Results 15,241-15,260 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Budget 2013 (21 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I would not be flippant about this.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Budget 2013 (21 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: This affects very vulnerable people and there are no-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Budget 2013 (21 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Despite what the Deputy may say or pretend to say, there are no soft options. If a budget is to be downsized when more than 80% is spent on three areas that affect vulnerable people, and there is a requirement under a programme that pays our way to make substantial reductions, it is difficult to not have an impact on people who have carried a significant burden. This Government will act in...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Reform (21 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Evaluating the opportunity for the external delivery of some public services is an important element of the overall public service reform plan agreed by the 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...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Lottery (21 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I announced on 4 April 2012 that the Government has decided to hold a competition for the next national lottery licence and that the licence will be for a 20-year period. Since April, my Department has carried out a considerable amount of preparatory work for the competition. It will be necessary to revise the National Lottery Act 1986. The Government has approved the general scheme of the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Lottery (21 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I thank the Deputy for his views and obviously there are issues I am considering at present. There are a number of ways in which the Government might do this although it has not got any money yet. However, assuming the Government will receive a substantial sum of money next year, I am exploring whether it should be put into an escrow account, particularly for the national children's...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Lottery (21 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I wish to be clear about this matter. First, I devised the strategy of ring-fencing because I was searching desperately to find where I could get a significant lump of capital to undertake this flagship project the nation desires, namely, the new national children's hospital. I did not wish to dip any further into the national capital programme and I note the Deputy has been highly critical...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Budget 2013 (21 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: With regard to budgetary matters, when focusing on the primary objectives of reducing the deficit and returning sustainability to the public finances, it has been of vital importance to the Government to spread the burden of the adjustments in as fair and equitable a manner as possible, while also seeking to minimise their negative impact on economic growth. The Government must ensure the...

Leaders' Questions (21 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Is this a question?

Leaders' Questions (21 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: It is a back-of-a-lorry speech.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Croke Park Agreement (21 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Paragraph 1.16 of the Public Service Agreement provides for an annual review of the savings generated from its implementation and states that "savings will be independently verified by the Implementation Body" for the Agreement. The Body has carried out two annual reviews to date which have provided a very comprehensive assessment of the sustainable savings and reform that have been...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Private Partnerships (21 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Ireland has a well established track record and a mature and well developed Public Private Partnership (PPP) arena in particular in the road sector and the education sector. There are also other major accommodation projects that were delivered as PPPs, such as the National Convention Centre and the Criminal Courts Complex. I am aware that the new PPP pipeline of projects which I announced...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: State Agencies (21 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 13, 15 and 16 together. As the Deputy is aware, the streamlining of State bodies is set out in the Public Service Reform Plan, published in November 2011. This streamlining included 48 rationalisation measures to be implemented by the end of 2012, as well as a further 46 critical reviews to take place by the end of June 2012. Details of the bodies involved are...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Numbers (21 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The Government is committed to reducing the size of the Public Service and to creating a leaner more efficient Public Service. At the 3rd Quarter of 2012 Public Service numbers were some 291,000. This is 29,000 below the peak numbers level of 320,000 in 2008 and is comparable to the 2005 staffing levels. Service levels have been largely maintained, and in fact increased in some areas,...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Commercial Rates (21 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: In accordance with the Valuation Act, 2001, which came into force on 2 May, 2002, a national programme, under the direction of the Commissioner of Valuation, is being rolled out progressively for the revaluation of all commercial and industrial properties in the State. The revaluation programme which has been completed in three County Council areas in Dublin began in November 2005 in the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Banking Sector Remuneration (21 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The following table, which is based on information provided by the Office of the Paymaster General and the Houses of the Oireachtas, provides the annual pension payments for 2011. TD Pension Ministerial Pension Civil Service Pension Mr Dick Spring €49,934.88 €71,175.34 N/A Mr Tom Considine N/A N/A €125,379.93 Mr Joe Walsh €49,934.88...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Reform (21 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Under the Public Service Reform Plan my Department is reviewing the grading structure of the Civil Service. The review will examine the number and distribution of management grades across the Civil Service, the percentage of the pay bill accounted for by such grades and taking account of organisational needs and best practice, assess the scope to reduce the number of management grades. Work...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Parliamentary Inquiries (21 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy will be aware I strongly support the objective of undertaking an effective and legally robust parliamentary banking inquiry. In that context, I wish to advise the Deputy that the Government, at its meeting on the 31st October, approved the drafting, as a matter of priority, by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel, of the Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Oireachtas Members' Salaries (21 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: In 2012, I introduced a range of changes to the regime of allowances in the nature of pay which, under the relevant primary legislation, are paid to Oireachtas members. That has resulted in significant financial savings to the Exchequer. It is my intention to continue to ensure that the greatest value for money can be achieved in relation to payments made to members of the Houses of the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Reform (21 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I do not have any data relating to the number of citizens making representations to politicians regarding their interactions with the public service. A central platform of this Government’s reform agenda is to substantially improve the levels of openness, transparency and accountability in politics and in the public service. Significant progress is being made in this area in...