Results 20,881-20,900 of 32,864 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Brexit Issues (18 Jan 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: On the availability of funds, only last weekend I saw advertising from Enterprise Ireland encouraging SMEs to access the Agile Innovation fund. This fund is designed to support SMEs make the necessary changes to get ready for Brexit. I emphasise that the responsibility for making those changes sits first with those who run and own these companies. We will do as much as we can but I am...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Brexit Issues (18 Jan 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I was just trying to maintain eye contact with the Deputy but I will look up at the sky in the future.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Brexit Issues (18 Jan 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: In terms of the Deputy's observations, if we were not advertising the funding, he would accuse us of not doing anything and of not making potential customers aware of a fund we have set up. Therefore, we did that. On helping people access funds, Enterprise Ireland is trying to make it as simple and as clear as possible for people to access the funding. I am aware that there are...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Pay (18 Jan 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: The Public Service Stability Agreement 2018-2020 provided that an examination of remaining salary scale issues in respect of post-January 2011 recruits at entry levels would be undertaken within 12 months of the commencement of the agreement. Additionally, as the Deputy is aware, he proposed, and this Government accepted, an amendment to section 11 of the Public Service Pay and Pensions Act...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Bullying in the Workplace (18 Jan 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: In my Department responsibility for this issue lies within the human resources section which works closely with the public service reform unit of my Department. On whether there is consistent implementation of the policy across the Civil Service, I am satisfied that it is applied. It is a matter I have reviewed with staff in my Department and we believe the policy is applied broadly and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Bullying in the Workplace (18 Jan 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: No part of the Civil Service or any semi-State body has been identified to me as having a higher incidence than the average figure or the norm. Any case that is proved does not reflect well on our work in ensuring there is dignity in the workplace. As I said, one case is one too many. My Department and I want to ensure anybody who comes to work in the Civil Service or elsewhere is treated...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Private Partnerships (18 Jan 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: Public private partnerships are subject to the same robust and rigorous project appraisal process as traditionally procured projects.  In ensuring that Departments obtain the best value for money from public capital investment, PPPs, just like traditionally procured projects, are subject to the requirements contained in the public spending code. The public...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Private Partnerships (18 Jan 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: The answer to the Deputy's question varies by project. I believe private financing can play an important role in allowing important public projects to go ahead. The example I would give to the Deputy is the recent loan made by the European Investment Bank to allow us to move ahead with the new national children's hospital which is under construction. We have public private partnerships all...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Private Partnerships (18 Jan 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: Public private partnerships have served us well in delivering many projects, either more cost-effectively than we would have been able to do them in the past, or indeed projects that we would not have been able to make happen at all in the past. I believe private financing and the role of public private partnerships generally in the future will continue to be of great help to us in making...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Bullying in the Workplace (18 Jan 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: The Civil Service is committed to protecting dignity and respect across all organisations.  The current policy for dealing with complaints of bullying or harassment is, as the Deputy has said, Dignity at Work, which was revised and published in 2015. The policy aims to promote respect, dignity, safety and equality in the workplace.  My Department developed the policy in conjunction...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme Review (18 Jan 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: As we have discussed on a number of occasions, the capital review was published on 14 September last year and all Members of the Oireachtas received a copy of it. To recap, the review of the plan highlighted some important themes, which will closely inform and be incorporated into the analysis leading to the finalisation of a new ten-year plan. These themes include confirmation of the role...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme Review (18 Jan 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: With regard to the timeline, the key framework for all of this is the national planning framework. Public consultation on the national planning framework finished in recent weeks. An additional number of submissions were received by the Minister, Deputy Murphy, which he is now considering. When that work is done it will allow me to conclude where we are with our ten-year capital plan. ...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme Review (18 Jan 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: The Minister for Health has submitted a view regarding the total number of beds needed in the coming period. He has put forth his views on many costs in respect of the health service, which include beds but also deal with our position from the perspective of primary care centres and our needs - for example, how we fund a new national maternity hospital. I have an array of different health...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Infrastructure and Capital Investment Programme (18 Jan 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy will be aware the allocations for both current and capital expenditure in any given year are set out in the Revised Estimates Volume.  The allocations are discussed by the relevant committee before they are brought back to the Dáil for vote.  I have arranged for the gross and net capital allocations for 2017 to be set out for the Deputy in...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Infrastructure and Capital Investment Programme (18 Jan 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy will be aware the Government is strongly committed to increasing public funding for capital investment in appropriate regional infrastructure across Ireland over the next four years and beyond in order to meet key requirements in areas such as, for example, housing, transport, broadband, education, health and flood defences. As I announced in Budget...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Tribunals of Inquiry Data (18 Jan 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: In March 2017 the Department of Justice and Equality wrote to my Department seeking sanction for two retired members of An Garda Síochána and one civilian to support the work of the Disclosures Tribunal. It was the view of the Department of Justice and Equality that these resources were required to support the timely completion of the work of the Tribunal and also to minimise...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: School Staff (18 Jan 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: The Deputy will appreciate that the determination of the allocation of teachers is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, in the first instance. However, based on information provided to my Department by the Department of Education and Skills, I am informed that there is not a teacher shortage but rather a shortage of teachers in some...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (18 Jan 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy is aware the unwinding of the emergency FEMPI legislation commenced with the Lansdowne Road Agreement 2016-2018 and will be completed under the Public Service Stability Agreement 2018 -2020.  The actual pay increases to be carried out are set out in both agreements and the underpinning legislation. The Deputy will recall being a member of the Government that signed the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Expenditure Reviews (18 Jan 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: Given the differing purposes and functions of public bodies, each will have its own particular perspective on what constitutes cost-benefit.  In addition, since each Department and agency is a specific legal entity, with its own governance structure and responsibilities, it is therefore the responsibility of that department or agency to undertake a cost benefit analysis in regard to...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Services Card (18 Jan 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: The Public Services Card (PSC), and its online counterpart MyGovID, is the Government’s standard personal identity verification scheme, and it is core to delivering valuable public services to the people who need them in a secure and efficient manner.  The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection is the lead implementation body for the production of the Public...