CIE Leaked Report -Fraud and Collusion on Contracts-To Cost Taxpayers Millions-

[neutral_lurker]

As usual no-one is accountable and no one will have to repay the amount defrauded.
Political protection for many State agencies unacceptable, says Ross - The Irish Times - Fri, Oct 16, 2009

[SIZE="4"]Political protection for many State agencies unacceptable, says Ross[/SIZE]

SEANAD REPORT: IT WAS not acceptable that many State agencies and bodies appeared to be politically protected, Shane Ross (Ind) said. The way to remove that protection was to debate their activities.

Adding to calls for accountability, Mr Ross said the bonus awarded to the head of the HSE seemed indefensible, at least in the context of the present time.

He wanted a debate on CIÉ because he said it seemed the company and other State agencies had run amok. They should be answerable to Ministers. He did not think anyone in the House knew where CIÉ’s annual €320 million subvention went. A leaked report on CIÉ had found that there was collusion on contracts.

“It used the word ‘fraud’ throughout it. It talked about manipulation of contracts and about theft going on there.”

This report, made to the CIÉ board, had not been given to the Minister, although he now had a copy. “We don’t know how many millions have been lost there, but it’s going to run into double figures, I suggest.” Seanad members could take a lead in debating such issues, he added.

[code twinkle]

I just read this in the IT - I can't believe its buried in the Seanad corner. A report on CIE that alleged collusion on contracts and uses the word fraud throughout and the IT don't lead with it?? Bizarre.

EDIT: Did some Googling and in fairness to the Sindo they reported on it at the weekend. Still can't understand why this isn't headline news? Did I miss it maybe?

http://www.independent.ie/business/i...s-1910407.html

However, the Sunday Independent has learnt that one of the key contractors highlighted in the report -- a major Irish firm -- has yet to be informed of the findings. It is also believed the company in question continues to conduct millions of euro of business with the CIE group. A copy of the report has been sent to the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigations.

[real kiltubrid man]

lets rename it fas 2 for now, it seems no matter where you turn nowadays public servants are complaining that they dont get paid enough ,or that the work is too hard , or they dont deserve a cut.

and then scandals arise like this everyday now since mid 2007 something has comeout the back end of the public sector, with some relation to corruption ,and yet these people still want more of our private sector taxes in a pay rise, that their corrupt union says is long over due.

i think its time to kick the bucket on the entire public service and replace it with people who deserve a job ,and are willing to do an honest days work for an honest wage

[real kiltubrid man]

and another thing i strongly disagree to here is the gardai fraud squad investegating this matter, because that in itself is corruption all over again civil servants investegating civil servants. an outside body should be brought in from a foerign country with no connection to cie or fas to deal with these matters. because at the minute this country and this farce of a civil service is the laughing stock of europe and the developed world, even the poor countries are laughing at the stupid irish tax payer paying up front for corruption.

[hammer]

Are management in civil service & public service the most incompetent people in Ireland, and the most overpaid.

We are a race of backhanders, black economy, cash deals etc....

[cyberianpan]

The public servants involved have all been given an extra 12 days leave and a free 2 week sun holiday this year for the trauma of this becoming public

cYp

[real kiltubrid man]

Are management in civil service & public service the most incompetent people in Ireland, and the most overpaid.

We are a race of backhanders, black economy, cash deals etc....

i have no other choice but to agree, all the way from haughey, to bertie ,to david begg,and jack o connor, to michael lowry its been under the table all the way for all of these people. and to think that a so called rich smart nation is none other than a corrupt bunch of idiots in it for a quick buck

[loner]

Ihave mentioned on another thread that it was more than passing strange that the newspaper report on CIE did not seem to attract any political attention---there was a short report in the Indo thet Minister Dempsey was unhappy that he had not received a report earlier.

[real kiltubrid man]

and minister dempsey has a right not to be happy because why?

he is the back bone of corruption, look at the cavan ex councillor who failed to get elected and dempsey gave him a job on the board of the nra, another good corrupt job for one of the boys, o but wait poor little noel is too sweet and innocent to be involved in corruption isnt he.

or so one would be lead to think

[neutral_lurker]

Would this "bizarre decision" be one of the contracts spoken about - a backhander from the Germans perhaps.310 million euro that nobody know where it goes to, fraud acknowledged and now Irish workers being fleeced of their jobs by this corrupt crowd.

[SIZE="4"]CIE 'sell out' sees €23m contract go to Germany [/SIZE]

CIE 'sell out' sees €23m contract go to Germany - National News, Frontpage - Independent.ie


CIE stands accused this week of selling out on Irish workers and exporting jobs to Germany. In a bizarre business decision Irish Rail confirmed that it is importing tens of thousands of concrete sleepers from Germany instead of having them manufactured at their factory in Portlaoise.

In a week that has seen the ESRI forecast 17 per cent unemployment and universal calls to ring fence and retain existing Irish jobs, Irish Rail's new policy will attract sharp criticism. But the company has defended its strategy saying that it is more efficient to outsource the lucrative €23 million contract than to recruit additional staff and adapt their plant to produce the sleepers themselves.

Workers in Portlaoise yesterday angrily rejected the company stance stating that it made no sense whatsoever in terms of the economy, employment or the environment.

"The Government is talking about being patriotic and urging people not to as much as buy a pound of butter in Northern Ireland and here we have a semi-State company sourcing sleepers in Germany, reducing the capacity of their own factory and with thousands going on the dole they simply don't want to take on additional staff," said a spokesman for workers at the Irish Rail plant.

"We're sick of politicians making promises. We had 140 staff here and were regarded as one of the most efficient factories of its kind in the world when at its height in 2000 we had an output of 212,000 sleepers. Now that's down to less than 40,000 sleepers annually and dozens of workers laid off in recent years. We have been on delegations to meet the chairman John Lynch, Martin Cullen when he was the minister; and as recently as December 15th we met with Minister John Moloney and Senator Kieran Phelan in Leinster House. We haven't heard from them since and men who used to work long hard hours here are now down the town drawing the dole. It's the taxpayer's money that's being spent on Transport 21, but it's being spent to pay Turkish workers in a factory in Germany," added the spokesman.

An Irish Rail spokesman outlined that there are currently 17 staff employed at the Portlaoise plant.

"Portlaoise Sleeper Depot provides us with the sleeper output required for our standard maintenance works, about 38,000 per annum. Currently, we are engaged in a number of major capital projects including Kildare Route Project, Western Rail Corridor, Cork-Midleton line, and the Dunboyne commuter line resulting in a short-term peak requirement. It would end up costing Iarnrod Eireann considerably more in the long run to hire additional staff or invest in expanding Portlaoise facilities when the requirement for sleepers above the standard maintenance levels simply will not be there within a couple of years. It should also be pointed out that a significant proportion of the sleepers provided from Germany are of a heavier duty (60kg compared with the normal 54kg) for the intensively used Kildare Route area," explained a company spokesman.

Local councillor James Deegan said the semi-State company should support the Irish economy.

He added: "The company's long-term plans for the Portlaoise plant must now be in doubt as they are unwilling to take on additional staff or install new equipment capable of manufacturing the heavier gauge sleeper and says very little of their commitment to the Irish economy."

Last year Irish Rail received a government subvention of €181m. This year they are being subsidised to the tune of €175m out of a €301m allocation to the CIE group of companies.