Results 3,221-3,240 of 3,444 for speaker:Shane Cassells

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Department of Social Protection
Chapter 9 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 10 - Roll-out of the Public Services Card
Social Insurance Fund 2015 (20 Oct 2016)

Shane Cassells: The word "fraud" has serious connotations when assigned to the farming sector and it would be very worrying. I wanted to explore it in case people are not actively or knowingly trying to pursue fraudulent payments. It is a high figure when one sees that it is up there under disability allowance.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Services (19 Oct 2016)

Shane Cassells: 169. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of new bus shelters installed by county for each of the years from 2010 to 2016 to date in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31129/16]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Services (19 Oct 2016)

Shane Cassells: 170. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of operational bus shelters in each county as of the end of September 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31165/16]

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 94 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: National Asset Management Agency Sale of Project Eagle (Resumed) (18 Oct 2016)

Shane Cassells: I thank the witnesses for their contributions. My colleague when questioning the Minister for Finance made reference to no smoke without fire, which generated plenty of chuckles. However, during these hearings, there has been plenty of stoking of the coals. Every so often, little sparks emanate and we get nuggets of information but it is taking plenty of stoking to get them. One of the...

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 94 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: National Asset Management Agency Sale of Project Eagle (Resumed) (18 Oct 2016)

Shane Cassells: In terms of the question-----

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 94 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: National Asset Management Agency Sale of Project Eagle (Resumed) (18 Oct 2016)

Shane Cassells: That is interesting because he had a number of people from the Department of Finance here with him on that day as well. The second secretary was with him who is coming back in before us. They say they have regular contact. Did they convey anything to Mr. Soffe? Some might say it is not political pressure because it comes from the officials. What is interesting is that, on the day, I...

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 94 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: National Asset Management Agency Sale of Project Eagle (Resumed) (18 Oct 2016)

Shane Cassells: I suppose that is the chairman dealing with the minuted or non-minuted accounts of meetings and so forth. In terms of personal interaction and meeting the Minister in any other kind of context, was there ever a conversation between members of the board and the Minister or any of the senior officials about expeditiously moving this on?

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 94 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: National Asset Management Agency Sale of Project Eagle (Resumed) (18 Oct 2016)

Shane Cassells: Mr. Soffe said to us before the break there was no political pressure but what was required was a discreet and confidential process. Who said that to Mr. Soffe?

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 94 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: National Asset Management Agency Sale of Project Eagle (Resumed) (18 Oct 2016)

Shane Cassells: That goes right back to the heart of what I said. There was no political pressure yet the Minister said he wanted a discreet and confidential process.

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 94 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: National Asset Management Agency Sale of Project Eagle (Resumed) (18 Oct 2016)

Shane Cassells: I understand that but it goes back to the heart of what I am saying. We had the Minister for Finance in here saying he had absolutely nothing to do with the process and that he was fully removed from it, but at the same time he was suggesting and advising that he wanted a discreet and confidential process because it was Northern Ireland. Does that not go against the grain of the whole issue...

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 94 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: National Asset Management Agency Sale of Project Eagle (Resumed) (18 Oct 2016)

Shane Cassells: Again, he saw that as an opportunity but the Comptroller and Auditor General report refers to the fact that the probable losses were a result of the pursuance of that tactic.

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 94 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: National Asset Management Agency Sale of Project Eagle (Resumed) (18 Oct 2016)

Shane Cassells: I know NAMA does.

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 94 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: National Asset Management Agency Sale of Project Eagle (Resumed) (18 Oct 2016)

Shane Cassells: In terms of the Minister for Finance's role in this, Mr. Soffe has said that the Minister sought a discreet and confidential process. Mr. Soffe said that, "given the recent history of this island, it would have been unthinkable for NAMA to have ignored the impact of its actions on the Northern Ireland economy and on North-South relations". It comes back to the issue of motivation. Did that...

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 94 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: National Asset Management Agency Sale of Project Eagle (Resumed) (18 Oct 2016)

Shane Cassells: There is if the Minister for Finance is seeking to have this wrapped up and it results in a probable loss to the State. That is ultimately what happened here.

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 94 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: National Asset Management Agency Sale of Project Eagle (Resumed) (18 Oct 2016)

Shane Cassells: I find it unbelievable that the Minister of Finance - the person who advised a discreet and confidential process - was giving no end of advice to people on how to proceed and yet he is saying he had no role in this commercial deal. When he attended the committee, I asked him a straight question whether he believed there was a good deal or not and he said he would not comment. He was...

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 94 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: National Asset Management Agency Sale of Project Eagle (Resumed) (18 Oct 2016)

Shane Cassells: And Europe because he kept referring to the ECB and the troika.

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 94 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: National Asset Management Agency Sale of Project Eagle (Resumed) (18 Oct 2016)

Shane Cassells: So Mr. Ellingham got no sense that the Minister was under an extreme amount of pressure from Europe and was passing it on to NAMA to do this?

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 94 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: National Asset Management Agency Sale of Project Eagle (Resumed) (18 Oct 2016)

Shane Cassells: None whatsoever.

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 94 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: National Asset Management Agency Sale of Project Eagle (Resumed) (18 Oct 2016)

Shane Cassells: I think it was at the forefront of his mind, given his comments to the Comptroller and Auditor General the last day.

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 94 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: National Asset Management Agency Sale of Project Eagle (Resumed) (18 Oct 2016)

Shane Cassells: No one is disputing that. We are just trying to ascertain the process that was followed which led to the ultimate price achieved. Politicians above all people do not need a history lesson on how the State was funded.