Results 12,761-12,780 of 26,512 for speaker:John McGuinness

Public Accounts Committee: 2014 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 3: Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5: Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6: Office of the Chief State Solicitor (12 Nov 2015)

John McGuinness: Do not rely on them is my advice to Mr. O'Daly. I say this because there are procurement rules set down which are breached every day of the week, with no apology to the Government or anybody else that is trying to implement proper procurement across agencies and Departments. I expect that all of the witnesses - who all operate at the coalface in terms of the delivery of the services they...

Public Accounts Committee: 2014 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 3: Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5: Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6: Office of the Chief State Solicitor (12 Nov 2015)

John McGuinness: Is it not a shocking gap in the general administration of Departments and the spending of taxpayers' money that there would not be some sort of arrangement whereby these comparisons can be made? To relate it to the private sector, I might ask another business how much something cost. I might ask if the firm that represented that business was any good and perhaps get a reference. It would...

Public Accounts Committee: 2014 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 3: Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5: Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6: Office of the Chief State Solicitor (12 Nov 2015)

John McGuinness: That is a different question. I am shocked that the answer to my question is that this does not happen, not only regularly but as a matter of fact in the conduct of the business of the State relative to the appointment of legal representatives. It is not right that it would continue. Mr. O'Daly's office should engage proactively on this issue in terms of the Government and the direction it...

Public Accounts Committee: 2014 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 3: Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5: Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6: Office of the Chief State Solicitor (12 Nov 2015)

John McGuinness: That is another gap. The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform should be far more proactive when it comes to one of the bigger costs to the State, namely, legal costs. Not only is there a legal cost, there is a human cost. There have been many cases where the State has wronged an individual. While that might be proven at the end of the day, the fact is a life or a family has been...

Public Accounts Committee: 2014 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 3: Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5: Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6: Office of the Chief State Solicitor (12 Nov 2015)

John McGuinness: Does Ms Creedon think the Department of Public Expenditure listens? Does it act on it? We can presume it does not because it does not recognise this issue as being a problem. I ask Mr. Quigley to take note of this as an issue we will take up next week with him. We need a little more than words, or what some people might term "guff", from the Department. We need action and not guff. I...

Public Accounts Committee: 2014 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 3: Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5: Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6: Office of the Chief State Solicitor (12 Nov 2015)

John McGuinness: Perhaps I will put a question to Ms Browne. I am sure the Chief State Solicitor's office regularly receives proposals from Departments for property leases. Has the office completed all such proposals received to date or are there proposals in the office which span years and that are not yet complete?

Public Accounts Committee: 2014 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 3: Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5: Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6: Office of the Chief State Solicitor (12 Nov 2015)

John McGuinness: I am trying to be as specific as I can to get the information. The committee dealt recently with issues relating to harbours, during which we learned that a significant number of leases relating to harbours, dating back over a number of years, had not been completed or signed off on such that the individual attempting to lease the property, or in some cases in the leased property, did not...

Public Accounts Committee: 2014 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 3: Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5: Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6: Office of the Chief State Solicitor (12 Nov 2015)

John McGuinness: I will narrow the question. Are there leases currently being negotiated by the office in respect of which that process has been ongoing for one year, two years or four years? Is there an aged analysis that I can get from Ms Browne in respect of the leases that are still being dealt with by her section? I am not asking that Ms Browne name anyone.

Public Accounts Committee: 2014 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 3: Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5: Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6: Office of the Chief State Solicitor (12 Nov 2015)

John McGuinness: Would it be possible for Ms Browne to provide that information to the committee?

Public Accounts Committee: 2014 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 3: Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5: Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6: Office of the Chief State Solicitor (12 Nov 2015)

John McGuinness: If there are leases in respect of which negotiations have been ongoing for one year, the response could be that there are ten. In response to the question on the number of leases in respect of which negotiations have been ongoing for two years, the response could be that there are four and so on. I am asking only for the number of cases. This is an issue that arises regularly at this...

Public Accounts Committee: 2014 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 3: Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5: Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6: Office of the Chief State Solicitor (12 Nov 2015)

John McGuinness: I am not asking Ms Browne for information about leases or what is contained in them. I am asking her for the position regarding negotiations on lease category A. Ms Browne need not specify the Department or anything else. I want to know how long Ms Browne's section has been in negotiations on various leases before it.

Public Accounts Committee: 2014 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 3: Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5: Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6: Office of the Chief State Solicitor (12 Nov 2015)

John McGuinness: No, I am not asking for any reason. I am asking how many leases the office has been dealing with for 12 months, for two years and so on. The information we have received suggests there are people who occupy properties and who are attempting to resolve their leasing issues with the State. We are told it is a matter for the office. I have no wish to find out the names or anything else. I...

Public Accounts Committee: 2014 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 3: Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5: Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6: Office of the Chief State Solicitor (12 Nov 2015)

John McGuinness: I did not.

Public Accounts Committee: 2014 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 3: Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5: Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6: Office of the Chief State Solicitor (12 Nov 2015)

John McGuinness: There were a number of them, so it could be anyone.

Public Accounts Committee: 2014 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 3: Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5: Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6: Office of the Chief State Solicitor (12 Nov 2015)

John McGuinness: I understand that.

Public Accounts Committee: 2014 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 3: Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5: Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6: Office of the Chief State Solicitor (12 Nov 2015)

John McGuinness: That is fine, but Ms Creedon might simply tell me in order that I know. It is frustrating dealing with Departments.

Public Accounts Committee: 2014 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 3: Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5: Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6: Office of the Chief State Solicitor (12 Nov 2015)

John McGuinness: The question of commercial sensitivity and the possibility of legal action is nonsense in some cases. I am asking for general information in order that I can understand where the blockages are when it comes to the delivery of these leases. It is easy to say that for category A, the number of leases is five, the cases have gone on for five years and the reasons are mainly to do with those...

Public Accounts Committee: 2014 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 3: Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5: Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6: Office of the Chief State Solicitor (12 Nov 2015)

John McGuinness: That is all we are asking for. It is general information.

Public Accounts Committee: 2014 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 3: Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5: Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6: Office of the Chief State Solicitor (12 Nov 2015)

John McGuinness: I have another question on leases. It may be historical but it relates to where leases have been created with no break clause, thus tying the State to millions of euro in terms of its responsibility in the context of the lease. For example, let us suppose a lease is created for 60 years, or whatever it may be, with no break clause. Regardless of what changes take place in the course of...

Public Accounts Committee: 2014 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 3: Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5: Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6: Office of the Chief State Solicitor (12 Nov 2015)

John McGuinness: This is an interesting point. I am sure that on the side of the Chief State Solicitor's office there is considerable intelligence about the law, how it can be applied, the implications of applying it, the responsibilities of Departments and so on. Surely if the office received a suggestion from a Department that a given lease should be for 60 years or 20 years without a break clause or a...