Results 8,441-8,460 of 10,600 for speaker:Patrick O'Donovan

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Home Care Packages (11 May 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: As already stated, as a former Minister of State in the Department of Health, the Deputy will appreciate that it would not be appropriate for the Minister of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery, and Reform or for a Minister of State in his Department, in the middle of contractual discussions relating to the continuation or extension of contracts, the hiring of additional...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Spending Code (11 May 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: I thank the Deputy for her question. The Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery, and Reform, and the Department are responsible for the public spending code which sets the value-for-money requirements and guidance for evaluating, planning and managing Exchequer-funded capital projects. In March this year, the Minister informed the Government of a package of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Spending Code (11 May 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: To go back to the earlier question posed by the Deputy in relation to my responsibilities, for the Office of Public Works, OPW, which is a capital-led body, the changes to the public spending code that have been announced could not come fast enough. I am sure that if I asked the school buildings unit in the Department of Education or other bodies, they would agree, purely on the basis of the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Spending Code (11 May 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: That is no problem at all. I will get the information the Deputy requires. On the reforms that are necessary to make things happen faster, another element is the planning Bill that is proposed to come before the Dáil. Again, going back to the previous question the Deputy asked, if I sat down with any delivery body or project management team in any part of the Government, whether it is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Flood Risk Management (11 May 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 6, 25 and 44 together. I am pleased to provide an update on the progression of the Glashaboy flood relief scheme at Glanmire-Sallybrook in Cork. I am advised that the scheme is being progressed by Cork City Council. The OPW and the council are is engaging proactively to progress the flood relief scheme for Glanmire. The Glashaboy flood relief scheme...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Flood Risk Management (11 May 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: Absolutely.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Flood Risk Management (11 May 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: On the last point, and going back to Deputy Conway-Walsh's remarks about the public spending code and delivery of capital projects, this is an example of it. We are not the tendering authority here. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan is absolutely right that there is a huge amount of misinformation here. I would love to know exactly what delay the Government has put in place to prevent this...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Flood Risk Management (11 May 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: I would be delighted to hear it. We are not the contracting authority, in case it escaped the Deputy's knowledge. It is a matter for Cork City Council. In the first instance, Cork City Council's tendering process collapsed because a tenderer had to withdraw. I do not know if the Deputy would advocate for having no tendering process. Maybe he wants a cheque to be written to whoever is the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Flood Risk Management (11 May 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: I will get a response directly from the Minister's office to Deputy Conway-Walsh. On the scheme Deputy Cannon raised, it is my intention to go to Galway shortly to meet the county council in respect of this. I have been there a number of times already in respect of other schemes and I must say the county council is to the fore in delivering an awful lot to the schemes. On the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Provision (11 May 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: I thank the Deputy for raising this important question. Housing policy is written for the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage and his Department. IGEES staff in the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform carry out research in a broad range of areas affecting expenditure. While this informs the evidence base provided by officials in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Provision (11 May 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: Whatever about me reading it, I do not know whether the Deputy listened to me. I will read it out again. The IGEES is an integrated, cross-Government service that seeks to enhance the role of analysis and evidence in public policymaking. It is a cross-Government service, which means there is more than one Department involved in it. I also said it informs the Minister's engagements and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Provision (11 May 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: As someone who represents one of those rural counties the Deputy seems to have such a knowledge of-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Provision (11 May 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: The number of houses that are granted planning permission on a once-off basis is tiny, relative to what is needed. The Leas-Cheann Comhairle and Deputy Conway-Walsh will know what I am talking about here. The number of one-off houses in rural areas, compared with schemes of houses that are built, is minuscule. Naturally enough, the refusal rate will be smaller but the overall refusal rate...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Consultations (11 May 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: I am taking this question on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth, who is out of the country as well. As part of the programme for Government, Ireland is committed to re-energising its Open Government Partnership, OGP, process. The OGP aims to secure concrete commitments from governments across the world to promote transparency, empower citizens, fight corruption, and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Consultations (11 May 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: In the last Government I was a Minister of State with responsibility for the OGP. In the context of the round table established in 2021, some of its members include: the Open Government Association Ireland; Digital Rights Ireland; the Kildare Public Participation Network, PPN, representing all the PPNs; the Think-tank for Action on Social Change; the Wheel; Irish Rural Link; the Change...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Consultations (11 May 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: The citizens' assemblies have helped in no small way to inform change that has come about in this country in recent years. Often times people are accused of being behind the public on a number of different issues but the citizens' assemblies have informed debate and they are an important part of democracy. It is my intention as Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Policy (11 May 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: At least one of us is lucky.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Policy (11 May 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: Housing policy is written for the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. IGEES staff in the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform carry out research in a broad range of areas affecting expenditure. While this informs the evidence base that is provided by officials in ministerial briefings, housing policy is developed and implemented...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Policy (11 May 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: The Deputy asked the same question.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Policy (11 May 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: I think that the most important line in the first reply I read out to the Deputy is in the last part. By the way, it was not the same reply both times because the questions were different. It is a pity they were not grouped together because it would have avoided me having to stand up a second time.