Results 25,881-25,900 of 32,961 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Other Questions: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (31 May 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: -----is the type of language that makes these matters more difficult to resolve. I hope the approach of the House will be to examine how we can resolve these issues. In light of the support the Deputy expressed for the Lansdowne Road agreement, perhaps he will also acknowledge its benefits. What I and the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Richard Bruton, have said is that we must...

Other Questions: Programme for Government (31 May 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: The programme for a partnership Government sets out the ambition to build a strong economy and deliver a fair society. The programme identifies a number of policy challenges and for each of these challenges a clear, unambiguous, high-level ambition is also identified. Examples of these ambitions include meeting the target of building 25,000 new homes needed every year by 2020; creating...

Priority Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (31 May 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: Let us acknowledge that the overall plan involves a total quantum of over €40 billion. Approximately €27 billion is to be made available via Exchequer investment, while the rest is to be made available through various investment plans involving the commercial semi-State bodies. The Deputy is correct that the Government is examining how this figure can be increased, but it is...

Priority Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (31 May 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I am all in favour of making sensible decisions. I take on board the Deputy’s point. He has said we should not get carried away with the investment, but, at the same time, we should acknowledge its scale. The investment programme, to be implemented, will over its lifetime bring investment in national infrastructure up to and in excess of €5 billion per year, which represents...

Other Questions: Sale of State Assets (31 May 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: It has been the consistent policy approach that funds released from State asset disposals should be used, as far as possible and when the fiscal rules allow, to support the economy and job creation, while also using some of the proceeds to reduce debt. Since the State assets disposal programme was agreed to by the Government, a number of significant announcements have been made of...

Other Questions: Sale of State Assets (31 May 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I am informed that the total amount involved is as I confirmed to the Deputy. It is €400 million from the sale of assets. With regard to a particular mechanism and how the fund will be made available for housing, I am not in a position to give the Deputy an answer now. However, I will identify one and respond to him by tomorrow.

Other Questions: Sale of State Assets (31 May 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I will.

Other Questions: Sale of State Assets (31 May 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: To respond to the first question on whether I have further plans to dispose of State assets, the answer is currently "No".

Priority Questions: Programme for Government (31 May 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I am reviewing the status of the 2016 Estimates with the Government. We will introduce them later this year than would have been the norm during the Deputy's tenure in this role. I aim to secure Government approval for the Estimates soon. When that is done, the information will have to be made available to the Dáil because the Dáil must vote on them.

Priority Questions: Programme for Government (31 May 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I agree with the Deputy that in the context of the new budgetary process, we must know where we stand this year before we look to next year. He made a fair point. Alas, my answer to him is the same.

Priority Questions: Programme for Government (31 May 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I am reviewing the issue with my colleagues. As soon as I have reviewed the Estimates that were designed to be passed at the start of this year and determined whether they remain the appropriate ceilings, we will make the figures available to the Dáil, as is required and given the fact they need to be passed. Regarding the Deputy's question on the cost of the programme for...

Priority Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (31 May 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I share the premise underlying the Deputy's question that following the right investment strategy is critical to securing economic progress and social development. The process leading up to the publication of the current plan sought to ensure that resources were focused where needed in order to drive economic recovery and meet social needs. This principle was also central to the strategy...

Priority Questions: Legislative Reviews (31 May 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: In order to continue and maintain the recovery that is underway, we need to ensure that our national finances are sustainable. A crucial element of that is ensuring that we have responsible wages in place for those who work in our public services so that we can meet the wage needs that they have now and in the future. The unfunded wage increase of today is the wage cut of tomorrow. I...

Priority Questions: Programme for Government (31 May 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: The programme for a partnership Government lays the foundation for the new Government's ambition to build a strong economy and deliver a fair society. It is complemented by the policy principles set out in the agreement made with Fianna Fáil to facilitate the effective operation of the partnership Government. The programme contains a commitment to spend at least €6.75 billion...

Priority Questions: Legislative Reviews (31 May 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: As this is my first opportunity to take questions as Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, I look forward to working with Deputies Dara Calleary and David Cullinane. I especially acknowledge the contribution of the former Minister, Deputy Brendan Howlin, who conducted himself in this role and led the Department for many years. I always had an appreciation of the great contribution he...

Priority Questions: Legislative Reviews (31 May 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: On the Deputy's first question as to why I believe the Lansdowne Road agreement is the only game in town, as I have said publicly, the reason I made this claim is evident in the result of the vote by the Teachers Union of Ireland announced last night, which I welcome. I also welcome the huge effort put in by the union and the Minister, Deputy Richard Bruton and his officials. We now have...

Priority Questions: Legislative Reviews (31 May 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: One of many gifts. If Deputy David Cullinane wants proof as to the reason the agreement is the only game in town, the most recent can be in the vote last night. The reason I have made the claim about the Lansdowne Road agreement and the broad FEMPI legislation measures is that they offer the only framework in which we can manage the need for better public services and at the same time meet...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Capital Expenditure Programme (31 May 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: The current Capital Plan "Building on Recovery: Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2016-2021", published last September, announced an Exchequer capital spend of €27 billion over a six year period. Supplementing this Exchequer-funded investment with investment from the wider semi-state sector (€14.5 billion), and PPPs (€500 million), brings total state investment to...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (31 May 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: The Moratorium on the Recruitment in the Public Service no longer applies. It was formally brought to an end last year. In 2015, public service numbers increased by more than 8,500 and so far this year, public service numbers have increased by more than 2,000. It is important to note that the increases recorded in 2016 are largely a result of Budget-day decisions to provide funding for...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (31 May 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: From the period 2009 to 2013 the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (FEMPI) Acts introduced pay reduction measures. These measures, together with the Public Service Pension Reduction (PSPR) implemented in January 2011, are estimated to have resulted in over €2.2bn in direct reductions in public service remuneration and pensions annually. The Government has now,...