Results 25,781-25,800 of 32,961 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 11 (Department of Public Expenditure and Reform) (Revised)
Vote 12 (Superannuation and Retired Allowances) (Revised)
Vote 14 (State Laboratory) (Revised)
Vote 15 (Secret Service) (Revised)
Vote 17 (Public Appointments Service) (Revised)
Vote 18 (Shared Services) (Revised)
Vote 19 (Office of the Ombudsman) (Revised)
Vote 39 (Office of Government Procurement) (Revised) (22 Jun 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: What subhead is that under?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 11 (Department of Public Expenditure and Reform) (Revised)
Vote 12 (Superannuation and Retired Allowances) (Revised)
Vote 14 (State Laboratory) (Revised)
Vote 15 (Secret Service) (Revised)
Vote 17 (Public Appointments Service) (Revised)
Vote 18 (Shared Services) (Revised)
Vote 19 (Office of the Ombudsman) (Revised)
Vote 39 (Office of Government Procurement) (Revised) (22 Jun 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: This relates to the enactment of the Protected Disclosures Act 2014. It refers to making sure we have the funding in place to make sure the Act is implemented. One of the things it is used for is supporting and training staff who may receive such disclosures and also informing people within organisations of their rights and entitlements under the Protected Disclosures Act.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 11 (Department of Public Expenditure and Reform) (Revised)
Vote 12 (Superannuation and Retired Allowances) (Revised)
Vote 14 (State Laboratory) (Revised)
Vote 15 (Secret Service) (Revised)
Vote 17 (Public Appointments Service) (Revised)
Vote 18 (Shared Services) (Revised)
Vote 19 (Office of the Ombudsman) (Revised)
Vote 39 (Office of Government Procurement) (Revised) (22 Jun 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: Yes. I will give the Chairman an example of what we have at the moment. We are already funding a free helpline and an advice line service which is provided by an independent law centre under the auspices of Transparency International Ireland. This is all about working with people who might have an interest in making an act of disclosure, to tell them how they can do it and being confident...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 11 (Department of Public Expenditure and Reform) (Revised)
Vote 12 (Superannuation and Retired Allowances) (Revised)
Vote 14 (State Laboratory) (Revised)
Vote 15 (Secret Service) (Revised)
Vote 17 (Public Appointments Service) (Revised)
Vote 18 (Shared Services) (Revised)
Vote 19 (Office of the Ombudsman) (Revised)
Vote 39 (Office of Government Procurement) (Revised) (22 Jun 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: Yes.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 11 (Department of Public Expenditure and Reform) (Revised)
Vote 12 (Superannuation and Retired Allowances) (Revised)
Vote 14 (State Laboratory) (Revised)
Vote 15 (Secret Service) (Revised)
Vote 17 (Public Appointments Service) (Revised)
Vote 18 (Shared Services) (Revised)
Vote 19 (Office of the Ombudsman) (Revised)
Vote 39 (Office of Government Procurement) (Revised) (22 Jun 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: Yes. This is a new allocation. It is a new funding line for 2016. I am satisfied with it and alongside that it is something I have to be ever vigilant on. My experience of these matters is that one cannot always assume the culture is in place. It is something that has to be worked on year after year. The moment one thinks that we have culturally gotten to the right place on these...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 11 (Department of Public Expenditure and Reform) (Revised)
Vote 12 (Superannuation and Retired Allowances) (Revised)
Vote 14 (State Laboratory) (Revised)
Vote 15 (Secret Service) (Revised)
Vote 17 (Public Appointments Service) (Revised)
Vote 18 (Shared Services) (Revised)
Vote 19 (Office of the Ombudsman) (Revised)
Vote 39 (Office of Government Procurement) (Revised) (22 Jun 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: There was an unexpected increase in the number of samples submitted to the coroner's office to date, which led to a backlog. There was also a delay in potential prosecution oil samples for the Revenue Commissioners, which were carried into 2016 from last year due to a large increase in sample numbers. As the State Laboratory has been operating with a staff deficit in the laboratory analyst...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 11 (Department of Public Expenditure and Reform) (Revised)
Vote 12 (Superannuation and Retired Allowances) (Revised)
Vote 14 (State Laboratory) (Revised)
Vote 15 (Secret Service) (Revised)
Vote 17 (Public Appointments Service) (Revised)
Vote 18 (Shared Services) (Revised)
Vote 19 (Office of the Ombudsman) (Revised)
Vote 39 (Office of Government Procurement) (Revised) (22 Jun 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: They are laboratory analysts, namely, people in the laboratories who carry out the testing. The number of tests expected to be analysed for this year is 400,000, with 12,400 samples to be analysed. With regard to the analysis of samples, to date there have been 5,326 samples analysed, with 232,519 individual tests having taken place. It is a very high-frequency service.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 11 (Department of Public Expenditure and Reform) (Revised)
Vote 12 (Superannuation and Retired Allowances) (Revised)
Vote 14 (State Laboratory) (Revised)
Vote 15 (Secret Service) (Revised)
Vote 17 (Public Appointments Service) (Revised)
Vote 18 (Shared Services) (Revised)
Vote 19 (Office of the Ombudsman) (Revised)
Vote 39 (Office of Government Procurement) (Revised) (22 Jun 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: We would be very pleased to do that. By the time we get to that point, we will have published our mid-year expenditure, not only for my Department but for all Departments. That might well provide a platform for a committee meeting.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Equality Issues (22 Jun 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: My role as Minister in the field of pensions relates to issues affecting the civil and public service. The civil service operates Contributory Pension Schemes which provide benefits to spouses and/or children of deceased scheme members. In summary, when a member dies after retirement, a spouse's pension of up to one-half of the former member's pension is payable. Dependent children are...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Estimates Process (22 Jun 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 201 and 202 together. In order to help to stabilise the public finances, gross voted expenditure was reduced from over €63 billion in 2009 to €54 billion in 2014. Against this background, the Government set out Departmental allocations for Oireachtas approval based on ensuring that fiscal targets were met while Departments continued to...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministerial Functions (22 Jun 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: In reply to the Deputy's question there have not been any occasions where the powers vested by me were exercised without any express act of delegation. As the Deputy may be aware under the Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924, a number of officials in my Department are authorised to act on my behalf. Under the Public Service Management Act 1997, the Secretary General manages the business of a...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: EU Funding (21 Jun 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: Replies have not yet been received to either the letter sent by the Taoiseach to President Juncker or the letter sent by my predecessor to Commissioner Thyssen, regarding the Government's concerns at the changing approach being taken by Eurostat to interpreting the agreed ESA 2010 rules governing the balance sheet classifications of PPPs. However, I understand from...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: EU Funding (21 Jun 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: The concerns which were referenced in the letters from the Taoiseach and my predecessor to the European Commission relate to the approach being taken by Eurostat in interpreting the agreed ESA 2010 rules governing the balance sheet classifications of PPPs, which appears to be progressively shifting away from the established and well understood analysis of risk, and how this is shared...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Census of Population Staff (21 Jun 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy will be aware, the Single Public Service Pension Scheme (Single Scheme) commenced with effect from 1 January 2013. Therefore for new employees who come under the Single Pension scheme they must retire at 70 years of age. In the civil service, for which I am responsible, the maximum retirement age of 65 years is applicable to civil servants recruited before 1...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (21 Jun 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: The Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interests Acts 2009 to 2013 provide for a range of pay and pension reduction measures in respect of serving and retired public servants. The FEMPI legislation is available on my Departments website at . The Lansdowne Road Agreement begins the process of unwinding the financial emergency measures in a prudent and sustainable fashion thereby...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministerial Correspondence (21 Jun 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: The correspondence referred to by the Deputy has been responded to by my Office. The reply to the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors outlines the circumstances on the appropriate timing for any future meeting to be held between the Association and myself.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Expenditure (21 Jun 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine has Ministerial responsibility for the remediation of Haulbowline Island and Cork County Council is acting as his agent to deliver the project. A total of €8m has been provided in his Department's estimate for 2016. The amount to be included for the project in his Department's Vote for 2017, and future years, is a matter to be...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions Data (21 Jun 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: Since its introduction in 2011, the Public Service Pension Reduction (PSPR) has applied more significant cuts in both absolute and proportionate terms to public service pensions of relatively higher values while at 2015 year-end, an estimated 33% of public service pensions of relatively lower values were completely exempt from PSPR. Scheduled over three stages...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Policy (16 Jun 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy is aware, under the preventive arm of the Stability and Growth Pact, Ireland's fiscal policy is set in accordance with reaching the Medium Term Objective (MTO). Compliance with this requirement is assessed in two ways. Firstly, until the MTO is reached, a minimum annual improvement in the structural balance greater than 0.5 per cent of GDP is required. The...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Stability Programme Data (16 Jun 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: The Programme for a Partnership Government sets out a commitment to spend in aggregate at least €6.75 billion more on public services in 2021 than this year. The fiscal forecasts in the Stability Programme Update for the period 2017 to 2021 were set out on a technical, no-policy change basis, consistent with the approach adopted in the Budget 2016 book published by the Department...