Results 7,481-7,500 of 8,073 for speaker:Peter Burke

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Chapter 7 - EU Refunds and Levies in the Agriculture Sector (16 Feb 2017)

Peter Burke: In relation to the payroll overpayments that were mentioned in the report, do we have confidence in the new payroll system that is being implemented throughout the public service? I note there have been 345 cases of overpayments. Less than one third have recovery plans in place. Are we confident that we are on top of the situation at the moment?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Chapter 7 - EU Refunds and Levies in the Agriculture Sector (16 Feb 2017)

Peter Burke: I thank Mr. O'Driscoll. It is very important that is resolved. I wish to focus in the remainder of my time on Bord na gCon, the Irish Greyhound Board. The Department currently gives it approximately €260,000 a week, which is a huge amount. Does Mr. O'Driscoll have confidence in the management, structure and governance of the board?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Chapter 7 - EU Refunds and Levies in the Agriculture Sector (16 Feb 2017)

Peter Burke: To be fair, I asked Mr. O'Driscoll a direct question. I understand the commercial side of the organisation and its relationship with the Department. As head of the Department, does Mr. O'Driscoll have confidence in the board?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Chapter 7 - EU Refunds and Levies in the Agriculture Sector (16 Feb 2017)

Peter Burke: Does Mr. O'Driscoll also have confidence in the board's governance, practices and procedures?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Chapter 7 - EU Refunds and Levies in the Agriculture Sector (16 Feb 2017)

Peter Burke: Is Mr. O'Driscoll aware that Bord na gCon's latest annual report and accounts on its website are for 2014, two and a quarter years on, yet he is saying he has confidence in the organisation?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Chapter 7 - EU Refunds and Levies in the Agriculture Sector (16 Feb 2017)

Peter Burke: I think they appeared on the website for a short period but were taken down.

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Chapter 7 - EU Refunds and Levies in the Agriculture Sector (16 Feb 2017)

Peter Burke: Why was that?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Chapter 7 - EU Refunds and Levies in the Agriculture Sector (16 Feb 2017)

Peter Burke: Is Mr. O'Driscoll aware of any issues regarding the accounts as to why they were taken down?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Chapter 7 - EU Refunds and Levies in the Agriculture Sector (16 Feb 2017)

Peter Burke: Does Mr. O'Driscoll think it acceptable for a body which is getting more than a quarter of a million euro a week, in which he has expressed confidence, not to have its annual report or accounts on its website more than two years after the due date?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Chapter 7 - EU Refunds and Levies in the Agriculture Sector (16 Feb 2017)

Peter Burke: Does Mr. O'Driscoll think that is good enough?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Chapter 7 - EU Refunds and Levies in the Agriculture Sector (16 Feb 2017)

Peter Burke: Has Mr. O'Driscoll asked any questions about why that has happened, in the interests of transparency and for everybody in the industry?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Chapter 7 - EU Refunds and Levies in the Agriculture Sector (16 Feb 2017)

Peter Burke: One should bear in mind that we have increased the funding from 2014 to 2015 by approximately 25%. On the face of it, the governance procedures do not look very transparent. I will draw Mr. O'Driscoll's attention to the salary increases in the organisation. The amount of administration expenditure through salaries is incredible when one looks at the average employees in the accounts. One...

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Chapter 7 - EU Refunds and Levies in the Agriculture Sector (16 Feb 2017)

Peter Burke: It is not good enough to say that. The figures are incredible. In 2007, Bord na gCon had a turnover of €63.5 million. That has decreased to less than €30 million, or a 56% reduction. Prize money has reduced significantly in the sector. Owners and breeders have been giving more than ever before. The State is increasing the amount of subvention to the sector, yet we do not...

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Chapter 7 - EU Refunds and Levies in the Agriculture Sector (16 Feb 2017)

Peter Burke: As far as I can see, it wants to invest significantly in a stadium in Limerick, sell off other tracks to repay its debt and mismanage the industry. I do not understand where Mr. O'Driscoll is coming from when he says that it is improving in certain regards. The last accounts that we can get sight of are stark. It is incredible that we must go back to 2014 to get any handle on the...

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Chapter 7 - EU Refunds and Levies in the Agriculture Sector (16 Feb 2017)

Peter Burke: Can we invite Bord na gCon to the committee?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Chapter 7 - EU Refunds and Levies in the Agriculture Sector (16 Feb 2017)

Peter Burke: Since it would be relevant, we should do that urgently. The body is getting so much State funding.

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Chapter 7 - EU Refunds and Levies in the Agriculture Sector (16 Feb 2017)

Peter Burke: It is incredible that we cannot get an answer to that question. A total of eight or nine people from the Department are present. We are giving an agency €260,000 per week. We have been here for a long period but we have been unable to get an answer to a simple question. That is absolutely incredible. My information is that the board has not approved this. Those involved are...

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Chapter 7 - EU Refunds and Levies in the Agriculture Sector (16 Feb 2017)

Peter Burke: It has major financial implications and it could be the wrong decision.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Compensation Awards (16 Feb 2017)

Peter Burke: 84. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 166 of 17 January 2017, the status of a significant compensation claim for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7922/17]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff (16 Feb 2017)

Peter Burke: 221. To ask the Minister for Health whether maternity cover for a psychologist located in County Longford will be provided (details supplied). [7846/17]