Results 16,321-16,340 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Disposal of State Assets and Quarterly Review: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (19 Jun 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Is the Deputy talking about water and borrowing?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Disposal of State Assets and Quarterly Review: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (19 Jun 2013)

Brendan Howlin: As a commercial semi-State body.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Disposal of State Assets and Quarterly Review: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (19 Jun 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Yes, it will go its own way.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Disposal of State Assets and Quarterly Review: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (19 Jun 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Allow me to deal with the energy side first. One must have a competitive market because that pushes down the price of everything and makes companies efficient. Bluntly, since the Government came into office, it has been required by the economic climate to do due diligence on every State asset in its possession, not only the commercial semi-State bodies but everything, including the public...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Disposal of State Assets and Quarterly Review: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (19 Jun 2013)

Brendan Howlin: It was a question that was raised and I did not fully answer it previously. Once we had got agreement that we invest 50% directly, I did not want simply to take the other 50% and use it to retire debt. As much as I am anxious to squeeze down the total quantum of debt, it would be almost a token and it would much more valuable if we could use it in a different way. We were thinking outside...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Disposal of State Assets and Quarterly Review: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (19 Jun 2013)

Brendan Howlin: If I may finish the point, today we published a report, done jointly by the European Investment Bank and PwC and commissioned by the European Investment Bank, on the use of financial instruments. Such instruments might be a way that we could use some of that money in the medium term. These matters must be, first, fully investigated and then agreed with the Commission before we can deploy...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Disposal of State Assets and Quarterly Review: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (19 Jun 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I thank the Chairman.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Disposal of State Assets and Quarterly Review: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (19 Jun 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I hoped we would have a scoping discussion about whether the shape of information is that which is of use to the Deputy or whether it should be in a different format. On my horizon in terms of time, I have four pieces of legislation currently before the Oireachtas. I do not mind providing a report to the committee and then, when I am available, coming in to do that in some detail. There...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Disposal of State Assets and Quarterly Review: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (19 Jun 2013)

Brendan Howlin: We did not get around to discussing this at the beginning. Much was made about a Supplementary Estimate in excess of €1 billion. Everything must be put into context. Of that, €685 million was the social protection additional Vote. I explained right through the year that was made up largely of two components. The first was the live register over which we have no control.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Disposal of State Assets and Quarterly Review: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (19 Jun 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The other was a shortfall in PRSI. That was simply money that was labelled PRSI originally that actually was universal social charge when one drilled down to it because it was not dis-aggregated by Revenue. It looked as if there was more in PRSI income than there was and when that was taken out, it looked like a hole in the PRSI. There was a hole in the Social Insurance Fund because of a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Disposal of State Assets and Quarterly Review: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (19 Jun 2013)

Brendan Howlin: That is a policy issue that I will debate with the Chairman separately.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Disposal of State Assets and Quarterly Review: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (19 Jun 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Those are issues that the Chairman and I should not be talking about. The Joint Committee on Health and Children should be talking to the Minister for Health on those policy issues. We cannot drill down to that micro-management of a line Department.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Disposal of State Assets and Quarterly Review: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (19 Jun 2013)

Brendan Howlin: That would be an appropriate parliamentary question to the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Hogan.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Disposal of State Assets and Quarterly Review: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (19 Jun 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I am sure the Minister gave Deputy Humphreys a comprehensive answer.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Disposal of State Assets and Quarterly Review: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (19 Jun 2013)

Brendan Howlin: We will keep the committee informed.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Haddington Road Agreement Savings (20 Jun 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The voluntary redundancy scheme is expected to give rise to savings in three areas where it will be initially rolled out. These include the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and specific parts of the health and education sectors. The relevant Departments have estimated that there will be scope to effect approximately 2,000 exits from these areas over time, mainly from...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Haddington Road Agreement Savings (20 Jun 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I understand the question, and I understand the Deputy’s eagerness to get the information. I am anxious to give him an accurate answer but I am not in a position to do it right now. While the pieces on the deck will certainly amount to €300 million in the current year and €1 billion between now and 2015, the exact make-up of those pieces will not be known until the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Haddington Road Agreement Savings (20 Jun 2013)

Brendan Howlin: It is not only a target, it is a target that will be achieved because we have enough pieces in the legislation and in the agreement to make it. The exact make-up in terms of how much of it will be from the Haddington Road agreement and how much will be achieved through the FEMPI legislation will depend on the outcome of the ballots. I cannot give the definitive breakdown until I have the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Pension Provisions (20 Jun 2013)

Brendan Howlin: This question is properly for the Minister for Social Protection and the response I am giving is from her Department. The Deputy will appreciate that it would not be appropriate for the Minister for Social Protection to comment on issues arising in regard to a particular pension scheme. In general, pension schemes in Ireland are established under trust. The trust deed and scheme rules...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Pension Provisions (20 Jun 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I fully understand and appreciate the Deputy’s difficulty. I am sorry that I am not the appropriate person to respond. I have outlined the general law on the legal obligation of trustees, which gives some reassurance to the Deputy. I undertake to bring the Deputy’s direct concerns to the attention of the Minister for Social Protection. I will ask her to reply directly to the...