Results 1-20 of 1,130,694 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Tom Kitt OR speaker:Paul Donnelly OR speaker:Pa Daly OR speaker:Martin Browne OR speaker:John Lahart OR speaker:Gary Gannon OR speaker:Mary Butler OR speaker:Catherine Martin OR speaker:Roderic O'Gorman OR speaker:Heather Humphreys OR speaker:Jennifer Whitmore OR speaker:Helen McEntee OR speaker:Marc MacSharry OR speaker:Jennifer Carroll MacNeill OR speaker:Pippa Hackett OR speaker:Michael Healy-Rae OR speaker:Dessie Ellis OR speaker:Brian Leddin OR speaker:Seán Ó Fearghaíl OR speaker:Imelda Munster OR speaker:Michael Lowry OR speaker:Brendan Griffin OR speaker:Alan Dillon OR speaker:Denis Naughten OR speaker:Richard O'Donoghue OR speaker:Michael McGrath OR speaker:Stephen Donnelly OR speaker:Darren O'Rourke OR speaker:Johnny Mythen OR speaker:Frank Feighan OR speaker:Alan Farrell OR speaker:Steven Matthews OR speaker:David Cullinane OR speaker:Peadar Tóibín OR speaker:Louise O'Reilly) in 'Committee meetings'

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: I wish to add my own voice of sympathy to the Minister, Deputy Burke, who is not here. I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Higgins, for being here albeit under sad circumstances. I have a number of questions. I have not brought the Estimate with me but I should be able to do it from my notes. If I get a bit lost, bear with me. Regarding the funding under jobs and enterprise...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: Can I ask about the funding decreases for the jobs and enterprise development programme and the enterprise, innovation and commercialisation programme? My notes show decreases of 26% and 4%, respectively. Will the Minister of State account for these decreases? I know some of them will be because there is no ICOB scheme in the budget. Beyond that, is there a different or another reason for...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: That will be rolled over to next year.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: That is good. I had thought that but I wanted to be sure.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: There is an estimated 39% increase in spending on policy reviews, consultancy services and research. That seems like a fairly hefty increase. Will the Minister of State give us a flavour of what kind of work will be funded and why that work cannot be done in-house? She is here with her officials, all very capable, competent people, as we know. Why can that work not be done in-house? What...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: On that, we have had hearings on AI and you would nearly terrify yourself. I understand AI moves very fast, etc. Is there work under way in the Department to skill people up? This is not an area I suspect will be a flash in the pan. I do not think this is a passing fad. I suspect this is something for the future.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: How does that work then in terms of that 39% increase in spending? Is that going to EI or is that expertise coming from somewhere else?

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: I do not want to be peppering the Minister of State with questions here. Could we get a breakdown of where that spend is? It would probably be helpful in written form, if that was okay.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: I thank the Minister of State for that response. It is not just me but others, namely, business representative groups, have classed the ICOB grant as falling far short. They use the word "failure". They say this grant scheme will be another failure if it mirrors exactly the other model. In the discussions regarding this measure, was consideration given to making a significant contribution...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: What was the reason for the delay?

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: There is a €258,000 PIRB increased pension liability. It used to be PIAB. I always forget what the R is for. Does that relate to a number of pensions or just one pension? What is the situation there?

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: That is just what it is. It is just that adjustment.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: My final question relates to the disruptive technologies and innovation fund. I understand from the Minister of State's contribution that there are a number of reasons why almost a quarter of that money was not used. Is there a concern there? I can see the reasons why but given that it is a fund that should be oversubscribed, is there any concern? Has the Department undertaken any...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: That is all my questions. I thank the Minister of State.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Helen McEntee: Good afternoon, Chair. I thank members for making time to consider these Supplementary Estimates. I am joined from the Department by Ms Yvonne Furey, assistant secretary, Ms Niamh Merrigan, assistant principal, and Mr. Aonghus O'Connor, principal officer. On Vote 20, budget 2024 reflects the commitment of the Government to ensuring our communities are safe and that An Garda...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Pa Daly: I thank the Minister for her statement. I have a few questions. I note the offset in the underspends. First, there is not enough spending on the Garda Reserve due to delays in recruitment. Is that likely to happen this year? What are the reasons for the delays?

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Helen McEntee: It is due to a recruitment competition. It is a matter of going through the process working with the Public Appointments Service. It is likely it will be next year before we have some of our first new recruits. The competition resulted in 1,800 people applying to become members of the Garda Reserve. We are still going through that recruitment process with the 1,800 applicants.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Pa Daly: No new people have been recruited. Is that what the Minister is saying?

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Helen McEntee: No one has been recruited yet. It was hoped that it would happen by the end of the year, but it will most likely be early next year.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Pa Daly: Does the Minister accept there are fewer than 100 members of the Garda Reserve in Dublin at this stage?