Results 1,521-1,540 of 9,994 for speaker:John Gormley
- Planning Issues. (22 Apr 2010)
John Gormley: The Deputy and I have discussed this matter across the Chamber before. On the last occasion here, he stated quite categorically that two members of the board had a conflict of interest. He has used this phrase again today. I wrote to him subsequently and asked him to name the individuals in question. The Deputy then replied to me-----
- Planning Issues. (22 Apr 2010)
John Gormley: -----and said that he would be in a position to name them when he had possession of the report. He has since come into possession of those reports, and I think it is incumbent on him to name these people.
- Planning Issues. (22 Apr 2010)
John Gormley: If we want to get to the bottom of this-----
- Planning Issues. (22 Apr 2010)
John Gormley: I am answering the question on conflicts of interest. It is obvious to anybody looking in on this that there were potential conflicts of interest. However, Deputy Hogan was the person-----
- Planning Issues. (22 Apr 2010)
John Gormley: -----who stated categorically that there were members of the board that had conflicts of interest.
- Planning Issues. (22 Apr 2010)
John Gormley: I asked him to name them.
- Planning Issues. (22 Apr 2010)
John Gormley: There is much confusion about the â¬5 million figure as the cost to the taxpayer, which is something the Deputy quoted in the media. It is very misleading to assert that the DDDA has exposed the taxpayer to the full risk in this venture.
- Planning Issues. (22 Apr 2010)
John Gormley: The authority is a 26% shareholder and is therefore responsible for 26% of the capital guarantee. That is as it is and we must look at that as part of the full report. The figures are there, however, and the Deputy has only to calculate them himself.
- Planning Issues. (22 Apr 2010)
John Gormley: I have answered that question, but I will answer the Deputy's first question again.
- Planning Issues. (22 Apr 2010)
John Gormley: I will state it repeatedly that, yes, I want to get to the bottom of this. As Minister, I have taken on board many of the concerns and we are moving in the right direction. The Deputy can be guaranteed that I will get to the bottom of this.
- Planning Issues. (22 Apr 2010)
John Gormley: I will get to the bottom of all the financial irregularities that were exposed concerning some of the planning issues as well. The authority's accounts show a write-down on the valuation of the Irish Glass Bottle Company's site from â¬412 million to â¬50 million, based on the red-book valuation of the site. A write-down of that scale reflects the distressed property market and the banking...
- Planning Issues. (22 Apr 2010)
John Gormley: I could elaborate on some of the things the Deputy has raised in the media over a period. One of the main points he made was that I was not publishing these two reports because they contained politically embarrassing material. Now that he is in possession of those reports, however, he will see that is not the case.
- Planning Issues. (22 Apr 2010)
John Gormley: I am anxious to get to the truth of the matter. If the Deputy worked with me we could both do the taxpayer a good service.
- Planning Issues. (22 Apr 2010)
John Gormley: I understand that we have an adversarial system and the Deputy must try to score points, but it is not helping the taxpayer in any way.
- Departmental Projects. (22 Apr 2010)
John Gormley: In 2008, in the context of requirements relating to capital funding, my Department, following a competitive tendering process, commissioned Ernst and Young to carry out spot-checks on capital projects, at a cost of â¬545,048. It involved the examination, in local authorities and my Department, of 143 projects valued at a total of â¬330 million in nine programme areas to assess adherence to...
- Departmental Projects. (22 Apr 2010)
John Gormley: I do not think the Deputy can say that I am taking this matter lightly. He must remember that my Department commissioned this report and even though it came in at the lowest tender it is certainly a fair amount of money when one is talking about â¬545,000. In no way can the Deputy say that I am taking this lightly. I have clearly said that I have concerns about overspending, be it in...
- Departmental Projects. (22 Apr 2010)
John Gormley: On the question of bonuses, the Deputy has made valid points and I have always shared his view. As mentioned on the previous question, we lost the run of ourselves in terms of bonus payments during the Celtic tiger years. The Deputy's question is specific and I will have to come back to him on it. On the question on the role of the Department, where I see a gap is that often managers take...
- Waste Management. (22 Apr 2010)
John Gormley: I recently launched a public consultation on the application of levies to both landfill and incineration facilities. The approach I am considering will be designed to ensure that material which could otherwise be recycled is not drawn to facilities in lower tiers of the waste hierarchy. The facility in question is being advanced by Dublin City Council, acting on behalf of the four Dublin...
- Waste Management. (22 Apr 2010)
John Gormley: I have had no direct contact with Dublin City Council on the proposed levies. I am aware many local authorities have called for the introduction of landfill levies, as have many people in the industry. It is through the introduction of these levies that we will ensure we get increased rates of recycling. The levies are also a stimulus to the MBT industry. Those in the composting industry,...
- Waste Management. (22 Apr 2010)
John Gormley: There was a hiatus over Easter when the individual in question, Mr. Hennessy, could not do his work. He has now returned and I hope he will continue with his work. He will meet one of my Department's officials next week. I hope he will complete his report as quickly as possible, within the next month or so. That will give us a clear indication of the potential liability for Dublin City...