Results 461-480 of 1,057,770 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Tom Kitt OR speaker:Paul Donnelly OR speaker:Brian Stanley OR speaker:Willie O'Dea OR speaker:Michael McGrath OR speaker:Gino Kenny)

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (3 Oct 2024)

Brian Stanley: The public business before us this afternoon is as follows: minutes; accounts and financial statements; correspondence; consideration of our work programme; and any other business. The first item is the minutes. The minutes of our meeting of 26 September 2024 have been circulated to members. Do any members wish to raise any matters on the minutes? No. Are the minutes agreed as normal?...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (3 Oct 2024)

Brian Stanley: Do any members wish to address issues in the financial statements? No. They are all okay. Can we agree and note the listing of accounts and financial statements? Agreed. As usual, the accounts and financial statements are published as part of our minutes. Moving on to correspondence, as previously agreed, items that were not flagged for discussion at the meeting will be dealt with in...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (3 Oct 2024)

Brian Stanley: As I recall, a number of the Deputy's constituents made several complaints.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (3 Oct 2024)

Brian Stanley: I think the answer is that conventional slaughterhouses and other facilities for slaughtering animals were being used where a horse had to be put down. One of those facilities was engaged in doing that on a temporary basis. We can ask for an update on that.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (3 Oct 2024)

Brian Stanley: The reason I raise the traceability issue is that my understanding is that all horses in the State are microchipped, or are supposed to be. Many of these are coming from within the horseracing sector, so one would think they would be microchipped. The Department needs to say why they are not. If one is putting in place a microchip system, it is a bit like having car tax without having a...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (3 Oct 2024)

Brian Stanley: I am inclined to figure out what has happened here. Surely the microchip and passport system would say who the owner is and give their address. It is not as if it is 20 horses. It is 20,000 that have gone and my understanding is that we do not know where. It does not appear there is database. What progress has been made on putting one in place? Why is there not a database in place?...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (3 Oct 2024)

Brian Stanley: That is the nub and crooks of it. The Deputy had a question as well as on what slaughtering facilities are being used now. We will ask about that as well.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (3 Oct 2024)

Brian Stanley: No. R2832 was received from the Office of the Chairman of the OPW and is dated 30 September. It is a response to the committee's invitation for a meeting on 28 October 2024. I want to briefly mention that at last week's meeting, it was agreed in private session to schedule a meeting with the OPW on 8 October. The OPW has come back in the meantime and has said the date is not suitable as it...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (3 Oct 2024)

Brian Stanley: I propose that we proceed with the meeting with the OPW on 22 October. Is that agreed?

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (3 Oct 2024)

Brian Stanley: It is.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (3 Oct 2024)

Brian Stanley: The Deputy might recall the previous correspondence where the OPW said it had engagements and multi-stakeholder meetings and could not extrapolate itself from these too easily. Hopefully, we will still be here. It is on 22 October and it is agreed. That concludes consideration of correspondence for today. We will move on to the work programme. A draft work programme discussion document...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (3 Oct 2024)

Brian Stanley: We will endeavour to do that. Bear in mind that on Tuesday, 22 October, it looks like we will have that meeting with the OPW. On Thursday, 24 October, the same week, we will engage with the Health Service Executive regarding the 2023 financial statements. Specific areas of interest flagged for this meeting will include the roll-out of integrated financial management system, IFMS,...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (3 Oct 2024)

Brian Stanley: The report looks very comprehensive and useful. It is also proposed to add chapter 17 on the HSE’s integrated financial management system to the agenda for our meeting with the HSE on 24 October. Is that agreed?

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (3 Oct 2024)

Brian Stanley: We have five free meeting slots in November and December and, taking into account the C and AG’s annual report and areas of interest to members, I ask them to consider which bodies to prioritise for these slots, for example, the Department of Finance, the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, the Department of Social Protection or the Office...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (3 Oct 2024)

Brian Stanley: I will make two suggestions on that. There are five free meeting slots available in November and December. I am taking the Taoiseach at his word. He says there will be no election until after St. Patrick's Day. We have to make provision for November and December. I suggest that if members are agreeable, we include the Department of Education. Issues have arisen, particularly in the C...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (3 Oct 2024)

Brian Stanley: With the prefab accommodation, the modular developments need to be included in that. The modular units being used sound like a good idea but if I am correct, I recently saw the cost of one escalating by approximately 300%. I am not sure of the detail. I will bring in Deputy Verona Murphy in one minute. She is online. I wish to include education and deal with the issue of the State's...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (3 Oct 2024)

Brian Stanley: I know.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (3 Oct 2024)

Brian Stanley: I agree with Deputy Murphy. The only point is that €185 million has been put into the MetroLink to get it to this point. I understand there is a lot of work to be done, including a lot of studies, examinations, planning and design but €185 million seems incredible.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (3 Oct 2024)

Brian Stanley: We will add that matter. As I said, we have five free slots and these are some of the issues or bodies that we want brought before us. Members can reflect on whether there is anything else and we can prioritise. The secretariat will endeavour to see if we can fill those slots for November and December. That concludes our consideration of the work programme for today. The last item of...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (3 Oct 2024)

Brian Stanley: The committee will now go into private session as we have some work to do on a report.