Results 2,661-2,680 of 4,350 for speaker:Bobby Aylward

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 13 - Development of ICT Systems by the Department of Justice and Equality
Vote 24: Justice and Equality (26 Apr 2018)

Bobby Aylward: If the Department had pursued the case further, would it not have got its money back?

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 13 - Development of ICT Systems by the Department of Justice and Equality
Vote 24: Justice and Equality (26 Apr 2018)

Bobby Aylward: I am baffled but as a layperson, I may not understand the issue. A vendor and legal person stood over the contract, or whatever one wishes to call it, the Department took on the contract believing in good faith it had planning permission but subsequently found out that planning permission had not been granted, then spent money furnishing the premises and then, ten years later, settled a case...

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 13 - Development of ICT Systems by the Department of Justice and Equality
Vote 24: Justice and Equality (26 Apr 2018)

Bobby Aylward: Who gave the Department legal advice to settle the case?

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 13 - Development of ICT Systems by the Department of Justice and Equality
Vote 24: Justice and Equality (26 Apr 2018)

Bobby Aylward: Was it in-house legal advice?

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 13 - Development of ICT Systems by the Department of Justice and Equality
Vote 24: Justice and Equality (26 Apr 2018)

Bobby Aylward: I do not understand it either, perhaps because I am a layperson.

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 13 - Development of ICT Systems by the Department of Justice and Equality
Vote 24: Justice and Equality (26 Apr 2018)

Bobby Aylward: I must ask about the legal advice that the Department of Justice and Equality got in the very beginning. Was it the case that the vendor himself got that legal advice, to the effect that there was planning permission, and the Department took the advice on board?

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 13 - Development of ICT Systems by the Department of Justice and Equality
Vote 24: Justice and Equality (26 Apr 2018)

Bobby Aylward: Did the Department have any legal advice of its own, in-house or external, on the whole deal?

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 13 - Development of ICT Systems by the Department of Justice and Equality
Vote 24: Justice and Equality (26 Apr 2018)

Bobby Aylward: Did the Department have advice all the way along?

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 13 - Development of ICT Systems by the Department of Justice and Equality
Vote 24: Justice and Equality (26 Apr 2018)

Bobby Aylward: Its own legal advice?

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 13 - Development of ICT Systems by the Department of Justice and Equality
Vote 24: Justice and Equality (26 Apr 2018)

Bobby Aylward: Who made the mistake?

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 13 - Development of ICT Systems by the Department of Justice and Equality
Vote 24: Justice and Equality (26 Apr 2018)

Bobby Aylward: Ms McPhillips is saying that according to its advice, the Department was forced to settle. Is the person who gave that advice not responsible? They actually told untruths. I do not want to say "lies", but falsehoods or something-----

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 13 - Development of ICT Systems by the Department of Justice and Equality
Vote 24: Justice and Equality (26 Apr 2018)

Bobby Aylward: Let us hear a simple answer. It is a simple question.

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 13 - Development of ICT Systems by the Department of Justice and Equality
Vote 24: Justice and Equality (26 Apr 2018)

Bobby Aylward: Were any second opinions sought?

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 13 - Development of ICT Systems by the Department of Justice and Equality
Vote 24: Justice and Equality (26 Apr 2018)

Bobby Aylward: What if this was a private business and that was done? The State is a soft touch for everyone that comes along seeking payment because it is taxpayers' money. No-one seems to mind. If Ms McPhillips does not mind me saying this, no-one seems to be concerned with taxpayers' money and no-one is responsible for it. If I was running a private company there is no way I would let this happen,...

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 13 - Development of ICT Systems by the Department of Justice and Equality
Vote 24: Justice and Equality (26 Apr 2018)

Bobby Aylward: The lease was based on the belief that it had planning permission. All of a sudden, it was realised that one part of the planning permission had expired in 2006, if I am reading it right. Then the Department was left holding the bag. At the end of the day, the Department had to pay all the compensation. Or rather, the taxpayer had to pay it.

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 13 - Development of ICT Systems by the Department of Justice and Equality
Vote 24: Justice and Equality (26 Apr 2018)

Bobby Aylward: Are the Department and its officials taken for an easy target?

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 13 - Development of ICT Systems by the Department of Justice and Equality
Vote 24: Justice and Equality (26 Apr 2018)

Bobby Aylward: It is no good though.

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 13 - Development of ICT Systems by the Department of Justice and Equality
Vote 24: Justice and Equality (26 Apr 2018)

Bobby Aylward: I have two more questions and then I will be finished, because I think we have thrashed this out as much as we can. I do not think we are getting satisfactory answers, but-----

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 13 - Development of ICT Systems by the Department of Justice and Equality
Vote 24: Justice and Equality (26 Apr 2018)

Bobby Aylward: Who got the value of the fit-out?

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 13 - Development of ICT Systems by the Department of Justice and Equality
Vote 24: Justice and Equality (26 Apr 2018)

Bobby Aylward: It took five years.