Results 2,061-2,080 of 32,432 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Equality Issues (12 Jul 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy is aware, my Department has policy responsibility for recruitment to the civil service. As reflected in the Civil Service Renewal 2024 Strategy, the civil service is strongly committed to equality of opportunity for all in terms of its recruitment and employment practices, and building a more diverse and inclusive workforce that is reflective of Ireland and the people it...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Equality Issues (12 Jul 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: Ensuring all OneLearning courses reflect Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in their content, is a guiding principle in the development of all OneLearning courses. OneLearning provides training for Civil Servants across all grades, organisations and locations. Contracts were signed in 2021 for a range of new Civil Service-wide training courses, including four specifically related to EDI...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement 2023: Discussion (12 Jul 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Chair. The Minister for Finance, Deputy McGrath, has covered off the general economic outlook, so I will go right to the section of my speech that focuses on our medium-term expenditure strategy. As the committee will be aware, the two most recent two budgets utilised a dual approach of revising our medium-term expenditure strategy while utilising supplementary non-core...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement 2023: Discussion (12 Jul 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I will come in on the questions which were relevant to me and I thank Deputy Doherty for posing them. We have not made any decision as to where the €250 million will be allocated. As I noted in my contribution, we will do all we can to avoid spending that money in any way that adds to inflationary pressure within the economy. Regarding the critique from the Irish Fiscal Advisory...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement 2023: Discussion (12 Jul 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank Deputy Durkan for his questions. I will comment on what he said with regard to housing. I agree with every word he has said regarding the impact not having enough homes available for society has on families and on individuals who are looking to buy a home or are worried they might not be able to afford the rent or might not have rental accommodation in the future. I am as aware as...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement 2023: Discussion (12 Jul 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I am, but it is the reason the more significant increases in expenditure are back-weighted to 2025 and 2026. If we were to be spending €1 billion extra in capital next year I would have serious doubt about whether the capacity exists in our economy to turn that into additional homes and facilities for our economy and our society . The decision we have made to build up the additional...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement 2023: Discussion (12 Jul 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Deputy for recognising the work that is under way in our well-being framework. It is laid out in the summer economic statement where we go through the different pillars that we have, as the Deputy will be aware, of looking at how we are doing under important areas that influence quality of life and well-being and then we evaluate our performance over a five-year period. For what...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement 2023: Discussion (12 Jul 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Deputy for his question and for his kind comments earlier on. I will talk about business cases first and maybe broaden it out to the public spending code and how these issues are dealt with. The Deputy is correct that it is difficult in a business case to place an economic value on something that is intrinsically social or is a real proper public good. The way I have seen...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement 2023: Discussion (12 Jul 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I will add two points. I thank the Deputy. My first point relates to the fairness dimension to the inflationary impact, which the Deputy is right about. Those who have the least suffer the most when prices go up. However, there is a great case to be made for the efforts of the Government in recent years to support those who have the least when prices have affected them. My Department has...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement 2023: Discussion (12 Jul 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: Stripping the one-off payments against headline inflation of 11.4%, just under 8% in permanent measures is the relevant figure. The impact of the one-off measures is approximately 10%. The one-off measures matter. That €200 or €400 that people are getting is every bit as valuable as an increase in their core social welfare rates. It is money. I will make the following...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement 2023: Discussion (12 Jul 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: The Deputy cannot ride both horses.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement 2023: Discussion (12 Jul 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I will leave my contribution at that.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement 2023: Discussion (12 Jul 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: In terms of how we will deal with the regional and fairness issues that Deputy Conway-Walsh has referred to, it will primarily be by ensuring that in the national development plan we have an allocation of our capital in a way that is consistent with the national planning framework. The goal of the national planning framework is how we drive regional development and the plan lays out goals....

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement 2023: Discussion (12 Jul 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: What is the 24% that Deputy Conway-Walsh is referring to?

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement 2023: Discussion (12 Jul 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: What Deputy Doherty was referring to was the IFAC analysis that if inflation sustained over a period the real impact of our spending plans could decrease by 24%. That risk is there. On the other hand, IFAC warned us against the consequences of spending more on capital. This is separate from the regional development issue to which Deputy Conway-Walsh referred. They are different issues.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement 2023: Discussion (12 Jul 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I do. I do not accept that it is business as usual. If I look at the work that is under way, for example, in the context of the rural town development fund overseen by the Minister of State, Deputy Joe O'Brien, I can already see the benefits it is having. That is not to mention the overall focus on four cities apart from Dublin and what this will do. There is a five-cities approach at the...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement 2023: Discussion (12 Jul 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: This will be a decision for the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, in the context of the various asks and needs that he will have. We already have very ambitious plans for rail development. The Minister for Transport views the project favourably but, ultimately, we will not be able to do everything.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement 2023: Discussion (12 Jul 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: The infrastructure figures from the EU do not capture the national broadband plan, which is the biggest project of its kind we have ever undertaken. The economic benefit of the plan will be felt outside of our cities. To reiterate what was said by the Minister, Deputy McGrath, we are making a difference. I know we are making a difference in terms of the employment figures we see outside of...