Results 3,401-3,420 of 21,440 for speaker:Mary Lou McDonald

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 16 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (6 Dec 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: Okay, six plants. I am working on the assumption that it is not operating simply at a break-even position in respect of the operation of these plants. I am working on the assumption that it is turning a profit for its efforts. That is logical.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 16 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (6 Dec 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: Can Ms Tallon tell members what that would be in the case of Veolia?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 16 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (6 Dec 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: While I appreciate that information, I am not asking Ms Tallon that question. From the point of view of the taxpayer, I am positing that the State provides the capital to construct these six plants in the case of this firm. In accordance with the contract, it then carries out the construction, operates and maintains. I am not questioning that, as that is sound. In equal turn, the company...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 16 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (6 Dec 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: Is Ms Tallon saying that it did the construction-----

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 16 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (6 Dec 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: With all due respect to Ms Tallon, it does not make sense to me to state the only method by which one would get sound construction or technological excellence is to use that kind of model. This is unless Ms Tallon is saying that because the contractor gets the whole piece, whereby it gets to construct, operate and maintain, it somehow discounts on the cost of initial construction. Is that...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 16 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (6 Dec 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: I know that but-----

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 16 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (6 Dec 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: I am interested in unbundling this PPP model because that is what I have raised with Ms Tallon. I will try this again. One presumes it is accepted that private operators, which construct with State money but then maintain and operate these plants, turn a profit. Ms Tallon cannot provide the committee with figures on what that profit might be. Logically, where the profit is accruing to a...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 16 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (6 Dec 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: Does Ms Tallon know what profit is generated by the six plants operated by Veolia?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 16 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (6 Dec 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: Why not?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 16 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (6 Dec 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: I thank Ms Tallon for that information, but why would she not have that information on profit?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 16 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (6 Dec 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: I understand all of that. Ms Tallon is saying a lot of interesting things that are tangential, but I am troubled nonetheless. She says these decisions are made on a whole life model and the basis of value for money, which is as it should be. However, now she tells us that the revenue generated from these contracts is not known to her and, therefore, not quantified by her or her Department...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 16 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (6 Dec 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: Certainly.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 16 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (6 Dec 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: I appreciate that.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 16 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (6 Dec 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: I thank Mr. McCarthy. I have a clear sense of the cost side of the equation, but my question is on the return side. I appreciate that where private finance is involved, there is cause to strike a balance in terms of risk. I do not accept, however, that is the same when the State is providing the finance for projects. If there is a risk, it is of a much more minimal effect. I have made...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 16 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (6 Dec 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: Will Ms Tallon quickly run through the other projects and give us the same statistic for each of them?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 16 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (6 Dec 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: Does Ms Tallon have figures for the others?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 16 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (6 Dec 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: What was the capital figure?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 16 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (6 Dec 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: I am conscious of time. It would be very useful if all members could have that information circulated to them. Is the Cork treatment plant the one situated on the Lee Road?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 16 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (6 Dec 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: That was locked in a dead heat according to the Department. There was much of a muchness yet it went the PPP route.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 16 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (6 Dec 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: Please explain to me how the decision was taken for that to be commissioned, constructed and operated through the PPP model.