Results 161-180 of 425 for speaker:Brian Brennan

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (2 Jul 2025)

Brian Brennan: 165. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the current status of the carer's benefit application for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36649/25]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Wild Fires (2 Jul 2025)

Brian Brennan: 202. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if further to the recent fires on Tara Hill, Gorey, County Wexford there will be a review or recommendations into the matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36451/25]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Healthcare Policy (2 Jul 2025)

Brian Brennan: 255. To ask the Minister for Health if she is considering including fibromyalgia as a long-term illness; if she will consider access for patients to GP visit cards/medical cards regardless of income; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36455/25]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jul 2025)

Brian Brennan: The sum involved, €5.3 million, is a huge amount of money. I come from a private sector background. Who is responsible? From what I am hearing tonight, the horse had bolted when the Department was informed. The damage was done. Who was responsible? Are those people who were responsible still in place?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jul 2025)

Brian Brennan: Can Mr. Ó Coigligh confirm to the public if those people who were at the steering wheel when this happened are still in place?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jul 2025)

Brian Brennan: I appreciate Mr. Ó Coigligh's honesty on that. I have asked that question before and I found the Department to be very open and transparent. I am hitting at the Arts Council and the people in the Arts Council who were at the wheel when this took place. Am I right in saying that the majority are still in position?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jul 2025)

Brian Brennan: We are here to get answers. Are we confident that, under the current management, this will not happen again?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jul 2025)

Brian Brennan: I am fully aware that the Minister has commissioned a report. Are there other projects in the pipeline now that could be completed before that report comes out?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jul 2025)

Brian Brennan: Thank God. Structures in any business will be seriously delved into as well to determine how the horse bolted when it came to that amount of money before the Department became fully aware. The Department continually got reassurance everything was fine. All of a sudden, almost out of the blue, it was told there would be a €5.3 million write-off.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jul 2025)

Brian Brennan: It is not only on the Department's part. I feel Mr. Ó Coigligh is defending the Arts Council for what is simply indefensible in this situation.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jul 2025)

Brian Brennan: I do not want names but did anybody lose their job over this?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jul 2025)

Brian Brennan: Does Mr. Falvey wish to comment?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jul 2025)

Brian Brennan: Is the management of the ICT team which was in charge of a €5.3 million misspend - a write-off - still in place? It is a simple yes-no question.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jul 2025)

Brian Brennan: They are not on the project but they still work in the Arts Council.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jul 2025)

Brian Brennan: I would like the witnesses to reconfirm the assurances to the people at the coalface, that is, the artists. I know the reports are not due back until the autumn but I would like reassurance that artists will not be affected.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jul 2025)

Brian Brennan: I want reassurance.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jul 2025)

Brian Brennan: That is so important.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jul 2025)

Brian Brennan: This is what it is all about. That is the purpose of the Arts Council.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jul 2025)

Brian Brennan: I agree. My concern, however, is that the members of senior management who were in charge while this was going on are still there. They might not be in the same positions but they are still in the Arts Council. That is my concern. To finish off that point, I hugely welcome the Minister's quick intervention in bringing in Professor Brennan and Ms O'Hara and getting those investigations in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jul 2025)

Brian Brennan: That is so important because it has to be a full root-and-branch sorting out. We cannot walk away. This was horrendous. It involved €5.3 million. The artists I speak to are in fear that they might not get it. I know the Department is reassuring people, and that is important, but we are here to look after taxpayers' money and, with all due respect, this was an absolute disaster....