Results 6,981-7,000 of 27,945 for speaker:Michael McGrath

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Projects (15 Sep 2020)

Michael McGrath: I wish to advise the Deputy that there are currently no Exchequer funded projects with a cost over €1 billion euro that are the responsibility of my Department.  I understand that the Deputy will receive replies from a number of Ministers about any such projects that are the responsibility of their Departments.  In addition, the Office of Public Works...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Regional Development (15 Sep 2020)

Michael McGrath: The National Planning Framework (NPF), which is under the aegis of the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, ensures a strong regional dimension in planning for public capital investment priorities. This includes the development of the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies, and their  alignment with the National Development Plan (NDP), which is the Government's Capital...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions (10 Sep 2020)

Michael McGrath: As the Deputy will be aware, the principle of abatement of a public service pension is longstanding within the rules of various public service pension schemes and pension abatement is an important aspect of the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012 (the Single Scheme Act). Section 52(1) to 52(5) of the Single Scheme Act provides for the abatement of a...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Statutory Retirement Age (10 Sep 2020)

Michael McGrath: As Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, I am responsible for policy in relation to the terms and conditions of employment of public servants. Retirement ages in the public service are provided for in primary legislation and summary details are set out in the following paragraphs and in tabular form below. Retirement arrangements in the private sector are a matter for the individual...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministerial Advisers (10 Sep 2020)

Michael McGrath: I propose to take Questions Nos. 85 and 86 together. As the Deputy will be aware on the commencement of every Dáil, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform issues guidelines setting out the arrangements for the staffing of Ministerial Offices. The appointment of Special Advisers is subject to Section 11 of the Public Services Management Act 1997. The Guidelines for the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions (9 Sep 2020)

Michael McGrath: As the Deputy may be aware, the Single Public Service Pension Scheme introduced for new entrants to the public service from 1 January 2013 onwards is a career average pension scheme which provides that both the referable amounts that are accrued by serving staff while in employment, as well as pensions in payment, are uprated in line with changes in the consumer price index. As regards the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Budgets (9 Sep 2020)

Michael McGrath: Total Gross voted expenditure to end-August 2020 amounted to €52,076 million. This is €10,060 million (23.9%) ahead of the same period in 2019 and €7,827million (17.7%) ahead of the profile for 2020. Of this, gross voted current expenditure of €47,946 million is €9,293 million (24.0%) ahead on the same period last year and €7,561 million (18.7%)...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Suicide Incidence (8 Sep 2020)

Michael McGrath: In response to the Deputy’s question, Sick Leave Statistics for the Public Service are published on an annual basis by my Department. The published statistics show the overall lost time rate owing to sickness absence, the average number of days lost per full time equivalent and the overall cost of sick leave broken down by certified and self-certified sick leave cost. Data on nature...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Equality Proofing of Budgets (8 Sep 2020)

Michael McGrath: Built on the performance budgeting framework that has been progressively embedded into the budget cycle, Equality Budgeting in Ireland has been developed over recent years with a view to enhancing the role of resource allocation policies in advancing equality, reducing poverty and strengthening economic and social rights. The National Strategy for Women and Girls 2017-2020 also contains a...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Civil Service (8 Sep 2020)

Michael McGrath: The Public Appointments Service (PAS) is an independent, statutory body which provides professional recruitment and selection services to the civil and public service. PAS advertised an open and interdepartmental EO competition for the Civil Service in July 2020 and over 15,000 applications were received for same. Vacancies will be filled by PAS, as and when required by employing...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Offices (8 Sep 2020)

Michael McGrath: I wish to advise the Deputy that the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform currently has one vacant desk available for occupation in Civil Service accommodation outside of Dublin. This vacant desk is in a shared office space located in Tullamore. The Office of Government Procurement, which is also part of my Department, has a number of offices outside of its headquarters in Dublin....

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministerial Advisers (8 Sep 2020)

Michael McGrath: I wish to inform the Deputy that Ministerial appointments in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform are made in line with the approved Guidelines on Ministerial Appointments for the 33rd Dáil. This document includes “Guidelines on staffing of Ministerial offices” issued by my Department in July 2020. The details requested by the Deputy on Special Advisers in my...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Correspondence (8 Sep 2020)

Michael McGrath: The horizontal and sectoral supports which the Government has put in place as part of the initial response to COVID-19 and the July Stimulus package provide a large level of support for enterprises in terms of assisting them with wage costs (wage subsidy schemes), defraying fixed costs (commercial rates waver and tax warehousing), direct grants (Restart Grant scheme, Tourism Adaptation Grant...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministerial Advisers (8 Sep 2020)

Michael McGrath: Special Advisers are appointed under Section 11 of the Public Service Management Act 1997. Under Section 11(1)(a) of this Act a Minister of the Government may appoint a maximum of two Special Advisers. The Taoiseach and Tánaiste may have more than two Special Advisers. I have appointed 1 Special Adviser with a second due to start later this month.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Prevention Measures (30 Jul 2020)

Michael McGrath: Please see below in tabular form locations on the coastline of County Cork where flood defences are being developed and their current status. Location Status Bantry Tender documents for engineering consultant being finalised for issue. Carrigaline Study being carried out to assess if a feasible cost beneficial scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Risk Assessments (30 Jul 2020)

Michael McGrath: Following the adoption by Government in 2004 of the Report of the Flood Policy Review Group, the OPW commenced a series of pilot CFRAM Projects to test and develop the approach before rolling-out the Programme nationally. The area within the Nanny-Delvin River Basin (UoM08) was included as the main component of the Fingal / East-Meath FRAM ('FEM-FRAM') pilot Study, with smaller adjoining...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Covid-19 Pandemic (30 Jul 2020)

Michael McGrath: As announced publicly by the Commissioners of Public Works today, a review of the closure of Skellig Michael has been undertaken within the Office of Public Works in recent weeks to assess whether it could be feasible to reopen the site to visitors before the end of the season, normally scheduled at the end of September.   This review has concluded, after...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministerial Correspondence (30 Jul 2020)

Michael McGrath: I can confirm to the Deputy that no private email accounts have been used by me as Minister for the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for official Government business, or by my adviser since the formation of the Government. I can also confirm that no private email accounts have been used for official Government business by Minister of State Smyth or Minister of State...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministerial Meetings (30 Jul 2020)

Michael McGrath: The details of the external meetings attended by me as Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform since the formation of the Government and that of the Minister of State for the Office of Public Works Patrick O’Donovan, are outlined in the table below. To date Minister of State Ossian Smyth has not attended any external meetings. Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform ...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministerial Advisers (30 Jul 2020)

Michael McGrath: On the commencement of every Dáil, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform issues guidelines setting out the arrangements for the staffing of Ministerial Offices. The appointment of Special Advisers is subject to section 11 of the Public Service Management Act 1997. The Guidelines for the 33rd Dáil, which incorporate the principles of section 11 of the PMSA Act, are...