Results 12,801-12,820 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Written Answers — Sale of State Assets: Sale of State Assets (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 72 and 92 together. In identifying which assets are to be regarded as non-strategic, Government has been guided, inter alia, by the detailed sectoral analysis contained in the report of the Review Group on State Assets and Liabilities, which was published in April of last year. The Government considers, in particular, the electricity and gas transmission...

Written Answers — Social Impact Bonds: Social Impact Bonds (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 75 and 108 together. The Government Programme for National Recovery 2011-2016 provides that the Government will establish a new model of financing social interventions called Social Impact Bonds that share audited Exchequer savings with charitable and voluntary organisations. My Department is considering how best to establish this new and innovative...

Written Answers — Public Sector Staff: Public Sector Staff (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Circular letter LP 6/7/2011 provides that civil service staff should give a three-month notice period of their intention to retire in the period up to and including 29 February 2012. Other sectors of the public service have adopted a similar approach to a notice period. The three month notice period was introduced as a temporary measure to assist management across the public service in...

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy's question no members of State boards under the aegis of my Department have volunteered to waive their fee or expenses. For completeness one member of the board of An Post National Lottery is not paid a fee as he is a member of the board of An Post. In addition, no fee was paid to a board member whose term expired in November 2011 as he was also a member of the...

Written Answers — Top Level Appointments Committee: Top Level Appointments Committee (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy will be aware of the extensive changes which I introduced last July in relation to the composition of the Top Level Appointments Committee (TLAC). There is now a majority of external members on the Committee, as well as an external Chairperson. These changes are in line with our commitment under the Programme for Government. The appointees have been selected not only for their...

Written Answers — Ministerial Transport: Ministerial Transport (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 79 and 283 together. In period June 2011 to December 2011 the following travel costs were incurred by my Department in relation to travel undertake by me in my role as Minister for the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. On the 24th of November 2011, I travelled to Poznan via the Government Jet to attend a meeting held under the Polish Presidency....

Written Answers — Public Sector Staff: Public Sector Staff (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The superannuation terms for Secretaries General are in line with their contractual arrangements. Currently serving Secretaries General appointed under the TLAC process have exit arrangements which are part of their terms of employment following a Government decision at the time of appointment. These may include the offer of an alternative post in the Public Service, or a severance payment...

Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The current Guidelines on Special Advisors provide, except in the Offices of the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste where separate arrangements apply, that they are to be placed on the Principal Officer (standard) scale, which currently runs from €80,051 at the minimum to €92,672 at the maximum. Remuneration in excess of the maximum point of the Principal Officer (standard) scale has been...

Written Answers — Sale of State Assets: Sale of State Assets (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: In deciding on the programme of asset disposals that I announced last week, the Government has been careful to safeguard the position of strategic infrastructure such as the electricity and gas networks and Dublin port and the deputy will have noted that they are not part of the disposal programme that I announced. The Government recognizes that this key infrastructure is vital to the optimum...

Written Answers — Legislative Programme: Legislative Programme (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The Programme for Government contains a commitment to introduce new legislation to protect small building subcontractors that have been denied payments from bigger companies. In this regard, my colleague Minister of State Mr Brian Hayes has been working with Senator Feargal Quinn to develop the Senator's private member's Construction Contracts Bill – which had passed all stages in the...

Written Answers — Public Service Reform: Public Service Reform (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: On 17th November last year, I launched the Government's Public Service Reform Plan. The Plan differs from previous initiatives in that it provides a new imperative for cost reductions and service improvements in a context of falling Public Service numbers, linked closely to governance structures and processes designed to ensure implementation. It contains a wide range of actions and...

Written Answers — National Lottery Licence: National Lottery Licence (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 90 and 94 together. I announced on 10th November 2011, in the context of unveiling the Infrastructure and Capital Investment Framework 2012 – 2016, that the Government has decided to review a number of options regarding the future of the National Lottery. My Department is currently examining the various options with respect to the next Lottery licence and...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I refer to my reply to Question Reference No. 2856/12 of 18 January 2012.

Written Answers — Public Service Contracts: Public Service Contracts (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I refer the Deputy to my answer to his Parliamentary Question no. 3307/12 on 24 January 2012 in which I outlined the elements of my Department's public procurement guidelines that are designed to promote participation of small and medium-sized enterprises in the award of public contracts and to reduce the up-front administration burden for them. Public contracting authorities are required to...

Written Answers — Performance Management Systems: Performance Management Systems (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 95 and 105 together. Senior public service managers are accountable to the Oireachtas through their appearances before Select Committees and the Public Accounts Committee. They are also subject to rigorous independent examination of regularity, propriety and value for money by the Comptroller and Auditor General who carries out individual VFM examinations on...

Written Answers — State Agencies: State Agencies (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: With regard to this question, I refer the Deputy to my answer to Deputy Mary Lou McDonald (PQ Ref No: 5539/12) on 31 January 2012, which sets out the different bodies currently in operation and the approach which my Department is taking in classifying the different types of organisation.

Written Answers — Public Infrastructure Funding: Public Infrastructure Funding (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Public infrastructure is funded primarily in two ways at the moment: Exchequer financing (the vast bulk of funding) and PPP-sourced funding for particular projects that are suited to the PPP approach while providing value for money for the State. Since the publication of the "Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2012-2016: Medium Term Exchequer Framework", my Department has intensified its...

Written Answers — Statutory Instruments: Statutory Instruments (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Statutory Instrument No. 28 of 2012 "Oireachtas (Allowances) (Certain Ministers of State) Order 2012 (S.I. 28 of 2012) Order 2012" replaces a provision in an earlier Order, Statutory Instrument No. 347 of 2011 "Oireachtas (Allowances) (Members and Holders of Parliamentary and Certain Ministerial Offices) Order 2011", which provides for the payment of a taxable allowance to two named Ministers...

Written Answers — Public Service Reform: Public Service Reform (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: With regard to this question, I refer the Deputy to my answer to Deputy Shane Ross (PQ Ref No: 7802/12) on 14 February 2012, which details the progress to date on rationalising the State bodies outlined in the Public Service Reform report of 17 November 2011.

Written Answers — Ministerial Transport: Ministerial Transport (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Since 1 May 2011 Cabinet Ministers with the exception of Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Law Reform now use their own cars. All Ministers are now paid for official mileage up to 96,540 kilometres or 60,000 miles per annum. Ministers of State have used their own cars on official business since 1984. The payment of the travel allowance to Ministers is certified by the...