Results 17,321-17,340 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Written Answers — Infrastructure Investment Plan: Infrastructure Investment Plan (23 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: The Capital Investment Framework that Government agreed and I published on 10 November, sets the broad direction, level and sectorial split of investment of the years 2012 to 2016. All individual project proposals are subject to relevant value for money arrangements, including detailed appraisal - prior to the commitment of significant Exchequer resources. The conduct of individual...

Written Answers — Infrastructure Investment Plan: Infrastructure Investment Plan (23 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: In undertaking the recent capital investment reviews, each Government Department was requested to prepare a submission providing the following: · a description of the high level objective to be achieved in relation to each programme; · an outline of the rationale for Government intervention; · an assessment of the consistency of the investment programme with the Programme for Government;...

Written Answers — Exchequer Savings: Exchequer Savings (23 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: The programme measures announced in Budget 2011 were designed to yield an additional level of savings in 2012 of just over €80 million. The 2011 Budget also included a multi-annual Employment Control Framework through which public pay bill savings can be achieved over a number of years by reducing public sector staffing numbers, subject to further policy decisions at Departmental and...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (23 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: The Government recently announced (17th November, 2011) that the Decentralisation Programme should be cancelled in the light of the budgetary and staffing outlook. Those projects where there is no permanent accommodation or advance party in place are to be cancelled. Details of the cancelled projects, together with the moves involved, are set out at Table 1. Projects for which permanent...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (23 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: While there is no common European system of resource accounting, there is a trend internationally towards accrual accounting in the public sector. In the Irish Public Sector, a mix of accounting bases is currently in use. Accrual accounting is already the norm in the commercial sector and has been introduced in much of the non-commercial public sector outside the civil service. The Programme...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (23 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy's question no money has been paid out in severance packages to retired and retiring chief executives of State or semi State companies under the aegis of my Department. The only body under the aegis of my Department that can be classed as a State or semi State Company is An Post National Lottery which is classed as a commercial semi-State company. The current chief...

Written Answers — National Lottery: National Lottery (22 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: 1The National Lottery Act 1986 and the National Lottery licence only permit the sale of National Lottery tickets in the State. The sale of National Lottery tickets elsewhere raises obvious legal and regulatory issues.

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (22 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: 2057You 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 Quinn to develop the Construction Contracts Bill, which is now before the Dáil, into a robust piece...

Written Answers — Election Management System: Election Management System (22 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: 1I propose to take Questions Nos. 199 and 200 together. Returning Officers are required to submit accounts to the Department of Finance within six months of holding an election. While the accounts for the recent General Election have not yet been completed, we have included estimated figures. The accounts for the Presidential election and Dublin West bye-election have not yet been submitted...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (22 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: The scheme to which the Deputy refers is the Incentivised Scheme of Early Retirement as promulgated in Circular 12/09. The terms of the scheme provide that the balance of the retirement lump sum will be payable upon the retiree reaching his/her normal preserved pension age. There is no provision in the scheme to allow payment to be brought forward.

Written Answers — Information Technology: Information Technology (22 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: No servers are leased by either the Department of Public Expenditure & Reform or the Special EU Programmes Body.

Written Answers — Information Technology: Information Technology (22 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: IT is now provided on a shared service basis between the Department of Finance and the Department of Public Expenditure & Reform. No servers are currently owned by this Department. In relation to State Agencies under the aegis of my Department, I am advised that the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) is fully committed to reducing server maintenance time and cost. The SEUPB maintains its...

Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (22 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: The recently appointed Special Advisor to the Minister for Finance will undertake any duties which may be assigned to him from time to time as appropriate to the position of Special Adviser as set out in Section 11 of the Public Service Management Act 1997. The salary for this individual does not exceed the Government's special advisor pay scale as outlined in the Instructions regarding...

Written Answers — Infrastructure Investment Plan: Infrastructure Investment Plan (22 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: My Department's capital allocation is very small consisting of only €0.5 million per annum. This is primarily used for Peace Programme, INTERREG and IT-related expenditure. The cross-border PEACE and INTERREG programmes are administered by the Special EU Programmes Body and provide funding for eligible projects in border counties. Information in relation to the potential for funding for...

Written Answers — Constitutional Referendums: Constitutional Referendums (22 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: My Department does not have any direct responsibility in relation to the Referendum Commission, other than to sponsor the budgetary requirement. All financial commitments will be authorised by the Referendum Commission and discharged by the Office of the Ombudsman. I am advised by the Office of the Ombudsman that the total budget for the Referendum Commission established in respect of the...

Written Answers — Public Sector Staff: Public Sector Staff (22 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: The breakdown of Public Service numbers by Sector for March 2009 and September 2011 is set out in the table. This data is available on my Department's Website. 2009 2011 Variance % Decrease Qtr1 Qtr3 Defence Sector 11,169.00 10,168.60 -1,000.4 -9.0% Education Sector 95,253.24 90,577.81 -4,675.4 -4.9% Health Sector 111,769.97 104,286.88 -7,483.1 -6.7% Civil Service * 38,658.91...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (22 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: The data in respect of Attorney General, Ministerial, TDs' and Judges' pensions requested by the Deputy are in the tabular statement. The figures were provided by the Office of Paymaster General in respect of Attorney General, Ministerial and Judges' pensions, and from the Houses of the Oireachtas Service in respect of TD pensions. Former Members of the European Commission are entitled to a...

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (22 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: In the timeframe involved it has not been possible to collate the data requested by the Deputy. As soon as the data is collated it will be forwarded directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (22 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: In response to the Deputy's Question I am not aware of any former Attorney General having been appointed to any board under the aegis of my Department by the current Government or former Government.

Seanad: Infrastructure and Capital Investment: Statements, Questions and Answers (22 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: I hope the Chair will do that.