Results 2,021-2,040 of 3,336 for speaker:Kate O'Connell

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Jan 2019)

Kate O'Connell: Sorry. The Minister reappointed the board and it now holds office. We were told last week that it was a competency-based appointments process. Does the Minister consider that the people appointed to the board on day 1 were competent or, to put a more political slant on it, did they have the requisite skillset to do the job? Does the Minister now think that reappointing them was a mistake...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Jan 2019)

Kate O'Connell: No. I am still at five minutes and am grand. I have only asked one question.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Jan 2019)

Kate O'Connell: I am sorry but I will leave myself time. I am watching it here.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Jan 2019)

Kate O'Connell: I get that. The Minister might go ahead.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Jan 2019)

Kate O'Connell: Yes, briefly.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Jan 2019)

Kate O'Connell: I have looked, but-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Jan 2019)

Kate O'Connell: Was that a little bit of a stick or a nudge to them to get their act together?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Jan 2019)

Kate O'Connell: Does the Minister consider that, with the new board and steering group having been appointed in May 2017, the first crowd are defunct or do they still have a role?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Jan 2019)

Kate O'Connell: Of the €450 million overrun, what percentage relates to fees for professional services as opposed to for goods? I refer to architects' fees, consultants' fees and external advisers' fees. We are comparing €983 million to €1.4 billion. Can I have that figure? I will understand if Mr. Breslin does not have it to hand.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Jan 2019)

Kate O'Connell: I agree with the Minister on that point. I have heard much commentary on this issue. Only this morning, someone told me how much a five star hotel bedroom cost, but we are not building a hotel. It is a completely different animal. Let me refer to the cross-government committee, the Government Contracts Committee, that covered the period between 2014 and 2016. The briefing document...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Jan 2019)

Kate O'Connell: Therefore, the cross-government contracts committee decided on it being the best way to proceed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Jan 2019)

Kate O'Connell: I am sorry. It decided and went to the cross-government contracts committee and outlined the best way to proceed. It came to the Department in 2017 and it agreed with it, but at no point did it state processes in other jurisdictions were considered and that sometimes when the full design was not made on day one, the price could escalate to the level quoted by Deputy Durkan. The Department...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Jan 2019)

Kate O'Connell: Sufficiently articulated or articulated?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Jan 2019)

Kate O'Connell: At no point did it state this way of doing things could sometimes end up in circumstances like what we are in today.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Jan 2019)

Kate O'Connell: I thank Mr. Breslin.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (24 Jan 2019)

Kate O'Connell: Why not?

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 104 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Waterford Institute of Technology - Development and Disposal of Intellectual Property in FeedHenry (24 Jan 2019)

Kate O'Connell: Deputy Cullinane might finish his train of thought.

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 104 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Waterford Institute of Technology - Development and Disposal of Intellectual Property in FeedHenry (24 Jan 2019)

Kate O'Connell: I thank the witnesses for coming in. Following on from Deputy Cullinane, with regard to the €1.6 million that came back, was the outstanding debt that went to the banks all carried by the university or did anyone else carry it?

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 104 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Waterford Institute of Technology - Development and Disposal of Intellectual Property in FeedHenry (24 Jan 2019)

Kate O'Connell: After listening today, whether it is Professor Donnelly's personality or not, he has referred to members being confused or lacking understanding on numerous occasions. I am sure we can count them. I have not seen any evidence of a lack of understanding and the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General is clear. As somebody who has many businesses, I agree that there can be conflicts,...

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 104 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Waterford Institute of Technology - Development and Disposal of Intellectual Property in FeedHenry (24 Jan 2019)

Kate O'Connell: I apologise, through the institute and his subsequent disposal of shares in other companies just was not a clean way to go about business. I have a significant issue with the vice president of an institute of technology standing to personally gain from shareholding. If one is employed by the State and getting a salary, one's focus should be on that job, not on making money out of the seed...