Results 12,661-12,680 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Seanad: Protected Disclosures Bill 2013: Committee Stage (1 Oct 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I thank the Senator and her colleagues for proposing the amendment, which would insert a new relevant wrongdoing that could be reported upon for the purposes of making protected disclosure. The amendment would add to the list of relevant wrongdoings set out under section 5(3). Having carefully considered the wording of the proposed amendment, I am satisfied that the issue of the exercise of...

Seanad: Protected Disclosures Bill 2013: Committee Stage (1 Oct 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Yes.

Seanad: Protected Disclosures Bill 2013: Committee Stage (1 Oct 2013)

Brendan Howlin: On Second Stage we discussed at length the main aim of the suite of reform legislation to change the culture. One cannot craft legislation to suit every individual case. This legislation is, by and large, to protect the whistleblower in the workplace. It defines the workplace, the redress available to whistleblowers and protections against penalisation being visited upon them. There is a...

Seanad: Protected Disclosures Bill 2013: Committee Stage (1 Oct 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I understand the Senator is considering submitting an amendment on Report Stage. We have examined this area in the context of best international practice, including the ground-breaking legislation in the UK which examined the definition of "worker". In the UK and across all the jurisdictions we have looked at, there is a strong consensus among experts that whistleblower protection should...

Seanad: Protected Disclosures Bill 2013: Committee Stage (1 Oct 2013)

Brendan Howlin: For clarification, we are inserting a legal mechanism to protect whistleblowers. Anybody who sees wrongdoing should be able to blow the whistle. The idea is that those in the workplace should not be vulnerable to retribution. If one is not in the workplace, however, it does not mean that one should not be a whistleblower. Volunteers cannot be fired so they do not need the protection of...

Seanad: Protected Disclosures Bill 2013: Committee Stage (1 Oct 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Section 2 provides for a review of the operation of the Act no later than five years after its commencement. I gave some consideration to the appropriate timeline. Five years sounds long, but I wanted there to be sufficient experience of the Act. There is no point in having a review when there has not been sufficient cross-sectoral usage within and without the public sector for us to make...

Seanad: Protected Disclosures Bill 2013: Committee Stage (1 Oct 2013)

Brendan Howlin: One of the changes that we are introducing under the Oireachtas reform proposal is to make periodic reviews of legislation. Sometimes, we do not see how enacted legislation impacts. Parts of some Acts have never been commenced. Even legislators often do not know this. I have no difficulty with the notion of a review of this Bill, but I want such a review to be meaningful. A sufficient...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (1 Oct 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I refer to my reply to Parliamentary Question No: 37609 of 18 September 2013.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Property Valuations (1 Oct 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Valuation Act, 2001 provides for the valuation of all commercial and industrial property and the Commissioner of Valuation is independent in the performance of his functions under the Act. The making of valuations for rating is his sole prerogative and I, as Minister, have no function in decisions in this regard. Under section 28 (4) of the Act, a Revision Officer of the Commissioner...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Referendum Expenditure (1 Oct 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The actual cost of the Children’s Referendum 2012 is broken down as follows: - Euro Staff Costs and other costs 9.6 An Post Costs 1.5 Referendum Commission Costs 1.7 Total 12.8 million The budgeted cost of the Children’s Referendum 2012 was as follows: - Euro Staff Costs and other costs 13.6 An Post Costs 2.0 Referendum...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Official Languages Act 2003 Compliance (1 Oct 2013)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the question from the Deputy, my Department has signage in all its buildings in both the Irish and English language. This applies to both internal and external signs. The signage was in place within the designated timeframe set out in legislation. The Office of Public Works is currently overseeing a survey of signage in OPW offices and heritage sites providing guided tours...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Legislative Process (1 Oct 2013)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy’s question the following is a list of Acts under the remit of my Department that have not yet commenced: Name of Act Provisions not yet commenced National Lottery Act 2013 None of the Act's provisions have yet commenced. It is intended that the entire Act will commence shortly. Construction Contracts Act The entire Act is subject to a Commencement Order...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: EU Directives (1 Oct 2013)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy's question I can confirm that all relevant European Union directives under my area of responsibility have been complied with and this Department has not been subject to any fines and there are no potential fines pending.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff Remuneration (1 Oct 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I refer the Deputy to the Analysis of Exchequer Pay and Pensions Bill 2007 - 2012, published by the Central Pay Policy Section of the Remuneration and Industrial Relations Division of my Department. This publication presents a detailed breakdown of both gross and net pay and pension expenditure in aggregate terms, by sector and by individual Vote and is available on my Department's website...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Expenditure (1 Oct 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The capital expenditure measures contained in the 2011 Jobs Initiative formed only part of a much wider set of measures included in the Initiative which were aimed at generating employment and kick-starting economic activity. The aim of the capital measures was to accelerate capital works that are shovel ready, have a local focus and are labour intensive. Schools, secondary roads works and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: State Bodies Abolition (1 Oct 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I refer the Deputy to my answer to PQ 39347/13 answered on Tuesday, 24th September, 2013 regarding progress on the agency rationalisation measures contained in the Public Service Reform Plan. My Department is currently monitoring the implementation of the agency rationalisation programme of the Public Service Reform Plan on a quarterly basis. The latest tables which detail this progress to...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Regulatory Impact Assessment Data (1 Oct 2013)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy’s question the following is a list of Regulatory Impact Statements carried out on Bills in my Department since 2011: Name of Act Regulatory Impact Assessment carried out Construction Contracts Act RIA published on 27 September 2011. Signed into law on 29 July 2013 (subject to a Commencement Order) Protected Disclosures Bill 2013 RIA published alongside...

Order of Business (26 Sep 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Bill will be published this session.

Order of Business (26 Sep 2013)

Brendan Howlin: To answer the question on Dáil reform, it is important that we arrive at a consensus as much as possible within the elected membership, and then the reforms and how they impact on the staff and the running of the House will obviously require negotiation subsequently.

Order of Business (26 Sep 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Customs legislation will not be introduced until next year, but the issue of fuel laundering has been tackled already by the Minister for Finance, and he had something to say about it in last year's budget. I think he will have something further to say about it this year.