Results 9,561-9,580 of 9,648 for speaker:Jack Chambers

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Development Plan (8 Jul 2025)

Jack Chambers: Recognising that delivery of essential infrastructure is a key driver in attracting and retaining investment in Ireland, growing our economy, fostering regional development, delivering on our housing targets and achieving our ambitious climate goals, Government has prioritised an early review of the National Development Plan, to be published in July. The NDP Review will update capital...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Expenditure (10 Jul 2025)

Jack Chambers: I am providing the Deputy with a separate document that provides the detailed information sought.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Artificial Intelligence (10 Jul 2025)

Jack Chambers: Following its publication of the Guidelines for the Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence in the Public Service, my Department recently agreed an internal AI strategy at Management Board level. The strategy is fully aligned with the aforementioned Guidelines and covers how AI should be used in the context of the work of the Department. The Department has started trialling the use of a...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Office of Government Procurement (16 Jul 2025)

Jack Chambers: The Office of Government Procurement, a Division within my department has established central procurement solutions for Security Services:One arrangement was established in September 2020 and expired in September 2024;One arrangement was established in September 2024 and will run up to September 2028. Frontline Security is not currently nor were they a framework member of either arrangement.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Funding (16 Jul 2025)

Jack Chambers: I propose to take Questions Nos. 62 and 63 together. The Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Act 2024 established the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund (ICN Fund). The purpose of ICN Fund is to support the economy in times of exceptional need and to support Ireland’s transition to a low carbon economy through the funding of designated environmental...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Tax Yield (16 Jul 2025)

Jack Chambers: In both 2024 and in 2025, as per Sections 27, 28 & 29 of the Finance Act 2020, the carbon tax increased by €7.50 per tonne. These increases are phased, with auto fuel changes being introduced annually in October, and changes for all other fuels the following May to allow for a lower rate on home heating fuels during the winter heating season. The Programme for Government...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Cancer Services (16 Jul 2025)

Jack Chambers: As the Deputy may be aware, the budgetary process involves a range of inputs and engagements before culminating in the expenditure allocations for 2026 which will be set out on Budget day this coming Autumn. These include the National Economic Dialogue which took place earlier in the summer as well as the publication of the annual Summer Economic Statement, in which my Department, along...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Expenditure Policy (17 Jul 2025)

Jack Chambers: I thank Deputy Farrell. Some €106.4 billion in gross voted funding is being provided in 2025 to deliver on Government priorities and commitments. This significant level of investment reflects the priorities of budget 2025 and this Government’s commitment to deliver continued improvements in our infrastructure and enhance our existing public services to build a stronger future....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Expenditure Policy (17 Jul 2025)

Jack Chambers: The overall process on the national development plan is continuing. We have approximately €20 billion to allocate across critical areas in our economy. We know with the Department of housing that continued investment in public infrastructure for housing is central to this process. We have set out the priority areas of housing, energy, transport and water infrastructure in...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Expenditure Policy (17 Jul 2025)

Jack Chambers: I share that objective. That is why giving that additional scope to Ministers across their respective policy areas to invest in critical infrastructure is essential as part of the national development plan. We are at a point of significant economic uncertainty and this Government is clearly setting out that we want to seriously increase our overall investment in critical infrastructure,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Protected Disclosures (17 Jul 2025)

Jack Chambers: I thank the Deputy for this question. On 3 July 2024 the European Commission presented a report on the transposition of the EU Whistleblower Directive 2019/1937. This report stated that a review of the directive, which is referred to in Article 27(3), would be finalised no later than 2026. This review or evaluation will assess the functioning of the directive and consider the need for...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Protected Disclosures (17 Jul 2025)

Jack Chambers: Everybody should be protected, particularly when they raise wrongdoing with public bodies. I think we all share that objective across the House. We have two areas of legislation between 2014 and 2022, some of which was the transposition of EU legislation and also policy direction in an Irish context. We have different points now in the context of the European review, which is happening,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Protected Disclosures (17 Jul 2025)

Jack Chambers: Obviously, the European Commission presented a report in July of last year. The review will be launched this year and finalised next year. That wider evaluation will be essential in order to monitor the transposition of the directive into law in Ireland and in other member states. It will provide an opportunity for a wider input regarding the reforms that may be required as part of the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Planning Issues (17 Jul 2025)

Jack Chambers: In April of this year, I announced Government had agreed a series of actions to accelerate the delivery of strategic infrastructure in Ireland. This work, led by my Department, will first identify and assess the barriers impeding the delivery of critical infrastructure across many sectors, including electricity, energy, transport and water. We will then publish an action plan which will...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Planning Issues (17 Jul 2025)

Jack Chambers: I can continue later.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Planning Issues (17 Jul 2025)

Jack Chambers: Private wires are an essential part of developing the wider need on energy and digital infrastructure. What I was about to say was that some of the lengthy development cycles and regulatory complexity and fragmentation across regulatory bodies is extremely problematic. Too much uncertainty and delay is driven by legal, planning and consenting processes. There is also the issue of capacity...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Planning Issues (17 Jul 2025)

Jack Chambers: If we look at the national planning framework and all the different existing policies, it is about complementing housing delivery with community infrastructure and social infrastructure. We have had significantly increased supports for the development of social infrastructure across the State. If we look back to the last Government, we had one of the biggest interventions around developing...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Water Services (17 Jul 2025)

Jack Chambers: In line with the commitment in the programme for Government, my Department has prioritised an early review of the national development plan, which will be published in July. The aim of the review is to improve our infrastructure, particularly water, energy and transport. Prioritisation of these sectors is necessary to deliver hundreds of thousands of additional homes and to boost our...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Water Services (17 Jul 2025)

Jack Chambers: Water and wastewater infrastructure is critical to deliver the homes that we need and to deal with the broader infrastructure deficit that exists relating to water infrastructure more generally. What we are doing as part of that is prioritising it. The Exchequer funding of what is now Uisce Éireann significantly increased in recent years but we recognise that, to meet the level of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Water Services (17 Jul 2025)

Jack Chambers: I thank Deputy Farrell for raising the issue of offshore islands, Deputy Burke for raising the issue of wastewater treatment plants during the noughties and Deputy Crowe for raising the issue of underlying infrastructure. My first role as part of this is to ensure that commercial State bodies, like Uisce Éireann, are appropriately funded over the medium term. That is something we will...