Results 81-100 of 139 for 5 million speaker:Brendan Howlin

Other Questions: EU-IMF Programme (18 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: ...The problem is that we are borrowing €1 billion a month for public services. In truth, that is not sustainable in the future. A target has been agreed to get our deficit below 3% of GDP by 2015. In order to do that there is approximately €5 billion in further adjustments remaining. We will divide that between taxation and expenditure reductions. There is €3...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Croke Park Agreement Issues (18 Apr 2013)

Brendan Howlin: ...a decision to publish the Estimates, which are based on the implementation of the LRC recommendations, because that is what we hoped to do. We had to have some basis for apportioning the €300 million and I wanted the Estimates out because they had been delayed. There are agencies that need funding and, therefore, we need to pass the formal Votes. Obviously, if there is a...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Brendan Howlin: It is a simple matter. Lotto wins will remain tax free. The Revenue Commissioners will not be going after a person if they find €5,000 in an account somewhere. However, if they discover an account wherein there is €5 million they will have the power to inquire from where it came. This provision ensures that where a person declares that he or she won a particular amount on...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Finance Act 2004 (Section 91) (Deferred Surrender to the Central Fund) Order 2013: Motion (28 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: These things are not written in stone. I have moved Garda vehicles to the capital side. As the Deputies will be aware, I provided a capital grant of €5 million this year to acquire more Garda vehicles. It is easier to find capital moneys than it is to find current expenditure, although perhaps I should not say that loudly.

Other Questions: Croke Park Agreement (27 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: ...and extracting costs from public sector pay is less impactive on the economy than some of the alternatives, for example, cutting expenditure on social welfare or other areas. We need to get €300 million this year and €1 billion in expenditure reductions by 2015. The impact on the economy generally will be of the order of 0.25% but I will give the Deputy the details when we...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Croke Park Agreement (27 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 5 together. Last December on behalf of Government I extended an invitation to the members of the public services committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions to enter discussions with public service management on a new agenda for reductions in the cost of delivery of public services and substantial longer-term productivity improvements and workplace...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: State Bodies Abolition (5 Feb 2013)

Brendan Howlin: ...of responsibility for the citizen. This will be of real and lasting benefit to all citizens, regardless of any headline figure on savings. Specifically, the Public Service Reform Plan aimed to secure €20 million in enhanced service efficiencies and value-for-money from the rationalisation programme. The bulk of the savings are derived from a reduction in the number of public...

National Lottery Bill 2012: Second Stage (29 Jan 2013)

Brendan Howlin: ...were only 2% lower than in 2007. The lottery continues to generate a very significant surplus that is used to fund a range of good causes across the State. For example, in 2011 a surplus of just under €232 million was generated by the lottery. Indications are that both national lottery sales and funding for good causes achieved in 2012 will be somewhat less than in 2011. The...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement (16 Jan 2013)

Brendan Howlin: ...award notices on eTenders and the Official Journal of the EU (OJEU) for those contracts whose values exceed the EU thresholds. The current EU threshold for public works contracts is above €5 million; and for supplies and services above €130,000/€200,000 (Government Departments and Offices/Local and Regional Authorities and public bodies outside the Utilities sector)....

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: State Agencies (21 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 13, 15 and 16 together. As the Deputy is aware, the streamlining of State bodies is set out in the Public Service Reform Plan, published in November 2011. This streamlining included 48 rationalisation measures to be implemented by the end of 2012, as well as a further 46 critical reviews to take place by the end of June 2012. Details of the bodies involved are...

Seanad: Public Expenditure and Reform: Statements (8 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: ...economic growth in 2011 for the first time since 2007. The budgetary adjustment process will present very large challenges to meet the firm commitment to reduce the deficit to below 3% of GDP by 2015. This will require difficult choices to be made in all areas of public expenditure and to ensure that we remain on a credible path of budgetary adjustment. The public service pay and...

Pensions and Retirement Lump Sums: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (7 Nov 2012)

Brendan Howlin: ...The third misconception is that public servants are not paying for their pensions. I have heard some echoes of that since coming to the House tonight. The position is that significant contributions are paid, generally 5% for main scheme benefits and 1.5% for spouses' and children's benefits for all staff in place since 1995. In addition, as we all know, public servants pay a pension...

Public Accounts Committee: Public Service Reform Plan: Discussion (11 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: ...detail of public service reform, it is important to recall briefly the progress made in achieving our fiscal targets. In total, budgetary adjustments designed to save or yield approximately €25 billion have been made. This is an extraordinary burden on the people. As the committee is aware, two thirds of these adjustments have been on the expenditure side. It is also important...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Allowances Review (10 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I have stated publicly that if I was starting again I would not set out the estimate of €75 million. The genesis of the figure is simple, however. The total for all allowances, including the big chunk that is core pay, is €1.5 billion and 5% of this total is €75 million. I believed we could set out a target of this nature. I did not put it into the budget arithmetic and...

Written Answers — Public Procurement: Public Procurement (18 Jul 2012)

Brendan Howlin: ...can unjustifiably hinder small businesses in competing for public contracts. The key provisions of the guidance include: · supplies and general services contracts with an estimated value of €25,000 or more to be advertised on the www.etenders.gov.ie website; · less use of "restrictive" tendering procedures and greater use of "open" tendering; · ensuring that the levels set by...

Written Answers — Public Sector Reform: Public Sector Reform (13 Jun 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I announced the review of allowances and premia payments, to be carried out by my Department, in my address on the 2012 Expenditure Estimates on 5 December 2012. This announcement was made on foot of a Government decision which requires the public service to take additional measures to deliver further efficiencies in 2012 so as to ensure that paybill targets are met and with a view to...

Written Answers — Public Sector Pay: Public Sector Pay (12 Jun 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I announced the review of allowances and premia payments, to be carried out by my Department, in my address on the 2012 Expenditure Estimates on 5 December 2012. This announcement was made on foot of a Government decision which requires the public service to take additional measures to deliver further efficiencies in 2012 so as to ensure that pay bill targets are met and with a view to...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (24 Apr 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The table below sets out the difference between the net current and capital expenditure positions extracted from the Comprehensive Expenditure Report 2012 – 2014, published on 5 December 2011 and the Revised Estimates for Public Services 2012, published on 23 February 2012. The overall change is a reduction of €1.38 million or 0.003%. The individual changes to Departmental...

Public Sector Allowances (24 Apr 2012)

Brendan Howlin: As the Deputy is aware from my previous replies, on 5 December last, during my address on the 2012 Expenditure Estimates, I announced that a review of allowances and premium payments would be carried out by my Department. This announcement was made on foot of a Government decision which requires the public service to take additional measures to deliver further efficiencies in 2012 and...

Written Answers — Public Procurement: Public Procurement (7 Mar 2012)

Brendan Howlin: ...award notices on eTenders and the Official Journal of the EU (OJEU) for those contracts whose values exceed the EU thresholds. The current EU threshold for public works contracts is above €5 million; and for supplies and services above €130,000/€200,000 (Government Departments and Offices/Local and Regional Authorities and public bodies outside the Utilities sector). The majority...