Results 18,461-18,480 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

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

Brendan Howlin: The Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2010 provided for the Public Service Pension Reduction (PSPR).  The PSPR, commencing 1 January 2011, imposed significant reductions on public service pensions in payment, using a progressively tiered set of bands and rates with a top rate of 12% on any public service pension amount over €60,000. The legislation was...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: EU Funding (3 Apr 2014)

Brendan Howlin: In the 2014-2020 period, Ireland will participate in two cross border, three transnational and one inter-regional INTERREG Programmes. These programmes are now known as European Territorial Cooperation (ETC) Programmes.  The following table sets out the INTERREG programmes we participate in and the relevant national contact points.  In the case of the Ireland/Northern...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Regulatory Impact Assessment Data (3 Apr 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Regulatory impact analysis (RIA) is a tool used by Departments to assess the costs, benefits and qualitative impacts of regulatory proposals. Individual Departments are responsible for conducting and preparing RIAs when considering legislative proposals or regulatory policy options. The role of my Department is to provide technical advice, when requested, by other...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Sale of State Assets (8 Apr 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The House will be aware from my announcement in February 2012 of the shape and scale of the State asset disposal programme that is being pursued by this Government. In brief, the asset disposal programme then agreed by the Government consists of: - The sale of Bord Gáis Éireann's energy business (but not including BGÉ's gas transmission or distribution systems or the two gas...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Sick Pay Scheme Reform (8 Apr 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The new sick leave scheme, which I have introduced from 31 March 2014, is set out in the Public Service (Sick Leave) Regulations S.I. 124 of 2014 and applies to all public servants in all sectors of the public service, other than  the Permanent Defence Forces.   The new sick leave scheme was introduced following the enactment of the Public...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Motor Tax Exemptions (8 Apr 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 246 and 247 together. In response the Deputy's question, with the exception of the Office of Public Works, I can confirm that there are no motor vehicles in the possession of my Department, or any agencies under the aegis of my Department. As the material requested was not available from the Office of Public Works at the time of answer the Office of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pension Provisions (8 Apr 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The table contains the original pension amounts payable to former Officeholders prior to the application of the Public Service Pension Reduction (PSPR) which reduced pensions in payment with effect from 1st January 2011, together with the current amounts payable from 1st September 2013 following the application of 'aggregation' for PSPR purposes which applies to individuals who have more than...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Costais Aistriúcháin (8 Apr 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Mar fhreagra ar cheisteanna an Teachta, seo a leanas na costais a bhí ag mo Roinn maidir le haistriúcháin i 2013:  Costais maidir le hAistriúcháin 2013 - - Roinn / Oifig Teanga Costas An Roinn Caiteachais Phoiblí agus Athchóirithe Gaeilge €4,690.45 Oifig na n-Oibreacha Poiblí Gaeilge €15,485.00 Iomlán €20,175.45

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pension Provisions (8 Apr 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The specific compulsory retirement age and minimum pension age provisions which affect an individual public servant will reflect his or her particular employment sector and time of original recruitment. Under recent Department of Social Protection legislation, the State Pension age is due to increase gradually over the period ahead, reaching 68 years...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Legislation (8 Apr 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Freedom of Information Bill 2013 which passed Committee Stage in the Dail last November and is awaiting Report Stage reflects the outcome of a detailed and comprehensive review of Ireland's FOI legislation.  In overall terms the Bill comprises a substantial updating and modernisation of FOI legislation based on international best practice, it extends FOI to all...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions (8 Apr 2014)

Brendan Howlin: As a long-standing condition of employment, public servants are usually required to be members of the relevant pension scheme operating in their particular employment, for example the civil service scheme, the local government scheme or the new Single Public Service Pension Scheme. In general, membership of an occupational public service pension scheme is a valuable feature of the overall...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Parliamentary Questions Costs (8 Apr 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The processing of individual Parliamentary Questions is undertaken as part of the normal day to day work of individual sections within Departments and no staff in my Department are assigned full time to dealing with Parliamentary Questions.  Parliamentary Questions are dealt with, as the need arises, by the staff in the sections dealing with the particular issue(s) raised in...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (8 Apr 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I am informed by the Public Appointments Service (PAS) that appointments from the Temporary Clerical Officer 2014 campaign are likely to be ongoing over the course of the year. Vacancies are filled as requests are received. The number of candidates invited to interview will be determined by the number of vacancies notified. It is envisaged that interviews will commence in mid-April to fill...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (8 Apr 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Public Service pay policy as negotiated and agreed in June 2013 under the terms of the Haddington Road Agreement provided for a reduction of €1bn in the public service paybill up to 2016 through pay reductions and productivity increases.   The Agreement, which applies for a period of three years from July 2013, sets out the measures to be implemented in order to...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministerial Responsibilities (8 Apr 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Programme for Government contains a number of commitments specifically dealing with formal accountability relationships between Ministers and their Departments.  On 9 January 2014 I published a consultation paper Strengthening Civil Service Accountability and Performance which reviews in detail the broad range of issues to be considered in implementing the Programme for Government...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Contracts (9 Apr 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The original tender return date for the Office of Government Procurement competition to supply Stationery and Office Supplies was 23 September 2013. During the tendering period tenderers submitted a large number of queries. The tender return date was extended until 15 November 2013 so as to allow tenderers sufficient time to fully consider and understand the responses to these queries. The...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Sale of State Assets (10 Apr 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1, 2 and 4 together. The House will be aware from my announcement in February 2012 of the shape and scale of the State asset disposal programme that is being pursued. The asset disposal programme agreed at that time by the Government consists of the sale of Bord Gáis Éireann's energy business, not including its gas transmission and distribution...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Sale of State Assets (10 Apr 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I agree with the Deputy that the main dividend of the sale of State assets is having the capacity to reinvest in the economy. He has been critical of the reduction in the general capital programme, but we need investment. I have worked hard to find alternative sources of money to invest. I cannot provide a jobs tot because I will not have the money until this year. I announced and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Sale of State Assets (10 Apr 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy will be aware that only a small amount of money is accruing from the sale of Garda stations because, in many instances, closed Garda stations are being subsumed for community use which I am encouraging, rather than trying to extract commercial value from every Garda station. That is a good and proper approach to take in that regard. Separate from any money that will accrue from...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Sale of State Assets (10 Apr 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy has asked a number of questions. On his first question, I am not, as I have stated previously, an enthusiastic seller of State assets. It would not be the first place I would look, but we inherited a programme. It was explained to us by representatives of the troika that they expected State asset sales of €5 billion. Clearly, we are not going to go into that territory....