Results 301-320 of 1,321 for speaker:Áine Collins

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Legislation (8 Oct 2013)

Áine Collins: 270. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform in view of the fact that the new freedom of information Act will now include organisations that are currently substantially funded by the State, if this will include voluntary housing agencies. [41802/13]

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Voluntary Housing Sector Issues (8 Oct 2013)

Áine Collins: 376. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the way he intends to link in the voluntary housing sector with the new structures being established at local authority level. [41800/13]

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Voluntary Housing Sector Issues (8 Oct 2013)

Áine Collins: 377. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government when the balance of money outstanding will be paid to an organisation (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41805/13]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Pathways to Work 2013: Discussion with Department of Social Protection (8 Oct 2013)

Áine Collins: I welcome the delegation and thank them for the information pack. In common with Deputy Lyons, I have come across cases in which people aged 50-plus got back into work through the internship and have created jobs for themselves. I have seen and heard about these cases on the ground. It is proposed to double the number of activation officers to 600. I came across a problem in Charleville...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Pathways to Work 2013: Discussion with Department of Social Protection (8 Oct 2013)

Áine Collins: I can? I will get an answer. The Tús scheme is a 12-month programme in which people from the live register are picked at random to participate. Their skills are matched to work that would benefit them, and if they have a particular preference they get an opportunity to work in that area. The matching process has not been the greatest. People are pushed into jobs for which they are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Pathways to Work 2013: Discussion with Department of Social Protection (8 Oct 2013)

Áine Collins: That will be great. It is a significant issue in the area.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Pathways to Work 2013: Discussion with Department of Social Protection (8 Oct 2013)

Áine Collins: When we negotiate with the IDA about companies' locating in the regions, it comes back with questions about the skills in the area. Obviously not all people are on the live register and there may be people with particular skills sets who are working. It would be an added service to have the skill sets identified. I know I came across this when I was looking in my own area. I could not get...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Pathways to Work 2013: Discussion with Department of Social Protection (8 Oct 2013)

Áine Collins: That is valid, but I have concerns. The delivery of this service is being outsourced in many communities and when people are picked, they might not be matched with what suits them best. I came across a situation where what had happened put somebody back. I reported this, but nothing happened. I am concerned about the controls.

Topical Issue Debate: Asylum Seeker Accommodation (9 Oct 2013)

Áine Collins: I thank the Minister for attending to address this issue. We have 4,600 asylum seekers in direct provision, costing the State €62 million a year in 34 centres around the country. I am concerned about recent reports which appeared in a newspaper on Monday which paint a very grim picture of some of these centres. As I understand it, each centre is inspected three times a year. The...

Topical Issue Debate: Asylum Seeker Accommodation (9 Oct 2013)

Áine Collins: I thank the Minister for his response. The issue is about the time that people are in these centres. The old idea was that they would only be there for six months. It was to be a stop-gap to get them to a safe place when they arrived here quickly. It is about seeing how we can process their rights as quickly as possible. There is no way it should take between seven and nine years. That...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Single Payment Scheme Payments (10 Oct 2013)

Áine Collins: 175. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the payments that have been made to a person (details supplied). [42917/13]

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 78 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Matters Arising out of Education Audits (Resumed) (10 Oct 2013)

Áine Collins: I welcome the witnesses. What governance and systems were in place in the institute during the time to oversee the president’s expenses?

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 78 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Matters Arising out of Education Audits (Resumed) (10 Oct 2013)

Áine Collins: Were there no governance procedures to oversee the president's office for how expenses were incurred?

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 78 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Matters Arising out of Education Audits (Resumed) (10 Oct 2013)

Áine Collins: I appreciate that. Were there systems or procedures in place at the time in terms of what was and was not considered to be allowable expenditure?

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 78 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Matters Arising out of Education Audits (Resumed) (10 Oct 2013)

Áine Collins: We are talking a great deal about systems and procedures and it seems obvious that there were no governing procedures or systems in place.

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 78 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Matters Arising out of Education Audits (Resumed) (10 Oct 2013)

Áine Collins: How often were they reviewed? Were they ever reviewed or looked at? Obviously not is the answer.

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 78 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Matters Arising out of Education Audits (Resumed) (10 Oct 2013)

Áine Collins: I appreciate there are policies and procedures for procurement, but how often is there a review of how the institute runs and manages its own budgets and where it spends particular funds?

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 78 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Matters Arising out of Education Audits (Resumed) (10 Oct 2013)

Áine Collins: I will rephrase the question. In the time period about which we are talking in respect of the travel and other expenses incurred by the president, were there specific procedures and systems in place and were they looked at? We clearly see this as a systems failure. From what I am hearing, it appears as if the then president was able to write a cheque for anything he so chose at the time....

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 78 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Matters Arising out of Education Audits (Resumed) (10 Oct 2013)

Áine Collins: I am concerned about the systems that were in place at the time.

Public Accounts Committee: Special Report No. 78 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Matters Arising out of Education Audits (Resumed) (10 Oct 2013)

Áine Collins: Let me ask about the pending court case. I understand, as was stated, we are claiming somewhere between €110,000 and €120,000. What have the two Deloitte reports cost and are we looking to claim reimbursement for them? Are we looking for legal expenses?