Results 8,081-8,100 of 32,726 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Grades (17 Jan 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The matter of the amalgamation of the Civil Service Staff Officer grade with the Executive Officer grade is currently under deliberation between the management and union side parties concerned.  As this deliberative process has yet to be concluded it is considered that it would not be appropriate in the circumstances to comment on any issues that may arise between the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Civil Service Renewal Plan (17 Jan 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The report of the Independent Panel on Strengthening Civil Service Accountability and Performance was published in June 2014.  The Panel's recommendations, along with the work of the Civil Service Renewal Taskforce, were integrated into a single Civil Service Renewal Plan and published in October 2014.  Information on the implementation of the Plan, including annual Progress...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (Revised): Discussion (17 Jan 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the committee for inviting me to discuss the Revised Estimates for 2017 and the outturn for expenditure in 2016. As the committee is well aware, this discussion is not simply about numbers. More importantly, it is about the provision of funding to deliver vital public services for our citizens and to invest in infrastructure. These services are delivered by over 300,000 public...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (Revised): Discussion (17 Jan 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Deputy for his questions. I will begin by responding to his questions on the spending review and I will conclude by answering his question on public service pay. Regarding the comprehensive spending review and the capital review, the process for each of them will be different. In terms of the comprehensive spending review, we will identify a portion of Government expenditure...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (Revised): Discussion (17 Jan 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: There was a question on health expenditure. By this year we will be spending €3,200 per head on health expenditure. This is a 5.4% increase above our highest ever point before that in 2009. Not only is health expenditure at its highest ever level; in per capitaterms it is higher than where we have been before. At €14.1 billion, the allocation is the highest that has ever...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (Revised): Discussion (17 Jan 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I do not need any encouragement to wake up. I am well aware of the capital needs of our country. I am also well aware of the difficulties that families are facing in regard to accessing our health services and the stress and anxiety families have faced across December and January. However, in any analysis of what we do to make progress, it is relevant to make the point that expenditure and...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (Revised): Discussion (17 Jan 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I said, "in some sectors of our health service".

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (Revised): Discussion (17 Jan 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: It is in recognition of the fact it is an important qualification that I made the point. I understand what is going on in different sectors of our health service but, cumulatively, as I said, what we have seen is an increase of just over 10% compared with where we were a number of years ago. It is due to an understanding of the sectoral challenges that are faced, particularly within our...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (Revised): Discussion (17 Jan 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank Deputy Chambers for her points. I make a broad point that this illustrates the contradiction and challenge I face as the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. Everywhere I go I face demands for more public expenditure and frequently, in the same analysis, people then go on to accuse me of breaching fiscal rules and expanding fiscal space. I must try to reconcile both...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (Revised): Discussion (17 Jan 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: Did I miss a question from the Deputy on capital expenditure?

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (Revised): Discussion (17 Jan 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I accept the Deputy's point. However, there is a broader issue. The Oireachtas is not a benevolent bystander in all of this. I had to manage a political process that had many participants, including the Deputy's party. We have an agreement with her party which it wants me to honour, and I had to deliver that. It was an exceptionally difficult process. While I take the Deputy's point...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (Revised): Discussion (17 Jan 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: My God, that is news to me.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (Revised): Discussion (17 Jan 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I was not expecting that charge today.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (Revised): Discussion (17 Jan 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I will begin with health expenditure and then deal with the Deputy's points on pay policy. I will fully answer the question on staffing because it is important to put this on the record. In December 2013 there were 8,353 people working in the medical and dental sectors of our health service. That figure was 9,692 in November 2016, an increase of 16%. There were 34,169 nurses, there are...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (Revised): Discussion (17 Jan 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: Before we assess a policy, we should allow it to be announced. I understand that will happen very soon. I know the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, will make an announcement regarding an action plan for rural Ireland. My understanding is that the challenges rural Ireland faces, which I know well and have experienced, regarding depopulation and the availability of public services are a concern...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (Revised): Discussion (17 Jan 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I cannot for the life of me extrapolate from the statement I made to the Deputy how I confirmed her view on the policy.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (Revised): Discussion (17 Jan 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I said we should await the announcement of a policy before we make our minds up about it. How the Deputy can deduce from that statement the content of the policy is a matter for her. There is nothing at all short-sighted in what I have said. I can only assume that her opposition to this scheme is shared by Deputies Kelly and Penrose and I look forward to hearing them confirm that.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (Revised): Discussion (17 Jan 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I will not give a quick answer to any of the Deputy's questions because if I do so, he will be back here holding me to account on it. I have said that I will work across 2017 to identify how we might fund the sum out of public expenditure and savings within public expenditure overall in the same way the same approach last year yielded €168 million-----

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (Revised): Discussion (17 Jan 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: Yes.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (Revised): Discussion (17 Jan 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: No-----