Results 13,961-13,980 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Let me go back to first principles again. This licence is due to be renewed. We have to tender for the licence in any event. We could do it in the traditional way we have done it to date or we can do it in an upfront payment way. I am a social democrat, as Senators know, but I do not regard business and making a profit as a dirty occupation. Obviously whoever is successful in this will...

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I have nothing further to add. A coherent defence of the proposal has been made.

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: This is a new regime and the Minister will not deal with these matters. The regulator and the operator under the Bill, when enacted, will be amenable to the Oireachtas.

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I agree entirely. It will not just be a matter of the Minister being on his or her guard but also the Oireachtas. There will be an annual report and the regulator can be called in and questioned. It will be the job of the Oireachtas to ensure this will work. This section obliges the regulator and its staff to disclose any pecuniary or beneficial interest they may have in a matter which...

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: There is no legal prohibition in that regard as long as it is understood. If there is a conflict of interest, it is something we could consider. We do not have to include it in the base legislation, but we can consider it as part of the guidelines to be given to the regulator.

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Senator made a very valid point. It is something I would prefer not to deal with in the base legislation but in the licence. Let me consider it. If the Senator tables an amendment on Report Stage I will tell him what the best way of dealing with the issue is.

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: This section relates to the funding of the regulator's office. It will work in conjunction with section 24. It provides that the Minister may advance to the regulator what is essentially a loan which the regulator shall repay with interest. The Departments of Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform, I am afraid, take the pound of flesh.

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: How very cruel.

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: We had much discussion in the other House on this issue and I have given it a fair deal of consideration. The points made are very reasonable. I am not in the business of setting up any entity for the sake of it, but I am convinced by the argument put to us by my advisers and by the specialist advisers we brought in that this is the best way to go. I have no wish to hang my hat entirely in...

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Yes, it may well be. Depending on the outcome of the tendering process, there might be no transfer of employees. Everybody would be pleased with that, but I cannot prejudice what might be the outcome of the discussions. We have been anxious to be very clear with a number of key stakeholders throughout this process. Obviously, we wish to have a robust new lottery regime and to protect the...

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: We had a long debate in the Lower House on this matter. I understand the very legitimate case put as to why we should establish any body unless there is a compelling need for it. We thought long and hard about it. Under this legislation we are asking people to make a bid for a robust contribution to the State. They will want to ensure that the licence will operate in accordance with the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Regulations (30 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 252 and 253 together. Public procurement is the acquisition, whether under formal contract or not, of works, supplies and services by public bodies. Public procurement in Ireland is governed by legal requirements, rules and guidelines set both at national and EU level. The general requirements for goods and general services are set out in the Public...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Referendum Expenditure (30 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Referendum on the Protection of Children was held on the 10th November, 2012. Returning Officers are required to submit their accounts for the Referendum to the Minister for Finance not later than six months after the date on which the poll was conducted and so the total cost of the Referendum is not available at this time. An estimated breakdown of the costs is as follows: Advances...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Office of Public Works Properties (30 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Due to adverse weather conditions, following the concerts in the Phoenix Park, works began in September 2012 and have been completed to our satisfaction. The State received €345,053 for the music concert series, which occupied the site for 3 weeks (approx).

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Garda Stations Closures (30 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Office of Public Works is currently assessing the property options arising in respect of all the recently closed Garda Stations including Ballinakill and Ballacolla Garda Stations in County Laois. This assessment will identify, in the first instance, if other State Bodies, including government departments and the wider public sector have a use for the property. If there is no other...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff Redeployment (30 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Commissioner of Valuation is independent in the exercise of his duties under the Valuation Act, 2001 and the carrying out of valuations for rating purposes is his sole prerogative and the Act does not accord me as Minister any function in this regard. The Valuation Office operates within the employment control framework set by Government for the public service which imposes an overall...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Properties (30 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Lighting is not metered separately in the vast majority of public buildings. For this reason it is only possible to provide an estimate for the amount spent on lighting. The OPW is responsible for buildings occupied by central Government Departments and some state agencies. The total annual energy expenditure in these buildings is estimated at €32M. Approximately 65% of this is on...

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

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy has confirmed that he is interested in obtaining the figures for 2012. In that regard, the breakdown of gross current expenditure spent on Social Protection, Health and Education as a percentage of overall current expenditure in 2012 was 40%, 27% and 16% respectively. The calculations are based on the provisional outturn figures for 2012, as published in the Revised Estimates for...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Service Reform Plan Update (30 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Public service reform is a cornerstone policy of this Government, with the clear objective to make our public services more effective and cost efficient. As part of this, Government has agreed an end-2014 serving numbers target of 282,500 (whole time equivalent). At end-2012 there were just over 290,500 (whole time equivalent) public servants. Therefore, over these two years a further...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Official Engagements (30 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy’s question I am pleased to inform him that the diary of my Secretary General will be published on our Department’s Website on a monthly basis. In relation to measures to make senior civil servants more accountable I am committed to bringing forward the necessary legislative changes or other reforms to meet the objective of ensuring greater clarity and...