Results 2,481-2,500 of 9,106 for speaker:Jim O'Callaghan

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Aviation Industry (18 Jan 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: 243. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality whether airlines can be required to provide to the Garda national immigration bureau evidence of the travel documentation relied on by passengers when embarking an airline bound for Ireland. [2135/24]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Capital Supply Service and Purpose Report Bill 2023: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: I welcome the witnesses and commend Deputy Shanahan on going to the effort of drafting this legislation. It is not easy to draft legislation when one is on one’s own and without the benefit of a Department. Is the Bill’s purpose to put a statutory obligation on a Minister to ensure that he or she annually publishes a capital supply service and purpose report setting out...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Capital Supply Service and Purpose Report Bill 2023: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: If anyone wishes to answer, please do.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Capital Supply Service and Purpose Report Bill 2023: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: Is it not?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Capital Supply Service and Purpose Report Bill 2023: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: Let us use an example, although we will not pick any current project. Let us say that the Government makes a decision based on a recommendation of the Minister for Health to build a new hospital. If Deputy Shanahan’s Bill is enacted, how will that project be covered in practical terms? A decision is made to invest money in getting architectural reports and planning information....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Capital Supply Service and Purpose Report Bill 2023: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: In my example, a hospital is recommended, agreed to by the Government and built. Under this legislation, will it be five years after the hospital is completed that information will become publicly available?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Capital Supply Service and Purpose Report Bill 2023: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: Where ongoing projects are concerned, we would not see their capital expenditure on a rolling basis. We would wait until the projects were completed, at which point we would get all of the information.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Capital Supply Service and Purpose Report Bill 2023: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: Transparency in and of itself and citizens being able to see how their money is spent are beneficial, but what other practical benefit would derive from having this scheme in place whereby the world at large could see information on the capital project? Would it increase efficiency?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Capital Supply Service and Purpose Report Bill 2023: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: Would the contractors be identified in this report or just the amounts of money being spent?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Capital Supply Service and Purpose Report Bill 2023: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: Does Dr. Griffin think there would be any benefit in identifying the contractors or does he think there would be problems if they could be identified?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Capital Supply Service and Purpose Report Bill 2023: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: That is all very helpful. I do not know if anyone else has anything to contribute to any of the questions I asked.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Capital Supply Service and Purpose Report Bill 2023: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: One would be able to identify how much money the State had invested in capital projects by each county or region.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Capital Supply Service and Purpose Report Bill 2023: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: Is there any way of identifying at present where money is being spent regionally? I suppose parliamentarians can table PQs or you can submit freedom of information requests, but you have to go through a process.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Capital Supply Service and Purpose Report Bill 2023: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: Does Ms Henry want to come in?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Capital Supply Service and Purpose Report Bill 2023: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: While I welcome that it will bring more transparency, it is probably already possible for people to identify moneys that are being spent on capital projects, although they would have to undertake a detailed process of investigation to do so. When the Minister spoke to the Deputy in the Dáil, the Minister discussed the Project Ireland 2040 capital investment tracker, but the Deputy wants...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East (17 Jan 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: 26. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade whether enquiries will be made to assist the journalists and their families (details supplied) and who are currently stuck in Gaza and attempting to get out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56733/23]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Licences (17 Jan 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: 294. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport whether on renewing an individual's drivers licence online the requirement to have a public services card in order to activate MyGovID will be reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1752/24]

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Support Services (17 Jan 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: 453. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of Local Enterprise Office supported jobs in each county at the end of 2023, in tabular from; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1870/24]

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Data (17 Jan 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: 451. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of IDA-supported jobs in each county at the end of 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1868/24]