Results 19,541-19,560 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Other Questions: Public Procurement Contracts (9 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy is fundamentally, absolutely, completely and wholly wrong. Everything has changed in public procurement. I invite him to meet the OGP, look at the website and come to one of the "Meet the Buyer" seminars that are held throughout the country. Will he take up that invitation and inform himself of the fundamental transformation in procurement?

Other Questions: Public Procurement Contracts (9 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: We certainly will not politicise it in the way the Deputy suggested we should.

Other Questions: Sale of State Assets (9 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Exchequer has to date received special dividends of €150 million from Ervia and €197 million from ESB arising from sales of State assets. The Ervia special dividend represents the first instalment of approximately €1 billion expected to be received from Ervia arising from the successful completion in June of the sale of Bord Gáis Energy. The balance will be...

Other Questions: Sale of State Assets (9 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: There was €405 million from the national lottery.

Other Questions: Sale of State Assets (9 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Regarding the national lottery, we spent €200 million as I indicated to the House and we have kept €200 million for the national children’s hospital. That money is there and available. Regarding bringing the money from Ervia onto the balance sheet, as I explained, there are restrictions on bringing it all on in one go. It must be done by special dividend and there is a...

Other Questions: Sale of State Assets (9 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: It is discrete and separate from the money allocated under the public capital programme, which is approximately €3.3 billion, as the Deputy said, and which is apportioned across all agencies of the State. I would not have been able to do those additional projects and tee up the PPPs, allocate money for the voids and energy refits in local authority housing if I had not got the...

Other Questions: Public Sector Staff (9 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: There are 216 out of 823 staff in my Department on fixed term contracts. Some 178 of these, almost all of them, are temporary clerical officers, TCOs, in PeoplePoint. PeoplePoint, the Civil Service human resources and pensions shared service centre, became operational in March 2013 and brings together shared HR and pension processes and systems to ensure a more consistent and efficient HR...

Other Questions: Public Sector Staff (9 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy has a point regarding temporary staff to do permanent work, and that is why I am putting it right as the finances become available. I am delighted to have an open competition for new clerical officers to replace the contract staff in my Department. There will be residual contract staff, for example, people who work directly for me and who are fixed to my term of employment...

Other Questions: Public Sector Staff (9 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I am saying that there will always be a requirement when there are temporary jobs to have temporary contracts. That is the normal pattern of employment. There is no point in having a cohort of staff if there is no work for them. Where there are permanent jobs, they should have permanent contracts, and that is what we will work towards. The JobBridge schemes I have seen and on which...

Other Questions: Public Sector Staff (9 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Deputy Higgins's point is a simple one. In the time of the worst economic recession when there is significant unemployment, he is happier for the unemployed to stay at home than to do anything.

Other Questions: Public Sector Staff (9 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: That is the long and the short of it.

Other Questions: Public Sector Staff (9 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Finding solutions is not in Deputy Higgins' purview. It is finding problems and wallowing in them. When we find solutions, such as when we get unemployment down below 10% next year, his rhetoric becomes increasingly hollow.

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

Brendan Howlin: Gross voted expenditure has been reduced from its peak of €63.1 billion in 2009 to €54.5 billion in 2013.  This represents a reduction of approximately 13½ per cent between 2009 and 2013.  The gross voted expenditure allocation for 2014 is €53 billion.  Managing the delivery of public services within its Budgetary allocation is a key...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Parliamentary Questions (9 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: This proposal is part of the Government's political reform programme outlined in the Programme for Government.  My Department has, in the context of its examination of this issue, had some initial discussions with the Houses of the Oireachtas on the operational issues in relation to this commitment, and the possible approaches that may be taken to its efficient...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministerial Staff (9 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I am satisfied that there is appropriate transparency in the appointment of the posts referred to in the Deputy's question.  The Department of the Public Service Circular 6/1984 - Private Secretaries and Confidential Clerical Assistants sets out instructions concerning private secretaries and confidential clerical assistants. The circular provides that the persons selected to act as...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Budget 2015 (9 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: My Department is engaged in intensive discussions with the Department of Health and HSE officials regarding Budget 2015 and the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure as part of the 2015 Budget and Estimates process.  As part of the ongoing Comprehensive Review of Expenditure due to be published on Budget day, all Government Departments have been asked to review their...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Value for Money Reviews (9 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Programme for Government committed to giving the Comptroller and Auditor General extra powers to carry out value-for-money (VFM) audits of State programmes. This commitment for enhanced powers for the Comptroller and Auditor General is being progressed as part of the wider public service reform agenda.  Any consideration of the role of the Comptroller and Auditor General must take...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Data (9 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: On a general point, the Deputy is probably aware that a contract of indefinite duration (CID) is similar to a permanent contract and can arise by operation of law under the Protection of Employees (Fixed Term Work) Act 2003. Under the provisions of this Act, if an employee is employed on two or more successive fixed term contracts in continuous employment for a period of four years then...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Capital Programme (9 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: My Department is currently undertaking a review of the public capital programme, in parallel with the comprehensive review of expenditure, which will culminate in the publication of the Government's five year investment strategy on Budget day.  The focus of the Framework will be on infrastructural investment that can aid economic growth and address urgent social requirements.  While...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Records (9 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) is currently undertaking a joint project within my department and the Department of Finance to develop a system that would allow records to be stored electronically.  A potential outcome from that project is the development of a standard that could be adopted by other departments and public bodies,...