Results 8,261-8,280 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pension Provisions (22 Sep 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 403, 404 and 408 together. I have no proposals to make any amendments to the civil service retirement age.  The amount of pension to which a civil servant may be entitled and both the compulsory retirement age and minimum pension age provisions to which a civil servant may be subject, depend on the pension conditions applicable at the date of original...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Functions (22 Sep 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Status of Internal Audit The Internal Audit Unit of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) provides an internal audit service to DPER and to the Department of Finance (DFIN) on a shared service basis.  The terms of reference of the internal audit function are set out in: 1. An internal audit charter with DPER 2. A service level agreement with DFIN The Internal Audit Unit...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pension Provisions (22 Sep 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 406, 418 and 419 together. The civil service operates Contributory Pension Schemes which provide benefits to spouses and/or children of deceased members. In summary, when a member dies after retirement, a spouse's pension of up to one-half of the former member's pension is payable.  Dependent children are also entitled to a child's pension....

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pension Provisions (22 Sep 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 410 and 411 together. I refer the Deputy to my previous reply on this matter (9 July 2015) Ref No: 28196/15

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pension Provisions (22 Sep 2015)

Brendan Howlin: In line with paragraph 5.4 of the Lansdowne Road Agreement, which has recently been ratified by the Public Services Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU), the Government intends to extend the retirement grace period to the duration of the Lansdowne Road Agreement, that is out to September 2018.  Under this provision the pension and retirement lump sum payable...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Redeployment (22 Sep 2015)

Brendan Howlin: As the Deputy will be aware at the moment there are no formal arrangements in place within the Civil Service to facilitate requests for transfers to other locations/employments, except in the case of grades represented by the Civil Public & Services Union.Transfers for these grades (mostly Clerical and Staff Officers) are arranged in accordance with formal procedures agreed...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pension Provisions (22 Sep 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I am happy to have delivered on my commitment to move towards lessening the impact of the Public Service Pension Reduction (PSPR) at the earliest date the economic and fiscal recovery enabled this Government to do so, with the majority of the planned benefit focussed on benefitting those PSPR-affected public service pensioners who are in receipt of relatively lower...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff (22 Sep 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Under the relevant legislation and Commisison for Public Service Appointments (CPSA) Code of Practice for Appointment to Positions in the Civil Service, a civil servant who has retired from the Civil Service in any circumstances can only seek a civil service appointment by way of a competition i.e. they must compete successfully at an open recruitment competition run by...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Sick Leave (22 Sep 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The Minister would like to clarify the following for the Deputy: - PeoplePoint is the HR and Pensions Administration shared service for the Civil Service. It transacts on behalf of the client Departments and Public Service Bodies it serves, which is currently 26,500 Civil Servants. - In line with D/PER Circular 6/2014 Arrangements for Paid Sick Leave and Public Service Management (Sick...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff (22 Sep 2015)

Brendan Howlin: As the Deputy is aware, that while I cannot comment on individual cases or circumstances the following sets out the position in relation to selection procedures in the civil service. There is no provision in the legislation to allow the reinstatement to the Civil Service of a former civil servant other than by way of competition. Such persons wishing to rejoin the Civil Service must...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: EU Funding (22 Sep 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The Cork Event Centre project was included in the Exchequer Stimulus package announced in Budget 2014.  The project is being part funded from the proceeds of the National Lottery Licence transaction with an Exchequer grant of €12m being provided through the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. The project featured on the initial Irish project list...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Budget 2016 (22 Sep 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 427 and 428 together. The Spring Economic Statement (SES) and the corresponding Stability Programme Update (SPU) outlined that fiscal space of the order of €1.2 to €1.5 billion is expected to be available for Budget 2016 split evenly between expenditure increases and tax reductions. This would allow Government to target an increase in...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff Data (22 Sep 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 430 and 433 together. I understand that the Deputy's questions primarily relates to employment opportunities for disabled people in the civil and wider public service.  As the Deputy will be aware, the civil and public service is an equal opportunities employer and all recruitment campaigns are conducted in strict compliance with...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (22 Sep 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The Public Appointments Service (PAS) is independent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform in the carrying out of its functions including in relation to decision-making on testing for recruitment to the civil service.  Recruitment generally is subject to the Commission for Public Service Appointments (CPSA) Code of Practice for Appointment to...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (22 Sep 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I understand that the Deputy's question relates to employment opportunities for people with a disability in the civil and wider public service. The moratorium on recruitment and promotion in the public service was introduced in 2009, as part of the response to the fiscal and economic crisis. In tandem with annual headcount targets set for each area of the public service under the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pension Provisions (22 Sep 2015)

Brendan Howlin: There were 312 pensions in payment in respect of former civil servants with an annual value in excess of €60,000 as of the most recent superannuation Vote payroll date (10 September). This represents 1.4% of the 21,605 pensioners on the payroll.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Irish Water Expenditure (22 Sep 2015)

Brendan Howlin: My comments, in April, that the cost of the abolition  of Irish Water could be around €900 million, some €300 million from the potential loss in revenue from domestic charges and a further €600 million in capital on balance sheet,  were made before the Eurostat determination on whether Irish Water expenditure was to...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Contracts Data (22 Sep 2015)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy's question the annual cost to my Department of fees paid to private for profit companies to provide public services is nil.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Contracts Data (22 Sep 2015)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy's question the table below provides information on the annual costs of outsourced services to my Department since September 2014 to date. Description Total Consultancy Fees €627,921 Training €264,919 Cleaning €130,028 Catering €24,914 The OPW have indicated that they will respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015 (22 Sep 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015 provides that the Standards in Public Office Commission, an independent body, is the Registrar of Lobbying.  The Standards Commission has a specific role under section 17 of the Act to issue guidance and information to promote an understanding of the legislation. The Standards Commission has prepared an information guide on the Regulation of Lobbying....