Results 9,001-9,020 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 11 - Public Expenditure and Reform (Revised)
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Revised)
Vote 14 - State Laboratory (Revised)
Vote 15 - Secret Service (Revised)
Vote 16 - Valuation Office (Revised)
Vote 17 - Public Appointments Service (Revised)
Vote 18 - Shared Services (Revised)
Vote 19 - Office of the Ombudsman (Revised)
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement (Revised) (11 Feb 2015)

Brendan Howlin: There is one director general at a salary of €136,496, six senior investigators at salaries of €103,976, 16 assistant principal investigators at salaries of €83,500, ten higher executive officers at a cost of €60,224 each, 15 executive officers at a cost of €49,837 each, two administrative officers at a cost of €60,224 each, one staff officer at a...

Other Questions: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (11 Feb 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy raised a number of questions. I have indicated previously that over and above matters such as pay savings and the capacity to make decisions at front-line level, there are overarching issues in respect of which we have taken a whole-of-government approach. I refer, for example, to the recommencement of recruitment to the Garda Síochána, the recruitment of 1,700...

Other Questions: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (11 Feb 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Yes, those are the sort of matters that will be discussed. It will not simply be a matter of discussing pay. I am determined that we will retain the productivity gains that have been made in order that we might ensure sustainable public services into the future.

Other Questions: Economic Policy (11 Feb 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The notion that we have the lowest pay in the OECD is not true; we do not have the lowest pay. One can see what Greece is paying. It wants to increase its monthly minimum wage to something of the order of €750. Therefore, the progress we have made is remarkable. We have put people back to work and have stabilised our economic fortunes. Bluntly, had we followed the path mapped out...

Other Questions: Aer Lingus Sale (11 Feb 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The Government's shareholding in Aer Lingus was one of the assets included in the State assets disposal programme approved by Government in 2012, for which I am responsible.  Accordingly, my Department is represented on the interdepartmental steering group which is currently examining the issues arising from the recent approaches to Aer Lingus by...

Other Questions: Aer Lingus Sale (11 Feb 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The Irish Takeover Panel has deemed that Aer Lingus is now in an offer period. The panel's rules in regard to communications apply to all parties during this offer period. All parties, including the Government as a shareholder, must apply the highest standards of care to any statements we make on the matter. Specifically, shareholders must take care in any of their communications to avoid...

Other Questions: Aer Lingus Sale (11 Feb 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I am always amused by the Deputy's cavalier attitude to the law. I have indicated what the rules are and we are obliged to adhere to them. It is not a matter, like her views on the Constitution, that we can accept or reject it according to the vagaries of the day and the political advantage to be made. Government does not operate like that. As regards the share price, the Deputy can be...

Other Questions: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (11 Feb 2015)

Brendan Howlin: As I stated in response to the earlier question, the moratorium on recruitment and promotion in the public service will be replaced this year with new arrangements, giving Departments delegated sanction for the management of staffing numbers.  This will be subject to Departments remaining within binding pay ceilings and meeting ongoing efficiency and reform objectives. Discussions...

Other Questions: Government Expenditure (11 Feb 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I do not agree with the Deputy at all; I think it would be helpful to know. Everybody is in favour of more services and so on, but we need to know their cost and how they will fit in to affordability. That is part of the anchoring of policy discussion in what is deliverable. As I said when I addressed the committee of which the Deputy is a member, we have established the Irish Government...

Other Questions: Economic Policy (11 Feb 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The banking crisis in 2008 and subsequent recession had a profound impact on the public finances, as everybody in this House knows. The scale of the challenge facing both the economy and the public finances was considerable with gross voted expenditure being reduced from its peak of €63.1 billion in 2009 to €54 billion in 2014, a reduction of 14.4%. The Government's priority...

Other Questions: Economic Policy (11 Feb 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I thank the Deputy for his remarks. We need to ensure that it does and the Government is determined to do so. Stability will be required. Instability exists outside our own environment and might have an impact upon us. We do not know what will happen, for example, in eastern Europe, particularly in Ukraine, and such factors have a destabilising effect. We can control what we can do...

Other Questions: Economic Policy (11 Feb 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I foresee two sets of issues. I have already mentioned one, the external environment. There are obviously uncertainties over eastern Europe, particularly Ukraine. There are uncertainties over the position of Greece and the future inclusion of the United Kingdom within the European Union. Those are matters over which we have very little control, but they may impact on us and we need to...

Other Questions: Economic Policy (11 Feb 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Some 20,000 public servants to be fired.

Other Questions: Economic Policy (11 Feb 2015)

Brendan Howlin: In response to Deputy Lawlor, he never misses the main chance. I understand exactly the project in which he is interested and I certainly will have regard to that. I will deal briefly with Deputy McDonald's remarks. When the facts of the matter do not suit the case and do not suit the political argument-----

Other Questions: Economic Policy (11 Feb 2015)

Brendan Howlin: -----she uses generalisms. Medical cards are not being taken. There are more medical cards now than we ever had in our history. That is an undeniable fact. When we have the most strained pressures on our resources, we are providing more medical cards. We will provide free GP care to those aged under six and over 70.

Other Questions: Economic Policy (11 Feb 2015)

Brendan Howlin: In terms of poverty, I do not know if the Deputy had a chance to look at the presentation given to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education and Social Protection two weeks ago. Almost uniquely, we have gone through the most difficult economic environment in our history while reducing inequality. No other country - not Greece, Portugal or Spain - reduced inequality. That is because we...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (11 Feb 2015)

Brendan Howlin: From the very beginning, our approach has been one of discussion and agreement. Any proposals we have made on public sector pay and conditions have been negotiated with the public sector unions and agreed by vote, in contrast with the approach of the previous Government, which imposed changes arbitrarily. I agree entirely on the notion that working people and public servants in particular...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (11 Feb 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I have said I want to see the first quarter figures, which I will have at the end of March or early April. I hope to have the initial scoping discussions with the public sector unions in April. I do not know whether a formal pay claim will be lodged before it. I have indicated that I want to do it face up with the public sector unions, as I approached the Haddington Road agreement, so they...

Other Questions: Government Expenditure (11 Feb 2015)

Brendan Howlin: It is a very tricky question. Ministerial expenditure ceilings are decided by the Government within the context of the overall Government expenditure ceiling required to ensure that our fiscal targets are achieved, and have a statutory basis in the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 2013. We legislated for them. The multi-annual voted expenditure ceilings allow for greater...

Other Questions: Government Expenditure (11 Feb 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Like the Deputy, I read all these things with very great interest. We set out the economic horizons and I engaged with Ministers, who have great flexibility within their budget lines to reprioritise. However, it must be decided by the Government as a whole. People are entitled to debate these plans and, under the new budgetary system, I have encouraged such debates. The committees of the...