Results 9,201-9,220 of 9,274 for speaker:Jack Chambers

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Bodies (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: The construction sector group has a distinct and separate mandate. It continues to do excellent work. We have identified, and the Deputy will have seen this in her broad engagement with people in south Conamara or, indeed, with stakeholders across the economy, that there are many barriers impeding delivery. The task force’s central mandate is to have a short period to identify these...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Bodies (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: I do not disagree with much of what the Deputy said. There are often too many reports which contain endless recommendations. We have tried to change our approach to how this process is working. It is how we can identify high-impact reforms that are implementable and timebound that will make an objective difference. That has been the central mandate of the task force. That is why there...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Staff (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: The programme for Government significantly expanded my Department’s work on infrastructure and included the establishment of a new infrastructure division. The division's specific responsibilities and deliverables are being progressed as part of the Department's forthcoming statement of strategy, which will go to Government in advance of the summer. To be of assistance to the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Staff (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: I make the point that it is all too slow and that is the basis of the reform process happening in parallel with the work of the review of the national development plan. That is why additionality by itself will not move the dial and why the report on the barriers to infrastructure delivery will be finalised in July. That will work in parallel with the updated review of the national...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Staff (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: There are countless projects in the national development plan that are caught in endless delays. This is not about the work I am doing at the centre of Government. It is not about one particular project or pet project that the Deputy or anyone else might have. It is about how we change the life cycle of projects universally, so we accelerate for priorities set out in the national...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Services Provision (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: My Department works to serve the country, its people and the Government by delivering well-managed and well-targeted public spending, delivered through modernised, effective and accountable public services. The process around outsourcing set out in the public service pay agreement states that where outsourcing is being considered in respect of an existing service, both official and staff...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Services Provision (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: All public bodies are obliged to treat public funds with care and to ensure the best value for money is obtained wherever public money is spent or invested. It is the responsibility of the relevant Department to ensure procedures are in place for compliance with all required procedures within the Department or office or the bodies under its aegis. It is a matter for each Accounting Officer...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Services Provision (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: Some of the examples the Deputy references are shocking. Where there is maltreatment or misuse of public funds, it should be reported to the Accounting Officer, Department and line Minister involved. There are often service level agreements that underpin the money put forward for the service to be provided. If it is not being provided or the public good is being undermined or not followed...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Sector Pay (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: I thank the Deputy. As she is aware, a broad range of factors influence staff recruitment and retention. As a result of Ireland's significant economic growth, unemployment is low and labour market conditions remain tight. Labour and skills shortages are presenting recruitment and retention challenges for employers across the labour market, including the civil and public service, as the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Sector Pay (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: I will follow up in the next round.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Sector Pay (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: As I was going to say before I had to conclude, there is a local bargaining provision that allows management and unions to negotiate changes to pay and terms and conditions up to a maximum of 3% of pay costs for the relevant grade. The first instalment under this provision, equivalent to 1% of pay costs, is due to be implemented from 1 September 2025 and negotiations are commencing at local...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Sector Pay (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: Many public servants working here are involved in the bargaining process, which the trade unions were centrally involved in for the current public pay agreement. That collective pay agreement has brought industrial peace to our country relative to many other countries in Europe and elsewhere. It is important for that collaboration to continue. The emphasis of the current public sector...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Ethics in Public Office (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: I propose to take Questions Nos. 84, 132 and 136 together. I thank the Deputy and the other Deputies who have also raised this matter. As Deputy O'Callaghan will be aware, we are committed in the programme for Government to updating the ethics in public office legislation. This follows a wide-ranging review of the legislative framework for ethics in public life that my Department...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Ethics in Public Office (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: I thank both of the Deputies. I am in the Department a number of months and my commitment is to bring forward a general scheme but I want to make sure that, as I am advancing that, I examine the long history to this which has been referenced. The history has been too long. Deputy Connolly referenced 2009 and Deputy O'Callaghan referenced other time points. I want to bring forward a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Ethics in Public Office (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: Deputy Connolly listed a broad range of policy areas which have to be considered in the context of a scheme which will be brought forward-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Ethics in Public Office (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: -----and that is what we are doing. That is what we will do. I will publish a scheme in light of that. That is what I am committed to doing. The programme for Government is clear on the need to update the ethics in public office legislation and my commitment will be to bring forward a general scheme. When it is ready, I will publish it and it will be for all Members to feed into how we...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: I have established the accelerating infrastructure task force to support the immediate work programme of the new infrastructure division in my Department, which is to identify and propose measures to address barriers to the delivery of strategic infrastructure across Ireland.  This issue is key priority for me and the Government.  The work programme for the task force and the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: Looking at the past number of years and the overall support given in terms of childcare affordability, we have made significant strides which have helped many families throughout communities. We also need to work with many of the SMEs and childcare providers, many of which are in the constituency Deputy Currie and I represent, on some of the challenges they have reflected to us as part of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: First, the cross-cutting work of the infrastructure division and the task force is to cut through some of the processes in place in every Department which affect delivery of infrastructure - economic or social. Second, there is a review of the national development plan. That is a bilateral engagement involving all Ministers on what their priorities will be for the next number of years....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Development Plan (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: I propose to take Questions Nos. 89, 112, 147, 153 and 156 together. The programme for Government sets out the clear ambition to prioritise the delivery of transformative, critical and growth-enhancing infrastructure over the next five years.  To support these goals, Government has prioritised an early review of the national development plan, which is being led by my Department. ...