Results 11,221-11,240 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Seanad: Whistleblower Legislation: Motion (29 Jun 2011)

Brendan Howlin: They should not have themselves on the hazard for so doing. It is proposed that we will seek to redress the decision in question by holding a referendum in tandem with the referendum on the Abbeylara judgment. I wish to speak about the processes for the development and preparation of the overarching legislation. Full regard will be had for all relevant human resources, organisational and...

Seanad: Whistleblower Legislation: Motion (29 Jun 2011)

Brendan Howlin: I have never been opaque on these matters.

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Brendan Howlin: It bears repeating I am sure.

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Brendan Howlin: I am pleased to be back in the House. I explained this morning that I would be unable to be present for some of the afternoon session as I had to attend with the Taoiseach a prearranged meeting of the implementation body for the Croke Park agreement and I am afraid I could not alter the Taoiseach's schedule at short notice. It was an important meeting, but I am glad to be back in the House....

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Brendan Howlin: It will be on it.

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Brendan Howlin: As soon as we can do it.

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Brendan Howlin: We are working on it now. We will not do at all in four months. The Senator will forgive us.

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Brendan Howlin: At least.

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Brendan Howlin: No.

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Brendan Howlin: I thank Senators for their remarks. These are important issues and I look forward to debating them with Senators over time when we crystallise some of our proposals. For a long time in advance of the election, I had been working on these ideas, so it is nice to have a chance to put them into action. I spent too long developing legislative ideas that went into the waste bin after spending a...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Brendan Howlin: It is an interesting process to be in. It is worse, however, when watered-down or inadequate versions of the same thing arise, so that it takes two or three goes to reach what one had argued for, as has happened. I take the political point that Senator Byrne is entitled to make concerning the financial emergency measures in the public interest legislation. I do not embrace it with...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Brendan Howlin: We have said that we will not reduce welfare rates but we will hopefully reduce the welfare budget, for example, by the elimination of fraud. Having spoken to social welfare officers, I know there is a significant amount of fraud. I want to unleash frontline people and that is why I introduced the website for ideas, although some people thought it was a publicity stunt. On the first day it...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Brendan Howlin: We had 2,500 submissions from people on the frontline with really good ideas that I want to incorporate. When I was going into the Department yesterday, a man stopped me and said: Minister, you're doing a good job. We're waiting for somebody to bring about reform. I've been 40 years in the public service. So public servants do not have closed minds and they are all taxpayers. Most of them...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Brendan Howlin: In such circumstances, one would make a pragmatic decision that such a business is one in which one should be engaged. All of us need to be open to see how we can do things differently and more efficiently because we are all in this together. I said when speaking on the comprehensive spending review that I do not want any spectators. In terms of what the Government will do, everybody has a...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Brendan Howlin: What I meant is the notion that something should be done but that it is not up to me.

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Brendan Howlin: There used to be rules in terms of the straying of commentary about the House in this House.

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Brendan Howlin: Are there not?

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Brendan Howlin: You can do what you like.

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Brendan Howlin: I will be fully accountable to Dáil Éireann under the Constitution as soon as the legislation is enacted. Its Members can ask retrospectively about anything I have done from the moment I was appointed. They will not be time-barred from doing that. Therefore, I will be fully accountable. I am happy to be accountable already. It certainly took longer than I expected on the day I was...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Brendan Howlin: I will respond briefly to that point. I fully appreciate what the Deputy is saying. I would have liked to have had more time to debate this legislation. However, it is scheduled to pass by 5 July and I do not wish it to go beyond that date as I have technical matters to address at that stage. This is largely a technical Bill. With due regard to the Bill's Office, this amendment is not...