The Protected Disclosures Bill 2013 (2nd Stage) did not conclude last week and has been scheduled to resume on 18th February as the first item of business.
Back to this week:
Today the Minister and Secretary General have their weekly briefing. The Dáil is in session this week and the Department has a number of written Parliamentary Questions tabled on a variety of issues, ranging from, the redevelopment of the Irish Jewish Museum; incremental scales in the public service; companies awarded contracts by the Department since May 2011; details of the public capital programme for water and sewerage services; Bus Éireann and the school transport service; monies spent on advertising by the Department in 2013.
The Government Meeting is due to take place on Tuesday at 10.15 a.m., later in the day Minister Howlin is scheduled to take statements on Public Service Reform in the Seanad.
The Finance/Public Expenditure and Reform Committee will meet on Wednesday to discuss Capital Carryover with Minister Hayes attending.
Secretary General Watt will attend the fourth annual IBEC CEO Conference “From here to prosperity” in the Convention Centre, Dublin. The conference aims to focus on how business can provide leadership and will be setting out what Ireland’s next phase should look like and a draft a blueprint for Ireland’s prosperity.
On Thursday, Minister Howlin will participate in the British/Irish Chamber of Commerce Annual Conference 2014 in Belfast. The theme this year is “Growing Stronger Together”. The British/Irish Chamber was established in 2011 and launched during the historic visit of HM Queen Elizabeth II to Ireland. The Chamber occupies a unique position across these islands, representing a combined British/Irish economic space estimated to be worth €52 billion per annum. 35% of total Irish exports are consumed in the British market, with Ireland being the fifth largest market for British exports. There is also a wider dimension to the British/Irish relationship, Britain and Ireland are interlinked by longstanding geographic, cultural, historic and social and family ties; ties which have grown stronger as the respect and understanding between the two Islands continues to develop. The Chamber is seeking to build on these links and looks to become the focal point of the British/Irish business and economic community.
The Economic Management Council will meet during the week with the Taoiseach, Tánaiste, Minister for Finance and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform discussing a wide range of issues.
On Friday at 9:15 a.m. Minister Howlin will be interviewed by Michael Reid on LMFM. Secretary General Watt will attend the second in a series of seven “Town Hall” meetings which are being held with civil servants across the country. These meetings seek to discuss the future of the Civil Service and hear ideas on how the Civil Service can be improved. You can have your say and see what was discussed at the first Town Hall here on http://csvision.per.gov.ie/

