Results 12,761-12,780 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Appointments to State Boards (18 Sep 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Public Appointments Service already advertises a large number of public service posts on publicjobs.ie when requested to by the relevant body. My Department promotes the availability of this service to public service bodies on an on-going basis. Filling of vacancies in State Agencies and Commercial Semi-State Bodies is often a matter for individual organisations and Boards. The...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Legislation (18 Sep 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Section 6 of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill 2013 contains a generic definition of public body which will enable FOI to apply to all public bodies unless specifically exempt in whole or in part. Essentially, FOI is being extended to the widest possible definition of public bodies, including a number of significant high profile bodies which have been excluded since the legislation was...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Office of the Ombudsman Staff (18 Sep 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The process to be followed in the appointment of a new Ombudsman is set out in the Ombudsman Act 1980, as amended. This appointment is made by the President following nomination by resolution of each House of the Oireachtas. Since the Freedom of Information Act 1997 came into force, the Ombudsman has also held the office of Information Commissioner. Appointment to the post is by a similar...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Legislation (18 Sep 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 443 and 444 together. I believe that commercial state bodies should not, in general, be subject to FOI requirements because of the uneven competitive playing field that would be created in circumstances that commercial state bodies operating in a competitive market were subject to FOI but their privately-owned market competitors were not. This would be...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Advertising Expenditure (18 Sep 2013)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy’s question since its inception in July 2011 my department has spent €3,719.83 in 2011 and €2,493.36 in 2012 on media advertising. In determining whether the advertising is done on national or local media my Department examines each case on its own merits and a decision is made on that basis. The following is the position in respect of the cost of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministerial Appointments (18 Sep 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 446 to 448, inclusive, together. In response to the Deputy's questions I can confirm the following in respect of the Boards under the remit of my Department: Outside Appointments Board The Outside Appointments Board (OAB) is an independent body established in 2005 under the Civil Service Code of Standards and Behaviour. The Board is comprised of the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (18 Sep 2013)

Brendan Howlin: All employers, including public service employers, must comply with the provisions of the Minimum Wage Act 2000 and I am not aware of, nor would I support, the non-compliance by public service employers with the terms of the Act. Where breaches of the Act occur inadvertently or otherwise by public service employers, my policy is to ensure such issues are addressed urgently and with no loss...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Issues (18 Sep 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I am unable to comment on the particular circumstances of the individual concerned. The provisions in the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2013 and the related proposals in the recently concluded Haddington Road Agreement (HRA) must be considered in their wider context. The Agreement negotiated will deliver the necessary €1bn saving in the public service pay...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Regulations (18 Sep 2013)

Brendan Howlin: In relation to improving access for small and medium sized enterprises my Department has issued guidelines (Circular 10/10) that require public bodies to promote participation of such enterprises in the award of public contracts. These guidelines set out positive measures that contracting authorities are to take to promote the involvement of smaller enterprises in a manner that is consistent...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Regulations (18 Sep 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Public procurement is the acquisition, whether under formal contract or not, of works, supplies and services by public bodies. National rules governing public procurement must comply with EU Treaty principles, rules, and national guidelines. These rules have been developed to ensure equal treatment; non-discrimination; mutual recognition; proportionality; and transparency. Tenderers who...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Proposed Legislation (18 Sep 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Government approval was secured earlier this year for the drafting of the Lobbying Regulation Bill by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel. The General Scheme of the Bill has also been submitted for pre-legislative scrutiny to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform (FPER) who are due to report back to my Department shortly. Drafting of the Bill has...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Funding Disbursement (18 Sep 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Section 41(1) of the National Lottery Act 2013 includes the new heading “natural environment” as one of the purposes for which the proceeds of the National Lottery may be applied. It is intended that the Act will be commenced shortly and an appropriate mechanism for allowing for disbursement of funds under that heading is currently under consideration.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (18 Sep 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The detailed data sought by the Deputy for the public service is not available to my Department. However, as the pay reductions under the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2013 applied to only public servants on annualised remuneration of greater than €65,000, the core pay of 87% of public servants including those availing of work sharing arrangements was not...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Exchequer Savings (18 Sep 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The expenditure measures announced on 5 December 2012 in the Expenditure Report 2013 were designed to yield a further €0.1 billion from 2014 onwards over and above the continuation of their 2013 impact. The impact in 2014 and subsequent years of these measures was built into the future gross expenditure ceilings set for Departments and also reflected in the estimates at the time the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Exchequer Savings (18 Sep 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Based on the information currently available to my Department, the estimated full year gross saving in the Exchequer and Local Government pay bill arising from a reduction in public service salaries (excluding hospital consultants) for amounts over €100,000 of 15% and amounts over €150,000 of 30% is some €12m. The estimate takes account of the reductions in pay arising...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Exchequer Savings (18 Sep 2013)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy's question the full year saving to the Exchequer if all non-commercial State sponsored bodies CEO salaries under the aegis of my Department were reduced by 10% would amount to €22,407 and 23 cent.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Exchequer Savings (18 Sep 2013)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy's questions I can confirm that there are no commercial state companies under the remit of my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Exchequer Savings (18 Sep 2013)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy's questions the full year saving to the Exchequer if all State agency board members fees, non-commercial State sponsored bodies and commercial semi State companies under the aegis of my Department were reduced by 25% would amount to €19,493 and 75 cent.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Exchequer Savings (18 Sep 2013)

Brendan Howlin: If all Special Advisors were paid €75,647 (the current minimum of the PO Standard Scale), there would be an indicative annual saving figure of €673,000.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (18 Sep 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The method of filling the post of Clerk of the Dáil and Secretary General of the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission is under consideration at present.