Results 5,521-5,540 of 13,254 for speaker:Seán Sherlock

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (5 Apr 2017)

Seán Sherlock: That is agreed. It is proposed to continue our deliberations in private session.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Public Sector Standards Bill 2015: Committee Stage (6 Apr 2017)

Seán Sherlock: I have two lists of amendments, one dated 5 April and the other dated 31 March. To ensure that I am singing off the same hymn sheet as everyone else, is the 5 April list the updated one?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Public Sector Standards Bill 2015: Committee Stage (6 Apr 2017)

Seán Sherlock: I thank the Chairman.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Public Sector Standards Bill 2015: Committee Stage (6 Apr 2017)

Seán Sherlock: I am sorry for intervening at this stage but there are more than 80 amendments and I am conscious of the time. My understanding of the Chairman's earlier intervention is that sections 26 and 27 may be pertinent with regard to Members of the Oireachtas. Rather than explaining all of the sections at this stage, could we move to deal with the amendments, extrapolate their meaning and dispense...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Public Sector Standards Bill 2015: Committee Stage (6 Apr 2017)

Seán Sherlock: The standards commissioner, as I understand it, will be able to appoint - a board will be appointed, if I am not mistaken. May I seek a clarification on that? It would be necessary in my view to ensure that there is a representative on that board who is either a former Oireachtas Member or former councillor, somebody within that new arrangement who would speak to the dynamic that exists for...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Public Sector Standards Bill 2015: Committee Stage (6 Apr 2017)

Seán Sherlock: If I understand section 2 correctly, the changes are mainly semantic, or technical amendments in the main. However, section 7 poses questions in relation to-----

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Public Sector Standards Bill 2015: Committee Stage (6 Apr 2017)

Seán Sherlock: Okay, but I am trying to assist the Chairman, because the substantive issues contained within the Bill in regard to declarable interests are in section 7. If a further process is necessary to examine the content of section 7, one must be mindful of what the Chairman said if section 7 is passed today.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Public Sector Standards Bill 2015: Committee Stage (6 Apr 2017)

Seán Sherlock: To be frank about it, I am quite happy with the amendments to section 7. However, that still does not deal with the questions that have been posed by Deputy Dara Calleary and the Chairman on section 7. I am happy to agree to the amendments to section 7, but if there are content issues in section 7, the question is, do we pass section 7? If section 7 is passed, can one still submit...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Public Sector Standards Bill 2015: Committee Stage (6 Apr 2017)

Seán Sherlock: I have a question about chief executives of local authorities. I am glad to see that is included in this Bill. Will chief executives of local authorities have to make a declaration for the purposes of the Bill?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Public Sector Standards Bill 2015: Committee Stage (6 Apr 2017)

Seán Sherlock: I thank the Minister.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Public Sector Standards Bill 2015: Committee Stage (6 Apr 2017)

Seán Sherlock: I do not know if my question is ridiculous, but I will pose it anyway. I am thinking of the county councillor, for example, who may be a solicitor, a commissioner for oaths or an auctioneer. Where a local development plan is being made, and if that person has a declarable interest in selling or ownership of that land, is there anything in this new section that strengthens the declaration or...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Public Sector Standards Bill 2015: Committee Stage (6 Apr 2017)

Seán Sherlock: If I were a teacher and also a county councillor, for example.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Public Sector Standards Bill 2015: Committee Stage (6 Apr 2017)

Seán Sherlock: If I were a teacher and a county councillor, would I have to declare my teaching salary?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Public Sector Standards Bill 2015: Committee Stage (6 Apr 2017)

Seán Sherlock: It is arguable that the wording is unclear. The Bill states: "Each of the interests specified in this section is a declarable interest for the purposes of this Act, and the following forms of interest are dealt with by the following subsections-----". I seek guidance on this issue. Does any part of the Bill explicitly say that one has to declare the source of the income as opposed to...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Public Sector Standards Bill 2015: Committee Stage (6 Apr 2017)

Seán Sherlock: I seek clarification on periodic and ad hocdisclosures. Under section 7 and its attendant subsections, the ad hocdisclosure applies. My understanding is that the ad hoc disclosure is made if and when a conflict of interest arises. It is generally more effective than periodic disclosure in identifying interests likely to give rise to a conflict as the nature of the private interests to be...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Public Sector Standards Bill 2015: Committee Stage (6 Apr 2017)

Seán Sherlock: How does this change the existing legislation?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Public Sector Standards Bill 2015: Committee Stage (6 Apr 2017)

Seán Sherlock: Will the Minister explain that in simple terms?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Public Sector Standards Bill 2015: Committee Stage (6 Apr 2017)

Seán Sherlock: There may be times when a person needs to discreetly deal with the Revenue Commissioners to put his or her house in order and to ensure that he or she is tax compliant, so that he or she can then furnish a tax clearance certificate. I would have a problem with SIPO or the commissioner going direct to Revenue because a person may not be compliant at a given time, but not for nefarious reasons.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Public Sector Standards Bill 2015: Committee Stage (6 Apr 2017)

Seán Sherlock: What is the norm? Is there a rationale for the time to be 18 months?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Public Sector Standards Bill 2015: Committee Stage (6 Apr 2017)

Seán Sherlock: How would psychological or psychiatric services apply here?