Results 18,861-18,880 of 26,148 for speaker:Kieran O'Donnell

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 86 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Bord na gCon (27 Nov 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: Is that for agricultural use?

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 86 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Bord na gCon (27 Nov 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: When one looks at it, that was the turn Bord na gCon took off the road and got lost for a while. The organisation should have gone straight to Greenpark. The head office was deemed to be worth €3.5 million. What is it currently valued at?

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 86 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Bord na gCon (27 Nov 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: We are talking about the potential to realise €1 million. A total of approximately €2.5 million has been realised.

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 86 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Bord na gCon (27 Nov 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: I ask Mr. Murnane to tell me about the balance of €6.5 million. Can he give me a level at which Bord na gCon as an organisation will be in a position to be sustainable and to make capital repayments in respect of the Limerick greyhound track at Greenpark?

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 86 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Bord na gCon (27 Nov 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: Are the witnesses at liberty to say what assets will be involved?

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 86 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Bord na gCon (27 Nov 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: Could they realise that level of funding?

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 86 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Bord na gCon (27 Nov 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: I ask Mr. Meaney about the lessons that have been learned from what has happened. Ultimately, we are charged with asking about the public purse and taxpayers' money. What has Bord na gCon learned from what has happened and what measures has it taken to ensure it never happens again?

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 86 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Bord na gCon (27 Nov 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: What is the body's timescale for dealing with the €12.5 million overhang by way of disposals? When will Bord na gCon be in a position whereby the debt levels in Greenpark are at a sustainable level or, ideally, wiped out.

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 86 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Bord na gCon (27 Nov 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: Over the next two years, a structure will be put in place. What does Bord na gCon anticipate it will do with the Meelick site?

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 86 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Bord na gCon (27 Nov 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: How many acres are there?

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 86 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Bord na gCon (27 Nov 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: How many acres is the Greenpark site?

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 86 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Bord na gCon (27 Nov 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: Who owns the parking area at Greenpark?

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 86 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Bord na gCon (27 Nov 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: Yes, the Meelick site. I know it as the Coonagh site. Locally, it is known as the Coonagh site. I am unsure whether it is in Coonagh or Meelick. I think it is in Coonagh but I am open to correction. Am I right?

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 86 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Bord na gCon (27 Nov 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: Let us call it the Meelick site. It seems extraordinary that the organisation bid at public auction without getting any preplanning from Clare County Council and without getting formal approval of the board. The organisation got a report produced which does not appear to have gone to the board. It stated that there were severe risks in terms of access to the site. Am I correct in what I say?

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 86 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Bord na gCon (27 Nov 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: That should not have happened. Side-by-side with that, there was a site at Greenpark that the organisation had identified some years before. It was valued at approximately €2.2 million. The site was available at that price. The organisation ended up paying €3.4 million for that site. That occurred in June 2006. The organisation did not nail things down. Clearly, proper...

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 86 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Bord na gCon (27 Nov 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: Is there anyone before the committee today who was on the board at the time? In hindsight, was the board consulted properly at the time on the purchase? I am not in any way saying that people were doing things that were in any way underhand. I am not questioning the motives. If I was buying something and I had a report with a question over right of access at the Meelick site, I would have...

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 86 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Bord na gCon (27 Nov 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: Ironically, I reckon it ended up in the best site. However, at the same time, the process has, ultimately, incurred €4 million of taxpayers’ money as it went the scenic route.

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 86 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Bord na gCon (27 Nov 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: Was the Meelick site sanctioned by the board?

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 86 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Bord na gCon (27 Nov 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: Was the Greenpark site sanctioned by the board?

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 86 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Bord na gCon (27 Nov 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: Has Bord na gCon put procedures in place? I am mindful of the people on the board and of the work people do on boards. At the same time we are challenged with putting the questions. This applies whether I am a Deputy for Limerick city or otherwise. I acknowledge the fantastic facility that is there, the employment Bord na gCon provides and the fantastic work it does. Nevertheless we must...