Yearly Archives: 2014

CaptainHowdy ms morbo monkeon:freshwatermole godsavethequeen happy toast DiniVanX DogHorse:The SilentChannel
A mere taste of the spectacular visual punnery on show at b3ta’s latest Photoshop challenge, to wit:

Everyone loves food and everyone loves films, this week we’re combining the two for maximum movie meal satisfaction.

See them all here.

DB2

…it’s a step closer to rolling into Tallaght and Dun Laoghaire after the National Transport Authority approved a feasibility study for the areas.

Funding has also been approved for the design of a priority cycle route along the N11, from Stillorgan Park Road to Loughlinstown.

Finally.

Dublin bike scheme could be extended (Newstalk)

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[Former Dublin City Manager John Tierney, now head of Irish Water and Poolbeg incinerator plans]

This morning, Environment Editor of the Irish Times Frank McDonald reports on a local government audit into the money spent by Dublin City Council to relocate a firm in Dublin Port, to allow for the building of the Poolbeg incinerator.

Mr McDonald reports that Dublin City Council paid almost €22million to relocate cargo handlers firm, Westway Terminals Hibernian Ltd.The council was obliged to help Westway and pay for their new premises.

However, Mr McDonald reports that Dublin City Council paid nearly twice the original contract of €11.9million.

In total, the relocation of Westway cost €31million.

Meanwhile, he also reports that the audit looked at the contract between Dublin City Council and RPS, a contract which the European Commission subsequently found was in breach EU rules late last year and will be terminated on January 31.

Mr McDonald reported the local government auditor found financial management was weak while there were concerns raised about the lack of minutes recorded.

He reported:

“The auditor concluded: ‘it is evident that the financial management . . . has been weak’ and said ‘no proper classification of expenditure on an invoice basis was available to account for monies spent’ on Poolbeg by council management.

“’There is no evidence of monitoring of detailed budgets or financial forecasts . . . or that detailed monthly/quarterly reports were examined to control expenditure, apart from client representative summary reports presented to DCC management.’

“He said the project executive board – headed by former assistant city manager Matt Twomey – “did not meet on a formal basis and therefore no minutes of meetings were retained”.“

Meanwhile, on Prime Time last night, Fintan O’Toole also spoke about the RPS contract with Dublin City Council and the same audit referred to above, in light of the fact that the CEO of Irish Water John Tierney was hired just weeks after the audit was issued.

“John Tierney was the accounting officer, he was the person for whom the buck stopped in relation to that. So it would be very interesting to know was John Tierney asked, at his interview, about his record? Was he asked what he had learned about the hiring of consultants, was he asked what he had learned about major infrastructural projects and how they should be manager in the public interest? I suspect he probably wasn’t.“

Watch the full episode here

Previously: Incinerating Poolbeg

(Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland)

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Last night Environment Minister Phil Hogan appeared on RTÉ One’s Prime Time to talk about the Irish Water controversy.

Everything is fine, he assured presenter David McCullagh…

Phil Hogan: “There is a perception being created that this particular money is just being spent on just accountancy and solicitors’ reports, that is not the case and I think that Mr Tierney at the committee today laid that out very well, in terms of the essential infrastructure that’s required to set up a public utility company for water from scratch.”

David McCullagh: “Yeah, sure but what, I mean, TDs, backbench government TDs, TDs, like Barry Cowen [in studio], Fianna Fáil, and others in Opposition TDs, ask a simple, straightforward question ‘how much is being spent on consultancy in Irish Water?’ No answer comes back from the Government.”

Phil Hogan: “Well, what I do, is I don’t micro manage what’s happening in Irish Water. And I don’t, we as Government set down the policy position and the overall amount of money that has to be spent, to set up this particular public utility company. And deputies have an opportunity to bring in Irish Water before the committee on a regular basis, or as often as they wish. And I don’t believe that I, as Minister, or certainly Irish Water, are in any way, other than expecting the highest transparency.”

Watch interview in full here

Previously: Water Carrier