Results 2,501-2,520 of 20,049 for speaker:Brian Stanley

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (11 Apr 2024)

Brian Stanley: The letter stated it is expected that the review of the contractors fees and other matters will be finalised this week. That would have been the first week in March. On that basis, and in light of the complementary nature, the Minister expects that both reviews will be submitted during March. I do not know if there is an update on that. Sorry, it is three weeks, not three years.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (11 Apr 2024)

Brian Stanley: I had the Deputy worried for a second. The letter notes that on that basis, and in light of the complementary nature, the Minister expects that both reviews will be submitted during March. I do not know if that has happened or not. We might check that. It has not happened to date and we are well into the month of April now. I propose that we get back to Mr. Ó Coigligh and ask about...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (11 Apr 2024)

Brian Stanley: Okay. The next item is No. 2437 from Mr. Niall Gleeson, chief executive officer, Uisce Éireann, dated 1 March 2024, provides clarification around questions on vaccination programmes which arose at the meeting of 26 October 2023. At the meeting of 26 October, when asked about its vaccination programme, Uisce Éireann stated that it had one. At the meeting of 25 January the...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (11 Apr 2024)

Brian Stanley: University of Limerick attached a letter it received from the HEA.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (11 Apr 2024)

Brian Stanley: UL is corresponding with us but it attached this letter, which is helpful to the committee. However, protocol would dictate that we would have to seek the permission of the HEA to publish that because it is the HEA's letter to the university; it is not a letter to us. That is the difference.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (11 Apr 2024)

Brian Stanley: UL is seeking the okay from the HEA for that to be published. That has been requested. It is not the HEA's letter to us; that is the problem. The Deputy should feel free to comment on it, however.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (11 Apr 2024)

Brian Stanley: That issue also arose with regard to Dunnes Stores around what information was given to the governing authority.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (11 Apr 2024)

Brian Stanley: I notice in the conclusion of the letter that there was a discrepancy regarding the purchase price and what the governing authority was told.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (11 Apr 2024)

Brian Stanley: The HEA's preliminary examination, as it is called, is to me a damning indictment of the lack of governance and lack of proper process. The fact is that the governing authority, where the buck actually stops, was given misleading information, denied information or had information withheld from it. It is shocking. That letter shows there has been a complete failure here. The disappointing...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (11 Apr 2024)

Brian Stanley: This is actually worse than Dunnes.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (11 Apr 2024)

Brian Stanley: It is far worse. The fact is that there were contract amendments that were not brought to the executive committee or governing authority and the absence or extent, or non-extent, of due diligence was not disclosed to the governing authority at key stages, and it goes on. It is shocking that UL did not demonstrate compliance with the public spending code and did not provide evidence of...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (11 Apr 2024)

Brian Stanley: -----under all those headings of value for money, due diligence and accurate information going to the governing authority. There is a whole list of failures. I look forward to the representatives appearing before the committee. I am also interested to hear the HEA's explanation as to how this debacle came about.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (11 Apr 2024)

Brian Stanley: It was new legislation.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (11 Apr 2024)

Brian Stanley: Yes.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (11 Apr 2024)

Brian Stanley: Okay.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (11 Apr 2024)

Brian Stanley: The Deputy can go ahead and comment on No. 2477.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (11 Apr 2024)

Brian Stanley: The committee will meet representatives from the Department next week.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (11 Apr 2024)

Brian Stanley: I will say to the Deputy that there are many legitimate complaints. The relevant witnesses will be before the committee next week.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (11 Apr 2024)

Brian Stanley: The fire certificate would be in the public interest, as would planning.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (11 Apr 2024)

Brian Stanley: Those issues are in the public interest.