Results 22,201-22,220 of 27,945 for speaker:Michael McGrath

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Expenditure (28 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: Further to my response to Parliamentary Question No. 287 of 15th September last, I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department's participation in Common Purpose Ireland leadership programmes is part of the broader continuous professional development framework for staff in my Department. This includes attendance at learning and development courses, seminars and conferences, membership of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Expenditure (28 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: Regular reporting on spend against profile, on both a gross and net basis, is published each month in the Fiscal Monitor. This is available online at www.gov.ie/en/collection/c1b65-fiscal-monitors-2021/. The table below outlines the end-August gross position for current and capital spending, including variances from profile, by each Ministerial Vote Group as published in the August Fiscal...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: EU Programmes (28 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy for her interest in the PEACE PLUS programme. I am pleased to be able to report that this ambitious new North South EU-funded programme is now in the final stages of development. PEACE PLUS was first proposed by the European Commission in 2018 as part of its package of measures for the Multi-Annual Financial Framework (MFF) and Cohesion Policy for the 2021-27 period. This...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Expenditure (29 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: I wish to advise the Deputy that details of the consultancy services, professional fees and legal advice spend by my Department is regularly updated and published on gov.ie.  Details of this spend since the Department’s establishment in 2011 up to the end of April 2021 can be found at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/organisation-information/8b97d6-con...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget 2022 Scrutiny (Resumed): Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (30 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: I welcome the opportunity to appear before the committee today as part of its pre-budget 2022 scrutiny process. Detailed work is ongoing in my Department to finalise the expenditure Estimates for budget 2022. Similar to the approach adopted last year, the upcoming budget will be framed in the context of continued sustainable increases in core public expenditure, with a focus on...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget 2022 Scrutiny (Resumed): Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (30 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy for his question. It is good to be back before the committee and it is doing excellent work, as always. On the recognition issue, the Government has on several occasions said we believe some recognition is appropriate and warranted in respect of the extraordinary efforts of so many people across society while we have been living with Covid-19 during the past 18 months....

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget 2022 Scrutiny (Resumed): Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (30 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: As I said earlier, the estimate of the emergency level of expenditure is approximately €15 billion. That amount comes on top of €15 billion to €16 billion in expenditure last year as well. In total, across last year and this year, expenditure in this regard has exceeded €30 billion. The expenditure of €15 billion this year, however, will reduce...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget 2022 Scrutiny (Resumed): Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (30 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy for the question. It is fair to acknowledge that the recovery will not be even across all sectors. It will be gradual in several sectors. We are seeing an example of that in the aviation industry and with all the main airports. Even international assessments conclude that the recovery of the aviation sector will be gradual. There is, of course, an unknown factor as...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget 2022 Scrutiny (Resumed): Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (30 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: On budget day, as the Deputy knows, we will update the forecast deficit for this year and the following years up to 2025. As she correctly said, the summer economic statement made a forecast for the deficit for the current year of just over €20 billion at 5.1% of the general Government balance. It is fair to acknowledge that we have experienced strong tax receipts across a number of...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget 2022 Scrutiny (Resumed): Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (30 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: I will provide as much information as I can now. My departmental officials are available to provide whatever additional information and briefing we possibly can on the Brexit adjustment reserve. As the Deputy knows, this comes from an EU fund with a total value of almost €5.5 billion in today's prices. The 2018 value was set at about €5 billion and it then got reset in...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget 2022 Scrutiny (Resumed): Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (30 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: We all acknowledge how vital the wage subsidy scheme has been since it was introduced in March 2020. The Exchequer has paid over €8 billion across the two wage subsidy schemes in that period. Even at this moment, we still have approximately 300,000 workers whose wages are paid in part or in full under the wage subsidy scheme. There is a significant cost at over €400 million a...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget 2022 Scrutiny (Resumed): Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (30 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank Deputy Durkan for his question. We are seeing an increase in inflation. I believe the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office, CSO, put it at 2.8% in the period to August of this year. In a sense, it was an inevitability in the immediate rebound coming out of Covid and the burst of economic activity that we have experienced on foot of the pent-up demand, as many sectors...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget 2022 Scrutiny (Resumed): Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (30 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy. That is absolutely correct. That is a key part of the strategy for the public finances that we brought forward in the summer economic statement. As the Deputy will be aware, our intention is that, by 2023, we will only be borrowing for the public capital investment programme. In fact, some of the public capital investment programme will be funded by revenues that the...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget 2022 Scrutiny (Resumed): Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (30 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy. That is a really good question. In general terms, the real relevance of the measure of national debt is debt expressed as a percentage of national income. For Ireland, we have two key measures of debt, the first being as a percentage of GDP and the second being as a percentage of GNI*. Of course, the debt looks a lot more healthy as a percentage of GDP than it does as...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget 2022 Scrutiny (Resumed): Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (30 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank Deputy Boyd Barrett. There is much to cover there and I will be as brief as I can but as helpful as I possibly can. The Deputy is right to point out that in coming to an appropriate answer on the question of recognition it is not about the Government having a conversation with itself. We do not have all the wisdom on this issue. Our country's approach to Covid was characterised by...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget 2022 Scrutiny (Resumed): Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (30 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: I will, briefly. It will be difficult to respond because that was a comprehensive tour de forceby the Deputy, although I thank him for his comments. I acknowledge what he said about the recognition issue. We will seek to deal with that as quickly as possible but I do not envisage it will be a budget day issue. We need proper engagement with trade unions and employer bodies to come up with...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget 2022 Scrutiny (Resumed): Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (30 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy for his comments and questions. His experience of working in construction comes through in the nature of his questions and the contributions he makes in the Oireachtas, and I acknowledge that. Of course, when local authorities zone land for residential development, the whole purpose is for those sites to actually be developed. There is little point in zoning new lands...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget 2022 Scrutiny (Resumed): Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (30 Sep 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue, as did a number of his colleagues. As I said earlier, it is a complex and sensitive issue. The Government acknowledges that there is a need to provide appropriate recognition for the incredible efforts by so many people across our society and economy over the past 18 months. We will strive to be as fair as we can. I also acknowledge that people...