Results 20,841-20,860 of 46,575 for speaker:Simon Harris

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion
Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (6 Feb 2019)

Simon Harris: Yes, it has.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion
Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (6 Feb 2019)

Simon Harris: I thank the Chairman and the committee members for having me. I am more than happy, as the line Minister, to be here and I note the comments the Chairman has made and they will also be noted by others. The contract with BAM has been signed for phase B. The decision to proceed was taken by Government on 18 December and that decision was conveyed by me to the director general of the HSE....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion
Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (6 Feb 2019)

Simon Harris: Deputy Donnelly and I will both acknowledge that PwC has a role to play on the questions of who knew what, when and where. I appreciate the Deputy acknowledging that the figures, including the additional €61 million, have been discussed and shared with this committee during the hearings. I hope he understands and accepts my explanation that this was a different situation from the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion
Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (6 Feb 2019)

Simon Harris: That is correct. The next time I was made aware was 27 August, exactly as per the public record. I then became aware of a potentially significant overrun and the committee knows the timeline after that which ultimately crystallised a figure on 9 November.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion
Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (6 Feb 2019)

Simon Harris: No, I would not. With the benefit of hindsight and in the interests of absolute honestly, when reflecting on this in recent days, I wish I added a further sentence to acknowledge that there was an ongoing GMP process that would crystallise the final cost for phase B. Again, I do not think the existence of a GMP process was a secret. Members of the Oireachtas would have been well aware of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion
Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (6 Feb 2019)

Simon Harris: I need to say a few things about that and I will answer those very specific questions. When we talk about the health budget and the budget negotiations that were ongoing - I do not need to explain this to the Deputy because he was involved in it - the significant effort at the time involved dealing with current expenditure issues and the fact that we were facing and ultimately agreed a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion
Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (6 Feb 2019)

Simon Harris: Correct.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion
Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (6 Feb 2019)

Simon Harris: No, we were not-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion
Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (6 Feb 2019)

Simon Harris: There are two parts to that question. First, as I said in my opening statement, there was an awareness across Government, including in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, that the GMP process was ongoing. The fact that there was an ongoing process to finalise the costs for phase B for the national children's hospital was not a secret that I or my Department was retaining. All...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion
Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (6 Feb 2019)

Simon Harris: I did not discuss that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion
Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (6 Feb 2019)

Simon Harris: The Taoiseach was not alone in being in disbelief. I think we are all in disbelief. The Taoiseach and I found out about the figure on the same day - 9 November. We found out about the figure at a meeting we attended in the Department of Health on 9 November, so I can assure the Deputy that the disbelief was shared more widely. I believe the job of a Minister is to obtain factual and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion
Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (6 Feb 2019)

Simon Harris: I will ask my Secretary General to give the Deputy some of those figures in a moment. First, could I address three of the assertions made by the Deputy? They concern comments she put into my mouth that I did not make. No word such as "fantastic" was used. The Deputy can be sure that I share the concerns of this committee and the people of Ireland on the scale of the overrun. I am not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion
Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (6 Feb 2019)

Simon Harris: But of course it was not our decision. The Deputy is asking us these questions on who had legal responsibility for awarding the contract and for the procurement process, which is appropriate. It was not the Secretary General or myself. We would be answering very different questions if I were picking what company is to receive a very significant contract.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion
Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (6 Feb 2019)

Simon Harris: I oversaw the process but I did not select the company.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion
Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (6 Feb 2019)

Simon Harris: It is a very different proposition. The idea that Ministers would be in any way involved in procurement or the awarding of contracts would be a very worrying throwback to-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion
Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (6 Feb 2019)

Simon Harris: I was involved in the setting up of the structure, the appointment of the experts and the approval of the Government for the funding.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion
Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (6 Feb 2019)

Simon Harris: They were appointed by the then Minister, Senator Reilly, along with one of the members of the board based on their own professional expertise rather than being nominated by a Department to sit on that board. That is the distinction.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion
Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (6 Feb 2019)

Simon Harris: I do not believe that is the case.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion
Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (6 Feb 2019)

Simon Harris: That is right. Of course the head of the Office of Government Procurement will have procurement skills. There is no doubt about that. These appointments were made by Government in 2013 on the recommendation of the Minister for Health at the time. My understanding is that four people were appointed. The Deputy will know the structure of the board.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion
Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (6 Feb 2019)

Simon Harris: Different people were appointed in different ways. Four were appointed in the public interest based on their professional expertise and one was the individual referenced by the Deputy.