Results 18,841-18,860 of 32,978 for speaker:Catherine Connolly

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (7 Mar 2019)

Catherine Connolly: On a point of order, I do not think this is appropriate today. We should start the meeting and bring in the Accounting Officer. All other items should be discussed at another time.

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

Catherine Connolly: The statement has been prepared and I would like to hear it. The public would like to hear it. If Mr. Watt chose to have a statement of 18 pages, that is his decision. It is a matter of courtesy to the members to have it read out and it is usually what we do. Rushing or mumbling through it-----

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

Catherine Connolly: I beg Mr. Watt's pardon. I was referring to anybody mumbling through it. The statement has been prepared and let us hear it.

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

Catherine Connolly: It is significant that it is 18 pages long.

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

Catherine Connolly: Mr. Watt and his team are very welcome. It is most unacceptable that he referred to the committee as a mob. If he did not describe it as reported, perhaps he will confirm that he will ask the reporter to withdraw it because it is not accurate.

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

Catherine Connolly: Sorry, I am asking a question.

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

Catherine Connolly: There are many questions I want to ask. If it is not correct that Mr. Watt called the committee a mob, will he issue instructions for that to be changed? Is it that he said it and he is apologising for that?

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

Catherine Connolly: Did Mr. Watt hear my question? Will he tell the journalist that he did not make that comment or will he apologise for making it?

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

Catherine Connolly: It is offensive to call a committee a mob. Níl sé ceart ná cóir agus ní féidir glacadh leis an focal "gramaisc" a úsáid maidir leis an gcoiste seo. I am not sure how I should interpret Mr. Watt's body language. I am here to ask questions in the politest manner possible and to get replies.

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

Catherine Connolly: I am asking this question now and I am not sure what Mr. Watt is saying. Did he use the word "mob"?

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

Catherine Connolly: Allow me to put my questions in perspective. I am from Galway city and I welcome the national development plan and its contents pertaining to Galway to a certain degree. It is very good in terms of the language used, to which we will return. It refers to developing and implementing a comprehensive and strategic metropolitan area spatial plan to enable transformation, sustainability so on....

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

Catherine Connolly: Am I distracting Mr. Watt from something more important?

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

Catherine Connolly: Good. In 2015, the new hospital board appeared before this committee prior to my becoming a member of it. As a result of previous issues relating to the original project, the new board appeared before this committee. Absolute assurances were given to the committee that the board had learned its lessons, governance was in place and no issues would arise. In the same way that Mr. Watt told...

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

Catherine Connolly: Some €35 million was written off. I do not expect Mr. Watt to address that issue but I expect him to be familiar with it and to know what was learned from it. The board provided assurances. Does Mr. Watt agree that its members were picked for their expertise? Okay. I regret that Mr. Quinn is not appearing before the committee today but that was the decision of the Department. I...

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

Catherine Connolly: The National Paediatric Hospital Development Board

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

Catherine Connolly: That is okay.

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

Catherine Connolly: I understand that. I highlight those minutes to show Mr. Watt that questions are being raised by the board about its design and other teams that were procured for their expertise under the new Government's model at great cost. Private contractors were brought in because of their expertise. There are ongoing issues relating to the new model. I wish to move to the issues explored by Deputy...

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

Catherine Connolly: Following on from the questions asked by Deputy Kelly, why did the meeting not take place? I am referring to 17 October. Deputy Kelly's time ran out before he could go back that far. If we had more time-----

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

Catherine Connolly: The meeting took place on 19 or 21 November------

Public Accounts Committee: Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement (7 Mar 2019)

Catherine Connolly: ------and at that meeting the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform got the documentation.