Results 7,961-7,980 of 8,081 for speaker:Peter Burke

Public Accounts Committee: HSE Financial Statement 2015 (15 Jul 2016)

Peter Burke: At the moment, €750 million is being spent without organisations self-certifying or having a clear governance procedure that puts the onus back on them.

Public Accounts Committee: HSE Financial Statement 2015 (15 Jul 2016)

Peter Burke: In terms of the management of these service agreements, it is stated that bodies in receipt of less than €500,000 have only one meeting with the HSE in terms of performance review. Is that acceptable?

Public Accounts Committee: HSE Financial Statement 2015 (15 Jul 2016)

Peter Burke: The buck stops with Mr. O'Brien as director general of the HSE. He must ensure that we have good governance. It is clearly evident from anyone's analysis here that it does not look to be the case. Efforts are being made, but they are being made at a very slow pace and internal audits are taking a long time. The HSE has taken a long time even to try to get the process of an annual...

Public Accounts Committee: HSE Financial Statement 2015 (15 Jul 2016)

Peter Burke: After years of funding agencies where there was a complete absence of clinical oversight that was so badly needed, and we still have not got it for section 39s.

Public Accounts Committee: HSE Financial Statement 2015 (15 Jul 2016)

Peter Burke: Yes, detailed oversight-----

Public Accounts Committee: HSE Financial Statement 2015 (15 Jul 2016)

Peter Burke: -----in terms of money that has been spent. There should be more urgency attached to Mr. O'Brien's briefing when he says that the HSE is trying to get oversight in place for section 39s. One meeting a year is all that is required in a performance review for a body in receipt of €500,000. That is totally unacceptable.

Public Accounts Committee: HSE Financial Statement 2015 (15 Jul 2016)

Peter Burke: I thank the director general for his time. I hope he will communicate those concerns to the Revenue Commissioners because that is an outstanding revelation to make in terms of the website, their registration being intact and having a tax clearance certificate. It is amazing and incredible for the premier body that looks after our affairs. In terms of auditors who are registered with the...

Public Accounts Committee: HSE Financial Statement 2015 (15 Jul 2016)

Peter Burke: That needs to be looked at in the future.

Topical Issue Debate: Accident and Emergency Departments Closures (14 Jul 2016)

Peter Burke: I thank the Minister of State. I welcome the clarification that this is not about closing accident and emergency departments or reducing services, which is critical. The health service is famous for reports. However, every report that comes out of the health service should not be taken as read or exaggerated in the manner in which this one was, because it causes significant and...

Topical Issue Debate: Accident and Emergency Departments Closures (14 Jul 2016)

Peter Burke: I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this critical issue for debate. Local and national media reports over the weekend reported that a number of emergency departments were earmarked for closure. In fact, the first paragraph in the report explicitly stated that the emergency department in the Midland Regional Hospital in Mullingar was one of nine departments earmarked for closure,...

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 92 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Strategic Planning for Flood Risk Management (14 Jul 2016)

Peter Burke: In regard to the interdepartmental co-ordination group and the national CFRAMS steering group, Ms McGrath said that potentially they should have been suspended over the period that they did not meet. Why was a clear terms of reference not set out for each group when established rather than at a later stage in the case of both, for example, in regard to the last two meetings in the case of...

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 92 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Strategic Planning for Flood Risk Management (14 Jul 2016)

Peter Burke: I am concerned that when the weather changes, when it comes to flooding and national catastrophic events the focus within Government and the OPW in terms of planning and seeking solutions appears to die down. In regard to the CFRAM steering group, which is a huge project that the State is undertaking, who is responsible for convening meetings of that group? Who is the person who decides...

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 92 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Strategic Planning for Flood Risk Management (14 Jul 2016)

Peter Burke: In regard to the reduction in budget for the CFRAM process, given the huge debate that we have just had in relation to the pilot projects, why was it decided to reduce the costing?

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 92 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Strategic Planning for Flood Risk Management (14 Jul 2016)

Peter Burke: We had a detailed discussion earlier on mapping procedures. Is Ms McGrath confident that we are making the best use of modern technology, such as drones, in mapping and assessing areas? The methodology in terms of these processes appears to be very slow. In regard to the pilot projects, were new technologies trialled that might lead to more efficient processes? Perhaps Ms McGrath would...

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 92 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Strategic Planning for Flood Risk Management (14 Jul 2016)

Peter Burke: Are we comparing with other European countries in terms of their mapping process and how they survey sites and rivers?

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 92 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Strategic Planning for Flood Risk Management (14 Jul 2016)

Peter Burke: With regard to the River Shannon and in the context of the CFRAM programme, clearly there is a huge impetus to protect the large population areas. There are many areas outside of that region that are rural. What work have we done on that? Will Ms McGrath confirm an aspect of this work? There have been relative reports doing the rounds of an exemption from the CFRAM programme for the rural...

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 92 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Strategic Planning for Flood Risk Management (14 Jul 2016)

Peter Burke: Minor works can be planned and carried out independently of the CFRAM process. Is that correct?

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 92 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Strategic Planning for Flood Risk Management (14 Jul 2016)

Peter Burke: What is the policy within the Department on service level agreements for work carried out throughout the local authority sector? Why is more of an emphasis not placed on having service level agreements? That would allow us to measure standards, see what timelines are being met and evaluate the performance of the contracts and the works carried out. There seems to be a major concern in...

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 92 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Strategic Planning for Flood Risk Management (14 Jul 2016)

Peter Burke: Will Ms McGrath outline what work has been done with insurance industry? There is major concern among people trying to get insurance on foot of being in designated areas prone to flooding. One amazing thing about the interdepartmental groups is that they have not met for a long time, in some cases four years and six years. There are major issues that could be worked on and which should be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Charges (14 Jul 2016)

Peter Burke: 71. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the recourse a person (details supplied) has in order to have third level course fees waived. [21688/16]