Results 14,141-14,160 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministerial Adviser Pay (18 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy’s question the following table outlines the name and salary of each Special Adviser appointed by me: Name Title Salary (per annum) Increases Anne Byrne Special Adviser (D/PER) €83,337 with effect from March 2011 €86,604 with effect from March 2012. Ronan O’Brien Special Adviser (D/PER) €114,000 with effect May 2011 Nil As I...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Reform Implementation (18 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Public Service Reform Plan (November 2011) identified the implementation of shared services as a major element in the Reform Programme. In May 2012, a formal decision was taken by the Government to set up a Civil Service HR and Pensions Administration Shared Service Centre for the Civil Service, called PeoplePoint, in Clonskeagh in Dublin; to consolidate transactional HR activities and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Croke Park Agreement Issues (18 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I have not had discussions with representatives of retired public service workers in relation to this matter. As the Deputy will be aware, the talks leading up to the recent Labour Relations Commission proposals for a Public Service Agreement 2013 – 2016 took place between Government officials representing the State as employer, and staff representatives, principally the Public...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pension Provisions (18 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 31, 34, 36 and 37 together. As I have set out, on a number of occasions before, the position in relation to the pensions of senior public service retirees is kept under review by my Department. Over the course of recent years, several Government measures have been taken which serve to substantially reduce pension awards and pensions in payment to former...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Debt Collection (18 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Currently the Government has no plans to establish a centralised agency for the collection of all monies outstanding to the State. In line with our commitments in the Programme for Government and the Public Service Reform Plan, my Department is considering a range of alternative service delivery models, such as centralised services, shared services and external service delivery, to improve...

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

Brendan Howlin: As the Deputy is aware, the Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013 aims to establish a comprehensive statutory framework for the Oireachtas to conduct inquiries within the current constitutional framework. I wish to advise the Deputy that the Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013 is currently at an advanced stage in the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pension Provisions (18 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: As the Deputy will be aware the LRC noted the Government’s intention to require public service pensioners to make a further contribution to the consolidation measures in conjunction with the contribution being sought from serving staff, thereby ensuring an element of burden sharing from higher paid public service pensioners. These matters now fall to be considered further in the light...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Official Engagements (18 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I met with representatives of the Public Services Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions in December last regarding the commencement of discussions with public service management on a new agenda for reductions in the cost of delivering public services and substantial longer term productivity improvements and workplace reforms. Following intensive discussions earlier this year, I...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Capital Expenditure Programme Issues (18 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The net capital expenditure allocation for 2013 is €3.097 billion, as set out in the Revised Estimates Volume published yesterday. The end March Exchequer returns showed that €387 million was drawn down by Departments and Offices during the first quarter of the year. This is just €50m below the level they had profiled to end-March. I fully expect that Departments and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Strategic Management Initiative (18 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Strategic Management Initiative (SMI) was launched by the then Taoiseach, John Bruton, in February 1994. The stated objective of the SMI was to present Public Service management with an opportunity to make a substantial contribution to national development, through the provision of quality and effectively delivered services. It should be noted that while the focus of the SMI was...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Equality Proofing of Policies (18 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: All changes in relation to work-life balance arrangements in the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) proposals were aimed at streamlining existing arrangements so that a satisfactory balance could be struck between the delivery of the business needs of the employer – in this case the consistent delivery of high quality services to the public – and the need for working parents and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: EU Funding (18 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: On 8 February 2013 the European Council reached agreement on the EU’s budget for 2014-2020. The budget has to be agreed with the European Parliament and discussions are now taking place with the Parliament under the aegis of the Irish Presidency. In line with reductions to the overall EU budget, Cohesion funding across Europe is expected to be reduced from €347 billion to...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministerial Remuneration (18 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The salaries which will apply to the Taoiseach, each Minister and the Secretaries General of Government Departments, if the pay reductions set out in the recent Labour Relations Commission proposals on the draft Public Service Agreement 2013-2016 are implemented, are set out in the following tables: Current Pay Rate of pay on application of proposed deductions Pension Related Deduction...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Peace and Reconciliation Programme (18 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: On 7/8 February 2013, the European Council agreed the Multi Annual Financial Framework (MFF). The EU budget included provision for funding of €150 million towards a new PEACE programme. This budget is subject to European Parliament agreement. The final size of the next PEACE programme, which will include funding from Ireland and the UK, will depend on the outcome of the programme...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pensions Legislation (18 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: As the Deputy will be aware the LRC noted the Government’s intention to require public service pensioners to make a further contribution to the consolidation measures in conjunction with the contribution being sought from serving staff, thereby ensuring an element of burden sharing from higher paid public service pensioners. These matters now fall to be considered further in the light...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure Statistics (18 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 112 to 114, inclusive, and 119 to 121, inclusive, together. The Government is making good progress on achieving all of our targets and priorities, as articulated in the Government Programme. We are bringing public expenditure back to a sustainable level and driving forward the public service reform agenda to ensure that efficiencies and reformed work...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Croke Park Agreement Savings (18 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Implementation Body, which is charged with driving the implementation of the Public Service Agreement, is required to assess the savings being facilitated under the framework of the Agreement on an annual basis. As part of this annual review process, savings returns are completed and returned to the Body in respect of every sector, Department and Office. The Body has carried out two...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Croke Park Agreement Savings (18 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 116 and 118 together. In view of the Unions’ non acceptance of the measures proposed by the Labour Relations Commission, it will now be necessary for the Government to decide on and secure alternative measures that will deliver the necessary savings to meet our expenditure targets. As the Labour Relations Commission proposals have not been agreed...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Croke Park Agreement Issues (18 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The discussions which led to proposals from the Labour Relations Commission for a draft Public Service Agreement were between public service management and the Public Services Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. In addition, a parallel process involved the staff representative associations of the Defence Forces and An Garda Síochána. The objective of these discussions...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Croke Park Agreement Issues (18 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The discussions which led to proposals from the Labour Relations Commission for a draft Public Service Agreement were between public service management and the Public Services Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, as representative of public service staff. In addition, a parallel process involved the staff representative associations of the Defence Forces and An Garda...