Results 14,941-14,960 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Other Questions: Departmental Expenditure (27 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: In reply to Deputy Boyd Barrett, the most effective way of getting that information is for the Deputy to table a parliamentary question to all my colleagues. I should not be encouraging that sort of thing but I will write to my colleagues as this information would be useful. Each line Minister would be able to answer that question. In reply to Deputy Wallace's question about agency...

Other Questions: Departmental Staff Numbers (27 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: In respect of my own Department, there are currently 42 contract staff employed. Each business case is carefully examined and the Department complies with the guidance on starting pay in all matters to ensure that costs are kept to a minimum. There are no agency staff directly employed in my Department. The information with regard to the Office of Public Works is as follows: Number of...

Other Questions: Departmental Staff Numbers (27 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: As I informed Deputy Mick Wallace, if we are to maximise the number of hours, we must place a value on it. In embarking on the negotiations I was concerned that we would drill down to workplace level in order that the availability of extra hours would represent a real cost reduction in dealing with the contracting in of agency staff, bringing an end to unnecessary overtime or keeping people...

Other Questions: Departmental Staff Numbers (27 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The teachers were very effectively represented at the talks. Their unions negotiated very well on their behalf. SIPTU, one of the unions representing nurses, tabled very good proposals which we are examining to see if we can address them in the context of the new agreement.

Other Questions: Departmental Staff Numbers (27 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I am sure the Deputy's knowledge of teachers is extensive and that he probably represents more of them than the officially elected representatives of their unions. However, I have my doubts about that.

Other Questions: Departmental Staff Numbers (27 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Those who are elected to represent teachers should be allowed to do so. None of us should purport to speak authoritatively for people in a casual way and state we know many of them. One of the issues which has given rise to most annoyance among people is that of teachers retiring and then returning to work as substitutes. The Minister for Education and Skills is very keen that this should...

Other Questions: Departmental Staff Numbers (27 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I do not know the answer to the Deputy's question. When an agency is contracted to provide staff, I do not know whether it is possible to identify the individual workers involved and-or whether it is legal to state a certain person cannot fill a particular position. In general terms, there is a disallowance in respect of persons who retire to formally return to the Department in which they...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Proposed Legislation (27 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: In line with the Programme for Government commitment referred in the Deputy’s question, I am committed to bringing forward the necessary legislative changes or other reforms to meet the objective of ensuring greater clarity and legal certainty regarding the legal relationship between Ministers and their civil servants and the appropriate accountabilities that apply in each case. The...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Service Reform Plan Measures (27 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Government’s Public Service Reform Plan, published in November 2011, is based on five core commitments to change, which include "Placing customer service at the core of everything we do". To this end, the Reform Plan includes a range of actions to improve the citizen’s access to, and interaction with, Government services. No one has a monopoly on good ideas and a broad...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Capital Expenditure Programme (27 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: On the 17th of July 2012, the Government announced its plans for an additional 2.25 billion euro investment in public infrastructure projects in Ireland. The most important contribution capital investment can now make is in providing the capacity for the economy to grow, which will in turn create employment. As the Deputy will recall, the stimulus package included 1.4 billion euro to fund...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Croke Park Agreement Negotiations (27 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Negotiations have taken place between public service employers and the Public Services Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions regarding the Government’s stated intention to reach agreement on securing an overall saving of €1bn gross from the public service pay and pensions bill by 2015. Following intensive engagement in recent days between the parties, which was...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Recruitment (27 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: As the Deputy is aware, the Government is committed to delivering a leaner, more efficient public service; a process that continues to require tight control of public service numbers. The moratorium on promotion and recruitment in the public service has been an important control mechanism for this purpose and has served to help reduce numbers and allow for some limited recruitment where...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Remuneration (27 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I refer to my replies to Questions Nos. 162, 163, 166, 167 and 171 of 8 November 2012. The estimated full year gross saving in the Exchequer and Local Government pay bill arising from a cap of €100,000 is €290m. The estimate takes account of the reductions in pay arising from the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Act, 2009, but does not take account...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions Expenditure (27 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: My Department estimates that the Single Public Service Pension Scheme will, in the long run, lead to a reduction of about one third in the cost of providing public service pensions, subject to the important caveat that long-term projections in this area are inherently subject to a high degree of uncertainty. This amounts to an eventual saving in terms of annual pension outgo of some...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Expenditure Reviews (27 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 19, 29, 154, 155, 157 to 159, inclusive, 161 and 163 together. The Government is making good progress on achieving all of our targets and priorities, as articulated in the Government Programme. We are bringing public expenditure back to a sustainable level and driving forward the public service reform agenda to ensure that efficiencies and reformed work...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Remuneration (27 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I refer to my reply to Question No: 2834 of 23 January 2013. I have no plans to establish a new high pay commission to assemble pay data. The collection of pay data currently forms an important part of the services provided by the Central Statistics Office.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff Recruitment (27 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy’s question the following table outlines the numbers and cost of agency staff in my Department or in State Agencies under the aegis of my Department: Office of Public Works Year Numbers of Agency Staff Cost (€’000) 2012 3 210 Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) Year Numbers of Agency Staff Cost (€’000) 2012 2.875 (Full Time...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Commercial Rates Valuation Process (27 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: In accordance with the Valuation Act, 2001, which came into force on 2nd 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: Public Sector Remuneration (27 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Discussions have taken place between public service employers and the Public Services Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions regarding the Government’s stated intention to reach agreement on securing the required overall savings from the public service pay and pensions bill by 2015. Following intensive engagement in recent days between the parties, which was facilitated by the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: State Agencies (27 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Since the Government announced its programme of agency rationalisation measures in the Public Service Reform Plan, I have consistently argued that the real benefit from the rationalisation of State Bodies will be a less crowded administrative landscape resulting in greater democratic accountability, less duplication of effort and clearer lines of responsibility for the citizen. This will be...