Results 1,661-1,680 of 10,797 for speaker:Patrick O'Donovan

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: We are in a competitive market for specialists and engineers. I am not going to teach the Deputy how to suck eggs, as they say. We cannot compete with some of the private sector salaries that can be offered. There is no point in saying otherwise. What we offer which is totally different from the private sector is a holistic career, with opportunities for continuing professional...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: As I said in the Dáil, including to Deputy Connolly, who has a keen interest in this, it is not a case of either-or from our point of view. Depending on where the buildings are and the needs of a particular Government Department, it is not a case of either-or but of lending it. We acquired a very significant building in Dublin before Christmas and closed its sale for a use that was...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: In response to another Deputy, I will address when a local authority proposes interim measures to the Office of Public Works, as Donegal County Council has. It has a good relationship with us, built up over many years. If there are interim measures that it feels would be of benefit to properties in the interim, during the planning stage, prior to construction and during construction, we...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: To take the last point first, I had a forced sabbatical during the summer.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: I thank the Deputy. I have meetings throughout the country I want to get back to. Donegal is one of them. We have a number of projects concerning the built environment, estate management and flood relief that we want to pursue. I will do that as quickly as I can. My other role involves the Gaeltacht, so I am sure the Deputy probably wants to cart me all over Donegal the day I am there,...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: I normally meet the local authority and elected representatives in the area informally and then meet some residents. We have a tried and tested routine and it works well.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Unless the Deputy is preparing to pair with me on a Wednesday, I presume it will be some day that-----

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Mi casa es tu casa.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Like I said in the interlude, I have no difficulty at all with that. I must confess I had never heard of it until the Cathaoirleach originally corresponded with me about it. It sounds like an interesting project. While the OPW would provide the venue, we are not book collectors. We are not the National Library or the National Gallery.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: I know, but that being said, if we have to get the National Archives or the National Library together with the OPW, I presume Kilkenny Castle would be the optimal location.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: I commit that we will hold a discussion between the OPW, the National Library, National Archives and Kilkenny Castle to see if this can be advanced.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: I will have to get back to the Cathaoirleach on the specifics. It could be the Office of Public Works if it is on an arterial drainage channel or it could be the local authority if it was handed over to it. We have developed a protocol in recent years in which post-completion is as important as completion. We want to make sure there is sufficient money for preventative maintenance....

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: No more than in Midleton, the Office of Public works and local authorities design the scheme according to the worst recorded event. That is why Arup is using data from Storm Babet in Midleton to make sure we design to the worst recent event. There is no point in not taking the metrics into account from the worst recent event, proceeding with something substandard and, in 18 months, when...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Absolutely.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Absolutely. There is no doubt it is a fantastic career. It is a challenging environment, however. There are some skills, particularly in stonemasonry, in the private and public sector. Only a handful of people in this country are able to work on the Corinthian and Ionic capitals on top of columns in Georgian buildings. Even transferring that knowledge ó ghlúin go glúin is...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: It is undervalued, to be honest.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: It is not on the one I read out anyway.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: If it is a Garda station it is, unless there is a lease, which is highly unlikely, or the Garda Commissioner wants to retain it for Garda purposes, and I will check that for the Cathaoirleach, which has happened in some parts of the country.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: We can come back to the Cathaoirleach on that.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Without landing the organisation in it, the answer is "Yes". We are open to everything. We have Reginald's Tower-----