Results 24,741-24,760 of 32,924 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Private Partnerships (26 Jan 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The only one missing an opportunity here is Sinn Féin by the Deputy's not taking the opportunity to listen to the answer I gave. I made very clear that the capital spending review will consider the options, benefits and costs that such PPPs offer. Many projects have already been built but because they were pursued under the PPP model, there are payments the State will have to honour in...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Expenditure Reviews (26 Jan 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: Preliminary work began on this at official level at the start of this year. I will be bringing to Cabinet in the next two weeks papers and proposals further laying out the process and the manner in which I aim to deliver this work. This review will systematically examine the costs of existing policies to identify scope for funding of new initiatives from existing resources. This...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Expenditure Reviews (26 Jan 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: Yes, all Departments will participate. We have selected, at official level, specific subheads within each Department that are equivalent to approximately one-third of the expenditure under which this approach will be used, setting out the objectives for those expenditure subheads and using cost-benefit analysis and other economic techniques to determine whether they are delivering the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Pay (26 Jan 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The requisite funding in respect of the recent Government decision for an additional payment to public servants with annualised salaries of up to €65,000, as provided for under section 6 of the Lansdowne Road agreement, will be met from available public resources, taking into account the scope for the reallocation of expenditure while ensuring that core public...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Pay (26 Jan 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I will begin with the matter on which the Deputy concluded. I will not comment on the details of the two individual cases that were agreed overnight. However, I want to be very clear to the House that the Government will vigorously defend our case regarding consultant contracts over the coming period. As we move into the period of defending our case in this regard, the Department of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Pay (26 Jan 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I have been very clear about what we will do in this regard. I have commented on two individual cases that reached agreement over the past 24 hours, but my comments refer to those cases that are to come, of which there are a significant number. The Government will make very clear that we will robustly defend our views regarding consultant contracts, which date back to 2009. This is an...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Private Partnerships (26 Jan 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: As I announced in my speech on budget day last year, this spending review will be carried out in advance of budget 2018. The economic and political landscape in Ireland has changed very considerably since this work was last done in 2014. There are now increasing and competing public service demands across a period in which expenditure growth is planned at a moderate pace. The approach...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts (26 Jan 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: Public Procurement is governed by the EU Treaty, EU Directives, Regulations and national guidelines. These set down rules whereby contracting authorities must award contracts under procedures designed to achieve value for public money in an open, transparent and non discriminatory competitive process.  The appropriateness of including sustainability clauses in public procurement...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (26 Jan 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The 10% reductions in starting pay for certain new entrants were introduced by the then Government in January 2011 as part of the National Recovery Plan in order to reduce the Public Service Pay Bill. Terms and conditions of employment for public servants are also set by reference to legislation including the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Acts and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Construction Contracts (26 Jan 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: Modern manufacturing involves a significant supply chain contributing to a single product.  The construction industry is no different in this regard and the procurement of a construction project assumes a significant element of subcontracting.  The award of a main contract on the basis of direct employees would indirectly impose conditions on the construction sector that do not...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (26 Jan 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The issue  referred to by the Deputy arises in the context of an anomaly created by Labour Court recommendations CD/16/321 and CD/16/322 of 3 November 2016 which made payment awards exclusively in respect of members of the Garda Representative Associations and Garda Sergeants and Inspectors. In acknowledgement of this anomaly and within the relevant provisions of the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Brexit Issues (26 Jan 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: While the specific impact of Brexit will be determined by the nature of the new relationship between the EU and the UK, I am confident that the economy is resilient and that appropriate fiscal policies are now in place.  My objective is to protect and consolidate the progress of recent years which has seen economic growth become more firmly established, and the public finances...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts (26 Jan 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: Public Procurement is governed by EU and National rules. The aim of these rules is to promote an open, competitive and non-discriminatory public procurement regime which delivers best value for money. The EU Procurement Directives, transposed into Irish law in May 2016, are intended to make it easier for SMEs to tender for public procurement contracts.  Specific measures...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Service Pay Commission (26 Jan 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy is no doubt aware, in October of last year I appointed the following members of the Public Service Pay Commission: - Mr. Kevin Duffy (Chair) - Ms Marian Corcoran - Mr Ultan Courtney - Ms Ruth Curran - Mr Noel Dowling - Dr Seán Lyons - Mr Peter McLoone These individuals bring a wealth of industrial relations and economic experience. Following Labour Court Recommendations...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts (26 Jan 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The provision of public library services, including the procurement of books, is a matter for each local authority in its capacity as a library authority under the Local Government Act 2001. Local Authorities are under the remit of the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government and as such my Department has no role in these matters. I am...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Programme for Government Implementation (26 Jan 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The Revised Estimates Volume (REV) 2017 outlines Gross Voted Expenditure for 2017 of €58,072 million. The increase in the 2017 Estimate over the 2016 Estimate, including Supplementary Estimates, is €1.7 billion or 3.1 per cent. The Mid-Year Expenditure Report, published in July 2016, set out the pre-Budget Ministerial expenditure ceilings that reflected certain...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Regulation of Lobbying (26 Jan 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The Government Reform programme was undertaken to facilitate more open, transparent, responsible and responsive public governance. A very substantial programme of legislative reforms has been delivered including the Ombudsman (amendment) Act 2012, the Oireachtas (Inquiries Privileges and Procedures) Act 2013, the Protected Disclosures Act 2014, the Freedom of Information Act 2014, the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts Social Clauses (26 Jan 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: Whilst the primary focus of public procurement reform has been on achieving value for money and encouraging SME access to procurement opportunities, the Government is also keen to explore to scope for supporting wider policy objectives including social and environmental clauses in public contracts. Social clauses can be used where they are targeted at factoring into...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions (26 Jan 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: An individual who pays Class B PRSI is an established civil servant appointed before 6th April 1995.  As a Class B PRSI contributor he/she pays modified PRSI, he/she does not make the appropriate PRSI contributions towards a contributory state pension (CSP).  Therefore such a person will not be entitled to a Social Welfare pension in respect of his/her Civil Service...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Semi-State Bodies (26 Jan 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: Terms and conditions of employees of commercial state bodies (other than the Chief Exective Officer) are generally a matter for the body concerned and I have no direct input in relation to those terms and condition. 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 by...