Results 14,601-14,620 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Remuneration (27 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Ireland is committed to reducing its general government deficit to less than 3% by 2015. To meet this commitment the Medium Term Fiscal Statement indicated that, in addition to the overall consolidation of €3.5 billion required for 2013, an additional €3.1 billion in savings and revenue raising measures must be identified for 2014 and €2 billion in 2015. If the public...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Small and Medium Enterprises Supports (27 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Guidelines issued by my Department (Circular 10/10) require public bodies to conduct the public procurement function in a way that facilitates and does not place barriers to participation of small and medium enterprises. In relation to improving access for SMEs to larger contracts, the guidance advises contracting authorities to consider sub-dividing of procurement requirements into...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Legal Costs (27 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: State bodies are the largest single consumer of legal services, and so it is critical to ensure that the State is achieving maximum value for money, while at the same time ensuring that it does not distort an important market. My Department is reviewing both the level of expenditure on, and the procedures that are being used to procure, legal services. The paper "Reducing Public...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts Social Clause (27 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The scope for including social considerations in public contracts is something that I have been examining closely recently. In this regard, I would refer the Deputy to my reply on this issue (PQ 3066/13 - answered 23/01/13). The inclusion of a social clause in all public procurement contracts requiring that, for example, a quota of long-term unemployed be employed in the delivery of the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Coillte Teoranta Harvesting Rights Sale (27 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 39 and 45 together. The House will recall my announcement of the shape and scale of the State asset disposal programme in February, 2012. The Government then decided in June that a long-term concession contract for the harvesting rights to Coillte forests represented the best option for realising value from Coillte in the short to medium term. A Steering...

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

Brendan Howlin: As the Deputy will be aware, I have no statutory role in relation to the remuneration of staff below Chief Executive Officer (CEO) level in the commercial State sector. The Government supports a strong policy of pay restraint in the public sector and the Deputy will also be aware that in June, 2011 the Government took two significant steps in relation to the payment arrangements of CEOs...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Redundancies (27 Feb 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. My Department agreed the terms for voluntary redundancy with the Public Services Committee of ICTU in June 2012, a copy of which can be found on my Department's website at:...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Issues (27 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Data on the gender break down in the clerical officer grade across the public service is not readily available. However, for the Civil Service there are just over 11,000 clerical officers or equivalents of which some 75% are female.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Licence Sale (27 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: It is intended that the competition for the next National Lottery licence will commence during the second quarter of this year. It is envisaged that the licence will be awarded in the second half of 2013 and that it will come into operation in 2014. My officials and the Department’s financial and commercial advisers have met with a number of parties who have indicated an interest...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Tenders (27 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 44 and 55 together. In relation to improving access for SMEs to public procurement opportunities the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has issued guidelines (Circular 10/10) that require public bodies to promote participation of small and medium-sized enterprises in the award of public contracts. These guidelines set out positive measures that...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Sale of State Assets (27 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Work is ongoing and significant progress has already been made in preparations for transactions in the State asset disposal programme that I announced last February. I envisage that significant further progress will be made during the course of this year, including the receipt of the initial proceeds for some of the assets, as circumstances allow.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Croke Park Agreement Issues (27 Feb 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. Following intensive engagement in recent days between the parties which was...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Remuneration (27 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: In recent weeks, extremely difficult and complex discussions have been underway 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. Following intensive engagement in recent days between the parties which was...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Tenders (27 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Guidelines issued by my Department (Circular 10/10) require public bodies to conduct the public procurement function in a way that facilitates and does not place barriers to participation of small and medium enterprises. As one measure to achieve this, the guidance advises that the sub-dividing of procurement requirements into “lots” should be considered by contracting...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Reform Review (27 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I refer to my reply to Question No. 16 of 23 January 2013.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Coillte Teoranta Harvesting Rights Sale (27 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Proposals for the sale of Coillte's harvesting rights under the State assets disposal programme are being considered within the context of a full and rigorous assessment of all the implications of a harvesting rights transaction for both the company and the timber processing sector in general. My department has actively engaged with Coillte, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Construction Contracts Bill (27 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Programme for Government contains a commitment to introduce new legislation to protect small building subcontractors that have been denied payments from bigger companies. In this regard, my colleague Minister of State Brian Hayes is working with Senator Feargal Quinn to develop the Senator’s private member’s Construction Contracts Bill into a robust piece of legislation. The...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff Redeployment (27 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Public Service Agreement 2010-14 (Croke Park Agreement) provides for agreed redeployment arrangements to apply in the Civil Service and in other parts of the public service. Under the Agreement, redeployment generally takes precedence over all other methods of filling a vacancy and supersedes any existing agreements on the deployment of staff. It sets out the agreed redeployment...

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

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 151 and 152 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 practices play a full part in contributing...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff Retirements (27 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The historical data the Deputy has requested on public service pay and numbers is available on my Department’s website (). This data is regularly updated and I would urge all Deputies to utilise this resource.