Results 10,241-10,260 of 26,610 for speaker:David Cullinane

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (9 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: Is Deputy Rock still a member of the committee?

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (9 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: I will take the lead on that day. I will jump from second to first place.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (9 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: I have no difficulty with the proposal. The Chairman gave the example of these companies appearing in different jurisdictions and committees of parliaments. Some of those committees are very high-powered and have many staff, and the members have lots of support. We do not have that. It is a caveat to this. Much of this focusses on alleged loopholes that these companies were operating...

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (9 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: I welcome Mr. Griffin and his colleagues. While I do not want to go back over ground that has already been covered, I have one question that follows on from the questions asked by Deputy Connolly. I welcome Mr. Griffin's statement that the Department is looking to achieve 33% energy efficiency across the public service. I assume this means there will be a 33% reduction in usage.

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (9 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: Mr. Griffin said that the overall figure which has been achieved is 21%.

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (9 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: I imagine that there are variances across the public service.

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (9 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: Some Departments have done better than others.

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (9 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: Could Mr. Griffin give this committee a breakdown of that?

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (9 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: Where does the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment sit on the league table?

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (9 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: I do not think it is good that when Mr. Griffin, as the Accounting Officer of the Department that has set the overall target of 33% across the public service, comes before the Committee of Public Accounts, he can tell us that the average is 21% but he is not in a position to tell us what percentage has been achieved by his Department, which should be setting an example in this regard. I am...

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (9 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: I am asking why Mr. Griffin did not know. My feelings do not come into it. Why did Mr. Griffin not make an inquiry to ascertain whether the Department has reached the targets it has set for all Departments?

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (9 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: I accept that the setting of a target is a good thing. The Department has accepted that this is an important initiative across the public service.

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (9 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: Obviously, the Department wants the targets that have been set to be met. I do not think it is acceptable that even though Mr. Griffin is the Accounting Officer for the Department that set those targets, he is not in a position to tell us today what the Department has achieved. I do not think it is acceptable leadership from Mr. Griffin, as the Secretary General, or from the Department....

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (9 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: -----so we can see which of them have and have not stepped up to the mark in terms of the targets.

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (9 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: Perfect.

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (9 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: Figure 1 on page 1 of the Comptroller and Auditor General's opening statement sets out that the Department's gross expenditure for 2016 was €439 million. Mr. Griffin is the Accounting Officer for that €439 million. Is that correct?

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (9 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: Is that entirely correct? Is Mr. Griffin the Accounting Officer to the Committee of Public Accounts for the full €439 million?

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (9 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: The Comptroller and Auditor General referred on the last line of his opening statement to "those which I audit and those that are outside my remit".

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (9 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: I referred earlier to a graph on the last page.

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (9 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: It provides a breakdown of the expenditure. The part of the box that is highlighted in blue - it might not be clear on the screen - relates to what is audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General. Is that correct?