Results 11,881-11,900 of 20,094 for speaker:Brian Stanley

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (2 Dec 2021)

Brian Stanley: Do any other members wish to speak on this item? No. It is proposed that we note and publish the item and consider the responses. The next item is No. 901B from Mr. Niall Cody, chairman of the Office of the Revenue Commissioners, dated 18 November 2021, providing information requested by the committee regarding the disclosure of details of a settlement between Revenue and Perrigo. At our...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (2 Dec 2021)

Brian Stanley: Go ahead.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (2 Dec 2021)

Brian Stanley: We can do that. There is concern in relation to that issue. This time last year, members will recall, we were trying to arrange for the Department and the hospital board to come in to discuss this. We delayed it and put it back to 9 February to facilitate this report on the children's hospital. I was actually at that site the other day. I am at a loss at this point as to how we are in a...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (2 Dec 2021)

Brian Stanley: It is important. It is a big scheme that runs in the region of €1 billion per annum. It is important that we get that report. If everyone is happy with that, we will ask the secretariat to follow up on that and we will have it flagged for when they come before us. The next item of correspondence is No. 910B from Mr. Bernard Gloster, chief executive, Tusla, dated 22 November. It...

Employment Support Services: Motion [Private Members] (30 Nov 2021)

Brian Stanley: I welcome the motion that is before the House this evening. The Government is proposing the total privatisation of employment activation services through the JobPath model. JobPath was introduced by the former Labour Party Minister, Joan Burton, and the Labour Party has stood over it for years. It has failed to provide quality employment for the vast majority of those who have used it....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (30 Nov 2021)

Brian Stanley: 83. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the progress in the midlands regions on increasing the number of apprenticeships for skills in renewable energy, retrofitting homes and energy efficient construction. [58605/21]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (30 Nov 2021)

Brian Stanley: 86. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department has plans to increase the number of apprenticeships in the Midlands in the area of retrofitting homes, renewable energy and energy efficient construction skills. [58604/21]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Dental Services (30 Nov 2021)

Brian Stanley: 510. To ask the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will have a follow-up appointment with orthodontic services in Tullamore, County Laois. [58297/21]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Dental Services (30 Nov 2021)

Brian Stanley: 515. To ask the Minister for Health if patients in County Laois who require orthodontic treatment will have to travel to a clinic in Athlone from December 2021. [58320/21]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic (30 Nov 2021)

Brian Stanley: 518. To ask the Minister for Health if the HSE is keeping weekly or monthly breakdowns of the number of patients in ICU beds in hospitals who are vaccinated and unvaccinated; and if so, if the most recent statistics can be published. [58343/21]

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Services (25 Nov 2021)

Brian Stanley: I thank the Minister of State for her response. I wish to clarify this. Having spoken to staff and families, they are clear that at this point, unless the situation has changed in the last day or two, a dietician is required for the adult services to operate fully. A senior dietician is needed to provide instant pump services. That is the issue I want clarified. The HSE can often explain...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Services (25 Nov 2021)

Brian Stanley: I wish to raise a very important matter relating to the diabetes clinic at Portlaoise hospital, which services a very large area not just in County Laois but also Offaly, north Tipperary and south Kildare. Currently it is blocked from providing full services and it cannot provide insulin pump services because there is no adult dietician in place for the adult clinic, which is required for it...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Chapter 7 - Oversight of Funding for the European Capital of Culture 2020 (25 Nov 2021)

Brian Stanley: I will pop out in 20 minutes so the Vice Chairman, Deputy Catherine Murphy, will take over. The Comptroller and Auditor General, Mr. Seamus McCarthy, is a permanent witness to the committee. I ask that members and all those in attendance to exercise personal responsibility in protecting themselves and others from the risk of Covid-19, particularly during the current surge. They are...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Chapter 7 - Oversight of Funding for the European Capital of Culture 2020 (25 Nov 2021)

Brian Stanley: I invite Ms Licken to make her opening statement.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Chapter 7 - Oversight of Funding for the European Capital of Culture 2020 (25 Nov 2021)

Brian Stanley: I thank Ms Licken. Her Department covers a wide range of issues and areas. I have some questions. Focusing on RTÉ, and looking at its accounts, that organisation has run a deficit for six consecutive years. RTÉ's income has reduced by €100 million in the same period, while costs have increased by €30 million. Land was sold in the last year as well. In addition,...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Chapter 7 - Oversight of Funding for the European Capital of Culture 2020 (25 Nov 2021)

Brian Stanley: Ms Licken is the Accounting Officer for the Department, and we understand that RTÉ is an independent commercial semi-State organisation, but a large part of its funding comes through the Department. Ms Licken outlined those figures in the documents she sent to us for today's meeting. Is she concerned now, however, at the financial state of RTÉ? I ask that because the situation...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Chapter 7 - Oversight of Funding for the European Capital of Culture 2020 (25 Nov 2021)

Brian Stanley: I understand that. An internal memo in Ms Licken's Department earlier in the year, however, referred to the finances of RTÉ as not being "sustainable" and that they "were undermining its capacity" to perform its role. Can Ms Licken confirm if that is accurate?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Chapter 7 - Oversight of Funding for the European Capital of Culture 2020 (25 Nov 2021)

Brian Stanley: Has RTÉ requested additional funding?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Chapter 7 - Oversight of Funding for the European Capital of Culture 2020 (25 Nov 2021)

Brian Stanley: Thank you. I do not doubt the importance of public sector broadcasting and, personally, I am a great supporter of it. I agree with your comment that it is important to have that in a democracy. The lead questioner for the committee today is Deputy Sherlock, who has 15 minutes. He will be followed by Deputy Catherine Murphy. All other members will have ten minutes each.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (25 Nov 2021)

Brian Stanley: The public business before us this afternoon is as follows: minutes, accounts, financial statements, correspondence, work programme and any other business. Before continuing with our agenda, I propose that we briefly go into private session to deal with some housekeeping matters before we resume in public session. Is that agreed to? Agreed.