Results 14,281-14,300 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Other Questions: Departmental Expenditure (21 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Absolutely. What I inherited was a useful and important enabler for change. I have said that publicly and I acknowledge that. I have worked the agreement to the very best. It is not, however, a robust enough instrument to get us to where we need to be by 2015. Deputy Fleming made some points about fairness, with which I would not disagree. However, there is no point in saying I would...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Croke Park Agreement (21 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Paragraph 1.16 of the Public Service Agreement provides for an annual review of the savings generated from its implementation and states that "savings will be independently verified by the Implementation Body" for the Agreement. The Body has carried out two annual reviews to date which have provided a very comprehensive assessment of the sustainable savings and reform that have been...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Private Partnerships (21 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Ireland has a well established track record and a mature and well developed Public Private Partnership (PPP) arena in particular in the road sector and the education sector. There are also other major accommodation projects that were delivered as PPPs, such as the National Convention Centre and the Criminal Courts Complex. I am aware that the new PPP pipeline of projects which I announced...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: State Agencies (21 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 13, 15 and 16 together. As the Deputy is aware, the streamlining of State bodies is set out in the Public Service Reform Plan, published in November 2011. This streamlining included 48 rationalisation measures to be implemented by the end of 2012, as well as a further 46 critical reviews to take place by the end of June 2012. Details of the bodies involved are...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Numbers (21 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The Government is committed to reducing the size of the Public Service and to creating a leaner more efficient Public Service. At the 3rd Quarter of 2012 Public Service numbers were some 291,000. This is 29,000 below the peak numbers level of 320,000 in 2008 and is comparable to the 2005 staffing levels. Service levels have been largely maintained, and in fact increased in some areas,...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Commercial Rates (21 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: In accordance with the Valuation Act, 2001, which came into force on 2 May, 2002, a national programme, under the direction of the Commissioner of Valuation, is being rolled out progressively for the revaluation of all commercial and industrial properties in the State. The revaluation programme which has been completed in three County Council areas in Dublin began in November 2005 in the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Banking Sector Remuneration (21 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The following table, which is based on information provided by the Office of the Paymaster General and the Houses of the Oireachtas, provides the annual pension payments for 2011. TD Pension Ministerial Pension Civil Service Pension Mr Dick Spring €49,934.88 €71,175.34 N/A Mr Tom Considine N/A N/A €125,379.93 Mr Joe Walsh €49,934.88...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Reform (21 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Under the Public Service Reform Plan my Department is reviewing the grading structure of the Civil Service. The review will examine the number and distribution of management grades across the Civil Service, the percentage of the pay bill accounted for by such grades and taking account of organisational needs and best practice, assess the scope to reduce the number of management grades. Work...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Parliamentary Inquiries (21 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy will be aware I strongly support the objective of undertaking an effective and legally robust parliamentary banking inquiry. In that context, I wish to advise the Deputy that the Government, at its meeting on the 31st October, approved the drafting, as a matter of priority, by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel, of the Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Oireachtas Members' Salaries (21 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: In 2012, I introduced a range of changes to the regime of allowances in the nature of pay which, under the relevant primary legislation, are paid to Oireachtas members. That has resulted in significant financial savings to the Exchequer. It is my intention to continue to ensure that the greatest value for money can be achieved in relation to payments made to members of the Houses of the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Reform (21 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I do not have any data relating to the number of citizens making representations to politicians regarding their interactions with the public service. A central platform of this Government’s reform agenda is to substantially improve the levels of openness, transparency and accountability in politics and in the public service. Significant progress is being made in this area in...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Commercial Rates (21 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The Government approved the publication of the Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2012 on 3rd August, 2012 and the 2nd stage debate was taken in Seanad Éireann on 11th October, 2012. The primary purpose of the Bill is to introduce amendments to the legislation which underpins the rateable valuation system on which commercial rates are collected. The proposed amendments to the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Recruitment (21 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The reduction by 10% of the salary scale and fixed allowances for new entry grades to the public service was implemented by the previous government with effect from 1 January 2011 and remains in place. The stated purpose of the measure was to achieve a medium term structural reduction in the pay bill cost of the public service, and as a contribution towards improving Ireland’s...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions (21 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: At present, the position is that the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2010 provides for an average public service pension reduction (PSPR) with effect from 1 January 2011 of about 4% of pension, calculated in line with the following rates and bands: Annual Public Service Pension (€) Reduction Rate First 12,000 0% Between 12,000 and 24,000 6% Between 24,000...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Parliamentary Inquiries (21 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I am satisfied that the proposed legislation is the most appropriate approach on the basis, of the comprehensive analysis carried out in relation to this matter by my Department in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, the January 2011 report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution reviewing the parliamentary powers of inquiry and the published views of several...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Allowances (21 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: As part of the next steps of the Allowances Review process, my Department has written to sectoral management instructing them to immediately engage with staff interests with a view to securing their early agreement to the elimination of those departmental allowances payable to current beneficiaries, where no business cases exists to pay those allowances to new beneficiaries. Departments...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff Remuneration (21 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: As I said in previous replies on this matter, Secretaries General appointed under the TLAC process have exit arrangements which reflect the Government Decision applicable at the time of their appointment and these form part of their terms of employment. On 25 October 2011 this Government revised the exit arrangements to apply to Secretaries General newly appointed thereafter. Under the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Croke Park Agreement (21 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The Government, at my request, on 20 November 2012 invited members of the Public Services Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions to discussions on a new agenda for improvements in the productivity of public servants and reductions in the cost of delivery of public services. This invitation has been issued in light of the Government’s determination to meet the challenge...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Semi-State Sector Remuneration (21 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 30 and 37 together. Regarding An Post National Lottery Company, which comes under the aegis of my Department, I wish to inform the Deputies that pay and pensions issues are a matter for An Post. The information requested regarding pensions would therefore be provided by the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. In respect of the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts (21 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I am very aware that public procurement can be an important source of business for local enterprises. Current guidelines, Circular 10/10, issued by my Department require public bodies to promote participation of small and medium-sized enterprises in the award of public contracts. These guidelines set out positive measures that contracting authorities are to take to promote SME involvement...