Results 901-920 of 1,212 for speaker:Dara Murphy

Topical Issue Debate: Employment Rights (15 Apr 2015)

Dara Murphy: I thank Deputies Lowry and Coonan for raising this very important matter of great concern for the people involved. As they will be aware, Bord na Móna is facing significant business challenges in the context of the deregulation of the electricity market and increasingly competitive and challenging environments across all its business areas. In order to ensure its continued success, the...

Topical Issue Debate: Employment Rights (15 Apr 2015)

Dara Murphy: The Government is more than aware of the seriousness of the issue. The matter of a carbon tax is one for the Minister for Finance. There has been an unfortunate combination of events, with a supply of very low-cost competing products, as well as a mild winter. As I said, this is a matter for the company in the first instance, but the Minister will continue to encourage management and...

Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (22 Apr 2015)

Dara Murphy: We are discussing amendments Nos. 30a, 49e, 63, 64, 80b, 81, 81a and 82. Amendment No. 30a, tabled by Deputy Catherine Murphy, proposes that notwithstanding any other provisions of the Bill the legal services regulatory authority shall not distinguish between practising Law Library and non-Law Library barristers and barristers who are a member of a professional body other than the Bar...

Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (22 Apr 2015)

Dara Murphy: Amendment No. 80b. I have noted amendment No. 81, which was tabled by Deputy McNamara and proposes the deletion of the word "and" from the list of items to be included in the roll of practising barristers. Having considered amendment No. 81a, which was tabled by the Deputy, I see certain merits in the inclusion of details regarding whether a barrister is an employed barrister for the purpose...

Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (22 Apr 2015)

Dara Murphy: As I said in my response, it is clear from discussions with the Minister that both the Deputy and her have the same ambition in not arriving at a point where we would have a two-tier barrister profession. The Minister and Department are satisfied that the Bill will ensure that the outcome sought by the Deputy and the Minister will be achieved. It is in that context that unlike the Deputy's...

Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (22 Apr 2015)

Dara Murphy: In respect of amendment No. 31, the ongoing concerns of Deputies and the professional bodies about the way in which provision is being made under the Bill relating to the disclosure of information are very much to the fore of ongoing consideration of the Bill. The challenge for us as legislators is to get an appropriate balance between the provisions of the Bill in section 17(1), which seek...

Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (22 Apr 2015)

Dara Murphy: I move amendment No. 36:In page 24, to delete lines 2 to 39, and in page 25, to delete lines 1 to 10 and substitute the following: “Powers of Authority in relation to codes of practice 20. (1) The Authority may, having regard to the objectives specified in section 12(1) and (4)and in accordance with this section, issue a code of practice where it considers it necessary to do so for...

Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (22 Apr 2015)

Dara Murphy: I move amendment No. 38:In page 25, between lines 10 and 11, to insert the following: “Powers of Authority in relation to professional codes 21. (1) The Authority, having reviewed a professional code, may issue a notice under subsection (2) to the relevant professional body where it is of the opinion that—(a) the professional code operates or is likely to operate to hinder a...

Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (22 Apr 2015)

Dara Murphy: I thank the Deputy for his amendments. Amendments Nos. 39 and 41 seek to make the appointment by the authority of its staff and the determination of their duties subject to "consultation with professional bodies". This would be contrary to the independence of the regulatory authority in its functions, which we have enhanced as desired by the professional bodies and Deputies through a series...

Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (22 Apr 2015)

Dara Murphy: To affirm the point Deputy Mac Lochlainn made about the professional standards and abilities of the staff concerned, those involved are of the very highest quality. The Minister, Deputy Fitzgerald, has made it clear that she is looking into complex and sensitive issues that involve not only her own Department, but also the Department of Expenditure and Reform, and there will be a discussion...

Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (22 Apr 2015)

Dara Murphy: The intention is, once we get through Second Stage, that there will be an amendment in the Seanad dealing with this matter.

Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (22 Apr 2015)

Dara Murphy: I move amendment No. 42:In page 28, to delete lines 34 to 36.The joint Government and Opposition amendments Nos. 42 and 43 relate to the ban on the chief executive officer of the legal services regulatory authority expressing an opinion to an Oireachtas committee on the merits of any policy of the Government as currently found in sections 25 and 26 of the Bill. The amendments propose that...

Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (22 Apr 2015)

Dara Murphy: As Members are aware, in the other two amendments, the concerns of Members have been taken on board by the Minister. They acknowledge the important role of committees in the functioning of these Houses. This amendment, however, is considered a step too far. It is a straightforward provision. There is a risk of open-ended disruption when there may be other forums where an issue could be...

Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (22 Apr 2015)

Dara Murphy: I move amendment No. 43:In page 29, to delete lines 1 to 3.

Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (22 Apr 2015)

Dara Murphy: I move amendment No. 47:In page 33, line 10, to delete “1 year” and substitute “2 years”.

Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (22 Apr 2015)

Dara Murphy: I move amendment No. 48:In page 34, line 7, to delete “2 years” and substitute “4 years”.

Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (22 Apr 2015)

Dara Murphy: I thank Deputies for their amendments. Amendments Nos. 49aand 49b, tabled by Deputy Murphy, would in effect enable all barristers and solicitors to immediately hold clients' moneys and allow the Minister to regulate for this. However, key safeguards have been put in place in case such an event arises, and, therefore, we cannot support the amendments. We consider that the serious safeguards...

Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (22 Apr 2015)

Dara Murphy: I refer to amendments Nos. 49aand 49b. The Bill sets out very clearly that there must be public consultation. The Minister has considered amendment No. 65a. The policy approach being taken is that under section 99 the authority will carry out public consultation in that area. If the Deputy's points come to bear at that stage, they can then be raised. It will also examine whether the...

Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (22 Apr 2015)

Dara Murphy: To be clear on the issue of Donegal and Cork, we are not disbanding the independent referral bar. The Deputy's points are well made on the fact that the ambition of the Bill is to ensure access for citizens to legal processes in a way that is reasonably priced and available wherever one is from, rather than in major centres in Dublin. We have moved to make sure that the interests of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: European Semester - Draft National Reform Programme 2015: Discussion (23 Apr 2015)

Dara Murphy: I thank the Chairman. It is a great pleasure to be back at my former committee. I acknowledge the presence of members of the Committee of the Regions who are here and also my colleagues from the Oireachtas. I will give a brief report on the General Affairs Council, but the rest of the presentation is not particularly brief. It is substantive and I ask for the Chairman's indulgence in that...