Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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106. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans for reforming public procurement legislation to allow the procurement system to be used in a more strategic way. [63831/22]

Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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There is no way that we can have business as usual here today in relation to our questions when we look at what has happened over the last number of days and the scandal the Minister has been embroiled in. The Minister has failed to clarify matters in relation to this scandal. There are a number of outstanding questions that I want to put to him today because he failed to answer questions yesterday in the Dáil. Who, in 2017, brought to his attention that a company van was used in 2016?

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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Deputy-----

Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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What action did the Minister take and at what value did he calculate that work?

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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Thank you, Deputy. We are on Priority Questions here-----

Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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I said from the outset that there is no way we can go back to business as usual when the Minister is refusing to answer questions. The Minister now has an opportunity to answer those questions. Indeed, he has an hour and a half in which to answer questions. He should use that time to answer.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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Deputy, please take your seat.

Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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I am asking questions of the Minister and I ask that he answer them.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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Deputy, could you resume your seat pleas? Your 30 seconds are up. Let me clarify something here. I was actually due to hand over the Chair but was just starting on questions. Unless something has changed, unknown to me, we are taking questions nominated for priority and the first is Question No. 106. Are you dealing with that, Minister?

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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Yes, I will deal with the question.

Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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Everything has changed. We need answers to these questions-----

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I will deal with that question but I also want to say that I do plan to make a further statement in relation to issues involving the 2016 general election campaign and matters that were put to me last night.

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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Deputy Mairéad Farrell to respond.

Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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I have asked a number of questions but I have not received a response. This is the perfect opportunity. It is the Minister's first set of ministerial questions as Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and his first parliamentary questions this year. This is the perfect opportunity. The Minister knows the answers to these questions. He can give us the answers to these questions. I do not understand the view that it would be beneficial for him not to answer these questions here today.

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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Deputy Farrell, I called you for the question.

Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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I have listed a few and I ask the Minister to answer them.

Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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On a point of order-----

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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One moment. Deputy Farrell, I called you for the question that is on the Order Paper.

Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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Does the Acting Chairman understand that I have already had my first 30 seconds and this is now my second contribution? The Minister had come in and I have asked the Minister to-----

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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The Minister responded and it is now up to the Deputy to come back and-----

Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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Yes, and I have asked the Minister to answer the questions but he has not done so. I can give him a whole range of questions. The reality is that the Minister has the answers to these questions and he has the opportunity in this Dáil to answer them. We are dealing with ministerial questions to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. There are questions to be answered. The Minister refused to do it yesterday and he has the perfect opportunity to do it today so why does he not do so?

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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Deputy Nash, did you want to raise a point of order? Please make sure it is a point of order.

Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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The Minister has said he will make a further statement in relation to his 2016 statement to the Standards in Public Office Commission, SIPO. When does he plan to do that? Has he made that request directly to the Ceann Comhairle?

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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Thank you, Deputy. That is not a point of order. Take your seat, please.

Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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It is a point of order.

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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It is not.

Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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If the Minister could clarify, it would be helpful to move this section of our business on.

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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It might well be but it is not a point of order. Take your seat, please.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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On a point of order----

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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Yes, Deputy.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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This is a point of order, as is the point made by Deputy Nash, in my view. If the order of this House is going to be changed to facilitate the Minister answering questions-----

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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There is no question of the order being changed. That is not a matter for now, Deputy.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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With respect, a Minister of the Government has just announced that he is going to make a further statement. On a point of order, I want to know if the order of this House is going to be changed-----

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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You can raise that with your Whip, I would imagine.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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I am raising it now because-----

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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No, you can raise it with your Whip, Deputy.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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I am raising it now.

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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We cannot change the order today. We cannot change the order at the moment-----

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister----

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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I cannot change the order.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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With respect, the Minister-----

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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You cannot change the order. Therefore, it is not a point of order. Please take your seat.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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Actually, the Minister can change the order.

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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The Minister cannot change the order. The House changes the order, as you will be very much aware, Deputy. It is not as if you are only here a wet week. Now, take your seat please so we can move on with the business of the day.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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With respect, the House has to have a proposal and that can only come from the Government.

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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There is no proposal. Take your seat, please.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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I want clarification.

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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Take it up with your Whip, who can raise it with the other Whips at the Business Committee.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister has announced on the floor of the Dáil that he is going to make a further statement.

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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Take your seat, Deputy. I want to move on with the business of the day. There are important questions-----

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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A statement has been made and clarification is required.

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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-----on the Order Paper. Take a seat please, Deputy.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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This is unbelievable.

Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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The Minister did indicate that he was prepared to answer my question.

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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Deputy Nash, take your seat please.

Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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I refer to my direct question as to when he intends to make a statement and if he has made the request-----

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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Deputy, take your seat please. It is entirely within the Minister's gift-----

Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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I have no doubt that the Minister would be happy to answer that very clear question.

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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Deputy, do not speak over me please. It is entirely a matter for the Minister to respond, in the way in which he deems appropriate, to the question on the Order Paper. The question that is before us is No. 106. Deputy Farrell has responded to the Minister. Do you have anything further to add, Minister?

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I just want to reiterate that I do intend to make a further statement to the House. I will do so at the earliest possible opportunity, at which point I will revert to the Ceann Comhairle.

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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Thank you very much. We will move on to Priority Question No. 107 in the name of Deputy Berry.