Results 181-200 of 31,040 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ethics in Public Office (8 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: The 2020 Programme for Government contains a commitment to “reform and consolidate the Ethics in Public Office Legislation”, which inter alia underpins the operation of the Standards in Public Office Commission. As the Deputy’s question notes, the Minister at the time asked my Department to undertake a review of the statutory framework in advance of bringing new proposals...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure Policy (8 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: Budgetary and expenditure reform is a key feature of public expenditure management and is progressed in a number of ways including through regular engagement across Departments on cross cutting issues and through the public service reform programme. The promotion of innovation may be seen within the overall context of budgetary reform through a range of initiatives including: •...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure Policy (8 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: The latest data available from Eurostat, the European Union’s statistical office, relates to 2021. According to Eurostat, in 2021 35.2% of General Government Expenditure in Ireland was on the Social Protection function, 21.2% was on the Health Function and 12% was on the Education function. This compares to an equivalent EU average of 39.9% on the Social Protection Function, 15.8% on...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff (8 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: In considering a move to a four day working week in a public service context, there are two main concerns – the cost to the taxpayer and ensuring the continuity of services to the public. There would be substantial costs associated with any move towards a four day working week in the public service. It is not clear that increased productivity would be sufficient to offset that...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts (8 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: In line with the Programme for Government: Our Shared Future, my Department’s focus is to further develop the potential of strategic procurement, with an emphasis on sustainability and social considerations, public works reform and innovation. My Department has taken a number of actions in this regard. Through the inter-departmental Strategic Procurement Advisory Group, chaired by the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Conservation (8 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: A comprehensive review of the National Development Plan involving several strands of work was undertaken over the course of 2020 and 2021. The Phase 1 report was published in April 2020 and drew upon a number of pieces of research and policy papers. This work culminated in the publication of an updated National Development Plan 2021-2030 (NDP) in October 2021. The NDP provides for...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Legislative Programme (8 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: The Deputy will be aware that the Government Legislation Programme for the Spring 2024 Session was published on 16 January. The Spring Legislation Programme sets out that my Department has one Bill on the Legislation for Priority Publication list, which is the Civil Service Regulation and Public Service Management (Amendment) Bill. My Department also has one item on the Legislation for...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (8 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: Proposals for a new public service pay agreement – Public Service Agreement 2024 to 2026 were finalised at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) on 26th January. Public service unions and associations can be expected to ballot on these proposals in the coming weeks. The proposed Agreement runs for two and a half years and the total estimated cost amounts to €3.6...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff (8 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: 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 are tight. Labour and skills shortages are presenting recruitment and retention challenges for employers across the labour market, including the civil and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Development Plan (8 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy is aware the Land Development Agency was established in 2018. The Land Development Agency’s (LDA) main purpose is to maximise the supply of affordable and social homes on public land in a financially sustainable manner. The LDA is a commercial, State-sponsored body that has been created to coordinate land within public control to provide affordable and social homes and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure Policy (8 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 174, 176, 177 and 179 together. I set out the comprehensive approach Government is taking to public expenditure policy in the Medium Term Expenditure Strategy (MTES) and the budgetary and expenditure reforms in my reply to the Deputy in PQ reference number 5989/24. In addition, my Department is leading on an ambitious programme of change to deliver better...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Brexit Issues (8 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: The Government has made significant allocations across a range of sectors to counter the effects of Brexit since the UK withdrawal referendum in 2016, including through the European Union’s Brexit Adjustment Reserve (BAR). The BAR provides support to counter the adverse economic, social, territorial and, environmental consequences of the withdrawal of the UK from the European...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure Policy (8 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: Each individual Accounting Officer is responsible for the monitoring of performance of public contracts under his or her remit and for ensuring that the public procurement function is discharged in line with the standard accounting and procurement rules and procedures efficiently and effectively to deliver maximum value for money for the taxpayer. Public Procurement is governed by EU...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure Policy (8 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: As Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, I am responsible for setting the overall allocations across Departments and for monitoring monthly expenditure at Departmental level. I am also responsible for maintaining the national frameworks within which Departments operate to ensure appropriate accounting for and value for money in public expenditure such as the Public...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure Policy (8 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: The Government’s approach to public expenditure policy is set out in the Medium Term Expenditure Strategy (MTES). The objectives of the MTES are twofold, to ensure that the level of core expenditure growth is sustainable in the long-term and that investment in expenditure protects and delivers improvements to public services. This framework must be responsive to the economic landscape...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure Policy (8 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: The Government’s approach to public expenditure policy is set out in the Medium Term Expenditure Strategy (MTES). The objectives of the MTES are twofold, to ensure that the level of core expenditure growth is sustainable and that investment in expenditure protects and delivers improvements to public services. This framework must be responsive to the economic landscape and is reviewed...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information (8 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: The Deputy’s question highlights a commitment that we made in the 2020 Programme for Government to “reform and consolidate the Ethics in Public Office Legislation”. To action this commitment my Department undertook a review of the statutory framework in advance of bringing new proposals for reform to Government. This Review was completed in December 2022 and its Report...

Death of Former Taoiseach: Expressions of Sympathy (7 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: I am privileged and humbled to join colleagues in offering my condolences to Finola, to the Bruton family and especially to our dear friend and colleague, Richard, on the passing of his brother, John. If I may, I will address a word to our colleague, Deputy Richard Bruton. I hope this afternoon that the affection, respect and deep understanding of your brother that has been expressed by many...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (7 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: Reform and transformation of our public services remains a key priority for government and it is always a feature of Public Service Agreements. As such, the proposed Public Service Agreement 2024 – 2026 includes a chapter on transformation. If ratified, the Agreement will underpin the ongoing transformation of our public services, allowing reform to continue in a collaborative and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Official Travel (7 Feb 2024)

Paschal Donohoe: Since the formation of the Government I have travelled abroad twice on behalf of the State. On the first occasion I travelled to Germany from March 14thto 18thas part of the Government’s St. Patrick’s Day Programme for a total of five days and four nights. My programme in Germany encompassed visits to Frankfurt, Cologne and Berlin. I should note that I, my Special Adviser and...