Results 36,301-36,320 of 36,764 for speaker:Enda Kenny

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (10 May 2017)

Enda Kenny: Finally, on this matter, the role of the Government is to strike an appropriate balance between what we pay our public servants to ensure we can attract, train and retain staff and compete in the labour market for those skilled staff who need to provide public services and the primary consideration for any employer, which is the ability to pay its employees. The State is no different from...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (10 May 2017)

Enda Kenny: The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform has stated clearly the value that the State places on its public employees and the work that they have done and the sacrifices that they have made over the past period. The State also must have regard to its legal obligations to unwind the FEMPI measures, which were imposed on public servants during the crisis and significantly reduced their...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (10 May 2017)

Enda Kenny: In respect of the question from Deputy Martin, the committee did not consider the campaign by the Department of Social Protection. On the previous occasion we met we discussed unallocated cases from Tusla, the national women's strategy and single affordable child care, which is an issue that is being dealt with here. This campaign has been launched by the Department of Social Protection itself.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (10 May 2017)

Enda Kenny: I will check with the Minister for Social Protection on the specific point Deputy Martin raised in respect of fraud or other issues.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (10 May 2017)

Enda Kenny: I take the Deputy's point.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (10 May 2017)

Enda Kenny: I will come back to Deputy Martin on it. Deputy Howlin raised an important point. The report sets out a basic bedrock for valuable discussions and it is not for me to predetermine what the Government outcome on it might be. As I understand it, the next step is that officials from what was at one time Deputy Howlin's Department will engage with personnel in the public sector unions and the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Commissions of Investigation (10 May 2017)

Enda Kenny: I received the final report of the Fennelly commission on 31 March 2017 and it was published on my Department's website on 6 April 2017. The commission's final report made findings of great concern to the Government and, I am sure, to this House. The commission found that recording and retaining non-999 calls was not authorised by common law or by statute and that An Garda...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Commissions of Investigation (10 May 2017)

Enda Kenny: First, the interim internal audit report in relation to the finances of the Garda College were submitted to the Tánaiste's Department on 27 March this year. That raises serious issues concerning the governance and accountability in the college, which the Tánaiste has stated must be addressed comprehensively and thoroughly. Some of the main issues of concern highlighted by that...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Commissions of Investigation (10 May 2017)

Enda Kenny: Mr. Barrett had recorded the start and end times of the discussion in a document that he had prepared in September 2015. In his evidence to the committee he described this document as a minute of the discussion, but on further examination it emerged that it was not a contemporaneous note but rather a document prepared for a different purpose over a month later, which included his...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Commissions of Investigation (10 May 2017)

Enda Kenny: -----but does point to some internal division in the senior management team in An Garda Síochána upon which it would not be appropriate for me to comment.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Commissions of Investigation (10 May 2017)

Enda Kenny: I will have that looked at.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Commissions of Investigation (10 May 2017)

Enda Kenny: The Commissioner sends material under section 41 to the Minister for Justice and Equality on an occasional basis. I do not know the extent of the referral of section 41s.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Commissions of Investigation (10 May 2017)

Enda Kenny: I am not sure it is.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Commissions of Investigation (10 May 2017)

Enda Kenny: The Tánaiste attends on Thursday mornings to deal with Leader's Questions. There are other facilities, as the Deputy knows, for Deputies to put down questions to individual Ministers. I point out to the Deputy again that the accounting officer for the purposes of the Comptroller and Auditor General Acts 1866 to 1998 is the Garda Commissioner. She has accepted the findings set out in...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Commissions of Investigation (10 May 2017)

Enda Kenny: On further examination, however, it emerged that it was not a contemporaneous note, but rather a document prepared for a different purpose over a month later.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Commissions of Investigation (10 May 2017)

Enda Kenny: There is a very serious difference of opinion here.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Commissions of Investigation (10 May 2017)

Enda Kenny: I do not speak for Mr. Barrett. I have no remit either for Mr. Barrett, or indeed for the Commissioner, in respect of this committee. They are to answer to the committee.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Commissions of Investigation (10 May 2017)

Enda Kenny: Let me make the point-----

Ceisteanna - Questions: Commissions of Investigation (10 May 2017)

Enda Kenny: Who sent this report to the PAC? The Garda Commissioner. Why did she do that?

Ceisteanna - Questions: Commissions of Investigation (10 May 2017)

Enda Kenny: Because she is the accounting officer for the purposes of the Comptroller and Auditor General Acts 1866 to 1998. She took action by sending the report to the committee and to the Comptroller and Auditor General. She attends at the committee herself. Obviously the committee continues its work and will be in session again on 13 July.