Results 4,621-4,640 of 27,945 for speaker:Michael McGrath

Seanad: Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (23 Jun 2022)

Michael McGrath: This forms part of the package of measures we are providing for retrospective application of the legislation. Section 20 provides for the amendment of section 42 of the Freedom of Information Act to create an exemption from the FOI Act for records pertaining to protected disclosures. This is in order to protect the identities of reporting persons and persons concerned and to prevent the FOI...

Seanad: Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (23 Jun 2022)

Michael McGrath: I thank Senator Flynn for raising this issue. It is important to point out that interim relief is being extended under the Bill to all acts of penalisation, which is a positive development. This amendment proposes to reduce the threshold for employees who wish to apply to the Circuit Court for interim relief following penalisation. It proposes to reduce the threshold from “an...

Seanad: Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (23 Jun 2022)

Michael McGrath: These amendments are related to the provision for an offence for knowingly making false reports. Article 23.2 of the directive provides that such penalties should apply only to reporting persons who make such reports. The Bill as drafted, however, provides that a person who makes a report containing any information that the reporting person knows to be false commits an offence. A concern...

Seanad: Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (23 Jun 2022)

Michael McGrath: Amendment No. 52 is a Government amendment.

Seanad: Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (23 Jun 2022)

Michael McGrath: We deleted the penalty for false reporting and replaced it with the better definition. The concern was that due to the way it was presented, it would not only apply to the whistleblower but could apply to anybody who handled the transmission of the protected disclosure. That is clearly not the intention of the directive or the Bill. It is in favour of whistleblowers and anyone else who is...

Seanad: Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (23 Jun 2022)

Michael McGrath: Amendment No. 59 introduces a new penalty for bodies corporate that commit an offence as set out in the legislation. It provides for a fine of not less than €500,000 on indictment. This is significantly higher than the criminal penalties currently provided for in the Bill, which provide for fines ranging from €75,000 to €250,000. These penalties can apply to...

Seanad: Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (23 Jun 2022)

Michael McGrath: This is a set of technical amendments to sections 25 and 31 to tidy up the numbering of the sections. Section 25 adds a new paragraph (3) in the current draft of the Bill to the Schedule. I am informed by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel that the correct drafting convention that should have been used here is to number the inserted paragraph as 2A, and this is what is provided for by...

Seanad: Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (23 Jun 2022)

Michael McGrath: Section 22(9) of the Act, as amended, provides for the protected disclosures commissioner to prepare and publish an annual report on the operation of the Act not later than four months after the end of each calendar year. The Office of the Ombudsman has suggested, and I have agreed, that this should be extended to six months after the end of each year to align the reporting date with the...

Seanad: Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (23 Jun 2022)

Michael McGrath: These are technical amendments to delete unnecessary signpost references in the draft Bill. The purpose of the amendments is to delete the references to “Section 15” and “Section 3” in the schedules, which are neither correct in terms of where they appear, nor necessary. They are intended as signposts only as to the sections to which they relate and nothing turns...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Covid-19 Pandemic (23 Jun 2022)

Michael McGrath: I propose to take Questions Nos. 197 to 199, inclusive, together. Reflecting the obligations to self-isolate laid down in public health advice and to assist in the prevention of the possible onward spread of the virus in the workplace, special leave with pay for COVID-19 arrangements were introduced by my Department in March 2020. This was a temporary measure in response to the unprecedented...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (22 Jun 2022)

Michael McGrath: Reflecting the obligations to self-isolate laid down in public health advice and to assist in the prevention of the possible onward spread of the virus in the workplace, special leave with pay for COVID-19 arrangements were introduced by my Department in March 2020.  This was a temporary measure in response to the unprecedented circumstances presented by the COVID...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Appointments Service (22 Jun 2022)

Michael McGrath: As the Deputy will be aware, the Public Appointments Service (PAS) is the independent, statutory body that provides professional recruitment and selection services to the civil service.  It establishes panels from recruitment competitions, with candidates ranked in order of merit, that are available to civil service employers to access as and when vacancies may arise while the panel...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Policies (22 Jun 2022)

Michael McGrath: If a civil servant is absent due to attending a doctor/dental/hospital appointment for either a full day or a half-day (a.m. or p.m.) the absence in question is recorded as sick absence. However, if the staff member has attended for work prior to/after the appointment they can claim time for a sick absence on the following basis: Morning Appointment - If staff attending a health appointment...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information (21 Jun 2022)

Michael McGrath: The Supreme Court recently considered constitutional issues relating to the potential applicability of access to information regimes to President in the case of Right to Know v.Commissioner for Environmental Information [2022] IESC 19. The Court's findings confirm, in light of the President's immunity under Article 13.8 1° of the Constitution, that any move to make the President or his...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flexible Work Practices (21 Jun 2022)

Michael McGrath: You will be aware that the Government has committed in the Programme for Government to mandating public sector employers to move to 20% home and remote working.    In the case of the Civil Service, remote working will be facilitated into the future on a blended basis, with the aim of achieving the Programme for Government goal.  In this context, my Department, in...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff (21 Jun 2022)

Michael McGrath: As the Deputy may be aware, motor travel rates were last reviewed in 2017 and the current rates are set out in Circular 05/2017: Motor Travel Rates. Day and overnight subsistence rates were last reviewed in December 2021 and the current rates are set out in Circular 23/2021. The rates are currently being reviewed by my officials and work is ongoing on devising new rates reflecting...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Apprenticeship Programmes (21 Jun 2022)

Michael McGrath: As the Deputy is aware, as part of the annual 2019 Spending Review process, DPER conducted a review of participation and costs associated with Apprenticeships.  The main aim of the Spending Review process, which is currently in its 2020-2022 cycle, is to continue to subject key policies and expenditure programmes across Government to critical assessment in support of the service-wide...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Burial Grounds (21 Jun 2022)

Michael McGrath: I refer the Deputy to the previous contribution by the Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works on this matter. Consideration for the undertaking of such a proposal is one which is not a unilateral matter for the Office of Public Works and is a matter for decision by the Minister for Housing, Local Government & Heritage in the first instance....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Sector Pensions (16 Jun 2022)

Michael McGrath: In recent years, because we have been going through a process of unwinding the financial emergency measures in the public interest, FEMPI, there was an issue that impacted on a large number of public service workers. The salary of a serving public service employee had to reach the level of the salary which formed the basis of the pension for the pensioner who was in payment. Until these had...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Sector Pensions (16 Jun 2022)

Michael McGrath: In the case of the commercial State bodies, what generally happens is an assessment is carried out by the line Department. It has to have regard to the scheme trustees and make sure the benefits are protected for all the members. It will then make a recommendation. In some instances, the recommendation will come to my Department for approval and sign-off. I make sure those issues are...