Results 4,041-4,060 of 27,945 for speaker:Michael McGrath

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Regeneration Projects (8 Dec 2022)

Michael McGrath: Under article 11(2) of the European Regional Development Fund regulation, Ireland is required to allocate 8% of ERDF resources to Sustainable Urban Development. The two Irish ERDF programmes outline plans to support the sustainable regeneration of towns and urban centres in conjunction with the Government’s Town Centre First Policy. I appointed the Northern and Western Regional...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff (8 Dec 2022)

Michael McGrath: The Programme for Government contains a commitment to mandating public sector employers to move to 20% home and remote working.  In this context, my Department, in collaboration with Civil Service employers, Trade Unions and Staff Associations, has developed a Blended Working Policy Framework for the Civil Service which was published in March 2022.  The Framework focuses on the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Private Partnerships (8 Dec 2022)

Michael McGrath: The Deputy may be interested to know that financial information for Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects are published on the PPP.Gov.iewebsite.  There are two sets of financial data under the Projects tab on the website.  The first data sheet entitled Contract Value and Financial Commitment gives information of the various PPP projects by sector which were in operation before...

Estimates for Public Services 2022 (7 Dec 2022)

Michael McGrath: I move the following Supplementary Estimates: Vote 5 — Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Supplementary Estimate) That a supplementary sum not exceeding €3,445,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2022, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Director of Public...

Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2022: Financial Resolution (7 Dec 2022)

Michael McGrath: I move: THAT Section 125A of the Stamp Duties Consolidation Act 1999 (No. 31 of 1999) be amended to provide for the specified rate of stamp duty in respect of an insured person in respect of relevant contracts renewed or entered into on or after 1 January 2023 and on or before 31 March 2023 and on or after 1 April 2023 in the manner and to the extent specified in the Act giving effect to...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (7 Dec 2022)

Michael McGrath: Does Deputy Gould never get it wrong?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2022)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy for her amendment. She brought forward a Private Members' Bill on behalf of Sinn Féin. I acknowledge her work in that regard and the amendments she has put forward today with a view to, as she sees it, strengthening the Bill. Section 2 of the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015 obliges the Minister to conduct a review of the operation of the legislation every three...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2022)

Michael McGrath: I move amendment No. 2: In page 4, line 8, to delete “employees” and substitute “full-time employees". These are technical amendments to close off the possible loophole in respect of part-time employees. If people read paragraphs (a) to (c) of section 5(2) of the principal Act and the new paragraphs (d) and (e) that are to be inserted by section 4 of the Bill, they...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2022)

Michael McGrath: I move amendment No. 3: In page 4, line 14, to delete “employees” and substitute “full-time employees".

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2022)

Michael McGrath: I move amendment No. 4: In page 5, between lines 4 and 5 to insert the following: “6.Section 8 of the Principal Act is amended— (a) by the insertion of the following subsection after subsection (1): “(1A) Subject to subsection (2), a registered person whose entry on the Register has been marked under section 11(4) with a statement indicating that the person...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2022)

Michael McGrath: I move amendment No. 6: In page 5, to delete lines 22 to 25.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2022)

Michael McGrath: To state the obvious, neither I nor my Department rules on the amendments to a Bill that are to come before the committee. I will be happy to discuss the substance of what the Deputy has raised and proposed. The best approach may be if I put some points on the record and we can then discuss the matter in the context of the section. Lobbying is an essential part of the democratic process....

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2022)

Michael McGrath: We will come to the issue of the nature of the sanctions, that is, whether they are administrative or criminal, in a moment. I note two of the Deputy's amendments have been ruled out in the context of section 9. In essence, my position on amendment No. 7 is it proposing to impose obligations on designated public officials. We are all practising politicians and are contacted many times a...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2022)

Michael McGrath: I move amendment No. 9: In page 6, between lines 20 and 21 to insert the following: “11.Section 21 of the Principal Act is amended by the substitution of the following subsection for subsection (3): “(3) The fixed payment notice may be served on the person: (a) where the Commission has been provided with the person’s email address, by sending it to the...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2022)

Michael McGrath: I move amendment No. 11: In page 7, line 14, to delete “14 days” and substitute “21 days”. Both amendments refer to the timeline for SIPO's consideration of applications by former relevant designated public officials to waive the cooling-off period under section 22 of the principal Act. Amendment No. 11 extends the time period allowed for SIPO to make its...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2022)

Michael McGrath: I move amendment No. 12: In page 7, line 20, to delete “14 days” and substitute “7 days”.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2022)

Michael McGrath: I move amendment No. 13: In page 13, line 37, after “address” to insert the following: “, provided that a record that the email has been sent to the person is made for the sender by the email system used”.