Results 15,721-15,740 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (4 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Yes, because it was logical to deal with it the way originally proposed. It is logical. That is what I was saying from the beginning.

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (4 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Yes, discuss the group and we will deal with them that way. This is a very important point and one that I have spent a lot of time considering. The Senator has made a compelling case on this issue and I wanted to ascertain what we are doing. In that context, I have spoken at length to my colleague, the Minister for Justice and Equality, on the justice matters. To answer the specific...

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (4 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I take it the Senator is dealing with the group.

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (4 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Senator Barrett is falling into the trap. We are either speaking to his amendment or to the group of amendments.

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (4 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Does the Senator think the Ombudsman should be setting airline charges?

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (4 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: But should it be the Ombudsman?

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (4 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I want to deal with the general principle. I understand why the Senator is using this legislation to address an issue it is not designed to address. There are enormous difficulties in regulation. The Senator is an expert on that area and I readily acknowledge that. One could not state objectively, if there is an aviation regulator who determines on balance an increase in landing fees at...

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (4 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: They are all interrelated.

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (4 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I support the groupings arrangement because it makes common sense in dealing with them. Amendment No. 2 deals with the concept of exemption, while the others specify the exemptions. It makes sense to talk about it in the round, but I am in the hands of the House. I understand the passion Senator Sean D. Barrett feels about the catastrophe inflicted on the economy by bad decision-making by...

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (4 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I will do my best to de-fuzz the logic, as it were. This is a standard provision as a commencement date is required. The commencement date for all bodies subject to the Ombudsman under the existing legislation is the date of enactment. For all other bodies, a horizon of six months or such lesser time as I determine by order will apply. It is my intention to determine the tightest...

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (4 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Some 35 bodies, as well as local authorities and certain voluntary hospitals, come within the remit of the Ombudsman. In increasing the number by 140, we must have procedures in place in each case and the bodies in question must be given some indication of how they should deal with complaints, interact with the Ombudsman and so forth. It may be of interest to Senators to note that,...

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (4 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I will respond to Senator Sean D. Barrett because I do not wish to be at odds with him. We have plenty of time to deal with the amendments. The reason we should discuss them as a group is that they overlap. In any case, each individual amendment must be disposed of separately at the end of the discussion. It is proposed, however, that we discuss them together because they overlap and it...

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (4 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I am glad to be back in the Chamber. The Second Stage debate on this legislation was very informative and I look forward to answering as best I can the points raised by Senators in this committee discussion. Amendment No. 1 is a technical amendment which provides for the commencement of the legislation on enactment save in respect of any entities that are not subject to the Ombudsman Act...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Regulations (4 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Under a public works contract the contractual relationship is between the public body and the main contractor. The public body has no contractual relationship with a subcontractor. Therefore any contractual issue that arises during a contract is exclusively a matter between the main contractor and its sub-contractor. I am conscious of the difficulties being experienced by sub-contractors....

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

Brendan Howlin: I assume the Deputy is referring to the Public Service Pension Reduction (PSPR). The PSPR is an income–graduated reduction applied to each gross annual public service pension in excess of €12,000. It came into effect on 1 January 2011 as part of the then Government’s programme of measures to urgently address the serious position of the public finances. In January of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Teachers' Remuneration (4 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The adjustment to the pay scale for new entrant teachers along with other public service entrant grades was approved by the previous Government on 2 December 2010 and arose from the need to reduce exchequer pay costs having regard to the national financial position. The requirement to constrain such pay costs is ongoing and accordingly there are no plans to revisit this decision regarding the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff Remuneration (4 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The starting salary for an Administrative Officer from 1 January 2005 to date is as follows 2005 €29,456 2006 €31,052 2007 €32,783 2008 €33,439 2009 €35,132 2010 €33,247 2011 €29,922 2012 €29,922 There are no allowances available to Administrative Officers on appointment. In this regard an allowance would occasionally be...

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

Brendan Howlin: My Department does not work with local authorities in the delivery of services. This would be a matter for the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government.

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

Brendan Howlin: My Department does not engage with local authorities in the provision of services. This would be a matter for the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff Remuneration (3 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I refer to my reply to Parliamentary Question Nos. 91, 93 and 94 of 19 September 2012. The closest data currently available within the Department to that sought by the Deputy is the estimated breakdown of employee numbers on a whole time equivalent basis (based on a whole time equivalent figure of 292,000 in the first quarter of 2012) by salary range within the public service. The...