Results 8,841-8,860 of 32,864 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (13 Apr 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 201 and 202 together. As the Deputy is aware, I am obliged under the legislation to undertake an Annual Review of the operation and effectiveness of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Acts (FEMPI) which is laid before the Oireachtas by the end of June each year. In doing so I must have "regard to the overall...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Regulations (13 Apr 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: Procurement reform is a key element of the Government's overall reform programme and is aimed at delivering increased value for money, more accurate and timely data and improvements in the capacity and capability of the procurement function across the public service and supporting increased compliance. The fragmented procurement arrangements across the public service which existed prior to...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information (13 Apr 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The Freedom of Information Act 2014 at section 11 provides for a right of access to information as follows: "Subject to this Act, every person has a right to and shall, on request therefore, be offered access to any record held by an FOI body and the right so conferred is referred to in this Act as the right of access" The Act provides for the refusal of access to information only in certain...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Legislative Measures (13 Apr 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The Public Sector Standards Bill 2015  aims to significantly enhance the existing framework for identifying, disclosing and managing conflicts of interest and minimising corruption risks, to achieve a shift towards a more dynamic and risk-based system of compliance and to ensure that the institutional framework for oversight, investigation and enforcement is robust and effective. This...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pension Provisions (2 May 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: Any decision on whether to seek a pension adjustment order (PAO) is a matter for the parties concerned. When an application for a PAO is made it is the role of the pension administrator to ascertain that the proposed order is legitimate and implementable. When providing pension estimates, figures are based on the scheme member's occupational pension only. It is a matter for the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions Levy (2 May 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The particular measure affecting public service pensions under the financial emergency legislation is the Public Service Pension Reduction (PSPR), which was introduced on 1 January 2011 under the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2010. PSPR reduces the pay-out value of those public service pensions whose with pre-PSPR values above specified thresholds. It does so in...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Trade Union Recognition (2 May 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The particular organisation referred to by the Deputy is not registered as a political organisation on the current Register of Political Parties in Ireland. It is therefore considered that no issue arises under the Civil Service Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme in relation to the matter raised by the Deputy in respect of the civil service trade union concerned.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions (2 May 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I refer to my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 17 of 2 March 2017. The position remains unchanged.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions (2 May 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: An Interdepartmental Working Group, chaired by my Department, was established early in 2016 to examine the issues arising from prevailing retirement ages for workers in both the public and private sectors, in the context of the current age of entitlement to the State Pension and the scheduled increases to the State Pension age in 2021 and 2028. The Group, whose Report was agreed by Government...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Garda College (2 May 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The financial management of the Garda training college is in the first instance a matter for An Garda Síochána and the Garda Commissioner is the Accounting Officer with ultimate responsibility in this area. As with all public bodies, it is expected that there is full compliance with the Public Financial Procedures and my Department is responsible for the content...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (2 May 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I refer the Deputy to my answer to Parliamentary Question No. 7 of 2 March 2017.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Teachers' Remuneration (2 May 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 670, 675 and 676 together. The Public Service Pay Commission has been tasked with providing an initial report to Government on public service remuneration in the context of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Acts 2009 - 2015. The findings of the Commission will contribute to and inform Government's considerations in relation to Public...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (2 May 2017)

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

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (2 May 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform has overarching responsibility for recruitment to the civil service only.  Persons recruited to direct entry positions in the Civil Service do not receive an allowance for holding a Level 8 qualification.  Any queries in respect of payment of allowances for educational qualifications in, for example the Education Sector or Health...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Community Employment Schemes Supervisors (2 May 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The Community Sector High Level Forum (or Working Group) (previously the Informal Forum) was convened in 2015 and 2016 to examine certain issues pertaining to the Community Employment sector having regard to the implications for costs and precedent.  The Forum continues to meet, most recently on 7 April last, to give consideration to the issues to which the Deputy refers. ...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: State Pensions Reform (2 May 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy is aware, an Interdepartmental Working Group, chaired by my Department, was established early in 2016 to examine the issues arising from prevailing retirement ages for workers in both the public and private sectors, in the context of the current age of entitlement to the State Pension and the scheduled increases to the State Pension age in 2021 and 2028.  The Group’s...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Capital Expenditure Programme (2 May 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: Submissions in relation to the mid-term review and the additional funding available, were sought from Departments in January and are currently being examined by officials in my Department. A public consultation process has also recently concluded to ascertain the views of the public and key stakeholders on what our national infrastructure priorities should be and to seek...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Service Pay Commission Reports (2 May 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The Public Service Pay Commission is due to report shortly in accordance with the general time frame envisaged when it was originally established. While pay matters generally are a matter for my Department it is the position that the issue of teachers’ terms and conditions of employment is a matter, in the first instance, for my colleague the Minister for Education and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Expenditure (3 May 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: In response to the Deputy’s question, neither my Department nor the bodies under its aegis have made any payments to the person in question in the past 36 months or to date in 2017.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Funding (3 May 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The issue raised by the Deputy is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Health to consider in the first instance as the organisations in question come within the purview of the Department of Health in respect of the matters referred to.