Results 6,901-6,920 of 8,745 for speaker:Verona Murphy

Public Accounts Committee: Transport Infrastructure Ireland: Financial Statements 2020 (3 Feb 2022)

Verona Murphy: How can TII make that decision if Mr. Walsh does not know the number? Is there a higher percentage on the N11?

Public Accounts Committee: Transport Infrastructure Ireland: Financial Statements 2020 (3 Feb 2022)

Verona Murphy: If that is the case, what did TII base its decision on?

Public Accounts Committee: Transport Infrastructure Ireland: Financial Statements 2020 (3 Feb 2022)

Verona Murphy: I appreciate that this is very important. The provision for the continuation of the N11 has received significant funding but Mr. Walsh must appreciate and agree that we had carried out all of that study previously and it was literally wasted money because we had to just do it all again because it was done so long ago. Is that not the case?

Public Accounts Committee: Transport Infrastructure Ireland: Financial Statements 2020 (3 Feb 2022)

Verona Murphy: That is what I just said, which Mr. Walsh disagreed with. What I am saying is that this is about value for money for the Exchequer, about road safety and about critical roads infrastructure to support an entire region, the south east, and it is €3.5 million. I think it is foolhardy, and I mean foolhardy, of TII to think that if it waits until 2025 to provide this funding, we will...

Public Accounts Committee: Transport Infrastructure Ireland: Financial Statements 2020 (3 Feb 2022)

Verona Murphy: I do not know that Mr. Walsh does.

Public Accounts Committee: Transport Infrastructure Ireland: Financial Statements 2020 (3 Feb 2022)

Verona Murphy: It is not so much frustration. It is the level of the lack of consideration for the public purse and value for money. The reality is that Mr. Walsh just commented to one of my colleagues that the longer projects are delayed, the more they cost. Whether we are talking about them being in construction phases or not, that is the reality. We have seen it with the N11. What we are calling...

Public Accounts Committee: Transport Infrastructure Ireland: Financial Statements 2020 (3 Feb 2022)

Verona Murphy: I thought I had a minute. That is fine. I will come back in.

Public Accounts Committee: Transport Infrastructure Ireland: Financial Statements 2020 (3 Feb 2022)

Verona Murphy: Just before I finish, Chair, I ask Mr. Walsh-----

Public Accounts Committee: Transport Infrastructure Ireland: Financial Statements 2020 (3 Feb 2022)

Verona Murphy: -----to provide the detail as to why and how the decision was made on the N24-N25 funding not being allocated for 2022.

Public Accounts Committee: Transport Infrastructure Ireland: Financial Statements 2020 (3 Feb 2022)

Verona Murphy: What I want to see, please, is the consideration that was given to these projects.

Public Accounts Committee: Transport Infrastructure Ireland: Financial Statements 2020 (3 Feb 2022)

Verona Murphy: I will ask about the deficit in the road budget. Wexford has a deficit year on year up to current budgets of €68.9 million. Is there a proposal by which TII can make up for that deficit?

Public Accounts Committee: Transport Infrastructure Ireland: Financial Statements 2020 (3 Feb 2022)

Verona Murphy: I am not talking about the TII’s schemes, but the actual roads budget. It was cut back from 2008 onwards. We were getting €18 million in 2008 but that was cut back to €12 million and then to €9 million. Now, we are back up to €18 million. However, in the interim, a deficit of €68.9 million has been accrued.

Public Accounts Committee: Transport Infrastructure Ireland: Financial Statements 2020 (3 Feb 2022)

Verona Murphy: This does not relate to projects but to the actual roads maintenance and roads improvement.

Public Accounts Committee: Transport Infrastructure Ireland: Financial Statements 2020 (3 Feb 2022)

Verona Murphy: Is Mr. Walsh saying that the assessment is not carried out per kilometre or length but is based on the condition?

Public Accounts Committee: Transport Infrastructure Ireland: Financial Statements 2020 (3 Feb 2022)

Verona Murphy: We actually have the third worst roads in the country.

Public Accounts Committee: Transport Infrastructure Ireland: Financial Statements 2020 (3 Feb 2022)

Verona Murphy: I would appreciate it if Mr. Walsh would look into that because according to our director of services, we have a huge deficit. We certainly have a huge problem when it comes to the lack of funding. We are told that County Wexford received the same funding per kilometre as counties that have very good roads which and do not have the same number of kilometres of road as Wexford.

Public Accounts Committee: Transport Infrastructure Ireland: Financial Statements 2020 (3 Feb 2022)

Verona Murphy: I would appreciate if Mr. Walsh could write to the committee setting out how that assessment is carried out.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Feb 2022)

Verona Murphy: 7. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her Department plans to increase the level of income disregard for the carer’s allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5454/22]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Feb 2022)

Verona Murphy: 8. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she has given consideration to the disregard of means testing for the carer’s allowance payment; if such considerations have been discussed with other relevant Departments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5458/22]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (3 Feb 2022)

Verona Murphy: 57. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to roll out the hot schools meals programme to include every school in the country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5457/22]