Results 141-160 of 10,538 for speaker:Barry Cowen
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Existing Levels of Service Costs: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)
Barry Cowen: Am I correct that the Department of Social Protection's Estimate earlier this year was understated when it came to the budget itself or was it holding it in reserve? I am not saying withholding information but some information was not clear earlier in the year.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Existing Levels of Service Costs: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)
Barry Cowen: Based on their discussions and negotiations around-----
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Existing Levels of Service Costs: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)
Barry Cowen: Is there any provision for the pay talks starting in June?
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Existing Levels of Service Costs: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)
Barry Cowen: I will put a question whiIe we are waiting to see if Deputy Durkan or Deputy Michael Healy-Rae want to ask questions. In regard to the health Vote in 2022 the ELS was described in three components: expenditure, report allocation from central pay agreement provision carry-over and other ELS pressures and demographics. In 2023 this reduced to two components, just central pay agreement...
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Existing Levels of Service Costs: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)
Barry Cowen: I note that but to be honest I do not necessarily accept it. If the Oireachtas was adjudged to be properly briefed two years ago with three components, why is it not briefed with three components this time around? There may be internal reasons but we are a parliamentary budgetary oversight committee and we have a job to reflect the views and opinions of members not only in this committee...
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Existing Levels of Service Costs: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)
Barry Cowen: I appreciate where Mr. Kinnane is coming from.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Existing Levels of Service Costs: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)
Barry Cowen: We need to know what they are. That is all I am saying to Mr. Kinnane. In layman's terms the ELS has basically been standing still. If we want to offer the same service next year as we offered last year it will cost us an extra €700 million to do that. The reason for that is due to pay increases, pay agreements, and the revision of contracts associated with external help to deliver...
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Existing Levels of Service Costs: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)
Barry Cowen: That is fair enough, but when we look at this budget, this figure and the explanation, we are left with no idea of what the components were. At least three years ago there was some breakdown but now we have no breakdown. We are not carrying out our duty to extract that information in order to impart it to those that we represent, and that is all we want to do. It has been stated that...
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Existing Levels of Service Costs: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)
Barry Cowen: A vote has been called in the Dáil but please proceed.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Existing Levels of Service Costs: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)
Barry Cowen: I hear what Mr. Kinnane says, which is basically that there was not agreement between the stakeholders on what the figure was made up of or there was unanimity.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Existing Levels of Service Costs: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)
Barry Cowen: We need to wrap up.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Existing Levels of Service Costs: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)
Barry Cowen: Does this go back to core expenditure?
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Existing Levels of Service Costs: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)
Barry Cowen: That is what I was saying: current expenditure.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Existing Levels of Service Costs: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)
Barry Cowen: You are talking about Page 2?
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Existing Levels of Service Costs: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)
Barry Cowen: The Deputy is quoting the figure excluding core capital expenditure for ELS in the summer economic statement 4 July 2023 which is given as €2.3 billion.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Existing Levels of Service Costs: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)
Barry Cowen: To clarify that, is it fair to say that ELS standstill is a delivery of this year's services next year? Is the HSE statement that the €2 billion is for other costs in addition to that?
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Existing Levels of Service Costs: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)
Barry Cowen: We do not dispute that.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Existing Levels of Service Costs: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)
Barry Cowen: I made that point earlier.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Existing Levels of Service Costs: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)
Barry Cowen: Can I interject?
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Existing Levels of Service Costs: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)
Barry Cowen: I think that point has been made earlier and it is being made to the witnesses. The committee is not satisfied by the fact the level of detail that was applied in previous years has not been applied this year. We have asked for that to be noted and for consideration to be given to giving a breakdown to this committee, similar to what was given previously, in order for the committee to do...