Results 221-240 of 7,283 for speaker:Josepha Madigan

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (20 Oct 2016)

Josepha Madigan: My four Fine Gael colleagues and I are having some difficulty with the Tuesday meetings.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (20 Oct 2016)

Josepha Madigan: No, it is a matter of accommodating all our commitments. My understanding on being appointed to the committee was that our meetings would be mostly on Thursdays. As well as next Tuesday's meeting, there is the engagement with Mr. McGuinness on a Wednesday in November. Who made these decisions on the scheduling of meetings? I am concerned because it is important to have as full an...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (20 Oct 2016)

Josepha Madigan: Would it be possible to have the meeting scheduled for Tuesday, 25 October in the afternoon? Who decided it should be in the morning?

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (20 Oct 2016)

Josepha Madigan: It would be helpful to have a consensus on any future draft programmes. It is important that as many members as possible can attend meetings of the committee. I appreciate that the work we are doing is very important but everybody has commitments. There is a balance to be struck.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (20 Oct 2016)

Josepha Madigan: I apologise for having so many questions but I am new to the committee. Is the order of speakers set out on a rota basis or does the Chairman put out a request?

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (20 Oct 2016)

Josepha Madigan: I am not on that rota but I presume I will be next.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (20 Oct 2016)

Josepha Madigan: I have no difficulty with a rota system. It is a good idea.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (20 Oct 2016)

Josepha Madigan: My colleague, Deputy Peter Burke, has asked me to let the committee know he is delayed because of an accident on Thomas Street. I will take his slot, if that is agreeable to the Chairman.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (20 Oct 2016)

Josepha Madigan: If he is not here, I will speak in his stead.

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection
Chapter 9 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 10 - Roll-out of the Public Services Card
Social Insurance Fund 2015 (20 Oct 2016)

Josepha Madigan: I thank Ms O'Donoghue and her team. Nothing irks the average taxpayer more than welfare fraud or benefits fraud as they call it in the UK. It is a real scourge that is difficult to police. Ms O'Donoghue referred to the savings that have been made from the detection of fraud. When clients commit fraud and are caught are they put on a naughty list or blacklisted? How does the Department...

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection
Chapter 9 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 10 - Roll-out of the Public Services Card
Social Insurance Fund 2015 (20 Oct 2016)

Josepha Madigan: There is no asterisk put beside their name to mark it for the future. Is is forgotten about?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection
Chapter 9 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 10 - Roll-out of the Public Services Card
Social Insurance Fund 2015 (20 Oct 2016)

Josepha Madigan: Okay. I suppose my question is whether people are then under surveillance for a period into the future. Obviously they are entitled to their benefits if they are entitled to welfare. Do leopards charge their spots? Of course, a person is entitled to redeem himself or herself but we need to ensure that we do not have repeat offenders. I am trying to find out if there is a process in...

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection
Chapter 9 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 10 - Roll-out of the Public Services Card
Social Insurance Fund 2015 (20 Oct 2016)

Josepha Madigan: That is fine. I understand that gardaí have been seconded to the Department and I would like to know the control work they do and establish their particular value.

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection
Chapter 9 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 10 - Roll-out of the Public Services Card
Social Insurance Fund 2015 (20 Oct 2016)

Josepha Madigan: How many Garda are seconded at present?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection
Chapter 9 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 10 - Roll-out of the Public Services Card
Social Insurance Fund 2015 (20 Oct 2016)

Josepha Madigan: Does Ms O'Donoghue notice a big difference?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection
Chapter 9 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 10 - Roll-out of the Public Services Card
Social Insurance Fund 2015 (20 Oct 2016)

Josepha Madigan: Ms O'Donoghue said that the staff absence rate in her Department is greater than in other Departments. That ties in with my question on whether sections of the Department are under more pressure in terms of processing claims. What is the reason for the absence?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection
Chapter 9 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 10 - Roll-out of the Public Services Card
Social Insurance Fund 2015 (20 Oct 2016)

Josepha Madigan: Are there supports in place for staff?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection
Chapter 9 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 10 - Roll-out of the Public Services Card
Social Insurance Fund 2015 (20 Oct 2016)

Josepha Madigan: I see there was an overpayment of disability allowance and illness payments which are notably higher than other payments according to the Comptroller and Auditor General's report. Does Ms O'Donoghue think that is a result of error or fraud?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection
Chapter 9 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 10 - Roll-out of the Public Services Card
Social Insurance Fund 2015 (20 Oct 2016)

Josepha Madigan: Does Ms O'Donoghue have a breakdown of the distinctions?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection
Chapter 9 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 10 - Roll-out of the Public Services Card
Social Insurance Fund 2015 (20 Oct 2016)

Josepha Madigan: Ms O'Donoghue mentioned in her report that the Department is one of the most significant data controllers in the State, which we know. She states that the Department protects the data, but how is that done?