Results 14,641-14,660 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministerial Meetings (26 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I met 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. Furthermore, I attended a plenary meeting of the parties...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Outsourcing of Public Services (26 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Evaluating opportunities for the external delivery of some non-core public services is an action in the Public Service Reform Plan agreed by Government in November 2011. In July 2012, the Government agreed a range of actions aimed at achieving a focused and integrated approach to external service delivery of non-core processes with the objective of reducing costs and focusing staff resources...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Proposed Legislation (26 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: As the Deputy will be aware, I strongly support the objective of undertaking an effective and legally robust parliamentary banking inquiry. I wish to advise the Deputy that the Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2012 is currently at an advanced stage in the drafting process and is expected to be published in the spring session. As set out in the General...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Reform Implementation (26 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The need for careful evaluation and appraisal of all significant areas of expenditure, including those contained in the Government’s Public Service Reform Plan, is essential, especially in the context of on-going resource constraints. The Government's approach to addressing the management of expenditure over the medium-term has been clearly set out in the Comprehensive Expenditure...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: EU Programmes (26 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: At the meeting of the European Council in Brussels on 7/8 February 2013, EU Heads of State and Government agreed to the inclusion of a special allocation of €150 million for a new PEACE Programme in the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2014-2020. This special allocation, which was not provided for in the European Commission’s original MFF proposal, was included...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Revised Estimates (21 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: It is my intention to publish the revised estimates for all Government Departments as soon as possible. As the Deputy is aware, negotiations are ongoing regarding the extension of the Croke Park Agreement and the revised estimates cannot be finalised until the negotiations have been completed, and the precise effects on the pay allocations for 2013 can be determined. Once agreement has been...

Leaders' Questions (20 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: It is not excluded.

Leaders' Questions (20 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: Bits of them.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: EU Funding (20 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: On 8 February 2013 the European Council reached agreement on the EU’s budget for 2014-2020. The budget has now to be agreed with the European Parliament. In line with reductions to the overall EU budget, Cohesion funding across Europe is expected to be reduced from €347 billion to around €325 billion. Nevertheless, while the precise details remain to be worked out, it...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Funding Disbursement (20 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: As the Deputy is aware, I announced in April 2012 that there will be a competition for the next National Lottery licence. It is intended that the competition will involve an upfront payment by the operator of the next licence to the State, a portion of which will be used to help build the new National Children’s Hospital. It is envisaged that the competition will commence later this...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Prison Service Overtime (20 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the above Parliamentary Question I would refer the Deputy to Question number 6 on the order paper for questions answered on 23 January 2013. The situation currently remains unchanged.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Construction Contracts Bill (20 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The key objective of the Construction Contracts Bill is to ensure that cash flows down the supply chain on all construction contracts. This is achieved by providing a statutory schedule of payments, prohibiting the use of ‘pay when paid’ clauses in construction contracts and, most importantly, it provides the means for subcontractors to enforce these rights; by suspending their...

Leaders' Questions (19 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: That is rubbish.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Proposed Legislation (19 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Government published the Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2012 on 3rd August, 2012 as part of its legislative programme. The Bill proceeded through its second stage in Seanad Éireann on 11th October 2012. I wish to advise the Deputy that officials in my Department are currently engaging with a wide range of stakeholders and other interested parties and I will be considering...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (19 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: The Gross Public Service pay and pensions figures for 2011 and 2012 are provided in the table below. The 2011 figures are extracted from the audited 2011, Appropriation Accounts, while the 2012 figures are the forecast outturns, as notified by Departments and Offices and published in the Expenditure Report 2013. 2011 Pay (€,millions) 2011 Pension (€,million) 2012 Pay...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministerial Appointments (19 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 359 to 361, inclusive, together. In response to the Deputy’s questions the following is a list of all appointments made by me to all State agencies and commercial bodies under the remit of my Department since taking office: Office/Board Name Date Appointed Qualifications % of Appointments to Board/Office An Post National Lottery Board * Mr. Donal...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Service Staff Redundancies (19 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. As announced recently, Voluntary Redundancy will first be rolled out in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and parts of the Health and Education Sectors. These...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Numbers (19 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I can confirm that the latest available data shows that, measured on the basis of whole time equivalents (WTEs), there were just under 290,900 public sector workers at the end of 2012. The data on serving numbers is collected and tracked on a quarterly basis. The next update will show the position at end March 2013. Historical data on public service numbers is available at () from 1994 to...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Revised Estimates Approval (19 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: It is my intention to publish the revised estimates for all Government Departments as soon as possible. However, as the Deputy is aware, negotiations are ongoing regarding the extension of the Croke Park Agreement and the revised estimates cannot be finalised until the negotiations have been completed, and the precise effects on the pay allocations for 2013 can be determined. Once agreement...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Redeployment (19 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...