Results 9,881-9,900 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Oireachtas Joint Committee Reports (6 Nov 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Houses of the Oireachtas (Powers, Privileges and Procedures) Act 2013 amended and simplified the law on the compellability of witnesses to Oireachtas Committees that have the power, conferred by the relevant House or both Houses, to send for persons, papers and records.  This applies both to the conduct of parliamentary inquiries into matters of significant public...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (6 Nov 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy will be aware that in seeking the most recent savings and reductions from the public service pay and pensions bill, public service employers and trade unions entered into negotiations and concluded a collective agreement, the Haddington Road Agreement. This three year Agreement, effective from July 2013, built upon and reaffirmed the the existing overall...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Service Reform Plan Measures (6 Nov 2014)

Brendan Howlin: As I announced on Budget Day last month, I will seek to put in place new arrangements to replace the Moratorium on Recruitment and Promotion in the Public Service from 2015 onwards.  This will be subject to the issuance of formal delegated sanction by my Department to all other Government Departments and Offices, in return for agreed commitments by them to manage staff...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Consultancy Contracts Data (6 Nov 2014)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy's question the following table outlines the total amount spent on external reports commissioned by my Department since its inception in 2011: Name of External Report Costs Date of Commission Date or Expected Date of Publication Name of External Consultant Independent verification of savings arising under the Public Service Agreement €35,819.80 16 May 2011...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Housing Issues (6 Nov 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Responsibility for developing housing policy,  proposals for its  funding and implementation  are primarily a matter for my colleague the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government. As indicated in my announcement of  a €2.2 billion investment for social housing  in the Budget, I understand that he will be shortly...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Policy (6 Nov 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 83, 85 and 86 to 89, inclusive, together. The Deputy will note that Ireland is no longer subject to the Troika programme as this was successfully exited at end-2013. There remain, however, annual deficit ceilings set out in the Excessive Deficit Procedure which the Government must meet, and our fiscal policies are predicated on achieving these. To...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Service Reform Plan Update (6 Nov 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Since this Government took office, sustainable and far reaching Public Service Reform has been a key element of our strategy to meet the challenges that have faced the country in recent years. Public Service Reform will also continue to play a key role in our recovery. As the Deputy will be aware, we published our first Public Service Reform Plan in November 2011. A...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Superannuation Schemes (5 Nov 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Under the relevant Spouses' and Children's Superannuation Schemes contributions are, in compliance with scheme rules, properly deducted from on-going pay in what are termed "periodic contributions" at a rate of 1.5% of salary. In circumstances where an individual contests an issue concerning the deduction of periodic contributions, such periodic contributions will continue to be deducted...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Appointments to State Boards (5 Nov 2014)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy's question I can confirm that, currently, I have a list of sixty-two applicants that have expressed an interest in vacancies on State Boards under my remit which have been reviewed in past appointments to ensure that the most qualified/suitable persons were considered. As the Deputy will be aware, the Government recently announced a revised model for Ministerial...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Valuation Office (4 Nov 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Valuation Act, 2001 provides that all buildings used or developed for any purpose are rateable unless expressly exempted under Schedule 4 of the Act. The Commissioner of Valuation is independent in the performance of his functions under the Act and the making of valuations is his sole prerogative and I, as Minister, have no role in decisions in this regard. The current position under...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions Legislation (4 Nov 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The public service Pension-related Deduction (PRD), was introduced in March 2009 under the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2009. The PRD has raised an estimated €5.5 billion since it was introduced. Year Euro Amount (Millions) 2009 837 2010 949 2011 960 2012 935 2013 923 2014 883 Total 5,487 PRD reduced the cost of the public service...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions Legislation (4 Nov 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The powers granted by the Oireachtas under the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (FEMPI) Acts are temporary in nature and are predicated on the existence of a financial emergency in the State. In the course of my 2014 annual review, submitted to the Oireachtas, of the FEMPI measures impacting on public service pay and pensions, I concluded in June this...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Haddington Road Agreement Implementation (4 Nov 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Under the terms of the Pay and Productivitiy Measures outlined in sub section 2.4 of the Haddington Road Agreement the standard working week of public and civil servants was revised as follows: - Those with a working week of 35 hours or less (net of rest breaks) increased to a minumum of a 37 hour week. - Those with a working week that is greater than 35 hours but less than...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (4 Nov 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Public Appointments Service (PAS) advertised a competition for Clerical Officer in 2007. Following the competitive process panels of qualified individuals were established for various locations from which vacancies were filled. The competition was held using technology which has since been replaced and records are not readily accessible to PAS. The requirement for a manual search of the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (4 Nov 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Recruitment to the civil service and a range of other public bodies is handled under the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act 2004 which established a central recruitment agency, the Public Appointments Service (PAS), for this purpose.  The PAS operates under licence from the Commission for Public Service Appointments and is independent in its operations. No...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (4 Nov 2014)

Brendan Howlin: No performance related pay is payable to civil servants or similar grades in other parts of the public service, since the termination of the scheme of performance related pay in 2009. With regard to the Non-Commercial State Agencies, it is a matter of Government policy that Performance Related Award Schemes continue to be suspended on an indefinite basis.  Access to such schemes...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pension Provisions (4 Nov 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The minimum age at which a pension is payable in the Pension Scheme for Non-Established State Employees is 65 years.  A person may resign their post prior to their 65thbirthday and preserve their accrued pension benefits until they attain the age of 65 years. Alternatively members of the Non-Established State Employees Superannuation Scheme, prior to resigning/retiring, may apply to...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministerial Meetings (4 Nov 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Officials of my Department have attended  inter-Departmental meetings from time to time convened by the  Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and others at which the person concerned was present and where Irish Water related issues featured, such as the Water Sector Reform Programme Steering Group.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Service Reform Plan Measures (4 Nov 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Part III of the Comprehensive Expenditure Report 2014-2017, which was published on Budget Day last month, outlines the budget reform measures that have been introduced by my Department over the last number of years and provides a comparison with best practice as identified by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).  It shows that the new approach...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts Social Clauses (4 Nov 2014)

Brendan Howlin: As outlined in the response to PQs: 93 of 3 April 2014 (PQ 15781/14 refers); PQs 259 and 260 of 21 October 2014 (PQs 39990/14 and 39992/14 refers), a pilot social clause for inclusion in the Devolved Schools Programme, which is being administered by the National Development Finance Agency on behalf of the Department of Education and Skills was approved last year by the Government Contracts...