Results 2,141-2,160 of 32,429 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Development Plan (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I take the Deputy's point. If I look at the projects that are under way in different parts of our country, for example, the greenways we have developed and some of the projects I mentioned, it appears to me that we have a sharp focus on how we can invest in either amenities or sporting facilities to create the kind of atmosphere described by the Deputy. If he has particular projects in mind...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Development Plan (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: As I explained in dealing with the more general questions earlier in this session, it is the responsibility of individual Ministers regarding particular capital projects for which they are responsible. It is also the case at the moment that the Department of Transport in the latest Exchequer returns that we published for May was pointing to a capital underspend. The Minister and his...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Development Plan (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: There was an underspend last year. I can come back to the Deputy with the figure; I do not have it now. His question referred to particular projects rather than the overall budget. I can get that information for the Deputy and I will make sure he gets it tomorrow. As for projects being abandoned, there is no budgetary reason that I am aware of for projects of a certain level to which...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Pension Provisions (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy may be aware, I have overall policy responsibility in respect of public service occupational pension schemes payable to retired public servants. For all new entrants to the public service on or after 6 April 1995 and before 1 January 2013, pension payment comprises three components: a public service occupational pension payable by the public service employer; social...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Sector Staff (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: The other side of the coin is that we have never had more people in work than we have now and we have never had a bigger public service. As I said a few moments ago, our public service has grown by over one quarter. In health, we have more than 20,000 more full-time equivalents working in the health service than we had before the pandemic. The sheer growth and our successful efforts to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Sector Staff (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I fully appreciate the importance of the points that the Deputy is making. The difficulties we have retaining staff can impact on the care we look to make available to citizens and particularly to our very youngest and oldest. However, I would still make the point that overall we have a public service that is a lot bigger than it was a few years ago. That points to the success we have in...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Development Plan (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy has asked me such a concise question I will endeavour to give her a concise answer. The work is being carried out by the ESRI which is in the final stages of its completion. I hope to have its paper evaluating our national development plan well in advance of budget 2024.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Development Plan (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: Yes, it will be published. I have not seen the report and it is being done independently but I am sure it will refer to the commitments that we have under climate legislation but given that it covers the entire national development plan and has to cover all the spending under many different Government areas, it will not be solely focused on that.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Development Plan (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I am certain that the massive civilisational challenge that we face with regard to climate will feature in what the ESRI has done but it was asked to do this work by the Government earlier in the year with a view to providing an input to decisions that we will make in the NDP within this year. The Deputy made a point about the lack of transformative projects. I would contend that the work...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Development Plan (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: The following figures for 2023 are in the public domain and I have no doubt that they have prompted the Deputy's question. At the end of May, the cumulative net capital expenditure for the Department of Transport was €2.343 billion which was 19.1% behind the profile of €2.89 billion. The Department of Transport has a capital underspend versus where it was a year ago. It is...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: The Government has committed to €165 billion in capital investment through the national development plan, NDP, published in 2021. As a percentage of national income, annual capital investment is now among the largest in the European Union. In 2023, almost €12 billion will fund vital infrastructure in areas such as housing, transport, education, enterprise, sport and climate...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: It is not the role of my Department to be providing engineers or surveyors in regard to infrastructure projects.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I thought the Deputy asked if we had that available.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I am answering the question, whether it be on the matter of expertise or the personnel themselves. If we had those people, I would then face questions on duplication, given such expertise exists in the National Transport Authority, NTA, and bodies that are delivering large-scale transport infrastructure projects for the State. The role of my Department is an economic one. Our role is to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: Yes, the expertise is there. However, I emphasise again that it is our role to provide economic expertise and economic sanction for decisions. The Department is organised by Vote teams, and the Vote teams oversee and engage with each individual Department in huge detail. The engagement we have with them is in regard to what their spending plans are in general and, when appropriate, their...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Sector Staff (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: Between 2015 and 2022, the estimated number of workers within our public sector increased by almost one fourth, from 302,000 to 377,311. According to the latest data available, by the end of 2022, public service numbers had increased by 3.1% over the numbers at the end of 2021. The public service is a good employer and continues to offer competitive pay and other terms and conditions to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Expenditure Policy (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: In line with public financial procedures and public procurement guidelines, it is the responsibility of all public bodies to ensure that they have effective financial management, public procurement and risk management processes in place. This applies to all areas of public spending, including in respect of consulting contracts. The Office of Government Procurement, OGP, in my Department...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Expenditure Policy (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: Regarding what the Government is doing on the matter, I ask the Deputy to allow me to elaborate further on the general issue of how we protect sensitive information from not only the relationships that we have with consulting companies but, more generally, the overall procurement processes that we have with those who do work on behalf of the State. This is laid out in a number of different...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Expenditure Policy (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: As I made clear, this matter is dealt with by each Department in a way that is consistent with the clear legal framework that I outlined. I have no doubt that the consulting arrangements and the relationship the Department of Finance has with consultants will be consistent with the framework that I have just referred to here in the Dáil. If Department of Finance officials had any...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I have watched it all. I am sure Deputy Boyd Barrett has too.