Results 23,141-23,160 of 32,961 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

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

Paschal Donohoe: The Deputy has turned that possibility into a decision.

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

Paschal Donohoe: I am sorry, I did not hear that part of the Deputy's statement. I said that we will have to deal with that later in the year. However, the overall level of underspend is where the resources will be to deal with this matter. If we have said that the cost of delivering clean water and maintaining that infrastructure in the country will be paid out of general Government expenditure and the...

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

Paschal Donohoe: Yes, there would have been.

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

Paschal Donohoe: What I will say is-----

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

Paschal Donohoe: I was about to answer the question before the Deputy interrupted. If the Deputy lets me answer each question he puts to me I will be happy to answer further questions after that. Yes, we see underspends each year at this point in the year. I will be happy to give an analysis of how this year compares with previous years. However, the gross figure I referred to for the level of underspend...

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

Paschal Donohoe: It is definitely the case that as we move through the year the gap between actual expenditure and profile begins to change, but the magnitude of the figure at present gives me confidence that we can deal with refunding in the way I have outlined.

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

Paschal Donohoe: I have already issued a directive to Government Departments telling them to stick with the plans we drew up at budget time when we agreed a set of policy initiatives for each Department. Some of those policy initiatives are now happening later in the year and others are not costing as much as was expected. That is delivering the figure. I am not planning at this point to deliver a...

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

Paschal Donohoe: I will provide that information. I want to make a point about sensible budgeting. If we had done something when we were putting together the budget which indicated that the deliberations on water charges would have a particular outcome, we would have been accused of predetermining the work being done by the Oireachtas. I am now responding to the decision that was made by the Oireachtas in...

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

Paschal Donohoe: I know the Deputy is familiar with it but I felt that given the line of questioning it was worth highlighting.

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

Paschal Donohoe: The matter will be dealt with promptly this year. It depends on what one means by a number of weeks. I understand that the Taoiseach and the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, want to deal with this issue as soon as possible and I will facilitate that.

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

Paschal Donohoe: I was aware of that-----

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

Paschal Donohoe: No, I was aware that the Taoiseach and the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, wanted to deal with this matter in the context of this year. As I said in the summer economic statement this was a decision that would be made later on in the year, and that is what is happening.

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

Paschal Donohoe: Is that in terms of where that funding is available from or in terms of the fact that we are going to spend it?

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

Paschal Donohoe: I have been updating Cabinet continually on where we are in expenditure profiles, so Cabinet has always been aware of this. I flagged to Cabinet in the context of the summer economic statement that there is an underspend equal to that amount and clearly that would offer options for how we deal with the issue in relation to water charges.

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

Paschal Donohoe: I indicated that because of the quantum of underspend that is there it does offer the ability to deal with the water charging issue.

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

Paschal Donohoe: My expectation for the Department of Health is that its expenditure at this point in the year will come in on profile. The information I have available at the moment regarding how health will perform indicates that for this year it will deliver its profiled expenditure. In terms of whether any other Department has flagged an overspend risk to me, I have already referenced – it has...

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

Paschal Donohoe: I want to conclude that point because I was answering a question.

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

Paschal Donohoe: We cannot do both.

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

Paschal Donohoe: It is the right of the committee to put these issues forward and it is my right, as a member of Government, to outline my view on these matters, which is what I am doing. Is the budgetary process robust? The answer to that question is "yes". I am struck by the things which are not coming up in the questions put to me as I make the point that we will deliver our deficit targets for the...

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

Paschal Donohoe: The full report on ISIF will be with me in the next couple of weeks as it is nearly done. I would expect to be in a position to review it and make decisions by early September. On capital expenditure, I have outlined my decision on the allocation of funding from the rainy day fund but I have also flagged, to the committee and the Oireachtas, that we will not increase capital expenditure to...