Results 45,041-45,060 of 46,267 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Benefit Review (16 Jan 2013)

Simon Harris: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the date on which she received the expert report on reforming the child benefit system; the membership of this expert group; the terms of reference of this expert group; when she intends to bring the report to Government; when she will publish the report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1345/13]

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Carers Strategy (16 Jan 2013)

Simon Harris: To ask the Minister for Health the current status of the National Carer's Strategy; if an implementation plan is in place for this strategy; the elements of the strategy that will be implemented this year; the number of years over which it is hoped to implement all elements of the strategy; if he will outline the structures in place on a cross-departmental basis to coordinate the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (10 Jan 2013)

Simon Harris: The Minister is correct in the sense that this welcome and overdue legislation will fix restrictions introduced in the past, while extending its remit to the National Asset Management Agency. However, we also need to move beyond the culture where people need to submit freedom of information requests to obtain information. While the Department is doing significant work in this regard in...

Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (20 Dec 2012)

Simon Harris: Even in the trenches during the world wars, peace broke out over Christmas and, therefore, I will attempt to leave my colleague's comments to one side. I would like to comment on political reform and while the Bill is focused on the cost of running a Parliament, there is a cost associated with democracy and with having democratic institutions. My constituents, and I presume those of other...

Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (20 Dec 2012)

Simon Harris: This week.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 19 - Official Development Assistance
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade
Vote 29 - International Co-operation (20 Dec 2012)

Simon Harris: I wish to make two final points. Deputy Deasy touched on a point relating to the NGOs and payscales. As politicians representing the taxpayer's interests, we find it frustrating when we ask organisations, some of which are involved in overseas aid while others are involved in other areas, for their remuneration figures and they tell us it is a private matter and nothing to do with us. Mr....

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 19 - Official Development Assistance
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade
Vote 29 - International Co-operation (20 Dec 2012)

Simon Harris: That is good news. Vote 28 relates to the Department. Note 5.2 is a reference to specialist tasks for which two retired civil servants were paid €142,968 in 2011. I am unclear about the nature of the specialist tasks.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 19 - Official Development Assistance
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade
Vote 29 - International Co-operation (20 Dec 2012)

Simon Harris: His skill set is unique.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 19 - Official Development Assistance
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade
Vote 29 - International Co-operation (20 Dec 2012)

Simon Harris: I return to the Comptroller and Auditor General's 2009 report for programme countries, which audited the programmes in Uganda, Mozambique, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Zambia, Vietnam, Lesotho, Malawi and Timor-Leste. The number of unqualified audit opinions amounted to 55% of the total, in other words, 55% had a clean-----

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 19 - Official Development Assistance
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade
Vote 29 - International Co-operation (20 Dec 2012)

Simon Harris: Yes, the audit was for the programme countries in 2009.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 19 - Official Development Assistance
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade
Vote 29 - International Co-operation (20 Dec 2012)

Simon Harris: The audit refers to 2009.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 19 - Official Development Assistance
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade
Vote 29 - International Co-operation (20 Dec 2012)

Simon Harris: My understanding is that the term "unqualified" implies a clean bill of health, while the term "qualified" means there is a question mark. One also has the interesting category of "other". We do not need to concern ourselves with the 55% of audit opinions that are unqualified. A further 7% are qualified and we will discuss those in a moment. The category of "other" is interesting and...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 19 - Official Development Assistance
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade
Vote 29 - International Co-operation (20 Dec 2012)

Simon Harris: The Comptroller and Auditor General made a range of recommendations on foot of this figure. A diagram on page 257 of the report shows the status of recommendations from evaluations completed in 2011. While the Department accepted six of the recommendations, it did not accept one of them. Note B states: One recommendation was not accepted by management. It is the view of the Evaluation and...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 19 - Official Development Assistance
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade
Vote 29 - International Co-operation (20 Dec 2012)

Simon Harris: In the context of the forthcoming Irish Presidency of the European Union, the Financial Times of 18 December 2012 reported that a member of the European Court of Auditors, Karel Pinxten, issued a warning on untracked overseas aid in the European Parliament. Mr. Rogers is probably familiar with the matter. The headline read "EU warned over untracked overseas aid" and the first sentence of...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 19 - Official Development Assistance
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade
Vote 29 - International Co-operation (20 Dec 2012)

Simon Harris: I appreciate the responses. Mr. Cooney's approach of getting to the bottom of the issue and raising the need for a chief financial officer is very reassuring. We are not going to fry Mr. Cooney but we must do our job of work.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 19 - Official Development Assistance
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade
Vote 29 - International Co-operation (20 Dec 2012)

Simon Harris: I say this to be constructive. The people whom I meet detest, and what I personally detest is, the use of the phrase "systemic failure". Apparently "systemic failure" ruined this country. Individuals are involved. People make decisions. People are paid to manage. Structures are put in place and people are paid to oversee those structures. The witnesses may not be able to answer this...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 19 - Official Development Assistance
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade
Vote 29 - International Co-operation (20 Dec 2012)

Simon Harris: There are a number of other areas, but the last point on this series of questions is whether this is an interim report.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 19 - Official Development Assistance
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade
Vote 29 - International Co-operation (20 Dec 2012)

Simon Harris: When does Mr. Cooney expect to have the body of work completed in this regard?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 19 - Official Development Assistance
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade
Vote 29 - International Co-operation (20 Dec 2012)

Simon Harris: I welcome the witnesses to the meeting. I am sure the Irish Presidency of the EU will be a busy time for them and I wish them all the best for that. Deputy Deasy makes an interesting point. We all value the health service but we still bring the HSE in here and question it to the nth degree in the interests of improving the health service. That is the purpose behind this exchange. There...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Newborn Screening Cards (19 Dec 2012)

Simon Harris: To ask the Minister for Health when he received the Health Service Executive review group report on newborn screening cards; when this report was pubished; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57165/12]