Results 3,121-3,140 of 4,168 for speaker:Susan O'Keeffe

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Role and Functions: Office of the Ombudsman (1 Oct 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: I thank the Ombudsman for his presentation and the casebook. On the Chair's point about standardised cases, is the Ombudsman allowed to advertise his services? By that I mean in a coherent way, not on the back of a bus. Mr. Tyndall referred to the difficulties in respect of clinical judgment. Was he effectively calling for an ombudsman for the HSE or did I misinterpret him? It is great...

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (1 Oct 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: I understand the reasoning behind streamlining the activity. Clerical errors occur all the time. The difficulty is the definition of clerical error and whether this presents an opportunity for someone to take advantage and identify a mistake as a clerical error when clearly it is not. The question regarding responsibility is important given the existence of a commissioner. We are probably...

Seanad: Access to Educational and Other Opportunities for People with Disabilities: Motion (24 Sep 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: I thank the Minister for what was a comprehensive statement to the House on the motion. Senators on all sides of the House will always want greater provision of resources, new reports and new investigations, and it is our duty to remind the Government of the need to do that, but it is important that we acknowledge the work that has been done and the fact that there are more SNAs. The...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Role and Functions: Pensions Ombudsman (24 Sep 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: Mr. Kenny spoke of the arms of the State and the renaming of the British and Irish Ombudsman Association. Has the experience in Britain been similar and do arms of the State there take ombudsmen to court?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Role and Functions: Pensions Ombudsman (24 Sep 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: Could Mr. Kenny send a note clarifying this to the committee?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Role and Functions: Pensions Ombudsman (24 Sep 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: It would be interesting, because we can draw from the experiences of British ombudsmen. I should have raised this earlier because it could be useful. Is it easy to get this information?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Role and Functions: Pensions Ombudsman (24 Sep 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: I second the thanks expressed by the Chairman, as the witnesses have been very helpful. Their clarity is appreciated.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Role and Functions: Pensions Ombudsman (24 Sep 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: Is Mr. Kenny recommending a change?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Role and Functions: Pensions Ombudsman (24 Sep 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: If the deadline for the legislation is next year, is Mr. Kenny on target to reach that? Before Mr. Kenny came in, the committee was talking about all of the ombudsmen's offices. When a report is presented by an ombudsman to the Houses, the Whip can be applied and the report can be rejected. Should there be a different way to deal with all of the ombudsmen's offices? They are all supposed...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Role and Functions: Pensions Ombudsman (24 Sep 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: It is a shame, when we might be able to make it stick through a clearer and quicker route.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Role and Functions: Pensions Ombudsman (24 Sep 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: It might be less expensive.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Role and Functions: Pensions Ombudsman (24 Sep 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: If the legislation comes through as it ought to, will the ombudsman's office be ready?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Role and Functions: Pensions Ombudsman (24 Sep 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: Deputy Harrington raised the issue of appeals taken by arms of the State. To clarify, is Mr. Kenny saying that where he makes a ruling, arms of the State can appeal that decision and take his office to court?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Role and Functions: Pensions Ombudsman (24 Sep 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: I understand. To be clear, then, the delegates are suggesting that whenever they have found themselves in court in recent times, it has been at the hands of the State?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Role and Functions: Pensions Ombudsman (24 Sep 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: Are we allowed to know which Departments are involved? Is that a matter of public record?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Role and Functions: Pensions Ombudsman (24 Sep 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: Nobody would dispute the principle of a right to appeal. However, recourse to the courts seems to be an incredibly slow and expensive process. Given Mr. Kenny's experience over years, might he be in a position to recommend another method that could be employed? As it stands, the process seems tantamount to throwing money away.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Role and Functions: Pensions Ombudsman (24 Sep 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: Have these appeals had an impact on the budget of Mr. Kenny's office? As he said himself, it is taxpayers' money that is being spent.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Role and Functions: Pensions Ombudsman (24 Sep 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: In other words, public moneys are effectively being shuffled from one point to another and then back again?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Role and Functions: Pensions Ombudsman (24 Sep 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: Mr. Kenny indicated that his office has been successful in recovering moneys from public bodies.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Role and Functions: Pensions Ombudsman (24 Sep 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: It is essentially a case of shuffling money about.