Results 2,221-2,240 of 32,527 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Funding (29 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has not allocated any funding or made any payments to RTE. The following is the position regarding the advertising budget spend by my Department and the bodies under the aegis of my Department in each of the past ten years. Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform Year Total...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Brexit Supports (28 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: The European Union’s Brexit Adjustment Reserve (BAR) is a unique regulation established specifically to provide for Brexit. It provides support to counter the adverse economic, social, territorial and, environmental consequences of the withdrawal of the UK from the European Union. The regulation is clear that in order to be eligible for BAR funding, the expenditure must fall within...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Climate Change Policy (28 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: The total figure of €1.9 billion was identified in a staff paper published by my Department in February 2023, entitled ‘A Review of Fossil Fuel Subsidies and other Potentially Climate Harmful Supports’. This represents the first step in fulfilling the Climate Action Plan commitment to develop and apply definitions to identify and track government spending that may be...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: State Bodies (28 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: Information on the allocation of voted expenditure is published each December in the Revised Estimates for Public Services, also known as the REV. This details the funding allocated to each Vote by programme and subhead. The REV also contains expenditure information on Non-Commercial State Agencies (NCSAs). The Summary Table Exchequer Expenditure of Non Commercial State Agencies printed in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Spending Code (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I am 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, I informed the Government of a package of significant actions aimed at enhancing project delivery for the national development plan, NDP. This package represented a fresh approach to securing...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Spending Code (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: Any process that reduces the number of steps that need to be taken and decreases the number of projects that need to go through a more thorough and broader evaluation process, which we have done by increasing the threshold from €100 million to €200 million, is going to help with speed. I anticipate that the improvements for projects overall in how much time will be saved by...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Construction Industry (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Deputy. That is exactly what is under way at the moment. The value of a procurement framework is it provides an overall framework within which public bodies should have consistent standards for being able to procure services or goods and it is of help in making procurement processes work more efficiently. For that reason, we are now looking at the roll-out, as I said a moment...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Construction Industry (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I will certainly think about it. I appreciate the point the Deputy is making that we should have a target for the number of homes delivered via modern methods of construction. I can definitely see the logic of that. The only thing is, I would not want to agree to any further targets that make the delivery of our overall housing targets even more complex than it already is. Where we agree...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Construction Industry (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: My Department has continued to work closely with the construction sector through the construction sector group, CSG, to improve productivity and delivery capacity. The CSG provides a useful forum for engagement with the sector on these issues. The Building Innovation report published by my Department has identified a range of actions to drive innovation in the sector. There are 43...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: This refers to our focus on the transition to a lower-carbon and climate-resilient society. The next decade is critical in order to address the climate crisis and this is a core part of the national development plan. In terms of the figures in the plan, through the period out to 2030 an additional €5 billion of the expected €9.5 billion in carbon tax receipts will be...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: One thing that is for certain is that the Deputy and I will not be in bed by 11 p.m., given the questions we are dealing with here. The night rate is but a dream for us. The Minister of State, Deputy Smyth, has just informed me that there is good news in terms of the roll-out of smart meters as the figure is now up to 1.5 million meters. I understand there is every prospect that we will...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: The Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy Harris, has a green skills programme under way to help ensure we have the best chance of getting people available to deliver our retrofitting programme. I have an update in respect of where we are with our overall apprenticeship programme. As regards construction, we now have 8,286 total apprenticeship...

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

Paschal Donohoe: As I said, if the Deputy has particular projects that he believes are not being progressed because we do not have a broad strategy in place for them, I am sure he will let me know about them. When I engage with the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, and their officials, I have a sense of their huge commitment to this area and to trying to make a...

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

Paschal Donohoe: I am aware of some of the issues involved. My Department is engaging with the Department of Justice and other Departments on the matter. We are going to commence a consultative process with stakeholders to see if there is a way in which we can streamline the process involved in accessing the pension and dealing with some related issues. I cannot give the Deputy a commitment or guarantee...

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

Paschal Donohoe: With respect, the issue Deputy Ó Murchú has raised is completely different from the question I am dealing with at the moment. Deputy Murnane O’Connor is asking me about prison officers whereas Deputy Ó Murchú is asking me about the Defence Forces. I am happy to revert to Deputy Ó Murchú on his issue at some point, but they are different matters.

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

Paschal Donohoe: The question submitted by Deputy Murnane O’Connor refers to an issue that has a particular relevance for a certain group of prison officers and how they are accessing their pensions. We are aware of the issue and we are examining it. If she gives me the specifics of the cases she described, I will feed them into the process. The Minister, Deputy Harris, has also raised the issue with me.

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

Paschal Donohoe: I will indeed. It has just occurred to me that, in the Deputy’s other question on the national development plan, he put to me a specific point about a cycleway or greenway and I did not revert to him. If he gives me details in the context of the discussions I am having with the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, on transport funding, I will raise the matter with him. I meant...

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

Paschal Donohoe: NSO 7 of the national development plan relates to enhancing amenities and heritage. It recognises that our cultural heritage is as an essential component, not only in our response to the profound climate challenge we are facing, but also in how we make our cities, towns and villages the kinds of environment we want communities to live and prosper in. There are ongoing investments in the...

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...