Results 19,041-19,060 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Na Forais Thuaidh Theas (8 Jul 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Eisíonn mo Roinn agus an Roinn Airgeadais agus Pearsanra i dTuaisceart Éireann doiciméad comhaontaithe Treoir Pleanála Gnó chuig na ForaisThuaidh Theas gach bliain. San áireamh sa Treoir Pleanála Gnó bíonn treoir maidir leis an íos-sábháil éifeachtúlachta a bhíonn le cur i gcrích ag na Forais an bhliain dár...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Capital Programme Expenditure (8 Jul 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The following table sets out the levels of Exchequer voted gross capital expenditure in each year from 2000 to 2013 in nominal terms and expressed as a percentage of GDP. Figures for investment at EU level are available on the Eurostat website (). The Eurostat estimate for average levels of Central Government fixed investment in 2013 was 2.2% of GDP for the Euro 28. It...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Capital Programme Expenditure (8 Jul 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The original allocations for the present five year capital envelope are set out in "Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2012-2016: Medium Term Exchequer Framework". The annual capital allocations for the Ministerial Vote Groups are published in the Revised Estimates for Public Services each year (Appendix 9 for 2012 and 2013, Appendix 8 for 2014). A table showing both...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Expenditure (8 Jul 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I announced at the time of the 2014 Budget, last October, that a Comprehensive Review of Expenditure would be carried out during this year to help inform the multi-annual expenditure ceilings for the three years 2015 to 2017.  This review process is now under way, and the outcome will help inform the decisions that Government will take when framing the 2015 Budget.   In...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministerial Advisers Remuneration (8 Jul 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Department of Finance issued "Instructions to Personnel Officers Ministerial Appointments for the 31st Dail', dated 24 March 2011, which states the following in relation to Special Advisers and Increments: "Where a Special Adviser is placed on a salary point below the maximum of the scale he or she may be paid an annual increment until the maximum of that scale is reached".  The...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff Rehiring (8 Jul 2014)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy's question the following table gives a breakdown of retired civil and public servants that have been re-hired on temporary contracts or as consultants under my remit. Retired staff rehired on temporary contracts under the remit of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Department / Office Year No. of Staff Associated Costs Department of Public Expenditure...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Local Authority Expenditure (8 Jul 2014)

Brendan Howlin: All publicly funded projects and programmes are subject to the appraisal framework set out in the Public Spending Code (available at ) which has been developed by my Department. Responsibility for compliance with the Public Spending Code lies with the Sponsoring Agency and Sanctioning Authority for a particular project. In the case of the project to which the Deputy refers,...

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

Brendan Howlin: The information  the Deputy requests is set out in detail on my Department's website, at .  This databank provides information on staffing numbers by Department, on a quarterly basis, from 2008 to present. The data show that public service numbers have been reduced by almost 10 percent in that period, from a peak of more than 320,000 to below 290,000. The...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Outsourcing of Public Services (8 Jul 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Government is committed to exploring alternative service delivery models, including outsourcing, as part of an overall objective to improve the quality and efficiency of public services while ensuring they remain affordable and sustainable. This is a key component of the Public Service Reform Plan 2014-2016, published in January 2014. Each public body, in considering whether or not to...

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

Brendan Howlin: As the Deputy is aware, the Government has previously agreed to substantial reductions in the internal review and appeal fees for FOI. A reduction from €75 to €30 has been agreed in relation to the fee for an application for internal review, while the cost of an appeal to the Information Commissioner is being reduced from €150 to €75. The FOI Bill 2013 is...

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

Brendan Howlin: Freedom of Information legislation is primarily designed to provide access for the public to records of public bodies. Certain hospitals, third level institutions and other bodies providing services in the health sector, run by or in the ownership of religious congregations, are also covered by FOI. A new Freedom of Information Bill is currently proceeding through the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Child Protection (8 Jul 2014)

Brendan Howlin: If the Deputy is aware or has any information which suggests that there may be a convicted paedophile in public employment with access to children, the facts should be brought to the attention of An Garda Síochána as a matter of urgency. Alternately, if  an  employer,  or indeed any person, considers that a person may pose a risk to a child or children, this can be...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Lottery Funding Disbursement (9 Jul 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Appendix 1 of the Revised Estimates for Public Services which is published each year gives a breakdown, by Department, of all expenditure areas supported by the proceeds of the national lottery. For approximately a decade, the total allocation for the relevant subheads has exceeded the amount available from the national lottery surplus. Therefore, these subheads are now described as being...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Lottery Funding Disbursement (9 Jul 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I looked at the subheads on foot of the question asked. The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government includes an allocation of €38.6 million under subhead A.7 - private housing grants. They include the housing adaption grants for people with a disability. This scheme provides grants of up to €30,000 to assist people with a disability in having necessary...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Lottery Funding Disbursement (9 Jul 2014)

Brendan Howlin: We have not privatised the national lottery. After the end of the year it will be run by a consortium which includes An Post, the organisation which has always run it and a prime mover in the consortium. The Deputy is right on the issue of transparency. We need to know where the lotto money is going and this is done. We need to have even more transparency and I am happy to address the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Budget 2015 (9 Jul 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Government's fiscal target for 2015 has been well signalled. It is to bring the general Government deficit below 3% of GDP, in line with the commitments made by the country under the excessive deficit procedure. The budget to which the Government will agree in October will be designed to meet that target and will reflect the up-to-date economic and fiscal outlook. The Deputy will be...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Budget 2015 (9 Jul 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Every decision that was made in advance of the budgets of the last three years, as delivered by the Minister, Deputy Noonan, and me, was aimed at repairing an economy that was calamitously broken. Objectively, we have done a good job in building a sustainable platform for future expenditure and the future well-being of the Irish people. On each occasion, we made decisions that were the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Budget 2015 (9 Jul 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Rather than responding to the views of the Deputy, who has been far from objective from the beginning, I will leave it to a more objective person to make a determination on whether our budgetary strategy has been successful.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Budget 2015 (9 Jul 2014)

Brendan Howlin: If we had followed the path recommended by the Deputy's party leader, which involved defaulting on our debts, we would be in a worse position than Argentina is in 20 years after its default. Our people would be impoverished, we would have no inward investment and it would be impossible for this country to borrow money anywhere at anything like reasonable rates of interest. It is interesting...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Equality Proofing of Budgets (9 Jul 2014)

Brendan Howlin: As I indicated in response to the previous question, the primary objective of recent budgets has been to restore stability to the public finances.  In this context, it has been of vital importance to every member of the Government to spread the burden of adjustment in as fair and as equitable a manner as possible to protect the most vulnerable people in society and stimulate economic...