Results 16,181-16,200 of 26,610 for speaker:David Cullinane

Public Accounts Committee: Reopening of Garda Stations: Discussion (23 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: -----could have changed the criteria.

Public Accounts Committee: Reopening of Garda Stations: Discussion (23 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: Agreed.

Public Accounts Committee: Reopening of Garda Stations: Discussion (23 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: Is it in our work plan?

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 12 - Management of Ancillary Services at the Garda Training College (23 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: The Chairman might tell me when my ten minutes are up and I will stop immediately. I know that other members wish to contribute before 1 p.m.

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 12 - Management of Ancillary Services at the Garda Training College (23 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: I welcome Mr. Barrett, Mr. Kelly and Mr. Nugent. I am sure that they are glad to be back. The last time Mr. Kelly was here we had a discussion about his opening statement. He stated that there was an historical culture of non-co-operation, interference with his work and withholding information. Have matters improved since?

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 12 - Management of Ancillary Services at the Garda Training College (23 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: Is Mr. Kelly in a position today to say that, given that he was last here just a short time ago, there is now full co-operation, no interference and no withholding of information?

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 12 - Management of Ancillary Services at the Garda Training College (23 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: That is progress.

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 12 - Management of Ancillary Services at the Garda Training College (23 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: Mr. Kelly also stated that, in his original audit, which was the source of the previous hearings, he was not able to give any assurance in terms of the financial controls. Is that still the case or has it changed?

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 12 - Management of Ancillary Services at the Garda Training College (23 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: I thank Mr. Kelly. If I have nine minutes left, the Chairman might let me know after four minutes have passed. Two issues need to be examined, the first of which relates to the learnings and changes that need to be made following the various internal audit reports. We have the latest audit report, which makes recommendations and sets out the priority actions that need to be taken. It is...

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 12 - Management of Ancillary Services at the Garda Training College (23 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: I know that there are processes in place and I understand that some further action may arise from them, but we are a long way down the line since the first internal audit report was published and our work. Who in An Garda Síochána was in any way held to account or sanctioned for any wrongdoing or failing by them in respect of the activities at Templemore? Can the acting...

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 12 - Management of Ancillary Services at the Garda Training College (23 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: I understand that, but I am not talking about criminal investigations.

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 12 - Management of Ancillary Services at the Garda Training College (23 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: Let me be clear - I am not talking about criminal investigations because those are entirely a matter for the Garda. I am referring to situations where mistakes may have been made. Mr. Ó Cualáin mentioned that people were operating under archaic practices and processes, but those processes were put in place by individuals. That did not happen by accident, but by design. It was...

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 12 - Management of Ancillary Services at the Garda Training College (23 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: I will get to that. As I said, the second part of my question will concern learning. I am not talking here about people who acted in good faith and worked through the existing processes, I am talking about the people who were the architects of the problems. Those processes did not fall from them sky, they were put in place by people in the An Garda Síochána. Acting Commissioner...

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 12 - Management of Ancillary Services at the Garda Training College (23 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: What does that mean?

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 12 - Management of Ancillary Services at the Garda Training College (23 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: Have they been sanctioned? Or have they just had a word in their ear that they made a mistake? I am asking if anybody was properly held to account for carrying out what were very deliberate actions, particularly bearing in mind that the former Commissioner was of the view that these were very grave issues, which we all accept. Was anybody formally sanctioned in any way? Were any punitive...

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 12 - Management of Ancillary Services at the Garda Training College (23 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: The acting Commissioner's predecessors operated as Accounting Officers in the organisation but prior to 2006 this role came under the Department of Justice. Can Ms Barry confirm this? Is she here on behalf of the Department?

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 12 - Management of Ancillary Services at the Garda Training College (23 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: I signalled this earlier: can we put my previous exchange with the Secretary General up on the screen? I was asking questions about accounts that had been signed off by previous Accounting Officers. We had, for example, the transfer of €100,000 to the golf club that took place between 2000 and 2003. Am I correct?

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 12 - Management of Ancillary Services at the Garda Training College (23 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: We were unclear as to where that money came from; some of it might have come from voted expenditure. In his testimony before this committee, Mr. Barrett said that accounts might potentially have been compromised over a long period of time. Taking that into account then, what sanction was taken against any individuals in the Department for failings on their part?

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 12 - Management of Ancillary Services at the Garda Training College (23 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: We know all of that. I asked whether anybody has been in any way held to account or whether any sanction has been taken against any individual.

Public Accounts Committee: 2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 12 - Management of Ancillary Services at the Garda Training College (23 Nov 2017)

David Cullinane: I can see how it might arise, but Ms Barry's answer is no. Is she aware that a 2014 report into the Department mentioned a closed, secretive culture? She is. It talked about significant leadership and management problem and stated that "the Review Group found the culture of the Department to be closed and unnecessarily secretive"; that it was "an inward-looking organisation with limited...