Last Week

Minister Howlin took the last Departmental Oral Parliamentary Questions for 2015. The Minister would like to convey his appreciation to all staff involved in the preparation of responses and supplementary material. Secretary General Watt would also like to convey his thanks to all staff involved in the preparation of material for his attendance at the Public Accounts Committee.

 

The Report and Final Stages of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2015 (FEMPI) completed in the Dáil.

 

A Corporate Governance Standard for the Civil Service was published. The Standard sets out the key elements of governance that Departments and Offices must now document and publish. This will mean that the way the Civil Service takes decisions and implements policies will be more transparent to citizens. The Governance Standard requires Departments and Offices for the first time to document and publish their governance arrangements. These include how each Department and Office does its work and how it operates to deliver on its mandate and functions. This is the first time that such a Standard has been produced for the Civil Service as a whole.

 

Back to this Week

The Management Board meeting took place this morning.

 

The Minister and Secretary General will hold their weekly briefing today.

 

Minister Howlin and the Tánaiste have signed the Social Protection Regulations to give effect to the Christmas Bonus Scheme announced on Budget day last month.

 

The Government Meeting will take place on Tuesday at 10.15 a.m.

 

On Tuesday, Minister Howlin will take the Second Stage of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2015 (FEMPI) in the Seanad. Committee, Report and Final Stages are due to take place on Thursday.

 

The Department has a number of Written Parliamentary Questions tabled for ministerial reply this week. Issues include pensions, the Valuation Act, recruitment and state agencies established under the Department.

 

Minister Howlin will meet the members of the Open Data Governance Board before the Board’s first meeting on Tuesday afternoon.

 

On Friday, Minister Howlin with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Mr Simon Coveney TD, will launch the regional aspect of the Capital Plan, Building on RecoveryInvesting in Cork and Kerry. The Capital Plan was launched recently outlining the Government’s national strategy for Infrastructure and Capital Investment for the period 2016-2021. The document outlined the fiscal and policy context of the plan as well as outlining the various areas of investment provided for in the coming years.

 

Secretary General Watt will attend a meeting of the Civil Service Management Board on Friday.

 

The Economic Management Council (EMC) will meet during the week with the Taoiseach, Tánaiste, Minister for Finance, and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to discuss a wide range of issues.