Results 4,961-4,980 of 26,465 for speaker:John McGuinness

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (3 Dec 2019)

John McGuinness: 556. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to honour the LRC recommendations in relation to pension rights for those in community employment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49864/19]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Business of Joint Committee (3 Dec 2019)

John McGuinness: I propose that we go into private session to discuss some matters. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Matters relating to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Discussion (3 Dec 2019)

John McGuinness: I welcome Mr. Robert Watt and his officials. By virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to the committee. If they are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and they continue to so do, they are entitled thereafter only to a qualified privilege in respect of their...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Matters relating to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Discussion (3 Dec 2019)

John McGuinness: A vote is being held in the House.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Matters relating to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Discussion (3 Dec 2019)

John McGuinness: We will continue. If Members of the Dáil want to go into the House for the vote, they can do so.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Matters relating to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Discussion (3 Dec 2019)

John McGuinness: That is a task in itself.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Matters relating to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Discussion (3 Dec 2019)

John McGuinness: I engage as best I can through the clerk to the committee but Mr. Watt can be quite evasive.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Matters relating to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Discussion (3 Dec 2019)

John McGuinness: I do not blame him for that because there are a lot of issues in that Department. Other Departments need to talk to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform about their budgets. If they spend a budget badly or if they make a mistake, it eventually comes back to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Matters relating to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Discussion (3 Dec 2019)

John McGuinness: If they are not-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Matters relating to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Discussion (3 Dec 2019)

John McGuinness: There is an engagement there.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Matters relating to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Discussion (3 Dec 2019)

John McGuinness: I accept that issues will arise all Departments and local authorities. A risk will have been taken and it might not quite come off the way it was planned. We accept that happens in life, in business and so on. When it does not quite give value for money, it then comes back under the Comptroller and Auditor General to the Committee of Public Accounts. This committee would be Mr. Watt's...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Matters relating to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Discussion (3 Dec 2019)

John McGuinness: I just want to make sure my view on this-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Matters relating to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Discussion (3 Dec 2019)

John McGuinness: They would come back.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Matters relating to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Discussion (3 Dec 2019)

John McGuinness: Mr. Watt gave a very positive opening statement about the work of the Civil Service. The other side of that is when it fails. In his opening statement he said that the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform manages the Government's eTenders platform, that it delivers procurement solutions for public bodies and so on. In the context of what he stated, he must reflect on the enormous...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Matters relating to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Discussion (3 Dec 2019)

John McGuinness: I did not say that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Matters relating to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Discussion (3 Dec 2019)

John McGuinness: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Matters relating to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Discussion (3 Dec 2019)

John McGuinness: When you-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Matters relating to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Discussion (3 Dec 2019)

John McGuinness: I wish to go beyond the emotion and get into the factual remedy. We learn from all our mistakes. For me the children's hospital was just handled wrongly from start to finish. We have our views on it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Matters relating to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Discussion (3 Dec 2019)

John McGuinness: I am not saying that every contract is wrong. When they go wrong, my God do they go wrong. We can look at the electronic voting machines and all the stuff that happened in the past. Under a different presentation they happen again. The children's hospital and the Oireachtas printer are examples. I acknowledge that the Department is not responsible for the printer. Who in the name of God...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Matters relating to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Discussion (3 Dec 2019)

John McGuinness: -----the SME sector. That Mr. Watt, as a senior civil servant, would give such direct advice to those concerned on broadband is to be admired but their continuing to ignore that advice must surely be disappointing for him and his officials. I am not trying to draw him into a conflict, I am trying to understand how anyone could put €3 billion, or whatever the sum is, into a project...