Results 16,361-16,380 of 32,593 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Primary Medical Certificates Eligibility (29 Jan 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The Deputy will be aware of the medical criteria used to determine whether an applicant qualifies for a primary medical certificate (PMC). The PMC is issued by the relevant Senior Medical Officer in the HSE, or failing that an appeal may be made to the Disabled Drivers Medical Board of Appeal. I have no role in relation to the granting or refusal of PMCs and the HSE and the Medical Board of...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: EU Regulations (29 Jan 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: Commission Regulation (EU) No. 702/2014 of 25 June 2014, commonly known as the Agricultural Block Exemption Regulation (ABER), is the Regulation under which certain categories of State aid can be granted to the agricultural and forestry sectors. ABER became operational on 1 July 2014 and has had direct effect in all Member States since then. This means that the ABER rules apply directly...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Insurance Industry (29 Jan 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 181 and 182 together. I understand that the Deputy’s queries arise from comments made in the media recently by the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Michael D’Arcy TD. At the outset, it is important to note that my Department does not collect the type of information being sought by the Deputy and therefore I am not in a...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: EU Funding (29 Jan 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy will be aware, the PEACE and INTERREG programmes are important drivers of regional development in a cross-border context, and reflect the unique and specific circumstances on the island of Ireland. Through this EU-funded cooperation, a wide range of organisations have engaged in and benefitted from a variety of cross-border and cross-community projects throughout Northern...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Deer Culls (29 Jan 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The Office of Public Works has a Deer Policy for the Phoenix Park which has been endorsed by both the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the School of Biology & Environmental Science at University College Dublin. This policy addresses all aspects of deer welfare and management of the deer herd in line with international best practice. The Phoenix Park team has...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Drainage Schemes (29 Jan 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The Office of Public Works (OPW) is responsible for the maintenance of Arterial Drainage Schemes and catchment drainage schemes designated under the Arterial Drainage Acts of 1945 and 1995. The river channel section referred to by the Deputy forms part of the River Maine Catchment Drainage Scheme for which the OPW has maintenance responsibility. Following the Deputy’s...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Construction Costs (29 Jan 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: Inflation is a common occurrence across most sectors of an economy, including the construction sector. However, given the scale of the necessary increase in public capital investment, against the backdrop of continuing strong private sector investment, the mid-term review of the 2016-2021 Capital Plan published by DPER in September 2017 noted the potential for capacity pressures in the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Garda Stations (29 Jan 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I can confirm that the Office of Public Works (OPW) received an enquiry from local Gardaí about developing the parking facilities at the Garda Station in question. A quotation for the work has been provided to Garda Estate Management (GEM) which must approve funding before the work can be scheduled by OPW for delivery. GEM has confirmed that the proposed car park remains under...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Risk Management (29 Jan 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I am advised that local maintenance and flooding issues, such as the issue identified here at Milltown Bridge, are a matter in the first instance for each Local Authority to investigate and address, and County Councils may carry out maintenance and flood mitigation works using their own resources. The OPW operates the Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme to...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Employment Rights (29 Jan 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I take it that the Deputy is asking whether the provisions of the Public Service Superannuation (Age of Retirement) Act 2018, which applies to public servants, can be extended to employees of commercial State bodies. The Public Service Superannuation (Age of Retirement) Act 2018 came into effect on 26 December 2018. The Act provides for an increase in the compulsory retirement age to 70,...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Capital Expenditure Programme (29 Jan 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: In my role as Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform I am responsible for setting the overall capital allocations across Departments and for monitoring monthly expenditure at a Departmental level. Decisions on how and where those allocations are invested by Departments are a matter, in the first instance, for my Ministerial colleagues. My Department is engaging with the Department of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Legislative Process (29 Jan 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I wish to confirm that no pieces of legislation, including heads of Bills, from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform have been sent to EU institutions before their publication for the period of the 32nd Dáil.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Service Stability Agreement (29 Jan 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The Government have approved public service pension increases under the pension increase policy adopted for the period to end-2020 as part of the Public Service Stability Agreement 2018-2020 (PSSA) . The principle of pay parity underlies this pension increase policy. This means that the pay increases agreed as part of the PSSA, and legislated for in the Public Service Pay and Pensions Act...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Regulations (29 Jan 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The Department of Health is responsible for the management of the New Children’s Hospital project including budget management, project governance, ensuring compliance with procurement rules and project appraisal in accordance with the Public Spending Code. Government policy (through Circular 33/06) requires the use of the Capital Works Management Framework (CWMF) on all projects...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Brexit Expenditure (29 Jan 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The General Scheme of the Miscellaneous Provisions (Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill 2019 was published last week by my colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs. The Bill is made up of seventeen parts relating to nine Departments. It prioritises those areas that need to be addressed urgently through primary...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Land Ownership (29 Jan 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: In line with Standing Order No. 42a, I will respond to the Deputy directly within ten working days.

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Property Tax (24 Jan 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: The report of the review of the Local Property Tax is currently being finalised by my Department in conjunction with the Departments of the Taoiseach, Public Expenditure and Reform, Housing Planning and Local Government, and the Office of the Revenue Commissioners. I expect that the review report will provide a number of policy choices for consideration. I will of course carefully consider...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Code (24 Jan 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: Decisions on taxation matters are made in the context of the annual Budget process, and the Deputy will understand that I cannot give any indications of my plans for Budget 2020 at this time. However,  I should add that policy in relation to the matters the Deputy raises are, in the first instance, matters for the Minister for Rural and Community  Development. "Realising...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Customs and Excise Controls (24 Jan 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 86 and 89 together. I am advised by Revenue that interventions that it makes as regards entry into or importation into the State are risk based. The overall customs regime in place is designed to facilitate the legitimate movement of trade and to secure payment and collection of duty and VAT, as appropriate and protect citizens, trade and the environment. I...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tracker Mortgage Examination (24 Jan 2019)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy is aware, the Central Bank’s Tracker Examination is focused on ensuring that lenders provide fair outcomes for all groups of customers impacted by tracker related failings both from a contractual and transparency perspective.  The Examination requires all lenders, which offered tracker interest rate mortgages to their customers (including customers who may be...