Results 11,901-11,920 of 32,547 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Enterprise Support Services (13 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: In recognition of the challenges facing businesses in terms of liquidity, my Department has engaged with the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation as the Government sought to provide both additional direct Exchequer funding for business and to increase the loan finance available under a number of lending schemes. In April, the Government announced a number of measures which,...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Covid-19 Pandemic (13 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The Stability Programme Update (SPU), published last month, outlined overall expenditure of €78.4 billion for 2020, including €8 billion (across Health, Social Protection, and Business, Enterprise and Innovation) directly arising from the Covid-19 crisis. This represents a significant investment that will be partly funded through additional borrowing with a deficit of c....

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff (13 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The estimated gross costs of extending annual leave by 15 days for the staff of my Department and the staff of the bodies under the aegis of my Department are set out in the table below. Public Body Gross Costs Department of Public Expenditure and Reform €1,741,847 Office of Government Procurement €694,340 ...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (13 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The reduced new entrant pay scales for civil and public servants introduced in 2011 were abolished in 2013 under the Haddington Road Agreement, where it was agreed to merge the new scales and existing scales - typically by adding the lower two points of the new scale to the existing scale. As such there are no separate reduced pay scales for civil and public servants. Under the Public Service...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions (13 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: Firstly, I should advise the Deputy that the Department has issued a Circular on this matter, Circular 19/2019, which gives further advice on the application of the pension increase policy agreed by the Government as part of the Public Service Stability Agreement (PSSA) 2018-2020 (available online at: ). This policy applies for the duration of the PSSA. Under that policy, increases granted to...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Expenditure (13 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The estimated cost to the vote of my Department of an increase in the rate of employer PRSI to 15.75% for the portion of salaries over €100,000 is €25,704.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions (13 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy may be aware the supplementary pension is part of the provisions of occupational pension scheme arrangements in which the pensions of fully insured (Class A PRSI) public servants recruited prior to 2013 are co-ordinated with the social insurance system. This means that social insurance benefits are taken into account as part of the overall pension benefits for retired public...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Labour Court Recommendations (13 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 137 to 139, inclusive, together. This issue relates to a claim by community employment supervisors and assistant supervisors who have been seeking, through their union representatives, the allocation of Exchequer funding to implement a 2008 Labour Court recommendation relating to the provision of a pension scheme. The matter was the subject of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions (13 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I am assuming that the Deputy is referring to current measures to ameliorate the Public Service Pension Reduction, a reduction imposed on certain public and civil service pensions since 2011 and/or the pension increase policy currently in place with respect to public and civil service pensions. I have been advised by the National Shared Services Offices (NSSO) who administer the pensions...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions (13 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The policy of abatement of a public service pension is long-standing within the rules of various public service pension schemes. It was not introduced in the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and other Provisions) 2012 Act (the 2012 Act) but rather it is a principle that dates back to the Superannuation Act of 1834. With the introduction of the 2012 Act the application of abatement...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Gender Balance (13 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The Public Service Stability Agreement 2013-2016 ('Haddington Road Agreement’) provided for a series of reforms as agreed with unions in relation to the work hours, rostering, redeployment and performance management of public servants. There have been 2 public service pay agreements since Haddington Road (The Landsdowne Road Agreement and the Public Services Stability Agreement...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Protected Disclosures (13 May 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has procedures in place for protected disclosures that have been developed in line with the Protected Disclosures Act 2014 and agreed upon by the Management Board. These procedures detail: how staff members can make a disclosure; what happens when disclosures are made; and what the Department does to protect the staff members. The...

Irish Economy: Statements (23 Apr 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: Before I begin, I would like to offer my condolences to those who have lost loved ones as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. I pay tribute to our public servants, healthcare professionals, carers and shop workers. I acknowledge the remarkable solidarity shown by the overwhelming majority of Irish people towards their own families, friends and neighbours, but also towards strangers and the...

Health (Covid-19): Statements (16 Apr 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Ceann Comhairle. I have covered a number of different matters with Deputies in responding to their questions. When I take the stability programme update to the Government and have it agreed I would like to be in a position to update Dáil Éireann on it. I believe it is appropriate that I am able to inform the House regarding where we are with the total level of support...

Health (Covid-19): Statements (16 Apr 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: In regard to Deputy Pringle's two questions, I want to deal with the matter of reserves and make very clear that because a company has cash-in-hand is not a reason for it either to apply for this scheme or be on it. I have spoken directly to the chairman of the Revenue Commissioners on this point and he made the point to me that a company having reserves or cash-in-hand is exactly what it...

Health (Covid-19): Statements (16 Apr 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: That is because our health experts are still of the very strong view that the level of transmission of Covid-19 in our country is such that the measures we have in place will be in place for some while. Regarding seasonal workers, the Deputy has raised that issue with me on a number of occasions. The reason they are not able to access the pandemic payment is because they were not working...

Health (Covid-19): Statements (16 Apr 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Deputy for her questions. I understand that the matter raised in her first question relates more to the operation of the pandemic payment as opposed to the wage subsidy scheme. If the Deputy has any correspondence in respect of that issue from carers or other groups, she might pass it on to me and I will respond on her behalf. The pandemic payment has been structured to help...

Health (Covid-19): Statements (16 Apr 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: First, extending the income subsidy scheme at the end of the 12-week period is a decision for the Dáil to make. The average cost of the income support schemes we have in place at the moment is between €300 million and €400 million per week. The future of that particular scheme is, and will be, a very significant decision, but my very strong view is that while we can fund...

Health (Covid-19): Statements (16 Apr 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I answered the Deputy's question earlier. I know who I am and I know what job I am doing. The Deputy asked me why have we entered into an agreement with private hospitals and I explained-----

Health (Covid-19): Statements (16 Apr 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: -----why we are entering into an arrangement with them. I gave an answer to the Deputy. I do not have available to me a breakdown of the individual costs. I will get information in that regard and notwithstanding any commercial confidentiality agreement involved, what is available to me and that which can be publicly shared, I will share with the Deputy. On whether any individual...