Results 19,281-19,300 of 32,999 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Infrastructure and Capital Investment Programme (1 Oct 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: Actually, accountability is putting questions to Members of this House and people who are in positions of influence, like myself, and my being held accountable to the House for them, which is what happened. In regard to the national children's hospital, the Deputy will be aware there was change in regard to individuals who were in positions of responsibility across the period when the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Brexit Expenditure (1 Oct 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 69 and 89 together. My intention is not to provide a "big bang" announcement. Whatever my last two budgets have been, they cannot be accused of being big bangs in terms of the changes we made from an expenditure, tax and social welfare point of view. The reason I am not in a position to tell the Deputy today what the resources are going to be for dealing...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Brexit Expenditure (1 Oct 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The Deputy is asking questions on which I have not yet even given the Cabinet a perspective because they are the result of the work we must do to get a budget ready. I will update the Cabinet on all that next week, when I have concluded my work with all other Departments. It is a matter for announcement on budget day. When I am in a position to inform the House of the scale of the fund, I...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Brexit Expenditure (1 Oct 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The Deputy refers to the potential return of what he calls austerity. Let me be clear that my plan for next week, as we conclude our position on the budget, is for continued day-to-day spending on public services to be maintained and that we will continue to spend more to ensure that our public services have the funds they need to hire teachers, to have the right number of nurses and to put...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Brexit Expenditure (1 Oct 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: It is up to the National Transport Authority and Bus Éireann to decide where they will buy their buses. They must try to source buses at best value, and hydrogen and mixed-fuel buses are an awful lot more expensive than the buses they have traditionally had in the past. As I said to the Deputy, it is my intention that our day-to-day spending on our public services will continue to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Sector Pensions (1 Oct 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: My officials and I have engaged with public service pensioners regarding public service pensions issues through meetings with the Alliance of Retired Public Servants, ARPS. Over the past few years, the interests and concerns of public service pensioners have been regularly articulated in those meetings. Through this process of engagement, I believe that public service pensioners have...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Sector Pensions (1 Oct 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I acknowledge the contribution that retired public servants have made to our country. I also acknowledge the fact that if one is a retired public servant, one does not have the options to increase one's income that somebody who is still active and working in the workforce has. Significant changes have already been made to public pension payments during the lifetime of this agreement. The...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Sector Pensions (1 Oct 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I am not scapegoating anybody.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Sector Pensions (1 Oct 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: Given the view the Deputy articulated regarding pensioners being scapegoated, it is only fair to outline my view on it. I recall that when I was dealing with this issue during the period in which the current wage agreement was being negotiated about two years ago I saw the average pension levels that are available to those who have worked for many decades in our public services. They are a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Procurement Regulations (1 Oct 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: Public procurement in Ireland is governed by EU procurement directives and national legislation. Public bodies are obliged to act in accordance with these rules and must respect the general principles of EU law, including non-discrimination, the free movement of goods and services, equal treatment and proportionality and transparency in awarding public contracts. They must also ensure that...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Procurement Regulations (1 Oct 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The Deputy knows it is not the role of individual Ministers to get involved in determining who gets what work within the State. It is the role of independent authorities to determine the successful applicants in the bidding process and to decide who is best able to carry out the work. If I was determining who gets what work in this State, work that is often very valuable, Deputy Doherty...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Procurement Regulations (1 Oct 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I referred to this earlier on. I am currently involved in reviewing the public spending code. I am looking at whether a different balance needs to be struck. I assure the Deputy that I am well aware of, and understand, all of the things we need to deliver in procurement policy. While I have acknowledged previously, as I have this afternoon, that which we have got wrong in respect of the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Services Card (1 Oct 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy is aware, the public services card is a means of assisting the delivery of public services to the people who need them in a safe and efficient manner. It was brought about to ensure personal data is protected and to ensure people get access to public services safely, securely and efficiently. In January 2017, my Department launched a public communications campaign for both...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Services Card (1 Oct 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: My good colleague, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Zappone, is working on ways to ensure that families and parents will be able to access the national childcare scheme. The Deputy referred to me being in the dock on this matter. I fully understand the views of the Data Protection Commission, an institution which I take seriously. In each of the budgets that I have...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Services Card (1 Oct 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: We believe that we are on solid legal foundations in using the public services card as a way to help citizens to access services efficiently. Encouraging greater use of the public services card over time will lead to more convenient and efficient ways in which families and citizens can access public services.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Brexit Supports (1 Oct 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: Everyone is aware that the UK’s departure from the EU will pose significant challenges for Ireland. The challenges posed by a no-deal departure will be particularly acute. The Government has been putting in place the utmost Brexit preparations since even before the outcome of the 2016 UK referendum on EU membership became known. Since then, Budget 2017, Budget 2018 and Budget...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Expenditure (1 Oct 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The Estimates for Public Services 2019 set out total gross voted expenditure of €66.6 billion for this year. Of this, €59.3 billion is gross voted current expenditure, while €7.3 billion is gross voted capital expenditure. The effective and efficient delivery of public services within budgetary allocations is a key responsibility of each Minister and Department. In...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Capital Expenditure Programme (1 Oct 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I understand that other Ministers will also be answering this question in respect of their Departments. Due to the nature of its role, my Department does not have any capital projects funded from its own Vote as part of Project Ireland 2040. The main purpose of capital projects and associated investment undertaken by my Department is to support greater effectiveness and efficiency across...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Health Services Expenditure (1 Oct 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The Mid-Year Expenditure Report, published in July of this year, set out baseline current expenditure ceilings on a Ministerial level to 2022. These ceilings are inclusive of pre-committed expenditure of €0.5 billion per annum for demographics in the areas of Health, Social Protection and Education. These are primary areas of current expenditure that are particularly impacted by...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Expenditure (1 Oct 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The Government's Climate Action Plan puts Ireland on a pathway to the achievement of the country's 2030 climate and energy targets that are consistent with a net zero emissions target by 2050. The plan sets out ambitious emissions savings targets for sectors of the economy. The Departments responsible for the achievement of these targets will, over the coming months, be developing the...