Results 15,301-15,320 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Schools Building Projects (20 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: While my Department is responsible for the policy of PPPs, ownership of individual projects remains with the Sponsoring Department. I have warmly welcomed the recent announcement by my colleague the Minister for Education and Skills, Mr Ruairí Quinn, TD, that the latest Bundle of PPP schools has been signed off on by all partners and that work began on sites around the country last...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Capital Expenditure (20 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: On the 17th of July 2012, the Government announced its plans for an additional 2.25 billion euro investment in public infrastructure projects in Ireland. The stimulus package included 1.4 billion euro to fund the proposed new Public Private Partnerships (PPP) programme. The investment is directed towards projects that meet key infrastructural needs and are in line with the priorities in the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Croke Park Agreement (20 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 307, 308 and 311 to 313, inclusive, together. Work is continuing across the public service to secure further savings and reforms under the framework of the Public Service Agreement 2010-2014. We must all maximise the Agreement’s potential to leverage further pay and non-pay savings as well as further reform of work practices and service delivery in...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff Recruitment (20 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 309 and 310 together. In addition to those staff, spread throughout my Department, with expertise and qualifications in economics, the Government decided in May this year to supplement this expertise by setting up the Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service (IGEES). The work of the Service will support Departments in evaluating policy and...

Order of Business (15 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Deputy Broughan is self-whipping at present.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions (15 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Superannuation benefits of retired Secretaries General are calculated by reference to pensionable remuneration at their date of retirement. It is the practice that pay increases granted to those serving in the equivalent grade are awarded to the relevant pensioners. However, having regard to the severe economic circumstances facing the country, there have been no salary or pension increases...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Allowances (15 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Allowances are and will continue to be a normal part of the pay structure in the public service. The general position adopted by my Department in reviewing the business case of an allowance, as stated during the Review conducted this year is that allowances should only be payable in certain circumstances. These are: - that it reflects the arduous nature or unsocial hours, including the need...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Consultations (15 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: As discussed with your office yesterday afternoon I will be forwarding a full and comprehensive reply to this question early next week.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (14 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I refer to my reply to Question No. 282 of 23 October 2012.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Judicial Retirement Age (14 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 132 and 133 together. The normal age of retirement for Judges varies. For Judges of the District Court it is age 65 and it is age 70 for Judges of the Circuit Court, High Court and Supreme Court. Judges of the Higher Courts may retire once they have served for 15 years and are aged 65. The retirement age for Judges has not been lowered however Cost...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff Promotions (14 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The details of internal promotions since my Department was established in July 2011 are set out in the following table. Details of promotions in other Departments are a matter for those Departments. GradeNumber of Positions filled Principal Officer Higher Scale 2 Principal Officer Standard Scale 0 Assistant Principal Higher Scale 18 Assistant Principal Standard Scale 0 Higher...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Reform (14 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: As the Deputy is aware, the radical streamlining of State bodies is a key deliverable of the Public Service Reform Plan, published in November 2011. This streamlining includes 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 set out in Appendices IIa and IIb of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: North-South Implementation Bodies (13 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: 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. The SEUPB has recently commissioned a mid-term evaluation of the PEACE III Programme (2007-2013). Work on this study will commence in late November 2012. The mid-term...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: State Property (13 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 313 and 314 together. Under Section 28(2) of the State Property Act, 1954, as amended by the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act, 2011 and S.I. No. 418/2011 - Finance (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2011, personal property and land vested in or held in trust by a body corporate immediately prior to its...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Expenditure (13 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Ireland Stat is a new initiative to provide simple and clear information about how Ireland is performing by reference to well-specified indicators across the broad range of governmental activity. It is part of the Government’s modernisation of presenting information on how public money is spent, allocated and accounted for and is a natural development of the Performance Budgeting...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Capital Expenditure (13 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 317 to 319, inclusive, together. The End October Exchequer Statement, which was published on 2 November and which is available on the Department of Finance website, shows that net voted capital expenditure at end October was €2,037m, which is €336 million or 14.2% behind the published profile. The actual roll-out of capital expenditure is a...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Pension Provisions (13 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy’s question each Department is responsible for providing pension fund details in relation to commercial semi State companies for which they hold responsibility. In relation to An Post National Lottery Company which comes under the aegis of my Department I wish to inform the Deputy that pay and pensions issues are a matter for An Post. The information...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Agencies (13 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy’s question the following are the amounts currently being spent by State Agencies under the remit of my Department in 2012: Name of the body Spending on Communications Spending on Public Relations Spending on Consultancy Spending on Advertising Office of the Ombudsman Nil Nil 57,366 43,116 Public Appointments Service Nil Nil 152,000 231,500 ...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: EU Presidency (13 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: While there are a number of officials at different grade levels working on Presidency related business in my Department there is no one who will be working solely on Presidency related work for the remainder of 2012. An interdivisional group has been established within my Department to co-ordinate preparation for the 2013 Presidency of the Council of Ministers. The group is chaired by the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Reform (13 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: There are a range of formal and informal structures in place through which all members of staff can contribute to the improvement or enhancement of Public Sector Reform. The Secretary General meets with all staff on a twice yearly basis in an open discussion forum where policy is formulated and debated. Staff are strongly encouraged to engage in and contribute to these discussions. In...