Results 1,161-1,180 of 49,836 for speaker:Stephen Donnelly

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Jun 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: Yes, although the Opposition does not control a committee. We are not suggesting that the Opposition gets more representation; I support Deputy Fleming's suggestion of parity. The public would have more faith in a committee balanced at 50:50 only because they would know that the Whip cannot be imposed. The Whip has been imposed by this and the last Government. I imagine people being...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Jun 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: It is my experience of the last two years.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Jun 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: Inquiries under section 9 are those which are most open to political abuse. They will never be used on a Government Deputy and will be used only on Opposition Deputies and Senators. Assuming that my coming amendments will be rejected, as no doubt they have been, section 9 inquiries will only be possible under a majority vote in the House. That will never be done for a Government Deputy.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Jun 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: Right. In my opinion, however, and from what I have seen, this is not going to happen.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Jun 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: Let me rephrase that. I can see this procedure being much easier to use to investigate Opposition Deputies and Senators than to investigate those in Government parties.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Jun 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: Sure, but it will be much easier to get a majority Government vote to inquire against an Opposition Deputy or Senator - at least, based on my observation of the House over the past two years. We can go through section 18, which the Minister states is the one that provides the safeguards.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Jun 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: I understand; that is my point. What is to stop somebody under investigation from going to the High Court to seek an injunction? Section 9 inquiries specifically allow for findings that impugn a good name. What is to stop somebody from saying "This is a witch hunt; this is a Star Chamber. I am going straight to the High Court and I am stopping this inquiry."?

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Jun 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: I move amendment No. 13: In page 23, between lines 5 and 6, to insert the following subsection:“(5) Notwithstanding any rules referred to in this section, one quarter of the members of a committee shall constitute a sufficient number of committee members to deem a proposal to have been proposed by a committee.”.After this we will deal with amendment No. 16, which, although it...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Jun 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: It deals with the same kind of issue. To me, this is the most serious flaw in the legislation, which has many good points. The context is that the Minister has suggested I do not appreciate how little control Cabinet holds over Government Deputies and Senators. I do not have his 30 years in the Oireachtas but I have read political scientists who agree we have the most centralised control...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Jun 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: We have that opinion, and I have the benefit of having come in here for two years with new eyes and seen what I have seen. For example, the Technical Group cannot speak on the Order of Business. We asked for a single word to be changed in Standing Orders but we cannot have this done and, as we saw, Deputy Catherine Murphy was ejected from the Chamber last week for trying to make a point....

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Jun 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: Essentially, they are all the same.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Jun 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: For the purpose of clarification, under the legislation statements can be shown to be matters of fact even if there is disagreement. If the committee decides something is a fact, then it is a fact. Therefore, if the Taoiseach of the day decides it is a fact, then it is a fact.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Jun 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: The legislation says as much.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Jun 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: I wish to clarify my position. I was referring to the 50:50 set-up in the committee. This amendment refers specifically to the vote in the House to set up an inquiry. I take the point on the previous amendment. This amendment specifically relates to a government being able to use its majority. I am not having a go at this Government in any way. I am referring to a government using its...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Jun 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: I am sorry for cutting across the Minister. He is referring to amendment No. 15. I should have said at the start that amendment No. 15 refers to a vote of 25% of the committee. That amendment is an error. I beg the pardon of the committee. I am withdrawing amendment No. 15. The substantive amendment for me relates to the vote in the House.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Jun 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: Bear with me for one moment. Let me explain it. Amendments Nos. 13 and 14 are essentially parallel rules. Section 11 deals with a proposal for an inquiry by a committee. That is dealt with in amendment No. 13. Section 12 deals with a proposal for an inquiry by the House. Amendments Nos. 13 and 14 provide for the application of the same rule, that a vote of one quarter of the House is...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Jun 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: Or the House. I would be willing to concede on the committee. The point I am most interested in is a vote of the House.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Jun 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: No, I am not resiling from that. I am saying that the same logic applies. As I said in my opening remarks I do not really care whether it is a quarter or a third.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Jun 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: It is good practice in other jurisdictions.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Jun 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: As I said in my opening remarks, I am not hung up on whether it is a quarter or a third. I am hung up on the fact that a government can use a majority to block anything it wants at committee and House level. That is the basic point.