Results 10,081-10,100 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Public Service Reform Plan Update (30 Sep 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Which judges does the Deputy have in mind?

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Public Service Reform Plan Update (30 Sep 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Therefore, the Deputy impugns all of them.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Public Service Reform Plan Update (30 Sep 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Is there a question? This is a speech.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Public Service Reform Plan Update (30 Sep 2014)

Brendan Howlin: What were the two boards?

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Public Service Reform Plan Update (30 Sep 2014)

Brendan Howlin: They are the ones that were statutorily provided for. One is the Public Appointments Service, PAS.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Public Service Reform Plan Update (30 Sep 2014)

Brendan Howlin: That is the law.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Public Service Reform Plan Update (30 Sep 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Does the Deputy read the reports of the committee?

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Public Service Reform Plan Update (30 Sep 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy put one in Europe.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Regulations (30 Sep 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Under EU Directives, and the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Government Procurement Agreement, the public procurement of works, supplies and service contracts above certain thresholds must be advertised awarded on the basis of objective and non-restrictive criteria. For works contracts the threshold is €5.186 million; for supplies and service contracts awarded by Government...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Civil Service Accountability (30 Sep 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The need to simplify organisational and grade structures so that all roles and responsibilities are clear is recognised as an important element of the civil service reform process. Restructuring of grades will support Departments to become more agile and responsive to demands. It will also improve decision-making by ensuring that grade does not limit opportunities to make decisions,...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Legislative Programme (30 Sep 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The work of the Statute Law Revision Programme to date in removing obsolete legislation from the statute book has been strongly supported by outside observers such as the OECD, and is a key part of the Programme for Government 2011-2016 and the Public Service Reform Plan 2014-2016. The forthcoming pre-1820 Bill will be the single largest repealing measure in the history of either this or any...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Commercial Rates Valuation Process (30 Sep 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 Act is quite specific in relation to the exemptions that can be implemented by the Commissioner of Valuation. These are set out in Schedule 4 of the Act and there is no discretion to grant exemptions not covered by Schedule 4....

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (30 Sep 2014)

Brendan Howlin: As I have previously stated, there is no embargo on recruitment to the Public Service. To safeguard frontline and priority services, the Government has allowed for critical posts to be filled throughout the period of consolidation of public service numbers.  In addition to this ongoing recruitment, special provision was made in last October's Budget for the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Agencies Expenditure (30 Sep 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The legal expenses incurred by the Commission for Public Appointments Service (CPSA) in 2014 amount to €130,322. In 2013, €34,534 was spent on legal fees on behalf of the CPSA, with €1,000 expended in 2012 and €22,000 in 2011. The Ombudsman Amendment Act 2012 provided for the merging of the Office of the CPSA with the Office of the Ombudsman with effect from 1...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Commercial Rates Valuation Process (30 Sep 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Valuation Act, 2001 provides in Schedule 3, Sections 1(a) and (b) that all buildings and lands used or developed for any purpose including constructions affixed thereto are rateable. The basic premise under the Act is that all interests (including buildings) and all developed land are rateable unless expressly exempted under Schedule 4. In general, the Act maintains the long-standing...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Agencies (30 Sep 2014)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy's question the following is a list of the State agencies, bodies, organisations and working groups under my Department's remit; the core duties and functions of same; the number of staff at same; the budget of each for 2013 and proposed budget for 2014; the date of establishment of the agencies or organisations; and the legislation, primary or otherwise, from...

Seanad: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (25 Sep 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I hear what the Senators have said. The amendments, taken together, seek the deletion of the entire list of exempt bodies. By and large, I want to exempt only two categories of bodies, namely, commercial bodies and North-South bodies. It is wrong to expect commercial companies that happen to be owned by the State, but operate on the same playing field as their competitors, to be subject to...

Seanad: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (25 Sep 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The port companies I have exempted are the remaining nine commercial port companies. Others have been merged. The port companies proposed for deletion by the Senator are all commercial port companies established under the Harbours Act 1996. Under the Act, 11 of the commercial harbours under the Harbours Act 1946 were established as companies under the Companies Acts, while others were...

Seanad: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (25 Sep 2014)

Brendan Howlin: To be clear, the idea of personal papers of some categories being exempt is covered in the section we are dealing with but section 42 Part V states that this Act shall not apply to the categories of records which are the records relating to the Members of the Oireachtas. I refer the Senator to section 42K which provides that a record relating to the private papers, within the meaning of the...

Seanad: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (25 Sep 2014)

Brendan Howlin: In replicating the wording of the Constitution I am giving the capacity for the Houses of the Oireachtas - I am surprised they have not done so - to enact such Standing Orders as would be expected.