Results 1,181-1,200 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: I am pressing the amendment.

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. 14: In page 23, subsection (1)(a), to delete lines 7 to 11 and substitute the following:"(a) subject to subsection (3), the one quarter of the members of the House have, in accordance with the rules and standing orders made by the House pursuant to subsection (2), voted to pass the resolution in respect of the inquiry (in this section referred to as "the terms of...

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: How does the Minister think that this is done so successfully in so many other countries?

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. 15: In page 23, subsection (1), lines 23 to 25, to delete paragraph (b) and substitute the following:"(b) if the committee is a joint committee, one quarter of the members of each House vote to pass the resolution with identical terms passed in each 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: I move amendment No. 16: In page 23, after line 46, to insert the following subsection:"(4) Each House shall make rules and standing orders to provide that a vote in favour of the conducting of an inquiry shall pass if no less than two thirds of the designated opposition Deputies vote in favour of the conducting of the inquiry by a committee.". This was tabled by Deputy Thomas Pringle. 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: I ask the Minister to walk us through how it works. I am interested in finding out who makes the call. Is it the chairman of the committee of inquiry? For example, who suggests that a certain member may need to step away, based on the provisions in section 18? I agree with section 18, by the way; I am just curious as to how it will work in reality.

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 essentially the chair who will make the call.

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: There would be a 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: On the same issue, let us say the committee has been set up and the Standing Orders of the House are that each party nominates a certain number of people. How does it work? For example, what is the procedure if one of the parties - it does not matter from which side - proposes a person who should not be on the committee because of bias? Who makes the call to say that this person is not...

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: What is the mechanism for raising this in the House? For example, will the House be presented with a proposed list of committee members to debate or agree?

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. 25: In page 41, subsection (1), line 29, to delete "Oireachtas Commission" and substitute "Independent Judicial Panel".The issue here is around costs and who decides whether a witness will have costs. As we all know, the legal costs for these kinds of matters can be astronomical and can be used as a weapon in unscrupulous hands. Even the threat of somebody having to get...

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 refer to a scenario in which one gets word from a committee that one will be called but one thinks one's good name may be impugned in this process. At the outset, I agree with the Minister that the provision of legal costs should be limited and that costs should not be provided to everyone. However, I wish to walk through this process just to be satisfied that it cannot be used in a...

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: Does one apply to the commission or to the committee?

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: Okay, so the first step is that one has been called and one then writes to the committee's Chairman to express one's belief that the committee potentially will impugn one's good name and to ask the committee to award one costs in advance to enable one to get counsel. Is this correct?

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: Sorry, what decision will the committee make? Is it that yes, it may impugn one's good name?

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: On the basis that the committee may impugn one's good name.

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. However, these are the only grounds under which people can be awarded legal costs.

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: Okay, so witness X writes to the Chairman and the case is discussed by the committee, which decides witness X may be entitled to legal costs. This decision then is sent to the commission. Is that correct?

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: Therefore, the commission is not applying any judgment. Is that correct? It's simply is saying, "Here you go". My understanding is that first, the committee decides, before one appears before it, that one is entitled to legal representation.

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: Okay, so before or during proceedings, at some point I presume one can tell the Chairman that one seeks legal representation. The committee will then say "Yes" or "No". If the committee says "Yes", is it implicit that one's costs therefore will be covered?