Results 16,501-16,520 of 32,961 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Office of Public Works Properties (6 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The car-park at Grianan Fort, Co. Donegal is not in the ownership of the Office of Public Works, although the keyholding is managed by the OPW-employed caretaker locally. Any queries regarding the use of the carpark should be directed to Donegal County Council which may have licensing or other permission requirements.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Retirements (6 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 72 and 73 together. The Public Service Superannuation (Age of Retirement) Act 2018 provides for an increase to age 70 in the compulsory retirement age of most public servants recruited before 1 April 2004. The public servants covered by the new Act are termed "relevant public servants" and that term is defined in Section 2 of the Act. Only those public...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff Grievance Procedures (6 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: Section 5(3) of the Protected Disclosures Act 2014 provides for a broadly based set of relevant wrongdoings that workers in the public or private sector may report which qualify for the protections of the Act. These are: that an offence has been, is being or is likely to be committed; that a person has failed, is failing or is likely to fail to comply with any legal obligation, other than one...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Civil Service Code of Conduct (6 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 75 and 76 together. Section 10 (3) of the Standards in Public Office Act 2001 (the Act) provides that the Minister shall from time to time draw up codes of conduct for the guidance of persons who hold or occupy directorships or positions of employment in public bodies. A revised Civil Service Code of Standards and Behaviour (the Code) was published by the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Retirements (6 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I refer the Deputy to my reply to PQ 4008/19 on the 29 January 2019.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Cross-Border Projects (6 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The Deputy will be aware of the important contribution that the EU-funded North South programmes, PEACE and INTERREG, make to building peace and social and economic cohesion in the border region of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The current 2014-2020 PEACE IV and INTERREG VA programmes will invest over half a billion euro in the region and are progressing well. The two programmes are...

Nurses and Midwives Industrial Action: Statements (7 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I am reminded of what Deputy Donnelly said about this matter in July 2018. In case his colleagues in the parliamentary party need to be reminded-----

Nurses and Midwives Industrial Action: Statements (7 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: -----he stated:I also took a look at nursing salaries around the world. In 2013, nurses in this country were the third highest paid. We were still in the top five countries in 2016.

Nurses and Midwives Industrial Action: Statements (7 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I want to ensure, as I am responding to the questions put to me-----

Nurses and Midwives Industrial Action: Statements (7 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: -----that everybody is clear on the track record of the differing views in Fianna Fáil on this issue. When it tabled the Private Members' motion on it a number of weeks ago, all it talked about was a commission.

Nurses and Midwives Industrial Action: Statements (7 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I do not hear much of a reference to a commission this morning.

Nurses and Midwives Industrial Action: Statements (7 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: To deal with the different issues and questions put to me by the Deputies-----

Nurses and Midwives Industrial Action: Statements (7 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: -----we have acknowledged that there are specific issues in recruitment and retention which need to be dealt with.

Nurses and Midwives Industrial Action: Statements (7 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: They have been acknowledged within the Public Service Pay Commission. That is why we made specific proposals that we are willing to honour. Deputy Rabbitte asked if we were willing to enter into discussions and negotiations. We are, but we have to be conscious that we have an agreement in place for 291,000 other public servants whom I will address in my concluding comments. In respect of...

Nurses and Midwives Industrial Action: Statements (7 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: Deputy Breathnach asked me whether we are willing to put different measurements in place. We have looked to respond to that with the new entrant agreement we have put in place that we still hope to be in a position to honour and implement.

Nurses and Midwives Industrial Action: Statements (7 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: It was never the intention of either the Minister for Health or me to be disrespectful to any public service worker. What we were doing was done in light of the fact that questions were being asked about whether we would engage with the WRC. We were indicating our willingness to do so. As the Minister for Health said, nobody in this House has a monopoly when it comes to respecting the fact...

Nurses and Midwives Industrial Action: Statements (7 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I will deal with the questions from Deputies Gino Kenny and Bríd Smith while the Minister for Health will deal with the question from Deputy Boyd Barrett. With regard to the question from Deputy Gino Kenny, I still accept and stand by the analysis and recommendations offered by the Public Service Pay Commission. It is independent in composition. Recommendations came from the...

Nurses and Midwives Industrial Action: Statements (7 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I will deal with the questions put to me by Deputies Pringle and Wallace. On Deputy Pringle's point regarding engagement to date, there has been engagement to date. The Workplace Relations Commission and the Labour Court have been involved. It is obvious that engagement did not yield outcomes that were satisfactory to those who represent nurses as otherwise we would not be in this...

Nurses and Midwives Industrial Action: Statements (7 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: It is appropriate that the pay commission engages with stakeholders. As I said, I met the commission. Did I issue a direction to it regarding what to do? Absolutely not, because it is independent.

Nurses and Midwives Industrial Action: Statements (7 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I have experience of institutions that are independent of me issuing recommendations that then cause significant consequences that I have to deal with as well. On Deputy Wallace's point on pay, one of the challenges we face is that the Public Service Pay Commission did issue recommendations in regard to pay for which, in my appraisal at the time, the rest of the union movement would have...