Results 4,401-4,420 of 7,126 for speaker:Alan Farrell

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 14 - Control of Ireland's Bilateral Assistance Programme
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (21 Jun 2018)

Alan Farrell: Correct.

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 14 - Control of Ireland's Bilateral Assistance Programme
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (21 Jun 2018)

Alan Farrell: Mr. McCarthy has also mentioned that the figure of 0.43% relates to a select number of countries only, rather than the entirety of the countries covered by the programme, or have I misinterpreted what he said?

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 14 - Control of Ireland's Bilateral Assistance Programme
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (21 Jun 2018)

Alan Farrell: What is of more importance is the Department's adherence, in the light of what happened in Uganda, to controls in memorandums of understanding and contractual arrangements with countries. That is probably of more importance to the committee in terms of controls and adherence to them. I understand from my reading of both reports that the contractual arrangements are fairly robust. Would Mr....

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 14 - Control of Ireland's Bilateral Assistance Programme
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (21 Jun 2018)

Alan Farrell: Are there comparative figures available? Mr. McCarthy said the figure was in line with international norms. Are there country donor data available which could be used to identify where we feature on the scale? There must be some verification process to assess other countries' fraud figures for the purposes of the ODA budget.

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 14 - Control of Ireland's Bilateral Assistance Programme
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (21 Jun 2018)

Alan Farrell: We are donors from multiple sources for countries in need and do not just contribute via the Irish overseas programme. We also supply funds to the United Nations which has a target. Our rate is a bit off it. Is it only the ODA budget that goes towards the UN target, or do we take into consideration the fact that we fund the United Nations which also spends Irish taxpayers' money on behalf...

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 14 - Control of Ireland's Bilateral Assistance Programme
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (21 Jun 2018)

Alan Farrell: It is a global figure.

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 14 - Control of Ireland's Bilateral Assistance Programme
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (21 Jun 2018)

Alan Farrell: When does Mr. Burgess expect the White Paper to be published? What will be its scope in terms of the overall programme and what is the background to it?

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 14 - Control of Ireland's Bilateral Assistance Programme
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (21 Jun 2018)

Alan Farrell: We have missed our target, or moved in the wrong direction, owing to our economic environment. Based on current projections, how long will it take to reach the figure of 0.7% of GNI? I appreciate that it is a budgetary decision and will be voted on in the Houses, but what is the projected figure?

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 14 - Control of Ireland's Bilateral Assistance Programme
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (21 Jun 2018)

Alan Farrell: That is the figure I had in mind. Aside from passports, one of the biggest difficulties we face, as politicians, is the issuing of visas, particularly for family members of individuals who are legally in the State and have their paperwork in order. There are extraordinary delays in turnaround compared to the United Kingdom and France. My office has done some work on this issue and...

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 14 - Control of Ireland's Bilateral Assistance Programme
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (21 Jun 2018)

Alan Farrell: The crossover is there, and the fact that it is handled, but I find it very frustrating. I will skip over to the passport issue. I appreciate the information that has been provided. Every person I speak to who has gone online and received their passport has expressed surprise at how quickly it has come through. There is a reaction, especially online, at how extraordinary it is to get a...

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 14 - Control of Ireland's Bilateral Assistance Programme
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (21 Jun 2018)

Alan Farrell: That is good. It is important for the committee to get as much information as possible. What are the alternatives? What is the Department looking at with regard to improving the service? At the outset of the meeting the Chairman and I said how we appreciate the kinds of pressures the service is under. Would providing an additional printer speed up the process or is it more about the...

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 14 - Control of Ireland's Bilateral Assistance Programme
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (21 Jun 2018)

Alan Farrell: Why does the Passport Office handle an adult passport renewal online but not a child's? Why was that decision made?

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 14 - Control of Ireland's Bilateral Assistance Programme
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (21 Jun 2018)

Alan Farrell: The guy behind the counter is not working for a State body, in fairness.

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 14 - Control of Ireland's Bilateral Assistance Programme
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (21 Jun 2018)

Alan Farrell: No, as in the guy in the post office. It is a slightly different mentality. I know what the Chairman is getting at.

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 14 - Control of Ireland's Bilateral Assistance Programme
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (21 Jun 2018)

Alan Farrell: How many contacts were from Members of the Oireachtas?

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 14 - Control of Ireland's Bilateral Assistance Programme
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (21 Jun 2018)

Alan Farrell: I compliment Deputy Cassells on raising the issue of what I would call an embassy stunt. I do not want to insult anybody but I think it is. Our relationship with the United States transcends one individual and it is far more important for us to maintain relations with the United States rather than having certain difficulties with policies initiated by the US Administration. That is my...

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 14 - Control of Ireland's Bilateral Assistance Programme
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (21 Jun 2018)

Alan Farrell: The Department does not. Is it in-house, then?

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 14 - Control of Ireland's Bilateral Assistance Programme
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (21 Jun 2018)

Alan Farrell: They are very effective.

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 14 - Control of Ireland's Bilateral Assistance Programme
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (21 Jun 2018)

Alan Farrell: I think, from a PR perspective, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is one of the better Departments, from what I see as a social media user and somebody who reads three newspapers a day. I see the work of the Department highlighted on a regular basis. It is a compliment, not that there is anything wrong with having a firm in place in the first place but it was a question...

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 14 - Control of Ireland's Bilateral Assistance Programme
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (21 Jun 2018)

Alan Farrell: I do not think we should. The reason I do not want to know is because I want to make the point that, with the turnaround times the Department has, with all the information there, with the web chat, which is a fantastic initiative, and all those steps, it is unfortunate that Members of the Oireachtas, collectively, have to be involved in the process. I acknowledge that we aid the process and...