Results 10,081-10,100 of 21,499 for speaker:Mary Lou McDonald
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Pensions Expenditure (19 Nov 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: The advantage conferred on former Ministers and taoisigh is self-evident in the eye-watering level of pension they enjoy. I know the Minister disagrees with me on this point. Those pensions are indefensible, and were always indefensible, but particularly so given the era of austerity that has been visited on people throughout the country, which was delivered by some of the very same...
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Pensions Expenditure (19 Nov 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: The Minister has been prudent about protecting the advantage conferred on that small number of politicians.
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Pensions Expenditure (19 Nov 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: No, the Minister has not. It is emergency legislation.
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Pensions Expenditure (19 Nov 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: The Minister is on anything but robust ground. His disregard is for the taxpayer.
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Procurement Regulations (19 Nov 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: 5. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will set out the guidelines in place to ensure best practice in public procurement; the oversights that exist in the process of the awarding of Government contracts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40797/15]
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Procurement Regulations (19 Nov 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: My question relates to guidelines in place to ensure best practice in public procurement and oversight in that regard. I raise the question in light of specific concerns arising from a meeting that occurred between bidders for the supply of personal alarms to older people and the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Alan Kelly, and Deputy Brendan Ryan in the...
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Procurement Regulations (19 Nov 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: I thank the Minister. On 10 December 2014, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Alan Kelly, and Deputy Brendan Ryan met to discuss a senior alerts scheme. The meeting took place nine days after the deadline for the submission of tenders for grant-funded telecare services for the elderly. Two other people attended the meeting, Mr. Gerry Bunting, managing...
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Procurement Regulations (19 Nov 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: The two individuals attended the meeting with the Minister, Deputy Alan Kelly, and Deputy Brendan Ryan.
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Procurement Regulations (19 Nov 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: This turn of events will more than likely give rise to litigation.
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Procurement Regulations (19 Nov 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: Mr. Bunting is a constituent of Deputy Brendan Ryan.
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Procurement Regulations (19 Nov 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: The Minister is present and I ask him to familiarise himself with the case.
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Procurement Regulations (19 Nov 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: Does ministerial interaction with persons with an interest in a live procurement and a meeting such as the one I described comply with standards of openness, transparency and a non-discriminatory regime?
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Procurement Regulations (19 Nov 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: I do, and when the initial approach was made for the meeting, the Minister’s Department refused the meeting.
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Procurement Regulations (19 Nov 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: Plenty of people know about the meetings.
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Procurement Regulations (19 Nov 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: Other bidders who were unsuccessful know about the meetings.
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Procurement Regulations (19 Nov 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: The issue arises in circumstances where the Department initially refuses a meeting cognisant of the need to be open, transparent and non-discriminatory. Is it appropriate for a Minister to meet bidders who may be, and were in this case, the successful bidders in the process subsequently?
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Procurement Regulations (19 Nov 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: It is.
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Procurement Regulations (19 Nov 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: There is no better way to test the efficacy of the EU directives and their application in this State-----
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Procurement Regulations (19 Nov 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: -----than to test specific cases on which there has been public commentary-----
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Procurement Regulations (19 Nov 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: -----to test against those very benchmarks so we, as parliamentarians, may establish whether they are being applied or not. That is my purpose here.