Results 3,741-3,760 of 26,465 for speaker:John McGuinness
- Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)
John McGuinness: You just made a statement that the Minister consulted Members of the House. How did that consultation run? What was the process?
- Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)
John McGuinness: I do not know. You made a statement-----
- Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)
John McGuinness: If discussions took place with Members, I ask Mr. Watt to furnish us with some information on what that process entailed.
- Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)
John McGuinness: I am interested in that.
- Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)
John McGuinness: From the commission.
- Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)
John McGuinness: I remind the Deputy of his time.
- Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)
John McGuinness: Mr. Coughlan will come back to us in respect of that.
- Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)
John McGuinness: Quick questions.
- Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)
John McGuinness: To clarify, the claims of 226 Members of the Dáil and Seanad are examined. When was the last time anyone conducted an analysis of the cost of a constituency office or of conducting the work of a Member of Parliament - Dáil or Seanad - and related it to the expenses and allowances we are discussing?
- Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)
John McGuinness: It did not examine the costs associated with a constituency office in Dublin or rural Ireland or what a Deputy is expected to do in terms of parliamentary duties or in his or her role as a local public representative. This was never analysed in terms of costs.
- Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)
John McGuinness: This is not a criticism of Mr. Coughlan or Mr. Watt; it is a fact. We have spoken about allowances in the public service and Civil Service and one knows what was expected of the paperkeeper or franker in respect of the allowance they received. However, it appears we are locked into a system of payments and no one has related these payments to the costs involved in being a Member of the...
- Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)
John McGuinness: They would do it?
- Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)
John McGuinness: I was looking to get directions as to who would answer them.
- Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)
John McGuinness: That is where we need to direct our recommendations in terms of this because while other recommendations were made by other members, they are individual recommendations. We will come to a final conclusion on the recommendations at the end of our hearings but it is important that we know who we are asking to do what.
- Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)
John McGuinness: I respect what Mr. Coughlan is saying but it is not so much about the office but rather the role of a Member of Parliament - what we do. To take a simple example, we fob in here and nobody seems to take account of what I do in my constituency office. I could stay in bed for the rest of the year once I fob in 120 days here. It might not go down well with the constituents.
- Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)
John McGuinness: That is a very good suggestion from Mr. Coughlan and I hope both sides will take up. My other question relates to the 10% of the Members who are audited. Most of the little corner shops in the country will submit their affairs to the Revenue Commissioners every year. They will pay their auditor and submit their figures. Did the Houses of the Oireachtas Service look at the proposal that...
- Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)
John McGuinness: I am conscious that two or three members want to ask questions and I know we are anxious to bring the proceedings to an end today. I will start with Deputies Murphy, McDonald and Harris.
- Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)
John McGuinness: Mr. Watt can provide that information later. I must remind the Deputy of his time.
- Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)
John McGuinness: I thank Deputies for their contributions and Mr. Watt and Mr. Coughlan and their officials for attending this meeting.
- Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (24 Oct 2012)
John McGuinness: Today's meeting is a special meeting which will deal solely with the 2011 appropriation accounts, Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills, review of allowances. We have received correspondence relating to today's meeting from the Department of Education and Skills. We asked the Irish Congress of Trade Unions to establish whether the teachers' unions wanted to participate in today's...