Results 5,381-5,400 of 26,512 for speaker:John McGuinness

Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)

John McGuinness: I do not believe that the coverage of this issue reflected in any way negatively on this committee. It certainly stalled us in terms of our work, and we see that here this morning, and I regret that. I can only express a regret that we have not been able to conduct our work without the hindrance of this coverage but I cannot account for the coverage. I apologised to the members earlier for...

Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)

John McGuinness: The simple request at the end of July was that if I was going on a trade mission, could I pay for my wife to come with me, or I will pay for my wife to come with me.

Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)

John McGuinness: No, just one second.

Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)

John McGuinness: The Vice Chairman asked me the question. Could he allow me to answer it?

Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)

John McGuinness: I am going to explain it to the Vice Chairman. He is incorrectly interpreting what is in this correspondence. I asked whether it was possible to pay for my wife to go on a trade mission. I said all of this in my earlier remarks and the Vice Chairman is now referring to this which I referred to as the 27th but which is actually the 29th.

Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)

John McGuinness: It says here in the e-mail you will be able to establish that it was always my intention to pay for my wife relative to this trade mission the Vice Chairman is speaking about. Once it was explained to me, then my wife did not go.

Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)

John McGuinness: I will deal with that in a second.

Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)

John McGuinness: The protocol is that wives do not travel on trade missions and I accepted that. The Vice Chairman asked me if I accepted that. Yes, I do.

Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)

John McGuinness: That I accept it. I accepted it then and I accept it now.

Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)

John McGuinness: I am giving the Vice Chairman a simple an answer. I accepted it then and I accept it now.

Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)

John McGuinness: Is that clear?

Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)

John McGuinness: As I said in my earlier remarks, there are two issues here. One has to accept clearly that I accepted the first issue and my wife did not travel. It is important for me to state that even though I was going to pay.

Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)

John McGuinness: That was a discussion we were having in relation to these e-mails and my response and I accepted that could not happen, that would not happen and that did not happen.

Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)

John McGuinness: In relation to the travel generally, I then raised the question in what I have already admitted to being a poorly communicated opinion six years ago. Do I believe that the spouses of Ministers should travel at a cost to the State willy-nilly? No, I do not. Do I believe that in exceptional circumstances, which is the point I was making - I mean seriously exceptional circumstances - a case...

Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)

John McGuinness: The view has to be "No" on trade missions. In exceptional circumstances, I think it says in the other correspondence that the Taoiseach can view that. There are and can be exceptional circumstances but generally speaking "No." The Vice Chairman referred to the correspondence and asked why I wrote back. In the course of August, this correspondence was entered into without me knowing about...

Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)

John McGuinness: Because it was made clear to them - I am glad in a way to be able to repeat the point for the Vice Chairman and the members - that they would be able to establish that it was my intention to pay. I wanted to pay for my wife on those trade missions. I asked about it. I accepted that could not be done and she did not travel. We are not talking about something which cost the State anything....

Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)

John McGuinness: I do not think it is proper for me to ask the FOI officer if further requests have been made. I am not sure one can do that. If it is the view of the committee that I should make such contact, I have no difficulty doing so. I have never contacted members of the committee with a view to influencing their direction in any way. I have always allowed things to happen in a public, transparent...

Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)

John McGuinness: In comparing me with Rody Molloy, Deputy Harris is comparing chalk with cheese. I want to be absolutely clear about that. The guidelines are set down by the Department and have been followed by past and current Ministers. Ministers do not sign off on their own foreign travel, including hotel arrangements and so on.

Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)

John McGuinness: Ministers do not do that. I suggest that the Deputy needs to look closer at what happened in regard to FÁS and the gentleman about whom he has spoken, before comparing me with him.

Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)

John McGuinness: The Deputy asked a question, which I would like to answer. The Department makes all of the Minister's travel arrangements, including payment of same and so on. I did not do that. I can only answer for myself. I cannot answer for anybody else. The Deputy asked how having done what I did I can chair the Committee of Public Accounts. I put it to him that I was appointed as a Minister of...