Results 29,401-29,420 of 33,581 for speaker:Catherine Connolly

Public Accounts Committee: Caranua Financial Statements 2014 and 2015 (13 Apr 2017)

Catherine Connolly: What did that cost?

Public Accounts Committee: Caranua Financial Statements 2014 and 2015 (13 Apr 2017)

Catherine Connolly: What did that cost?

Public Accounts Committee: Caranua Financial Statements 2014 and 2015 (13 Apr 2017)

Catherine Connolly: Ms Higgins has heard my question. I have heard of Capita and Mazars and these accountants. Who else is there? List them and how much it has cost so far to ensure proper controls are in place. There is also the Comptroller and Auditor General's office. I will park that for the moment. I reluctantly return to Ms Higgins' public remarks and my colleague raised them this morning. Does Ms...

Public Accounts Committee: Caranua Financial Statements 2014 and 2015 (13 Apr 2017)

Catherine Connolly: Let me quote them exactly. I want to get on to the issues. I am not a personality person and I stay with issues but Ms Higgins went on "Liveline". I do not want to insult the applicants by repeating the language that was used, that "these people are damaged, the hole in them cannot be filled by what we do, unfortunately". Did Ms Higgins use that language? Did she say that?

Public Accounts Committee: Caranua Financial Statements 2014 and 2015 (13 Apr 2017)

Catherine Connolly: Did Ms Higgins take part in "Liveline"?

Public Accounts Committee: Caranua Financial Statements 2014 and 2015 (13 Apr 2017)

Catherine Connolly: I want to use my time for the other issues. I am asking Ms Higgins if she withdraws those comments.

Public Accounts Committee: Caranua Financial Statements 2014 and 2015 (13 Apr 2017)

Catherine Connolly: Unreservedly?

Public Accounts Committee: Caranua Financial Statements 2014 and 2015 (13 Apr 2017)

Catherine Connolly: Thank you. They should not have been made. Let us move on to what happens when Caranua writes to applicants to tell them their case is closed. Has that happened?

Public Accounts Committee: Caranua Financial Statements 2014 and 2015 (13 Apr 2017)

Catherine Connolly: Mr. O'Callaghan is on the board. When did he sign off on this policy that applicants would be written to and told their case was completed?

Public Accounts Committee: Caranua Financial Statements 2014 and 2015 (13 Apr 2017)

Catherine Connolly: I am asking Mr. O'Callaghan as chair of the board, about the board.

Public Accounts Committee: Caranua Financial Statements 2014 and 2015 (13 Apr 2017)

Catherine Connolly: This board has been set up under statute, and it has a duty. Policy and procedures are set by the board.

Public Accounts Committee: Caranua Financial Statements 2014 and 2015 (13 Apr 2017)

Catherine Connolly: I would like to finish on the board. Mr. O'Callaghan is the CEO and he has a job to do. He is paid for that job. The board has a separate job. When did it meet and discuss this and change policy that applicants would be written to informing them their case had closed?

Public Accounts Committee: Caranua Financial Statements 2014 and 2015 (13 Apr 2017)

Catherine Connolly: I understand that and the board is entitled to look at prioritising.

Public Accounts Committee: Caranua Financial Statements 2014 and 2015 (13 Apr 2017)

Catherine Connolly: The board is entitled to make policy and do what it did and we are entitled to see how it arrived at that decision.

Public Accounts Committee: Caranua Financial Statements 2014 and 2015 (13 Apr 2017)

Catherine Connolly: There was no decision at board level about instructing the executive to write to people to tell them their cases were completed.

Public Accounts Committee: Caranua Financial Statements 2014 and 2015 (13 Apr 2017)

Catherine Connolly: This is a scheme that was set up to apply on a needs basis. Therefore, an applicant comes forward on that basis. I understand Caranua was applying the policy on that basis and that, therefore, an applicant might have come back again on that basis and been assessed accordingly. I am asking a very simple question. When did that policy change?

Public Accounts Committee: Caranua Financial Statements 2014 and 2015 (13 Apr 2017)

Catherine Connolly: I asked when the policy was changed because a substantial number of letters were sent to applicants to state their cases had been closed, or they were told on the telephone that they had one bite at the cherry, or words to that effect. I see a head nodding. I am going to come back to Ms Higgins about how many letters went sent. Mr. O'Callaghan is clearly telling me that no policy decision...

Public Accounts Committee: Caranua Financial Statements 2014 and 2015 (13 Apr 2017)

Catherine Connolly: When was that?

Public Accounts Committee: Caranua Financial Statements 2014 and 2015 (13 Apr 2017)

Catherine Connolly: I have a number of quick questions. The telephone calls were primarily answered by agency staff?

Public Accounts Committee: Caranua Financial Statements 2014 and 2015 (13 Apr 2017)

Catherine Connolly: I am sorry; I was indistinct. The number of agency staff was extraordinarily high, given the pressure. Caranua had no staff and went for agency staff. Is that right? What was the highest percentage of agency staff?