Results 5,481-5,500 of 18,728 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Order of Business. (3 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: With regard to the report on the murder of Seamus Ludlow, it was tendered to the Taoiseach a considerable time ago——

Order of Business. (3 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: ——but the reason it was not published earlier is that there were complex issues arising from it. One of them, as Deputy Rabbitte correctly surmised, related to identification of certain parties and factual information relating to those parties. Second, there was an audi alteram partem issue. The Government considered that one individual had to be given an opportunity to respond to the...

Order of Business. (3 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: I made arrangements today for a copy of the report to be sent to them immediately. I have been assured by Deputy Ardagh, who is the chairman of the committee, that he will put the family in the centre of the committee's concerns and will deal with the matter in a way that is fully cognisant of their interest in the matter. As I understand it, the Whips of the various parties agreed last night...

Order of Business. (3 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: It is intended to publish the Estimates on 17 November. With regard to the report of the Committee of Public Accounts, my colleague, the Minister for Finance, announced in budget 2005 that he intended to consider reforms of the budgetary and Estimates process. He extended an invitation to the House to make suggestions as to how such improvements could be made while maintaining the right and...

Order of Business. (3 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: That would be much worse.

Order of Business. (3 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: It is due this session.

Order of Business. (3 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: It is not possible to say at this stage when that Bill will be produced. It is substantial in size. It will involve major reform of the statute law and restatement, and also major policy reforms.

Order of Business. (3 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: It is being worked on in the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs and I am not in a position to give a firm date for its publication.

Order of Business. (3 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: It is a priority of mine and will be published in early 2006.

Order of Business. (3 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: As regards the Private Members' Bill mentioned by Deputy O'Keeffe, I remember his then leader, former Deputy John Bruton, informing the House that it was not a priority for him.

Order of Business. (3 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: The Bill will be published in late 2006.

Order of Business. (3 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: The Electronic Communications Bill will be published in 2006 and the Pharmacy (No. 1) Bill will be published in 2006. The BIDs legislation is due next year as well and it has nothing to do with electronic voting.

Order of Business. (3 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: This Bill is not proceeding at present because an important decision which is expected from the Supreme Court may have implications, one way or the other, for the viability of the Bill.

Order of Business. (3 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: No legislation is promised.

Order of Business. (3 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: No.

Order of Business. (3 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: It is not possible to give a date for the fines Bill. The medical practitioners Bill will be published in mid 2006. I want to say, on behalf of my colleague, Deputy Roche, that he has not misled anybody. What he stated on radio was that if legislation was required, he would bring it in. Therefore, I ask Deputy Stagg to withdraw the statement that Deputy Roche was lying, either then or now.

Order of Business. (3 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: It is not possible to state at this stage when the enforcement of fines Bill will be published.

Order of Business. (3 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: Deputy Rabbitte puts it far less eloquently than Deputy Ring.

Order of Business. (3 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: Currently, local authority officials are subject to a code of conduct under the Local Government Act 2001.

Order of Business. (3 Nov 2005)

Michael McDowell: The code includes disclosure requirements concerning employment outside the local government sector and addresses situations concerning conflict of personal and public interests. The issue of senior local government officials accepting outside appointments or consultancies following resignation or retirement is not subject to the present code. I understand, however, that in regard to county...