Results 16,561-16,580 of 26,685 for speaker:David Cullinane

Public Accounts Committee: Report of Comptroller and Auditor General 2016
Chapter 19 - Management and Oversight of Grants to Health Agencies (26 Oct 2017)

David Cullinane: The witness can answer both if he would like.

Public Accounts Committee: Report of Comptroller and Auditor General 2016
Chapter 19 - Management and Oversight of Grants to Health Agencies (26 Oct 2017)

David Cullinane: I am not for a moment suggesting that the HSE is not taking this seriously or that as an organisation it has not addressed the issues raised in a serious way. I am simply trying to establish if the HSE, at a corporate level, accepts that there were potential failings in terms of compliance and enforcement. I am not entirely satisfied with the witness's response, but I am entitled to draw a...

Public Accounts Committee: Report of Comptroller and Auditor General 2016
Chapter 19 - Management and Oversight of Grants to Health Agencies (26 Oct 2017)

David Cullinane: No. The second issue relates to learnings, which are very important. Whether the mistakes are of the funded organisations or the HSE, mistakes must be learned from. In terms of lessons learned, what changes were made in practices, policies and procedures? That is what I want to establish. There is a table on the screen which shows the 19 audited reports which framed the basis of the...

Public Accounts Committee: Report of Comptroller and Auditor General 2016
Chapter 19 - Management and Oversight of Grants to Health Agencies (26 Oct 2017)

David Cullinane: The Catholic Institute for Deaf People gets €3.7 million of taxpayers' money yet there are all these areas of concern. Can Mr. O'Brien say what is being done about that?

Public Accounts Committee: Report of Comptroller and Auditor General 2016
Chapter 19 - Management and Oversight of Grants to Health Agencies (26 Oct 2017)

David Cullinane: I am under no illusions whatsoever that these are not State organisations.

Public Accounts Committee: Report of Comptroller and Auditor General 2016
Chapter 19 - Management and Oversight of Grants to Health Agencies (26 Oct 2017)

David Cullinane: I understand completely that these are private organisations, that some are community based but receive HSE funding and only a portion of their expenditure is State funded. We understand that is the nature of section 38 and 39 organisations. I am looking at the failures of this organisation initially and I see that they are systemic. They raise very serious concerns across all the areas....

Public Accounts Committee: Report of Comptroller and Auditor General 2016
Chapter 19 - Management and Oversight of Grants to Health Agencies (26 Oct 2017)

David Cullinane: What does that mean?

Public Accounts Committee: Report of Comptroller and Auditor General 2016
Chapter 19 - Management and Oversight of Grants to Health Agencies (26 Oct 2017)

David Cullinane: After that response I am none the wiser as to what sanction, if any, was imposed on the organisation. That tells me there is a lot of bureaucracy, paperwork and exchanges of papers and emails but I am not hearing about any sanction.

Public Accounts Committee: Report of Comptroller and Auditor General 2016
Chapter 19 - Management and Oversight of Grants to Health Agencies (26 Oct 2017)

David Cullinane: I will come back to that. Can Mr. O'Brien hold that for a second because I have only two minutes?

Public Accounts Committee: Report of Comptroller and Auditor General 2016
Chapter 19 - Management and Oversight of Grants to Health Agencies (26 Oct 2017)

David Cullinane: Mr. O'Brien has answered it.

Public Accounts Committee: Report of Comptroller and Auditor General 2016
Chapter 19 - Management and Oversight of Grants to Health Agencies (26 Oct 2017)

David Cullinane: He has. He said it is not one of sanction, which was what I asked. He has answered that question.

Public Accounts Committee: Report of Comptroller and Auditor General 2016
Chapter 19 - Management and Oversight of Grants to Health Agencies (26 Oct 2017)

David Cullinane: We will get to that in a second. I am looking now at St. Hilda's Services Ltd., Athlone. There are a high number of bank accounts, incomplete accounting records, absence of financial controls, expenditure on gifts and entertainment, poor audit trails for credit card expenditure, non-rotation of board members, salary payments in excess of approved pay scales, contracts awarded without...

Public Accounts Committee: Report of Comptroller and Auditor General 2016
Chapter 19 - Management and Oversight of Grants to Health Agencies (26 Oct 2017)

David Cullinane: How much is the total expenditure?

Public Accounts Committee: Report of Comptroller and Auditor General 2016
Chapter 19 - Management and Oversight of Grants to Health Agencies (26 Oct 2017)

David Cullinane: Of the thousands of organisations that avail of this funding we have only a sample in front of us and I have given two examples where there major problems. I am sure the witness will understand that I am anxious on behalf of the people I represent that there is a difficulty in respect of governance, compliance and enforcement where there is an expenditure of €3.7 billion. Can Mr....

Public Accounts Committee: Report of Comptroller and Auditor General 2016
Chapter 19 - Management and Oversight of Grants to Health Agencies (26 Oct 2017)

David Cullinane: May I put one final question?

Public Accounts Committee: Report of Comptroller and Auditor General 2016
Chapter 19 - Management and Oversight of Grants to Health Agencies (26 Oct 2017)

David Cullinane: What I see is more paperwork. I would argue that we and the HSE need more powers in respect of compliance. Has Mr. O'Brien asked for more powers? Has he examined more powers to ensure there is greater enforcement in compliance and sanctions? Does the HSE need more powers? Is that something the Oireachtas can help it with? I do not think, with respect, that more paperwork is a reasonable...

Public Accounts Committee: Report of Comptroller and Auditor General 2016
Chapter 19 - Management and Oversight of Grants to Health Agencies (26 Oct 2017)

David Cullinane: I am not comforted by the two examples I gave.

Public Accounts Committee: Report of Comptroller and Auditor General 2016
Chapter 19 - Management and Oversight of Grants to Health Agencies (26 Oct 2017)

David Cullinane: The appropriate, corrective sanctions were made by the HSE. I gave only two examples.

Topical Issue Debate: Community Employment Schemes Administration (25 Oct 2017)

David Cullinane: The last part of the Minister's response sums up the problem. This does not relate to CE workers alone, although these supervisors are at the heart of this particular Topical Issue. We are increasingly seeing an outsourcing of State work to private companies. These are almost fully grant-supported by the State, yet the terms and conditions of employment for those who work in the companies...

Topical Issue Debate: Community Employment Schemes Administration (25 Oct 2017)

David Cullinane: I commend all the Teachtaí Dála whose names are associated with this matter and the many others who did not have the opportunity to contribute but who support the thrust of the debate. I have met many CE supervisors and assistant supervisors in Waterford on a number of occasions over the years. I also met a national group of supervisors that has been campaigning for justice in...