Results 16,781-16,800 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Written Answers — Public Service Remuneration: Public Service Remuneration (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Subject to the provisions of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act, 2009 and the terms of the Public Service Agreement 2010-2014, the findings of the third party adjudicator in relation to claims by PDFORRA are currently being honoured. Following the Independent Adjudicator's decision of September 2010 under the Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme for the Defence Forces,...

Written Answers — Public Service Reform: Public Service Reform (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 289 and 293 together. It is a matter for each sector to manage potential service delivery issues arising from retirements to end-February and beyond. Questions as to how these issues are being managed should most appropriately be addressed to the relevant Minister. As the Deputy is aware, sectoral Transition Teams have been put in place to deal with the...

Written Answers — Public Service Reform: Public Service Reform (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 290 to 292, inclusive, and 295 together. The Implementation Body for the Public Service Agreement 2010-2014 (or 'Croke Park Agreement) published its first Annual Progress Report in June 2011. The Report examined the savings and reform delivered in the first year of the Agreement and found that sustainable pay bill savings in the order of €289m had been...

Written Answers — Sale of State Assets: Sale of State Assets (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy will be aware that I announced details of the Government plans to dispose of certain non-strategic State assets last week. The assets to be sold will be: - Bord Gais Eireann's Energy business (but not including BGE's gas transmission or distribution systems or the two gas interconnectors, which will remain in State ownership); and - some of ESB's non-strategic power generation...

Written Answers — Sale of State Assets: Sale of State Assets (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I announced last week that, following intense engagement, I secured an agreement with the Troika that a third of the proceeds of our asset disposals programme can be used for re-investment in our economy. This is a substantial change to the Troika's previous position and will help promote recovery in the economy. The Government has agreed with the Troika the sale of state assets up to a...

Written Answers — Travel Costs: Travel Costs (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Motor travel rates are designed to recoup civil servants for the cost of using their cars on official business. The expenses that are covered by the motor travel formula can be broken into two categories; the overhead and the running costs. The overhead costs include the cost of replacing the car, insurance costs, AA/RAC membership, driving licence and car tax. The running costs include...

Written Answers — Subsistence Costs: Subsistence Costs (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The current civil service Class A and Class B subsistence rates are payment allowances that have been developed through the industrial relations process conducted under the Civil Service Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme. Historically, there were five classes of subsistence rates in the civil service which ranged from class A to class E. Since 2004 a process has been under way to merge...

Written Answers — Departmental Advertising: Departmental Advertising (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The Public Appointments Service (PAS) is generally in a position to provide answers to the Deputy in relation to the competitions run by that organisation. However, due to resource constraints and the volume of work involved, it would not be possible to extract this data for reply on Tuesday 28th February. The Deputy will be provided with the relevant information in writing as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Public Service Recruitment: Public Service Recruitment (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: At its meeting on 11 January the Government decided to accept the resignation of the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) with effect from 27 February. The Decision provided that the Minister for Finance, in consultation with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, would make arrangements for the selection of a candidate, by open competition, to be proposed to the Dáil for...

Written Answers — Exchequer Savings: Exchequer Savings (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 302 to 306, inclusive, and 308 to 311, inclusive, together. As the Deputy will be aware a Comprehensive Review of Expenditure exercise was carried out by all Departments in 2011 to identify means of reducing expenditure, in line with our commitments under the Joint EU/IMF Programme of Financial Support for Ireland, while minimising the impact on service...

Written Answers — Sale of State Assets: Sale of State Assets (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I have made it clear to the House on more than one occasion that the Government's programme of asset disposals is based on the guiding principles that there will be no fire sales; integral transmissions and distribution systems will be retained in State ownership and full value will be derived for the State. As the Deputy will be aware, the EU/ECB/IMF Troika has agreed to the retention of...

Order of Business (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: That is collateral damage.

Finance Bill 2012: Financial Resolutions (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I move the following Resolutions:

Public Sector Pay (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: No matter how far we go, it is never enough for Deputy McDonald. We must ensure that we have quality people in the public service and a variety of skills. The Deputy has no doubt read the Nyberg report on the operation of the Department of Finance. One of the deficiencies identified was that there were not enough experts and economists to operate a very complicated banking system. The...

Public Sector Pay (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I ask the Deputy at least to acknowledge what we have done to date. For the first time we have put in a ceiling of €200,000. The Taoiseach is receiving 30% less in pay than his predecessor. We have reformed the expenses and car transport systems and introduced new pay ceilings across the public service of €200,000 and €250,000. The pressure will be whether in the commercial...

Referendum on European Stability Treaty: Statements (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Are you for it or against it?

Public Sector Staff (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 57 and 58 together. The latest information from across the public service indicates that 7,464 people have applied to retire in the first two months of the year. The sectorial breakdown of applications is health, 2,567; education, 2,058; Civil Service, 1,236; local authority, 931; defence, 362; and Garda, 310. This gives a total of 7,464. When public service...

Public Sector Staff (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: A number of questions were asked. I appreciate the Deputy's general concern on the matter. The exit at the end of this month is of the order of 3% of the public service. It is one of which we have had much notice and a lot of strategic planning has been ongoing. I cannot guarantee that there will not be a glitch because it will be the area in which we least expected a problem to arise....

Public Sector Staff (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: It is not incentivised.

Public Sector Staff (28 Feb 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I will explain it again.