Results 1,561-1,580 of 45,510 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Health: Ministerial Travel (21 May 2013)

Simon Harris: 629. To ask the Minister for Health if he will outline in tabular form, the number of staff appointed by each Minister and Minister of State in his Department or constituency office and their relevant costs including travel and subsistence, in each year for the period 2005 to March 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23834/13]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Ministerial Travel (21 May 2013)

Simon Harris: 712. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will outline in tabular form, the amount of travel and subsistence, both foreign and domestic, claimed individually by each Minister and Minister of State and Secretary General in his Department, for each year in the period 2005 to March 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23824/13]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Ministerial Staff (21 May 2013)

Simon Harris: 713. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will outline in tabular form, the number of staff appointed by each Minister and Minister of State in his Department or constituency office and their relevant costs including travel and subsistence, in each year for the period 2005 to March 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23840/13]

Topical Issue Debate: Water Services Provision (22 May 2013)

Simon Harris: I thank the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Phil Hogan, for being present to discuss this very important and pressing issue which has now become an issue of public health and safety in County Wicklow. What started off nearly three months ago with a small number of houses in Kilpedder not being able to access a regular supply of water has now extended to...

Topical Issue Debate: Water Services Provision (22 May 2013)

Simon Harris: I thank the Minister for his answer. I know he does not have direct responsibility for these services and neither does this House. We have a moral responsibility at this stage. While I appreciate the answer the Minister has given, I suggest the information he has been given by officials in the council or his Department under-estimates the seriousness of the issue. Thousands of people in...

Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (23 May 2013)

Simon Harris: I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013 and commend the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform for introducing it to the House. I share Deputy Lawlor's evaluation of the background to this legislation. When we were canvassing in the last general election, public representatives and candidates from all parties...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (23 May 2013)

Simon Harris: I have a small addendum. I looked at the report of the recent meeting. The Chairman correctly said that once we garnered all information members could make a decision about what they wanted to do with it, including the possibility of calling in the Secretary General of the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. Can we proceed with the meeting today on all issues relating to the...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 10 - Office of Public Works (23 May 2013)

Simon Harris: I thank Ms McGrath for helping members tease out this issue. While she has answered some of these questions in her written brief, obviously not everyone is privy to that and so I will ask her to put them on the record here. The OPW was responsible for meeting the cost of providing this office space. From where does it find that money? Ms McGrath has told Deputy Eoghan Murphy that there is...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 10 - Office of Public Works (23 May 2013)

Simon Harris: Does that include any works the OPW must do across its entire range of responsibilities?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 10 - Office of Public Works (23 May 2013)

Simon Harris: Not just ministerial or Civil Service offices.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 10 - Office of Public Works (23 May 2013)

Simon Harris: Very well. When the OPW is contacted by a Department, in this instance by the then Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, does it simply take the Department at its word that it does not have adequate accommodation space or does the OPW link in with it? Does the OPW try to establish whether it can save money? I have to hand many drawings and could be confused but one drawing from...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 10 - Office of Public Works (23 May 2013)

Simon Harris: Did that happen in this instance?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 10 - Office of Public Works (23 May 2013)

Simon Harris: In other words, before the OPW sanction or agree to undertake a project, it would have to satisfy itself that there is not existing accommodation within the Department.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 10 - Office of Public Works (23 May 2013)

Simon Harris: I appreciate that some of these questions are for the Accounting Officer of the Department but I must put them to the Chairman because she is present. Does the OPW have any role in scrutinising the brief? Ms McGrath has stated the Department sends the brief to the OPW but what precisely does the office do with it? Does it go through it and check it is in line with everything the office is...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 10 - Office of Public Works (23 May 2013)

Simon Harris: I was eager for the OPW to provide a comparator because in fairness to the Chairman of this committee, the then Minister of State, it is important that the committee gets a sense of whether this was in line with the experience of other Ministers. I appreciate the difficulty Ms McGrath has had in this regard but in her letter to the committee of 16 May, Ms McGrath referred to the nearest...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 10 - Office of Public Works (23 May 2013)

Simon Harris: Was that for a Minister of State?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 10 - Office of Public Works (23 May 2013)

Simon Harris: A senior Minister.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 10 - Office of Public Works (23 May 2013)

Simon Harris: Okay. Ms McGrath obviously has provided the committee with the cost of the office in the then Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, at approximately €205,000. How much of that cost does Ms McGrath think was attributable to the fact the building was a protected structure? While I appreciate the difficulty Ms McGrath has in making comparisons, members must also try to make...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 10 - Office of Public Works (23 May 2013)

Simon Harris: While Ms McGrath may not have such a figure to hand now, I believe it would be possible to make a fair stab at working out the costs associated with it being a protected structure.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 10 - Office of Public Works (23 May 2013)

Simon Harris: No, I am not asking Ms McGrath to do that. However, I imagine that were the OPW to examine the associated bills, there would be a way of establishing that some of them were attributable to work it was obliged to do in the then Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, which it was not obliged to do in Hawkins House because the former is a protected structure and that this work cost X...