Results 5,981-6,000 of 7,404 for speaker:Mick Wallace

Other Questions: Defence Forces Deployment (21 Mar 2018)

Mick Wallace: When was the last time the Minister of State voted against Fine Gael?

Other Questions: Defence Forces Deployment (21 Mar 2018)

Mick Wallace: The planes are not being inspected; we do not care what the Americans do in Shannon. Yesterday was the fifteenth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. The role this country has played in facilitating the destruction not just of Iraq but several other countries in the region is an absolute shame. We are still doing so. We should learn some lessons from Iraq and should remember it. Not only...

Other Questions: Defence Forces Deployment (21 Mar 2018)

Mick Wallace: The former Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Shatter, said that the Garda had no role in inspecting military aircraft because they have sovereign immunity. The writer, Sinan Antoon, an Iraqi living in New York, said this week that the invasion of Iraq is often spoken of in the United States as a blunder or even a colossal mistake but that it was a crime and those who perpetrated it...

Other Questions: Defence Forces Medicinal Products (21 Mar 2018)

Mick Wallace: The Minister of State has been to countries where there is a malaria threat. Has he ever taken Lariam?

European Council: Statements (21 Mar 2018)

Mick Wallace: Yesterday was the 15th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq by US military forces, facilitated by the then Fianna Fáil-Progressive Democrats Government. Since that time, the use of Shannon Airport has been facilitated by the Fianna Fáil-Green Party Government, the Fine Gael-Labour Party Government and now this Government of Fine Gael and the Independent Alliance. It is a very sad...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight and Accountability: Policing Authority (21 Mar 2018)

Mick Wallace: I thank Ms Feehily for coming in. I must also apologise as I must leave to go to the Chamber soon. I wish first to deal with the Policing Authority's oversight of ICT within An Garda Síochána. In her opening statement, Ms Feehily stated that she does not receive Garda audit service reports on a routine basis but that she is aware of media reports on this particular audit. This...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight and Accountability: Policing Authority (21 Mar 2018)

Mick Wallace: This is a massive area, with huge money involved. Does Ms Feehily think the Policing Authority should be in a stronger position to oversee what is going on?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight and Accountability: Policing Authority (21 Mar 2018)

Mick Wallace: Ms Feehily said that the authority has almost too much to do in order to go into finer detail.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight and Accountability: Policing Authority (21 Mar 2018)

Mick Wallace: Sticking with the subject of the most recent quarterly report, the Garda Inspectorate recommended that the Garda Síochána establish an ICT governance board and this was done in 2016. Mr. Joseph Nugent, the chief administrative officer, is the chair and representatives from the Departments of Justice and Equality and Public Expenditure and Reform also sit on the board. The Policing...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight and Accountability: Policing Authority (21 Mar 2018)

Mick Wallace: The strategic transformation office, or STO, as it is more commonly referred to, was set up to help implement the famous modernisation and renewal programme of the former Garda Commissioner. The costs associated with the STO are included in the overall ICT budget but I note from the authority's quarterly report that nobody is willing to take responsibility for its budget. The authority's...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight and Accountability: Policing Authority (21 Mar 2018)

Mick Wallace: While I accept 100% that the authority is an oversight body and not an investigative body, can Ms Feehily understand the public frustration that there is no oversight of what the Garda is doing with its money around ICT? Now that the public is becoming aware of it, there is huge disillusionment with the fact that this has not been overseen.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight and Accountability: Policing Authority (21 Mar 2018)

Mick Wallace: Is the Minister concerned that all is not well in this area?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight and Accountability: Policing Authority (21 Mar 2018)

Mick Wallace: Obviously, no-one in An Garda Síochána is prepared to take responsibility and the powers of the Policing Authority to hold it to account are limited. Does Ms Feehily have a concern as to who does make the calls on what is spent?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight and Accountability: Policing Authority (21 Mar 2018)

Mick Wallace: Is it the chief administrative officer? In her opening statement, Ms Feehily said that the authority appoints the members of the Garda Síochána audit committee. In September 2017, it appointed Joe Nugent as a member of the committee. As chief administrative officer, he has overall responsibility for finance in An Garda Síochána, which includes ICT. Joe Nugent is also...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight and Accountability: Policing Authority (21 Mar 2018)

Mick Wallace: Does it not defeat the purpose of an audit committee if the man whose decisions are being audited is on that committee?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight and Accountability: Policing Authority (21 Mar 2018)

Mick Wallace: It does beggar belief. In the closing paragraphs of the chapter on ICT in the authority's most recent report, it is stated that the forthright way in which Garda ICT has laid out an unvarnished picture of the current situation in its interactions with the authority is to be welcomed. I am wondering if Ms Feehily stands over that statement. If ICT had given the authority an unvarnished...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight and Accountability: Policing Authority (21 Mar 2018)

Mick Wallace: With regard to the report from the chief administrative officer on the history of email usage in An Garda Síochána and the mechanisms for protecting security, Ms Feehily said in her opening statement that she believed the evidence this committee heard recently from Garda senior management corresponds with the information supplied to the authority. I would be worried about that. I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight and Accountability: Policing Authority (21 Mar 2018)

Mick Wallace: As Ms Feehily knows, I have learned under a freedom of information request from Ms Hall that he actually did a report which he forgot he had done, not that there is a whole lot in it apart from some redactions. It did not really deal with the matter it was supposed to deal with. I got another email from Ms Hall which was very interesting, from 2016. It was sent to the authority and was a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight and Accountability: Policing Authority (21 Mar 2018)

Mick Wallace: Ms Feehily will be aware that during the debate on the establishment of the Policing Authority, Deputy Clare Daly and I were adamant that in terms of what was proposed, the authority would not have the requisite power or the independence necessary to enable it to be a real oversight body and to hold the Garda to account. Does Ms Feehily agree that the Government needs to take another look at...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight and Accountability: Policing Authority (21 Mar 2018)

Mick Wallace: As outlined by Ms Feehily, the legislation is poor in that the person in charge of the audit is also the person being audited. This must interfere with the authority's independence.