Results 8,401-8,420 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Data (2 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: At end-Q1 2015 the gender breakdown across all Government Departments from Assistant Principal level and upwards was: Grade Male Female Secretary General 24 6 Second Secretary 2 1 Deputy Secretary 14 4 Assistant Secretary 155 60 Principal 798 452 Assistant Principal 1,915 1,518 The Public Sector in Ireland has made strong efforts to promote equal opportunities and to achieve gender...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Haddington Road Agreement Implementation (2 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy will be aware that following discussions between Unions and Associations representing public servants in 2013, agreement was reached between public service employers and the unions and associations representing public servants on a Collective Agreement, the  Haddington Road Agreement (HRA). This Agreement provided inter alia  for the working of additional hours...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (2 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I assume the Deputy is referring to the 10% reduced rates of pay for new entrants. This was one of a number of measures, introduced over the period since the fiscal crisis which directly affected the pay of public service staff. The reductions in starting pay were introduced as part of the National Recovery Plan in order to reduce the Public Service Pay Bill by the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Exchequer Payments (2 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The Government is committed to exploring alternative service delivery models including external service delivery, as part of an overall objective to improve the quality and efficiency of public services, while ensuring they remain affordable and sustainable. This is a key component of the Public Service Reform Plan 2014 2016 which was published in January 2014. The Government has...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Infrastructure and Capital Investment Programme (2 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The results of the Capital Review undertaken by my Department will be set out in the Medium Term Capital Investment Framework Report that will be published when approved by Government. This Report will outline the capital envelope for the period to 2020 and identify priority areas for investment.  The purpose of the Capital Review is to assess all areas of public capital investment and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Policy (2 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The level of Government capital investment is decided in the context of the Government's fiscal targets, the fiscal outlook, and the Government's policies on taxation/revenue and on other areas of expenditure.  In recent years, fiscal policy has been to reduce the General Government Deficit in line with a series of targets, and to return the public finances...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Government Expenditure (2 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The Spring Economic Statement (SES) outlined that fiscal space of the order of €1.2 to €1.5 billion is expected to be available for Budget 2016. The fiscal projections contained in the SES and the Stability Programme Update (SPU) are based on a technical assumption of a budgetary package of €1.2 billion in 2016, split evenly between additional expenditure increases...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Regulations (2 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: EU Directives and national regulations impose legal obligations on public bodies in regard to advertising and the use of objective tendering procedures for awarding contracts above certain value thresholds.  The basic principle is that competitive tendering should be used other than in justifiably exceptional circumstances.  Even in the case of procurement which might not be subject...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Commercial Rates (2 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: As I indicated in my reply to Question No. 275 on 30 June, the Valuation Office is currently undertaking a systematic programme of revaluing, for rates purposes, all industrial and commercial properties in the State on a rating authority basis. The purpose of the revaluation is to bring more equity, fairness and transparency into the local authority rating system and to distribute the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministerial Meetings (2 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: As the Deputy will appreciate, in view of the range of my remit as Minister I receive representations, including requests for meetings from a broad range of sources, including members of the Oireachtas, local and voluntary groups and private individuals and companies. While my Office does not maintain a register of all such requests for meetings or invitations received, I can advise the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Commercial Rates Calculations (2 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The levying of rates on commercial property by reference to turnover or profit rather than net annual value/rental value would be a significant change and a departure from the long-standing practice of levying rates by reference to property values.  There are already taxes in place which are levied on business turnover/profit, i.e. VAT and income/corporation taxes. The basis of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Funding (2 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: There are more than 12,000 not-for-profit organisations in Ireland, providing employment for more than 100,000 people and with an estimated annual turnover of €6bn annually. The not-for-profit sector receives more than €4.4bn in annual public funding, yet there is no online source where the public can get an understanding of how the sector is composed and what social...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts (2 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The Office of Government Procurement has confirmed that the company (details supplied) has given notice to terminate the contract within the terms of the contract for the supply of stationery and office supplies to the OGP Group 4 "Sector" (i.e. Central Government, Local Authorities and Schools).  The termination date is 3 September 2015. The decision to terminate the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff Training (2 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: My Department's post-entry education scheme supports staff with their work and career aspirations and encourages a continuous organisational learning culture while developing and strengthening professional expertise and capacity. In the context of the ongoing need to update and develop new skills, the scheme recognises that supporting staff professional development is a...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Infrastructure and Capital Investment Programme (2 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 95 and 101 together. As the Deputy will be aware, my Department has undertaken a review of the public capital programme. The review sought to assess all areas of public capital investment and to refresh the existing investment strategy and multi-annual envelopes to ensure that critical infrastructure deficits are identified and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure Policy (2 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 96 to 100, inclusive, 102, 103 and 105 together. Evaluations are carried out by my Department in respect to the value of savings and reform as part of an ongoing process.  There has been a wide range of reports and guidelines published, which are available on my Department's website, along with links to other related websites.   In addition...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Regulations (2 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The reform of the procurement system across the public service is a key element of the reform programme for the public service.  The fragmented procurement arrangements across the public service have enabled suppliers to charge different public service bodies different prices for the same goods and services. The savings enabled by centralised public procurement will allow public service...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (2 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: At Budget time last October, I  announced an end to the Moratorium on Recruitment and Promotion in the Public Service, with new delegated management arrangements to be phased in during 2015. These delegated arrangements are designed to give Public Service managers the means to respond to service needs as they arise, including considerable...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Houses of the Oireachtas (Appointments to Certain Offices) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (1 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: As Deputy Fleming rightly said, he has proposed a long new section on the appointment of the Secretary General. The first part is a replication of the status quo. The position is that the Clerk of the Dáil is the Secretary General and we outlined on Second Stage, in some detail, the array of functions that the Secretary General of the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission has. Two...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Houses of the Oireachtas (Appointments to Certain Offices) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (1 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Are we going to adjourn or continue?