Results 41-60 of 9,292 for speaker:Jack Chambers

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Bodies (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: The construction sector group has a distinct and separate mandate. It continues to do excellent work. We have identified, and the Deputy will have seen this in her broad engagement with people in south Conamara or, indeed, with stakeholders across the economy, that there are many barriers impeding delivery. The task force’s central mandate is to have a short period to identify these...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Bodies (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: I do not disagree with much of what the Deputy said. There are often too many reports which contain endless recommendations. We have tried to change our approach to how this process is working. It is how we can identify high-impact reforms that are implementable and timebound that will make an objective difference. That has been the central mandate of the task force. That is why there...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Staff (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: The programme for Government significantly expanded my Department’s work on infrastructure and included the establishment of a new infrastructure division. The division's specific responsibilities and deliverables are being progressed as part of the Department's forthcoming statement of strategy, which will go to Government in advance of the summer. To be of assistance to the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Bodies (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: I launched the new accelerating infrastructure task force on Friday 16 May. At the task force's first meeting, the terms of reference were agreed and there was a discussion of the work plan of the Department's newly established infrastructure division over the coming months. Primarily, the role of the task force is to provide its members' expertise and guidance to assist my Department's...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Artificial Intelligence (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: I propose to take Questions Nos. 92, 119 and 143 together. My department recently published the ‘Guidelines for the Responsible use of Artificial Intelligence in the Public Service’. These guidelines compliment and inform strategies regarding the adoption of innovative technology and ways of working already underway in the public service, and seek to set a high standard for...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure Policy (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: Budget 2025, announced by Government last October, set-out a planned gross expenditure envelope of €105.4bn. This funding has been provided to deliver on Government priorities and commitments, including continuing the delivery of a National Development Plan (NDP) which is providing the vital infrastructure we need to support our future economic and social progress. This funding is...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Development Plan (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: The Review of the National Development Plan (NDP) will allocate funding to update capital expenditure ceilings out to 2035. The Review will encompass all public capital investment to 2035 and allocate the funds arising from the Apple Escrow account, the proceeds of bank share sales as well as funding from the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund. In total, around €97 billion in...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Priorities (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: I propose to take Questions Nos. 96, 106, 146, 158 and 160 together. In line with the commitments made in the Programme for Government, I recently announced a series of actions to accelerate the delivery of strategic infrastructure in Ireland, including the creation of a new Infrastructure Division in my Department. This new Division will focus on accelerating infrastructure...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Information and Communications Technology (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: As the Deputy will be aware my Department is involved in leading the development of a new National Digital Strategy which will be published by the end of this year. It is my intention that the e-inclusion strategy to ensure no one is left behind in this digital society, will be an important and integral dimension to this new strategy which will include a range of related and specific...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Small and Medium Enterprises (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: My department has taken a number of steps in recent years to promote the participation of SMEs in public procurement and help them navigate the procurement process. In 2023 my department published Circular 05/2023: Initiatives to assist SMEs in Public Procurement, which includes policy measures aimed at assisting SMEs to access public procurement opportunities. My department has also...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Capital Expenditure Programme (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: As Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform I am responsible for setting the overall capital allocations across Departments and for monitoring monthly expenditure at Departmental level. The responsibility for the management and delivery of individual investment projects or sectoral policy strategies, within the allocations agreed under the National Development Plan (NDP),...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure Policy (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: I propose to take Questions Nos. 103 and 123 together. We have faced a number of challenges over recent years – Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic, war in Ukraine and the cost-of-living crisis. Throughout all of these, we have demonstrated our resilience and ability to adapt to changing global circumstances. We have developed and implemented appropriate economic strategies which have...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Protected Disclosures (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: The statutory review of the Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Act, 2022 is scheduled to commence in 2027. It will be informed by ongoing data collection, a public consultation, and the forthcoming 2026 evaluation of the EU Directive underpinning the legislation. The Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Act, 2022 which commenced in full on 1 January 2023, significantly strengthened the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Information and Communications Technology (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: My Department has very recently published updated guidance on cloud computing. These notes are developed to support the Public Service with the implementation of cloud services, a key enabler of digital and innovation at scale which underpins the public service transformation agenda. Taken together the notes will help public bodies to maximise the opportunities while mitigating risks...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Climate Change Policy (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: The Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Act 2024 established the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund (ICN Fund). The purpose of ICN Fund is to support the economy in times of exceptional need and to support Ireland’s transition to a low carbon economy through the funding of designated environmental projects. A total of €2 billion will be...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Construction Industry (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: The Construction Sector Group ensures regular and open dialogue between Government and industry on how best to achieve and maintain a sustainable and innovative construction sector positioned to successfully deliver on the National Development Plan and Project Ireland 2040. The Group has four priority themes for 2025: improving regulation and public procurement, supporting innovation and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Development Plan (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: NSO 10 refers to access to quality childcare, education and health services and aims to ensure that the co-ordination and provision of childcare places, primary and post-primary schools places and health infrastructure with the spatial development of cities and regions is consistent with the objectives of the national planning framework. The Programme for Government has outlined 21...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Cross-Border Co-operation (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: PEACEPLUS is a €1.1bn cross-border co-operation programme for Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland and is part of the European Union’s Cohesion Policy programmes. The PEACEPLUS programme is the current iteration of the EU’s North South PEACE and INTERREG programmes which have been running since the 1990s. As Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure Policy (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: The Programme for Government recognises that delivery of essential infrastructure is a key driver in attracting and retaining investment in Ireland, growing our economy, fostering regional development, delivering on our housing targets and achieving our ambitious climate goals. To delivery this essential infrastructure efficiently, it will be necessary to make choices and prioritise...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: I propose to take Questions Nos. 115, 134, 142 and 150 together. As the Deputy is aware, a broad range of factors, of which accommodation costs is only one, influences staff recruitment and retention. As a result of Ireland's robust economic growth, unemployment is low and labour market conditions remain tight. Labour and skills shortages are presenting recruitment and retention challenges...