Results 29,741-29,760 of 34,778 for speaker:Seán Fleming
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (26 Jun 2013)
Seán Fleming: Is the Minister saying that when there are stimulus initiatives there is a logical follow-on that it will increase the Departments' expenditure ceilings set down in the previous year's budget, that every stimulus announcement requires, by and large, a change to the ceiling?
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (26 Jun 2013)
Seán Fleming: By PPP.
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (26 Jun 2013)
Seán Fleming: I welcome that, but there is an interesting point here. Will it give the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform more power in finding out what is happening in a Department than the line Minister? In theory, the Minister concerned has the line responsibility. Could the Minister get that and give it to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform? Deputy Howlin states there are...
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (26 Jun 2013)
Seán Fleming: Leaving aside normal courtesy.
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (26 Jun 2013)
Seán Fleming: Will the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform work through the line Minister? The new section refers to a public service body. Therefore, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform could write directly to-----
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (26 Jun 2013)
Seán Fleming: -----the NRA, a VEC or whoever, as the case may be. Is the intention that the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform will go directly to the bodies or go through the Minister?
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (26 Jun 2013)
Seán Fleming: The Minister feels there is a bit of a gap that he is trying to tighten up, which is fair enough.
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (26 Jun 2013)
Seán Fleming: I have three quick questions on the section. Has the Minister considered inserting the expenditure ceilings as a schedule to the Bill, or where is their statutory standing? The Minister will state it is referred to in the document that issues, the SPU, before the budget. It would make the Minister's job easier if he had the expenditure ceilings set in legislation instead of a Minister...
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (26 Jun 2013)
Seán Fleming: I move amendment No. 12: In page 3, line 22, after “approval” to insert the following: “and includes promissory note payments to certain banking institutions”.
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (26 Jun 2013)
Seán Fleming: I move amendment No. 13: In page 3, line 22, after “approval” to insert “and includes payment of ESM capital obligation”.
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (26 Jun 2013)
Seán Fleming: I would like to make a couple of brief observations. I could labour this point forever. The Minister referred to the EU treaty obligations. I call that what I expect to be told. That figure - the figure we paid last year and the figure we are paying next year - is not in the EU treaty. It is a calculated figure based on the principles in the treaty.
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (26 Jun 2013)
Seán Fleming: The Departments should be able to give an estimate. If it is part of the budgetary arithmetic, as the Minister has suggested, why not put it into the voted expenditure? The point I am making is that its being an EU treaty obligation does not mean it cannot be in the voted expenditure. Do other countries have a separate central fund? Perhaps the Minister does not know the answer to that...
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (26 Jun 2013)
Seán Fleming: I appreciate that. I understood from the legislation that the Department of Finance would continue to be responsible for the Central Fund.
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (26 Jun 2013)
Seán Fleming: People had hoped the Minister would have control over all Government expenditure. I know what the position is with regard to all voted Government expenditure. There is nothing to stop the Minister for Health from introducing legislation tomorrow morning to say that the HSE budget of €14 billion per annum will be paid from the Central Fund.
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (26 Jun 2013)
Seán Fleming: Fair enough. The Minister gets the point. If legislation can be introduced to take items out of the system of voted expenditure, there is something wrong.
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (26 Jun 2013)
Seán Fleming: The Minister mentioned the practice. I do not understand why the amendment relating to election postal charges cannot be accepted. Such charges do not constitute a calculated commitment. A figure is provided for letters to be sent to addresses during a referendum, election or by-election campaign. The figure varies each year. There is no reason that cannot be estimated, provision made...
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (26 Jun 2013)
Seán Fleming: Yes, I agree. Given that the figures can be obtained, it would be better if they were put through as voted expenditure. It would be more transparent, open and regular than the current method, which sidesteps the national Parliament. I have made my point well at this stage.
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (26 Jun 2013)
Seán Fleming: Can we have a debate on it?
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (26 Jun 2013)
Seán Fleming: I move amendment No. 2: In page 3, line 22, after "approval" to insert "and includes contribution to the EU Budget".
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (26 Jun 2013)
Seán Fleming: I move amendment No. 3: In page 3, line 22, after "approval" to insert the following:"and includes payments to PSE Kinsale Energy Limited".