Results 9,461-9,480 of 9,648 for speaker:Jack Chambers

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Engagement with Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation (25 Jun 2025)

Jack Chambers: Both prior to and after a budget, we have the SWITCH model, which looks at the distribution analysis. That is within the ESRI and looks at the overall distribution of the budget. Separately the well-being framework is published. It is an important piece of work in the context of the outputs that exist. Overall, we monitor a lot of the trends that exist in different Departments and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Engagement with Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation (25 Jun 2025)

Jack Chambers: I thank the Senator for his question. In the 2020 to 2022 period, construction inflation was in double digit territory and the pipeline of projects that were in progress was not being delivered, constructed or tendered for at that point. There was a significant impact and respective delays. One thing that is emerging from the wider work we are doing on the infrastructure task force is the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Engagement with Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation (25 Jun 2025)

Jack Chambers: I appreciate the Senator's questions. The well-being framework was launched in 2021. It is a positive and holistic way to assess how Ireland is doing as a country beyond budgetary metrics. The CSO's monitoring of 35 well-being indicators across 11 dimensions is also important in that context. It is progressed within the context of the whole-of-year budget process. We have the national...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Engagement with Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation (25 Jun 2025)

Jack Chambers: We take the obligations under the climate Act very seriously, in particular the need for public sector decarbonisation. We know the broader risk of Ireland's not progressing many of the initiatives that are there. That is an important component of our work in line with some of the other areas I have referenced. The equality tagging that is happening will make an impact when it is completed...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Engagement with Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation (25 Jun 2025)

Jack Chambers: Significant changes have been made to the protected disclosure legislation relating to the EU directive on whistleblowers specifically, which is managed by the Office of the Protected Disclosures Commissioner. In July 2024, it was indicated that the European Commission must furnish a report to the European Parliament assessing the impact of national law transposing the directives. We have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Engagement with Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation (25 Jun 2025)

Jack Chambers: That is the latest position we have received. I am happy to give more detail.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Engagement with Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation (25 Jun 2025)

Jack Chambers: We will await the outcome of the review. It is important we have a strong legislative underpinning which is advanced through the Protected Disclosures Act 2014. The Department also provided grant funding this year of €368,000 to Transparency International Ireland to support its work and support for whistleblowers specifically.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Engagement with Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation (25 Jun 2025)

Jack Chambers: I will review the Deputy's suggestion. Obviously, if there are recommendations in that review, I will take them very seriously in the context of any future changes that may be required.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Engagement with Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation (25 Jun 2025)

Jack Chambers: I will take that specific question away and respond to the committee directly on it. As I said a few minutes ago, we need to ensure that the workings of the protected disclosures system reflect best practice to protect those who should be protected vis-à-vis anything they submit to me or any other individual referred to in the legislation. I will come back to you on the specific...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Engagement with Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation (25 Jun 2025)

Jack Chambers: The €20 billion we have set aside for the new national development plan to reach in excess of €97 billion, building on the existing plan, consists of three separate funds. One is the Apple escrow, which we have received in the main, the AIB share sales and the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund. That is a big increase in capital over our existing baseline over the coming...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Engagement with Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation (25 Jun 2025)

Jack Chambers: The commencement of the review preceded my role in the Department. Where gaps are identified or where we can strengthen it to protect whistleblowers across our country, that will be our collective approach to the protected disclosures piece. Obviously, we have the office that is being established under the Office of the Ombudsman.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Jul 2025)

Jack Chambers: I will set out the backdrop to this in the context of the measures that the Government has taken over recent years to make permanent and sustained reductions and interventions that are affordable for many students. If you look at the measures that have been taken, more students than ever are benefiting from financial support through the Student Universal Support Ireland, SUSI, grant support...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Jul 2025)

Jack Chambers: The economic position our country is in cannot just be dismissed. We must approach budget 2026 with caution. We know if we strip away the windfall nature of many of our tax receipts, there is a potential risk around a deficit position in our economy, which we cannot ignore and the Deputy should not ignore as a finance spokesperson for the main Opposition party. It is in this context...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Jul 2025)

Jack Chambers: This will form the basis of our discussion with all Ministers on what changes we can make for budget 2026.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Jul 2025)

Jack Chambers: That is a normal part of the budgetary process that this Government is committed to advancing.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Jul 2025)

Jack Chambers: As the Deputy knows, in last year's budget, we set out a number of measures of a one-off and temporary nature. The reduction that was made on a one-year basis was reflected in that cost-of-living package. We said, as an incoming Government, that the decisions we would take in the context of budget 2026 would be taken on a permanent and sustained basis. It is on that basis that every...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Jul 2025)

Jack Chambers: What I have been very clear about is that this issue will be part of the broader discussion on budget 2026. That is how annualised budgeting works in this economy and many other economies around the world. That is what we are seeking to do. We will set out an envelope in the coming weeks and each Minister will have to prioritise within that his or her overall expenditure demands. Of...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Jul 2025)

Jack Chambers: It is important we are clear on the budgetary context for budget 2026. Many of my Government colleagues have many priorities in their respective Departments and policy areas which they will commence negotiation on at the end of July and through August. The Minister, Deputy Lawless, has been clear that affordability for students is an important priority for him as part of his negotiation for...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Jul 2025)

Jack Chambers: We will engage in a budget process in the coming weeks, and affordability for students will be a key component of that in terms of trying to continue the permanent changes that were made in recent years. That is the context in which every Government Minister will engage as part of budget 2026. We need to respect that. The measures will be outlined on budget day in October. On the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Jul 2025)

Jack Chambers: I thank Deputy O'Flynn. I take with great seriousness the issues he has identified on the experience of individuals relating to the protected disclosures regime. As he knows, we have various legislation from 2014 up to 2022 reflecting the updated reforms introduced, some of which were introduced in the aftermath of some of the cases he has referenced, and reflecting best practice. Under...