Results 21,101-21,120 of 32,978 for speaker:Catherine Connolly

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (25 Oct 2018)

Catherine Connolly: I agree, but I note that the correspondence is dated 17 October. I welcome it. This is something on which we are keeping a close eye in view of what happened with the Pálás Cinema in Galway and the failure of governance and Department oversight there. The letter reassures us that the Department is monitoring this matter closely and that an audit committee, on which the Minister...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (25 Oct 2018)

Catherine Connolly: I thank the Chair. As a very important aside, I would say that the board should have some sense and go back to the creative talent on the ground in Galway, which is something for which the artists have asked. However, that matter falls outside the remit of the committee. The board should make this an artistic, not a business, endeavour.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (25 Oct 2018)

Catherine Connolly: Would the Comptroller and Auditor General be in a position to look at that between now and the next time we discuss it?

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (25 Oct 2018)

Catherine Connolly: Housing agencies are fulfilling it on a non-statutory basis.

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 10 - Funding and Oversight of Approved Housing Bodies
Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government
2017 Financial Statements - Housing Agency (25 Oct 2018)

Catherine Connolly: To put the matter in perspective, I checked the figures for Galway. A total of 239 people are homeless and while there are 154 in the west. Those figures do not cover people living in cars, staying with friends and living in refuges or direct provision. I am from a city that did not build a single local authority house in the period from 2009. I am just providing the context. It was...

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 10 - Funding and Oversight of Approved Housing Bodies
Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government
2017 Financial Statements - Housing Agency (25 Oct 2018)

Catherine Connolly: Why has it taken so long for the sector to be regulated? From where has the impetus for regulation come? Has it come from the Comptroller and Auditor General's report?

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 10 - Funding and Oversight of Approved Housing Bodies
Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government
2017 Financial Statements - Housing Agency (25 Oct 2018)

Catherine Connolly: From the Department's analysis of the lack of-----

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 10 - Funding and Oversight of Approved Housing Bodies
Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government
2017 Financial Statements - Housing Agency (25 Oct 2018)

Catherine Connolly: I have asked that. Why has it taken until now given that these bodies are major operators in social housing? Why has it taken so long to bring in legislation? Where does the fault or difficulty lie?

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 10 - Funding and Oversight of Approved Housing Bodies
Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government
2017 Financial Statements - Housing Agency (25 Oct 2018)

Catherine Connolly: I have to say-----

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 10 - Funding and Oversight of Approved Housing Bodies
Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government
2017 Financial Statements - Housing Agency (25 Oct 2018)

Catherine Connolly: I find it unacceptable that this sector is unregulated. We have a report that sets out the Local Government Audit Service and the deficiencies found generally. It seem that the Department is being pushed into doing something. Mr. McCarthy has given me a different explanation and I hear that.

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 10 - Funding and Oversight of Approved Housing Bodies
Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government
2017 Financial Statements - Housing Agency (25 Oct 2018)

Catherine Connolly: I think I heard Mr. McCarthy say it will provide one third of social housing if it is not doing that-----

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 10 - Funding and Oversight of Approved Housing Bodies
Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government
2017 Financial Statements - Housing Agency (25 Oct 2018)

Catherine Connolly: So it is unregulated. There is a serious report from the Comptroller and Auditor General in which he refers to where mortgages related to three schemes were not fully executed and recommended conducting a review and a reconciliation of all mortgages charged on approved housing bodies. He then goes on to point out that the Local Government Audit Service made a number of recommendations. I...

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 10 - Funding and Oversight of Approved Housing Bodies
Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government
2017 Financial Statements - Housing Agency (25 Oct 2018)

Catherine Connolly: Serious issues have been identified here and Mr. McCarthy is telling me that the answer is that the Department will have a report at the end of the year or in January.

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 10 - Funding and Oversight of Approved Housing Bodies
Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government
2017 Financial Statements - Housing Agency (25 Oct 2018)

Catherine Connolly: This is in relation to the 12 bullet points identified by the audit service.

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 10 - Funding and Oversight of Approved Housing Bodies
Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government
2017 Financial Statements - Housing Agency (25 Oct 2018)

Catherine Connolly: The Department also indicated that a follow-up examination of the implementation of the recommendations would happen, with a final report due by the end of 2018 or in early 2019. Is that on target?

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 10 - Funding and Oversight of Approved Housing Bodies
Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government
2017 Financial Statements - Housing Agency (25 Oct 2018)

Catherine Connolly: Great.

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 10 - Funding and Oversight of Approved Housing Bodies
Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government
2017 Financial Statements - Housing Agency (25 Oct 2018)

Catherine Connolly: The bullet points also include recommendations that local authorities should carry out periodic inspections of funded properties and so on. They cannot even inspect the properties they give out under the housing assistance payment, HAP, scheme and the rental accommodation scheme. There is a minimal inspection rate, and now there is a recommendation - rightly so - to inspect these voluntary...

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 10 - Funding and Oversight of Approved Housing Bodies
Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government
2017 Financial Statements - Housing Agency (25 Oct 2018)

Catherine Connolly: The Department has provided funding in relation to the very low inspection rate at the moment.

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 10 - Funding and Oversight of Approved Housing Bodies
Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government
2017 Financial Statements - Housing Agency (25 Oct 2018)

Catherine Connolly: It is very low.

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 10 - Funding and Oversight of Approved Housing Bodies
Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government
2017 Financial Statements - Housing Agency (25 Oct 2018)

Catherine Connolly: I have a specific question for Mr. McCarthy. My colleague, Deputy Catherine Murphy, asked it but was not answered. It refers to page 123, in paragraph No. 10.25. the Deputy asked about an annual management and maintenance fee. Mr. McCarthy went back to talk about the payments of the loans. This is, however, in addition to the loans. The local authority pays the approved housing body an...