Results 2,121-2,140 of 10,577 for speaker:Barry Cowen
- Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan Expenditure (7 Mar 2019)
Barry Cowen: 197. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when he was informed regarding the escalating costs of the national broadband plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11448/19]
- Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan Expenditure (7 Mar 2019)
Barry Cowen: 198. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when he informed the Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform regarding the increasing costs of the national broadband plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11449/19]
- Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan Expenditure (7 Mar 2019)
Barry Cowen: 199. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if the national broadband plan will be many multiples of the original budget as confirmed recently; the basis of this confirmation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11451/19]
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: National Children's Hospital: Discussion with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (7 Mar 2019)
Barry Cowen: Mr. Watt is saying that it was discussed every week.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: National Children's Hospital: Discussion with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (7 Mar 2019)
Barry Cowen: We are all in our own way trying to establish accountability and maybe even culpability, ultimately for the taxpayer. For example, the Taoiseach has said that he takes responsibility on behalf of Government for this overrun but as magnanimous as that is, it cannot be allowed to stop there, notwithstanding the PwC report that is ongoing. The Senator beside me has touched on it and I want...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: National Children's Hospital: Discussion with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (7 Mar 2019)
Barry Cowen: Who appoints people to the contracts committee?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: National Children's Hospital: Discussion with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (7 Mar 2019)
Barry Cowen: They make a recommendation on who they believe is adequately qualified to be on it.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: National Children's Hospital: Discussion with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (7 Mar 2019)
Barry Cowen: They then play a role in Government contracts.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: National Children's Hospital: Discussion with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (7 Mar 2019)
Barry Cowen: If, following the process that is not only going on here but in PwC also, and I am being hypothetical, which perhaps I should not be, they said they were not happy that the contracts committee adequately scrutinised or analysed the proposal before them, which may have set alarm bells ringing, how then is it held to account?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: National Children's Hospital: Discussion with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (7 Mar 2019)
Barry Cowen: That is the Government.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: National Children's Hospital: Discussion with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (7 Mar 2019)
Barry Cowen: Why is a contracts committee needed at all if-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: National Children's Hospital: Discussion with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (7 Mar 2019)
Barry Cowen: They agreed the derogation so it is their responsibility.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: National Children's Hospital: Discussion with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (7 Mar 2019)
Barry Cowen: The committee permitted it, so it would not have been able to proceed in that role without that derogation.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: National Children's Hospital: Discussion with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (7 Mar 2019)
Barry Cowen: Were people with independent expertise asked to comment and inform?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: National Children's Hospital: Discussion with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (7 Mar 2019)
Barry Cowen: I do not doubt that they were put on it with the best will and intention.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: National Children's Hospital: Discussion with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (7 Mar 2019)
Barry Cowen: We would not have had a two-stage process, which has led to an overrun, without a derogation being given to the board by the contracts committee.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: National Children's Hospital: Discussion with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (7 Mar 2019)
Barry Cowen: The ultimate responsibility for granting it to them was given by the contracts committee.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: National Children's Hospital: Discussion with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (7 Mar 2019)
Barry Cowen: Who is the contracts committee answerable to? As Kissinger said about Europe, "Who do I call?" Who do we call when we want to check the work of the contracts committee?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: National Children's Hospital: Discussion with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (7 Mar 2019)
Barry Cowen: That derogation was granted and the board was allowed to go down this road, which led ultimately to the overrun. Mr. Watt said he sits on another committee that meets on a weekly basis to discuss capital spending across all Departments. I imagine it engages in extra scrutiny around the time of the Estimates. However, the information was not relayed to Mr. Watt to bring forward an Estimate....
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: National Children's Hospital: Discussion with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (7 Mar 2019)
Barry Cowen: I argue that the experts on the contracts committee accepted what was presented to them in relation to the bill of quantities, which ultimately proved to be the author of the overrun thereafter. The Mazars report has indicated that.