Results 461-480 of 591 for speaker:Peter Cleere

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (11 Jun 2025)

Peter Cleere: The point I am trying to make is whether there is anything to prevent these contractors, these cowboys, we will say, from going to look for State work again when they have completely underperformed, in that the Arts Council would not be taking a legal case against them otherwise?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (11 Jun 2025)

Peter Cleere: Yes, and including the four contractors.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (11 Jun 2025)

Peter Cleere: Yes, but is there anything to stop those from applying for other contracted jobs with different Departments or agencies?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (11 Jun 2025)

Peter Cleere: Speaking of the Arts Council, a 2021 workforce plan was mentioned. What was the cost of that workforce plan? I think it was approximately €40,000.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (11 Jun 2025)

Peter Cleere: It was approximately €40,000 and the recommendation was to double staff. Am I correct in saying that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (11 Jun 2025)

Peter Cleere: How many staff are in the Arts Council now?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (11 Jun 2025)

Peter Cleere: How many staff were there before the workforce plan?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (11 Jun 2025)

Peter Cleere: There was a serious doubling of the Arts Council workforce.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (11 Jun 2025)

Peter Cleere: It is significant.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (11 Jun 2025)

Peter Cleere: I am conscious of the time. Apologies. What was the nature of the roles that were taken on?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (11 Jun 2025)

Peter Cleere: Did the Arts Council not think of hiring somebody with an ICT background?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (11 Jun 2025)

Peter Cleere: The Arts Council went from 58 to 122 staff and never took on an additional ICT person. I note from Ms Kennelly's comments that the Arts Council now has senior ICT expertise in-house.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (11 Jun 2025)

Peter Cleere: When were they hired?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (11 Jun 2025)

Peter Cleere: How many staff?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (11 Jun 2025)

Peter Cleere: What is the cost in that regard?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (11 Jun 2025)

Peter Cleere: Each?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (11 Jun 2025)

Peter Cleere: Okay, so that is in addition.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (11 Jun 2025)

Peter Cleere: I accept that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (11 Jun 2025)

Peter Cleere: What I have here is the Arts Council, the Department and the line Minister and nobody is taking responsibility. Nobody is taking accountability. Everyone is passing the buck from one to the next. That is what it looks like. The Irish Government gave €140 million to the Arts Council and this particular project is probably 5% or 6% of that annual budget. It is not acceptable. I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (11 Jun 2025)

Peter Cleere: I will be brief, as I am conscious of time. I want to focus in on the €60,000 from the legal redress element of it. When exactly did the Department step in to discuss the future direction of legal cases and tell the Arts Council not to incur any more costs?