Results 841-860 of 8,015 for speaker:Jonathan O'Brien

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (12 Feb 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: I understand that but the Minister of State said a discussion took place and he was asked to say if any savings could be made within his Department that could be given up to the Department of Finance to facilitate the overrun at the children's hospital. Did the Minister of State put any figure on that, or was it just a case of him having a conversation about it but not giving them any figure...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (12 Feb 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: So the Department was told that it was to be €3 million and it had to find the savings.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (12 Feb 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: I am aware that the Minister of State cannot speak directly about the children's hospital but I have a general query on tendering and procurement. Some of the weighting goes to the price, some to quality and so on. What would the norm be in a major project?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (12 Feb 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: I am wondering what the norm would be when the OPW is looking at tendering.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (12 Feb 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: Does Mr. Buckley know of any other State contracts where the weighting for costs would be 75% plus? I am asking from off the top of his head and from his experience.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (12 Feb 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: I imagine Mr. Buckley is aware of the EU guidelines around abnormally low tenders. Does the OPW take this into consideration when looking at the tendering process if someone comes in low? I gather the EU directive refers to approximately 15% of the adjusted average. If the lowest tender is 15% below the average of all the tenders, then it is considered an abnormally low tender. Does the...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (12 Feb 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: Let us imagine that was the case. Let us imagine the OPW looked at a given tender and had suspicions that it was simply too low or was not going to do what it said on the tin. Would the OPW be within its rights to simply ignore that tender?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (12 Feb 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: This difficulty seems to be coming to the fore the more I probe into it with different officials. If an organisation does not accept the lowest bid, it can create legal issues. One official from the Department of Health said the Department could end up on the steps of the Four Courts if it does not accept the lowest bid. If the evaluators know the lowest bid is simply not going to cut it,...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (12 Feb 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: I presume that organisations spend more time worrying about that because the procurement system in this State does not have any statutory provisions around abnormally low tenders. In other jurisdictions there are provisions on the Statute Book so that if a tender is below a certain percentage of the adjusted average price then they can be eliminated without fear of the contractor taking...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (12 Feb 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: My final question goes back to the weighting system. It seems that cost is always the biggest factor or consideration in the weighting and then quality is the second factor. That may not be standard across the board but it seems to be the trend. A significantly higher weighting is given to cost. Is any weighting given to past performances of the contractor?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (12 Feb 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: The contractor-----

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (12 Feb 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: If a contractor has a reputation for putting in low bids that consistently end up costing significantly more, that cannot be a factor in the tendering process. That is what Mr. Buckley is telling me.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (12 Feb 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: I am simply asking if that is currently the position. If it is, then, as legislators, I, the Minister of State and you, Chairman, would be keen to change that system. I simply want to know whether that is currently the system. If a contractor has a reputation for consistently putting in low bids that end up costing the State significantly more, that cannot be a factor when an organisation...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Sector Staff Retirements (7 Feb 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: I do not disagree with what the Minister of State says, but my understanding was that the report was going to look at possible remedies. While we all accepted the advice the Minister of State was given about this cohort of people who may not have accepted the interim arrangements and the unfairness in that regard, I certainly understood we would look at this issue as part of the report and,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Sector Staff Retirements (7 Feb 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: 16. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the details of the report to be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas on the cohort of workers that will leave the interim arrangements and retire under the Public Service Superannuation (Age of Retirement) Act 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5955/19]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Sector Staff Retirements (7 Feb 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: When we were dealing with the legislation previously, Deputy Cowen and I outlined the issue facing this cohort of people and the unfairness attached to the situation. A commitment was given that the report would address these issues. I now hear that the report will not address this cohort of people and they will just have to retire at 66 and that is it. Perhaps the Minister can confirm...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Children's Hospital Expenditure (7 Feb 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: I thank the Minister for his response. I am sure he is aware that there has been much discussion of the role of the procurement officer in question and whether he should have brought information on the cost overruns to the Minister. While I accept that a relevant code of practice is in place, one that clearly outlines that it is the chairman of a board who brings information to the relevant...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Children's Hospital Expenditure (7 Feb 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: I want to be sure I understand this. The Minister, Deputy Donohoe, is saying that Mr. Quinn was happy with the reporting structure that was in place and that information on the cost overruns was being passed to the line Minister in question. We can only presume he was happy because he did not do any of the actions outlined in the circular. Will the Minister confirm when he met Mr. Quinn...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Children's Hospital Expenditure (7 Feb 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: 10. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the role of the Office of Government Procurement and the chief procurement officer in his Department in the delivery of the national children’s hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5954/19]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Children's Hospital Expenditure (7 Feb 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: There are serious questions which need to be answered and we are not getting the answers. For instance, we now know that in April an assistant secretary in the Department of Health made a request for an interim report to be forwarded to Government in respect of the escalating costs. In May she again asked for a report to be sent to Government in respect of these escalating costs. The...