Results 16,241-16,260 of 32,961 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe
- National Children's Hospital: Statements (13 Feb 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: On the interest rate for the funding we have from EIB, I do not have that information. If the information is publicly available and we can share it with the Deputy, I will write to him with it. As to whether we have looked for a further loan from the EIB for the project, the answer is "No. We have not". We know how much extra money is currently needed for the project-----
- National Children's Hospital: Statements (13 Feb 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: -----and it should be made available from the Exchequer.
- National Children's Hospital: Statements (13 Feb 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: I will deal with that. We tried to put together one utility company to deliver infrastructure for something that really mattered for our country, which was Irish Water. Deputy Barry opposed that too. Let us be clear.
- National Children's Hospital: Statements (13 Feb 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: When we tried to put together an organisation whose job was to deliver infrastructure-----
- National Children's Hospital: Statements (13 Feb 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: -----Deputy Barry was against that too. Deputy Barry can make speeches but when somebody on this side of the House responds, it is not good enough for him. He has made several allegations and statements about a company that does not have the ability to defend itself here.
- National Children's Hospital: Statements (13 Feb 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: The Leas-Cheann Comhairle may have warned him, but he kept going.
- National Children's Hospital: Statements (13 Feb 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: It is important to state that every procurement policy-----
- National Children's Hospital: Statements (13 Feb 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: It is interesting that what he says appears to be what he has stated repeatedly in the past.
- National Children's Hospital: Statements (13 Feb 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: To answer the question, a company has the right to participate in a procurement process. It is up to those running the process to decide what they believe to be the best value for the project. That is what happened in respect of the different processes-----
- National Children's Hospital: Statements (13 Feb 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: Again, I am trying to answer the question.
- National Children's Hospital: Statements (13 Feb 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: The Government agreed yesterday that there is a role for other tendering processes in respect of very large projects in future. I have outlined what are the characteristics of those projects. We will look at how we can conduct tendering processes differently in the future. It is not appropriate to go beyond that.
- National Children's Hospital: Statements (13 Feb 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: Deputy Kelly put three questions to me in respect of my role in the situation, the alleged dysfunctionality in my Department and the timeline for engagement with the Minister for Health. First, what was my role? As Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, I have responsibility for the use of taxpayers' money. I acknowledge that. I have done so on many different occasions.
- National Children's Hospital: Statements (13 Feb 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: Clearly, an issue developed here -it has developed on my watch - in respect of a cost estimate and it has led to very serious concerns in this House and throughout the country. What would I have done differently and what are my learnings from what has happened? Yesterday, I published an entire set of different proposals on how we can change the procurement process relating to vary large...
- National Children's Hospital: Statements (13 Feb 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: That matters because the Deputy is making an allegation about the operation of my Department and we are acknowledging-----
- National Children's Hospital: Statements (13 Feb 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: -----in the context of this issue what needs to be done differently in the future. In acknowledging that, I will also point to the kinds of projects that we do get right and that are in place.
- National Children's Hospital: Statements (13 Feb 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: The reason for that is we had just finished many different sequences of budgetary meetings that had been focused on how we put together the budget. Nearly all of those meetings were focused on current expenditure. That is the reason, as some of the emails acknowledge. We had just finished a period of Estimates negotiations and we were then moving on to implement the budget. As soon as I...
- National Children's Hospital: Statements (13 Feb 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: I will deal with the final question.
- National Children's Hospital: Statements (13 Feb 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: Perhaps the Deputy could clarify why she thinks we are hostage to EU procurement rules. Broadly speaking, we are subject to and part of the procurement policy of the European Union.
- National Children's Hospital: Statements (13 Feb 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: There are circumstances in which we can do so, such as, for example, in terms of the use of local labour. We can ensure that flexibilities are there in respect of procurement but because procurement policy follows on from the operation of the Single Market, I am not aware of any circumstances in which we could completely ignore it.
- National Children's Hospital: Statements (13 Feb 2019)
Paschal Donohoe: The Deputy opened up by saying he was pleasantly surprised to see me here. I do not know why he would be. This is the third time I have been subject to appropriate questioning by the Dáil or by a committee of the House in regard to my role in this. The Deputy opened up with an assertion and I am not sure why he opened on that point, given my role in it. I will move on to answering...