Results 2,101-2,120 of 10,569 for speaker:Patrick O'Donovan

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Flood Risk Management (11 May 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: Absolutely.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Flood Risk Management (11 May 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: On the last point, and going back to Deputy Conway-Walsh's remarks about the public spending code and delivery of capital projects, this is an example of it. We are not the tendering authority here. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan is absolutely right that there is a huge amount of misinformation here. I would love to know exactly what delay the Government has put in place to prevent this...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Flood Risk Management (11 May 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: I would be delighted to hear it. We are not the contracting authority, in case it escaped the Deputy's knowledge. It is a matter for Cork City Council. In the first instance, Cork City Council's tendering process collapsed because a tenderer had to withdraw. I do not know if the Deputy would advocate for having no tendering process. Maybe he wants a cheque to be written to whoever is the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Home Care Packages (11 May 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: As the Deputy is aware, it is not appropriate for a Minister, in the context of existing commercial discussions, tendering processes or anything of that nature, to discuss them on the floor of the Dáil. As I said earlier, the HSE has proposed a further extension of the contract arrangements to Friday, 30 June which is its prerogative as the lead agency on this. As I said at the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Home Care Packages (11 May 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: As already stated, as a former Minister of State in the Department of Health, the Deputy will appreciate that it would not be appropriate for the Minister of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery, and Reform or for a Minister of State in his Department, in the middle of contractual discussions relating to the continuation or extension of contracts, the hiring of additional...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Spending Code (11 May 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: I thank the Deputy for her question. The Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery, and Reform, and the Department are responsible for the public spending code which sets the value-for-money requirements and guidance for evaluating, planning and managing Exchequer-funded capital projects. In March this year, the Minister informed the Government of a package of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Spending Code (11 May 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: To go back to the earlier question posed by the Deputy in relation to my responsibilities, for the Office of Public Works, OPW, which is a capital-led body, the changes to the public spending code that have been announced could not come fast enough. I am sure that if I asked the school buildings unit in the Department of Education or other bodies, they would agree, purely on the basis of the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Budget Process (11 May 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: In the context of the provision of the budgetary climate and infrastructure for 2024, the Deputy will be aware that the summer economic statement will shortly be addressed by the Ministers, Deputies Donohoe and McGrath, and that will take place in July, most likely. Over the coming months, in advance of that, the Minister will further consider other budgetary positions, in collaboration with...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Budget Process (11 May 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: It is important to point out also that the total amount of Government expenditure for the year is in excess of €91 billion, a not insignificant significant amount of money. Notwithstanding the difficulties that are there, I think everybody accepts from history, particularly in this country, that when governments try to chase inflation, it winds up in an inflationary spiral and...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Home Care Packages (11 May 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: I thank the Deputy, on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, for raising this very important issue. The Government is committed to promoting care in the community for older people so they can continue to live in their own homes for as long as possible. Home support is an increasingly important part of the supports the Government offers to older people and will continue to increase in...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: EU Funding (11 May 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: On top of the metrics I have already outlined, their rationale and the fact there is a per capitadouble payment in the region versus the other two regions, the region also received significant funding from other Departments, including that specifically set up to deal with this issue, which is the Department of Rural and Community Development. Some examples of recent allocations in the region...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Flood Risk Management (11 May 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: This is in my area of responsibility and I am glad to be able to answer it. The Office of Public Works, OPW, as the lead agency for flood risk management, is co-ordinating the delivery of measures towards meeting the Government’s national flood risk policy across three areas of flood risk management, which takes the potential impacts of climate change into account under the headings...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Flood Risk Management (11 May 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: I thank Deputy Conway-Walsh. I have been in Crossmolina on a couple of occasions. I thank Deputy Conway-Walsh for the support associated with this. She is conscious of the fact that Mayo County Council is the applicant to the planning authority and, under the Arterial Drainage Act, the Minister is the consenting authority. We cannot predetermine the outcome of a planning process which...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Flood Risk Management (11 May 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: I do not disagree with Deputy Conway-Walsh. If we had a magic bullet to circumvent the regulations we must go through, we certainly would be using it. Many towns, villages and cities such as Galway are under constant threat. When people are living under a psychological threat such as this, it causes a lot of mental trauma. It is not for the want of energy and enthusiasm from our point of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Budget Process (11 May 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: As I said to Deputy Conway-Walsh earlier, the Minister, Deputy Donohoe. is out of the country and I will take all of the questions. A 5% growth rate for core expenditure was set out in the 2021 summer economic statement as part of our medium-term expenditure strategy. This strategy aims to align core voted expenditure growth with the trend growth rate of the economy as measured by GNI*....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: EU Funding (11 May 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: I thank Deputy Conway-Walsh. I apologise for the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, who is overseas. The total resources available at Union level for ERDF were determined as part of the overall negotiations of the multi-annual financial framework for the period from 2021 to 2027. The resources allocated to each member state were based on the amounts calculated for each of the individual regions by...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: EU Funding (11 May 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: I thank the Deputy. As I said at the outset, the metrics are set out by parameters from places other than the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. I will finish where I was with regard to PEACEPLUS. The northern and western region is also able to avail of other supports. The new EU co-financed PEACEPLUS programme for 2021 to 2027 will invest...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pensions Reform (11 May 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 15 and 31 together. Auto-Enrolment is a Programme For Government commitment and a key priority for Minister Humphreys and the Government. In March 2022, Government approved the design of AE and implementation of the AE system is underway. Under AE, employees will have access to a workplace retirement savings scheme, co-funded by their employer and the State....

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Heritage Sites (11 May 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: The conservation and protection of An Blascaod Mór continues to be of great importance to the OPW.  Visitor access to the island has resumed since April 2023, and a guide service is available on the island every day that boats can safely depart from Dun Chaoin pier. OPW reached an agreement with a local landowner to provide toilet facilities for visitors for the 2023...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Monuments (11 May 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: The statutory role of the OPW in relation to the conservation and protection of National Monuments in State care is defined under relevant National Monuments Acts 1930 – 2004.   While the primary focus is clearly on the conservation of National Monuments, the Office of Public Works holds as a central part of its mission in respect of National Monuments in their care that they...