Results 14,961-14,980 of 21,206 for speaker:Mary Lou McDonald

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: Would it be correct to state in Ms Tallon's way of thinking it was an adequate and comprehensive "interrogation" - to use her word - of that budget?

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: Am I correct in saying that Ms Tallon was aware from the outset that there would be consultancy costs associated with this budget?

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: Would Ms Tallon have been aware of that?

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: In respect of each of these tasks that were put out to tender and those consultants who came on board to do that work, had the Department examined the matter to satisfy itself that it was necessary to bring in persons from the outside to carry out those works?

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: If Ms Tallon does not mind-----

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: -----we have a limited amount of time here. The budget was submitted, the budget was scrutinised and there was toing and froing. Mr. Tierney and his team have been clear from the get-go that there was an awareness from day one at every level of Government that there would be external consultancy needs to carry out this task within the timeframe and on budget, etc. The Department received...

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: Plus €30 million contingency.

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: We have that.

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: I am sorry for cutting across Ms Tallon. At what stage did she realise that the spend was of the magnitude of €50 million? At what point did that come to her attention?

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: Excellent.

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: Why not?

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: Meaning no disrespect, if Ms Tallon's concern was simply that the organisation was staying within the spending allocation or envelope, what was the call for monthly, fortnightly or weekly meetings and briefings? Surely that would have only been a matter of a telephone call. That sounds strange. I find it odd. In looking at these establishment costs and at these monthly, fortnightly or...

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: Accepting all of that, let me take Ms Tallon back to my original question. When did the Department become aware of the figure of €50 million in respect of expenditure on consultants?

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: I believe most people following this story are mystified from start to finish and that was the case even before this meeting began. The rationale for making Bord Gáis Éireann the parent company for this new public utility was on the basis of the expertise, standing and so on of that organisation as an established and highly successful utility. Mr. Tierney gave a rationale for the...

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: I have it.

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: No, I do not want Mr. Tierney to read out anything, if he does not mind. I want him to explain how anyone could justify the expenditure of €4 million on brand development for an item such as water by a organisation that is in a monopoly position. I also want him to enlighten the committee as to what precisely was or might be the customer engagement. Moreover, given that Irish Water...

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: I do not think anyone present or who is tuned in to these proceedings underestimates for a second the scale of the task Irish Water has taken on. Mr. Barry has now stated this repeatedly at this meeting and I respectfully ask him not to repeat it, as members have heard that message.

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: The onus is on Mr. Barry and others to explain the reason in areas such as brand development and customer engagement. I note there is another reference in another lot to talent management and recruitment strategies. These are basic human resources competencies and as of yet, I have not heard an explanation from any of the witnesses that explains to me or the public how it is that those...

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: I have the detail before me, which is on page 8 of the presentation Mr. Tierney made last night to the committee. More than €4 million was proposed and submitted for customer engagement and brand engagement to the Department in respect of his programme budget. I find this to be an astonishing figure.

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight of Irish Water: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: Right, I appreciate that. In any event, I believe the point stands in respect of the use of expertise. Is this use of consultants purely a phenomenon pertaining to the starting up of this utility? Does Mr. Tierney envisage it as being an ongoing necessity? In other words, is what members see here simply the start of what they can anticipate the practice of Irish Water to be?