Results 22,581-22,600 of 27,945 for speaker:Michael McGrath

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Weather Events (27 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: My Department does not hold the information referred to, nor have responsibility in this area. The matters are more appropriately directed to the Departments of Environment, Climate and Communications and Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Weather Events (27 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: My Department does not have responsibility for the areas referred to. These matters come under the remit of the Departments of Environment, Climate and Communications and Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Special EU Programmes Body: Engagement with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (26 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: I thank the committee for inviting me to join it this morning to discuss work of the Special EU Programmes Body, SEUPB. Joining me are Mr. Andrew Condon, Ms Catherine Clynes and Mr. Peter Molloy from my Department's PEACEPLUS North South Ministerial Council, NSMC, and North South unit. I am very glad to have the opportunity to engage with committee members today on the SEUPB and the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Special EU Programmes Body: Engagement with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (26 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Leas-Cathaoirleach. I take this opportunity to acknowledge all of his work in this area. His work in the past in regard to peace and INTERREG programmes and indeed as a predecessor of mine in regard to cohesion policy and all the excellent work he did on behalf of Ireland during his period in government. His period in government goes back to the 1990s and after the formation of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Special EU Programmes Body: Engagement with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (26 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: The PEACEPLUS will cover the eligible area of Northern Ireland and the Border counties of Ireland, which are Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Louth, Monaghan and Sligo. However, there will be scope under the new programme for project partners from beyond the eligible area to take part in programme activities. This is known as the "functional area concept", based on the fact that it makes sense for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Special EU Programmes Body: Engagement with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (26 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy for his comments and questions. I welcome his comments on the shared island fund that we have provided. It is undoubtedly the case that PEACEPLUS will be directly complementary to the capital investment that is being deployed through shared island fund and, indeed, through Project Ireland 2040. The new programme will support a broad range of activities, which will...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Special EU Programmes Body: Engagement with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (26 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: I cannot commit the Commission to a particular timeframe. To be fair, the Commission has been really supportive throughout this whole process. It will already have seen much, if not all, of the formal application previously. It has been directly involved in helping to guide the completion of the application process. Therefore, it will not come as a surprise to it. Certainly, the timeline...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Special EU Programmes Body: Engagement with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (26 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: There has been extensive consultation and engagement as part of this process. Forums have been held by the SEUBP with communities and bodies likely to be applying for funding under the different thematic areas. I referred to a specific one that took place in recent weeks. Considerable effort has been put into ensuring that this process is as simple and straightforward as possible. One...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Special EU Programmes Body: Engagement with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (26 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: My Department is involved in the process throughout. While ultimately PEACEPLUS will involve selecting individual projects to be funded, that will follow the thematic calls. The calls will be under each individual theme and then the relevant applications will come in. Normally the applications are of a cross-Border nature. They generally do not come in from a single entity on a sole...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Special EU Programmes Body: Engagement with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (26 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy for his comments. There is no specific theme in PEACEPLUS related to ex-prisoners but the thrust of the programme is to place emphasis on providing support to the most marginalised within our communities, including ex-prisoners. They are not excluded from being part of projects that will be funded under PEACEPLUS. It is important to give a sense of the level of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Special EU Programmes Body: Engagement with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (26 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Senator. In answer to her first question, we do not see any risks to the funding commitment that has been put in place in relation to the ongoing discussions between the UK and the EU. Obviously, we are monitoring the situation on an ongoing basis but the funding commitment has been provided by the UK Treasury. The EU funding is certainly secure as part of the overall EU budget...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Special EU Programmes Body: Engagement with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (26 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Senator. She touches on a really important issue, namely, the need to have the capacity to roll out this programme in line with the timeline that is there. As she said, the SEUPB currently has a permanent headcount of 57 employees. The staffing allocation was last reviewed back in 2012 so we believe a review is timely given the very significant increase in the funding that is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Special EU Programmes Body: Engagement with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (26 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: We are still in the work-out phase, as such, of the existing programmes. The final accounting for all of it is yet to be done.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Special EU Programmes Body: Engagement with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (26 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: There will be continued spend for a period yet on INTERREG VA and PEACE IV so I certainly do not have any information at this point of any resources that have had to be waived as a result of their not being spent.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Special EU Programmes Body: Engagement with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (26 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: I ask Ms Clynes to reply.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Special EU Programmes Body: Engagement with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (26 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: Absolutely, Vice Chairman. I understand as well that Gina McIntyre is prepared to come before the committee and engage in detail on the work of the SEUPB.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Special EU Programmes Body: Engagement with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (26 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: We also have a number of other important EU funding streams coming through the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform that I am sure the committee will be taking an interest in over the period ahead. We of course have the Brexit adjustment reserve fund, which is a really important one. We have the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, which is also coming through my Department. Then...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Special EU Programmes Body: Engagement with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (26 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: It is an issue that continues to be raised. The Northern Ireland Minister of Finance, Conor Murphy, MLA, and I are both very anxious that the programme processes are efficient and effective, and place the minimum burden on applicants at the application stage and throughout the project, in the funding and in the drawdown of money under the programme. We have been working with the Special EU...