I thank Deputy Conway-Walsh. I apologise for the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, who is overseas. The total resources available at Union level for the ERDF were determined as part of the overall negotiations of the multi-annual financial framework for the period from 2021 to 2027. The resources allocated to each member state were based on the amounts calculated for each of the individual regions by the Commission using averaged Eurostat data from the relevant reference years, in this case 2015 to 2017. A methodology for …

I thank the Deputy. As I said at the outset, the metrics are set out by parameters from places other than the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. I will finish where I was with regard to PEACEPLUS. The northern and western region is also able to avail of other supports. The new EU co-financed PEACEPLUS programme for 2021 to 2027 will invest in excess of €1.1 billion to build peace and prosperity in the counties that I mentioned. The Border counties in the north west have…

On top of the metrics I have already outlined, their rationale and the fact that there is a per capita double payment in the region versus the other two regions, the region also received significant funding from other Departments, including that specifically set up to deal with this issue, which is the Department of Rural and Community Development. Some examples of recent allocations in the region include €4 million for Killybegs town centre, €2 million for Ballinamore and €1.8 million for regeneration in Manorhami…

This is in my area of responsibility and I am glad to be able to answer it. The Office of Public Works, OPW, as the lead agency for flood risk management, is co-ordinating the delivery of measures towards meeting the Government’s national flood risk policy across three areas of flood risk management, which takes the potential impacts of climate change into account under the headings of prevention, protection and preparedness. A range of structural and non-structural measures have already been implemented to address…

I thank Deputy Conway-Walsh. I have been in Crossmolina on a couple of occasions. I thank Deputy Conway-Walsh for the support associated with this. She is conscious of the fact that Mayo County Council is the applicant to the planning authority and, under the Arterial Drainage Act, the Minister is the consenting authority. We cannot predetermine the outcome of a planning process which must go through its natural conclusion. With regard to where it is at present, in September 2020, the OPW submitted confirmation doc…

I do not disagree with Deputy Conway-Walsh. If we had a magic bullet to circumvent the regulations we must go through, we certainly would be using it. Many towns, villages and cities such as Galway are under constant threat. When people are living under a psychological threat such as this, it causes a lot of mental trauma. It is not for want of energy and enthusiasm from our point of view. If we go baldheaded into a process whereby we may not get planning permission and we end up in the High Court with a judicial r…

As I said to Deputy Conway-Walsh earlier, the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, is out of the country and I will take all the questions. A 5% growth rate for core expenditure was set out in the 2021 summer economic statement as part of our medium-term expenditure strategy. This strategy aims to align core voted expenditure growth with the trend growth rate of the economy as measured by GNI*. This seeks to ensure a level of public spending that is sustainable, allowing us to provide consistent investment in delivering publi…

In the context of the provision of the budgetary climate and infrastructure for 2024, the Deputy will be aware that the summer economic statement will shortly be addressed by the Ministers, Deputies Donohoe and McGrath, and that will take place in July, most likely. Over the coming months, in advance of that, the Minister will further consider other budgetary positions, in collaboration with the Minister for Finance. It should be pointed out that, notwithstanding all of the issues the Deputy has raised and in the c…

It is important to point out also that the total amount of Government expenditure for the year is in excess of €91 billion, a not insignificant amount of money. Notwithstanding the difficulties that are there, I think everybody accepts from history, particularly in this country, that when governments try to chase inflation, it winds up in an inflationary spiral and everybody suffers. That is why it is so important that the once-off measures that have been taken are taken in the context of the overall budget package…

I thank the Deputy, on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, for raising this very important issue. The Government is committed to promoting care in the community for older people so they can continue to live in their own homes for as long as possible. Home support is an increasingly important part of the supports the Government offers to older people and will continue to increase in importance into the future, as our ageing population grows. The overall policy intention and provision of services are in line with…

As the Deputy is aware, it is not appropriate for a Minister, in the context of existing commercial discussions, tendering processes or anything of that nature, to discuss them on the floor of the Dáil. As I said earlier, the HSE has proposed a further extension of the contract arrangements to Friday, 30 June, which is its prerogative as the lead agency on this. As I said at the outset, I am not trying to absolve myself or the Department of anything. It is simply a fact that when voted expenditure goes from this Ho…

As already stated, as a former Minister of State in the Department of Health, the Deputy will appreciate that it would not be appropriate for the Minister of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform or a Minister of State in his Department, in the middle of contractual discussions relating to the continuation or extension of contracts, the hiring of additional personnel or whatever is required for the service, to volunteer an opinion on behalf of the Department that ultimately holds the pur…

I thank the Deputy for her question. The Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform and the Department are responsible for the public spending code, which sets the value-for-money requirements and guidance for evaluating, planning and managing Exchequer-funded capital projects. In March this year, the Minister informed the Government of a package of significant actions aimed at enhancing project delivery under the national development plan, NDP. The package represents a fresh app…

To go back to the earlier question posed by the Deputy about my responsibilities, for the Office of Public Works, OPW, which is a capital-led body, the changes to the public spending code that have been announced could not come fast enough. I am sure that if I asked the school buildings unit in the Department of Education or other bodies, they would agree, purely on the basis of the time that it was taking to go through each of the steps that had to be adhered to under the code in order to deliver capital projects.…

That is no problem at all. I will get the information the Deputy requires. On the reforms that are necessary to make things happen faster, another element is the planning Bill that is proposed to come before the Dáil. Again, going back to the previous question the Deputy asked, if I sat down with any delivery body or project management team in any part of the Government, whether it is Transport Infrastructure Ireland, the Rail Procurement Agency or whomever, they will all attest to the issues relating to planning. …

I propose to take Questions Nos. 6, 25 and 44 together. I am pleased to provide an update on the progression of the Glashaboy flood relief scheme at Glanmire-Sallybrook, in Cork. I am advised that the scheme is being progressed by Cork City Council. The OPW, in partnership with the council, is engaging proactively to progress the flood relief scheme for Glanmire. The Glashaboy flood relief scheme was confirmed in January 2021 by the then Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform under the Arterial Drainage Acts 19…

Absolutely.

On the last point, and going back to Deputy Conway-Walsh's remarks about the public spending code and delivery of capital projects, this is an example of it. We are not the tendering authority here. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan is absolutely right that there is a huge amount of misinformation here. I would love to know exactly what delay the Government has put in place to prevent this scheme. I am not aware of any delay that the OPW has put in place. Deputy Gould might be able to enlighten me.

I would be delighted to hear that. We are not the contracting authority, in case it escaped the Deputy's knowledge. It is a matter for Cork City Council. In the first instance, Cork City Council's tendering process collapsed because a tenderer had to withdraw. I do not know if the Deputy would advocate for having no tendering process. Maybe he wants a cheque to be written to whoever is the preferred person locally. In his world he might be able to do that but in the world of accountability, governance and oversight…

I will get a response directly from the Minister's office to Deputy Conway-Walsh. On the scheme Deputy Cannon raised, it is my intention to go to Galway shortly to meet the county council in respect of this. I have been there a number of times already in respect of other schemes and I must say the county council is to the fore in delivering an awful lot to the schemes. On the question that was asked here, I am not interested in dúirt bean liom go ndúirt bean léi; I can only go on the basis of what actually happened…