Results 12,721-12,740 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Ministerial Remuneration (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Do not go there.

Ministerial Remuneration (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: There is an overnight allowance.

Ministerial Remuneration (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: It is factored into the allowances that are paid. That is why there is a requirement to be in attendance for a fixed number of days each year. It is understood as being factored in. No such allowance is available to members of the Government. A dual abode allowance, which is a tax concession, is available to Ministers. I assure the House that it does not come close to covering the cost...

Ministerial Remuneration (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy can consider it abolished.

Ministerial Remuneration (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I had never heard of it.

Ministerial Remuneration (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I can inform the Deputy that in my own case, the dual abode allowance does not cover a fraction of the cost of my accommodation in Dublin. I am not complaining about this fact. If I were entitled to claim as a Deputy I would be able to cover the costs. I would be very happy to-----

Ministerial Remuneration (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: -----take the Deputy's allowance instead. I will happily abolish the dual abode allowance. With regard to the issue of laundry as raised by the Deputy, I cannot find the reference but if the Deputy can provide me with same, I would like to hear it or see it. I suggest she sends me the details.

Sale of State Assets (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 62 and 82 together. Following my announcement of the programme of State asset disposals last week, work is progressing on plans for the disposals. All of the relevant Departments will participate, overseen by my Department and with the assistance of NewERA. The objective is to identify by the end of March any remaining policy, regulatory, legislative and-or...

Sale of State Assets (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Detailed analytical work commenced immediately following the Government decision with regard to Bord Gáis Energy, the ESB and the Coillte proposal, which is being considered. The process will examine the regulatory and legislative difficulties, the best placement procedures and how to obtain best value. These matters are currently under consideration. I am required by the Government...

Sale of State Assets (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: As Deputy Fleming is probably aware, there is an ESOP scheme already in Bord Gáis Éireann. A little over 3% of the company is owned by the employees and that will be part of the things which will be addressed now because, as Deputy Fleming knows, the company is well on the way to being disaggregated into the transmission and the generating elements of it. The transmission elements of it,...

Sale of State Assets (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: It is very hard to take lectures about sound bites from Deputy McDonald. She is the master.

Sale of State Assets (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I say that as a compliment. She used four sound bites in the question, including representing it all as a fire sale when not only the decision but the memorandum of understanding with the troika makes it crystal clear there will not be a fire sale. If we do not get a fair price for these, we will not sell them. It is as simple as that, so that will ensure there will not be. I refer to the...

Sale of State Assets (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: We want to achieve real and better competition in the energy market. I refer to the notion that it is somehow a bad thing to get a good price for them and that we will get a good price for them because they are valuable assets. Of course, we want to get the best price because we need to pay down some of the State's debt. That is not a bad thing of itself, that is, to take some of the...

Sale of State Assets (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: That is worthy of a long debate and the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine would be delighted to have it. The percentage of land under forest in Switzerland is of a different magnitude to the percentage under forest in Ireland, if the Deputy had not noticed. We need more forestry and this Government has given clear attention to it in the programme for Government. Managing...

Flood Relief (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy has, on a regular basis, raised the matter of management of the River Shannon catchment, which includes the Shannon Callows area and that extensive responses have been provided. The information I am happy to provide remains much the same as that provided previously. In addition, a full corpus of updated information on both the national and Shannon catchment flood risk assessment...

Public Sector Pay (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 64 and 73 together. The implementation body established under the public service agreement 2010-14 is charged with driving the implementation of the agreement to maximum effect. The body also undertakes an annual review of the sustainable savings generated from the implementation of the agreement. The first review by the implementation body was published in...

Public Sector Pay (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I have made it clear that this is the first Government ever to take serious proactive action to deal with hope in the public service. We reduced pay by between 5% and 30%. A 30% reduction was taken by the Taoiseach. That should be acknowledged. I also placed a pay ceiling on the public service so that no one in the Civil Service or public service should be paid more than €200,000. That...

Public Sector Pay (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: No matter how far we go, it is never enough for Deputy McDonald. We must ensure that we have quality people in the public service and a variety of skills. The Deputy has no doubt read the Nyberg report on the operation of the Department of Finance. One of the deficiencies identified was that there were not enough experts and economists to operate a very complicated banking system. The...

Public Sector Pay (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I ask the Deputy at least to acknowledge what we have done to date. For the first time we have put in a ceiling of €200,000. The Taoiseach is receiving 30% less in pay than his predecessor. We have reformed the expenses and car transport systems and introduced new pay ceilings across the public service of €200,000 and €250,000. The pressure will be whether in the commercial...

Referendum on European Stability Treaty: Statements (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Are you for it or against it?