Results 23,401-23,420 of 27,945 for speaker:Michael McGrath

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Jul 2022)

Michael McGrath: By any objective measure we have made positive developments in education policy over the last couple of years at primary level through successive reductions in the pupil-teacher ratio, the single largest expansion of DEIS places in the history of the State and now an increase in the back-to-school allowance. We now have over 19,000 special needs assistants, SNAs, thank God, and it is the...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Jul 2022)

Michael McGrath: -----or about healthcare policy.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Jul 2022)

Michael McGrath: We need to ensure we have adequate resources to make progress on all those issues. We have made real progress on education policy, including with the decisions we made yesterday.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Jul 2022)

Michael McGrath: The Deputy has raised a specific case. To be fair, I do not have all the facts of that case. The exceptional needs scheme is there to support people for one-off costs like that. I am surprised to hear what he has said. We will ask the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, to look at that if he can provide the details because it sounds like an excessive, inappropriate response. That person should...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Jul 2022)

Michael McGrath: I will look into that further. To date almost 62,000 HSE staff have received the payment as have an estimated 14,000 staff in section 38 organisations. Over 75,000 people have been paid to date. When it comes to those who are not directly employed by the State, including those in private nursing homes, hospices as well as members of the Defence Forces who are employed by the State but not...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Jul 2022)

Michael McGrath: In the immediate sense, our priority is to get the scheme up and running, and to legislate to ensure that we can start getting homes remediated and rebuilt under what is a much improved scheme. The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, has appointed a senior counsel to examine the issues raised by the Deputy.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Jul 2022)

Michael McGrath: There has to be accountability in respect of the root cause of this issue. The State will do whatever it takes to pursue anyone responsible for what will end up being a very large cost on the Exchequer. The State will explore every avenue to seek recompense in respect of that. In the immediate term, our priority is to get the scheme up and running and get work done on homes. We will...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Jul 2022)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy for raising the PEACEPLUS programme and acknowledge his consistent advocacy for this very exciting programme, in respect of which over €1.1 billion has been allocated. It was approved by the Governments, North and South, in the autumn of last year and was submitted to the European Commission in March. Work to finalise the financing agreement for PEACEPLUS between...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Jul 2022)

Michael McGrath: The Commission on Taxation reports to the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe. I am not sure if it has been completed, but I can check. My understanding was that it will be later in the autumn and into the winter. I certainly saw a reference to November of this year being the expected timeline for completion and publication of that report. It may be the case that some or all elements of...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Jul 2022)

Michael McGrath: It has been generally acknowledged by local authority executives and members throughout the country that the Government looked after them well over the course of Covid-19. I include Galway City Council and Galway County Council in that. This was the right thing to do. There was full compensation for rates waivers. Even though local authorities do not always collect 100% of rates, they...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Jul 2022)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue and for welcoming the reduction in public transport fares. The purpose of that initiative is to support PSO public transport every day throughout the country. That is the way in which it is being applied. We have, over the course of Covid, provided additional support to the private transport sector. I will ask the Minister for Transport, Deputy...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Jul 2022)

Michael McGrath: I have not yet seen that particular pre-budget submission. The way the process works is that over the coming weeks I will sit down with my colleague, the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly, as part of the Estimates process to agree on a settlement for health for 2023. Then, the more micro-decisions relating to the allocation of funds all of the different strands of healthcare will be made...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Jul 2022)

Michael McGrath: I assure the Deputy that this is an issue all over the country, and not just in the Kingdom of Kerry. There are staff shortages across a range of sectors. The unemployment rate is now less than 5%. This was confirmed again earlier by the Central Statistics Office. That is good news, but it does create challenges. We are looking at this in the context of different initiatives, such as,...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Jul 2022)

Michael McGrath: There will have to be another home him anyway.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Jul 2022)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue on behalf of Meelick GAA club. I will look into the issue with the OPW. In general, where State land is adjoining an existing sports club that has ambitions around expansion, and if there is no other intended use for the land, the State, in principle, is supportive of disposing that land, either by a means of a freehold agreement or long-term lease...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Jul 2022)

Michael McGrath: I do not know all the facts relating to that incident, but of course we convey our condolences to those who have been bereaved. We condemn all violent acts that lead to people being killed. I cannot go beyond that because I do not know all of the facts relating to this terrible incident in which so many people lost their lives. I will ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Coveney,...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Jul 2022)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I assure him that the Government has provided the resources to the HSE to address this issue. There will be no change to the services provided at Our Lady's Hospital, Navan, until such time as the HSE can establish that Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda and Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown have the extra capacity to deal with the inevitable...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Jul 2022)

Michael McGrath: As the Deputy is aware, we are not directly dependent on a supply of gas from Russia. We get approximately 25% to 30% of our domestic needs from the Corrib. The balance comes in through interconnectors from the UK and Norway. We acknowledge the important role that gas is going to play into the future as both a transition fuel and a backup fuel. Any decision about future policy and about...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Jul 2022)

Michael McGrath: With regard to Deputy Pringle's question, my understanding is that work is ongoing with regard to the review of cardiac services, which is being led by Professor Philip Nolan. The timeline was impacted by Covid-19 but it is expected to be completed shortly. I thank Deputy Conway-Walsh for raising the issue of these very important schemes. The Minister, Deputy Humphreys, is examining...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff (6 Jul 2022)

Michael McGrath: I wish to advise the Deputy that there are no former County Managers or former Chief Executive Officers of a local authority employed in my Department (including the Office of Government Procurement), under any employment terms. This is also the case with regard to the bodies under the aegis of my Department.