Results 12,921-12,940 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Second Stage (10 Jul 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I remember all the talk, even during the conduct of those inquiries when the then Attorney General and the then Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform were going to do the devil and all in reforming and they did not reform any of it. We need reform because there will be occasions when a tribunal of inquiry will be appropriate again. What we are trying to do is to create another...

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Second Stage (10 Jul 2013)

Brendan Howlin: -----some of the charges that are put in other parliaments. They are in no way-----

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Second Stage (10 Jul 2013)

Brendan Howlin: They are in no way used by some as an excuse not to have an inquiry.

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Second Stage (10 Jul 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I say that in a measured way because many people say that they were in favour of an inquiry in principle but not this one, not yet, not now or not this way.

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Second Stage (10 Jul 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Let us get on with the people's business. Senator Sheahan referred to bias. That is covered extensively in the Bill. In terms of costs, we have taken a great deal of care to have a determining process for costs that, first, must be scoped out in advance of an inquiry being embarked upon. A formal scoping must be made with a presentation of estimated costs. At the end of the process, for...

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Second Stage (10 Jul 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I will deal individually with the points that have been raised. I thank all Senators for their contributions. It is helpful to hear the clear reflection of Members of the House on legislation that is uniquely the creature of the House. Much legislation that comes in here is not exclusively the work of the House itself. Senator Byrne has a strong view on the referendum, notwithstanding his...

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Second Stage (10 Jul 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Given some of the utterances in committee by some members, one can understand that there would be a reluctance on the part of the general public to give more powers to the Oireachtas. However, I am a firm believer in the capacity of the Oireachtas to do the people's business. Grandstanding, as Senator Byrne put it, is often a substitute for not having actual power to do things. It happens...

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Second Stage (10 Jul 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Or former Ministers who are current Members of the Dáil could not have findings of fact made against them in respect of their previous-----

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Second Stage (10 Jul 2013)

Brendan Howlin: That is the legal advice.

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Second Stage (10 Jul 2013)

Brendan Howlin: They can be compelled.

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Second Stage (10 Jul 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Senator said they will not come in.

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Second Stage (10 Jul 2013)

Brendan Howlin: This Bill establishes a comprehensive statutory framework for the Houses of the Oireachtas to conduct inquiries under the current constitutional framework. The legislation is fully within the parameters laid down by the Supreme Court in the Abbeylara case. It is very clear from the views expressed in the Supreme Court judgment that the Oireachtas is not empowered in general to make findings...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Office of the Ombudsman Staff (10 Jul 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Government has under consideration the appointment of a successor to the present Ombudsman to take up duty when the latter relinquishes her office. The appointment of an interim Ombudsman is not envisaged.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pension Provisions (9 Jul 2013)

Brendan Howlin: In Ireland the pensions of Ministers and Ministers of State are made up of two elements, (i) an Oireachtas pension for service as a TD and/or Senator and (ii) an office-holders pension for service as Minister and/or Minister of State. Details of the schemes will be forwarded directly to the Deputy. I have no information on the pension terms or entitlements of Ministers in other EU states.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Disposal of Assets (9 Jul 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Securitisation involves the packaging of groups of small and illiquid financial assets into financial instruments that can then be sold to investors. Therefore, securitisation still involves the sale of actual assets, but involves a more complicated sale structure. The securitisation market declined significantly in 2008 following the sub-prime crisis in the US and demand for new issues...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (9 Jul 2013)

Brendan Howlin: In the course of ensuring that Ireland’s General Government deficit is reduced to the 2015 target of below 3 per cent of GDP, difficult decisions have had to be taken to reduce public service pay and pensions as an appropriate contribution to achieving this target. The then Minister for Finance announced in Budget 2011 that a 10% reduction would apply to the pay rates of new entrant...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Haddington Road Agreement Issues (9 Jul 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Haddington Road Agreement (HRA) does not contain any pension reduction measure. In drawing up the HRA, the Labour Relations Commission expressly recognised that Government plans for certain public service pension reductions did not form part of the proposals which comprise the HRA. The relevant paragraph in the HRA, headed “Public Service Pensions”, reads as follows:...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Revised Estimates Publication (9 Jul 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The information the Deputy requires is contained in the Revised Estimates Volume (REV), which provides details in relation to all voted Government expenditure on both a Programme and Subhead level. Furthermore, the REV sets out key performance information regarding the outputs and impacts of Programme Expenditure. The Deputy might also be interested to know that my Department hosts a...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Protected Disclosures in the Public Interest (9 Jul 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Protected Disclosures Bill 2013 provides a significant suite of employment and other protections to whistleblowers that are penalised by their employer or suffer a detriment from a third party as a consequence of having raised concerns regarding possible wrongdoing in their workplace. It provides for the first time comprehensive whistleblower protection across all sectors of the economy...

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

Brendan Howlin: All policy, guidance and implementation measures relating to capital projects are published on the Construction Procurement Reform website www.constructionprocurement.gov.ie where the Capital Works Management Framework provides a suite of best practice guidance, standard contracts and generic template documents, which are available to download for all contracting authorities to provide a...