Results 19,621-19,640 of 35,891 for speaker:Pearse Doherty

Brexit and Special Designation for the North: Motion [Private Members] (15 Feb 2017)

Pearse Doherty: In recent weeks, we saw the House of Commons's committee of experts giving the plain and unvarnished legal facts about what Brexit from the customs union really means. It means a border in our country unless we do something about it. This weekend in my county, communities from Lifford and Bridgend will demand as Border communities that there be no return to the hard Border that so many of...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (15 Feb 2017)

Pearse Doherty: Go raibh maith agat. Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit agus a chomhghleacaithe. Tá cúpla ceist agam anseo. We have figures for the schemes that will progress and the schemes that are targeted. As anybody who has been following this for a couple of years, the same schemes appear to be on the same lists year after year. I was looking at the list from 2015, which in...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (15 Feb 2017)

Pearse Doherty: Why should we be more convinced by the Minister of State's statement today than by the inaccurate statements of the then Minister of State with responsibility for OPW, Deputy Simon Harris, in 2015 or 2016? We know the scheme has not commenced and has not yet commenced at this point in time. The same schemes have been on the list of years. The people of Clare are sick to the teeth of it....

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (15 Feb 2017)

Pearse Doherty: Is the Minister of State guaranteeing thie committee and, more importantly, the people in the area in question that the south Ennis scheme will begin construction in 2017?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (15 Feb 2017)

Pearse Doherty: Is that a guarantee?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (15 Feb 2017)

Pearse Doherty: Were all schemes scheduled to be completed in 2016 actually completed? We are dealing with Estimates based on the type of work anticipated. Accordingly, moneys are allocated by the House for the type of work involved. Were all schemes due to be completed in 2016 completed? These schemes would have been undertaken on the Minister of State's watch and he would have told the committee they...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (15 Feb 2017)

Pearse Doherty: I understand that and appreciate the difficulties. I acknowledge that some of my questions are on projects initiated prior to the Minister of State's time in the Department. There are officials who have been there a lot longer than he has. This is not something new. A private company would be able to pinpoint the problems. It would not have stated seven schemes would start in 2015 but...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (15 Feb 2017)

Pearse Doherty: Last year, even though he was new in the position, I pointed out that the Minister of State had not met Insurance Ireland. There is a major issue with insurance companies not insuring residents where flood relief works have been carried out. The Minister of State has mentioned that the next meeting with Insurance Ireland is due to be held on 8 March and that he will attend. Will he inform...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (15 Feb 2017)

Pearse Doherty: The Minister of State has referred to the meeting due to be held on 8 March which he will attend. He also referred to a meeting held on 8 December but did not say whether he attended it.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (15 Feb 2017)

Pearse Doherty: We can assume the previous meeting was held three months prior to the meeting in December, sometime around September. Did the Minister of State attend that meeting?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (15 Feb 2017)

Pearse Doherty: Has the Minister of State attended any of the quarterly meetings?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (15 Feb 2017)

Pearse Doherty: On the meetings he has attended or on which his officials have reported back, has the Minister of State received assurances from the insurance industry that the issue where it is failing to insure residents in areas where flood relief works have been carried out will be resolved?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (15 Feb 2017)

Pearse Doherty: When one is looking from the outside in, one thinks this issue should be easy to resolve, particularly if one is living in the areas where work has been carried out. The demountable flood barriers are in place and have been certified. However, for the people affected, there has been no real progress made in dealing with the issue of insurance. The Minister of State has been in position for...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (15 Feb 2017)

Pearse Doherty: Is there any expectation the meeting due to held on 8 March could help to resolve the issue?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (15 Feb 2017)

Pearse Doherty: Last year I raised the issue of the Garda headquarters on Harcourt Street and referred to the concern at the time that 500 members of staff in the nerve centre of An Garda Síochána would have to relocate. Obviously, there were no premises in Dublin which could accommodate them. I understand the legal action taken by Hibernia REIT, the owner of the building, to look for vacant...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (15 Feb 2017)

Pearse Doherty: For now.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (15 Feb 2017)

Pearse Doherty: Can I ask-----

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (15 Feb 2017)

Pearse Doherty: It is reported it was bought for €70 million.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (15 Feb 2017)

Pearse Doherty: They bought all their properties. The gardaí are not using all of Harcourt Street site so there is an argument to be made that if the OPW was only purchasing that part of it, it could have gotten it for less than the reported €70 million. The €70 million figure is out there in the public domain and it has not been disputed. It would cost €80 million for a new...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (15 Feb 2017)

Pearse Doherty: That is true but it does not make sense. We are laughing at it now but other people will pay for this, for example in health or coastal protection, because the money has to come from somewhere.