Results 29,901-29,920 of 34,885 for speaker:Seán Fleming

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme Issues (20 Jun 2013)

Seán Fleming: While last year's stimulus plan has not yet happened, another one is being announced. Will there be an annual stimulus plan? That really is what I am trying to ask the Minister because the annual announcements seem to happen but the actual jobs and follow-through in respect of job creation does not seem to happen. Overall, does the Minister believe this additional stimulus plan will go...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme Issues (20 Jun 2013)

Seán Fleming: Finally, I wish to make a helpful suggestion to the Minister with regard to the capital programme. I have examined the figures for the capital programme in the Estimates on a Department by Department basis over the past couple of years and note that even this year, it still is planned to invest €1 billion in transport, €700 million in environment, of which funds for water...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Haddington Road Agreement Savings (20 Jun 2013)

Seán Fleming: I understand that the Minister had indicative figures of what would be achieved under the Croke Park II agreement but it was not accepted. He said the higher pay cuts would be approximately €250 million. We did not get the figures from the Minister because he has never given a figure in the House but they were obtained elsewhere. Figures were given for the redundancy, agency...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme Issues (20 Jun 2013)

Seán Fleming: 4. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the impact on job creation he expects from the July 2012 stimulus plan and the recent announcement regarding capital spending; his views on the extent to which these plans will make up for the ongoing cut to the Exchequer capital programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29860/13]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Haddington Road Agreement Savings (20 Jun 2013)

Seán Fleming: 1. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide a detailed breakdown of the public sector pay and pensions savings from planned retirements, the targeted voluntary redundancy scheme, changes to pensions in payments and the provisions of the draft Haddington Road agreement as approved by him and put to ballot of public sector staff; and if he will make a statement...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Haddington Road Agreement Savings (20 Jun 2013)

Seán Fleming: I put down this question for the Minister to get some information on the breakdown of the savings from the targeted voluntary redundancy scheme, the changes in the pension payments, which he has provided, and the changes in the draft Haddington Road agreement, which the Minister approved and which went to ballot. I have not really got an answer to my question. I tabled a parliamentary...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Haddington Road Agreement Savings (20 Jun 2013)

Seán Fleming: Will the Minister give us the figures in terms of retirements? How can the Minister say he will reach his target of €1 billion if he maintains the savings from the 2,000 exits in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the HSE and the education sector have yet to be determined because they are dependent on the scheme when offered? The Minister cannot provide a breakdown...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (20 Jun 2013)

Seán Fleming: The Comptroller and Auditor General has not finished outlining his examination but I ask him to make a brief comment. There is an issue of concern in the audited accounts for 2012, so I do not think we should just note the accounts as if everything were in order. It is not good procedure that the HSE cannot quantify the cost of this issue to the taxpayer. Perhaps Mr. McCarthy will explain...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (20 Jun 2013)

Seán Fleming: I am just saying that we should not note the account just as we note every other account that passes through without hearing a brief comment from the Comptroller and Auditor General. I do not seek a debate. I want him to elaborate on the issue that he referred to in his audit report for the benefit of members.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (20 Jun 2013)

Seán Fleming: It would be wrong for us to pass the audit report. The HSE is the largest organisation in the State and has a turnover of €13 billion. The Comptroller and Auditor General has highlighted a matter in his annual report on the HSE and that organisation highlighted it too.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (20 Jun 2013)

Seán Fleming: It is a week since I saw the report but I will speak from recollection. The figure of 0.8% means we are talking about 12,000 to 14,000 medical cards that are out there and being paid for. We will move away from percentages and talk about numbers. I do not know what the capitation fee is but a doctor is paid a standard capitation fee even when the card holder never goes near him or her. It...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (20 Jun 2013)

Seán Fleming: There is an issue in the annual report of the HSE that is mentioned in the Comptroller and Auditor General's report. In simple English, there was an overpayment for medical cards amounting to between €3 million and €5 million. With all of the difficulties in the health service, instead of just noting the account, we should write to the HSE now requesting that it quantify the...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (20 Jun 2013)

Seán Fleming: What is the standard capitation fee? I think it is a few hundred euro. How many hundred?

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (20 Jun 2013)

Seán Fleming: What is the basic capitation fee?

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (20 Jun 2013)

Seán Fleming: We are talking about a few million euro which is paid out each year.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (20 Jun 2013)

Seán Fleming: Each year between €3 million and €5 million is paid out for medical cards that should be ineligible.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (20 Jun 2013)

Seán Fleming: On 4.9, the Comptroller and Auditor General made a reference to it. That is an issue we must take up, medical cards-----

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (20 Jun 2013)

Seán Fleming: The HSE has issued its report and the Comptroller and Auditor General's audit certificate is included in it. In the report the Comptroller and Auditor makes specific reference to people's ineligibility for medical cards. The HSE was not able to quantify the cost and the Comptroller and Auditor General was not able to quantify the cost in his audit.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (20 Jun 2013)

Seán Fleming: That is in the future, but we have a set of audited accounts before us with an open-ended question, both in the accounts and in the Comptroller and Auditor General's report on them. I have no query about this because he has to finish it. However, I do not think we should let this pass. We should not note the accounts without making a reference to the fact that the Comptroller and Auditor...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Disposal of State Assets and Quarterly Review: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (19 Jun 2013)

Seán Fleming: It was a grand promise.