Results 17,301-17,320 of 32,864 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure Policy (27 Nov 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: Managing the delivery of public services within allocations is a key responsibility of each Minister and Department. There are important measures in place to ensure that our budgetary targets are being met and my Department is in regular contact with all other Departments and offices to ensure that expenditure is being managed within the overall fiscal parameters. Expenditure profiles...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (27 Nov 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy will be aware, in my role as Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, I have overarching responsibility for workforce planning in, and recruitment to, the Civil Service. In Budget 2015, it was announced that there would be a targeted programme of recruitment into the Civil Service to address service needs and a shortfall in key skills. The...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Regulations (27 Nov 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: Public Procurement is a key element of the Government’s Public Service Reform programme and the Office of Government Procurement (OGP) was established to lead on its implementation.  The OGP commenced sourcing operations in 2014 and, together with four key sectors (Health, Local Government, Education and Defence), has responsibility for sourcing common goods and services on...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Brexit Issues (27 Nov 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: The Government is under no illusions about the complexity of Brexit and is taking forward extensive and detailed Brexit preparedness and contingency planning across all Government Departments and Agencies.   Contingency planning is well advanced, with all issues identified and an array of measures are under active consideration in a worst case scenario. Within my own...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Broadband Plan Expenditure (27 Nov 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: The Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment is the Sponsoring Agency for the National Broadband Plan (NBP) and it is the responsibility of that Department to undertake costings and comply with the Public Spending Code.   It would not be appropriate to comment or speculate on the estimated cost of the NBP, at this juncture in advance of the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Relief Schemes (27 Nov 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: The Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) study carried out by the Office of Public Works resulted in the publication of Flood Risk Management Plans (FRMP’s) for each river basin district studied under the programme. The FRMP for the Shannon river basin identified a potentially viable solution for the flooding problem in Springfield (Clonlara) comprising the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Climate Change Adaptation Plans (27 Nov 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: As Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, my role is to ensure that the funds allocated to addressing climate change are well-managed, well-targeted and sustainable. My Department does not have specific climate change targets save for the objective  of improving its energy efficiency by 33% by 2020.     A sustained whole of Government...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions Data (27 Nov 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 210 and 211 together. My understanding of the PQ's is that the Deputy is looking for the number of people who currently fall into each of the income bands that apply to the PSPR rates and how the number in bands will change as a result of the PSPR rate changes provided for under the Public Service Stability Agreement.  I have been supplied by the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions (27 Nov 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: The Public Service Pay and Pensions Act 2017 sets out a specific schedule of measures and dates in respect of deductions made under the FEMPI Acts including provisions in respect of the implementation of the Public Service Stability Agreement 2018-2020 (PSSA). This scheduled further lessening of the PSPR impact on pensions will mean that from 1 January 2019 all pensions up to €39,000...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions (27 Nov 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: Section 24 of the Public service Pay and pensions Act, 2017 will raise the PSPR exemption threshold from €34,132 to €39,000 per annum. This change means that all pensions up to €39,000 per annum will be exempt from PSPR in 2019, while those higher-value pensions still affected will benefit from a gain of €1,080 per annum. This significant change in 2019...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Risk Management (27 Nov 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: The Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) study carried out by the Office of Public Works resulted in the publication of Flood Risk Management Plans (FRMP’s) for each river basin district studied under the programme. The FRMP for the Shannon river basin identified a potentially viable solution for the flooding problem in Springfield comprising the construction of a...

Consumer Protection (Regulation of Credit Servicing Firms) Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages [Private Members] (22 Nov 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I wish to thank my officials, who have put considerable work into co-operating with Deputy Michael McGrath on this Bill. I am keen to emphasise one objective we have not touched on tonight. We have all talked about the different objectives that Deputies have relating to Irish banks. I have another objective that has not been mentioned this evening. I want the Irish taxpayers' money...

Consumer Protection (Regulation of Credit Servicing Firms) Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages [Private Members] (22 Nov 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I will make two final points because the amendments are technical in nature and I hope we will be able to pass them quickly. I do not want my comments to be misinterpreted. What Deputy McGuinness just said about the tracker mortgage issue is correct; the money that was being returned to people was their money, full stop, end of story. The fact is that more than €500 million has been...

Consumer Protection (Regulation of Credit Servicing Firms) Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages [Private Members] (22 Nov 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I am just responding to the questions the Deputies have put to me.

Consumer Protection (Regulation of Credit Servicing Firms) Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages [Private Members] (22 Nov 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Acting Chairman. As I have said, I have met the commitments I offered to Deputy Michael McGrath earlier in the year. Extending the regulatory reach of the Central Bank to the fundamental owners of the debt can make a difference. I remind the House that the credit servicing firms themselves have always been regulated here in Ireland.

Consumer Protection (Regulation of Credit Servicing Firms) Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages [Private Members] (22 Nov 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank Deputies Kelleher, Fitzmaurice and McGuinness for the additional points they raised. I will deal with some of them, as well as the matters that Deputy Michael McGrath raised. Deputy Fitzmaurice raised a particular point on mortgage to rent and the participation of certain forms of homes within it. I was not aware of the issue he raised and I will follow up to see can I help with...

Consumer Protection (Regulation of Credit Servicing Firms) Bill 2018: Order for Report Stage [Private Members] (22 Nov 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I move: "That Report Stage be taken now." I welcome the opportunity to speak to this Private Members' Bill. I gave a commitment to Deputy Michael McGrath that my Department and I would work with him on his proposed draft Bill to find a way in which the policy objectives of the Bill could be delivered. On Committee Stage, a significant amount of discussion took place on the Bill and since...

Finance Bill 2018: Report Stage (Resumed) (22 Nov 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: In accordance with Standing Order 163, I ask the House to agree that the Ceann Comhairle instruct the clerk of the Dáil to make a formal correction in the Bill. On page 52, line 42, the phrase "of any company other than—" and the following clauses (I) and (II) on top of page 53 should be aligned to paragraph level as the text is a continuation of paragraph (b) and not...

Finance Bill 2018: Report Stage (Resumed) (22 Nov 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I understand that Revenue contacts PAYE taxpayers to remind them that there is a four-year time limit for claiming additional tax credits and reliefs. In late 2017, Revenue issued 135,188 letters to all PAYE taxpayers who had not claimed additional credits or reliefs from 2013 to 2017, reminding them that they may be entitled to make claims on or before 31 December 2017. An additional 291...

Finance Bill 2018: Report Stage (Resumed) (22 Nov 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: On the e-brief issued by the Revenue Commissioners, it was not in regard to a new policy. Rather, Revenue were confirming existing policy in the area. I imagine they did so in recognition of the growth of the sector. On the requirement for a withholding tax, the Deputy will be aware that the purpose of the withholding tax is to facilitate tax compliance, which as we both know has to occur...