Results 14,521-14,540 of 32,961 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: State Properties (7 Sep 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: The OPW's policy with regard to non-operational (vacant) State property including the former Garda station, Rathangan, Co. Kildare is to: 1. Identify if the property is required/suitable for alternative State use by either Government departments or the wider public sector. 2. If there is no other State use identified for a property, the OPW will then consider disposing of the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Construction Contracts (7 Sep 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 201 and 202 together. The conditions of most construction contracts in use between construction clients and building contractors in both the public and private sectors require that payments are made at defined intervals and that payment is contingent on work being completed to a pre-determined standard.  There is usually no contractual obligation on the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Properties (7 Sep 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: The annual rental costs incurred by the Commissioners of Public Works for buildings leased in Portlaoise for various Government Departments and their agencies amount to €919,790. The Commissioners are not in a position to provide information on buildings that other Departments may have leased themselves directly from a Landlord.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (7 Sep 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: In December 2010, along with other measures taken to reduce expenditure in order to stabilise public finances it was decided that all appointments through open competitions would be made at the minimum of the scale. These measures are reflected in the rules governing recruitment competitions and the literature provided to candidates. Where a Secretary General or Head of a Department...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pension Provisions (7 Sep 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy will appreciate, I have administrative responsibility for the Civil Service Pension Schemes and I exercise a central policy/authorisation role in relation to all other public service pension schemes. Insofar as pension increases are concerned, the main function of my Department is to determine, subject to appropriate Ministerial and Government approval, the pensions increase...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts Data (7 Sep 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 206 and 207 together. Procurement is key priority for Government and has undergone significant reform aimed at ensuring the sustainable delivery of much needed public services while also encouraging and supporting SME participation in these business opportunities. This approach is beneficial for the State because it nurtures competition which ensures value...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Office of Public Works Projects (7 Sep 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 208, 221, 222, 232 and 233 together. At the request of the Government, the Office of Public Works implemented an overarching Papal Visit Management Plan in conjunction with the World Meeting of Families. The primary objective was to ensure the health, safety and welfare of all participants, attendees and staff. The Office of Public Works managed the safety and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Community Employment Schemes Supervisors (7 Sep 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy is aware, an issue which has been under discussion by the Community Sector High Level Forum relates to community employment supervisors and assistant supervisors who have been seeking, through their union representatives, the allocation of Exchequer funding to implement a Labour Court recommendation relating to the provision of a pension scheme. Arrangements for future...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Monuments (7 Sep 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I am pleased to confirm that Garfinny Bridge was opened to the public in early August. The fencing panels had remained in place for a period after the main works to Garfinny Bridge were completed. This was necessary as part of the site had been landscaped and re-seeded and there was a requirement to protect that area from pedestrian traffic for a period.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Office of Public Works Properties (7 Sep 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: The OPW made a submission on 4 May 2018 (at the link) to Laois County Council in relation to a Draft Portlaoise Local Area Plan 2018-2024 and zoning requirements for this site. Arups, who were commissioned by Laois County Council to develop a Masterplan for the Togher Area, contacted OPW on the 7th June 2018 to enquire if there was any further information that OPW could...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Defence Forces Pensions (7 Sep 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: By way of background, and for the Deputy’s information, it is important to note that at the time of the original introduction of spouses’ and children’s contributory pension (‘S&C’) schemes for male public servants and their subsequent extension to include female public servants, membership of the schemes was made automatic for new entrants, and optional...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Prevention Measures (7 Sep 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: The River Maine is one of the rivers that is part of the OPW's programme of maintenance of arterial drainage scheme completed by it under the Arterial Drainage Act, 1945. In 2014 following the extreme and repeated storm surges experienced on the River Maine estuary, the OPW repaired a breached embankment at the location referred to by Deputy Neville. The works involved constructing a...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Office of Public Works Expenditure (7 Sep 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: No license fee was paid by The Office of Public Works for the material referred to by the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Service Pay Commission Reports (7 Sep 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: The Public Service Pay Commission published its second report on Tuesday the 4th of September. The Public Service Pay Commission was tasked under the Public Service Stability Agreement 2018-2020 to conduct a comprehensive examination of underlying difficulties in recruitment and retention of staff in the public service. The Commission adopted a modular approach to its work and the report...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Communications (7 Sep 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: In response to the Deputy, I can confirm that an 1890 lo-call phone number, in addition to a landline phone number, is available for members of the public to contact my Department. The lo-call number is available in my Department’s Quality Customer Service Charter. The 1890 number provided will incur a cost to persons calling my Department using a mobile phone, the cost of which...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pension Provisions (7 Sep 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I have been informed that when the individual in question retired from the public service, on examination of the pension documentation that he submitted, his employer became aware that he had been in receipt of a public service pension in respect of earlier service in the Defence Forces. In light of this information, the employer determined that it was necessary to examine the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Prevention Measures (7 Sep 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I am advised that the watercourses in and in the vicinity of Mountmellick are part of the River Barrow Drainage District which the local authority has a statutory duty to maintain.  There are no Arterial Drainage Scheme channels in the Barrow River Basin for which the Office of Public Works (OPW) is responsible. Laois County Council (LCC) has confirmed that maintenance works...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Heritage Sites (7 Sep 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: The Office of Public Works is anxious to restore public access to this important Heritage site following the retirement of the previous Keyholder / Caretaker earlier this year and have been attempting to identify a viable local alternative solution to manage the access to the site.  To date however, no proposals have emerged locally which are consistent with the OPW's need to be...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Heritage Sites (7 Sep 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: The Office of Public Works manages visitor access to Heritage sites in its care throughout Ireland in a variety of ways.  Seventy sites are manned by Guide staff and are open to the public on either a fulltime or seasonal basis and include some of the most prominent tourist locations nationally such as Newgrange, Rock of Cashel, Kilmainham Gaol etc.    A...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Risk Management (7 Sep 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 223 to 229, inclusive, and 231 together. Home relocation On April 11th 2017, the Government agreed the administrative arrangements for a once-off Voluntary Homeowners Relocation Scheme for those primary residential properties that flooded between, or as a result of flooding between 4th December, 2015 and 13th January, 2016. This is a national scheme of...