Results 421-440 of 1,156,299 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Rory O'Hanlon OR speaker:Joan Collins OR speaker:Colm Burke OR speaker:Seán Sherlock OR speaker:Kieran O'Donnell OR speaker:Peter Burke OR speaker:Pearse Doherty OR speaker:Duncan Smith OR speaker:Darren O'Rourke OR speaker:Emer Higgins OR speaker:Mary Lou McDonald OR speaker:Brendan Griffin OR speaker:Patrick Costello OR speaker:Steven Matthews OR speaker:Jim O'Callaghan OR speaker:Réada Cronin OR speaker:Pat Buckley OR speaker:Micheál Martin OR speaker:James Lawless OR speaker:Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire OR speaker:Francis Noel Duffy OR speaker:Eamon Ryan OR speaker:Charlie McConalogue OR speaker:Sorca Clarke OR speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice OR speaker:Jennifer Murnane O'Connor OR speaker:Joe O'Brien OR speaker:Pádraig Mac Lochlainn OR speaker:Jennifer Carroll MacNeill OR speaker:Jack Chambers OR speaker:Denise Mitchell OR speaker:Seán Ó Fearghaíl OR speaker:Michael Healy-Rae OR speaker:David Stanton OR speaker:Catherine Murphy OR speaker:Pa Daly OR speaker:Richard O'Donoghue OR speaker:Mairead Farrell) in 'Committee meetings'

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (22 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: I note the external review of the OPW carried out in 2014. I understand there were two reviews; one of which had 60-plus recommendations while the previous one had 12 or something like that. How many recommendations from the second review related to recommendations that had previously been stated in the previous review? In the 2014 external review it states the "OPW operates largely on...

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (22 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: I hope so.

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (22 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: Has the OPW looked at that whole issue of data collection in terms of the contractors, the tenders, what costs ran over when the taxpayer takes the risk, that kind of thing?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (22 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: Does the OPW look at that centrally?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (22 Oct 2024)

Catherine Murphy: If I wanted to buy one of these modular homes, and I am actually quite familiar with them because Backweston is very near to where I live and the biggest development is there. The modular units are very small. They obviously come in pairs. If I was to buy one of those, without the enabling works and all the rest of it, how much would one of those cost?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (22 Oct 2024)

Catherine Murphy: The cost is €145,000. Mr. Conlon reckons the enabling works cost €55,000 or something like that.

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (22 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: But Mr. Conlon would agree that it is strange.

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (22 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: I understand the difference between what happens in an emergency situation but it is my understanding, and the C and AG might confirm to me, that it was subject to and should have been compliant with the public sector spending code. Am I correct?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (22 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: I understand sometimes it is different when it comes to emergency procurement - we saw it in Covid and had issues with it - but, in this instance, it should comply with the public sector spending code.

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (22 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: In this instance, are we not still awaiting full delivery of all the units?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (22 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: Okay, so we are still awaiting some of these to be fully given out to-----

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (22 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: In my view, if we are still waiting that completion, there seems to be urgency required in terms of the tendering rather than the urgency in terms of the delivery, and I think that is concerning for people. Regarding the after effect, we have all stated on the record that we are deeply concerned about the cost of this. Actually, before I go into that, one of the questions asked by Deputy...

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (22 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: We will find out in due course and that information will be public. We all hope it will be. That is what we would expect. Regarding the costs being revised, they were revised on multiple occasions. Between July 2023 and January 2024, they were revised on at least four occasions. In seven months, we have four cost revisions. Would that be considered normal for a project?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (22 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: I appreciate it is not a normal project because it is costing the taxpayer €289 million. I saw from another report that in 2023 the OPW's turnover was approximately €654 million. Is that correct? Therefore, I take it that it is a significant project. However, with cost revisions, is it the taxpayer who takes all the risk? Is it our side that takes all the risk? What risk...

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (22 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: It is not on the OPW but it seems to me that it is always the taxpayer that ends up bearing the risk when it comes to cost overruns. Again, that is not on the OPW; it is on this House. It is on us to provide the regulation and the legislation to ensure that does not happen in the future. Again, that is not on the OPW. Regarding going forward with these modular homes, what is the story...

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (22 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: Then it goes on.

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (22 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: I appreciate that is not on the OPW but I definitely would like to see who ends up doing it, where that money is and what the cost will end up being. Regarding the bike shelter, for those watching, it is important to note that it is not a bike shelter and not a bike shed, as has been reported. If it was a bike shed, you might understand but it is simply a bike shelter. I note that Mr....

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (22 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: Gabhaim buíochas leis na finnéithe as teacht os comhair an choiste. I appreciate that Mr. Conlon has come in to answer these questions post the decision-making, although he was not there. It can be difficult to answer for the actions of others but I appreciate that he has come before the committee. I want to start with the modular homes. Could he confirm to me what the...

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (22 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: Does he agree that it would not be 120%?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (22 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: The issue is that it was 120%. I want to get to the bottom of why that is the case. We had the LDA before the committee just two weeks ago. We found out that the production of non-modular units in Shanganagh cost €409,000, which seems like a huge sum of money, but we are talking about modular homes with a lifespan of 50 years to 60 years – rather than permanent structures...