Results 4,001-4,020 of 10,573 for speaker:Patrick O'Donovan

Financial Provisions (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Jul 2020)

Patrick O'Donovan: In response to Deputy Doherty and to reinforce what I said earlier, this scheme is designed to be available to European Union countries. He is absolutely right that the United Kingdom has made the decision to withdraw but that does not negate its need to look after the people within its own jurisdiction. Deputy Doherty, being from an Ulster constituency, is very cognisant of the people who,...

Financial Provisions (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Jul 2020)

Patrick O'Donovan: Deputy Healy-Rae is correct; we can access funding in the same way. Many of the infrastructural projects that are under way are funded by European Investment Bank funding. He will know from the national development plan that we have €116 billion worth of a plan over a period. Some of the funding will come from the Exchequer, some of it will be borrowed, some of it will come from the...

Financial Provisions (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Jul 2020)

Patrick O'Donovan: Unfortunately, the Deputy probably knows the answer before I give it. The legislation applies to those companies that are domiciled, registered and fulfil every other legal requirement in this jurisdiction. I do not disagree with anything he has said about people being taken out of the European Union against their will but, unfortunately, this is a European Union instrument. The instrument...

Financial Provisions (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Jul 2020)

Patrick O'Donovan: On the Deputy's initial point about this Bill being patriarchal, I do not disagree with the sentiments she has expressed. In fact, criticism of the lethargy with which the European Union's institutions responded to Covid is very justifiable. Member states and Members of this House have made such criticisms. The Deputy is quite right. It has taken a long time. Perhaps it took the...

Financial Provisions (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Jul 2020)

Patrick O'Donovan: I thank the Acting Chairman and the other Deputies for facilitating the brief interruption where we were able to discuss with officials some of the issues raised by Deputy Pearse Doherty. In relation to the issues Deputy Doherty raised, particularly around the start of the point, the Deputy is correct that the percentage of the fund that will be available to SMEs is not necessarily that...

Financial Provisions (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Jul 2020)

Patrick O'Donovan: With regard to the first part of the Deputy's question, I do not have difficulty with how it is proposed to take Committee Stage. If it is more helpful to Deputy Doherty that he hears directly from the Department of Finance officials, I do not have difficulty with that.

Financial Provisions (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Jul 2020)

Patrick O'Donovan: I have no difficulty agreeing to a short suspension of the House if there are specific questions on the remainder of the Bill that Deputy Doherty wants to raise with the officials. I do not have a difficulty with that. I appreciate the Acting Chairman's tolerance. I literally became aware of this as a result of what the Deputy alluded to earlier, that is, the changing of Minsters within...

Financial Provisions (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Jul 2020)

Patrick O'Donovan: Unfortunately, I cannot-----

Financial Provisions (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Jul 2020)

Patrick O'Donovan: I can be led by the House. I have no difficulty with that.

Financial Provisions (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Jul 2020)

Patrick O'Donovan: A short suspension would be helpful to give me an opportunity to discuss it with my officials and I can talk to the Deputies as well. I apologise for the fact there is a Cabinet meeting and the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, could not be here. Deputy Doherty referred to the reconfiguration of the Department today. The timing could not be more unfortunate. We know and I recognise, having...

Financial Provisions (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Jul 2020)

Patrick O'Donovan: The Acting Chairman will have to forgive me. I have paper everywhere because of the venue.

Financial Provisions (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Jul 2020)

Patrick O'Donovan: I wish apologise to Deputy Doherty, the other Members of the House and the Acting Chairman. The Minister, Deputy Donohoe, is not available because he is at a Cabinet meeting. He sends his apologies. I was asked to take Committee and Remaining Stages of the Bill at the last minute. As the Deputy will appreciate, I only became aware of the size of the Bill late in the day. I am most...

Financial Provisions (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Jul 2020)

Patrick O'Donovan: I can inform the Deputy that we are at that stage now. The 60% threshold has been reached. The Deputy also asked about Ireland's maximum financial commitment. It is €164.7 million.

Financial Provisions (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Jul 2020)

Patrick O'Donovan: I have to apologise to the House about the mechanics. My officials are sitting quite far away. I ask Members to bear with me. The commitment refers to the proportion of the holding in the EIB. Deputy Doherty asked when the measure would be triggered in the event of a default on a loan. It will happen once there is a default and the calls on the member states are in proportion to their...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Office of Public Works (14 Jul 2020)

Patrick O'Donovan: Under the National Emergency Management Framework responsibility for responding to these events is the statutory responsibility of the relevant local authority. In relation to the bog slide in the Drumkeeran area assistance in the form of emergency funding to deal with the aftermath of these type of events has, in the recent past, generally come from Government to the relevant local...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts (14 Jul 2020)

Patrick O'Donovan: The pre-qualification procedures for the Main Contractor and Reserved Specialists is ongoing during the current Covid-19 restrictions. We expect this to be completed early in Quarter 3, 2020. Subject to final approval, it is also expected that tender documentation will issue later in Quarter 3 2020, with a contract expected to be in place before the end of 2020. Construction work will take...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Waterways Issues (14 Jul 2020)

Patrick O'Donovan: The channel in question does not form part of an arterial drainage scheme completed under the 1945 Arterial Drainage Act. I am advised that the Office of Public Works has no maintenance responsibility for the erosion of the channel bank at this location.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Office of Public Works (14 Jul 2020)

Patrick O'Donovan: The Office of Public Works (OPW) carries out a programme of Arterial Drainage Maintenance to a total of 11,500 km of river channel and approximately 730 km of embankments. These maintenance works relate to arterial drainage schemes completed by the OPW under the Arterial Drainage Acts 1945 and 1995. The area in question does not form part of any arterial drainage scheme under the auspices of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Tourism Policy (14 Jul 2020)

Patrick O'Donovan: The Office of Public Works is currently in the process of reassessing the position in relation to the Skellig Michael visitor site in light of the changed approach to reopening business and tourist locations which has emerged from Government in the past few weeks. This review will focus on the Risk analysis which was previously carried out and will assess whether there have been any...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Forensic Science Ireland (14 Jul 2020)

Patrick O'Donovan: The construction on the new Forensic Science Ireland Laboratory project is being managed by the OPW. The project commenced on site in March 2020 and the construction contract duration is just over 2 years. The construction Contract Value is €79.69m ex vat.