Results 3,481-3,500 of 5,098 for speaker:Mairéad Farrell

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services
Vote 11 - Public Expenditure and Reform (Revised)
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Revised)
Vote 14 - State Laboratory (Revised)
Vote 15 - Secret Service (Revised)
Vote 17 - Public Appointments Service (Revised)
Vote 18 - National Shared Services Office (Revised)
Vote 19 - Office of the Ombudsman (Revised)
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement (Revised)
Vote 43 - Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Mairéad Farrell: I thank the Minister. As I have questions on that as well, that is interesting. Have the civilian drivers who were replaced due to reasons of national security, as the Minister said, been redeployed or made redundant? As the new drivers will have replaced civilian drivers, I am interested in that. I am also aware there were a number of complaints about the recruitment process for drivers....

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services
Vote 11 - Public Expenditure and Reform (Revised)
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Revised)
Vote 14 - State Laboratory (Revised)
Vote 15 - Secret Service (Revised)
Vote 17 - Public Appointments Service (Revised)
Vote 18 - National Shared Services Office (Revised)
Vote 19 - Office of the Ombudsman (Revised)
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement (Revised)
Vote 43 - Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Mairéad Farrell: Of course.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services
Vote 11 - Public Expenditure and Reform (Revised)
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Revised)
Vote 14 - State Laboratory (Revised)
Vote 15 - Secret Service (Revised)
Vote 17 - Public Appointments Service (Revised)
Vote 18 - National Shared Services Office (Revised)
Vote 19 - Office of the Ombudsman (Revised)
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement (Revised)
Vote 43 - Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Mairéad Farrell: We have quite a bit to get through in all of these Votes and I want to get through as many questions as possible. From what the Minister has said, I understand he is not able to clarify whether that increase relates to last year as well as this year. Is that correct?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services
Vote 11 - Public Expenditure and Reform (Revised)
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Revised)
Vote 14 - State Laboratory (Revised)
Vote 15 - Secret Service (Revised)
Vote 17 - Public Appointments Service (Revised)
Vote 18 - National Shared Services Office (Revised)
Vote 19 - Office of the Ombudsman (Revised)
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement (Revised)
Vote 43 - Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Mairéad Farrell: I appreciate it is quite a personal issue for those people but for clarity, can the Minister confirm they are currently still in employment and have not been made redundant yet?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services
Vote 11 - Public Expenditure and Reform (Revised)
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Revised)
Vote 14 - State Laboratory (Revised)
Vote 15 - Secret Service (Revised)
Vote 17 - Public Appointments Service (Revised)
Vote 18 - National Shared Services Office (Revised)
Vote 19 - Office of the Ombudsman (Revised)
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement (Revised)
Vote 43 - Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Mairéad Farrell: Yes. As I am conscious there are many other speakers, I wish to ask quickly about the new protected disclosures office. Will the Minister confirm how many staff will be working there, if there is an average rate of pay and what qualifications are required for appointment? In addition, will we be incurring a fine for not meeting the transposition deadline for the whistleblowing directive...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services
Vote 11 - Public Expenditure and Reform (Revised)
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Revised)
Vote 14 - State Laboratory (Revised)
Vote 15 - Secret Service (Revised)
Vote 17 - Public Appointments Service (Revised)
Vote 18 - National Shared Services Office (Revised)
Vote 19 - Office of the Ombudsman (Revised)
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement (Revised)
Vote 43 - Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Mairéad Farrell: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Mairéad Farrell: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. It is great to see him appear before the committee. As I said earlier, I need to attend another committee after this and, unfortunately, I will need to leave after I ask my questions. I thank the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, for appearing before us. He will be aware of recent media reports that a former senior civil servant and valuer...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Mairéad Farrell: I thank the Minister of State. I will take his word about there being historical issues and how some others do not fall under the OPW. Those of us in the public eye are aware that issues like these that are in the media could cause reputational damage to any organisation. The Minister of State referred to cross-checking and double-checking. What are the new procedures that the OPW has...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Mairéad Farrell: In 2020, I asked the Minister of State about the vacant buildings that the OPW held. As he said, there are 2,500 properties. At that time, just over 80 buildings were vacant. How many are vacant now? If the Minister of State does not have the exact figures, that is fine. I do not expect him to have the parliamentary question from 2020 in front of him or to have all the answers. A few of...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Mairéad Farrell: What is the figure?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Mairéad Farrell: Did the Minister say there were 94 vacant properties? In the reply to my parliamentary question in 2020, I was informed that the number was 80. That means there has been an increase.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Mairéad Farrell: What I might do is-----

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Mairéad Farrell: So it has dropped by 12.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Mairéad Farrell: So the figure had been 80. I will not ask for these details now because-----

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Mairéad Farrell: When the Minister of State mentioned Garda stations, it reminded me of the issue of the Military Road and the new Garda headquarters. It is said to be too small by quite a distance to hold all the gardaí who are supposed to move from Harcourt Square. Could I get an update on that and the risk of a loss if they are not moved out of Harcourt Square in time?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Mairéad Farrell: I do not believe everything I read in the papers.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Mairéad Farrell: Will everyone be out of Harcourt Square by the end of the year?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Mairéad Farrell: What date does An Garda Síochána need to be out of Harcourt Square?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Mairéad Farrell: So there will be no overspill at all and no additional budget allocation because of overspill. Is the Minister of State 100% certain?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Mairéad Farrell: What are the contingencies and how much are they?