Results 10,921-10,940 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions Levy (7 May 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Exchequer yield from the public service pension-related deduction (PRD) in the years 2009 to 2013 is as follows: 2009 - €837.419 million; 2010 - €948.605 million; 2011 - €960.224 million; 2012 - €934.739 million; 2013 - €930.284 million (provisional). These figures do not include non-Exchequer PRD receipts, as arising for example in the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pension Provisions (7 May 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Single Public Service Pension Scheme, which was launched on 1 January 2013, is the default pension scheme for persons commencing employment in the public service from that date onward. The Single Scheme is administered at workplace level in a large number of "relevant authorities", which equate to individual employments or sectors.  The most recent information on the total...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions Expenditure (7 May 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Total gross Exchequer expenditure on Public Service pensions in 2013 was €2.815 billion and the estimate for 2014 is €2.872 billion. I refer the Deputy to the Databank on my Department's website, . Information on this Databank includes details of Public Service staff numbers and pensioners, the corresponding pay...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions Data (7 May 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The estimated yield to Exchequer receipts from pension contributions by public servants in respect of the period 2009 to 2013 is as follows: Year Amount 2009 €578m 2010 €537m 2011 €540m 2012 €528m 2013 €514m (Provisional) 

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions Data (7 May 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Since its introduction on 1 January 2011 as provided for in the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2010, the Public Service Pension Reduction (PSPR) is estimated to have delivered annual savings to the public finances as follows: 2011 - €100 million; 2012 - €100 million; 2013 - €114 million. These savings constitute estimates...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts (7 May 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I should point out at the outset that no such policies exist whereby a percentage of public contracts are awarded to foreign companies. Contracts are awarded following a competitive process conducted in compliance with the established procurement rules and procedures. Under EU Directives on public procurement public works, supplies and service contracts above certain thresholds must be...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts (7 May 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 105 to 107, inclusive, together. Public Procurement is governed by EU and National rules. The aim of these rules is to promote an open, competitive and non-discriminatory public procurement regime which delivers best value for money. It would be a breach of the EU rules for a public body to favour or discriminate against particular candidates on grounds...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions (7 May 2014)

Brendan Howlin: Section 9 of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2013 provides that persons retiring before 31 August 2014, or a later date made by Order under the Act, will be entitled to have their pensions calculated as if the pay reduction and any increment pause or freeze had not applied to them. Following my considerations under Section 9 of the Act, I decided to...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Private Partnerships Data (6 May 2014)

Brendan Howlin: On the 17th of July 2012, the Government announced its plans for a stimulus investment in public infrastructure projects in Ireland. This included about €1.5 billion to fund the proposed new Public Private Partnerships (PPP) programme. Since then, two PPPs (Schools Bundle 3 and the N11/Newlands Cross roads PPP) which had been included in previous programmes reached financial close in...

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

Brendan Howlin: In June 2011, I introduced a €200,000 pay ceiling for future appointees to higher positions across the public service, and subject to certain exceptions a general pay ceiling of €250,000 for future appointees to Chief Executive Officers of Commercial State Companies now applies. No approvals have been issued for new appointments in excess of these pay ceilings where they apply.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Construction Contracts (6 May 2014)

Brendan Howlin: As the Deputy notes, the Construction Contracts Bill passed all stages of the Houses of the Oireachtas in July 2013 and was signed into law on the 29 July 2013. The enactment of the legislation marked a significant step towards the Programme for Government commitment to introduce new legislation to protect small building subcontractors that have been denied payments from bigger companies. ...

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

Brendan Howlin: As set out as follows, the matter referred to the Deputy does not give rise to any anomaly and there is no question of two pools of candidates for Clerical Officer positions in the Civil Service being in operation.     Recruitment to the civil service and a range of other public bodies takes place under the Public Service...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Licence Sale (6 May 2014)

Brendan Howlin: In February of this year, I granted the next licence to operate the National Lottery to Premier Lotteries Ireland delivering €405 million to the Irish citizen. As I announced in Budget 2014, half of the proceeds from the Lottery licence transaction will be used to help fund a number of job rich projects across the country including the Wild Atlantic Way, the 1916 Commemoration and the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Open Government Partnership (6 May 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I attended the Paris Conference, from "Open Data to Open Government", hosted last month by Ms Marylise Lebranchu, Minister of Decentralisation, State Reform and Civil Service in France. I addressed the opening plenary session at this conference alongside Minister Lebranchu, Didier Migaud, President of France's 'Cour des comptes' and Francis Maude, Minister for the Cabinet Office in...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Legal Services (6 May 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Commission for Public Service Appointments (CPSA) is responsible for overseeing the conduct of appointment processes to a wide range of positions in the Civil and Public Service.  In carrying out its independent statutory functions, the CPSA must, on occasions, seek independent legal advice on issues that come to light in the course of its examination of appointment processes. Given...

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

Brendan Howlin: The Commission for Public Service Appointments (CPSA) is an independent statutory body and as such I have no role in the setting of its review procedures.  However, I am informed by the Commission that it is awaiting a judgement on a Judicial review case relating to, inter alia, the review procedures available under its Codes of Practice.  This case will inform any review of the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Construction Contracts (30 Apr 2014)

Brendan Howlin: The Programme for Government contains a commitment to introduce new legislation to protect small building subcontractors that have been denied payments from bigger companies. In this regard, Minister of State Brian Hayes worked closely with Senator Feargal Quinn to develop the Senator's private member's Construction Contracts Bill into a robust piece of legislation. The Bill passed all...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions Data (30 Apr 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I assume that the Deputy's question relates to public service pensions only, and that it does not comprehend the various social insurance-linked and other pensions paid by the Department of Social Protection. Public service pensions are not centrally administered. Instead the large number of separate public service pension schemes are operated by individual employers or sectoral...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Legislation (30 Apr 2014)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 234 and 246 together. The reform of Freedom of Information legislation is central to the Government's goal of enhancing public governance through a significant strengthening of openness, transparency and accountability of government and public administration.  In that regard, the Deputies may wish to note the speech I delivered at a...

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

Brendan Howlin: The process of setting of pay rates for individual grades across very different sectors of the Public Service is a complex exercise based on a variety of factors including qualifications, experience, skills, expertise, responsibility and work environment of the grades concerned.  In addition, the effect of collective bargaining in certain sectors, the outcome of pay review...