Results 12,941-12,960 of 26,396 for speaker:David Cullinane

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (29 Nov 2018)

David Cullinane: We need to be careful how we respond to this letter. It relates to people who have applied for sick leave. I do not want to cast aspersions on any individuals. The figures may point to issues in the work environment in some State bodies. The average number of sick days across the public service is 10.1. I look at those organisations with above average numbers. The Department of...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (29 Nov 2018)

David Cullinane: It could be and there might be issues.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (29 Nov 2018)

David Cullinane: Three weeks is still high. Revenue at 11.4 represents two weeks. The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport is at 11.2. I ask the secretariat to take a note of those that are above average and we can put them to officials from those Departments when they appear before the committee. We need a response from them when they appear. There are significant variations. For example, the...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (29 Nov 2018)

David Cullinane: I wish to be clear. I am not saying anything is wrong with the public servants who claim sick leave. I am just looking at the variations. The Chairman made the point that the number for the Prison Service is high for very obvious reasons. That highlights the need to look at the environment in which these people work. These are public servants who deserve our support and protection. The...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (29 Nov 2018)

David Cullinane: The problem was not with the response rate, which is high. I have an issue with the nature of the survey which is a self-assessment survey. Was it the CEO who signed the letter?

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (29 Nov 2018)

David Cullinane: The CEO states that these are accurate figures. It is an assessment, an estimate. It cannot be said it is accurate because it is self-assessment. What controls are in place? What follow-up inspections take place to ensure the figures are accurate? We were never given any information to reassure us that is the case. I do not accept that these are accurate figures. While it is great that...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (29 Nov 2018)

David Cullinane: Exactly. My understanding is that there was none, or it was not to my satisfaction anyway.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (29 Nov 2018)

David Cullinane: We have the education sector reports the Comptroller and Auditor General has prepared, namely the Limerick-Sligo report and the Waterford report. I propose that we deal with both on the same day if possible. I read the Limerick-Sligo report several times and found it shocking. I want to be careful how I put this to the Comptroller and Auditor General, but is it the case that the University...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (29 Nov 2018)

David Cullinane: If we have a university that has misled the Comptroller and Auditor General-----

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (29 Nov 2018)

David Cullinane: -----and the Department and, possibly-----

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (29 Nov 2018)

David Cullinane: -----this committee as well, it is incredible. It chimes with what we were saying when its representatives were here. We were getting push-back from these universities as to what we were asking questions for and they said we were being too tough. It goes back to this public perception, or rather the perception of some in the commentariat, that the Committee of Public Accounts is...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (29 Nov 2018)

David Cullinane: If the Comptroller and Auditor General prepares special reports, we have a responsibility to follow up.

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Social Protection
Chapter 11 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 12 - JobPath Employment Activation Service
Chapter 13 - Actuarial Review of Social Insurance Fund
Chapter 14 - Overpayments of Age-Related Jobseeker's Allowance
Chapter 20 - PRSI Contributions by the Self-Employed
2017 Social Insurance Fund (29 Nov 2018)

David Cullinane: I welcome Mr. McKeon and his colleagues. I accept that the Secretary General and Accounting Officer is dealing with four chapters from the Comptroller and Auditor General's report and the appropriation accounts but the reason we seek supporting documentation in advance of an Accounting Officer coming in is to avoid lengthy opening statements. We have a voting block at 12.50 p.m. I do not...

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Social Protection
Chapter 11 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 12 - JobPath Employment Activation Service
Chapter 13 - Actuarial Review of Social Insurance Fund
Chapter 14 - Overpayments of Age-Related Jobseeker's Allowance
Chapter 20 - PRSI Contributions by the Self-Employed
2017 Social Insurance Fund (29 Nov 2018)

David Cullinane: -----when we will have the staff from Revenue and the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government here? That is fine. I gave prior notice that I would raise this with Mr. McKeon. He talked about his staff working hard, and no doubt they do, and I pass on my appreciation for the work his staff does. This morning, under our correspondence, we received a breakdown, at our request,...

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Social Protection
Chapter 11 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 12 - JobPath Employment Activation Service
Chapter 13 - Actuarial Review of Social Insurance Fund
Chapter 14 - Overpayments of Age-Related Jobseeker's Allowance
Chapter 20 - PRSI Contributions by the Self-Employed
2017 Social Insurance Fund (29 Nov 2018)

David Cullinane: If I could just come back on that, we have caveats here from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. They set out a number of caveats that might explain why the figures are higher in some areas. That explanation is not one of them. This breakdown colour co-ordinates each Department in terms of the numbers of staff. Mr. McKeon's is one of the bigger Departments, of 5,000 staff or...

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Social Protection
Chapter 11 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 12 - JobPath Employment Activation Service
Chapter 13 - Actuarial Review of Social Insurance Fund
Chapter 14 - Overpayments of Age-Related Jobseeker's Allowance
Chapter 20 - PRSI Contributions by the Self-Employed
2017 Social Insurance Fund (29 Nov 2018)

David Cullinane: Let me clear this up as it would be useful for us. Can we go back to the Department and get a gender breakdown and an age profile for each Department? That might give us the full picture of what Mr. McKeon is saying. I am not saying that staff do not have an entitlement to apply for sick leave, of course they do. For example, we are very sympathetic to the type of job the staff of the...

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Social Protection
Chapter 11 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 12 - JobPath Employment Activation Service
Chapter 13 - Actuarial Review of Social Insurance Fund
Chapter 14 - Overpayments of Age-Related Jobseeker's Allowance
Chapter 20 - PRSI Contributions by the Self-Employed
2017 Social Insurance Fund (29 Nov 2018)

David Cullinane: We just have a breakdown of the Department and the number of days lost. There is no caveat given here to the effect that there could be variations because of gender where, for example, there is maternity leave and I accept that. There is no caveat for a higher age profile. That might have an impact. I am saying we did not get that information, so I think it is fair enough for the...

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Social Protection
Chapter 11 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 12 - JobPath Employment Activation Service
Chapter 13 - Actuarial Review of Social Insurance Fund
Chapter 14 - Overpayments of Age-Related Jobseeker's Allowance
Chapter 20 - PRSI Contributions by the Self-Employed
2017 Social Insurance Fund (29 Nov 2018)

David Cullinane: I will deal with JobPath in the context of the Comptroller and Auditor General's special report and the Appropriation Accounts. I will put the same questions to Mr. McKeon as I put to him at our previous meeting because we wish to assess whether we are getting value for money. The Comptroller and Auditor General looked at the process, rather than whether the project represented value for...

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Social Protection
Chapter 11 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 12 - JobPath Employment Activation Service
Chapter 13 - Actuarial Review of Social Insurance Fund
Chapter 14 - Overpayments of Age-Related Jobseeker's Allowance
Chapter 20 - PRSI Contributions by the Self-Employed
2017 Social Insurance Fund (29 Nov 2018)

David Cullinane: What is the up-to-date figure?

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Social Protection
Chapter 11 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 12 - JobPath Employment Activation Service
Chapter 13 - Actuarial Review of Social Insurance Fund
Chapter 14 - Overpayments of Age-Related Jobseeker's Allowance
Chapter 20 - PRSI Contributions by the Self-Employed
2017 Social Insurance Fund (29 Nov 2018)

David Cullinane: There were two companies who rolled out JobPath, namely, Seetec and Turas Nua. Can Mr. McKeon provide a breakdown of how much of the €109 million listed in the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General went to each of the two organisations?