Results 8,201-8,220 of 14,799 for speaker:Dara Calleary

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Improvement Schemes (6 Apr 2017)

Dara Calleary: 353. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the allocation from the Exchequer and from other sources under the capital plan to the Cork-Limerick road; the current estimate on the cost of the project; the expected completion time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17399/17]

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

Dara Calleary: Before we begin, I wish to point out that we only received these amendments late on Tuesday evening and that there are quite a number of them. Given everything else that happens in the Oireachtas on Wednesdays, we have not had much time to consider them properly. I wish to signal that we may submit further amendments on a number of issues on Report Stage. The e-mail containing these...

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

Dara Calleary: On amendment No. 1, does that subject councillors to the full requirements of declaration in the same way Members of the Oireachtas are subjected to them? They have that at the moment.

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

Dara Calleary: So they submit their returns to their local authority. This Bill will require them to submit the return to the new commissioner.

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

Dara Calleary: Will they need to submit two returns or one?

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

Dara Calleary: That has changed for Members of the Oireachtas as well, I suppose.

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

Dara Calleary: What are the practical implications of this amendment? At the moment as Members of the Oireachtas, we make an annual return to the current Standards in Public Office Commission, SIPO, every January.

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

Dara Calleary: What is being defined as a reasonable period?

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

Dara Calleary: We are leaving it very vague. Mine and the Minister's ideas of reasonable could be very different things. We are giving an outside body the power to define what is reasonable. Surely we should tighten it up or give guidelines.

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

Dara Calleary: I accept and agree with that. It is fine for Members of the Oireachtas. We are generally full-time public representatives. Members of local authorities are not. They are trying to keep down a job in many cases. They do not have the kind of backup we have. Has there been engagement about this provision with local authority members or their representative bodies?

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

Dara Calleary: They are not looking for changes until they see where the Minister is going with it. Let us be practical about legislation as well. We are leaving it vague with the phrase "reasonable period" and we are putting a more detailed reporting requirement on people who may not have the backup to do that and certainly are not aware that this is coming at them. I want to signal my concerns over...

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

Dara Calleary: I put my hands up. I did not engage with this Bill properly but why are we replacing a commission with one individual? Where did that come out of? Is there international best practice? In fairness to the Standards in Public Office Commission, it comprises a group of people with expertise and practical knowledge. Surely a commission, comprising a group of people with expertise and...

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

Dara Calleary: In the spirit of being constructive, can I suggest that the Minister writes to the local authority representative associations to draw their attention to this Bill and the new requirements it places on its members and ask for feedback?

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

Dara Calleary: If they do not give feedback at least they had the opportunity. We are struggling to get people to serve in local government and this is another requirement on people they need to be aware of. I would not wait for them to talk to the Minister. He should talk to them.

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

Dara Calleary: Do we have to go through the Bill section by section? I have a lot of queries.

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

Dara Calleary: I am happy to agree to the amendment on the basis of the commitments given by the Minister but I am going to come back to this on Report Stage because I fear we are putting a big reporting requirement on people who genuinely may not have the backup to support that. I know they have to do this already for their own local authority but now they are being required to provide a lot more...

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

Dara Calleary: I am happy to support the amendment but I think this has been landed on us. The Bill was introduced in January 2016 when our minds may have been elsewhere. There is probably a lot more work to be done in terms of informing members. As we go through it, I have many queries about section 7 and I now have queries about declarable interests. It places a whole new sheaf of reporting...

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

Dara Calleary: We are on section 2.

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

Dara Calleary: Section 4(3) excludes members of the Judiciary from the provisions of the Bill entirely.

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

Dara Calleary: Excuse my ignorance but is there legislation in place in regard to members of the Judiciary?