Results 6,301-6,320 of 20,068 for speaker:Brian Stanley

Public Accounts Committee: 2019 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 – Employment Affairs and Social Protection
Chapter 4 – Control over Welfare Payments (12 Nov 2020)

Brian Stanley: It would be interesting to have a figure for the number in employment 24 and 36 months after going through JobPath. As Mr. McKeon stated, we do not have that figure. That would be a really interesting piece of work to have.

Public Accounts Committee: 2019 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 – Employment Affairs and Social Protection
Chapter 4 – Control over Welfare Payments (12 Nov 2020)

Brian Stanley: I thank Mr. McKeon for all the information he has provided. We need job activation. We need to help people, particularly those who are long-term unemployed, to get back into employment. We are not criticising the great efforts being made by the Department but we are flagging that there are some areas of concern, particularly with regard to the two main outsourced contracts. I again thank...

Public Accounts Committee: 2019 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 – Employment Affairs and Social Protection
Chapter 4 – Control over Welfare Payments (12 Nov 2020)

Brian Stanley: They hear complaints every day. We talk to constituents all of the time and 99% of the time what they have to say is good. The Department should be congratulated for that. I thank the witnesses for joining us here today and for all of the information they have provided. We have covered many areas. I also thank Mr. Seamus McCarthy, the Comptroller and Auditor General, for his attendance...

Microgeneration Support Scheme Bill 2017: Restoration to Order Paper (17 Nov 2020)

Brian Stanley: I move: That, pursuant to Standing Order 198, the Microgeneration Support Scheme Bill 2017, which lapsed on the dissolution of the 32nd Dáil, shall be restored to the Order Paper at Order for Committee Stage.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Vaccination Programme (18 Nov 2020)

Brian Stanley: The school vaccine programme is of huge concern. The 2021 programme has been suspended in community healthcare organisation, CHO, 8 and the midlands areas of Laois, Offaly, Longford and Westmeath. It is not happening. It was fully suspended from 9 November and never really got started this year. It would normally kick off in this semester and carry through into next year for the 2021...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Vaccination Programme (18 Nov 2020)

Brian Stanley: There is some positivity in that reply, which is welcome. Since I started raising this issue, there has been huge concern around it. Parents have been at the forefront of sharing their concerns with me on this. The Minister of State mentioned in his reply that it was necessary to suspend the programme. I accept that and anyone with common sense would say that back in the earlier part of...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (18 Nov 2020)

Brian Stanley: The minutes of the meetings of 4, 5, 11 and 12 November 2020 have been circulated. Are they agreed? Agreed. As previously agreed, the minutes will be published. I propose we go into private session to deal with some housekeeping matters before resuming in public session to deal with correspondence. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (18 Nov 2020)

Brian Stanley: We are joined by the Comptroller and Auditor General, Mr. McCarthy, the permanent witness to the committee. Members are reminded of the provisions within Standing Order 218 that the committee shall refrain from inquiring into the merits of a policy or policies of the Government or a Minister of the Government or the merits of the objectives of such policies. Members are also reminded of the...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (18 Nov 2020)

Brian Stanley: Do members have questions on that? No. Is it agreed that we note the accounts and statements? Agreed. The next business is correspondence. The first category of correspondence on which members have flagged issues for attention is correspondence from Accounting Officers or Ministers and follow-up to previous meetings of the committee. No. 179 was held over from the previous meeting and...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (18 Nov 2020)

Brian Stanley: I am happy enough for Deputy Carthy or Deputy Murphy to speak first on it. We raised issues at the meeting when Caranua was in attendance and some clarification was provided to us. Members can address those. There are 26 applications outstanding by survivors on their initial or repeat applications and a final 50 where the completion of the applications process is awaited. The estimated...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (18 Nov 2020)

Brian Stanley: There are a total of 76 cases outstanding. Some 300 survivors received additional supports, the final 50 of whom are currently in the process of completing their applications. On top of that are the 26 survivors who are on an initial or repeat application. There are, therefore, potentially 76 cases outstanding while there is only €300,000 left in the kitty.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (18 Nov 2020)

Brian Stanley: Yes.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (18 Nov 2020)

Brian Stanley: It certainly could end up happening.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (18 Nov 2020)

Brian Stanley: To be helpful, there is further correspondence on this issue, No. 195, from Mr. Seán Ó Foghlú, Secretary General of the Department of Education. In this correspondence, it is set out clearly that legislation is required. The Department has sent the draft general scheme of the residential institutions statutory fund (dissolution) Bill 2020 to Government. This provides for...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (18 Nov 2020)

Brian Stanley: I thank the Deputy for the suggestion. He mentioned the word "casualties". These people have waited-----

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (18 Nov 2020)

Brian Stanley: I know the Deputy used the word with the best of intentions. They have, however, suffered enough. We must do our best as public representatives to ensure that the remaining applicants are dealt with. Nobody on this committee would disagree with that. The Deputy's suggestion that we make some kind of an intervention with the Department in that regard is worthwhile. The other suggestion,...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (18 Nov 2020)

Brian Stanley: I have a few suggestions and I think they are good ones. One is that we endeavour to bring Caranua in on 3 December to try to deal with these issues. We will ask the clerk to arrange that and to get back to us as quickly as possible. The second suggestion is that we also write to the Secretary General of the Department of Education on the Bill to point out our concerns and to say that...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (18 Nov 2020)

Brian Stanley: We will list those services, including medical cards and advocacy, as well as the other issue.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (18 Nov 2020)

Brian Stanley: Okay. We will send that to the Minister, the Secretary General and the Department of an Taoiseach. Is that agreed? Agreed. The next item of correspondence is No. 190B, from Mr. Ray Mitchell, assistant national director of the HSE, dated 5 November 2020. It provides a briefing note requested by the committee regarding services provided by a service operator. It is not proposed to...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (18 Nov 2020)

Brian Stanley: We have good co-operation from the secretariat, the staff in the Houses of the Oireachtas, the Comptroller and Auditor General's office and the liaison person, which has been a great assistance. The next batch of correspondence is that from and related to private individuals, and any other correspondence. No. 157C is from Mr. Brian Lynch, dated 12 October 2020, and was held over from an...