Results 15,261-15,280 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

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

Brendan Howlin: The Government approved the publication of the Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2012 on 3rd August, 2012 and the 2nd stage debate was taken in Seanad Éireann on 11th October, 2012. The primary purpose of the Bill is to introduce amendments to the legislation which underpins the rateable valuation system on which commercial rates are collected. The proposed amendments to the...

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

Brendan Howlin: The reduction by 10% of the salary scale and fixed allowances for new entry grades to the public service was implemented by the previous government with effect from 1 January 2011 and remains in place. The stated purpose of the measure was to achieve a medium term structural reduction in the pay bill cost of the public service, and as a contribution towards improving Ireland’s...

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

Brendan Howlin: At present, the position is that the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2010 provides for an average public service pension reduction (PSPR) with effect from 1 January 2011 of about 4% of pension, calculated in line with the following rates and bands: Annual Public Service Pension (€) Reduction Rate First 12,000 0% Between 12,000 and 24,000 6% Between 24,000...

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

Brendan Howlin: I am satisfied that the proposed legislation is the most appropriate approach on the basis, of the comprehensive analysis carried out in relation to this matter by my Department in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, the January 2011 report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution reviewing the parliamentary powers of inquiry and the published views of several...

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

Brendan Howlin: As part of the next steps of the Allowances Review process, my Department has written to sectoral management instructing them to immediately engage with staff interests with a view to securing their early agreement to the elimination of those departmental allowances payable to current beneficiaries, where no business cases exists to pay those allowances to new beneficiaries. Departments...

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

Brendan Howlin: As I said in previous replies on this matter, Secretaries General appointed under the TLAC process have exit arrangements which reflect the Government Decision applicable at the time of their appointment and these form part of their terms of employment. On 25 October 2011 this Government revised the exit arrangements to apply to Secretaries General newly appointed thereafter. Under the...

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

Brendan Howlin: The Government, at my request, on 20 November 2012 invited members of the Public Services Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions to discussions on a new agenda for improvements in the productivity of public servants and reductions in the cost of delivery of public services. This invitation has been issued in light of the Government’s determination to meet the challenge...

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

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 30 and 37 together. Regarding An Post National Lottery Company, which comes under the aegis of my Department, I wish to inform the Deputies that pay and pensions issues are a matter for An Post. The information requested regarding pensions would therefore be provided by the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. In respect of the...

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

Brendan Howlin: I am very aware that public procurement can be an important source of business for local enterprises. Current guidelines, Circular 10/10, issued by my Department 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 contracting authorities are to take to promote SME involvement...

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

Brendan Howlin: The Comprehensive Review of Expenditure was the culmination of an intensive exercise carried out by all Departments in 2011 to identify means of reducing expenditure, in line with commitments under the Joint EU/IMF Programme of Financial Support for Ireland, while minimising the impact on service delivery. All proposals, including those from members of the public and third party submissions,...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Top Level Appointments Committee (21 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: In line with the Programme for Government commitment, the restructuring of the Top Level Appointments Committee (TLAC) was announced in April 2011. In July 2011 I announced the five external appointments to TLAC, one of whom would be the chairperson. Together with the four Senior Civil Service Members the restructured Committee commenced work in July 2011. I am happy that this new...

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

Brendan Howlin: The Public Appointments Service (PAS), which has day-to-day operational responsibility for the implementation of redeployment, has put in place a system of Resource Panels of Civil Service and State Agency staff to support the redeployment processes in those sectors under the Croke Park Agreement. Posts to be filled by redeployment are offered in the first instance to the relevant panel or...

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

Brendan Howlin: Substantial preparatory work has been carried out by my Department on this significant legislative project to date. I propose to advise Government of the proposed legislative approach early next year and expect to initiate a wider consultative process at that time.

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

Brendan Howlin: The legislative proposals contained in Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2012 are primarily underpinned by a comprehensive legal analysis of the constitutional requirements set down in the Abbeylara case. The process was also informed by an examination of provisions for parliamentary inquiries in a number of other jurisdictions from existing published...

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

Brendan Howlin: External delivery of public services is a key element of the overall Public Service Reform Plan agreed by Government in November 2011. As such, last July, the Government agreed a range of actions aimed at achieving a focussed and integrated approach to external service delivery of non-core processes with the objective of reducing costs and focussing staff on priority areas. The...

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

Brendan Howlin: As the Deputy will be aware the commitment in the Public Service Reform Plan is that every Purchase Order by a Government Department or Agency for €20,000 or over should be published online by the end of 2012. My Secretary General wrote to all Secretaries General on March 27th, stating that they should put appropriate processes in place to ensure that this ambitious target is met....

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

Brendan Howlin: The changed economic environment has meant that it is necessary to do “better for less”, providing real value-for-money for the Irish taxpayer by maximising efficiency and eliminating waste. Since its establishment in 2009, the National Procurement Service (NPS) has reported estimated procurement savings to the end of 2012 under its frameworks of €117m, comprising of...

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

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 42 and 43 together. The specific definitions to be included in the Protected Disclosures in the Public Interest Bill 2012 are currently being considered by my Department in consultation with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel taking into account submissions made on the legislation and observations received on the General Scheme from the Oireachtas...

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

Brendan Howlin: In answer to the Deputy’s question the following is the position in respect of the agencies under the aegis of my Department. Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). The table hereunder outlines salary details for the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) for the years 2010, 2011 and 2012. With regard to additional allowances, bonuses and annual cost to the Exchequer of pension packages no...

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

Brendan Howlin: The Government decided on taking office in March 2011 to reduce the salaries of An Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Ministers with immediate effect. The reductions were implemented by all relevant Officeholders on a voluntary basis pending the passage of the necessary legislation giving statutory effect to the reductions. Section 6 (c) of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest...