Results 25,561-25,580 of 32,924 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Other Questions: Public Sector Pay (6 Jul 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 31, 36 to 38, inclusive, 49, 51 and 52 together. For the majority of public servants, the difference in incremental salary scales between those public servants who entered public service employment since 2011 and those who entered before that date was addressed with the relevant union interests under the provisions of the Haddington Road agreement. There are,...

Other Questions: Public Sector Pay (6 Jul 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: In respect of Deputy Durkan's question about how we can engage with unions outside the Lansdowne Road agreement, the Minister for Education and Skills and his Department have carried out significant work to gain the TUI's agreement to enter the Lansdowne Road agreement. The Minister has made very clear, as have I, that we will engage with unions who are outside the Lansdowne Road agreement...

Other Questions: Government Expenditure (6 Jul 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I am not missing any point. I welcome that the Deputy has at least acknowledged that we are planning to increase capital expenditure. Four to five billion euro is not a small amount of money. It is an increase of 18% on the €27 billion already provided for additional schools and hospitals, to maintain the roads we have constructed and to provide new transport projects where...

Other Questions: UK Referendum on EU Membership (6 Jul 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: As I indicated earlier in response to another question, my Department is represented on the interdepartmental group on EU-UK relations which was convened by the Taoiseach in advance of the UK referendum on EU membership. Therefore, my Department contributed to the risk assessment conducted by the Department of the Taoiseach in advance of the referendum. This was included in the Department's...

Other Questions: UK Referendum on EU Membership (6 Jul 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: We had a discussion on this point at the plenary session of the North-South Minister Council which took place earlier in the week. I will meet with Deputy Doherty's colleague in the Northern Ireland Executive, the Minister for Finance, tomorrow to discuss this issue. The INTERREG and PEACE programmes provide co-funding for infrastructure projects in this country, including across the...

Other Questions: UK Referendum on EU Membership (6 Jul 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I cannot help but wonder whether this is the European Union that Sinn Féin during all of its existence has campaigned against.

Other Questions: UK Referendum on EU Membership (6 Jul 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: The Sinn Féin party campaigned for a "No" vote on the Lisbon and Nice treaties.

Other Questions: UK Referendum on EU Membership (6 Jul 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: Deputy Doherty's colleague, a Sinn Féin MEP, recently said that the economic and fiscal policies of the European Union had had catastrophic affects on the lives of many of its citizens.

Other Questions: UK Referendum on EU Membership (6 Jul 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: This is the same European Union from which Deputy Doherty was lamenting, and was correct to lament, the exit of the United Kingdom. Deputy Doherty and his colleagues have campaigned against the European Union and the treaties of the EU for many decades. As I stated, the European Union has made a big contribution to the kind of projects that we all care about.

Other Questions: UK Referendum on EU Membership (6 Jul 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: What we are now hearing from Deputy Doherty is a change of view on the European Union. As already stated, I am meeting the Northern Ireland Minister for Finance tomorrow in recognition of the uncertainty that has been generated by the UK's decision to exit the European Union. I welcome hearing Deputy Pearse Doherty acknowledge the benefits of the EU after he and his party have spent decades...

Other Questions: Government Expenditure (6 Jul 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: The additional capital expenditure that the Minister for Finance and myself announced is precisely in recognition of the additional investment needs our economy has. The figures we outlined in the summer economic statement were very clear. We indicated that €5 billion worth of additional funding would be made available for capital investment, which is €1 billion more than we...

Other Questions: Government Expenditure (6 Jul 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I have outlined to the Deputy that the percentage of our national income that is absorbed through capital investment is going to increase. It will increase because of the Government's decision that any additional resources that become available will go into capital investment. The Deputy makes a point regarding total Government expenditure as a percentage of national income and what will...

Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Expenditure (6 Jul 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: The Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Coveney, is preparing an action plan on housing, to be published shortly, which will consider the scope for using off-balance sheet mechanisms which would not impact on overall deficit targets, to supplement direct Exchequer expenditure. Since the budget of 2015, the Government, under the auspices of a group led by the...

Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Expenditure (6 Jul 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I said there were no additional mechanisms, so there are off-balance sheet mechanisms that are being used at the moment or that have been considered in the past. They are being looked at again. To answer the question the Deputy put to me, I do not believe there are any new further models that have not been considered and which are available to the State to deal with this issue. I believe...

Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Expenditure (6 Jul 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: This is being urgently looked at. The Deputy asked me what the off-balance sheet models are. He will be aware of two of them: the approved housing bodies and the so-called NARPS models, which are a special purpose vehicle of NAMA. Those are the two main models being used to provide off-balance sheet funding. As I said to the Deputy a moment ago, I do not believe that there are any new...

Other Questions: Public Sector Pay (6 Jul 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank Deputy Shortall for her questions. In response to her first question on whether I am aware of the potential for legal action, of course it is always open to any group within society to challenge any piece of legislation introduced by the State. Deputy Shortall put a direct question to me, asking whether I am acting in a manner consistent with the legal advice I have received. The...

Other Questions: Public Sector Pay (6 Jul 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I do not want that to happen. On the third point, I am aware of people whom we want to work in the public service who are going abroad.

Other Questions: Public Sector Pay (6 Jul 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I want them to be able to stay at home.

Other Questions: Public Sector Pay (6 Jul 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: Nobody is being blackguarded by this Government. As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I dealt with some of the Luas issues. I have dealt with many industrial relations matters. I have always recognised the right of people to be outside collective agreements and their democratic right to ballot on any agreement that is put to them. It is for union members to make a decision on...

Other Questions: Public Sector Pay (6 Jul 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: What is cynical is putting words in my mouth that I never said. I never said that anybody who voted for the Lansdowne Road agreement was voting for FEMPI.