Results 20,121-20,140 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions Levy (11 Dec 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy will be aware that the Pension-Related Deduction (PRD) is an important component of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Acts (FEMPI). Since it was introduced in March 2009 under the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2009, the PRD has reduced the public sector pay bill by an estimated €5.5 billion. In 2014 the PRD reduced the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff Recruitment (11 Dec 2014)

Brendan Howlin: There is no prohibition on civil or public servants who have retired under normal circumstances on applying for a publicly advertised public service post for which they are suitably qualified. However, restrictions on further public service appointments apply to staff who opted for early retirement under the Incentivised Scheme for Early Retirement (ISER) as set out in Department of Finance...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Apprenticeship Programmes (11 Dec 2014)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy's question I can confirm that the Office of Public Works has recently introduced an apprenticeship training programme the first major intake in over 10 years.  A total of 21 apprentices carpenters/Stonemasons/Stonecutters) commenced their training on 22 September.  The programme involves seven modules over four years, in conjunction with SOLAS, the new...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Redeployment (11 Dec 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Public Service Agreements (PSA) covering the period 2010 -16 (the Croke Park and Haddington Road Agreements) provide for agreed redeployment arrangements to apply in the Civil Service and Non-Commercial State Sponsored Bodies (NCSSB). Under the PSA, redeployment generally takes precedence over all other methods of filling a vacancy and supersedes any existing agreements on the deployment...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Remit (11 Dec 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Under the Freedom of Information Act 2014, a commencement order is not required to make the National Asset Management Agency subject to FOI under the Act. All the provisions, other than section 8 relating to publication schemes, came into effect on the date of enactment, that is on 14th October 2014. In accordance with Section 1(3)(b) of the FOI Act 2014, in the case of a public body...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Government Expenditure (16 Dec 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Twelve months ago, Ireland successfully exited the EU-IMF programme of financial support. This was achieved after five years of significant expenditure reductions and restraint across all areas of Government. The expenditure allocations published in the 2014 Revised Estimates Volume required the delivery of an expenditure reduction of €1.6 billion in order to achieve the budget 2014...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Government Expenditure (16 Dec 2014)

Brendan Howlin: As the Leas-Cheann Comhairle knows, that is not a question. The Deputy made a series of false charges which were argumentative and which are not normally allowed at Question Time. When the Government took office, the deficit in 2010 left by the shambles of the previous Administration, of which the Deputy was a prominent member, was a Zimbabwe-like 30% of GDP, whcih was unprecedented in our...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Government Expenditure (16 Dec 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The last time an integrated Department presided over the Deputy's party, there was a deficit of 30% of GDP. It was so crippling that we could not borrow a bob anywhere and had to call in the IMF. That is the record the Deputy is now applauding. It is a joke. In truth, the Deputy knows well that the €1.2 billion is due to timing factors in many cases. I will offer some details. A...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Fiscal Compact Treaty (16 Dec 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The key fiscal objective in budget 2015 is a general government deficit of 2.7% of GDP. Achieving this target will see Ireland exit the excessive deficit procedure. Thereafter fiscal policy will become subject to the preventative arm of the Stability and Growth Pact, SGP. Each country has a medium-term budgetary objective, MTO, for its fiscal policy. For Ireland, the MTO is to achieve a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Fiscal Compact Treaty (16 Dec 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I understand the very important question the Deputy is asking. The calculation of the expenditure benchmark is subject to a number of key inputs including the GDP deflator and potential growth. The Department of Finance is engaging with the Commission to calculate a reasonable benchmark for Ireland. In the answer to the parliamentary question to which the Deputy referred, the Minister for...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Fiscal Compact Treaty (16 Dec 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Stability and Growth Pact is binding on us, as it is on every eurozone country, and is designed to ensure fiscal policies are sustainable into the future and prevent economic collapse due to our being profligate at any time in our electoral or economic cycle. The estimates provided in the answer to the parliamentary question are technical and will change and evolve as potential growth...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Pensions (16 Dec 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Again, I thank Deputy Healy for the question. The question of legislation to give rights to pensioners or representatives of pensioners to engage in industrial relations matters or to appear before the State's industrial tribunals is a matter within the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, not mine. It of course is not necessary for any group to have...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Pensions (16 Dec 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Again, the actual introduction of legislation that would give any group statutory rights of representation before the State's industrial tribunals or in industrial relations matters is a matter for the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and consequently, I have no function in that regard. However, as I stated, I am happy to meet the retired pensioners' association whenever issues...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Pensions (16 Dec 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I will happily raise this point and will indicate Deputy Healy's concern on this issue with my colleague, the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Shared Services (16 Dec 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Shared services are a key element of the public service reform plan and a core priority for my Department. The national shared service office within the Department is leading the shared service strategy and the implementation of shared service projects within the overall reform and renewal context. The new office is directly responsible for overseeing shared service projects within the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Shared Services (16 Dec 2014)

Brendan Howlin: That is something I will bear in mind. We have a Cabinet sub-committee under the chairmanship of the Taoiseach and each Minister with responsibility for a shared service reports to it. Post-2016, when shared service centres are fully operational, it is projected that PeoplePoint will deliver savings in the region of €12.5 million annually, with payroll shared services delivering...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Shared Services (16 Dec 2014)

Brendan Howlin: That is happening with all shared services.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Shared Services (16 Dec 2014)

Brendan Howlin: There have been issues with mobility. As we have not been recruiting to the Civil Service, there is a reluctance to cede staff, particularly skilled staff, to projects like this. If there is to be a common shared services centre in human resources management, all the human resources experts in a Department might migrate out of it and managers might not want to lose them. It will improve...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Corruption Perception Index (16 Dec 2014)

Brendan Howlin: While I welcome the findings of the recently published Transparency International's index for 2014 which shows an improvement in Ireland's score for the second year in a row, there is an active debate among commentators on the robustness of such measures which indicates the results should always be treated with some degree of caution. My priority in implementing a suite of reforms under the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Corruption Perception Index (16 Dec 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Does the Deputy's figure refer to the public procurement process excluding the construction sector?