Results 341-360 of 1,038,495 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Ciarán Cuffe OR speaker:Brian Stanley OR speaker:Marc Ó Cathasaigh OR speaker:Violet-Anne Wynne)

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I just wanted that information for background because I want to talk about nature-based solutions and soft engineering. We are very late to the table on this. The briefing documentation supplied to us the OPW says that the development of flood relief schemes under the OPW's capital programme now involves a specific requirement to assess the potential for nature-based solutions as part of...

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: How many flood relief schemes have within their planning a significant component of soft engineering or nature-based solutions?

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: How does the OPW do a cost-benefit analysis of nature-based or soft engineering solutions versus hard engineering solutions? This is a complicated question in several parts. How does the OPW do the cost-benefit analysis? How does it do the natural capital accounting, whereby the cost-benefit analysis takes account not just of flood prevention but also biodiversity benefits, carbon...

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: Is there any natural capital accounting element at all, whereby the OPW also includes the attendant benefits of biodiversity pay-off, carbon sequestration, water attenuation within the landscape and so on?

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: The OPW is looking into it.

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: There is very good work happening in Trinity College on it. The OPW would not have to go far.

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: Is the OPW talking to the people who are developing the national biodiversity action plan, which is on a statutory footing and which would include provision for these types of metrics? Does the OPW have an eye to the nature restoration law? It is on the rocks at the minute but there is a commitment from the Government to proceed on nature restoration. Are these things factoring into the...

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: We are still at a fairly embryonic stage in that. Is that what Mr. Casey is telling me?

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Brian Stanley: Deputy Devlin is next.

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Brian Stanley: When the information is sent on, could the properties be categorised as residential or commercial?

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Brian Stanley: It should not just be a list stating two properties in Baggot Street, for example. It is essential that we get the detail. To return to the issue of the national children's science centre, in 2000 the OPW committed to the redesign and restoration of the Earlsfort Terrace building. Planning permission was sought and it was granted in 2018 or 2019, I believe. Then there was a request for...

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Brian Stanley: Has the business case gone to the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform?

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Brian Stanley: We have a representative here from the Department.

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Brian Stanley: Regarding the business case, could Mr. Conlon state the current estimated cost?

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Brian Stanley: What are we talking about? Is it €20 million, €30 million or €40 million?

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Brian Stanley: In the region of €70 million.

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Brian Stanley: Is it correct that a business case has not come across, even to officials?

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Brian Stanley: I will come back to the promoters in a moment. How much has been spent on this project so far?

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Brian Stanley: Some €1.5 million has been spent already.

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Brian Stanley: I am curious about this legal obligation. The centre is to be situated at the National Concert Hall. It will be run by a private company. Meanwhile, in the intervening 24 or 26 years, another one has been built. I am curious about the nature of this legal obligation. Will the witnesses please explain how that happened and the nature of what was involved?