Results 17,241-17,260 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (29 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: We have made an extraordinary series of groundbreaking changes in the eight months since we took office. We abolished the Top Level Appointments Committee terms and we introduced the €200,000 pay ceiling.

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (29 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: I will yield.

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (29 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: I am sitting down. I am yielding.

Written Answers — Local Authority Charges: Local Authority Charges (29 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: I should point out that the Commissioner of Valuation is independent in the exercise of his duties under the Valuation Act 2001 and that I, as Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, have no function in this regard. The basis of rateable valuation for all building property is net annual value and is set out in Part 11 of the Valuation Act 2001. Net annual value is the rental for which one...

Written Answers — National Lottery: National Lottery (29 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: My Department is currently examining how best to maximise the return on the next National Lottery licence for the benefit of the community. As an interim arrangement, the Government has decided to extend the current licence held by An Post National Lottery Company by eighteen months to mid-2013 in order to allow time for the holding of a competition for the award of a new licence. It is...

Written Answers — Local Authority Funding: Local Authority Funding (29 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: The work of the Valuation Office is underpinned by The Valuation Act 2001 which provides for the valuation of all commercial and industrial property. The Commissioner of Valuation is independent in the performance of his functions under the Act and the making of valuations for local authority rating is his sole prerogative. Under the 2001 Act, which came into force on 2nd May, 2002, the...

Written Answers — Property Valuations: Property Valuations (29 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: The Valuation Act 2001 provides for the valuation of all commercial and industrial property and the Commissioner of Valuation is independent in the performance of his functions under the Act and the making of valuations for rating is his sole prerogative. Under the 2001 Act, the basis of valuation for all commercial property is net annual value, i.e. the rental value of the property. To...

Written Answers — Election Management System: Election Management System (29 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: Prior to an election, it is a statutory requirement that the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform prepare a scale of maximum charges for returning officers setting out the approved levels of fees and permissible expenditure in connection with election work. This includes the fees payable to staff working in polling centres and on the election count. Once this order is signed, Dáil...

Written Answers — Disposal of State Assets: Disposal of State Assets (29 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: Apart from the Government's decision to dispose of a minority stake in the ESB, which my colleague Minister Rabbitte announced to this House in September, no further decisions have been taken on the disposal of State Assets. Nevertheless, as the Deputy points out, the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the EU/ECB/IMF Funding Programme commits the Government to considering options for an...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (29 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: I have statutory responsibility for civil service pensions and for pensions paid from the Central Fund. Statutory responsibility for other public service pension schemes is a matter in the first instance for the respective Ministers in other Departments, as appropriate. In relation to the groups for which I have responsibility the revenues that would be raised by the introduction of a Public...

Written Answers — Public Sector Remuneration: Public Sector Remuneration (29 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: I refer to the reply by my colleague the Minister for Finance to Questions Nos. 39, 43 and 45, taken together on 5 July 2011.

Written Answers — Public Sector Staff: Public Sector Staff (29 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: Decisions in respect of recruitment campaigns are taken in the context of the business needs of the relevant organisation or public service body. As the Deputy is aware, since March 2009, a moratorium on recruitment and promotion in the civil service, local authorities, non-commercial state bodies, the Garda Síochána and the Permanent Defence Forces, has been in place. However, the...

Written Answers — Civil Service: Civil Service (29 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: Arrangements in respect of the running of internal promotion competitions in the Civil Service are agreed between the official and staff sides in the forum of the Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme for the Civil Service. In general, there is currently no central agreement to allow Technical and Professional Grades to compete for General Service positions, and vice versa, but access to...

Written Answers — Public Sector Remuneration: Public Sector Remuneration (29 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: The retired Chairman of the Revenue Commissioners is in receipt of an annual pension of €114,893.40 which takes account of a reduction of €11,978.10 in respect of Public Service Pension Reduction.

Written Answers — Public Sector Remuneration: Public Sector Remuneration (29 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: The retired Secretary General is currently in receipt of an annual pension of €128,790.04 which takes account of a reduction of €13,880.46 in respect of Public Service Pension Reduction.

Written Answers — Public Service Reform: Public Service Reform (29 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: On 17 November last, I announced several key developments relating to Public Service Reform and published the Government's Public Service Reform Plan which sets the basis for the comprehensive and strategic reform of the Public Service in the coming years. The challenging fiscal position which we face means that far-reaching reform of the Public Service is essential in order to ensure it is...

Written Answers — Public Sector Staff: Public Sector Staff (29 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: Based on an average annual cost per post of approximately €54,000 per year (net of pension related deduction) the estimated annual saving from removing 22,500 posts from the Public Service is €1.22 billion in a full year.

Written Answers — Public Sector Staff: Public Sector Staff (29 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: My Department has instructed Departments and Offices that, with effect from 1 November 2011, the payment of fees should cease in respect of (i) public servants serving on State boards and (ii) public sector employees who sit on their own organisation's board or the boards of other public sector organisations. Implementation of these arrangements are a matter for the state bodies concerned to...

Written Answers — Public Sector Remuneration: Public Sector Remuneration (29 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: I have statutory responsibility for civil service pensions and for pensions paid from the Central Fund. Statutory responsibility for other public service pension schemes is a matter in the first instance for the respective Ministers in other Departments, as appropriate. In relation to the groups for which I have responsibility there are approximately 110 individuals currently in receipt of...

Written Answers — Public Sector Remuneration: Public Sector Remuneration (29 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: I have statutory responsibility for civil service pensions and for pensions paid from the Central Fund. Statutory responsibility for other public service pension schemes is a matter in the first instance for the respective Ministers in other Departments, as appropriate.In relation to the groups for which I have responsibility there are approximately 150 individuals currently in receipt of a...