Results 2,741-2,760 of 33,118 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (12 Jul 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: Yes.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (12 Jul 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: At least they are-----

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: State Bodies (12 Jul 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department does not operate a barter account. This is also the position with regard to the bodies under the aegis of my Department. The position is respect of other Departments and the bodies under their aegis would need to be the subject of separate Questions to the relevant Ministers.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Expenditure (12 Jul 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the table below. Supplier Report Title / Purpose Amount Paid CAAS Ltd Environmental Consultancy €30,565 Institute of Public Administration Review of organisational capacity for climate action within the Civil Service €15,000 ...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Expenditure (12 Jul 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: The 2023 Summer Economic Statement (SES) was published on 4 July 4. The SES sets out the Government’s medium-term budgetary strategy and outlines the fiscal parameters within which discussions will take place ahead of Budget 2024. In planning the fiscal and budgetary response for 2024, Government will continue a balanced approach of supporting society while seeking to ensure fiscal...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (12 Jul 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: In response to your pension-related query on behalf of your constituent, I am informed by the National Shared Services Office (NSSO), who administer the pensions of retired civil servants, that they have been in contact with the HR Department of his former employer to determine what increase may be due to his pension. Once clarified, any increase due to the pension will be processed....

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Equality Issues (12 Jul 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy is aware, my Department has policy responsibility for recruitment to the civil service. As reflected in the Civil Service Renewal 2024 Strategy, the civil service is strongly committed to equality of opportunity for all in terms of its recruitment and employment practices, and building a more diverse and inclusive workforce that is reflective of Ireland and the people it...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Equality Issues (12 Jul 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: Ensuring all OneLearning courses reflect Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in their content, is a guiding principle in the development of all OneLearning courses. OneLearning provides training for Civil Servants across all grades, organisations and locations. Contracts were signed in 2021 for a range of new Civil Service-wide training courses, including four specifically related to EDI...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement 2023: Discussion (12 Jul 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Chair. The Minister for Finance, Deputy McGrath, has covered off the general economic outlook, so I will go right to the section of my speech that focuses on our medium-term expenditure strategy. As the committee will be aware, the two most recent two budgets utilised a dual approach of revising our medium-term expenditure strategy while utilising supplementary non-core...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement 2023: Discussion (12 Jul 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I will come in on the questions which were relevant to me and I thank Deputy Doherty for posing them. We have not made any decision as to where the €250 million will be allocated. As I noted in my contribution, we will do all we can to avoid spending that money in any way that adds to inflationary pressure within the economy. Regarding the critique from the Irish Fiscal Advisory...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement 2023: Discussion (12 Jul 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank Deputy Durkan for his questions. I will comment on what he said with regard to housing. I agree with every word he has said regarding the impact not having enough homes available for society has on families and on individuals who are looking to buy a home or are worried they might not be able to afford the rent or might not have rental accommodation in the future. I am as aware as...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement 2023: Discussion (12 Jul 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I am, but it is the reason the more significant increases in expenditure are back-weighted to 2025 and 2026. If we were to be spending €1 billion extra in capital next year I would have serious doubt about whether the capacity exists in our economy to turn that into additional homes and facilities for our economy and our society . The decision we have made to build up the additional...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement 2023: Discussion (12 Jul 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Deputy for recognising the work that is under way in our well-being framework. It is laid out in the summer economic statement where we go through the different pillars that we have, as the Deputy will be aware, of looking at how we are doing under important areas that influence quality of life and well-being and then we evaluate our performance over a five-year period. For what...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement 2023: Discussion (12 Jul 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Deputy for his question and for his kind comments earlier on. I will talk about business cases first and maybe broaden it out to the public spending code and how these issues are dealt with. The Deputy is correct that it is difficult in a business case to place an economic value on something that is intrinsically social or is a real proper public good. The way I have seen...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement 2023: Discussion (12 Jul 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I will add two points. I thank the Deputy. My first point relates to the fairness dimension to the inflationary impact, which the Deputy is right about. Those who have the least suffer the most when prices go up. However, there is a great case to be made for the efforts of the Government in recent years to support those who have the least when prices have affected them. My Department has...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement 2023: Discussion (12 Jul 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: Stripping the one-off payments against headline inflation of 11.4%, just under 8% in permanent measures is the relevant figure. The impact of the one-off measures is approximately 10%. The one-off measures matter. That €200 or €400 that people are getting is every bit as valuable as an increase in their core social welfare rates. It is money. I will make the following...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement 2023: Discussion (12 Jul 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: The Deputy cannot ride both horses.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement 2023: Discussion (12 Jul 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I will leave my contribution at that.