Results 6,861-6,880 of 8,015 for speaker:Jonathan O'Brien

Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General Special Report 98: Provision of School Transport (13 Dec 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: That was my question. These figures only relate to the service that is provided by-----

Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General Special Report 98: Provision of School Transport (13 Dec 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: That answers that. In its investigation, the European Commission found that this scheme was not compatible with state aid rules. We disagreed. To be honest, I support that disagreement because there is a social element to this service. The Department has been engaging with the Commission since 2014 on future implementation measures. Will Mr. Ó Foghlú update us on those...

Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General Special Report 98: Provision of School Transport (13 Dec 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: No penalties are involved. It was just an opinion.

Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General Special Report 98: Provision of School Transport (13 Dec 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: When do we hope to reach a conclusion in the engagements?

Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General Special Report 98: Provision of School Transport (13 Dec 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: I wish to address the surplus again. Paragraph 3.10 on page 27 of the Comptroller and Auditor General's report reads, "Bus Éireann applied a total of €11.3 million in round sums to a category described as 'property charge'." What is that property charge? The report continues:Furthermore, non-recurrent charges applied by Bus Éireann against the unused surplus and accepted...

Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General Special Report 98: Provision of School Transport (13 Dec 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: What was the total cost?

Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General Special Report 98: Provision of School Transport (13 Dec 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: Is it possible to get a breakdown of the €3.4 million? Will Bus Éireann provide it to the committee?

Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General Special Report 98: Provision of School Transport (13 Dec 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: What is the property charge?

Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General Special Report 98: Provision of School Transport (13 Dec 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: Will Mr. Delaney start again, please?

Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General Special Report 98: Provision of School Transport (13 Dec 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: I will give an example. If I am wrong, Mr. Delaney should tell me. I am just trying to understand.

Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General Special Report 98: Provision of School Transport (13 Dec 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: If there is a bus depot and two buses are using part of it, are we saying that a property charge is applied to the Department on the basis that, if they were not school buses and Bus Éireann was renting that space out on the open market, it could get more?

Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General Special Report 98: Provision of School Transport (13 Dec 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: Okay.

Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General Special Report 98: Provision of School Transport (13 Dec 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: What was the property charge for 2017?

Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General Special Report 98: Provision of School Transport (13 Dec 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: It was €2.5 million for 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. it was €1.3 million for 2015, 2016 and 2017. Is that correct?

Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General Special Report 98: Provision of School Transport (13 Dec 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: It decreased by 50%, more or less. How is that decrease explained? I presume the fleet has not decreased by 50%.

Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General Special Report 98: Provision of School Transport (13 Dec 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: Is that explanation satisfactory to Mr. McCarthy?

Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General Special Report 98: Provision of School Transport (13 Dec 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: While we would not be able to get a breakdown in terms of-----

Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General Special Report 98: Provision of School Transport (13 Dec 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: Why was that? Was it not forthcoming? Was the information not available?

Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General Special Report 98: Provision of School Transport (13 Dec 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: The information is not available. Surely if the property charge is €2.5 million, there is a breakdown.

Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General Special Report 98: Provision of School Transport (13 Dec 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: My time is up but it is something I might come back to.