Results 5,521-5,540 of 27,945 for speaker:Michael McGrath

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff (15 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: I propose to take Questions Nos. 69 to 72, inclusive, together. 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. It would be a matter for those sectoral authorities, including relevant Ministers, to supply such...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff (15 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: OneLearning has responsibility for the provision of the Pre-Retirement Planning Programme for the Civil Service. OneLearning is the Civil Service Learning and Development (L&D) Centre, which is based in my Department. OneLearning runs Pre-Retirement Planning Programmes on a regular basis, which are open to all civil servants who are preparing for retirement within twelve to eighteen...

Appropriation Bill 2021: Second Stage (14 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am pleased to have the opportunity to introduce the Appropriation Bill 2021 to the House. This Bill is essential financial legislation that must be concluded in the current year. The Appropriation Bill has two primary purposes. First, it provides legal authorisation for all of the expenditure that has occurred in 2021 on the basis of...

Appointment of Ombudsman and Information Commissioner: Motion (14 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: I move: That, pursuant to subsection (2) of section 2 of the Ombudsman Act 1980, and subsection(4) of section 43 of the Freedom of Information Act 2014, Dáil Éireann recommends the appointment of Mr. Ger Deering, by the President to be the Ombudsman and Information Commissioner.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts (14 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: OGP is currently engaging with its public sector clients in relation to their requirements for cloud services (including collaboration and video conference services) which will inform OGP’s future strategy in relation to potential procurement solutions for cloud services. Any procurement of cloud services will be through public a competition(s) advertised on www.etender.ie....

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Brexit Supports (14 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: Ireland will receive just over €1 billion from the EU’s Brexit Adjustment Reserve, the biggest single allocation for any Member State, representing just over 20% of the total funding available. Approximately 80% of funding will be paid to Member States as pre-financing in three tranches over the period 2021 to 2023. I am pleased that on 6 December 2021 the European...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Funding (14 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) has provided grant funding to Benefacts since 2015. The project was funded as a pathfinder initiative in the area of data analytics on the non-profit sector. Benefacts was initially co-funded with philanthropy, however in recent years the Department has been providing the majority of funding to the entity. In 2019, DPER received an...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts (14 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: I am not aware of any tender issued by my Department for the provision of chairpersons of Government initiated reviews or bodies.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Policy (14 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: The Summer Economic Statement (SES) set out the Government’s medium term fiscal strategy which anchors budgetary policy by keeping core expenditure growth in line with the trend growth rate of the economy. The objective of this rule is to de-couple expenditure policy from cyclical variations in the economy and from windfall tax revenue. In its Fiscal Assessment Report, the Irish...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Policy (14 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: I propose to take Questions Nos. 242 and 243 together. Budget 2022 followed the medium term expenditure strategy laid out in the Summer Economic Statement, which set a sustainable rate of growth for core expenditure in the period to 2025. This will see core expenditure grow each year by just over 5 per cent on average over the period to 2025, broadly in line with the trend growth rate of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (14 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: The Oireachtas Commission oversees the provision of services to the Houses and their Members by the Houses of the Oireachtas Service (the parliamentary administration) in accordance with the Commission Acts. The primary functions of the Commission are to provide for the running of the Houses of the Oireachtas, to act as governing body of the Service, to consider and determine policy in...

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Chair for those remarks and for welcoming me back to the House today. I am delighted this issue has been ventilated in the way it has over the past week or so. In this regard, I took the Commencement matter and took this Bill through the Dáil last week. This issue was discussed at length yesterday on Second Stage in this House and was discussed again today. That is...

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: I am happy to give the commitment that, if I am invited, I will come back within six months to update the House on my role in this matter. I would earnestly hope this issue will be dealt with within that timeframe, and that is certainly what I want to see happen. There is no need for endless negotiations or months of talks from 28 January. In regard to the other question on the role of the...

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: The commission is empowered. It is a matter for the commission to decide how it arrives at its position and how that proposal is formed in respect of the input of the members of the commission and the officials who serve it and support its work. Exactly how that proposal will be formed is a matter for the internal workings of the commission.

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: The commission will make a proposal. In reality, that will follow a negotiation. We must let that negotiation take place. The manner in which this issue has been debated and highlighted in the past week or so will prove to be very helpful.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Reports (9 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: Section 4.2 of Building Momentum provides for the establishment of an independent body to examine issues arising in addressing the Haddington Road Agreement additional working hours. The terms of reference of the Independent Body provide for the Body to report its findings and recommendations by the end of this year. The relevant section of the Agreement provides for the following: "4.2.1...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Expenditure (9 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: The electricity costs incurred by my Department since 2017 were provided to the Deputy in response to Parliamentary Question number 35 (ref: 59708/21) on 2 December, 2021. I wish to advise the Deputy that the bill of charges for this utility are not itemised by specific services provided, so it is not possible to accurately identify what percentage or value of these costs are applicable to...

Estimates for Public Services 2021 (8 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: I move the following Supplementary Estimates: Vote 6 — Chief State Solicitor's Office (Supplementary Estimate) That a supplementary sum not exceeding €3,000,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2021, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Chief State Solicitor. Vote 12...

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (8 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: I am pleased to be here this afternoon and to have the opportunity to present the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (Amendment) Bill 2021 to the House, which passed all Stages in the Dáil last week. The Houses of the Oireachtas Commission came Into existence on 1 January 2004 under the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Act 2003. The founding commission legislation in 2003 led, in...

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (8 Dec 2021)

Michael McGrath: While funding is the sole purpose of the Bill, a number of amendments of a technical nature are required. I will briefly provide Senators with details of the amendments involved. Section 1 amends section 5 of the principal Act to provide funding for expenditure incurred by the commission during the period of three years from 1 January 2022. The amount of funding for that period is capped at...