Results 10,001-10,020 of 20,763 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Public Accounts Committee: Reopening of Garda Stations: Discussion (23 Nov 2017)

Alan Kelly: That is what was said in the committee, so if Assistant Commissioner O'Driscoll says something different, there will be a contradiction.

Public Accounts Committee: Reopening of Garda Stations: Discussion (23 Nov 2017)

Alan Kelly: No, I did not say the assistant commissioner said it. The only reason I am interrupting is that we are short of time. I do not do so to be rude but purely because we are caught for time. I do not believe Assistant Commissioner O'Driscoll has appeared before the committee previously, at least not before me. Basically, all I am asking him to do is confirm that once he commenced his work, he...

Public Accounts Committee: Reopening of Garda Stations: Discussion (23 Nov 2017)

Alan Kelly: I understand. To quote Mr. Joseph Nugent who appeared at a recent meeting:The most important input in this process is from local Garda management. That formed a central plank----- I presume local Garda management was the central plank.

Public Accounts Committee: Reopening of Garda Stations: Discussion (23 Nov 2017)

Alan Kelly: There was the final report, which is going through, the second interim report, the interim report, and in the middle of that there was a status update. Is that correct?

Public Accounts Committee: Reopening of Garda Stations: Discussion (23 Nov 2017)

Alan Kelly: In his second interim report, Assistant Commissioner O'Driscoll decided to make the recommendation that Stepaside Garda station be reopened. Is that correct?

Public Accounts Committee: Reopening of Garda Stations: Discussion (23 Nov 2017)

Alan Kelly: Assistant Commissioner O'Driscoll made that recommendation.

Public Accounts Committee: Reopening of Garda Stations: Discussion (23 Nov 2017)

Alan Kelly: That was done on the basis of gathering all of the data which the assistant commissioner, the Commissioner and all the previous witnesses outlined.

Public Accounts Committee: Reopening of Garda Stations: Discussion (23 Nov 2017)

Alan Kelly: I appreciate Assistant Commissioner Leahy was promoted in the middle of this process. When was he promoted to his current rank?

Public Accounts Committee: Reopening of Garda Stations: Discussion (23 Nov 2017)

Alan Kelly: That was just after the process started. I presume the assistant commissioner was part of the consultation process and so forth.

Public Accounts Committee: Reopening of Garda Stations: Discussion (23 Nov 2017)

Alan Kelly: That was September.

Public Accounts Committee: Reopening of Garda Stations: Discussion (23 Nov 2017)

Alan Kelly: I thank Assistant Commissioner Leahy. I only have three or four minutes but I will get to the punchlines. I apologise to all the witnesses for cutting in but, as they will have seen, the Chairman is being very diligent today. We know the second interim report recommended the reopening of Stepaside Garda station. Given Assistant Commissioner Leahy's role and his previous role and in light...

Public Accounts Committee: Reopening of Garda Stations: Discussion (23 Nov 2017)

Alan Kelly: In Mr. Leahy's experience and professional capacity-----

Public Accounts Committee: Reopening of Garda Stations: Discussion (23 Nov 2017)

Alan Kelly: For the record, the assistant commissioner in charge of policing in Dublin is saying – I have no wish to put words in his mouth; I simply wish to be clear about it – that at the time and now, in the allocation of resources, there would have been other priorities ahead of Stepaside Garda station.

Public Accounts Committee: Reopening of Garda Stations: Discussion (23 Nov 2017)

Alan Kelly: To be clear, from a resources point of view, it would not have been Mr. Leahy's first priority. Is that right?

Public Accounts Committee: Reopening of Garda Stations: Discussion (23 Nov 2017)

Alan Kelly: I wish to ask one more question.

Public Accounts Committee: Reopening of Garda Stations: Discussion (23 Nov 2017)

Alan Kelly: I have one final question for the head of human resources, Mr. Barrett, and it relates to this exact question. When it comes to the reopening of this station, there is an obvious resources implication and the assistant commissioner has said as much. As Mr. Ó Cualáin said the last day in respect of the criteria set, it was one issue about which local Garda management must have been...

Public Accounts Committee: Reopening of Garda Stations: Discussion (23 Nov 2017)

Alan Kelly: For the record, the HR director has said he was not consulted in any way, shape or form. How can An Garda Síochána make a decision to reopen one Garda station, in Stepaside, on the basis of the second interim report when the assistant commissioner says it was not a priority in the allocation of personnel, while the head of HR says he was not consulted in any way, shape or form?

Public Accounts Committee: Reopening of Garda Stations: Discussion (23 Nov 2017)

Alan Kelly: I accept that.

Public Accounts Committee: Reopening of Garda Stations: Discussion (23 Nov 2017)

Alan Kelly: It may get to the time for them to be reviewed again.

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 12 - Management of Ancillary Services at the Garda Training College (23 Nov 2017)

Alan Kelly: I thank the Chairman. I am sorry but most of my questions will be in the form of a quickfire round because I have only got ten minutes and then I must go to the Dáil Chamber to discuss related matters. In terms of the Standards in Public Office Commission, SIPO, we heard the last time that there were a number of people who worked in An Garda Síochána who failed to meet...