Results 581-600 of 2,988 for speaker:James O'Connor

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (27 Feb 2024)

James O'Connor: 228. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question 181 on 7 February 2024, if she will outline a definite date for the completion of the feasibility study; the plans for the school's expansion of accommodation for the 2024/25 school year, especially when children of refugee families will be attending the school in question; and if she will make a statement on...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 Feb 2024)

James O'Connor: Following this morning's farcical meeting of the Committee of Public Accounts in regard to the Football Association of Ireland, FAI, there are huge concerns around misappropriation of funds from Government - grant funding for sports organisations. Money was used that clearly defied the regulations set down and guidance by Sport Ireland to pay off approximately €1 million of legacy...

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2022
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media
Sport Ireland: Financial Statements 2022
FAI: Matters relating to Governance and Funding (22 Feb 2024)

James O'Connor: I want, first and foremost, to express my appreciation for the FAI, Sport Ireland and officials being here this morning. It has been an extraordinary meeting so far. I start with the Sport Ireland funding that was provided to the FAI. What was the gross figure of Covid support funding provided through Sport Ireland's schemes in general? If Dr. May could provide that, I would deeply...

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2022
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media
Sport Ireland: Financial Statements 2022
FAI: Matters relating to Governance and Funding (22 Feb 2024)

James O'Connor: That would be correct.

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2022
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media
Sport Ireland: Financial Statements 2022
FAI: Matters relating to Governance and Funding (22 Feb 2024)

James O'Connor: To the FAI?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2022
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media
Sport Ireland: Financial Statements 2022
FAI: Matters relating to Governance and Funding (22 Feb 2024)

James O'Connor: No, to the FAI, please. We are not here to talk about GAA.

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2022
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media
Sport Ireland: Financial Statements 2022
FAI: Matters relating to Governance and Funding (22 Feb 2024)

James O'Connor: So, €33 million?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2022
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media
Sport Ireland: Financial Statements 2022
FAI: Matters relating to Governance and Funding (22 Feb 2024)

James O'Connor: Returning to Dr. May, these funds were given very specified and detailed use in this particular document, COVID 19 GRANT SCHEMES Funding Guidelines & Application Process, that would have been provided to the FAI. On the second page of that document, it states clearly that "Sport Ireland must be fully satisfied that the grant is absolutely required" and "The funding is targeted at...

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2022
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media
Sport Ireland: Financial Statements 2022
FAI: Matters relating to Governance and Funding (22 Feb 2024)

James O'Connor: In the opening statement today provided to the committee by the FAI, Mr. Hill stated "We have reduced our debt from €63.5 million to less than €43 million". How did Mr. Hill do that?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2022
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media
Sport Ireland: Financial Statements 2022
FAI: Matters relating to Governance and Funding (22 Feb 2024)

James O'Connor: I am interested. Where did the funds come from to do that?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2022
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media
Sport Ireland: Financial Statements 2022
FAI: Matters relating to Governance and Funding (22 Feb 2024)

James O'Connor: Was any of the Covid funding received from Sport Ireland used in any way to pay back the FAI's debt to Bank of Ireland?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2022
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media
Sport Ireland: Financial Statements 2022
FAI: Matters relating to Governance and Funding (22 Feb 2024)

James O'Connor: My second question-----

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2022
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media
Sport Ireland: Financial Statements 2022
FAI: Matters relating to Governance and Funding (22 Feb 2024)

James O'Connor: How much was that?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2022
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media
Sport Ireland: Financial Statements 2022
FAI: Matters relating to Governance and Funding (22 Feb 2024)

James O'Connor: Surely it would have appeared in the quarterly financial reports. Would there not have been an indication there? When did Sport Ireland become aware of the fact the FAI was paying back €20.5 million in debt? Was Sport Ireland informed of that at all?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2022
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media
Sport Ireland: Financial Statements 2022
FAI: Matters relating to Governance and Funding (22 Feb 2024)

James O'Connor: When would that have arrived in?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2022
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media
Sport Ireland: Financial Statements 2022
FAI: Matters relating to Governance and Funding (22 Feb 2024)

James O'Connor: I will ask my next questions in the second round.

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2022
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media
Sport Ireland: Financial Statements 2022
FAI: Matters relating to Governance and Funding (22 Feb 2024)

James O'Connor: Will Mr. McCormack give me the exact amount, please?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2022
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media
Sport Ireland: Financial Statements 2022
FAI: Matters relating to Governance and Funding (22 Feb 2024)

James O'Connor: If I can, I will go back now to Dr. May. I read out the terms of Sport Ireland funding. It very clearly states that the funding provided to the FAI, or any other organisation that received it, was not to be used for the payment of debt. What is her response to that?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2022
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media
Sport Ireland: Financial Statements 2022
FAI: Matters relating to Governance and Funding (22 Feb 2024)

James O'Connor: If the FAI was in a position to repay the €20.5 million debt, how did it qualify in the first instance for the Covid scheme?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2022
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media
Sport Ireland: Financial Statements 2022
FAI: Matters relating to Governance and Funding (22 Feb 2024)

James O'Connor: The chief executive is obviously the subject of the redacted emails. That is the correspondence we received this morning, which was delivered late.