Results 1-20 of 932 for speaker:Catherine Ardagh

Ceisteanna - Questions: Disability Services (10 Jun 2025)

Catherine Ardagh: 14. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on Disability will next meet. [27572/25]

Ceisteanna - Questions: Disability Services (10 Jun 2025)

Catherine Ardagh: I rise again to discuss therapeutic supports for children. As the Taoiseach said, the in-school therapy programme has been a huge success. Even people in the Department were blown away by how many applied for the positions. Therapists like working in the school environment. It is the best place for therapies to be delivered to children and for their parents, the majority of whom work....

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Financial Statements 2023: Arts Council
Financial Statements 2023: National Gallery
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2023
Chapter 10 - Measuring the Performance of Arts and Sports Spending (29 May 2025)

Catherine Ardagh: I thank everyone for coming in and bearing with us as some of our questions will probably be a bit repetitive. I will start from the beginning again. The decision to procure a new IT system we heard was because the Arts Council had five systems it was trying to merge. Why did the Arts Council not consider an off-the-shelf system from the beginning and why was a custom-made system picked?...

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Financial Statements 2023: Arts Council
Financial Statements 2023: National Gallery
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2023
Chapter 10 - Measuring the Performance of Arts and Sports Spending (29 May 2025)

Catherine Ardagh: The Arts Council is putting a business case to the Department for an off-the-shelf system. Was it the board which made the original decision to procure the new IT system? Who brought that to the board?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Financial Statements 2023: Arts Council
Financial Statements 2023: National Gallery
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2023
Chapter 10 - Measuring the Performance of Arts and Sports Spending (29 May 2025)

Catherine Ardagh: Ms Kennelly made the point that the original decision to procure the IT system was before her time and she came in when there were no IT experts in the organisation. Whose decision was it to go down the road of a custom-made system when there was very little IT expertise available to the Arts Council?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Financial Statements 2023: Arts Council
Financial Statements 2023: National Gallery
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2023
Chapter 10 - Measuring the Performance of Arts and Sports Spending (29 May 2025)

Catherine Ardagh: In her presentation, Ms Kennelly said that it became clear early on that issues were apparent with the system. It has also become clear that Ms Kennelly made a cry for help to the Department to try to resolve matters. I am curious as to why the plug was not pulled earlier by the Arts Council. This question is probably also one for Mr. Ó Coigligh. Was anybody screaming stop the train...

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Financial Statements 2023: Arts Council
Financial Statements 2023: National Gallery
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2023
Chapter 10 - Measuring the Performance of Arts and Sports Spending (29 May 2025)

Catherine Ardagh: Ms Kennelly mentioned that someone said to keep going and spend a little more. Can she tell us who said that?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Financial Statements 2023: Arts Council
Financial Statements 2023: National Gallery
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2023
Chapter 10 - Measuring the Performance of Arts and Sports Spending (29 May 2025)

Catherine Ardagh: That is a fair point. Regarding the consultants advising the Arts Council, were there conflict of interest checks done for all of them?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Financial Statements 2023: Arts Council
Financial Statements 2023: National Gallery
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2023
Chapter 10 - Measuring the Performance of Arts and Sports Spending (29 May 2025)

Catherine Ardagh: Can Ms Kennelly confirm there was no conflict of interest?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Financial Statements 2023: Arts Council
Financial Statements 2023: National Gallery
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2023
Chapter 10 - Measuring the Performance of Arts and Sports Spending (29 May 2025)

Catherine Ardagh: Ms Kennelly also mentioned there is litigation pending. Are there any counter-claims against the Department?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Financial Statements 2023: Arts Council
Financial Statements 2023: National Gallery
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2023
Chapter 10 - Measuring the Performance of Arts and Sports Spending (29 May 2025)

Catherine Ardagh: Regarding Ms Kennelly's own role, she mentioned she was offered a short-term, fixed-term contract which was not acceptable to her. She says her predecessors were all offered a further five-year, fixed-term contract but the Department has not allowed this. Is the witness contemplating litigation against either the Department or the Arts Council?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Financial Statements 2023: Arts Council
Financial Statements 2023: National Gallery
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2023
Chapter 10 - Measuring the Performance of Arts and Sports Spending (29 May 2025)

Catherine Ardagh: On the National Gallery, the Comptroller and Auditor General might be able to help us. What is the current book value of the scanner? Does he know, or can the Arts Council-----

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Financial Statements 2023: Arts Council
Financial Statements 2023: National Gallery
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2023
Chapter 10 - Measuring the Performance of Arts and Sports Spending (29 May 2025)

Catherine Ardagh: It is an eight-year-old scanner. The language on some of the presentations today refers to the system in the past tense. It was said that the bulb of the scanner was still viable. Are there other elements to the scanner? Will there have to be further investment in it to bring it up to spec? It sounds from what I am hearing like we are almost on the second scanner. From the language...

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Financial Statements 2023: Arts Council
Financial Statements 2023: National Gallery
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2023
Chapter 10 - Measuring the Performance of Arts and Sports Spending (29 May 2025)

Catherine Ardagh: I do not mean to be rude by cutting in. Will Dr. Campbell confirm that there will not be any upgrade? Has the scanner been maintained such that, when staff start using it, it will be as new? Can she tell us it is not technologically obsolete? It is eight years old. In the past three years, we have seen the advent of AI. An iPhone that is eight years old is now completely obsolete. I...

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Financial Statements 2023: Arts Council
Financial Statements 2023: National Gallery
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2023
Chapter 10 - Measuring the Performance of Arts and Sports Spending (29 May 2025)

Catherine Ardagh: I have a short question for the Department. When bodies under its remit have a large project that will incur significant expenditure, are there safeguards in place to ensure things are on track? Looking back, it really sounds like the Arts Council was crying out for help and really needed support from the Department. Does the Department have a plan to support its bodies in these...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Fiscal Policy (29 May 2025)

Catherine Ardagh: 74. To ask the Minister for Finance his projections for core inflation in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27857/25]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Data (29 May 2025)

Catherine Ardagh: 75. To ask the Minister for Finance the number of earners paying income tax at the top rate of income tax; the number paying at the standard rate; the number of earners not paying income tax; how this compares to the EU average; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27858/25]

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure Policy (29 May 2025)

Catherine Ardagh: 93. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the increase in public expenditure to date in 2025 compares to spending this time last year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27722/25]

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: EU Programmes (29 May 2025)

Catherine Ardagh: 159. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his priorities for Ireland’s Cohesion Policy post-2027; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27721/25]

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Mental Health Services (28 May 2025)

Catherine Ardagh: I thank the Minister of State for her response. I must respectfully state that the situation with this centre is now urgent. The suggestion that the centre should be a section 39 agency is understood but the process for becoming a recognised section 39 funded body is opaque, lengthy and deeply under-resourced. In the meantime, the centre is expected to maintain 3,000 units of counselling...