Results 18,181-18,200 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

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

Brendan Howlin: The items procured by me in relation to the fit-out of my office, to which the reply to Parliamentary Question 79 referred are set out in the following table. Description 4 LCD TV sets 3 TV Cables 2 x Mount Walls for TV sets 3 x LG DVD Players 2 x Stereos Expresso machine New Kettle Photo Copier Carpet for one room New Furniture charges; supply and deliver of Tambour Units with...

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (14 Jul 2011)

Brendan Howlin: At present, my Department has engaged one person, from one of the companies listed by the Deputy, to provide expert advice and assistance in relation to the public sector reform agenda. There are no other contracts in place at present with any of the other companies mentioned.

Written Answers — Semi-State Bodies: Semi-State Bodies (14 Jul 2011)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 126, 135 and 136 together. Performance Related Award Schemes for the Civil Service, the Permanent Defence Forces, An Garda Síochána, the Health Service and the Local Authorities were suspended in 2009. In relation to those Non Commercial State Sponsored Bodies (NCSSBs) who have approved PRAS in place, decisions on performance-related bonuses for chief...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (14 Jul 2011)

Brendan Howlin: The following individuals have been appointed at my Department since I took office. * Anne Byrne, Special Adviser * Rónán O'Brien, Special Adviser * Eugene O'Sullivan, Civilian Driver * Tony Brennan, Civilian Driver * Marion Doyle, Constituency Office (Wexford) * Frances Kelly, Parliamentary Assistant * Robert Watt, Secretary General * Deidre Hanlon, Assistant Secretary.

Written Answers — Public Service Staff: Public Service Staff (14 Jul 2011)

Brendan Howlin: The Government are committed to reducing public service numbers in accordance with the Programme for Government. From a budgetary point of view we have already achieved 40% of the required numbers reduction for 2011 in the first quarter of the year. The targets set to date are achievable by the mechanisms of natural wastage and voluntary redundancy. I will, of course, be reviewing these...

Written Answers — Public Sector Reform: Public Sector Reform (14 Jul 2011)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 129, 134 and 137 together. As outlined in the Programme for Government, this Government is committed to the most ambitious programme of Public Service Reform since the foundation of the State. This will take place in tandem with an equally significant programme of constitutional, political and institutional reform to ensure that there is a fundamental change...

Written Answers — Public Service Staff: Public Service Staff (14 Jul 2011)

Brendan Howlin: Based on the information supplied to this Department, staff numbers have been reduced by almost 16,500 between the end of 2008 and the end of March this year. The breakdown across each sector is set out in the table and shows considerable progress has been achieved across the public service during this period. The Government is committed to achieving the targets set out in the Programme for...

Written Answers — Public Service Staff: Public Service Staff (14 Jul 2011)

Brendan Howlin: The Government are committed to the reduction in public service numbers in accordance with the programme for Government. The actual exit mechanisms to be used will depend in part on the rate of natural wastage and decisions taken under the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure on the required future size of particular sectors and bodies. In regard to the redeployment of staff in order to ensure...

Departmental Expenditure (14 Jul 2011)

Brendan Howlin: The Deputy has always been in fantasy land which is a comfortable place to be as it allows one to preach that people do not need to take medicine because the magic doctor has a cure and the rub of the relic will cure all. As to the notion that one can repudiate the debt by deciding to look into one's heart and refuse to pay it-----

Departmental Expenditure (14 Jul 2011)

Brendan Howlin: -----while at the same time deciding that everyone who is unemployed should go back to work, who would pay the €18 billion we are borrowing? That is the gap that would open up instantly.

Departmental Expenditure (14 Jul 2011)

Brendan Howlin: Who would pay for the schools, hospitals and gardaí? In Deputy Boyd Barrett's heart of hearts, he knows his proposition is entirely fanciful. The Government has embarked on a path which will lead to a restoration of our finances and which has job creation at its heart. One of the first steps we took was to renegotiate the first memorandum of understanding to ensure we had up to €500...

Departmental Expenditure (14 Jul 2011)

Brendan Howlin: While the exact dates have yet to be decided, budget 2012 would normally be presented to the Dáil in early December and include budget Estimates for 2012. The Revised Estimates Volume for 2012 would be published the following February and contain more detailed expenditure information on all Votes. The Estimates would then be referred to the relevant Dáil select committees on the same...

Departmental Expenditure (14 Jul 2011)

Brendan Howlin: As I indicated yesterday, I do not regard the traditional Estimates process as a good one and would like to consider how the process can be reconstructed in a more useful way. The Estimates volume has become a little lost as a result of the practice of publishing it on the same day as the Budget Statement, the reason being that people focus on the fiscal and taxation measures included in the...

Departmental Expenditure (14 Jul 2011)

Brendan Howlin: They must be practical.

Departmental Expenditure (14 Jul 2011)

Brendan Howlin: I have sat through many debates on Estimates at committees, mainly as an Opposition Deputy, and they tend to be a little sterile. One normally examines whether a few thousand extra euro is being spent in some area and, as a result, one misses the wood for the trees. I do not know whether we could have a principled debate on Estimates expenditure. Perhaps I am not explaining myself very...

Public Service Staff (14 Jul 2011)

Brendan Howlin: The Government plans to bring about a reduction of between 18,000 and 21,000 in overall public service numbers by 2014, relative to the end of 2010 position, with a further 4,000 reduction in 2015, subject to there being no compulsory redundancies and to the protection of front-line services. As outlined in the programme for Government, this will involve a fundamental change to the way in...

Public Service Staff (14 Jul 2011)

Brendan Howlin: I may give some comfort to the Deputy on the figures. The target of 3,000 for this year is the old one. We have not yet put in place a revised target because I want to do some forensic analysis of the number of public service staff who will retire and so on. At the end of the first quarter this year there were slightly less than 304,000 employees in the public service. As the Deputy...

Public Service Staff (14 Jul 2011)

Brendan Howlin: I am not sure that is relevant to the question.

Public Service Staff (14 Jul 2011)

Brendan Howlin: It is a genuine question that has nothing to do with my Department. I would like to have a debate with the Deputy about that.

Public Service Staff (14 Jul 2011)

Brendan Howlin: No, not at the moment, a Cheann Comhairle, in deference to yourself. There has been significant downsizing in the local authority sector and there have been huge efficiencies. My own local authority published, in last week's local paper, The Wexford People , a two-page analysis of significant efficiencies it has brought about to give better services to people. It is not all about cutting or...