Results 121-140 of 9,363 for speaker:Jack Chambers

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Small and Medium Enterprises (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: My department has taken a number of steps in recent years to promote the participation of SMEs in public procurement and help them navigate the procurement process. In 2023 my department published Circular 05/2023: Initiatives to assist SMEs in Public Procurement, which includes policy measures aimed at assisting SMEs to access public procurement opportunities. My department has also...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Capital Expenditure Programme (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: 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 or sectoral policy strategies, within the allocations agreed under the National Development Plan (NDP),...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure Policy (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: I propose to take Questions Nos. 103 and 123 together. We have faced a number of challenges over recent years – Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic, war in Ukraine and the cost-of-living crisis. Throughout all of these, we have demonstrated our resilience and ability to adapt to changing global circumstances. We have developed and implemented appropriate economic strategies which have...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Protected Disclosures (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: The statutory review of the Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Act, 2022 is scheduled to commence in 2027. It will be informed by ongoing data collection, a public consultation, and the forthcoming 2026 evaluation of the EU Directive underpinning the legislation. The Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Act, 2022 which commenced in full on 1 January 2023, significantly strengthened the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Information and Communications Technology (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: My Department has very recently published updated guidance on cloud computing. These notes are developed to support the Public Service with the implementation of cloud services, a key enabler of digital and innovation at scale which underpins the public service transformation agenda. Taken together the notes will help public bodies to maximise the opportunities while mitigating risks...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Climate Change Policy (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: The Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Act 2024 established the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund (ICN Fund). The purpose of ICN Fund is to support the economy in times of exceptional need and to support Ireland’s transition to a low carbon economy through the funding of designated environmental projects. A total of €2 billion will be...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Construction Industry (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: The Construction Sector Group ensures regular and open dialogue between Government and industry on how best to achieve and maintain a sustainable and innovative construction sector positioned to successfully deliver on the National Development Plan and Project Ireland 2040. The Group has four priority themes for 2025: improving regulation and public procurement, supporting innovation and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Development Plan (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: NSO 10 refers to access to quality childcare, education and health services and aims to ensure that the co-ordination and provision of childcare places, primary and post-primary schools places and health infrastructure with the spatial development of cities and regions is consistent with the objectives of the national planning framework. The Programme for Government has outlined 21...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Cross-Border Co-operation (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: PEACEPLUS is a €1.1bn cross-border co-operation programme for Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland and is part of the European Union’s Cohesion Policy programmes. The PEACEPLUS programme is the current iteration of the EU’s North South PEACE and INTERREG programmes which have been running since the 1990s. As Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure Policy (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: The Programme for Government recognises that delivery of essential infrastructure is a key driver in attracting and retaining investment in Ireland, growing our economy, fostering regional development, delivering on our housing targets and achieving our ambitious climate goals. To delivery this essential infrastructure efficiently, it will be necessary to make choices and prioritise...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: I propose to take Questions Nos. 115, 134, 142 and 150 together. As the Deputy is aware, a broad range of factors, of which accommodation costs is only one, influences staff recruitment and retention. As a result of Ireland's robust economic growth, unemployment is low and labour market conditions remain tight. Labour and skills shortages are presenting recruitment and retention challenges...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Cross-Border Co-operation (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: The PEACEPLUS programme has a total value of €1.1 billion and is funding projects across Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland until 2029. PEACEPLUS is co-funded by the Irish Government, the European Commission, the UK Government and the Northern Ireland Executive. My Department has Member State responsibility for PEACEPLUS, working with the Department of Finance in...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: Developing Ireland’s first national public procurement is a key priority for me and my department. Consultation and collaboration are central to ensuring we are developing a strategy that works for all of those involved. With that aim in mind, my department launched a public consultation in March to ensure that all those with an interest in the future direction of public procurement...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Capital Expenditure Programme (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: Public expenditure management and achieving value for money, within agreed ceilings voted by Dáil Éireann, is a key responsibility of every Department and Minister. Expenditure profiles for 2025 were completed by all Votes in February and performance against these profiles is used throughout the year to monitor expenditure trends, with the details published monthly in the Fiscal...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Capital Expenditure Programme (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: 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 or sectoral policy strategies, within the allocations agreed under the National Development Plan (NDP),...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: The Independent Review Panel (IRP) on Senior Public Service Recruitment and Pay Determination Processes was established in March 2022 and its report was published in June 2023. The IRP found that pay determination of senior posts should consider best practice in terms of openness, transparency, accountability and the need for an objective evidence-based methodology and, to this end,...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Reports (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: Policy analysis is a core component of the public expenditure management and value for money frameworks. My Department plays a central role in this process, undertaking regular analysis of expenditure trends and policies. Alongside this, individual line Departments also maintain responsibility for conducting detailed policy analysis within their own sectors, contributing sector-specific...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: EU Regulations (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: Our Government Digital Wallet programme is aligned with the EU Digital Identity (EUDI) Regulation. Ireland plans to transpose the EUDI legislation in line with the set regulatory timetable, to give the Digital Wallet full legal status by end-2026. The Government Digital Wallet has already been prepared for launch and my Department is working with several departments, including the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Artificial Intelligence (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: My department recently published the ‘Guidelines for the Responsible use of Artificial Intelligence in the Public Service’. These guidelines compliment and inform strategies regarding the adoption of innovative technology and ways of working already underway in the public service, and seek to set a high standard for public service transformation and innovation, while...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Capital Expenditure Programme (29 May 2025)

Jack Chambers: In line with the commitments made in the Programme for Government, I recently announced a series of actions to accelerate the delivery of strategic infrastructure in Ireland, including an early review of the National Development Plan and the creation of a new Infrastructure Division in my Department. To give greater certainty for multi-annual capital expenditure planning across...