Results 8,781-8,800 of 15,510 for speaker:Brendan Griffin

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sport in Ireland - Challenges, Strategies and Governance: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (1 Feb 2017)

Brendan Griffin: If there is time at the very end of the meeting I will ask the Minister for the answers. If not, he might furnish them in writing and we will make alternative arrangements. The Fianna Fáil grouping has 15 minutes for questions and answers.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sport in Ireland - Challenges, Strategies and Governance: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (1 Feb 2017)

Brendan Griffin: I urge everyone to move on.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sport in Ireland - Challenges, Strategies and Governance: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (1 Feb 2017)

Brendan Griffin: The point has been well made.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sport in Ireland - Challenges, Strategies and Governance: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (1 Feb 2017)

Brendan Griffin: We must move on. Deputy Imelda Munster has the floor.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sport in Ireland - Challenges, Strategies and Governance: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (1 Feb 2017)

Brendan Griffin: Three minutes remain for answers.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sport in Ireland - Challenges, Strategies and Governance: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (1 Feb 2017)

Brendan Griffin: Yes, because the Deputy will not have an opportunity to come back in.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sport in Ireland - Challenges, Strategies and Governance: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (1 Feb 2017)

Brendan Griffin: Two minutes remain for the answers.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sport in Ireland - Challenges, Strategies and Governance: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (1 Feb 2017)

Brendan Griffin: There are only two minutes to answer all of them so the Minister should be brief.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sport in Ireland - Challenges, Strategies and Governance: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (1 Feb 2017)

Brendan Griffin: That concludes our questioning.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sport in Ireland - Challenges, Strategies and Governance: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (1 Feb 2017)

Brendan Griffin: Those Members who did not have their questions answered today can put them in writing. As a committee, we could-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sport in Ireland - Challenges, Strategies and Governance: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (1 Feb 2017)

Brendan Griffin: That would be good. We are against the clock today. The Minister, Deputy Shane Ross, has to leave by 4.45 p.m. to go to the Dáil Chamber. I apologise to members, but I tried to share the time as fairly as I could. They might put their questions in writing and send them to the committee secretariat. We will keep in mind that the Minister of State is willing to come back.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Brendan Griffin: We will now consider the current financial situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the rural transport programme. This is the second in a series of meetings this committee has convened to examine the very challenging situation developing at Bus Éireann. Last week we heard from acting chief executive officer, CEO, Ray Hernan, who set out the challenges as he views them...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Brendan Griffin: We shall take the rest of the statement as read because we are working against the clock. I thank the Minister for his opening statement.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Brendan Griffin: I am conscious that Senator O'Mahony had to leave for a Seanad vote so I will try to facilitate him at the earliest possible opportunity. The Fianna Fáil group has 15 minutes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Brendan Griffin: The Minister has made his position clear. I call Deputy Barry.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Brendan Griffin: I ask the Deputy to wrap up.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Brendan Griffin: We need to move on. The PSO figure for 2009 was sought.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Brendan Griffin: We are a right honourable committee. Representatives of Bus Éireann came before the committee last week and we asked about the severance packages for recent retirees who were senior employees. We were given the impression that they were subject to privacy agreements. Why is this the case? Given that public money is involved, surely this information should be in the public domain.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Brendan Griffin: I am wondering about the future, rather than what has happened already. Is this something the Department could examine for future reference in order to ensure it will not happen again? Can we provide for the public to be fully informed of what is being paid under severance packages to individuals? Can it be done such that confidentiality clauses would not be allowable?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Brendan Griffin: It is a question of transparency and accountability. Let us consider how sensitive matters are at present. Serious demands are being sought from employees throughout the company. It is difficult for people to swallow an arrangement whereby some people are more special than others and confidentiality exists surrounding particular pay packages. Is that something your Department can examine...