Ged Nash

I will put the Minister behind the 8-ball, if I may. I have no doubt from speaking to his Government colleagues that Government has one, two or maybe even three principal objectives in respect of the expeditious delivery of critical infrastructure in the early part of the term of this Government. What are the most important infrastructure development projects that could be supported by this new di…

75. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform when he plans to commence and conclude his planned review of the Civil Service blended working policy framework; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5125/25]

I would like the Minister to put on the record of the House the programme for Government commitment on the context around the planned review of the Civil Service blended working policy framework. As I mentioned in another context earlier, in recent weeks the Department of Social Protection, for example, went on what I might describe as a solo run and requested that staff return to the office a min…

It seems to me that the Department of Social Protection jumped the gun with its solo run on this. It jumped the gun on the programme for Government commitment. Nobody has any difficulty with a review. The existing policy, though, has been in place only since 2022, and I would not advise the Civil Service and public service or the Minister to take any example from the code of practice of the Workpl…

If I am reading correctly what the Minister is saying, he is comfortable with what the Department of Social Protection did in recent weeks, essentially instructing staff to come back to the office without agreement two days a week. By the way, that may seem reasonable to some, and I am not saying it is unreasonable. What is unreasonable is the lack of consultation and the unilateral nature of that…

I am trying to identify the question.

I thank the Minister for the prompt. I have been here all morning as I had finance questions earlier as well.

83. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to outline his vision for a public infrastructure Act as referenced in the programme for Government; how this will improve delivery, value for money and accountability in relation to public infrastructure development; if he will provide details on any models his Department is evaluating whi…

I ask the Minister to elaborate on what his intentions are for the introduction of an infrastructure Act and what that will involve.

I would like a chance to respond but it seems we have run out of time. I did not even expect to get to this particular question, given the time allocated this morning. I wish to make the point, now that there are more Members present, that the reason we got to that question is because many Government TDs are not here to take their own questions. That is quite extraordinary considering much of the …

It is inflationary.

Hear, hear.

We hear high-profile murmurings this week of new tax incentives for developers, leading me to the conclusion that this Government does not mind a bit of socialism as long as the welfare payments are paid to wealthy developers and to the benefit of corporate landlords. The Government’s message to those who are looking to put a roof over their heads is that it is going to take some of their taxes to…

That this is the first Bill the Government has sought to pass in the new Dáil is instructive. To say that this Administration has got off to an appalling start is an understatement. The Bill will create an unprecedented 23 Minister of State posts at a cost that makes some State agency building projects of recent times look prudent. It is a jobs-for-the-boys Bill. I use the word "boys" deliberately…

The birthing of so many baby Ministers would make boom-time Bertie blush. Figures compiled by the Labour Party suggest that each of these new posts will cost the State upwards of €500,000 annually. The starting cost to the public of this stroke Government will be over €1.5 million per year when we add in the new overnight allowance for Ministers of State the creation of further super junior positi…

That amendment was not accepted, however. We can interrogate that matter further later on. There is a strong argument for doing away with that allowance in its entirety. There is no requirement, rationale or justification for it. Ministers of State have private secretaries, which they are entitled to. That has traditionally been the case and should be the case. However, they also have special advi…

I thank the Ceann Comhairle very much. Tax breaks for developers were announced this week. We will also be dealing this week with the addition of three new Ministers of State to the bloated ranks of baby Ministers. I was expecting to see Bertie Ahern in the chair there today. It is a case of back to the future, with tax breaks for developers and a boom in baby Ministers and Ministers of State. We …

By the time the Government is finished, we will have 50 TDs from the Government ranks being chairs of committees, Cabinet Ministers or Ministers of State. That is more than half of the entire makeup of the Government who are dependent on the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste for their political careers over the next few years. I will ask the Minister this question. How do we know this is a stroke? It is …

-----to interrogate and debate this very important issue. We need more time to debate this important matter.

We have 30 minutes for amendments on Committee and Remaining Stages.

That is okay then.

Hear, hear.