Results 17,441-17,460 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I refer to provisions which I may amend on Report Stage. I intend to make Iarnród Éireann subject to FOI. It became clear that the inclusion of Irish Rail will have to be refined to ensure that no unintended consequences would result. Rosslare Europort is operated by Irish Rail but operates in a commercial environment and should be treated in the same manner as the commercial...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Yes.

EU-IMF Programme: Statements (14 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Dáil was in session.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Remit (14 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Freedom of Information Bill 2013 is in the course of its passage through the Houses of the Oireachtas. Where it is proposed that a body should be exempt in full from the freedom of information legislation, that body is included in Schedule 1 Part 2 of the Bill. Both Bord na Móna and Coillte Teoranta are included in Schedule 1 Part 2. I believe that commercial state bodies should...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Regulations (14 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy may wish to note that while my Department is responsible for procurement policy, the administration of individual contracts is a matter for the relevant public body. A person employed in a public body who occupies a designated post for the purposes of the Ethics Acts 1995 as amended by the Standards in Public Office Act 2001 has a legal obligation to disclose in an annual...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (14 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Commission for Public Service Appointments (CPSA) is responsible for overseeing the conduct of appointment processes to a wide range of positions in the Civil and Public Service. In carrying out its independent statutory functions, the CPSA must, on occasions, seek independent legal advice on issues that come to light in the course of its examination of appointment processes. Given that...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (14 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Commission for Public Service Appointments (CPSA) is an independent body established under the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act 2004 whose functions include establishing standards for the recruitment and selection of persons for positions in the Civil Service and other public service bodies. The CPSA is obliged to report to the Houses of the Oireachtas...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (14 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Under sections 57 and 58 of the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act 2004, my Department has responsibility for policy relating to recruitment and promotion in the Civil Service. As part of this remit, my Department develops policy on resourcing across the Civil Service. In late 2011, in response to information beginning to emerge from the broader workforce planning...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions Legislation (19 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: As with Public Servants generally, the pensions of politicians have been subject to a range of measures implemented over recent years which have had significant downward effects on pensions and pension awards. Reforms have been introduced in relation to the age at which politicians receive a pension. Under the Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004, pension...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Haddington Road Agreement Implementation (19 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: In the public service where a majority of employees are members of a trade union or association, the relevant union or association are recognised as negotiating parties in matters affecting the terms and conditions of employment of the grades of public servants they are recognised as representing. The public service as an employer does not distinguish between those employees who are members...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (19 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I understand the question relates to pay reductions applied to public servants under the terms of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Acts. Under Section 12 of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2013, as Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, I am required to review the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Acts 2009 to 2013...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Protected Disclosures in the Public Interest (19 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The protections set out in Part 3 of the Protected Disclosures Bill 2013 are the same for all workers regardless as to whether they are employed in the public or private sector. Sections 11 and 12 of the Bill provide protections against unfair dismissal and penalisation falling short of a dismissal respectively. In both instances the extent to which protections under these sections can be...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Redeployment (19 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Public Service Agreements (PSAs) covering the period 2010-16 (the Croke Park and Haddington Road Agreements) set out the redeployment arrangements that apply in the Civil Service and in other parts of the Public Service. Under the PSAs, redeployment generally takes precedence over all other methods of filling a vacancy and supersedes any existing agreements on the deployment of staff. ...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Office of the Ombudsman Remit (19 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: In line with the Programme for Government commitment, the Ombudsman (Amendment) Act 2012 significantly extended the remit of the Ombudsman bringing some 180 public bodies, including Údarás na Gaeltachta, which I presume the Deputy is referring to in her question, under the legislation. As such, the Ombudsman is empowered to investigate complaints about the administrative functions...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: North-South Implementation Bodies (19 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The 2010 to 2013 budgets for the North South Implementations Bodies established under the Good Friday Agreement are set out in the following table: - 2010 €m 2011 €m 2012 €m 2013 €m Foras na Gaeilge 20.643 18.785 17.547 * InterTrade Ireland 12.194 9.909 12.235 11.594 Loughs Agency 4.832 4.689 4.545 4.403 SafeFood 9.522 8.5 8,5 8,5 Special EU Programmes...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Programme for Government Implementation (19 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Programme for Government contained a commitment to address the issue of confidential communications with public representatives through constitutional change. Following a detailed policy assessment and on the basis of legal analysis, it was decided to legislate in relation to this issue. The Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries Privileges and Procedures) Act 2013 provides for qualified...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Haddington Road Agreement Implementation (19 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Haddington Road Agreement came into force on 1 July, 2013. The Agreement is comprised of a series of sustainable measures which will deliver a €1 billion reduction in the cost of the public service pay and pensions bill by 2016. The Agreement is already delivering on its objectives. In terms of cost reduction, €300 million of savings were incorporated into the various...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: European Council Meetings (19 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Special EU Programmes Body is the Managing Authority for the North South structural funds programmes, including the EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation (PEACE III). The Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister applied for funding under Theme 2.2 of the PEACE III Programme for a project to develop a Peace-building and Conflict Resolution Centre at the Maze Long Kesh...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Legislation (19 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: As I outlined in detail in the course of the recent Committee Stage, the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill, 2013 will represent a significant strengthening in Ireland’s FOI regime leading to increased transparency, openness and accountability of public bodies. As the Deputy will be aware this is being achieved by: - reversing the main additional exemptions included in the 2003 Freedom...

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I was responding to the case made by Senators regarding this matter. I think I had made most of my contribution. I was explaining that the parliamentary activities allowance is the means by which the State supports our parliamentary system, which is based on political parties. Most of us in this House joined political parties because we subscribed to the collective party policies. From...