Results 2,841-2,860 of 33,118 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: It is not the role of my Department to be providing engineers or surveyors in regard to infrastructure projects.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I thought the Deputy asked if we had that available.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I am answering the question, whether it be on the matter of expertise or the personnel themselves. If we had those people, I would then face questions on duplication, given such expertise exists in the National Transport Authority, NTA, and bodies that are delivering large-scale transport infrastructure projects for the State. The role of my Department is an economic one. Our role is to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: Yes, the expertise is there. However, I emphasise again that it is our role to provide economic expertise and economic sanction for decisions. The Department is organised by Vote teams, and the Vote teams oversee and engage with each individual Department in huge detail. The engagement we have with them is in regard to what their spending plans are in general and, when appropriate, their...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Sector Staff (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: Between 2015 and 2022, the estimated number of workers within our public sector increased by almost one fourth, from 302,000 to 377,311. According to the latest data available, by the end of 2022, public service numbers had increased by 3.1% over the numbers at the end of 2021. The public service is a good employer and continues to offer competitive pay and other terms and conditions to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Expenditure Policy (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: In line with public financial procedures and public procurement guidelines, it is the responsibility of all public bodies to ensure that they have effective financial management, public procurement and risk management processes in place. This applies to all areas of public spending, including in respect of consulting contracts. The Office of Government Procurement, OGP, in my Department...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Expenditure Policy (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: Regarding what the Government is doing on the matter, I ask the Deputy to allow me to elaborate further on the general issue of how we protect sensitive information from not only the relationships that we have with consulting companies but, more generally, the overall procurement processes that we have with those who do work on behalf of the State. This is laid out in a number of different...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Expenditure Policy (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: As I made clear, this matter is dealt with by each Department in a way that is consistent with the clear legal framework that I outlined. I have no doubt that the consulting arrangements and the relationship the Department of Finance has with consultants will be consistent with the framework that I have just referred to here in the Dáil. If Department of Finance officials had any...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I have watched it all. I am sure Deputy Boyd Barrett has too.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Legislative Reviews (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: I understand that the Deputy is referring to the Public Service Management Act 1997 ("the PSMA"). This Act was introduced to provide a statutory underpinning for the Strategic Management Initiative. It provided for a new management structure for the Civil Service to enhance the management, effectiveness and transparency of the operations of Departments of State and certain other offices of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Spending Code (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: The most recent updates to the Public Spending Code which I outlined in March this year were informed by a review process involving key stakeholders. The expected impacts of these changes are to:Reduce the administrative burden in delivering major projectsAllow for projects below the major project threshold of €200m to proceed more speedily through the appraisal and evaluation process...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: As a result of Ireland's robust economic growth, unemployment is low and labour market conditions are tight. Labour and skills shortages are presenting challenges for employers across the labour market, including the civil and public service. Despite this, staff numbers in the public sector have continued to grow consistently. Between 2015 and 2022, the estimated numbers in full-time...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Development Plan (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: As Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, I am responsible for setting the overall capital allocations across Departments and for monitoring monthly expenditure at Departmental level. National Strategic Outcome 6 of the National Development Plan 2021-2030 provides for high quality international connectivity. 2022 saw clear progress against this goal including through...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Development Plan (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: As Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform I am responsible for setting the overall capital allocations across Departments. Management and delivery of individual investment projects within the allocations agreed under the National Development Plan (NDP) are key responsibilities of every Department and Minister. However, the Government and I acknowledge that the significant...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure Policy (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: The Government’s approach to public expenditure policy seeks to ensure that the level of core expenditure growth is sustainable and that investment in expenditure delivers improvements to public services and infrastructure. Careful management of our economy and public finances over the past number of years has allowed Government to:provide increased resources for core public services,...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Development Plan (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: National Strategic Objective (NSO) 4 relates to Sustainable Mobility. While many of the projects under this strategic objective take a number of years to deliver fully, 2022 saw clear progress in the delivery of some key projects. BusConnects recently added 3 more spines linking West Dublin with Kildare. Proposals on BusConnects Cork network were published by the National Transport Authority...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Development Plan (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: As Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform I am responsible for setting the overall capital allocations across Departments and for monitoring monthly expenditure at Departmental level. Individual projects are selected based on a detailed process which begins with Departments or Agencies setting their own sectoral strategy and goals in line with the National Development Plan...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Development Plan (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: The Government has committed €165 billion funding for capital investment, as set out in the NDP published in October 2021. This expenditure was considered and agreed in order to support those sectors that would be key in delivering the ten National Strategic Outcomes (NSOs) identified in the National Planning Framework (NPF). The NDP contains expenditure commitments for NSO 3 which...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Development Plan (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: As Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery, and Reform I am responsible for setting the overall capital allocations across Departments. Over the lifetime of the National Development Plan from 2021 to 2030, the Government is investing €165 billion in new and upgraded infrastructure that will meet the needs of our growing population. This year alone over €12 billion will be...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Regional Development (27 Jun 2023)

Paschal Donohoe: Balanced regional development is a key priority of this Government and this priority is at the heart of Project Ireland 2040. This strategic plan includes the National Planning Framework (NPF), which sets the overarching spatial strategy for the next twenty years, along with the revised National Development Plan 2021-30 (NDP) which was published in October 2021. The revised NDP provides a...