Results 15,121-15,140 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Cross-Border Co-operation (4 Dec 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 233, 234 and 247 to 249, inclusive, together. The Special EU Programmes Body, a North South Body established under the Good Friday Agreement, is responsible for the management and implementation of the PEACE III and Interreg IVA cross-border EU co-funded Programmes. My Department and the Department of Finance and Personnel in Northern Ireland work closely...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Sale of State Assets (4 Dec 2012)

Brendan Howlin: As the Deputy will be aware, we have agreed with the Troika that all of the Government’s proceeds from the State asset disposal programme, including proceeds received from any sale of Coillte assets, apart from its land holdings, will be available, in one shape or another, to support job-creating initiatives in the economy. Half of the proceeds will be available to fund employment...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions (4 Dec 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I note that the Deputy initially put this question down to my colleague the Minister for Finance. In making this reply, it is assumed that the Deputy is referring to public service pensions, and in particular to the public service pension reduction, or PSPR, which was introduced by the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2010. The fact is that all occupational pensions are...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Services (4 Dec 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Evaluating the opportunity 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. Last July, 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 on...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Reform (4 Dec 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The commitment in the Programme for Government is that we will review the grading structure of the civil service and public service and reduce number of management grades. As stated in my reply of 21st November, 2012, under the Public Service Reform Plan my Department is reviewing the grading structure of the Civil Service. The review of the grading structure in other sectors of the Public...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Legislative Programme (4 Dec 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 239 and 251 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Budget 2012 (4 Dec 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Budget 2012, presented in December last year, was prepared in light of a major body of analytical work that was conducted across all Departments in the context of the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure (CRE) 2011. The main findings of that Review, and the detailed expenditure allocations across each area, were set out in last December’s Comprehensive Expenditure Report 2012-2014; and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Service Pension Levy (4 Dec 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The annual benefit to the Exchequer of the civil service pension levy, as notified by Departments and offices, since its inception in 2009 is set out in the following table. The figures shown in the following table do not include pension related deductions arising from the Local Authorities. €m’s 2009 2010 2011 Civil Service Pension Levy 840.5 954.3 968.3 In 2009, it was...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts (4 Dec 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The assessment of a tenderer’s financial and economic standing is a key part of any procurement process. Establishing the appropriate suitability criteria that are relevant and appropriate to a particular contract is, of course, a matter for the contracting authority concerned. This is because the contracting authority is in the best position to gauge the appropriate levels of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Cross-Border Co-operation (4 Dec 2012)

Brendan Howlin: My Department works with the Department of Finance and Personnel Northern Ireland in the overall management of the PEACE III and INTERREG IVA Programmes and as co-sponsor Departments of the Special EU Programmes Body, which is responsible for the management and implementation of the Programmes. The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Department of Finance and Personnel are...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Cross-Border Co-operation (4 Dec 2012)

Brendan Howlin: My officials and I are directly involved in ongoing and frequent North South engagement. Officials within my Department work closely with the Department of Finance and Personnel (DFP) in Northern Ireland as joint sponsor Departments of the Special EU Programmes Body, one of the North South implementation bodies established under the Good Friday Agreement. Officials also work closely with...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Cross-Border Co-operation (4 Dec 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The PEACE III Programme is a cross-border Programme funded by the European Union and the Northern Irish and Irish Governments. The Programme has a total value of €333m. The Special EU Programmes Body is the Managing Authority for the Programme. The Irish Government has met all of its commitments under the PEACE III Programme. Peace projects range from small local projects to large...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Cross-Border Co-operation (4 Dec 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The PEACE III Programme is co-funded by the EU, Northern Ireland and Ireland and has a total allocation of €333m The Programme has been oversubscribed, reflecting the fact that the Programme is widely recognised as making a significant contribution to peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland and the border region of Ireland. As regards the level of programme over-commitment, the...

Estimates for Public Services 2012 (29 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I move the following Supplementary Estimates:

Credit Institutions (Eligible Liabilities Guarantee)(Amendment) Scheme 2012: Motion (29 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I move:That Dáil Éireann approves the terms of the draft scheme entitled Credit Institutions (Eligible Liabilities Guarantee) (Amendment) Scheme 2012 a copy of which draft scheme was laid before Dáil Éireann on 26th November, 2012.

Leaders' Questions (29 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: That is a scandalous comment.

Leaders' Questions (29 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy is being very partitionist.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Irish Language (29 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The Public Service Reform Plan, published in November 2011, places a strong focus on customer service and supporting individuals and businesses where and when they need it most, making their interaction with the State as simple and seamless as possible and improving the customer’s experience in engaging with Government. This also includes support for its customers in dealing with the...

Leaders' Questions (28 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Absolutely not.

Leaders' Questions (28 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: No.