Results 3,121-3,140 of 4,350 for speaker:Bobby Aylward

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Haulage Industry (25 Sep 2018)

Bobby Aylward: 384. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps which have been taken to assist an association (details supplied) following receipt of correspondence by his Department in July 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38450/18]

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (25 Sep 2018)

Bobby Aylward: I welcome Mr. Fraser as the Accounting Officer for Vote 1, the President's Establishment. When there is a report from the Comptroller and Auditor General our remit is to scrutinise the Vote and to make sure there is value for money for the taxpayers of this country who pay to keep the system in place. The Comptroller and Auditor General said €3.6 million was the overall amount spent...

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (25 Sep 2018)

Bobby Aylward: I read in a newspaper that since 2011 a total of €50 million was spent on the Presidency. I am just asking Mr. Fraser or Mr. McCarthy to comment.

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (25 Sep 2018)

Bobby Aylward: Are we saying that it is €3.6 million only, as Mr. McCarthy has said? There are other costs from the Garda, security, the Army and so forth.

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (25 Sep 2018)

Bobby Aylward: There are also caretaking costs.

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (25 Sep 2018)

Bobby Aylward: Is the €3.6 million a true reflection, therefore, of the costs of having the Presidency in place, or could it be more than €7 million?

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (25 Sep 2018)

Bobby Aylward: I am trying to clarify whether the overall costs are more likely to be more than €7 million, as was quoted in this paper, since 2011.

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (25 Sep 2018)

Bobby Aylward: Yes, so it would be more in line with that. Is Mr. Fraser happy with the procedure and the governance of the moneys that are spent? He is the Accounting Officer and he must stand over this each year. Is he happy with the way it is spent and distributed? Is he happy with all the procedures that are in place?

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (25 Sep 2018)

Bobby Aylward: That leads on to the next question. If Mr. Fraser believed there was an overspend or money was being spent unnecessarily, if there was extravagance or whatever else one might call it, who has control or the authority to check that and call it in? Can that happen and is it scrutinised to keep it under control in order that there is value for money in what is spent?

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (25 Sep 2018)

Bobby Aylward: I asked that question because we can all go on holidays, go on business trips, travel first class or whatever way we like, and we can stay in different types of hotels and so on. Who decides who goes where? Who in the President's office decides who goes where, what hotels are used and what travel arrangements there are?

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (25 Sep 2018)

Bobby Aylward: What I am trying to do is see if there is value for money. I am following the money, which is our job. I am asking a straight question and I do not want to overstep any mark or make any accusation. All I am asking is whether we are getting value for money on all aspects of the spend on Vote 1, the President's Establishment. That is what I am trying to get at. Scrutinising it is what we...

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (25 Sep 2018)

Bobby Aylward: There is good news there in that there was a 10% return in 2016. The money that was voted on was not even used. Is coming in under cost the norm, or are we giving too much money to the Vote in the beginning?

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (25 Sep 2018)

Bobby Aylward: If Mr. Fraser saw that there was overspending or extravagance somewhere down the line, does he have power to intervene or speak to someone in the President's office?

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (25 Sep 2018)

Bobby Aylward: The reason there is so much interest in it now is that a presidential election is coming up.

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (25 Sep 2018)

Bobby Aylward: The public, media and newspapers in general want to scrutinise everything. That is why we have to be careful here today in what we say and what we ask about. In any event, Mr. Fraser is happy within his remit that the spend is well within reason.

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (25 Sep 2018)

Bobby Aylward: Why then did Mr. Fraser write us a letter last week, which we received last Thursday, about the constitutionality of the committee doing its job, as I see it here, of scrutinising Vote 1? Why did Mr. Fraser have a concern and write that letter, at which some members took offence in the view that the Secretary General was interfering with the running of our committee here? I ask him to...

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (25 Sep 2018)

Bobby Aylward: Did Mr. Fraser feel we were going to overstep the mark and that it would be unconstitutional for us to question the Vote?

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (25 Sep 2018)

Bobby Aylward: We are very civil people. We are only here to follow the money.

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (25 Sep 2018)

Bobby Aylward: I agree with Deputy Connolly. What we did today was good for democracy. It cleared the air. Maybe we should have done it long ago in view of the timing. The people who are trying to cast aspersions on what we have done and make it political are wrong. There are question marks over this matter. The Comptroller and Auditor General seems to be the main person responsible even though his...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Scheme: Discussion (25 Sep 2018)

Bobby Aylward: I wish to inform the Chairman that I have tabled a Topical Issue that will be taken at 5.20 p.m. so must leave the meeting shortly. Can I ask a final question?