Results 13,281-13,300 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin
- Public Sector Reform (13 Jun 2012)
Brendan Howlin: In June 2011, total pay was â¬1,218,901,000. The pension bill for the same month was â¬203,939,000, a total pay and pension bill in June 2011 of â¬1,422, 840,000. In April 2012, total pay was â¬1,134,191,000. The total pension bill payable in April 2012 was â¬247,975,000, giving a total pay and pension bill of â¬1, 382,166,000.
- Public Sector Reform (13 Jun 2012)
Brendan Howlin: The Deputy has been consistently wrong on every issue. She regards rhetoric as being a substitute. I suggest she reads the report of the implementation group which is published today. Head count is one element but it also includes fundamental reform. This reform is accruing real benefits in monetary terms to the State. It is fanciful to say what the Deputy has just stated and to talk...
- Public Sector Reform (13 Jun 2012)
Brendan Howlin: I propose to answer Questions Nos. 7 and 35 together. The implementation body has completed its second annual review and published this morning its second annual report of progress under the Croke Park agreement. In my view, the body has once again produced a very comprehensive, detailed and robust report. The report analyses the pay and non-pay efficiency savings being delivered under the...
- Public Sector Reform (13 Jun 2012)
Brendan Howlin: Does the Deputy have the report in front of him?
- Public Sector Reform (13 Jun 2012)
Brendan Howlin: If he looks at page 4 he will see, in table 3, the Exchequer pay bill in gross terms for each year from 2009 to 2015. It is comparing exactly like with like across the top, beginning with the 2009 gross figure of â¬17.514 billion and ending in 2015 with the Exchequer gross figure of â¬14.6 billion. It is therefore comparing like with like. Has the Deputy read the table at all? I was...
- Public Sector Reform (13 Jun 2012)
Brendan Howlin: I will answer that separately.
- Public Sector Reform (13 Jun 2012)
Brendan Howlin: The Deputy wants to mix and match himself now.
- Public Sector Reform (13 Jun 2012)
Brendan Howlin: He said the gross figures were not there, but they are in the published report. This is not my report; it is from the implementation body. Let me be quite clear because we can lose things in figures. The bottom line is that in the reference period in question we have reduced the pay bill, independently validated not by my Department but by the implementation body, in gross terms by â¬650...
- Public Sector Reform (13 Jun 2012)
Brendan Howlin: Net.
- Public Sector Reform (13 Jun 2012)
Brendan Howlin: The Deputy is either living in a bubble or is deliberately ignoring the facts, because no Minister has been more proactive in reducing high-level pay than I have. I set the ceiling for civil servants at â¬200,000. As of now, no civil servant is paid more than â¬200,000.
- Public Sector Reform (13 Jun 2012)
Brendan Howlin: The reality is that we have pushed people's salaries down.
- Public Sector Reform (13 Jun 2012)
Brendan Howlin: We introduced a referendum to cut judges' pay. I have introduced new financial emergency measures in the public interest to implement that and other reductions, including pensions to further abate those with high public service pensions. It is absolutely wrong to say that we have not been active on that front. It is popular to trot out the same old thing and Deputy McDonald is addicted to...
- Public Sector Reform (13 Jun 2012)
Brendan Howlin: I can rely on Deputy McDonald to keep blowing her trumpet.
- Public Sector Reform (13 Jun 2012)
Brendan Howlin: When the Deputy runs out of truth, she puts words in my mouth. I never said anything about cruel and unusual punishment.
- Public Sector Reform (13 Jun 2012)
Brendan Howlin: The Deputy can shout me down if she wishes. I regard that level of salary as high. That is the reason the Government set it as a ceiling for the Taoiseach. Ministers are paid less than that. In net terms, the Taoiseach earns 44% less than a Taoiseach did in 2008 and Ministers are earning 40% less. They are still on a handsome salary; there is no doubt about that. However, we should...
- Public Sector Reform (13 Jun 2012)
Brendan Howlin: I happen to be the Minister with responsibility for doing this. The Deputy might some time have the good grace to acknowledge their efforts in the national interest.
- Public Sector Staff (13 Jun 2012)
Brendan Howlin: As the Deputy is no doubt aware Ireland is committed under the EU-IMF programme to reducing the overall size of the public service pay bill. Over the past number of years, enhanced numbers, monitoring systems and multi-annual employment frameworks have been put in place. These arrangements will be strengthened to ensure that effect is given to Government decisions on public service numbers,...
- Public Sector Staff (13 Jun 2012)
Brendan Howlin: I understand the Deputy's concern and will try to address it. It is a matter of annoyance that this sector is always a little later than every other in providing information to me. The Deputy might consider having the HSE invited to a meeting of the Joint Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform on this issue, which debate I will listen to with great interest.
- Public Sector Staff (13 Jun 2012)
Brendan Howlin: I am not going to be prescriptive about this because there will be cases where agency workers are the best way of meeting an urgent public demand for services and where, without them, central services might not function. There might be a case for that. Deputy Fleming is looking at the broader picture.
- Public Sector Staff (13 Jun 2012)
Brendan Howlin: The reality is we are faced with reducing the total volume of money we can borrow. The only people who will lend us money have attached conditions to it. We can stick our heads in the ground and pretend that is not a reality. We need to reduce the quantum of money we are borrowing. There are a variety of ways of doing so, including cutting services, making them more efficient and reducing...