Results 6,241-6,260 of 21,440 for speaker:Mary Lou McDonald

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: What does Ms Tallon mean by “specific terms”? Could she translate that for me?

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: The €30 million.

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: Ms Tallon said to us that the Minister was clearly aware of the establishment budget and of the constituent parts of that budget. The Minister, it seems, was aware of everything, according to Ms Tallon, bar the expenditure in respect of consultancy services. That is what I understand from what she is saying.

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: I will come back to that. I accept the Minister and the Secretary General are busy and their sole focus is not Irish Water. However, this is no ordinary development. This is about the establishment of a brand new public utility. For householders across this State, this will mean another tax and bill. It is very politically sensitive. Accordingly, and given its novelty, it would merit...

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: Ms Maria Graham helpfully told us earlier the Department had gone to the trouble of querying the organisation as regards flexibility in consultant contracts and establishing a ceiling on payments. The Department claims it went to a very detailed level of scrutiny on the issue of the use of external consultants in Irish Water. Is it the case that in March 2013, the Department had the figure...

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: I understand that.

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: Why?

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: I am sure Ms Graham can appreciate my scepticism. With the greatest respect to both ladies, Ms Graham and Ms Tallon, I am highly sceptical about the scenario they have painted of how €50 million was spent on consultants, unless they regard it as micro-management. That is the position the Minister has taken. I believe it stretches all credibility to suggest the Minister had all this...

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: I do not believe I am. This meeting is about parliamentary oversight of the spending of public moneys, good governance and democratic accountability. This goes to the very heart of the issue as far as the committee is concerned. Is it correct Irish Water and BGE require ministerial clearance in respect of capital investment?

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: Mr. John Tierney has claimed the consultancy works are not just reports that will gather dust on a shelf but are the building blocks of the utility, therefore representing assets and capital investment. Is it not the case that in making that investment and acquiring these assets, ministerial consent would have been required, should have been sought and would have been granted?

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: Bord Gáis equally requires that clearance.

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: So consent ought to have been requested from the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Pat Rabbitte?

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: Does that refer to the consultancy costs alone?

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: Were Ms Graham or Ms Tallon surprised when they heard the Minister, Deputy Hogan, say he knew nothing about this €50 million? If I were in their shoes, I would have been rather taken aback by that.

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: Can I say, by way of conclusion, Ms Tallon is a lot more understanding than the average taxpayer and citizen watching this debacle might be.

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: While the documentation is comprehensive, it contains a table that is misleading. What about customer engagement? It states there is €4 million for brand development and customer engagement.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 11 - Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (Revised)
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Revised)
Vote 14 - State Laboratory (Revised)
Vote 16 - Valuation Office (Revised)
Vote 17 - Public Appointments Service (Revised)
Vote 18 - Shared Services (Revised)
Vote 19 - Office of the Ombudsman (Revised)
Vote 41 - Office of Government Procurement (Revised) (15 Jan 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: Can we turn to Vote 12, on superannuation and retired allowances? It is the Minister's intention to remove an additional 10,000 workers from the public service between now and 2015. I wish to know the manner in which that adjustment, consolidation or haemorrhage – I am trying to avoid loaded language – is accommodated or accounted for in these figures.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 11 - Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (Revised)
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Revised)
Vote 14 - State Laboratory (Revised)
Vote 16 - Valuation Office (Revised)
Vote 17 - Public Appointments Service (Revised)
Vote 18 - Shared Services (Revised)
Vote 19 - Office of the Ombudsman (Revised)
Vote 41 - Office of Government Procurement (Revised) (15 Jan 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: First, I am assuming the figures for the reductions of staff numbers and the €3.4 billion in payroll savings, 17.7%, are not net of pension payments, lumps sums, gratuities and so on but gross. If they are net, when one does the maths, the savings do not seem as spectacular. Will the Minister be advancing a programme through the Civil Service and public service which will see the...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 11 - Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (Revised)
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Revised)
Vote 14 - State Laboratory (Revised)
Vote 16 - Valuation Office (Revised)
Vote 17 - Public Appointments Service (Revised)
Vote 18 - Shared Services (Revised)
Vote 19 - Office of the Ombudsman (Revised)
Vote 41 - Office of Government Procurement (Revised) (15 Jan 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: That is all very good but that is not my point. It is important the Minister gives the committee more detail of his intentions with this public service reform programme. He said himself his policy will be specific rather than a crude and simple head count reduction.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 11 - Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (Revised)
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Revised)
Vote 14 - State Laboratory (Revised)
Vote 16 - Valuation Office (Revised)
Vote 17 - Public Appointments Service (Revised)
Vote 18 - Shared Services (Revised)
Vote 19 - Office of the Ombudsman (Revised)
Vote 41 - Office of Government Procurement (Revised) (15 Jan 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: Yes, but it is crude in the context that these reductions have not just created pressure points in some parts of front-line services but have resulted in chaos and difficulties for people accessing the very services. All Oireachtas Members know about this.