Results 11,901-11,920 of 20,094 for speaker:Brian Stanley

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

Brian Stanley: The first item is the minutes of our 18 November meeting, which have been circulated. Do members wish to raise any issues regarding the minutes? Are they agreed? Agreed. I thank members. As usual, they will be published on the committee's web page. The next item is accounts and financial statements. Three sets our accounts and financial statements were laid before the Dáil...

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

Brian Stanley: As there are no other questions, can we agree to note the accounts and statements? Agreed. As usual, the listing of accounts and financial statements will be published as part of our minutes. Our third item is correspondence. As previously agreed, items that were not flagged for discussion for this meeting will continue to be dealt with in accordance with the proposed actions that have...

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

Brian Stanley: I suggest that along with looking for that information from the Department, we ask for a breakdown by different sectors, like construction and couriers, for example. The issue with self-employment or misclassification as self-employment is that it may now be operating across other sectors on foot of that judgment back in 1997.

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

Brian Stanley: I suggest we agree to look for that breakdown as well, along with the clarificatory question Deputy Carthy has for Revenue on whether relevant documents simply do not exist or are not available to it. I note there are a number of statements attached to the letter. We will go through them. Appendix 1 states: By way of background, it is important to note that PAYE is not a tax, but a...

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

Brian Stanley: My understanding from the meeting with representatives of the Department is that there is an electronic system and the Department is going to upgrade it. It does not have a full electronic payroll system. Is that correct? In the correspondence, it is mentioned that a technical solution has been identified and is being assessed. I am trying to remember that meeting. I know Deputy Devlin...

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

Brian Stanley: Is Deputy Murphy okay with that?

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

Brian Stanley: We can ask for a clarification in relation to the last sentence in which the Department leaves the matter open-ended and states that the option will be available to use the service by the third quarter of next year. It could be interpreted a number of ways. We can ask why there will be an option and not a uniform electronic system within the Department. We can also ask when the Department...

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

Brian Stanley: We can get clarification on this. My understanding is that it pays rent or an annual fee for the infrastructure. It could be a fee for the 25 years-----

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

Brian Stanley: -----of €25 per pole. As the Deputy will know, Eir has been replacing many of the poles in the past two years in order to get ready for this. We can ask whether NBI carries a cost for replacing some of the existing infrastructure or upgrading it.

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

Brian Stanley: Like the Deputy, I was surprised that only 12% of the project will be new build. That was a bit of an eye-catcher. The other question that arises out of it is the annual cost for rent of existing infrastructure each year over the next 25 years. Is it being done as a cumulative cost over that period? If only 12% is going on new build, what is the €2.7 billion going on? How much of...

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

Brian Stanley: Does Deputy Catherine Murphy want to come back in now?

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

Brian Stanley: I will let Deputy Carthy back in and then come back to Deputy Catherine Murphy.

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

Brian Stanley: It has stated that those 679 primary schools will be done by the end of 2022.

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

Brian Stanley: We will try to wrap up the broadband part of it and then I can let the Deputy back in. There is an issue with the further remedial plan. We should ask it what the legacy issues are. Hopefully, we are not going back into a lockdown. If we are not going back into a lockdown, there should not be legacy issues. There may be issues with the supply chain or something. I know that in...

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

Brian Stanley: The Deputy will recall that at one stage there was a plan for eight incinerators in eight separate regions. I remember a consultant's report that was circulated among the county councils back in 2004 and 2005 and set out the reasons for that. I am sure the Deputy saw that report as well. We are in a situation where the game will be up in respect of those three sites in eight years. There...

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

Brian Stanley: It is my experience that the grant aid goes some way towards the overall cost but, normally, it does not cover it fully.

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

Brian Stanley: We will ask for clarification around the usage of the word "technical" in that respect. It might be referring to financial matters, but I doubt it. It looks to me like it is-----

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

Brian Stanley: Okay. We will ask for clarification on that. Do any other members wish to come in? As regards the cover letter, in the final paragraph the Secretary General refers to comments I made during the afternoon session on 14 October after we had completed our engagement with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and specifically relating to the attendance of the...

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

Brian Stanley: We will have to start putting that in the invitations.

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

Brian Stanley: We included a note thus: "If you choose to attend from outside the Leinster House complex, in order to avoid technical difficulties, you are requested to do so from your office premises.". That has been sent to them. We will have to mention to invitees that they must ensure they have a good broadband connection. Next is No. 890B from Ms Laura Burke, Director General, Environmental...