Results 5,381-5,400 of 27,945 for speaker:Michael McGrath

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Special EU Programmes Body: Engagement with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (26 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: I would be happy to do so.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff (25 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: My Department developed Guidance and FAQs on working arrangements and temporary assignments during COVID-19 for civil and public service employers. In this guidance, individual employers are advised of the need to identify which of their employees fall into the category of civil and public service employees. This Guidance and FAQs document has been continually updated to reflect public health...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Horse Racing Industry (25 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: I propose to take Questions Nos. 252, 255, 256 and 257 together. Section 21 of the Irish Horse Racing Industry Act 1994 provides that the terms and conditions for the CEO of Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) are subject to the approval of the Authority (HRI) with the consent of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. The Code of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministerial Staff (25 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: As the Deputy may be aware, following a recent security review by Garda Commissioner Harris, it has been agreed to provide 2 Garda drivers to me. As I currently have 1 civilian driver assigned to me, interim arrangements are in place while the full plans are being mapped out. The aggregate total of salary and employer’s PRSI costs for civilian drivers in my department overall,...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministerial Staff (25 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: The process approved by Government for the appointment of Civilian Drivers to Ministers and Ministers of State is set out in the Instructions to HR Managers – Ministerial Appointments for the 33rdDáilthat is published on gov.ie. Civilian Drivers are appointed on a temporary basis by the relevant Department for a period co-terminus with the relevant officeholder or for other...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery (25 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: Information requested in relation to organisations in receipt of Good Causes lottery funding is not available in my Department. The assignment of such funds is a matter for the individual line Departments with expenditure subheads part-funded by the National Lottery. As set out in section 41 of the National Lottery Act, 2013 the National Lottery Regulator transfers moneys from the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (25 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: Due to the nature of its role, my Department has no specific programme with a budget related to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence in its own Votes (Vote 11, Department of Public Expenditure and Reform; Vote 39, Office of Government Procurement; and Vote 43, Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO)).

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Civil Service (25 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: Civil Service Mobility offers an opportunity for staff members to apply for Mobility (i.e. transfer) through an open and transparent system. It is one of a number of arrangements put in place to fulfil the requirements of Action 15 of the Civil Service Renewal Plan which calls to “expand career and Mobility opportunities for staff across geographic, organisational and sectoral...

Ceisteanna Eile – Other Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (20 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: I thank Deputy Dillon very much for his question. The update to the public spending code in 2019 combined, with lessons learned from domestic projects and international best practice, highlighted the need for more structured scrutiny of major public investment projects, particularly in the areas of planned delivery, costings and risk. This is to ensure that Government is making decisions...

Ceisteanna Eile – Other Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (20 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: I again acknowledge the Deputy's continued interest in the Crossmolina flood relief scheme and, indeed, that of Deputy Calleary and others. It is a scheme that the Government is committed to advancing. I acknowledge the great work of the OPW on this project. As the Deputy will be aware, the specific role I have lies in either giving or not giving consent in respect of projects. I expect...

Ceisteanna Eile – Other Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (20 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: I again thank the Deputy. I want to reassure him that we have a very sharp focus on project delivery across Government. We have agreed a new national development plan with a total of €165 billion in funding out to 2030. I want to see that money well spent on the projects that we all want to see advanced over the next number of years. Ensuring that we have the appropriate checks and...

Ceisteanna Eile – Other Questions: Irish Language (20 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta. Cuirim fáilte roimh achtú Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla (Leasú) 2021. Is nóiméad tábhachtach é seo do lucht na Gaeltachta, do na daoine a labhraíonn Gaeilge agus dóibh siúd a bhfuil suim acu sa teanga. Tagann sé i ndiaidh tréimhse fhada chomhairliúcháin agus...

Ceisteanna Eile – Other Questions: Irish Language (20 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy. I agree with him that this will not happen of its own accord. The Government has signed up to this. The legislation is in place and we will all have to work together to meet this goal. There are dedicated recruitment and promotion competitions targeted at Irish language speakers. As the Deputy has rightly said, this in itself is not enough. Last year, PAS held...

Ceisteanna Eile – Other Questions: Irish Language (20 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy. There will be. This is the process that is set out in the legislation for which the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, has taken responsibility. The core point, which the Deputy has acknowledged, is that the number of Irish speakers applying to join the Civil Service is quite low. This in itself is a problem we need to address. I have been looking at the figures. To...

Ceisteanna Eile – Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (20 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: As the Deputy has indicated, we have 16 investment projects and nine reform measures. While my Department has the implementing body and the delivering committee which will monitor the implementation of the plan and will be responsible for all of the contact with the EU bodies, responsibility for implementing the individual measures will lie with the relevant Departments and bodies. ...

Ceisteanna Eile – Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (20 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: There is a lot to get through in a minute. First, in relation to SMEs, we very deliberately made the decision that under both the green transition and digital transformation, there would be an opportunity for grants to be made available to the enterprise sector to assist them in that transition. Those grants will be brought forward over the course of the national resilience and recovery...

Ceisteanna Eile – Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (20 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: The EU's recovery and resilience facility will make some €724 billion available to member states in the form of grants and loans to help repair the economic and social damage brought about by the pandemic and to make post-Covid European economies and societies more sustainable, resilient and better prepared for the challenges and opportunities of the green and digital transitions....

Ceisteanna Eile – Other Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (20 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: The outturn that we achieved in 2021 represented a strong performance, particularly in light of the fact that non-essential construction was closed for so long. My overall message is that, with a record budget of €12 billion in 2022, I want to see that money spent on new schools, our hospitals, climate action measures, public transport projects, road projects and so on. Working...

Ceisteanna Eile – Other Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (20 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: In my time in the Department, I have introduced new reporting requirements whereby the Departments with the largest capital budgets report directly to the Cabinet on their outturn from capital expenditure. It is an issue that I review regularly. I have emphasised the importance of and need to implement the public capital programme. This is money that we want to see spent. I will be...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Sector Pay (20 Jan 2022)

Michael McGrath: On the pandemic recognition payment, I hear what the Deputy has to say. We discussed this earlier. The challenge for the Government is this. The Deputy mentioned retail workers. There are up to 300,000 retail workers in Ireland. There are about 120,000 carers in receipt of the carer's support grant. The Deputy can do the maths. If we add that to the cost of what the Government has...