Results 15,141-15,160 of 33,051 for speaker:Catherine Connolly

Public Accounts Committee: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board: Financial Statements 2017 (Resumed) (16 May 2019)

Catherine Connolly: How many members have informally indicated to Mr. Barry that they will leave the board?

Public Accounts Committee: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board: Financial Statements 2017 (Resumed) (16 May 2019)

Catherine Connolly: Do they have particular expertise?

Public Accounts Committee: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board: Financial Statements 2017 (Resumed) (16 May 2019)

Catherine Connolly: This was a competency-based board. It was set up with competent people to make competent decisions. Mr. Quinn had a particular role. I am interested in it because there will be a similar role in regard to broadband. We will have our man - I presume it will be a man, although I would prefer it to be a woman in order to get gender balance - watching the public purse in regard to broadband....

Public Accounts Committee: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board: Financial Statements 2017 (Resumed) (16 May 2019)

Catherine Connolly: I understand that. If he cannot answer the question, I will not argue with him. Has he learned anything which he would tell the Government regarding the appointment of a person to a role similar to his on the new company to deliver broadband? Are there certain things which he has learned and in regard to which care should be taken?

Public Accounts Committee: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board: Financial Statements 2017 (Resumed) (16 May 2019)

Catherine Connolly: The person who will be appointed to broadband-----

Public Accounts Committee: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board: Financial Statements 2017 (Resumed) (16 May 2019)

Catherine Connolly: I am worried. I have been on the committee for three years. I am again being told that the phase has moved on. The board has now moved to a new phase. A report costing €500,000 tells us the board simply did not do its work, if I might put it like that. I would not like to be in the role of any of the board members. I am simply looking at what is stated in the report. Mr. Quinn...

Public Accounts Committee: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board: Financial Statements 2017 (Resumed) (16 May 2019)

Catherine Connolly: To be fair, I have read the report and Mr. Quinn had an impossible task. He had to make many decisions on whether matters reached a standard such that he was obliged to report. That was very difficult and I feel for Mr. Quinn. However, there was something wrong with what the Government laid out as his duty or his ability to carry out that duty. We cannot go forward with broadband without...

Public Accounts Committee: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board: Financial Statements 2017 (Resumed) (16 May 2019)

Catherine Connolly: Mr. Quinn was appointed because of his expertise, but his duty was to the board except in regard to very exceptional circumstances in which a level was reached. Mr. Quinn had to analyse matters and decide whether that level had been reached.

Public Accounts Committee: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board: Financial Statements 2017 (Resumed) (16 May 2019)

Catherine Connolly: In his wisdom, Mr. Quinn stated that matters never reached that level because he was happy that the board was dealing with the issues, as was the chair of the board, who has now resigned, and the project manager, who is in the process of leaving. They were all dealing with the matters and Mr. Quinn was happy with that and did not need to report anything.

Public Accounts Committee: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board: Financial Statements 2017 (Resumed) (16 May 2019)

Catherine Connolly: I understand.

Public Accounts Committee: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board: Financial Statements 2017 (Resumed) (16 May 2019)

Catherine Connolly: I did not state that Mr. Quinn was happy. I specifically addressed his reporting back and the reaching of that standard.

Public Accounts Committee: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board: Financial Statements 2017 (Resumed) (16 May 2019)

Catherine Connolly: That is a different matter.

Public Accounts Committee: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board: Financial Statements 2017 (Resumed) (16 May 2019)

Catherine Connolly: That the board was dealing with it.

Public Accounts Committee: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board: Financial Statements 2017 (Resumed) (16 May 2019)

Catherine Connolly: Mr. Quinn was dealing with it and he was happy that the board was dealing with it. That is not quite what the PwC report states. I am sure Mr. Quinn has read the report in detail, as have I.

Public Accounts Committee: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board: Financial Statements 2017 (Resumed) (16 May 2019)

Catherine Connolly: I find Mr. Quinn to be an extremely straight, honest and communicative witness, as I did on the previous occasion. Oversight bodies were set up but they did not challenge the board as a result of their terms of reference. The board did not challenge the design team; it relied on the design team. This comes back to Mr. Quinn and his expertise. It also relied on the executive. That is what...

Public Accounts Committee: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board: Financial Statements 2017 (Resumed) (16 May 2019)

Catherine Connolly: That is not what PwC-----

Public Accounts Committee: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board: Financial Statements 2017 (Resumed) (16 May 2019)

Catherine Connolly: I am glad Mr. Quinn stated that. That is not what PwC stated. It stated that the board insufficiently challenged the design team and the executive. That is what the PwC report, which cost €500,000, stated.

Public Accounts Committee: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board: Financial Statements 2017 (Resumed) (16 May 2019)

Catherine Connolly: Does Mr. Quinn agree with it?

Public Accounts Committee: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board: Financial Statements 2017 (Resumed) (16 May 2019)

Catherine Connolly: Mr. Quinn disagrees with it. That is interesting. He disagrees with that finding. Do the other board members present disagree with it?

Public Accounts Committee: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board: Financial Statements 2017 (Resumed) (16 May 2019)

Catherine Connolly: Mr. Barry is going forward with a new approach. I ask him to bear in mind my frustration on behalf of the ordinary person because in 2015 the committee was assured that this would not happen and it was reassured it would not happen each time representatives of the board appeared before it. On each appearance, new language is used. There is reference to moving on to a new phase. The board...