Results 16,101-16,120 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Public Sector Pay (4 Jul 2012)

Brendan Howlin: These are not questions. The Deputy is making a speech.

Public Sector Pay (4 Jul 2012)

Brendan Howlin: This goes well beyond the scope of the original question. However, I know the Deputy likes to be current and is always keen to follow up on whatever stories are being focused on in the media.

Public Sector Pay (4 Jul 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The adviser to whom Deputy McDonald refers was previously in receipt of an income which was a multiple of what I authorised when he came to work for us. Perhaps that man's departure had something to do with the constant focus on his salary and conditions and the fact that, in the private sphere, he could earn multiples of what we were paying him without having his conditions of employment,...

Public Sector Staff (4 Jul 2012)

Brendan Howlin: As stated in my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 273 of 19 June last, the general policy with regard to the re-engagement of retired public servants is that staff should not be retained beyond retirement age and that any re-engagement should be kept as limited as possible and should be for a restricted period. Returns from across the public service indicate that approximately 7,900 public...

Public Sector Staff (4 Jul 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy is making two different points. I strongly agree with him in respect of one of these. The general principle of rehiring those who have retired on pensions should not be - and is not - supported. Exceptional cases will arise, however. Deputy Mattie McGrath will recall the great concerns that arose in the House prior to the end of the grace period and the fact that Minister for...

Public Sector Staff (4 Jul 2012)

Brendan Howlin: If a person retires on a pension - normally this amounts to half-pay - and if he or she is rehired to perform a particular function, his or her pay in respect of that function plus his or her pension cannot exceed the level of his or her pre-retirement pay. People's pensions are reduced in order to ensure that pre-retirement pay levels are not breached.

Public Sector Staff (4 Jul 2012)

Brendan Howlin: As far as I am aware, it applies in all circumstances. Where a person is contracted on a fee-paying basis, it is the fee rather than the pension that is reduced.

Written Answers — Public Sector Pay: Public Sector Pay (3 Jul 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The Government has reaffirmed the key commitments under the Public Service Agreement 2010-2014 in relation to pay and job security for serving public servants. These commitments are contingent on delivery of the necessary flexibilities and reforms to public service delivery that are required under the Agreement. The Budget process has outlined the Exchequer expenditure programme for 2012...

Written Answers — Office of the Ombudsman: Office of the Ombudsman (3 Jul 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The proposal referred to in the Deputy's question, does not comprise part of the Government's programme of constitutional reform contained in the Programme for Government or the work programme recently announced for the Constitutional Convention by the Taoiseach. As the Deputy may be aware, in his statement on the issues to be to be examined by the Constitutional Convention the Taoiseach...

Written Answers — Freedom of Information: Freedom of Information (3 Jul 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy will be aware of the significant commitments given in the Programme for Government to restore the Freedom of Information Act, to extend its remit to other public bodies including the administrative side of the Garda Síochána, subject to security exceptions and to extend the Act to ensure that all statutory bodies, and all bodies significantly funded from the public purse, are...

Written Answers — EU Funding: EU Funding (3 Jul 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The purpose of EU Regional/Cohesion policy is to reduce the significant economic, social and territorial disparities that still exist between Europe's regions. The budget for the 2007-2013 round is €347bn. Most of this budget is allocated for those countries and regions whose gross domestic product per capita is less than 75% of EU average (81.5% for convergence objective). The remainder...

Written Answers — Irish Language: Irish Language (3 Jul 2012)

Brendan Howlin: As the Deputy is aware my Department was established on 6 July 2011 and I am happy to provide the Deputy with details from that date. The expenditure incurred in the provision of services through the Irish Language in the year ended 31 December 2011 was €4870.98. To date in 2012 expenditure in the amount of €1199.37 has been incurred.

Written Answers — Croke Park Agreement: Croke Park Agreement (3 Jul 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The estimates allocation and overall budgetary process will set out the approach to be taken to Government expenditure in 2013. This framework does not assign specific savings targets to those areas that are covered by the Public Service Agreement 2010 - 2014. However, Paragraph 1.16 of the Agreement does provide for an annual review of the savings generated from its implementation. Two...

Written Answers — Public Sector Pay: Public Sector Pay (3 Jul 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I refer to my reply to Parliamentary Question Nos. 40820/11, 1075/12, and 1076/12 on 11 January 2012.

Written Answers — Legal Cases: Legal Cases (3 Jul 2012)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy's question the following are the number of legal cases pending against my Department: Year Number of Cases 2005 1 2006 1 2011 2 2012 1 In the matter of the cases commenced in 2005, 2006 and one of the 2011 cases originally the Minister for Finance was a co-defendant in this case and under section 13 of the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 2011 I am...

Written Answers — Labour Court Recommendations: Labour Court Recommendations (3 Jul 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The matter referred to by the Deputy is an issue that in the first instance falls to my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills to deliberate on and, where appropriate, to consult with and/or to seek the approval of my Department. In the particular case referred to by the Deputy this consultation process by the Department of Education and Skills and my Department is still ongoing.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (3 Jul 2012)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy's question no non-governmental organisations or quangos are in receipt of remuneration from my Department. Grants-in- Aid are provided to both the ESRI and the IPA and details of the amounts paid to each can be found in the Revised Estimates Volume (REV) which is published annually. As at 31 May, 2012 there were 310 staff on the payroll in my Department. The...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (3 Jul 2012)

Brendan Howlin: As the Deputy is aware my Department was established on 6 July 2011 and I can confirm that since that date no quangos or non-governmental organisations have received monies from my Department. Grants-in-Aid are provided to both the ESRI and the IPA and details of amounts paid can be found in the Revised Estimates Volume (REV) which is published annually.

Written Answers — Social Impact Bonds: Social Impact Bonds (3 Jul 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The Government Programme for National Recovery 2011 - 2016 contains the commitment to establish a new model of financing social interventions – called Social Impact Bonds – that share audited exchequer savings with charitable and voluntary organisations (Section 2.13.4), as well as a commitment to examine outcomes-based contracts with community organisations to help reduce re-offending by...

Written Answers — Public Service Remuneration: Public Service Remuneration (3 Jul 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I refer to my replies to Questions Nos. 274, 288 and 289 of 11 January 2012.