Results 5,541-5,560 of 13,254 for speaker:Seán Sherlock

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

Seán Sherlock: I would say that the rights of the person are paramount in this area and I welcome the Minister's statement that he will look at this again.

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

Seán Sherlock: I am glad this provision is in place and that it is unambiguous. The existing culture in respect of the Standards in Public Office Commission is such that one can go and speak to people in that office and get guidance. To see it clearly written into legislation is to be welcomed.

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

Seán Sherlock: To support that, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform might make the requisite resources available to meet the potential increase for such queries in terms of staffing requirements.

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

Seán Sherlock: The value in question is €600. Most of us would have a fair sense of the value of a gift might be and I am sure that a couple of phone calls would let a person know what the value of the gift was, depending on its nature.

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

Seán Sherlock: When I served as a Minister of State, a lot of the gifts I received and graciously accepted would have ended up in the mantlepiece of the relevant Department and are probably still there gathering dust. In practice, their value is more nominal than monetary in nature.

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

Seán Sherlock: Three weeks makes sense. That is plenty of time to assess it.

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

Seán Sherlock: The Minister is upholding a long-held principle in law.

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

Seán Sherlock: That is fair enough.

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 difficulty sometimes in understanding parliamentary legal language. The provision to the effect that the identity of the person making the complaint is not disclosed is fine, as is the provision that it relates to a private matter and is unrelated to the functions of the respondent. However, will the Minister explain the provision that "it relates in substance to a period when the...

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

Seán Sherlock: That is fine.

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

Seán Sherlock: Is everything on foot of a complaint?

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

Seán Sherlock: What I am confused about is the use of inverted commas in section 36(2)(a), which refers to the commissioner, "where he or she is of the opinion that there may have been a contravention of this Act( a "suspected contravention")". Why are the words "suspected contravention" in inverted commas?

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

Seán Sherlock: As a suspected contravention?

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

Seán Sherlock: Deputy D'Arcy is ad idemwith 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 thought that the Deputy said he opposed 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 have a comment also.

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

Seán Sherlock: Presumably we must follow the paper trail. To go back to first principles again on section 36(2) (a), which states, "the matter concerned is one in respect of which no complaint has been made to the Commissioner". The commissioner acts on the basis of a suspected contravention-----

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

Seán Sherlock: -----but that is on the basis of submissions that have been made where the public official has been through an informal process in engaging with the officials within the Standards in Public Office Commission, SIPO. It is only after a long period and informal engagement, and a lack of satisfaction on the part of the commissioner, that the commissioner can suggest - not make a finding - that...

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

Seán Sherlock: Is the preliminary inquiry held before it hits the fan, so to speak?

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

Seán Sherlock: The one point here is that the Minister is empowering the deputy commissioner to appoint an investigation officer that shall be appointed for such period as the deputy commissioner may determine, shall be paid such fees and expenses as the deputy commissioner may, with the consent of the Minister, from time to time determine, may resign at any time, shall hold office on such other terms and...