Results 9,221-9,240 of 9,274 for speaker:Jack Chambers

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

Jack Chambers: I thank the Deputies for raising those issues. I am not going to get into the distribution of different projects or priorities today. I will say, however, that one of the areas of emphasis in the review of the national development plan is transport infrastructure. I am engaging with the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, on that. The focus is to identify what projects can be delivered. I know...

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

Jack Chambers: I thank the Deputies for their respective contributions. On Deputy O'Rourke point on the need for much more additional headroom for Meath County Council, the new national planning framework provides additional headroom to local authorities to zone more land to drive increased housing supply. The current baseline position is not at all near what we require to deliver the quantum of housing...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Expenditure Reviews (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: I thank Deputy Ó Cearúil. In line with the commitments made in the programme for Government, I recently announced a series of actions to accelerate the delivery of strategic infrastructure in Ireland, including the creation of a new infrastructure division in my Department. Initially, the infrastructure division will focus on the preparation of a systematic, evidence-based...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Expenditure Reviews (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: I thank both Deputies. In response to Deputy Ó Cearúil, there will be significant private sector input into the work programme and the development of the reforms. We have six external experts on the accelerated infrastructure taskforce. That is to drive accountability and also an economy-wide engagement on how we can cut through unnecessary process delays and red tape which is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Expenditure Reviews (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: When one looks at the national planning framework and the strategic objectives that are set out there, balanced regional development is central. As part of the overall review of the national development plan, we are looking at critical, growth-enabling infrastructure priorities around the country and how we disburse the capital allocations. That will be really important in the separate work...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Civil Service (28 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: The Civil Service is committed to ensuring public access to services supported by efficient public service delivery. In this context, ongoing reviews of the impact of blended working on organisations, the workforce and the public are essential. The Blended Working Policy Framework for Civil Service Organisations, launched in March 2022, provides strategic guidance to Civil Service...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Office of the Ombudsman (28 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: The Ombudsman's role is to examine complaints from members of the public who believe that they have been unfairly treated by certain public service providers such as government departments, local authorities, the HSE, public hospitals, public funded third level education bodies and public and private nursing homes. The Office does not have a specific role in respect of public procurement. It...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (28 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: Using the current salary, relevant to the below named positions, the table lists the estimated annual savings from reducing salaries by 25%, 50% and 75% of the Taoiseach, Tánaiste, Ministers and Ministers of State, whilst leaving the current rate of the salary for Deputies in place. Office Current salary (per individual) 25% Reduction 50% Reduction ...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (28 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: Forensic Accountant is not an established grade in the civil service. Any requirement to carry out forensic accounting or auditing functions identified by a civil service body could be dealt with by employing or contracting-in required resources, and would be evaluated/assessed on a case-by-case basis. Costing could only meaningfully be done when a specific proposal had been developed.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff (28 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: The table below sets out the expenditure by my Department on courses of the nature specified in the Question from 2015 to 2025. Year Expenditure 2015 €945 2016 €745 2017 €4,123 2018 €4,105 2019 €4,670 2020 ...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Artificial Intelligence (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: I propose to take Questions Nos. 92, 119 and 143 together. My department recently published the ‘Guidelines for the Responsible use of Artificial Intelligence in the Public Service’. These guidelines compliment and inform strategies regarding the adoption of innovative technology and ways of working already underway in the public service, and seek to set a high standard for...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure Policy (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: Budget 2025, announced by Government last October, set-out a planned gross expenditure envelope of €105.4bn. This funding has been provided to deliver on Government priorities and commitments, including continuing the delivery of a National Development Plan (NDP) which is providing the vital infrastructure we need to support our future economic and social progress. This funding is...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Development Plan (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: The Review of the National Development Plan (NDP) will allocate funding to update capital expenditure ceilings out to 2035. The Review will encompass all public capital investment to 2035 and allocate the funds arising from the Apple Escrow account, the proceeds of bank share sales as well as funding from the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund. In total, around €97 billion in...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Priorities (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: I propose to take Questions Nos. 96, 106, 146, 158 and 160 together. In line with the commitments made in the Programme for Government, I recently announced a series of actions to accelerate the delivery of strategic infrastructure in Ireland, including the creation of a new Infrastructure Division in my Department. This new Division will focus on accelerating infrastructure...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Information and Communications Technology (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: As the Deputy will be aware my Department is involved in leading the development of a new National Digital Strategy which will be published by the end of this year. It is my intention that the e-inclusion strategy to ensure no one is left behind in this digital society, will be an important and integral dimension to this new strategy which will include a range of related and specific...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Small and Medium Enterprises (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: My department has taken a number of steps in recent years to promote the participation of SMEs in public procurement and help them navigate the procurement process. In 2023 my department published Circular 05/2023: Initiatives to assist SMEs in Public Procurement, which includes policy measures aimed at assisting SMEs to access public procurement opportunities. My department has also...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Capital Expenditure Programme (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: As Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform I am responsible for setting the overall capital allocations across Departments and for monitoring monthly expenditure at Departmental level. The responsibility for the management and delivery of individual investment projects or sectoral policy strategies, within the allocations agreed under the National Development Plan (NDP),...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure Policy (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: I propose to take Questions Nos. 103 and 123 together. We have faced a number of challenges over recent years – Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic, war in Ukraine and the cost-of-living crisis. Throughout all of these, we have demonstrated our resilience and ability to adapt to changing global circumstances. We have developed and implemented appropriate economic strategies which have...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Protected Disclosures (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: The statutory review of the Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Act, 2022 is scheduled to commence in 2027. It will be informed by ongoing data collection, a public consultation, and the forthcoming 2026 evaluation of the EU Directive underpinning the legislation. The Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Act, 2022 which commenced in full on 1 January 2023, significantly strengthened the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Information and Communications Technology (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: My Department has very recently published updated guidance on cloud computing. These notes are developed to support the Public Service with the implementation of cloud services, a key enabler of digital and innovation at scale which underpins the public service transformation agenda. Taken together the notes will help public bodies to maximise the opportunities while mitigating risks...