Results 8,781-8,800 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Seanad: Freedom of Information Act 2014 (Effective Date for Certain Bodies) Order 2015: Motion (2 Apr 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Yes.

Seanad: Freedom of Information Act 2014 (Effective Date for Certain Bodies) Order 2015: Motion (2 Apr 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I thank Members of the House for their contributions and will deal with the points raised. It has been my ambition for many years to reform totally the freedom of information regime and I was very pleased to begin the task as part of a suite of measures we have discussed at length in this House dealing with whistleblowing and the regulation of lobbying. I was looking at the regulation of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Act 2014: Motions (1 Apr 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I thank the Chairman for facilitating a debate on two orders under the Freedom of Information Act 2014 - a new Act that we debated at some length. One order provides for a different effective date for certain bodies under freedom of information, as I indicated would happen. The second order provides for exemptions from FOI in whole or in part for certain bodies. Both of these orders are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Act 2014: Motions (1 Apr 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I thank members for their contributions. It speaks volumes as to how we are in a whole new regime in that the freedom of information provisions now apply to everybody unless this committee discusses exceptions and both Houses agree to them. That has transformed the system. I do my best not to be discordant but it is difficult to listen to lectures from Deputy Fleming on broadening the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Act 2014: Motions (1 Apr 2015)

Brendan Howlin: There were no interjections until a journalist arrived.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Act 2014: Motions (1 Apr 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I want to be clear on this. The outworking of this legislation on FOI, which is, by international acknowledgment, ground-breaking and world class, will change the whole way in which bodies become subject to FOI such that they will be automatically included as opposed to being automatically excluded unless specifically included. However, we do have to have some discernment as to what is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Act 2014: Motions (1 Apr 2015)

Brendan Howlin: If we were to allow a raft of third-party people to make applications, that might delay the processing of applications and would not be in the interest of applicants. All of these things are fully encompassed in this comprehensive legislation. On the Private Residential Tenancies Board, I am, again, applying an effective date of 2012. I picked that date and not 2011 or 2013, for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Act 2014: Motions (1 Apr 2015)

Brendan Howlin: It was last year.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Act 2014: Motions (1 Apr 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Yes.

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

Brendan Howlin: Under EU and national rules, the public procurement of works, supplies and service contracts above certain thresholds must be awarded on the basis of objective and non-restrictive criteria. The aim of these European rules is to promote an open, competitive and non-discriminatory public procurement regime which delivers best value for money. It would be a breach of the rules for a public body...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Commercial Rates Impact (31 Mar 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I am aware that the Valuation Office have, as part of the National Revaluation Programme, completed the revaluation of all commercial properties in Limerick in 2014. Included in that revaluation were a number of wind farms and I understand that the revaluation of these properties will mean that these wind farm operators are facing substantial increases in their rates...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Sick Leave (31 Mar 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The reform of sick leave through the introduction of the scheme referred to in the Deputy's question was undertaken to reduce the unsustainble cost of sick leave in the public service.  It is not the case that the reform measures were 'backdated' as stated in the Deputy's question rather, the access to paid sick leave and the level at which sick leave is paid depends on an...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (31 Mar 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The following is a list detailing the sanctions for additional staff conveyed to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in 2013 and 2014. Table 1 - Additional Posts Sanctioned for Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade 2013 and 2014 - - - - - - Exception Sought Grade Exceptions Granted Sanction Date - - - - - - - - - - - - 2014 - - - Staffing for new Diplomatic Missions 1...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Child Abuse Reports (31 Mar 2015)

Brendan Howlin: My Department has not received a business case from the Child and Family Agency or from the Courts Service relating to the full implementation of the Ryan Report. As the Deputy is probably aware, the implementation of the Plan was overseen by a High Level Monitoring Group chaired by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs.  The fourth and final report of the Monitoring Group has been...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Leader's Allowance (31 Mar 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 290 to 293, inclusive, together. The Parliamentary Activities Allowance (formerly known as the Party Leader's Allowance) is provided for in the Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices Act, 1938, as amended, most recently by the Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices)(Amendment) Act, 2014. The allowance is paid to the parliamentary leader of a...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (31 Mar 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The Public Appointments Service (PAS) is an independent, statutory body which provides professional recruitment and selection services to the civil and public Service.  PAS advertised a recruitment competition for clerical positions in the civil and public service in June 2014 which attracted over 28,000 applications. This competition was launched in order to create panels of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (31 Mar 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The Public Appointments Service is the independent, centralised recruitment agency for the civil and public service. As the Public Appointments Service can only discuss the progress of an application with the individual concerned, I have requested that PAS communicate directly with the candidate in this instance.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts (31 Mar 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The Report on the performance of the Public Works Contract was published on 11 December last year.  It contains 4 interim recommendations and a framework for a medium term strategy to inform engagement between industry stakeholders. Engagement with industry stakeholders is underway on the interim recommendations and the three recommendations which amend the conditions of contract will be...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (26 Mar 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The  Haddington Road Agreement (HRA) underpinned by the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (FEMPI) Acts 2009-2013, forms the cornerstone of pay policy in the public service until 2016 when it is due to expire.  The Agreement, which contains a number of measures directly affecting the pay of staff, is delivering and is making a significant...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Legislative Process (26 Mar 2015)

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