Results 21,201-21,220 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Houses of the Oireachtas (Appointments to Certain Offices) Bill 2014: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy should take a minute to get his breath back.

Houses of the Oireachtas (Appointments to Certain Offices) Bill 2014: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I strongly welcome debate on this sort of legislation. In truth we do not have enough proper debate in the House in terms of how the House itself should be structured. I have said from the beginning that I do not believe this is a matter that should be determined by the Executive: it is a matter for the House. One of the main thrusts of this legislation is for the Executive to withdraw,...

Houses of the Oireachtas (Appointments to Certain Offices) Bill 2014: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Choice is not patronage.

Houses of the Oireachtas (Appointments to Certain Offices) Bill 2014: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I do not know whether Deputy Ross has misread the Bill or does not understand the status quo. These provisions represent a fundamental step towards exactly the culture he is talking about. Under the current regime, the Ceann Comhairle selects the Clerk from the staff of the House. I am proposing that the post be filled by way of a competition that is open to all and administered through...

Houses of the Oireachtas (Appointments to Certain Offices) Bill 2014: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: We have certainly strayed now.

Houses of the Oireachtas (Appointments to Certain Offices) Bill 2014: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I thank the Deputies for their contributions. This particular amendment is somewhat extraneous to the Bill, which is about the appointment of the Clerk and Secretary General of the House. I will make one general observation and comment on the amendment. It is not the first time I have listened to a speech like the one I have just heard, as if the Deputy had within his heart the full...

Houses of the Oireachtas (Appointments to Certain Offices) Bill 2014: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I listened very carefully to everything the Deputy said. The Houses of the Oireachtas Commission under law has a statutory function in preparing guidelines for Members on the use of all accommodation in the Houses. The Office of the Superintendent of the Houses supports the commission in carrying out this statutory function. These guidelines indicate that in the event of difficulty or...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pension Provisions (9 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: In welcoming the proposals developed between public service employers and the representative associations and unions for an extension to the Haddington Road Agreement out to September 2018, I indicated that I intended to bring forward separate proposals to Government to provide also for a reduction in the impact of the Public Service Pension Reduction (PSPR) as it applies to the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pension Provisions (9 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The Department of Social Protection currently allocates a significant level of Exchequer funding (€373.3m in 2015) to private companies in the community sector who are contracted to deliver the CE Scheme programme, this includes the subsidies which are currently provided towards the pay of CE Supervisors. However it is important to remember that the Department...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pension Provisions (14 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 318 and 331 together. I strongly share the view that the pensions of many former Office Holders are very high. However, the pension levels paid to former office holders are based on their salaries at the point of departure agreed and implemented by previous Governments. The Courts view pensions as vested property...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: By-election Issues (14 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: There have been 8 by-elections to the current Dáil and Seanad which are listed in the following table together with the estimated costs, where available.  Four of the by-elections were held on the same day as another election event in that constituency and, therefore, the by-election costs reflect savings from a sharing of people and facilities. As a result of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Funding Disbursement (14 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 320 and 321 together. The National Lottery provides funds for "Good Causes" in accordance with the National Lottery Act 2013.  The areas to be funded are set out under section 41 (1) of the National Lottery Act. They include: - sport and recreation, - national culture and heritage (including the Irish language), - the arts (within the meaning of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Valuation Office (14 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The Valuation Act 2001 provides in Schedule 3, paragraphs 1(a) and (b) that all buildings and lands used for any purpose including constructions affixed thereto are rateable. The basic premise under the Act is that all interests (including buildings) and all developed land are rateable unless expressly exempted under Schedule 4. For rateable valuation purposes, the administrative...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pension Provisions (14 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 323 and 332 together. I refer the Deputy to my previous reply on this matter in Question No. 127 of 9 July.  There are no discussions underway on the issue.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ombudsman's Reports (14 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The reply to PQ No. 290 explained about the independent role of the Ombudsman and outlined details of the non-statutory internal appeals procedure for decisions of the Ombudsman.  This allows for a re-examination of a complaint by a caseworker who has had no previous involvement in the case and who is in a more senior position than the original caseworker.  Details of this procedure...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Court Judgments (14 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I understand that the costs arising from the Commission for Public Service Appointments' successful defence of a Judicial Review case have not yet been settled and have been referred to the Taxing Master. I consider therefore that it would be inappropriate for me to comment on this matter pending the conclusion of the hearing on costs.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff (14 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: As part of my responsibilities as Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, I have overarching responsibility for the terms and conditions of employment of public servants.  However, specific policies relating to work sharing in each of the sectors, other than the civil service, are dealt with by the appropriate responsible minister. ...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Postcode System Implementation (14 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: As the Deputy will be aware my department does not administer any large schemes aimed at the general public which would necessitate the immediate inclusion of Eircode data on to the Department's databases.  It will be incorporated into databases on an on-going basis and as the need arises.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Lansdowne Road Agreement (14 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I refer to my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 1 of 2 July 2015.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: State Properties (14 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Under Section 28 (2) of the State Property Act 1954, the Minister for Finance assumes responsibility for all personal property and land vested in or held in trust for a body corporate (other than personal property or land held by such body in trust for another person) immediately prior to its dissolution. Upon the dissolution of the body corporate, such property becomes State property. The...