Results 2,921-2,940 of 34,778 for speaker:Seán Fleming

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 25: Environment, Community and Local Government - Review of Allowances (31 Oct 2012)

Seán Fleming: That is exactly my point. The Department has notified us of allowances that amount to a few euro a day. My opening remark was about travel allowances paid by the month or the quarter to, I suspect, every area engineer and road supervisor in the country. They are entitled to them and the allowance probably represents good value. It must amount to a large sum of money. The Department has...

Public Accounts Committee: Garda Síochána - Review of Allowances (1 Nov 2012)

Seán Fleming: I welcome the Commissioner and the representatives of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors and the Garda Representative Association. The general issues have been well discussed so I will ask specific questions. Do many members of the force have to use their own cars and telephones? What is the position on mobile telephones? Perhaps I am wrong but I often assume gardaí...

Public Accounts Committee: Garda Síochána - Review of Allowances (1 Nov 2012)

Seán Fleming: Would the Garda computer system know how many individual gardaí used their own cars in the course of the past 12 months? The Commissioner said a request is made so they obviously have to get paid for that.

Public Accounts Committee: Garda Síochána - Review of Allowances (1 Nov 2012)

Seán Fleming: There must be a record. Was it 20 gardaí or 300 gardaí?

Public Accounts Committee: Garda Síochána - Review of Allowances (1 Nov 2012)

Seán Fleming: Would it be reasonable to see if someone has those figures?

Public Accounts Committee: Garda Síochána - Review of Allowances (1 Nov 2012)

Seán Fleming: It is just to give us an indication. The Commissioner said it is the exception, and we all presume it is, but there is a perception that it is happening. Perhaps the public is confusing unmarked cars with the private cars of gardaí. I can understand that but perhaps it is not as exceptional as it used to be. Let us put it that way. Will the Commissioner also comment on the mobile...

Public Accounts Committee: Garda Síochána - Review of Allowances (1 Nov 2012)

Seán Fleming: Does every member of the force now have the Tetra radio system?

Public Accounts Committee: Garda Síochána - Review of Allowances (1 Nov 2012)

Seán Fleming: Is there an allowance for that?

Public Accounts Committee: Garda Síochána - Review of Allowances (1 Nov 2012)

Seán Fleming: As I understand it, Mr. Gleeson is saying that if it is done through the Tetra system, a communications unit can be listening, but sometimes an officer might want to talk to another officer on a one-to-one basis, so a mobile telephone will keep him or her out of that loop.

Public Accounts Committee: Garda Síochána - Review of Allowances (1 Nov 2012)

Seán Fleming: What is the problem? Why would members not all use the Tetra system if it is provided? I have a feeling that many gardaí use their own telephones.

Public Accounts Committee: Garda Síochána - Review of Allowances (1 Nov 2012)

Seán Fleming: Why?

Public Accounts Committee: Garda Síochána - Review of Allowances (1 Nov 2012)

Seán Fleming: We might get some indication of that. There must be some record, for payment purposes if for no other reason, of how many members of the force would have used a private car in the past year. Is it a tiny percentage or is it a lot?

Public Accounts Committee: Garda Síochána - Review of Allowances (1 Nov 2012)

Seán Fleming: I am thinking of regular gardaí more so than other ranks.

Public Accounts Committee: Garda Síochána - Review of Allowances (1 Nov 2012)

Seán Fleming: That is extra.

Public Accounts Committee: Garda Síochána - Review of Allowances (1 Nov 2012)

Seán Fleming: Do the mobile telephones that are provided cost a lot? Are they with just one company? I hope the Garda Síochána has a good deal on that. That is all.

Public Accounts Committee: Garda Síochána - Review of Allowances (1 Nov 2012)

Seán Fleming: I can see a difference between what happens on the ground and what is official policy. I will leave that to the Garda representatives to talk about separately. The Commissioner can understand that I had the perception that many gardaí use mobile telephones.

Public Accounts Committee: Garda Síochána - Review of Allowances (1 Nov 2012)

Seán Fleming: Okay, we will move on. I wish to raise a few other issues on some other allowances. First, is No. 22, the court presenter allowance, payable to the inspector who appears in the District Court? Perhaps I missed this. Second, what is the radio allowance of €5,000, which is paid to 69 people? The Commissioner should tell me what they are. Is the court presenter the person who...

Public Accounts Committee: Garda Síochána - Review of Allowances (1 Nov 2012)

Seán Fleming: Do they receive much legal training or is it simply learned on the hoof?

Public Accounts Committee: Garda Síochána - Review of Allowances (1 Nov 2012)

Seán Fleming: I suspect this allowance, at €100,000, probably offers the best value for money of any allowance I have encountered anywhere. I refer to a scenario in which solicitors presented the cases in the District Court instead of the inspectors so doing. Were several solicitors lined up all day to do the work on behalf of the Garda, the cost would be phenomenal. Consequently, this allowance...

Public Accounts Committee: Garda Síochána - Review of Allowances (1 Nov 2012)

Seán Fleming: Okay. We will move on, as this is moving into the issue of technology. While I note there are some old-fashioned allowances, such as bicycle allowance, boot allowance and so on, I refer to the level of training. Is there an allowance for training? As many gardaí are not children, they cannot be well up on services such as Facebook and Twitter. What level of training is provided...