Results 11,901-11,920 of 26,493 for speaker:John McGuinness

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (28 Jan 2016)

John McGuinness: We will contact the HSE and its chairman. Depending on the circumstances in the Dáil, we will try to meet next Tuesday at 11.30 a.m. or 12 o'clock to determine if we can have the HSE before us to go through this issue. In the meantime, the HSE should reflect on the fact that this has gone on since 1983 and that it was given information in 1993. We have to continue to remember it is...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (28 Jan 2016)

John McGuinness: Those within the HSE who were to give the apology did not even know they were to give the apology.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (28 Jan 2016)

John McGuinness: I asked the Deputy to repeat that about the workers because of the fact that, as well as protecting those who were abused and the whistleblower, the workers need to be included because it would seem that they are being used in this game of circling the wagons.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (28 Jan 2016)

John McGuinness: The culture that was mentioned earlier by a number of members is one that needs to be broken. I accept what Deputy O'Donovan says - it does not make any difference what Minister is there if the culture is there - but this needs to be brought to the attention of the Minister for Health so that he understands how far the HSE is willing to go to protect the very culture that has given rise to...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (28 Jan 2016)

John McGuinness: Can we take that issue under any other business?

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (28 Jan 2016)

John McGuinness: I will just go through the correspondence and come back to the Deputy then.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (28 Jan 2016)

John McGuinness: If the Dáil is sitting next Tuesday-----

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (28 Jan 2016)

John McGuinness: That is a decision for the committee.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (28 Jan 2016)

John McGuinness: The auditor of Meath County Council is the audit committee, which stems from the elected representatives of Meath County Council. It is probably an issue in terms of this committee, given the road construction programme and whatever funding might have gone in that direction. In the context of good governance from the Department, it is an issue that can be raised-----

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (28 Jan 2016)

John McGuinness: We set that out and we put it on record last week. The incoming committee can decide whether to pursue the matter, but there is a substantial body of information that would lead me to believe that any incoming committee would at least take an interest in it at the very beginning and determine what they are going to do.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (28 Jan 2016)

John McGuinness: We can. We did pursue it up to now and I see no reason, pushing out the boundaries a little again, that the new committee would not be able to deal with it.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (28 Jan 2016)

John McGuinness: No. 3B.1 relates to correspondence from Deputy Costello regarding Regent Catering Services. We will note that and forward it to the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and the Revenue Commissioners for an investigation into the matters raised by Mr. Brown. Is that agreed?

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (28 Jan 2016)

John McGuinness: No. 3B.2 relates to correspondence, dated 21 January 2016, from the HSE regarding the myGP.iewebsite, to be noted and forwarded to Deputy Sean Fleming, who raised the issue. No. 3B.3 relates to correspondence, dated 21 January 2016, received from Mr. Brian Cullen regarding land owned by Fingal County Council. This is to be noted and, as local authorities do not fall within the remit of the...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (28 Jan 2016)

John McGuinness: These accounts are to be noted. Is there any other business?

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (28 Jan 2016)

John McGuinness: There was a reply from the Department. It is holding its position, which is effectively that it is not prepared to provide for the loss. I know the Deputy has raised this matter on numerous occasions at this committee since his appointment and the members have discussed it in detail, but the response from the Department is that it is holding its line in this context.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (28 Jan 2016)

John McGuinness: The committee can discuss whatever the Deputy might suggest and we can make the recommendation. I recall the debate in the House and, previous to that, at committee and so on, at the very beginning of this issue. I support the Deputy in what he is attempting to achieve, which is to have the case recognised and payment made by the Department. The committee could support that and add weight...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (28 Jan 2016)

John McGuinness: The special report is dated 14 December 2009, and since then Members of the House have been pretty supportive of the report and of the compensation being paid. If the Deputy wants to propose that we support the Ombudsman's report and request that compensation be paid, we can take that action today and make that recommendation.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (28 Jan 2016)

John McGuinness: We will ask the members.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (28 Jan 2016)

John McGuinness: I support the proposition on the basis of the Ombudsman's report dating back to 2009 and also on the fact that, in its report of 20 October 2010, the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Food decided that it was not in a position to recommend an acceptance of the Ombudsman's special report on the Houses of the Oireachtas. I hold that there was political interference in that...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (28 Jan 2016)

John McGuinness: I take it that the committee is in full support of the Ombudsman's recommendation and that it should disregard any consideration of the decision taken on 20 October 2010 by that committee. We will ask the clerk to forward that view to that Government, and that is the direct line to take. If there is no other business, we will now deal with today's business.