Results 11,881-11,900 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Funding (10 Dec 2013)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy’s question I can confirm that my Department does not provide any funding to Irish charities.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Haddington Road Agreement Implementation (10 Dec 2013)

Brendan Howlin: As the Deputy will be aware, in July 2012 sick leave arrangements for all public service employees were the subject of a Labour Court recommendation relating to the introduction of a reformed sick leave scheme. The rationale for the new scheme was the need to reduce the unsustainable cost of sick leave for the public service overall which is to be achieved through a substantial reduction in...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Oireachtas Members' Remuneration (10 Dec 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Significant reductions have been made to the pay and allowances of public servants, including TDs and Senators, through a series of measures since 2009. The gross annual salaries of TDs and Senators, from 2007 to 2013 are set out in the following table. The cumulative effect of these reductions is that a TD today is paid 13% less than they would have been in 2008, and a Senator is paid 7%...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (10 Dec 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Based on the information available to my Department on the total cost of increments in a full year in the various sectors, the full year cost of increments in the public service (excluding the Local Authority sector), prior to the implementation of the Haddington Road Agreement, was estimated at some €150 million per annum. Significantly reduced recruitment, the ongoing substantial...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (10 Dec 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The latest available figures requested by the Deputy are set out in table 4 of the expenditure report 2014 published on budget day. That table shows that the voted Exchequer provision for public service pay in 2013 is €15,068,747 and the provision for 2014 is €14,518,966. This equates to an estimated saving of 3.6% or some €550 million year-on-year.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Capital Programme Expenditure (10 Dec 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 222 and 224 together. As stated in previous replies, the actual roll-out of capital expenditure is a matter for individual line Departments and their agencies, operating within the annual allocations approved by Government and the delegated sanction arrangements issued by my Department. As the Deputy will be aware, capital spending has general...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Capital Programme Expenditure (10 Dec 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I should point out that the figure of €5 million published in the figures refers to my Vote group which includes Votes 11 to 19. Of these Votes, only three have a capital allocation – Vote 11 Public Expenditure and Reform, Vote 13 Office of Public Works and Vote 18 Shared Services. While the group is showing an underspend against profile at the end of November, it is expected...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Capital Programme Expenditure (10 Dec 2013)

Brendan Howlin: A 2009 survey, carried out by the Department of Finance, found that the labour intensity of capital projects generally falls within the range of 8 to 12 jobs for every €1 million invested. While this estimate for labour intensity is used as a general rule of thumb, it is important to note that the amount of employment generated by capital expenditure depends on how that expenditure is...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Capital Programme Expenditure (10 Dec 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The capital carryover facility, which allows Departments to carryover unspent capital of up to 10% of their Voted capital allocation from one financial year into the next, was established under Section 91 of the Finance Act, 2004. The specific rules under which the carryover facility operates are set out in Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Circular 06/2013 which is available at ....

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (10 Dec 2013)

Brendan Howlin: It is a long-standing general principle of pay policy that the payment of additional remuneration to public servants for undertaking additional duties is not permitted. Any exceptions are subject to the sanction of my Department and must meet certain strict conditions. The payment of fees to public and civil service staff who sit on state boards was discontinued with effect from 1 November 2011.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Consultancy Contracts Data (5 Dec 2013)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy’s question the following is a list of private firms that have provided advice/consultancy services gratis for my Department since March 2011. Year Name of Firm If any payment made in aftermath of advice given 2012 Tandem Consulting No 2012 Ernst & Young No 2012 Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) No

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Reports (5 Dec 2013)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy’s question while my Department's Annual Report for 2012 has not yet been published it will be made available in due course.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Sick Leave (5 Dec 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 104 and 105 together. As the Deputy will be aware, in July 2012 sick leave arrangements for all public service employees were the subject of a Labour Court Recommendation relating to the introduction of a reformed Sick Leave Scheme. The issue of transitional arrangements and specifically how employees who are on sick leave at the time of commencement of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: State Bodies Mergers (5 Dec 2013)

Brendan Howlin: As referred to in the Deputy’s question, and in light of the Programme for Government commitment to create a streamlined and refocused commercial state company in the bio-energy and forestry sectors, the Government decided in June of this year that an evaluation would be carried out on how to give effect to a beneficial merger of Coillte and Bord na Móna. NewERA is...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministerial Advisers Remuneration (5 Dec 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I am not aware of any breaches of Government pay policy involving a special advisor receiving remuneration in excess of the rate of pay sanctioned by my Department. There are clear guidelines in place for determining pay levels and for seeking the sanction of my Department on pay levels where it is required in any particular instance. The guidelines on staffing in ministerial offices were...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions Data (4 Dec 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The maximum pension payable to any Civil Servant is half of final salary, subject to attaining maximum reckonable service of 40 years. Accordingly based on a salary of €150,000 per annum, the maximum annual pension payable for any of the years 2014-2018, with a minimum retirement age of 60, would be €75,000 per annum gross for each age between 60 and 65.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Valuation Office (4 Dec 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The work of the Valuation Office is underpinned by the Valuation Act, 2001 which provides for the valuation of all commercial and industrial property. The Commissioner of Valuation is independent in the performance of his functions under the Act and the making of valuations for local authority rating is his sole prerogative. There are two provisions in the legislation governing the assessment...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Burial Grounds (4 Dec 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The contracts were received by the Commissioners of Public Works on 25 November 2013. The transfer of the lands in question will be completed in the near future.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 18 - Shared Services (Supplementary) (3 Dec 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I thank the Chairman and committee for facilitating consideration of this technical Supplementary Estimate. Vote 18 provides for the salaries and expenses of running the shared services projects, including Peoplepoint, payroll and financial management. Those are three that we have set out. 2013 was the first year of the Vote and, following Government approval, certain projects have...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 18 - Shared Services (Supplementary) (3 Dec 2013)

Brendan Howlin: We always put in a sum of €1,000 but there is actually no money involved.