Results 8,421-8,440 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

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: If we agree to stay-----

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: Until 11 p.m.

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: There is a balance in numbers.

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: Deputy Billy Timmins is an independent voice. The other point in Deputy Fleming's amendment, which he did not reference, was the prioritising of candidates. That is not done by TLAC in the normal course. TLAC normally gives a Minister three names and simply deems them all to be qualified, so there is some flexibility for the Minister to make a discernment and I would like to give that same...

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: Yes.

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: Yes.

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: I am sure it will be wonderful but will not be in order. Good luck to the Deputy.

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: I was referring to it being in order in the context of debating it.

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: Excellent, and good luck.

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: I have certainly given careful consideration to this proposal. The reason for putting the formal TLAC process in place for the Clerk of the Dáil position is that it is a Secretary General level position. With respect to the three positions being proposed by Deputy Ó Snodaigh to be encompassed in the TLAC proposal, none of them has a current status higher than principal officer,...

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: I fully understand the issues raised by Deputy Ó Snodaigh. I apologise; I did not mean to imply that he wanted to do the same with the Clerk of the Seanad. At the moment there is an esteem due to the Seanad as a standalone House, even more so since the approval by the people's vote to retain the House. It would seem odd if the Dáil alone had the status of a TLAC-appointed Clerk...

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: I move amendment No. 6:In page 4, line 19, after “specified” to insert “by the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission”. A technical issue has been identified concerning the terms of the Bill as published. Section 14 of the Bill would insert a new section 6A into the staff of the Houses of the Oireachtas Act of 1959 so as to allow limits to be placed on the tenure of...

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: This is a technical amendment, of which I gave advance notice on Second Stage. Section 4 of this Bill, by repealing section 7(1) of the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act, would bring the appointment of the Clerk of the Dáil within the scope of that Act. That Act deals with normal appointments of senior civil servants, which is done on the basis of merit. I...

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: I will have to take advice on it.

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: I assume the commission falls with the Dáil.

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: Unlike Ministers who survive until-----

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: -----their replacement arrives at the door. I will check out that point for the Deputy for Report Stage.

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: I thank the committee for its efficiency.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts (1 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Public Procurement is governed by the EU Treaty, EU Directives, Regulations and national guidelines. These set down rules whereby contracting authorities must award contracts under procedures designed to achieve value for public money in an open, transparent and non discriminatory competitive process. Contracting authorities are precluded from awarding contracts to a company simply on the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Exchequer Savings (1 Jul 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Based on the information currently available to my Department, the estimated full year gross saving in the Exchequer and Local Government pay bill arising from a reduction in public service salaries (excluding hospital consultants) for amounts over €100,000 of 15% and amounts over €150,000 of 30% is some €11.2m. This does not take account of any offsetting reductions in...