Results 2,721-2,740 of 10,577 for speaker:Barry Cowen
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Expenditure Issues: Irish Water - Uisce Éireann (14 Jan 2014)
Barry Cowen: Turning briefly to the area of freedom of information, I take it by virtue of the answer Mr. Tierney gave to me on another issue that in the event of the freedom of information ban being lifted forthwith, he is agreeable to such a decision of Government or the Oireachtas.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Expenditure Issues: Irish Water - Uisce Éireann (14 Jan 2014)
Barry Cowen: In regard to the budget for the formation of Irish Water, Mr. Tierney indicated that in September 2012, he went to the Department to seek approval for the provision of €180 million towards the continued process of setting up Irish Water, that sum being inclusive of €85 million in consultants' fees. Is that correct?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Expenditure Issues: Irish Water - Uisce Éireann (14 Jan 2014)
Barry Cowen: I am looking at page eight of the delegates' presentation, which refers to an Irish Water programme budget of €180 million, including €30 million of a contingency.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Expenditure Issues: Irish Water - Uisce Éireann (14 Jan 2014)
Barry Cowen: The delegates went to the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and sought and obtained its approval for that process. Is that correct?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Expenditure Issues: Irish Water - Uisce Éireann (14 Jan 2014)
Barry Cowen: The delegates detailed each area.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Expenditure Issues: Irish Water - Uisce Éireann (14 Jan 2014)
Barry Cowen: Mr. Barry is not denying that the issue would have been discussed during the course of the delegates' conversations with the Department?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Expenditure Issues: Irish Water - Uisce Éireann (14 Jan 2014)
Barry Cowen: Mr. Tierney initially went in September 2012 for approval.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Expenditure Issues: Irish Water - Uisce Éireann (14 Jan 2014)
Barry Cowen: Is Mr. Tierney saying he did not get approval from the Department until November?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Expenditure Issues: Irish Water - Uisce Éireann (14 Jan 2014)
Barry Cowen: That would naturally come afterwards, after the awarding of those contracts and so forth, but the principle of the costs associated with setting up Irish Water was agreed in September 2012. Is that right?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Expenditure Issues: Irish Water - Uisce Éireann (14 Jan 2014)
Barry Cowen: If I can, I wish to stick to the specifics, and I have more questions after this one. We have been waiting more than two years to go through this; therefore, it can be appreciated that an extra ten or 15 minutes spent on this is no harm.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Expenditure Issues: Irish Water - Uisce Éireann (14 Jan 2014)
Barry Cowen: I understand that.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Expenditure Issues: Irish Water - Uisce Éireann (14 Jan 2014)
Barry Cowen: I have been asking questions for a couple of years.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Expenditure Issues: Irish Water - Uisce Éireann (14 Jan 2014)
Barry Cowen: No; I have quite a number of further questions.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Expenditure Issues: Irish Water - Uisce Éireann (14 Jan 2014)
Barry Cowen: Excuse me. This process has been going on now, as has been said, since 2012. This is the first thorough questioning by Members of the Oireachtas that has been allowed.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Expenditure Issues: Irish Water - Uisce Éireann (14 Jan 2014)
Barry Cowen: Was there ministerial approval for that process?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Expenditure Issues: Irish Water - Uisce Éireann (14 Jan 2014)
Barry Cowen: There would have had to be ministerial approval for that €180 million; is that not right?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Expenditure Issues: Irish Water - Uisce Éireann (14 Jan 2014)
Barry Cowen: Mr. Tierney got approval from the Department in September 2012 for an expenditure of €180 million for the setting up of Irish Water, which included - he outlined this - upwards of €85 million for consultancy fees. I am saying there has to be ministerial responsibility for that decision. I am surprised the Minister said in Carlow last week that he found €50 million...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Expenditure Issues: Irish Water - Uisce Éireann (14 Jan 2014)
Barry Cowen: That is fine. I accept Mr. Tierney's answer. I will refrain in my questioning but I come back in later with further questions.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Expenditure Issues: Irish Water - Uisce Éireann (14 Jan 2014)
Barry Cowen: Back-in or the back end. Mr. Barry obviously supports the model that the Government has charged him with the responsibility of implementing. Personally, I do not agree with that model and I do not necessarily agree that he has inherited a series of ad hoclocal authority systems throughout the country. I am mindful of the fact that 33% of Irish Water's staff came from the local authority...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Expenditure Issues: Irish Water - Uisce Éireann (14 Jan 2014)
Barry Cowen: Does a contract of €380,000 have to be subjected to open competition?