Results 11,981-12,000 of 26,396 for speaker:David Cullinane

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

David Cullinane: There are, however, no significant cost overruns.

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

David Cullinane: Mr. Watt can hear the questions I am putting concerning significant cost overruns of which he may be aware.

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

David Cullinane: We will continue then and work through the list to give all the projects due credit. What is the next most advanced project on the list of ten major endeavours? We have gone through four or five and there have been no significant cost overruns. That is good news at least.

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

David Cullinane: Mr. Watt listed four or five projects that are very advanced.

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

David Cullinane: I am stating there are no significant cost overruns. There are ten projects. Working our way through them, what is the next most advanced project?

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

David Cullinane: I do not want this meeting to descend into either me or Mr. Watt being accused of playing games. This is not a game. It is very serious. To be helpful to Mr. Watt, the national children's hospital is probably the next most advanced project. It is certainly very advanced. It is the only one of these ten projects where I can see a significant cost overrun for State. Is that a fair assessment?

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

David Cullinane: That is very good. I come back to Mr. Watt's opening statement and his point that he is responsible for overseeing "the implementation of the National Development Plan within Project Ireland 2040, supporting value for money and protecting sustainable capital investment." Of those ten projects, the one which jumps out where there is a significant cost overrun is the national children's...

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

David Cullinane: I am stating what we do know.

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

David Cullinane: We already agreed a few moments ago that of the ten major projects - we are dealing with the major projects - the national children's hospital is, thankfully, the only one with a major cost overrun. I am assuming Mr. Watt and his Department can take credit for the other projects which have come in on budget. However, the one of which we are aware, on which there is a significant cost...

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

David Cullinane: I have to be precise in my questions and hope Mr. Watt will be equally precise as I only have a ten minute slot. What I am repeating to Mr. Watt is what he has given us in his opening statement, which is that he has a responsibility to support the obtaining of value for money. As Accounting Officer for the Department, is he confident that we have achieved value for money so far at the...

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

David Cullinane: As somebody who did look at the issue, perhaps we will ventilate it for a moment because it is a reasonable-----

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

David Cullinane: I thank Mr. Watt.

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

David Cullinane: Can I take my time back? I got that.

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

David Cullinane: I hear what Mr. Watt is saying and I am trying to be extremely fair to him in the sense that I am repeating what he stated in his opening statement that it is his responsibility to ensure there is value for money. The line Ministers and Departments can have their views. I asked Mr. Watt for his. He has somewhat given me a response, but I want to test it in coming back to one report that...

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

David Cullinane: Is that a long-winded way of saying the Department signed off on it? Did the Department sign off on the procurement model to be used? That was the question.

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

David Cullinane: May I-----

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

David Cullinane: I do not want to misinterpret the Accounting Officer. To be clear, there was a derogation granted in the procurement process. How rare or popular is the fast-track two-stage procurement model?

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

David Cullinane: Then it is very unusual, is it not?

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

David Cullinane: Unusual.

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

David Cullinane: Because my time is precious-----