Results 5,421-5,440 of 26,512 for speaker:John McGuinness

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

John McGuinness: Generally speaking, when one is a Minister of State with responsibility for trade and commerce, one travels with the various companies. From an official point of view, one travels with one's secretary and sometimes the people who are in charge of different sections in the Department of trade but always Enterprise Ireland.

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

John McGuinness: Yes.

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

John McGuinness: From my private office, no.

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

John McGuinness: The official trade missions were always Enterprise Ireland and officials. One would be joined by one's officials on arrival at one's destination, wherever they were from - the embassy or Enterprise Ireland.

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

John McGuinness: Will Deputy Harris repeat that again?

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

John McGuinness: I think they were perfectly clear about trade missions.

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

John McGuinness: I think they were perfectly clear about Ministers paying for their wives.

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

John McGuinness: I want to make that clear because that has got lost in the mix of things.

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

John McGuinness: The Deputy is correct. The last point is the one about which people are confused. It relates to the 1959 regulation and it is simple. In thinking about it, it is a thought, it is an expression of an opinion, and it is only an opinion. It is not an opinion that I canvassed. It is an opinion that was articulated.

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

John McGuinness: I am happy to answer it.

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

John McGuinness: It is an opinion that I did not canvass or ask to be put in place. I was talking about it. It was that in seriously exceptional circumstances, maybe there should be an arrangement where a Minister could make a case to the Taoiseach - it is provided for in the 1959 regulation - which had to with illness or a bereavement or any personal circumstances, and that he should be allowed to...

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

John McGuinness: What does that mean? I think I have explained what I consider to be serious exceptional circumstances. These rules are rigid. For example, we said at one of our meetings on allowances and payments and so on that all of that system was out of date and should be looked at. We also said about ourselves that we needed to have someone to define our work for us. We needed someone to say, "this...

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

John McGuinness: What I said in my opening remarks was that the point made in the e-mail of 29 August was poorly communicated, a point that was not developed, an opinion that was held on that date six years ago. Is it an opinion now, or is it something different? An awful lot of my opinions of that many years ago have changed and they have changed out of necessity because of the current circumstances....

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

John McGuinness: -----and is part of the judgment I apply when I speak to people about value for money. It may not have been there six years ago.

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

John McGuinness: Quite frankly and contrary to what Deputy Harris may think, I have not spent-----

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

John McGuinness: Since 21 April, I have been looking at what has been written about me in the newspapers and wondering where it all came from and how far it is away from the fact that we have travelled. There is the fact about the office and the fact about the toilet roll which have been dealt with.

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

John McGuinness: I want to answer the question. I would have to go back and ask those questions of the Department. I am sure somebody will, arising out of this meeting.

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

John McGuinness: Can I answer that? I have often asked witnesses to provide information.

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

John McGuinness: I will provide the information.

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

John McGuinness: I said in answer to Deputy Harris that it is clear that should a spouse be permitted to travel, the Minister must pay. That is clear. I said the exceptional rule needs to be clarified in terms of cases which are seriously exceptional. It is the Taoiseach who signs off on them, and in this day and age, that would not be acceptable. I gave myself as an example. I said if I was asked to...