Results 21,681-21,700 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2015: Report Stage (18 Nov 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The grace period related to the pension.

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2015: Report Stage (18 Nov 2015)

Brendan Howlin: On amendments Nos. 2 to 6, inclusive, in the name of Deputy Mary Lou McDonald, amendment No. 2 would, simpliciter, prevent the pay cuts being restored to any public servant earning more than €65,000. The following amendment is a tautology and redundant, because if the cut is not being restored to anybody on over €65,000 it will not be paid to anybody on a salary of over...

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2015: Report Stage (18 Nov 2015)

Brendan Howlin: That is the import of the amendments.

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2015: Report Stage (18 Nov 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Deputy Fleming’s question is difficult for people to understand and it goes back to my point about the grace period. The pension will be calculated on the basis of the date of retirement. It will be the rate of pay that pertained during the grace period of the person’s retirement. That changed with each new FEMPI Act. The actual reduction in people’s pensions will end...

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2015: Report Stage (18 Nov 2015)

Brendan Howlin: We have already negotiated, signed off and debated the Haddington Road agreement. Is the Deputy suggesting ex post facto years later, having implemented it in full and having asked workers to implement it, that we should renege on it? It does not make sense. It would be a breach of trust with the people with whom we negotiated and it is set out in black and white in the Haddington Road...

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2015: Report Stage (18 Nov 2015)

Brendan Howlin: No. I presume that is what the Deputy is saying, unless he is mouthing-----

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2015: Report Stage (18 Nov 2015)

Brendan Howlin: -----the argument to no avail or for the sake of coming in here and saying that some people are saying the emergency is over and, therefore, it must be over. What is the point if he does not agree with that point of view? The Preamble to the Bill sets it out in fairly clear terms. It states, "WHEREAS economic growth has resumed and the State’s international competitiveness has...

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2015: Report Stage (18 Nov 2015)

Brendan Howlin: We will not be able to find €2.1 billion.

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2015: Report Stage (18 Nov 2015)

Brendan Howlin: We did.

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2015: Report Stage (18 Nov 2015)

Brendan Howlin: That was clever.

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2015: Report Stage (18 Nov 2015)

Brendan Howlin: As I indicated on Committee Stage, I have great sympathy for the point made by the Deputy. It always has been the structure of public service pay negotiations that representatives of the pensioners are not involved formally. While this always has been the way, going back as long as one cares to look, I was concerned there was an impact on pensioners to which one should listen. This is why,...

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2015: Report Stage (18 Nov 2015)

Brendan Howlin: First, I will deal with the specific points made by the Deputy. For people who have not been involved in discussions on public sector pay, it is an extraordinarily complicated set of negotiations because one has so many unions and so many different agreements. Obviously, one must take a sectoral approach and such an approach has been taken with the key people from, for example, health in...

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2015: Report Stage (18 Nov 2015)

Brendan Howlin: My predecessor did not negotiate.

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2015: Report Stage (18 Nov 2015)

Brendan Howlin: This Bill does not seek to do anything more than implement a negotiated agreement. What I will not do in the context of the restoration of pay and conditions which were negotiated is provide those to people who are not party to the agreement. To do so would be unfair to those who are party to it. In the case of any union not complying with the terms of a negotiated agreement democratically...

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2015: Report Stage (18 Nov 2015)

Brendan Howlin: They will be able to avail of those terms in full.

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2015: Report Stage (18 Nov 2015)

Brendan Howlin: On Deputy Seamus Healy's point, I have made clear my undertaking to honour any agreement entered into by the Government with the trade union movement and public sector workers. We will honour the Croke Park agreement, the Haddington Road agreement and the Lansdowne Road agreement in full. Nobody will be excluded. The Deputy is correct that the Haddington Road agreement runs until the...

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2015: Report Stage (18 Nov 2015)

Brendan Howlin: This legislation sends an important signal to the public service generally and acknowledges the contribution workers in that sector have made to our recovery. I expect people to be pleasantly surprised by the measures contained in the Bill because I am not sure everybody has fully understood the benefit they will receive next year. As I said, I hope to be in a position to explain the...

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2015: Report Stage (18 Nov 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy knows that is not true.

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2015: Report Stage (18 Nov 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Only the third cut. The Deputy is allergic to facts.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Government Expenditure (19 Nov 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Consistent with the requirements of the Stability and Growth Pact, SGP, the pace of economic growth and greater than forecasted tax receipts this year have allowed the Government to allocate, on a prudent basis, additional amounts to expenditure in priority areas. The Revised Estimates volume 2015 set out total gross voted expenditure for the year of €53.231 million. This level of...