Results 1,101-1,120 of 32,433 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement: Discussion (10 Jul 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: If I may respond to that, I have great respect for Deputy Healy-Rae. He has been elected to Dáil Éireann many times and I recognise that on many different topics, with all the experience he has, he speaks an awful lot of sense. However, I have to honestly say to him that when I hear him speak about "our people", I flinch. He speaks, for example, about the Ukrainians. Of course,...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement: Discussion (10 Jul 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: If the Deputy will allow me to make a comment, I opened my contribution saying how much I respect him. That should indicate to him that the last thing I am trying to do is banish him. I believe that would also be completely unhealthy. We have to be able to have a debate and discussion, and this is what we are doing.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement: Discussion (10 Jul 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: I will have to check the figure of €2 billion. Last year, we had a figure of €2.6 billion, but that figure included the provision for a pay deal which we were negotiating.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement: Discussion (10 Jul 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: I will check that.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement: Discussion (10 Jul 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: The figure of €2 billion last year was to include a pay deal. It included provision for a pay deal. The amount of money we have available for new policy measures is the same. It was €1.8 billion.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement: Discussion (10 Jul 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: Yes, it is.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Summer Economic Statement: Discussion (10 Jul 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: If you take 5% of GNI, it gets you to a figure that I am sure is lower than our total capital investment at the moment. It is up to the Government to try to figure out how we get up to that figure of 5% and how quickly we can do it. It is simply not achievable to get to that target in a single go because were we to get to that figure in capital, everybody would raise lots of current spending...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Equal Opportunities Employment (10 Jul 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: Different bodies take different approaches to gathering the information sought by the Deputy. In many organisations disability surveys are anonymous, so it is not possible to say what type of contract staff are on. It is not mandatory for staff to disclose if they have a disability. The material below sets out the information that is available. Department of Public...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Capital Expenditure Programme (10 Jul 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: 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, within the allocations agreed under the National Development Plan 2021-30 (NDP), rests with the individual...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Regional Development (10 Jul 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: Balanced regional development is a key priority of this Government and is at the heart of Project Ireland 2040. We are continuing to deliver and improve infrastructure in all regions in areas such as transport, broadband connectivity, housing and energy. These investments in public infrastructure projects will in turn have a positive effect in delivering employment opportunities and further...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Covid-19 Pandemic (10 Jul 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: NextGenerationEU is the EU’s temporary recovery instrument to support Europe’s economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and build a greener, more digital and more resilient future. The centrepiece of NextGenerationEU is the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) - an instrument that offers grants and loans to support reforms and investments in the EU Member States. RRF...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Sector Staff (9 Jul 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: It is growing, and we are able to recruit and keep people.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Sector Staff (9 Jul 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: I never said it was hunky-dory. The Deputy should not put words in my mouth.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Sector Staff (9 Jul 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: I never said that. I acknowledged, stood up and said the Deputy was raising real issues but he should not put words in my mouth or suggest for a moment that I am not taking seriously the issues he is raising. What I am simply saying is that creating the image that our public services overall cannot get and keep people is wrong. It is wrong to say that. The wages we are now offering in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Sector Staff (9 Jul 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: The wage agreements we have brought in. The Deputy has always said they are not enough.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Sector Staff (9 Jul 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: He has always said they are not enough. We are now paying our public servants, across many parts of our public services, wages that are easily comparable with what is available in other parts of Europe, and in many cases ahead. I want to make that case regarding the scale of and funding for our public services.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Sector Pay (9 Jul 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 47, 65 and 68 together. The employees of agencies funded under section 38 of the Health Act 2004 are classified as public servants. They are subject to the standard salary scales for the health sector as well as having access, in the main, to a public service pension scheme. The employees are included in public service employment numbers. ...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Sector Pay (9 Jul 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: Yes, I am taking Questions Nos. 47, 65 and 68 together.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Sector Pay (9 Jul 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: I was involved in this issue when it was dealt with in the Workplace Relations Commission last October. I was involved in the agreement that was reached to provide three different instalments to get up to 8%, with the final one due on 1 March 2024. My understanding is that all the staff employed in relevant organisations should have received their pay increases. That is my understanding....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Sector Staff (9 Jul 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 46 and 67 together. I thank the Deputy. The main way we have of addressing the challenges to which he referred is through the pay agreements that are in place up to 2026, aiming to bring forward wage increases of more than 10% over a two-and-a-half year period. That will be accompanied by the continued investment the Government will put in place in...