Results 2,461-2,480 of 45,510 for speaker:Simon Harris
- Public Accounts Committee: Payments to Section 39 Companies: (Resumed) Rehab Group (10 Apr 2014)
Simon Harris: Anyway, he was not a very effective lobbyist in that regard.
- Public Accounts Committee: Payments to Section 39 Companies: (Resumed) Rehab Group (10 Apr 2014)
Simon Harris: No, I did. Did the board ever instruct or direct Mr. Flannery in respect of any lobbying?
- Public Accounts Committee: Payments to Section 39 Companies: (Resumed) Rehab Group (10 Apr 2014)
Simon Harris: That relationship was between Ms Kerins and Mr. Flannery. Was that the reporting structure?
- Public Accounts Committee: Payments to Section 39 Companies: (Resumed) Rehab Group (10 Apr 2014)
Simon Harris: On the coffins issue, I refer Mr. Hogan back to the extract of the minutes of the audit committee, which he kindly provided to the committee, dated 8 February 2010, which are astonishing. The minutes state: "Mr. Hogan asked the audit committee if the disclosure of interests would be a problem if it got into the public domain."
- Public Accounts Committee: Payments to Section 39 Companies: (Resumed) Rehab Group (10 Apr 2014)
Simon Harris: It is a fair question but I wonder if an activity an organisation is involved in could be damaging should information about it get into the public domain, if that is not a concern to begin with. There were doubts in Mr. Hogan's mind.
- Public Accounts Committee: Payments to Section 39 Companies: (Resumed) Rehab Group (10 Apr 2014)
Simon Harris: I see that.
- Public Accounts Committee: Payments to Section 39 Companies: (Resumed) Rehab Group (10 Apr 2014)
Simon Harris: I accept that point but-----
- Public Accounts Committee: Payments to Section 39 Companies: (Resumed) Rehab Group (10 Apr 2014)
Simon Harris: What does Mr. Hogan know now that he did not know then about whether it was a good idea for the Rehab Group to enter into business with a company that had links to the chief executive officer's family and a member of the board of directors?
- Public Accounts Committee: Payments to Section 39 Companies: (Resumed) Rehab Group (10 Apr 2014)
Simon Harris: No, that is not correct because the minutes clearly state: "Ms Kerins advised the board that certain members of her family, namely her brothers [which Deputy McDonald has established is a typo] and husband held shares in a company that Rehab Enterprises had been dealing with." When the audit committee was taking this decision with Mr. Hogan as chairman on 8 February 2010, they knew Ms...
- Public Accounts Committee: Payments to Section 39 Companies: (Resumed) Rehab Group (10 Apr 2014)
Simon Harris: That did not come out later. Mr. Hogan knew that.
- Public Accounts Committee: Payments to Section 39 Companies: (Resumed) Rehab Group (10 Apr 2014)
Simon Harris: I do not understand. Will Mr. Hogan explain that?
- Public Accounts Committee: Payments to Section 39 Companies: (Resumed) Rehab Group (10 Apr 2014)
Simon Harris: Has Mr. Hogan's professional opinion changed?
- Public Accounts Committee: Payments to Section 39 Companies: (Resumed) Rehab Group (10 Apr 2014)
Simon Harris: Does he feel now-----
- Public Accounts Committee: Payments to Section 39 Companies: (Resumed) Rehab Group (10 Apr 2014)
Simon Harris: Mr. Hogan is present to account for his actions as the chairman of an audit committee about a commercial decision he chose to enter into on behalf of an organisation that receives almost €100 million in taxpayers' funds and, therefore, I would be grateful if he could tolerate the question.
- Public Accounts Committee: Payments to Section 39 Companies: (Resumed) Rehab Group (10 Apr 2014)
Simon Harris: Can I ask the question? Does he feel it was appropriate for the Rehab Group to enter into a business arrangement with a company in which relatives of the chief executive officer were involved?
- Public Accounts Committee: Payments to Section 39 Companies: (Resumed) Rehab Group (10 Apr 2014)
Simon Harris: Who is Mr. Connaughton?
- Public Accounts Committee: Payments to Section 39 Companies: (Resumed) Rehab Group (10 Apr 2014)
Simon Harris: He also made an interesting comment in the minutes: "Mr. Connaughton advised that if the group became a big player [I presume that means if it buys a certain number of coffins] then the competition might start looking at us a bit closer." What did that mean?
- Public Accounts Committee: Payments to Section 39 Companies: (Resumed) Rehab Group (10 Apr 2014)
Simon Harris: I will summarise my reading of this. Mr. Hogan, as chairman of the audit committee, was taking his duties seriously and it is clear from the minutes that he had reservations about the Rehab Group entering into this agreement in the first place.
- Public Accounts Committee: Payments to Section 39 Companies: (Resumed) Rehab Group (10 Apr 2014)
Simon Harris: Anyone who reads the minutes can see Mr. Hogan clearly had reservations about this venture because of the familial connections with the chief executive officer.
- Public Accounts Committee: Payments to Section 39 Companies: (Resumed) Rehab Group (10 Apr 2014)
Simon Harris: The internal auditor, Mr. Connaughton, seems to also have had concerns but he basically said if the Rehab Group did not do this on a large scale, "they would not look at us too closely". Is that a fair summation?