Results 23,441-23,460 of 33,044 for speaker:Catherine Connolly

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 13 - Development of ICT Systems by the Department of Justice and Equality
Vote 24: Justice and Equality (26 Apr 2018)

Catherine Connolly: That is breakneck speed. I acknowledge that it paid tribute to the Department, pointing out good elements and core strengths, which is very important. I accept those as they balance what comes afterwards. As one of my colleagues said earlier, this is quite hard-hitting. The report also indicates that time was short and there was no time to do comparatives.

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 13 - Development of ICT Systems by the Department of Justice and Equality
Vote 24: Justice and Equality (26 Apr 2018)

Catherine Connolly: I acknowledge the limitation. Notwithstanding all that, there are some very hard-hitting conclusions. Does the witness accept all those conclusions?

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 13 - Development of ICT Systems by the Department of Justice and Equality
Vote 24: Justice and Equality (26 Apr 2018)

Catherine Connolly: That is okay. I am coming to the implementation. One suggestion might have saved much bother. The group offered services to make reviews on a regular basis. The witness is aware of that.

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 13 - Development of ICT Systems by the Department of Justice and Equality
Vote 24: Justice and Equality (26 Apr 2018)

Catherine Connolly: It states that "the review group is prepared to meet twice yearly, if required by the Minister, over the next two years to review progress made in implementing these recommendations". I see it is the Minister's role but was it discussed in the Department that it was a good recommendation that this review group should meet twice yearly and make a review?

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 13 - Development of ICT Systems by the Department of Justice and Equality
Vote 24: Justice and Equality (26 Apr 2018)

Catherine Connolly: Good. What was determined?

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 13 - Development of ICT Systems by the Department of Justice and Equality
Vote 24: Justice and Equality (26 Apr 2018)

Catherine Connolly: There is a specific reference to meeting twice yearly to review the progress in the implementation. Was that discussed in the Department?

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 13 - Development of ICT Systems by the Department of Justice and Equality
Vote 24: Justice and Equality (26 Apr 2018)

Catherine Connolly: Was it a good suggestion?

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 13 - Development of ICT Systems by the Department of Justice and Equality
Vote 24: Justice and Equality (26 Apr 2018)

Catherine Connolly: It was very generous but it was not taken up. I am asking the witness. Was that because it was the Minister's role? Did the Department believe it was a good suggestion and tell the Minister it was a very good idea in view of the findings and recommendations?

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 13 - Development of ICT Systems by the Department of Justice and Equality
Vote 24: Justice and Equality (26 Apr 2018)

Catherine Connolly: I am specifically referring to the Toland group. The mental health strategy A Vision for Change is a good example of what I am referring to. It was brilliant ten years ago. It had an independent monitoring set-up, with two periods of three years. That was abolished because it was doing such a good job. An independent group was offering to monitor the recommendations because it took them...

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 13 - Development of ICT Systems by the Department of Justice and Equality
Vote 24: Justice and Equality (26 Apr 2018)

Catherine Connolly: Okay.

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 13 - Development of ICT Systems by the Department of Justice and Equality
Vote 24: Justice and Equality (26 Apr 2018)

Catherine Connolly: Okay. That is not my question.

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 13 - Development of ICT Systems by the Department of Justice and Equality
Vote 24: Justice and Equality (26 Apr 2018)

Catherine Connolly: Did the Department think the offer worthy of being taken up?

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 13 - Development of ICT Systems by the Department of Justice and Equality
Vote 24: Justice and Equality (26 Apr 2018)

Catherine Connolly: Okay. Why was that?

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 13 - Development of ICT Systems by the Department of Justice and Equality
Vote 24: Justice and Equality (26 Apr 2018)

Catherine Connolly: Absolutely. I will certainly take it up with the Minister and I have done it in the Dáil.

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 13 - Development of ICT Systems by the Department of Justice and Equality
Vote 24: Justice and Equality (26 Apr 2018)

Catherine Connolly: It does not matter who it was. It is the system we are trying to hold to account. I do not like to use the word "damning" but it was certainly very hard-hitting.

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 13 - Development of ICT Systems by the Department of Justice and Equality
Vote 24: Justice and Equality (26 Apr 2018)

Catherine Connolly: It has been quoted already. There are phrases that include a "silo culture of secrecy" and so on, notwithstanding the Department's strengths. Surely the most obvious action was to grab the offer to independently monitor the implementation if the Department was serious about this.

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 13 - Development of ICT Systems by the Department of Justice and Equality
Vote 24: Justice and Equality (26 Apr 2018)

Catherine Connolly: It was a missed opportunity and I use the phrase carefully. I will come to the Magdalen laundries matter and an opportunity lost in a moment.

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 13 - Development of ICT Systems by the Department of Justice and Equality
Vote 24: Justice and Equality (26 Apr 2018)

Catherine Connolly: I saw the reference earlier.

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 13 - Development of ICT Systems by the Department of Justice and Equality
Vote 24: Justice and Equality (26 Apr 2018)

Catherine Connolly: I will make it my business to look at it.

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 13 - Development of ICT Systems by the Department of Justice and Equality
Vote 24: Justice and Equality (26 Apr 2018)

Catherine Connolly: I saw a reference to it. What did it cost?