Results 12,581-12,600 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministerial Pensions (9 Oct 2013)

Brendan Howlin: All public service pensions above €32,500 were reduced on 1 July 2013 as provided for in the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2013; the Government's intention to proceed with this change was noted in the Haddington Road Agreement. In addition, a further effective pension cut applies, with effect from 1 September 2013, in the case of persons who receive two or...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Budgets (9 Oct 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Each Government Department has responsibility for its financial management structures which must comply with standard public financial procedures, including the Public Spending Code.The main features of formal management structures include business planning, effective systems of budgetary control, monitoring of performance, appraisal of projects and programmes, effective cash management and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Licence Sale (9 Oct 2013)

Brendan Howlin: As I announced on 3rd October 2013, Premier Lotteries Ireland Limited, a consortium comprising Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (the owner of the Camelot Group), An Post and An Post pension funds, has been selected as the preferred applicant for the next National Lottery licence. Premier Lotteries Ireland Limited has met the Essential Requirements provided for in the competition for the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Legislation (9 Oct 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Freedom of Information Bill 2013, which I am currently sponsoring, passed Second Stage in the Dail last Thursday (3 October 2013). The Bill as currently drafted provides that FOI will apply to the bodies referred to in the Deputy's question. It was necessary to provide certain exemptions to these bodies to guard against the possibility that release of certain records under FOI would...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Service Reform Plan Measures (9 Oct 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 30 and 96 together. It is clear that the Public Service Agreement or ‘Croke Park Agreement’ has delivered on its objectives. In this context, I would highlight the final report of the Implementation Body, which concluded that the Croke Park Agreement delivered significant cost savings amounting to €1.8 billion over its lifetime. The...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Semi-State Bodies Privatisation (9 Oct 2013)

Brendan Howlin: As referred to in the Deputy's question,Bord Gáis Éireann is in the process of selling its energy business, Bord Gáis Energy. BGE and its advisors, working with NewERA who are advising the Government in relation to the sale, are currently assessing the latest bids received for Bord Gáis Energy. The Deputy will understand that, at this very sensitive stage of the process,...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Sick Leave (9 Oct 2013)

Brendan Howlin: As the Deputy will be aware, in July 2012 sick leave arrangements for all public service employees under the Croke Park Agreement were the subject of a Labour Court Recommendation for the introduction of a comprehensively reformed Sick Leave Scheme for the public service. The basis to the reformed scheme was the unsustainable cost of sick leave for the public service (i.e. approximately...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: State Properties Data (9 Oct 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The property portfolio of the State covers lands and buildings owned or leased by a wide variety of organisations in addition to the Civil Service, including local authorities, organisations such as the Health Services Executive and non-commercial State bodies such as the Industrial Development Authority and SFADCo. It would be necessary for the Deputy to obtain the information she requires...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff Recruitment (9 Oct 2013)

Brendan Howlin: On 12th July 2013, the Government approved my proposals to continue with the task of overhauling and simplifying the statute book, to be delivered initially through a series of statute law revision Bills focusing on eliminating obsolete regulations and charters before Irish independence and obsolete legislation more widely since independence. At present, the Statute Law Revision Programme...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Procurement Service Framework Agreements (9 Oct 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Reform of public procurement is one of the major projects of key strategic importance in the Government's Public Service Reform Plan. Procurement of supplies and services accounts for around €9 billion of current spending by the State per annum. This represents a very significant portion of overall spending and it is, therefore, essential that the Public Service achieves maximum value...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Expenditure (9 Oct 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The level of legal fees across Government Departments and State agencies will be examined in the light of the relevant expenditure allocations decided by the Government in the context of Budget 2014. Necessary adjustments will be made to ensure adherence to such allocations. The adjustments will continue the work already achieved in recent years by bodies such as the State Claims Agency and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Licence Sale (9 Oct 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 39 and 40 together. My officials have held discussions in relation to the staff of the National Lottery Company with the relevant trade union and management interests. The matter was referred to the Labour Relations Commission (LRC). The LRC has prepared a proposal regarding the staffing issue and these proposals have been put forward to both the unions...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Regulations (9 Oct 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Under EU law, public contracts above certain values must be advertised EU-wide and awarded to the most competitive tender in an open and objective process. The aim is to promote an open, competitive and non-discriminatory public procurement regime which delivers value for money. It would be a breach of the rules for a public body to favour or discriminate against particular candidates on...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Licence Sale (9 Oct 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I received correspondence some months ago on behalf of Rehab Lotteries which gave notice of its intention to challenge the State regarding the establishment and operation of the National Lottery on competition grounds. Having taken legal advice the response given was that the organisation’s assertion was unfounded and that in the event of proceedings being issued they would be...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Political Reform (9 Oct 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Work is ongoing in relation to the political reform priorities included in the Programme for Government. The summary position in relation to specific elements of the government reform programme is as follows:- - The Ombudsman (Amendment) Act 2012 is now in force extending the Ombudsman's remit and strengthens the Ombudsman's powers; - The Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries Privileges and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Expenditure Reviews (9 Oct 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Since this Government was established in 2011, a medium-term expenditure management process began with a Comprehensive Review of Expenditure exercise. This exercise was carried out by all Departments in order to identify ways of reducing expenditure in line with commitments under the Joint EU/IMF Programme of Financial Support for Ireland, while minimising the impact on service delivery....

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Semi-State Bodies Dividends (9 Oct 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I am aware of the legal challenge against the ESB, which is, or course, a matter for the Board and Management of the ESB. In terms of Ministerial portfolios, clarifications regarding ESB would be for my colleague, the Minister for D/CENR, in the first instance. That said, I understand that such issues were raised in regard to the distribution of the normal dividend at the AGM earlier this...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts Tenders (9 Oct 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I am aware that public procurement can be an important source of business for Irish small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Current guidelines (Circular 10/10) issued by my Department require public bodies to promote participation of SMEs in the award of public contracts. The guidance also highlights practices that are to be avoided because they can unjustifiably hinder small businesses in...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Increment Payments (9 Oct 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The detailed information sought by the Deputy is not available to my Department. Impact on salaries would vary at the level of the individual having regard to the pay reductions for those on salaries above €65,000, the freezing or pausing of increments to those that may be eligible for an increment in 2014 and the amount of overtime or other non core salary earned. The reductions in...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Reform Implementation (9 Oct 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 95 to 99, inclusive, 101, 102 and 105 together. Since this Government was established in 2011, a medium-term expenditure management process began with a Comprehensive Review of Expenditure exercise. This exercise was carried out by all Departments in order to identify ways of reducing expenditure in line with commitments under the Joint EU/IMF Programme of...