Results 21,461-21,480 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Estimates Process (20 Oct 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The published Forecast Outturn for 2015 Gross Current Health Expenditure includes provision for a Supplementary Estimate of €600 million.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (20 Oct 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I assume the Deputy is referring to the 10% reduced rates of pay for new entrant public servants. This was one of a number of measures, introduced over the period since the fiscal crisis which directly affected the pay of public service staff. The reductions in starting pay were introduced in January 2011 as part of the National Recovery Plan in order to reduce the Public Service...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions (21 Oct 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Members of the Permanent Defence Force recruited up to the end of 2012 are enrolled in the Defence Forces pension scheme. The pension terms applicable to members of that scheme are a matter for the Minister for Defence in the first instance. Members of the Permanent Defence Force,and public servants generally, who were recruited since 1 January...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Data (21 Oct 2015)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy's question the following table details the number of Freedom of Information requests received by my Department to date. Total received to date 2015 Total completed within 4 week timeframe Number where the 4 week timeframe was extended 220 214 6 Of the 214 replies issued to date only 6 have been answered outside the four week timeframe and this was with the mutual...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Government Expenditure (21 Oct 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Ireland is due to exit the corrective arm of the Stability and Growth Pact  (SGP) at the end of this year and will transition to the preventive arm, which will set the context for our fiscal targets from 2016 onwards.  The core of the new arrangements is the Medium Term (budgetary) Objective (MTO), which is essentially a fiscal target for Member States of the European Union to...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Property Valuations (22 Oct 2015)

Brendan Howlin: As part of the revaluation of all rateable property in the Limerick City and County council area conducted in 2014, a proposed valuation of €3,960 was placed on the subject property by the Valuation Office, and a notice to this effect  dated 10th June 2014 issued to the occupier. The notice advised him that if he was dissatisfied with the proposed valuation or with any other...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Redeployment (22 Oct 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The Public Service Agreements (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 where there are surplus staff. A Department of Public Expenditure and Reform circular (Circular 8 of 2010) setting out the arrangements across the Civil Service and between the Civil Service and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Garda Remuneration (22 Oct 2015)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy's question the Department of Justice are currently preparing a response to this question and will respond directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Independent Members (22 Oct 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The Parliamentary Activities Allowance (formerly known as the Party Leader's Allowance) is provided for under the Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices Act 1938, amended most recently by the Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices)(Amendment) Act 2014. Under the provisions of the 2014 Act, and with effect from 1 July 2014, the same audit and reporting provisions applicable to...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff (22 Oct 2015)

Brendan Howlin: As the Deputy is aware there are currently no formal arrangements for the transfer of staff between the different sectors of the public service. While, for example, expressions of interest did allow for some movement between sectors such moves were, in the main, designed to address specific skills shortages.    About 12,000 civil and public...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Tax Exemptions (3 Nov 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Community Sports Clubs that are not registered under the Registration of Clubs (Ireland)Act 1904 and which operate on a not-for-profit basis will continue to be exempt from rates and do not need to make an application. The Valuation (Amendment) Act 2015 introduced an amendment to Schedule 4 of the Valuation Act 2001 which extends a partial exemption from rates to community sports...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Cross-Border Co-operation (3 Nov 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Building on Recovery: Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2016-2021 outlines how the Irish Government has reaffirmed its support for investing in infrastructure to support North South co-operation to help unlock the full potential of the island economy.  In particular, support for the EU PEACE and INTERREG programmes will continue to ensure that funding opportunities are maximised...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Expenditure (3 Nov 2015)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy's question the table following outlines the total estimated expenditure of my Department in 2015. Prog. Programme expenditure Budget Estimate A Public Expenditure and Sectoral Policy €17,735 B Public Service Management and Reform €26,755The table following outlines my Department's expenditure budget for 2016. Prog. Programme expenditure Budget...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Lansdowne Road Agreement (3 Nov 2015)

Brendan Howlin: As the Deputy will be aware, the Government's voted expenditure allocations and measures for 2016 were presented to Dáil Éireann in the Expenditure Report for Budget 2016. This document also provided the expenditure ceilings for 2017 and 2018.  The Department of Public Expenditure & Reform (DPER), like the Civil Service and public service as a whole, has benefited from...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Appointments to State Boards (3 Nov 2015)

Brendan Howlin: As the Deputy is aware the Government introduced new arrangements to the appointment of State Board members in 2011.  Under the new arrangements departments now invite expressions of interest from the public on their websites for vacancies on the boards of bodies under their aegis.  It is open to all members of the public regardless of gender, political affiliations or geographical...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (3 Nov 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act, 2004 was enacted in October 2004. The Act provides for a new system of recruitment licensing within the Civil Service and for the establishment of the Commission for Public Service Appointments (CPSA) and the Public Appointments Service (PAS). The CPSA is responsible for setting standards for recruitment and selection...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff (3 Nov 2015)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy's question the table following outlines the number of civil servants who have been reinstated following a career break in my Department and the bodies under my aegis. - 2012 2013 2014 2015  Department of Public Expenditure and Reform 1 1  1 2 Public Appointments Service 1 0 1 1 Special EU Programmes Body 1 0 0 0 Office of the Ombudsman 1 1 1 0...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Legislative Measures (3 Nov 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The Irish economy entered recession in 2008 and it became necessary to introduce legislation, predicated on the fiscal emergency, to provide significant and immediate reductions in overall Government expenditure to meet the catastrophic fall in Government revenues from 2008 on. The Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2009, the Financial Emergency...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions (3 Nov 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I note that my proposals to Government earlier this year in respect of the amelioration of the Public Service Pension Reduction (PSPR) reductions, and which now form part of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2015, were welcomed at that time by the Alliance.  I am also aware of the additional concerns of the Alliance of Retired...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff Data (4 Nov 2015)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy's question I can confirm that 0.8% of staff in my Department have volunteered to deal with members of the public through Irish.  While the percentage may appear low, the Deputy will be aware that my Department, given the nature of its functions and work does not have a high level of direct contact with individual members of the general public. ...