Results 2,641-2,660 of 9,148 for speaker:Jim O'Callaghan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (6 Dec 2023)

Jim O'Callaghan: 202. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to detail in tabular form the number of students from each county that have benefitted from the €1,000 reimbursement in the contribution fee for the 2023/2024 academic year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54044/23]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (6 Dec 2023)

Jim O'Callaghan: 203. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to detail, in tabular form, the number of students from each county that will benefit from the Student Assistance Fund for the 2023/2024 academic year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54045/23]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Preventing Bid Rigging in the Public Procurement Process: Discussion (6 Dec 2023)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank all our guests for coming before the committee. I will start by asking Mr. McHugh some questions. He stated that he would like to see legislation enacted to enable the screening of bids to happen. I can appreciate that. However, we enacted legislation here not that long ago, in 2022, and that has been in force since September of this year. What is Mr. McHugh's assessment of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Preventing Bid Rigging in the Public Procurement Process: Discussion (6 Dec 2023)

Jim O'Callaghan: Under the Act that the Houses of the Oireachtas enacted in 2022, the CCPC was given the power in section 35 to affect quite significant types of surveillance. Has that been availed of by the CCPC or is that something Mr. McHugh envisages using in respect of bid-rigging?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Preventing Bid Rigging in the Public Procurement Process: Discussion (6 Dec 2023)

Jim O'Callaghan: I am sorry; I should know this. In order to avail of the surveillance powers the CCPC has under section 35, it has to get authorisation from the High Court. Is that done openly or is it done in camera?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Preventing Bid Rigging in the Public Procurement Process: Discussion (6 Dec 2023)

Jim O'Callaghan: Bid-rigging as a specific offence was created in the 2022 Act. Prior to that it did exist but the CCPC used to investigate it as a form of price-fixing or market-sharing. Have there been any prosecutions or investigations in respect of it since the 2002 Act?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Preventing Bid Rigging in the Public Procurement Process: Discussion (6 Dec 2023)

Jim O'Callaghan: The commission also commenced an investigation into the insurance industry, which has now concluded. Was that in the area of bid-rigging or cartel involvement?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Preventing Bid Rigging in the Public Procurement Process: Discussion (6 Dec 2023)

Jim O'Callaghan: That was not a cartel investigation but rather more general, regarding prices set by insurance companies. Is that correct?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Preventing Bid Rigging in the Public Procurement Process: Discussion (6 Dec 2023)

Jim O'Callaghan: If the amendment to the law that Mr. McHugh has looked for happens, will that give the commission access to the database the State operates through the OGP, whereby the commission would be able to use data surveillance to identify suspicious behaviour?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Preventing Bid Rigging in the Public Procurement Process: Discussion (6 Dec 2023)

Jim O'Callaghan: Turning to Ms Stewart, in respect of that request, which is ultimately a political decision, am I correct in thinking the OGP would not have any objection to that, or is it an issue of concern?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Preventing Bid Rigging in the Public Procurement Process: Discussion (6 Dec 2023)

Jim O'Callaghan: Although it is not a matter for Ms Stewart, given she is not a politician, the Department ultimately has no objection to legislation coming forward that would facilitate the CCPC in having screening powers over the procurement process.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Preventing Bid Rigging in the Public Procurement Process: Discussion (6 Dec 2023)

Jim O'Callaghan: Given the size of the public procurement sector in Ireland, is Ms Stewart concerned about bid-rigging? I presume it goes on here in the same way it goes on in every other country, but is it a matter of concern to the Department of public expenditure that it may be operating?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Preventing Bid Rigging in the Public Procurement Process: Discussion (6 Dec 2023)

Jim O'Callaghan: Does anyone in the OGP have the function of assessing the bids coming in to see whether they are bid rigged?

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: State Bodies (5 Dec 2023)

Jim O'Callaghan: 302. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government how the Land Development Agency tenders for services, and which services it tenders for; the timeline for the next round of tenders for services such as quantity surveying; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53270/23]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Healthcare Infrastructure Provision (5 Dec 2023)

Jim O'Callaghan: 527. To ask the Minister for Health for an update on each of the proposed elective hospitals for Dublin, Cork and Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53333/23]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Traveller Community (5 Dec 2023)

Jim O'Callaghan: 531. To ask the Minister for Health what plans are in place to implement a national action plan for Traveller mental health; the details of work carried out to date in the area of Traveller mental health; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53378/23]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Traveller Community (5 Dec 2023)

Jim O'Callaghan: 532. To ask the Minister for Health to give an update on the implementation of the recommendations in the report of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community (details supplied); to give an update on the implementation of the mental health recommendations within the report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53379/23]

Planning and Development Bill 2023: Second Stage (30 Nov 2023)

Jim O'Callaghan: Irrespective of one's views on this legislation, and we have heard many views expressed today, it is a remarkable achievement for the Minister and for his Department officials, to put together legislation that runs to 709 pages, contains 541 sections and is divided into 22 Parts. The purpose of the legislation is to try to consolidate our law in respect of planning and development. When one...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Ukraine War (30 Nov 2023)

Jim O'Callaghan: 167. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade what action is being taken to ensure that Russia and its leadership will be held fully accountable for waging a war of aggression against Ukraine and for other serious crimes under international law; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50066/23]

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Ukraine War (30 Nov 2023)

Jim O'Callaghan: 183. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade what discussions he has had with EU partners in relation to the establishment of a tribunal for the prosecution of the crime of aggression against Ukraine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50067/23]