Results 16,261-16,280 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Re-employment of Retired Public Servants (13 Jun 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Returns from across the public service indicate that approximately 7,900 public servants retired during the first three months of this year. The bulk of these retirements occurred prior to the ending of the grace period on 29 February. Information received to date by my Department, exclusive of the health sector, shows the number of re-engagements of retired civil and public servants to be...

Re-employment of Retired Public Servants (13 Jun 2012)

Brendan Howlin: This all sounds great in theory, but it is different when it comes down to the specifics. There are specialist areas where it is very difficult to get a replacement in the short term for somebody who opts out. The Deputy will be aware of the difficulty we had with regard to the Director of Corporate Enforcement. It was important that person stayed in his post until important work was...

Re-employment of Retired Public Servants (13 Jun 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I will consider the Deputy's suggestion, but it is hard to be prescriptive for everybody, because there will be hard cases that will not be amenable to that situation. The situation does cause me concern and I have, for example, raised it directly with the Minister for Education and Skills. The notion of teachers retiring and then filling in for colleagues on sick days and maternity leave...

Budgetary Process (13 Jun 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The medium-term fiscal statement, published in November last year, set out the Government's economic and budgetary assessment for the four year period 2012-15, including the estimated level of fiscal consolidation that is required to bring the general Government deficit below 3% of GDP by 2015, as the Government is committed to doing. The comprehensive expenditure report, published in...

Budgetary Process (13 Jun 2012)

Brendan Howlin: There were a number of questions in Deputy McDonald's contribution. The target for next year is to reach a deficit of 7.5% of GDP. The quantum of money required to get to that is not defined. An estimate was published in the last fiscal review, but that needs to be refined because it takes into account inflation and growth, which are constantly under review, as well as external factors....

Budgetary Process (13 Jun 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I must disagree with the Deputy's last comment. It is very difficult to introduce a consolidation budget. I would be a much happier Minister if I were in Charlie McCreevy land, the good times were rolling and I could announce spending increases to rapturous applause in the House. That is not the lot that fell to me or to this unfortunate nation. We have to map our way out of a difficult...

Budgetary Process (13 Jun 2012)

Brendan Howlin: -----there is no great benefit in it. I honestly believe that all Deputies are seriously thinking about the situation this country is facing. We are facing into another difficult budget - I will not gainsay that for a second. Deputies have seen the figures. The adjustments for next year are bigger than the adjustments we have imposed for this year. We need to consider all ideas in...

Political Funding (13 Jun 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Aside from salaries and other allowances in the nature of pay, there are three main ways that funding and resourcing of individual Deputies and political parties are provided by the taxpayer: first, amounts provided to political parties and independent representatives by way of the party leader allowance; second, payments under the Electoral Acts; and third, allowances paid to Members of each...

Political Funding (13 Jun 2012)

Brendan Howlin: No.

Political Funding (13 Jun 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I would welcome a debate on the matter when I publish my suggestions. The Deputy is wrong on a couple of points, however. I will be reviewing all allowances, whether to political parties or to Independent Deputies.

Political Funding (13 Jun 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I thought he was making an assumption.

Political Funding (13 Jun 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The claim that Fianna Fáil Deputies are receiving multiples of what is paid to Independent Deputies is also incorrect. As an Independent, Deputy Donnelly personally receives €41,152. The first ten Fianna Fáil Deputies receive €71,000, which is less than twice that paid to Independent Deputies, the next 11 to 30 receive €57,000 each and above 30 the figure is €28,000. The idea...

Political Funding (13 Jun 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I have them in front of me.

Political Funding (13 Jun 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I do not accept the Deputy's argument. Obviously we come from very different traditions. I joined a political party to drive the agenda to which I subscribe. We debate democratically within the party and attend national conferences which provide a space for input from our membership. I do not come to this House as a sole trader. I come with a political agenda and I believe Deputies...

Sale of State Assets (13 Jun 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I wish to clarify for the Deputy that the Government has no intention of disposing of Bord Gáis Éireann. The State asset disposal programme that I announced last February refers only to Bord Gáis Éireann's energy generation and supply business. I made it clear at the time that the rest of the group, which consists of the gas transmission and distribution systems and the two gas...

Order of Business (13 Jun 2012)

Brendan Howlin: That is a matter for the Ceann Comhairle.

Leaders' Questions (13 Jun 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy is shouting people down.

Leaders' Questions (13 Jun 2012)

Brendan Howlin: It is still a speech.

Written Answers — Public Sector Reform: Public Sector Reform (12 Jun 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The Transforming Public Services (TPS) Programme Office was established in the Department of the Taoiseach in late 2008 to oversee the implementation of the then Government's Transforming Public Services programme. I am advised that a copy of the Whole System of Work Framework was forwarded to the TPS Programme Office in the Department of the Taoiseach during 2010. I understand that no...

Written Answers — Public Procurement Contracts: Public Procurement Contracts (12 Jun 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 279 and 280 together. The statistics requested by the Deputy are not available, as they are not collated centrally and can only be provided by individual contracting authorities. However, contracting authorities are required to publish contract award notices for contracts that are above the European Union thresholds on the Official Journal of the European...