Results 14,581-14,600 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (10 Jan 2013)
Brendan Howlin: I would be surprised if an organisation like the National Roads Authority was unwilling to come before a committee because I expect it is part of its duty to do that. We have produced legislation now, subsequent to the decision of the people in the referendum, on the conduct of inquiries. Part of that will be to look at the compellability powers of committees generally, both when in...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (10 Jan 2013)
Brendan Howlin: I do not disagree with the principle Deputy Boyd Barrett set out. It mirrors what I said in my opening statement. We then come to what is practical. We can be aspirational when we are not actually crafting a law that has impact. We have to be practical. We also have to look at what works elsewhere. We are not so unique that we do not look at Sweden, Canada or New Zealand to see how they...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (10 Jan 2013)
Brendan Howlin: Irish Rail is the only monopoly. The others are all in competition - both Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (10 Jan 2013)
Brendan Howlin: Yes, on a licensed basis.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (10 Jan 2013)
Brendan Howlin: There is no protective monopoly; companies can apply for anything. Irish Rail is the only monopoly I can think of. Irish Water will be a monopoly.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (10 Jan 2013)
Brendan Howlin: ESB is in competition with half a dozen companies.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (10 Jan 2013)
Brendan Howlin: The NRA is included.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (10 Jan 2013)
Brendan Howlin: That is why the Deputy is over there and I am here.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (10 Jan 2013)
Brendan Howlin: I do not wish to hamstring public enterprise as the Deputy would advise.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (10 Jan 2013)
Brendan Howlin: The Deputy does not listen; he only broadcasts.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (10 Jan 2013)
Brendan Howlin: Deputy Donnelly made a suggestion about how to deal with non-compliance. The Information Commissioner has a strong power to name and shame. This is effective for minor breaches which do not merit a criminal prosecution. The Information Commissioner will now formally report to the Oireachtas committee. An annual report will be issued which will highlight breaches. This will provide the...
- Order of Business (16 Jan 2013)
Brendan Howlin: They are independent when it suits.
- Order of Business (16 Jan 2013)
Brendan Howlin: Tá sí ina codladh.
- Order of Business (16 Jan 2013)
Brendan Howlin: It will be introduced this session.
- Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts (16 Jan 2013)
Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 354, 367 and 369 together. In relation to the general issue of employment law and its enforcement, these are matters for my colleague Mr. Richard Bruton, T. D. Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and the National Employment Rights Authority (NERA) respectively. Public procurement procedures require applicants to meet certain standards when...
- Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Requests (16 Jan 2013)
Brendan Howlin: In my recent discussion with the Oireachtas Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform Committee on my proposals for the reform and extension of Freedom of Information, I confirmed the principle endorsed by Government in its Decision approving the General Scheme of the FOI reform legislation that commercial state bodies should not be subject to Freedom of Information requirements. In view of the...
- Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement (16 Jan 2013)
Brendan Howlin: The Public Service Reform Plan published my Department in November 2011 identified procurement reform as a key instrument that can assist in maintaining the delivery of public services in an efficient manner. The National Procurement Service (NPS) has put in place a number of national arrangements designed to secure better value for money from leveraging the public service’s buying...
- Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement (16 Jan 2013)
Brendan Howlin: The assessment of a tenderer’s financial and economic standing is a key part of any procurement process because tenderers must have the necessary capacity to carry out a contract. 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...
- Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Expenditure Reviews (16 Jan 2013)
Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 361, 362, 363 and 380 together. Details of Government expenditure, Health expenditure, Social Protection expenditure and Education expenditure in nominal terms and expressed as a percentage of tax revenue and on a per capita basis from 1992 to 2012 are detailed in the table below. The Deputy might be interested to know that my Department hosts a databank...
- Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: State Bodies (16 Jan 2013)
Brendan Howlin: The table below shows a list of commercial state companies and the dividends from each by the year received into the Exchequer. 2006€,000 2007€,000 2008€,000 2009€,000 2010€,000 2011€,000 2012€,000 Bord Gáis 9,079 8,361 27,941 38,187 30,251 33,091 23,814 Bord na Mona 3,850 8,035 12,249 4,994 3,296 4,115 2,375...