Results 16,521-16,540 of 32,602 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (16 Jan 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: I was going to say-----
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (16 Jan 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: That is fair enough. I will conclude my point and then respond to the Deputy. From much of the thinking I have read on medium-term forecasts, my view is that it underestimates the fact that a Government of the day will have to make policy choices in three different areas, that is, does it retain services in a particular area, does it need new services or does it need to change levels of...
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (16 Jan 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: The Deputy has put five different points to me. He asked whether my officials give me advice about-----
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (16 Jan 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: I thought he said advice, but I will deal with that question.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (16 Jan 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: They certainly give me advice. We all worked very hard in the run-up to budget 2019, in the context of many competing pressures, to put together the best possible budget that could be implemented. I take some specific points on board but I differ in that I believe this is a budget which, by virtue of the rate of expenditure growth, the moving to a balance and then a surplus last year, meets...
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (16 Jan 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: He suggested that I should spend more. The key proposal that he put on the table on how we should raise revenue in order that we can spend more was centred on the corporation tax. He voted against all the measures we brought in on budget day that sought to pay for the expenditure growth that is now being challenged. It is important to remember-----
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (16 Jan 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: -----when the Deputy is making his points that he voted against-----
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (16 Jan 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: He voted against the betting levy and the VAT rate and his main proposal was that the rate of corporation tax should be raised.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (16 Jan 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: These are key facts and I am happy to engage in as much debate around them as the Deputy wishes. On the particular questions he asked about Brexit-----
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (16 Jan 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: -----on whether I have met the Revenue Commissioners-----
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (16 Jan 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: -----we have just had an exchange in which we agreed-----
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (16 Jan 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: It is good to allow a person to finish his or her sentences.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (16 Jan 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: I am happy to come back to the Deputy on this matter.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (16 Jan 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: I will come back to the question about officials but I will answer the questions he asked about Brexit, because he asked me some very specific and important questions on that topic. He asked me whether I had met the Revenue Commissioners to discuss Brexit. I met all of the Revenue Commissioners to discuss this growing risk in the second half of last year. The Secretary General of the...
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (16 Jan 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: I missed those questions and I will answer them. All advice given to me is available in written format. We have a certain process within the Government and every decision I have to make is provided to me in written format. The advice contains the perspectives of the relevant Department. I have ample meetings and a large amount of engagement with my officials on, perhaps not every single...
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (16 Jan 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: As a point of order, Deputy Pearse Doherty asked me a question about the written advice I receive. The answer is that it will be available within the five-year period.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (16 Jan 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: While acknowledging the difficulties we had in 2018, I wish to make the point that for 2016 and 2017, we either did not have a Supplementary Estimate or it was significantly lower than was the case last year. On the question of what we are doing to mitigate this risk, we are dealing with the development of the potential risk on a month-by-month basis as opposed to addressing it on a...
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (16 Jan 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: In what way?
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (16 Jan 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: Yes, that is correct.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (16 Jan 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: I understand the Deputy's question. I am sorry I had misunderstood it. At the discretion of the Chairman, I do not want the Deputy to lose any of his time for questioning because I got it wrong. I will address what is different in how we will now do it. There has been a process between the Department of Health and the HSE. Now my Department will also be involved in it.