Results 26,101-26,120 of 33,392 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Data (6 Jul 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: The Department does not collect data pertaining to the ethnic and cultural background of staff. However, the Civil Service is strongly committed to equality of opportunity in all its employment practices. As an employer, the Civil Service must fulfil its obligations under equality legislation, particularly the Employment Equality Act 1998. While recognising that people are different, our...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Regulations (6 Jul 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: The Office of Government Procurement (OGP) was established as one of the key elements of the Public Sector Reform programme. The primary aim is achieve value for money by harnessing the State's buying power to purchase goods and services for the public sector in a manner that enables the provision of quality public services to be maintained within limited resources. The State spends...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ombudsman's Remit (6 Jul 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I am aware of the Ombudsman's view that, generally speaking, his Office should have remit over private sector providers of public services. As the Deputy will be aware, the Ombudsman (Amendment) Act 2012 greatly extended the remit of the Ombudsman with some 180 additional public bodies coming under his remit. The Ombudsman legislation provides that the Ombudsman may examine administrative...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Cross-Border Co-operation (6 Jul 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: Public service reform was a key element of the response to the challenges we faced in recent years and continues to be an essential part of building for the future. In this context, we have been cooperating on with our colleagues in Northern Ireland for a number of years, particularly since the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform was established in 2011. We have developed a good...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Reform Implementation (6 Jul 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: The Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Acts 2009 to 2013 provide for a range of pay and pension reduction measures in respect of serving and retired public servants. The some €2.2bn in savings referred to is made up of €1.21bn in pay reductions, €0.9bn by the Pension Related Deduction (PRD) and €0.135bn by the Public Service Pension Reduction...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Foireann Roinne (6 Jul 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: Le 12 mhí anuas fostaíodh 245 státseirbhísigh don Roinn. Bhí formhór na fostaíthe seo don Oifig Náisiúnta Seirbhísí Comhroinnte agus an Oifig um Sholáthar Rialtais. Oibríonn an Roinn liosta de baill foirne sa Roinn atá ábalta cabhrú le aistriúcháin Gaeilge agus sna 12 mhí anuas bhí 3 ball...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Relief Schemes Expenditure (6 Jul 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: A provision of €430 million funding for flood risk management was announced in the Infrastructure and Capital Investment Plan 2016-2021 published in September 2015. 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2020 Flood Risk Management 45 45 70 80 90 100 This funding is provided to the Office of Public Works (OPW) through the annual Estimates process and allows for a graduated increase in the annual...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Commencement of Legislation (6 Jul 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: Currently, part 4 of the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015, which relates to enforcement provisions, has not been commenced. This was a deliberate decision made to allay any concerns that stakeholders may have had about inadvertent non-compliance with the provisions of the Act and to allow those lobbying a period of time to become familiar with their legal obligations and the registration...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Infrastructure and Capital Investment Programme (6 Jul 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 60 and 186 together. As the Deputy is aware, a strategic review of infrastructural requirements was undertaken by my Department as part of last year's capital review. This resulted in the publication in September 2015 of 'Building on Recovery: Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2016-2021', which outlined a €42bn framework for infrastructural...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts (6 Jul 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: Public procurement is governed by EU and National rules. The EU Treaty principles of equal treatment and non-discrimination, transparency, mutual recognition, proportionality, free movement of goods and services and the right of establishment must be observed on all tenders. EU rules require tenderers to be compliant with relevant labour law in order to participate in a public procurement...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Equal Opportunities Employment (6 Jul 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: The civil and public service is an equal opportunities employer and all recruitment campaigns are conducted in strict compliance with the Codes of Practice set out by the Commission for Public Service Appointments. As the deputy will be aware, the Civil Service is strongly committed to equality of opportunity in all its employment practices. As an employer, the Civil Service must fulfil its...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Teachers' Remuneration (6 Jul 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: Under section 12 of the FEMPI 2013 Act, I am obliged to review and report to the Houses of the Oireachtas on the operation, effectiveness and impact of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (FEMPI) Acts 2009-2013 and consider whether or not any of the provisions of the relevant Acts continue to be necessary having regard to the purposes of those Acts, the revenues of the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions (6 Jul 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: Ministerial Responsibilities (6 Jul 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: In accordance with the Transfer of Functions Guidelines, my Department has responsibility for co-ordination of transfers of Departmental administration and Ministerial functions. Following the reorganisation of Government Departments announced by the Taoiseach on the 6th of May, functions were to be transferred between the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff Redeployment (6 Jul 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: Arising from the Taoiseach's decision to restructure Departments of State to better align them with the priority objectives of the new Government, a number of functions that are currently vested in the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government transferred to the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. This will facilitate the establishment of the new Department of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Teachers' Remuneration (6 Jul 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: Under the Lansdowne Road Agreement (LRA) the process of restoring public service pay is commencing. An important feature of this process is the flat rate increases which are being implemented and which are proportionately more valuable to lower paid public servants. Furthermore and specifically in respect of Teachers, the restoration of the Supervision and Substitution payment is also...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Interdepartmental Working Groups (6 Jul 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: Last January the previous Government approved the establishment of an Interdepartmental Working Group to consider policy designed to support fuller working lives. The Group is chaired by an Assistant Secretary from my Department and includes senior representatives from the Departments of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Social Protection, Justice, Health and Education. The terms of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure Policy (6 Jul 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 179 and 180 together. The key focus of fiscal policy over the last number of years has been to reduce the General Government Deficit in line with the targets set under the Excessive Deficit Procedure. The management of public expenditure has played an important role in ensuring that these key fiscal targets have been achieved. The EU Commission has...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: UK Referendum on EU Membership (6 Jul 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: My Department has been taking part in the work of the Interdepartmental Group on EU/UK relations which was convened by the Department of the Taoiseach in advance of the UK Referendum on EU membership, as well as the EU Senior Officials' Group that is chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach. It contributed to the risk assessment conducted by the Department of the Taoiseach in advance of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (6 Jul 2016)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 182 to 184, inclusive, together. I am satisfied that the Croke Park Agreement and Haddington Road Agreement combined delivered on their objectives by facilitating significant cost savings in the public service paybill while supporting an extensive public service reform agenda in an industrial relations climate of industrial peace. This was a view shard by...