Results 14,021-14,040 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (17 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: As the Senator knows, that body is being merged, too.

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (17 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I do not wish to stray beyond the remit of the Bill but, I am of the same mind as the Senator. In the programme I announced last year the Government is committed to merging, subsuming or abolishing 48 agencies this year. It is my intention to ensure, in so far as I can do so, that commitment will be fulfilled.

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (17 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The Senator will be aware that I made my reform announcements towards the end of last year, in which I outlined the mergers, subsumptions and abolitions envisaged. Each line Department has been working on these since, although not everything can be exactly as proposed. I will bring my proposals to the Government very shortly and they will be published for Senators' commentary as soon as...

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (17 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: We are talking about a pass which is within the scope of the Bill.

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (17 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I have nothing further to say on the matter.

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (17 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: This provides for the amendments to the Ombudsman for Children's Act, as I indicated previously. It substitutes the definition of public body to provide that the jurisdiction of the Ombudsman for Children will automatically follow any changes in the jurisdiction of the Ombudsman. As entities are made reviewable or exempt, in whole or in part, the changes will apply to both the Ombudsman and...

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (17 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I do not intend to re-open the debate that we had for most of the last day and today. There are coherent and good reasons for the exclusions and I hope that I have outlined them. The matter is not closed and we can revisit it. With regard to Senator Ó Clochartaigh's comment, I try not to be partisan when I present legislation and I favour openness and transparency in all matters. His...

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (17 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Transparency should apply. I do not mean that in any other way. When we preach about something we must abide by it ourselves. I can take any fair criticism of me by the Senator here. In equal measure, if he wants to preach about transparency and scrutiny then he must subject himself and his organisation to the same rules. He cannot ask of others what he refuses to give himself and I make...

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (17 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Was the Senator ever a member of the IRA?

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (17 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I thank Senators for the robust, good and incisive debate today and on the last occasion I was here. I am mindful of the strong views on the efficient administration of public affairs that are voiced in this House. Every time I visit that is underscored. I acknowledge the words of Senator Ó Clochartaigh in respect of staid an Gaeilge. I know he is passionate about it and I will ensure...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure and Reform Vote: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (17 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I will begin by congratulating the Chairman on his election to the Chair of this committee. We had a good working relationship with his immediate predecessor and I hope the Chairman has the same meteoric rise as he had, in a short period of time. I am glad to be here because what is happening today is an important step in developing a much more democratic system of scrutiny over the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure and Reform Vote: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (17 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: My Department is very different from most other Departments in that we are the policemen on the expenditure side for everybody else. We are engaged in dialogue with every line Department with regard to the reduction of the ceiling of both current and capital expenditure to be achieved each year in order to reach the target set in the memorandum of understanding with the troika and indeed,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure and Reform Vote: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (17 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy took a ramble across all the areas for which I am responsible. I will deal with the issues raised on an individual basis. I will begin by answering the question on where I am going to find further savings. The idea behind my appearance before the committee is for members to provide me with advice on that very issue. In the context of the comprehensive expenditure review,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure and Reform Vote: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (17 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I do not have the table.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure and Reform Vote: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (17 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I do not have the table before me. Is there unallocated spend or is it the total?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure and Reform Vote: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (17 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I would have to see the table.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure and Reform Vote: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (17 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: It is not the documentation I have circulated to the committee today.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure and Reform Vote: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (17 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Yes, in essence, the figure we have to adjust next year is not a fixed quantum of money.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure and Reform Vote: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (17 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: We want to reach the deficit target. We will have to make a calculation on growth and tax revenues next year. It is like the old story of asking directions, when the person asked says if I were you I would not start from here. It depends on where we start from. The target outturn figure for this year is a deficit of 8.6%. We expect to be comfortably within the target. The previous...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure and Reform Vote: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (17 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: That is the additional cost. I should advise the committee on the matter as I spoke about it on public radio. We had a discussion on the issue last week during Question Time when Deputy Fleming in particular made a reasonable request about whether I had investigated stopping increments for those earning more than €100,000. I did consider that. As I indicated, the bulk of increments...