Results 4,161-4,180 of 27,945 for speaker:Michael McGrath

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Development Plan (15 Nov 2022)

Michael McGrath: The updated Climate Action Plan is led by the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications on behalf of the Government. The National Development Plan was reviewed in 2021 and approved by Government. All public capital policy interventions, including those that might be developed to support climate action, will need to be afforded within the parameters detailed in the National...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Equality Proofing (15 Nov 2022)

Michael McGrath: Integrated within the Performance Budgeting framework, Equality Budgeting adds an additional lens which focuses on how policy and expenditure decisions effect specific cohorts of our society. Equality objectives and indicators are published every year in the Revised Estimates Volume and the Public Service Performance Report. Piloted in 2018, Equality Budgeting initially focused on gender...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Development Plan (15 Nov 2022)

Michael McGrath: The National Development Plan 2021-2030 (NDP), together with the National Planning Framework (NPF), combine to form Project Ireland 2040, which sets the overarching spatial strategy for the next twenty years for the social, economic and cultural development of Ireland. The NDP published in October 2021 provides a detailed and positive vision for Ireland over the next 10 years, and sees...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: EU Funding (15 Nov 2022)

Michael McGrath: The Partnership Agreement sets out Ireland’s investment strategy for its Cohesion Policy Funds. Ireland will receive €1.4 billion in Cohesion Policy funding for the 2021 to 2027 period. When this funding is co-financed at a national level and taking account of the funding for the PEACE PLUS Programme, it will mean Cohesion Policy programmes add a total value of almost...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Development Plan (15 Nov 2022)

Michael McGrath: As part of the NDP review completed in October 2021, an assessment was undertaken of the contribution that the Exchequer-funded capital spending in the NDP will make to 7 climate and environmental outcomes – climate mitigation, climate adaptation, water quality, air quality, waste & circular economy, nature & biodiversity and just transition. Priority investment...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Healthcare Infrastructure Provision (15 Nov 2022)

Michael McGrath: I propose to take Questions Nos. 124 and 126 together. Enhanced external scrutiny was a key recommendation from the PWC Escalation in National Children’s Hospital Costs Review and the establishment of the Major Projects Advisory Group (MPAG) is one of the key reforms brought in by my Department to meet recommendations in that review. Assessment by MPAG is an essential element of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Equality Proofing (15 Nov 2022)

Michael McGrath: Integrated within the Performance Budgeting framework, Equality Budgeting adds an additional lens which focuses on how policy and expenditure decisions effect specific cohorts of our society. Equality objectives and indicators are published every year in the Revised Estimates Volume and the Public Service Performance Report. Piloted in 2018, Equality Budgeting initially focused on gender...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure Policy (15 Nov 2022)

Michael McGrath: Total gross voted expenditure to end-October 2022 amounted to €66,531 million which is €80 million (0.1%) below profile overall. Gross voted current expenditure of €61,055 million is €1,262 million (2.1%) ahead of profile. Gross voted capital expenditure of €5,476 million is €1,342 million (-19.7%) below profile. There has been a number of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions (15 Nov 2022)

Michael McGrath: As the Deputy will be aware, I have overall policy responsibility in relation to civil service pension schemes, and for the National Shared Service Office (NSSO) which makes pension payments to retired civil servants. Over 29,000 Civil Service Pensioners (approximately 96% of Civil Service Pensioners) will be receiving their increases for the 1st October 2022 on the 25th of November. There...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions (15 Nov 2022)

Michael McGrath: I presume the Deputy is referring to the Public Service Pension Reduction (PSPR) which was introduced on 1 January 2011 under the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (FEMPI) Act 2010, as part of the Government’s programme of financial emergency measures to address the serious position of public finances. It was significantly extended via the FEMPI Act 2013. PSPR was...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions (15 Nov 2022)

Michael McGrath: I and my Department are responsible for the Civil Service pension schemes, which cover personnel in established and unestablished Civil Service and State Industrial posts. The authorities responsible for the administration of the large number of pension schemes operating in the various sectors of the Irish public service are, in general, the relevant employers and Ministers in those sectors....

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: EU Funding (15 Nov 2022)

Michael McGrath: The National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) is funded under the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) with Ireland in line to receive €915 million in grants over the lifetime of the Facility. The RRF, as part of NextGenerationEU, represents an unprecedented response by the European Union to the public health and economic and social crisis caused by COVID-19. In order...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Strategies (15 Nov 2022)

Michael McGrath: The information requested by the Deputy on the digital initiatives underway within my Department (including the Office of Government Procurement) is set out in the tables below. My Department leads on Connecting Government 2030, which is a Digital and ICT Strategy for Ireland’s Public Service. This sets out an approach to deliver digital government for all, benefiting both society...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Brexit Supports (15 Nov 2022)

Michael McGrath: The EU’s Brexit Adjustment Reserve (BAR) of €5.47 billion provides support to counter the adverse economic, social, territorial and, environmental consequences of the withdrawal of the UK from the European Union (EU). Ireland’s allocation is €1.165 billion over the reference period – 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2023. The Government has already made...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Capital Expenditure Programme (15 Nov 2022)

Michael McGrath: There have been significant and sustained increases in the prices of a broad range of commonly used materials in the construction sector throughout 2021 in the aftermath of the pandemic. Energy prices also showed marked increases in 2021 and have further escalated in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Both represent significant input costs for construction projects and inflation...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (15 Nov 2022)

Michael McGrath: The current public service agreement is ‘Building Momentum – A New Public Service Agreement 2021 – 2022’ which was due to expire at the end of 2022. As the Deputy will be aware, discussions on an extension to Building Momentum took place in August 2022 and the resulting proposals have now been accepted by the majority of the members of the relevant unions and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Cost of Living Issues (15 Nov 2022)

Michael McGrath: Government has provided significant resources in 2022 to assist households and persons with rising costs of living. To go towards alleviating the difficulties posed to many by increased prices, Budget 2023 contains a significant response to support households. The €2.2 billion Winter Household Cost of Living package announced as part of Budget 2023 will be delivered in a timely...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Strategies (15 Nov 2022)

Michael McGrath: I propose to take Questions Nos. 240 to 242, inclusive, and 246 together. My Department works to serve the country, its people and the Government by delivering well managed and well-targeted public spending, delivered through modernised, effective and accountable public services. This has been demonstrated by significant reforms that have been developed and implemented since the Department...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts (15 Nov 2022)

Michael McGrath: EU public procurement rules apply to all Member States within the European Union. Directive 2014/24/EU on public procurement (goods, services and works) has been transposed into Irish Law in the form of corresponding Regulations under SI No. 284 of 2016 which forms the legal basis for the national rules governing public procurement. The aim of these regulations is to promote an open,...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Development Plan (15 Nov 2022)

Michael McGrath: I propose to take Questions Nos. 244 and 247 together. The NDP published in October 2021 provides a detailed and positive vision for Ireland over the next 10 years, and sees total public investment of €165 billion over the period 2021-2030. As Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform I am responsible for setting the overall capital allocations across Departments and for...