the introduction of Certificates for Ireland's full participation in the EU DCC scheme by 19th July 2021. This included the issuing of certificates to those who are fully vaccinated and negative test results provided by authorised COVID test providers and laboratories. The certificates issue by email...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Bodies (27 Jul 2021)

Michael McGrath: I wish to advise the Deputy that the relevant bodies under the aegis of my Department in receipt of funding from the State declare the salaries of their respective employees, as set out in the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies 2016.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Functions (27 Jul 2021)

Michael McGrath: Performance budgeting was introduced in 2011 as part of a suite of reforms to the public expenditure framework and involves the routine use of performance information alongside financial details as part of the budget process. A key aim of the performance budgeting initiative is to maximise the reporting of relevant quantitative metrics capable of being used to assess trends over time in order...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Funding (27 Jul 2021)

Michael McGrath: Due to the nature of its role, my Department has not allocated funding to projects in County Tipperary in the last year from its own Votes. The main purpose of projects and associated investment undertaken by my Department is to deliver greater effectiveness and efficiency across the Civil and Public Service. While all counties ultimately benefit from my Department’s reform plans by...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Courts Service (27 Jul 2021)

Michael McGrath: As the Deputy will be aware, the reductions in counsel fees over the period of 2009-2011 were underpinned by Government decisions and formed part of a broader Government need to reduce costs across the public service. I fully acknowledge and appreciate the very important work undertaken by barristers who prosecute criminal work on behalf of the State and my Department has engaged...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Funding (27 Jul 2021)

Michael McGrath: As the Deputy is aware, my Department operates in a constantly evolving strategic context. The Department will continue to adapt both its reform programme and expenditure monitoring and evaluation programme activities, so that it can deliver on Government objectives, EU commitments and support the economic, social and climate-related progress in keeping with the requirement to return to a...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Child and Family Agency (27 Jul 2021)

Michael McGrath: I propose to take Questions Nos. 481 to 484, inclusive, together. I appreciate the valuable work of the community and voluntary sector that provide services to children and families across Ireland. The issues raised in the Deputy’s questions relate to the funding of such organisations by Tusla. Under Section 56 of the Child and Family Agency Act 2013, the funding of these...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (27 Jul 2021)

Michael McGrath: Across 2020 and 2021, Government will have made available over €31 billion for direct expenditure measures to support our people, businesses and key public services deal with the impacts of Covid-19. Over €16½ billion was allocated during 2020 with provision for almost €12 billion made as part of Budget 2021 and further funding of approximately €3 billion to...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (27 Jul 2021)

Michael McGrath: The phased unwinding of the Financial Emergency legislation commenced under the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2015 and will be completed under the Public Services Pay and Pensions Act 2017 and the Public Service Pay Act 2021. On 1 July 2021, under Section 19 of the Public Service Pay and Pensions Act 2017, pay restoration for all public servants with annualised...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (27 Jul 2021)

Michael McGrath: The reduced new entrant pay scales for civil and public servants introduced in 2011 were abolished in 2013 under the Haddington Road Agreement, where it was agreed to merge the new scales and existing scales - typically by adding the lower two points of the new scale to the existing scale. As such there are no separate reduced pay scales for civil and public servants. Under the Public Service...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (27 Jul 2021)

Michael McGrath: As the Deputy will be aware, TDs do not get incremental salary increases and instead are on a fixed point scale.There is therefore no cost in relation to increments.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Covid-19 Pandemic (27 Jul 2021)

Michael McGrath: My Department is working closely with other Departments and the HSE to ensure that EU Digital Covid Certificate (EU DCC) meets the Regulation as set down by the EU. The EU DCC Regulation is intended to facilitate people’s fundamental right to move and reside freely and help to support the lifting of restrictions currently in place in a coordinated manner within the EU. It can be used...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Cybersecurity Policy (27 Jul 2021)

Michael McGrath: I propose to take Questions Nos. 490 to 493, inclusive, together. The Office of the Government CIO (OGCIO), which is a division in my Department, is responsible for developing and implementing the Public Sector ICT Strategy and providing guidance, support and advice on a number of fronts. It ensures an integrated approach to the exploitation of ICT including, accelerating the delivery of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Regulations (9 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: As the Deputy will be aware, this Government made a commitment in the 2020 Programme for Government to “reform and consolidate the Ethics in Public Office legislation”, which is the statutory basis for the operations of the Standards in Public Office - SIPO.  To progress this commitment, the Government has recently agreed to a review of the Ethics Acts which my Department...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Telecommunications Services (9 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: I do not plan to introduce a specific public sector email provider, as there are many free commercial offerings the public can use. However, in February of this year, I did announce the introduction of a State Digital Postbox, where individuals can, if they choose, receive their letters, documents, certificates and other messages from Government online.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff (9 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: As Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, I have policy responsibility for recruitment to the Civil Service.  The Civil Service is strongly committed to equality of opportunity for all in terms of its recruitment and employment practices.  This commitment is demonstrated in the Civil Service 2030 Renewal Strategy which was launched in May 2021. The Public...