Results 44,901-44,920 of 46,267 for speaker:Simon Harris

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts and Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 6 - Office of the Minister for Finance
Chapter 1 - Financial Outturn for 2011
Chapter 2 - Government Debt
Chapter 3 - Banking and Insurance Measures
Chapter 5 - EU Financial Transactions (7 Mar 2013)

Simon Harris: At the monthly meetings, Mr. Moran or Ms Nolan represents the Department of Finance at the most senior level. Do the CEOs of the banks attend? The banks are represented by the CEOs.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts and Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 6 - Office of the Minister for Finance
Chapter 1 - Financial Outturn for 2011
Chapter 2 - Government Debt
Chapter 3 - Banking and Insurance Measures
Chapter 5 - EU Financial Transactions (7 Mar 2013)

Simon Harris: What about the chairmen of the boards?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts and Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 6 - Office of the Minister for Finance
Chapter 1 - Financial Outturn for 2011
Chapter 2 - Government Debt
Chapter 3 - Banking and Insurance Measures
Chapter 5 - EU Financial Transactions (7 Mar 2013)

Simon Harris: Where do the public interest directors slot into this? Some of them appeared before the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform a number of weeks ago. While I am sure they are well-meaning individuals, I believe they could not provide a tangible example of how their presence on the boards has made a difference. Through a range of parliamentary questions, I asked whether...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts and Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 6 - Office of the Minister for Finance
Chapter 1 - Financial Outturn for 2011
Chapter 2 - Government Debt
Chapter 3 - Banking and Insurance Measures
Chapter 5 - EU Financial Transactions (7 Mar 2013)

Simon Harris: Mr. Moran is not responsible for policy but there is no doubt that if one examines the Dáil debates from the time of the establishment of the public interest directors through legislation, one will note that the context was such that there was to be somebody on the boards representing the public interest, the taxpayer. I understand that when one joins the board, one becomes part of the...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts and Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 6 - Office of the Minister for Finance
Chapter 1 - Financial Outturn for 2011
Chapter 2 - Government Debt
Chapter 3 - Banking and Insurance Measures
Chapter 5 - EU Financial Transactions (7 Mar 2013)

Simon Harris: It has been very difficult to try to differentiate between the two types of directors although the legislation at the time and much of the change since then clearly intended for that to happen. What is Mr. Moran's relationship in terms of communicating with public interest directors specifically?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts and Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 6 - Office of the Minister for Finance
Chapter 1 - Financial Outturn for 2011
Chapter 2 - Government Debt
Chapter 3 - Banking and Insurance Measures
Chapter 5 - EU Financial Transactions (7 Mar 2013)

Simon Harris: Mr. Moran stated he asked some of them to focus on lending to SMEs and mortgage arrears. Has he asked the boards of banks in general, as opposed to the public interest directors?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts and Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 6 - Office of the Minister for Finance
Chapter 1 - Financial Outturn for 2011
Chapter 2 - Government Debt
Chapter 3 - Banking and Insurance Measures
Chapter 5 - EU Financial Transactions (7 Mar 2013)

Simon Harris: So the Minister would have met all the directors of the boards.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts and Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 6 - Office of the Minister for Finance
Chapter 1 - Financial Outturn for 2011
Chapter 2 - Government Debt
Chapter 3 - Banking and Insurance Measures
Chapter 5 - EU Financial Transactions (7 Mar 2013)

Simon Harris: That is fine. Is Ms Nolan now the head of the banking division?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts and Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 6 - Office of the Minister for Finance
Chapter 1 - Financial Outturn for 2011
Chapter 2 - Government Debt
Chapter 3 - Banking and Insurance Measures
Chapter 5 - EU Financial Transactions (7 Mar 2013)

Simon Harris: Did Ms Nolan succeed Mr. Torpey?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts and Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 6 - Office of the Minister for Finance
Chapter 1 - Financial Outturn for 2011
Chapter 2 - Government Debt
Chapter 3 - Banking and Insurance Measures
Chapter 5 - EU Financial Transactions (7 Mar 2013)

Simon Harris: I am sorry; I am just trying to understand the structure. When did Mr. Torpey stop working as head of the banking unit?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts and Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 6 - Office of the Minister for Finance
Chapter 1 - Financial Outturn for 2011
Chapter 2 - Government Debt
Chapter 3 - Banking and Insurance Measures
Chapter 5 - EU Financial Transactions (7 Mar 2013)

Simon Harris: I understand Mr. Torpey now works for Bank of Ireland.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts and Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 6 - Office of the Minister for Finance
Chapter 1 - Financial Outturn for 2011
Chapter 2 - Government Debt
Chapter 3 - Banking and Insurance Measures
Chapter 5 - EU Financial Transactions (7 Mar 2013)

Simon Harris: We wish him well as an individual. This is a discussion that the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform had with the NTMA. What are the guidelines in place for people who are currently working within the banking division, particularly heading that division, and who then proceed to work with the banks? In many private sector companies, garden leave is commonplace. What...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts and Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 6 - Office of the Minister for Finance
Chapter 1 - Financial Outturn for 2011
Chapter 2 - Government Debt
Chapter 3 - Banking and Insurance Measures
Chapter 5 - EU Financial Transactions (7 Mar 2013)

Simon Harris: Mr. Moran and his team are welcome to the Committee of Public Accounts. I want to begin by echoing Mr. Moran's words of thanks to what he aptly described as the many unsung heroes in his Department. We all got some insight during the passage of legislation here recently, and during various efforts at a European level, of the amount of work being undertaken at a political level but also at...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts and Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 6 - Office of the Minister for Finance
Chapter 1 - Financial Outturn for 2011
Chapter 2 - Government Debt
Chapter 3 - Banking and Insurance Measures
Chapter 5 - EU Financial Transactions (7 Mar 2013)

Simon Harris: I thank Mr. Moran and Mr. O'Brien. That is very important. On the issue of the banking division in the Department that was established last year, how many staff currently work in the banking division?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts and Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 6 - Office of the Minister for Finance
Chapter 1 - Financial Outturn for 2011
Chapter 2 - Government Debt
Chapter 3 - Banking and Insurance Measures
Chapter 5 - EU Financial Transactions (7 Mar 2013)

Simon Harris: It would be interesting to have an insight into the way that works on a day to day basis. This is a key question to which people want to know the answer. What is the day to day interaction between the Department of Finance, through its banking division, and the banks covered by the State guarantee scheme? Could we have some insight into what the ten people, approximately, are actually...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (7 Mar 2013)

Simon Harris: A number of articles have appeared in the media recently on the operation of Bord na gCon. I have also been contacted by a number of people involved in the greyhound industry about this matter. I am sure Bord na gCon would welcome an opportunity to address the issues which have arisen. In that context, would the committee consider writing to it to seek a response on the issues which have...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (7 Mar 2013)

Simon Harris: That would be a good way to proceed. Some relatively new issues have been the subject of discussion in the national media in recent weeks and it would be useful if a response on them could be sought.

Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs (6 Mar 2013)

Simon Harris: I thank the Minister of State for his response. It is particularly encouraging to hear that departmental officials will meet with the management of St. Catherine's tomorrow. It is good news that the Department of Education and Skills will now engage with those concerned. The Minister of State is correct that our collective aim as a group of Deputies is to protect the services that are in...

Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs (6 Mar 2013)

Simon Harris: The parents of children with special needs in County Wicklow need and want to hear from the HSE and the Department of Education and Skills about the future plans for St. Catherine's Association and all of the services it provides to children in the county. Yesterday 58 superb staff members were let go. Today parents in Wicklow are concerned, frustrated, angry and confused. They do not know...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights Issues (6 Mar 2013)

Simon Harris: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the measures taken by Irish Aid, his Department and non governmental organisations that receive financial support through Irish Aid or his Department, in support of human rights promotion in developing countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11775/13]