Results 17,621-17,640 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Remit (3 Dec 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 Mona and Coillte Teoranta are included in Schedule 1 Part 2. I believe that commercial state bodies should not,...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Sale of State Assets (3 Dec 2013)

Brendan Howlin: A total of six officials from my Department were involved to varying extents in the work of the Working Group and Steering Group overseeing the sale process for Bord Gáis Energy, in addition to their other duties. No external resources were retained by the Department for the purpose of the transaction process. Nor did the Department directly engage or incur any expenses in respect of...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 18 - Shared Services (Supplementary) (3 Dec 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I thank the Chairman and committee for facilitating consideration of this technical Supplementary Estimate. Vote 18 provides for the salaries and expenses of running the shared services projects, including Peoplepoint, payroll and financial management. Those are three that we have set out. 2013 was the first year of the Vote and, following Government approval, certain projects have...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 18 - Shared Services (Supplementary) (3 Dec 2013)

Brendan Howlin: We always put in a sum of €1,000 but there is actually no money involved.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 18 - Shared Services (Supplementary) (3 Dec 2013)

Brendan Howlin: To give the Deputy a specific example in regard to Peoplepoint, it is currently providing services to 13 organisations. It is expanding quicker than we expected and 40 more are to transition between now and the end of next year. At that point the forecasted savings are reckoned to be of the order of €12.5 million per annum. From where do those savings come is the Deputy's question....

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 18 - Shared Services (Supplementary) (3 Dec 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Peoplepoint is the human resource management service; payroll is a different shared service.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 18 - Shared Services (Supplementary) (3 Dec 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The idea is that each Department and agency of the State operates on an employment control framework and, therefore, there are set ceilings of numbers. If there are people who do no move to the new Peoplepoint service, they are available for redeployment to cover retirements and the normal churn or turnover of staff. They are within the employment control frameworks that we have and we are...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 18 - Shared Services (Supplementary) (3 Dec 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Yes, that is how it works.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 18 - Shared Services (Supplementary) (3 Dec 2013)

Brendan Howlin: We target the numbers.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 18 - Shared Services (Supplementary) (3 Dec 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I will be back before the week after next to deal with the Estimate. We will go through it in some detail at that meeting.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 18 - Shared Services (Supplementary) (3 Dec 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I thought Deputy Sean Fleming was in favour of these reforms.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 18 - Shared Services (Supplementary) (3 Dec 2013)

Brendan Howlin: We are well beyond the scope of this technical Supplementary Estimate.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 18 - Shared Services (Supplementary) (3 Dec 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I will appear before the committee to deal with that legislation, which has not yet passed through the Dáil.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 18 - Shared Services (Supplementary) (3 Dec 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Yes. It has passed the Seanad.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 18 - Shared Services (Supplementary) (3 Dec 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Yes.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions Data (4 Dec 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The maximum pension payable to any Civil Servant is half of final salary, subject to attaining maximum reckonable service of 40 years. Accordingly based on a salary of €150,000 per annum, the maximum annual pension payable for any of the years 2014-2018, with a minimum retirement age of 60, would be €75,000 per annum gross for each age between 60 and 65.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Valuation Office (4 Dec 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The work of the Valuation Office is underpinned by the Valuation Act, 2001 which provides for the valuation of all commercial and industrial property. The Commissioner of Valuation is independent in the performance of his functions under the Act and the making of valuations for local authority rating is his sole prerogative. There are two provisions in the legislation governing the assessment...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Burial Grounds (4 Dec 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The contracts were received by the Commissioners of Public Works on 25 November 2013. The transfer of the lands in question will be completed in the near future.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Consultancy Contracts Data (5 Dec 2013)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy’s question the following is a list of private firms that have provided advice/consultancy services gratis for my Department since March 2011. Year Name of Firm If any payment made in aftermath of advice given 2012 Tandem Consulting No 2012 Ernst & Young No 2012 Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) No

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Reports (5 Dec 2013)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy’s question while my Department's Annual Report for 2012 has not yet been published it will be made available in due course.