I thank all the Senators for their contributions to the debate. It is really tough when one has only one or two minutes to cover such an important issue. Anyway, it is clear to me from the contributions made that there is broad support in this House for the ongoing work in respect of the review of the NDP. The importance of public capital investment is recognised by Members. An ambitious public capital investment programme will be at the heart of the recovery of the economy. We are fortunate to be in a position whe…

I move: "That Second Stage be taken now."

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle and Deputies for facilitating the commencement of Second Stage of this Bill this evening. This Bill is a key enabler for the new public service pay agreement, Building Momentum, and allows for a range of reforming pay matters, including implementation of aspects of Sláintecare. It continues the process of unwinding and repeal of the financial emergency measures in the public interest, FEMPI, legislation. As such, it builds on chang…

I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the following Order in draft: Finance Act 2004 (Section 91) (Deferred Surrender to the Central Fund) Order 2021, copies of which have been laid in draft form before Dáil Éireann on 12th January, 2021. At the outset I would like to say that despite the extraordinarily difficult circumstances over the past year, we have successfully maintained investment in Ireland's public capital programme. The programme, which was outlined in the National Development Plan 2018-2027, will continue…

I thank all the Deputies for contributing to the debate on this motion. In substance, it is a technical motion providing for the carrying forward of more than €700 million of the capital budget from 2020 into 2021, in order that those funds will be available for expenditure across a range of areas under the public capital investment programme. It will not be possible for me to respond to all the individual local projects that were mentioned during the debate but I am sure colleagues across the House will be engagin…

I move: “That the Bill be now read a Second Time." The Appropriation Bill represents the final fiscal action of the year to be taken by the Oireachtas. This year has been like no other. The arrival of Covid-19 on our shores in March represented a major challenge for the people of this country and us, as their representatives, in this Oireachtas. People have been cut off from family and friends, have lost jobs and have seen their businesses collapse. Tragically, 3,283 people lost their lives on the island of Ireland…

I appreciate the contributions of all Deputies across the House. I will just make some brief remarks in response. It will not be possible to cover the very wide range of points that have been made by colleagues. I thank colleagues for their support for this vital legislation, which is to provide a sound legal basis for the expenditure incurred in 2020. It also allows for the continuation of expenditure into 2021 prior to the passing by this House of the Estimates for 2021. There are a few common themes in the vario…

I have already given my closing remarks, but I will work with Deputies Michael Collins and O'Dowd on the issues they raised. I encourage them to participate in the national development plan review. For our Departments to be of assistance, we need specific projects. A point was rightly made about projects being shovel ready. Some are, but many are not and there are various bottlenecks in the system. We need to improve the way in which we deliver capital projects. This matter will form part of our review because ther…

I move: That Revised Estimates for the Public Services for the year ending 31st December, 2021, be presented to the Dáil and circulated to members and be referred to Select Committees, as appropriate, pursuant to Standing Orders 95(1)( a ) and 215(3).

I move the following Supplementary Estimates: Vote 30 — Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Supplementary Estimate) That a supplementary sum not exceeding €16,800,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2020, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, including certain services administered by that Office, and for payment of certain grants and subsidies and for the payment of cer…

I move the following Supplementary Estimate: Vote 9 — Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Supplementary Estimate) That a supplementary sum not exceeding €7,819,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2020, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Revenue Commissioners, including certain other services administered by that Office.

No.

I move the following Further Revised Estimate for Public Services 2020: Vote 32 — Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Further Revised Estimate) That a sum not exceeding €1,855,169,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2020, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, including certain services administered by that Office, for the payment of certain subsidies and grants and for t…

I move: That leave be given by the Dáil to introduce the following Supplementary Estimates for the service of the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2020: Vote 30 — Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Supplementary Estimate) — Select Committee on Agriculture and the Marine. Vote 45 — Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary Estimate) — Select Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.

I move: That, subject to leave being given to introduce the following Supplementary Estimates for the service of the year ending on 31st December, 2020, the Supplementary Estimates be referred to the following Select Committees, as appropriate, pursuant to Standing Orders 95(1)( a ) and 215(3):— Vote 30 — Agriculture, Food and the Marine ( Supplementary Estimate ) — Select Committee on Agriculture and the Marine. Vote 45 — Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science ( Supplementary Estimate ) — S…

I move amendment No.1: To delete all words after "That" and substitute the following: "Dáil Éireann: — Acknowledges that two statutory reviews have been undertaken to date in relation to the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015; — Recognises that the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform has initiated a review of Section 22 of the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015; and — Resolves that the Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2020 be deemed to be read a second time this day nine months, to allow for, in the context…

I thank Deputy Richmond for raising this Topical Issue tonight and for the sustained interest he has shown on this issue on which I know he has submitted several parliamentary questions in the past. The response I have focuses on the Criminal Assets Bureau, CAB, in particular. I know Deputy Richmond is, as he has acknowledged, familiar with the responses he has been receiving to date on the ring-fencing of proceeds of this nature. I will put some of the key points on the record for the benefit of the House. I will …

My thanks to Deputy Richmond for his response. I will write to the Minister for Justice and engage with her in respect of this issue. It has always been the case that the Department of Finance and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform resist any efforts to ring-fence proceeds for any particular purpose. They like that to be part of the Estimates process. That has already been the case but that does not mean it necessarily has to pertain indefinitely in the future. The idea from the Deputy is a good one in…

I move the following Revised Estimates: Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised Estimate) That a sum not exceeding €350,994,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2020, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for Justice, Probation Service staff and of certain other services including payments under cash-limited schemes administered by that Office, and payment of certain grants. Vote 26 — Education (Further Revised …

I move the following Supplementary Estimates: Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary Estimate) That a supplementary sum not exceeding €44,325,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2020, for the salaries and expenses of the Garda Síochána, including pensions, etc.; for the payment of certain witnesses’ expenses, and for payment of certain grants. Vote 21 — Prisons (Supplementary Estimate) That a supplementary sum not exceeding €1…