Results 24,581-24,600 of 34,833 for speaker:Seán Fleming

Public Accounts Committee: Bord na gCon Financial Statements 2014 (26 Nov 2015)

Seán Fleming: Is it a six-figure sum?

Public Accounts Committee: Bord na gCon Financial Statements 2014 (26 Nov 2015)

Seán Fleming: It is a serious figure in terms of the scale. There was a loss in 2014 of €1 million, and a smaller amount in 2013. The figure is in the hundreds of thousands. Mr. Meaney has said that Bord na gCon received legal advice but it is difficult for the Committee of Public Accounts - this is taxpayers' money. It was August 2015 when the 2014 accounts were signed. We will not wait until...

Public Accounts Committee: Bord na gCon Financial Statements 2014 (26 Nov 2015)

Seán Fleming: I am curious about this issue. Bord na gCon has been very successful in negotiating an improvement in its income for 2016. It had €13.6 million for 2015, from the taxpayer, and that will increase to €14.8 million in 2016. That is an increase of €1.2 million. Will the settlement of that outstanding legal case take a large proportion of that €1.2 million?

Public Accounts Committee: Bord na gCon Financial Statements 2014 (26 Nov 2015)

Seán Fleming: In other words, this payment will just increase Bord na gCon's bank overdraft and interest payments.

Public Accounts Committee: Bord na gCon Financial Statements 2014 (26 Nov 2015)

Seán Fleming: Is that cumulatively over those years?

Public Accounts Committee: Bord na gCon Financial Statements 2014 (26 Nov 2015)

Seán Fleming: Returning to the 2010 issue of the derby, that particular dog was under the control of Bord na gCon at that stage and for that period on the track. The dog was got at in some way and the board must accept that because it would not be paying otherwise. It must accept that some substance was given to the dog to make sure he came in last. Something happened to the dog while it was under the...

Public Accounts Committee: Bord na gCon Financial Statements 2014 (26 Nov 2015)

Seán Fleming: We mentioned regulation before and it ties into doping in the industry. There have been some changes in AI rules but it has been brought to my attention that Bord na gCon is still allowing illegal dogs to compete under the new regulations. Is that correct? Mr. Meaney will say that the coursing club looks after the registration but it is subject to the general control and direction of Bord...

Public Accounts Committee: Bord na gCon Financial Statements 2014 (26 Nov 2015)

Seán Fleming: What is Bord na gCon's relationship with it?

Public Accounts Committee: Bord na gCon Financial Statements 2014 (26 Nov 2015)

Seán Fleming: What is it and who pays for it?

Public Accounts Committee: Bord na gCon Financial Statements 2014 (26 Nov 2015)

Seán Fleming: It registers the dogs.

Public Accounts Committee: Bord na gCon Financial Statements 2014 (26 Nov 2015)

Seán Fleming: Inbreeds.

Public Accounts Committee: Bord na gCon Financial Statements 2014 (26 Nov 2015)

Seán Fleming: Will it require more legislation or a statutory instrument to rule those dogs out of order?

Public Accounts Committee: Bord na gCon Financial Statements 2014 (26 Nov 2015)

Seán Fleming: Given that Bord na gCon will receive €14 million, can Mr. Meaney provide the committee with a copy of - in layman's language - the service level agreement between Bord na gCon and the Department on the receipt of those funds? In the HSE there are service level agreements when taxpayers' money is being used. Mr. Meaney is in the sporting business. If any sports club around the country...

Public Accounts Committee: Bord na gCon Financial Statements 2014 (26 Nov 2015)

Seán Fleming: Is there a formal signed-off service level agreement between Bord na gCon and the Department? Are the officials here from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine or the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform?

Public Accounts Committee: Bord na gCon Financial Statements 2014 (26 Nov 2015)

Seán Fleming: Mr. Gleeson will be able to help in this discussion about the service level agreement.

Public Accounts Committee: Bord na gCon Financial Statements 2014 (26 Nov 2015)

Seán Fleming: I want to ask the officials from the Department about this because I am disturbed to hear the taxpayer will be handing out €14.8 million for the coming year without a formal service level agreement, letters, plans and whatever. The Chairman will be issuing a recommendation that a formal service level agreement be in place. I am shocked to hear one does not exist. I cannot...

Public Accounts Committee: Bord na gCon Financial Statements 2014 (26 Nov 2015)

Seán Fleming: They are the same questions but I have a different view of matters from up here.

Public Accounts Committee: Bord na gCon Financial Statements 2014 (26 Nov 2015)

Seán Fleming: Is that in greyhounds?

Public Accounts Committee: Bord na gCon Financial Statements 2014 (26 Nov 2015)

Seán Fleming: That is fine. It is probably a personal opinion. What about the fact that there is no service level agreement in place?

Public Accounts Committee: Bord na gCon Financial Statements 2014 (26 Nov 2015)

Seán Fleming: I will conclude in one moment and then call on Deputy McFadden. If there is €14.8 million and 10,000 recipients, the taxpayer is giving approximately €1,480 to everybody who is broadly involved in the industry as a subsidy to keep it going. It is good to put that figure on the record. That is how I translate the €14.8 million. It is divided among 10,000 people, with...