Results 681-700 of 5,148 for speaker:Mairéad Farrell

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Secretaries General (21 Apr 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: It is interesting that the justification for the €81,000 pay increase, similar to the €350,000 per annum salary for the head of the HSE in 2019, was that we needed it to attract international applications. However, the Minister has just outlined that 20 of the 23 applicants were from this State. The old Secretary General of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Secretaries General (21 Apr 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: Nobody is suggesting that this position was not advertised correctly or that people from all walks of life could not apply for it,. The issue here is that we had been told specifically that the €81,000 pay increase was needed to be able to attract international talent. We now know that only three of the 23 people who applied came were international candidates. We actually had 20...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fiscal Policy (21 Apr 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: 47. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his views on whether there will be a return of austerity given the stability programme update forecasts that Government expenditure as a percentage of GNI* is to start contracting from 2021 until 2025; and the taxes projected to rise over the same period. [20797/21]

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fiscal Policy (21 Apr 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: One of the lessons of the last crisis was that cuts to public spending and tax increases during a time of recession do not ameliorate the downturn; they make things worse. The fiscal response to date is justified based on the dire situation in which we find ourselves. In terms of the stability programme update, I am concerned that there could be a return to austerity. I know that the...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fiscal Policy (21 Apr 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. I note that the stability programme update forecasts growth capital expenditure to rise from €11.5 billion in 2020 to almost €16 billion next year. I welcome that, but in 2022, gross capital expenditure is projected to drop to 21%. No sooner had I got my hopes up when they were dashed. Taking the four years after the high point in 2021,...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fiscal Policy (21 Apr 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: We are all very much aware of the scale of the crises we face. To put matters in context, we have an emerging crisis in credit provision due to the recent exit of two main banks, as well as the prospect of an estimated €2.2 billion a year of our corporate tax revenues drying up. Moreover, we face the prospect of significant numbers of businesses not returning to work as the stability...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Private Partnerships (21 Apr 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: 49. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to explain the reason the phase 1 report review of the national development plan identifies the potential for the expanded use of public private partnerships given their poor past performance. [20798/21]

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Private Partnerships (21 Apr 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: Not long ago I made my party's submission to the national development plan review. In one of the sections of my submission I cautioned against the use of public private partnerships because of their poor past performance. In doing so I was simply relaying the strong domestic and international evidence which highlights the risk they pose. The Minister will understand my shock when I saw...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Private Partnerships (21 Apr 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: It is not that long ago since we had the collapse of Britain's Carillion group. The collapse of this British company led to significant delays in PPP contracts for the construction of schools here and raised serious questions about the whole PPP process. The process has tied the State into a system of large annual payments to PPP contractors for decades. In 2016 the Comptroller and...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Private Partnerships (21 Apr 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: I read that in the phase 1 report of the NDP. The report concludes that the framework for PPPs is robust and it should be an option if they represent the best value for money. As the Minister said, the whole concept relates to best value for money. We have seen the 2016 report of the Comptroller and Auditor General stating they are vulnerable to legal challenges and that this can cause...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Flood Relief Schemes (21 Apr 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: I am substituting for Deputy Carthy, whose question is before Deputy Ó Murchú's question. I received confirmation in that regard. I was not expecting to be on my feet again so quickly.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Flood Relief Schemes (21 Apr 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: That is perfect.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Sector Pay (21 Apr 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: What role did the Minister's Department play in setting the salary level for the Secretary General of the Department of Health? Is the Minister satisfied that the new salary is justified? Does he have concerns that the increase in salary for this position will lead to further pay claims in other Departments?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Sector Pay (21 Apr 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: An increase of €81,000 is a huge amount of money. We have heard all of these things, such as that this increase is commensurate with the scale of responsibility. How many people never see a salary of €81,000, let alone an increase of €81,000 to €292,000? The issue here and what really angered people is that it was so brazen. An increase of €81,000 is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Sector Pay (21 Apr 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: I do not think that anyone is suggesting that anyone else is not doing a good job but on the best day of any job, one would not even dream of an €81,000 pay increase. It is absolutely laughable while, at the same time, one wonders what is going on. There are plenty of people doing excellent jobs on a salary of €20,000-plus or, if they are lucky, €30,000-plus. Let us...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Covid-19 Pandemic (21 Apr 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: 90. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to compile a report on non-compliant Covid-19-related expenditure given the high volume of Covid-19-related procurement purchases which took place outside the standard competitive procedures. [20511/21]

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Foreign Direct Investment (21 Apr 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: 157. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the steps he will take to ensure a series of criteria (details supplied) are met with regard to the recent announcement by the IDA Ireland to appoint a business development consultant to establish a presence in Israel and present Ireland as an investment location; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18463/21]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Litter Pollution (21 Apr 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: 239. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of litter fines issued; the number of litter fines paid in numerical and percentage terms; the number of fines still to be paid in numerical and percentage terms; the revenues collected and revenues outstanding from same for each of the years 2018 to 2020 and to date in 2021, by local authority area in...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Litter Pollution (21 Apr 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: 240. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of prosecutions for littering offences taken against persons, companies and or other legal entities in each of the years 2018 to 2020 and to date in 2021; the number of successful prosecutions; the number of unsuccessful prosecutions; the number of proceedings still to be determined with respect to same by...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Litter Pollution (21 Apr 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: 241. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the amount spent on legal fees by each local authority for the purpose of pursuing unpaid fines relating to littering offences in each of the years 2018, 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18927/21]