Results 12,761-12,780 of 32,924 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Banking Operations (21 Mar 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: Having regard to the particular risks associated with foreign currency loans, the Mortgage Credit Directive, which is transposed into Irish law by the European Union (Consumer Mortgage Credit Agreements) Regulations 2016, provides for some particular consumer protection measures in respect of such lending.  (For the purpose of the Directive and transposing Regulations a...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Help-To-Buy Scheme Assessment (21 Mar 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: S.477C of the Taxes Consolidation Act sets out the requirements of the Help to Buy incentive. It provides that a qualifying first time buyer must take out a loan in an amount equal to at least 70% of either the purchase price of the property in the case of a purchased house or the value of the property in the case of a self-build house. The valuation of a self-build is as approved by the...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Ministerial Staff Data (21 Mar 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I wish to inform the Deputy that the details of each non-civil service appointment I have made to a role in the Department of Finance; the persons appointed; the role and salary of each are shown below.  None of these appointments are involved in party political fundraising. Name Role Salary Ms Deborah Sweeney Special Adviser 4th point Principal Officer (Standard) PPC scale Mr...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Betting Legislation (21 Mar 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 183 to 186, inclusive, together. I have been advised that the regulation of gambling is provided for under the Betting Act, 1931 and the Gaming and Lotteries Acts 1956, and is the responsibility of the Minister for Justice and Equality. Where there is legislative provision for the licensing of operators, the Revenue Commissioners issue licences in...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Central Bank of Ireland (21 Mar 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I wish to advise the Deputy that the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has no responsibility for the Central Bank of Ireland in relation to requests for additional funding, staff resources or expertise.  Funding, staff resources and expertise are a matter for the Central Bank Commission and the Commission is not required to seek the permission of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: State Bodies Data (21 Mar 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 189 to 191, inclusive, together. As the allocation for the vote of the Office of the Ombudsman includes the Ombudsman, the Standards in Public Office Commission and the Commission for Public Service Appointments, one cannot look at each in isolation and I will therefore respond to Questions Nos. 189, 190 and 191 collectively. The Ombudsman, the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministerial Staff Data (21 Mar 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I wish to inform the Deputy that there are currently two Special Advisers employed in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. Ms Deborah Sweeney was appointed as Special Adviser to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform with effect from 6 May 2016. Ms Sweeney was re-appointed as Special Adviser to the Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform with...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Pay (22 Mar 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: As part of the negotiations last year leading to the public service stability agreement all parties acknowledged "issues of concern relating to the increased length of salary scale for post 2011” new entrants and committed to examining these issues within 12 months of the commencement of the agreement. In general the issues of concern relate to the insertion of two lower salary...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Pay (22 Mar 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: On overall public service pay, we are discussing an agreement, which, as of the start of this week, all unions and representative bodies are now party to or associated with. The Deputy has raised concerns with me regarding public service pay but I would suggest to the House that we now have an agreement in place that over the next three years looks to increase public service pay by...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Pay (22 Mar 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: It is a matter for the Business Committee if the House wishes to debate this report. In recent weeks, another report produced by an Oireachtas committee was debated in this House. If the Business Committee wishes to provide for a debate on this report, it is open to it to do so. On the NHS and the 6.5% increase mentioned by Deputy Calleary, the agreement that we have is between 6% and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Lottery Licence Sale (22 Mar 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: One of the main objectives of the sale of the national lottery licence in 2014 for a 20 year period was to generate upfront proceeds for the State. Proceeds of €405 million from the sale were used to fund a range of expenditure projects and served to reduce the need for further tax increases at the time. Under the terms of the current licence for the national lottery, which...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Lottery Licence Sale (22 Mar 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: There is a regulator in place to oversee the operation of the licence and other matters. The Deputy is correct that the regulator of the national lottery did write to Deputy Pearse Doherty stating that under the terms of the agreement it is not in a position to release the information to the Deputy because it is commercially sensitive. That said, a considerable amount of money is being made...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Lottery Licence Sale (22 Mar 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I am not aware of it. I will give the Deputy the full context of the letter. It says that this information is the licensee's confidential information and, therefore, under the clause of the licence it cannot be disclosed by the regulator.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Staff Retirements (22 Mar 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy is aware, on 5 December the Government agreed that the compulsory retirement age of public servants recruited before 1 April 2004 would be increased to 70. This is the only group of public servants who currently have a compulsory retirement age of less than 70. Primary legislation is required for the change approved by Government to be implemented. The Government has...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Staff Retirements (22 Mar 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: If I had not put interim measures in place, members of the public service who wanted to avail of this option would not have been in a position to do so under any circumstance. We have the interim measures in place because I felt it was necessary to have some lead-in time between announcing that we were going to do this and bringing forward a Bill to give people time to arrange their affairs...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (22 Mar 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: The EU fiscal rules have been designed to promote budgetary discipline and underpin sustainable economic growth. While the economy is growing and debt is on a downward trajectory, the debt level is still high and we have to be careful owing to the potential of roll-over risk should interest rates increase. This is a small and very open economy in a world which now has more risk than is...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (22 Mar 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I have not discussed the specific report to which the Deputy referred with the European Commission, but I have raised with it the need to make sure the fiscal rules facilitate appropriate levels of public capital investment in those things which will allow the economy to grow in a sustainable way. Within the fiscal rules as structured, the plan we launched, Ireland 2040, looks to provide for...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (22 Mar 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: All I can do at this point is give the Deputy a commitment to consider it. I will have to read the report and consider it before I decide what I will raise with the Commission. Currently, my focus is on ensuring that the significant increases in capital expenditure we are implementing at present happen and that the projects we are committed to are delivered at affordable prices. However, I...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Private Partnerships (22 Mar 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: The public private partnership, PPP, model is an internationally recognised model to design, build, finance, operate and maintain public infrastructure. In accordance with international best practice, PPP contracts already typically include detailed provisions that apply in the event of the liquidation of a consortium member of the PPP company, or an entity under the contract, to protect the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Private Partnerships (22 Mar 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: The Deputy's party displayed an unbridled enthusiasm for PPPs when it was in government. In fact, the largest quantity of PPPs was implemented under the party's current leader. Whatever views the Deputy has now are very different from what was displayed when Deputy Howlin was Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. With regard to the Deputy's question on how we complete projects,...