Results 45,181-45,200 of 46,267 for speaker:Simon Harris

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 25: Environment, Community and Local Government - Review of Allowances (31 Oct 2012)

Simon Harris: I will raise the issue of Irish Aid and overseas development aid tomorrow.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 25: Environment, Community and Local Government - Review of Allowances (31 Oct 2012)

Simon Harris: That is a helpful clarification. I share the concern that has been expressed by my colleague, Deputy Seán Fleming, about the significant number of potential allowances that continue to apply. I understand it is a question of timing and that there is work to be done. Is there a definitive timeline for when the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform will have the final number of...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 25: Environment, Community and Local Government - Review of Allowances (31 Oct 2012)

Simon Harris: I thank Ms Buckley. I would like to raise a couple of issues with Ms Tallon. If we are looking for a model of something clear that can be picked up and understood by taxpayers, I suggest the table that summarises the individual local authority business cases is it. We need to give credit where credit is due. Over the course of these hearings, this is the first time I have picked up a...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 25: Environment, Community and Local Government - Review of Allowances (31 Oct 2012)

Simon Harris: Ms Tallon and I are familiar with Wicklow, which is not on the list. Am I to presume that no individual local authority allowance is in place in Wicklow? Is it simply a question of no business case having been submitted in respect of the allowances there?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 25: Environment, Community and Local Government - Review of Allowances (31 Oct 2012)

Simon Harris: The Department has received-----

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 25: Environment, Community and Local Government - Review of Allowances (31 Oct 2012)

Simon Harris: I am not being parochial. I am just using Wicklow as an example. The same thing applies to the other counties that are missing from the list. Is it the case that there are local allowances in place, but the Department has found there is no point in submitting business cases for them-----

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 25: Environment, Community and Local Government - Review of Allowances (31 Oct 2012)

Simon Harris: -----and chosen not to do so?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 25: Environment, Community and Local Government - Review of Allowances (31 Oct 2012)

Simon Harris: Does that account for the list of 160?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 25: Environment, Community and Local Government - Review of Allowances (31 Oct 2012)

Simon Harris: That is very helpful. I have noted some local variations in the document. We have discussed this with every Secretary General. I refer to the kind of variance at local level. For example, it seems there are many keyholders in Laois. It seems peculiar to me and to most people. There must be many keyholders in Wicklow. Even after all these discussions, I am still confused about these...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 25: Environment, Community and Local Government - Review of Allowances (31 Oct 2012)

Simon Harris: I apologise to the people of Laois. The details were hidden under a staple in my copy of the document.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 25: Environment, Community and Local Government - Review of Allowances (31 Oct 2012)

Simon Harris: I take that point. I am making a broader point. How come we have keyholder allowances in one area but not in another? I want to get to the bottom of the matter. Is it basically a case of local unions negotiating successfully with county management over the years to get additional allowances? Have unions in some geographical areas been more successful than others? I cannot believe there...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 25: Environment, Community and Local Government - Review of Allowances (31 Oct 2012)

Simon Harris: When will we get a definitive decision from the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government on Wicklow and all the other missing county councils?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 25: Environment, Community and Local Government - Review of Allowances (31 Oct 2012)

Simon Harris: We are very effective in most areas in Wicklow.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 25: Environment, Community and Local Government - Review of Allowances (31 Oct 2012)

Simon Harris: There often is, as Ms Tallon is aware. As I do not want to be parochial, I will mention that Tipperary is not on the list. Should an employee of one of the two county councils in Tipperary - they will be merged soon - whose county manager has not sent a business case to the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, which therefore could not send it on to the Department...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 25: Environment, Community and Local Government - Review of Allowances (31 Oct 2012)

Simon Harris: Okay. Therefore, it is ceasing for new beneficiaries only.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 25: Environment, Community and Local Government - Review of Allowances (31 Oct 2012)

Simon Harris: I am delighted Ms Tallon referred to dirty money because of all the allowances, dirty money is the one that most seems like an anti-capitalist term. It is a bizarre name for an allowance. I do not know whether this allowance is the same as the dirty money allowance applied in the university sector, but I presume it is the money maintenance staff get for what I colloquially call "muck on...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 25: Environment, Community and Local Government - Review of Allowances (31 Oct 2012)

Simon Harris: I thank Ms Tallon and Ms Buckley and their officials for being here today. I wish to add my comments to the point the Chairman made. I commend the approach being taken by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, with one caveat, which I will get to in a moment. Nobody has a veto over the process. What public sector managers are doing and are being instructed to do is actually...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 25: Environment, Community and Local Government - Review of Allowances (31 Oct 2012)

Simon Harris: The Deputy means the other Department.

Public Accounts Committee: Irish Congress of Trade Unions - Review of Allowances (31 Oct 2012)

Simon Harris: This is useful because the Committee of Public Accounts does not want to be fed fictional figures for potential savings. If the Labour Court has ruled on something which is being counted as part of savings, we run the risk of potentially wasting everybody's time. I have several more questions to ask.

Public Accounts Committee: Irish Congress of Trade Unions - Review of Allowances (31 Oct 2012)

Simon Harris: I will be very brief and ask the questions together. The witnesses have done work on which allowances could be consolidated and the allowances they want to see continued. I ask them for their views in this regard. One cannot make public comments about the Croke Park agreement without being pitted as for or against it. It has good elements, but it also has absolutely ridiculous...