Results 1,861-1,880 of 4,042 for speaker:Cormac Devlin
- Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 3 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (23 Jun 2022) Cormac Devlin: I had a look at some of the reports on the website which, in fairness, is laid out very well. Some of the issues, as Mr. Doyle has said, highlight governance or compliance issues. Looking at some of the council reports and the audits of the Local Government Audit Service, some of the issues in local authorities are recurring year on year. Some relate to compliance in tendering and so on...
- Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 3 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (23 Jun 2022) Cormac Devlin: I appreciate that.
- Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 3 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (23 Jun 2022) Cormac Devlin: I would take exception to that. With a number of those reports, particularly around tendering, nothing needs to be unwound; it needs to be implemented. We are talking about a sizeable amount of public money. What is being done, either by the Department or by the audit section, as part of a carrot-and-stick approach to ensure local authorities comply on issues that are clearly being...
- Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 3 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (23 Jun 2022) Cormac Devlin: These are quite specific.
- Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 3 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (23 Jun 2022) Cormac Devlin: What does that entail?
- Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 3 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (23 Jun 2022) Cormac Devlin: If a local authority were non-compliant year on year, say to the tune of €1 million, could the Department withhold funding from the Local Government Fund? Is that option open to the Department to try to instil the seriousness of non-compliance in local authorities?
- Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 3 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (23 Jun 2022) Cormac Devlin: Has that been done?
- Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 3 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (23 Jun 2022) Cormac Devlin: I appreciate that.
- Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 3 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (23 Jun 2022) Cormac Devlin: I ask the witnesses to take a look at that issue. Considering Mr. Doyle's recent conversation with the local government auditor and audit section of his Department, he might look at that for the next time we discuss this issue. I would like to ask Ms Quinn about the Public Appointments Service process. There are a lot of vacant positions, as the witnesses will be more than aware, across...
- Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 3 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (23 Jun 2022) Cormac Devlin: It needs to be quicker. Where there is an applicant and a process, it is taking far too long.
- Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 3 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (23 Jun 2022) Cormac Devlin: I thank Ms O'Donoghue.
- Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 3 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (23 Jun 2022) Cormac Devlin: I thank Mr. Doyle.
- Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on a Ban on Herbicides in Public Areas: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2022)
Cormac Devlin: Ms Cahill and Mr. Callery are very welcome. I will focus first on their opening statement, which is welcome and represents great progress. I am from the neighbouring county council area of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown. Since 2016 onwards, there have been many similarities between what my council and Wicklow County Council have been doing. I am familiar with the work of my council. It is...
- Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on a Ban on Herbicides in Public Areas: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2022)
Cormac Devlin: I hear our witnesses comments on the costs, which is understandable. I raise the issue of the use of glyphosate where there are large weeds growing on the kerb sides, footpaths or whatever. Over time, they can do damage. Ms Cahill mentioned invasive species doing damage to infrastructure, etc. She mentioned colleagues in departments like roads who may want these weeds removed sooner than...
- Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on a Ban on Herbicides in Public Areas: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2022)
Cormac Devlin: The chemicals being used for those-----
- Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on a Ban on Herbicides in Public Areas: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2022)
Cormac Devlin: I appreciate that. It is trial and error. Ms Cahill highlighted in her statement the sharing of information both between Departments and between local authorities. She mentioned Louth, Kildare and a few others. How frequent is that sharing of information? I have personal experience of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown but others are further along the road - excuse the pun - and more aware of...
- Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on a Ban on Herbicides in Public Areas: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2022)
Cormac Devlin: So it has made the investment
- Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on a Ban on Herbicides in Public Areas: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2022)
Cormac Devlin: Ms Cahill said there was the appointment of an external contractor to carry out the mechanical weed removal, and it raised IR issues, which was inevitable I presume. Wicklow County Council will not be the only council with that issue. As the Chairman said, there are other options in terms of utilising or repurposing some of the council's equipment.
- Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on a Ban on Herbicides in Public Areas: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2022)
Cormac Devlin: I return to the "Do"s and "Don't"s the council has established, which Ms Cahill raised in her opening remarks. The third point concerned the use of alternative chemicals and glyphosate-free products. We have raised this here before and I raised it with the Department when it was before the committee. What is the process for the council to procure non-chemically-based products? There is...
- Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on a Ban on Herbicides in Public Areas: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2022)
Cormac Devlin: There is no bulk-buying of any particular chemical-free products.