Results 44,501-44,520 of 46,267 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Health: Vaccination Programme (9 Jul 2013)

Simon Harris: 533. To ask the Minister for Health following the vaccine named Bexero being approved for use by the European Commission in January 2013, if there are any plans to approve and introduce the use of this vaccine here in the near future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33336/13]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Vaccination Programme (9 Jul 2013)

Simon Harris: 534. To ask the Minister for Health if the level of infection of meningitis B here, being the highest in Europe, has been taken into account in respect of the decision on the use of the vaccine named Bexero for the treatment of meningitis B here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33337/13]

Other Questions: Child Care Services Provision (4 Jul 2013)

Simon Harris: I very much welcome the Minister's work on qualifications for the child care sector. I wish to raise a slightly different aspect, however. In my constituency, the Bray Institute of Further Education already offers a level 5 course in childhood care and education and a level 6 course in early childhood and education. BIFE is really leading the way in this regard, but the difficulty is...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 17 - European Globalisation Adjustment Fund
FÁS Financial Statements 2012
National Training Fund (4 Jul 2013)

Simon Harris: Is the rate of return in line with other European countries? I understand the point Mr. Ó Foghlú is making. These are estimations the Department is submitting and it is asking for the maximum to cover all eventualities but are we in line with the rest of Europe?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 17 - European Globalisation Adjustment Fund
FÁS Financial Statements 2012
National Training Fund (4 Jul 2013)

Simon Harris: I want to return to the construction sector. Obviously, it is an extremely important sector where huge numbers of people are unemployed. I know Mr. Ó Foghlú sent some of this in the material but could we pad it out a little for the record of the meeting? The Comptroller and Auditor General report noted that the Department did not have standardised procedures in place for the...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 17 - European Globalisation Adjustment Fund
FÁS Financial Statements 2012
National Training Fund (4 Jul 2013)

Simon Harris: In terms of success rates, is Ireland still the highest beneficiary of EGF funding?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 17 - European Globalisation Adjustment Fund
FÁS Financial Statements 2012
National Training Fund (4 Jul 2013)

Simon Harris: The Irish Independent reported on 23 July 2012 that in some instances, the Department of Education and Skills had to step in with funding so that workers accessing funding could finish third level courses they had started and that spanned longer than the two years covered by the fund. Somebody might have had funding for part but not all of a course. Obviously, this leaves people in a...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 17 - European Globalisation Adjustment Fund
FÁS Financial Statements 2012
National Training Fund (4 Jul 2013)

Simon Harris: I have a question for both FÁS and the Department that is probably connected with Deputy Nolan's questions for FÁS. The Economic Adjustment Programme for Ireland - Winter 2012 Review, which was published in April 2013, contained a number of comments about the high level of unemployment and the fact that this continues to be a very pressing issue and talked about the structural...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 17 - European Globalisation Adjustment Fund
FÁS Financial Statements 2012
National Training Fund (4 Jul 2013)

Simon Harris: The area about which I am most critical and which needs most improvement, as the Department has acknowledged in the Comptroller and Auditor General's report, is the evaluation of outcomes. The Department has also acknowledged it to an extent today. People who have availed of an intervention are asked to complete a survey. In the case of SR Technics, the rate of non-response to the survey...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 17 - European Globalisation Adjustment Fund
FÁS Financial Statements 2012
National Training Fund (4 Jul 2013)

Simon Harris: That sounds like a dramatic improvement, which is good. I have read the Department's views on the issue of the return of €11 million, which was not spent. I understand that the issue is more complex than it appears at first glance. Some people would take the view that the Department received €11 million which it did not spend, whereas the Department might say that there was...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 17 - European Globalisation Adjustment Fund
FÁS Financial Statements 2012
National Training Fund (4 Jul 2013)

Simon Harris: That is reasonable. Mr. Ó Foghlú mentioned the issue of linkages. There has been some success in finding linkages from other companies, spin-offs or spun-off areas that are adversely affected by the closure of a firm. On a cursory glance, one would be concerned to see that there were no linkages established with construction programmes. When one goes beyond a cursory look, one...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 17 - European Globalisation Adjustment Fund
FÁS Financial Statements 2012
National Training Fund (4 Jul 2013)

Simon Harris: Yes, supplier and downstream.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 17 - European Globalisation Adjustment Fund
FÁS Financial Statements 2012
National Training Fund (4 Jul 2013)

Simon Harris: I want to explore the issue of using private companies to manage the records of one of these programmes, most specifically the SR Technics one. The Comptroller and Auditor General's report states the records for the SR Technics programme were collated by a private company. The next point outlines how there can be difficulties in that there may be long periods before valid records are...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 17 - European Globalisation Adjustment Fund
FÁS Financial Statements 2012
National Training Fund (4 Jul 2013)

Simon Harris: Consider the use of private colleges to provide course programmes for people availing of intervention. It refers to courses which are not available within the public system. Can Mr. Ó Foghlú expand on what such courses are?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 17 - European Globalisation Adjustment Fund
FÁS Financial Statements 2012
National Training Fund (4 Jul 2013)

Simon Harris: I thank Mr. Ó Foghlú and Mr. O'Toole and their teams for being here today. In my questions, I will focus on the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund, and Deputy Nolan on FÁS. If I can make one comment, I acknowledge what Mr. O'Toole acknowledges in his statement. We have had many a stormy meeting with FÁS at this committee, in my time and previously, but as FÁS...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (4 Jul 2013)

Simon Harris: Yes.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (4 Jul 2013)

Simon Harris: I ask that we would have a week to consider this and that we would take this matter at the start of our meeting next Thursday.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (4 Jul 2013)

Simon Harris: Yes. I would like if we could deal with it when dealing with correspondence next Thursday.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (4 Jul 2013)

Simon Harris: Yes.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (4 Jul 2013)

Simon Harris: I wish to raise a minor point which I raised with the Secretary General of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government last week. It highlights yet again our lack of oversight of local authorities and I want to place it on the record of the committee, especially when we see media reports in The Sunday Timesof council chambers under a local government reform programme...