Results 11,341-11,360 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Public Service Staff (14 Jul 2011)

Brendan Howlin: I may give some comfort to the Deputy on the figures. The target of 3,000 for this year is the old one. We have not yet put in place a revised target because I want to do some forensic analysis of the number of public service staff who will retire and so on. At the end of the first quarter this year there were slightly less than 304,000 employees in the public service. As the Deputy...

Public Service Staff (14 Jul 2011)

Brendan Howlin: I am not sure that is relevant to the question.

Public Service Staff (14 Jul 2011)

Brendan Howlin: It is a genuine question that has nothing to do with my Department. I would like to have a debate with the Deputy about that.

Public Service Staff (14 Jul 2011)

Brendan Howlin: No, not at the moment, a Cheann Comhairle, in deference to yourself. There has been significant downsizing in the local authority sector and there have been huge efficiencies. My own local authority published, in last week's local paper, The Wexford People , a two-page analysis of significant efficiencies it has brought about to give better services to people. It is not all about cutting or...

Public Expenditure Review (14 Jul 2011)

Brendan Howlin: While no formal terms of reference were issued to Departments, I have made clear from the outset that, apart from garnering savings, the aim of reforming the public service is to deliver better results within limited resources. This is a driving force behind both the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure and the Capital Review. Both of these processes are now underway and will involve root and...

Written Answers — Expenditure Reviews: Expenditure Reviews (14 Jul 2011)

Brendan Howlin: Under the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure, all Departments and Offices are required to take a root-and-branch review of every line of public spending, to assess whether previous spending programmes are still required to meet public service objectives; whether those objectives are still valid and relevant; and whether new, more efficient, and more modern ways of delivering public services...

Written Answers — Departmental Estimates: Departmental Estimates (14 Jul 2011)

Brendan Howlin: The Estimate for my Department, which was this week presented by me to the Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, has been restructured on a Strategic Programme basis, consistent with the presentation of the Annual Output Statements. This new format will align resources with the High Level Goals in the Statement of Strategy and the Programmes set out in the Annual Output...

Written Answers — Expenditure Reviews: Expenditure Reviews (14 Jul 2011)

Brendan Howlin: Under the Government's Comprehensive Review of Expenditure each Minister and Department is committed to a root and branch assessment of all Departmental spending. Over the course of the next few months Government will examine the findings and this will contribute to decisions being made in Budget 2012. All aspects of government expenditure are covered by this review, and I fully expect that...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (14 Jul 2011)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 17, 22 and 24 together. The post of Secretary General, Department of Public Expenditure & Reform forms part of a small number of appointments at Secretary General level which do not come within the remit of the Top Level Appointments Committee (TLAC) and where arrangements for the filling of post are a matter for the Government. The position is that officers...

Written Answers — Public Service Reform: Public Service Reform (14 Jul 2011)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 18, 32 and 42 together. As outlined in the Programme for Government, this Government is committed to the most ambitious programme of Public Service Reform since the foundation of the State. This will take place in tandem with an equally significant programme of constitutional, political and institutional reform to ensure that there is a fundamental change in...

Written Answers — State Agencies: State Agencies (14 Jul 2011)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 19, 38, 50 and 51 together. I have recently written to my Ministerial colleagues with Commercial State Companies under their aegis requesting that they arrange to issue letters to the Companies concerned asking that the attention of any staff with salaries in excess of €250,000 be drawn to the Government's request for voluntary waivers of 15% of salary (or...

Written Answers — Public Expenditure: Public Expenditure (14 Jul 2011)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 20, 46, 131 and 132 together. Revised Estimates for all Votes for 2011, updated for the restructuring of Departmental responsibilities, the Jobs Initiative and certain other minor technical adjustments, have been presented to the Dáil, and it is expected that the approval process for all of the Votes will be completed prior to the Dáil summer recess. In...

Written Answers — Public Service Provision: Public Service Provision (14 Jul 2011)

Brendan Howlin: The Government is committed to reducing overall public service numbers over the period to 2015, as part of the overall drive to consolidate the public finances, and having regard to the need to protect front-line public services insofar as possible. Departments are expected to examine all aspects of public sector expenditure under the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure with a view to...

Written Answers — Ministerial Functions: Ministerial Functions (14 Jul 2011)

Brendan Howlin: Under section 9(4) of the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 2011, the functions of the Minister for Finance in relation to the Commissioners of Public Works transferred to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. In addition, specific functions of the Minister for Finance in other legislation coming within the remit of the OPW will transfer to the Minister for Public...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (14 Jul 2011)

Brendan Howlin: Senior officials from my Department are on the Tax Strategy Group and will contribute to the deliberations of the Group.

Written Answers — Civil Service Recruitment: Civil Service Recruitment (14 Jul 2011)

Brendan Howlin: The Government is committed to the reduction of between 18,000 and 21,000 in overall public service numbers by 2014, relative to the end-2010 position, with a further 4,000 reduction in 2015, subject to there being no compulsory redundancies and to the protection of front line services. The measures necessary to give effect to these reductions will depend in part on the rate of natural...

Written Answers — Ministerial Functions: Ministerial Functions (14 Jul 2011)

Brendan Howlin: As Minister for Public Expenditure & Reform I have overall responsibility for Ireland's EU Structural Funds Programmes under the National Strategic Reference Programme (NSRF), including the co-ordination of all EU Funds and the promotion of Ireland's interests in the debate on future EU Cohesion policy. In this capacity I will be representing Ireland at meetings of Ministers with...

Written Answers — Ministerial Functions: Ministerial Functions (14 Jul 2011)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 28 and 33 together. As the Deputy is aware the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011 was published on 20 May. The purpose of the Bill was to provide the legislative framework for the formal establishment of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, to transfer of certain expenditure and public service functions from the Minister for Finance...

Written Answers — Official Engagements: Official Engagements (14 Jul 2011)

Brendan Howlin: Since my appointment as Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform in March 2011, I have met a with a number of Trade Union and Employer Bodies. Details of these meetings are set out in the following table. Meetings Body Date of Meeting ICTU 16 March 2011 SIPTU 19 April 2011 UNITE 05 May 2011 SIPTU/IMPACT 01 June 2011 IBEC 28 June 2011 In addition, I addressed the IMPACT delegate...

Written Answers — Employment of Agency Staff: Employment of Agency Staff (14 Jul 2011)

Brendan Howlin: Information on the number of agency staff employed in the public sector is not reported to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. However, I should point out that the employment of agency staff would be subject to the terms of the public service moratorium on recruitment. Details of numbers of agency staff should be sought from individual Departments. In relation to my own...