Results 18,021-18,040 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Protected Disclosures Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (4 Feb 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy should read out the quote.

Protected Disclosures Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (4 Feb 2014)

Brendan Howlin: It is entirely false.

Protected Disclosures Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (4 Feb 2014)

Brendan Howlin: That is a shocking and scandalous untruth.

Protected Disclosures Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (4 Feb 2014)

Brendan Howlin: She is not interested in the legislation. She is interested only in muck-raking, as is her wont.

Protected Disclosures Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (4 Feb 2014)

Brendan Howlin: And employers.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts (4 Feb 2014)

Brendan Howlin: It is important to note at the outset that  no such practice exists whereby a percentage of public contracts are awarded to foreign companies. Contracts are awarded following a competitive process conducted in compliance with the established procurement rules and procedures. Under EU Directives on public procurement public works, supplies and service contracts above certain thresholds...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Charities Regulation (4 Feb 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Rehab was allocated the following levels of funding under the Charitable Lotteries Scheme by the Department of Finance during the years 1997 to 2010: 1997 €3,924,261 1998 €4,744,557 1999 €4,614,271 2000 €5,673,874 2001 €5,839,918 2002 €5,861,275 2003 €5,845,469 2004 €5,951,569 2005 €5,314,136 2006 €5,748,664...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Regulations (4 Feb 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Under EU rules on public procurement public works, supplies and service contracts above certain thresholds must be advertised on the Official Journal of the EU and awarded on the basis of objective and non-restrictive criteria. The aim of these rules is to promote an open, competitive and non-discriminatory public procurement regime which delivers best value for money. It would be a breach of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts Expenditure (4 Feb 2014)

Brendan Howlin: At present, there is no central database or standard reporting of procurement spend within the Irish public service. Accordingly, the following table has been compiled based on analysis of estimates published by my Department for the State. Estimated Total Expenditure on Public procurement Year Expenditure (€bn) 2009 16.3 2010 15.1 2011 13.1 2012 12.4 2013  Not yet...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Issues (4 Feb 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I wish to advise the Deputy that, in general, there is no mandatory period of time that a civil service must observe before being permitted to apply for or take-up another appointment in the civil or public service. Section 20 of the Civil Service Code of Standards and Behaviour requires that any civil servant intending to be engaged in or connected with any outside...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Appointments to State Boards (4 Feb 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 259 and 260 together. In response to the Deputy's question I can confirm that there have been no occasions on which my Department has engaged the services of external professional advice for appointments to State Boards under my remit.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (4 Feb 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Restrictions and targets have reduced in overall terms the numbers employed in the Public Service, from a total of 320,000 in 2008 to 288,800 at the end of Q3 2013.  In the course of this downsizing, we have ensured the prioritisation of key posts and services and have allowed recruitment and the filling of priority vacancies across key areas of the public service including, notably, in...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Information and Communications Technology Issues (4 Feb 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The following sets out the information requested by the Deputy for the period 2011 2013:  Department/Agency Amount spent on apps Developer D/Public Expenditure and Reform Nil Not applicable Valuation Office/Tribunal €8,000 Polygon GIS Institute of Public Administration  Nil Not applicable Office of the Ombudsman, Office of the Information Commissioner, Commissioner...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Legislation (4 Feb 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I am currently developing proposals in  relation to the matters raised in the Deputy's question and following approval by Government will publish the proposed amendments to the Freedom of Information Bill, 2013 for consideration by Dáil Éireann in the context of Report Stage for the Bill.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Redeployment (4 Feb 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Public Service Agreements (PSAs) covering the period 2010-16 (the Croke Park and Haddington Road Agreements) provide for agreed redeployment arrangements to apply in the Civil Service and in other parts of the Public Service.  Under these Agreements, redeployment generally takes precedence over all other methods of filling a vacancy. It facilitates the movement...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Issues (4 Feb 2014)

Brendan Howlin: As Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform I have overarching responsibility for the public service, however, each individual sector has responsibility for the operation of grievance procedures in their sector. While it would be not appropriate for me to comment on any specific case, it should be noted that grievance procedures are governed by the general principles of natural justice...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Leader's Allowance Issues (5 Feb 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The amounts paid under the party leader's allowance from 2001 to 2013 are set out in the following table.  The current data systems in use allow for detailed payment records in the manner requested by the Deputy from 2001, however this system does not permit detailing the payments to independent TDs prior to 2001. Deputy Beverley Flynn waived her entitlement to the party leader's...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Issues (5 Feb 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Haddington Road Agreement (HRA) set out a series of pay and productivity measures for all public servants with the aim of reducing the pay and pensions bill in order to contribute to the required  reduction in the General Government Deficit and to support the restoration of fiscal sustainability.  One of the key measures included in the HRA relates...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Irish Language Issues (6 Feb 2014)

Brendan Howlin: In my role as Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, I have overarching responsibility for the public service including pay, pensions and employment numbers.  Specific staffing matters for the wider public service - such as are raised in the Deputy's question - are the responsibility of various Government Ministers, in accordance with the legislation setting up public service...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions Issues (6 Feb 2014)

Brendan Howlin: My Department considers that the regular preparation and publication of actuarial assessments of public service pension provision is an important part of policy formation. The most recent C&AG actuarial exercise on the cost of public sector occupational pensions showed the accrued liability to have been €116bn as of December 2009. Work has now commenced in my Department on...