Results 201-220 of 9,090 for speaker:Jack Chambers

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Civil Service (13 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: The blended working policy framework encourages all individual Civil Service organisations to carry out regular reviews of their own blended working policies in consultation with all stakeholders, including employee representative groups at a local level. The current blended working policy framework for the Civil Service organisations recognises as well that employers require flexibility at...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Development Plan (13 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: The previous Government committed to €165 billion in capital investment through the national development plan, published in 2021. As a percentage of national income, annual capital investment is now among the largest in the EU. In 2025, €15 billion will fund vital infrastructure in areas such as housing, transport, education, enterprise, sport and climate action. An additional...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Functions (13 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: First, we will review the national development plan to identify a new ambition and focus on overall delivery. What we have set out previously, for example, in regard to the state aid case concerning Apple, is that the strategic priorities of our economy are housing, water, energy and transport infrastructure. The other pillar is health digitalisation. That has been a missed opportunity for...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Programme for Government (13 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: I acknowledge the contribution many section 39 workers make in disability, health and social care organisations across our country. As the Deputy will know, there is an industrial relations process in that regard. This is being co-ordinated by the Department of children and disability, which has many section 39 workers under its direct remit. My own Department is engaged with the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Functions (13 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: I propose to take Questions Nos. 70 and 77 together. The programme for Government sets out the clear ambition to prioritise the delivery of transformative, critical and growth-enhancing infrastructure over the next five years by delivering projects as early as possible and within budget. Extra emphasis has been given to my Department through the placing of a real focus on infrastructure...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Functions (13 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: We are scoping out the overall staffing needs of the division but, to be clear, the overall intention and policy focus in the establishment of this division is not to shallow out or undermine the expertise or delivery systems we have within existing Departments. This is very much to complement and enhance delivery systems, to focus on barriers to delivery and to progress the overall reforms...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Cost of Living Issues (13 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: The Social Democrats say they are opposed to energy credits, so it is interesting. A lot of the measures we introduced last year were targeted, like the living alone allowance and the qualified child increment lump sum and the working family payment. Some of the progressive measures I introduced with the additional tax credits, for example, were very much targeted at many vulnerable people...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Programme for Government (13 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: I thank the Deputy. The programme for Government states that this Government will undertake a programme of workforce planning to identify the optimal staffing model within the public sector to meet the needs of our changing demographics. In considering the approach to this, I will have regard to the responsibilities of other Ministers in relation to relevant issues such as recruitment in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Programme for Government (13 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: I can revert to the Deputy on the specific background to the figures and I am happy to do that. On the overall point, as our demographics change and our population grows, we want to make sure - similar to the Deputy's party - we have increased numbers of people working in the public service and that it is in a place where people want to join it and it is an attractive place to work. That is...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Legislative Measures (13 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: The legislation that is currently progressing through the Oireachtas is distinct and different from the specific constitutional questions that are the subject of the two judicial review cases before the High Court. They are being fully defended by the Attorney General. The practice and procedure over many decades has been the attendance at Cabinet of Ministers of State. The...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Cost of Living Issues (13 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: The inflationary shock which started in 2022 was the most significant episode of inflation experienced in Ireland since the mid-1980s. Aware of the challenges that inflation posed for households and businesses, Government provided a series of temporary and permanent cost-of-living packages. The purpose of the supports was to ameliorate the exceptionally high energy bills that were a result...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Cost of Living Issues (13 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: As stated, we will have a planned approach to this in the context of 2026. In every budget, we publish a distributional analysis. There is a consideration of well-being. A whole range of indices are published by the Departments of Finance and public expenditure. We have committed ourselves to progressive budgeting over the next number of years. We are also committing ourselves to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Cost of Living Issues (13 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: The Deputy is taking a very negative stance on cuts. Thankfully, we are in a position whereby we are running a budgetary surplus. We will be in a position by means of budget 2026, the summer economic statement and the medium-term fiscal plan to provide additional supports, but through a more regular budgetary process. That means an envelope and support when it comes to the social...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Legislative Measures (13 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: I thank the Deputy. We had an extensive discussion on this yesterday evening. The purpose of the Ministers and Secretaries and Ministerial, Parliamentary, Judicial and Court Offices (Amendment) Bill 2025 is to give effect to the decision by Government to increase the maximum number of Ministers of State from 20 to 23. This number has remained unchanged for the past 18 years, since 2007,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Legislative Measures (13 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: The Attorney General provides all of the legal advice to the Government and is leading the defence of the specific cases raised by the Deputy. The Government is defending the particular cases so that matter will evolve in the courts. As I said yesterday, we can consider a number of other jurisdictions, such as Finland, where there are 19 Ministries, with a minister or secretary of state...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Functions (13 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: As Minister for public expenditure, I am responsible for setting the overall capital allocations across Departments and for monitoring monthly expenditure at departmental level. Responsibility for the management and delivery of individual investment projects or sectoral policy strategies, within the allocations agreed under the national development plan, NDP, rests with the individual...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Functions (13 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: From my previous role as Minister of State for the Gaeltacht, I am aware of the absolute need for infrastructure development to unlock economic development in the Gaeltacht region in the context of jobs, etc. I am aware of the difficulties that have been experienced by many residents as a result of the recent storm and, indeed, other storms during the winter period. There has been...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Functions (13 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: I thank the Deputy. As already stated, the Minister, Deputy Calleary, is engaging directly in respect of communications infrastructure and on the need to ensure greater resilience in our communications networks. That is something that is being pursued. Similarly, when it comes to our energy infrastructure, the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, is directly engaging with the semi-State agencies and...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries and Ministerial, Parliamentary, Judicial and Court Offices (Amendment) Bill 2025: Second Stage (13 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: I thank the Cathaoirleach. I congratulate him on his election as Chair. I credit all the Senators: all the newly elected Senators and those back in situ. I wish everyone the best over the next few months and years. The purpose of this Bill is to give effect to the decision by Government to increase from 20 to 23 the maximum number of Ministers of State. As the Seanad will be aware, the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Health Services Staff (13 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: As health sector employees, Medical Scientists fall under the remit of the HSE and Department of Health. As Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, under section 22 of the Health Act of 2004, my consent must be sought in relation to the terms and conditions of employment, including terms and conditions relating to remuneration and...