Results 30,881-30,900 of 34,780 for speaker:Seán Fleming

Topical Issues: Housing Adaptation Grants Expenditure (5 Mar 2013)

Seán Fleming: I am grateful for this opportunity to refer to the letters that were issued by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government to local authorities last Friday. They announced major, severe and draconian cuts to housing adaption grants and a number of other grants. Last year, the Department allocated approximately €55 million for this important area, yet these...

Meath East By-election: Issue of Writ (5 Mar 2013)

Seán Fleming: The Tánaiste should have some respect for the man.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Mobility Allowance Numbers (5 Mar 2013)

Seán Fleming: To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons on a county basis who are currently in receipt of the mobility allowance; the number of applications received that have not yet been approved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11726/13]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Mobility Allowance Numbers (5 Mar 2013)

Seán Fleming: To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons on a county basis who are currently in receipt of the mobility allowance; the number of applications received that have not yet been approved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11355/13]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Mobility Allowance Numbers (5 Mar 2013)

Seán Fleming: To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons on a county basis who are currently beneficiaries of the motorised transport grant scheme; the number of applications received that have not been approved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11361/13]

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 18 - Salary Overpayments to Teachers
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (28 Feb 2013)

Seán Fleming: It may have been the under-bidder, but the document we were given at the meeting with the Minister, Deputy Howlin, at 10 o'clock this morning states it was retendered.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 18 - Salary Overpayments to Teachers
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (28 Feb 2013)

Seán Fleming: He may have got that job, but is this morning's document from the Minister, Deputy Howlin, inaccurate?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 18 - Salary Overpayments to Teachers
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (28 Feb 2013)

Seán Fleming: Okay. What was the scale of the cost of the project, if the witnesses do not have exact details? Was it €10 million, €20 million, €30 million, €40 million or €80 million?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 18 - Salary Overpayments to Teachers
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (28 Feb 2013)

Seán Fleming: I will help Mr. McCarthy, because it is in his own notes on the appropriation accounts. The account the Department gave us for today states that the expenditure on the St. Patrick's, Drumcondra, campus development in 2010 was €5.5 million, in 2011 it was €1.8 million and the legally enforceable commitments to be met in subsequent years, according to the Department's...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 18 - Salary Overpayments to Teachers
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (28 Feb 2013)

Seán Fleming: I understand that, Chairman, but it is helpful sometimes. Perhaps the Comptroller and Auditor General will have a comment to make on this. In what year did that contractor go bust? Was it 2012?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 18 - Salary Overpayments to Teachers
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (28 Feb 2013)

Seán Fleming: I ask Mr. McCarthy to explain the appropriation account, which used the phrase "legally enforceable commitments to be met in subsequent years in relation to the St. Patrick's Drumcondra development of €32.405 million". Who had the legally enforceable commitment if the contractor had gone bust? How could he legally enforce a commitment if he had ceased trading?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 18 - Salary Overpayments to Teachers
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (28 Feb 2013)

Seán Fleming: This contract was null and void if the contractor had ceased trading. There was no enforceable contract against the Department because the contractor did not complete the job. Why does the Department refer to a "legally enforceable commitment" if nobody can legally enforce it against the Department? Who was the contracting authority for this, St. Patrick's or the Department?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 18 - Salary Overpayments to Teachers
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (28 Feb 2013)

Seán Fleming: There have been other schools projects that have attracted much publicity where contractors have gone bust. How many of them have occurred under the Department's Vote since 2010? Can we get a list of all the schools and campuses where the contractor has ceased trading during the course of the project and another contractor had to come in? After it had happened once or twice, it must have...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 18 - Salary Overpayments to Teachers
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (28 Feb 2013)

Seán Fleming: How long is that arrangement in place?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 18 - Salary Overpayments to Teachers
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (28 Feb 2013)

Seán Fleming: Something must have happened up to 2009. The Department was not claiming when it should have been or something like that. Why was that system changed? Would it not be simpler to pay the benefit directly to the Department instead of tens of thousands of teachers having to make individual claims? If somebody goes out on maternity leave, the Department will be informed. In terms of...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 18 - Salary Overpayments to Teachers
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (28 Feb 2013)

Seán Fleming: Therefore, the Department is examining this issue.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 18 - Salary Overpayments to Teachers
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (28 Feb 2013)

Seán Fleming: What about maternity benefit?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 18 - Salary Overpayments to Teachers
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (28 Feb 2013)

Seán Fleming: Given those on maternity benefit will be taxed from July onwards for the first time as a result of budget, will that have implications for the Department's payroll system?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 18 - Salary Overpayments to Teachers
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (28 Feb 2013)

Seán Fleming: Were the discussions ongoing before the budget announcement, given Mr. Moloney mentioned the Revenue in the context of taxing this benefit, or did they only start in the past few weeks?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 18 - Salary Overpayments to Teachers
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (28 Feb 2013)

Seán Fleming: In light of this change to tax maternity benefit.