Results 14,781-14,800 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: EU Funding (12 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: On 8 February 2013 the European Council reached political agreement on the multi-annual financial framework for 2014-2020. This is the basis on which the Council will now seek the consent of the European Parliament to the MFF Regulation. The European Council agreed, inter alia , that a gradual macro-economic conditionality will be established in the regulation governing the Common...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pension Provisions (12 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Significant reforms have already been introduced in relation to Public Service pension entitlements which affect both Oireachtas and Ministerial pensions. - Under the Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004, pensions are not payable to new entrant Public Servants (as defined in the Act) before 65 years of age. This includes new Oireachtas Members as defined in the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Construction Contracts Bill (12 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 322 to 324, inclusive, together. The Programme for Government contains a commitment to introduce new legislation to protect small building subcontractors that have been denied payments from bigger companies. In this regard, my colleague Minister of State Brian Hayes is working with Senator Feargal Quinn to develop the Senator’s private member’s...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Service Contracts (12 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Public procurement procedures require applicants to meet certain standards when applying for public contracts. In qualifying for inclusion in tender competitions for public works contracts, applicants must submit signed declarations stating that none of the circumstances outlined in Regulation 53 of SI 329 of 2006 European Communities (Award of Public Contracts) Regulations 2006 or Article...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Service Contracts (12 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Government Departments and Local Authority (GDLA) form of contract, which preceded the Public Works Contracts, included a provision for the nomination of certain specialist sub-contractors and suppliers. In order to facilitate the nomination process, estimates were included in the tender documents for the main contractor to cover the works packages to be undertaken by the specialist...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Service Contracts (12 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The issue of payment bonds to provide protection to the supply chain under a construction contract was examined during the consultation and Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) of the Construction Contracts Bill. The RIA found that requiring contractors to purchase bonds would reduce competition in the sector as such financial products are not widely available in the current market and the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Service Contracts (12 Feb 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: Evaluation Officers' Role (12 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: As the Deputy is aware, the Government published the Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2012 on 3rd August, 2012 as part of its legislative programme. The Bill proceeded through its second stage in Seanad Éireann on 11th October 2012. I wish to advise the Deputy that officials in my Department are currently engaging with a wide range of stakeholders and other interested parties and I...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Work Sharing Scheme (12 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: As I have direct responsibility for Human Resources policy for the civil service, the information provided is in respect of civil servants only. The Deputy should consult with the other sectors of the public service to determine the practice in the individual sectors. Recent changes to the Performance Management and Development System (PMDS), provide that from 2013 onwards increments will...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Service Contracts (12 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The scope for including social considerations in public contracts is something that I have been examining closely recently. In this regard, I would refer the Deputy to my recent reply on this issue (PQ 3066/13 - answered 23/01/13). The proposal that all public procurement contracts include a requirement that the contractor must register apprentices in order to be able to carry out a public...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Remit (12 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The commitments relating to Freedom of Information (FOI) contained in the Programme for Government include extending FOI to all statutory bodies and all bodies significantly funded from the public purse. My officials will be consulting with other Government Departments, including the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, the parent Department for the body referred to...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Expenditure (12 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 337 and 338 together. The published monthly net expenditure profiles have allowed for the transparent monitoring of expenditure across all Departments for the last number of years. The end-January Exchequer statement provided a year-on-year comparison of Departmental expenditure. The detailed Departmental profiles will be published with the final Revised...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Capital Expenditure (12 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Exchequer Statement for January 2013 shows that the total net capital spend in January 2013 was €108.3m. The Exchequer Statement also gives a breakdown of capital expenditure in January by Department. My Department does not hold information regarding capital expenditure at project level. Requests for information regarding expenditure on individual projects should be directed to the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Expenditure (12 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy’s question no costs have been incurred by my Department in assessing means of individual citizens for any reason.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Property Ownership (13 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Section 28 (2) of the State Property Act 1954, provides that the Minister for Finance assumes responsibility for all personal property and land vested in or held in trust for a body corporate (other than personal property or land held by such body in trust for another person) immediately prior to its dissolution. Upon the dissolution of the body corporate, such property becomes State...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions Legislation (13 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Prior to 1974 pensionable female Public Servants were generally required to resign on marriage and, depending on their service, received a marriage gratuity in lieu of any pension benefits. Public Servants who received a marriage gratuity and returned to the Public Service have the option of (a) refunding the gratuity (plus interest where applicable) and having all reckonable prior...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Budget 2014 Issues (13 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: One of two draft economic and budgetary regulations, known as the “two-pack”, nearing finalisation in Europe, will introduce a common budgetary timeline for all euro area Member States. While this regulation would have implications for the existing budget and Estimates arrangements in Ireland, it is not yet possible to say when political agreement will be reached between the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Government Construction Contracts Committee (13 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Government Construction Contracts Committee (GCCC) was set up under Section 11 of Circular 40/02 ‘Public Procurement Guidelines - revision of existing procedures for approval of certain contracts in the Central Government sector’, which reconfigured the existing arrangements for the Government Contracts Committee. The GCCC deals with public works procurement and related...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Voluntary Redundancy Scheme (13 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: There are no plans for an early retirement scheme in the Civil Service. As the Deputy may be aware I recently announced that arrangements are being drawn up for targeted voluntary redundancy in specific areas of the public service where staff surpluses have been identified by management. At present there are no plans for a Voluntary Redundancy Scheme in the Department of Social Protection.

Seanad: National Lottery: Motion (13 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I met nobody. It is important that Senator O'Donnell understands that.