Results 7,481-7,500 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Agencies Expenditure (3 Feb 2016)

Brendan Howlin: I am advised that the Commission for Public Service Appointments has not incurred fees in respect of engaging an independent psychologist in the years 2012 to 2015 or to date in 2016.  Any requests for the employment of a Psychologist for the Commission  would be considered in line with normal procedures for approving the recruitment of staff and on the merits of the case presented.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Commission for Public Service Appointments (3 Feb 2016)

Brendan Howlin: I am advised that the legal service provider was engaged by the Office of the Commission for Public Service Appointments (CPSA) in December 2009. The arrangement with the providers did not prevent the CPSA from having recourse to the Taxing Master process. The CPSA incurred legal fees in successfully defending an application for a Judicial Review. A discrete argument in the proceeding was...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff Career Breaks (3 Feb 2016)

Brendan Howlin: As part of my responsibilities as Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, I have responsibility for the terms and conditions of employment of civil servants, including career breaks. Career breaks consist of special leave without pay for a period of not less than six months for the following reasons: -family reasons -other domestic reasons -travel -educational purposes...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff Retirements (3 Feb 2016)

Brendan Howlin: During 2015 a tender competition was run by the Office of Government Procurement on behalf of my Department for retirement planning courses.  This resulted in a contract being awarded in September 2015. Unfortunately the service provider decided not to continue with the operation of the contract which concluded with courses being provided at the end of January.  A new...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff (2 Feb 2016)

Brendan Howlin: Circular 21/2004 covers the agreement on incremental credit for entry level grades (Clerical Officer, Executive Officer, or equivalent grades) represented by the Civil and Public Services Union and the Public Service Executive Union. In this case the maximum entitlement was seven increments as the candidate had ten years or more qualifying service. The two circulars...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Teachers' Remuneration (2 Feb 2016)

Brendan Howlin: I refer the Deputy to my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 3607/16 of 28 January 2016. 

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Appointments to State Boards Data (2 Feb 2016)

Brendan Howlin: As the Deputy is aware the Government introduced new arrangements to the appointment of State Board members in 2011. Under the new arrangements departments now invite expressions of interest from the public on their websites for vacancies on the boards of bodies under their aegis. It is open to all members of the public regardless of gender, political affiliations or geographical location...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Funding (28 Jan 2016)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy's question I announced the Government's Capital Plan on 20 September 2015 which outlined exchequer capital spending of €27 billion over the next six years. As the Deputy may be aware the funding allocations and spending on capital projects and other initiatives over the last five years in the constituency of Louth East Meath are available through the relevant...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Lansdowne Road Agreement (28 Jan 2016)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 118 and 119 together. Following the acceptance of the Lansdowne Road Agreement by the Public Services Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, I brought forward the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2015. That Act made provision for the implementation of the terms of the Agreement for all public...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Lansdowne Road Agreement (28 Jan 2016)

Brendan Howlin: Statutory Instrument 547/2015 made under Section 9 of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act (FEMPI) 2013 extends the 'grace period' to April 2019. Under the 'grace period', all affected public servants who retire before April 2019 will have their superannuation benefits calculated with reference to pay rates which disregard the effect of the pay...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Consultancy Contracts Data (28 Jan 2016)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy's question the following table outlines the total amount spent on external consultancy reports commissioned by my Department since 2011.  Name of External Report Costs Date or Expected Date of Publication Name of External Consultant 2011 Independent verification of savings arising under the Public Service Agreement €35,819 June 2011 MKO Partners...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Inquiries (28 Jan 2016)

Brendan Howlin: My Department has not been responsible for the setting up of any Tribunal of Inquiry, Commission of Inquiry or Commission of Investigation since its establishment.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministerial Allowances (28 Jan 2016)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy's question the table below outlines my expenses claimed since 2011. Details of all my mileage claims since 2011 are available on the Department's website at the following link . The Minister for State in my Department is also Minister for State with responsibilities in the Department of Finance and the Office of Public Works. Information relating to expenses...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Expenditure (28 Jan 2016)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy's question the table below outlines the amount spent on media clipping and media monitoring services in 2013 and 2015 the only years in which such expenditure arose. Year Amount 2013 €1,722 2015 €6,303.75

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff Retirements (27 Jan 2016)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy's question there have been no cases made against my Department or the bodies under my aegis by civil servants that objected on age grounds to being retired when they reached 65.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (27 Jan 2016)

Brendan Howlin: I refer to my reply to Question No. 69 of 19 January 2016. The position has not changed.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministerial Staff (27 Jan 2016)

Brendan Howlin: Staff in Ministerial Offices are generally employed as unestablished civil servants.  No voluntary early retirement scheme is currently sanctioned for civil servants.   With regard to severance arrangements, following the 2011 General Election my Department agreed that Personal Secretaries and Personal Assistants who had previous service under the Scheme for Secretarial...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (27 Jan 2016)

Brendan Howlin: The Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (FEMPI) Act 2015 is delivering significant boosts to the occupational pensions of most retired public servants. This is being done by way of a substantial part-reversal, or restoration, of the cuts imposed on those pensions since 2011 by the Public Service Pension Reduction...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Forestry Grants (27 Jan 2016)

Brendan Howlin: An initial submission from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, on the establishment of a reconstitution scheme to assist forest owners whose forests were damaged by winter storms, was received by my Department. This matter is the subject of ongoing discussion between the two Departments.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions (27 Jan 2016)

Brendan Howlin: The Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012 enabled the commencement on 1 January 2013 of the Single Public Service Pension Scheme for new entrants to public service employment. The Single Scheme rules stipulate that both in-career pension credits and awarded pensions should be increased in line with increases in the Consumer...