Results 8,821-8,840 of 9,274 for speaker:Jack Chambers

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: I thank Deputy O'Gorman. I made representations, as I know he did, under the previous Government in respect of reading classes and reading schools. We are both active on the case to which he refers on behalf of many parents of children who attend St. Francis Xavier school. I will ask the Minister for Education to respond to Deputy O'Gorman directly. I know how important reading classes...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: I am aware that an industrial relations process is under way. I am due to be briefed on the matter relating to the technology university and the staff involved and I will come to the Deputy directly in respect of it.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: I thank the Deputy. I am familiar with that issue in north County Dublin. The National Transport Authority conducted significant work on a fare determination policy, which the previous Government progressed. I will ask Deputy O'Brien, in his new role as transport Minister, to respond to the Deputy's concerns. He is very familiar with north County Dublin, having previously represented the...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: I thank the Deputy. I am very cognisant of the need for increased bed capacity and expanded service provision in the mid-west region. I will ask the Minister for Health to respond on specifics relating to timelines. There is consensus across this House on the need for greater investment in the mid-west when it comes to provision of healthcare and bed capacity. That is reflected in the...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: I thank the Deputy. The Government recognises the essential work carried out by community and voluntary health and social care organisations and their staff and the reliance of the State on these organisations to deliver important supports and services in the communities we represent. The programme for Government commits to working with the voluntary sector through industrial relations...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: Like the Deputy's, my thoughts are with the woman involved in that case, who went through a shocking series of incidents with that person. I cannot comment directly on the court case. Our thoughts are with her. We need to ensure all legislation we advance is victim-centred. That will be central to the legislation the Minister for Justice advances. I will ask him to respond to the...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: The health and well-being of the men and women in the Air Corps is an absolute priority for me and the Government. While I cannot comment on the details or circumstances of individual cases, the Department of Defence is aware of a matter that was recently settled by mutual agreement between the parties involved and that the State did not seek to restrict the disclosure of the terms of the...

Ministers and Secretaries and Ministerial, Parliamentary, Judicial and Court Offices (Amendment) Bill 2025: Second Stage (12 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." The purpose of this Bill is to give effect to the decision by the Government to increase the maximum number of Ministers of State from 20 to 23. As the House will be aware, the number has remained unchanged for the last 18 years, since 2007, when Minister of State numbers increased from 17 to 20. The Bill will also allow for the...

Ministers and Secretaries and Ministerial, Parliamentary, Judicial and Court Offices (Amendment) Bill 2025: Second Stage (12 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: I thank the Deputies for their contributions and reiterate our intention to ensure the work of the new Ministers of State achieves the whole-of-government approach we are trying to implement and which is reflected in the programme for Government. This will be achieved by many of the Ministers of State presiding over cross-departmental structures and teams, as in the case of the fisheries and...

Ministers and Secretaries and Ministerial, Parliamentary, Judicial and Court Offices (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: I will come back on some of the points raised. First, relating to the section, it is obviously being opposed. As I said previously, the purpose of the Bill is to allow for the appointment of 23 Ministers of State. The importance of Ministers of State is not something new. It was already acknowledged in 1924 with the Ministers and Secretaries Act that first provided for the appointment by...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (11 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: I propose to take Questions Nos. 213 and 217 together. The rates payable to retired Public Servants for serving on Interview Boards are in place since 1 July 2013. The rate payable is determined by the grade an individual served at the time of retirement, see the below table for current rates. The rates are under review by my Department. Secretary General €377...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: EU Regulations (11 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: I wish to advise the Deputy that neither my Department nor any of the bodies under its aegis have had EU fines for breaches of EU guidance, requirements, regulations, directives or laws.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Legislative Process (11 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: My Department had responsibility for three Bills which were initiated in 2024. These were the Statute Law Revision Bill 2024, the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Act 2024 and the Appropriation Act 2024. The information requested by the Deputy is set out below in respect of each. Statute Law Revision Bill 2024The Statute Law Revision Bill 2024 was initiated and passed Second Stage in...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (11 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: The grade for the Secretary General of the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation is Secretary General – Level I. The salary for Secretary General Level I since 01 October 2024 is as follows: €269,968 (PPC) and €256,469 (Non-PPC). No adjustments to the existing salary are planned outside of those provided by the Public...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Development Plan (11 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: The Programme for Government sets out the clear ambition to prioritise the delivery of transformative, critical and growth-enhancing infrastructure over the next 5 years. To support these goals, the Government, led by my Department, has now commenced work on setting the parameters, priorities and critical milestones for the Review. It is the intention that the review will be completed...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts (11 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: Circular 05/2023 sets out that all public procurement tenders, where they have an estimated value above specified national thresholds, must be advertised on the national electronic tendering platform (eTenders). As such, the estimated value of individual public procurement tenders is captured in a central system (eTenders) and available to my Department to report on, on an aggregated basis,...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Expenditure (11 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: The amount paid by my Department to IT external service provision partners in 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025 is listed in the table below. ICT External Service Provider FY23 FY24 YTD25 GLOBALLOGIC SOFTWARE AND TECHNOLOGY IRELAND LIMITED - 6,707,287 - ...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministerial Responsibilities (11 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: The Deputy will be aware that there are two Ministers of State appointed to my Department: • Deputy Emer Higgins is Minister of State at this Department with responsibility for Public Procurement, Digitalisation and eGovernment; and • Deputy Kevin Boxer Moran is Minister of State at this Department with responsibility for the Office of Public Works. No formal...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff (11 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: My Department is part of the Office of the Government’s Chief Information Office (OGCIO) shared Managed Desktop Service which provides desktop productivity service, including internet access, to a number of Government Department’s and Public Service Bodies. The OGCIO’s shared Managed Desktop Service currently has logs of websites visited by officials and political staff...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Artificial Intelligence (11 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: In relation to advice on the use of AI, my Department has regard to relevant guidance published by the National Cyber Security Centre, the seven requirements for ethical AI that have been developed by the European Commission’s High Level Expert Group on AI in their Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy AI and the Interim Guidelines for the Use of AI in the Public Service. These Interim...