Results 17,561-17,580 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Financial Resolutions (21 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I move:THAT section 253 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 (No. 39 of 1997), which provides for relief to individuals on loans applied in acquiring interest in partnerships, be amended in the manner and to the extent specified in the Act giving effect to this Resolution. THAT Schedule 3 to the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 (No. 39 of 1997) be amended in the manner and to the extent specified...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Shared Services (21 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Shared Services is a key element of the Government’s Public Service Reform Plan. In May 2012, the Government approved the establishment of a Civil Service HR and Pensions Shared Services Centre, PeoplePoint, which has been operational since March this year. It already serves some 15,000 employees across 13 organisations. Once PeoplePoint becomes fully operational, at the end of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Service Contracts (21 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Under a public contract the contractual relationship is between the public body and the main contractor. A public body has no contractual ties with a subcontractor engaged by a main contractor. Any contractual relationship is exclusively a matter between the main contractor and its subcontractor. I am keenly aware of the difficulties being experienced by subcontractors in this current...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts (21 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I am keenly aware that public procurement can be an important source of business for Irish small and medium enterprises (SMEs). I am also aware of the need for Departments and Offices to make every effort to contain and reduce all administrative costs to ensure the continued provision of much needed public services. In this regard, the National Procurement Service which will soon form part...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Funding Disbursement (21 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: On Budget day this year, I announced additional investment of €200m from the proceeds of the National Lottery Licence transaction. This investment will be used to progress a number of additional projects and programmes in 2014 including the project to which the Deputy refers. The precise allocation of the proceeds to the Departments concerned is being determined at present and will...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Bodies (21 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The function of the Commission for Public Service Appointment (CPSA) is to safeguard the integrity of the recruitment, selection and appointment of people to publicly funded positions and, by continually improving standards, to engender widespread confidence in the ability of those appointed to contribute to the delivery of public services. The annual report of the CPSA is laid before the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Legislative Measures (21 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: As the Deputy may be aware I made a comprehensive statement on this matter in the Seanad yesterday when I introduced a Report Stage amendment to the Protected Disclosures Bill making provision for the granting of interim relief orders on foot of an application made to the Circuit Court. The purpose of the amendment is to provide interim relief in cases where there is likely to be a...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Issues (21 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: As Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, I have overarching responsibility for the public service and I am confident that the public service stands as a leading employer in respect of human resource policies and practices aimed at increasing the participation of women at all levels. While each individual sector has responsibility for the specific arrangements relating to gender...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Legislative Measures (21 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Valuation Act 2001 provides for the valuation of all commercial and industrial property and in this regard the Commissioner of Valuation is independent in the performance of his functions under the Act. The making of valuations for rating is the Commissioner’s sole prerogative and I, as Minister, have no function in decisions in this regard. Section 63 of the Act provides that...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Statute Book Review (21 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: On the 25th September, I announced that the Government had approvedthe continuation of a major programme to overhaul the Irish statute book and repeal thousands of obsolete regulations and laws. As part of the programme, the Government has approved the drafting of a number of Statute Law Revision Bills, which will continue the task of simplifying the statute book and improving its...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Reform Implementation (21 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 23 and 89 together. The Haddington Road Agreement will deliver a €1 billion saving 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 votes in the Revised Estimates Volume 2013, which...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Sale of State Assets (21 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: BGE and its advisers, working with NewERA and the relevant Government Departments, are currently in the final stages of the process of selling Bord Gais Energy together with the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. I would hope to be in a position to make a definitive announcement on the matter in the coming weeks. I am advised that, as part of this process, BGE...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Industrial Relations Issues (21 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: As the Deputy is aware, the Labour Relations Commission has prepared a proposal regarding the issue of the National Lottery staff. These proposals have been put forward to An Post management, the An Post Group of Unions and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on the basis that the relevant parties agree to recommend them for acceptance. Deliberations are still in progress and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Appointments to State Boards (21 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy’s question the following is a list of the number of appointments made to State Boards under my remit since March 2011: Board Name No. of Appointments made No. of Positions Advertised No. of Applications to Boards No. of Appointments drawn from Applications No. of Current Vacancies An Post National Lottery Board 8* - - - 1 Public Appointments Service...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Budgets (21 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 82 to 85, inclusive, 88, 90 and 91 together. The Comprehensive Expenditure Report 2012-2014 (CER) published by my Department on 5 December 2011 set out current expenditure ceilings for Departments for the period 2012 to 2014. The ceilings and savings measures contained in the CER were informed by the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure (CRE) carried out in...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Reform Implementation (21 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 86 and 87 together. The Government's commitment to the EU/IMF programme of financial support remains firm as is clearly illustrated by a continued strong record in implementing the agreed policy frameworks and measures while meeting all quantitative targets. Indeed, data released in the Exchequer Statement of 2 October indicated that the Exchequer primary...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Licence Sale (26 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: On 3rd October 2013, I announced that following a competition for the next National Lottery licence, Premier Lotteries Ireland (PLI) has been selected as the preferred applicant for the next licence. PLI is a consortium comprising Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (the owner of the Camelot Group), An Post and An Post pension funds. Discussions on finalising the terms of the licence are...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: EU Funding (26 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The European Structural and Investment (ESI) funds comprise the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the European Social Fund (ESF), the Cohesion Fund, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). Ireland will benefit from all of these funds with the exception of the Cohesion Fund. Preparations for the new...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Grades (26 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The information the Deputy has requested going back over the last 24 years is not readily available. The following table presents the number of staff in each of the main general service grades in the Civil Service each year for the last ten years. Additional information may be available in the State Directories, which can be found in the Oireachtas library. Aggregate figures on all those...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Banking (26 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy’s question my Department does not provide any service to the public where a payment by debit card or credit card is required. I understand that the Office of Public Works are unable to provide the information in the time allowed but will be writing to you shortly with a comprehensive reply.