Results 30,461-30,480 of 33,214 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe
- Written Answers — Department of Health: Public Sector Staff Career Breaks (2 Jul 2013)
Paschal Donohoe: 634. To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons within the Health Service Executive that have applied for the incentivised career break; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31485/13]
- Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (27 Jun 2013)
Paschal Donohoe: Agreed.
- Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (27 Jun 2013)
Paschal Donohoe: Absolutely, because we are referring to work that was done between 2003 and 2008. It is quite conceivable that an invoice exists for work that was done in 2003 and the bill has not come in for that yet. That is a decade ago. When that bill comes in-----
- Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (27 Jun 2013)
Paschal Donohoe: That is a long time, but I realise it is outside Ms Tallon's control. The Department must pay the money, but it is-----
- Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (27 Jun 2013)
Paschal Donohoe: Sure, particularly in light of the evident success the State Claims Agency has in terms of dealing with the bill and adjudicating on the costs. Somebody somewhere in the Department must inevitably think the cost could be X and because that could be the cost, that money cannot be spent on something else or used to reduce our deficit. This slows everything down.
- Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (27 Jun 2013)
Paschal Donohoe: Is this one of the known unknowns?
- Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (27 Jun 2013)
Paschal Donohoe: This is a known unknown in that we know it exists, but we do not know how much is involved. Until the invoices come in, the State cannot make progress in determining the value of the figure and paying it.
- Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (27 Jun 2013)
Paschal Donohoe: I am not being critical of the Department in this regard. Obviously, it takes the same view as I do on the issue. My point is that it is better for everybody if we can move from a contingent liability to an actual liability. Therefore, the Department needs those invoices to come in, now that the ruling has been made that will allow that. On an unrelated matter, I would like to comment on...
- Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (27 Jun 2013)
Paschal Donohoe: I recognise that it is definitely under way.
- Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (27 Jun 2013)
Paschal Donohoe: Has the issue of ghost estates been discussed, Chairman? If so, I will not raise it.
- Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (27 Jun 2013)
Paschal Donohoe: Thank you, Chairman. Where do we stand in terms of the remaining number of estates and the response by the Department?
- Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (27 Jun 2013)
Paschal Donohoe: In regard to the tribunals, which the Chairman touched on, we have discussed at previous meetings the question of claims that have not yet been invoiced. Is the Department awaiting any such outstanding bills?
- Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (27 Jun 2013)
Paschal Donohoe: Has this already been covered in the meeting, Chairman?
- Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (27 Jun 2013)
Paschal Donohoe: Yes, it is. Ms Tallon has narrowed the terms of reference of my question in a very helpful way. When we discussed this issue on the previous occasion, the point was made that the State cannot be invoiced for costs which have not yet been ruled upon. Ms Tallon has indicated that of the two thirds of claims in respect of which rulings have been made, we have been invoiced for less than one...
- Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (27 Jun 2013)
Paschal Donohoe: To clarify, is Ms Tallon referring to 22 invoices?
- Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (27 Jun 2013)
Paschal Donohoe: Will Ms Tallon elaborate on that process? What happens after Judge Mahon makes a ruling on costs?
- Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (27 Jun 2013)
Paschal Donohoe: After Judge Mahon determines that a claim is the eligible, an invoice is submitted to the Department. The latter passes it on to the State Claims Agency which examines the cost to determine whether it is fair. Is that correct?
- Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (27 Jun 2013)
Paschal Donohoe: Ms Tallon indicated that the State Claims Agency has achieved a reduction, in the claims it has settled, in the costs sought.
- Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (27 Jun 2013)
Paschal Donohoe: The agency has succeeded in reducing the cost by one half.
- Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (27 Jun 2013)
Paschal Donohoe: In the case of the remaining 86% of claims deemed eligible by Judge Mahon, no invoice has yet been submitted to the Department. Is there any indication of the cost associated with that portion of claims?