Results 15,601-15,620 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Reform Implementation (11 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I refer to my reply to Question No. 9 [43415/12] of 10 October.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Retirements (11 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Rules on retirement age vary across the public service and are generally set out down in legislation; any changes would therefore be likely to require amendments to various Acts. Changes introduced in the Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004 apply to new entrants from 1 April 2004 and recent changes introduced in the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Expenditure (11 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: No money has been directly allocated by my Department or agencies within my Department to Ballina, Castlebar or Westport Town Council.

Other Questions: Croke Park Agreement Issues (10 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: There is no date in the agreement.

Other Questions: Croke Park Agreement Issues (10 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy asked a profound and important question. The Croke Park agreement, which I acknowledge was negotiated by the preceding Government, has made a very substantial contribution to the transformation agenda in the public service, allowing us to downsize and reduce the pay bill in the terms I talked about and in industrial peace, which is extremely important and valuable in itself. If...

Other Questions: Freedom of Information Legislation (10 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Securing greater public access to official information has a critical role to play in strengthening the openness, transparency and accountability of the Irish administrative and political system. The reform of the freedom of information legislation and its extension to all public bodies is therefore a central pillar of this Government’s political reform agenda. In its July decision on...

Other Questions: Freedom of Information Legislation (10 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I look forward to getting the views of the committee, of which both Deputies opposite are members. Separate legislation on the register of lobbying is mentioned in the article in The Irish Times instanced by the Deputy. It, too, is groundbreaking legislation and will be important. We have to see the entire suite of legislation as a new reform architecture. The last time my party was in...

Other Questions: Office of the Ombudsman Status (10 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: These issues were, in fact, debated in some detail in the course of the Committee Stage debate on the Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2010 in the Seanad last week. Since the debate is ongoing in the other House I am not sure how far we can stray into it. I intend to debate as widely as you will allow, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. In relation to the prisons, the Minister for Justice and Equality...

Other Questions: Office of the Ombudsman Status (10 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy should not quote at Question Time.

Other Questions: Office of the Ombudsman Status (10 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: According to the Deputy, I must buckle an awful lot.

Other Questions: Office of the Ombudsman Status (10 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I do not think so. I have taken great care in dealing with the issue. This is an area in which I have an open mind. The Deputy is correct. It may well be appropriate to include it within the remit of the Ombudsman. I have engaged with every Minister on the extension of the Ombudsman's remit. This is the biggest extension of the Ombudsman's remit taken since 1970 when the office was...

Other Questions: Office of the Ombudsman Status (10 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: It is because the reports of the Inspector of Prisons and Places of Detention which I am sure the Deputy has read call for immediate action to deal with complaints within the prison system. To put it bluntly, writing to the Ombudsman, causing reports to be made and involving inspectors, is a long-term process. What is recommended is the immediacy of a complaints system to deal with...

Other Questions: Croke Park Agreement Issues (10 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The public service or Croke Park agreement negotiated by the previous Government is stated to be for the period from 2010 to 2014. The agreement requires staff co-operation with productivity, cost extraction and reform measures in the public service. The Government has reaffirmed the key commitments under the public service agreement on pay rates and job security for serving public...

Other Questions: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (10 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I am taken by what the Deputy says. Needless to say, it is something I have considered. I have argued in general terms it is an increase and I know people sometimes categorise it as a wage increase. By and large, the great bulk of people who are on increments are at the lowest level, the starting grade, as I have argued. I have looked to whether I could just disaggregate that sector at...

Other Questions: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (10 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Some come in and some come out. They have reached the top.

Other Questions: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (10 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: It is an important issue. I have an open mind in addressing all of these issues but I want to do it on the basis of what is fair and reasonable. I want to make sure I am not making decisions where the optics look good but which would actually put at risk a far bigger prize in terms of the importance of the FEMPI legislation and the contribution it is making to the national coffers. The...

Other Questions: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (10 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I am sure we will have wider space for discussions on these matters at committee. I have discussed this issue with Deputy McDonald in general terms in regard to high pay. She and I differ in that she has an absolutist view that nobody should be paid more than €100,000 in the public service - that is her general principle.

Other Questions: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (10 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: My problem with that is that we would not get people to work in certain categories. We would not get doctors and consultants so we would have a private health system, and either the public purse would have to pay to get access to it or there would be an American system-----

Other Questions: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (10 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: It pays more than €100,000. We will debate this. I assure the Deputy we are facing real challenges. We have a way to go to get to the 2.9% deficit target. I will certainly keep under advisement all of the issues that contribute towards the very difficult objectives we have. Deputy Wallace asked about paying tax. What can I say?

Other Questions: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (10 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I am trying to formulate a response. I am not the Minister for Finance and taxation matters are a matter for him. However, I would encourage everybody to pay the taxes that are properly levied by this Oireachtas. Again, taxation matters are a matter for the Minister for Finance. Deputy Griffin referred to increments generally. All of the information is available in line Departments...