Results 20,721-20,740 of 26,228 for speaker:Kieran O'Donnell

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (6 Feb 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: This committee operates on the basis of consensus. We have always operated in a non-partisan manner and members have always dealt with issues in the public interest. I ask Deputy Ross to respond to the observations and comments made by his colleagues. In the interests of consensus, may we assume that it is the committee's view that the matter should not be referred to the Committee on...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (6 Feb 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: Are the minutes of the meetings of 28 January and 30 January 2014 agreed? Agreed. The minutes of our private meeting on 30 January will be considered at next week's meeting. No. 2 relates to matters arising from minutes. I am advised that late yesterday evening, the committee received a submission from SOLAS on funding allocated to Rehab, and we are now in a position to undertake an...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (6 Feb 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: Was there something else to which the Deputy wanted to draw attention?

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (6 Feb 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: We will ask the clerk to write to him. No. 3A.4 is correspondence, dated 29 January 2014, from the Secretary General of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine regarding an extension of contract for the CEO of Bord na gCon. This is to be noted and published and a copy forwarded to Mr. Dillon who raised concerns about this issue. No. 3A.5 is correspondence, dated 31 January...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (6 Feb 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: I would like to hear members views on this matter. When issues of this nature arose in the past, we always took advice from Ms Mellissa English, the parliamentary legal adviser. Perhaps we might request that she come before us early next week to outline her views on this matter.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (6 Feb 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: What was agreed at last week's meeting was that if the witness wished to seek the transcript he would write to the committee and that the committee would consider his request. The initial feedback we have received is that any such request must be referred to the CPP and that the Editor of Debates will not provide a transcript without a direction from the latter.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (6 Feb 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: I understand from the clerk that it is not possible to produce redacted transcripts.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (6 Feb 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: Then we cannot release it because there were times during that meeting when both members and Sergeant McCabe were pulled up in respect of what was being said. We cannot go down that road and the transcript simply cannot be released.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (6 Feb 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: The initial advice we received came from the Editor of Debates, who is in charge of the section within the office which publishes transcripts of proceedings and who indicated that they cannot be redacted. Any request for a transcript must be referred to the CPP. Clearly, therefore, an issue arises in the context of legalities. In order that it might proceed with the work it is due to carry...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (6 Feb 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: New whistleblower legislation is before the Houses, so it is obvious that there are wider implications as to how this committee and others will function in the future. There are obviously wider legal implications for how this committee and other committees will function in future. I propose that we ask the clerk to the committee to invite Ms Mellissa English, the legal adviser to the...

Topical Issue Debate: Flood Relief Schemes Funding (4 Feb 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: There is an enormous sense of urgency in terms of Limerick because many people are out of their homes. Up to 300 homes are affected. The questions are simple. On an immediate issue, first, when does the Minister anticipate the Government will be in a position to do an overall assessment of the level of humanitarian aid that is needed in Limerick? Second, insurance is an enormously urgent...

Topical Issue Debate: Flood Relief Schemes Funding (4 Feb 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: The flooding in Limerick is unprecedented. I have visited the areas affected and the spirit shown by the people living there is nothing short of phenomenal. They rallied and worked with the services. Outside of Saint Mary's Park and Lee Estate, areas such as Athlunkard Street, Corbally Road, the Mill Road in Corbally and areas in Thomondgate were badly affected. People should never have...

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Land Swap Arrangement in the Provision of Affordable Houses
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (30 Jan 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: Why did those discussions break down?

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Land Swap Arrangement in the Provision of Affordable Houses
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (30 Jan 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: The developer at that time already had a contract in his possession which stated that he was entitled to get vacant possession of the site by 2008.

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Land Swap Arrangement in the Provision of Affordable Houses
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (30 Jan 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: He was basically playing with all of the aces in that situation. The OPW was caught because he always had that fall back position. Would that be a fair comment?

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Land Swap Arrangement in the Provision of Affordable Houses
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (30 Jan 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: Looking back at it again, would the Department and the OPW have done anything differently? I know that hindsight provides 20/20 vision but the bottom line is that we are talking here about €31.5 million of taxpayers' money. The market was at its peak and one would question the risk assessment carried out in the context of the timeframe. If confronted with the same situation now,...

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Land Swap Arrangement in the Provision of Affordable Houses
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (30 Jan 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, the housing agency, the OPW and the Department of Justice and Equality were all involved.

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Land Swap Arrangement in the Provision of Affordable Houses
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (30 Jan 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: There was also the Department of the Taoiseach and the Chief State Solicitor's office.

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Land Swap Arrangement in the Provision of Affordable Houses
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (30 Jan 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: Who fell down on the job?

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Land Swap Arrangement in the Provision of Affordable Houses
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (30 Jan 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: When the contracts were being negotiated, it should have been implicit that the developers were accepting that the balance of moneys they were owed, outside of the sale of the houses themselves, should have been related to the valuation of the site. Is that a fair comment? The developer gained in the sense that he would be getting a site with vacant possession which increased its value. He...