Results 20,881-20,900 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Other Questions: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (12 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: It is not normal for individual officials to be named in the House in that way and I do not propose to break with that pattern. An array of officials - 15 plus - will be involved in the talks. Also, officials from all line Departments that are involved will be co-opted to the task as well as the economics evaluation unit within my Department, which will crunch the numbers in support of the...

Other Questions: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (12 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Yes. Haddington Road was a single encompassing agreement endorsed by the Labour Relations Commission, LRC. I expect the LRC to be involved in the talks at the appropriate time so that its imprimatur and skill set is available to the process. The numbers will vary. Obviously, everyone from the official and trade union sides will not be in the room at the same time. The way it will work is...

Other Questions: Ministerial Pensions (12 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Janey Mac. Did the Deputy get lucky with the draw?

Other Questions: Ministerial Pensions (12 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Did the Deputy win the lotto?

Other Questions: Ministerial Pensions (12 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I have provided a table which shows the pension amounts paid to former Ministers and Taoisigh in the last calendar year, 2014. All of the amounts shown are net of the public service pension reduction. In certain cases the pension amounts shown do not reflect the actual pension amount in payment where an individual is "gifting" all or part of his or her pension to the State, or where a...

Other Questions: Ministerial Pensions (12 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I have the names listed in order of payment. Name Pension 2014 € p.a. Bertie Ahern 80,810.86 Brian Cowen 80,810.86 John Bruton 72,908.94 Michael McDowell 64,958.14 Mary Harney 63,478.22 Peter Barry 57,576.82 Dick Spring 56,386.20 Desmond O’Malley 56,059.64 John O'Donoghue 54,812.94 Martin Cullen 54,812.94 Sean Treacy 54,812.68 Michael Smith 54,812.68 Charles John...

Other Questions: Ministerial Pensions (12 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The payments decrease towards the bottom of the list. The smallest pension listed is €4,761.

Other Questions: Ministerial Pensions (12 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Before what the Deputy is saying becomes part of her mantra, I must repeat that I have indicated that I am not going to indicate in this forum what instructions I have given to my negotiating team. I have said this in reply to Deputy Sean Fleming, as I have to the Deputy. It is not appropriate for her to determine what these instructions are because I am not in a position to reveal them. I...

Other Questions: Ministerial Pensions (12 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I know this is an area the Deputy likes to milk for political reasons but, in truth, she knows that with respect to people of legal entitlements to pensions, we have brought in reductions to those pensions in so far as we can go on the advices that we have from the Attorney General. I have made that clear and have given the Deputy gross figures as opposed to reduced figures for all these...

Other Questions: Ministerial Pensions (12 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I am the son of a trade unionist and that in no way undermines the absolute case for having a fair rate at the lower end. It is something that I have spent my entire working life working for and my party's focus is to ensure that those who are the weakest are protected and that we support collective bargaining and provide decent wage rates for people who are least paid in society.

Other Questions: Ombudsman's Remit (12 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The priority objective of the Ombudsman (Amendment) Act 2012 was to extend the Ombudsman's remit to a substantial number of new bodies which were not already subject to oversight by the Ombudsman, but whose administrative activities and decision-making impact on large numbers of people.  I adopted the approach of including a general provision of "reviewable agency" in the legislation...

Other Questions: Ombudsman's Remit (12 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: It should be acknowledged that one of the first things I did as Minister was to introduce the Ombudsman (Amendment) Act in 2012 which involved the most significant broadening of the role of the Ombudsman in 30 years. I changed the process, as I have in other legislation, to state bodies are included unless specifically excluded. The fact that the Deputy now knows who is excluded is a...

Other Questions: Ombudsman's Remit (12 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: That is what would happen though.

Other Questions: Ombudsman's Remit (12 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: One of the reasons we set up the Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions was to deal with the Ombudsman. The committee's role includes receiving reports of the Ombudsman which often went into the air in the past. The Ombudsman now has a point of contact with the Oireachtas through the committee. I would be very happy for a discussion to take place within it or at the Joint...

Other Questions: Public Sector Pay (12 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I have answered a few questions like this one and do not want to repeat the entire preamble. My intention is to open discussions today with the public sector and that has happened. We understand the economic circumstances in which we are discussing these matters. In an article I had published today I stated we did not have a greenfield site. We cannot undo all of the cuts; that would take...

Other Questions: Public Sector Pay (12 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I take it from the Deputy's question and comments that he supports the process of pay restoration. This seems to be at variance with his party's position. On the day of the launch of Renua Mr. Eddie Hobbs, a co-founder of the party, insisted on public sector workers not having their pay restored. When asked the question, he said, "The answer is no. It shouldn't happen because we have very...

Other Questions: Public Sector Pay (12 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: One of the allowances payable to new gardaí has been abolished. In replies to parliamentary questions I have indicated that it is not my intention to see it restored. We had a considerable debate about there being too many allowances, a debate to which I believe the Deputy contributed. We now have a more rational pay structure. For example, substitution is subsumed into teachers' core...

Other Questions: Public Sector Pay (12 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: He is the co-founder of a political party.

Other Questions: Public Sector Pay (12 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: He is not a private citizen.

Other Questions: Sale of State Assets (12 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Under EUROSTAT rules, the amount of any dividends received from a State company, including proceeds from asset disposals, which can improve the general government balance, GGB, is limited by reference to the income of the relevant company in the previous year.  In order to comply with the fiscal rules of the Stability and Growth Pact, the scope for...