Results 16,341-16,360 of 26,718 for speaker:David Cullinane

Leaders' Questions (16 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: It is no surprise that the Minister has not answered my questions at all. The Minister mentioned the University of Limerick study. The Bill the Government is proposing is not in line with that report and its recommendations. That report committed to a six-month look-back whereby the hours in a person's contract would reflect the hours they work over a six-month period. The Government is...

Leaders' Questions (16 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: Eighteen months is too long.

Leaders' Questions (16 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: They are too broad.

Leaders' Questions (16 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: It represents those workers.

Leaders' Questions (16 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: It represents those workers.

Leaders' Questions (16 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: The Government is representing IBEC.

Leaders' Questions (16 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: Precarious work and "if and when" contracts are a problem for many workers in this State. They create uncertainty in terms of pay and how many hours a worker will work from week to week. They lead to exploitation in the workplace, a hollowing out of workers' rights and deep anxiety and stress for the workers involved. We know, and the Minister knows from his previous brief, that many of...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (16 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: At the last meeting, when the Secretary General from the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment was here, I asked questions about the funding for RTÉ. There was then a discussion about whether or not a service level agreement was in place. I have a number of concerns. I fully understand the need for there to be independence and separation between politics and the...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (16 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: I have no difficulty with that.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (16 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: I understand that. The problem is that the cheque is written by the Secretary General and is given to RTÉ, but any questions that are put about how that money is specifically spent is then a matter for RTÉ. There is not a service level agreement in place and from what I hear from the Secretary General, it would not be appropriate for him to intervene in how RTÉ does its...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (16 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: Teachta Connolly made a point. Any questions that are put about practices such as bogus self-employment are not an attack on RTÉ itself. It was unfair for one member to characterise asking questions about how money is spent, which is why we are here, as an attack on an organisation. I am not even asking for a response but saying that it is a bit unfair. I have put it on the record...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (16 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: I would prefer if we dealt with that cover letter before the Secretary General comes in, because I have a major problem-----

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (16 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: I do not have a difficulty with the letterper se. However, I would like to make a number of points. This comes up an awful lot now, where there are what I would call parallel investigations into issues. It has been brought to our attention then that when we are doing our job where processes, policies and procedures are concerned, we are reminded that we have to be careful. We are deeply...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (16 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: Exactly, which is even more bizarre when one considers the comments from Richard Thorn. It is bizarre for him to advise the committee what we should or should not do and what questions we should or should not ask. He does not have to watch the proceedings at all if he is in any way of the mind that he might be influenced by what is said. It is bizarre that he is referred to at all. He is...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (16 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: It is not the first time this has happened and I do not like the inference made in the letter. It is an attempt to undermine the work of the committee.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (16 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: This was held over from last week. It was not in the correspondence at the time it was sent in so we agreed we would take it this week. It was follow-on correspondence because there was a discussion on the difference between how ConnectIreland and the IDA have to verify jobs that are created. There are two attachments. The first is PAC32R8482C, which is the requirements that...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (16 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: That is neither the point nor the problem. IDA Ireland can give us any amount of data. The question is whether the data is accurate. The problem is when the data is not accurate. We can put up on the screen the actual survey that IDA Ireland companies are asked to fill in. It is a one-page document that includes the Companies Registration Office number and the number of employees or jobs...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (16 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: Last week, I asked if we could write to the HEA to get an update on the Waterford Institute of Technology review. Did we get a response?

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (16 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: Can I ask that the matter be held over? I have some questions but I can wait until next week.

Public Accounts Committee: Tipperary Education and Training Board and Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board: Financial Statements (16 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: I will seek your guidance first, Chairman. I am not at all happy with how this has progressed and I wish to follow up on Deputy McDonald's questions. The committee has addressed a number of different issues where there were parallel examinations and investigations. In fact, in a number of instances there were criminal investigations. To take the example of the National Asset Management...