Results 11,201-11,220 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin
- Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (29 Jun 2011)
Brendan Howlin: Just in case. I am always intrigued------
- Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (29 Jun 2011)
Brendan Howlin: -----by the ingenuity of the Parliamentary Counsel to have sabre clauses. The most egregious for democracy I always found was the normal sabre clause in Bills where at the end of a Bill the Minister is deemed to have the power to do anything that might occur to him or her in the event that the powers are not contained in it. We do not have that sabre clause in this legislation, but Members...
- Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (29 Jun 2011)
Brendan Howlin: We might well. It is a neater, cleaner Bill that is before us and the functions of both Ministers have been exhaustively trawled in the creation of this. Section 23, which is another belt and braces job,states that any disputes arising in regard to the performance of functions set out in this Act for Ministers shall be determined by the Taoiseach. This is a standard provision from the...
- Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (29 Jun 2011)
Brendan Howlin: It is the other way around. I need the Minister for Finance's consent for the disposal of any assets where their value exceeds â¬50 million.
- Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (29 Jun 2011)
Brendan Howlin: We must have capacity to sell.
- Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (29 Jun 2011)
Brendan Howlin: We will bring in a pensions Bill before the end of this term.
- Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (29 Jun 2011)
Brendan Howlin: It is between 18,000 to 21,000 by 2014
- Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (29 Jun 2011)
Brendan Howlin: There is to be an independent fiscal council as the Senator is aware.
- Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (29 Jun 2011)
Brendan Howlin: We were on various councils.
- Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (29 Jun 2011)
Brendan Howlin: I stated that one could be guardedly optimistic, not very positive.
- Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (29 Jun 2011)
Brendan Howlin: Not to do with cutbacks.
- Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (29 Jun 2011)
Brendan Howlin: It is great to be back and see an old friend in the Chair. I apologise to the House. I regret we did not have more time. Those who know me know that I would love to debate every line of this. I will have opportunities in coming debate. However, this is largely a technical Bill to, if you like, legalise me and the work that I need to do. We will deal with the policy side of it in detail,...
- Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (29 Jun 2011)
Brendan Howlin: I will not even respond to that. On the pensions issue, I will have regard to all of the points made by Senator O'Brien. Senator Sheahan spoke of the Croke Park agreement and the pace of it. To underscore the requirements for a faster pace, I intend meeting the implementation body this afternoon with the Taoiseach. That is why I cannot be with the Seanad for the full Committee Stage debate....
- Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (29 Jun 2011)
Brendan Howlin: -----like in the VECs about which we made a decision this week. Senator Barrett spoke of the Department of Finance. There is commentary on the Department of Finance. There are fine staff who have worked hard. They have been at the eye of a storm for a long time. However, we need to restructure it in the way we are setting out. We need external persons in it and that is why there is the...
- Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (29 Jun 2011)
Brendan Howlin: I am willing to take the means and argue for it, and I want people to understand that. The Acting Chairman wishes me to wind up and there will be other opportunities.
- Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (29 Jun 2011)
Brendan Howlin: My final commentary is this. One cannot achieve the Herculean task we have to do, which is nothing less than to regain economic sovereignty for the State, and we cannot be beholden to the kindness of strangers for â¬18 billion this year to pay for teachers, doctors, etc., unless we get our own house in order. This Department is determined to play its full role in achieving that. The...
- Seanad: Whistleblower Legislation: Motion (29 Jun 2011)
Brendan Howlin: I am sorry to see Senator Norris leave the House as soon as I stand up.
- Seanad: Whistleblower Legislation: Motion (29 Jun 2011)
Brendan Howlin: I am gratified to hear that and I would have been surprised if the Senator had left. I know if he had left it would have involved an urgent matter. After a long absence I am delighted to be back in the House twice in the same day. I will take the concluding Stages of the next legislation also. I will address Senator Norris's suggestion first. My officials have indicated that there has...
- Seanad: Whistleblower Legislation: Motion (29 Jun 2011)
Brendan Howlin: When the legal bill approached â¬500,000, I was rather vulnerable until the matter was resolved. That kind of pressure should not be on any individual with regard to the rightful disclosure of wrongdoing, even if it is an allegation. The notion that a person must be absolutely right rather than just cause an investigation will put off people. We must allow for the proper authorities to...
- Seanad: Whistleblower Legislation: Motion (29 Jun 2011)
Brendan Howlin: As this House may be aware, in my comments at the opening of the Speak Up help line at the Transparency Resource Advice Centre on 26 May I highlighted the Government's intention to move swiftly to introduce legislation in the Oireachtas that will protect whistleblowers who speak out against wrongdoing or cover-ups, whether in public or the private sector. The Government recently decided to...