Results 12,481-12,500 of 32,547 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Reform Implementation (14 Nov 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The significant public service reforms that we have undertaken since 2011 continue to deliver improved services and value for money across a range of areas. Two notable examples are the establishment of a centralised Office of Government Procurement with responsibility (together with the key sectors of Health, Defence, Education and Local Government) for sourcing...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (14 Nov 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The Civil Service is currently developing a new, forward looking and progressive Diversity and Inclusion Policy that will help address our public sector duty to promote equality, eliminate discrimination and protect the human rights of all civil servants.  I understand that the Public Appointments Service (PAS) identified the need to attract more diverse applicant pools in...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts Social Clauses (14 Nov 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Richard Bruton TD, the Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Patrick O’Donovan TD, and I launched the publication of Circular 20/2019: Promoting the use of Environmental and Social Considerations in Public Procurement in October. The Climate Action Plan will require every public body to...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Carbon Tax Yield (14 Nov 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: On Budget Day 2020 I announced that I was increasing carbon tax by €6 per tonne as a first step towards the 2030 target of €80 per tonne. I also announced that this measure will raise €90 million in 2020, all of which will be ring-fenced to fund new climate action measures. Details of the specific measures to receive funding were...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Estimates Process (14 Nov 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: Due to the scale of Government expenditure and the cash basis of Government accounting, the need for Supplementary Estimates can arise for a number of reasons, including policy decisions, timing issues and overspends. Supplementary Estimates are an important element of our expenditure management toolkit, allowing for the proper alignment of resources with allocations. Expenditure Report 2020...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Office of Government Procurement (14 Nov 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The programme for public procurement reform commenced in 2013 as part of the overall public sector reform programme. A new public procurement model was established that resulted in a shift to a new more-centralised model of procurement for government's goods and services spend. The Office of Government Procurement (OGP) commenced operations in 2014 and, since then, has made significant...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Health Services Expenditure (14 Nov 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The Health Budget Oversight Group of officials from my Department, the Department of Health and the HSE was established earlier this year. The overarching purpose of the Group is to monitor and oversee the effective control of Health expenditure and staffing in line with the Budget allocation and to act as an early warning mechanism for any deviations.  It also helps develop an...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (14 Nov 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy will be aware, the Irish Language is an important area for the Government.  The Public Appointments Service (PAS) is an independent, statutory body which provides professional recruitment and selection services to the civil and public service.  PAS is also responsible for the recruitment and selection of candidates with proficiency in Irish to meet the needs of...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: VAT Rate Application (14 Nov 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I can confirm to the Deputy that I have received two items of correspondence, the first in January 2018 and the second in September 2019 that referenced the flat rate VAT on feedlots and raised questions about possible excess flat-rate payments to farmers involved in the rearing of livestock for the beef sector. However, to date Revenue has not established that business models and...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: VAT Rebates (14 Nov 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I am advised by Revenue that the persons in question initially applied for a VAT refund on 23 July 2019. Revenue subsequently requested supporting invoices from the persons on 31 July 2019, which were received on 31 October 2019. Revenue has now completed its review of the invoices and the refund will issue in the coming days.

Written Answers — Department of Finance: VAT Rebates (14 Nov 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 44 to 46, inclusive, together. The Retail Export Scheme allows persons who are resident outside the EU and who make purchases of goods in the EU to avail of a refund of the VAT charged on these goods where the goods are exported from the EU by the tourist or traveller within three months of purchase. The UK will become a 3rd country and UK residents will...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Data (14 Nov 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I am advised by Revenue that information sought by the Deputy is not available on tax returns, or other information sources, in respect of third-party equity investors who could avail of the proposed extension to the existing Entrepreneur Relief. Therefore, it is not possible to accurately estimate the cost of the proposals.

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Credit Unions (14 Nov 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: Firstly, it would not be appropriate for me make comment on a specific case. It is also important to note that the Probate Office of the High Court deals with matters relating to probate and as such is the responsibility of the Minister for Justice and Equality. However, the Deputy may wish to note that under section 21 of the Credit Union Act 1997 (1997 Act) as amended, a credit...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Ireland Strategic Investment Fund Investments (14 Nov 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) has informed me that many of the questions raised by the Deputy are commercial matters relating to Activate Capital, therefore it is not appropriate for me to comment on them as Minister for Finance. However, the ISIF has committed €500m to Activate Capital, a senior stretch lending platform which will fund residential development projects...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Proposed Legislation (14 Nov 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: My officials are continuing to work on the Central Bank (Amendment) Bill which, among other measures, will increase individual accountability in the financial sector. As I am sure the Deputy will appreciate, this is a complex piece of legislation and the Bill's provisions must be constitutionally sound in the event of legal challenge. My Department and the Central Bank...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Carbon Tax Yield (14 Nov 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: In Budget 2020 I announced that the revenues from the increase in the carbon tax from €20 to €26 per tonne CO2 would be ring fenced and the funds used to: - Protect the most vulnerable in society; - A Just Transition; and - Investing in low carbon transition On 9 October 2019, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Departmental Expenditure (14 Nov 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: In preparing Budget 2020, I set out that a disorderly Brexit was the baseline scenario for budget planning purposes, and therefore a Budget deficit was in prospect. On that basis, I decided that there would be no transfer of €500 million from the Exchequer in 2019 to the Rainy Day Fund. Since I published Budget 2020 on 8th October, an extension of the EU’s deadline for...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: European Fund for Strategic Investments (14 Nov 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 53 and 54 together. Since the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI)'s commencement in July 2015, it has been possible for any project promoter, either public or private, to engage with the EIB regarding the possibility of receiving loans or guarantees under EFSI for particular projects. In this way, EFSI is providing an important additional funding...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Infrastructure and Capital Investment Programme (14 Nov 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I am advised by the EIB and the NTMA (in relation to loans to the Exchequer) that the position is as set out in the following tables. The information relates to public sector projects in Ireland which have been signed during the period specified by the Deputy. I am advised by the EIB that the Bank would not have statistics on applications, as there is not an application process per se. The...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: EU Budget Contribution (14 Nov 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) was most recently discussed at the October European Council where Leaders exchanged views on key issues such as the overall level of expenditure, the volumes of expenditure in the main policy areas, the financing - including revenues and corrections - as well as the conditionalities and incentives. In light of this discussion, it called on the...