Results 31,101-31,120 of 32,983 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 16 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (6 Dec 2012)

Paschal Donohoe: I will leave it at that. I was not aware of the point Mr. McCarthy just made. The core point I have been trying to tease out is that I have no doubt the value-for-money work takes place at the capital part of a project. I am sure that is the case and that it is rigorous and well done. When the project has been up and running for a number of years at what point does a similar process kick...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 16 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (6 Dec 2012)

Paschal Donohoe: I understand that. I am, however, asking a different question. Where there is a contract with a third-party operator and when the project with which that operator is involved is up and running, how often does the relevant local authority check that the criteria and objectives relating to a that project have been met? I am not so concerned with regard to whether the contract is still being...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 16 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (6 Dec 2012)

Paschal Donohoe: Ms Tallon is not labouring the point. I am trying to tease out a point of distinction. I have looked at the audit reports produced in the UK. I accept that many more such reports have been compiled in the UK, which is a bigger country and has a far greater need than Ireland for built infrastructure. We carry appraisals at the capital stage. When projects are up and running, however, how...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 16 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (6 Dec 2012)

Paschal Donohoe: Perhaps the real question relates to whether we are still achieving the 23%. I am concerned with regard to what happens when PPPs are put in place in other jurisdictions. For example, the previous Labour Government in the United Kingdom put in place a large number of private finance initiatives. The benefit of this for many countries is that they can build a great many things but the cost...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 16 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (6 Dec 2012)

Paschal Donohoe: Does the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform have a view in respect of the point I am making? Ms Tallon indicated that her Department focuses on what happens when the project is built and provides a template in that regard. Thereafter, it is the responsibility of the contracting body to ensure the project is working in the way that was originally envisaged. The latter represents a...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 16 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (6 Dec 2012)

Paschal Donohoe: Thank you, Chairman, but do you know what, I'm still going to ask it. After what you said, I have the feeling its relevance is growing by the minute. I will ask exactly the same question next week. Is Ms Tallon aware of the report?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 16 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (6 Dec 2012)

Paschal Donohoe: It is from the National Audit Office, which is the UK equivalent of the Comptroller and Auditor General's office.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 16 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (6 Dec 2012)

Paschal Donohoe: Ms Tallon quoted paragraph 6.13 of the Comptroller and Auditor General's report which states that a capital cost of less than €40 million to €50 million would not be suitable currently for private finance. That is the point she was making. Accepting that with regard to water services, some of the observations of the Comptroller and Auditor General could apply to transport and...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 16 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (6 Dec 2012)

Paschal Donohoe: Do value for money appraisals happen for all PPPs?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 16 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (6 Dec 2012)

Paschal Donohoe: Are they conducted periodically? In the Clonee-Kells or Limerick tunnel projects, for example, is a VFM appraisal conducted after construction and then during the life cyle of the project or does it happen just once?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 16 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (6 Dec 2012)

Paschal Donohoe: Given the concerns some commentators are raising about the cost of public-private partnerships, or their equivalents in other countries, whose job is it to run regular appraisals to make sure any PPP is delivering on its original assumptions?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 16 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (6 Dec 2012)

Paschal Donohoe: It is one thing to have the cost; it is another to know the cost represents good value and whether the money could have been better spent elsewhere. When a project is up and running - given that we are dealing with a third party here, namely, the operator - how regularly is it monitored to ensure the various targets, etc., relating to it are being achieved?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 16 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (6 Dec 2012)

Paschal Donohoe: I welcome the Secretary General and her officials. I wish to discuss Chapter 6 of the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General, which deals with financial commitments under public-private partnerships. I refer to a report by the UK national audit office on that country's use of the equivalent partnerships, which are called private finance initiatives. The report concluded that the use...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (6 Dec 2012)

Paschal Donohoe: I would like to thank everyone who was involved in the preparation of the report on public sector allowances, particularly those in the secretariat. To go from where we were when we discussed the issue initially to having the finished volume in our hands the next day was a great achievement and happened thanks to the commitment and effort of a number of people. It was a report that was well...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (6 Dec 2012)

Paschal Donohoe: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a school (details supplied) in Dublin 1 was excluded by the special education needs unit of his Department for special education needs resource support this year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54853/12]

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (6 Dec 2012)

Paschal Donohoe: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding an application for carer's allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 9; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55021/12]

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Building Regulations (6 Dec 2012)

Paschal Donohoe: To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he has considered the submission made by the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists regarding the forthcoming Building Control (Amendment) Regulation 2012; if he has been able to address same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54872/12]

Financial Resolution No. 14: Capital Acquisitions Tax (5 Dec 2012)

Paschal Donohoe: It is clear in the debate what the approach of the Opposition will be. In fairness, it is consistent in its approach. What we have seen repeatedly in the pre-budget submissions they have made is that Sinn Féin, Fianna Fáil and their colleagues behind them come to the House year-round and oppose measure after measure taken by the Government. When it comes to them putting together...

Financial Resolution No. 14: Capital Acquisitions Tax (5 Dec 2012)

Paschal Donohoe: Fianna Fáil opposed the new household tax that is being introduced but in its pre-budget submission it accepted a flat €100 rate.

Financial Resolution No. 14: Capital Acquisitions Tax (5 Dec 2012)

Paschal Donohoe: Last year, Sinn Féin opposed the increase in VAT but it kept it in place in its pre-budget submission. Last year Sinn Féin said it would abolish the universal social charge. Where does that stand in its pre-budget submission?