Results 14,501-14,520 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Constitutional Amendment on Children (5 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The information the Deputy has requested is not available at this time. The Children’s Referendum was held on the 10th November, 2012. Returning Officers are required to submit their accounts for the Children’s Referendum to the Minister for Finance not later than six months after the date on which any poll was conducted.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pension Provisions (5 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Pensions Act 1990, as amended, provides that pensions are vested after two years' pensionable service. This applies for all pension scheme members, whether in the public or private sector. Those who leave service prior to completion of the vesting period receive a refund of contributions. The Report of the Commission on Public Service Pensions considered the issue some years ago and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Appointments to State Boards (5 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy’s question I can confirm the following. An Post National Lottery Board There have been four appointees to the National Lottery Company Board from March 2011 up to January 2013. Two of the appointees were nominated by An Post and, in light of the fact that the term of the National Lottery License being due to expire in late 2013, two directors were...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Redundancies (5 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Government has decided that voluntary redundancy will be introduced in certain targeted sections of the public service where staff surpluses are identified by management and where redeployment is not suitable. The purpose of the scheme is to aid Government in implementing restructuring and reform in a strategic and targeted manner. It is not proposed to introduce a general scheme open...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Garda Remuneration (5 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: In recent weeks, extremely difficult and complex discussions have taken place between public service management and public service staff representatives seeking agreement on a series of measures that will secure an additional €1 billion saving from the public service pay and pensions bill by 2015. These discussions concluded on Monday February 25th, with proposals being put forward by...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Finance Act 2004 (Section 91) (Deferred Surrender to the Central Fund) Order 2013: Motion (28 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I am discovering some of the things-----

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Finance Act 2004 (Section 91) (Deferred Surrender to the Central Fund) Order 2013: Motion (28 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I discovered, for example, that the new naval vessel under construction is categorised as current expenditure. One would expect it to be considered capital expenditure but for some reason it is-----

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Finance Act 2004 (Section 91) (Deferred Surrender to the Central Fund) Order 2013: Motion (28 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: When I ask these questions the definition provided is that something is a consumable and deemed to be consumed once it is provided, for example, in the case of Garda vehicles. Perhaps the sub-committee will examine this issue.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Finance Act 2004 (Section 91) (Deferred Surrender to the Central Fund) Order 2013: Motion (28 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: These things are not written in stone. I have moved Garda vehicles to the capital side. As the Deputies will be aware, I provided a capital grant of €5 million this year to acquire more Garda vehicles. It is easier to find capital moneys than it is to find current expenditure, although perhaps I should not say that loudly.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Finance Act 2004 (Section 91) (Deferred Surrender to the Central Fund) Order 2013: Motion (28 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: It is also logical to consider a Garda vehicle capital expenditure.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Finance Act 2004 (Section 91) (Deferred Surrender to the Central Fund) Order 2013: Motion (28 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: We will certainly look at this type of expenditure.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Finance Act 2004 (Section 91) (Deferred Surrender to the Central Fund) Order 2013: Motion (28 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Housing policy is set by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. The Minister of State at the Department, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, will make the case for the housing side. There is a dichotomy between, on the one hand, the large number of people on the housing list and, on the other, a large number of empty houses. One of the problems is that many of the empty...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Finance Act 2004 (Section 91) (Deferred Surrender to the Central Fund) Order 2013: Motion (28 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: In that case, the Department of Education and Skills will give the sanction and indicate what is permissible expenditure. If this expenditure bridges two years, it remains permissible and sanctioned by the Department. The Department gives the sanction to acquire or purchase a product and pay the invoice.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Finance Act 2004 (Section 91) (Deferred Surrender to the Central Fund) Order 2013: Motion (28 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: In that instance, it would be preferable to plan from the beginning to make the purchase in January.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Finance Act 2004 (Section 91) (Deferred Surrender to the Central Fund) Order 2013: Motion (28 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: We are discussing multi-annual funding. An envelope is provided for three years which allows people to ask what is the optimum time to buy certain products. A new procurement regime is also in place to ensure this happens. I remember visiting a school in my constituency which was scheduled to be completely refurbished. This was under the old regime. At the end of the year, the school in...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Finance Act 2004 (Section 91) (Deferred Surrender to the Central Fund) Order 2013: Motion (28 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I will convey the Deputy's views to the Minister for Education and Skills who is responsible for the line Department.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Finance Act 2004 (Section 91) (Deferred Surrender to the Central Fund) Order 2013: Motion (28 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: In terms of scarce resources, line Departments must make choices if lecture space and so forth are vitally needed.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Finance Act 2004 (Section 91) (Deferred Surrender to the Central Fund) Order 2013: Motion (28 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I have a very close liaison with the NDFA. It is part of the NTMA family so it comes under the Department of Finance, but the Secretary General of my Department is a board member of the NDFA. The NDFA is very proactive and my staff and I meet with the NDFA all the time. When I go to meetings with the European Investment Bank or others, a representative from the NDFA normally attends also....

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Finance Act 2004 (Section 91) (Deferred Surrender to the Central Fund) Order 2013: Motion (28 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Excellent.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Finance Act 2004 (Section 91) (Deferred Surrender to the Central Fund) Order 2013: Motion (28 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: That is a point Deputy Fleming raised. I had a concern. The only area in which I saw a porousness between current and capital spending was in the HSE. The staff in the HSE felt that money was money. We need to have very clear segregation not only between current and capital spending, which is very basic. Money voted for mental health services should be spent on that, or moneys voted for...