Results 6,221-6,240 of 21,440 for speaker:Mary Lou McDonald
- Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)
Mary Lou McDonald: Would Ms Tallon have been aware of that?
- Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)
Mary Lou McDonald: In respect of each of these tasks that were put out to tender and those consultants who came on board to do that work, had the Department examined the matter to satisfy itself that it was necessary to bring in persons from the outside to carry out those works?
- Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)
Mary Lou McDonald: If Ms Tallon does not mind-----
- Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)
Mary Lou McDonald: -----we have a limited amount of time here. The budget was submitted, the budget was scrutinised and there was toing and froing. Mr. Tierney and his team have been clear from the get-go that there was an awareness from day one at every level of Government that there would be external consultancy needs to carry out this task within the timeframe and on budget, etc. The Department received...
- Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)
Mary Lou McDonald: Plus €30 million contingency.
- Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)
Mary Lou McDonald: We have that.
- Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)
Mary Lou McDonald: I am sorry for cutting across Ms Tallon. At what stage did she realise that the spend was of the magnitude of €50 million? At what point did that come to her attention?
- Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)
Mary Lou McDonald: Excellent.
- Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)
Mary Lou McDonald: Why not?
- Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)
Mary Lou McDonald: Meaning no disrespect, if Ms Tallon's concern was simply that the organisation was staying within the spending allocation or envelope, what was the call for monthly, fortnightly or weekly meetings and briefings? Surely that would have only been a matter of a telephone call. That sounds strange. I find it odd. In looking at these establishment costs and at these monthly, fortnightly or...
- Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)
Mary Lou McDonald: Accepting all of that, let me take Ms Tallon back to my original question. When did the Department become aware of the figure of €50 million in respect of expenditure on consultants?
- Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)
Mary Lou McDonald: I need you to speak to me in English and tell me exactly what that means.
- Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)
Mary Lou McDonald: Of course.
- Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)
Mary Lou McDonald: Can Ms Graham help me here? We need to step our way through it. I sense a little evasiveness here and I do not want that to happen because we need to be clear. Can I surmise that, by March 2013, the report on the lots and their value was received? I presume it listed the successful tenderers and so on. In March 2013, the Department knew that €50 million was the cost - the quantum...
- Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)
Mary Lou McDonald: No offence, but is that not very sloppy? Ms Graham has clarified one point for me. By March 2013 - last March - we knew we were looking at €50 million, albeit a ceiling, in respect of outside consultancy. The Department went to the trouble of communicating with the organisation to get clarification vis-à-visflexibilities and so on. Ms Graham understands that this is a ceiling...
- Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)
Mary Lou McDonald: Of course.
- Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)
Mary Lou McDonald: I thank Ms Graham for that. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Members of the Oireachtas are asking questions, naturally enough, because that is their job. A number of these questions were asked of the Minister and found their way to Ms Tallon’s Department. The answers that come back are in the category of non-answers. The Department knows the Oireachtas has an appetite for establishing...
- Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)
Mary Lou McDonald: It is his deduction.
- Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)
Mary Lou McDonald: Did Ms Tallon make the Minister, Deputy Hogan, aware in March 2013 of the figure of €50 million in respect of consultancy costs when she had established it?
- Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)
Mary Lou McDonald: Ms Tallon did not make the Minister aware of that figure?