Results 11,501-11,520 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (20 Sep 2011)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 197 and 198 together. Prior to the appointment of the former Secretary General to the post of Secretary General to the Government in January 2000, the Government decided that the terms applicable to Secretaries General appointed under the Top Level Appointments Committee (TLAC) process would apply in his case. At the end of his term in December 2010, the then...

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (20 Sep 2011)

Brendan Howlin: The following are the State Boards whose membership is determined by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. Public Appointment Service The following have been nominated and have agreed to serve on the Board of PAS. Mr. Eddie Sullivan, Chairman Mr. Des Dowling, Assistant Secretary - Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government Ms Deirdre O'Keeffe, Assistant Secretary...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (20 Sep 2011)

Brendan Howlin: There have been four Secretaries-General appointed to Government Departments since 9 March 2011 as follows, Mr. Robert Watt (Department of Public Expenditure & Reform), Mr. Martin Fraser (Department of the Taoiseach), Mr. Brian Purcell (Department of Justice & Equality) and Mr. Jim Breslin (Department of Children & Youth Affairs). The severance arrangements to which the Deputy refers only...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (20 Sep 2011)

Brendan Howlin: Following clarification with the Deputy's office I understand that the information being sought is the total expenditure by my Department on translations from English into Irish for 2010. Expenditure in relation to translation costs in 2010 for my Department are covered by material provided by the Department of Finance in respect of that year, given that the Department of Public Expenditure...

Leaders' Questions (21 Sep 2011)

Brendan Howlin: Remarkable.

Leaders' Questions (21 Sep 2011)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy should realise that this is not a laughing matter.

Order of Business. (21 Sep 2011)

Brendan Howlin: Fishing for legislation.

Order of Business. (21 Sep 2011)

Brendan Howlin: I would say Deputy Kelleher is there now anyway.

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (21 Sep 2011)

Brendan Howlin: The matter of pension arrangements for retiring Secretaries General is at present the subject of a review by my Department, following which I will bring forward proposals in relation to the Top-level Appointments Committee (TLAC) retirement terms. This review is dealing with the terms of future Secretaries General. The Government will be ensuring that the new terms reflect our changed...

Written Answers — Freedom of Information: Freedom of Information (21 Sep 2011)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy will be aware of the significant commitments given in the programme for Government to restore the Freedom of Information Act, to extend its remit to other public bodies including the administrative side of the Garda Síochána, subject to security exceptions and to extend the Act to ensure that all statutory bodies and all bodies significantly funded from the public purse, are...

Written Answers — Freedom of Information: Freedom of Information (21 Sep 2011)

Brendan Howlin: My Department is currently preparing the General Scheme of the Bill to give effect to the commitments in the Programme for Government to introduce whistleblowers legislation. It is planned to submit the Draft Heads to the Government in the autumn of 2011 with a view to securing approval for the drafting of a Bill by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel. The objective of the legislation is...

Written Answers — Freedom of Information: Freedom of Information (21 Sep 2011)

Brendan Howlin: My Department is currently considering proposals to amend the Valuation Act 2001 to modernise and streamline the valuation process in the interests of both the ratepayers and the local authorities. Preliminary Heads of Bill have been drafted and a significant amount of technical work has already been undertaken in conjunction with the Valuation Office and the Attorney General. My objective is...

Leaders' Questions (22 Sep 2011)

Brendan Howlin: The Government's position has been stated. It supports an independent, sovereign Palestinian state. That view was reiterated by the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in the United States as recently as yesterday. The Tánaiste is due to address the United Nations General Assembly on Monday when he will set out a comprehensive statement on Ireland's position on this and...

Leaders' Questions (22 Sep 2011)

Brendan Howlin: I join the Deputy in supporting Michael D. Higgins who has-----

Leaders' Questions (22 Sep 2011)

Brendan Howlin: -----a principled position on this and many other issues.

Leaders' Questions (22 Sep 2011)

Brendan Howlin: Mr. Higgins has a long-standing tradition in the areas of human rights and international policy. He has informed my party's opinion on these matters for many years. It is from a related position that the Tánaiste, representing Ireland, is at the forefront in seeking to have agreement across all nations on the long-awaited international recognition of an independent and sovereign state of...

Leaders' Questions (22 Sep 2011)

Brendan Howlin: I want to address full square the number of questions Deputy Ó Caoláin has posed. Let me start with the last one: what has changed in the past six months. Fundamental things have changed.

Leaders' Questions (22 Sep 2011)

Brendan Howlin: A new Government has been elected and we have moved away from the abyss that faced the two parties on entering Government.

Leaders' Questions (22 Sep 2011)

Brendan Howlin: On the pledge we made, we have begun the renegotiation. I and other Ministers have stated repeatedly that the renegotiation of the bad deal that was struck by our predecessors in Government was not an event, but a process. We have engaged relentlessly since entering Government to renegotiate that deal, with, quite frankly, remarkable success.

Leaders' Questions (22 Sep 2011)

Brendan Howlin: In the first renegotiation-----