Results 24,841-24,860 of 33,392 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Aer Lingus Sale (6 Apr 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The acquisition of Aer Lingus by IAG, in 2015, resulted in a receipt of some €335m by the Exchequer for the Government's shareholding in the company.  These funds were used to establish a Connectivity Fund, to support commercial projects that enhance connectivity both within and for the State, including physical, virtual and energy connectivity.  The Connectivity Fund was...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Capital Expenditure Programme (6 Apr 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: Estimates 2017 contained an allocation of Gross Voted Capital Expenditure of €4.5bn.  This represents an increase of almost €500m on the outturn for 2016.  The increased capital allocation for each Vote Group comparing the 2017 allocation to the provisional outturn for 2016 is set out in the following table.  Ministerial Vote Group Increase in...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Consultancy Contracts Data (6 Apr 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: In response to the Deputy's question, the following table outlines the total amount spent on external consultant reports commissioned by my Department since 2011.  My Department only uses external consultants where essential and the contracts are negotiated with a view to achieving best value for money.  When external consultants are used, the staff in my Department ensure that...

Brexit: Statements (Resumed) (5 Apr 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: "Each time great events and crises sunder the closed horizon of waiting, sweeping away the boredom, they thereby disturb the illusion of a future in which the main features were thought to be fixed but this ought not to surprise us because reality is fundamentally unpredictable." Those words were written by an adviser to a former President of the European Commission prior to Brexit and...

Brexit: Statements (Resumed) (5 Apr 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The track record of successive Governments from many parties, excluding the Deputy's party, has been to play a leadership role successfully in dealing with the challenges in the North and to try to create an environment in which the peace process can prosper. It is such a pity that the spirit and tone we hear from Sinn Féin in the North regarding the role the Government is playing in...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Civil Service Remuneration (5 Apr 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: Under Section 5(1) of the Payment of Wages Act, 1991, "an employer shall not make a deduction from the wages of an employee (or receive any payment from an employee) unless - (a) the deduction (or payment) is required or authorised to be made by virtue of any statute or any instrument made under statute. (b) the deduction (or payment) is required or authorised to be made by...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Consultancy Contracts Data (5 Apr 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: In response to the Deputy's question, none of the bodies under the aegis of my Department have hired a private investigation firm over the past five years.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Brexit Issues (5 Apr 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 262 and 263 together. Brexit issues in my Department are coordinated centrally by the Department's Brexit/EU/North South Unit. The Unit oversees Brexit work across the Department and acts as the contact point with the Department of the Taoiseach and other Government Departments. It is represented on the Inter-Departmental Group on Brexit and related...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (5 Apr 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: Posts in the Irish Civil Service are generally open to suitably qualified candidates who are nationals of an EU Member State, including Ireland, or the European Economic Area (EEA).  Such individuals have the right under the EU Treaties to reside and take up employment in any EEA Member State.  Non-EEA citizens do not benefit from these rights and do not...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Bodies Expenditure (5 Apr 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: There are robust and well established transparent financial reporting requirements across Government Departments and Offices which also apply to An Garda Síochána.  The accounting rules, principles and procedures for Government Departments and Offices are set out in Public Financial Procedures and relevant Circulars issued by the Department of Public Expenditure and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Capital Expenditure Programme (4 Apr 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The Capital Plan, published in 2015, set out a six year framework for substantial infrastructural investment in Ireland out to 2021. Total state backed investment under the Plan amounted to €42 billion over the period. The substantial progress made in securing sustained economic growth and the further strengthening of the public finances has enabled the Government to commit an...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Remit (4 Apr 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The Freedom of Information Act 2014 extended the remit of the legislation to a further 70 public bodies, bringing the overall total to some 600 bodies comprehended by the Act. The Act provides a very broad definition of public bodies at Section 6(1) and further provides that all new public bodies comprehended by this definition will automatically come under freedom of information (FOI)...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Information (4 Apr 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: In response to the Deputy's question, my Department has not received any requests for material to be made available in braille format in each of the years 2014 to 2016.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions (4 Apr 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I refer the Deputy to my reply to Parliamentary Question no. 2701/17 on 24 January 2017.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Office of Government Procurement (4 Apr 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 420 and 421 together. Procurement is a key element of the Government's Reform agenda. Given the volume of spending, in the order of €12bn per annum on goods, services and works, it is essential that a strategic approach is adopted and value for money is achieved. The Office of Government Procurement (OGP) was established to drive the reform...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Legal Cases Data (4 Apr 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: I am advised that there has been one ex-parte application relating to the OGP as part of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform but no other cases. No costs have been incurred in relation to this matter. The Commissioners of Public Works were involved in two cases predating the establishment of the OGP which the OGP, as the successor organisation with responsibility for those...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Capital Expenditure Programme (4 Apr 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: As part of the review of the Capital Plan, which is currently in train, my Department wrote to all Departments in January inviting submissions, to include, inter alia, proposals for reprioritisation within existing allocations to reflect developments or changes in priorities since the Plan was published in 2015 and any new proposals to utilise the additional...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Regulation of Lobbying (4 Apr 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: Section 2 of The Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015 provides for a review of the operation of the Act and for a report of the findings resulting from the review and of the conclusions drawn from those findings to be made. The purpose of this review is to evaluate if the legislation has met its objectives of providing appropriate transparency on "who is lobbying whom about what"; drawing on...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Legislation (30 Mar 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The Freedom of Information Act 2014 extended the remit of the legislation to a further 70 public bodies, bringing the overall total to some 600 bodies comprehended by the Act.  The Act provides a very broad definition of public bodies at Section 6(1) and further provides that all new public bodies comprehended by this definition will automatically come under freedom of information...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Community Employment Schemes Supervisors (30 Mar 2017)

Paschal Donohoe: The High Level Forum recently  reconvened under a new Chair and arrangements have been made for this body to meet again at an early date. The issue of pensions for Community Employment Supervisors and Assistant Supervisors whose employment status is that of private sector employees is being deliberated on between the parties involved in the Forum.