Results 13,941-13,960 of 26,685 for speaker:David Cullinane

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion
Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (6 Feb 2019)

David Cullinane: I welcome the Minister and Mr. Breslin. I will be sharp in the questions I intend to put because we are confined to five minutes. My first question is for the Minister. He will know that at the Committee of Public Accounts last week there was some discussion about capital projects that might or might not be under consideration. There was some confusion, it has to be said, about the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion
Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (6 Feb 2019)

David Cullinane: Can Mr. Woods answer it now?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion
Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (6 Feb 2019)

David Cullinane: The HSE is proceeding to that point, but it has not yet happened. Is that correct?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion
Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (6 Feb 2019)

David Cullinane: The HSE is almost at the point of appointing the team, but we are getting there. Is that correct? I will move on to the overspend. I have several questions to seek clarification. Mr. Breslin said figures had been presented to the Committee of Public Accounts that were somewhat helpful, but there is still some confusion about the matter. Perhaps either the Minister or Mr. Breslin might...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion
Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (6 Feb 2019)

David Cullinane: That is my point. Is the figure of €637 million the original tender from BAM, plus the other two contractors, namely, the mechanical contractor and the electrical contractor?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion
Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (6 Feb 2019)

David Cullinane: I have that information. At the Committee of Public Accounts I asked about the figure of €630 million. The overall tender was from the three contractors. The figure for BAM was €432 million, but the estimated cost is now €556 million, or an overspend of €120 million.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion
Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (6 Feb 2019)

David Cullinane: That means that there was haggling for some time, as seems to be evident from the minutes of the meetings of the steering group of the paediatric board and the Department. There was haggling over the guaranteed maximum price which took a great deal of time. The minutes of the meeting in April suggest there were difficulties with the guaranteed maximum price, yet it took until November to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion
Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (6 Feb 2019)

David Cullinane: The minutes-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion
Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (6 Feb 2019)

David Cullinane: We will have a report from PwC that I assume will look into this matter in more detail. The minutes of the meeting of the steering group on 23 April 2018 stated a number of things. When I asked Mr. Breslin at a meeting of the Committee of Public Accounts when he had first become aware of any serious overrun, he said it was in November and that the Minister had been informed at the same time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion
Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (6 Feb 2019)

David Cullinane: Was that the guaranteed maximum price? From my reading of the minutes of the meetings of the steering group, from November 2017 up to April 2018, there were issues with the accommodation unit. There were concerns about the philanthropic funding and car parking. These issues were arising, on the one hand, and, on the other, there was the issue of the guaranteed maximum price.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion
Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (6 Feb 2019)

David Cullinane: Let me finish. In the minutes of the meeting of the steering group in April it is stated approval of the guaranteed maximum price by the end of June was significantly at risk. They also state the Exchequer capital budget was already under significant pressure. The expectation was that Ronald McDonald House would pay for the accommodation unit. Why was none of this reported at that point...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion
Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (6 Feb 2019)

David Cullinane: Will the Department supply them to the rest of us?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion
Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (6 Feb 2019)

David Cullinane: As always.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Irish Aid (7 Feb 2019)

David Cullinane: 58. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the arrangements Irish Aid has made in recent years to encourage disabled volunteers as part of the volunteer rosters maintained by his Department; the way in which Irish Aid staff would respond to an issue requiring consideration of an accommodation which was raised by a disabled volunteer; the training provided to desk staff on...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (7 Feb 2019)

David Cullinane: I was going to raise the issue of the national children's hospital anyway, so I think now is the best time for us to deal with it. Specifically in respect of that letter, could the Chairman remind us what roles Mr. Quinn had? He is head of the Office of Government Procurement.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (7 Feb 2019)

David Cullinane: Was he a director of the board?

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (7 Feb 2019)

David Cullinane: If I remember correctly from the previous meeting, he was appointed to that board by the Minister.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (7 Feb 2019)

David Cullinane: The last line of his letter is very helpful because he says that he is at the committee's disposal, which brings me on to my next point. I think we need the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform before us anyway. That is the logical next step for the committee. We need the Secretary General of that Department. Given that Mr. Quinn is head of public procurement and had that dual...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (7 Feb 2019)

David Cullinane: I would support that.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (7 Feb 2019)

David Cullinane: The minutes of the steering group meetings were given to the health committee and we should request them. We should also request the minutes of all meetings of the actual board.