Results 1,941-1,960 of 3,444 for speaker:Shane Cassells

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works
Chapter 6: Lease of Offices at Miesian Plaza (11 Oct 2018)

Shane Cassells: Mr. Buckley referred to problems in the planning process. Will he take me through it? Let us take the timeline in chapter 6.5 of the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General on the interaction between Mr. Buckley’s office and the Secretary General in the Department of Health and the issues which arose from 2016 onwards. A red flag was raised in October 2016 when the Secretary...

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works
Chapter 6: Lease of Offices at Miesian Plaza (11 Oct 2018)

Shane Cassells: I want to get into those issues. There were many issues at the time. People were losing their jobs and whether they were in a cellular or open plan office was not their concern. I acknowledge that in December 2016 Mr. Buckley initiated meetings to resolve the ongoing issues. Chapter 6.41 of the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General states the “OPW has a directive power in...

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works
Chapter 6: Lease of Offices at Miesian Plaza (11 Oct 2018)

Shane Cassells: Not from this evidence.

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works
Chapter 6: Lease of Offices at Miesian Plaza (11 Oct 2018)

Shane Cassells: In October 2016 the Secretary General wrote to the chairman of the OPW stating the Department of Health could not proceed. In the following March the Department had still not agreed the layout of common areas in offices. This goes to the heart of the matter. There was the wrong attitude. What is the situation pertaining to the fact that not all of the staff from the Department of Children...

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works
Chapter 6: Lease of Offices at Miesian Plaza (11 Oct 2018)

Shane Cassells: I acknowledge that the OPW came to this process at the mid point but I find the whole thing disheartening. The Comptroller and Auditor General has spoken about the ineffective use of €11 million. Mr. Buckley has said that it was a good deal and is arguing the toss about whether it was €11 million or €4 million. It has real consequences for the lives of real people and...

Committee on Public Petitions: National Orchestras: Discussion (10 Oct 2018)

Shane Cassells: I welcome the three witnesses. I thank them for the presentations and the discussion we are having on the National Symphony Orchestra and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra. I greatly value both. It is, perhaps, often forgotten that the RTÉ Concert Orchestra has a presence beyond Donnybrook and the National Concert Hall. I was delighted last year to welcome the RTÉ Concert Orchestra...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (10 Oct 2018)

Shane Cassells: 77. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason new full-time primary school teachers have to wait six weeks to receive their first salary payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41329/18]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: North-South Interconnector (10 Oct 2018)

Shane Cassells: 194. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the course of action he plans to take in respect of the North-South interconnector project having considered the two independent reports; and if he will support an over ground or an underground option of the pylon project. [41486/18]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Policy (9 Oct 2018)

Shane Cassells: 423. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of the geothermal energy development Bill; when it is likely to be advanced further; the reasons for the delay in advancing this Bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40759/18]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Data (9 Oct 2018)

Shane Cassells: 523. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of one-off rural social houses built in each local authority area in each of the years 2007 to 2017. [40713/18]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Data (9 Oct 2018)

Shane Cassells: 524. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the estimated number of one-off rural social houses which will be built in each local authority area in 2018. [40714/18]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (9 Oct 2018)

Shane Cassells: 525. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if local authorities will be funded to build social housing for those on the housing waiting list that can provide a site from a family member or friend to build on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40715/18]

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (Resumed) (4 Oct 2018)

Shane Cassells: The topic is listed as "matters related to housing", which is a fairly broad church. Is the Secretary General of the Department coming in on that day?

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (Resumed) (4 Oct 2018)

Shane Cassells: We said previously at the committee that we could do a whole day on the housing assistance payment, HAP, in terms of value for money, the amount of money now being spent on housing assistance payments and the amount spent on acquisitions. I think nearly €1 billion has been spent by local authorities on house acquisitions in the past seven years. Are we going to structure the day in...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (Resumed) (4 Oct 2018)

Shane Cassells: Did you say, Chairman, that the housing bodies are coming in as well?

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (Resumed) (4 Oct 2018)

Shane Cassells: Given that the Secretary General is coming in we should structure the day and reach an agreement among ourselves on our approach. There is a body of work with regard to how money is being spent by the Department.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (Resumed) (4 Oct 2018)

Shane Cassells: In that context, I have asked parliamentary questions about State-owned land, council-owned land and a breakdown of same, but it is like running around the field trying to get an answer. Such information should be provided to us ahead of the meeting. In terms of capital construction, we hear a lot of talk about where the possibilities exist for the tens of thousands of homes that could be...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (Resumed) (4 Oct 2018)

Shane Cassells: We need to put it all together. It is difficult to get information.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (Resumed) (4 Oct 2018)

Shane Cassells: Deputy Connolly cited the example of Galway. Could we request the Department to get all 31 local authorities to submit the capital projects they currently have with the Department requiring funding and also what is currently in the pipeline in terms of construction on the ground so that we can get an appraisal of where they are and where they want to be. We hear consistently about the...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (Resumed) (4 Oct 2018)

Shane Cassells: That is fine. That is separate. If we have the Secretary General here we want to get a sense of where the local authorities are at as well. You might decide to break the meeting into two distinct sections, Chairman. We require all of the information ahead of the meeting so that we do not let witnesses go without having dealt with the issue in a substantial manner.