Results 32,201-32,220 of 34,942 for speaker:Seán Fleming

Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)

Seán Fleming: People would do so because they would have to return a sum if a payment was issued every month and somebody got to the end. I know they are subject to authentication and if a person does not spend or incur all that expense, they might have to return some money at the end of the year. However, I am sure the majority of people on the vouched allowance claim the full allowance. Is that the...

Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)

Seán Fleming: We should have a discussion about unvouched expenses. The unvouched one is always the cheapest option for the taxpayer but if somebody says I should be on the fully vouched amount at a higher level, that will cost the taxpayer €961,300. If we are making a recommendation, we want verification, auditing and vouching but we would also want to watch the additional costs. The Houses of...

Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)

Seán Fleming: Mazars will be carrying out a similar audit for 2012 and early into next year as well.

Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)

Seán Fleming: It carried out the audit for 2010 and 2011.

Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)

Seán Fleming: What arrangements does the Houses of the Oireachtas Service intend to put in place for auditing these allowances for the current year?

Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)

Seán Fleming: It is open for tender at the moment.

Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)

Seán Fleming: I thank the witnesses for appearing before us. We have mentioned the UK a few times. I do not want to get into it as being a model. I see nothing but controversy about the expense regime in the UK and it is the one place we should not look at. I am surprised we have had so many references to the UK. From the conversation we have had one would almost interpret that it is potentially a...

Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)

Seán Fleming: Nobody in the Oireachtas signs this statutory instrument.

Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)

Seán Fleming: Mr. Coughlan mentioned something that might be part of the issue. The Houses of the Oireachtas simplified the administration of the expenses regime, if one likes to call it that, as part of the last change and it led to savings in staff costs. Obviously, in the past people used to have to put in a claim each month for their travel outlining in a manual docket the number times they travelled...

Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)

Seán Fleming: I believe that has been damaging. Mr. Coughlan mentioned the view of politics. I would be slightly critical of how payments are issued to us and the same applies to Senators. It operates as follows. Based on the distance from Leinster House and if a Member travels his or her required amount per annum, his or her payment is divided into 12 equal instalments and he or she gets it by...

Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)

Seán Fleming: If a Member does not make those trips during the year, it will be deducted and he or she will have to pay it back. However, issuing checks on a pro rata basis - on a time basis - was damaging. What is Mr. Coughlan's view on the issuing of those payments?

Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)

Seán Fleming: I suggest that the regulation - if it is a regulation signed by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform - be considered. There is no cost and no cost saving but it would be better for the body politic that the payments being received would reflect the amount of our travel to and from the national Parliament. I found that people were very angry about that and it damages politics....

Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)

Seán Fleming: I think-----

Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)

Seán Fleming: I recommend that it should be changed sooner rather than later. As Deputies, we are in receipt of an allowance that I would like Mr. Coughlan to explain. What general areas does the public representation allowance cover? He need not cover the minutiae. This is the €25,700 fully vouched allowance, subject to audit for Deputies and if they go for the €15,000 lower amount it...

Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)

Seán Fleming: What are the main categories?

Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)

Seán Fleming: I thank Mr. Coughlan. That is exactly what I wanted to address. Mr. Coughlan has answered. It covers constituency offices.

Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)

Seán Fleming: That is what I wanted to know in general. There may be expenses within the constituency - advertisements for clinics, etc. - we are familiar with that.

Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)

Seán Fleming: It includes telephone bills, because there is no separate telephone allowance or anything like that.

Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)

Seán Fleming: Yes, so we understand what they are for. There is a once-off grant when Deputies enter the Houses of the Oireachtas for the first time. How many of the 166 Deputies have received the once-off grant for setting up their offices? I got it 15 years ago so I cannot be counted.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Pyrite Remediation Programme (23 Oct 2012)

Seán Fleming: To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the progress that has been made on the remediation process for homeowners affected by Pyrite [46161/12]