Results 13,781-13,800 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Sale of State Assets (23 May 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I understand the Deputy's views on these matters. What was considered was the sale of harvesting rights of trees that were growing commercially. The announcements were made in 2011 and people talked about a firesale and a rush. There is neither a rush nor a firesale. Very careful due diligence applies in respect of all these matters. The final report, drawing together all the advices...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Sale of State Assets (23 May 2013)

Brendan Howlin: There were four separate questions. With regard to the cost of consultants, the process is obviously ongoing but I will give the Deputy a full costing when the matter has concluded and we have bills from the people assisting us in these matters. Ryanair constitutes a complication but the primary issue is one of ensuring competition. I stated no decision will be made that is contrary to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Sale of State Assets (23 May 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I am confirming nothing because the Government has not made a decision on this matter yet. I have already indicated that to the House. I will revert to the House as soon as the Government has made a decision. The Deputy asked whether my approach has changed. I have a pragmatic approach to solving the economic problems of this country and to determining what we can do to generate jobs....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Sale of State Assets (23 May 2013)

Brendan Howlin: That was never to be the case.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Sale of State Assets (23 May 2013)

Brendan Howlin: It is hard to please the Deputy. He is not satisfied if we are selling and if we are not selling. He might make up his mind which side of the fence is actually on.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Sale of State Assets (23 May 2013)

Brendan Howlin: That is not pragmatic. Let me be very clear: I want to maximise the amount of money we will get for job creation. I am very confident that we will have a very significant sum available from the State assets I have indicated will be sold this year. Within the ESB family, the two power stations I talked about, namely, those in the United Kingdom and Spain, are significant. There is...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (23 May 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Consolidation measures amounting to around €28 billion, or over 17% of estimated 2013 GDP, have been implemented since the crisis began. This represents about 85% of the total consolidation required and highlights the scale of the challenge faced by the Government on taking office. The policy response requires a continuous, ambitious programme of fiscal consolidation, accompanied by...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Pay (23 May 2013)

Brendan Howlin: There were a number of questions. As I said, a number of unions engaged in full measure in the Labour Relations Commission after the ballot. That was their choice. I could not force anybody to engage. We could have probably got to the same point had everybody engaged over time, but I was willing to give the space and the time to get the best deal possible. I do not wish to be involved in...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Pay (23 May 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The costing of what?

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Pay (23 May 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I said I will give the detail of the measures next week. The Deputy is asking me to counterpoint the Haddington Road agreement to the other deal.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Pay (23 May 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I did not. I will clarify that. I am sorry if I misled the Deputy.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Pay (23 May 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Let me be very clear. I answered the questions and I do not wish to have any confusion about a matter of this importance, nor do I want any excitement to lead to such confusion. I was asked what were the changes between the Croke Park and Haddington Road agreements and I said I would go through that in detail with the Deputy next week. Will we achieve the targets in savings? Yes. There...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Pay (23 May 2013)

Brendan Howlin: There is a reduction in the numbers and that was set out in the programme for Government.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Pay (23 May 2013)

Brendan Howlin: We are doing things differently and providing services differently. We are providing shared services. In human resources management, for example, we are moving from a variety of centres of provision to a single centre of provision in PeoplePoint. We will do the same in payroll. A variety of payroll centres across the public service will be centralised into three. We will modernise the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Sale of State Assets (23 May 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 3 and 4 together. The House will be aware from my announcement in February of last year of the overall shape and scale of the State asset disposal programme that is being pursued. In brief, the disposal programme that the Government has agreed consists of the sale of Bord Gáis Éireann's energy business, but not including BGE's gas transmission or...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Pay (23 May 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 2 together. This afternoon, I published the proposed Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013 and the Bill is scheduled to come before the Oireachtas on Tuesday. The primary purpose of the proposed legislation is to implement the proposed pay reduction for public servants earning annual salaries of €65,000 or more and the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Pay (23 May 2013)

Brendan Howlin: A number of questions were asked. The first is the difference between the Haddington Road agreement and the Croke Park II agreement. I do not know if the Deputy has had a chance to read the Haddington Road agreement but he can see the differences. In the minute I have to respond, I do not propose to go through every section. He can cross-reference the two agreements. The substantive...

Houses of the Oireachtas Inquiries (Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Referral to Select Committee (23 May 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I move:That the Bill be referred to the Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform pursuant to Standing Orders 82A(3)(a) and (6)(a) and 126(1) of the Standing Orders relative to Public Business.

Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (23 May 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I did not realise there was a time limit on reply.

Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (23 May 2013)

Brendan Howlin: So, there is no limit.