Results 13,841-13,860 of 32,547 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Retirements (9 Jul 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: By way of background, on 5 December 2017, the Government made the decision to increase the compulsory retirement age to 70, for public servants recruited prior to 1 April 2004. Primary legislation was necessary in order to bring that change into effect. It was made clear at the time that until such legislation was enacted, the compulsory retirement age of 65, which applied to the vast...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Proposed Legislation (9 Jul 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I wish to inform the Deputy that my Department was consulted by the Department of Education and Skills on the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) (Amendment) Bill 2018 in the course of a Memorandum to Government on the issue.  The main issue from my Department’s perspective, in relation to the draft Bill, concerned the funding of the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Advertising Expenditure (9 Jul 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The following table sets out the amount spent by my Department on digital marketing over the past eight years. Year  Cost Purpose Provider Target Audience Policy initiatives Audience criteria 2017 €46,190 Stakeholder support (Office of Government Procurement) Private Ireland Yes Video material on OGP YouTube channel, catering for Irish SME's and Public Bodies 2017...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Expenditure (9 Jul 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 194 and 195 together. The following table sets out the payments to the companies in question from 2015 up to the end of Quarter 1, 2019. Company Purpose 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 KPMG - Technical consultancy on e-invoicing and Government Cloud infrastructure. - Advisory Services on data hosting of Government cloud infrastructure and Build to...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Service Pay Commission (9 Jul 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The Public Service Pay Commission was tasked under the Public Service Stability Agreement 2018-2020 to conduct a comprehensive examination of underlying difficulties in recruitment and retention of staff in the public service, including the Defence Forces. The Report by the Pay Commission on Recruitment and Retention in the Defence Forces has been published and is available on the Public...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Expenditure (9 Jul 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has not incurred any costs in relation to tribunals, commissions of investigations or statutory inquiries since it was established in 2011.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Voluntary Sector Remuneration (9 Jul 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The issue raised by the Deputy is a matter for the Minister for Health, to whom I understand an identical question has been submitted.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Climate Change Policy (9 Jul 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: Prior to the announcement by the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment in January 2019 that “no government department or agency will buy single-use plastic cups, cutlery or straws for use within their offices”, the Departments of Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform – through their shared Facilities Management Unit (FMU)...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: No Consent, No Sale Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I am unambiguously against this Bill. I believe it will pose the greatest of difficulties for those who are paying mortgages at the moment because of what could happen to their mortgages in the future, and the rates of interest on their mortgages. At a time when the economy, small companies and families need credit, including citizens who need credit to buy homes, this Bill, if passed, could...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: No Consent, No Sale Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: All that has motivated my colleagues and I in attending this committee is to be fair and supportive of all those who depend on our banks. This Government and my party have overseen significant change to reduce mortgage arrears in our country to help those who are in difficulty and distressed with debt. We have overseen a substantial number of restructures in our economy and, quarter by...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: No Consent, No Sale Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: Regarding the process to move this forward, I have the memorandum of understanding before me, which I understand is the document that has been agreed between the Oireachtas and the Government concerning how Private Members' Bills are to be handled. It lays out at the bottom of page 10 that the Dáil select committee must consider, taking account of the scrutiny report, whether the Bill...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: No Consent, No Sale Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: For completeness, there are actually five. They are: further detailed policy analysis; major technical or legal issues identified; significant implementation issues identified; drafting issues that cannot be remedied by way of amendment; and an outcome that does not require legislation. This information is contained in the first appendix to the memorandum of understanding on Private...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: No Consent, No Sale Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: Deputy Michael McGrath has made a proposal. The question is whether the committee is happy to accept it and to agree that the independent assessment should proceed before the Bill moves to Committee Stage. On the basis of his earlier comments, I believe Deputy Pearse Doherty will have an issue with that. This is a very significant issue and we need to clarify our position. I propose that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: No Consent, No Sale Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: When will such further amendments be circulated? When is the deadline for them to be submitted?

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Disabled Drivers and Passengers Scheme (4 Jul 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Scheme provides relief from VAT and VRT (up to a certain limit) on the purchase of an adapted car for transport of a person with specific severe and permanent physical disabilities, payment of a Fuel Grant, and an exemption from Motor Tax. To qualify for the Scheme an applicant must be in possession of a Primary Medical...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Government Expenditure (4 Jul 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: My Department produces a full set of economic and fiscal forecasts on a bi-annual basis, in the spring Stability Programme Update (SPU) and in the autumn Budget. The calculations of the available budgetary package in the Summer Economic Statement (SES) 2019 are anchored to the forecasts set out in the SPU published in April. It is important to point out that the fiscal forecast set out...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Departmental Offices (4 Jul 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The Facilities Management Unit of my Department arrange for the provision of accommodation on behalf of staff of both the Department of Finance and Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. The position is that bicycle parking spaces are available for staff who wish to use them in respect of all six buildings occupied by the two Departments. With regards to lockers, these are available...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Ministerial Transport (4 Jul 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The car used for official duties is a Skoda Superb with a diesel engine.

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Reliefs Data (4 Jul 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 76, 86 and 87 together. I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that the Ready Reckoner at link: (page 14) shows the estimated cost of increasing the life time limit for revised Entrepreneur Relief. For the Deputy's convenience, this information is presented in the following table. Proposed Lifetime Limit € million Full Year Cost €...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Universal Social Charge (4 Jul 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I am advised by Revenue that the costs of reducing (or removing) the non-PAYE 3% Universal Social Charge (USC) surcharge as outlined by the Deputy are shown in the following table. It is estimated that the proposed change would affect approximately 23,570 taxpayer units. - First Year Cost €m Full Year Cost €m Reduction of USC surcharge from 3% to 2% 23.4 41.8 Reduction of...