Results 1-20 of 1,074,638 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Neale Richmond OR speaker:Thomas Pringle OR speaker:Rose Conway-Walsh OR speaker:Colm Burke OR speaker:Dara Calleary OR speaker:Danny Healy-Rae OR speaker:Pearse Doherty OR speaker:David Cullinane OR speaker:Gino Kenny) in 'Committee meetings'

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Companies (Corporate Governance, Enforcement and Regulatory Provisions) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2024)

Dara Calleary: Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach, an gcléireach agus an gcoiste as an deis a thabhairt dúinn an Bille tábhachtach seo a phlé. I thank the Chair, committee and secretariat for making time this morning. I was not able to attend the Second Stage debate so I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Emer Higgins, for taking it and acknowledge her and Deputy O'Reilly's...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Companies (Corporate Governance, Enforcement and Regulatory Provisions) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2024)

Dara Calleary: I agree that for large companies, that element of public accountability is needed. We have had virtual and hybrid meetings in effect for almost four years, since the start of the pandemic. We have had very few significant issues in that space and we have been watching for them. There is regulation making power in section 176A (9) which will allow the Minister to make regulations around:...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Companies (Corporate Governance, Enforcement and Regulatory Provisions) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2024)

Dara Calleary: Absolutely, I am focused on the CEA's resources. Since legislation for the CEA was first proposed in 2018, its resources have been doubled. We also have good arrangements with An Garda Síochána for secondments. Budget 2024 gave a 14% increase on budget 2023 and budget 2025 will increase that again to €11.5 million. However, I will be straight. It is difficult for the CEA...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Companies (Corporate Governance, Enforcement and Regulatory Provisions) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2024)

Dara Calleary: I apologise, but I did not hear the question.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Companies (Corporate Governance, Enforcement and Regulatory Provisions) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2024)

Dara Calleary: It would be the normal things such as a business bill or a certificate from the Companies Registration Office. We can use eircodes.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Companies (Corporate Governance, Enforcement and Regulatory Provisions) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2024)

Dara Calleary: The requirement applies to any company. Any company seeking to register with the registrar would have to provide documentation. The registrar will have the power and scope to seek further documentation, particularly with regard to registration address. I know where the Deputy is coming from. There are many virtual offices and workspaces now but the registrar is very well attuned to and...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Companies (Corporate Governance, Enforcement and Regulatory Provisions) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2024)

Dara Calleary: I thank the officials from my Department who are with me. They have worked incredibly hard on this. I am not sure I am going to be back before this particular select committee, although I hope I will be, so I will thank the Cathaoirleach and the various members of the secretariat over the last year. It has always been a good committee to come to. I acknowledge Deputies Bruton and Stanton...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (9 Oct 2024)

David Cullinane: Members of the board were in before us last June and again last week, updating us on progress, or rather the lack of progress, in completing the children's hospital. I want to put on the record what they said to us last week, which I assume the Minister accepts. They said that in the last four years the main contractor, BAM, has shifted its completion date 14 times. Is that correct?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (9 Oct 2024)

David Cullinane: They also said that in the last 12 months alone, BAM has shifted its substantial completion date four times, pushing it out by a total of eight months. Does the Minister agree with that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (9 Oct 2024)

David Cullinane: They also said that in 2019 BAM committed to 1,700 so-called "productive operatives" - I am presuming they were talking about feet on the ground or human resources - to complete the project. However, on average since 2022, there have been about 774 productive operatives on site and the highest or peak that it reached was 1,260. Essentially, as the Minister just said in simple terms, BAM is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (9 Oct 2024)

David Cullinane: They also said that since September 2023, BAM has, on average, achieved 64% of its planned progress. In fact, when they were before the Oireachtas committee last year, they said it was 67% so what they were telling us last week was pretty much the same information. They also told us that of the 3,128 rooms which BAM has submitted as complete to its standard, none were completed to the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (9 Oct 2024)

David Cullinane: Okay but it was slightly less than €500 million. The Minister was the Minister for Health during all of that so when he paints the picture of four years, of 14 completion dates that have come and gone, four times over the last 12 months where BAM has missed its completion date, not providing the human resources to get the project done, no room of standard that is complete, and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (9 Oct 2024)

David Cullinane: So it was in the last week. I do not need the exact date.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (9 Oct 2024)

David Cullinane: Okay, this was a number of weeks ago.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (9 Oct 2024)

David Cullinane: When the Minister met them did he put it to them that they had missed their completion date 14 times, and four times in the last 12 months?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (9 Oct 2024)

David Cullinane: Did they accept that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (9 Oct 2024)

David Cullinane: Did the Minister put it to them that they committed to 1,700 productive operatives but, according to the board, that they only provided, on average, 774? Essentially, the board and the Minister have been telling us that BAM is not committing the resources and this is why the completion dates have been missed. Did BAM accept, when the Minister met them last week, that it was the case they...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (9 Oct 2024)

David Cullinane: But why not? The Minister went to great lengths to write to his Cabinet colleagues. I am not sure what the value was of doing that but the Minister sent a letter to his Cabinet colleagues, and while the Minister may not have used this language it was reported by the media as BAM holding the country to ransom. Those were the headlines coming out. The Minister did meet with the parent...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (9 Oct 2024)

David Cullinane: The second figure we have, again according to the board, was that since last September 2023 BAM has on average achieved 64% of its plan. Did the Minister put this to the parent company?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (9 Oct 2024)

David Cullinane: I accept that, but I am also hearing from the Minister that they certainly were not agreeing with what the board was saying about BAM not fully resourcing the project. If BAM are not even prepared to accept the facts the board has presented to us, then how can I, the Minister, or anybody else on this committee have any confidence in what they are now telling us, which is that they will still...