Results 5,401-5,420 of 6,307 for speaker:Gerald Nash

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 78 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Matters Arising out of Education Audits (Resumed) (10 Oct 2013)

Gerald Nash: Can Dr. Neavyn give the committee a flavour of the areas to which he is referring? Is it expenditure related to the taking of a business class return flight from Dublin to Chicago in April 2011 when another staff member flew economy class. The then president of the institute flew business class at a cost of nearly €3,400 whereas another staff member flew economy class on a standard...

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 78 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Matters Arising out of Education Audits (Resumed) (10 Oct 2013)

Gerald Nash: This was the Chicago flight and I think it involved Dr. Ormonde.

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 78 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Matters Arising out of Education Audits (Resumed) (10 Oct 2013)

Gerald Nash: Dr. Ormonde accompanied the president.

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 78 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Matters Arising out of Education Audits (Resumed) (10 Oct 2013)

Gerald Nash: He flew economy class while the president decided that he would take a business class flight - the chairman was in steerage.

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 78 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Matters Arising out of Education Audits (Resumed) (10 Oct 2013)

Gerald Nash: There are a few other matters of interest. A hospitality card was operated by the president. Is it safe to assume there was expenditure in excess of €10,000 on that hospitality card? I assume that was for meals, lunches and so forth on the college campus. Was the professor also receiving money on foot of subsistence claims at the same time?

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 78 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Matters Arising out of Education Audits (Resumed) (10 Oct 2013)

Gerald Nash: On the Deloitte & Touche two report, there is a question mark over €377,000 of the €952,000 at issue because of insufficient evidence from a value for money point of view, general compliance with WIT policy on procurement procedures and so on, and whether there was personal gain for the president. Is that the case?

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 78 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Matters Arising out of Education Audits (Resumed) (10 Oct 2013)

Gerald Nash: That is about 38% of the €952,000 at issue.

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 78 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Matters Arising out of Education Audits (Resumed) (10 Oct 2013)

Gerald Nash: I just wanted to put that on record. There was the supply and installation as what is known as a rotogate in the president's office. I would not consider that necessarily to be of personal benefit to the president. That is clear. Rotogate is apparently a type of turnstile and security device. I am not sure whether it was to do with keeping people out or keeping the president in. A...

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 78 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Matters Arising out of Education Audits (Resumed) (10 Oct 2013)

Gerald Nash: What did it involve? Why was a rotogate installed in his office? What was he concerned about?

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 78 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Matters Arising out of Education Audits (Resumed) (10 Oct 2013)

Gerald Nash: It is something one might expect to find in a financial institution but not in the president's office in an institute of technology.

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 78 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Matters Arising out of Education Audits (Resumed) (10 Oct 2013)

Gerald Nash: Dr. Neavyn and his team are very welcome, as are the other witnesses from the Department and the HEA. I appreciate his taking the time to clear up or at least to attempt to clear up some of the outstanding matters from previous meetings. As Dr. Neavyn himself will acknowledge, this is a sorry chapter in the otherwise proud history of Waterford Institute of Technology and all the members...

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 78 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Matters Arising out of Education Audits (Resumed) (10 Oct 2013)

Gerald Nash: It was approved by just two individuals, namely, the former president and former chairman.

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 78 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Matters Arising out of Education Audits (Resumed) (10 Oct 2013)

Gerald Nash: It was not referred to the executive board, the governing body or anything else.

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 78 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Matters Arising out of Education Audits (Resumed) (10 Oct 2013)

Gerald Nash: Okay. In his submission, Dr. Neavyn has provided some additional information on the second invoice, which was connected to Dr. Port's review of the institute and those two flights. Can Dr. Neavyn enlighten me as to what is Fewer Harrington & Partners and what is its connection with the college? I am unclear on this point.

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 78 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Matters Arising out of Education Audits (Resumed) (10 Oct 2013)

Gerald Nash: It is just that there was a lack of completeness of available information at the last meeting. Just before the last meeting, Dr. Neavyn identified that gap and information and identified where that invoice had been. It is of quite some concern to this committee that a complete job was not done in that regard. Some people may deduce there may have been an effort to mislead Deloitte...

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 78 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Matters Arising out of Education Audits (Resumed) (10 Oct 2013)

Gerald Nash: The flight was for a bunch of college officials to meet the then Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern. Is that correct?

Discretionary Medical Cards: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (9 Oct 2013)

Gerald Nash: The awarding of medical cards on discretionary grounds is a fraught issue and is probably one of the most familiar to Members of all political persuasions. We have all been asked at one stage or another by our constituents to make representations on their behalf. In an ideal world, I would like to see a system of universal health care where all citizens have free and ready access to primary...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Joint Labour Committees Agreements (8 Oct 2013)

Gerald Nash: 287. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation when he intends to advance the establishment orders to provide for the restored joint labour committee system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42274/13]

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (8 Oct 2013)

Gerald Nash: 300. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider including those in receipt of a one parent family payment for consideration for participation under the momentum scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41860/13]

Topical Issue Debate: Medical Card Applications (2 Oct 2013)

Gerald Nash: I am glad to have this opportunity to raise an issue which will be familiar to all Members. All of us have at some stage been asked for advice or help with regard to medical card applications. Of course, we are usually only ever asked to help in cases where a card has been refused on grounds of income and a review or appeal is sought on grounds of hardship, in most cases caused by the...