Results 8,261-8,280 of 35,563 for speaker:Pearse Doherty

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (26 Jan 2022)

Pearse Doherty: Under Vote 7 in the Estimates, there is a figure for communication and marketing expenses. It has increased from €5,000 last year to €309,000. What is the cause for the jump in that funding under this head? What, and who, is it to be spent on?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (26 Jan 2022)

Pearse Doherty: Under Vote 7-----

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (26 Jan 2022)

Pearse Doherty: No. We are looking at numbers here. This is administration under Vote 7 on communication and marketing expenses. The total allocation for the 2022 estimate is €309,000 compared to last year's total of €5,000.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (26 Jan 2022)

Pearse Doherty: Why is that not reflected in the Estimates that are being provided to us? The total under that subhead is €5,000.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (26 Jan 2022)

Pearse Doherty: Under administration subhead 7, communication and marketing expenses, we have €5,000 current expenditure in 2021. It is zero for capital and €5,000 in total. For 2022, the line continues to €309,000 for current and zero for capital giving a total of €309,000.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (26 Jan 2022)

Pearse Doherty: This is the actual Vote and not any notes or briefing materials. This is the actual Vote the committee is considering.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (26 Jan 2022)

Pearse Doherty: For clarity, is the Minister looking at page 7, office of the Minister for Finance, which relates to the actual Vote on the official document we are considering? I am concerned that if there is a discrepancy in this number, the committee may have different versions of this Vote from the Minister's.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (26 Jan 2022)

Pearse Doherty: It is subhead 7 under administration.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (26 Jan 2022)

Pearse Doherty: I could get well used to it and, hopefully, any members of the public who are looking on might think so as well. Hopefully, we can proceed on the basis that the committee has the correct figure. There is obviously a discrepancy, but we will proceed on the basis that these are the correct Estimates and they have not been altered. The question is what that expenditure related to. What, and...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (26 Jan 2022)

Pearse Doherty: Okay. This is the core question. If we have the correct estimate, it has gone from €5,000 to €309,000. The question, which is very relevant, is why there has been such a jump in one year in the marketing expenses of the Department.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (26 Jan 2022)

Pearse Doherty: I have one other question because my time is almost up. As a matter of good practice, if there is a change in the subheads when documentation is presented to the Minister comparing year-on-year, that should be outlined to the committee. My last question in on the Revised Estimates notes for Vote 7. This relates to the asterisk for administration that is on the same page I referred to....

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (26 Jan 2022)

Pearse Doherty: What has been identified in respect of research needs?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (26 Jan 2022)

Pearse Doherty: What area of research? More than €250,000 is being allocated. It is not a case of "Let's put this in just in case". There is obviously an identification that this may be needed. What area is the Minister thinking of?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (26 Jan 2022)

Pearse Doherty: This question flows on from last week when we had the Minister before the joint committee. The Minister took it upon himself to give information to the committee on the role of legal advisers and the Attorney General in advising the Minister that he cannot recoup pandemic payments from insurance companies. That information is still outstanding. Has the Minister made any progress in being...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (26 Jan 2022)

Pearse Doherty: As the person who posed the question, I understand the restrictions on legal advice, but the question is also about who provided the advice. Was it the Attorney General or the in-house legal team? While there may be a prohibition on sharing the advice, there is none on stating where the advice was garnered from. I mentioned the allocation of €350,000 for administration in respect of...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (26 Jan 2022)

Pearse Doherty: Regarding my earlier question on what the €350,000 was for, the Minister said it might relate to an assessment of the housing market and of why house prices are increasing, or of other housing matters connected to Housing for All. If the sum pertains to salaries, it means the Housing for All portion will be to directly employ individuals within the Department of Finance. Could the...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (26 Jan 2022)

Pearse Doherty: Is the Minister saying the Department is going to get three individuals who will each be paid in excess of €100,000 and who will focus solely on housing issues? Is that what the €350,000 is for?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (26 Jan 2022)

Pearse Doherty: Three into €350,000 amounts to over €100,000 each. Therefore, the Department is planning to recruit the individuals at a very senior level. Given that it is funding for Housing for All, is there now a subdivision implying that the three individuals will be tasked with dealing with housing? Alternatively, will they deal with other issues related to economics?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (26 Jan 2022)

Pearse Doherty: I thank the Minister. Maybe he will keep us up to date when those positions are being populated.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (26 Jan 2022)

Pearse Doherty: This has gone across the political divide. Sinn Féin colleagues and I, and many Members across the political divide, have raised concerns about the operation of this scheme and the fact that many citizens with disability see their applications rejected and are not able to get primary medical certificates. It is heartbreaking when one hears the individual stories of some of these cases....