Results 2,681-2,700 of 32,432 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ukraine War (8 Feb 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 117 and 122 together. Welcoming and providing humanitarian supports to refugees from Ukraine has been a key priority for Government. A range of supports have been put in place for those arriving in Ireland. Budget 2023 made provision for up to €2 billion in voted non-core expenditure to continue this response. In Budget 2023 initial Ukraine related...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions (8 Feb 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy may be aware, I have overall policy responsibility in relation to public service occupational pension schemes payable to retired public servants. Since 6 April 1995, all newly-appointed public servants became fully insured under the Social Insurance System.  They pay Class A PRSI, which would entitle them to Social Insurance Benefits such as, maternity benefit, illness...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: European Union (8 Feb 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: The National Recovery and Resilience Plan is funded under the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) with Ireland in line to receive €915 million in grants over the lifetime of the Facility.  The RRF is a performance-based instrument with payment contingent on the fulfilment of agreed milestones and targets.  Ireland’s Plan sets out sixteen investment...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Legislative Measures (8 Feb 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: The Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2021 is a Private Members Bill introduced by Deputy Mairéad Farrell and Deputy Sorcha Clarke on 28th September 2021.  I understand that it was considered at Second Stage in the Dáil on 3rd February 2022 and that a motion was passed on 9th February 2022 resolving that the Bill be deemed to be read nine months from that day. In relation...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Policies (8 Feb 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy will be aware, the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform (DPENDPDR) sets overall capital expenditure ceilings for all spending Departments. Once these have been agreed by Government, it is a matter for individual Departments to prioritise projects within these ceilings. In this context, the Department of Health is responsible for the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Civil Service (8 Feb 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: In response to the Deputy's question I am not aware of the case concerning the former civil servant.  This is not a matter for my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: European Union (8 Feb 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 127 and 128 together. The geopolitical context has changed considerably since the adoption of the Regulation on the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) in 2021.  Russia’s unprovoked military aggression on Ukraine has created huge challenges for the EU energy union, thereby aggravating the economic and social consequences of the COVID-19...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Prison Service (2 Feb 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I have been informed by the National Shared Services Office that the review of the pensions of retired prison officers has now been completed. While the NSSO cannot comment on individual cases, a small number of outstanding updates have yet to issue.  The NSSO expects that these will be provided in the coming weeks.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Advertising (1 Feb 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: The information requested by the Deputy for my Department, including the Office of Government Procurement, is set out in the tables below. Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Year Online advertising costs Purpose 2023 (to date) Nil 2022 Nil 2021 €1,700.00 ...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Advertising (1 Feb 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I have not had my attention drawn to any instances where the communications unit or press office in my Department undertook to create social media accounts under false names in order to further the messaging or communications of my Department and I am advised that no such instance has occurred.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Recycling Policy (31 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I, as Minister for Public and Expenditure and Reform have no function in relation to the operation of the deposit return scheme. However, I am advised by the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, to whom this question is appropriate, as follows. In keeping with our Programme for Government commitment, the Government is introducing a deposit return scheme in Ireland in...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff (31 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: Special Advisers to Ministers and Ministers of State may be appointed by Government in accordance with the provisions of Section 11 of the Public Service Management Act 1997. The details requested are shown in the following table. Minister Special Adviser Special Adviser Salary Paschal Donohoe Deborah Sweeney €114,347 ...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Official Travel (31 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: In January 2020, I as Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform introduced mandatory new procedures for all Departments and agencies for offsetting the emissions associated with official air travel. In line with these procedures each Department and agency records the carbon emissions associated with all official air travel, values these emissions based on the prevailing rates of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts (31 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 291 and 293 together. The Deputy will be aware that my Department requested clarification from him in respect of the details sought in these two Parliamentary Questions. I understand that the relevant information was provided by the Deputy on 30 January, 2023. In this context, I wish to advise the Deputy that a deferred reply will be issued to him in...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Coillte Teoranta (31 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: In the first instance, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine and the Minister of State for Land Use and Biodiversity hold responsibility for Government forestry policy. Coillte is a commercial state company under the aegis of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine. The first reference to a forestry deal between Coillte and the named private sector company received by the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pension Provisions (26 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy may be aware, transfers of pensionable service between pre-existing public service pension schemes is generally facilitated through the Public Sector Transfer Network (PSTN) and is subject to a set of rules and eligibility criteria, primarily set out in Department of Finance Letter to Personnel Officers 24 April 1979 ‘Draft Transfer Scheme’. One such...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Civil Service (25 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: You will be aware that my department currently governs the Civil Service Mobility scheme which offers an opportunity for general service staff members to apply for Mobility (i.e. transfer) through an open and transparent system. This is the only scheme that offers permanent moves across the Civil Service. The Mobility system is administered through the HR Shared Services, National Shared...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ethics in Public Office (25 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy may be aware, my Department has just completed a review of ethics legislation and a report on this was submitted to Government by my predecessor, Minister McGrath, in December. The Government approved the Review Report‘s publication and agreed to the preparation of a General Legislative Scheme to reform the legislation informed by the review's outcome. On foot of this, a...

Statement by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (24 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: The only part of the Deputy's statement that I wish to acknowledge in a positive way is his recognition of the work that Mr. Stone did in the north-east inner city.

Statement by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (24 Jan 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: This is an approach that many other Deputies have called for to be replicated in other parts of the country. One of the driving forces of its success was Mr. Stone's work. This is one of the many reasons I deeply regret how this issue has developed and that I am in a position of having to make the case for it and to defend it in the Dáil. I will turn to the four points that the...