Results 9,121-9,140 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Semi-State Bodies Remuneration (3 Feb 2015)

Brendan Howlin: In 2013 the Government reviewed the position on the payment of performance related reward schemes or bonuses for Chief Executive Officers in Commercial State Companies and agreed to continue with the policy which it introduced in 2011 of requesting the State Companies concerned not to award such bonus payments in light of the serious state of the public finances. Furthermore the...

Seanad: Regulation of Lobbying Bill 2014: Second Stage (29 Jan 2015)

Brendan Howlin: No, except, if lobbied. If the Senator sees that the person who lobbied him or that person's organisation would fall within the remit of the legislation and is not registered, he would be minded, I imagine, to notify the Standards in Public Office Commission, SIPOC, of the matter.

Seanad: Regulation of Lobbying Bill 2014: Second Stage (29 Jan 2015)

Brendan Howlin: No. This boils down to what is practical. I do not want to put a legal obligation on every local authority member and Senator in the country to keep checking the register or for them to be wondering if the person he is dealing with is registered.

Seanad: Regulation of Lobbying Bill 2014: Second Stage (29 Jan 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Yes. However, there is no responsibility on the Senator.

Seanad: Regulation of Lobbying Bill 2014: Second Stage (29 Jan 2015)

Brendan Howlin: No. This is the point I am making. We need to explain to organisations, if they are going to make contact with policy formers captured by the Act, that they have a legal responsibility. It would be a very big responsibility if I reversed that-----

Seanad: Regulation of Lobbying Bill 2014: Second Stage (29 Jan 2015)

Brendan Howlin: -----in the way the Senator is suggesting.

Seanad: Regulation of Lobbying Bill 2014: Second Stage (29 Jan 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The onus falls on the lobbyist to register and not on the person lobbied. This is the international model. We had this debate with the Senator's colleague in the other House on Ministers attending, for instance, a Council meeting abroad. If Members of this House were on a foreign visit and someone made contact with the Member there, it would be very burdensome and a reversal of what I...

Seanad: Regulation of Lobbying Bill 2014: Second Stage (29 Jan 2015)

Brendan Howlin: We would have a number of variations of the law, even within this House, dare I say it, given one or two of the contributions made. Grassroots organisations and astroturfing are captured. Section 5(4) refers to communications made personally, "directly or indirectly". If a person is indirectly getting people to make the communications, that person will be captured by the legislation....

Seanad: Regulation of Lobbying Bill 2014: Second Stage (29 Jan 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I thank all Senators for their contributions. I will not be able to cover everything in the few minutes I have remaining but my officials and I have made notes and we will reflect on all the points made. I appreciate the welcome for the Bill across all benches. The principles enshrined in this Bill are supported across the House. Many Members of this House indicated that this was anchored...

Seanad: Regulation of Lobbying Bill 2014: Second Stage (29 Jan 2015)

Brendan Howlin: All submissions are published on the Department's website.

Seanad: Regulation of Lobbying Bill 2014: Second Stage (29 Jan 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I am afraid I do.

Seanad: Regulation of Lobbying Bill 2014: Second Stage (29 Jan 2015)

Brendan Howlin: True.

Seanad: Regulation of Lobbying Bill 2014: Second Stage (29 Jan 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I am glad to be back in the Seanad again so soon. Active lobbying is an essential element of a well functioning and mature democracy. The purpose of lobbying by individuals or groups is to inform government as to different societal and sectoral perspectives on policy matters and to seek to influence decisions taken at political and administrative level. The institutions of government need...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministerial Appointments (29 Jan 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I have not received any representations from the individual concerned seeking persons to be appointed to any position that falls under my Department's remit.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Comprehensive Expenditure Report 2015-2017: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (28 Jan 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I thank the Vice Chairman and committee for the invitation to meet them today to discuss the 2014 comprehensive review of expenditure. As the joint committee knows, I published the outcome of that review process at budget time in the form of the Comprehensive Expenditure Report 2015-2017. All the relevant committees of course will have occasion in the coming few weeks to discuss the outcome...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Comprehensive Expenditure Report 2015-2017: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (28 Jan 2015)

Brendan Howlin: I have plenty of time for everybody.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Comprehensive Expenditure Report 2015-2017: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (28 Jan 2015)

Brendan Howlin: We have had this discussion previously. My officials asked the clerk whether there were any particular issues committee members would like me to address and nothing came back to me.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Comprehensive Expenditure Report 2015-2017: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (28 Jan 2015)

Brendan Howlin: The opening statement was going to deal with what committee members wanted. It was only drafted this morning on the basis we got nothing back.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Comprehensive Expenditure Report 2015-2017: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (28 Jan 2015)

Brendan Howlin: Could the Deputy put the question again, please?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Comprehensive Expenditure Report 2015-2017: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (28 Jan 2015)

Brendan Howlin: For 2011.