Results 9,481-9,500 of 20,057 for speaker:Brian Stanley

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
An Bord Pleanála - Financial Statements 2020
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14 Jul 2022)

Brian Stanley: The Deputy made the point very well.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
An Bord Pleanála - Financial Statements 2020
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14 Jul 2022)

Brian Stanley: That will all be welcome. I have a few questions. If the committee agrees, we will let this run 15 minutes over because we were a couple of minutes late starting. Regarding governance and oversight, can Mr. Walsh provide absolute clarity about what reviews of disclosures the board undertakes led by its members and staff?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
An Bord Pleanála - Financial Statements 2020
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14 Jul 2022)

Brian Stanley: I know that but could Mr. Walsh provide me with clarity on what reviews the board undertakes?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
An Bord Pleanála - Financial Statements 2020
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14 Jul 2022)

Brian Stanley: Have there been situations in the past three to four years where the secretary of An Bord Pleanála brought anything unusual to its attention?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
An Bord Pleanála - Financial Statements 2020
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14 Jul 2022)

Brian Stanley: This is despite the fact that they indicated earlier what has been outlined to Mr. Walsh about people's declarations being significantly or completely different from what they were in the previous year. Does that not jump out?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
An Bord Pleanála - Financial Statements 2020
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14 Jul 2022)

Brian Stanley: That is fair enough.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
An Bord Pleanála - Financial Statements 2020
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14 Jul 2022)

Brian Stanley: And Mr. Walsh does not know if it was raised previously?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
An Bord Pleanála - Financial Statements 2020
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14 Jul 2022)

Brian Stanley: Is Mr. Walsh able to answer? What is the reason for the reduction in the number of disclosures made by board members in 2020 under section 148? What is the reason for that?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
An Bord Pleanála - Financial Statements 2020
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14 Jul 2022)

Brian Stanley: How long has Mr. Walsh been chairperson?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
An Bord Pleanála - Financial Statements 2020
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14 Jul 2022)

Brian Stanley: He would have been there for this.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
An Bord Pleanála - Financial Statements 2020
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14 Jul 2022)

Brian Stanley: In respect of the annual declarations that people make, even a member of a town council has to make them.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
An Bord Pleanála - Financial Statements 2020
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14 Jul 2022)

Brian Stanley: Why were the controls not strong enough to detect where there might be conflicts of interest or where there was a weakness? Mr Walsh has said to me that nothing was seen, nothing unusual jumped out. What is the big failure there? Who is failing? Is it the board? Is it Mr. Walsh? Is it the secretary of the board? Where is the failure?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
An Bord Pleanála - Financial Statements 2020
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14 Jul 2022)

Brian Stanley: Yes. I am referring to unusual declarations or significant changes in declarations.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
An Bord Pleanála - Financial Statements 2020
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14 Jul 2022)

Brian Stanley: That is correct.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
An Bord Pleanála - Financial Statements 2020
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14 Jul 2022)

Brian Stanley: Pending the outcome of the various examinations, reviews and inquiries, is Mr. Walsh, as chairperson taking action now while we are waiting for all of that in order to ensure that where unusual matters-----

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
An Bord Pleanála - Financial Statements 2020
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14 Jul 2022)

Brian Stanley: If Mr. Walsh finds that they are not, perhaps he might inform us. If a board member did not declare a conflict of interest, particularly if they are dealing with a planning decision of the board, can it be overturned afterwards?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
An Bord Pleanála - Financial Statements 2020
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14 Jul 2022)

Brian Stanley: There is no mechanism.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
An Bord Pleanála - Financial Statements 2020
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14 Jul 2022)

Brian Stanley: I am going to let people in for three minutes each and we will see how we go.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
An Bord Pleanála - Financial Statements 2020
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14 Jul 2022)

Brian Stanley: Deputy, time please.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
An Bord Pleanála - Financial Statements 2020
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14 Jul 2022)

Brian Stanley: I call on Deputy Cormac Devlin.