Results 7,101-7,120 of 21,498 for speaker:Mary Lou McDonald
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Protected Disclosures Bill 2013: Committee Stage (14 May 2014)
Mary Lou McDonald: I move amendment No. 8: In page 10, to delete line 36, and in page 11, to delete line 1.
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Protected Disclosures Bill 2013: Committee Stage (14 May 2014)
Mary Lou McDonald: The point I wish to make has not been made.
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Protected Disclosures Bill 2013: Committee Stage (14 May 2014)
Mary Lou McDonald: The Minister might deal with the concern about the conditionality explicit in the legislation, step by step, where somebody comes forward. What will happen? The point I want to raise is related but slightly different. The Minister has said one of the changes he made, in addition to removing the good faith notion, was related to the public interest notion. I notice that is not the case in...
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Protected Disclosures Bill 2013: Committee Stage (14 May 2014)
Mary Lou McDonald: I know, but it is premised on the notion of the public interest.
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Protected Disclosures Bill 2013: Committee Stage (14 May 2014)
Mary Lou McDonald: Yes.
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Protected Disclosures Bill 2013: Committee Stage (14 May 2014)
Mary Lou McDonald: I think everybody is of one mind on this issue. I think this has been the case for the past number of months, although it was belated in respect of Sergeant McCabe and former Garda John Wilson. We can find ourselves in a situation in which GSOC needs to be strengthened. That is not within the gift of this committee - or, indeed, the Minister - so it places us in a slightly unusual position...
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Protected Disclosures Bill 2013: Committee Stage (14 May 2014)
Mary Lou McDonald: I am assuming the Minister has that legislation in front of him now. Does he?
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Protected Disclosures Bill 2013: Committee Stage (14 May 2014)
Mary Lou McDonald: Can the Minister confirm-----
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Protected Disclosures Bill 2013: Committee Stage (14 May 2014)
Mary Lou McDonald: I am curious and I do not know for sure, but is "the public interest" concept defined in that legislation?
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Protected Disclosures Bill 2013: Committee Stage (14 May 2014)
Mary Lou McDonald: I am not nitpicking here but am raising this issue because confidence in the system for serving gardaí and the public will hinge not just on the capacity to investigate but also a willingness to investigate. That comes back to this notion of the public interest, what it is and who decides. Obviously there will be a discretionary element to it. We go to the trouble of defining all...
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Protected Disclosures Bill 2013: Committee Stage (14 May 2014)
Mary Lou McDonald: It is extremely important that such a facility is still available but I would appreciate it if we could find, somewhere, a definition of what we mean by "the public interest".
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Protected Disclosures Bill 2013: Committee Stage (14 May 2014)
Mary Lou McDonald: I raise this with the Minister because there was, and still is, a feeling among the public, whose interests we serve, that sometimes institutions of the State might have a biased belief that the stability and reputation of those institutions would trump all other matters and that this was in the public interest. The Minister made a point, quite rightly, of removing it in terms of a threshold...
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Protected Disclosures Bill 2013: Committee Stage (14 May 2014)
Mary Lou McDonald: I move amendment No. 12: In page 14, to delete line 12 and substitute the following:“(b) in respect of the same matter, make or present against the same person an action for discrimination, disadvantage or adverse treatment in relation to the same employment—”.The idea here is to give additional protections to whistleblowers who have come forward and made a disclosure to...
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Protected Disclosures Bill 2013: Committee Stage (14 May 2014)
Mary Lou McDonald: That is right. I thank the Minister for that.
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Protected Disclosures Bill 2013: Committee Stage (14 May 2014)
Mary Lou McDonald: I move amendment No. 15: In page 15, to delete lines 7 to 9.This amendment deals with protecting anonymity. I am concerned that the onus is placed on the whistleblower to make it known that he or she wishes to remain anonymous. That is the wrong way round. The presumption should be that there is anonymity and the onus should be on the person to whom the disclosure is made to treat as...
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Protected Disclosures Bill 2013: Committee Stage (14 May 2014)
Mary Lou McDonald: I would like the Minister to reconsider it. Rather than proposing simple deletions, I will go back and look at a different wording. I think we agree on the objective which is not to stymie action.
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Protected Disclosures Bill 2013: Committee Stage (14 May 2014)
Mary Lou McDonald: I appreciate that, but at the same time-----
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Protected Disclosures Bill 2013: Committee Stage (14 May 2014)
Mary Lou McDonald: I appreciate that point, but I am sure the Minister will appreciate equally that this piece is absolutely central in the day-to-day real life working of these provisions. In terms of people coming forward, this is absolutely key. I am happy to withdraw both amendments on the basis that the Minister will give the matter further consideration. I will bring forward amendments.
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Protected Disclosures Bill 2013: Committee Stage (14 May 2014)
Mary Lou McDonald: That might be helpful; I thank the Minister.
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Protected Disclosures Bill 2013: Committee Stage (14 May 2014)
Mary Lou McDonald: This is the Minister's amendment No. 18 - the big one. Am I not right in saying the Minister was going to look again at the wording of this amendment?