Results 461-480 of 1,190,733 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:John Carty OR speaker:Roderic O'Gorman OR speaker:Kieran O'Donnell OR speaker:Seán Fleming OR speaker:Mary Lou McDonald OR speaker:Darren O'Rourke OR speaker:Martin Heydon OR speaker:Francis Noel Duffy OR speaker:Imelda Munster OR speaker:Matt Shanahan OR speaker:Ivana Bacik OR speaker:Jennifer Whitmore OR speaker:Ossian Smyth OR speaker:Michael Healy-Rae OR speaker:Jackie Cahill OR speaker:Simon Harris OR speaker:Pádraig Mac Lochlainn OR speaker:Charlie McConalogue OR speaker:Niall Collins OR speaker:David Stanton OR speaker:Helen McEntee OR speaker:Verona Murphy OR speaker:Gino Kenny OR speaker:Claire Kerrane OR speaker:Pádraig O'Sullivan OR speaker:Louise O'Reilly OR speaker:Denise Mitchell OR speaker:Jim O'Callaghan OR speaker:Pat Buckley OR speaker:Mairead Farrell OR speaker:Cormac Devlin OR speaker:Brendan Howlin OR speaker:Sorca Clarke OR speaker:Norma Foley OR speaker:David Cullinane OR speaker:Pa Daly OR speaker:Paschal Donohoe OR speaker:Christopher O'Sullivan OR speaker:Darragh O'Brien OR speaker:James Lawless OR speaker:Catherine Murphy OR speaker:Ciarán Cannon OR speaker:Róisín Shortall)

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...

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

Mairead Farrell: We have all said there was an utter disregard of taxpayers' money in this instance. That is what people think. Could Mr. Conlon answer my question on that?

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

Mairead Farrell: Then why were we told initially that it would be €200,000? It is a massive increase.

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

Mairead Farrell: Who was responsible for the underestimation? Was it the contractor?

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

Mairead Farrell: Which teams?

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

Mairead Farrell: Which teams?

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

Mairead Farrell: We have the public sector spending code for a reason. What I understand is that the Department of children and equality did not prepare a strategic assessment report or business case reports, preliminary and final, as required by the code for projects costing more than €100 million. Does that not seem strange?

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

Catherine Murphy: Deputy Kelly’s time is up. I will briefly follow on from that. I remember the OPW being before this committee previously talking about these modular homes before they started. We were told they could be picked up and lifted somewhere else. As has been pointed out, there is a huge amount of money that cannot be picked up and moved elsewhere, such as money spent on site works,...