Results 10,281-10,300 of 21,433 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Benefacts Project: Discussion (13 Feb 2018)

Alan Kelly: Was it the end of last year or the beginning of last year?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Benefacts Project: Discussion (13 Feb 2018)

Alan Kelly: Will Ms Quinn supply this to the committee?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Benefacts Project: Discussion (13 Feb 2018)

Alan Kelly: Will Ms Quinn also supply to the Chairman of the committee a copy of the Benefacts risk register, as it is prior to this date and in order of priority of risks?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Benefacts Project: Discussion (13 Feb 2018)

Alan Kelly: I thank Ms Quinn for her answers.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Benefacts Project: Discussion (13 Feb 2018)

Alan Kelly: Who is taking up this information?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Benefacts Project: Discussion (13 Feb 2018)

Alan Kelly: I do not want to take up all the available time. Does Benefacts come within the ambit of the Freedom of Information, FOI, Act?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Benefacts Project: Discussion (13 Feb 2018)

Alan Kelly: Presumably, if it is fully funded or majority-funded by the State, it will come under FOI. That is not really a question for the witnesses to answer, but I presume that is the case. I understand that Benefacts gathers all the data and repackages it in a format that is readable and sellable, or readable and useable. That is fine. Who actually owns that? Data needs format. Who owns the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Benefacts Project: Discussion (13 Feb 2018)

Alan Kelly: No.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Benefacts Project: Discussion (13 Feb 2018)

Alan Kelly: I will ask the question again. I understand raw data. As I say, I worked in this area for years. Who owns the data that is reformatted? Is Benefacts the owner? Very well. That is obvious. If the two Senators, the Chairman and I were to attempt to set up a company, trading under a company name, which we felt could do this job as well, we would be precluded from doing so because there is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Benefacts Project: Discussion (13 Feb 2018)

Alan Kelly: It is a question we might put to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Benefacts Project: Discussion (13 Feb 2018)

Alan Kelly: I think so. It is a question I will leave out there because there is taxpayers' money involved. With respect to our guests, we do not know if we are getting value for that money. That is why the witnesses are before this committee and not the Committee for Public Accounts. When will the 2017 accounts be published?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Benefacts Project: Discussion (13 Feb 2018)

Alan Kelly: Is it true that when Benefacts was founded, it was claimed that after a few years it would be self-financing?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Benefacts Project: Discussion (13 Feb 2018)

Alan Kelly: Was that ever the intention?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Benefacts Project: Discussion (13 Feb 2018)

Alan Kelly: Was it the intention that Benefacts would provide the majority of its own funding?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Benefacts Project: Discussion (13 Feb 2018)

Alan Kelly: I tend to agree with the witness.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Benefacts Project: Discussion (13 Feb 2018)

Alan Kelly: I agree with Ms Quinn that there is a need for this service. The issue is that, as guardians of the taxpayer, the members of this committee cannot determine this because there is nothing to measure against.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Benefacts Project: Discussion (13 Feb 2018)

Alan Kelly: I refer to the processes by which Benefacts and its board were set up and by which individuals were picked for jobs. From a transparency point of view, if, in three years, another company attempts to compete, we will not have oversight of the processes. Ms Quinn referred to the projects advisory group, PAG. Who is the chair of that group?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Benefacts Project: Discussion (13 Feb 2018)

Alan Kelly: Just for transparency, who are those two people?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Benefacts Project: Discussion (13 Feb 2018)

Alan Kelly: When did Mr. Conlon take over?

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Public Sector Pensions (13 Feb 2018)

Alan Kelly: 262. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding the effect of an allowance on payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7039/18]