Results 4,681-4,700 of 27,945 for speaker:Michael McGrath

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Equality Issues (16 Jun 2022)

Michael McGrath: Beginning with a pilot programme introduced for the 2018 budgetary cycle, Equality Budgeting is a way of approaching and understanding the budget as a process that embodies long-standing societal choices about how resources are used, rather than simply a neutral process of resource allocation. In practice, this means that Equality Budgeting attempts to provide greater information on how...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Housing Policy (16 Jun 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 materials and energy represent significant input costs for construction...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: 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.ie website. 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 under or...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Cost of Living Issues (16 Jun 2022)

Michael McGrath: I propose to take Questions Nos. 115, 120, 121 and 129 together. Public service pay has been governed by a system of collective agreements since the Croke Park Agreement was negotiated in 2010. These collective agreements have helped to ensure that public pay is managed in a sustainable, affordable and orderly manner. These agreements have also enabled significant reform of public services...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Budget Process (16 Jun 2022)

Michael McGrath: In Programme for Government – Our Shared Future, the Government set out a commitment to developing a set of well-being indices to create a well-rounded, holistic view of how Irish society is fairing. In June 2022, the Government published Understanding Life in Ireland: The Well-being Framework. This report builds on the initial report, First Report on a Well-being Framework for...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure Policy (16 Jun 2022)

Michael McGrath: I propose to take Questions Nos. 117, 134 and 141 together. For the first five months of 2022, total gross voted expenditure was €31.8 billion. This was just slightly over the profiled spend with a variance of €114 million or 0.4%. This compares with just under €33 billion in overall gross voted expenditure at the end of May 2021, a reduction of €1.2 billion or...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure Policy (16 Jun 2022)

Michael McGrath: My Department is committed to delivering initiatives that enhance productivity in the construction sector. The Construction Sector Group (CSG) and the Construction Sector Subgroup are committed to delivering initiatives that enhance productivity, through seven priority actions. In November 2021, I announced funding of €2.5 million over 5 years for the Build Digital Project (BDP)....

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Equality Issues (16 Jun 2022)

Michael McGrath: Equality Budgeting is an approach to providing greater information on how proposed or ongoing budgetary decisions impact on particular groups in society. Equality Budgeting seeks to approach the budget as a process that embodies long-standing societal choices about how resources are used, rather than simply a neutral process of resource allocation. Significant work has been undertaken to...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Cybersecurity Policy (16 Jun 2022)

Michael McGrath: In November 2021, the Public Sector Cyber Security Baseline Standard was published by the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications. This was a commitment in the National Cyber Security Strategy 2019-2024 and sets out a range of guidance for civil and public service bodies as they continue to work to mitigate the risk of cyber crime and improve resilience of their ICT and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery (16 Jun 2022)

Michael McGrath: Monitoring and oversight of unclaimed National Lottery winnings Unclaimed National Lottery winnings are subject to oversight and monitoring by the Regulator of the National Lottery, in terms of the way and when they are spent. 1. The Regulator of the National Lottery is an independent office established under the National Lottery Act 2013 solely to regulate the National Lottery in accordance...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ukraine War (16 Jun 2022)

Michael McGrath: Ireland is resolute in our solidarity and support for Ukraine. There is a whole-of-Government response in place to co-ordinate the humanitarian supports required to respond to the conflict. My Department’s role is primarily focused on ensuring that the necessary resources are in place to respond to this humanitarian crisis with work ongoing, in consultation with other Government...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Cost of Living Issues (16 Jun 2022)

Michael McGrath: I propose to take Questions Nos. 126, 127 and 143 together. The Government is acutely aware of the increase in consumer prices in recent months, especially the increase in fuel and other energy prices. This increase in inflation is not a problem unique to Ireland. Internationally, arising from the pandemic supply chain issues were a factor, and now with the war in Ukraine driving further...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Civil Service (16 Jun 2022)

Michael McGrath: As the Deputy will be aware, the Public Appointments Service (PAS) is the primary recruiter for the civil service and establishes recruitment panels that individual civil service employers may access as vacancies falls to be filled. I am advised by PAS that since the enactment of the Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021 on 22 December last, a total of 36 candidates have been assigned...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Northern Ireland (16 Jun 2022)

Michael McGrath: The PEACEPLUS cross-border EU programme is at a very advanced point of development and I look forward to its launch and to the first calls for funding applications later in 2022. This new €1.1bn North South programme will carry on the work of the current INTERREG and PEACE programmes in support of shared peace and prosperity across an eligible area of Northern Ireland and the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Project Ireland 2040 (16 Jun 2022)

Michael McGrath: The National Planning Framework (NPF) and the National Development Plan (NDP) combine to form Project Ireland 2040. The NPF sets the vision and strategy for development out to 2040 and the current NDP provides the enabling investment to implement that strategy from 2021 to 2030. With an investment in capital of €165 billion, the NDP shows the ambition of the government with the largest...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure Policy (16 Jun 2022)

Michael McGrath: I propose to take Questions Nos. 132 and 146 together. Our economy has faced significant challenges in recent years including from the Covid-19 pandemic, Brexit and most recently rising prices. Many of the drivers of inflation at present are global in nature, such as supply chain issues and have been exacerbated by the war in Ukraine. Government has provided substantial supports to...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Spending Code (16 Jun 2022)

Michael McGrath: The Summer Economic Statement 2021 set out a medium term expenditure strategy for the period to 2025. This strategy aims to align core expenditure growth with the trend growth rate of the economy while unwinding the exceptional Covid-19 spending. Recent months have seen a number of new challenges emerge across the economy. These developments have changed the context for this year's...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Functions (16 Jun 2022)

Michael McGrath: I wish to thank the Deputy for the question. The Programme for Government does not contain any commitments concerning the establishment of a new oversight body for the Public Service. The Deputy may wish to note that, in 2014, the Civil Service Management Board (comprised of secretaries general of government departments) was established to oversee the implementation of the ongoing change...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Inflation Rate (16 Jun 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 materials and energy represent significant input costs for construction...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Capital Expenditure Programme (16 Jun 2022)

Michael McGrath: Significant progress has been made in the delivery of Project Ireland 2040 and the National Development Plan. Hosted at gov.ie/2040, the Investment Projects and Programmes Tracker and interactive map provide people with in-depth information on the progress of capital projects in their own area. The most recent version of the tracker was released on 18 May 2022. It is drawn from data provided...