Results 33,381-33,400 of 33,477 for speaker:Catherine Connolly

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (10 Jul 2025)

Catherine Connolly: I will follow on from that suggestion. I think they should come back before us if we can fit them in. To go back to the University of Galway, there is a clear audit. As someone from Galway, I welcome that, and the university is very important. I have not had a chance to look at the documentation, but as regards the foundation, we discussed this the last time I was on the committee....

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (10 Jul 2025)

Catherine Connolly: Is it included now, parallel with the reports?

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (10 Jul 2025)

Catherine Connolly: I understand that, and they have made arguments for that-----

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (10 Jul 2025)

Catherine Connolly: As regards Tusla, we have confirmed that will be on our clár oibre because there are serious issues there and it is a very important agency. I will not go into them now. They are outlined here and we will have the agency before us.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (10 Jul 2025)

Catherine Connolly: On that, I thank Mr. McCarthy for the clarification. On the last occasion, going back a few years, we thought it was very important - certainly, the members did - to have the two sets of accounts, even though the foundation does not come under our remit, but to have it there for clarity purposes and for context, so I ask that we go back and ask for that.

Public Accounts Committee: 2023 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 11 - Office of the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement
Vote 43 - Office of the Government Chief Information Officer
Chapter 3 - Vote accounting and budget management (10 Jul 2025)

Catherine Connolly: I welcome the witnesses and the officials from the Department. It is a very important Department. I do not envy them their job. In comparison, our job is a little easier. They are required to deliver better public services, living standards and infrastructure for the people of Ireland. I cannot think of a more important job. They are also responsible for governance, so there is a...

Public Accounts Committee: 2023 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 11 - Office of the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement
Vote 43 - Office of the Government Chief Information Officer
Chapter 3 - Vote accounting and budget management (10 Jul 2025)

Catherine Connolly: Is Mr. Moloney aware of the guidance issued on 30 May?

Public Accounts Committee: 2023 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 11 - Office of the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement
Vote 43 - Office of the Government Chief Information Officer
Chapter 3 - Vote accounting and budget management (10 Jul 2025)

Catherine Connolly: Was the guidance not sent to Mr. Moloney in his very important role?

Public Accounts Committee: 2023 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 11 - Office of the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement
Vote 43 - Office of the Government Chief Information Officer
Chapter 3 - Vote accounting and budget management (10 Jul 2025)

Catherine Connolly: What does he understand the rationale behind it to be?

Public Accounts Committee: 2023 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 11 - Office of the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement
Vote 43 - Office of the Government Chief Information Officer
Chapter 3 - Vote accounting and budget management (10 Jul 2025)

Catherine Connolly: Perhaps Mr. Moloney could read it and come back to us on it. The consequence for us is that financial reports will not appear here for our scrutiny until later when the Comptroller and Auditor General has signed off on the reports. Now, there will be a delay. In the case of the Department of Transport, those reports will not be brought before the Cabinet until after the summer recess....

Public Accounts Committee: 2023 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 11 - Office of the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement
Vote 43 - Office of the Government Chief Information Officer
Chapter 3 - Vote accounting and budget management (10 Jul 2025)

Catherine Connolly: Perhaps Mr. Moloney could just reflect on that and come back to it because it is not clear. Some financial accounts do not go to the Cabinet and others do.

Public Accounts Committee: 2023 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 11 - Office of the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement
Vote 43 - Office of the Government Chief Information Officer
Chapter 3 - Vote accounting and budget management (10 Jul 2025)

Catherine Connolly: This letter Mr. Moloney is not aware of is one example. I will leave it with him to come back to us on it. The Chair might come back on it.

Public Accounts Committee: 2023 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 11 - Office of the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement
Vote 43 - Office of the Government Chief Information Officer
Chapter 3 - Vote accounting and budget management (10 Jul 2025)

Catherine Connolly: I want to ask specific questions about the pension in Vote 12, but first, given the Department's remit, what sort of targets does it set for itself to achieve in terms of providing infrastructure and improving daily life? What are the Department's performance indicators or metrics for achieving what it sets out to do?

Public Accounts Committee: 2023 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 11 - Office of the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement
Vote 43 - Office of the Government Chief Information Officer
Chapter 3 - Vote accounting and budget management (10 Jul 2025)

Catherine Connolly: How does the Department measure it? We have 16,000 homeless and we have a housing crisis. The Department has a significant role in that regard. I will not be specific, but I am just highlighting that. To me as a layperson, we are utterly failing in the achievement of the wonderful vision set out for the Department. How does Mr. Moloney measure the achievement in his Department?

Public Accounts Committee: 2023 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 11 - Office of the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement
Vote 43 - Office of the Government Chief Information Officer
Chapter 3 - Vote accounting and budget management (10 Jul 2025)

Catherine Connolly: Are there key performance metrics? Could Mr. Moloney name some of them?

Public Accounts Committee: 2023 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 11 - Office of the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement
Vote 43 - Office of the Government Chief Information Officer
Chapter 3 - Vote accounting and budget management (10 Jul 2025)

Catherine Connolly: I have one more specific question. Children's Health Ireland, CHI, was before us and the former CEO confirmed that she had been there for five years and then a further five years. It was an employment matter. She said she was automatically entitled to a contract of indefinite duration. Was the Department aware of that?

Public Accounts Committee: 2023 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 11 - Office of the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement
Vote 43 - Office of the Government Chief Information Officer
Chapter 3 - Vote accounting and budget management (10 Jul 2025)

Catherine Connolly: Was Mr. Moloney aware of that?