Results 16,541-16,560 of 32,961 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Service Pay Commission Reports (7 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The Deputy will be aware that the Public Service Pay Commission was established by the Government in 2016 and tasked with examining pay levels across the public service. The commission made its first report to the Government in May 2017; we are debating that report today. In respect of the Defence Forces, in its first report the pay commission noted that the force was experiencing a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Service Pay Commission Reports (7 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The role my Department plays in these matters is entirely consistent with the one I have outlined for Deputy Shortall. My Department has responsibility for overseeing total pay policy and acting on behalf of the State as employer. My Department plays a role in making submissions to the commission that then looks at pay. Deputy Jack Chambers should join together the two strands of the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Service Pay Commission Reports (7 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: Despite the Deputy not being clear on my role, the lack of clarity does not stop him from making the charge that we are contaminating or muzzling - to use his language - another part of government.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Service Pay Commission Reports (7 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: As I said in response to the questions I have dealt with, it is simply our role, as the Department that represents the State as the employer, to ensure there is consistency of approach in how applications are made to the pay commission.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Service Pay Commission Reports (7 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: What the Deputy does not acknowledge is that our submission is only one of many. Others will be made by groups that have views on the matter. It will then be up to the pay commission to reach an assessment of the matter.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Service Pay Commission Reports (7 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: We are involved in the drafting of submissions, about which I have been perfectly clear.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Service Pay Commission Reports (7 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: We are involved, whether with the Department of Health, the Department of Defence or any other Department. At the end of the day, it has always been the case that the Department representing the State as the employer has a view on submissions. My colleagues in the Department of Defence and the Department of Health also look to have their views represented in the submission. That is what...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (7 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: Facing challenging and legally binding greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, it is imperative that the assessment of public investment projects includes an appropriate valuation of the cost that society will bear in dealing with these emissions. Under the national mitigation plan, my Department committed to “undertake a review of guidance on public expenditure appraisal and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (7 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: We will have to make decisions about projects when we consider the revised public spending code. I will decide the elements of the revised code shortly. I expect that when we do that with many of the key projects in Project Ireland 2040, particularly in the area of public transport, the case for doing them will become only stronger, especially given that the plan already has such a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (7 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: That is the case. We will complete the work we are doing on the public spending code. The public consultation on this only finished on 14 December. The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Bruton, is setting quite the pace in looking to publish the new climate action plan. I will do my best to try to keep up with that and ensure that any decisions we make on...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Children's Hospital Expenditure (7 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The chief procurement officer was appointed in a personal capacity to the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board, NPHDB, in 2013 for a five-year term by the then Minister for Health. He was reappointed in 2018 by the current Minister for Health. He is a member of several of the board’s committees. The members of the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board,in line with...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Children's Hospital Expenditure (7 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: Regarding the first question, I met the official to whom the Deputy referred. I am absolutely satisfied that he met all of the responsibilities that he had as a member of the board. I have worked with him since becoming Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and have seen at all times his professionalism and expertise in discharging his responsibilities. Regarding Deputy Cowen's...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Children's Hospital Expenditure (7 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I met him on Tuesday. He was satisfied that the issue was being dealt with appropriately in the board. I am absolutely satisfied from my engagement with him that he was handling his responsibilities appropriately. He was satisfied that the information was being shared with the Department of Health. I am satisfied that that happened too.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Infrastructure and Capital Investment Programme (7 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The question the Deputy just put to me bears no relation to the one I have in front of me.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Infrastructure and Capital Investment Programme (7 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I am not sure Deputy Broughan is. It is Question No. 15.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Infrastructure and Capital Investment Programme (7 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The role of my Department is in respect of the monitoring of overall expenditure by Departments. Of course, individual Departments play a key role in individual projects. The management and delivery of individual projects within the overall capital allocation is primarily the responsibility of the relevant sponsoring Department and Minister. A public investment management assessment,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Infrastructure and Capital Investment Programme (7 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I have outlined to the House on a number of occasions the timeline upon which I and my Department became aware of the overspend. We have outlined the timing during which this happened from early November onwards and we have outlined the work the Department of Health has done to get to this point. Clearly there are learnings we have to look at in respect of the implementation of a two-stage...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Infrastructure and Capital Investment Programme (7 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: It was due to the integration of the Department of Finance and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform that we have been able to move ahead on projects overall such as Project Ireland 2040. Because the two Departments are located under me as Minister, we are able to make integrated decisions on taxation and spending. We are able to look at the level of money we need to raise to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Infrastructure and Capital Investment Programme (7 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: A decision was made this week on the Collooney to Castlebaldwin motorway, for example.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Infrastructure and Capital Investment Programme (7 Feb 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: This project is a much-needed motorway. It can and will make a very big difference to commuters and citizens in the State. Other projects are going ahead successfully about which we never hear a word of recognition from Deputy Broughan.