Results 13,601-13,620 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 May 2013)

Brendan Howlin: People are perfectly at liberty to reject the Haddington Road agreement. At the same time, it is reasonable for me to say that we need to make savings, or rather, we must make them and this is what I propose to do. This is the democratic Chamber that will make a determination on that. The elected representatives of the people set out the law. No more than one can decide to drive on the...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 May 2013)

Brendan Howlin: It is not equitable, fair or reasonable to expect workers on the front line, for example, to carry the burden while others refuse to carry it with no consequences. We must lay out the savings that are required and negotiate to see if we can reach an agreement on that. Failing that, Government must govern because we must have a sustainable path and must ensure that there is pay and pensions...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 May 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I will not accept either amendment. It is unconstitutional to cut the pay of the President. It would not be possible to reduce the salary of the President as it is set in the Constitution. I am not sure it was the intention of the Senator to reduce the entire remuneration of all officeholders in the House to nil. The amendment would result in a 100% reduction in the remuneration of the...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 May 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I am always attracted to the Senator's arguments. The whole purpose of the Bill is to make a saving for the Exchequer in the pay and pensions bill. To cut pay in the commercial semi-states would not accrue any money to the Exchequer. One could suggest a new levy of an appropriate amount on these bodies to make them pay it back to us, and I suppose that would be possible. However, there is...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 May 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Obviously, that is a much wider issue than what is involved in this instance. The Senator will be aware that we have a new overarching pensions provision that I brought into force, having brought it through both Houses of the Oireachtas, one year ago. It came into force on 1 January last and comprised new pension provisions generally. The pension-related deduction is not a pension...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 May 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Senator is right: if we were to accept this amendment, it would only have prospective impact. We have had this discussion before. We cannot retrospectively alter these conditions. We have already fundamentally altered the top level appointment committee, TLAC, terms and all new appointments made since shortly after we came into office have been on the revised terms. It was a surprise...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pension Provisions (30 May 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I do not accept that a two-tier approach is being adopted in respect of the planned reduction in public service pensions over €32,500. The approach set out in the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013 on this matter is in fact designed to ensure that the same broad level of pension reduction is applied in the case of each of the two groups of pensioners...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (30 May 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013 does not provide for reduction of fees in respect of the providers of professional services. Provision to adjust the fees of the providers of professional services to the State is made in the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act, 2009. That Act also provides for an annual review of fees and the relevant...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Expenditure Reviews (30 May 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Stability Programme Update, published in April 2013, sets out medium term aggregate parameters for 2013-2016, which gives the fiscal framework for Budget 2014. With regard to savings to be made next year, my Department has requested that all Departments identify savings which will feed into the expenditure decisions by Government for the Estimates 2014 and the setting of future...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Budgets (30 May 2013)

Brendan Howlin: In the context of the forthcoming Budget, my Department has requested that all Departments identify savings which will feed into the expenditure decisions by Government for the Estimates 2014 and the setting of future Ministerial ceilings. The identification of savings options should ensure that a sufficient range of proposals are made by all Departments to help the Government make...

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 May 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Let me clear about this. I respect the right of trade unions to come to their own independent decisions now, but I have set out fairly what the Government has to do. It is in the full light of all those facts that individual trade unionists - who have a stake not only as public servants but also as people dependent on public services, and as taxpayers and citizens - will come to their own...

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 May 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Let me deal with the other points made by Deputy Fleming. This section is a contingency in the event of non-agreement. That is what it is about. It is also a useful, positive thing to have because powers exist to do these things, as I have said. I want to put it beyond doubt, however, because there will be circumstances where the rights and conditions of workers have to be reaffirmed by...

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 May 2013)

Brendan Howlin: No, it is not. I have said clearly that it is a contingency in the event of non-agreement. I have made no bones about this. Where people, by their own democratic rights, determine that they do not want to be part of the Haddington Road agreement, we have to make savings. We are not going to exempt people from making a contribution when others have signed up to do it.

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 May 2013)

Brendan Howlin: That would not be fair, reasonable or logical. Deputy Fleming mentioned the letters issue. There is a difference between the clarifications that were sought by some unions, and that is the content of the letters that we issued. There were fewer than happened in previous agreements and it has never been the practice in agreements negotiated by Deputy Fleming's own government, going back to...

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 May 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Some of the Deputies opposite want the threshold of pay cuts to begin at €100,000 but nobody in the country thinks that people on €95,000 or €98,000 should be exempt from making a contribution.

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 May 2013)

Brendan Howlin: It was tabled by the Deputies opposite; they want to exempt Members of the House. How would it go down with the public if Deputy Joan Collins was to exempt herself from a pay cut? It would look ridiculous.

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 May 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I think this is the third lecture we have received from Deputy Boyd Barrett in the course of this debate alone. I am used to it, both in committee and in the House.

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 May 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I will answer the questions as they were put. There is a view among some Deputies opposite that if one says something often enough, no matter how absurd it is, it is the truth. That is the view.

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 May 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Deputy Boyd Barrett goes on again about low-income public servants, and he wants to exempt people on €100,000.

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 May 2013)

Brendan Howlin: So anything below €100,000 is low income in Deputy Boyd Barrett-land.