Results 3,781-3,800 of 28,162 for speaker:Catherine Murphy

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Bodies (11 Jul 2023)

Catherine Murphy: 894. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of WTE senior case managers at the grade of higher executive officer employed in the Charities Regulator in 2021, 2022 and to-date in 2023, in tabular form. [33779/23]

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2021: Inland Fisheries Ireland (6 Jul 2023)

Catherine Murphy: In the past seven days, we have had the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board, RTÉ and the IFI before the committee. We have had a dysfunction overload in a week, the extent of which is highly unusual for the committee to see. IFI mentioned the vocational nature of many of its staff in its opening statement. I accept that and I accept their morale must be on the floor but it is not...

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2021: Inland Fisheries Ireland (6 Jul 2023)

Catherine Murphy: When IFI applied for this money the expectation would have been that, with the exception of a small amount of spending on administration, it would all have been used to directly benefit people with a disability or facing disadvantage. However, a lot of money was spent on salaries, overnight subsistence and events such as the ploughing championships.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2021: Inland Fisheries Ireland (6 Jul 2023)

Catherine Murphy: Did IFI return money?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2021: Inland Fisheries Ireland (6 Jul 2023)

Catherine Murphy: What was the amount?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2021: Inland Fisheries Ireland (6 Jul 2023)

Catherine Murphy: It was in that order.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2021: Inland Fisheries Ireland (6 Jul 2023)

Catherine Murphy: I want to ask a particular question before I asking about some of the legal fees. There was an internal review in July 2022 and another in September 2022 and the CEO reported potential fraud to An Garda Síochána in 2022. It appears that report was only made after the second review. There were two reviews. Why was it not reported after the first review, if that was the case?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2021: Inland Fisheries Ireland (6 Jul 2023)

Catherine Murphy: No, I am talking about the fraud investigation. There were two internal reviews, in July 2022 and September 2022.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2021: Inland Fisheries Ireland (6 Jul 2023)

Catherine Murphy: I am specifically talking about the fraud investigations by An Garda Síochána.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2021: Inland Fisheries Ireland (6 Jul 2023)

Catherine Murphy: How many fraud investigations are there?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2021: Inland Fisheries Ireland (6 Jul 2023)

Catherine Murphy: Okay. We are talking about the same thing.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2021: Inland Fisheries Ireland (6 Jul 2023)

Catherine Murphy: Once Mr. O'Donnell became aware of the issue, he reported it to the Garda.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2021: Inland Fisheries Ireland (6 Jul 2023)

Catherine Murphy: I do not need further expansion now that we have that information. An extraordinary amount of money has been spent on legal fees. I fully accept IFI will prosecute people, including people who damage the environment. That is the nature of its job. In recent years, legal fees seem to have increased by approximately three times what IFI would normally spend on them. Why is that? Apart...

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2021: Inland Fisheries Ireland (6 Jul 2023)

Catherine Murphy: Can I have a reply to my other question?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2021: Inland Fisheries Ireland (6 Jul 2023)

Catherine Murphy: I am not asking Ms Campion how much they got. I know the figure was €1 million when all the fees are amalgamated because I asked a parliamentary question on it. Outside of prosecutions, what is the nature of the escalated spend on legal fees?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2021: Inland Fisheries Ireland (6 Jul 2023)

Catherine Murphy: IFI spent €39,000 on legal fees around the Dormant Accounts Fund.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2021: Inland Fisheries Ireland (6 Jul 2023)

Catherine Murphy: Is that €29,000 spent on the report included in the figure of €50,000?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2021: Inland Fisheries Ireland (6 Jul 2023)

Catherine Murphy: Okay.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2021: Inland Fisheries Ireland (6 Jul 2023)

Catherine Murphy: Was the HR advice in relation to the issues around the board?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2021: Inland Fisheries Ireland (6 Jul 2023)

Catherine Murphy: It was internal staff.