Results 25,261-25,280 of 32,961 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Education Funding (19 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: As I stated in the Dáil in my speech on the Estimates 2017, the Government are very conscious of the importance of the higher education sector and the vital role it plays in our society and economy.  We are also conscious of the pressing need to ensure a more sustainable, long-term funding model for the entire Higher and Further Education sector. To that end, I announced...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Regulations (19 Oct 2016)

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 New EU Directives on Procurement are intended to make it easier for businesses and SMEs to tender for public sector procurement contracts.  Specific measures aimed at...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts Social Clauses (19 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: In addition to 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 the procurement process consideration of issues such as employment...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure Policy (19 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: Budget 2017 introduced a package of measures which will increase gross voted expenditure by €1.9bn in 2017 to a total of €58 billion.   As outlined by the Minister of Finance in his Statement to the House on Budget 2017, this is consistent with an expenditure to tax ratio of greater than 3:1 in favour of investment in public services. This exceeds the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Labour Employer Economic Forum (19 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: The inaugural meeting of the Labour Employer Economic Forum (LEEF) on the 5th of October was chaired by An Taoiseach and attended by the sponsoring Ministers of Public Expenditure and Reform, Finance and Jobs Enterprise and Innovation with representatives of employers and trade unions. The aim of the LEEF is to provide a forum to discuss areas of shared concern affecting the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions (19 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: The public service operates a Spouses' and Children's Contributory Pension Scheme.  This provides benefits to Spouses or Children of deceased members. In summary, when a member dies after retirement, a spouse's pension of one-half of the former member's pension is payable.  Dependent children are also entitled to a child's pension of one-third of the spouse's pension for each of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure Policy (19 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 105 to 109, inclusive, and 111 to 114, inclusive, together. Reviewing voted expenditure for the current year, gross voted expenditure of €39,836 million to end-September was €439 million (1.1%) below profile, with gross voted current expenditure €364 million (1.0%) below profile and gross voted capital expenditure €76...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Operations (19 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: The Moratorium on Public Service Recruitment and Promotion was removed by the previous Government in 2015, and there has been considerable recruitment across many areas of the Public Service since then.  In 2015, Public Service numbers increased by just over 8,500, and up to mid-point this year numbers have increased by a further 4,000.  Also since 2015, Government...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Inniúlacht sa Ghaeilge sa Státseirbhís (18 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: Mar is eol don Teachta Dála, sa bhliain 2014, cheadaigh an Rialtas cur chuige nua chun tacú le cumas Gaeilge sa státseirbhís. Faoin gcur chuige nua seo tá bearta chuireadh i bhfeidhm chun deireadh a chuir leis an bpolasaí maidir le marcanna bónais a bhronnadh as inniúlacht Ghaeilge in earcaíocht agus i gcomórtais d'arduithe céime sa...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Brexit Issues (18 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy will appreciate, the decision of the UK to leave the EU will have significant implications for EU-funded cross-border programmes where one Member State is leaving the EU and the other is remaining.  Nevertheless, the Irish Government remains firmly committed to the full implementation of the two programmes. A key issue is the basis on which Letters of Offer can issue to...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Budgets (18 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy is aware, managing the delivery of public services within Budgetary allocations is a key responsibility of each Minister and their Department, and measures are in place to help ensure that these budgetary targets continue to be met. My Department is in regular communication with all Departments and Offices to ensure that expenditure is being managed within the overall...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions (18 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: The pensions of Prison Officers (and public servants generally) appointed on or after 6 April 1995, are integrated with the State pension.  For such officers the pension consists of: an occupational pension, which takes into account the State pension, and which is currently paid by the Payroll Shared Services Centre, and a State pension payable by the Department of Social Protection. ...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Community Employment Schemes Supervisors (18 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: The issue of pension entitlements for Community Employment Scheme Supervisors and Assistant Supervisors was the subject of a Labour Court recommendation in 2008. The position is that although the employing bodies concerned are mainly funded by public expenditure programmes, the State does not have any role as an employer in this sector and the employees of such bodies are not...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff Recruitment (18 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: The Public Appointments Service (PAS) on behalf of the Top Level Appointments Committee (TLAC) are currently running an open competition to fill the post of Assistant Secretary (Head of Remuneration, Pensions & Industrial Relations) within the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. The post was advertised on the Public Appointment Service website on Friday, 26thAugust 2016 and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Community Employment Schemes Supervisors (18 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: The issue of pension entitlements for Community Employment Scheme Supervisors and Assistant Supervisors was the subject of a Labour Court recommendation in 2008. The position is that although the employing bodies concerned are mainly funded by public expenditure programmes, the State does not have any role as an employer in this sector and the employees of such bodies are not...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (18 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: The recruitment and appointment of Recruit Prison Officer is in accordance with the conditions of service attached to direct entry grades which excludes incremental credit for previous public service employment.  It is however the position that Prison Administration & Support Staff who are appointed to the Recruit Prison Officer grade will attract a...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Community Employment Schemes Supervisors (18 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: The issue of pension entitlements for Community Employment Scheme Supervisors and Assistant Supervisors was the subject of a Labour Court recommendation in 2008. The position is that although the employing bodies concerned are mainly funded by public expenditure programmes, the State does not have any role as an employer in this sector and the employees of such bodies are not...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Lansdowne Road Agreement (18 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: The Haddington Road Agreement, underpinned by the FEMPI 2013 Act, brought in pay cuts for public servants earning €65,000 and over. Under the Lansdowne Road Agreement (and the FEMPI Act 2015), pay restoration for those public servants on annualised remuneration up to €110,000 will be in two equal phases, with the first phase due to take place on 1 April 2017 and the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Budget 2017 (18 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 370 and 371 together. In the context of preparing the Estimates for Budget 2017, officials in my Department would have engaged intensively with officials from other Government Departments, Offices and public bodies. Departmental officials would also have attended certain bilateral meetings where I met Ministers with responsibility for other...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Reform Implementation (18 Oct 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I have in place in my Department in Government Accounting Unit robust and well-established arrangements for responding to the recommendations of the Comptroller and Auditor General which have cross-public service implications. As the Deputy will be aware, when the Comptroller and Auditor General makes a recommendation relating to a Government Department or body under the...