Results 10,181-10,200 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Performance Management Systems (18 Sep 2014)

Brendan Howlin: My Department is responsible for the operation of performance management in the civil service. The operation of performance management in the wider public service is the responsibility of individual public sector bodies.  Since its introduction in the civil service in 2000,  the Performance Management and Development System (PMDS) has been the subject of ongoing change...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Funding (18 Sep 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Government continues to prioritise resources for the health sector. I am currently in discussions with Ministerial colleagues regarding Budget 2015 and the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure as part of the 2015 Budget and Estimates process. Government policy on Budget 2015 will be announced on Budget Day the 14th of October 2014.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Parliamentary Party Allowances (18 Sep 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: Departmental Records (18 Sep 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The provision of the storage of records and archives is a shared service provided by the Department of Finance for both the Department of Finance and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.  Files are presently stored in two separate locations. The first is in our main premises in Government Buildings.  There is no cost for the storage in this area. The second...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Records (18 Sep 2014)

Brendan Howlin: File Management and Archiving is a shared service provided by the Department of Finance for both the Department of Finance and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in respect of file management and paper records.  In return, my Department provides ICT services to the Department of Finance which includes electronic records. There is work ongoing within the Office of the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff (18 Sep 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Workforce Planning was launched within the Civil Service in November 2011 and is included in the Government's Public Service Reform Plan 2014-2016. The key principle of workforce planning is having the right number of people with the right skills in the right jobs at the right time.  Workforce planning requires organisations to focus on the range of skills they need to deliver on their...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff Redeployment (18 Sep 2014)

Brendan Howlin: There are no plans to set up a consultancy division in my department.  However, over recent years, the Business Consulting Unit in my department has been providing advice to public service organisations in the areas of business process improvement, service delivery and organisational development.  Expert advice is also provided within the public service by the Office of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Commercial Rates (17 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.  In general, the Act maintains the long-standing position that all commercial business properties, including those occupied and used for the provision of childcare facilities are liable for rates. Such rateable premises would ordinarily...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (17 Sep 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Public Appointments Service recently advertised a recruitment campaign for Clerical Officers in the Civil and Public Service.   Over 28,000 applications were received by the closing date and the competitive selection process is currently underway. The selection process takes account of candidates' previous relevant experience. Should a candidate be invited to...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Semi-State Bodies Dividends (17 Sep 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I presume that the Deputy is referring to the recent announcement by ESB that it no longer intends to proceed with the planned sale of its two peat-fired power plants under the State assets disposal programme, but instead will fund the remaining amount of the special dividend requirement for the Exchequer from borrowings drawn down within its existing banking facilities. This decision...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Construction Contracts (17 Sep 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Construction Contracts Act 2013 was passed in order to help address the issue of non-payment to construction sector sub-contractors who have completed work on construction projects in accordance with their contract conditions. The Act achieves this through two elements It provides new statutory arrangements for payments under construction contracts, including...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Revenue Commissioners Resources (17 Sep 2014)

Brendan Howlin: No request from Revenue to hire additional audit inspectors has been received or refused. While Revenue's staffing levels have decreased in line with Government policy on Public Service Numbers, I have given delegated sanction to Revenue to fill critical posts within the Office's overall Employment Control Framework ceiling. This sanction provides the potential to hire staff to meet specific...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Commercial Rates Exemptions (17 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. None of the specific exemptions...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: EU Directives (17 Sep 2014)

Brendan Howlin: On 28 March, 2014, the European Commission published three new Directives as a collective reform of the existing EU regime for public procurement under the existing provisions of Directive 2004/17/EU - coordinating the procurement procedures of entities operating in the water, energy, transport and postal services sectors and Directive 2004/18/EU - on the coordination of procedures for the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff Data (17 Sep 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The number of staff, in my Department, who retired, left or otherwise departed from their employment from 1 July 2013 to 31 December 2013 and the number to-date in 2014 are set out in the following table. - 2013 2014 Department of Public Expenditure and Reform 15 20 Shared Services 9 20 Office of Government Procurement 1 2 The following table reflects the number of staff who will be...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff Recruitment (17 Sep 2014)

Brendan Howlin: As the Deputy will be aware, my Department has been engaged in an extensive recruitment exercise over the past two years and this will continue into 2015 as progress continues to be made in establishing and resourcing the Shared Services Offices, the Office of Government Procurement and the OGCIO.  Although redeployment is being utilised wherever possible,  these new offices also...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Legislative Measures (17 Sep 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Under section 12 of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2013, I am required as Minister  to review the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Acts 2009-2013 annually and cause a written report of my findings to be laid before each House of the Oireachtas. As part of that review I am required to consider whether the various measures provided for under...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Debt Management (17 Sep 2014)

Brendan Howlin: My Department commissioned a review of debt management across five sectors: the HSE, Local Government, Department of Social Protection, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Courts Service. The review was conducted by BearingPoint, following a competitive tender process, and has been published on my Department's website. This review identifies the challenges facing these...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Increment Payments (17 Sep 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Haddington Road Agreement provides for a range of increment and related balancing measures depending on relevant earnings. Under the terms of the Agreement, those earning under €35,000 will have a three month increment pause during the lifetime of the Agreement. For those on salaries between €35,000 and 65,000, two three month increment pauses will apply (a total...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Data (17 Sep 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The information contained in the following table sets out as at end-June, 2014 the percentage of Civil Servants serving in the age ranges requested by the Deputy.  Age range (as at end-June, 2014)* % of Civil Servants in the range 20 0.2 20-29 4.1 30-39 22.7 40-49 28.2 50-59 37.2 60 7.6* For technical data management reasons this information...