Results 1-20 of 1,064,264 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Catherine Byrne OR speaker:Josepha Madigan OR speaker:Bernard Durkan OR speaker:Jennifer Carroll MacNeill OR speaker:Peter Burke OR speaker:Darragh O'Brien OR speaker:Patrick Costello OR speaker:Duncan Smith OR speaker:Joe McHugh OR speaker:John Brady OR speaker:Dara Calleary OR speaker:Niall Collins) 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)

Bernard Durkan: I welcome the Minister and his colleagues. I also welcome his ongoing commitment to the children's hospital. It is the biggest single project of that nature ever undertaken in this State. It is not, by a long shot, the most expensive hospital in the world, despite comments from some people. It is ten times bigger than any similar project ever undertaken in this State. It is very...

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

Bernard Durkan: I am sorry about that.

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

Bernard Durkan: We should recognise that all my questions are questions. The Chairman knows that. I usually finish on time as well, which often does not apply to everybody.

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

Bernard Durkan: Can we start again? We are coming to the most intricate stages of the contract. It is important that everybody, the client and the builder concentrate on that. The smallest of things can cause an alarm and can lead to bigger things. Then, bigger things can go unnoticed. I have had occasion in the past to look at a number of contracts. I was surprised at some of the things that had gone...

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

Bernard Durkan: That is good. In recent times, this committee has asked particular questions and the contractor has stated that there have been changes to the contract. We know that there have to be some changes. There will always be changes to a contract. Some are instigated by the client and others by the contractor. Is the Minister satisfied that sufficient provision has been made? Is he also...

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

Bernard Durkan: That is understood. I presume the changes are due to changes in regulatory compliance that have arisen since the contract was originally signed.

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

Bernard Durkan: Is it recognised on both sides that this is a requirement that has to be dealt with.

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

Bernard Durkan: We are aware from previous discussions that some of these matters remain unresolved and may have to be dealt with after the hospital is in operation.

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

Bernard Durkan: I happened to have been on the hospital site in a private capacity on numerous occasions in the past 12 months. I learned an awful lot. One can learn from a site inspection. Mine was not an official site inspection, I might add. I was there, and I must say it is a complicated project. Any complicated project will require the minutiae to be dealt with as part of the overall project. ...

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

Bernard Durkan: I know. Presumably, part of the car park is in the concourse adjacent to the hospital.

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

Bernard Durkan: Adjacent to the main entrance to the hospital there is a concourse where one can come up from the car park and go into the hospital. That is part of the hospital's effective design in order that patients, consultants or nursing staff can get to where they are supposed to be in the shortest possible time without going having to ask for directions, etc.

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

Bernard Durkan: I thank the witnesses.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Housing Provision (8 Oct 2024)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: This matter is a very important one for the Department of housing and I thank the Deputy for raising it. It is very important that local authority tenants who are occupying social housing properties and paying weekly rents are living in homes that provide good comfort levels for their occupants. The Deputy will be aware that in accordance with section 58 of the Housing Act 1966, local...