Results 17,481-17,500 of 26,579 for speaker:John McGuinness

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (18 Sep 2014)

John McGuinness: We will get the report first. We will ask the clerk to do some work around how we might approach it. We will look at the education and training boards.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (18 Sep 2014)

John McGuinness: In light of what has been said by both Deputies, we will ask the clerk to examine how the Committee of Public Accounts might examine the issues involved. The position is that the State provides the money but has no connection with it thereafter. It is something similar to the position with regard to the section 39 issue. We should have some input into how the money is spent or at least...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (18 Sep 2014)

John McGuinness: Can we agree to note all of these accounts and the fact that we will meet the board at the scheduled meeting of 23 October 2014? We agreed to examine the credit union fund and the credit institutions resolution fund with representatives of the Central Bank, and that meeting will take place later in the autumn.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (18 Sep 2014)

John McGuinness: An investigation is ongoing and we are to get a copy of the report. That is the up-to-date position, as I understand it. We can arrange a meeting with the acting Garda Commissioner to go through the latest information when we have the report.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (18 Sep 2014)

John McGuinness: We can do that, yes. We can include the latest information in our concluding report.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (18 Sep 2014)

John McGuinness: I do not think we can conclude our report without consideration of that. We can only consider the concluded report when the Garda investigation is completed. This is very different from how we started - we started with a private hearing involving Sergeant McCabe and we were unsure. Then we received the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and got full information. This is new...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (18 Sep 2014)

John McGuinness: I understand the Garda is dealing with this as an urgent matter.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (18 Sep 2014)

John McGuinness: Three special reports are due for publication in the coming months. They address the Limerick greyhound track, governance at the National College of Art and Design and the trans-shipment of waste. Do committee members wish to include any other issues in the work programme? The Comptroller and Auditor General's report is due to be published next week.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (18 Sep 2014)

John McGuinness: Yes.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (18 Sep 2014)

John McGuinness: It is also a matter of policy. Policy and local authority funding are dealt with by the environment committee. It is more appropriate for that committee to discuss the policy and the funding.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (18 Sep 2014)

John McGuinness: We are writing to the Secretary General of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. We could raise the concerns raised by Deputy Costello with Mr. Watt in our correspondence in that it is an issue of oversight of local government spending.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (18 Sep 2014)

John McGuinness: That is my point. Mr. Watt, who is the Secretary General of that Department, has said we may have some role with regard to Poolbeg. We are suggesting from our last meeting with Irish Water that in the discussion with the Department we can raise the issue which Deputy Costello has raised now. Policy and funding issues are properly within the remit of the Department of the Environment,...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (18 Sep 2014)

John McGuinness: Yes. Item No. 4 is reports, statements and accounts received since our meeting on 17 July. They are listed from 4.01 to 4.28. A quick examination suggests most of them have clear audits, unless there is something to which the Comptroller and Auditor General wishes to bring to our attention.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (18 Sep 2014)

John McGuinness: We have arranged a meeting with the board as part of our work programme.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (18 Sep 2014)

John McGuinness: These were just the assets.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (18 Sep 2014)

John McGuinness: I think we can write again to Ms Brennan.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (18 Sep 2014)

John McGuinness: -----and, as the clerk has said, explain exactly the opinion of the committee. I share those views. She is an important witness and we should ask her to come in.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (18 Sep 2014)

John McGuinness: The previous witnesses gave their evidence and the members asked questions. This is the final witness so there will not be an exchange between witnesses over who said what. However, her evidence is hugely important for the completion of the report. All we can do is write again, highlighting what the Deputy has said and to ask her to come before us.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (18 Sep 2014)

John McGuinness: Correspondence dated 8 September 2014 received from Deputy Joe Costello re the ongoing dispute at Greyhound Recycling. Does Deputy Costello wish to comment?

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (18 Sep 2014)

John McGuinness: It is a matter within the remit of the local authority. It has been raised time and again that, unfortunately, this committee cannot deal directly with the funding for local authorities. We have had the local government auditor before us to explain all of this. We cannot get involved in the examination of that issue not only because it is before the courts and is an industrial issue in a...