Results 13,081-13,100 of 20,099 for speaker:Brian Stanley

Public Accounts Committee: 2019 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (27 Apr 2021)

Brian Stanley: Okay. I do not want to go into this in too much depth, but I wish to focus on the assessment by Eversheds Sutherland of the status of workers. A significant part of RTÉ's income goes on staff, and that is all to the good. When the report was being carried out, Eversheds Sutherland would have spoken to management and other stakeholders, but was each individual worker on a...

Public Accounts Committee: 2019 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (27 Apr 2021)

Brian Stanley: But did they speak to each worker?

Public Accounts Committee: 2019 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (27 Apr 2021)

Brian Stanley: That would seem to depart from the practice. If we take the case of CitySprint in Britain, a more detailed look was done in the case of each worker. I would have thought the worker would be central to this process and that all workers would have been interviewed.

Public Accounts Committee: 2019 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (27 Apr 2021)

Brian Stanley: I thank Ms Cusack.

Public Accounts Committee: 2019 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (27 Apr 2021)

Brian Stanley: What percentage of the workforce, or how many contractors or employees in the organisation are earning more than €100,000 a year gross?

Public Accounts Committee: 2019 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (27 Apr 2021)

Brian Stanley: I thank Ms Forbes. Based on the information RTÉ supplied, the figure we have for one afternoon show by one presenter is €450,000 per annum. I think the show runs for approximately an hour and a half. Ms Forbes said earlier that the money is spent is to attract talent. How often does RTÉ interview for those positions? I am sure there are many people in local radio...

Public Accounts Committee: 2019 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (27 Apr 2021)

Brian Stanley: Surely RTÉ has a template for how it selects people.

Public Accounts Committee: 2019 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (27 Apr 2021)

Brian Stanley: I thank Ms Forbes. We had some technical difficulties and we still have some. Members may ask a brief second question taking no more than one minute each because we are tight on time. Unfortunately, we are tied to time constraints owing to Covid restrictions. I ask people to give a hand signal. I understand that the hand signal on Deputy Catherine Murphy's system is not working and she...

Public Accounts Committee: 2019 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (27 Apr 2021)

Brian Stanley: Will Ms O'Shea please forward that figure to the committee? I believe Deputy Dillon had indicated. No, he is okay. With regard to the orchestras, I see a figure of €12.894 million for 2019 in the reports and accounts provided. How many people are involved in that? It seems to be a very expensive show to keep on the road. How many employees are involved in the orchestras?

Public Accounts Committee: 2019 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (27 Apr 2021)

Brian Stanley: As a big supporter of public service broadcasting, may I ask Ms Forbes about the difficult job of trying to maintain balance and getting value for money? We pay for our television licences. How is content reviewed for balance and political impartiality? Who does that?

Public Accounts Committee: 2019 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (27 Apr 2021)

Brian Stanley: Is Ms Forbes saying that reviews and monitoring are carried out internally? I have a yes-no question; is there external monitoring? Is there an outside independent body that-----

Public Accounts Committee: 2019 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (27 Apr 2021)

Brian Stanley: With regard to balance of coverage, sometimes it comes down to the number of a times a political grouping or politician appears. Some analysis has been conducted in recent years regarding positive and negative stories in different news outlets. A fairly high percentage, 70% or more, of the coverage of certain political parties may be favourable. I refer to positive stories about the...

Public Accounts Committee: 2019 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (27 Apr 2021)

Brian Stanley: Okay. I thank Ms Forbes. I apologise for the earlier technical issues. As a result of holding meetings remotely due to Covid, there can sometimes be a bit of overlap between witnesses and committee members and they can end up talking over one another. We have tried to manage as best we can. I thank the witnesses for their patience and assistance with all of that. I also thank them for...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Chief State Solicitor's Office (Revised) (27 Apr 2021)

Brian Stanley: I have some straightforward questions. I am mindful of time. I refer to the salary increase for the Secretary General position in the Department of Health. Is the Taoiseach concerned it will lead to a cascade of claims at the top levels of the Civil Service, not just at Secretary General level, because once one person gets an increase surely the rest will look for it down the line? Will...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Chief State Solicitor's Office (Revised) (27 Apr 2021)

Brian Stanley: The Taoiseach does not see this as having a knock-on effect on others lining up for similar pay increases.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Chief State Solicitor's Office (Revised) (27 Apr 2021)

Brian Stanley: The Taoiseach's Department has a lot of responsibility, as does the Department of Finance. As we emerge from the pandemic, the Department of Finance will have to try to get the public finances back in order.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Chief State Solicitor's Office (Revised) (27 Apr 2021)

Brian Stanley: I would not cast aspersions on any person who occupies the position. I am not being personal in any of my remarks. Was Robert Watt headhunted by the Taoiseach and Ministers for this position?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Chief State Solicitor's Office (Revised) (27 Apr 2021)

Brian Stanley: I thank the Chairman.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts (21 Apr 2021)

Brian Stanley: 58. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans in relation to the implementation of social and green clauses in public procurement. [20403/21]

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts (21 Apr 2021)

Brian Stanley: 98. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his Department is engaging at European level to make social and green clauses more flexible in public procurement. [20404/21]