Results 22,421-22,440 of 27,945 for speaker:Michael McGrath

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (15 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: I will ask the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, to come back to the Deputy on the specific issue of the ownership. I reiterate the point that has been made by the Minister and others in recent months, which is we will only be investing in a new hospital once we have absolute assurance that all legal services available in the State will be provided in that hospital and that it will be free of any...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (15 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank Deputy Lowry for raising this issue. The Government has announced the reinstatement of the enhanced rates of the EWSS, which is a very important support for the hospitality sector and all other sectors. There are qualifying criteria because this is taxpayers' money. In essence it relates to a 30% reduction in turnover relative to a reference period back in 2019. The EWSS remains...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (15 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: I have given the chequebook for transport to the Minister, Deputy Ryan, and it is a large chequebook because he has a budget of €35 billion out to 2030 for transport-related capital projects. The national development plan is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every project that will happen in the coming decade. It is a high-level budgetary framework for our public capital...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (15 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue and I acknowledge his work on it and his role in bringing forward the issue. The issue set out in the report is deeply disturbing. The fact it continued over such a period of time with the knowledge of people on the ground and members of staff is quite shocking. I will have to ask the Minister to come back to the Deputy on the intention to publish...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (15 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: At a human level, this has been one of the most difficult issues that has presented itself over the past 21 months or so where people have not been able to visit loved ones in hospital where they have been in very difficult circumstances and acute need. As the Deputy will know, the Health Protection Surveillance Centre has issued guidance on access to acute hospitals over the course of the...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (15 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: I will pass on the Deputy's request for a meeting to the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, but it is worth highlighting the work that we have done on this issue. Up to yesterday, the Government had already approved a donation of up to 2 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines to developing countries in the coming months. The Minister, Deputy Donnelly, received the approval of Government for a further...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (15 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank Deputy Smith for raising this issue and for his ongoing representations in support of the development of the PEACE PLUS programme. My Department has responsibility, on the part of the Irish Government, for the roll-out of this programme, working with the Northern Executive and, of course, the UK Government and the special EU programmes body. We have a very exciting programme at a...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (15 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: I will ask the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, to come back to the Deputy on this issue of survivors of thalidomide and the legislation to which the Deputy has referred. He will come back to the Deputy with a specific update on that.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (15 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank Deputy Devlin for raising this issue and for acknowledging the importance of the booster vaccination programme. I can tell the House that, yesterday, 45,000 booster vaccines were administered, which was the single biggest number to date in the booster programme. Those between the ages of 40 and 49 will start to receive the booster brought vaccine no later than the week commencing 27...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (15 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The Government welcomes the decision of the UK Supreme Court this morning in respect of the hooded men case. We will, of course, study the findings of that judgment very carefully. I am sure the Deputy will be aware that in the course of their campaign, the Government has met and engaged with the men and, indeed, has supported their case,...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (15 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue and for his continued interest in this matter. I will raise the specific issue with the Minister, Deputy McConalogue. The additional funding he has provided will be very much welcomed and put to good use. It is important to state that there is already extensive legislation in place that imposes clear legal obligations in the context of animal...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (15 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy. The roll-out of the vaccine for five- to 11-year-olds who are immunosuppressed and the most vulnerable will start next week. In fact, the vaccines of the particular paediatric Pfizer dose arrived in the country today. That will start next week. For all other five- to 11-year-olds, it will start in early January. The Government has no plans for schools to close...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (15 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: I will do my best. I thank Deputy Clarke for her question. I heard a member of the Women of Honour group speaking on the "Saturday with Katie Hannon" radio programme last Saturday. There was to be a further engagement with the Department of Defence. I am sure the Minister, Deputy Coveney, will give an update on that. He is certainly satisfied that the terms of reference for the...

Presentation and Circulation of Revised Estimates 2022: Motion (15 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: I move: That Revised Estimates for the Public Services for the year ending 31st December, 2022, be presented to the Dáil and circulated to members, pursuant to Standing Orders 95(1)(a) and 215.”

Appropriation Bill 2021: Second Stage (Resumed) (15 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank all the Deputies for contributing to the debate. As they highlighted, the Bill is an important piece of housekeeping in which the Oireachtas has to engage every year to ensure we have a proper legal basis for the moneys that were spent over the course of that year and to ensure spending can continue into the following year before the House approves the Estimates for that year. ...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Supplementary)
Vote 17 - Public Appointments Service (Supplementary) (24 Nov 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Chairman and members of the committee for taking these Supplementary Estimates today. I will present to the committee a proposal for: a net Supplementary Estimate of €1,000 resulting in a gross Estimate of €34 million in respect of Vote 12 – superannuation and retired allowances; and a Supplementary Estimate of €3.665 million in respect of Vote 17...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Supplementary)
Vote 17 - Public Appointments Service (Supplementary) (24 Nov 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy for her questions. I do not have the outturn for 2020 with me because we are dealing with the 2021 Supplementary Estimates. I can, however, answer a number of the questions she has put. For example, the average annual Civil Service pension last year came in at just under €24,500. That is up from a figure of €23,000 in 2019. The average Civil Service lump...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Supplementary)
Vote 17 - Public Appointments Service (Supplementary) (24 Nov 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy. In terms of day-to-day operations, the Public Appointments Service operates independently and the level of interaction I have with it on a day-to-day basis is limited. The Supplementary Estimate, in particular, arose as a result of the additional recruitment of medical and clerical staff, especially in the health area. The majority of the Supplementary Estimate relates...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Supplementary)
Vote 17 - Public Appointments Service (Supplementary) (24 Nov 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy. I hope she is hearing me okay. I welcome the report. I am still working my way through it because it is a lengthy report which gives a lot of food for thought. I have looked at the 14 recommendations that were provided by the committee. Those recommendations will be given serious consideration. I have had an initial discussion about the recommendations with my...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Supplementary)
Vote 17 - Public Appointments Service (Supplementary) (24 Nov 2021)

Michael McGrath: We have the Top-Level Appointments Committee, TLAC. I know this committee commented on the role of TLAC in its report. I have informed the Government that I intend to review the role and composition of TLAC. If the committee has any detailed proposals or suggestions for the role of TLAC, I would be more than happy to engage. Until recently, TLAC had 13 members. A lot of work is going...