Results 30,141-30,160 of 34,778 for speaker:Seán Fleming

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 26: Collection of Motor Taxation
Vote 20: An Garda Síochána (16 May 2013)

Seán Fleming: The Commissioner is being helpful to the public which is important in a meeting like this one.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 26: Collection of Motor Taxation
Vote 20: An Garda Síochána (16 May 2013)

Seán Fleming: I am not criticising the Commissioner; I am just trying to elicit information. I have a few more topics to raise. We all saw an improvement last year in Templemore in Garda vetting when the time shrank from six months to three months and four weeks, but we are definitely seeing a deterioration in the waiting times again. Why? We are all getting complaints again in our constituency offices.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 26: Collection of Motor Taxation
Vote 20: An Garda Síochána (16 May 2013)

Seán Fleming: Some 25 staff.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 26: Collection of Motor Taxation
Vote 20: An Garda Síochána (16 May 2013)

Seán Fleming: When does the Commissioner expect to get the figure back down to four weeks? We run into cases in which, for example, somebody is applying to participate in a community employment scheme and wants to participate in a FÁS scheme, but by the time he or she receives clearance the post is no longer available. People are losing out on employment opportunities because of the delay.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 26: Collection of Motor Taxation
Vote 20: An Garda Síochána (16 May 2013)

Seán Fleming: Is there anything that can be done at an administrative level?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 26: Collection of Motor Taxation
Vote 20: An Garda Síochána (16 May 2013)

Seán Fleming: Therefore, ttere is some discretion. We are always told it is done in chronological order. I have one suggestion, although it may require legislation and the Commissioner can tell me if that is the case. Some individuals have to be vetted three or four times simultaneously, for example, for employment, to be a trainer in the local sports club and be involved in a youth service organisation...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 26: Collection of Motor Taxation
Vote 20: An Garda Síochána (16 May 2013)

Seán Fleming: It is a matter for legislation.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 26: Collection of Motor Taxation
Vote 20: An Garda Síochána (16 May 2013)

Seán Fleming: The person is still caught in a queue. The Commissioner mentioned doing nothing off the books. In Vote 20, note 5.4, Settlement with the Revenue Commissioners, the Comptroller and Auditor General states:Included under the A.1. Subhead is a settlement of €12.5m to the Revenue Commissioners in December 2011 in respect of a legacy liability covering taxes applicable to certain...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 26: Collection of Motor Taxation
Vote 20: An Garda Síochána (16 May 2013)

Seán Fleming: I welcome the Commissioner and his colleagues. Is Mr. Callinan satisfied with the confidential recipient system that is in place in the Garda Síochána? As a result of recent events, have any changes been made to that process, including the personnel involved, or is there an intention to implement such changes?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 26: Collection of Motor Taxation
Vote 20: An Garda Síochána (16 May 2013)

Seán Fleming: There has been no change in the past year as a consequence of these events?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 26: Collection of Motor Taxation
Vote 20: An Garda Síochána (16 May 2013)

Seán Fleming: Are we to take it then that Mr. Callinan is satisfied with the current system?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 26: Collection of Motor Taxation
Vote 20: An Garda Síochána (16 May 2013)

Seán Fleming: It seems to me from listening to the discussion thus far that certain matters were referred to the confidential recipient. Whether or not they were anonymous is neither here nor there; they were referred to the Commissioner's office. Mr. Callinan took some action on foot of that and whoever dealt with it dealt with it. Is he satisfied with the response that was given? The person making...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 26: Collection of Motor Taxation
Vote 20: An Garda Síochána (16 May 2013)

Seán Fleming: I am not making light of any of the issues here but it is always possible that where a person makes a complaint and it is dealt with to the satisfaction of the procedure in the organisation, that might not necessarily be to the satisfaction of the complainant. That happens in every organisation.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 26: Collection of Motor Taxation
Vote 20: An Garda Síochána (16 May 2013)

Seán Fleming: To reiterate, I am not making light of anything. As we all know, the public is not happy about what has been discovered. Mr. Callinan seems to be saying, however, that the information that was downloaded from PULSE and given out in the public arena amounted to far more than ever went through the confidential recipient in the first place.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 26: Collection of Motor Taxation
Vote 20: An Garda Síochána (16 May 2013)

Seán Fleming: In other words, a large portion of what we became aware of through the public arena had never gone through that process?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 26: Collection of Motor Taxation
Vote 20: An Garda Síochána (16 May 2013)

Seán Fleming: To be clear, I am not here to defend Mr. Callinan's corner but I want to hear both sides.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 26: Collection of Motor Taxation
Vote 20: An Garda Síochána (16 May 2013)

Seán Fleming: Finally, will the Commissioner explain the role of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission in all of this? Is it free for somebody to make a complaint to the ombudsman commission in respect of how this matter was dealt with by the Garda? Is that option there?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 26: Collection of Motor Taxation
Vote 20: An Garda Síochána (16 May 2013)

Seán Fleming: In other words, is there a reasonable possibility - I am not saying it will happen, but it is possible - that this case could be referred to the ombudsman commission?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 26: Collection of Motor Taxation
Vote 20: An Garda Síochána (16 May 2013)

Seán Fleming: My point is that it is possible the process is not yet completed.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 26: Collection of Motor Taxation
Vote 20: An Garda Síochána (16 May 2013)

Seán Fleming: Does the same prohibition apply in the case of retired personnel?