Results 801-820 of 2,988 for speaker:James O'Connor

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Management of Passenger Numbers at Dublin Airport: Discussion (22 Nov 2023)

James O'Connor: What is the timeline for this process if everything goes smoothly without any serious challenges?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Management of Passenger Numbers at Dublin Airport: Discussion (22 Nov 2023)

James O'Connor: That would be incredible. I am not levelling criticism at Mr. Jacobs on this, but it is interesting that it takes such a long time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Management of Passenger Numbers at Dublin Airport: Discussion (22 Nov 2023)

James O'Connor: I have a few questions on that as well. Have there been any developments regarding the Cork to Brussels route? From previous engagement with the airport, I know there is a lot of desire for people in Cork to get that connection. The previous connectivity to that region was much appreciated. It has been poor enough but it definitely is something we want to see being implemented

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Management of Passenger Numbers at Dublin Airport: Discussion (22 Nov 2023)

James O'Connor: That is good to hear.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Management of Passenger Numbers at Dublin Airport: Discussion (22 Nov 2023)

James O'Connor: I was very disappointed to see that border preclearance facility planning permission had been declined. Obviously, the DAA has a long-standing relationship with Fingal County Council. It could be argued that it is a very important piece of tourism infrastructure from a business and economic development perspective. Does Mr. Jacobs think it is sustainable that a local authority would have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Management of Passenger Numbers at Dublin Airport: Discussion (22 Nov 2023)

James O'Connor: The rail or metro connection to the airport has been a huge issue for decades. We are all very hopeful that the current plan will be advanced. Has Mr. Jacobs had any engagement from the Department of Transport or the different stakeholders involved? Have conversations in this regard begun with the DAA around how it is going to look? Not many people know the fascinating fact that beneath...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Nov 2023)

James O'Connor: I raise again the issue of the Castlemartyr and Killeagh bypass, or Midleton to Youghal, scheme. I have been fighting very hard on this issue in recent years. In the past 12 months, I have been awaiting the outcome of a strategic assessment report. I found the Minister for Transport's new-found interest in road projects in the context of the Adare scheme announced this morning, which...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (16 Nov 2023)

James O'Connor: Tomorrow will mark one month since the devastating floods that occurred in my constituency and others, including Waterford and Cork North-Central. In the Midleton area in particular, a significant number of businesses were hit. We appreciate the support that has been given by the Government and the rapid action that has been taken but difficulties are starting to be experienced by...

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2022
Vote 11 - Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement
Vote 43 - Office of the Government Chief Information Officer
2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 5: Vote Accounting and Budget Management (16 Nov 2023)

James O'Connor: I welcome everyone this morning. I want to follow on from Deputy Catherine Murphy's comments on the public spending code. How this instrument has been used to any effect when it comes to projects has long been of interest to me. My understanding of the public spending code, which is that of the majority of politicians, is that it exists as a safeguard to prevent projects from going into...

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2022
Vote 11 - Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement
Vote 43 - Office of the Government Chief Information Officer
2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 5: Vote Accounting and Budget Management (16 Nov 2023)

James O'Connor: I hate to be awkward but that is what interests me. I regard the public spending code – tell me if I am wrong – as entailing a six-, 12- or 18-month process in which Mr. Moloney's Department effectively analyses paperwork submitted to it, to put it politely. In other words, there is a very intensive process to determine whether the project is worth funding. I see it as an...

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2022
Vote 11 - Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement
Vote 43 - Office of the Government Chief Information Officer
2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 5: Vote Accounting and Budget Management (16 Nov 2023)

James O'Connor: So it is six to eight weeks on average?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2022
Vote 11 - Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement
Vote 43 - Office of the Government Chief Information Officer
2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 5: Vote Accounting and Budget Management (16 Nov 2023)

James O'Connor: That would be helpful.

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2022
Vote 11 - Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement
Vote 43 - Office of the Government Chief Information Officer
2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 5: Vote Accounting and Budget Management (16 Nov 2023)

James O'Connor: Does Mr. Meaney mind referring to the four large-scale projects?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2022
Vote 11 - Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement
Vote 43 - Office of the Government Chief Information Officer
2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 5: Vote Accounting and Budget Management (16 Nov 2023)

James O'Connor: I am interested there because the most costly one there by some degree is MetroLink. How long will that process for the analysis of a project take? I believe €22 billion was the last estimate I saw in the paper.

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2022
Vote 11 - Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement
Vote 43 - Office of the Government Chief Information Officer
2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 5: Vote Accounting and Budget Management (16 Nov 2023)

James O'Connor: How long would it take the Department to sit down and analyse a project of that scale?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2022
Vote 11 - Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement
Vote 43 - Office of the Government Chief Information Officer
2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 5: Vote Accounting and Budget Management (16 Nov 2023)

James O'Connor: Retrospectively and for the future, we have this constant issue in Ireland when it comes to large scale capital projects which is true with health projects, and it will be very much the case in transport because of the decarbonisation of the economy, where we will have an increase in rail projects, which is to be expected. One is looking at light rail systems being put into places like Cork...

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2022
Vote 11 - Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement
Vote 43 - Office of the Government Chief Information Officer
2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 5: Vote Accounting and Budget Management (16 Nov 2023)

James O'Connor: With regard to the national development plan, which falls under the responsibility of this Department, we had €174 billion of a plan put in place and it was one of the first items that was looked at under the programme for Government but the inflation costs have had a very significant impact on that. With regard to the projects across the entirety of the document, where transport is...

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2022
Vote 11 - Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement
Vote 43 - Office of the Government Chief Information Officer
2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 5: Vote Accounting and Budget Management (16 Nov 2023)

James O'Connor: How is deep is the deficit now compared with what it was a few years ago? Has it been any analysis of how much inflation has hurt the ability to carry out the list of projects?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2022
Vote 11 - Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement
Vote 43 - Office of the Government Chief Information Officer
2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 5: Vote Accounting and Budget Management (16 Nov 2023)

James O'Connor: I am not trying to catch Mr. Moloney out and if that is something he could come back to me on, I would appreciate it because I believe it is very important. Obviously, we had a parcel of €174 billion in planned expenditure under 2021 figures. I want to establish how much that figure would be now with regard to today’s new economic reality, in the way that inflation took place.

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2022
Vote 11 - Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement
Vote 43 - Office of the Government Chief Information Officer
2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 5: Vote Accounting and Budget Management (16 Nov 2023)

James O'Connor: I thank our witnesses.