Results 18,781-18,800 of 26,053 for speaker:Kieran O'Donnell

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 86 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Bord na gCon (27 Nov 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: Is there anyone before the committee today who was on the board at the time? In hindsight, was the board consulted properly at the time on the purchase? I am not in any way saying that people were doing things that were in any way underhand. I am not questioning the motives. If I was buying something and I had a report with a question over right of access at the Meelick site, I would have...

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 86 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Bord na gCon (27 Nov 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: Ironically, I reckon it ended up in the best site. However, at the same time, the process has, ultimately, incurred €4 million of taxpayers’ money as it went the scenic route.

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 86 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Bord na gCon (27 Nov 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: Was the Meelick site sanctioned by the board?

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 86 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Bord na gCon (27 Nov 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: Was the Greenpark site sanctioned by the board?

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 86 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Bord na gCon (27 Nov 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: Has Bord na gCon put procedures in place? I am mindful of the people on the board and of the work people do on boards. At the same time we are challenged with putting the questions. This applies whether I am a Deputy for Limerick city or otherwise. I acknowledge the fantastic facility that is there, the employment Bord na gCon provides and the fantastic work it does. Nevertheless we must...

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 86 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Bord na gCon (27 Nov 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: What time was that? When was that?

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 86 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Bord na gCon (27 Nov 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: It all predates that. It is interesting. Will the Comptroller and Auditor General comment? Is my analysis accurate?

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 86 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Bord na gCon (27 Nov 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: I welcome Mr. Meaney and his colleagues. I am a Deputy for Limerick city. The greyhound track at the Greenpark site is a fantastic amenity for the city. I have fond memories of Markets Field when it operated as a greyhound track as well. I welcome that it is now being developed for Limerick Football Club. It is a fantastic amenity. Nevertheless, let us go back. Much of this is...

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 86 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Bord na gCon (27 Nov 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: Yes. What annual budget does Bord na gCon have?

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 86 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Bord na gCon (27 Nov 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: Give me the income and expenditure in gross figures.

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 86 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Bord na gCon (27 Nov 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: I am not looking at detail. I am trying to make a point. It seems extraordinary that for a critical period between April 2008 and February 2012 there was no chief financial officer in place, despite a budget at that level. Let us consider it from a governance viewpoint. This is critical in terms of strategic dates. Bord na gCon purchased the site at Greenpark in June 2008. Does Mr....

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 86 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Bord na gCon (27 Nov 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: I am reading notes provided by the Comptroller and Auditor General. They state there was no chief financial officer in place for the period from April 2008 to February 2012. That is from the Indecon report.

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 86 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Bord na gCon (27 Nov 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: Who was the boss over the finance team? Who looked after things? In any situation someone must be responsible for the overall financial function. Who was responsible for the overall financial function at that time?

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 86 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Bord na gCon (27 Nov 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: Hindsight is great. I realise the organisation now has a separate set-up. Anyway, the situation that existed, regardless of the personalities, should not have been allowed to continue. Is that a fair comment?

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 86 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Bord na gCon (27 Nov 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: We are working off the Comptroller and Auditor General’s report at the moment. It has not come up before, but it appears that the first site Bord na gCon looked at was the Greenpark site. That was in 2001. At that stage the organisation got the site valued. In 2003, it was valued at approximately €2.2 million.

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 86 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Bord na gCon (27 Nov 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: Then, in 2005 the organisation decided to proceed to put a cap on the amount of money that it would use. The cap was €1.4 million on the purchase of a site. Greenpark was valued at €2.2 million. Of the face of it, it appeared to be a better site given its strategic location. It was on the site of the old racecourse and within in the bounds of the city. It is a good...

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 86 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Bord na gCon (27 Nov 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: Let us follow on. Let us consider it in the context of the Comptroller and Auditor General’s report. It strikes me that the Greenpark site was identified in 2000. Bord na gCon was looking at it at that stage. It was valued at €2.2 million. That was not pursued because the organisation was looking into getting the Markets Field site rezoned. Subsequently, nothing happened....

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 86 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Bord na gCon (27 Nov 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: Has the Deputy got a dog running?

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (27 Nov 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: It is relatively straightforward. The whistleblower has written to us and we have received legal advice from the parliamentary legal advisers about our remit. The Revenue Commissioners falls within our remit and we are requesting that its representatives come before the committee. They have already dealt with this. I am also concerned to ensure that anyone who comes in before us has...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (27 Nov 2014)

Kieran O'Donnell: The office of the parliamentary legal adviser.