Results 21,821-21,840 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (26 Nov 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The teachers working more than 150 hours are paid a pro rata rate of a full-time rate. It depends on how many hours they work over the 150. Taking the minimum annual salary at €30,702, divided by 52 and again by the 22 hours to be worked, the indicative hourly rate is approximately €26.83. That would be paid to teachers who are not full-time but work more than 150 hours per...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (26 Nov 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The problem is there are not enough of them-----

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (26 Nov 2015)

Brendan Howlin: -----if they were getting full-time work but the issue will not be resolved on the pay side. In response to Senator Norris, it seems to me that these protections in some people’s eyes do not apply to politicians, that they apply to everybody else. I am not accepting the amendments in respect of picking out politicians or anybody else because I believe the Haddington Road agreement...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (26 Nov 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I do not think the Senator was listening to me.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (26 Nov 2015)

Brendan Howlin: In terms of the pension-related deduction, nothing was deducted from a salary of €15,000. We are increasing the threshold to €17,500. Those people will benefit because that portion of their salary that was subject to a pension-related deduction will now not be subject to it.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (26 Nov 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Just because the Senator raised them does not mean we put them in order.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (26 Nov 2015)

Brendan Howlin: No. I was saying that in the eyes of some but obviously not in the eyes of the Constitution.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (26 Nov 2015)

Brendan Howlin: If I may raise one point on section 5, I draw the House's attention to line 13 on page 7 of the Bill. There is a small administrative change in section 5(2). The original word "is" in the Bill as distributed is now "was", which is better English, I am afraid. The text now reads: "Where an amount was deducted ... ".

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (26 Nov 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Yes. It is corrected.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (26 Nov 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Excellent.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (26 Nov 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Amendment No. 16 is not accepted for two reasons. I am happy to give the information and we had this discussion in the Lower House. What the Senator is asking is that I cause a report to be made on information that is already in the public domain, as I have given it to the Dáil and answered on it by way of parliamentary questions. It can be answered and updated at any time. I do not...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (26 Nov 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I can give the Senator that assurance. This Bill relates to a particular agreement. That is why it refers to "a collective agreement". It is the legislation to implement the Lansdowne Road agreement. It does not, of course, void collective or sectoral agreements that are in place in any event.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Political Reform (1 Dec 2015)

Brendan Howlin: A number of key future reform initiatives are underway in this area building on the significant progress achieved under the Programme for Government.  For example: - It is intended to publish a Public Sector Standards Bill which will provide a new and reformed legal framework for ethics for all public officials, significantly enhancing the existing framework for identifying,...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (1 Dec 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 216 and 217 together. It is assumed that the Deputy is referring to the National Minimum Wage. Like all employers, public service employers must comply with the National Minimum Wage rate. Following the outcome of the recent considerations by the the Low Pay Commission, the statutory minimum wage rate will increase from the current rate of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Legal Cases Data (1 Dec 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Collating this information in the time available was not possible and I will reply directly to the Deputy shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Commercial Rates Valuation Process (1 Dec 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Part 5 of the Valuation Act 2001, as amended by the Valuation (Amendment) Act 2015, provides for the revaluation, for rates purposes, of all industrial and commercial properties other than those occupied by public utility undertakings (known as global valuations) which are valued on a different cycle prescribed in section 53 of the Acts. Section 19(1) of the Act empowers the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts (1 Dec 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The OGP is at an advanced stage of planning a tender process for a new office supplies framework agreement to be delivered in Q1 2016. As part of the planning process a review of the existing office supplies framework has been completed, which included engagement with the wider office supplies market.  It is expected that the new framework will be structured in a manner that...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts Expenditure (1 Dec 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The reform of the public procurement system across the public service is a key element of the reform programme for the public service. The fragmented procurement arrangements across the public service have facilitated amongst other things suppliers charging different public service bodies different prices for the same goods and services. This is not sustainable, as the State...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (1 Dec 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Overpayments to staff of salary, allowances and expenses can and do occur for a number of reasons in any organisation, be it private or public sector.  These include, but are not limited to, delays in applying or approving or processing pay-impactful absences, or pay-impactful leave arrangements, or errors in calculating allowances, payroll or expenses. PeoplePoint is the shared service...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions (1 Dec 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy's correspondent seeks to dispute the funding basis of the Public Service Spouses' and Childrens' pension schemes on the grounds that it does not comply with practice in the insurance industry.  However, this is a mistaken view of the situation.  The Commission on Public Service Pensions, at paragraph 20.5.2 of its report, was clear that it accepted that the...