Results 7,481-7,500 of 32,610 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Current and Capital Expenditure: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (21 Sep 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I cannot give a figure for the auditors available within Departments but within my Department I have a large team of officials working with each Department every day on spending plans and what is coming out. The Deputy referred to the manner in which the Department deals with certain service delivery issues. We must have realistic estimates for the expenditure plans of every Department. It...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Current and Capital Expenditure: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (21 Sep 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: Yes, it would.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Current and Capital Expenditure: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (21 Sep 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I have discussions with the Minister almost daily on issues related to health expenditure. I do not recall speaking to him directly on the matter to which the Deputy refers. However, my officials have been engaging on this issue, which was discussed with me the day after the broadcast.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Current and Capital Expenditure: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (21 Sep 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: The Deputy asked whether the capital expenditure figures for 2017 will change as a result of the mid-term capital review. The answer is "No". I expect the mid-term capital review to affect the figures from 2018 onwards and I would like that to be the case. In my experience of managing capital in transport, with the exception of local and regional roads, the time lag between making funding...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Current and Capital Expenditure: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (21 Sep 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: We are running with it. The main area on which we are working with the European Commission is on trying to obtain full, absolute and ongoing clarity on what investment is treated as off balance sheet and what investment is treated as on balance sheet. The main area on which we are working in this regard is housing.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Current and Capital Expenditure: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (21 Sep 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: On the Dublin metro project, I moved the mid-term capital review forward because I recognise the need to review and increase capital expenditure levels. The Minister for Finance and I increased capital expenditure for the next few years by €5 billion. I moved the review forward specifically in recognition of the need to better develop high capacity public transport solutions. I will...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Current and Capital Expenditure: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (21 Sep 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: We have allocated in excess of €440 million for energy efficiency and renewable energy measures. That funding is in place. I understand, from what he is saying, that the Deputy wants the funding to be increased for the reasons he outlined. With regard to metro, in fairness to my predecessor at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, he had to make choices during a period...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Current and Capital Expenditure: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (21 Sep 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: In fairness to my predecessor in that Department, he made the choice to go ahead with Luas cross-city, the benefits of which will accrue next September and October. The Deputy has been good enough to acknowledge my role with regard to the metro project and my view on it. The key for me was the delivery of a high-capacity public transport solution for as much of the city as possible. I...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Current and Capital Expenditure: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (21 Sep 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: This is an area I approach with great caution and it is important to be careful about how we handle it. One of the key factors in the horrific banking crisis that countries all over the world had to deal with was the establishment of all kinds of entities that were off-balance sheet and ended up having a causal effect on the quality of balance sheets. That was mostly the case in respect of...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Current and Capital Expenditure: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (21 Sep 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: The council's words are ringing in my ears. I am well aware of its advice and perspective. I take seriously the views of such bodies on the need for sustainability in public spending and prudence and care. I know the council’s strong views on the matter. I am also aware, however, that when we do not have the right levels of investment and do not deliver the public services people...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Current and Capital Expenditure: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (21 Sep 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy understands, the lead Department in responding is the Department of Education and Skills. The Minister and his officials are responding and engaging with me on their current and capital needs as part of the normal Estimates process. I am trying to reconcile this with the fact that everybody else is doing the same. On the Cassells report, the Minister has not yet come...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Current and Capital Expenditure: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (21 Sep 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I can give the Deputy an absolute guarantee that I am not lacking a direction or encouragement from the Minister for Education and Skills about what to do in this regard.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Current and Capital Expenditure: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (21 Sep 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: The Minister is full of leadership and has made clear to me the views of the Department. I look forward to a cross-party consensus developing.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Current and Capital Expenditure: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (21 Sep 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: What does the Deputy mean by “tax expenditure”?

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Current and Capital Expenditure: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (21 Sep 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: Tax breaks.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Current and Capital Expenditure: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (21 Sep 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: No, I do not. That is a matter for the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Current and Capital Expenditure: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (21 Sep 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: My role focuses on the expenditure side of the equation. The design of the tax system and the collection of charges are matters for the Minister for Finance.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Current and Capital Expenditure: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (21 Sep 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I certainly pass on my views. The Departments of Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform work closely together, but part of the reason the relationship has worked so well in the past six years is that each of them has a different job to do.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Current and Capital Expenditure: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (21 Sep 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: How does the Deputy expect me to answer that question?

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Current and Capital Expenditure: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (21 Sep 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: Let me explain our roles, as opposed to getting involved in dealing with allegations of superiority or inferiority. I cannot see how I could win in answering that question. The Minister for Finance and his Department, among other things, are responsibile for dealing with the overall macroeconomic situation. It is the role of the Minister for Finance to assign functions as between taxation...