Results 17,001-17,020 of 26,579 for speaker:John McGuinness

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (23 Oct 2014)

John McGuinness: I agree. We will set it up as soon as possible. We will ask for the figures beforehand because we need to see them.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (23 Oct 2014)

John McGuinness: That is one way of getting a question in.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (23 Oct 2014)

John McGuinness: Can we liaise with the Comptroller and Auditor General on this and take up the Secretary General on his suggestion in the correspondence dated 8 September? We could then outline the two pieces of work, one in regard to the set-up costs of Irish Water and the other, which is similar, on the set-up costs of Poolbeg. Those are the two.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (23 Oct 2014)

John McGuinness: It is the set-up costs. That is not interfering with the other committees and it is following a suggestion made by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. We will deal with the special report of the Comptroller and Auditor General, Managing Elective Day Surgery.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (23 Oct 2014)

John McGuinness: Yes. Today we are dealing with the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board. We will agree next week's work and we will then agree to bring in the witnesses to the committee.

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
2012 Accounts of the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (23 Oct 2014)

John McGuinness: I remind members, witnesses and those in the Visitors Gallery to please turn off their mobile telephones, as they interfere with sound quality in the transmission of the meeting. I advise witnesses that they are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the evidence they are to give this committee. If they are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence in relation to a...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (23 Oct 2014)

John McGuinness: Any other business?

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (23 Oct 2014)

John McGuinness: Positive Action is funded through the HSE, as the Deputy said. Therefore, we will make direct contact with the HSE and ask for an early hearing on this matter and seek the information that it has in terms of the audit and so on. Has Positive Action disbanded?

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (23 Oct 2014)

John McGuinness: I ask the Deputy to allow us time. We can agree that we are going to seek the information and we are going to ask the HSE to come before us to explain this. I do not know what is left of Positive Action.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (23 Oct 2014)

John McGuinness: The Deputy made an important point.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (23 Oct 2014)

John McGuinness: We are going to set about determining who is left in Positive Action that would come before us, we have to ask the HSE and we have to get the information. We will do that this week and will report back next Thursday. If it is a case that we can put that meeting together quickly, we will have an early hearing.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (23 Oct 2014)

John McGuinness: We will be able to get an early meeting.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (23 Oct 2014)

John McGuinness: They can explain that when they are due in.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (23 Oct 2014)

John McGuinness: I call Deputy McDonald.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (23 Oct 2014)

John McGuinness: I can tell you today, Deputy McDonald, that I had no hand, act or part in any of this. I was surprised and disappointed to get that letter. Second, while not speaking for the clerk, I am aware that he did not instigate this either. Therefore, I can only presume that there is another active section of the Oireachtas which is anxious that we would not do our work the way we have been doing...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (23 Oct 2014)

John McGuinness: I hope that the letter has gone to other committees.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (23 Oct 2014)

John McGuinness: The same practice goes on right across the committees in this House. Deputy Costello, we will take this matter up and move on with our programme of work.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (23 Oct 2014)

John McGuinness: Yes, I said that.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (23 Oct 2014)

John McGuinness: Can we take it up by way of writing directly to UCC with a copy to the Department of Education and Skills and insist on an immediate response?

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (23 Oct 2014)

John McGuinness: Maybe in writing we might do that. The clerk might telephone the Department or UCC to alert them to fact we are pursuing this.