News | Latest Breaking News Stories & Headlines

Following a special board meeting Rehab revealed that Angela Kerins is paid €240,000 a year

Rehab CEO due before PAC next week

Rehab Group Chief Executive Angela Kerins and other relevant officials are expected before the Public Accounts Committee on Thursday 27 February.

News • 18 Feb 14

Brendan Howlin said universal health insurance was an important proposal for the Government

Howlin denies rift over health insurance

The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin has said that discussions regarding universal health insurance have not yet been held at a political level.

News • 16 Feb 14

The act will be applied retrospectively to Irish Water

Motion passed to bring Irish Water under FOI

The Dáil and the Seanad have passed a motion paving the way for the Freedom of Information Act to apply to the new Irish Water utility.

News • 29 Jan 14

Brendan Howlin said it is better to move on people on the public pay roll if there is no work for them

Howlin - sale of assets may fund redundancies

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin has said money from the sale of State assets could be used to fund voluntary redundancies in the public service.

News • 15 Jan 14

Brendan Howlin set out the advances the public service has made in reducing costs

Howlin: State agency rationalisation by year end

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin and Minister of State Brian Hayes have published the Government's new public service reform plan.

News • 14 Jan 14

Brendan Howlin said performance-related pay would not return until at least 2016

Paper looks at improving civil service performance

The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform has published a consultation paper on improving performance and accountability in the civil service.

News • 09 Jan 14

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore said he promised there would be no return to the policies that caused the crash

Tánaiste addresses Labour Party conference

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore has addressed the Labour Party Conference in Kerry where he highlighted the progress towards economic recovery that has been made in the 1,000 days since his party went into Government.

News • 01 Dec 13

James Reilly said there could be legal or contractual issues

James Reilly to try to recoup pay top-ups

Minister for Health James Reilly has indicated that he would seek to recoup additional payments to senior management in health and disability agencies.

News • 20 Nov 13

Protesters travelled to Dublin from around the country

Protest at Dáil over cuts affecting older people

Thousands of pensioners have converged on Leinster House to demand the reversal of a range of Budget cuts affecting older people.

News • 22 Oct 13

Finance Minister Michael Noonan delivers Budget 2014

Ministers deliver Budget 2014

The Finance Minister has told the Dáil said that the sacrifices of people have had to make in recent years are well known.

Business • 16 Oct 13

Michael Noonan (left) and Brendan Howlin have revealed the details of Budget 2014

€2.5m adjustment announced in Budget 2014

Minister for Finance Michael Noonan and Minister for Public Expenditure Brendan Howlin have delivered Budget 2014 in the Dáil where €2.5bn worth of spending cuts and tax increases were announced.

News • 15 Oct 13

Finance Minister Michael Noonan says €2.5 billion to be taken out of economy in next week's Budget

Dept of Finance forecasts growth of 1.8% in 2014

The Department of Finance has told an Oireachtas Committee that it expects the economy to grow by 1.8% next year.

Business • 08 Oct 13

Premier Lotteries Ireland has been selected as the preferred applicant for the next National Lottery licence

€200m from lottery sale to be used for hospital

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin has given assurances that €200m from the sale of the National Lottery licence will be ring-fenced for the construction of the National Children's Hospital.

News • 04 Oct 13

Michael Noonan says ''unrealistic'' to suggest all of the Budget savings could be made just through tax increases

Budget to be a mix of spending cuts and tax hikes

Finance Minister Michael Noonan has said that no specific Budget proposals have been decided yet.

Business • 19 Sep 13

Brendan Howlin did not rule out outsourcing management of debt recovery to the private sector

Govt looks at ways to streamline debt recovery

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin has said the Government is examining ways of streamlining the recovery of debts owed to public service bodies.

News • 18 Sep 13

Brendan Howlin said the Government had rebuilt the trust of the market

Howlin: Radical public service reform not optional

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin has warned that radical and sustainable change in the public service is not an "optional add-on".

News • 09 Jul 13

Brendan Howlin has welcomed the new report and praised those who cooperated in delivering the savings

Croke Park agreement 'saved €330m in nine months'

The Croke Park Agreement delivered savings of €330 million between April and December 2012, according to the Implementation Body overseeing the agreement.

News • 03 Jul 13

Brendan Howlin said he is open to re-running a referendum to increase the powers of Oireachtas committees next year

Howlin open to Oireachtas referendum re-run

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin has indicated that he is open to re-running the referendum to increase the powers of Oireachtas committees as early as next year.

News • 30 Jun 13

Britain's Competition Commission said last month that it may force Ryanair to sell its entire stake in Aer Lingus

Time not right to sell Aer Lingus stake - Howlin

The Government does not think the time is right to sell its 25% stake in Aer Lingus, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin said tonight.

News • 19 Jun 13

The announcement marks the first time there has been an increase to the capital budget since 2008

First increase in capital budget since 2008

The Government has announced it is to spend an additional €150m on capital projects, including roads, local authority housing and schools, for 2013 to 2014.

Business • 05 Jun 13

Retired public servants are to meet Brendan Howlin over pension changes under Haddington Road deal

Legislation on pay cuts in Dáil next week - Quinn

Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn has said legislation will be introduced in the Dáil next week to give effect to public sector pay cuts for those who have not signed up to revised pay agreements.

News • 24 May 13

LRC Chief Executive Kieran Mulvey is to brief Brendan Howlin on progress this evening

Croke Park talks at LRC adjourned

Talks at the Labour Relations Commission involving health sector unions and employers on proposals for a successor to the Croke Park deal have been adjourned.

News • 14 May 13

Kieran Mulvey has been meeting unions over the past two weeks

Monday deadline for progress on Croke Park deal

LRC Chief Executive Kieran Mulvey has been given until Monday to see if a negotiated settlement can be reached in the row over the extension to the Croke Park public service pay agreement.

News • 07 May 13

Liam Doran said Minister Howlin was putting 'the fear of God' into public servants

Howlin accused of 'scaremongering' public servants

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin has been accused of interfering with the democratic process of unions balloting members on Croke Park II.

News • 05 Apr 13

Brendan Howlin said no decision had yet been made

Govt may use private debt collectors for fines

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin has said the Government is still examining whether to use private debt collectors to recover fines, social welfare fraud and unpaid hospital bills.

News • 26 Mar 13