Results 6,841-6,860 of 27,945 for speaker:Michael McGrath

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (8 Oct 2020)

Michael McGrath: Yes, there has been much progress on the development of direct routes to mainland Europe from ports in Ireland. That is to be very much welcomed because it reduces the level of dependence on the use of the land bridge . At Rosslare Europort, the works have been completed, whereas at Cork Harbour and other ports apart from Dublin Port, the volume did not meet the threshold required for...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (8 Oct 2020)

Michael McGrath: It is an ongoing challenge in certain specialties in particular but there is no moratorium or anything like it. Vacancies can be filled. My priority is to ensure that the funding will be made available for those posts to be filled. It can be difficult in certain areas. It is an operational issue for the HSE directly but if there are specific challenges, we will work with the Department of...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (8 Oct 2020)

Michael McGrath: The Department has published this week the pre-budget expenditure update for 2020, which replaces what would be the normal mid-year expenditure report. This provides a lot of detail on what has been an exceptional year. I acknowledge that point. The previous Government and the current Government had to respond in an unorthodox and rapid manner to circumstances that have prevailed. My...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (8 Oct 2020)

Michael McGrath: We are still managing Covid spending, as it is, so we have not made any separate decision to do a look back at what happened over the course of the period since March. I am sure it will be done on an ongoing basis. Our priority for now is budget 2021, and Covid is a core part of that in making sure we have adequate provision in the areas the committee has spoken about, especially health....

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (8 Oct 2020)

Michael McGrath: It is a judgement and we have to assess the needs of our economy for next year. We are not saying that the deficit has to come in at 5% or below next year, no matter what. That is not the position of the Government. The position is that on a no-policy-change basis, the forecast of deficit for 2021 would be of the order of 5%. That is before we make any new decisions and before we decide...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (8 Oct 2020)

Michael McGrath: It certainly is.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (8 Oct 2020)

Michael McGrath: Yes, that is correct.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (8 Oct 2020)

Michael McGrath: Yes, in addition to the €9 billion it includes the €3 billion of core expenditure, including the €1 billion in capital spend and €2 billion in current expenditure. Going beyond that would change the deficit projection.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (8 Oct 2020)

Michael McGrath: It does. That is correct.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (8 Oct 2020)

Michael McGrath: It is additional to the Covid-related expenditure. It may well be the case that some element of it would be a Covid contingency because of the deep uncertainty we have in projecting the number of people on the live register who will need support next year, for example. It is a very volatile situation. Not everything may be allocated to the individual Vote level. In broad terms the...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (8 Oct 2020)

Michael McGrath: Yes.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (8 Oct 2020)

Michael McGrath: The €9 billion is not set in stone because it has to be interrogated and assessed on an ongoing basis. In recent days, I have seen different rolling assessment figures in the Department regarding what will be needed for Covid next year. I am saying that to be up-front with the Deputy. When we brought the memorandum to the Government, €9 billion was the estimate. It remains...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (8 Oct 2020)

Michael McGrath: I do not believe it is fair to characterise the recovery fund as one dealing with Covid contingencies; it is not. It is designed to be used to support the economy and act as a stimulus rather than to support service areas. It is important to make that point. Let me address the estimated Covid expenditure next year of €9 billion. Deputy Doherty described it as keeping the lights...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (8 Oct 2020)

Michael McGrath: The truth is that no final decisions have been made. The Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, is working away on the taxation side. There may be steps he will wish to take in that regard so it is all interrelated. I have to deal with all the expenditure pressures, be they Covid related or otherwise.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (8 Oct 2020)

Michael McGrath: Whether one is in government or in opposition, it is difficult to set out plans for next year but the pre-budgetary position is pretty clear. The projected outturn for next year, on a no-policy-change basis or on the basis of the carrying forward the Covid expenditure, the additional €3 billion, is pretty clear so it is up to different parties to make their recommendations on what...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (8 Oct 2020)

Michael McGrath: It is a genuine challenge to decide on the scope of what constitutes an appropriate recovery fund. We have heard what various external commentators have had to say, and the truth is that we are continuing to work on it. It will need to be a significant fund to meet the challenges that will arise across the economy in 2021. No final decision has been made at this point but we have given...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (8 Oct 2020)

Michael McGrath: I will not be doing that anyway. I can assure the Deputy of that.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (8 Oct 2020)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Chairman.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Office of Government Procurement (7 Oct 2020)

Michael McGrath: The Government has set out a number of commitments in the Programme for Government in relation to public procurement including a commitment to continue to support and train Irish indigenous SMEs so that they can compete for public procurement contracts in Ireland and abroad. The Office of Government Procurement (OGP), an office within my Department, has been actively engaged in this area and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (6 Oct 2020)

Michael McGrath: No costs arise as salary increments for members of the Oireachtas were abolished under the provisions of section 2 of the Oireachtas (Allowances to Members) and Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices Act 2009 (No. 29 of 2009), effective from the commencement of the 31st Dáil / 24th Seanad in 2011.