Results 2,301-2,320 of 45,510 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (30 Jan 2014)

Simon Harris: 49. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will open a new Steiner Waldorf national school in Galway; if he will fully recognise the Raheen Wood and Mol an Óige national schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4633/14]

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (30 Jan 2014)

Simon Harris: I agree with all comments. It is important to note this discussion arose based on comments made in the Dáil by a Minister regarding the administration of the charitable lottery fund and public concern over the salary level of a CEO, which still has not been disclosed. We have now received, albeit late last night, a copy of the internal audit report and, as Deputy McDonald stated, the...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (30 Jan 2014)

Simon Harris: I want to make a point on providing the committee with information. An internal audit report which is before us made very serious recommendations. There is an assertion from the Department of Justice and Equality that almost two years later these recommendations have not been responded to by the Rehab Group and I seek clarity from Rehab on this. I wish to make an associated point with...

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Land Swap Arrangement in the Provision of Affordable Houses
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (30 Jan 2014)

Simon Harris: I thank the witnesses for attending. We are in an odd place really because the witnesses are being asked questions which relate to policy matters and they are being held to account for policy decisions made by people who are no longer around. The policy, in and of itself, is quite perverse whereby we overheated the property market, lived off the taxes from that but then sat in a room and...

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Land Swap Arrangement in the Provision of Affordable Houses
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (30 Jan 2014)

Simon Harris: The issue is obviously the content of the contract. Can the witnesses give us an insight into the process of formulating that contract and how we ended up with a contract that had no 'Plan B' or get-out clause if vacant possession could not be secured? I detect from some of Ms McGrath's earlier comments that the OPW had a degree of reservation about engaging in a project where there was not...

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Land Swap Arrangement in the Provision of Affordable Houses
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (30 Jan 2014)

Simon Harris: I presume the OPW would have been involved in the process around drawing up of the contract and would the staff have expressed concerns or have been very confident they could meet the 2008 deadline of vacant possession?

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Land Swap Arrangement in the Provision of Affordable Houses
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (30 Jan 2014)

Simon Harris: The OPW is the body for property management and I presume it would have said that it would aim to meet the target, but with a short window, one would have imagined that when the contract was being drawn up that concern would have been reflected and that a safeguard should have been put into the contract. Would that be fair?

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Land Swap Arrangement in the Provision of Affordable Houses
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (30 Jan 2014)

Simon Harris: Why was the deadline for vacant possession set for the end of 2008?

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Land Swap Arrangement in the Provision of Affordable Houses
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (30 Jan 2014)

Simon Harris: Was the developer looking for that condition?

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Land Swap Arrangement in the Provision of Affordable Houses
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (30 Jan 2014)

Simon Harris: This is my final question for Ms McGrath. In respect of 6.19 of the Comptroller and Auditor General's report, the commitment given was that the Garda station would not close until the St. Kevin Street Garda station was constructed, which seems to be the nub of the problem because the OPW could not close down that station until it provided another station. Who gave that commitment?

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Land Swap Arrangement in the Provision of Affordable Houses
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (30 Jan 2014)

Simon Harris: On the question of who gave the commitment the station would remain open until the new station was constructed, was that a commitment on the part of the Department of Justice and Equality?

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Land Swap Arrangement in the Provision of Affordable Houses
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (30 Jan 2014)

Simon Harris: Thank you.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (6 Feb 2014)

Simon Harris: I largely agree with the point made by Deputy Deasy. We were given very clear legal advice at that private meeting to the effect that if a transcript were to be released under any circumstances, elements of it would be required to be redacted as a result of comments that were made by both the witness and members. It would be absurd to release the transcript without at the very least seeking...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (6 Feb 2014)

Simon Harris: The meeting was held in private at the request of the whistleblower. Sergeant McCabe asked to meet us in a private forum. If, as Deputy Murphy stated, he and his legal team wish to check aspects of the transcript, that would be a different matter and I would be interested in finding out if there is a facility for his legal team to listen to what was said. That is not exactly what we are...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (6 Feb 2014)

Simon Harris: The Deputy cannot make that proposal.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (6 Feb 2014)

Simon Harris: With respect, it is not a valid proposal because the committee does not have the power, under the rules of the House, to produce the transcript.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (6 Feb 2014)

Simon Harris: I wish to comment, without referring to the specifics of the letter, considering it is an issue about St. Vincent's Healthcare Group. I am sure that many members are continuing to receive - as I am - anonymous letters relating to the St. Vincent's Healthcare Group. I would ask that it not just be referred to the St. Vincent's Healthcare Group but also referred to the HSE. St. Vincent's...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (6 Feb 2014)

Simon Harris: My proposal is that the HSE provides us with a very urgent update on each of the 44 section 38 bodies, as it has previously done in November. I want to know if they are compliant and if they are not compliant then what is happening. I presume that the HSE will be back in with us soon.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (6 Feb 2014)

Simon Harris: Yes.

Leaders' Questions (11 Feb 2014)

Simon Harris: The Garda is reassured-----