Results 1,641-1,660 of 2,631 for speaker:Christopher O'Sullivan

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (27 Jun 2023)

Christopher O'Sullivan: I ask the Minister to provide an overview on the progress to date under national strategic outcome 8 of the National Development Plan 2021-2030 and to make a statement on the matter.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (27 Jun 2023)

Christopher O'Sullivan: One of the areas included under that heading is the roll-out of smart meters. The Minister may not have the figures in front of him and if he does not, that is understandable. It is a big part of transitioning to more sustainable energy in particular. The target is for 2.2 million or 2.25 million smart meters to be rolled out. We are at approximately 1.2 million of them, which is slightly...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (27 Jun 2023)

Christopher O'Sullivan: The Minister and I will turn on our washing machines as soon as we go home. We will be able to avail of the night rate. To clarify the point I am making, of the 1.5 million-odd meters that have been rolled out so far, only 80,000, or 6%, of them are being used to avail of that cheaper rate. The smart meters are not being used to their capacity and that is because the night rate kicks in...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Production (27 Jun 2023)

Christopher O'Sullivan: 124. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment how many micro-generators are exporting to the grid. [30899/23]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Exemptions (27 Jun 2023)

Christopher O'Sullivan: 207. To ask the Minister for Finance if he intends to increase the tax exemption of €200 per year on the income received by domestic micro-generators from their suppliers by way of the CEG. [30900/23]

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Transparency of RTÉ Expenditure of Public Funds and Governance Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2023)

Christopher O'Sullivan: I will get straight into it, as those ten minutes will not be long going. I will start with Mr. Lynch. Senator Carrigy alluded to the fact that the former director general, Dee Forbes, was thrown under the proverbial bus. When I first read the statement yesterday, I was struck by a few things in terms of its timing. It came after the former director general, Dee Forbes, resigned. A lot...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Transparency of RTÉ Expenditure of Public Funds and Governance Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2023)

Christopher O'Sullivan: You are laying all the blame in terms of the contracts and the agreements at the feet of the former Director General?

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Transparency of RTÉ Expenditure of Public Funds and Governance Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2023)

Christopher O'Sullivan: We know what happened. I must move on. I want to know what other documents you examined. Your statement is contradicted by the former Director General's statement. Your statement basically sets out that the former Director General was the only one who had all the relevant information, but the former Director General's statement states, "Following detailed discussions including numerous...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Transparency of RTÉ Expenditure of Public Funds and Governance Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2023)

Christopher O'Sullivan: Okay, so you were aware of the underwriting and guarantee part?

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Transparency of RTÉ Expenditure of Public Funds and Governance Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2023)

Christopher O'Sullivan: Were any of the seven witnesses here today aware of the guarantee element of the third-party payment?

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Transparency of RTÉ Expenditure of Public Funds and Governance Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2023)

Christopher O'Sullivan: Did any of the executive board outside-----

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Transparency of RTÉ Expenditure of Public Funds and Governance Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2023)

Christopher O'Sullivan: I am going to come back to that. There was mention of pushback against this approach of the underwriting and the guarantee. Who was pushing back? Did someone have a conversation with the former Director General and say they did not think this underwriting and guarantee approach was the right way to go?

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Transparency of RTÉ Expenditure of Public Funds and Governance Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2023)

Christopher O'Sullivan: Who was aware that the underwriting guarantee approach was one that the Director General was looking at?

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Transparency of RTÉ Expenditure of Public Funds and Governance Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2023)

Christopher O'Sullivan: Did you, at any point, advise the Director General that this guarantee or underwriting of payments was not the way to go?

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Transparency of RTÉ Expenditure of Public Funds and Governance Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2023)

Christopher O'Sullivan: Did you or anyone on the executive board advise the Director General that RTÉ should not proceed with this underwriting guarantee of a third-party payment?

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Transparency of RTÉ Expenditure of Public Funds and Governance Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2023)

Christopher O'Sullivan: It is lawful, but it is completely unethical, as we know.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Transparency of RTÉ Expenditure of Public Funds and Governance Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2023)

Christopher O'Sullivan: That is still very muddy. There is talk about pushback and awareness of some members. Obviously, the director of content is not here today, but apparently, according to the statement, he was kept informed of elements of the agreement. Do we know what he was informed of? Was he informed of that guarantee underwriting element?

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Transparency of RTÉ Expenditure of Public Funds and Governance Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2023)

Christopher O'Sullivan: Okay, so there was an awareness that the agent wanted a guarantee on the executive board-----

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Transparency of RTÉ Expenditure of Public Funds and Governance Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2023)

Christopher O'Sullivan: -----but nobody thought to check for it after, during the years 2020, 2021 and 2022, even though it was mentioned and there was an awareness of it?