Results 5,661-5,680 of 27,945 for speaker:Michael McGrath

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Appointments to State Boards (16 Nov 2021)

Michael McGrath: The Guidelines on Appointments to State Boards was published by my Department in November 2014 and sets out the processes for the appointment of members to State Boards. These guidelines are available online at www.stateboards.ie. The guidelines apply to all appointments to State Boards.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Budget 2022 (16 Nov 2021)

Michael McGrath: The Departmental expenditure ceilings for 2022 are set out on pages 8 and 9 of the Expenditure Report 2022, with the NDP capital ceilings for the period to 2025 set out in Table 1 on page 249 of the Expenditure Report. As outlined in the NDP, the NDP ceilings include projects funded under the NRRP, with this amount set out in Table 1 on page 20 of the Expenditure Report. In line with...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions (11 Nov 2021)

Michael McGrath: I assume the Deputy is referring to pensions payable to retired prison officers under the civil service (occupational) pension scheme rather than the State Pension payable by the Department of Social Protection. Under the current pension increase policy for the pre-existing public service pension schemes, qualifying pensions fall to be increased in line with a general round increase...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff (10 Nov 2021)

Michael McGrath: I propose to take Questions Nos. 79 and 80 together. Firstly, I encourage as many people as possible to take up their COVID-19 vaccinations when offered. As per recent advice from the Data Protection Commission, employers should only process COVID-19 vaccination data where necessary to achieve a specific, legitimate purpose in line with general and sector-specific public health...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff (10 Nov 2021)

Michael McGrath: I propose to take Questions Nos. 81, 84 and 85 together. Decisions in relation to those who are required to attend the workplace during COVID-19 is a matter for individual employers. In order to assist civil and public service organisations with their work-related obligations during COVID-19, the Civil Service HR Policy Division within my Department regularly issues Guidance and FAQs...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Appointments Service (10 Nov 2021)

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. In relation to the recruitment of fluent Irish speakers to the civil service, such speakers can apply for competitions that specifically require fluency in the Irish language.  They can also apply for...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Advertising (10 Nov 2021)

Michael McGrath: The information requested by the Deputy for my Department and the Office of Government Procurement, which is also part of my Department, is set out in the following tables. Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Year Advertising Costs 2021 (to date) €15,910 2020 €5,258 2019 ...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff (9 Nov 2021)

Michael McGrath: My Department is currently developinga central policy framework for Blended Working in the Civil Service which will be finalised in conjunction with employee representatives over the coming weeks. When this engagement has concluded, and the Framework is agreed by the Civil Service Management Board, it will be rolled out to all civil service organisations for implementation. The framework...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Project Ireland 2040 (9 Nov 2021)

Michael McGrath: Project Ireland 2040 sets out the Government's vision for the upgrading of basic infrastructure here in order to better cater for the increased population. Achieving a high quality stock of infrastructure throughout Ireland will require sustained and elevated levels of investment over the long-term. This level of investment cannot happen overnight or even within one ten year plan....

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff (9 Nov 2021)

Michael McGrath: The mileage rates applying to recoupment of motoring costs incurred by civil and public servants are agreed through the Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme. The rates are calculated according to an agreed method and are designed to provide for the reimbursement to officers of costs incurred while using their own vehicles in the course of official duties. They are not considered a source of...

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

Michael McGrath: As the Deputy will be aware the Cycle to Work Scheme is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Finance. At the current time there is no basis to provide for e-scooters as a means of transport. My colleague the Minister for Transport is currently advancing the Road Traffic and Roads Bill which includes provision for measures to provide for the legal use of powered personal transporters,...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff (9 Nov 2021)

Michael McGrath: The legal basis and Ministerial power for the making of regulations for public service sick leave is founded in the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) (Amendment) Act of 2013 (No. 47 of 2013). The responsibility for the application and implementation of those regulations, in this case S.I. No. 124/2014 - Public Service Management (Sick Leave) Regulations 2014 and SI...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Covid-19 Pandemic (9 Nov 2021)

Michael McGrath: As part of my Department’s commitment to the health and safety of its employees, return to the workplace packs have been made available to those employees who have returned to the office. The information requested by the Deputy in respect of these packs is set out in the table below. This initiative is aligned with my Department’s overall Health and Wellbeing Strategy, which...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flexible Work Practices (9 Nov 2021)

Michael McGrath: Decisions in relation to those who are required to attend the workplace during COVID-19 are a matter for individual employers. In order to assist civil and public service organisations with their work-related obligations during COVID-19, the Civil Service HR Policy Division within my Department regularly issues Guidance and FAQs for Public Service Employers during Covid-19, which can be...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Budget 2022 (9 Nov 2021)

Michael McGrath: The demographic costs for the full Health Service were subject to discussion and agreement between the Department of Health and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform during the course of the Budget negotiations. This was then reflected in the Existing Level of Service allocation to that Department. The proportion of that allocation for the disability services and the way these...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Cross-Border Co-operation (4 Nov 2021)

Michael McGrath: As stated in the recently published revised National Development Plan, a total of €500 million in exchequer funding has been allocated to the Shared Ireland Fund to support the development of cross-border infrastructure investment and research and development. For the years 2021 to 2023, Table 4.2 on page 44 of the plan provides an annual breakdown of the funding allocations and the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Cross-Border Co-operation (4 Nov 2021)

Michael McGrath: Over the 2021-23 period, my Department will have ongoing Member State responsibility for two 2014-20 EU-funded North South cross-border programmes, INTERREG VA and PEACE IV, with a combined value of €553m. Member State responsibility for both programmes is shared with the Department of Finance in Northern Ireland. Management of the programmes is the responsibility of the Special EU...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff (3 Nov 2021)

Michael McGrath: I wish to inform the Deputy that the rights of employees to disconnect and switch off from work, enshrined in the Workplace Relations Commission Code of Practice on “The Right to Disconnect”, represent one of 19 underlying Themes of 5 key, interrelated Dimensions of employee health and wellbeing identified in the Civil Service Health and Wellbeing Frameworkprepared by my...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Development Plan (2 Nov 2021)

Michael McGrath: The recently published National Development Plan (NDP) provides a detailed and positive vision for the whole of the country over the next 10 years, and sees total investment of €165 billion over the period 2021-2030. The NDP will support economic, social, environmental and cultural development across all parts of the country under Project Ireland 2040, in parallel with the National...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Schemes (2 Nov 2021)

Michael McGrath: This case relates to the rules of the purchase of notional service scheme. My Department has been working with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) on this matter and issued initial guidance in early January 2021. Subsequent to this, additional background information on the same query was provided by DAFM. As a result, it was necessary to seek guidance from the...