Results 7,721-7,740 of 32,643 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Other Questions: Brexit Issues (19 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I am a member of the Taoiseach's committee and attended a further meeting of it this morning along with the Minister of State in my Department, Deputy Eoghan Murphy. I anticipate that the committee will meet even more frequently in the coming weeks and months. At meetings of the committee, I am obliged to update the Taoiseach and other Ministers on work I am undertaking in respect of...

Other Questions: Brexit Issues (19 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: Yes, they have in the context of discussions we had on the recent budget. In particular, I was approached by the Departments of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and Agriculture, Food and the Marine. There was also a particular focus on Brexit by the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Bruton. Much of his focus was on the development of the third-level education sector here in the...

Other Questions: Departmental Expenditure (19 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: Responsibility for the delivery of public services and meeting targets on front-line services is a matter for each Minister and his or her Department. We are in constant communication with them on this, in particular as we approach the end of 2016. There is very regular reporting to Government on these matters and information is published monthly and made available to me as part of the...

Other Questions: Departmental Expenditure (19 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I am not expecting an overrun in any Department. I have made it very clear to all of my colleagues, in particular in the higher spending Departments, that we must deliver against the commitment we have for budget 2016. In fact, many plans for 2017 are predicated on commitments colleagues have to deliver within budget this year. My answer to the Deputy's supplementary question is the same...

Other Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (19 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: As to where we are for this year and next year, following the recent revision to our national income, or GDP, figures, the Department of Finance expects Ireland's nominal gross domestic product for 2017 to be approximately €275 billion. Therefore, the current State-backed investment plans for next year will stand at 2.5% of nominal gross domestic product and 3.1% of nominal gross...

Other Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (19 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: With regard to current levels of investment, we are looking to do more than just keep up with demographics, particularly in education and health. One of the benefits of the new approach that has been adopted in how we class government expenditure is that we set aside the portion due for demographics. I have always acknowledged that we must hire a certain number of teachers just to maintain...

Other Questions: Infrastructure and Capital Investment Programme (19 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: This has happened in the past according to submissions that Departments made to my Department. For example, the Department of Education and Skills would highlight what it believes to be the main educational priorities, and the same would happen for other Departments. We are looking to operate differently with this capital review process. My Department will outline our long-term...

Other Questions: Infrastructure and Capital Investment Programme (19 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: Yes, I have. In the Estimates process that we went through for the 2017 budget, I asked Departments to specify, where possible, over a three-year timeframe what would be their particular capital needs. Not all Departments were able to do it but most were and the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Bruton, put forward a view on the capital needs required for the third and fourth level...

Other Questions: Infrastructure and Capital Investment Programme (19 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: Yes. In trying to respond to the kind of issues referred to by the Deputy, we have already decided and made it clear to the relevant Minister, Deputy Coveney, that from the additional resources that we believe will be available to the country for the coming years, we will allocate a large portion to the Department dealing with housing. From the €5.3 billion that should be available...

Other Questions: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (19 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: No provision was made in budget 2017 for additional pay restoration to public servants, beyond the commitments already entered into under the Lansdowne Road agreement. Budget 2017 allocated €290 million for the implementation of the agreement. An additional €10 million was allocated to the Department of Education and Skills for the implementation of a revised salary scale for...

Other Questions: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (19 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: Of course I recognise the right of any trade union to form a view on these matters and vote accordingly on any proposal that is put in front of members. However, in the Deputy's analysis she makes no reference to all of those unions that are inside the Lansdowne Road agreement. What about the 20 plus unions that are on side and the more than 250,000 civil and public servants they represent?...

Other Questions: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (19 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: The Deputy has no interest in asking about that.

Other Questions: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (19 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: Deputy Paul Murphy said in the House earlier that it is the right thing that strike action should take place.

Other Questions: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (19 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I am responding to the question the Deputy put to me in respect of wage restoration. What is absent in any part of the view she has put forward today is a recognition that large numbers of civil and public servants are inside the Lansdowne Road agreement.

Other Questions: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (19 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: Of course the Deputy has no interest in acknowledging any kind of progress, just as she has no interest in recognising the huge amount of engagement that has taken place with the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland, the Garda Representative Association and the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors. That engagement will continue as we seek to put in place an agreement that is...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Budget Consultation Process (19 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I am aware of FLAC's response to Budget 2017, and note that it welcomed the greater supports the Budget provides for older persons, carers and families with young children.  I would not, however, share its assessment that there is  a lack of transparency and accountability around how Budget decisions are made.  The Government is strongly committed to...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Services Provision (19 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: There is a substantial increase of €1.9bn in Gross Voted Expenditure in the Estimates for 2017.  This represents an increase of almost 3.5 per cent.  As well as including €0.9bn for various expenditure pre-commitments such as demographic related expenditure pressures and the Lansdowne Road Agreement, there was €1bn allocated for additional...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (19 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: The 10% reductions in starting pay for certain new entrants were introduced by the then Government in January 2011 as part of the National Recovery Plan in order to reduce the Public Service Pay Bill.  The issue of addressing the difference in incremental salary scales between those public servants who entered public service employment since 2011, and those...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Appointments to State Boards (19 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: Since my appointment as Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform no other Chief Executive of a Commercial State Body has been reappointed beyond their original term - the consent to the reappointment of the CEO of Horse Racing Ireland having been given on an exceptional basis. By way of further information to the Deputy, I am aware that a number of Chief Executives...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Additional Voluntary Contributions (19 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: Participation in AVC schemes is a matter for individual civil servants, some of whom participate in schemes set up by their trade union.  Through long established practice, deductions for such schemes are facilitated by Payroll Divisions across the Civil Service.  As the Deputy may be aware, a Payroll Shared Service Centre is operated by the National Shared Services Office in...