Results 20,841-20,860 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions Levy (29 Apr 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I refer to my reply of 15 April 2015 to Parliamentary Question Number 14928. I have now invited the Public Services Committee of ICTU to discussions on an approach to commencing the gradual unwinding of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (FEMPI) legislation which provides inter alia for the imposition of a pension related reduction on the remuneration of public...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (30 Apr 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I am informed by the State Chemist that 111 applications were received for the position of Laboratory Attendant at the State Laboratory, Celbridge, County Kildare. The next stage will involve shortlisting of candidates and it is expected that interviews for the post will be held in mid May. There is one vacancy to be filled following the interviews. The position was...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (30 Apr 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Recruitment to the Civil and Public Service is regulated by the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act 2004. The Act established the Public Appointments Service (PAS) as the centralised recruitment body for the Civil and Public Service. The Act also established the Commission for Public Service Appointments (CPSA) as the regulator of civil service recruitment. The CPSA...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions (30 Apr 2015)

Brendan Howlin: It is anticipated that the Payroll Shared Service Centre within my Department will begin processing pensions currently processed by the Departments of Agriculture, Defence, Finance, Justice & Equality and the Oireachtas later this year. This will not involve any significant change to underlying payment systems.

Sale of Siteserv: Motion [Private Members] (6 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I will take ten minutes and my colleague, the Minister of State, will take a different slot. I am pleased to make a contribution to this debate and thank my colleague, the Minister for Finance, for sharing time. At the outset, I congratulate Deputy Catherine Murphy for her work on this issue. As the Minister responsible for the reform of the freedom of information legislation, I am...

Sale of Siteserv: Motion [Private Members] (6 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: -----immediate electoral contests that might arise next year.

Sale of Siteserv: Motion [Private Members] (6 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: To initiate such an inquiry would undoubtedly take longer and cost more than the approach advocated by the Government. We have said that if it is decided that such an inquiry is needed, it will be provided. We will do whatever is required to get to the full truth. However, what is asked is that people would wait for the facts before turning a charge into a result.

Sale of Siteserv: Motion [Private Members] (6 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I appeal to Members opposite for some perspective and a degree of patience in this regard. It is not uncommon for Opposition Members to decry the amount of time a commission of inquiry might take. We have experience of inquiries that went on for years that we expected to be conducted very speedily. Once one establishes a commission one has no real control over the timeframe. It might suit...

Sale of Siteserv: Motion [Private Members] (6 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: -----speedily and thoroughly. Unless the Members doubt the bona fides of the individuals concerned, I ask them to give space for the investigative mechanisms that have been put in place to come to their conclusions and present a report. In truth, it is my belief that had the Minister for Finance moved directly to set up a commission of inquiry, the Deputies opposite would be equally scandalised.

Sale of Siteserv: Motion [Private Members] (6 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: They would have accused us of delaying access to the full facts. They would have accused the Minister of trying to bury the facts and trying to push the decisions well into the future. They cannot have it both ways. What the Minister has chosen to do, quite reasonably and correctly, is to pursue the best avenue designed to provide an assessment of the issues of concern, which are...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Contracts Data (6 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy's question I can confirm that my Department has not awarded any contracts to Roankabin.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Regulations (6 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 179 and 180 together. The reform of the procurement system across the public service is a key element of the reform programme for the public service.  The fragmented procurement arrangements across the public service have enabled suppliers to charge different public service bodies different prices for the same goods and services. Public Procurement...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff (6 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: My Department has overall responsibility for policy on both recruitment and the management of performance of appointees to the Civil Service. Appointments to the wider Public Service are a matter for each individual sector.  The management of performance, including identifying and fostering high performers and dealing with underperformance, is a major priority under the actions...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Appointments to State Boards (6 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy's question I can confirm that there are currently two vacancies on State Boards under my remit. These two vacancies are on the board of the Public Appointments Service (PAS) due to the resignations of the nominees of the Minister for Health and the Minister for Justice.  A further vacancy will arise on 14 July 2015 when the term of office of one other board...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts (6 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Public Procurement is governed by EU and National rules. The aim of these rules is to promote an open, competitive and non-discriminatory public procurement regime which delivers best value for money.  It would be a breach of the EU rules for a public body to favour or discriminate against particular candidates on grounds such as nationality, geographic location or organisational size,...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts (6 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 184 and 185 together. It is the responsibility of individual contracting authorities to publish award notices following the signing of a contract. This process is facilitated through the national eProcurement portal .  This portal is the Irish Government's public platform for advertising public sector procurement tenders. All tender...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (6 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: As I announced in the Budget, the Moratorium is being replaced in 2015 with a framework which will delegate to Government Departments sanction for management of staff numbers, subject to remaining within binding overall pay ceilings, and other controls. Sanction has already been delegated to a number of Departments, including my own, and negotiations are ongoing with others, with a view to...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Appointments to State Boards (6 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy's question I can confirm that currently the state boards and agencies under my remit have quorate and active boards.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pensions Legislation (7 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I have invited the Public Services Committee of ICTU to discussions on an approach to commencing the gradual unwinding of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (FEMPI) legislation which provides inter alia for the imposition of a public service pension reduction (PSPR). Both I and my officials have also had a number of meetings and ongoing engagement with the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (7 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I refer the Deputy to my reply to parliamentary question No. 321 on 21st April 2015 (ref. 15494/15). As regards agencies funded under Section 38 of the Health Act 2004, it is equally the case that any applications for increases in remuneration in respect of such agencies fall to be considered in the context of the Haddington Road Agreement and FEMPI legislation.