Results 4,641-4,660 of 27,945 for speaker:Michael McGrath

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (16 Jun 2022)

Michael McGrath: My Department is responsible for maintaining the national frameworks within which Departments operate to ensure appropriate accounting for and value for money in public expenditure, for example, the PSC. This code sets the value for money requirements and guidance for evaluating, planning and managing capital projects. The management and delivery of investment projects and public services...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (16 Jun 2022)

Michael McGrath: I do not have the full details of that project in front of me, but if the Deputy provides them to me, I will have them looked into and try to give her a proper assessment and summary of where the project stands. In essence, the line Department is responsible for ensuring compliance with the PSC. My Department has a role in overseeing the process. Formal approval for major projects has to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (16 Jun 2022)

Michael McGrath: Yes.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (16 Jun 2022)

Michael McGrath: The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform does not interfere in the policy decisions made by line Departments, in this case the Department of Health and the HSE. When it comes to improving facilities and delivering new infrastructure, such decisions are made by them. What we insist on is that the PSC and the approval process be conducted properly and fully complied with. The...

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

Michael McGrath: I am acutely aware of the increases in inflation in recent months and the challenges faced by households, particularly in terms of energy costs. That is why a package of measures was announced by the Government this year dealing with the energy costs challenges faced by households. The Deputy has raised the specific issue of pension increases. As he may be aware, the most recent guidance...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (16 Jun 2022)

Michael McGrath: It is fair to point out we had significant underspends in 2020 and 2021, which were largely attributable to Covid and the shutdown in the construction sector that took place for a number of months in each of those years. However, that same reason does not apply in the current year. Every line Department is making the case to my Department that it will spend its capital budget. Having...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (16 Jun 2022)

Michael McGrath: At this time, we are not planning to transfer funding for capital budgets from one Department to another this side of the recess. We will keep it under constant review. The Deputy identified the Department of Education, which is a Department that is busy with the implementation of a school building programme. Like other Departments, it has experienced inflation in respect of public works...

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

Michael McGrath: There are a significant number of vacancies across the system, in particular in healthcare. Recruitment is too slow. That is definitely having an impact on service delivery and we need to address that. In addition to having a mechanism where we agree general round increases, the Deputy raised the specific point about individual sectors. Of course, there is always the potential knock-on...

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

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy very much for raising that point. It is a principle that we embedded in the current agreement, Building Momentum, that for each general round increase, a floor was set so that the benefit should be at least €500, even though it was to be 1% overall. If that 1% resulted in less than €500 for individual workers, then they would be given €500 in the...

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

Michael McGrath: Of course. At the end of the day, we provide public services with a view to them reaching where they are needed and that citizens receive services. That is ultimately what having a public service pay deal or a fit-for-purpose public service is all about. We do need to have accountability, so that where public money is being provided through Votes in this Oireachtas, that it is used for the...

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

Michael McGrath: I think it is about a blend of measures. As I stated earlier, it is not solely down to pay to address cost-of-living pressures that undoubtedly exist. The Government has other levers. We have used some of them to date in the exceptional measures that have been introduced outside of the normal budgetary calendar. It is open to the Government to use some of those in the context of the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (16 Jun 2022)

Michael McGrath: As the Deputy will be aware, the drawdown of capital expenditure from the Exchequer is detailed each month and is publicly available in the Fiscal Monitor, which is published on the gov.iewebsite. All line Departments and agencies submit information on their expenditure levels against profile to my Department, along with an explanation outlining details regarding any variance of...

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

Michael McGrath: The Deputy raises an important point about the secondary effects of a pay rise. We will have to pay close attention to the issue of ensuring that work pays because we are seeing job vacancies and labour shortages throughout the economy. We have to examine all aspects of the system and how they interact with each other to make sure that any disincentives to work currently embedded in the...

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

Michael McGrath: As we approach budget 2023 there will be many demands, and we will not be able to meet all of them. The Government will have to prioritise and make choices as to what the priorities are. At a time when people are under considerable pressure, the priority will have to be to address cost-of-living issues, particularly for low-income and middle-income households, to ensure we assist them at...

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

Michael McGrath: The talks under way are focused on public service pay. There have been wider discussions at the Labour Employer Economic Forum, LEEF, on other issues that the Government can assist with in respect of the cost of living and public policy on a range of key issues for employers and employees. We have implemented a range of measures so far. The Deputy will be well aware of them. If one goes...

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

Michael McGrath: I do not think my Department groups the questions.

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

Michael McGrath: I will check that, but the substance of the Deputy's point is fair.

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

Michael McGrath: Is it? Okay.

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

Michael McGrath: I propose to take Questions Nos. 94 and 97 together. The Deputy made a very good point. In the current agreement we provided for a sectoral bargaining fund. For example, on 1 February there was the option of taking the flat 1% increase or putting that into a sectoral bargaining fund. The public service was divided up into a large number of sectoral bargaining units and there have been...

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

Michael McGrath: We already had a priority question from Deputy Patricia Ryan on this issue. I will reiterate some of the key points I think are relevant. First is the importance of having a collective agreement. We have collective agreements now consecutively since 2010 when the Croke Park agreement was negotiated. It has by and large served us well over the last 12 years in that we have had continued...