Results 9,901-9,920 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

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

Brendan Howlin: Under the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995, a person who holds the office of chairman of a committee of either House, or the office of chairman of a joint committee of both Houses, can be expressly designated as an office holder by a resolution of the House or Houses, whether in the resolution(s) establishing that Committee or by separate resolutions. Since the 1995 Act came into force,...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Bodies (4 Nov 2014)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy's question I can confirm that no State Boards have been set up by my Department since the formation of this Government.

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

Brendan Howlin: I assume the Deputy is referring to the provision under the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2013 relating to what is known as the grace period for retirement for those affected by the pay reductions under the Act.  Section 9 of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2013 provides that persons retiring before 31 August 2014, or a...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Appointments to State Boards (4 Nov 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Government recently announced a revised model for appointments to State Boards. In future, all such appointments must be advertised openly on the State Boards portal at , which is operated by the Public Appointments Service. These new arrangements will apply to all appointments other than those where vacancies must be filled through a particular process or where...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (23 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy's question I can confirm that no organisation under my remit delivers bonuses to staff that need improvement.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Remit (22 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: In accordance with Section 1(3)(b) of the FOI Act 2014, in the case of a public body - such as is referred to in the Deputy's question - that was not subject to FOI under the FOI Act 1997 but is subject to FOI under the 2014 Act, the Act will apply to that body 6 months from enactment or on such later day, not later than 12 months from enactment, as the Minister may by order...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Job Creation (22 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Budget 2015 marked a move away from fiscal consolidation and saw the first increases to aggregate expenditure ceilings in six years. These increases are reflected in the Departmental expenditure ceilings (both capital and current) for the period 2015 to 2017 which are set out in the Comprehensive Expenditure Report. It is, of course, the changes to the capital budget which will...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Airport Development Projects (21 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: In the context of the agreement on the EU's Multi-annual Financial Framework (MFF), the Irish Government was successful in securing €1.2billion of Cohesion policy funding for the period 2014-2020.   This represented an increase of 8% in real terms over the 2007-2013 programming period.  In particular, the Government was successful in negotiating a special allocation...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Protected Disclosures in the Public Interest (21 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Protected Disclosures Act enacted in July 2014 establishes a comprehensive framework for safeguarding both public and private sector workers against penalisation for making protected disclosures in accordance with the Act.  The Act, which represents international best practice, provides for a number of different disclosure channels which are subject to...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Contracts Data (21 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 256 to 258, inclusive, together. It must be noted that much of the information sought by the Deputy is not centrally collected by my Department and certain information requested (including shareholder information) is not mandated to be collected by contracting authorities as part of a procurement process. Whilst individual contracting authorities in the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts Social Clauses (21 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 259 and 260 together. As outlined in the response to your earlier PQ 93 of 3 April 2014 (PQ 15781/14 refers), a pilot social clause has been included in the three devolved schools bundles which are being administered by the NDFA on behalf of the Department of Education and Skills. In summary the pilot clause requires that at least 10% of those working on...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Advertising Expenditure (21 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy's question I can confirm that my Department has incurred no cost on advertising for vacancies in 2014. The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has used the services of the Public Appointments Service (PAS) in all our recruitment requirements and related advertising who have a budget allocation for this purpose. My Department would only be required to pay...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Political Funding (21 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: 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 qualifying party in relation to expenses arising from the parliamentary...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts Social Clauses (21 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: On 9 June I announced the establishment of a Social Clauses Project Group to pro-actively look at projects with a view to including social clauses to ensure those awarded contracts contribute to employment or training opportunities for long term unemployed. The Group is chaired by the Office of Government Procurement (OGP). There are nominees from the following departments and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff Redeployment (21 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: In general, individual Departments with regionalised structures have agreed arrangements in place for the transfer of staff. Staff in the grades represented by the Civil & Public Services Union (CPSU) are covered by the Central Transfer Scheme. Transfers for CPSU grades (mostly Clerical and Staff Officers) are arranged in accordance with formal procedures agreed with the Staff...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff Redeployment (21 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy's question I can confirm that there are currently no civil servants in my Department, or in any organisation or body under the aegis of my Department who have designated a County Mayo venue as their preference for a transfer.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Data (21 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The number of staff in the Public Service at the end of Quarter 2, 2014 was just over 288,000. As announced on Budget day last week, new arrangements will be put in place for 2015 to govern how public services are staffed.  The Moratorium is being lifted and there will be no centrally dictated limits on staffing levels.  Instead, there will be a level of autonomy and flexibility...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (15 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I refer the Deputy to my reply to Questions Nos. 3 and 5 of 9 October 2014. The position remains unchanged.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Legislative Measures (15 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 27 and 30 together. The commencement of the Construction Contracts Act 2013 is dependent on a number of factors contained within the Act itself.  These include the appointment of the Panel of Adjudicators by the Minister, who must be highly qualified and suitable in order to ensure quality outcomes in disputes referred under the Act, the appointment of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff Remuneration (15 Oct 2014)

Brendan Howlin: There has been no performance related pay paid to any of my staff or the staff in my Department for the years 2011, 2012, 2013 and to date in 2014.