Results 1,061-1,080 of 45,495 for speaker:Simon Harris
- Public Accounts Committee: Irish Congress of Trade Unions - Review of Allowances (31 Oct 2012)
Simon Harris: I am referring to post-primary education.
- Public Accounts Committee: Irish Congress of Trade Unions - Review of Allowances (31 Oct 2012)
Simon Harris: That was just something on my mind. Representatives of a number of workers and, obviously, officials from a number of Departments have appeared before the committee. The Army is one group that sticks in my mind, along with maintenance workers, caretakers and the like. We are talking about many people who are low-paid, embarrassingly so in some cases. Let us take the example of the Army,...
- Public Accounts Committee: Irish Congress of Trade Unions - Review of Allowances (31 Oct 2012)
Simon Harris: No, it will not. We have heard that from both officials and union representatives. Certainly, the message I get from the people Ms King talks about in my constituency is that they want it to happen. Obviously, they want the same amount of money in their pockets at the end of the week. That is normal, and it is ICTU's job to protect that interest. They want a situation whereby their core...
- Public Accounts Committee: Irish Congress of Trade Unions - Review of Allowances (31 Oct 2012)
Simon Harris: Is there an eating in one's workplace allowance?
- Public Accounts Committee: Irish Congress of Trade Unions - Review of Allowances (31 Oct 2012)
Simon Harris: This is useful because the Committee of Public Accounts does not want to be fed fictional figures for potential savings. If the Labour Court has ruled on something which is being counted as part of savings, we run the risk of potentially wasting everybody's time. I have several more questions to ask.
- Public Accounts Committee: Irish Congress of Trade Unions - Review of Allowances (31 Oct 2012)
Simon Harris: I will be very brief and ask the questions together. The witnesses have done work on which allowances could be consolidated and the allowances they want to see continued. I ask them for their views in this regard. One cannot make public comments about the Croke Park agreement without being pitted as for or against it. It has good elements, but it also has absolutely ridiculous...
- Public Accounts Committee: Irish Congress of Trade Unions - Review of Allowances (31 Oct 2012)
Simon Harris: I am scaring myself.
- Public Accounts Committee: Irish Congress of Trade Unions - Review of Allowances (31 Oct 2012)
Simon Harris: I am frustrated because ordinary everyday workers are being lumped with consultants and county managers who receive the same level of protection. The State is in serious financial trouble, but we are all expected to defend a situation where the perks and holiday entitlements of a county manager are looked after to the same level as those of a caretaker. It is illogical.
- Public Accounts Committee: Irish Congress of Trade Unions - Review of Allowances (31 Oct 2012)
Simon Harris: That is a good assurance.
- Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 25: Environment, Community and Local Government - Review of Allowances (31 Oct 2012) Simon Harris: The Deputy means the other Department.
- Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 25: Environment, Community and Local Government - Review of Allowances (31 Oct 2012) Simon Harris: I thank Ms Tallon and Ms Buckley and their officials for being here today. I wish to add my comments to the point the Chairman made. I commend the approach being taken by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, with one caveat, which I will get to in a moment. Nobody has a veto over the process. What public sector managers are doing and are being instructed to do is actually...
- Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 25: Environment, Community and Local Government - Review of Allowances (31 Oct 2012) Simon Harris: That is a helpful clarification. I share the concern that has been expressed by my colleague, Deputy Seán Fleming, about the significant number of potential allowances that continue to apply. I understand it is a question of timing and that there is work to be done. Is there a definitive timeline for when the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform will have the final number of...
- Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 25: Environment, Community and Local Government - Review of Allowances (31 Oct 2012) Simon Harris: I thank Ms Buckley. I would like to raise a couple of issues with Ms Tallon. If we are looking for a model of something clear that can be picked up and understood by taxpayers, I suggest the table that summarises the individual local authority business cases is it. We need to give credit where credit is due. Over the course of these hearings, this is the first time I have picked up a...
- Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 25: Environment, Community and Local Government - Review of Allowances (31 Oct 2012) Simon Harris: Ms Tallon and I are familiar with Wicklow, which is not on the list. Am I to presume that no individual local authority allowance is in place in Wicklow? Is it simply a question of no business case having been submitted in respect of the allowances there?
- Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 25: Environment, Community and Local Government - Review of Allowances (31 Oct 2012) Simon Harris: The Department has received-----
- Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 25: Environment, Community and Local Government - Review of Allowances (31 Oct 2012) Simon Harris: I am not being parochial. I am just using Wicklow as an example. The same thing applies to the other counties that are missing from the list. Is it the case that there are local allowances in place, but the Department has found there is no point in submitting business cases for them-----
- Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 25: Environment, Community and Local Government - Review of Allowances (31 Oct 2012) Simon Harris: -----and chosen not to do so?
- Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 25: Environment, Community and Local Government - Review of Allowances (31 Oct 2012) Simon Harris: Does that account for the list of 160?
- Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 25: Environment, Community and Local Government - Review of Allowances (31 Oct 2012) Simon Harris: That is very helpful. I have noted some local variations in the document. We have discussed this with every Secretary General. I refer to the kind of variance at local level. For example, it seems there are many keyholders in Laois. It seems peculiar to me and to most people. There must be many keyholders in Wicklow. Even after all these discussions, I am still confused about these...
- Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 25: Environment, Community and Local Government - Review of Allowances (31 Oct 2012) Simon Harris: I apologise to the people of Laois. The details were hidden under a staple in my copy of the document.