Results 9,341-9,360 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin
- Other Questions: Public Private Partnerships Data (16 Dec 2014)
Brendan Howlin: Does the Deputy mean previous-----
- Other Questions: Public Private Partnerships Data (16 Dec 2014)
Brendan Howlin: The totality-----
- Other Questions: Public Private Partnerships Data (16 Dec 2014)
Brendan Howlin: Yes. I understand that the commitments relating to the PPPs out there are of the order of €5 billion. Perhaps I am wrong. I understand that approximately up to €1 billion worth of those are in water and wastewater services through various local authorities. I believe these might now be transferred to Irish Water but the legislation before the House is now saying that the...
- Other Questions: Public Private Partnerships Data (16 Dec 2014)
Brendan Howlin: I have given the Deputy all the PPPs that have come on stream since I became Minister. There are, obviously, liabilities from the new Courts of Justice and other things that were built under PPPs under the previous Administration or Administrations. I will give the Deputy the consolidated unitary payments in a written reply.
- Other Questions: Estimates Process (16 Dec 2014)
Brendan Howlin: With regard to the Minister for Health being able to predict an overrun in October, I had indicated to the House that there would be an overrun in the health Estimate by October 2014. The Deputy is asking for me to have been able to predict this in October 2013 when I introduced the budgetary parameters. That would be a little more challenging but from now on it would be a brave Minister...
- Other Questions: Public Private Partnerships Data (16 Dec 2014)
Brendan Howlin: In July 2012, I announced a €2.2 billion stimulus package that included the launch of for the time time of a new PPP programme. The PPP projects, involving estimated overall capital investment of approximately €1.4 billion, are being delivered by a range of Departments and agencies across the education, transport, health and justice sectors. All the projects have been issued...
- Other Questions: Estimates Process (16 Dec 2014)
Brendan Howlin: The Deputy cannot have it both ways. She cannot criticise it and -----
- Other Questions: Estimates Process (16 Dec 2014)
Brendan Howlin: The Deputy is focusing on health expenditure and I have indicated to her that I took the opportunity to talk to the expert panel with the OECD on health expenditure generally within OECD countries. Health expenditure is a pressure point everywhere and there is no simple solution anywhere. It amounts to some degree of rationing, either through an insurance or public health model and will be...
- Other Questions: Ministerial Pensions (16 Dec 2014)
Brendan Howlin: Obviously, people will not be Ministers for 20 years. I do not think it happened in the past, but it will not happen in the future. It is understood accrual would be swifter and that has been the way ever since pensions were introduced. As I indicated, we have worked to reduce the amounts considerably. I do not know whether it is the view of the Deputy that there should be no pensions for...
- Other Questions: Estimates Process (16 Dec 2014)
Brendan Howlin: The Government published the Revised Estimates in December 2013, with the amount allocated being consistent, as I indicated, with the budget 2014 target of reducing the deficit to 4.8% of GDP. In the period since then, the fiscal and economic outlook has improved and strong growth has returned an initial 30,000 jobs. Receipts into State coffers are €1.1 billion ahead of what we...
- Other Questions: Ministerial Pensions (16 Dec 2014)
Brendan Howlin: All the levies the Deputy mentioned also fall on Members of the Oireachtas. We are not immune from any of these measures. Fast-accrual pensions apply to certain categories of person. Whereas a civil servant may be employed in the Civil Service for 40 years, a Taoiseach or garda will not be in his or her role for 40 years. Taoisigh and gardaí have fast-accrual pensions because it is...
- Other Questions: Office of the Ombudsman Status (16 Dec 2014)
Brendan Howlin: I do not have a closed mind on that at all. There has been significant appreciation and regard for the work of the Office of the Ombudsman over its 30-year remit. We have been very lucky with the people selected by various Administrations over the past 30 years to hold the office and who have built public confidence therein. The raft of additional bodies under the remit of the Ombudsman,...
- Other Questions: Office of the Ombudsman Status (16 Dec 2014)
Brendan Howlin: I have actually discussed this issue with the Ombudsman, because he has very good ideas on it and I would like to develop these. I do not want to overwhelm the Office of the Ombudsman, because there is a raft of new bodies that have now come within its remit. I heard the Ombudsman on the radio last week signalling his office's openness to claims of maladministration in regard to the...
- Other Questions: Ministerial Pensions (16 Dec 2014)
Brendan Howlin: One does not get a pension and a Deputy's salary at the same time. That was abolished. The pensions of Oireachtas Members, including Ministers and other officeholders, have been subject to a range of measures in the past few years that have substantially reduced the benefits awarded by previous Governments to political officeholders and that have had significant downward effects on the...
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Corruption Perception Index (16 Dec 2014)
Brendan Howlin: I believe the establishment within my Department of the Office of Government Procurement represents a sea change in taking away procurement from a range of organisations throughout the State and into one centralised body that has standard rules of operation. This will be not only cost-effective but far more transparent in operation. The enactment of the new EU directive will further...
- Other Questions: Office of the Ombudsman Status (16 Dec 2014)
Brendan Howlin: The Ombudsman has submitted to me a range of proposals for reforms to his office and how it operates. I have asked my Department to examine these matters and report to me after further consultation with the Ombudsman. I listened with interest to the Ombudsman's speech at the IPA conference to celebrate the establishment of the Office of the Ombudsman 30 years ago, in which he set out the...
- Other Questions: Office of the Ombudsman Status (16 Dec 2014)
Brendan Howlin: I do not have the full list yet.
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Corruption Perception Index (16 Dec 2014)
Brendan Howlin: Does the Deputy's figure refer to the public procurement process excluding the construction sector?
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Corruption Perception Index (16 Dec 2014)
Brendan Howlin: The provisions I have outlined and the requirement for high standards are reflected in the model tender and contract documents for the procurement of goods and general services, as well as in instructions to tenderers and conditions of contract, where the standard forms of contract are used. These documents require that any conflict of interest or potential conflict of interest on the part...
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Shared Services (16 Dec 2014)
Brendan Howlin: That is happening with all shared services.