Results 2,441-2,460 of 2,988 for speaker:James O'Connor

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Closure of Owenacurra Centre: Engagement with HSE (14 Dec 2021)

James O'Connor: There are 19 bedrooms. If the HSE reduced the number of bedrooms in that facility to bring it up to the current guidelines that are needed by it to provide an acceptable level of care, is there then the availability or option of reconstructing a new residential mental healthcare service in Midleton?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Closure of Owenacurra Centre: Engagement with HSE (14 Dec 2021)

James O'Connor: It has been interesting to listen to colleagues have an opportunity to question the representatives of the HSE. I am not at all satisfied by what I have heard at this meeting. Above all else, it comes down to the basic fact the HSE will strip my local area within my constituency of its existing residential mental health care services. For example, in Kanturk in north-west Cork, there are...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Social Protection
Chapter 9 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 10 - Management of Social Welfare Appeals
Chapter 11 - Controls Over the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (9 Dec 2021)

James O'Connor: I welcome the witnesses. I do not have a host of issues to raise but it is important to acknowledge that, since the outset of the pandemic, their Department has been under a heavier burden than most. Many people appreciate that work, as do I as a public representative. Suffice it to say, though, we have questions to ask. The gross expenditure from the Social Insurance Fund was in excess...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Social Protection
Chapter 9 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 10 - Management of Social Welfare Appeals
Chapter 11 - Controls Over the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (9 Dec 2021)

James O'Connor: I apologise for interrupting but I am a little time restricted and might revert to that question for a reply during the additional round of questions. My next question is on the matter of suspected fraud. We are aware from the details provided to us that this accounted for approximately €18 million in 2019. The pandemic has naturally increased the amount of support that people...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Social Protection
Chapter 9 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 10 - Management of Social Welfare Appeals
Chapter 11 - Controls Over the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (9 Dec 2021)

James O'Connor: I am sorry to interrupt but I do not have the luxury of time. Mr. McKeon referred to 9,000 cases. Was there a strong mixture of multiple reasons for stopping those claims? I suppose there were some people moving to other jurisdictions to live or did it have more to do with holidays? Will Mr. McKeon give us an insight into the figure of 9,000 cases?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Social Protection
Chapter 9 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 10 - Management of Social Welfare Appeals
Chapter 11 - Controls Over the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (9 Dec 2021)

James O'Connor: That is fine. Mr. McKeon might be able to clarify the other issues as well.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Social Protection
Chapter 9 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 10 - Management of Social Welfare Appeals
Chapter 11 - Controls Over the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (9 Dec 2021)

James O'Connor: In full receipt of the PUP.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Social Protection
Chapter 9 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 10 - Management of Social Welfare Appeals
Chapter 11 - Controls Over the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (9 Dec 2021)

James O'Connor: The 9,000 were not all in receipt of the payment. Some were seeking it but were ineligible.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Social Protection
Chapter 9 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 10 - Management of Social Welfare Appeals
Chapter 11 - Controls Over the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (9 Dec 2021)

James O'Connor: That is interesting. We in politics have a habit of bashing civil servants on many issues but it has to be acknowledged that the Department has done a considerable amount of work to help many people who were badly in need during the pandemic. It has not been easy and there were many teething issues as well as problems that we still have to overcome. Generally speaking, the Department has...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Covid Testing for International Travel into and out of Ireland: Discussion (8 Dec 2021)

James O'Connor: I thank the witnesses for coming to the meeting today. I acknowledge Mr. Towey for being here. For aviation and the Department of Transport, it has been extraordinarily difficult to deal with these restrictions. I wish to get an understanding from all of the officials on this Covid testing regime that came in. How did this come about? Was it a case that NPHET was in contact with the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Covid Testing for International Travel into and out of Ireland: Discussion (8 Dec 2021)

James O'Connor: Does the Department have a position on how much of an impact this is having? Is it seen as something that is constraining aviation or causing unnecessary issues? Another matter I want to understand is why there was a delay. Many people went to the expense of having to purchase the tests required before arrival, whether PCR or professionally administered antigen tests, a few days before...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Covid Testing for International Travel into and out of Ireland: Discussion (8 Dec 2021)

James O'Connor: I must interrupt as although I know it is not a nice question to answer. I am speaking specifically about those who got caught in that three-day delay. Will Mr. Towey explain what happened? I have limited time so I would appreciate it if he could focus on that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Covid Testing for International Travel into and out of Ireland: Discussion (8 Dec 2021)

James O'Connor: I have some critical feedback. I have complimented some of the work done but this needs to be said if anything happens in the future and we need to strengthen pre-arrival requirements in testing for any new variant or whatever. Leaving it so close to midnight for the airlines to be informed was not productive and it left quite an expense on many people and particularly consumers. That was...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 9 - Revenue Commissioners
Chapter 12 - Controls over the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme
Chapter 13 - Revenue's Management of Suspicious Transactions Reports (2 Dec 2021)

James O'Connor: I welcome the witnesses from the Office of the Revenue Commissioners. The temporary wage subsidy scheme was an excellent scheme that helped many employers to keep on workers throughout the pandemic. In an era when there is so much mobility within the workforce and when many employers are experiencing difficulty with trying to get staff, it was a prudent move overall. Am I correct in...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 9 - Revenue Commissioners
Chapter 12 - Controls over the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme
Chapter 13 - Revenue's Management of Suspicious Transactions Reports (2 Dec 2021)

James O'Connor: In regard to the scale and size of firms that were expected to take up the scheme and how much that would cost, was there any analysis or questioning done within Revenue to determine whether there should be a cut-off point for the scale of the firms involved in taking up the scheme? For instance, was there analysis of whether it would be better to direct the scheme towards small and medium...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 9 - Revenue Commissioners
Chapter 12 - Controls over the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme
Chapter 13 - Revenue's Management of Suspicious Transactions Reports (2 Dec 2021)

James O'Connor: I reiterate there is a broad recognition within the Oireachtas that the work done in Revenue by its employees has, in general, been very good. We have all dealt with businesses that have suffered a great deal because of the pandemic and that have suffered difficulties with Revenue, but I recognise the efforts of the witnesses and, more particularly, those of the workers within the...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 9 - Revenue Commissioners
Chapter 12 - Controls over the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme
Chapter 13 - Revenue's Management of Suspicious Transactions Reports (2 Dec 2021)

James O'Connor: I thank Mr. Cody. It is a valid point, which needs to be raised, and I ask Revenue to mind it closely in the coming months. It appears that we will be living with Covid for a significant period. The interaction between employers and Revenue in any future scheme, and indeed in this scheme, has an impact which filters down to people who are applying for mortgages. It is one of many...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 9 - Revenue Commissioners
Chapter 12 - Controls over the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme
Chapter 13 - Revenue's Management of Suspicious Transactions Reports (2 Dec 2021)

James O'Connor: I am interested in vehicle registration tax. What types of changes are-----

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 9 - Revenue Commissioners
Chapter 12 - Controls over the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme
Chapter 13 - Revenue's Management of Suspicious Transactions Reports (2 Dec 2021)

James O'Connor: Apologies. I thank the Chair.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (30 Nov 2021)

James O'Connor: 107. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to reform the CAO process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58635/21]