Results 17,141-17,160 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (14 Dec 2011)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 128 and 129 together. Since its establishment in July 2011 my Department has had no expenditure on public relations companies. It has spent €13,525 on advertising, in relation to entry into the 2012 State Directory. The Deputy should note, that expenditure from 2006 to July 2011 for my Department is covered by material provided by the Department of...

Rural Areas: Motion (Resumed) (14 Dec 2011)

Brendan Howlin: I am pleased to have the opportunity to contribute to this debate. I listened with great interest to Fianna Fáil's response to the two Budget Statements. I congratulate both Deputy Seán Fleming and Michael McGrath on their contributions. Deputy McGrath, in particular, took the opportunity to outline the philosophical approach his party would adopt as a party of opposition. He said his...

Rural Areas: Motion (Resumed) (14 Dec 2011)

Brendan Howlin: The Irish people will not allow Fianna Fáil to rewrite history.

Rural Areas: Motion (Resumed) (14 Dec 2011)

Brendan Howlin: This Government has been elected to clean up the biggest economic mess ever created in this country's history. That mess was created by the previous Administration and no amount of fine words from the opposite side of the House will change that fact. The issues being discussed are serious because they impact upon people's lives. We know the impact the issues will have. They are the latest...

Rural Areas: Motion (Resumed) (14 Dec 2011)

Brendan Howlin: The last time Fianna Fáil could make the decisions, it cut child benefit for all and reduced basic social welfare payments. It is little wonder the party opposite is annoyed at this Government's budget which has protected these areas. If Fianna Fáil is to seek to base its relationship with the people on honest agreement, as Deputy McGrath said last week and echoed by some Deputies tonight,...

Rural Areas: Motion (Resumed) (14 Dec 2011)

Brendan Howlin: In addition to spelling out how it would meet this Government's fiscal targets, it should go further and spell out how it would meet its own far more onerous targets, an additional €300 million in cuts. The leader of my party, Deputy Eamon Gilmore, went on national television before the last election to say we would implement the cuts and this is what we did in the budget. There is no...

Rural Areas: Motion (Resumed) (14 Dec 2011)

Brendan Howlin: I reject the thrust of this motion. For too long since this crisis emerged, some within this society have sought to divide the people by pitting public and private sector workers against each other. This has become almost a national pastime. The reality is that we require every worker and every sector of society to pull together in the national interest in order to get through this crisis....

Rural Areas: Motion (Resumed) (14 Dec 2011)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy knows his party broke the country.

Rural Areas: Motion (Resumed) (14 Dec 2011)

Brendan Howlin: The historic bungalow.

Rural Areas: Motion (Resumed) (14 Dec 2011)

Brendan Howlin: From €2.8 billion.

Written Answers — State Properties: State Properties (13 Dec 2011)

Brendan Howlin: Under Section 28 (2) of the State Property Act 1954, the Minister for Finance assumes responsibility for all personal property and land vested in or held in trust for a body corporate (other than personal property or land held by such body in trust for another person) immediately prior to its dissolution. Upon the dissolution of the body corporate, such property becomes State property. The...

Written Answers — Local Loans Fund: Local Loans Fund (13 Dec 2011)

Brendan Howlin: I refer to Parliamentary Question No.106 of 17 November 2011. During 1984 the rate of interest charged by the Local Loans Fund to local authorities for house purchase and improvement loans was 12%. Local authorities were permitted to add an administration charge of 0.5%. The rate of interest charged on non-housing loans from the Fund during 1984 was 13.5%. Since 1989 individuals who have...

Written Answers — Local Loans Fund: Local Loans Fund (13 Dec 2011)

Brendan Howlin: During 1984 the rate of interest charged by the Local Loans Fund to local authorities for house purchase and improvement loans was 12%. Local authorities were permitted to add an administration charge of 0.5%. The rate of interest charged on non-housing loans from the Fund during 1984 was 13.5%.

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (13 Dec 2011)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy will be aware that under the Oireachtas (Allowances to Members) and Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices Act 2009 ministerial pensions, including the pensions of former Taoisigh, are no longer payable to sitting Members of the Oireachtas following the recent elections, or to Members of the European Parliament following the next elections to the Parliament. In addition, the Act...

Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (13 Dec 2011)

Brendan Howlin: The process for appointing a Special Adviser to a Minister or a Minister of State is set out in The Guidelines on Staffing of Ministerial Offices. These Guidelines were revised following decisions by the Government on a number of cost saving measures relating to the personal appointees of Ministers and Ministers of State. Under the Guidelines it is normally intended that only Ministers of...

Written Answers — Ministerial Appointments: Ministerial Appointments (13 Dec 2011)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 183 and 184 together. Since my appointment as Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform on 9 March 2011 the following staff members have been appointed as Special Advisers: Name Title Salary (per annum) Duties Anne Byrne Special Adviser €83,337 Any duties which may be assigned to her from time to time as appropriate to the position of Special Adviser as...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (13 Dec 2011)

Brendan Howlin: You will be aware that the Programme for Government contains a commitment to introduce new legislation to protect small building subcontractors that have been denied payments from bigger companies. In this regard, my colleague Minister of State Mr Brian Hayes has been working with Senator Feargal Quinn to develop the Construction Contracts Bill, which is now before the Dáil, into a robust...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (13 Dec 2011)

Brendan Howlin: The information relating to superannuation benefits of retired Chairpersons was provided in the reply to the Parliamentary Question. The names of retired staff are not normally included in answers to Parliamentary Questions unless the names are already in the public domain, for example as a result of FOI enquiries. It is not considered appropriate to include names of Civil Servants in such...

Social Welfare Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (9 Dec 2011)

Brendan Howlin: Deputy Healy-Rae should have a bit of manners.

Social Welfare Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (9 Dec 2011)

Brendan Howlin: Is the Deputy happy with it?