Results 16,481-16,500 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin
- Sale of State Assets (24 Apr 2012)
Brendan Howlin: The Government remains committed under the EU-ECB-IMF funding programme to outlining in detail for the troika, by the end of the second quarter, end of June 2012, the specific regulatory, legislative, corporate governance and financial reforms which need to be taken in 2012, ensuring consistency with relevant EU legislation where necessary, to allow for the asset sale programme to proceed in...
- Sale of State Assets (24 Apr 2012)
Brendan Howlin: The Deputy raises two points. I would welcome his support for not including the national lottery licence in the asset sales being discussed. The troika has not discussed this with me. I announced this in the context of the capital programme last year because I want to use the bulk of the up-front payment to pay for the national children's hospital. I do not want that dislodged and would...
- Sale of State Assets (24 Apr 2012)
Brendan Howlin: There will be no question of selling off the family silver. From the beginning, we have said that we negotiated a programme for Government with Fine Gael. I am responding to questions here as a Member of the Government, not as a Labour Party member. The Labour Party makes up one third of the Government and we negotiated a programme for Government which includes a sale of State assets and...
- EU-IMF Programme (24 Apr 2012)
Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 118 and 130 together. I met with the troika delegation on 17 April together with my colleague, the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan, and a number of senior officials from our Departments. The purpose of the meeting was to exchange views on how the programme is progressing in terms of meeting our targets since the previous quarterly review. This is...
- EU-IMF Programme (24 Apr 2012)
Brendan Howlin: Of course the macroeconomic situation was discussed with the troika. We discussed the specific details of our own economy and also the position of this economy within the European context and in the global context, which is very important. The objective of this programme is to get us back to normal funding. The Government's yardstick is always the question of whether it is working. Deputy...
- EU-IMF Programme (24 Apr 2012)
Brendan Howlin: No. The troika did not raise that issue with us and we did not raise it during the current round.
- Leaders' Questions (24 Apr 2012)
Brendan Howlin: Does Deputy TóibÃn not want them?
- Leaders' Questions (24 Apr 2012)
Brendan Howlin: We would not like to living in Deputy Boyd Barrett's planet.
- Leaders' Questions (24 Apr 2012)
Brendan Howlin: He has done nothing else.
- Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (19 Apr 2012)
Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 101 and 102 together. I have appointed Anne Byrne and Ronan O'Brien as special advisors. The salary for both special advisors has been â¬83,337 and â¬114,000 respectively per annum since their appointment. No salary increases have been requested in respect of either appointment.
- Written Answers — Ministerial Transport: Ministerial Transport (19 Apr 2012)
Brendan Howlin: While my Department does not maintain a formal record of the travel costs for each Minister it is however estimated that the average cost of providing transport to individual Officeholders has been reduced from â¬280,000 in 2010 to a current annual estimate of â¬100,000 per annum. This represents a 65% saving on the previous transport system in place.
- Seanad: Sale of State Assets: Statements, Questions and Answers (19 Apr 2012)
Brendan Howlin: I will certainly consider Senator Sheahan's convention centre proposal. Needless to say there is money to be paid back in that regard. He also spoke about pensions, a point raised earlier by Senator Byrne which I forgot to answer. Of course the full quantum of money in every case will not be realised because pension and other issues will need to be addressed. However, we will give a full...
- Seanad: Sale of State Assets: Statements, Questions and Answers (19 Apr 2012)
Brendan Howlin: Senator Marie-Louise O'Donnell rightly assigns the cause of our problems to the banks but I would not be quite so limiting. There was not only incompetent and greedy banks but there was also incompetent and greedy developers and political individuals in cahoots with both. There is enough awful blame to spread around. I refer to the Senator's specific point about manufacturing, which is a...
- Seanad: Sale of State Assets: Statements, Questions and Answers (19 Apr 2012)
Brendan Howlin: With regard to Senator D'Arcy's commentary about an amalgamation of clean energy bodies, it is not envisaged that we will set up another State company in the energy sector. The intention is to have one vertically integrated company offering a variety of options in terms of its generating capacity so that it is not dependent on any one component part. If it is a State company, it is...
- Seanad: Sale of State Assets: Statements, Questions and Answers (19 Apr 2012)
Brendan Howlin: I believe they still go to the Minister for Finance in such instances. I will ask the Minister and inform the Deputy of his reply. Acting Chairman (Senator Paul Coghlan): I thank the Minister and Members. Sitting suspended at 3.25 p.m. and resumed at 3.30 p.m.
- Seanad: Sale of State Assets: Statements, Questions and Answers (19 Apr 2012)
Brendan Howlin: The House will be aware the Government agreed a programme of State asset disposals in February which is designed to reduce the State's debt burden and to help fund employment generating initiatives in the economy. This programme has been debated on more than one occasion in the Dáil and I am pleased to explain today the position to Senators and to update the House on the progress made since...
- Seanad: Sale of State Assets: Statements, Questions and Answers (19 Apr 2012)
Brendan Howlin: If I go through a few of them, it might obviate the need for some questions. I am happy to engage. I thank all Senators for their contributions. I do not intend to engage with Senator Byrne, as discussing whether this initiative was contained within the original memorandum of understanding would be a sterile debate. I can say honestly, with my hand on heart, that in my first encounter with...
- Seanad: Sale of State Assets: Statements, Questions and Answers (19 Apr 2012)
Brendan Howlin: My party negotiated with Fine Gael on a programme for Government. Part of that programme involved the sale of â¬2 billion of assets because I believe in a stimulus. We cannot simply have a balanced budget approach, necessary as that may be for us to get out of our economic difficulties. There are three strands to the problem. The first is that we need to pay our own way by balancing our...
- Seanad: Sale of State Assets: Statements, Questions and Answers (19 Apr 2012)
Brendan Howlin: I am delighted.
- Written Answers — Departmental Contracts: Departmental Contracts (18 Apr 2012)
Brendan Howlin: The assessment of a tenderer's financial and economic standing is a key part of any procurement process. Establishing the appropriate suitability criteria that are relevant and appropriate to a particular contract is, of course, a matter for the contracting authority concerned. This is because the contracting authority is in the best position to gauge the appropriate levels of financial...