Results 2,461-2,480 of 4,042 for speaker:Cormac Devlin

Mother and Baby Institutions: Statements (25 Nov 2021)

Cormac Devlin: I welcome the opportunity to discuss the Government's proposed redress scheme for people who spent time in mother and baby homes. As the Taoiseach noted in his apology earlier this year, the State failed these women and children. It did not uphold its duty of care or the basic standards of humanity. An apology alone is not enough. There must be accountability, redress and justice for...

Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Second Stage (25 Nov 2021)

Cormac Devlin: I welcome the opportunity to examine the Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021. I thank the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage and his officials for their work on this Bill and for bringing it before the House. I will be supporting this important change in legislation which ends the era of strategic housing developments. This...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Nov 2021)

Cormac Devlin: As we approach Christmas, many people are eager to receive their third or booster dose of Covid-19 vaccine. Announcements from the NIAC around people aged 50 and over and those with underlying health conditions are welcome. Will the Tánaiste advise when the HSE will operationalise this advice? This week the European Medicines Agency recommended that everybody aged 40 and over should...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Chapter 7 - Oversight of Funding for the European Capital of Culture 2020 (25 Nov 2021)

Cormac Devlin: I welcome Ms Licken and her team. It is good to see many of them at the Committee of Public Accounts. At the outset, I want to refer to the breadth of her organisation. Ms Licken referred to it in her own opening remarks. I note some members have focused in on RTÉ and others on the European Capital of Culture 2020. I will touch on a number of other elements within both the...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Chapter 7 - Oversight of Funding for the European Capital of Culture 2020 (25 Nov 2021)

Cormac Devlin: On that point, it is the first time I have heard them referred to as "sales". I do not know if the people who pay them would exactly classify them as sales. In terms of the money that has not been collected, is there a plan to try to collect that at some point?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Chapter 7 - Oversight of Funding for the European Capital of Culture 2020 (25 Nov 2021)

Cormac Devlin: There is a collection agent. Okay, that is fine.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Chapter 7 - Oversight of Funding for the European Capital of Culture 2020 (25 Nov 2021)

Cormac Devlin: The Decade of Centenaries is something we have engaged previously on. In terms of the specific projects that the Department is engaged with, can Ms Licken give us an outline of expenditure to date on that topic?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Chapter 7 - Oversight of Funding for the European Capital of Culture 2020 (25 Nov 2021)

Cormac Devlin: I am familiar with a number of those projects. Ms Licken is correct. It is very important and I recognise Ms Licken's Department's involvement in that. In terms of expenditure, do we have a figure of how much has been allocated or spent to date?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Chapter 7 - Oversight of Funding for the European Capital of Culture 2020 (25 Nov 2021)

Cormac Devlin: The witnesses might send us a note on it, if they would not mind.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Chapter 7 - Oversight of Funding for the European Capital of Culture 2020 (25 Nov 2021)

Cormac Devlin: Of course. They are hampered too. I accept that. I see Ms Banotti there. We spoke previously about Creative Ireland. Since we last spoke, I want to commend the work, particularly in the 24 DEIS schools on Fighting Words, that programme that was very well received, as well as the creative youth projects and others. It is important to acknowledge that work. Mr. Falvey mentioned the...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Chapter 7 - Oversight of Funding for the European Capital of Culture 2020 (25 Nov 2021)

Cormac Devlin: That is fine. I await the note on that. I apologise, as I have limited time. There is a note as well on the procedures and control changes within the Department as a result of Covid-19. Ms Licken specifically mentioned risk register details, and controls and actions needed to mitigate risks and assign responsibilities for co-operation and controls to staff. Has that process been...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Chapter 7 - Oversight of Funding for the European Capital of Culture 2020 (25 Nov 2021)

Cormac Devlin: In my remaining time, I commend the work of the Department, specifically in the sports sector and the response to it, especially the €85 million that was allocated to sporting bodies. It is important that we acknowledge the quick response of the Department in a short period to the various organisations. I presume that I have used all my time, but I hope to get back in later.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Chapter 7 - Oversight of Funding for the European Capital of Culture 2020 (25 Nov 2021)

Cormac Devlin: I want to come back to the sports elements because that is where we left off when I was last speaking. I agree with Deputies Paul McAuliffe, Alan Dillon and Colm Burke on the issues around large-scale infrastructure and other grants. If I heard the witnesses correctly, it was said that with regard to the grants for sporting bodies and provision of sports and recreational facilities, that...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Chapter 7 - Oversight of Funding for the European Capital of Culture 2020 (25 Nov 2021)

Cormac Devlin: That is fine. With regard to part C, the capital grant programme part of the appropriation accounts, there seems to have been a significant increase in grants cancelled, from the figures for 2019. Can Ms Licken elaborate on the rationale for those cancelled grants?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Chapter 7 - Oversight of Funding for the European Capital of Culture 2020 (25 Nov 2021)

Cormac Devlin: It is section C in the appropriation accounts on page 15. It is at subhead 2.9 on commitments.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Chapter 7 - Oversight of Funding for the European Capital of Culture 2020 (25 Nov 2021)

Cormac Devlin: The Department might come back to me on that or send a note.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Chapter 7 - Oversight of Funding for the European Capital of Culture 2020 (25 Nov 2021)

Cormac Devlin: To stick with the appropriation accounts, under subhead 2.4 on prepayments, there seems to have been a reduction in expenditure on the 20-Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010-2030. Can Ms Licken explain what that is about and why there is such a dramatic reduction in that expenditure?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Chapter 7 - Oversight of Funding for the European Capital of Culture 2020 (25 Nov 2021)

Cormac Devlin: It is not a loss.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Chapter 7 - Oversight of Funding for the European Capital of Culture 2020 (25 Nov 2021)

Cormac Devlin: That is okay. In theory, the same money allocated to that programme is going to be there and it just has not been spent. Is that what we are saying?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Chapter 7 - Oversight of Funding for the European Capital of Culture 2020 (25 Nov 2021)

Cormac Devlin: I wanted to get clarity on that in order to be sure. The recommendation from the Comptroller and Auditor General states: “The Department should put in place robust controls to ensure compliance of future grantees with relevant grant management and reporting requirements”. I note the Department accepts that recommendation. How is it going to be implemented?