Results 22,441-22,460 of 27,945 for speaker:Michael McGrath

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. Management of the payroll bill is an issue for the Accounting Officer in charge of the HSE Vote. It is not something that I have day-to-day involvement in. The Estimates we are discussing today relate to the Public Appointments Service, PAS, and do not involve direct payments to employees outside of its own body. Of course, the issue of pensions relates to the Vote on...

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 am aware of the issue. My understanding is that the change arises from a ruling by the Information Commissioner following a freedom of information process that ultimately made its way to his desk for a decision. It is a decision that was made by him and one that we have to comply with and be consistent with. I should make the point that we are doing a review of the freedom of information...

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: Undoubtedly, it has been a challenge to recruit the number of staff that we have provided the budget for. Having said that, a lot of progress has been made. Last year, over 6,300 additional staff were recruited, which included over 1,700 nurses and midwives. This year, so far, just under 4,500 additional staff have been recruited. Therefore, between last year and this year, approximately...

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 assure the Deputy that we value and recognise the extraordinary role of out front-line healthcare workers. We are continuing to work on this issue because we need to get it right. If we do not get it right it could result in unnecessary divisions being opened up and we should seek to avoid that. There are a number of elements to it, as the Deputy knows, and many of them have been...

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. He will have to forgive me for not being familiar with report No. 42 of 2007 from the review body. I believe it relates to orthodontics. Is that correct?

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 am happy to undertake to follow up and investigate this and make sure there is, at a minimum, communication with the people concerned. If there was a Labour Court hearing, it is the practice of the State, where the State is a party to a Labour Court hearing and a recommendation is made, to honour and implement that recommendation. I will, therefore, take that away. We have noted report...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Policies (15 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: Throughout 2021, the staff of my Department worked collaboratively on a very wide range of policies, projects and initiatives to deliver on the strategic goals set out in the Department's Statement of Strategy 2021-2023. Full details in relation to the achievements of the Department in respect of its key objectives for 2021 (summarised below) will be set out in my Department's Annual Report...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff (15 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: I propose to take Questions Nos. 69 to 72, inclusive, together. The authorities responsible for the administration of the large number of pension schemes operating in the various sectors of the Irish public service are, in general, the relevant employers and Ministers in those sectors. It would be a matter for those sectoral authorities, including relevant Ministers, to supply such...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff (15 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: OneLearning has responsibility for the provision of the Pre-Retirement Planning Programme for the Civil Service. OneLearning is the Civil Service Learning and Development (L&D) Centre, which is based in my Department. OneLearning runs Pre-Retirement Planning Programmes on a regular basis, which are open to all civil servants who are preparing for retirement within twelve to eighteen...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (16 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: The Government acknowledges the contribution of our front-line healthcare workers and all workers across the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Working together has been a key element of the Government’s approach to the pandemic to date, and this should form part of any approach to recognition. The pandemic remains an ongoing challenge for us all. It has required our full focus...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: State Bodies (16 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: Enhanced diversity on State Boards is a long standing commitment of Government and is also important in terms of enhancing the effectiveness of State Boards. I am strongly committed to building on the progress made in recent years in this regard. The Deputy may be aware that in September 2020 I published an Annex to the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies. The Annex deals...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Data (16 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: As the Deputy is aware, the first parts of the Data Sharing and Governance Act were commenced in 2019 and additional sections have commenced recently. The Act is changing how Public Bodies share data and requires a comprehensive data sharing and governance framework. The guidance on new procedures have now been published and these will support Public Bodies to share personal data in a...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Data Protection (16 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: As the Deputy is aware I announced the formation of the Data Governance Board in July of this year and since then the Board has met on 3 occasions.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: State Bodies (16 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: I wish to inform the Deputy that there are 74 civil servants (FTE 72.55) currently employed in the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO).

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Data Protection (16 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: I am happy to advise that the Office of the Chief Information Officer has been working on the personal access data portal and has completed the prototyping phase of the project. The next phase of the project will involve a Proof of Concept and this work will begin in 2022.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Data Protection (16 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: I was pleased to be informed that an agreement had been reached between the Department of Social Protection and the Data Protection Commission on the processing of personal data in relation to SAFE registration and the Public Services Card (PSC). The Agreement acknowledges and accepts that the Department and other specified bodies can continue to use MyGovID as the sole means of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Civil Service (16 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: As the Deputy will be aware, the Public Appointments Service (PAS) is the independent, statutory body that provides professional recruitment and selection services to the civil service. PAS forms panels for general civil service positions that candidates are assigned from as and when vacancies are notified to PAS by civil service employers. All recruitment is demand led and candidates...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Civil Service (16 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: Recruitment to the civil service may be way of open competition or by confined promotional competitions for existing civil servants on an internal (within one Department/Office) or interdepartmental (across all Departments/Offices) basis. The panels established from each competition are used to fill vacancies as they arise during the lifetime of the panels. As the Deputy is aware, the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Bonds Redemption (16 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: I propose to take Questions Nos. 287 and 288 together. The information sought by the Deputy is not collated centrally and is a matter for individual contracting authorities with responsibility for works projects. Performance bonds are financial securities taken out by construction clients (public or private sector) to insure the contract performance against a default or breach by the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Civil Service (16 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: I understand that the Deputy is referring to the 2021 Temporary Clerical Officer in the Civil and Public Service competition that was advertised in October 2020 by the Public Appointments Service (PAS) as the principal recruiter for the civil and public service. Civil and public service employers may draw upon panels established form this competition to fill temporary Clerical Officer...