Results 24,961-24,980 of 32,924 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Service Pay Commission Establishment (24 Nov 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I have no plans to review the terms of reference. As to SIPTU's role, parties to the Lansdowne Road agreement were required to have the opportunity to consult and give their views on the pay commission, which took up a fair bit of the summer period. I do not know whether Mr. O'Connor is aware of it; I will not comment on that. Everybody was given an opportunity to give their input into the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Lansdowne Road Agreement (24 Nov 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I have met the public services committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions on one occasion since the issuing of the Labour Court recommendation. My officials have been in contact with the representatives and met them on at least two occasions since. With regard to the discussions, the representatives have made two key points publicly. They have said they want the kinds of benefit that...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Lansdowne Road Agreement (24 Nov 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: What was the Deputy's first question?

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Lansdowne Road Agreement (24 Nov 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: All of the discussions to date have been on processes concerning the future of the Lansdowne Road agreement. I am not in a position to give the Deputy a cost or a proposal ICTU might make to me in the future. Overall, the cost of any adjustment to the Lansdowne Road agreement per month is between €25 million and €35 million. On the Deputy's questions about An Garda...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Pay (24 Nov 2016)

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 FEMPI Acts, and through negotiation and agreement under collective agreements such...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Pay (24 Nov 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I take seriously what unions state about matters. Let me quote a union leader who spoke about this matter:Teachers are feeling they are being taken for granted, that their goodwill is being exploited and that in the face of ever increasing workloads they are holding together a system which is underfunded and under-resourced. None of this is being recognised. This was said by the INTO's...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Lansdowne Road Agreement (24 Nov 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: The Lansdowne Road agreement is a collective agreement between the Government and public service employers with the public services committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and other associations representing public servants. The agreement provides for a sustainable adjustment of the existing measures under the financial emergency measures legislation. The terms of the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (24 Nov 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: This Government  strongly supports the Lansdowne Road Agreement as the centrepiece of public service pay policy which provides a negotiated pathway for the phased unwinding of FEMPI pay measures as they apply to existing public servants. The recent Labour Court's recommendations on Garda pay were explicitly made within the framework provided by the Lansdowne...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (24 Nov 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9, 34 and 36 together. In the context of the Labour Court Recommendations on Garda pay, and the potential wider implications for the Lansdowne Road Agreement, I met with representatives from ICTU on the 7th of November to listen to their views and inform considerations on these matters by Government. Senior officials within my...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (24 Nov 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: The 10% reductions in starting pay for certain new entrants were introduced in January 2011 as part of the National Recovery Plan in order to reduce the Public Service Pay Bill by the then Government. The issue of addressing the difference in incremental salary scales between those public servants, who entered public service employment since 2011 and those who entered...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (24 Nov 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: In relation to the unwinding of Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (FEMPI) measures for low earners, the Deputy will be aware that the application of the FEMPI pay reductions were extremely progressive, with pay reductions ranging from 5% at lower pay levels to 29% at higher pay levels.  Again the measures applied under the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Capital Expenditure Programme (24 Nov 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: The Capital Plan published last year set out a six year framework for infrastructural investment in Ireland. The scale and profile of the Exchequer component of the Plan was developed with reference to the Government's medium term economic growth forecasts and assessment of Ireland's fiscal targets at the time.   Since then, the current Government...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Regulations (24 Nov 2016)

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.  In addition to achieving value for money, the Government is also keen to explore...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Equality Proofing of Budgets (24 Nov 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: The Programme for Government commits to developing a process of budget and policy proofing as a means of advancing equality, reducing poverty and strengthening economic and social rights, ensuring that institutional arrangements are in place to support equality and gender proofing.  Cabinet procedures require a range of impacts to be considered in every...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (24 Nov 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 19, 30 and 31 together. The Government remains committed to the Lansdowne Road Agreement (LRA) as the Collective Agreement in place with the Public Services Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) and other associations representing public servants. The Agreement provides for sustainable pay increases through adjustment of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (24 Nov 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy is aware I am obliged under the legislation to undertake an Annual Review of the operation and effectiveness of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Acts (FEMPI) which is laid before the Oireachtas by the end of June each year. In my last review of the necessity for the continuing application of the measures provided for under the Acts,...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Teachers' Remuneration (24 Nov 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: It is the position that parties represented on the Teachers Conciliation Council (TCC) including officials of my Department are currently in discussion with the Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland on a range of matters of mutual concern.  A number of meetings have already taken place under the TCC and further meetings are planned. The proceedings of the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Open Government Partnership (24 Nov 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: There are a number of internationally recognised standards that may be relevant to particular organisations in particular sectors.  The role of my Department in encouraging good Governance does not extend to prescribing standards which may be of a technical nature or require a level of expertise in application that is particular to specific sectors. My Department encourages the adoption...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure Policy (24 Nov 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: Public expenditure has been managed in line with key fiscal targets over the last number of years. To ensure that these targets are met, managing the delivery of public services within budgetary allocations is a key responsibility of each Minister and their Department.  The drawdown of funds from the Exchequer is monitored against the published expenditure profiles.  In...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (24 Nov 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I am very open to and accountable to the Oireachtas through keeping Deputies informed by responses to Parliamentary Questions, engagement with Parliamentary Committees, and engaging with Deputies on specific issues through the reformed Budgetary processess - including on the Summer Economic Statement, Mid Year Expenditure Report and through the National Economic...