Results 15,361-15,380 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

National Lottery Bill 2012: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (17 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I move amendment No. 36:In page 23, line 32, to delete "operator" and substitute "operator,".Amendments Nos. 36 to 38, inclusive, are technical in nature. Amendment No. 36 proposes to insert a comma, amendment No. 37 proposes to delete a comma and amendment No. 38 proposes to replace the plural form of a word with its singular form.

National Lottery Bill 2012: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (17 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I move amendment No. 37:In page 23, line 33, to delete "not," and substitute "not".

National Lottery Bill 2012: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (17 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I move amendment No. 38:In page 25, line 21, to delete "games" and substitute "game".

National Lottery Bill 2012: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (17 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I welcome the opportunity to clarify this matter. The paragraph in question is taken from the 1986 Act. Its purpose is simply to allow the national lottery to have rules on the payment of prizes to people with an intellectual disability. It does not in any way disbar or prevent people with an intellectual disability from participating in the lotto. I am a great supporter of such...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Croke Park Agreement Issues (17 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Firstly, I would like to reiterate my disappointment at the decision of the Executive Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions not to accept the Labour Relations Commission’s (LRC) proposals. I have, however, noted the findings of the Equality Audit Report which was commissioned by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO). I can assure the Deputy that work-life...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pension Provisions (17 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I assume the Deputy is referring to section 52, subsections (6) and (7) of the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012, which imposes a 40-year limit on the total service which can be counted towards pension where a person has been a member of more than one public service pension scheme. This measure, which came into effect on 28 July 2012 , applies to...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Commercial Rates Valuation Process (17 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Valuation Act, 2001, which came into effect on 2 May, 2002, provides that all buildings used or developed for any purpose including constructions affixed thereto are rateable unless expressly exempt under Schedule 4 of the Act. Charitable organisations providing childcare facilities which are used exclusively for charitable purposes and otherwise than for private profits are excluded...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Legislative Programme (17 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: As noted in my replies of 20th February 2013 and also 27th February 2013 to PQs 9199/13 and 10194/13 tabled by Deputy O’Donovan, a range of security of payment options, including Project Bank Accounts were considered in the initial drafts of the Construction Contracts Bill and provision was made for devices such as bonds as part of the first draft of the Bill that was introduced to the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: EU Funding (17 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: On 8 February 2013 the European Council reached agreement on the EU’s budget for 2014-2020. The budget has to be agreed with the European Parliament and discussions are now taking place with the Parliament under the aegis of the Irish Presidency. Despite an increase in Ireland’s overall Structural Funds allocation from the €901 million we receive under the current...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Croke Park Agreement Issues (17 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: In December of last year, acting on behalf of Government, I extended an invitation to the members of the Public Services Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions to enter discussions with public service management on a new agenda for reductions in the cost of delivery public services and substantial longer term productivity improvements and workplace reforms. The objective of these...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (17 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: As the Deputy is aware, there is a recruitment and promotion moratorium in place in the civil service, local authorities, non-commercial state bodies, the Garda Síochána and the Permanent Defence Forces. Decisions in respect of recruitment are taken by reference to the business needs of the relevant organisation, the moratorium on recruitment and promotion, and any redeployment...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Proposed Legislation (17 Apr 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 certainty regarding the legal relationship between Ministers and their civil servants and the appropriate accountabilities that apply in each case. I have...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (17 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy will be aware of the extensive changes which I introduced in July 2011 in relation to the composition of the Top Level Appointments Committee (TLAC). There is now a majority of external members on the Committee, as well as an external Chairperson. These changes are in line with our commitment under the Programme for Government. The appointees have been selected not only for their...

Leaders' Questions (18 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: That is completely untrue.

Leaders' Questions (18 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy is well briefed on the Wexford situation.

Leaders' Questions (18 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy should tell the truth.

Order of Business (18 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Their introduction has been postponed all right.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Croke Park Agreement Issues (18 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 2 together. At its meeting yesterday, as expected the public services committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions did not accept the Labour Relations Commission, LRC, proposals for a new public service pay and industrial relations agreement. Clearly the Government is disappointed at that outcome. It is disappointed because it believes the LRC...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Croke Park Agreement Issues (18 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I am not going to engage in fisticuffs on these really important issues with the Deputy opposite. In respect of the notion that there was any black propaganda, if I said anything at any stage that was untrue the Deputy should put it on the record now. I noticed that the Deputy himself set out the Fianna Fáil position last Sunday on national television. He said that we should not be...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Croke Park Agreement Issues (18 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy is right. It remains the view of Government that a negotiated agreed settlement would be the preferable way to advance these issues. That is why we did not take unilateral action as our predecessors in government did. In a very measured way we opened the books of the State to the trade unions to let them understand that we had a hole in the arithmetic, thanks to the previous...