Results 17,481-17,500 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Written Answers — Public Service Reform: Public Service Reform (17 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 115, 119 and 123 together. As indicated to the Deputy in a similar PQ on 11 October, the Public Service Reform agenda has been pursued both centrally and by individual public bodies for many years, and there have been many notable achievements in this regard. However, it is clear that significant Public Service reforms are required to meet the challenges we...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (17 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: As the Deputy will be aware, the Programme for Government made a commitment to conduct a comprehensive review of expenditure (CRE) to examine all areas of public spending and to assess effectiveness of spending programmes and value for money. The results of the Review process, including a comprehensive set of decision options and an assessment of the cost effectiveness of all expenditure...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (17 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: I would refer the Deputy to the Functional Classification of Gross Current Expenditure table set out on page 25, of the Revised Estimates Volume 2011 which, was printed in July of this year and replicated as follows. TABLE 8 FUNCTIONAL CLASSIFICATION OF GROSS CURRENT EXPENDITURE (a) 2007 - 2011 2007 2008 2009 2010 Provisional Outturn 2011 Estimate Change 2011 over 2010 €m €m...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (17 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: As outlined today in the announcement of the Public Sector Reform Programme, the Government is committed to delivering better value in the public sector in order to reduce the deficit and protect front-line services. Numbers reduction will be a driver for public service wide reform. This includes reforms to the manner in which front-line and back office services are delivered across the...

Written Answers — Insurance Industry: Insurance Industry (17 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: Reform in the insurance sector and in health insurance are matters for the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Health, respectively.

Written Answers — EU-IMF Programme: EU-IMF Programme (17 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: The Medium Term Fiscal Statement, published on 4 November, reiterated the Government's commitment to reducing the deficit to below 3 per cent of GDP by 2015 and set out the year-by-year path that we are following to achieve this. It is vital that the State continues to show the seriousness of its intent to tackle the deficit in the public finances. Moving towards a balanced budgetary position...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (17 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: Given the magnitude of the adjustment required to meet our obligations of reducing the deficit below 3% of GDP by 2015, we have had to significantly scale back and reprioritise public expenditure in order to meet the terms of the Programme of Financial Support. A full and thorough evaluation of both Capital and Current expenditure has been carried out along with the development of the Public...

Written Answers — State Agencies: State Agencies (16 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: The question of rationalisation and the reduction in the number of State bodies is being considered in the context of the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure and the overall budgetary and estimates process for 2012, and decisions on such matters will be made by the Government over the coming weeks. The priorities set out in the Programme for Government for the rationalisation of State...

Written Answers — Ministerial Appointments: Ministerial Appointments (16 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: The information requested by the Deputy is as follows: Arbitration Boards As Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform I nominated the following re-appointments to the Arbitration Boards under the terms of the conciliation and arbitration schemes for the civil service , the Defence Forces, Gardaí and Teachers: Mr. Turlough O'Donnell, SC, Chairperson; Mr. Gerard Barry, Government nominee;...

Written Answers — Capital Spending: Capital Spending (16 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: The Medium-Term Fiscal Statement published by the Government on 4 November detailed the budgetary parameters for the next four years including the revised current and capital envelopes. The Medium-Term Fiscal Statement also set out and discussed the economic and fiscal projections for the period ahead that are consistent with those budgetary parameters. As regards employment, the economy is...

Written Answers — Public Service Recruitment Embargo: Public Service Recruitment Embargo (16 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: The Programme for Government commits to reducing further the size of the public service, while seeking to protect front-line services. Tomorrow, 17th November, as a further event in the Government's series of announcements as part of our Budget and Estimates process, I will be setting out an ambitious programme of Public Sector reform. Tomorrow's announcement will include the public sector...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (16 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: My Department does not employ any agency staff. You may wish to contact my fellow ministers to ascertain the information with regard to their respective Departments and bodies under their aegis.

Written Answers — Public Capital Programme: Public Capital Programme (16 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: I presume that the Deputy is referring to the Public Capital Programme as the NDP has effectively been superseded for some time now. In this regard, I would draw the Deputy's attention to the Capital Review which the Government published last week. This lays out allocations and priorities for capital investment from 2012 to 2016 reflecting the fiscal constraints we are experiencing. I...

Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2012-2016: Statements (Resumed) (16 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: That is perhaps a matter for a separate debate, perhaps by way of parliamentary question, in regard to structures and so on. The idea is that we would consider how to get a better commercial take and how to front-load money. We expect the amount of money we can front-load will more than cover the component required for the national children's hospital. It is not notionally linked to it: it...

Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2012-2016: Statements (Resumed) (16 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: They are indeed, but it is not our money in them. We have recapitalised banks that were owned and we have a shareholding in them, but the volume of investment is not entirely our money and we need to make rational commercial decisions on lending. We are considering mechanisms to leverage additional resources through public-private partnerships. The banks, including AIB and other Irish...

Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2012-2016: Statements (Resumed) (16 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: I beg the Deputy's pardon. With the Chair's indulgence I might reply.

Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2012-2016: Statements (Resumed) (16 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: There is no commitment in a quantum of money beyond what is committed, which is the €25 million in 2015 and 2016. We are engaging in a process. While I do not want to break confidences in that regard, the Northern authorities have strong views on the idea of phasing, considering different structures and whether it all needs to be of the standard specified, and we want to hear them.

Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2012-2016: Statements (Resumed) (16 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: The public capital programme will certainly not be changed this side of the budget. I indicated that in the five-year horizon there may well be changes, but that is something we will debate in the coming years.

Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2012-2016: Statements (Resumed) (16 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: Additional background information will accompany the budget documentation, including all the CRE information and that will come in the first week of December.

Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2012-2016: Statements (Resumed) (16 Nov 2011)

Brendan Howlin: I have already answered this question twice, but I will do it a third time. The grounding criteria for any particular project rest in the parent Department. I dealt in the generality of the envelope of money. The priorities were presented to me by Ministers and they have voluminous analyses of each project in their Departments, which is where the Deputy should pursue it.