Results 1,661-1,680 of 2,211 for speaker:Paul Connaughton

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Hardship Grant Scheme Applications (19 Feb 2015)

Paul Connaughton: 92. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a hardship grant relating to tuberculosis restrictions will issue in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7499/15]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Rural Environment Protection Scheme Payments (3 Mar 2015)

Paul Connaughton: 268. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payments under the rural environment protection scheme and the single payment will issue in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8860/15]

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015: Second Stage (Resumed) (4 Mar 2015)

Paul Connaughton: I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the debate. All sides of the House should welcome legislation that makes it easier for people to return to work. Over the past few years I have dealt with constituents who have been offered short-term contracts or jobs but they did not want to take the chance of taking the offer in case they lost social welfare support. Those who did and...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Proposed Legislation (4 Mar 2015)

Paul Connaughton: 173. To ask the Minister for Health the progress on the policy proposals to be brought to Government for the drafting of primary legislation for a new mobility allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9546/15]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (4 Mar 2015)

Paul Connaughton: 191. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason behind not awarding an Educate Together school to Kilcolgan, County Galway, considering her Department had entered into a long negotiation with a person (details supplied) in relation to a site they owned in Kilcolgan and that major works were carried out on site on the basis of these negotiations; and if she will make a statement...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Grassland Sheep Scheme Payments (5 Mar 2015)

Paul Connaughton: 113. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason payment under the grassland sheep scheme has not issued to a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9671/15]

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Turf Cutting Compensation Scheme Payments (5 Mar 2015)

Paul Connaughton: 278. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht when a payment under the turf cutting compensation scheme will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9672/15]

Public Accounts Committee: Procurement Issues: Small Firms Association and Irish Schools Arts Supply Federation (5 Mar 2015)

Paul Connaughton: I welcome the delegates. Most of the points have already been covered. The overriding problem here is the remit of the Office of Government Procurement. Essentially, if it can come out in a year's time and say it saved X amount, then it can claim to have done its job and that will be the headline. The difficulties with that approach have been clearly outlined by the witnesses today....

Public Accounts Committee: Procurement Issues: Small Firms Association and Irish Schools Arts Supply Federation (5 Mar 2015)

Paul Connaughton: Yes, that is precisely the problem. There is reference to the target of ensuring 66% of public expenditure goes to the SME sector. That sounds good and like everything is going in the right direction but, as the delegates pointed out, we never find out the figures behind it.

Public Accounts Committee: Procurement Issues: Small Firms Association and Irish Schools Arts Supply Federation (5 Mar 2015)

Paul Connaughton: To play devil's advocate for a moment, if representatives of the office were to come in to us and say we need to prove to them that what they are doing is wrong and show evidence of the problems it is causing, how should we respond to that?

Public Accounts Committee: 2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General Appropriation Accounts
Vote 11 - Office of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances
Vote 18 - Shared Services
Special Report No. 87 - Effectiveness of Audit Committees in State Bodies
Issues with Public Procurement (5 Mar 2015)

Paul Connaughton: I welcome the witnesses. Much has been said already so I will not go over all the issues again. The idea of a meeting is a very welcome step forward but my fear is that if we read the transcript of the meeting from last April and compared it with today's comments, they would be similar. A meeting was supposed to take place at that stage too and I have no doubt it happened. Nevertheless,...

Public Accounts Committee: 2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General Appropriation Accounts
Vote 11 - Office of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances
Vote 18 - Shared Services
Special Report No. 87 - Effectiveness of Audit Committees in State Bodies
Issues with Public Procurement (5 Mar 2015)

Paul Connaughton: Are the witnesses getting much kick-back from other groups with regard to procurement?

Public Accounts Committee: 2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General Appropriation Accounts
Vote 11 - Office of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances
Vote 18 - Shared Services
Special Report No. 87 - Effectiveness of Audit Committees in State Bodies
Issues with Public Procurement (5 Mar 2015)

Paul Connaughton: The overriding concern, in terms of what the Department is trying to do in saving money for the taxpayer and so on, is that it must be balanced with what these companies can and cannot afford to do. I welcome the idea of a meeting but I would not like to find out here in 12 months time that another request for a meeting has been submitted and nothing has changed. Perhaps what should happen...

Public Accounts Committee: 2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General Appropriation Accounts
Vote 11 - Office of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances
Vote 18 - Shared Services
Special Report No. 87 - Effectiveness of Audit Committees in State Bodies
Issues with Public Procurement (5 Mar 2015)

Paul Connaughton: Is it correct that, so far, it has cost €6.5 million to set it up?

Public Accounts Committee: 2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General Appropriation Accounts
Vote 11 - Office of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances
Vote 18 - Shared Services
Special Report No. 87 - Effectiveness of Audit Committees in State Bodies
Issues with Public Procurement (5 Mar 2015)

Paul Connaughton: Can Mr. Watt give me a brief breakdown of those costs?

Public Accounts Committee: 2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General Appropriation Accounts
Vote 11 - Office of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances
Vote 18 - Shared Services
Special Report No. 87 - Effectiveness of Audit Committees in State Bodies
Issues with Public Procurement (5 Mar 2015)

Paul Connaughton: Would it be for consultancy fees and so on?

Public Accounts Committee: 2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General Appropriation Accounts
Vote 11 - Office of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances
Vote 18 - Shared Services
Special Report No. 87 - Effectiveness of Audit Committees in State Bodies
Issues with Public Procurement (5 Mar 2015)

Paul Connaughton: What were some of the issues that arose?

Public Accounts Committee: 2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General Appropriation Accounts
Vote 11 - Office of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances
Vote 18 - Shared Services
Special Report No. 87 - Effectiveness of Audit Committees in State Bodies
Issues with Public Procurement (5 Mar 2015)

Paul Connaughton: In terms of the €15 million to set it up, that is finished. There will be no additional amount.

Public Accounts Committee: 2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General Appropriation Accounts
Vote 11 - Office of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances
Vote 18 - Shared Services
Special Report No. 87 - Effectiveness of Audit Committees in State Bodies
Issues with Public Procurement (5 Mar 2015)

Paul Connaughton: How much does Mr. Watt believe the Department will be able to save because of this change?

Public Accounts Committee: 2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General Appropriation Accounts
Vote 11 - Office of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances
Vote 18 - Shared Services
Special Report No. 87 - Effectiveness of Audit Committees in State Bodies
Issues with Public Procurement (5 Mar 2015)

Paul Connaughton: The same argument could be made for the SMEs, and procurement as well. Is the project far behind schedule? When was it expected to be up and running, and where is it now?