Results 14,401-14,420 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I am sure we would hear very strong arguments. I am sure that, if I had the set of proposals to do exactly as Deputy Boyd Barrett now suggests and conduct the licence the way the last licence was conducted but with a ring-fenced lasso around an income stream to fund the children's hospital, I would be told of all the good causes which would suffer egregiously from that in working class areas...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The unprecedented challenge for this Government is to find resources to invest in job creation and in providing an infrastructure which is urgently needed. Nobody is against the notion of building a national children's hospital, so we need to find the wherewithal to do so. In my judgment, this is a very good way to do so. I do not believe it does any damage to the integrity of the lottery....

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Government made decisions in regard to this legislation in principle at the time I published the public capital programme. I was looking at everything available to us to fund infrastructure and to spend money on buildings and get construction workers back to work. We came up with the idea for this in November 2011 and I floated it. We have been working on it since then. In order to...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The last one was put out to tender in 2001.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: To be very honest about it, I have changed the conditions of the licence. I made it a 20-year licence to make it more attractive and to attract a larger up-front payment. The Deputy is right that what we are putting into the market is a licence which we are obliged under European law to put into the market. I cannot award it to An Post or to anybody else. The reason An Post has it is that...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: What has changed is that there is a different licensing regime, because we now have a 20-year licence and different structure for it in that we are setting up an independent regulator. That is something I was going to go back to because Deputy McDonald threw in the point that it fundamentally altered the situation. Again had I brought in a provision such as: "the Minister having this...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I move amendment No. 1: In page 5, between lines 26 and 27, to insert the following: " "central gaming system" comprises the secure core computer systems of hardware and software that validate and record all entries for National Lottery games and identify winning combinations;".The central gaming system is crucial to the operation of a national lottery. It is considered appropriate to...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I thank the Chairman for facilitating today's discussion. I do not think any other proposal has received the same scrutiny as this initiative to date. We have had debates, questions and numerous motions in both Houses on the issue. I welcome that because it is important that we rigorously consider all proposals. I strongly reaffirm the views I expressed on Second Stage on the national...

Order of Business (27 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Shortly.

Leaders' Questions (27 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The people of the country are supporting the banks.

Leaders' Questions (27 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Your bestest pal, Seanie.

Leaders' Questions (27 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Listen.

Leaders' Questions (27 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: And of those in private medicine.

Leaders' Questions (27 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: They have not been published.

Leaders' Questions (27 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: They have not.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Proposed Legislation (27 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The categories for the disbursement of National Lottery funds provided for in section 41 of the National Lottery Bill 2012 include national culture and heritage (including the Irish language) and youth, welfare and amenities. These categories are quite wide and would not prohibit the funding of community projects which have an environmental dimension. Consequently, I am of the view that a...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Semi-State Bodies Remuneration (27 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy’s question the position in respect of the agencies under the remit of my Department is that there is no cost to the taxpayer in respect of paying directors fees, salaries or any other remuneration.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Croke Park Agreement Issues (27 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The negotiations which took place on proposals to extend the current Public Service Agreement concluded last month with a Labour Relations Commission draft Agreement as the outcome. These proposals represent a compromise between the parties, which the Government believes will achieve its core objectives of: - securing additional savings of €1 billion in the pay and pensions bill by...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministerial Transport (27 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy’s question the following is a list of costs regarding Ministerial cars in 2012: Type of Expenditure Number of Staff Amount Minister Drivers Salaries 2 €65,929.42 Drivers Expenses 2 €24,171.01 Mileage Payment to Minister 1 €12,826.92 Total €102,927.41 Minister of State Drivers Salaries 3 €71,663.84 Drivers...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Issues (27 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Since 1986, the lottery licence has been managed by An Post National Lottery Company and has made a significant contribution to the State through making good cause contributions of approximately €4 billion. Importantly, the new licence is being designed to align interests between the new operator and the State with the objective of maximising contributions to be paid to good causes...