Results 22,481-22,500 of 27,945 for speaker:Michael McGrath

Ceisteanna Eile – Other Questions: Irish Language (20 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy. I agree with him that this will not happen of its own accord. The Government has signed up to this. The legislation is in place and we will all have to work together to meet this goal. There are dedicated recruitment and promotion competitions targeted at Irish language speakers. As the Deputy has rightly said, this in itself is not enough. Last year, PAS held...

Ceisteanna Eile – Other Questions: Irish Language (20 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy. There will be. This is the process that is set out in the legislation for which the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, has taken responsibility. The core point, which the Deputy has acknowledged, is that the number of Irish speakers applying to join the Civil Service is quite low. This in itself is a problem we need to address. I have been looking at the figures. To...

Ceisteanna Eile – Other Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (20 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: I thank Deputy Dillon very much for his question. The update to the public spending code in 2019 combined, with lessons learned from domestic projects and international best practice, highlighted the need for more structured scrutiny of major public investment projects, particularly in the areas of planned delivery, costings and risk. This is to ensure that Government is making decisions...

Ceisteanna Eile – Other Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (20 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: I again acknowledge the Deputy's continued interest in the Crossmolina flood relief scheme and, indeed, that of Deputy Calleary and others. It is a scheme that the Government is committed to advancing. I acknowledge the great work of the OPW on this project. As the Deputy will be aware, the specific role I have lies in either giving or not giving consent in respect of projects. I expect...

Ceisteanna Eile – Other Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (20 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: I again thank the Deputy. I want to reassure him that we have a very sharp focus on project delivery across Government. We have agreed a new national development plan with a total of €165 billion in funding out to 2030. I want to see that money well spent on the projects that we all want to see advanced over the next number of years. Ensuring that we have the appropriate checks and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery (19 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: I propose to take Questions Nos. 370, 397, 398, 399, 400 and 401 together. The National Lottery is a significant asset which plays an important role in generating funds for Good Causes throughout Ireland across a range of areas including sport and recreation, culture and heritage, community health, the arts, and youth affairs. The Office of the Regulator of the National Lottery was...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff (19 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: The OPW employs approximately 2500 staff across a wide range of craft, technical, administrative, and management disciplines.  All staff have important roles to play that bring great value to those availing of OPW services.   While there are many different grades and classifications of employee involved, the OPW values all of its staff equally and works hard to minimise the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Funding (19 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: The framework for the management of Exchequer grants is set out in Circular 13/2014 Management and Accountability for Grants from Exchequer Funds apply. The overall principle is that there should be transparency and accountability in the management of public money, in line with economy, efficiency and effectiveness. The circular provides that Grantees should submit their audited...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flexible Work Practices (19 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: You will be aware that the Government has committed in the Programme for Government to mandating public sector employers to move to 20% home and remote working. In July, 2021, the Government approved a Policy Statement on Blended Working in the Civil Service, which was developed by the Civil Service Management Board.  The Policy Statement commits the Civil Service to...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Funding (19 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) has provided grant funding to Benefacts since 2015. The project was funded as a pathfinder initiative in the area of data analytics on the non-profit sector. Benefacts was initially co-funded with philanthropy, however in recent years the Department has been providing the majority of funding to the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Industrial Relations (19 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: It should be noted that Community and Voluntary sector organisations are not public service bodies and their employees are not public servants. Accordingly, my Department does not have a direct role in relation to these workers as their terms and conditions of employment are a matter for the relevant private sector employers in the first instance.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Communications (19 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: In response to the Deputy's question I have not received any communications from former Taoiseach Brian Cowen in relation to product specified.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff (19 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: Section 483 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997, provides for a gift on an annual basis to be made to the Minister for Finance to be applied for any purpose for or towards the cost of which public moneys are provided.  Gifts are accepted by the Minister for Finance. Gifting of salary is a personal matter for individual taxpayers. If an official wishes to gift part of his or her...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff (19 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: I refer the Deputy to the following document (TAB A) which details the current levels of Secretary General posts listed by Government Department, and the sanctioned salary levels during 2021 for each post. Information on the payments made on a monthly basis to each individual is of a personal nature. Due to General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) around personal data a further breakdown...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff (19 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: I propose to take Questions Nos. 379 and 392 together. I have received correspondence from the Chairperson of the Independent Body together with the Independent Body’s conclusions and recommendations. This estimates that the cost of implementing their recommendations will be €180M this year with an implementation date of July 1, 2022. I understand that the Independent...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff (19 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: A revised salary of €292,000 was sanctioned in January 2021 for recruitment to the post of the Secretary General of the Department of Health, reflecting the challenges and very significant responsibilities attached to this role. Section 3.1.3 of Building Momentum - A New Public Service Agreement 2021-2022 provided for a general round increase in annualised basic salary for all public...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff (19 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: As the Deputy will be aware, the Report on the Processes and Procedures Applying to the Appointment of Senior Executives in the Public Service by the Houses of the Oireachtas Committee of Public Accounts and the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach is a lengthy examination of complex issues that span a number of policy and legislative areas. Given...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Covid-19 Pandemic (19 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: My Department received a query directly from the person, who indicated they had a reaction to a COVID-19 vaccination and enquired about the type of leave available to them for this situation. My Department issued a response on 10 January 2022, with information on the guidance for public service employers to assist them with the management of working arrangements...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministerial Staff (19 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: As Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, I have policy responsibility for recruitment and selection within the civil service. I understand that the Deputy is likely referring to a number of complaints made in respect of an internal recruitment and selection process undertaken by the Garda Commissioner in respect of the assignment of sworn members of An Garda Síochána, who...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff (19 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: I propose to take Questions Nos. 385, 386 and 388 together. My reply relates to the Civil Service and to the number of state industrial and public service staff employed within the remit of the Minister for  Public Expenditure and Reform. The total number of civil servants, on a full-equivalent (FTE) or headcount basis employed in County Clare in each of the years ending 31...