Results 321-340 of 2,156 for speaker:Tom Parlon

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Jul 2004)

Tom Parlon: The amendment proposes arrangements for performance-related pay in the public service, something with which I agree wholeheartedly. As I said on Committee Stage, this subject matter is entirely outside the remit of the section, which deals with the board of the PES. It is also outside the remit of a Bill dealing with recruitment in the public service. Perhaps the Senator should take this up...

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Jul 2004)

Tom Parlon: I thank the Senator very much for that information.

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Jul 2004)

Tom Parlon: I thought the Senator was going to say that he now stocks the series in his new DVD shop in Carlow, but he did not go that far.

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Jul 2004)

Tom Parlon: The amendment proposes arrangements for benchmarking of management operations in the public service. This subject matter is entirely outside the remit of this section, which deals with the board of the PAS. It is also outside the remit of a Bill dealing with recruitment in the public service. I will not repeat the advice of the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel about wording and best practice.

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Jul 2004)

Tom Parlon: I have dealt with this matter before. In this case we depend on the actual gender of the ex offico members. In practice, it works out at 40:20, which, in effect, is two to one. We are not in a position to dictate what the gender of the ex officio members would be. As the Senator knows, the current Ombudsman is a woman and things may change as regards the other ex officio members. In the case...

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Jul 2004)

Tom Parlon: Section 17 provides that the commission may inquire only into the recruitment practices of public service bodies prior to making a report on whether certain posts should be subject to the remit of the commission. There is no impediment on the Minister making an order under section 6 to bring any professional post in the public service within the remit of the commission. Amendment No. 13 would...

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Jul 2004)

Tom Parlon: That is correct.

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Jul 2004)

Tom Parlon: The Secretary General of each Department will be the recruitment agency and will choose. It is the case that it will be the normal interdepartmental competition.

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Jul 2004)

Tom Parlon: Yes.

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (29 Sep 2004)

Tom Parlon: I join Senators in their praise for the integrity and history of the Civil Service. I thank the House for the positive contributions made during the passage of the Bill. It was an excellent debate. I also thank the Civil Service and Local Appointments Commissioners. I wish the new bodies to be established by this legislation well. They have big shoes to fill which I am sure they will do.

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (5 Oct 2004)

Tom Parlon: A number of sites have been shortlisted as possible property solutions for decentralisation to Athy. The process of evaluating these sites is at an advanced stage. When this process is completed, formal negotiations will commence with the respective owners of the sites. As of 7 September 2004, 134 people had applied to move to Athy under the central applications facility.

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (5 Oct 2004)

Tom Parlon: A site has yet to be identified for a decentralised IT facility in Kildare town. As of 7 September 2004, 33 staff had applied to move to Kildare under the central applications facility.

Seanad: Decentralisation Programme. (13 Oct 2004)

Tom Parlon: I thank Senator Finucane for raising the issue. I will start by stating that the Government is firmly committed to the full implementation of the decentralisation programme and is very pleased with the progress which has been achieved over the past ten months. However, a Government office cannot be relocated overnight. In order to do it correctly, the relocation of all or part of an...

Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (19 Oct 2004)

Tom Parlon: The information the Deputy requires will take some time to prepare. I will communicate the information requested by the Deputy as soon as it is to hand.

Written Answers — Public Service Recruitment: Public Service Recruitment (19 Oct 2004)

Tom Parlon: One position of general operative will be filled shortly at the JFK Arboretum near New Ross. A proposal to fill three positions based at the OPW's south-eastern drainage office in Castlebridge is under consideration. Guides or information officers for built heritage sites such as Ballyhack Castle, Ferns Castle, JFK Arboretum and Tintern Abbey are recruited annually for the relevant visitor season.

Written Answers — National Parks: National Parks (19 Oct 2004)

Tom Parlon: The principle governing the management of the Phoenix Park is its conservation and presentation as a national historic park. The issue of traffic is a major problem with more than 30,000 cars using the park each day. While recognising that the elimination of all through traffic is not a realisable objective in the short to medium term, measures have been or are about to be put in place to...

Written Answers — Flood Relief: Flood Relief (19 Oct 2004)

Tom Parlon: The Deputy is aware that following severe flooding in the late 1990s in Clonmel, a flood alleviation scheme was developed by the OPW which was publicly exhibited, as required under the Arterial Drainage Acts, in December 2001 and January 2002. Concerns were raised by Waterford and South Tipperary county councils that there might be contaminated material in the river bed which was due to be...

Seanad: Garda Youth Diversion Programme. (20 Oct 2004)

Tom Parlon: I thank the Senator for raising this issue to which I am responding on behalf of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform who has another engagement. The Garda youth diversion programme was initiated in 1991 following a sudden outbreak of lawlessness in a number of communities involving street violence, public order offences, the unauthorised taking of cars and other criminal acts....

Seanad: Schools Refurbishment. (20 Oct 2004)

Tom Parlon: I thank the Senator for affording me the opportunity of outlining the proposals of the Department of Education and Science in respect of the proposed refurbishment project at Lanesboro community college in Longford. The Department of Education and Science received an application from County Longford VEC for the refurbishment of the existing building at Lanesboro community college. I am...

Seanad: School Staffing. (20 Oct 2004)

Tom Parlon: I thank the Senators for giving me the opportunity to outline to the House the position of the Department of Education and Science in respect of Scoil an Chroí Naoife, Ballinasloe, County Galway. Tackling educational disadvantage is one of the top priorities of the Department of Education and Science. By ensuring that available educational resources are targeted at the most disadvantaged...