Results 281-300 of 9,153 for speaker:Jack Chambers

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Functions (13 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: I thank the Deputy. As already stated, the Minister, Deputy Calleary, is engaging directly in respect of communications infrastructure and on the need to ensure greater resilience in our communications networks. That is something that is being pursued. Similarly, when it comes to our energy infrastructure, the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, is directly engaging with the semi-State agencies and...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries and Ministerial, Parliamentary, Judicial and Court Offices (Amendment) Bill 2025: Second Stage (13 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: I thank the Cathaoirleach. I congratulate him on his election as Chair. I credit all the Senators: all the newly elected Senators and those back in situ. I wish everyone the best over the next few months and years. The purpose of this Bill is to give effect to the decision by Government to increase from 20 to 23 the maximum number of Ministers of State. As the Seanad will be aware, the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Health Services Staff (13 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: As health sector employees, Medical Scientists fall under the remit of the HSE and Department of Health. As Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, under section 22 of the Health Act of 2004, my consent must be sought in relation to the terms and conditions of employment, including terms and conditions relating to remuneration and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information (13 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: A comprehensive review of the FOI regime has been undertaken and is nearing completion. The review was undertaken in the context of a system that appears to be operating well on its own terms. Since the introduction of the updated legislation in 2014, there has been a large expansion in FOI usage. The number of organisations covered by the legislation was significantly increased and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Development Plan (13 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: Funding for retrofitting is a matter in the first instance for the Department of Environment, Climate, and Communications (D/ECC). D/ECC have provided my department with the following response: The Climate Action Plan includes targets to retrofit the equivalent of 500,000 homes to a Building Energy Rating (BER) of B2/cost optimal and the installation of 400,000 heat pumps in existing...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Programme for Government (13 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: The Government has committed to €165 billion in capital investment through the National Development Plan (NDP) published in 2021. As a percentage of national income, annual capital investment is now among the largest in the EU. In 2025, €15 billion will fund vital infrastructure in areas such as housing, transport, education, enterprise, sport and climate action. An additional...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Development Plan (13 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: The Programme for Government sets out the clear ambition to prioritise the delivery of transformative, critical and growth-enhancing infrastructure over the next 5 years by driving the delivery of projects as early as possible and within budget. A key commitment of the Programme for Government is to prioritise an early review of the National Development Plan, which will be completed in...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts (13 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: I propose to take Questions Nos. 91 and 95 together. Ireland’s procurement legislation is prescribed by EU Directives covering public procurement procedures. These Directives have been transposed into national law via corresponding Statutory Instruments. The relevant Directives, Directive 2014/23/EU, Directive 2014/24/EU and Directive 2014/25/EU, as well as the Security and Defence...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pension Provisions (13 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: The Single Public Service Pension Scheme is a statutory Public Service Career-Average Defined Benefit Pension Scheme, established on 1 January 2013 under the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012. The provisions of the Single Scheme are clearly set out in law and were enacted on 28 July 2012. All new-entrant public servants hired after 1 January 2013 are...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information (13 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: A comprehensive review of the FOI regime has been undertaken and is nearing completion. The review was undertaken in the context of a system that appears to be operating well on its own terms. Since the introduction of the updated legislation in 2014, there has been a large expansion in FOI usage. The number of organisations covered by the legislation was significantly increased and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ethics in Public Office (13 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: As the Deputy notes in the question, during the last Government my Department carried out a wide-ranging review of the legislative framework for ethics in public life and published a report on its findings in February 2023. Our recently agreed Programme for Government commits under the political reform chapter to “update the Ethics in Public Office legislation”. I will be...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Weather Events (13 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: The Humanitarian Assistance Scheme is administered by the Community Welfare Services section of the Department of Social Protection. It was activated on the 23rd January 2025 to assist householders affected across the country by Storm Éowyn. The purpose of the scheme is to provide financial support to people whose homes are damaged and who are not able to meet costs for essential...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Data Centres (13 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: The Shared Government Data Centre is a digital infrastructure initiative under the Government’s Public Service ICT Strategy to provide required critical state infrastructure. The Data Centre will deliver high-quality energy efficient Data Centre facilities for Public Service Bodies, which are fit for purpose and are capable of meeting the Government's technology and energy saving...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Development Plan (13 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: The Programme for Government sets out the clear ambition to prioritise the delivery of transformative, critical and growth-enhancing infrastructure over the next 5 years by driving the delivery of projects as early as possible and within budget. A key commitment of the Programme for Government is to prioritise an early review of the National Development Plan, which will be completed in...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff (13 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: In Ireland unemployment is low and labour market conditions have tightened as a result of our economic growth in recent years. Labour and skills gaps present 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 September 2024, the estimated numbers...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Emergency Services (13 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: The Tetra communications network was designed to provide a reliable and robust emergency network for the State's emergency personnel with the widest possible coverage and is delivered by Tetra Ireland. The coverage of Tetra is far in excess of the sum of the commercial mobile networks in Ireland. The network offers push to talk voice services for emergency personnel throughout the state....

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Funding (13 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: The Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Act 2024 established the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund (ICN Fund). The purpose of ICN Fund is to support the economy in times of exceptional need and to support Ireland’s transition to a low carbon economy. A total of €2bn will be invested in the Fund each year from 2024 to 2030 building up to an...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Priorities (13 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: My Department is leading on digitalisation of public services based on redesigning these public services around the needs of users when going through a life event. This is a core component to the Better Public Service Transformation strategy to 2030. A ‘life event’ is a significant event in someone’s life, such as a birth, death or marriage, learning to drive, getting or...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Development Plan (13 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: The Programme for Government sets out the clear ambition to prioritise the delivery of transformative, critical and growth-enhancing infrastructure over the next 5 years by driving the delivery of projects as early as possible and within budget. A key commitment of the Programme for Government is to prioritise an early review of the National Development Plan, which will be completed in...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ethics in Public Office (13 Feb 2025)

Jack Chambers: During the last Government my Department carried out a wide-ranging review of the statutory framework for Ethics - which includes the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995 - and our recently agreed Programme for Government commits under the political reform chapter to “update the Ethics in Public Office legislation”. In this context, I will consider the particular technical...