Results 20,921-20,940 of 33,581 for speaker:Catherine Connolly
- Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General Special Report 98: Provision of School Transport (13 Dec 2018)
Catherine Connolly: I am talking about the fixed charge.
- Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General Special Report 98: Provision of School Transport (13 Dec 2018)
Catherine Connolly: I am not questioning how it was used. I accept that it was probably used for the good of the service. It is now gone. It has been highlighted that this surplus was not reported in the Department's statements. I refer to the paper record and the justification for it.
- Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General Special Report 98: Provision of School Transport (13 Dec 2018)
Catherine Connolly: Has that direct management charge gone?
- Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General Special Report 98: Provision of School Transport (13 Dec 2018)
Catherine Connolly: As such, the 13% management charge has been kept. It is still in existence. The surplus is gone.
- Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General Special Report 98: Provision of School Transport (13 Dec 2018)
Catherine Connolly: This is an area that has been the subject of many reviews. I read one review from 2016 that refers to 11 reports since 1977. We have more reports. It has been subject to significant analysis. I wish to raise the Department's supervision and the lack of a service level agreement. The opening statement said that there is a service level agreement and it is now under review. When did that...
- Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General Special Report 98: Provision of School Transport (13 Dec 2018)
Catherine Connolly: Why did that not come in sooner? An essential service covering so many pupils had no service level agreement. My time is limited, but I note that the Comptroller and Auditor General has itemised the lack of oversight in his report. He specifies what should be there. Why did that not happen sooner?
- Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General Special Report 98: Provision of School Transport (13 Dec 2018)
Catherine Connolly: There were no minutes. Has that been rectified?
- Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General Special Report 98: Provision of School Transport (13 Dec 2018)
Catherine Connolly: Has all of that been rectified?
- Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General Special Report 98: Provision of School Transport (13 Dec 2018)
Catherine Connolly: Are there quarterly or monthly meetings?
- Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General Special Report 98: Provision of School Transport (13 Dec 2018)
Catherine Connolly: I wish to discuss the spare capacity. I have read the reports and I understand the balance. It is difficult. Is it correct that the number of eligible students has reduced significantly from 2007? Overall we are catering for 117,000 pupils per year. What percentage of that is made up of eligible students?
- Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General Special Report 98: Provision of School Transport (13 Dec 2018)
Catherine Connolly: Some 28,000 are concessionary and the rest are eligible. The concessionary students pay a fee depending on whether it is primary or secondary. The Department has spare capacity. Apparently that has increased significantly, according to the Comptroller and Auditor General. Perhaps I am wrong and that has changed since his report.
- Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General Special Report 98: Provision of School Transport (13 Dec 2018)
Catherine Connolly: I understand that. The number of eligible students has declined. The proportion of concessionary students has increased. Is that correct?
- Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General Special Report 98: Provision of School Transport (13 Dec 2018)
Catherine Connolly: However, the spare capacity on the buses has also increased. Is that correct?
- Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General Special Report 98: Provision of School Transport (13 Dec 2018)
Catherine Connolly: I refer to the residual capacity.
- Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General Special Report 98: Provision of School Transport (13 Dec 2018)
Catherine Connolly: I refer to the residual capacity for each of the past two years.
- Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General Special Report 98: Provision of School Transport (13 Dec 2018)
Catherine Connolly: Is that not significant?
- Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General Special Report 98: Provision of School Transport (13 Dec 2018)
Catherine Connolly: I saw that.
- Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General Special Report 98: Provision of School Transport (13 Dec 2018)
Catherine Connolly: The 2016 report recommended a reduction in fleet because of the residual capacity. I refer to the review of the concessionary charges. Is that correct?
- Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General Special Report 98: Provision of School Transport (13 Dec 2018)
Catherine Connolly: That has not happened. I am thinking of climate change and the necessity of buses on roads and the reduction of car usage. I have not seen that mentioned anywhere in any of the documents. Climate change has to be one of the criteria taken into account in any value for money analysis .
- Public Accounts Committee: Comptroller and Auditor General Special Report 98: Provision of School Transport (13 Dec 2018)
Catherine Connolly: I understand that and the nuances involved. There has to be some new and imaginative way of looking at this and I understand the Department is open to that. On climate change, we want more people to travel by bus. That is essential. On the other hand, there are practicalities involved. I refer to the situation in Galway, about which I want to make a general point. Children go to...