Results 8,361-8,380 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Other Questions: Ministerial Expenditure (2 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I actually do not have the aggregate figure, but the Deputy can do her own tot.

Other Questions: Government Expenditure (2 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: This is the first time a Government has made, six months in advance of a budget, its best effort to provide the economic framework for budgetary decisions with extensive supporting documentation. We previously submitted stability programme updates to Brussels after fairly cursory debates, but the spring economic statement is a new departure. The Deputy is correct that forecasts for...

Other Questions: Government Expenditure (2 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Beyond next year.

Other Questions: Government Expenditure (2 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I do not think the Deputy is decrying the fact we made more progress than we expected. The economic situation improved more than we prudently forecast in the stability programme update. We did not issue a spring economic statement before this year. We issued a stability programme update, which is a different animal. The update is a technical set of documents prepared for the European...

Other Questions: Information and Communications Technology (2 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I thank the Deputy for raising this important question. Efforts aimed at reducing the amount of paper-based processes in the public service have been under way for a number of years. As the Deputy will be aware, the Government approved the ICT strategy for the public service earlier in the year. The strategy has five key strategic objectives which set the future direction for innovation...

Other Questions: Public Private Partnerships Data (2 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: It is still a matter of debate.

Other Questions: Public Private Partnerships Data (2 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I hope so. We are very close to the end of this term and I am still in bilateral discussions with all of my colleagues. I am trying to bring to a conclusion as quickly as I can.

Other Questions: Government Expenditure (2 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I indicated in an earlier response that I welcomed the establishment of the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council, IFAC, which brings an independent expert perspective to assessing fiscal matters. In its recent report, IFAC commented on the demographic pressures on expenditure in the context of the forecasts made in the Spring Economic Statement, SES. As the demographic profile of our population...

Other Questions: Public Private Partnerships Data (2 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Of the eight public private partnerships, or PPPs, in the current programme announced in 2012, the position is as follows. Two projects are currently in construction; the N17/18 Gort-Tuam PPP and schools bundle No. 4. A preferred tenderer has been appointed in a further five projects; the M11 Gorey-Enniscorthy PPP; the N25 New Ross bypass PPP; the Courts Service PPP; the primary care...

Other Questions: Public Private Partnerships Data (2 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: If the Deputy has any particular projects in mind, I would be delighted to provide the information.

Other Questions: Public Private Partnerships Data (2 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Rather than try to answer within a minute, I will send the Deputy a note on the public private partnerships to come on stream. I will go through a couple very quickly. I expect the contracts on the N11 project to be signed within weeks. There was a slight difficulty in regard to foreshore licensing in respect of the N25. That is being concluded and I expect the contract to be signed...

Other Questions: Public Private Partnerships Data (2 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The vast bulk of schools are being provided through normal Exchequer funding. While I do not have the details in front of me, from memory Deputy Ruairí Quinn announced approximately 272 schools when he was Minister. We have built all but 99 and those are in train and will be provided under the capital plan. It is an enormous number of schools. Obviously, we have supplemented that...

Other Questions: Public Private Partnerships Data (2 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: No, the caretaker provided is a human being. What I am saying is that is all part of what is provided by a PPP. The laboratory and science rooms are fully equipped. We have to compare like with like in terms of value for money and they maintain it for the duration of the public private partnership. We have provided a huge sum of money in capital for direct social housing. We have also...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Pay (2 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: 10 o’clock On the Deputy's last question, the report is already before the House. I signed off on it on 29 June and it should now be available in the Oireachtas Library. The Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act, 2009, the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Act, 2009 and the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Pay (2 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Holding debates in the House is a matter for discussion among the Whips. I do not agree with the Deputy that we either have all or none of the FEMPI legislation, which is what he seems to be saying. There is consensus arising from the previous debates we have had on these matters that the measures must be wound down over time. We cannot take a hit of in excess of €2 billion in one...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Pay (2 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The difficulty is that there is not very much time remaining in this session. I hope I will be able to facilitate the discussion the Deputy is proposing. I would certainly welcome such an engagement.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Lansdowne Road Agreement (2 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Again, the Deputy is just not right, but she knows that. The Lansdowne Road agreement focuses entirely on the low paid.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Lansdowne Road Agreement (2 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy is talking about the Haddington Road agreement but we debated that at length. People knew what was coming in that agreement and there was a solemn commitment that when we cut people's pay, we would, in time, restore it. It was an emergency measure and there is no legal authority simply to cut people's pay forever.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Lansdowne Road Agreement (2 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: It had to be done in a structured way. I am now beginning to unwind that process so it does not fall by court challenge. I am doing it in a focused, fair way, initially restoring pay to the lowest paid. That has been acknowledged and understood by the trade union negotiators, who have their members' interests much closer to their hearts than the Deputies opposite.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council Reports (2 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The Government established the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council to provide an independent assessment of the fiscal stance in each budget and stability programme as part of the new medium-term budget framework. Given the Government's priority to ensure the ongoing sustainability of the public finances, I welcome the independent perspective provided by IFAC. As this House is aware, we have...