Results 281-300 of 2,156 for speaker:Tom Parlon

Seanad: Adoptive Leave Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages. (15 Jun 2004)

Tom Parlon: I welcome the provisions of the Adoptive Leave Bill 2004, which represent a balanced and progressive response to the needs of employed adopting parents. The measures introduced in the Bill will enhance the existing legislative provisions for employed adopting parents by offering them greater employment protection and more flexibility in managing their work and family responsibilities...

Written Answers — State Properties: State Properties (17 Jun 2004)

Tom Parlon: On the basis of current records, the following is a list of coast guard stations which are currently in the Office of Public Work's property portfolio. Doolin, County Clare Ballycotton, County Cork Baltimore, County Cork Barry's Cove, Lisbevane, Bandon, County Cork Rosscarbery, Clonakilty Road, Castlefreke, County Cork Crosshaven, Myrtleville Road, Crosshaven, County Cork Leap, Glandore...

Written Answers — State Properties: State Properties (17 Jun 2004)

Tom Parlon: The examination of the State property portfolio by the Commissioners of Public Works with a view to identifying vacant, under-utilised, under-developed or surplus property is continuing. In all cases it is very important to have perfection of title. This may involve long, tedious investigation of burdens, covenants, ground rent etc., and in many cases involves the registration of property....

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003: Second Stage. (30 Jun 2004)

Tom Parlon: I am pleased to introduce the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003 to Seanad Éireann. The Bill has been amended in Dáil Éireann and I will draw Senators' attention to these amendments when I describe the Bill in detail. The Bill is an important step in the reform of the public service. Our public service has a major role to play in the economic and social life...

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003: Second Stage. (30 Jun 2004)

Tom Parlon: That is if they are married in the first place.

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003: Second Stage. (30 Jun 2004)

Tom Parlon: One of these God awful places.

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003: Second Stage. (30 Jun 2004)

Tom Parlon: Is it a godforsaken place?

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003: Second Stage. (30 Jun 2004)

Tom Parlon: I thank all Senators for their contributions to the debate on this Bill. Without attempting to be patronising, they were much more thoughtful and positive than in the Dáil. Despite the fact that I attempted to avoid decentralisation as an issue, the Senators rightly identified it as being part of this. I have no problem with that, but I did feel that some of the debate in the Dáil centred...

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003: Second Stage. (30 Jun 2004)

Tom Parlon: I congratulate him all the same.

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003: Second Stage. (30 Jun 2004)

Tom Parlon: Senator Higgins wondered if the current system was not broken then why fix it. He also referred to the issues that I raised concerning speed and flexibility. If anything has been around for 80 years, there is a general consensus that it is time for change, not for its own sake but in order to move forward. I reiterate what I said in the Lower House. The 1999 PricewaterhouseCoopers strategic...

Seanad: Commissions of Investigation Bill 2003: Second Stage. (1 Jul 2004)

Tom Parlon: I thank Senators for their contributions to the debate. I am very pleased that the Bill has been broadly welcomed on all sides of the House. This indicates that it is not only a timely measure but that it addresses many of the major concerns about current arrangements. This Bill is very significant reforming legislation and in the fullness of time it will be seen as a major step forward in...

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Jul 2004)

Tom Parlon: The amendment would regulate promotions in the same manner as recruitment. The Bill provides in section 6(1) for the possibility that the commission may regulate promotions at some point in the future in that it allows the Minister to make orders extending the remit of the commission to posts in the public service, including recruitment posts. The Minister will consider whether to make such...

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Jul 2004)

Tom Parlon: Section 6 provides for the extension of the application of the Bill by order. Subsection (3) provides that every order made under section 6 must be laid before each House and each House then has the opportunity to pass a resolution annulling such an order within 21 sitting days of the order being laid. Subsection (3) is more efficient than the system proposed in the amendment because it...

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Jul 2004)

Tom Parlon: The section empowers the Minister for Finance to make an order to extend the application of the Bill and it would be intended to extend it to local authorities, health boards and vocational education committees. The Minister in that case may make an order after considering a report by the CPSA into the recruitment practices of the body concerned and after consulting with the relevant...

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Jul 2004)

Tom Parlon: Initially I see the PAS doing something similar in terms of central recruitment; it is only where flexibility is needed. If a Department in Portlaoise needs to recruit 20 civil servants, be they specialist or otherwise, it would make more sense for it to do its own recruitment locally rather than finding 100 people who are scattered throughout the country and who do not want to go there....

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Jul 2004)

Tom Parlon: The local authorities, health boards and VECs are spread throughout the country. Whether it is under a central recruitment agency or the PAS, that would seem to be an obvious option. While the Bill does not provide for any further roll out, the areas to which I referred would seem to be the most obvious ones to which it would be extended.

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Jul 2004)

Tom Parlon: This section of the Bill deals with exclusion orders which can be made in certain circumstances to allow recruitment to certain unestablished posts to take place in an expeditious fashion. In any event, section 13 requires the commission to establish standards of probity, merit, equity and fairness and these standards will necessarily underpin all the activities and judgments of the...

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Jul 2004)

Tom Parlon: Yes, that is the case. The term of the special adviser will coincide with the term of the Minister involved. Immediately on that Minister departing office, the special adviser's contract will finish.

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Jul 2004)

Tom Parlon: Those criteria are laid down. Ministers have access to special advisers. Junior Ministers have access to personal assistants. A Government could change those criteria. Previous Governments had different criteria. Senator Mansergh referred to the Minister who had five special advisers. I am not too sure to which party or regime he belonged.

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Jul 2004)

Tom Parlon: Those criteria are laid down by the Minister for Finance and they apply until they are amended.