Results 20,721-20,740 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff Retirements (25 Mar 2015)

Brendan Howlin: PeoplePoint is the HR and Pensions Administration Shared Service provider for the Civil Service.  It was established in March 2013 and currently provides services to employees across 21 Civil Service organisations.  Once all remaining in-scope organisations transition, PeoplePoint will provide services to 38 organisations. On the 15th April 2013 PeoplePoint started...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Data (25 Mar 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The Performance Management and Development System (PMDS) applies to the majority of grades in the Civil Service, encompassing approximately 30,000 staff in 2013.  A total of approximately 26,000 of these staff completed PMDS in 2013, representing a compliance rate of 86%. The data on 2013 evaluations under the Civil Service Performance Management and Development System (PMDS) is...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Contracts (25 Mar 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Under section 66 of the Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Act, 2011, the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources may, with the prior consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, enter into a contract for the development, implementation and maintenance of a national postcode system. Consent was granted to the Minster for Communications, Energy...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (25 Mar 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The Public Appointments Service (PAS) is an independent, statutory body which provides professional recruitment and selection services to the civil and public service.  The PAS advertised a recruitment competition for Clerical Positions in the Civil and Public Service in June 2014 which attracted over 28,000 applications. This competition was held in order to create panels of qualified...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure (25 Mar 2015)

Brendan Howlin: In 2014, my Department undertook a review of the public capital programme. The review sought to assess all areas of public capital investment and to refresh the existing investment strategy and multi-annual envelopes to ensure that they are in line with emerging Government priorities and that our limited resources are focussed on the areas that can best support continued, sustainable and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Service Reform Plan Measures (25 Mar 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 65 to 69, inclusive, and 73 to 75, inclusive, together. With Ireland subject to an EU-IMF programme this Government faced the challenge of restoring stability to our public finances and creating the correct environment to support sustainable economic growth and job creation.  Having successfully exited the Troika programme in December 2013 our fiscal...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (25 Mar 2015)

Brendan Howlin: In my role as Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, I have overarching responsibility for workforce planning and recruitment to the Civil Service. In Budget 2015, I was pleased to be able to announce that there will be a targeted programme of recruitment into the Civil Service to address service needs and a shortfall in key skills commencing in late 2014 and continuing during...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Service Reform Plan Measures (25 Mar 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Public Service Reform is a key element of the Government's overall strategy for recovery. The reforms delivered over the past four years have enabled us to maintain and improve public services in the face of the necessary reduction in staff numbers and budgets, at a time of increased demand for public services. A new Public Service Reform Plan was published in January 2014 and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Sale of State Assets (25 Mar 2015)

Brendan Howlin: As the Deputy will be aware, the Government announced a programme of State asset disposals in February 2012, as agreed in the Programme for Government. That programme has now effectively been brought to completion, with the exception of the possible sale of the Government's remaining shareholding in Aer Lingus - which is a matter that is currently being considered by the Inter...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Contracts (25 Mar 2015)

Brendan Howlin: In answer to the Deputy's question in so far as can be determined my Department does not have any contracts with the named individual's businesses or subsidiaries.  I can confirm that the information sought by the Deputy is not collected by my Department as part of a procurement process. While my Department holds information in relation to contracts awarded by it, it is not required to...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (26 Mar 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The  Haddington Road Agreement (HRA) underpinned by the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (FEMPI) Acts 2009-2013, forms the cornerstone of pay policy in the public service until 2016 when it is due to expire.  The Agreement, which contains a number of measures directly affecting the pay of staff, is delivering and is making a significant...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Legislative Process (26 Mar 2015)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy's question the following table outlines the Bills initiated in my Department that have been subject to the pre-legislative scrutiny procedure in the Oireachtas: Bills initiated by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Number Name Purpose Subject to Pre-Legislative Scrutiny No. 33 of 2013 Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures)...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Contracts Data (26 Mar 2015)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy's question I can confirm that no contracts or tenders were awarded to the company named by my Department since its establishment.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Irish Language (26 Mar 2015)

Brendan Howlin: As the Deputy is aware, in October 2013 the Government approved the introduction of a new approach to ensure that there are a sufficient number of civil servants who are able to perform their duties through Irish.  These new arrangements were put in place in the context of replacing the policy of awarding bonus marks for Irish language proficiency in civil service...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Reform Implementation (26 Mar 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The wide-ranging ranging reforms to the budgetary architecture, introduced by this Government, have been informed by the core principle that a more open and transparent process, allowing for clearer accountability and oversight, supports the efficient use of public funds to deliver effective services for citizens. With Ireland set to exit the Excessive Deficit Procedure at the end of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Commercial Rates Impact (31 Mar 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I am aware that the Valuation Office have, as part of the National Revaluation Programme, completed the revaluation of all commercial properties in Limerick in 2014. Included in that revaluation were a number of wind farms and I understand that the revaluation of these properties will mean that these wind farm operators are facing substantial increases in their rates...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Sick Leave (31 Mar 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The reform of sick leave through the introduction of the scheme referred to in the Deputy's question was undertaken to reduce the unsustainble cost of sick leave in the public service.  It is not the case that the reform measures were 'backdated' as stated in the Deputy's question rather, the access to paid sick leave and the level at which sick leave is paid depends on an...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (31 Mar 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The following is a list detailing the sanctions for additional staff conveyed to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in 2013 and 2014. Table 1 - Additional Posts Sanctioned for Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade 2013 and 2014 - - - - - - Exception Sought Grade Exceptions Granted Sanction Date - - - - - - - - - - - - 2014 - - - Staffing for new Diplomatic Missions 1...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Child Abuse Reports (31 Mar 2015)

Brendan Howlin: My Department has not received a business case from the Child and Family Agency or from the Courts Service relating to the full implementation of the Ryan Report. As the Deputy is probably aware, the implementation of the Plan was overseen by a High Level Monitoring Group chaired by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs.  The fourth and final report of the Monitoring Group has been...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Leader's Allowance (31 Mar 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 290 to 293, inclusive, together. The Parliamentary Activities Allowance (formerly known as the Party Leader's Allowance) is provided for in the Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices Act, 1938, as amended, most recently by the Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices)(Amendment) Act, 2014. The allowance is paid to the parliamentary leader of a...