Results 22,101-22,120 of 27,945 for speaker:Michael McGrath

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (22 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: ------in respect of St. Brigid's hospital in Carrick-on-Suir. I will allow the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, and the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, to come back to the Deputy on the detail of that.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (22 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank Deputy Griffin for raising this issue. As the Deputy will be aware, the Minister for Education and the Government generally place great priority on the issue of literacy and encouraging children and, indeed, adults to constantly upskill and enjoy the undoubted benefits of reading. I note that the issue of local authority librarians providing services for primary schools is an...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (22 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank Deputy Connolly for raising the national maternity strategy. The Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, was in a position to provide full funding for the plan in the current year. Very significant progress has been made in its implementation but we certainly acknowledge that more needs to be done. I will ask the Minister to come back to the Deputy formally with an update.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (22 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank Deputy Matthews for raising this issue. As the Deputy will be aware, the recent Housing for All document commits to the establishment, consistent with the programme for Government, of a commission on housing. It is intended that the terms of reference of the commission will include consideration of the referendum on housing and it will have the opportunity to hear from a range of...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (22 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank Deputy Patricia Ryan. I do not have specific details of that particular drug. As the Deputy will be aware, there is an agreed process for the approval of medicines and the consideration of value for money through the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics. I do not know exactly what stage in the process that particular drug is at but I will ask the Minister and his officials to...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (22 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Ceann Comhairle, and thank Deputy Durkan for raising the issue. As I stated a moment ago, the relevant bodies here are all working together - the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, EirGrid and the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. They have taken certain steps to ensure continuity of supply. The Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, has said he is confident...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (22 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank Deputy Stanley. I certainly will. The Minister, Deputy McConalogue, and the Minister of State, Senator Hackett, are active on this issue. We are, as a Government, acutely aware of the issues with the licensing of forestry operations in Ireland. This is as a result of the Department having to make changes to the appropriate assessment procedure due to European Court of Justice and...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (22 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, is abreast of the situation. There are established dispute resolution mechanisms and the parties concerned should seek to avail of them. The issues fall to be addressed in the first instance by the board and executive of the IAA. The Government wants to see this dispute and any outstanding grievance resolved. The...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (22 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: I acknowledge that car parking charges in hospitals can be a burden on people, sometimes at what is a vulnerable time for them. Practices vary around the country. Some hospitals are, I believe, accommodating and have systems in place for frequent visitors, family members and so on, but that is not uniform. The Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, is taking an interest in this issue and will...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (22 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue, which is one in which he takes a keen interest. One of the lessons for us all from Covid is the imperative of having good connectivity all over the country. The Government wants to see the national broadband plan implemented as quickly as possible and there has been ongoing engagement between the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, and National Broadband...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (22 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I acknowledge the outstanding work that he has done in this area over a number of years. The Government will be represented by the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, at COP26. He is finalising the climate action plan, which is anticipated to be brought to the Government in October and published at that point. I will discuss with the Minister the points...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (22 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue, which is important to many families. Of the 91 progressing disability services teams, 83 are fully reconfigured and I am advised that the remaining teams will be reconfigured by the end of November. As such, work is at an advanced stage. I wish to point out the considerable work the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, has done and continues to...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (22 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I confirm that there are no plans whatsoever to downgrade University Hospital Kerry. There are significant challenges there that the Deputy has rightly highlighted. The Ministers, Deputies Stephen Donnelly and Foley, are aware of them and have been working together and engaging with the HSE on resolving the problems. I am sure the Minister,...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (22 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. It is on the back of the significant progress we have made with Covid and the reduced infection levels that the CMO has provided updated advice to my colleague, the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly. The Minister is now engaging the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, who, in turn, is consulting the education partners in regard to this issue....

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Apprenticeship Programmes (21 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: The appropriateness of including social considerations in public contracts needs to be examined by contracting authorities on a contract-by-contract basis to decide what, how, and when social considerations can be used to meet their own social and environmental objectives. It is a matter for individual contracting authorities to ensure that their public procurement activities are discharged...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Brexit Issues (21 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: As the Deputy will be aware, Ireland has been allocated €1.165 (current prices) from the EU's Brexit Adjustment Reserve. As with the allocation of Brexit funding in previous years, the allocation of funding from the Reserve will be aligned with the annual Estimates process, and should be consistent with the criteria set out in the EU's Brexit Adjustment Reserve Regulation.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: State Pensions (21 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: As set out in the Summer Economic Statement (SES), the medium term fiscal strategy provides for an average 5% annual growth-rate increase in Voted expenditure out to 2025, equating to increases in spending of between €4.0 billion to €4.4 billion from 2022 to 2025. A key part of the Estimates process involves agreement on the overall level of expenditure required to maintain...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Civil Service (21 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: The Civil Service Employee Assistance Service (CSEAS) offers free and confidential support to employees who are experiencing personal and/or work related difficulties that are impacting their wellbeing. The CSEAS provides one-to-one sessional support to civil servants, both face to face and online, addressing a broad and complex array of issues that affect the mental and emotional health of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Charitable and Voluntary Organisations (21 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: The pay and conditions of public servants are the responsibility of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. Matters pertaining to organisations funded under Section 39 of the Health Act 2004 fall within the remit of my colleague the Minister for Health. Similarly, matters pertaining to organisations funded under Section 56 of the Child and Family Agency Act 2013 are for the Minister...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Properties (21 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: Due to the nature of its role, my Department and the Office of Government Procurement, which is also part of my Department, have no office locations that provide services directly to the general public. The Office of Public Works (OPW) also does not have public offices for the purpose of service delivery to the public but the Office manages a number of buildings and heritage sites around...