Results 23,901-23,920 of 27,945 for speaker:Michael McGrath

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2022)

Michael McGrath: I move amendment No. 14: In page 14, between lines 11 and 12, to insert the following: “Amendment of section 25 of Principal Act 21.Section 25 of the Principal Act is amended— (a) in subsection (2)— (i) in paragraph (d), by the substitution of “in that year,” for “in that year, and”, (ii) in paragraph (e), by the substitution of...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2022)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Chairman, the committee staff and all the members for facilitating us during the Committee Stage consideration of the Bill. I look forward to the Report and Final Stages. It is important legislation, which is borne out of the experience we have had of operating the system. This Bill significantly strengthens the system we have for the regulation of lobbying in Ireland and I...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Oireachtas Members' Expenses (8 Dec 2022)

Michael McGrath: The Parliamentary Activities Allowance (formerly known as the Party Leader's Allowance) is provided for in the Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices Act 1938 (the Principal Act) as amended, most recently by the Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Act, 2014. The Allowance is paid to the parliamentary leader of a qualifying Party in relation to expenses arising from...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Policies (8 Dec 2022)

Michael McGrath: The following rates are payable to members of Interview/Selection Boards in the Public Appointments Service. These rates have been in place since the 1st July 2013. Retired Public Servants (on pension): Secretary General €377 Deputy Secretary €295 Assistant Secretary €200 Principal...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: EU Funding (8 Dec 2022)

Michael McGrath: The Northern and Western Regional Assembly (NWRA) is the Managing Authority for the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Programme in the Western region. While the relevant EU regulations do not refer to flagship projects, they do provide for 'operations of strategic importance'. The "Northern and Western Regional Programme 2021-2027" published by the NWRA and available at the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Regeneration Projects (8 Dec 2022)

Michael McGrath: Under article 11(2) of the European Regional Development Fund regulation, Ireland is required to allocate 8% of ERDF resources to Sustainable Urban Development. The two Irish ERDF programmes outline plans to support the sustainable regeneration of towns and urban centres in conjunction with the Government’s Town Centre First Policy. I appointed the Northern and Western Regional...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff (8 Dec 2022)

Michael McGrath: The Programme for Government contains a commitment to mandating public sector employers to move to 20% home and remote working.  In this context, my Department, in collaboration with Civil Service employers, Trade Unions and Staff Associations, has developed a Blended Working Policy Framework for the Civil Service which was published in March 2022.  The Framework focuses on the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Private Partnerships (8 Dec 2022)

Michael McGrath: The Deputy may be interested to know that financial information for Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects are published on the PPP.Gov.iewebsite.  There are two sets of financial data under the Projects tab on the website.  The first data sheet entitled Contract Value and Financial Commitment gives information of the various PPP projects by sector which were in operation before...

Confidence in Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Motion (13 Dec 2022)

Michael McGrath: I support the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O’Brien, and look forward to voting to express confidence in him this evening. I do so because I see every day the work he is doing. I know he absolutely cares about the people affected by the homelessness crisis, the people struggling with rents and the people who aspire to homeownership. I also know...

Confidence in Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Motion (13 Dec 2022)

Michael McGrath: I work closely with the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, every single day. He works harder than anyone in this House to address and tackle the housing crisis. That is the truth. He has secured an extra €11 billion for housing in the national development plan out to 2030. In 2016 the housing capital budget was €435 million. In 2020 it was €1.4 billion. Next year it...

Confidence in Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Motion (13 Dec 2022)

Michael McGrath: -----that while you condemn capitalism-----

Confidence in Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Motion (13 Dec 2022)

Michael McGrath: -----you talk about developer led and you talk about market base. Your motion also laments the fact that there are indications that private supply is slowing and you do not seem to see the irony in that.

Confidence in Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Motion (13 Dec 2022)

Michael McGrath: The Opposition never talks about the hard yards, the issues that are actually involved in delivering housing supply, such as, the reforms to the planning system; access to affordable finance; the apprenticeship system; tackling materials inflation; land availability; and access to private capital. If we want to deliver 33,000 homes per year, and the Opposition says we need more than that,...

Confidence in Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Motion (13 Dec 2022)

Michael McGrath: There are a lot more of us here than there are from the Opposition.

Appropriation Bill 2022: Second Stage (13 Dec 2022)

Michael McGrath: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am pleased to introduce the Bill to the House. The annual Appropriation Bill is critical financial legislation that must be enacted before the end of the year. It has two primary purposes, the first of which is that it provides legal authorisation for all the expenditure that has occurred in 2022 on the basis of the Estimates voted on...

Appropriation Bill 2022: Second Stage (13 Dec 2022)

Michael McGrath: I am not laughing at anyone.

Appropriation Bill 2022: Second Stage (13 Dec 2022)

Michael McGrath: I thank all the Deputies who have contributed to the debate. There is broad support for this Bill, which is an important one in the annual budgetary calendar to ensure there is proper legal underpinning of expenditure in the current year. It is also important in ensuring there is legal provision for expenditure to continue next year until the relevant Oireachtas committees consider the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (14 Dec 2022)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy for raising what is a serious issue for many who are affected by overcrowding in accident and emergency departments around the country. The problem does not affect every accident and emergency department but the circumstances are quite serious in some. The Minister for Health has, of course, read the HIQA report and will respond to it formally in due course. In broad...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (14 Dec 2022)

Michael McGrath: -----with almost €170 million. The Minister for Health, his Department and the HSE are now working to implement that plan to recruit more staff. A further 608 people will be recruited as part of the winter plan. We have increased the workforce in health by more than 16,000 in the past two years. This is the largest-ever increase in the workforce in health because we recognise it as...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (14 Dec 2022)

Michael McGrath: Far from hiding behind the staff, we are standing with the staff. We are investing in the Irish public health service. The Government has approved a new contract offer, which has been made to hospital consultants. It is well recognised we need far more consultants in our system. We need them to be present at weekends, and we need over time to remove private healthcare from our public...