Results 23,081-23,100 of 32,864 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement: Discussion. (20 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: We are engaged in discussions with the EIB on a whole range of different options. The issue on which there is most engagement is the agriculture scheme this year which the Deputy referred to. It was a really interesting initiative, led by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and his Department, which sought to deal with the issues which farmers are facing as a result of pricing...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement: Discussion. (20 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: Yes, it would be a medium-term forecast that would begin to take effect from 2019 onwards because, at that point, the negotiations will have to be well concluded, one way or the other. We have not factored a very bad resolution of those negotiations into our gross forecasts. We have factored in a hard Brexit of some kind happening. This has suggested a loss of 0.75% gross, which is a very...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement: Discussion. (20 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: This is my third committee appearance in approximately two weeks. I have been before all the members in different committee formats during the past fortnight. I appear before committees regularly. I was asked to come in and speak about the summer economic statement, which I have done. I have been committed in respect of the mid-year expenditure report to the publication of CSR papers, and...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement: Discussion. (20 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I am happy to stay here and I will stay here. I do not want to be discourteous to any colleague. I have never acted in that way. I thought an hour or an hour and a half would be enough to deal with matters that members want to raise. I will stay here and I will come back again. I am happy to come back again to the committee. I cannot do it today for other reasons; in other words, I...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement: Discussion. (20 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: Absolutely.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement: Discussion. (20 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I flagged this in advance but I will stay because I know people travelled journeys to come to this meeting. This is an Oireachtas committee and I do not want to leave here with any member feeling that I am being discourteous.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement: Discussion. (20 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: Yes, I do.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement: Discussion. (20 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I will deal with the Deputy's questions in the order in which he raised them. With regard to public pay, I understand that it will become clear by the middle of September if the second Lansdowne Road agreement is ratified by the public services committee of ICTU. Given that a number of unions oppose it at present, I will not assume that it will be passed. That would be disrespectful to the...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement: Discussion. (20 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I know. There are many commitments in the programme for Government and I have to work with my government colleagues to try to deliver as many of them as possible. That is what we will be doing. On education and skills, it is a fair criticism of what we have been doing of late. Over the past number of years, we have said that we must account for demographics, but what are the figures for...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement: Discussion. (20 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: Okay.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement: Discussion. (20 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The second Tuesday in October, which is 11 October.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement: Discussion. (20 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: We have received correspondence on that from the Department of Health, rather than the HSE, and on all the other budgetary needs for next year. The Department is flagging issues relating to how we look after our elderly as part of that.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement: Discussion. (20 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: If the answer to that question was "Yes", I would have to say that it will not deliver its expenditure ceiling for this year. I have said already that with the information that is currently available I expect the Department of Health will be inside or on its expenditure ceiling. If that were to change for any reason, and I do not wish it to change and do not believe it will, I would have to...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement: Discussion. (20 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: Yes.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement: Discussion. (20 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: That is why I said the second Tuesday.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement: Discussion. (20 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I have just been reminded that that is subject to Government decision, but it has been the second Tuesday in the past and I expect it to be the second Tuesday again.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement: Discussion. (20 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: As to whether the abolition of water charging will have an effect on future capital expenditure on water, the Oireachtas committee report on this matter - I cannot remember the exact wording - acknowledged that Irish Water would move onto the balance sheet of the Government and that we should look to prioritise and-----

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement: Discussion. (20 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: That Irish Water is now on the balance sheet of the Government and will be funded out of general taxation means that funding for water infrastructure will have to meet the same criteria and needs as apply when I evaluate whether we will put money into housing or education. That is what funding it out of general taxation looks like.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement: Discussion. (20 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: My point still stands.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement: Discussion. (20 Jul 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: To use the phrase yet again, if the Deputy wants it to be paid for out of general taxation, as most of it will be, and funded directly by the State, which will now happen as a result of the decision made by the Oireachtas, the consequences to which I referred will now happen. We have to make choices about how we are going to do this. I am going to stay within the resolution passed by the...