Results 5,841-5,860 of 7,126 for speaker:Alan Farrell

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 91 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Management of Severance Payments in Public Sector Bodies (21 Sep 2016)

Alan Farrell: I thank Mr. McCarthy. Chapter 2, which relates to severance schemes, mentions that two State bodies made payments in the form of pension enhancements between 2011 and 2013 without the required approval, or prior approval, of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. Has the Department conducted a review of those two instances?

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 91 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Management of Severance Payments in Public Sector Bodies (21 Sep 2016)

Alan Farrell: Would I be correct in saying that if another individual who had a contract from a similar period sought to retire or leave his or her post early, the same issue would arise because the 2010 instruction would not apply?

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 91 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Management of Severance Payments in Public Sector Bodies (21 Sep 2016)

Alan Farrell: The Comptroller and Auditor General alluded to the code of practice that is about to be implemented. He has a copy of it but I do not.

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 91 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Management of Severance Payments in Public Sector Bodies (21 Sep 2016)

Alan Farrell: It would indeed. Such an opportunity would be appreciated as soon as possible. If this is a rolling document that was last reviewed in 2001-----

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 91 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Management of Severance Payments in Public Sector Bodies (21 Sep 2016)

Alan Farrell: Excuse me. It was reviewed in 2009. The Comptroller and Auditor General's report has identified several instances where it was not adhered to. While I accept Mr. Watt's point that it was broadly adhered to, significant sums of money are being paid out on behalf of several Departments and agencies that did not adhere to the rules set out by the Department of Finance.

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 91 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Management of Severance Payments in Public Sector Bodies (21 Sep 2016)

Alan Farrell: Is it not the case that ultimate responsibility for adherence to such advices lies with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform?

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 91 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Management of Severance Payments in Public Sector Bodies (21 Sep 2016)

Alan Farrell: I would have assumed that the updated code of practice-----

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 91 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Management of Severance Payments in Public Sector Bodies (21 Sep 2016)

Alan Farrell: Perhaps the issue of the varying approaches to severance packages has already been addressed. The issues experienced in the particular timeframe analysed by this report have been highlighted in the code of practice and, indeed, in the report. What actions have been taken to ensure that each Department and agency has the supporting documentation to prove and illustrate it has adhered to...

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 91 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Management of Severance Payments in Public Sector Bodies (21 Sep 2016)

Alan Farrell: Is it likely that in the next report, should the Comptroller and Auditor General commence one on 2014 through 2016, we will see similar issues at a future meeting of this committee because this matter has only now come to light and three years have passed since the end of the period analysed?

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 91 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Management of Severance Payments in Public Sector Bodies (21 Sep 2016)

Alan Farrell: What is Mr. Watt’s and Mr. McCarthy’s view of the statutory oversight of confidentiality agreements some of which were not available for this report, given that taxpayers’ money is involved and that the Comptroller and Auditor General could not access some of the documents? In respect of the public oversight available to the Department and the Comptroller and Auditor...

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 91 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Management of Severance Payments in Public Sector Bodies (21 Sep 2016)

Alan Farrell: It is a significant failure in its practice-----

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 91 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Management of Severance Payments in Public Sector Bodies (21 Sep 2016)

Alan Farrell: I am conscious of my time and will wrap up in a moment. Would there be an issue with the Comptroller and Auditor General or the Committee of Public Accounts or both reviewing such instances in a private manner, as is dealt with in many other committees where private business is transacted, so that there is a public oversight and an auditing oversight of such arrangements? This committee,...

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 91 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Management of Severance Payments in Public Sector Bodies (21 Sep 2016)

Alan Farrell: I have absolutely no difficulty with that point. My only concern and that which is embodied within the Committee of Public Accounts is that there is oversight of it.

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 91 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Management of Severance Payments in Public Sector Bodies (21 Sep 2016)

Alan Farrell: However, I accept Mr. Watt's point entirely. I think we have seen a lot of that in recent years. I accept the point. The only matter that concerns me is that agencies adhere to the rules and do most, if not all, of their business in the public domain in order that it is available to both the Comptroller and Auditor General and this committee. What is most important is that we should have...

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 91 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Management of Severance Payments in Public Sector Bodies (21 Sep 2016)

Alan Farrell: It is debatable.

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 91 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Management of Severance Payments in Public Sector Bodies (21 Sep 2016)

Alan Farrell: I thank our guests from the Central Bank. They should, perhaps, take some solace from the fact that they have given the answers thus far to every question I had written down. That is a good thing for our guests. I have some follow-up questions, specifically in respect of the legal advice the Central Bank received. Does the bank use the same legal adviser or panel of legal advisers for...

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 91 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Management of Severance Payments in Public Sector Bodies (21 Sep 2016)

Alan Farrell: Have any severance agreements that the bank has reached with former employees in recent years, not necessarily in the given period analysed by the Comptroller and Auditor General, not involved legal advice?

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 91 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Management of Severance Payments in Public Sector Bodies (21 Sep 2016)

Alan Farrell: Sorry, I was referring to contracted legal advice.

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 91 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Management of Severance Payments in Public Sector Bodies (21 Sep 2016)

Alan Farrell: Is Ms Joyce confident that, as a result of this report or changes the bank has made since 2013, including in respect of the relevant reporting period, the Central Bank has put in place sufficiently robust human resources procedures to ensure issues like this do not arise, in so far as that is possible?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (21 Sep 2016)

Alan Farrell: Many of the questions I was going to ask have probably been covered at this stage but I will touch on them to see if there is any additional information. On section 94(3) with regard to public interest investigations that GSOC is now permitted to commence without a complaint, is the commission aware of, or does it participate in the oversight of the secondary element of that process where it...