Results 8,521-8,540 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Requests (16 Jun 2015)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy's question, the following table outlines the number of Freedom of Information requests received by my Department since its formation in 2011: Freedom of Information Requests 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Number of requests received 61 178 99 110 113 Number of requests refused 5 20 8 14 9 Number of requests granted 38 51 29 55 23 Number of requests part-granted...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Legislative Process (16 Jun 2015)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy's question, the following table outlines the Bills initiated by my Department that have been subject to the pre-legislative scrutiny procedure in the Oireachtas: Number Name Purpose Subject to Pre-Legislative Scrutiny No. 33 of 2013 Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Act 2013 To provide for the exercise by either House or both Houses...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Legislative Process (16 Jun 2015)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy's question, the following table outlines the Bills initiated by my Department since September 2013: Number Name Enacted 1 Appropriation Act 2013 20/12/2013 (No. 43 of 2013) 2 Public  Service Management (Recruitment & Appointments) (Amendment)  Act 2013 24/12/2013 (No. 47 of 2013) 3 Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices)...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff Expenses (16 Jun 2015)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy's question, the following table details expenditure on staff subsistence payments and staff taxi payments in the years from 2011 to 2015: Year 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Staff Subsistence Payments €147,924 €211,882 €280,746 €356,408* €201,359 Staff Taxi Payments €3,492 €5,638 €6,983 €12,731*...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Consultancy Contracts (16 Jun 2015)

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 Independent verification of savings arising under the Public Service Agreement €35,819 June 2011 MKO Partners Ltd Report on...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (16 Jun 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 316 to 318, inclusive, together. The data sought by the Deputy is currently being collated and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Data (16 Jun 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Age related data on serving civil servants is readily available from 2006 onwards and it shows that over the period 2006 to 2015 the average age in the Civil Service rose from just over 43 years of age to almost 48 years of age, as presented in the table below.  The Moratorium on Recruitment over much of that period will have contributed to this.  Similar age related...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Tribunals of Inquiry Reports (16 Jun 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 321 and 322 together. The Moriarty Tribunal made two recommendations for changes to company law, as follows: - That a provision similar to section 172 of the UK Companies Act, 2006 be adopted, together with the adoption of additional implementation or enforcement measures. - That consideration be given by the Oireachtas, and/or by the Company Law Review...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (11 Jun 2015)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy's question the table provides the annual cost of introducing a minimum wage of €11.45 per hour for staff in my Department and its agencies. Organisation  Annual Cost The Public Appointments Service €117,237 The Valuation Office €18,570 The Office of the Ombudsman €26,233 Unfortunately due to time constraints I am unable to...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (11 Jun 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The Public Appointments Service (PAS) is the centralised recruitment body for the civil and public service established on an independent, statutory basis.  Through its selection competitions PAS establishes panels of suitably qualified individuals from which vacancies in the civil and public service may be filled. The specific information requested on clerical officer...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff Transfers (11 Jun 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The Central Transfer Scheme (CTS) for Clerical Officers was negotiated with the Staff Side Unions in 1978.  It provides for cross-Departmental transfer arrangements and is a mechanism for filling clerical vacancies in provincial locations. Each department with provincial offices maintains a list, in order of the application date, of clerical staff who are seeking a...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Policy (11 Jun 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 96 and 97 together. 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,...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (10 Jun 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Acts 2009 and 2013 made specific provision that where the remuneration of  public servants was reduced under those Acts, those reductions could be disregarded for the purpose of calculating any pension entitlement for certain periods of time. However the calculation of pension and retirement lump...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Industrial Relations (10 Jun 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 74 and 75 together. The recently announced proposals formulated by the Labour Relations Commission in relation to the Lansdowne Road Agreement provide inter alia for a 2.5% pay increase for public service pay levels up to €24,000 per year in 2016 and a €1,000 pay increase for remuneration levels up to €65,000 in 2017. In general, and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (10 Jun 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 76 to 78, inclusive, together. These questions all relate to the recent Labour Relations Commission  proposals for the extension to the Public Service Stability Agreement to 2018, under the title of the 'Lansdowne Road Agreement'. Following the conclusion of discussions on pay and reform in the public service on 29 May last,  the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pension Provisions (10 Jun 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Based on the terms of Section 99 of the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act, 2010, all Public Service Pension Schemes now provide equal pension provisions to surviving spouses and civil partners. The pensions of persons retiring from the Civil Service are generally covered under one of two schemes. The more recent, the "Revised"...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Expenditure (9 Jun 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The Referendums on Marriage Equality and Age of Eligibility for election to the Office of President together with the Bye-election in Carlow-Kilkenny were held on the 22nd May, 2015. Returning Officers are required to submit their accounts for the Referendums and bye-election to the Minister for Finance not later than six months after the date on which the poll was conducted...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Decentralisation Programme Data (9 Jun 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The Government cancelled the Decentralisation Programme in November 2011 in the light of the budgetary and staffing outlook. Details of the projects for which permanent accommodation was provided and to which staffing assignments were substantially completed are set out on the website at .

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (9 Jun 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Free collective bargaining between the employer and employee is recognised as a primary feature of the Industrial Relations landscape in Ireland and is underpinned in legislation by the Industrial Relations Acts and more recently the Workplace Relations Act 2015. This system applies to the public service also. This process has served the public service well during the years of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Civil Service Exchange Scheme (9 Jun 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The UK-Ireland scheme for the Exchange of Civil Servants was introduced in 1985. Under the terms of the Scheme civil servants from Ireland could be temporarily transferred to the UK civil service (including the Northern Ireland civil service) for six months, with a reciprocal arrangement for civil servants from the UK to be temporarily transferred to the Irish civil...