Results 14,821-14,840 of 26,537 for speaker:John McGuinness

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (7 May 2015)

John McGuinness: To make it clear as I understood it from the members last week, what we want is the information relative to the different businesses that were sold in respect of what the officials thought and what were their concerns that we read about every day in the newspapers and the media. It is our responsibility as the Committee of Public Accounts to have that information and to analyse it. That is...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (7 May 2015)

John McGuinness: We will come back to that. I call Deputy Costello.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (7 May 2015)

John McGuinness: To be clear about the committee and where we are going, next week the Department of Finance officials will attend the committee. We have indicated to the Department that we will ask questions about its involvement and whatever concerns it might have had, not only with Siteserv but the other companies and transactions that have been brought into the public domain by way of general comment....

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (7 May 2015)

John McGuinness: Will the special report come up later on then?

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (7 May 2015)

John McGuinness: There is just one other item then under the work programme. We had a meeting yesterday - a briefing session - which went on for two and a half hours. I thank the members who were present and who listened to what was said. It was a shocking story of events and abuse of power by the State in relation to a number of individuals and companies. The need for investigation is quite clear. In...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (7 May 2015)

John McGuinness: We will request that they be here. It is important too that the Chief State Solicitor's office would be represented as well at the meeting, because then all the players responsible for the expenditure and governance issues will be present. The members can decide for themselves then what questions to ask from the report the clerk will provide for us. We will have a dossier of information.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (7 May 2015)

John McGuinness: Once we examine the dossier of information, members can decide what questions to ask and what information we should seek from the Department, or what indication we should give the Department as to what questions might be asked so that officials are prepared before they come to a meeting. All that can be worked out prior to 18 June.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (7 May 2015)

John McGuinness: I share those views. Aside from the work we can do on this committee, I would recommend to members that they might consider fully what we heard yesterday and perhaps use the floor of the House to raise this issue in the context of a debate, which I believe is absolutely necessary given the evidence we heard and the documents that are available.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (7 May 2015)

John McGuinness: Yes. Once it is a cost to the State, and it is within a Department and it is relevant to what we heard yesterday, based on the dossier of information the clerk will provide to us, we can then decide that we should also invite others to attend our meeting on 18 June. We will meet prior to that and members can contact the clerk and make their suggestions. From what we heard yesterday, it is...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (7 May 2015)

John McGuinness: No, it came forward through other Members. Those concerned were in contact with other Members of the House, including previous Ministers, some who are still Members of the House. That is the way they tried to highlight their issues. We heard about the totality of issues yesterday, but when one separates them out, some issues are relevant to this committee and others are more suited to the...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (7 May 2015)

John McGuinness: We are working with the Chief State Solicitor's office and other Departments in order to get them all in together. We will set a date for a meeting in due course that suits all parties. We will give the matter priority.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (7 May 2015)

John McGuinness: Yes.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (7 May 2015)

John McGuinness: It is not audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (7 May 2015)

John McGuinness: I do not think-----

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (7 May 2015)

John McGuinness: We can check the remit and detail of that. I did not know that was agreed last week. We will work on it.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (7 May 2015)

John McGuinness: He was not frightened either of Deputy Ross. We have agreed our meeting for next week.

Public Accounts Committee: 2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Communications, Energy and Natural Resources
Chapter 8 - Operation of the Emergency Call Answering Service (7 May 2015)

John McGuinness: I want to begin by asking members, witnesses, and those in the Public Gallery to please turn off their mobile phones as they interfere with the transmission and sound quality of the meeting. I want to advise witnesses that they are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the evidence they are to give this committee. If they are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence on a...

Public Accounts Committee: 2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Communications, Energy and Natural Resources
Chapter 8 - Operation of the Emergency Call Answering Service (7 May 2015)

John McGuinness: Mr. Griffin is making a second appearance in a short time.

Public Accounts Committee: 2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Communications, Energy and Natural Resources
Chapter 8 - Operation of the Emergency Call Answering Service (7 May 2015)

John McGuinness: Mary Austin from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

Public Accounts Committee: 2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Communications, Energy and Natural Resources
Chapter 8 - Operation of the Emergency Call Answering Service (7 May 2015)

John McGuinness: The witnesses are all very welcome. Will Mr. McCarthy please make his opening statement?