Results 621-640 of 8,015 for speaker:Jonathan O'Brien

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: We should be questioning that written evidence at this meeting because this meeting is dealing with procurement, tendering and capital projects, yet we cannot get an opportunity to question him.

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: Mr. Watt's Department is the Department that will ultimately pay for it.

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: There is a responsibility on the Department to ensure that any money for capital projects is spent efficiently.

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: Let us discuss those, then.

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: Nobody is suggesting that. As the person who is ultimately responsible for ensuring money is well spent, is Mr. Watt happy with the Department of Health's handling of this issue?

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: Has Mr. Watt been given any explanation of how that overrun escalated so quickly?

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: We are not in other committees and I think this is Mr. Watt's first appearance before any committee on this particular issue. What other people said is for them. I am asking Mr. Watt, as the Accounting Officer for the Department who is ultimately responsible for forking out the additional €450 million, if he is happy that processes were adhered to by the Department of Health?

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: That is one of the risks with the two-stage process.

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: I am aware of that.

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: I am also aware of what the Minister has said he is going to introduce in terms of changes. The costs soared in a very short period of time and nobody, in the Department of Health or the development board which includes civil servants who are obligated under a circular, saw fit to mention it to Mr. Watt, despite a memo from the HSE stating that it should be brought to the attention of the...

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: Would Mr. Watt not agree that this engagement should have taken place prior to the budget?

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: We know the figure for the overrun at the end of August was a minimum of €100 million and potentially €391 million.

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: Mr. Watt has responsibility for the public spending code.

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: As part of the public spending code, what mechanisms has the Department put in place to oversee major capital projects? Are monthly updates or reviews supposed to be submitted by the contracting authority to the Department, including on the budget?

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: With regard to the monthly reports received on the national children's hospital, was there no indication in them-----

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: Is it the case that the reports do not look at future spending?

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: Under the public spending code, there is no monitoring process that looks at future spend. It looks at budgets that are set.

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: A yearly report is done in June and submitted to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. Is that correct?

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: As Mr. Watts said, that is on actual spend and does not look at future spend. However, there is also a yearly report done which is, I believe, submitted to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in June of every year. It contains a checklist.

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: The Department makes an annual assessment of each Department's compliance with the public spending code and publishes this assessment on its website. The assessment is based on the Department's quality assurance report.