Results 20,961-20,980 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Semi-State Bodies (26 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Each commercial semi-State company publishes its annual report and accounts, which include information on the assets and liabilities of the company. In addition, the Finance Accounts published annually by the Minister for Finance includes, under Statement 1.8(A), information on the State's shareholding and the State's net assets in a number of State companies....

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information (26 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The Office of the Information Commissioner was established under the Freedom of Information Act 1997 with its continuance provided for under the Freedom of Information Act 2014. The Information Commissioner is independent in the performance of his or her functions.  As the Deputy is aware, section 37 of the FOI Act 1997 empowered the Commissioner to require the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts (26 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, and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministerial Travel (26 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy's question the following tables provide details of all the official trips that I and the Minister for State Simon Harris T.D., intend to take between now and the end of the year. Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Mr. Brendan Howlin T.D. Date Details of people the Minister will be meeting Purpose Duration Plans to promote Ireland as a good place for doing...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure Statistics (26 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Budget 2015 marked a welcome point in our fiscal recovery with overall reductions in expenditure no longer required to meet our fiscal targets. Targeted increases were provided in areas of priority - particularly social housing, some welfare supports and Education.  The Government's recent Spring Economic Statement outlined that our estimate of the...

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

Brendan Howlin: The nearest data currently available within the Department to that sought by the Deputy is the estimated breakdown of employee numbers on a whole time equivalent basis (based on a whole time equivalent figure of 288,700) by salary range within the public service at end September 2014 and is set out in Table below.  30-Sep-14 Salary Range € Whole Time Equivalent (WTE)* 0...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Minimum Wage (26 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I refer the Deputy to my previous response to PQ Ref No. 19548. The position remains unchanged.

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

Brendan Howlin: In my previous reply in relation to this matter I advised the Deputy that the Public Appointments Service (PAS) is committed to an equal opportunities policy. In accordance with the Employment Equality Acts (1998 to 2011) PAS aims to ensure that all applicants are treated equally. A key element of PAS's ongoing commitment to equality is the monitoring...

Business of Dáil: Motion (27 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Irish Water.

Business of Dáil: Motion (27 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: This is a speech.

Aer Lingus Share Disposal: Motion (Resumed) (27 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I welcome Deputy Calleary to the House, as otherwise we would not have a single Opposition Deputy present for this very important debate.

Aer Lingus Share Disposal: Motion (Resumed) (27 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: That speaks volumes. I am glad to have this opportunity to contribute to the debate on the sale of the State's remaining shareholding in Aer Lingus. I echo the comments of the Minister for Finance in commending the efforts of the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Donohoe, and the Government's steering group in bringing the potential deal to the point where the Government is...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Bodies Data (27 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 65 to 67, inclusive, together. I refer the Deputy, in the first instance, to a recently published report on the Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service (IGEES), which is available on my Department's website and on the IGEES web site .  This report, which covers the period 2012 to 2014, will provide the Deputy with information on...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ombudsman's Remit (27 May 2015)

Brendan Howlin: In accordance with the Ombudsman (Amendment) Act 2012, it is my intention to extend, by Ministerial Order, the Ombudsman's remit to private nursing homes whose residents are in receipt of state support or subvention.  By extending the Ombudsman's remit, greater accountability and assurance will be afforded to patients of these nursing homes and to their...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Expenditure (9 Jun 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The Referendums on Marriage Equality and Age of Eligibility for election to the Office of President together with the Bye-election in Carlow-Kilkenny were held on the 22nd May, 2015. Returning Officers are required to submit their accounts for the Referendums and bye-election to the Minister for Finance not later than six months after the date on which the poll was conducted...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Decentralisation Programme Data (9 Jun 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The Government cancelled the Decentralisation Programme in November 2011 in the light of the budgetary and staffing outlook. Details of the projects for which permanent accommodation was provided and to which staffing assignments were substantially completed are set out on the website at .

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (9 Jun 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Free collective bargaining between the employer and employee is recognised as a primary feature of the Industrial Relations landscape in Ireland and is underpinned in legislation by the Industrial Relations Acts and more recently the Workplace Relations Act 2015. This system applies to the public service also. This process has served the public service well during the years of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Civil Service Exchange Scheme (9 Jun 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The UK-Ireland scheme for the Exchange of Civil Servants was introduced in 1985. Under the terms of the Scheme civil servants from Ireland could be temporarily transferred to the UK civil service (including the Northern Ireland civil service) for six months, with a reciprocal arrangement for civil servants from the UK to be temporarily transferred to the Irish civil...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions Levy (9 Jun 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 367, 395, 396 and 404 together. It is understood that the measure to which the Deputy's question refers is the Public Service Pension Reduction. The Public Service Pension Reduction (PSPR), commencing 1 January 2011, imposed reductions on annual public service pensions in payment in excess of €12,000, using a progressively tiered set of bands...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: EU Directives (9 Jun 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I intend to ensure that Directive 2014/24/EU on public procurement is transposed into Irish law by the end of 2015 at the latest  and the other two Directives covering the Utilities sector (2014/25/EU) and Concession Contracts (2014/23/EU) will  be transposed by the required deadline. The criteria for the award of contract will be based on the provisions in the Statutory...