Results 28,621-28,640 of 33,115 for speaker:Catherine Connolly

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána - Internal Audit Report on Garda College, Templemore (4 May 2017)

Catherine Connolly: When the Commissioner made this comment in January, was it not premature as we do not know whether there has been misappropriation of funds? Is that not right?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána - Internal Audit Report on Garda College, Templemore (4 May 2017)

Catherine Connolly: I am not going that road of saying that either. The issue I am putting to Ms O'Sullivan is the question of trust in the Garda Síochána. When this information was published, the Commissioner's immediate comment was there was no misappropriation of money and no misuse of public moneys. Was that not, at the very least, premature?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána - Internal Audit Report on Garda College, Templemore (4 May 2017)

Catherine Connolly: In respect of Ms O'Sullivan's two quotes, I put it to her that it was premature at the very least and if we want to build confidence, that was not a response at that point. A response at that point would be, "Jesus, look at what is emerging here". The report is damning in my opinion on any level and yet the Commissioner went on Sean O'Rourke's programme to reassure the nation. That is my...

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána - Internal Audit Report on Garda College, Templemore (4 May 2017)

Catherine Connolly: No. Will the Commissioner please listen to me? She may disagree with my understanding of what she did. She minimised what happened by saying that it is not acceptable by today's standards. This report shows that it was not acceptable by the standards operative at the point in time it happened? Is that not right?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána - Internal Audit Report on Garda College, Templemore (4 May 2017)

Catherine Connolly: Okay.

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána - Internal Audit Report on Garda College, Templemore (4 May 2017)

Catherine Connolly: The Commissioner has had her chance. Ms O'Sullivan may disagree with me but I have listened to the proceedings, I have read the statement and I have read a previous briefing statement that we got yesterday as well. It seems to me that the Commissioner minimised the situation when she should not have. That is not a way to build confidence. I see the Commissioner is disagreeing with me, but...

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána - Internal Audit Report on Garda College, Templemore (4 May 2017)

Catherine Connolly: All right. Let us look at the report of February 2017. It has already been pointed out by my colleague that the instinctive reaction of a Commissioner, not to mention any other obligations on an officeholder, should have been to bring it to the attention of the Comptroller and Auditor General at the point when she became aware of it in July 2015.

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána - Internal Audit Report on Garda College, Templemore (4 May 2017)

Catherine Connolly: I do not agree with the Commissioner. In view of all of the scandals with the Garda Síochána there was an extra onus on the Commissioner at that point to involve an outside agency of the highest integrity to look at it. Looking at this now, it looks like the Garda were trying to find out the extent of it and trying to contain it rather than accepting it was a complete mess that...

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána - Internal Audit Report on Garda College, Templemore (4 May 2017)

Catherine Connolly: Let me pose the questions for one moment. If I am being unfair to Ms O'Sullivan, the Chair can tell me.

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána - Internal Audit Report on Garda College, Templemore (4 May 2017)

Catherine Connolly: There was a damning in 2008, which Deputy David Cullinane went through forensically on the fact that it was not followed up, which I will revert to. It was a damning report stating that what happened was non-compliant with the regulations at that time, with everything from the Garda Síochána Act 2005 to the obligations under the ethics legislation. Does Ms O'Sullivan accept that?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána - Internal Audit Report on Garda College, Templemore (4 May 2017)

Catherine Connolly: No, but Ms O'Sullivan saw the interim report that we are discussing.

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána - Internal Audit Report on Garda College, Templemore (4 May 2017)

Catherine Connolly: Did the Commissioner see in the report in July?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána - Internal Audit Report on Garda College, Templemore (4 May 2017)

Catherine Connolly: When did the Commissioner read the report we have?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána - Internal Audit Report on Garda College, Templemore (4 May 2017)

Catherine Connolly: Did Ms O'Sullivan read the whole report?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána - Internal Audit Report on Garda College, Templemore (4 May 2017)

Catherine Connolly: Yes, but it did not change, did it?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána - Internal Audit Report on Garda College, Templemore (4 May 2017)

Catherine Connolly: I have forgotten my train of thought. The Chair might give me back my train of thought.

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána - Internal Audit Report on Garda College, Templemore (4 May 2017)

Catherine Connolly: Let me approach it from a different angle. This is the training college, a third level institution, is that not correct?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána - Internal Audit Report on Garda College, Templemore (4 May 2017)

Catherine Connolly: There would have been the most serious obligations on it. We are training young gardaí for their role as a trusted member of An Garda Síochána who will deal with domestic violence, serious crime and so on. We want to have faith in An Garda Síochána and be able to call on them. They are being trained in the centre in Templemore where these practices are looked on as...

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána - Internal Audit Report on Garda College, Templemore (4 May 2017)

Catherine Connolly: Mr. Kelly makes four points and Ms O'Sullivan is picking the last point, where only reasonable assurance can be given. In respect of the previous three points, Mr. Kelly can give no assurance in two instances and limited assurance in the third. Ms O'Sullivan instanced the fourth point, where only reasonable assurance can be given. Let us go back, is it correct that there are 50 accounts?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána - Internal Audit Report on Garda College, Templemore (4 May 2017)

Catherine Connolly: We are talking about a period when young gardaí were being trained. There were 50 accounts and it has been identified - Ms O'Sullivan said they would not have had training at that time but they will have training now. In the course of the report, it states the number of accounts that were opened by gardaí who had no training in finance, for example, investment accounts and all...