Results 11,961-11,980 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Estimates for Public Services 2013 (21 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I move the following Supplementary Estimates: Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)That a supplementary sum not exceeding €50,994,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December 2013 for the salaries and expenses of the Garda Síochána, including pensions, etc.; for the payment of certain...

Leaders' Questions (21 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Unreasonable.

Leaders' Questions (21 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: An hour ago it was a different tune.

Other Questions: Departmental Budgets (21 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The delivery of the required expenditure consolidation to achieve our fiscal targets in 2013 is a priority for Ministers and their Departments. My Department is working with all Departments and offices to monitor all current and capital spending on a monthly basis. At the end of October, net voted expenditure was €844 million within profile. That means it was less than we expected...

Other Questions: Departmental Budgets (21 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I wish to acknowledge the work of the public service, which has delivered, with a shrinking sum of money and 10% less personnel than its peak, a bigger service to more people. I am very satisfied that the level of capacity to do more with less will continue. There are still difficult times ahead. We are not out of the woods, but at least we are exiting the troika programme. We are much...

Other Questions: Departmental Budgets (21 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I will convey those congratulations to the offices concerned. We need to continue with modernisation, increasing the platform for service delivery. We are coming to the end of the first two years of public sector reform. I will be publishing the second overview of public sector reform early next year and the next round of commitments for the following two years of reform. The first round...

Other Questions: Estimates Process (21 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The achievement of our expenditure targets is a key element of the required fiscal consolidation in 2013. To this end my Department is rigorously monitoring all current and capital expenditure, with Departments and offices reporting to us on expenditure issues from the Exchequer on a monthly basis. The key points to note in relation to 2013 expenditure are that all Ministers and their...

Other Questions: Estimates Process (21 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: In terms of requiring money, I have already indicated that the Department of Justice and Equality and the Department of Health will require Supplementary Estimates. There will be additional moneys in the stimulus package for the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, as well as some technical adjustments whereby money is moved within Departments. The issue of Supplementary Estimates is...

Other Questions: Sale of State Assets (21 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: This is a multi-annual project. The first tranche of moneys that will come in to the Exchequer will be from the sale of the national lottery licence. I have outlined how we are spending €200 million of these moneys, with €50 million for roads, €50 million for the retrofit of local authority houses and €50 million for the schools building programme. There are...

Other Questions: Sale of State Assets (21 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I obviously do not have the same enthusiasm for the sale of State assets as the Deputy. Accordingly, we took a very measured approach to it and he is dead right. The fact that we have not had an extensive sale of State assets is not something about which I am crying. This will be done in a structured way and for the best benefit of the taxpayer. There will be no fire sale or panic. The...

Other Questions: Regulatory Bodies (21 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Government’s public service reform agenda has delivered and will continue to deliver real improvements in the way public services are provided. A key part of this effort has been the reduction in the number of State bodies under the agency rationalisation programme, the introduction of shared services and a continued focus on streamlining organisational structures and modernising...

Other Questions: Regulatory Bodies (21 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy makes much sense. In the review published we set out about having common or shared backroom services between the Ombudsman and the Ombudsman for Children and other ombudsmen. Although most of them are women, the new Ombudsman is a man. It is important we have support services that are rationalised but do not interfere with the regulators’ autonomy and have clear lines of...

Other Questions: Regulatory Bodies (21 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: One of the first actions the Government took was an examination of the public property portfolio, on which the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Hayes, has done sterling work. It is the first time we actually have a database of what public offices the State owns. We discovered that there are many things from which we cannot get out because we are stuck with long-term leases and other...

Other Questions: Sale of State Assets (21 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I thank the Deputy again. A number of disposals are currently in train under the State assets disposal programme, some of which are likely to result in proceeds being received this year by the companies disposing of the assets. However, the timing of payment of such proceeds to the Exchequer by the companies by way of special dividend, which, as I explained previously, is the vehicle I will...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (21 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: It was re-elected, was it?

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (21 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: It does not make a mockery of it in as much as the policy must be implemented. I have set out to make the adjustments on the basis of targeting those who are best paid. If there are means used to circumvent that, it is something I regret. I have placed a cap on public sector pay that has been implemented across the public sector. We have gone further under the terms of the Financial...

Other Questions: EU Funding (21 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I welcome the outcome of yesterday’s vote in the European Parliament on the cohesion legislative package. This brings to a close more than two years of negotiations involving the Council of Ministers, the European Parliament and the European Commission. I am pleased that during our Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Ireland was able to play an important role in that process. ...

Other Questions: EU Funding (21 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I can confirm that Ireland has been allocated approximately €1 billion from the structural funds, that is the ERDF and ESF; €2 billion from the rural development fund, that is, the EAFRD; an additional €100 million for the Border and midlands region; and €150 million for the peace programme. Regarding the latter, it was not clear that there would be a Peace IV...

Other Questions: EU Funding (21 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I will be in a much better position to answer the Deputy when we have the plan submitted to Brussels, which we are working on now. When the regulations are passed by the European Parliament, we can then formally get cracking on them. We might have some debate about it within the committee system before we make our submission to Brussels. I would be happy to facilitate that, as would other...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (21 Nov 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I thank the Deputy for his question. Obviously, the commercial semi-state sector has taken no pay cuts except at chief executive level consequent to all the legislation that was passed. That has caused some commentary among public servants generally. The Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2013 was enacted on 5 June 2013. The primary purpose is to implement the...