Results 30,141-30,160 of 33,280 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (31 May 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I know road projects like these are extremely important and the role they can play in the prevention of congestion and in making transport on our roads safer. I am, indeed, responsible for the funding the Department of Transport has but I am not involved in decisions it makes concerning individual road projects. I am, however, familiar with the project the Deputy referred to. Government...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (31 May 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I am not aware of the status of that specific report. It does sound unusual that a process would have been put in place to address such an important matter in 2019 and that it would not yet have reached a conclusion. I do know, however, that record levels of funding are being provided to Galway County Council, as is the case with every local authority, to help it respond to the housing...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (31 May 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: Progress is being made, therefore, but we know more needs to be made. I will follow up on the specific matter of the task force reporting its status.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (31 May 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Deputy. The Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, is working on this issue now. It has been the subject of discussion at our Cabinet subcommittee which deals with health policy. As the Deputy acknowledged, it is no longer an issue of the funding of new drugs. The Deputy will also appreciate the trade-offs and balances involved in this context. A patient and a family desperately...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (31 May 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I know that legislation is currently being drafted. We appreciate the importance of ensuring that there is a safe and appropriate environment outside hospitals that are providing this health service. In answering a question on another aspect of this from Deputy Bacik, I reference the fact that a group has now been set up in the HSE to deal with all of the implementation and operational...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (31 May 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: Every effort is being made by Dublin City Council and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide social and affordable housing on what is a landmark site. I do not need to tell the Deputy the impact the proper development of the site can have on the availability of homes in the south inner city and the city overall. I will refer to the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, on...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (31 May 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank Deputy O'Sullivan. In all of our constituency work, we meet a Dolores and Timmy and are reminded of the huge sacrifice and care that is delivered in looking after loved members of families who need additional support. I am sure after the Deputy has raised this matter that efforts will be made to contact Dolores and Timmy, in conjunction with the Deputy, to see if help can be given....

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (31 May 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I was part of a discussion earlier in the week on the general point the Deputy raised on how we can work with our colleges of higher and further education to meet the skill needs that are health service has. As part of that, the issue of radiation therapists was included. I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. In light of equipment that is not working because staff are not...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (31 May 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: There is not much capital investment that is getting cheaper at the moment, as the Deputy knows, due to inflation and the rising cost of raw materials, as well as the demand created by the economy that is performing so well. In recognition of the issue the Deputy has raised, that is why the fund was put in place in the first place. I take his point that the demand for it is probably many...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (31 May 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: We know how important access to one's GP is, for the reasons raised by Deputy Moynihan. It is why we aim to provide a GP-only card for a further 700,000 citizens in the time ahead. The Deputy raises an important point. Prevention, as we all know, is the best possible cure. A regular check-in with one's GP is an essential part of that. We would have to engage with the GP community about...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (31 May 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: The Taoiseach is really aware of the importance of an evaluation or assessment of how our State performed in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic, for many reasons, not least of which is the loss of life many experienced, especially in our nursing homes and the sober reality that we may have to confront another pandemic at some point in the future. We urgently need to learn from our experience...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (31 May 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: The Government is committed to the expansion of our emergency accommodation by a further 2,000 beds across this year. Work is under way to identify properties in which this can be done. Given that the issue of the mid-west has already been raised by the Deputy, I will see if I can get further information about her own constituency and the mid-west overall. With regard to the capital...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (31 May 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I will leave it to the Minister of State to deal with the Jigsaw issue. I know how important the service is. We have one in Dublin Central. I can see the amazing work it does. The Minister of State will give the Deputy a more specific answer on the issues she has raised. The initiative brought forward by the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, yesterday, is much needed. Rather, it was...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (23 May 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 243 and 245 together. In relation to the civil service, for which my Department holds detailed data, the suggested Living Wage at €15 per hour based on the civil service 35 hour standard net working week equates to an annual salary of approximately €27,395. Detailed data on civil service staff indicates that approximately 6% of staff (FTE) in...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (23 May 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: The total public service pay bill figure (inclusive of Local Authorities) for 2023 is estimated to be €25.9 billion. This includes all elements of pay, including basic pay, allowances, overtime, premia, and employer PRSI. The estimated cost of a 10% pay increase for public service workers earning less than €100,000 would be approx. €2.4 billion.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Courts Service (23 May 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy may be aware, based on Government decisions and as part of a broader Government need to reduce costs across the public service, the Minister for Justice exercised powers conferred to them under section 10(1)(b) of the Criminal Justice (Legal Aid) Act 1962 to apply reductions to professional fees paid to barristers under the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme in 2009, 2010 and 2011. ...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Policies (23 May 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: The Government is committed to promoting care in the community for older people so that they can continue to live in their own homes for as long as possible. Home support is an increasingly important part of the supports we offer to older people and it will continue to increase in importance into the future, as our ageing population grows. The overall policy intention and provision of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Wildlife Conservation (23 May 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I wish to advise the Deputy that there is currently no such policy in place in my Department, including the Office of Government Procurement. With the exception of the Office of Public Works (OPW), this is also the position with regard to the bodies under the aegis of my Department. The OPW has advised me that the Office is taking a very proactive position in terms of biodiversity and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Reports (23 May 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: The National Development Plan 2021-2030 committed my Department to reviewing certain elements of the Public Spending Code to improve the Government’s understanding of the relationship and impacts of investment decisions on the wider environment and climate. As part of this programme of works, my officials have been working with the OECD, funded by the EU Commission through DG...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Reviews (23 May 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: Ireland has committed to achieving ambitious but challenging legally-binding greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, with key milestones in 2030 and 2050. Therefore, economic appraisals should include an appropriate valuation of the cost that society will bear in dealing with the greenhouse gas emissions any project might give rise to, or the benefits to society of a project that mitigates...