Results 23,441-23,460 of 27,945 for speaker:Michael McGrath

Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill 2022: From the Seanad (13 Jul 2022)

Michael McGrath: I appreciate that the time is limited and that colleagues may want to get on to issues that are covered by later amendments. I am happy to deal with those if they so wish, but that is where the discussion has gone in the past few minutes, which is fine. There are, I think, a few net issues that colleagues would like to tease out and I am happy to do it that way, but I am at your-----

Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill 2022: From the Seanad (13 Jul 2022)

Michael McGrath: I appreciate that.

Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill 2022: From the Seanad (13 Jul 2022)

Michael McGrath: Two key issues have been raised.

Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill 2022: From the Seanad (13 Jul 2022)

Michael McGrath: I am happy to deal with them. It is important we deal with them.

Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill 2022: From the Seanad (13 Jul 2022)

Michael McGrath: I appreciate the comments of colleagues from throughout the House. I acknowledge there has been very good collaboration from all sides. The committee chaired by Deputy McGuinness did excellent work during pre-legislative scrutiny. It identified this issue. It is my view that we have gone beyond the recommendation in the pre-legislative scrutiny report on the retrospective application of...

Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill 2022: From the Seanad (13 Jul 2022)

Michael McGrath: These amendments provide for the deletion of section 8(2)(b) of the principal Act, as amended. Section 8(2)(b) provides that a worker employed by a public body can only report to Minister if the worker reasonably believes the information disclosed in the report and any allegations contained in it are true. The intent behind the amendments the Bill is making to section 8 of the Act is to...

Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill 2022: From the Seanad (13 Jul 2022)

Michael McGrath: We will lay out a detailed implementation plan on the provisions of what will become new legislation and, certainly, later this year, the intention is to have that office up and running. We are engaging with the Ombudsman in that regard. While there may well be disagreements on specific aspects of the Bill, in the round, this represents very significant progress. I again acknowledge the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Budget Targets (12 Jul 2022)

Michael McGrath: Table 1 of the 2022 Summer Economic Statement sets out the budgetary strategy for the period to 2025. As part of the total budget package set out for each year to 2025, amounts of between €3 to 3.4 billion are indicated as for ‘budgetary decisions’. This category comprises provision for Existing Levels of Service (ELS) costs and the planned core capital expenditure...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Tax Data (12 Jul 2022)

Michael McGrath: The Programme for Government commits to hypothecating all additional carbon tax receipts over 2021-2030 (estimated at €9.5bn) in order to: - Ensure that the increases in the carbon tax are progressive by spending €3 billion on targeted social welfare and other initiatives to prevent fuel poverty and ensure a just transition; - Provide €5 billion to part fund a socially...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (12 Jul 2022)

Michael McGrath: I propose to take Questions Nos. 338 to 340, inclusive, together. As the Deputy will be aware, counsel fees were reduced in both 2009 and 2010 respectively as part of a broader Government agenda to reduce escalating legal costs. A further reduction was imposed in 2011 primarily to control spending under the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme. These reductions were underpinned by Government...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Summer Economic Statement (12 Jul 2022)

Michael McGrath: Table 1 of the 2022 Summer Economic Statement sets out the budgetary strategy for the period to 2025. As part of the total €6.7 billion budget package for 2023 an amount of €3 billion is indicated as for ‘budgetary decisions’. This category comprises provision for Existing Levels of Service (ELS) costs and the planned core capital expenditure increases under the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Capital Expenditure Programme (12 Jul 2022)

Michael McGrath: I propose to take Questions Nos. 343, 350 and 351 together. Costs relating to implementation of the Inflation Co-operation Framework (the Framework) are to be met from within existing capital expenditure ceilings. The ceilings detailed in the National Development Plan 2021-30 (NDP) are cognisant of the overall capability of the construction sector to deliver on the NDP and of the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Budget 2023 (12 Jul 2022)

Michael McGrath: I can confirm to the Deputy that it is not intended that the annual priority reserve of €51 million for 2023 as set out in National Development Plan (NDP) 2021-2030 will be used as a resource for any potential overspends in Budget 2023. The annual priority reserves included in the NDP will be allocated each year during the Estimates process. Retaining this element of flexibility is an...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Contracts (12 Jul 2022)

Michael McGrath: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department and the Office of Government Procurement (OGP), which is part of my Department, engaged the services of one of the named organisations during the period specified. With the exception of the Office of the National Lottery regulator (ORNL), this is also the case for the bodies under the aegis of my Department. The ORNL have advised that they have...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (12 Jul 2022)

Michael McGrath: The suggested Living Wage at €12.17 per hour based on the Civil Service 35 hour standard net working week equates to an annual salary of approximately €22,226.07. Detailed data on civil service staff indicates that less than 0.1% of staff (FTE) in the civil service are on salary points less than this suggested Living Wage. Those currently on an annual salary of less than...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (12 Jul 2022)

Michael McGrath: The Summer Economic Statement (SES), published on 4th July 2022, sets out the key parameters for Budget 2023. This included an increase to the 2022 and 2023 core expenditure growth rates to 6 per cent and 6½ per cent respectively. These adjustments were made to respond to the challenging economic context, in particular regarding inflationary pressures. To protect public services,...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ukraine War (12 Jul 2022)

Michael McGrath: It is estimated that 5.6 million refugees from Ukraine have been recorded across Europe. This includes almost forty thousand refugees arriving in Ireland. Given the evolving nature of the situation, it is difficult to provide exact costings as the number of arrivals fluctuate on a daily basis. The demographic profile of arrivals, a key determinant of costings, is also subject to...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Funding (12 Jul 2022)

Michael McGrath: In Budget 2022, provision was made for up to €7 billion to continue our response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Some €3 billion of this was allocated at Departmental level, while €4 billion contingency funding was held in reserve centrally to allow Government flexibility to respond to emerging needs during 2022. Following some additional allocations as part of the Revised...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Protected Disclosures (12 Jul 2022)

Michael McGrath: The Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill 2022 provides for a substantial overhaul of the legislative framework for the protection of whistleblowers as well as to transpose EU Directive 2019/1937 on the protection of persons who report breaches of Union law. Among other things, the Bill expands the personal scope of the legislation to include an individual who is or was a volunteer. This...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff (13 Jul 2022)

Michael McGrath: Officeholders are paid a salary as a TD/Senator plus an additional salary in respect of the specific Office held. Accordingly, the following additional salary costs are provided by my Department. Minister: €82,730 Minister of State: €40,464 Further details in relation to Oireachtas members and Office Holders’ pay are published by my Department...