Results 30,821-30,840 of 33,289 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 11 – Office of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (Revised)
Vote 12 – Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Revised)
Vote 14 – State Laboratory (Revised)
Vote 15 - the Secret Service (Revised)
Vote 17 – Public Appointments Service (Revised)
Vote 18 – National Shared Services Office (Revised)
Vote 19 -the Office of the Ombudsman (Revised)
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement (Revised)
Vote 43 – Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: There was a lot in that. I do not say this pejoratively, because it is the right of individuals and communities to object, but I do believe that objections play a role in slowing down the delivery of projects. How do I reconcile that with the Deputy's correctly made point that more projects get granted planning permission than do not? The issue is that while it may be true in terms of the...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 11 – Office of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (Revised)
Vote 12 – Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Revised)
Vote 14 – State Laboratory (Revised)
Vote 15 - the Secret Service (Revised)
Vote 17 – Public Appointments Service (Revised)
Vote 18 – National Shared Services Office (Revised)
Vote 19 -the Office of the Ombudsman (Revised)
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement (Revised)
Vote 43 – Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: The up-to-date status of that is that a further conciliation conference took place on this matter in November at the Workplace Relations Commission. This followed from the one that took place last May. The representatives of the Government at that point indicated that the matter could only be dealt with in the context of a new public service pay agreement, which we now have. That offers...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 11 – Office of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (Revised)
Vote 12 – Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Revised)
Vote 14 – State Laboratory (Revised)
Vote 15 - the Secret Service (Revised)
Vote 17 – Public Appointments Service (Revised)
Vote 18 – National Shared Services Office (Revised)
Vote 19 -the Office of the Ombudsman (Revised)
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement (Revised)
Vote 43 – Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: I do not know the answer to that question. I will not make up an answer on the spot. If my Department was requested to appear before the Labour Court, I am certain that it would. It is the case that issues particular to particular sectors within our public service are, most of the time, represented by the State organisation in that sector. If this matter related to the Department of...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 11 – Office of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (Revised)
Vote 12 – Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Revised)
Vote 14 – State Laboratory (Revised)
Vote 15 - the Secret Service (Revised)
Vote 17 – Public Appointments Service (Revised)
Vote 18 – National Shared Services Office (Revised)
Vote 19 -the Office of the Ombudsman (Revised)
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement (Revised)
Vote 43 – Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: Sure.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 11 – Office of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (Revised)
Vote 12 – Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Revised)
Vote 14 – State Laboratory (Revised)
Vote 15 - the Secret Service (Revised)
Vote 17 – Public Appointments Service (Revised)
Vote 18 – National Shared Services Office (Revised)
Vote 19 -the Office of the Ombudsman (Revised)
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement (Revised)
Vote 43 – Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: I am.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 11 – Office of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (Revised)
Vote 12 – Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Revised)
Vote 14 – State Laboratory (Revised)
Vote 15 - the Secret Service (Revised)
Vote 17 – Public Appointments Service (Revised)
Vote 18 – National Shared Services Office (Revised)
Vote 19 -the Office of the Ombudsman (Revised)
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement (Revised)
Vote 43 – Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: Yes.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 11 – Office of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (Revised)
Vote 12 – Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Revised)
Vote 14 – State Laboratory (Revised)
Vote 15 - the Secret Service (Revised)
Vote 17 – Public Appointments Service (Revised)
Vote 18 – National Shared Services Office (Revised)
Vote 19 -the Office of the Ombudsman (Revised)
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement (Revised)
Vote 43 – Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: The Deputy’s question refers to the analysis that was done by, I believe, the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council. Is that correct? The council was speaking about the impact of cost-price inflation on the delivery of projects. This issue is manifesting itself by Departments making the case at the moment for more money to fund capital commitments in the coming years. I am engaging with...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 11 – Office of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (Revised)
Vote 12 – Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Revised)
Vote 14 – State Laboratory (Revised)
Vote 15 - the Secret Service (Revised)
Vote 17 – Public Appointments Service (Revised)
Vote 18 – National Shared Services Office (Revised)
Vote 19 -the Office of the Ombudsman (Revised)
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement (Revised)
Vote 43 – Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: That is correct. On budget day, I indicated an amount of €2.25 billion, with €250 million available for this year and the rest spread over 2025 and 2026. It is through those discussions the issue the Deputy is referring to is being addressed.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pension Provisions (1 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 240 and 242 together. The pension scheme rules of commercial semi state bodies typically requires that the parent Minister of the semi state body and the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform both consent to pension increases under the relevant scheme. The Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies 2016, as amended by Department...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts (1 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: The Office of Government Procurement (OGP) has responsibility for establishing central procurement arrangements for commonly available goods and services. A central arrangement (Framework Agreement) was established in June 2023 for the Supply of Cleaning, Paper, Personal Hygiene & Period Equality Products. The OGP is responsible for managing the overall performance of the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Civil Service (1 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: The pay scales for all Civil Servants are publicly available. The Clerical Officer Personal Pension Contribution (PPC) pay scale and non-Personal Pension Contribution (Non-PPC) pay scales are as follows (valid on 30 January 2024): Clerical Officer (PPC) €534.34€567.04€575.34€591.55 0ac;615.47€639.34€663.20€680.59...

Death of Former Taoiseach: Expressions of Sympathy (7 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: I am privileged and humbled to join colleagues in offering my condolences to Finola, to the Bruton family and especially to our dear friend and colleague, Richard, on the passing of his brother, John. If I may, I will address a word to our colleague, Deputy Richard Bruton. I hope this afternoon that the affection, respect and deep understanding of your brother that has been expressed by many...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Development Plan (8 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Deputy for the question. As the Deputy is aware from the various points she has put to me, the Economic and Social Research Institute published its report,The National Development Plan in 2023: Priorities and Capacity, on 12 January 2024. It is important to reiterate the rationale behind why I commissioned this report by the ESRI. A comprehensive review of the national...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Development Plan (8 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: Respectfully I beg to differ. The Deputy asked me the question around how the findings of the recently published report shaped the national development plan in 2023, how we are dealing with priorities and capacities in review of NDP ceilings, and if I would make a statement on the matter. That is the question the Deputy put to me and that is the question I answered. With regard to the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Development Plan (8 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: I had the report in draft format earlier on in the year. I cannot remember if it was available in draft format to my Department before or after the budget because the budget season is always so intense. I did not see the actual report itself until far later in the year. As soon as the report was published it was shared with the Minister for Finance but there will be nothing in the report...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (8 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: Many State bodies classified by the Central Statistics Office, CSO, as commercial are already solely audited by the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General.  While section 1438 of the Companies Act 2014 provides that companies not trading for the gain of their members may be audited by the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General, only regulated private sector audit firms can...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (8 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: I do not have any such plans. For such a change to be made, there would need to be clear evidence to underpin a very broad change in how we audit a very broad and significant part of the State. As I said in my answer to the Deputy, there are many organisations that are operating in the commercial environment. It is therefore appropriate, as they are operating in the commercial environment,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (8 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: When the Deputy referenced layers to dysfunction, what organisations was she referring to?

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (8 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: We are all well aware of the scandals and the huge difficulty Anglo Irish Bank created. Anglo Irish Bank was a commercial organisation for nearly all of its existence. This is indicative of the general tone of suspicion Sinn Féin has in respect of very important State bodies that do excellent work on our behalf. On the one hand, the Deputy talks about the need for the State to be...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Development Plan (8 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: As Minister for public expenditure, I am responsible for setting the overall capital allocations across Departments and for monitoring monthly expenditure at departmental level. The responsibility for the management and delivery of individual investment projects, within the allocations agreed under the national development plan, rests with the individual sponsoring Department in each case....