Results 20,781-20,800 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Freedom of Information Act 2014: Motions (2 Apr 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I move:That Dáil Éireann approves the following Order in draft:Freedom of Information Act 2014 (Exempted Public Bodies) Order 2015,copies of which Order in draft were laid before Dáil Éireann on 12th March, 2015.

Seanad: Freedom of Information Act 2014 (Effective Date for Certain Bodies) Order 2015: Motion (2 Apr 2015)

Brendan Howlin: It is very important work.

Seanad: Freedom of Information Act 2014 (Effective Date for Certain Bodies) Order 2015: Motion (2 Apr 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Yes.

Seanad: Freedom of Information Act 2014 (Effective Date for Certain Bodies) Order 2015: Motion (2 Apr 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I thank Members of the House for their contributions and will deal with the points raised. It has been my ambition for many years to reform totally the freedom of information regime and I was very pleased to begin the task as part of a suite of measures we have discussed at length in this House dealing with whistleblowing and the regulation of lobbying. I was looking at the regulation of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Commercial Rates Exemptions (15 Apr 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 191 and 192 together. The Valuation (Amendment)(No.2) Bill 2012 is expected to complete its passage through the Oireachtas shortly and the exemption of property used for early childhood care and education has been considered at a number of Stages both in the Seanad and in the Dáil. I was pleased to introduce an amendment at Report Stage in the Seanad...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Semi-State Bodies Dividends (15 Apr 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Historically, there has not been comprehensive central guidelines for State companies regarding dividend policy although, over recent years, dividends of approximately 30% of profits after tax have been sought and expected from most commercial State companies and, in Budget 2013, an additional €100m was sought from the sector. However, with the establishment of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (15 Apr 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The Haddington Road Agreement (HRA), underpinned by the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (FEMPI) Acts 2009-2013, contains a number of measures directly affecting the pay of staff, with an estimated €2.2bn of direct reductions in public service remuneration and pensions, in addition to the savings achieved through the reduction in numbers...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Service Annual Leave (15 Apr 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Following agreement between public service management and the Public Services Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, in the context of the Croke Park Agreement, standardised annual leave arrangements were put in place for the entire public service, including non commercial state agencies, in 2012. The number of days annual leave allowance ranges from a minimum of 22 days to a...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Service Redeployment (15 Apr 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The Public Service Agreements (PSAs) covering the period 2010-16 (the Croke Park and Haddington Road Agreements) provide for agreed redeployment arrangements to apply in the Civil Service and in other parts of the Public Service. Under the PSAs, 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: Injury Warrants (15 Apr 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The Injury Warrants are a series of statutory instruments, made under the Superannuation Act 1887, which provide benefits to or in respect of officers who, through no fault of their own, are killed or injured while performing their duties. These benefits comprise (a) annual allowances, (b) gratuities, (c) loss of earnings allowances and (d) refunds of certain expenses. The amount charged to...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Valuation Office (15 Apr 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012 was passed by the Seanad on 20th November 2014 and by the Dáil on 31st March 2015. There were some amendments to the Bill in the Dáil and it is scheduled to return to the Seanad on 16th April 2015 when it is expected to complete its passage through the Oireachtas. Section 39 of the Bill, if enacted, will amend Schedule 4 of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (15 Apr 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I refer the Deputy to my response to PQ No. 11966/15, regarding the restoration of reductions in public service remuneration and pensions, and also to the unwinding, in parallel and consistent with our improving economy, of the emergency measures implemented under the FEMPI Acts. The position remains unchanged. I have no statutory responsibility in relation to how any proposals in...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Office of Public Works Functions (15 Apr 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I am advised by the Commissioners of Public Works that having considered the question, the Office has no function nor responsibility in relation to the matter raised by the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Semi-State Bodies Dividends (15 Apr 2015)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy's question I can confirm that there are no commercial semi-state companies under the aegis of my department.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pensions Levy Yield (16 Apr 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The public service Pension-related Deduction (PRD), which was introduced in March 2009 under the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2009 is provisionally estimated to have yielded €891 million in 2014.  This estimated total does not include non-Exchequer PRD receipts, as arising for example in the local government sector. PRD is a progressively structured...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Public Sector Pensions Data (21 Apr 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The following table sets out the number of retired civil service pensions in payment each year from 2008 to 2014.  2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Number of retired civil service pensions in payment 15,245 17,005 18,122 18,617 19,974 20,314 21,128

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Public Sector Pensions Data (21 Apr 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Total pensions in payment for established civil servants in 2014 amounted to €324 m, corresponding to an average pension amount of €24,000. Pensions in respect of other civil service pensioners (for example unestablished retired civil servants and survivors) amounted to approximately €65 million, or an average pension amount of about €8,700.

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Public Sector Pensions Data (21 Apr 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 317 to 320, inclusive, together. In my last review of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (FEMPI) Acts laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas in June 2014, the Public Service Pension Reduction (PSPR) was estimated to save in the region of €125 million annually. Public service pensions awarded to or in...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (21 Apr 2015)

Brendan Howlin: No cost-increasing claims by trade unions or employees for improvements in pay or conditions of employment can be made or processed during the currency of the Haddington Road Agreement. As the Deputy will be aware, I have indicated my intention to enter into discussions later this year with the public service unions, and the representatives of public service pensioners, on...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Local Authority Rates (21 Apr 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The Commissioner of Valuation is responsible under the Valuation Act 2001 for the valuation of commercial property for the purposes of the calculation, by Local authorities, of commercial rates. The legislation gives me as Minister no role in the valuation of property. Under the Valuation Act 2001 as it stands, a Community Sports Club that has a licence under the Registration of Clubs...