Results 10,341-10,360 of 26,610 for speaker:David Cullinane

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Brexit Negotiations (16 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: We are still in phase 1 of the talks on Britain leaving the European Union. Three issues are currently being addressed in those negotiations. One is Ireland and what will happen in Ireland in a post-Brexit situation. The European Union says that we cannot move on to phase 1 unless sufficient progress has been made on all three areas and we support that. What does sufficient progress mean...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Brexit Negotiations (16 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: What is sufficient progress?

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Brexit Negotiations (16 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: There are a number of problems with that. The Taoiseach has already said that we will not exercise any veto. That is manna from heaven for those on the British side. Second, there are mixed messages from the Government about the matter. The Minister has several times told the House and me - I have been at many meetings where he has discussed this issue - that it is vital that the North of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Brexit Negotiations (16 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: The Minister's view is that the best option is for Britain to stay in the Single Market but that the North should. The Taoiseach said last week that that is not necessarily what should happen. He also talked about divergence and said that it is possible, once Britain accepts the rules. How does that square with the European Union needing to protect the integrity of the customs union?...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Brexit Negotiations (16 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: No divergence does not make a customs union. Our position is realistic. Is it unrealistic to ask for the entire island of Ireland to stay in the European Union? Perhaps the Minister now supports one part of the island coming out of the European Union. Is it unrealistic to say that the vote in the North, where people voted to remain in Europe, should be respected? Is Deputy Coveney...

Banded Hours Contract Bill 2016 Report: Motion (16 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: I thank the Chair of the Joint Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation for her work and acknowledge the diligence of the members of the committee in their examination of the Bill over the course of a number of months. Deputy Mary Butler mentioned my name more times in the last half hour than she has in all the time since she was elected to the Dáil.

Banded Hours Contract Bill 2016 Report: Motion (16 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: When I moved the Bill, I noted that I was not perfect. It might be a surprise to the Ceann Comhairle that I have imperfections. I also acknowledged that the Bill was not perfect. Any Bill sponsored by an Opposition party, which does not have the team of civil servants Ministers enjoy, will have flaws. Not only did Fine Gael disagree with the Bill, however, it lambasted it and my party for...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (16 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: At the last meeting, when the Secretary General from the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment was here, I asked questions about the funding for RTÉ. There was then a discussion about whether or not a service level agreement was in place. I have a number of concerns. I fully understand the need for there to be independence and separation between politics and the...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (16 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: I have no difficulty with that.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (16 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: I understand that. The problem is that the cheque is written by the Secretary General and is given to RTÉ, but any questions that are put about how that money is specifically spent is then a matter for RTÉ. There is not a service level agreement in place and from what I hear from the Secretary General, it would not be appropriate for him to intervene in how RTÉ does its...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (16 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: Teachta Connolly made a point. Any questions that are put about practices such as bogus self-employment are not an attack on RTÉ itself. It was unfair for one member to characterise asking questions about how money is spent, which is why we are here, as an attack on an organisation. I am not even asking for a response but saying that it is a bit unfair. I have put it on the record...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (16 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: I would prefer if we dealt with that cover letter before the Secretary General comes in, because I have a major problem-----

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (16 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: I do not have a difficulty with the letterper se. However, I would like to make a number of points. This comes up an awful lot now, where there are what I would call parallel investigations into issues. It has been brought to our attention then that when we are doing our job where processes, policies and procedures are concerned, we are reminded that we have to be careful. We are deeply...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (16 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: Exactly, which is even more bizarre when one considers the comments from Richard Thorn. It is bizarre for him to advise the committee what we should or should not do and what questions we should or should not ask. He does not have to watch the proceedings at all if he is in any way of the mind that he might be influenced by what is said. It is bizarre that he is referred to at all. He is...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (16 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: It is not the first time this has happened and I do not like the inference made in the letter. It is an attempt to undermine the work of the committee.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (16 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: This was held over from last week. It was not in the correspondence at the time it was sent in so we agreed we would take it this week. It was follow-on correspondence because there was a discussion on the difference between how ConnectIreland and the IDA have to verify jobs that are created. There are two attachments. The first is PAC32R8482C, which is the requirements that...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (16 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: That is neither the point nor the problem. IDA Ireland can give us any amount of data. The question is whether the data is accurate. The problem is when the data is not accurate. We can put up on the screen the actual survey that IDA Ireland companies are asked to fill in. It is a one-page document that includes the Companies Registration Office number and the number of employees or jobs...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (16 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: Last week, I asked if we could write to the HEA to get an update on the Waterford Institute of Technology review. Did we get a response?

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (16 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: Can I ask that the matter be held over? I have some questions but I can wait until next week.

Public Accounts Committee: Tipperary Education and Training Board and Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board: Financial Statements (16 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: I will seek your guidance first, Chairman. I am not at all happy with how this has progressed and I wish to follow up on Deputy McDonald's questions. The committee has addressed a number of different issues where there were parallel examinations and investigations. In fact, in a number of instances there were criminal investigations. To take the example of the National Asset Management...