Results 6,001-6,020 of 27,945 for speaker:Michael McGrath

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Expenditure Policy (17 Jun 2021)

Michael McGrath: I agree with the broad thrust of what the Deputy has said. The dial has shifted and continues to shift in the sense that the Government is genuinely committed to an ambitious public capital investment programme. However, we cannot ignore the reality of the scale of the national debt and debt per capita, which is high in the developed world. We are in an environment of historically low...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Equality Proofing of Budgets (17 Jun 2021)

Michael McGrath: I recall our discussions on this and related topics during our work on the Committee on Budgetary Oversight. 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...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Equality Proofing of Budgets (17 Jun 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy for highlighting a practical example of how equality budgeting has to be part of the decision-making process. When the Government, for example, decides to increase carbon tax, how will it ensure that people who are the most impacted are protected from that? That is why the decision has been made, for example, to provide some of those resources to deal with fuel poverty,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Expenditure Policy (17 Jun 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank Deputy Lahart for raising the question on behalf of our colleague, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan. The Revised Estimates for Public Services 2021 outlined an overall Government expenditure ceiling of €87.8 billion. This provided for both an increase in the core expenditure allocations to Departments and for almost €12 billion in funding to respond to Covid-19 and Brexit. In...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Expenditure Policy (17 Jun 2021)

Michael McGrath: It is important that we look at the overall context. As I stated, the expenditure ceiling for 2021, as agreed in the Revised Estimates Volume published late last year, is just under €88 billion. However, it is expected that this level of expenditure will be exceeded over the course of 2021. For example, in respect of Covid-related costs, we had made provision for around €12...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Expenditure Policy (17 Jun 2021)

Michael McGrath: It is important to bear in mind that we are working from information based on five months of the year. When it comes to managing expenditure, Departments will have expenditure pressures at different points in the year. The spending is not always evenly spread throughout the year. At this point in time, our expectation is that most Departments will be in a position to spend their full...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Expenditure Policy (17 Jun 2021)

Michael McGrath: The total level of Exchequer investment is currently under consideration as part of the ongoing review of the NDP, as the Deputy is aware. The overall level of capital expenditure in 2021 stands at €10.1 billion, or almost €11 billion when capital carry-over is included. This represents a share of 4.7% of GNI*, well above the EU average in recent years of around 3% of GDP....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (17 Jun 2021)

Michael McGrath: The Deputy makes a number of valid points. For the record of the House, the actual overall underspend last year was more than €900 million. There is a restriction on the amount that can be carried forward, which is 10% of the capital allocation within the relevant Vote. This meant the amount carried forward into 2021 was more than €700 million. The Deputy is correct that...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Civil Service (17 Jun 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank Deputy Bruton for his question. An Taoiseach and I launched Civil Service Renewal 2030, a new ten-year strategy for the Civil Service, on 21 May last. In addition to publishing the strategy, the launch provided an opportunity to highlight a number of projects undertaken across the Civil Service that show the important work carried out by civil servants up and down the country,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Civil Service (17 Jun 2021)

Michael McGrath: This is an area on which we must continue to focus. When it comes to innovation, we have an annual award scheme for innovative projects across the Civil Service. I intend to continue to develop that scheme because it is important that we reward excellence and encourage and support innovation in all its forms. It is a very important scheme, which recognises achievement in the area of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Civil Service (17 Jun 2021)

Michael McGrath: First, in regard to the capital carry-over restriction, any change in that provision would certainly require a change in legislation and may require a constitutional change. From discussion with my officials on this issue in recent months, it is not a straightforward matter. It is something I will examine further. It has implications, of course, for overall expenditure control and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Data Centres (17 Jun 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputies for their questions. As I stated, the data centre is designed to be at least twice as efficient as most existing data centre facilities. That is an important point to underline. In conjunction with that, a sustainable energy project is being pursued by the Office of Public Works, OPW, on the site. I very much welcome that and will ensure it proceeds as part of the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (17 Jun 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank Deputy Ó Cuív and I acknowledge Deputy Brendan Smith, who spoke to me about this issue yesterday evening. As reported in the Fiscal Monitor, net capital issues to the end of May 2021 amounted to €1.885 billion. This is €408 million, or 17.8%, behind the end-of-May profile of €2.293 billion. Expenditure for the same period in 2020 totalled...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (17 Jun 2021)

Michael McGrath: It is undoubtedly the case that the restrictions on construction in particular in the early part of the year have had an impact. I have not had requests to date for the transfer of funding but I would be favourably disposed to same, depending on the specific ask.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (17 Jun 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy. That is the specific issue Deputy Brendan Smith raised with me and intended to address this morning through this oral question. It is very much a matter for the Minister for Transport to manage his capital budget. Deputy Ó Cuív has correctly pointed out that there is a very significant underspend in the year to date. The feedback we are getting in my...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Data Centres (17 Jun 2021)

Michael McGrath: I propose to take Questions Nos. 105 and 112 together. I thank Deputies Lawless and Mairéad Farrell for their questions. It is proposed to develop a new Government data centre. This will be a purpose-built facility on State land and will be operated and managed by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine on behalf of the State. The new Government data centre will be...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Data Centres (17 Jun 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputies very much. By way of further background, this facility is initially designed to accommodate 600 racks. The project is initially intended to replace four of the State's most essential data centres, which are operated by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the Revenue Commissioners, the Department of Social Protection and An Garda Síochána, with...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Construction Industry (17 Jun 2021)

Michael McGrath: Certainly, we need to increase housing supply not only from the State but from the private sector. As the Deputy is aware, a range of domestic bodies and commentators have pointed to the need for output of somewhere between 30,000 and 35,000 units per annum. Pre-covid, the figure had increased to a little over 20,000. We are still a long way short of where we need to be. The State will...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Construction Industry (17 Jun 2021)

Michael McGrath: The Deputy raised the question of affordability in the area of housing. The Government is now putting in place an affordable housing scheme. Until now, such a scheme did not exist. Through the co-operation of the House, hopefully, we are enacting legislation that will provide an affordable housing scheme in this country that will be of benefit to thousands of individuals and couples who...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Health Services (17 Jun 2021)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue, which I know is of particular interest to him. I acknowledge the work that he and others have done in assisting patients in his constituency to avail of the services of the cross-border directive. While the policy matter is one for the Minister for Health, I am happy to answer the question as best I can. Since the start of this year, the...