Results 22,601-22,620 of 27,945 for speaker:Michael McGrath

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 will highlight the new development of small grants that are intended for local community groups. Again, this issue came up time and again across the whole consultation period as it was carried out. It was the issue of accessibility for small grassroots and community-oriented community organisations. As I said earlier, we have two new small grant programmes included in PEACEPLUS, to allow...

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: That is correct. We are very much at the final stages. The outline of the draft programme has been published, and the full application is just about putting flesh on the bones of that. The overall thematic areas are now agreed and the draft programme has been approved by all key stakeholders. Now it is just about additional detail. The Commission is very much aware of the overall...

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 believe the themes are broad enough to encompass the overwhelming majority of projects that people would have in mind. The steering committee must have regard to the detailed assessment criteria when it is assessing individual applications, but our sense certainly is that the themes are broad enough to enable applications to be successful right across the full reach.

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 will ask Ms Clynes to come in on the issue of the small grants, and perhaps she may have particular figures. If the geographical areas are outside the direct remit, there is the opportunity to partner with groups from within the geographical area and become part of the application with them. It is possible that there would be funding for projects that extend beyond that area. It would be...

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 will ask Ms Clynes to provide details on the work of the programme monitoring committee and steering committee.

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 received the first tranche of funding just before Christmas. As we indicated in the budget, the intention would be to allocate about half of the overall funding in 2022 and the remaining half next year. There is a reference period and the funding has to be spent before the end of next year. Again, because it is EU funding, there are very clear criteria. There must be a direct, explicit...

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: As I understand it, that is currently live on eTenders. The aim is to put in place a permanent solution there and that is very much the type of project that will be funded. In the main, the BAR funding comes in the form of pre-financing. Approximately 80% is in the form of pre-financing and we account for it subsequently. The absolute priority is to ensure that we have enough qualifying...

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 working with line Departments at the moment on various proposals that they have made. Some allocations have been made at this point, particularly in the fisheries area. We can send a detailed note to the committee on the BAR.

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 would be happy to do so.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Covid-19 Pandemic (1 Feb 2022)

Michael McGrath: There are many thousands of people across the country who went above and beyond over the course of the last two years. The continued contribution of so many people in all walks of life has been essential to getting us through this difficult time. Collaboration and solidarity have been the hallmark of our national approach to COVID-19 and the measures announced on 19 January are true to those...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Standards in Public Office (1 Feb 2022)

Michael McGrath: I propose to take Questions Nos. 298, 299 and 300 together. The matters to which the Deputy's questions refer fall to be considered under the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995 and the Standards in Public Office Act 2001 (cited together as ‘the Ethics Acts’). The 2020 Programme for Government contains a commitment to “reform and consolidate the Ethics in Public Office...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Inflation Rate (1 Feb 2022)

Michael McGrath: There have been significant and sustained increases in the prices of a broad range of commonly used goods and materials in the construction sector. Commencing with steel and timber in the second half of 2020, inflationary pressures broadened out to impact a range of other commonly used materials throughout 2021. Not all materials are experiencing price increases but the breath of increases...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Legislative Process (1 Feb 2022)

Michael McGrath: The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the table below. Title of Act or sections/provision of Act where commencement order not yet signed Reason for timeframe Planned date of signing Data Sharing and Governance Act 2019 The Data Sharing and Governance Act 2019 was published in June 2018, passed in March 2019 and several...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff (1 Feb 2022)

Michael McGrath: Civil Service Mobility offers an opportunity for staff members to apply for Mobility (i.e. transfer) through an open and transparent system. It is one of a number of arrangements put in place to fulfil the requirements of Action 15 of the Civil Service Renewal Plan which calls to “expand career and Mobility opportunities for staff across geographic, organisational and sectoral...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff (2 Feb 2022)

Michael McGrath: The objective of the policy on One Person One Salary (OPOS) is to restrict payment of extra remuneration, from additional public service sources, to public sector employees. While the initial policy focused on board fees, it has been expanded over time to cover any type of potential second income from a public service source that might accrue to a public sector employee. Additional payment...