Results 9,561-9,580 of 26,579 for speaker:John McGuinness

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (23 Oct 2014)

John McGuinness: No. 3A is correspondence from Accounting Officers and-or Ministers. No. 3A.1 is correspondence, dated 15 October 2014, from Mr. John Treacy, Irish Sports Council. It is a follow up to our meeting on 2 October 2014, to be noted and published. I ask the Clerk to the Committee to check on the correspondence that has been received from Dr. Thomas Reid. We asked that all of the issues he...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (23 Oct 2014)

John McGuinness: We might again ask about its mediation relating to the item we raised regarding Millstreet. It is still outstanding, and there is no note here as to whether a meeting was set. I am anxious to know if there is a process in place to deal with that, because it is an exposure to the organisation and to the State. No. 3A.2 is correspondence, dated 15 October 2014, received-----

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (23 Oct 2014)

John McGuinness: No. 3A.2 is correspondence, dated 15 October 2014, from Mr. Ray Mitchell regarding issues raised at a meeting in June 2014 on procurement. It is to be noted and published. No. 3A.3 is correspondence, dated 17 October 2014, from Mr. Tom O'Mahony, Secretary General of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. It is a follow up to our meeting with the Irish Sports Council and is to be...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (23 Oct 2014)

John McGuinness: We will read the report and schedule it in our work programme.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (23 Oct 2014)

John McGuinness: The matter was not raised at a meeting of the committee. Representatives of Irish Water appeared before the committee some time ago. I believe the letter also refers to the Poolbeg incinerator project. Deputy Eoghan Murphy and other Deputies had asked whether the committee could investigate the money spent on the project and sought a report on the issue. We received a report from the...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (23 Oct 2014)

John McGuinness: No.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (23 Oct 2014)

John McGuinness: I cannot explain how it arose or the reason the letter was sent to members. The issue is not on our work programme and has not been raised here, although it was mentioned repeatedly in meetings with departmental officials. Representatives of Irish Water appeared before the committee and members of the committee expressed an interest in the role of the Department, Dublin City Council and...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (23 Oct 2014)

John McGuinness: Two issues arise. Representatives of Irish Water should come before the committee and someone should answer questions on the Poolbeg incinerator project. These are two major issues on which there has been considerable public comment. I stated in public my belief that representatives of Irish Water should appear before the committee. I based that on the suggestion by the Secretary General,...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (23 Oct 2014)

John McGuinness: After this meeting, I intend to find out the reason the Houses of the Oireachtas was so anxious to have a letter sent to us on the basis of what Deputy Ross described as tittle-tattle in a newspaper.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (23 Oct 2014)

John McGuinness: I call Deputy McDonald.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (23 Oct 2014)

John McGuinness: I can tell you today, Deputy McDonald, that I had no hand, act or part in any of this. I was surprised and disappointed to get that letter. Second, while not speaking for the clerk, I am aware that he did not instigate this either. Therefore, I can only presume that there is another active section of the Oireachtas which is anxious that we would not do our work the way we have been doing...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (23 Oct 2014)

John McGuinness: I hope that the letter has gone to other committees.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (23 Oct 2014)

John McGuinness: The same practice goes on right across the committees in this House. Deputy Costello, we will take this matter up and move on with our programme of work.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (23 Oct 2014)

John McGuinness: Yes, I said that.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (23 Oct 2014)

John McGuinness: Can we take it up by way of writing directly to UCC with a copy to the Department of Education and Skills and insist on an immediate response?

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (23 Oct 2014)

John McGuinness: Maybe in writing we might do that. The clerk might telephone the Department or UCC to alert them to fact we are pursuing this.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (23 Oct 2014)

John McGuinness: We will not wait for it in this instance. We will pursue it arising from this meeting today.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (23 Oct 2014)

John McGuinness: Any other business?

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (23 Oct 2014)

John McGuinness: Positive Action is funded through the HSE, as the Deputy said. Therefore, we will make direct contact with the HSE and ask for an early hearing on this matter and seek the information that it has in terms of the audit and so on. Has Positive Action disbanded?

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (23 Oct 2014)

John McGuinness: I ask the Deputy to allow us time. We can agree that we are going to seek the information and we are going to ask the HSE to come before us to explain this. I do not know what is left of Positive Action.