Results 7,401-7,420 of 11,413 for speaker:Matt Carthy

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

Matt Carthy: To clarify, let us say we are at the preparation stage of the NDP, so TII has done all that work. It has brought its analysis of the Government commitments and the projects, I presume, from its own members of staff or input from local authorities. It has outlined other national areas that perhaps the Government would like to consider. However, at the end of the day, it is the Department...

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

Matt Carthy: The Department took roads off TII's list.

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

Matt Carthy: Perhaps it is just as well because Mr. Walsh said that TII cannot fund the ones that are there.

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

Matt Carthy: No, in terms of the projects being moving to planning and upgrade stage, TII has dropped eight of them in terms of funding for 2022.

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

Matt Carthy: Therefore, if there were more projects within the NDP, there would have been more projects that would not have received funding from TII.

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

Matt Carthy: That is the next part of the question. How does TII decide the projects it will not proceed with? Where does the relationship with the Department of Transport fit in?

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

Matt Carthy: I am trying to identify in the here and now - 2022. For an example that I would know of, the N2, has two pieces, which are Carrickmacross to Ardee and the Clontibret to the Border road schemes. Nobody who has ever driven that road would say anything other than the priority would be the northern end, because that road is in a more dangerous position than the southern road. However, TII made...

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

Matt Carthy: Mr. Walsh previously mentioned that, in terms of criteria, in some instances there is Government approval to proceed to planning. Does TII have to prioritise that?

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

Matt Carthy: For those projects that were dropped, for example, if the Government made a political decision that these are priority projects and that was conveyed to TII through the Department of Transport, would it then have to revise its annual plans?

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

Matt Carthy: Mr. Walsh answered it very fairly. Essentially, what Mr. Walsh is saying to us - and correct me if I am wrong - is that the NDP was launched with bells and whistles, but there was no funding or not enough funding for TII to be able to implement and deliver the roads element of it, and it may have funding in 2026.

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

Matt Carthy: However, TII is not getting it until 2026.

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

Matt Carthy: In 2026, the people who are currently in government will probably be sipping piña coladas somewhere and enjoying their retirement. In the short term, I take it that these projects are shelved.

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

Matt Carthy: Will Mr. Walsh explain what is the status of these eight road projects?

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

Matt Carthy: In cases where delays transpire due to lack of funding, is it Mr. Walsh's experience that the overall cost increases if those delays are prolonged? By the time TII goes back to the project, new planning considerations can mean some of the work that was previously undertaken has to be redone.

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

Matt Carthy: Beyond inflationary and natural cycles, are they more expensive? For the eight projects in question, work has already been done to some degree on all of them. That may be feasibility studies or more technical matters. If progress is stalled or suspended and it takes longer to do it, and bearing in mind that general increases happen over time, is it fair to say there will be additional...

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

Matt Carthy: Okay. To clarify, can the Department decide that the decision is wrong, that it wants the project to be prioritised in 2022 and that the current plans will have to be revised?

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

Matt Carthy: I thank Mr. Walsh.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (3 Feb 2022)

Matt Carthy: In respect of non-compliant procurement as regards Dublin Dental Hospital and the National Museum of Ireland, perhaps the Comptroller and Auditor General would detail how much money was involved and whether we are satisfied the explanations for non-compliance were logical. Is he satisfied that procedures are in place in order that they will not recur?

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (3 Feb 2022)

Matt Carthy: Were they both for single services or single contracts? . Mr. Seamus McCarthy:No. In the case of the museum, it was substantially in relation to additional security. That could be related to staff not being on site. I believe it extended the contract. Steps are being taken in both cases to address the non-compliance and undertake competitive procurements.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (3 Feb 2022)

Matt Carthy: I have one other issue with regard to the State Examinations Commission, which has a turnover of €23 million. How much of that would be in respect of fees for examinations? The Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, announced earlier that the fees will be waived this year. The questions most people have are how the hell did we ever charge people to sit the leaving certificate in the...