Results 7,061-7,080 of 20,088 for speaker:Brian Stanley

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements and Accounts (11 May 2021)

Brian Stanley: I thank Deputy Devlin. Could we agree and note the accounts and statements in the usual way? Agreed. They will be published as part of the minutes. No. 3 is correspondence. Items that were not flagged for discussion for this meeting will continue to be dealt with in accordance with the proposed actions, and decisions taken by the committee in relation to correspondence are recorded in...

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements and Accounts (11 May 2021)

Brian Stanley: It is on the work programme. We will come to it afterwards.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements and Accounts (11 May 2021)

Brian Stanley: We can do so. We can ask the clerk to incorporate it into the invite.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements and Accounts (11 May 2021)

Brian Stanley: A review of the sustainable plan published in late 2017 is under way. It is proposed that we request a copy of that once the review is completed. It has also been proposed by Deputy Munster that when the HEA appears before us, we would include that item on the agenda. Is that agreed? Agreed. Item 463 B is correspondence from Mr. Maurice Buckley, Chairman of the Office of Public Works,...

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements and Accounts (11 May 2021)

Brian Stanley: I would have thought that by now, two parties could meet either side of a screen. Given the vaccination roll-out moving more quickly and things starting to open up, this meeting should happen shortly.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements and Accounts (11 May 2021)

Brian Stanley: When I saw it myself, I thought it was a case of "here we go again" and that it was being put on the long finger again. I suggest that we write to the OPW and urge it to have this meeting as quickly as possible in light of society opening up again and us moving into a better place regarding Covid.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements and Accounts (11 May 2021)

Brian Stanley: It needs to be dealt with.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements and Accounts (11 May 2021)

Brian Stanley: In light of the discussion, the committee will request that the OPW revert to it within the next month to six weeks, perhaps, by the end of June, confirming that this matter will be addressed directly between the landlord and the OPW. I will allow a brief comment from Deputy McAuliffe as there is a lot on today's agenda.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements and Accounts (11 May 2021)

Brian Stanley: I thank the Deputy. The clerk will write to the Chairman of the OPW requesting that OPW meet with the landlord, in whatever form, as soon as possible and respond to this committee on the matter within a four-week period. Is that agreed? Agreed. No. 464B is from Ms Rachel Downes, chief executive officer, Caranua, dated 23 March 2021, providing information relating to the recent wind-down of...

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements and Accounts (11 May 2021)

Brian Stanley: By way of clarification, the Deputy had a letter of authorisation from the three survivors which she had supplied to the committee secretariat.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements and Accounts (11 May 2021)

Brian Stanley: The Department's response is that it is pursuing the matter and it has given an undertaking to contact the individuals concerned and, with their consent, to work to address the issues raised on their behalf by the committee and to revert to the committee in due course. I am not sure if the Department is splitting hairs in terms the permission given to allow the committee members to discuss...

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements and Accounts (11 May 2021)

Brian Stanley: On the legislation, the committee raised the matter with the Department last autumn. The indications are that it is not likely to go to pre-legislative scrutiny until this autumn, which is some time away yet. It is proposed that we allow the Department to complete its work and that we will consider the matter again when we have received an update on it. This is as much as we can do for...

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements and Accounts (11 May 2021)

Brian Stanley: The Deputy mentioned a register for where a developer has not completed an estate and, perhaps, has moved onto another local authority area or sometimes even in the same local authority area and starts the process again of getting planning permission for another development. There certainly must be a register in that regard. We can highlight that to the Department, but the response in...

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements and Accounts (11 May 2021)

Brian Stanley: To clarify, the Deputy is probably correct if he is talking about the local authority in his own area, but the couple of local authorities I have dealt with on this matter have a register and have always had a register. It is not just a register; they also have a list of progress written down beside each estate, the current position and what the next steps are. The councillors in the...

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements and Accounts (11 May 2021)

Brian Stanley: Certainly, we can ask the Department that question.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements and Accounts (11 May 2021)

Brian Stanley: There may be other reasons for it, but that should not happen. Questions need to be asked of the local authority in question as to what progress is being made. Regular reports on it can be sought at district meetings or full meetings of the county council. They are sought in other county councils.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements and Accounts (11 May 2021)

Brian Stanley: We absolutely can. What is proposed is that we forward this correspondence to the correspondent who raised the matter. In view of the discussion, I propose that we write to the Department and point out to it that the responses would indicate that the bond system still appears to be not tight enough and that there are potential weaknesses in it. Deputy Catherine Murphy suggested that there...

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements and Accounts (11 May 2021)

Brian Stanley: Does Deputy Muster wish to come in on this item?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements and Accounts (11 May 2021)

Brian Stanley: No, we are on No. 477.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements and Accounts (11 May 2021)

Brian Stanley: Does Deputy Carthy wish to comment?