Results 18,921-18,940 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Protected Disclosures Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (12 Jun 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I will do so.

Protected Disclosures Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (12 Jun 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I move amendment No. 42:In page 19, to delete lines 9 to 13 and substitute the following:“Internal procedures for protected disclosures made by workers employed by public bodies 21. (1) Every public body shall establish and maintain procedures for the making of protected disclosures by workers who are or were employed by the public body and for dealing with such disclosures. (2) The...

Protected Disclosures Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (12 Jun 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Different regimes will apply to freedom of information and protected disclosures legislation. Freedom of information legislation will apply to public bodies. It does not apply in the private sphere. The point of debate, to which we will return when the freedom of information legislation is taken on Report Stage, relates to commercial semi-State bodies. My view which Deputy Seán...

Protected Disclosures Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (12 Jun 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I move amendment number 44:In page 19, between lines 13 and 14, to insert the following: “Annual report22. (1) Every public body shall prepare and publish not later than 30 June in each year a report in relation to the immediately preceding year in a form which does not enable the identification of the persons involved containing information relating to the matters specified in...

Protected Disclosures Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (12 Jun 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The provision in Schedule 2 represents standard practice concerning complaints and the procedures for Rights Commissioners. I heard the Deputy's contribution today and on Committee Stage, but the workings of the Rights Commissioner Service's mechanisms is a matter for the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, not me. However, the Minister is addressing these issues and the...

Protected Disclosures Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (12 Jun 2014)

Brendan Howlin: It would not have been very confidential if people were able to find out who it was.

Protected Disclosures Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (12 Jun 2014)

Brendan Howlin: These amendments relate to the appointment and dismissal of the disclosures recipient, respectively. Amendment No. 47 deals with section 18. As I advised on Committee Stage, the role of the disclosures recipient is a narrow one. It has no real function other than to be the conduit for information that relates to section 18, namely, a narrow range of information pertaining to the security...

Protected Disclosures Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (12 Jun 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Deputy Fleming is right. We had a fairly long discussion on this amendment on Committee Stage. I did not accept it then and, on reflection, I believe I was right. In the event that the disclosure of the recipient determines that he or she should pass on information to the appropriate officeholder, I am satisfied that that information, by virtue of the requirements of section 18 of the...

Protected Disclosures Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (12 Jun 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I thank the Deputies opposite. By and large we had a very constructive debate. I said on Committee Stage that it is unusual for a Bill to make such substantial progress between Second Stage and Committee and Report Stages. The amendments accepted on Committee Stage have resulted in a much better Bill, particularly as it relates to An Garda Síochána. I reaffirm my commitment to...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Expenditure (12 Jun 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The expenditure measures introduced in the Expenditure Report 2014 included measures mainly in the area of pay and pensions arising from the Haddington Road Agreement and other non-pay savings measures. The Haddington Road Agreement contains provisions which, when fully implemented, will enable the delivery of savings totalling €1 billion by the end of the Agreement.  The total...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff Data (12 Jun 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The following table provides details of current staff vacancies within my Department and the agencies under the remit of my Department Department/ Agency Vacancy Area Duration of Vacancy Salary - DPER- PeoplePoint Principal Officer (standard) Head of PeoplePoint Since January 2014 €79,401- €97,194 - DPER - Office of Government Procurement (OGP) Principal Officer (standard)...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Court Judgments (12 Jun 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Commission for Public Service Appointments (CPSA) is an independent entity which regulates recruitment to public sector organisations and ensures that appointments are made on merit.  As such, the actions of the CPSA in its management of the judicial review are a matter for itself and not my Department.  My Department has been informed by the CPSA that the legal...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Commercial Rates Valuation Process (17 Jun 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Valuation Act 2001 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 rating is his sole prerogative and I, as Minister, have no function in decisions in this regard. The Valuation Act 2001, which came into effect on 2 May 2002, provides for...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Licence Sale (17 Jun 2014)

Brendan Howlin: While I, as Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, have overall responsibility for the National Lottery, the appointment of Lottery agents is a matter for the National Lottery Company. I have no role in day-to-day commercial decisions of this nature which are a matter between the individual retailer and the National Lottery Company.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Sick Leave (17 Jun 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Access to the Critical Illness Protocol operates on the basis of the severity of any specific medical condition rather than by classifying specific illnesses or injuries as critical illnesses.  Any condition sufficiently serious to meet the criteria set out in the Critical Illness Protocol may  be given access to extended sick pay...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Monuments (17 Jun 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I am advised by the Commissioners of Public Works that they intend to hold a competition during the summer to award a permit for a replacement boat operator to ferry passengers to Skellig Michael. The competition documentation, the criteria applicants will have to meet and, the rules governing the award process are being drafted currently. The competition will be advertised locally in the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Irish Language Issues (17 Jun 2014)

Brendan Howlin: As the Deputy is aware, the Government approved the introduction of a new approach to ensure that there are a sufficient number of civil servants who are able to perform their duties through Irish.  These new arrangements were put in place in the context of replacing the policy of awarding bonus marks for Irish language proficiency in civil service recruitment and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Election Management System (17 Jun 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Under Section 57 of the Electoral Act 1992, each candidate (or group of candidates from the same party) is entitled to send for a General Election, free of any charge for postage, to each person on the register of Dáil electors for the constituency, one postal communication containing matter relating to the election known as "Litir um Toghchain". For General Election 2011, the total...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Election Management System (17 Jun 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Under rule 22 of Schedule 2 of the European Parliament Elections Act 1997 as amended by Section 78(c) of the Electoral Act 1997 each candidate (or group of candidates from the same party) in a European Election is entitled to send, free of any charge for postage, to each household one postal communication containing matter relating to the election known as "Litir um Toghchain". Section 78(c)...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Direct Provision Expenditure (17 Jun 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I am advised by the Commissioners of Public Works that the information sought by the Deputy is currently being collated. A detailed response will issue directly to the Deputy as soon as it is available.