Results 9,321-9,340 of 9,648 for speaker:Jack Chambers

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Annual Progress Report 2025: Discussion (24 Jun 2025)

Jack Chambers: It is great to be here to engage with the committee on our first annual progress report. I congratulate the Cathaoirleach and Leas-Chathaoirleach on their election to the roles. Like the Minister for Finance, I welcome the publication of this document, which is the first of its kind under the new European fiscal framework. It is an important document for the future economic health,...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Annual Progress Report 2025: Discussion (24 Jun 2025)

Jack Chambers: A key part of our work is looking at labour market dynamics as reflected in the construction sector in how we profile capital allocations over the next five years. Housing is the number one priority as well as other critical growth-enabling infrastructure such as transport, water and energy in particular. Part of that work is done with the construction sector working group in my Department...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Annual Progress Report 2025: Discussion (24 Jun 2025)

Jack Chambers: : Absolutely. That is a key part of the work that we do in the aftermath but also in how we profile the priorities we have on overall capital expenditure. It is part of the cost-benefit analysis. In the work the major projects advisory group does on decisions around particular capital projects, the benefits are absolutely assessed on that basis. Indeed, in the aftermath, we know how the...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Annual Progress Report 2025: Discussion (24 Jun 2025)

Jack Chambers: Regarding the major projects advisory group, I am not sure. I can check that.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Annual Progress Report 2025: Discussion (24 Jun 2025)

Jack Chambers: The Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy James Lawless, recently outlined additional places, particularly in the medical area and some of the allied health professions. He reached out to a lot of third level colleges on additional capacity.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Annual Progress Report 2025: Discussion (24 Jun 2025)

Jack Chambers: We can check that detail with the Department of Health. The overall healthcare workforce capacity is being strengthened with additional places this year as part of the third-level recruitment.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Annual Progress Report 2025: Discussion (24 Jun 2025)

Jack Chambers: Which cohort is the Deputy speaking about?

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Annual Progress Report 2025: Discussion (24 Jun 2025)

Jack Chambers: One cohort comprises officeholders and another comprises retired senior public servants, who make up a very small number. Those being assessed at present comprise a pool of 13,000 who may have been underpaid or subject to under-provision based on an allowance they received as part-time workers. The number the Deputy seeks is not available. It would pertain to a retired cohort who were...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Annual Progress Report 2025: Discussion (24 Jun 2025)

Jack Chambers: There is extensive analysis with the NSSO to determine the actual number affected. That is not known right now. As I stated a couple of weeks ago, we will be conducting an external audit of all aspects of this. We are working on the terms of reference of that, the aim being to have external validation regarding the issues we know about and to ascertain whether other issues that are not...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Annual Progress Report 2025: Discussion (24 Jun 2025)

Jack Chambers: The OPW has said it accepts and is actively implementing the recommendations of the Deloitte report. Significant issues were identified and there need to be enhanced control measures around capital expenditure within the OPW. The OPW has said it is implementing the respective recommendations.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Annual Progress Report 2025: Discussion (24 Jun 2025)

Jack Chambers: We absolutely need to have value for money in current and capital expenditure, and that is why, separate from examining some of the reports the Deputy referred to, we are reviewing the public financial procedures to ensure everyone within the expenditure environment and with responsibility in that environment fully understands the need for value for money and the concerns that exist in that...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Annual Progress Report 2025: Discussion (24 Jun 2025)

Jack Chambers: We said we are sticking to key principles regarding water, energy and transport, in particular. Is the Deputy referring to certain elements of transport infrastructure that are not there? There is a broader review with all Departments. I do not know if the Deputy is referring to education or other community infrastructure.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Annual Progress Report 2025: Discussion (24 Jun 2025)

Jack Chambers: The outworking of the national development plan has to stick to the key principles. We know about the deficit of water and wastewater infrastructure, transport and energy in particular. There is a broader engagement across Government on other requests relating to capital investment, some of which relates to community infrastructure. We have significantly increased our overall capital...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Annual Progress Report 2025: Discussion (24 Jun 2025)

Jack Chambers: Tax policy is a matter for the Minister for Finance. I am focused on infrastructure investment in the context of the national development plan, which I am seeking to advance in July. What we will do in the national development plan will make a real difference to housing supply and the growth of enabling infrastructure, which we need to see advanced.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Annual Progress Report 2025: Discussion (24 Jun 2025)

Jack Chambers: I think there is cognisance in broader society and the economy that we are at a point of significant uncertainty, which has to frame the cautious nature of how we approach budget 2026 and also the medium-term position. We are surrounded by significant risk. That means that whatever we decide to do with regard to additionality needs to be prioritised within the Government. Separately, we...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Annual Progress Report 2025: Discussion (24 Jun 2025)

Jack Chambers: Uisce Éireann is an important part of the infrastructure task force we have established. From a funding perspective, we want to ensure water and wastewater are prioritised in the national development plan, which they will be. On the policy matter of whether to have developer-led infrastructure development in certain instances, this is a policy consideration that would have to be...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Annual Progress Report 2025: Discussion (24 Jun 2025)

Jack Chambers: I am just saying that in the context of where something might need to be adjusted. The Cathaoirleach's input on this is valued, but it is something we would have to consider in the context of a change in how Uisce Éireann operates. Separately, the clear role we want to see being played in terms of additional investment for water and wastewater is all about housing supply. We are...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Annual Progress Report 2025: Discussion (24 Jun 2025)

Jack Chambers: I will take the Cathaoirleach's suggestion back to the Department.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Annual Progress Report 2025: Discussion (24 Jun 2025)

Jack Chambers: We had a meeting of the accelerated infrastructure task force yesterday. There are emerging solutions that can make an impact this year. We hope to have a report on the barriers to infrastructure delivery within a month and then take actions based on that. That will make a difference. I will set it out when that is compiled. A lot of processes are not serving delivery, which needs to...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Annual Progress Report 2025: Discussion (24 Jun 2025)

Jack Chambers: If we look at some of the distributional analysis from last year, we can see the impact of what we did in budget 2025. We published the well-being framework last week and the distributional analysis of the impact it has had. We have a variety of tools that we use in our preparation of the budget process and also in the budget aftermath to assess the metrics the Deputy is referencing. That...