Results 18,441-18,460 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (2 Apr 2014)

Brendan Howlin: It was in 1996.

Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (2 Apr 2014)

Brendan Howlin: When we discussed this on Committee Stage, I had the temerity to point out that when the Deputy's party was in Government, it was happy to take the full complement of the money. It was my colleague, Deputy Quinn, when he was Minister for Finance, who thought it should be rebalanced to ensure the Opposition is enhanced and the parties in Government disadvantaged given that they have...

Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (2 Apr 2014)

Brendan Howlin: That was always the way. We did not sneak in anything.

Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (2 Apr 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I do not oppose this in principle. Deputy Fleming's view on this goes well beyond funding for activities of the Houses of the Oireachtas and he has made a reasoned case for that. It happened because people did not address it rather than it being a contrived way of doing things. It probably would be more democratic if everything was required to be brought formally to the House as opposed to...

Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (2 Apr 2014)

Brendan Howlin: This is the only amendment in which the Deputy is being mischievous. The rest of the amendments were genuinely tabled. The amendment is meaningless because one can set whatever norms one wishes for paying special advisers. I set low norms on the previous occasion with the aim of having controls. People could then make a case-by-case submission to me with regard to recruiting people whose...

Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (2 Apr 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I will respond to Deputy Murphy in the first instance because we have had long discussions about this. The Deputy's intention is to increase the secretarial facilities, which are broader than "secretary" in the traditional sense. It can be a support made available to the Technical Group but at the expense of parties, because it shifts the money within the pool. We have had discussions and...

Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (2 Apr 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I did not namecheck anyone.

Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (2 Apr 2014)

Brendan Howlin: While I am a little disappointed that the Deputy is taking my letter and also wants to divide the House, I understand her position. The Dáil is continuing to evolve, but there remains a quantitative difference between a parliamentary party and a technical group. I think Deputy Murphy acknowledges that. Each individual member of the Technical Group has a personal allowance for himself...

Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (2 Apr 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I am going to take back my letter.

Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (2 Apr 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Deputy Fleming's amendment, as he has outlined, removes the requirement that the guidelines are subject to the approval of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform prior to publication. Under the legislation, the role of the commission has been expanded, as we can see, to ensure increased transparency, accountability and consistency in the use of expenditure from the allowance....

Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (2 Apr 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I thank the Deputies opposite. We had a very good debate, in particular on Committee Stage. This suite of legislation is a work in progress and we will be returning to it later in the year in regard to overarching ethics legislation on foot of the tribunal recommendations and other matters. I believe we are greatly improving the transparency of the way we fund politics in the measures we...

Confidence in the Minister for Justice and Equality; and Defence: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (2 Apr 2014)

Brendan Howlin: And Fianna Fáil.

Confidence in the Minister for Justice and Equality; and Defence: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (2 Apr 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy would not do that.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions (2 Apr 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Certain areas of the public service have pension arrangements which feature early paid pensions based on fast accrual of benefits, such as An Garda Síochána, the Permanent Defence Force and the Prison Service.  I understand that some cohorts of staff in these fast accrual sectors may qualify for retirement on full pension at age 50 years, provided that they have 30...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Legislative Process (2 Apr 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Government published the Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2012 on 3rd August, 2012 as part of its legislative programme. The Bill proceeded through its Second Stage in Seanad Éireann on 11th October 2012. The primary purpose of the Bill is to accelerate the national programme of revaluing every commercial and industrial property in the country which is being undertaken by the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: EU Funding (2 Apr 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 116 and 117 together. Last year, in the context of the agreement on the EU's Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), Ireland was successful in securing €1.2 billion of Cohesion policy funding for the period 2014-2020.  It should be noted that this represents an increase in 8% in real terms over the 2007-2013 programming period, at a time when the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Services (3 Apr 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I understand that the merchant agreements the Deputy is referring to, relate to "Acquiring Bank Services". These are services offered by a financial institution that facilitate an entity to accept debit and credit card payments from individuals or other entities. In this respect my Department does not receive credit/debit card payments and does not therefore avail of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts Social Clause (3 Apr 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The use of a social clause requiring a contractor to recruit a certain percentage of those employed on a public works construction site from the ranks of the long-term unemployed is being piloted on a limited number of schools projects under the Devolved Schools Build Programme Design and Build Framework, which is being administered by the National Development Finance Agency on behalf of the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Franchises (3 Apr 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy's question implies that there is a general policy to close down National Lottery franchises in rural areas. I am advised by the An Post National Lottery Company that this is not the case. Retail Sales Agent Agreements are renewed every 12 months. The agreement can be terminated/not renewed for reasons set out in the agreement, including the need for compliance with...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pension Provisions (3 Apr 2014)

Brendan Howlin: As advised to the Deputy the information requested will take sometime to collate and will be forward to the Deputy's office by Tuesday the 8th of April.