Results 4,581-4,600 of 34,616 for speaker:Seán Fleming
- Public Accounts Committee: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Appropriation Account 2018 (11 Jul 2019)
Seán Fleming: I am aware of that but that is why I asked the question. I want to get it out in the public arena. The delegates will send us a detailed note that we can publish because the public would like to see the information.
- Public Accounts Committee: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Appropriation Account 2018 (11 Jul 2019)
Seán Fleming: It was mentioned in the opening statement that there are 2,027 people on the payroll system. It includes pensioners.
- Public Accounts Committee: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Appropriation Account 2018 (11 Jul 2019)
Seán Fleming: Rather than going into it now, could Mr. Finnegan send a breakdown of the categories, including retired Members, retired staff, etc.? Could the numbers pertaining to Members' staff and civil servants be translated into whole-time equivalents? I see there are 564 on the payroll here and 450 members of staff. I cannot work up to the 2,027 that Mr. Finnegan mentioned in his statement.
- Public Accounts Committee: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Appropriation Account 2018 (11 Jul 2019)
Seán Fleming: Call out the figures for those watching.
- Public Accounts Committee: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Appropriation Account 2018 (11 Jul 2019)
Seán Fleming: Where are the Members' staff?
- Public Accounts Committee: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Appropriation Account 2018 (11 Jul 2019)
Seán Fleming: In which figure?
- Public Accounts Committee: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Appropriation Account 2018 (11 Jul 2019)
Seán Fleming: Mr. Finnegan referred to the new IT system, which I am sure is very good and is being rolled out as we speak, and stated it has many benefits. What training has been offered to the staff in order to upgrade them? Was it in-house? How was that done?
- Public Accounts Committee: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Appropriation Account 2018 (11 Jul 2019)
Seán Fleming: I am happy for Mr. Finnegan to send it on. We do not need it now. When I saw the 2,000 figure, it just did not gel with me. The big issue I want to raise over training – I am making a practical suggestion that I do not believe would cost much at all – concerns staff. There are two categories of staff: the Civil Service staff, which Mr. Finnegan looks after, and the Members'...
- Public Accounts Committee: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Appropriation Account 2018 (11 Jul 2019)
Seán Fleming: Things do change. Staff will say a service was on the old system but not on the new one, for example. What I suggest does not represent a big cost. Staff are being sent around with the hardware and should also be sent around to give a bit of help with the software. The constituency staff are Oireachtas staff and are making the whole system work. They are the utterly poor relations when...
- Public Accounts Committee: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Appropriation Account 2018 (11 Jul 2019)
Seán Fleming: There would not be a big cost.
- Public Accounts Committee: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Appropriation Account 2018 (11 Jul 2019)
Seán Fleming: My view could be echoed by many Deputies whose staff are not based on the premises. Let us consider the additional research staff and the Parliamentary Budget Office staff. I thank the Library and Research Service for giving me yesterday the research document I asked for a couple of weeks ago. How many staff are involved in research by comparison with the Parliamentary Budget Office...
- Public Accounts Committee: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Appropriation Account 2018 (11 Jul 2019)
Seán Fleming: Eighty-one what?
- Public Accounts Committee: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Appropriation Account 2018 (11 Jul 2019)
Seán Fleming: I am talking about research staff, not others.
- Public Accounts Committee: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Appropriation Account 2018 (11 Jul 2019)
Seán Fleming: That is the division that Members seeking information on a topic submit requests and are given replies. That is a good service.
- Public Accounts Committee: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Appropriation Account 2018 (11 Jul 2019)
Seán Fleming: That is a significant number.
- Public Accounts Committee: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Appropriation Account 2018 (11 Jul 2019)
Seán Fleming: There is an issue there. I am sure it is good to have a couple of years' experience in the Houses of the Oireachtas on one's curriculum vitae but staff probably move on.
- Public Accounts Committee: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Appropriation Account 2018 (11 Jul 2019)
Seán Fleming: It looks good on the CV.
- Public Accounts Committee: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Appropriation Account 2018 (11 Jul 2019)
Seán Fleming: I mean that in a positive way.
- Public Accounts Committee: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Appropriation Account 2018 (11 Jul 2019)
Seán Fleming: Will Mr. Finnegan look at the research facilities for committees because certain committees have some, while others have none. Some members of staff can be very good at this. It makes for a better Oireachtas if Members are more prepared. That is only a suggestion.
- Public Accounts Committee: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Appropriation Account 2018 (11 Jul 2019)
Seán Fleming: We have completed our questioning. We are well ahead of the Vote so that is good. There is nothing contentious. I thank all the staff for coming before us. We meet on the corridors most days and it is good to meet in a formal setting. Mr. Finnegan and his team have been as friendly, courteous and helpful today as they always are when we meet in the normal course of our work. I thank the...