Results 29,681-29,700 of 33,280 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe
- Statement by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (24 Jan 2023)
Paschal Donohoe: Just to conclude-----
- Statement by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (24 Jan 2023)
Paschal Donohoe: -----not only are we talking about funding that went to two different entities, which are Fine Gael Dublin Central and Fine Gael nationally, we are also talking about them being paid from two different people.
- Statement by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (24 Jan 2023)
Paschal Donohoe: Two different entities.
- Statement by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (24 Jan 2023)
Paschal Donohoe: The Deputy cannot make repeat assertions and assume they have or may have a truth here. As I said a moment ago, of the three different figures the Deputy has referred to, the figure of €430 is for the commercial use of a van-----
- Statement by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (24 Jan 2023)
Paschal Donohoe: -----which was a corporate donation from the Dublin Designer Group, a portion of which will be refunded. The other two figures referred to by the Deputy are personal figures. Those personal figures are under the donation threshold-----
- Statement by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (24 Jan 2023)
Paschal Donohoe: It is important to be clear about that point, because an impression is being created that the figures being brought forward are in some way-----
- Statement by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (24 Jan 2023)
Paschal Donohoe: I did not know Mr. Stone in 2007 and 2011. I have no recollection at all of talking to the then Minister, Eoghan Murphy, in relation to this. At that point the value of the work Mr. Stone was doing in the north-east inner city was becoming very broadly known as was the impact that he was having because of the kind of value he added. The impact he was having on issues was becoming well...
- Statement by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (24 Jan 2023)
Paschal Donohoe: Excuse me, I will come back to that question. No, I did not inform the Taoiseach of what was on the way.
- Statement by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (24 Jan 2023)
Paschal Donohoe: At that point I was aware that there were issues that I was reviewing, which there were. I had received queries.
- Statement by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (24 Jan 2023)
Paschal Donohoe: I did not inform the Taoiseach in relation to it but as this issue has developed, particularly over the weekend, I have briefed him and all the party leaders.
- Statement by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (24 Jan 2023)
Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Deputy. As to when I will amend my 2020 return, I expect that will be done this week. What kind of engagement have I had from SIPO? They wrote to me last week indicating they would be considering the matter but they have not given me any guideline regarding how long it will take or what the process will be, nor would I expect them to. I am sorry, I have missed the Deputy's...
- Statement by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (24 Jan 2023)
Paschal Donohoe: Excuse me, yes, all the information that I am aware of here and that I have now taken great lengths to seek to obtain, I have made available. I am certainly not aware at all of any further information that needs to be brought. It is the reason I have amended my election returns in the way I have.
- Statement by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (24 Jan 2023)
Paschal Donohoe: The answer to that question is no.
- Statement by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (24 Jan 2023)
Paschal Donohoe: Particularly in 2017, I did not give the matter sufficient attention. My regret in relation to that, I hope, is evident. I will explain again and again that what this is about is who put up my posters in what is largely a voluntary campaign and not recognising that a small number of them did go up in a non-voluntary way - they were paid for.
- Statement by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (24 Jan 2023)
Paschal Donohoe: All that being said----
- Statement by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (24 Jan 2023)
Paschal Donohoe: All that being said, the consequences of it I accept are very serious.
- Statement by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (24 Jan 2023)
Paschal Donohoe: That is why I have taken the lengths that I have to explain to the Dáil and to change my expenses submissions. I will engage with SIPO in the way they deal with it.
- Statement by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (24 Jan 2023)
Paschal Donohoe: I am aware of that dark history. I know what it did to our politics and I do not play any part in it. The Deputy has made a number of assertions there-----
- Statement by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (24 Jan 2023)
Paschal Donohoe: -----a number of assertions in regard to the awarding of State contracts. The Deputy knows that I play no part in determining who gets a contract in this State. You know that. You know in particular that I play no role in who gets a contract from the Houses of the Oireachtas. What you have done is made a series of----
- Statement by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (24 Jan 2023)
Paschal Donohoe: What those kinds of assertions do is every bit as dark for the future of our politics as the consequences of the history the Deputy referred to. He knows I play no role in the allocation of any State contract. He knows it is done in an independent, competitive way by the Office of Public Works and every other State body. Not only did the Deputy make a number of assertions that he knows are...