Results 16,441-16,460 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Written Answers — Freedom of Information: Freedom of Information (24 Apr 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy will be aware that the Programme for Government contains a commitment to extend Freedom of Information to ensure that all statutory bodies and all bodies significantly funded by the Exchequer are covered by the legislation. My Department is currently engaged in consultation with all other Government Departments about developing and finalising proposals for consideration by the...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (24 Apr 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The Government announced a new National Internship Scheme as part of its Jobs Initiative programme, which was published on 10 May 2011. The National Internship Scheme, known as JobBridge, provides at any one time up to 5,000 work experience placements of 6 or 9 months for unemployed individuals in organisations in the private, public and voluntary sectors. It is a time-limited scheme for a...

Written Answers — Civil Service Management: Civil Service Management (24 Apr 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The Civil Service Regulation Acts 1956-2006 form the legal basis for the management of the civil service. Under Section 17 of the Acts the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform has the authority to regulate and control the civil service and to set the terms and conditions of civil servants. The Secretary General of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has a key role in...

Written Answers — Public Service Staff: Public Service Staff (24 Apr 2012)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy's question the following information has been provided by bodies under the aegis of my Department. The Valuation Office Mr Dermot Quigley is Commissioner of Valuation, in charge of the Valuation Office for an interim period, due to end 30th April. He is doing the work on a pro-bono basis, so there is no cost to the State. The Office of Public Works I have been...

Sale of State Assets (24 Apr 2012)

Brendan Howlin: As the House will be aware, the Government decided last week that the new Irish water utility is to be an independent State-owned subsidiary of Bord Gáis Éireann. The new water utility is not and will not be included in the Government's programme of State asset disposals. The Government is committed to keeping it under State control. Bord Gáis Éireann is an excellent example of a...

Sale of State Assets (24 Apr 2012)

Brendan Howlin: No. Let me be crystal clear, the new State company, Irish Water, will, as far as the Government and I are concerned, be a wholly State owned company per omnia saecula saeculorum. This will be enshrined in specific legislation to be introduced. Irish Water will be a State company providing water in an integrated manner across the State. It is wholly different from the sale of the energy...

Sale of State Assets (24 Apr 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The State owns Bord Gáis.

Sale of State Assets (24 Apr 2012)

Brendan Howlin: It does.

Sale of State Assets (24 Apr 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I thought earlier that the Deputy was just being inquisitive. I know now he is being mischievous. I will clarify the position again. Irish Water will be set up as a subsidiary of a wholly owned State company, namely, BGE. It will be wholly State owned. It is intended-----

Sale of State Assets (24 Apr 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The State owns BGE and every aspect of it.

Sale of State Assets (24 Apr 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy is engaging in tautology. It is the Government's intention that the new Irish Water entity - this will be put in statute law and debated in the House - will be wholly State owned. Parallel to that, as part of the memorandum of understanding, we have looked at what non-strategic assets we could sell off. The Government has come to the conclusion that allowing for greater...

Public Sector Allowances (24 Apr 2012)

Brendan Howlin: As the Deputy is aware from my previous replies, on 5 December last, during my address on the 2012 Expenditure Estimates, I announced that a review of allowances and premium payments would be carried out by my Department. This announcement was made on foot of a Government decision which requires the public service to take additional measures to deliver further efficiencies in 2012 and...

Public Sector Allowances (24 Apr 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The allowances cover an extraordinary range of entities across the public service and relate to many different issues. Some of them could quite reasonably be acknowledged as being part of core payments even though they are called "allowances". The Deputy will recall that last week, we debated a so-called allowance that is payable to a Minister of State. I regard that as a wage. There are...

Public Sector Allowances (24 Apr 2012)

Brendan Howlin: No.

Public Sector Allowances (24 Apr 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy has a propensity for reducing both complicated and simple issues to black-and-white responses of "Yes" or "No"; it suits the narrative. I could give the Deputy 800 answers because this is the number of individual allowances, some of which fall into the category of core pay and others of which patently do not. When we have finished the review of over 800 individual allowances, we...

Public Sector Allowances (24 Apr 2012)

Brendan Howlin: That is the point I am trying to make. This is the first review of all the allowances in God knows how many years, if ever. We are reviewing every sector of expenditure for the first time in my Department so we can determine objectively whether shoe allowances or others are proper and fit for purpose in 2012 and in the current economic climate. I will be making a discernment on that and...

Job Creation (24 Apr 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Before this question can be considered, it is necessary to point out that the sort of capital works programme required to create 100,000 new construction jobs in a given year would require a minimum of €10 billion in expenditure on top of existing allocations, and such funding is just not available. While some of this may be recoverable in the form of tax receipts and reduced welfare...

Job Creation (24 Apr 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I think the Deputy is supposed to ask a question rather than answer one.

Job Creation (24 Apr 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy is quite wrong if she interpreted it as a rejection of the SIPTU line in regard to economic stimulus and not infrastructural spend. Its demand was for economic stimulus. I have met the presidents of SIPTU and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions on this matter. Can I say very emphatically that Government policy has three strands? Certainly, we need to have a balanced budget by...

Job Creation (24 Apr 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Do not will us to fail.