Results 18,601-18,620 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (6 May 2014)

Brendan Howlin: As set out as follows, the matter referred to the Deputy does not give rise to any anomaly and there is no question of two pools of candidates for Clerical Officer positions in the Civil Service being in operation.     Recruitment to the civil service and a range of other public bodies takes place under the Public Service...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Licence Sale (6 May 2014)

Brendan Howlin: In February of this year, I granted the next licence to operate the National Lottery to Premier Lotteries Ireland delivering €405 million to the Irish citizen. As I announced in Budget 2014, half of the proceeds from the Lottery licence transaction will be used to help fund a number of job rich projects across the country including the Wild Atlantic Way, the 1916 Commemoration and the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Open Government Partnership (6 May 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I attended the Paris Conference, from "Open Data to Open Government", hosted last month by Ms Marylise Lebranchu, Minister of Decentralisation, State Reform and Civil Service in France. I addressed the opening plenary session at this conference alongside Minister Lebranchu, Didier Migaud, President of France's 'Cour des comptes' and Francis Maude, Minister for the Cabinet Office in...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Legal Services (6 May 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Commission for Public Service Appointments (CPSA) is responsible for overseeing the conduct of appointment processes to a wide range of positions in the Civil and Public Service.  In carrying out its independent statutory functions, the CPSA must, on occasions, seek independent legal advice on issues that come to light in the course of its examination of appointment processes. Given...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (6 May 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Commission for Public Service Appointments (CPSA) is an independent statutory body and as such I have no role in the setting of its review procedures.  However, I am informed by the Commission that it is awaiting a judgement on a Judicial review case relating to, inter alia, the review procedures available under its Codes of Practice.  This case will inform any review of the...

Estimates for Public Services 2014: Motion (7 May 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I move:That leave be given by the Dáil to introduce the following Supplementary Estimate for the service of the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2014:Vote 2 — Department of the Taoiseach (Supplementary Estimate).

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pension Provisions (7 May 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The reduction in the rate of Pension Related Deduction (PRD) applied to the €15,000 to €20,000 band of pay fell from 5% to 2.5% on 1 January 2014. This rate cut is worth €125 annually in gross terms to most public servants, with those taxed at the standard rate enjoying the greater gain in terms of take-home pay boost. In terms of annual impact on the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions Levy (7 May 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Exchequer yield from the public service pension-related deduction (PRD) in the years 2009 to 2013 is as follows: 2009 - €837.419 million; 2010 - €948.605 million; 2011 - €960.224 million; 2012 - €934.739 million; 2013 - €930.284 million (provisional). These figures do not include non-Exchequer PRD receipts, as arising for example in the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pension Provisions (7 May 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Single Public Service Pension Scheme, which was launched on 1 January 2013, is the default pension scheme for persons commencing employment in the public service from that date onward. The Single Scheme is administered at workplace level in a large number of "relevant authorities", which equate to individual employments or sectors.  The most recent information on the total...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions Expenditure (7 May 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Total gross Exchequer expenditure on Public Service pensions in 2013 was €2.815 billion and the estimate for 2014 is €2.872 billion. I refer the Deputy to the Databank on my Department's website, . Information on this Databank includes details of Public Service staff numbers and pensioners, the corresponding pay...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions Data (7 May 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The estimated yield to Exchequer receipts from pension contributions by public servants in respect of the period 2009 to 2013 is as follows: Year Amount 2009 €578m 2010 €537m 2011 €540m 2012 €528m 2013 €514m (Provisional) 

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions Data (7 May 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Since its introduction on 1 January 2011 as provided for in the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2010, the Public Service Pension Reduction (PSPR) is estimated to have delivered annual savings to the public finances as follows: 2011 - €100 million; 2012 - €100 million; 2013 - €114 million. These savings constitute estimates...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts (7 May 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I should point out at the outset that no such policies exist 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 must be...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts (7 May 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 105 to 107, inclusive, together. Public Procurement is governed by EU and National rules. 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 the EU rules for a public body to favour or discriminate against particular candidates on grounds...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions (7 May 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Section 9 of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2013 provides that persons retiring before 31 August 2014, or a later date made by Order under the Act, will be entitled to have their pensions calculated as if the pay reduction and any increment pause or freeze had not applied to them. Following my considerations under Section 9 of the Act, I decided to...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Construction Contracts (8 May 2014)

Brendan Howlin: It is widely acknowledged that the construction industry has seen the greatest decline in activity and with it the highest rise in unemployment of all sectors in the economy.  The collapse in construction output from the high and unsustainable levels of around €34bn in 2006 to around €8.8bn in 2013 has been accompanied by intense competition resulting in a reduction of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Exchequer Savings (8 May 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Public Service Exchequer Pay Bill has been reduced by 22%, from €17.5 billion gross in 2009 to an estimated €13.6 billion net by the end of 2014. In 2013, the net reduction was €210 million. This reduction was enabled, in part, by the implementation of various measures under the Haddington Road Agreement which helped to ensure that spending remained in line with...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Allowances Payments (8 May 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 87 and 88 together. Departments were notified in September 2012 of details of the Government Decision in relation to the outcome of the Review of Public Service Allowances and Premium Pay.  Approval for payment of an allowance to a new beneficiary pending the outcome of the review was withdrawn from 31st January 2012 and was not restored in the...

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

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 89 and 90 together. Statistical information in relation to Freedom of Information requests are collated and published annually by the Office of the Information Commissioner. The tables containing details of these requests are contained in the Annual Report of the Office of the Information Commissioner which can be viewed at . The Annual...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Construction Contracts (13 May 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Construction Contracts Bill passed all stages of the Houses of the Oireachtas in July 2013 and was signed into law on the 29 July 2013.  The enactment of the legislation marked a significant step towards the Programme for Government commitment to introduce new legislation to protect small building subcontractors that have been denied payments from bigger companies. The frustration...