Results 441-460 of 1,176,870 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Declan Breathnach OR speaker:James O'Connor OR speaker:Réada Cronin OR speaker:Richard Bruton OR speaker:Patrick Costello OR speaker:Mick Barry OR speaker:Norma Foley OR speaker:Thomas Byrne OR speaker:Seán Haughey OR speaker:Martin Browne OR speaker:Peter Burke OR speaker:Hildegarde Naughton OR speaker:Thomas Byrne0 OR speaker:Bernard Durkan OR speaker:Thomas Byrne2 OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh OR speaker:Colm Brophy OR speaker:Frank Feighan OR speaker:Brendan Griffin OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh07 OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh02 OR speaker:Seán Sherlock OR speaker:James Lawless OR speaker:Gerald Nash OR speaker:David Cullinane OR speaker:Pearse Doherty OR speaker:Simon Harris OR speaker:Jack Chambers OR speaker:Aindrias Moynihan OR speaker:Seán Fleming OR speaker:Róisín Shortall OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh00 OR speaker:John McGuinness OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh8 OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh25 OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh24 OR speaker:Mary Butler OR speaker:Martin Kenny OR speaker:Thomas Gould) in 'Committee meetings'

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

Verona Murphy: Why then did the planning permission lapse on the former Department of Health headquarters this year?

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

Verona Murphy: I apologise to Mr. Conlon but on the basis of time, the question is: why did the OPW allow the planning permission to lapse? Why did the OPW not look for an extension?

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

Verona Murphy: How much did it cost to submit the planning application for the site?

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

Verona Murphy: I need that figure. I am surprised he does not have that figure. It is fundamental to what we are talking about in a housing crisis. Will Mr. Conlon provide that figure? Before the break, somebody could submit it. I put the question again: why did the OPW allow the planning permission to lapse and not seek an extension? Usually, planning of this scale runs into the hundreds of...

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

Verona Murphy: I will start with Mr. Conlon's remarks about OPW staff. I agree that we have great staff around the country but, unfortunately, it appears that some staff in Dublin have let those staff down. I do not think the issues we are facing around the precincts of Leinster House actually occur around the country. The disregard seems to be Dublin based. I know several OPW staff who carry out their...

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

Verona Murphy: What was the projected cost, pre-tender, for the bike shelter?

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

Verona Murphy: It actually came at less than that.

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

Verona Murphy: That did not raise any red flags. Okay. The problem is the excuses given for that type of elaborate structure. I have no doubt that the materials in it warrant the cost. However, the question is whether the bike shelter warranted such materials and this question has not been answered. It appears that the answer from everybody is "No" except for Mr. Conlon and the OPW. Nobody is taking...

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

Verona Murphy: Mr. Conlon was not even in position.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary) (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach. I begin by wishing the Chairman a speedy recovery. I am pleased to be here this morning together with officials from my Department. I thank the committee for the opportunity to speak with its members and ask for their consideration of the Department's Supplementary Estimates for 2024. Following approval by the Government, the Department is...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary) (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: On school secretaries and caretakers, the Deputy will be aware that all school secretaries who were keen to come onto the payroll of the Department of Education have now signed up and crossed over. They are now automatically paid by the Department of Education as distinct from receiving payment from their school board or through grants received by the board. I gave a commitment that a...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary) (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: Yes. As regards school transport, a number of recommendations came out of the review of school transport. A phased implementation of the review has begun, and that includes the pilot projects. We have funding in place to continue the pilot projects and add to them. Our ambition is, as we have outlined previously to this committee, to ensure that by 2030 we will have a further 100,000...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary) (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: Mr. Loftus is very keen to cover that one.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary) (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: I was giving the committee the opportunity to hear from the head of planning and building. The subhead is used to fund school accommodation. This is A15: to buy sites, deliver smaller scale works in schools, provide furniture and equipment and address remediation works. The current allocation subhead provides for grants towards rental of temporary school premises at primary and...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary) (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: By infrastructure, we mean school buildings, really, specifically the project roll-out of those school buildings. I am very happy to come back-----

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary) (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: Yes, absolutely.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary) (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: We have a forward planning unit within the Department and it is very successful. We now liaise with local authorities, for example, on their future projections. We also gather all the data that is necessary. It is a GIS system. We engage with child benefit and so on. As regards the figures we are talking about here, we have currently 350 projects on the ground at construction, and the...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary) (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: 100%. We have a very strong record of being on time and on budget. I acknowledge the work of the planning and building unit and am here in the company of Mr. Loftus, but I also acknowledge the work of all those who work with the Department to ensure there is strong delivery.