Results 2,061-2,080 of 6,631 for speaker:Rose Conway-Walsh

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Procurement Contracts (26 Oct 2023)

Rose Conway-Walsh: I have. I will not read out the names here today. I will raise it with the CCPC because I have been looking at some patterns involving contracts that have been awarded here that warrant further investigation and explanation. I will not identify the companies, even though I have the details here. I cannot see how companies that were involved in bid-rigging in Spain and were fined for doing...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Funding (26 Oct 2023)

Rose Conway-Walsh: 1. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to outline the process for determining the appropriate amount of funding under existing service levels, ELS, as a whole and for individual Departments, including where budget deficits exist; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47037/23]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Funding (26 Oct 2023)

Rose Conway-Walsh: I would like the Minister to outline the necessary funding to maintain ELS to the assigned Departments, how it is determined and how much is needed for standstill costs, namely, those relating to demographics, inflation and other pressures. This is particularly important following the Government's decision to allocate far less to health to meet standstill costs than what seems was necessary.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Funding (26 Oct 2023)

Rose Conway-Walsh: ELS are extremely important. Let us be clear, we are talking here about the amount of money a Department needs to continue to provide services at the same level. If a Department is given the correct amount of money, it can stand still. Services will be maintained. If, however, a Department is not given enough money, one of two things will happen- either there will be cuts or the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Funding (26 Oct 2023)

Rose Conway-Walsh: The summer economic statement outlined €3.2 billion in what are known as the budget decisions. Essentially, money was set aside to meet ELS and other existing commitments. On budget day, that had been reduced by €500 million. We have been given no explanation as to how this was possible or what was done. This is no way to manage a budget process. The level of transparency...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Civil Service (26 Oct 2023)

Rose Conway-Walsh: 22. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he plans to legislate to bring senior civil servants under the standard disciplinary measures of the Civil Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47044/23]

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts (26 Oct 2023)

Rose Conway-Walsh: 26. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the steps he is taking to empower contracting bodies to factor in past performance in delivering construction projects when applying for future public contracts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47041/23]

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Private Partnerships (26 Oct 2023)

Rose Conway-Walsh: 41. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform what analysis has been conducted on the impact of the increasing reliance on public private partnership and leasing contracts and the potential impact on public finances into the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47042/23]

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts (26 Oct 2023)

Rose Conway-Walsh: 55. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the steps he is taking to reduce the overreliance of the public sector on private consultants, making particular reference to the requirement of public bodies to report consultancy fees in their annual financial statement under the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter....

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (25 Oct 2023)

Rose Conway-Walsh: The Minister is washing his hands of rural water and Irish Water is becoming more unaccountable. As we speak some communities in Mayo are going without a reliable supply of drinking water, communities like Downpatrick Head, Aghinish, Murrisk, Clearagh, and Enagh Beg. Uisce Éireann is just not co-operating with the local authorities. The sureties are being wrongly charged. Other...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Post-Budget Engagement: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Oct 2023)

Rose Conway-Walsh: I thank the witnesses for their statements. Some of those statements conflict but I understand why that is the case, given that they have different perspectives. If the once-off payments were taken out, would they deem the budget to be progressive or regressive? That is a question for each of the representative organisations.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Post-Budget Engagement: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Oct 2023)

Rose Conway-Walsh: The Cathaoirleach should not prompt the witness.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Post-Budget Engagement: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Oct 2023)

Rose Conway-Walsh: I get that. When the ESRI appeared before the committee last week, we examined many of the figures and that point was coming through. I very much hear Mr. McGeady's point in respect of the one-off payments, which absolutely have to be made, and I know all present agree they have to be made. However, as he pointed out, once we get past April 2024, we will still have high prices even if the...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Post-Budget Engagement: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Oct 2023)

Rose Conway-Walsh: I ask Mr. O'Brien and Ms Ahern-Flynn the same question. From a business perspective, what is their assessment?

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Post-Budget Engagement: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Oct 2023)

Rose Conway-Walsh: I believe all our guest speakers have referred to housing. I would like to ask Mr. O'Brien about the restraining impact that housing is having on business and on the labour force. What is his opinion on how housing was not dealt with in the budget? Does he believe that some of the initiatives that have been referred to will address any of the problems with regard to housing supply?

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Post-Budget Engagement: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Oct 2023)

Rose Conway-Walsh: I want to ask Mr. Reidy a question. He has referred to the tax breaks for landlords as being frankly bizarre, which is quite a strong statement. He has spoken about the inflationary impact of the help-to-buy scheme. The argument that would be put forward for the help-to-buy scheme is that it has helped thousands of people to buy homes. How many people has it prevented from buying homes,...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Post-Budget Engagement: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Oct 2023)

Rose Conway-Walsh: I believe the emigration has already started. I come from Belmullet in County Mayo. In the local football club, we counted ten players who have gone to Australia in recent months. That is just from one small football club. When we started to count the wider area, it was quite shocking. This is not because people cannot find a job, but because people cannot find a house or somewhere to...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Post-Budget Engagement: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Oct 2023)

Rose Conway-Walsh: I thank the Cathaoirleach.

Health Service Funding: Motion [Private Members] (24 Oct 2023)

Rose Conway-Walsh: There are more than 880,000 patients on hospital waiting lists. Records are being broken every year for the number of patients left on trolleys. Average waiting times in some emergency departments have reached over 27 hours. Some 9,000 people every month leave emergency departments without even being seen. These figures do not do justice to the hardship and turmoil this has caused...

Finance (No. 2) Bill 2023: Second Stage (24 Oct 2023)

Rose Conway-Walsh: I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Finance (No. 2) Bill, which will give effect to the tax measures of budget 2024. It is important to set the budget in terms of the commentary. I was really struck by Social Justice Ireland's analysis that from April 2024 onwards, the gains accruing to welfare-dependent households as a result of this budget will fall by between 35% and 46%. These...