Results 18,861-18,880 of 32,978 for speaker:Catherine Connolly

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: This email shows that the Department of Health was desperately trying to contact Mr. Watt's Department to inform it that there were issues in regard to costs.

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?

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 painting this wrong when I say that the Department of Health was desperately trying to contact his office and making reference to a meeting with officials of his Department a few weeks previously regarding cost issues arising?

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 official did so eventually.

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 correct. An email of 20 November from Mr. David Moloney offers thanks for material provided and continues, "As you know in the past we voiced serious concerns in relation to the governance of the Children's Hospital project, and were assured that the arrangements in place were sufficiently robust." The Department is highlighting the fact that it had concerns regarding governance....

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 Department did so eventually. I saw 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: I have heard that about four times. I will leave it for now. That is Mr. Watt's answer.

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 have shown that there was previous contact with Mr. O'Brien at a minimum. Is the two-stage process now gone? Has the Department decided to do away with it or did I misunderstand Mr. Watt's opening statement?

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 welcome those changes and what Mr. Watt is saying. My difficulty is that throughout all of this documentation which I have read there is constant reassurance that the two-stage process was the way to go.

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 avoided confrontation, litigation and extra costs but here we are today. One of the notes from the Department suggests that we may be looking at a project cost of €2 billion. That is according to departmental emails. The two-stage process, which was allowed, did none of those things. It did not avoid litigation, did 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: Clearly it did not work out and the cost went from something of the order €650 million-----

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: This is the difficulty. We cannot get reassurances-----

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: -----from Mr. Watt, despite his 18-page document. We do not know that if another children's hospital were to be built tomorrow, it would not go from costing €650 million to €2 billion. Are we looking at a project cost of €2 billion as suggested in the email? That is my difficulty. In the 18-page document, Mr. Watt mentions that a few reviews are under way. Again, 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: On page 15 of the opening statement, it is stated that the Department will conduct a "full assessment" of how cost estimation could be improved. When is that going to start?

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: When?

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: When did that start? The word "will" is used in opening statement, which suggests the future.

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: One moment. Mr. Watt stated that his Department "will conduct" a full assessment. Does that mean it has started?

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: When did it start?

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 would be helpful, in terms of the opening statement, to know when the reviews started, when they will be completed and when the findings relating to them will be made available. That would help to give reassurance.

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 Chairman is right. On a point of order, the Chairman is entitled to point out what he has pointed out, but-----