Results 13,021-13,040 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Leaders' Questions (18 Apr 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy is willing harm on us.

Leaders' Questions (18 Apr 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Joe the plumber.

Written Answers — Departmental Contracts: Departmental Contracts (18 Apr 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The assessment of a tenderer's financial and economic standing is a key part of any procurement process. Establishing the appropriate suitability criteria that are relevant and appropriate to a particular contract is, of course, a matter for the contracting authority concerned. This is because the contracting authority is in the best position to gauge the appropriate levels of financial...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (18 Apr 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The matter of holding a constitutional referendum does not arise. The Deputy will be aware that the Government has referred the report to the Garda Commissioner, the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Revenue Commissioners and to the Standards in Public Office Commission. The Dáil has fully debated the Report and the Government is considering its response to the findings and recommendations.

Written Answers — Public Service Staff: Public Service Staff (18 Apr 2012)

Brendan Howlin: As I indicated in my reply to Deputy Fleming on the 21st of February 2012 details of Public Service staff numbers and Non Commercial State Agencies are not held centrally on a county by county basis. The Deputy is advised to contact the relevant Ministers directly for such information. The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform does not have any Offices in Co. Kerry.

Written Answers — Departmental Contracts: Departmental Contracts (18 Apr 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 415 to 417, inclusive, together. Compliance with the legislation covering employment and equality issues comes under the aegis of my colleague the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. Public procurement procedures require applicants to meet certain standards when applying for public contracts. The criteria upon which contracting authorities may...

Written Answers — Departmental Contracts: Departmental Contracts (18 Apr 2012)

Brendan Howlin: An Post National Lottery Company is a commercial State body and day to day operational matters are a matter for the body concerned. There are no other State companies that come under the aegis of my Department.

Written Answers — Public Sector Pay: Public Sector Pay (18 Apr 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 421 and 422 together. I refer to my reply to Question No 12990/12 of 7 March. The estimated gross monthly pay and pensions to March 2012, as notified by Departments and Offices, in respect of public service workers is set out in the following table. The figures exclude pay and pension expenditure by Local Authorities and do not take account of the...

Written Answers — Parliamentary Questions: Parliamentary Questions (18 Apr 2012)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy's question some 435 written Parliamentary Questions were replied to in the period 1 January 2012 to 31 March 2012. The Deputy should be aware that included in the 435 written Parliamentary Questions there are a number of oral questions that were put down which were not reached in the Dáil and were therefore treated as written PQs. The 435 replies also includes a...

Written Answers — National Lottery: National Lottery (18 Apr 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The National Lottery is currently included in the list of public bodies covered by the Officials Languages Act 2003 which is contained in Schedule 1 to that Act. Section 1(5)(b) of Schedule 1 provides that the Official Languages Act shall apply to a body, organisation or group that at the date of the coming into operation of this Schedule is a public body but subsequently comes under...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (18 Apr 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Both my Department and the Department of Finance operate a shared service for the provision of mobile telephony service. The reply to the Deputy's question is included under the Department of Finance PQ reference number 18888/12.

Written Answers — National Lottery: National Lottery (18 Apr 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I announced on 4 April 2012 that the Government has decided to hold a competition for the next National Lottery licence. The new licence will be for a 20 year period and will involve an upfront payment to the State, with some of the payment being used to help fund the building of the proposed new National Children's Hospital. The ongoing provision of a fixed percentage of annual lottery...

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (18 Apr 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The table sets out the list of contracts that were issued to consultancy firms during the period January 2011 to March 2012. Date Supplier Name Invoice Amount€ Jun-Nov 2011 Deloitte & Touche 65,914 Jun-Nov 2011 Accenture Consulting 80,465 Jun-Dec 2011 RedC 41,043 July 2011 MKO Partners 35,820 Sep 2011 Mercer (Ireland) Ltd 1,210 Feb 2012 Davy Corporate Finance 615 Feb-Mar 2012...

Written Answers — Capital Expenditure Programme: Capital Expenditure Programme (18 Apr 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The Exchequer capital allocation for the next four years amounts to just under €13.9 billion, including an additional €39m recently agreed to build a new children's detention facility at Oberstown. Approximately €4.2 billion of this is required to finish out existing contractual commitments. This figure does not include capital commitments that relate to the Department of Jobs...

Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (19 Apr 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 101 and 102 together. I have appointed Anne Byrne and Ronan O'Brien as special advisors. The salary for both special advisors has been €83,337 and €114,000 respectively per annum since their appointment. No salary increases have been requested in respect of either appointment.

Written Answers — Ministerial Transport: Ministerial Transport (19 Apr 2012)

Brendan Howlin: While my Department does not maintain a formal record of the travel costs for each Minister it is however estimated that the average cost of providing transport to individual Officeholders has been reduced from €280,000 in 2010 to a current annual estimate of €100,000 per annum. This represents a 65% saving on the previous transport system in place.

Seanad: Sale of State Assets: Statements, Questions and Answers (19 Apr 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The House will be aware the Government agreed a programme of State asset disposals in February which is designed to reduce the State's debt burden and to help fund employment generating initiatives in the economy. This programme has been debated on more than one occasion in the Dáil and I am pleased to explain today the position to Senators and to update the House on the progress made since...

Seanad: Sale of State Assets: Statements, Questions and Answers (19 Apr 2012)

Brendan Howlin: If I go through a few of them, it might obviate the need for some questions. I am happy to engage. I thank all Senators for their contributions. I do not intend to engage with Senator Byrne, as discussing whether this initiative was contained within the original memorandum of understanding would be a sterile debate. I can say honestly, with my hand on heart, that in my first encounter with...

Seanad: Sale of State Assets: Statements, Questions and Answers (19 Apr 2012)

Brendan Howlin: My party negotiated with Fine Gael on a programme for Government. Part of that programme involved the sale of €2 billion of assets because I believe in a stimulus. We cannot simply have a balanced budget approach, necessary as that may be for us to get out of our economic difficulties. There are three strands to the problem. The first is that we need to pay our own way by balancing our...

Seanad: Sale of State Assets: Statements, Questions and Answers (19 Apr 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I am delighted.