Results 24,661-24,680 of 32,924 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Allowances Payments (14 Feb 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 312 and 313 together. The issue in question has been referred to my Department for consideration and this process remains to be concluded.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (14 Feb 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: Public Servants on annualised salaries of up to €65,000, who are parties to the Lansdowne Road Agreement, and who do not stand to benefit from the Labour Court Recommendations (CD/16/321 & CD/16/322) issued in respect of the Garda Associations, will have their annualised salaries increased by €1,000 from 1 April 2017 to 31 August 2017. This will benefit approximately...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions (14 Feb 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: Under EU Regulation (EU) 549/2013, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) will be required to report on the gross accrued public service pension liabilities of Irish public servants as part of the National Accounts. Reporting is mandatory, commencing with an end 2015 position for reporting in 2017. The assumptions underpinning the required report are prescribed under the EU Regulation. ...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Regulations (14 Feb 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: Procurement reform is a key element of the Government's overall reform programme and is aimed at delivering increased value for money, more accurate and timely data and improvement in the capacity and capability of the procurement function across the public service.  The fragmented procurement arrangements across the public service which existed prior to this facilitated amongst...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Superannuation Schemes (14 Feb 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The particular issue in question includes community and employment supervisors and assistant supervisors who have been seeking, through their union representatives, the allocation of Exchequer funding to implement a Labour Court recommendation relating to the provision of a pension scheme dating back to 2008. The Community Sector High Level Forum (or Working Group) (previously the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Cyber Security Policy (14 Feb 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: My Department implements a multi-layered approach to cyber security and to protecting ICT systems, infrastructures, and services.  The threat landscape is constantly evolving and significant effort is expended to continually enhance and strengthen ICT security to mitigate against emerging threats, risks, vulnerabilities and cybersecurity issues. In addition to deploying...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions (14 Feb 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: There is no specific provision in the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012 which established the Single Pension Scheme, to provide for the purchase or transfer of additional pension benefits by Single Scheme members. Notwithstanding this, a commitment has been given that a purchase and transfer facility would be provided by way of Regulations under the Single...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Brexit Issues (14 Feb 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The Capital Plan "Building on Recovery", sets out a €42 billion framework to address our priority infrastructure needs up to 2021. This plan is being reviewed to ensure that capital spending is strictly aligned with national economic and social priorities, consistent with Programme for Partnership Government objectives.  This includes...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pension Provisions (14 Feb 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: Terms and conditions of employees of commercial state bodies (otherthan the Chief Executive Officer) are generally a matter for the body concerned and I have no direct input in relation to those terms and conditions. However, in relation to public servants generally, including those in non-commercial state bodies, the Deputy may be aware that an Interdepartmental Working Group, chaired...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Implications for Good Friday Agreement of UK Referendum Result (Resumed): Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (9 Feb 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Cathaoirleach and the committee for the opportunity to appear before it. I am very pleased to be here to discuss, as the Chairman indicated, the implications of Brexit for the Good Friday Agreement. I will be focusing my remarks mainly on an area that I know is of interest to the committee, which is the status of European Union funding for Northern Ireland, how I see it at the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Implications for Good Friday Agreement of UK Referendum Result (Resumed): Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (9 Feb 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Deputies and the Senator for their questions. I will begin with the question from Deputy Breathnach. There is no vacuum. We have an agreement in place now to see the honouring of the programmes up to 2020. I will outline some of the detail for INTERREG. A total of 24 letters of offer have issued to projects. A total of 16 letters of offer for the PEACE programme have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Implications for Good Friday Agreement of UK Referendum Result (Resumed): Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (9 Feb 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: It is about ensuring that a funding source is in place. It has also been agreed that the programmes and projects will continue to be subject to EU regulations. Reference was made to Horizon 2020 and Science Foundation Ireland. The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Mitchell O'Connor, is responsible for this area, in particular for Horizon 2020 funding. This is another...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Implications for Good Friday Agreement of UK Referendum Result (Resumed): Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (9 Feb 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: Is Senator Craughwell referring to the ruling of the UK Supreme Court?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Implications for Good Friday Agreement of UK Referendum Result (Resumed): Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (9 Feb 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: We have not really done so. Legal advice may have been sought and perhaps it may have been shared with the Taoiseach and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. I am not aware of that, but I can check. Senator Craughwell is raising an issue relating to a British political decision being implemented by the British Government that will be overseen by the UK courts. The issue of legal...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Implications for Good Friday Agreement of UK Referendum Result (Resumed): Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (9 Feb 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Implications for Good Friday Agreement of UK Referendum Result (Resumed): Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (9 Feb 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The common theme of what Deputy Brendan Smith, Senator Mark Daly and Mr. Pat Doherty, MP, have said is that we need to be careful not to overestimate the knowledge that other European parliaments might have about Ireland. I could not agree more. Furthermore, I cannot see why we should think that they have a very high stock of knowledge in that regard. The Dutch parliament is preoccupied...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Implications for Good Friday Agreement of UK Referendum Result (Resumed): Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (9 Feb 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank Deputy O'Dowd and Senators Feighan and Black for their questions and comments. With regard to Deputy O'Dowd's comments about the potential nature or level of any tariffs, the discussion and negotiation has not commenced yet. If we look at how long it took to reach agreement in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, TTIP, negotiations, or the nature of the agreement...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Implications for Good Friday Agreement of UK Referendum Result (Resumed): Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (9 Feb 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: That comment can be applied to all countries. People must know the difference between friends, interests and allies. Allies change but we are clear on where we stand.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Implications for Good Friday Agreement of UK Referendum Result (Resumed): Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (9 Feb 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Chairman.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Superannuation Schemes (9 Feb 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: Membership of the Revised Civil Service Spouses and Childrens' Superannuation Scheme has been compulsory for all new entrant Civil Servants since 1984. The benefits of the Revised scheme compared to the Original scheme are that post-retirement spouses are now encompassed by the scheme and post-retirement children, including those born outside of marraige who weren't...