Results 19,461-19,480 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Legislative Programme (30 Sep 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The work of the Statute Law Revision Programme to date in removing obsolete legislation from the statute book has been strongly supported by outside observers such as the OECD, and is a key part of the Programme for Government 2011-2016 and the Public Service Reform Plan 2014-2016. The forthcoming pre-1820 Bill will be the single largest repealing measure in the history of either this or any...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Commercial Rates Valuation Process (30 Sep 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Valuation Act, 2001 provides that all buildings used or developed for any purpose are rateable unless expressly exempted under Schedule 4 of the Act.  The Act is quite specific in relation to the exemptions that can be implemented by the Commissioner of Valuation. These are set out in Schedule 4 of the Act and there is no discretion to grant exemptions not covered by Schedule 4....

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (30 Sep 2014)

Brendan Howlin: As I have previously stated, there is no embargo on recruitment to the Public Service. To safeguard frontline and priority services, the Government has allowed for critical posts to be filled throughout the period of consolidation of public service numbers.  In addition to this ongoing recruitment, special provision was made in last October's Budget for the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Agencies Expenditure (30 Sep 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The legal expenses incurred by the Commission for Public Appointments Service (CPSA) in 2014 amount to €130,322. In 2013, €34,534 was spent on legal fees on behalf of the CPSA, with €1,000 expended in 2012 and €22,000 in 2011. The Ombudsman Amendment Act 2012 provided for the merging of the Office of the CPSA with the Office of the Ombudsman with effect from 1...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Commercial Rates Valuation Process (30 Sep 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Valuation Act, 2001 provides in Schedule 3, Sections 1(a) and (b) that all buildings and lands used or developed for any purpose including constructions affixed thereto are rateable. The basic premise under the Act is that all interests (including buildings) and all developed land are rateable unless expressly exempted under Schedule 4. In general, the Act maintains the long-standing...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Agencies (30 Sep 2014)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy's question the following is a list of the State agencies, bodies, organisations and working groups under my Department's remit; the core duties and functions of same; the number of staff at same; the budget of each for 2013 and proposed budget for 2014; the date of establishment of the agencies or organisations; and the legislation, primary or otherwise, from...

Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (1 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: That is intended. It is the next phase.

Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (1 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Unelected and unaccountable.

Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (1 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I would be interested in seeing that document.

Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (1 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy is very well fed.

Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (1 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I thank all Members from across the House for their contributions. It was a broad-ranging and well-informed debate on an important Bill. While it is intrinsically a simple Bill, it is hard to balance - this was implicit in virtually every contribution - the proper right of every citizen, organisation and company to have its view heard and its impact and assessment valued by law makers and...

Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (1 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: -----do not often want to hear these facts, but that is true because we knew what we were facing into. We went into government not to decry the darkness but to roll up our sleeves and solve the problem. Objectively, most people think we have done a fair job in the past three and a half years of bringing us not from the edge of the abyss but from the deep end of the abyss to a better place.

Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (1 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Deputy Catherine Murphy made a very important point, and it is something I am very conscious of because in many ways the easiest thing to do is legislate. It is much more difficult to change behaviour or change a culture. There is a tiny minority of people whose first attitude, no matter what we legislate for, is to find a way around it as opposed to saying, "This is a cultural change"....

Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Referral to Select Committee (1 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I move:That the Bill be referred to the Select sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform pursuant to Standing Order 82A(3)(a) and (6)(a) and 126(1).

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Budgets (1 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The information requested by the Deputy for all years up to and including 2013 is available in the published Appropriation Accounts for the Vote(s) on the website of the Comptroller & Auditor General. The information in relation to 2014 is outlined in the tables below: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform 2014 Vote 11 - Public Expenditure and Reform Allocated budget (to...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Cross-Border Projects (1 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Irish Government approved the PEACE IV programme and INTERREG VA  programme at its meeting on 10 September 2014.  The Northern Ireland Executive and Scottish Government (in the case of INTERREG programme only) also approved the programmes the following week.  Both Programmes and associated documents were submitted to the European Commission by...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Commercial Rates (2 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: In recognition of the increased volume of appeals to the Valuation Tribunal arising from the revaluation of Dublin City and Waterford rating authority areas my Department approved  last August a proposal  for the secondment/redeployment of seven staff, one Higher Executive Officer (Assistant Registrar), two Executive Officers and four Clerical...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Appointments to State Boards (2 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I have the authority to appoint Board members to An Post National Lottery and the Public Appointments Service. The appointments process for the new board of the Public Appointments Service is currently underway. As part of this vacancies have been advertised on the stateboards.ieportal. I expect to make appointments to the board very shortly. With regard to An Post National Lottery the...

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

Brendan Howlin: The Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012  commenced Committee Stage in the Seanad yesterday. Further time for the Committee Stage in the Seanad is scheduled for early October.   This is a complex piece of legislation and there are a significant number of amendments to be debated. Among the amendments which we are bringing forward will be one that...

Seanad: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (2 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I have not changed my view. The Senator assumed his proposal was in the legalisation in the United Kingdom. I have checked there and it is not. Its freedom of information system replicates what we have here.