Results 1,061-1,080 of 8,015 for speaker:Jonathan O'Brien

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 21 - Prisons (17 Jan 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: We do not keep any data on complaints that would be made to the governor and whether they are upheld.

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 21 - Prisons (17 Jan 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: I am looking for similar information with regard to direct provision. It is slightly different with direct provision. If someone was a victim of domestic abuse, would that complaint have to be made directly to the manager of the centre before it could go to the Ombudsman or An Garda Síochána? I would be happy if I could get a note about the complaints procedures for direct...

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 21 - Prisons (17 Jan 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: When is it proposed to roll it out to all prisons? That is one of the Irish Prison Service's strategic objectives. Again, Ms McCaffrey can give me a note.

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 21 - Prisons (17 Jan 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: It concerned the Family Links programme.

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 21 - Prisons (17 Jan 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: Will she provide us with a note in the near future about when the Irish Prison Service proposes to roll it out?

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 21 - Prisons (17 Jan 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: Absolutely.

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 21 - Prisons (17 Jan 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: I echo that. It is an excellent programme that will help reduce reoffending and maintain those family links, particularly for prisoners serving lengthy sentences, which are anything between one year and eight years, as the Irish Prison Service categorises them. Will Ms McCaffrey give me a note on it? I do not want to put anybody on the spot, but is there a reason it is not being rolled...

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 21 - Prisons (17 Jan 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: I meant to ask about mental health. We know that 20 to 30 individuals are waiting to be admitted to the Central Mental Hospital. Is there a waiting list of prisoners awaiting a consultation with a psychologist within the Irish Prison Service? There are people in my area who are on a waiting list to see a psychologist or psychiatrist. Is the situation in the prison system similar? Are...

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 21 - Prisons (17 Jan 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: That is where the waiting period could come in.

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 21 - Prisons (17 Jan 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: Will Ms McCaffrey give us a note on that because I know an assessment is done on intake? If somebody is being referred, what is the waiting period? I know that in some areas, such as HSE south, there is a longer waiting period to access services. I do not know if Ms McCaffrey has the data on a prison-by-prison basis but if she has, could she give them to us so we can see whether some...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (16 Jan 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: I want to focus on the health budget. The Minister spoke briefly about it when answering questions from other Deputies. How is he proposing to get a grip on the health budget in the future? Can he recap on some of the measures being taken?

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (16 Jan 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: The Supplementary Estimate last year was for €200 million. While the Estimate for the year before that was not classed as a Supplementary Estimate, there was a Revised Estimate of €500 million in 2016. Therefore, the combined figure for the last two years is €700 million. While one can class the figure for last year as significantly lower, in 2016 some €500...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (16 Jan 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: The HSE publishes performance profiles quarterly.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (16 Jan 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: It also produces a separate monthly report. The information we were given by Mr. Colm Desmond was that in the performance accountability framework between the HSE and the Department of Health there was a monthly data report which was discussed between it and the Department.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (16 Jan 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: That indicates that there were monthly reports between the Department of Health and the HSE which were not being passed on to the Minister's Department which showed significant overruns on a month by month basis. Perhaps the Minister might clarify whether that was the case.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (16 Jan 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: Does the Minister accept that this applies to the figures included in the health budget announced for last year? At this committee in December Mr. Michael Tutty from the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council said: Some €700 million does not just suddenly arrive as the year goes on, there has to have been a shortfall right from the start in the figures. We need to find a mechanism where...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (16 Jan 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: I have a final question in this area. The month by month reports between the Department of Health and the HSE are now to be shared with the Minister's Department. What is the timelag in the provision of data? Mr. Colm Desmond has said there is a timelag which makes it more difficult to estimate the size of overruns. Will the Minister give us an indication as to whether the timelag is one,...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (16 Jan 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: On the rainy day fund and its potential use, can we, first, have clarification that it cannot be used to offset any impact Brexit, including a no-deal Brexit, could have?

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (16 Jan 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: Is it not true that under EU fiscal rules, the rainy day fund cannot be used to mitigate the effects of Brexit?

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (16 Jan 2019)

Jonathan O'Brien: Therefore, it is unknown at this stage whether the fund could be used in the context of Brexit. We do know that it could be used to recapitalise banks.