Results 10,721-10,740 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Haddington Road Agreement Negotiations (4 Jun 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy has quoted from the Haddington Road agreement. It is my intention as I faithfully negotiated it with all trade unions. It was the first time that every public service trade union voted for an agreement because people were seized of the necessity to save the country at that stage. The structure of the Haddington Road agreement is to require pay reductions from those who best are...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Haddington Road Agreement Negotiations (4 Jun 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I have a good memory and I recall. Unlike some members of the Deputy's party opposite, I have a very good memory of everything in which I was involved in the past. I remember the day of the Haddington Road agreement. I remember the Deputy opposite standing on the plinth decrying the agreement, sight unseen. It had not yet been published and the Deputy was against it because that is the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Budget 2014 (4 Jun 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy cannot will the ends and deny the Government the means.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Budget 2014 (4 Jun 2014)

Brendan Howlin: It said no such thing.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Budget 2014 (4 Jun 2014)

Brendan Howlin: While the Deputy would like to rewrite history, had the Government implemented the programme that Fianna Fáil agreed with the troika, as part of the previous Administration the Deputy personally would be spending €1.5 billion less on social welfare this year. One can work out what that would mean for pensioners, for those dependent on social welfare provision and for the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Haddington Road Agreement Negotiations (4 Jun 2014)

Brendan Howlin: To achieve the general Government deficit target of below 3% of GDP by 2015, all components of the public finances must make a contribution. I have acknowledged repeatedly that public servants have made a significant contribution to the fiscal recovery of the State through a number of measures which have helped to reduce the public service gross pay bill from its peak of €17.5 billion...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Budget 2014 (4 Jun 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Government decided on departmental allocations for 2014 in the budget which I announced on 15 October 2013. The full details of these allocations were set out in the Revised Estimates for public services published on 18 December 2013 and approved by the Dáil on Thursday, 30 January 2014. Ministers and their Departments are responsible for ensuring that their Vote-level allocations...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Budget 2014 (4 Jun 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy had better make up his mind. One day he accuses us of following the Fianna Fáil programme to the letter and states we should not get any credit for it because it is all Fianna Fáil's doing while the next he is saying it is a programme Fianna Fáil wants to completely disown and it has nothing to do with it. In truth, it is neither. We renegotiated the programme...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (4 Jun 2014)

Brendan Howlin: We have 287,000 public servants and it is a bit disingenuous to mention three in the scale of what we need to do. As the Deputy is aware - I accept it is not politically acceptable to him - the whole focus of what we have to do is balance our budget in order that we can afford to maintain public services into the future. The Deputy is against a reduction in numbers in any sector, even in...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (4 Jun 2014)

Brendan Howlin: It is not only ridiculous but wrong to say public services have ground to a halt. A total of 287,000 public servants are working very hard to provide a very fine public service to people. Of course there are pressures, because we are in a situation where we have downsized and where we have to reduce expenditure as we do not have the capacity to spend. We cannot spend money we do not have....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Private Partnerships Cost (4 Jun 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I have already answered that question inasmuch as it is each line Department which is responsible for the oversight and maintenance of projects within their own area. The Deputy told us her question was out of order but then asked a series of supplementary questions on the question on which I am not briefed, so it is not reasonable that I would be asked to answer them. However, in general...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (4 Jun 2014)

Brendan Howlin: As I have previously stated, there is no embargo on recruitment to the public service.  To safeguard front line and priority services, the Government has allowed for critical posts to be filled throughout the period of consolidation of our public finances, as the Deputy well knows. In addition to this ongoing recruitment, special provision was made in last...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Legislative Measures (4 Jun 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I have indicated the two Acts that have not commenced and the reasons for that delay. In regard to the National Lottery Act 2013, my recollection is that it was brought fully into effect on the day the national lottery contract was signed. The establishment of a banking inquiry is nothing to do with me. Under the terms of the relevant Act, it is a matter solely for the Houses of the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Private Partnerships Cost (4 Jun 2014)

Brendan Howlin: On Tuesday, 13 May, I announced phase 4 of the infrastructure stimulus projects. This phase involves €200 million of Exchequer investment to fund projects in a range of sectors, including road schemes, social housing to meet acute needs arising in that area, and a range of tourism-related works that will help to support long-term jobs in that sector.  This...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Private Partnerships Cost (4 Jun 2014)

Brendan Howlin: All of the €200 million stimulus I recently announced is coming from the dividend paid to the State by ESB and Bord Gáis Éireann from the sale of assets. On the Deputy's second question, I have no notice in regard to water investment. I would have sought a briefing on the issue if I had known the Deputy was going to inquire about it. However, what I will say, in general...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Legislative Measures (4 Jun 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The following are the legislative provisions under my remit that have been passed by the Oireachtas and have yet to come into effect. The first is the Construction Contracts Act 2013, the aim of which is to have a new system which will both reduce the non-payment exposure of subcontractors and provide an effective remedy for them should non-payment occur. The Bill passed all Stages in the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Legislative Measures (4 Jun 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy asked me two questions. Regarding his first one as to why I did not commence the Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Act immediately, I engaged in consultation with the affected people. Deputy Catherine Murphy, who is present in the Chamber, will confirm that there is a requirement to have a lead-in time for people to make necessary arrangements. I...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Housing Finance Agency Issues (4 Jun 2014)

Brendan Howlin: There has been no change in policy in relation to dividends from the HFA. The primary concern is to ensure that the HFA, like any financial institution, maintain sufficient reserves. The reserves of the Housing Finance Agency at the end of 2012 stood at €72.8m having increased by €13.7m during 2012. It was considered by the Board that the Reserves, which are maintained at...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Policy (4 Jun 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 12 and 16 together. While Ireland is no longer in a Troika programme following our successful programme exit in December 2013, we are still subject to the fiscal deficit ceilings for Ireland as set out in the Excessive Deficit Procedure (EDP).  The Government's overall fiscal target is to reduce the General Government Deficit to 4.8% for 2014 and to...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Risk Assessments (4 Jun 2014)

Brendan Howlin: As outlined to the Deputy in the reply to Parliamentary Questions 16 and 41 of 26 February 2014, the core strategy for addressing flood risk in the Shannon Basin is the River Shannon Catchment Flood Risk Assessment & Management (CFRAM) Study and I am advised that good progress continues to be made on the project. A total of 66 locations along the Shannon have been identified for...