Results 7,761-7,780 of 32,643 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Retirements (25 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy will be aware, the Single Public Service Pension Scheme ("Single Scheme") commenced with effect from 1 January 2013. It applies to almost all public servants recruited from that date and provides, inter alia, for a maximum retirement age of 70 for all members. On that basis, any member of the Single Scheme must retire on reaching the age of 70. I understand that...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Lansdowne Road Agreement (25 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: The mechanism by which Members of the Government and Ministers of State will waive the amounts due under the pay restoration provisions of the Lansdowne Road Agreement and the FEMPI Act 2015 is through Section 483 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997. This section applies to a gift of money made and accepted by the Minister for Finance for use by the Minister for any purpose for or...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ombudsman for Children Remit (25 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: The direct provision system is under the remit of my colleague, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality. I understand that earlier this year Minister Fitzgerald committed, in principle, to amending legislation to allow the Ombudsman and the Ombudsman for Children to deal with issues relating to direct provision. It is not yet clear what...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions (25 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: The Revised Spouses' and Children's Scheme was introduced, in agreement with staff interests, via Circular 16/1984 on 1 September 1984. The major revisions related to eligible beneficiaries and refunds of contributions. The Revised scheme now caters for post-retirement marriages and children which was not the case in the Original scheme. Additionally, children born out of wedlock and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions (25 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: For members of the Revised Spouses' and Children's Scheme i.e. anyone appointed on or after 1 September 1984 or those appointed before that date who opted to join the scheme, dependent children are entitled to receive a pension in respect of their parent's civil service pension irrespective of the marital status of their parent. Dependent children must be under 16 years of age or under...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Civil Service Management (25 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: The Civil Service Grievance Procedure is a process that seeks to deal in a fair and impartial way with the complaints of individual staff members. All staff members have a right to raise a grievance in accordance with the procedures for dealing with grievances. These are set out in Circular 11/2001 which can be found here: .

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Lansdowne Road Agreement (25 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: The Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (FEMPI) 2013 Act provided for a "grace period" by which the retired counterparts of public servants in grades affected by the 2013 pay cuts already receive pensions unaffected by those pay cuts. This means that persons retiring since 1 July 2013 from grades affected by the pay cuts on that date were awarded, and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pension Provisions (26 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: The issue of pension entitlements for Community Employment Scheme Supervisors and Assistant Supervisors was the subject of a Labour Court recommendation in 2008. The position is that although the employing bodies concerned are mainly funded by public expenditure programmes, the State does not have any role as an employer in this sector and the employees of such bodies are not...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Regulations (26 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: At the end of March 2014, following extensive negotiations over three years, the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) published three new procurement directives.  The new Directives are: - Public Procurement: Directive 2014/24/EU on public procurement, which repealed  Directive 2004/18/EC - Utilities: Directive 2014/25/EU on procurement by entities operating in...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: EU Directives (26 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: The European Parliament and the Council adopted three new procurement Directives (Public Procurement, Utilities and Concessions) in 2014. Two of the Directives relating to procurement by public sector contracting authorities and utilities entities replace the EU procurement directives of 2004 These were transposed into Irish law by way of Statutory Instrument last May.  The third...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Office of Government Procurement (26 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy is aware, the OGP commenced operations in 2014 and, together with four key sectors (Health, Defence, Education and Local Government), has responsibility for sourcing goods and services on behalf of the Public Service. In addition, the OGP also has responsibility for procurement policy and procedures. I intend to progress legislation to establish the OGP on...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: EU Directives (26 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: At the end of March 2014, following extensive negotiations over three years, the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) published three new procurement directives. Two of the Directives, relating to procurement by public sector contracting authorities and utilities entities replace the EU procurement directives of 2004. These were transposed into Irish law by way of Statutory...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Office of Government Procurement (26 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: With regard to buyers, the OGP funded a series of information sessions on the new EU Directives in 2016. These were attended by representatives from some 120 Public Sector Bodies. While the OGP participates in events aimed at informing suppliers about public procurement opportunities such as Meet the Buyer, it has no plans to fund training events for suppliers at this time.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Allowances (26 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: The framework in respect of the PCW 1% allowance was developed by my Department, in consultation with the relevant union interests, under the local bargaining arrangements in the Programme for Competitiveness and Work 1994 to 1996 (PCW). The purpose of this arrangement was to achieve greater organisational productivity and providing civil...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Civil Service Management (26 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: The Grievance Procedure is a process that seeks to deal with the complaints of individual staff members. Any member of staff can take a grievance under the Procedure and  it is not necessary to be a member of a trade union. The procedures for dealing with grievances provide for: - Informal resolution between the complainant and the person against whom the complaint is being...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: State Bodies (26 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: Based on information available to my Department, seven Chief Executives of Commercial State Bodies have served longer than seven years. Of these: five CEOs have, through  operation of law, acquired Contracts of Indefinite Duration under the terms of the Protection of Employees (Fixed-Term Work) Act 2003; one CEO holds a permanent contract; and one CEO...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff (27 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: Section 2(1) of the Public Service Management Act 1997 and Part I of the Schedule to the Act provide for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to be subject to the Act, subject to the written consent of the office holder - in this case the Director of Public Prosecutions. Any such consent would be binding in respect of any subsequent holder of the office concerned. Section...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Labour Employer Economic Forum (27 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I refer the Deputy to my answer to Parliamentary Question No. 34 on 19 October 2016.

Order of Business (2 Nov 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I appreciate the opportunity to bring full clarity to this matter. The comments I made yesterday are exactly in line with the statement on budget day. The Government is absolutely committed to the tenure and the role of the Lansdowne Road agreement. As Deputy Martin has correctly said, the agreement will continue up to the final payment date in September 2018. I gave an indication...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions (2 Nov 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: The issue of pension entitlements for Community Employment Scheme Supervisors and Assistant Supervisors was the subject of a Labour Court recommendation in 2008. The position is that although the employing bodies concerned are mainly funded by public expenditure programmes, the State does not have any role as an employer in this sector and the employees of such bodies are not...