Results 1,081-1,100 of 45,510 for speaker:Simon Harris

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 take that point. I am making a broader point. How come we have keyholder allowances in one area but not in another? I want to get to the bottom of the matter. Is it basically a case of local unions negotiating successfully with county management over the years to get additional allowances? Have unions in some geographical areas been more successful than others? I cannot believe 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: When will we get a definitive decision from the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government on Wicklow and all the other missing county councils?

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: We are very effective in most areas in Wicklow.

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: There often is, as Ms Tallon is aware. As I do not want to be parochial, I will mention that Tipperary is not on the list. Should an employee of one of the two county councils in Tipperary - they will be merged soon - whose county manager has not sent a business case to the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, which therefore could not send it on to the 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: Okay. Therefore, it is ceasing for new beneficiaries only.

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 delighted Ms Tallon referred to dirty money because of all the allowances, dirty money is the one that most seems like an anti-capitalist term. It is a bizarre name for an allowance. I do not know whether this allowance is the same as the dirty money allowance applied in the university sector, but I presume it is the money maintenance staff get for what I colloquially call "muck on...

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: Its status is listed on this sheet, Circular EL 02/2012, on the reduction in overtime payments and cost of allowances. Will Ms Tallon explain what is happening with the 14 allowances listed on the sheet?

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 begrudging the craft worker, the wastewater worker or whoever receives the dirty money allowance; rather, I am arguing the fact that he or she needed an allowance for the job he or she was doing and that it was not made part of his or her core pay, but that is a broader point. What is the current status of the 14 allowances?

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 for helping me to navigate the list. I have two final questions, the first of which I have asked of every Secretary General I have had the opportunity to question. It relates to the potential scope for consolidation and is an ongoing issue. In some sectors it has been very apparent, for example, in the teaching profession. When we had a discussion with Ms Tallon's...

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: Okay, that is fine.

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 makes sense. My final question is on the role of county managers which was discussed with the unions earlier. Their title has also come up in this discussion. As part of the reform agenda, they are due to be replaced or renamed. Do county managers get allowances? What is the status of their pay? I make this point because there are a number of staff working in local authorities, in...

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: In addition to their salary, do county managers receive additional payments or are these arrangements made at a local level?

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.

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: Tomorrow is fine.

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 will raise the issue of Irish Aid and overseas development aid tomorrow.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (1 Nov 2012)

Simon Harris: We have engaged in significant scrutiny during a useful series of recent meetings, but, ultimately, it stemmed from a Government target to achieve savings of €75 million in allowances. The taxpayer is providing approximately €636 million in overseas development aid each year, much of which is well spent, but in the past few days it has emerged that €4 million intended to...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (1 Nov 2012)

Simon Harris: The Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade is examining the matter from a different perspective. As a committee, we could adopt, the view that the Joint Committee on Health and Children examines HSE issues. We have a specific role in ensuring the correct appropriation of funds gifted by the House and the taxpayer to certain projects. I would like to examine this issue from a funding...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (6 Nov 2012)

Simon Harris: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the current staffing schedule in respect of a school (details supplied) in County Wicklow for the current and previous school years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47451/12]

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Homelessness Strategy (6 Nov 2012)

Simon Harris: To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the amount of funding given by his Department to assist projects to address homelessness in County Wicklow, in 2010, 2011 and to date in 2012; the organisation or local authority to which these funds were given; and the specific projects for which each tranche of funding was used; and if he will make a statement on the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Special Needs Education: Discussion with Special Needs Parents Association (7 Nov 2012)

Simon Harris: I thank Ms Dempsey and Mr. Kelly for coming in today. The best thing about the Special Needs Parents Association is that in political discussions it always comes to the table with proposals and common sense and this makes our work a good deal easier. I am keen to hear its views on several issues. The representatives spoke about SNAs and the need for classroom assistants. Is the...