Results 23,681-23,700 of 27,945 for speaker:Michael McGrath

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (12 Oct 2022)

Michael McGrath: We fully appreciate the importance of connectivity for the mid-west region. I commend the management of Shannon Airport on its recovery, which is now well advanced, following the very dark days of Covid-19. Government has provided a lot of support and will continue to provide support to Shannon Airport through the regional airports programme. In light of the pressure Dublin Airport has...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (12 Oct 2022)

Michael McGrath: Some of the scenes we have witnessed on our television screens and social media feeds in recent days have been utterly shocking. These are attacks on civilian targets, on cities and residential buildings. What is happening there is appalling and subhuman. I will ask the Minister, Deputy Coveney, to respond to the specific question the Deputy has asked but we have been very clear about whom...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (12 Oct 2022)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I am aware that the Women of Honour issued a public statement yesterday. I heard some commentary on that in the media last evening but I am not fully across all the details. When the review was established, it was regarded as a critical first step. It is significant that it has not attracted the support of the women themselves. That is a concern...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (12 Oct 2022)

Michael McGrath: Those workers are in touch with us as well. I know many of them are very frustrated at the delay in these payments being issued. It should be acknowledged that almost 124,000 staff have received the €1,000 pandemic recognition payment. In essence, those are the people directly employed by the HSE, which includes many section 38 voluntary hospital staff, but many others are waiting....

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (12 Oct 2022)

Michael McGrath: The scheme the Minister for Finance announced on budget day, which is still being developed, is a broad-based scheme to support businesses with the very high energy costs they are going to be facing over the period ahead. It is based on the relative increase in the per unit price of energy for a particular business. Many of those companies the Deputy has identified, because of their scale...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (12 Oct 2022)

Michael McGrath: I know this is an important issue and it is one we are committed to addressing. It is undoubtedly the case that a significant number of contracted dentists have chosen to opt out of the dental treatment scheme. It has caused a lot of problems and delays for medical card patients around the country.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (12 Oct 2022)

Michael McGrath: The Minister for Health has approved new measures to provide for both expanded dental healthcare for medical card holders in the dental treatment scheme and increased fees for dental contractors. Those came into effect on 1 May. In addition, further funding has been provided in the recent budget to assist the HSE in providing care to adult medical card holders who meet the HSE criteria for...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (12 Oct 2022)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I have seen some correspondence coming to my constituency office about this from people pointing to individual examples of what this means for them. It is an issue that the Minister for Finance is very conscious of and will be engaging with over the course of the progression of the finance Bill. I ask the Deputy to engage directly with the...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (12 Oct 2022)

Michael McGrath: The Minister for Education and her officials are working on the detailed design of that scheme and how it will be operated in practice but I was certainly clear in my own mind and in the budget announcement on the day that it was in respect of publicly funded schools. That was the basis of the discussion we had but it is now a matter for the Minister for Education to work through the...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (12 Oct 2022)

Michael McGrath: I reassure Deputy MacSharry and all colleagues in the House that the Minister for Finance will give careful consideration, as will the Government, to all of the issues that have been raised regarding the levy. That said, we must raise money to ensure we can fund what is a major remediation programme in respect of mica and the State must make decisions as to how it responds to the apartment...

Supplementary Estimates for Public Services 2022: Leave to Introduce (12 Oct 2022)

Michael McGrath: I move: That leave be given by the Dáil to introduce the following Supplementary Estimate for the service of the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2022: Vote 29 — Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary Estimate); and Vote 40 - Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (Supplementary Estimate).

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (11 Oct 2022)

Michael McGrath: As the Deputy will be aware, as the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, I have over-arching responsibility for public service pension policy. Following on from agreement with the Public Service unions (under the Public Service Agreement “Building Momentum” – A New Public Service Agreement 2021-2022), pay increases have been awarded to Public Servants on 1...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Gambling Sector (11 Oct 2022)

Michael McGrath: Since its inception in 1987, through good times and bad, the national lottery has continually provided a steady stream of funding for good causes in the areas of the arts and culture, sport and recreation and various voluntary, community and local activities. Therefore, to help sustain the contribution of the National Lottery into the future, I commissioned Indecon to carry out a report...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Heritage Sites (11 Oct 2022)

Michael McGrath: The provision of a consent order which would be required for such a proposal, as set out in the National Monuments Acts 1930-2014, is a matter for the consideration of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in the first instance. There have been no substantive engagements sought of my Department from the Commissioners of Public Works or the Department of Housing, Local...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff (11 Oct 2022)

Michael McGrath: I have no statutory role into the setting the terms and conditions of such employees The terms and conditions of employment for employees of Dublin Airport Authority is determined by the terms of the State Airports Act 2004 Section 12 which states that the "A member of staff of a company shall hold his or her office or employment on such terms and conditions as the company determines".

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Properties (11 Oct 2022)

Michael McGrath: In line with Government policy, breastfeeding employees of my Department are entitled to paid breaks of one hour per day from work, or a reduction of one hour per day working time, to facilitate breastfeeding or lactation (Circular31/06 Implementation of the Regulations of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) Act 2004). At present, breastfeeding or lactation breaks may continue until the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Judicial Reviews (13 Oct 2022)

Michael McGrath: I wish to advise the Deputy that a deferred reply will be issued to her in respect of this Parliamentary Question, in line with Standing Order 51B.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Budget 2023 (13 Oct 2022)

Michael McGrath: In carrying out my responsibilities as Minister I engage regularly with the Taoiseach on a wide range of issues, including those issues referenced here. This is particularly the case in the run-up to the Budget where extensive deliberation takes place at Government level across a number of forums, both in meetings and in general discussion. As stated in my response to your second PQ, it bears...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Budget 2023 (13 Oct 2022)

Michael McGrath: The options for policy reform in the area of supports for parents and foster parents are the remit of the Minster for Social Protection and the Minister for Children Equality Disability Integration and Youth. Those Ministers and their officials are responsible for developing policy in those areas and they can provide further information, if needed.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Budget 2023 (13 Oct 2022)

Michael McGrath: The issues raised during the Order of Business on 5 October 2022 are, in the first instance, the policy responsibility of my colleague Minister O'Gorman in the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in the first instance. As Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, I am responsible for the allocation of public funds, through the annual Budget process, across...