Results 26,201-26,220 of 33,392 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: The Chairman may share this information with us at the end of the meeting.

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.

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: In my Department there are officials who are organised by Vote. They engage regularly with the Department with which they have a relationship to make sure that the money we have allocated is going on projects we have agreed. As part of all that, if Departments want to move expenditure from one subhead to another it requires the agreement of my Department. If requests come in during the...

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: Is the Chairman referring to the organisations?

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: I expect it is the Accounting Officer of the Department of Health who would have the primary responsibility for that. Alongside that, a big area of focus for my Deportment at the moment is how to strengthen the accountability relationships between the Department of Health, the HSE, and those organisations that receive taxpayers' funding. That is particularly the case in light of a recent...

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: We have an ongoing discussion with Departments about this. Within my Department we have officials who are responsible for the Vote. They deal with their colleagues in the other Departments on a daily basis. I will mention another initiative which it would be worthwhile for the committee to look at in the coming months. We have funded a new initiative as part of the open Government...

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. If there is capital expenditure involved in the acquisition of buildings and those buildings are not being used, we would have discussions with the line Departments on that. At times, there can be valid reasons that has not happened and why a building has been used or has changed and is not being used in the way we want. We would be as concerned as the Chairman if taxpayers' money was...

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: Will the Chairman give me an example of what kind of change he is referring to?

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: If it is an issue of accountability between my Department and another Department, the responsibility sits with me but in the operation of these things, if I want to change the reporting relationship between me and another Government Department I would have to seek the consent and agreement of the other Department to do so. I might gain its agreement but I have to have its commitment to make...

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...