Results 1,221-1,240 of 9,814 for speaker:Steven Matthews

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

Steven Matthews: We have a quorum so we are in public session. The committee is meeting to continue its pre-legislative scrutiny of the general scheme of the Electoral Reform Bill. We are joined by representatives of the following political: Mr. Darragh McShea, assistant general secretary, Fianna Fáil; Mr. John Carroll, general secretary, Fine Gael; Ms Maura Rose McMahon, general secretary, the Green...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

Steven Matthews: I left my laptop behind so it is hard for me to see who has their hand up.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

Steven Matthews: I also welcome Billie Sparks, general secretary of the Labour Party. My apologies, I did not have that on my note. I thank Ms Sparks for attending.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

Steven Matthews: I thank the Senator for her question. I must admit that having somebody appear as both a witness and a member of the committee is an unusual situation. I do not see it covered in Standing Orders. We requested the presence of the general secretaries or assistant general secretaries of the parties or their nominee to assist us in our pre-legislative scrutiny this morning. It would appear...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

Steven Matthews: I will answer that question in a moment. I see Deputy Higgins has her hand up as well.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

Steven Matthews: I will put that question to Deputy Ó Broin.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

Steven Matthews: I thank Deputy Ó Broin for clarifying that but he will be aware that witnesses do not question witnesses. I invite Mr. McShea to make his opening statement.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

Steven Matthews: I thank Mr. McShea. I invite Mr. Carroll to make his opening statement.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

Steven Matthews: I thank Mr. Carroll. To clarify, we extended the invite to the general secretaries of each of the parties or asked them to submit a nominee to attend. It would be reasonable to infer that the nominee would have some sort of responsibility or knowledge of the data requirements of the party they represent. I now invite Ms McMahon to make her opening statement. I know she had a power...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

Steven Matthews: I thank Ms McMahon. I invite Deputy Ó Broin to make his opening statement on behalf of Sinn Féin.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

Steven Matthews: I thank Deputy Ó Broin for deputising on behalf of his party's general secretary. Does Deputy Ó Broin have an executive function within Sinn Féin and responsibility at that level?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

Steven Matthews: We have the general secretaries here today because, ultimately, the responsibility for ensuring compliance with data protection rests with the secretary general on behalf of his or her party. Is Deputy Ó Broin a member of the executive? Does he have an executive function within the party?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

Steven Matthews: I was just trying to clarify matters because we have executive members of parties here. I now invite Mr. Brian Sheehan to make his opening statement.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

Steven Matthews: I invite Ms Billie Sparks to make her opening statement.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

Steven Matthews: I thank all the witnesses for keeping to time. I ask members to limit questions and answers to five-minute slots, so for witnesses, this five to six minute slot includes time for answers.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

Steven Matthews: I presume Deputy Fitzpatrick's questions were directed to Deputy Ó Broin. He has one minute to respond.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

Steven Matthews: I apologise for interrupting the Deputy, but I need to stick strictly to time slots. As a committee, where a witness has been unable to answer a question owing to time constraint, we ask that he or she submit written answers. We may need to address some of the questions in that regard. The next speaker is Deputy Gould.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

Steven Matthews: Deputy Ó Broin is appearing as a witness today.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

Steven Matthews: As Chair, I have ruled previously in pre-legislative scrutiny, PLS, sessions that witnesses do not question witnesses. If the Deputy wishes to make a statement, that is fine, but I will not permit him, as a witness in committee today, to question other witnesses.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

Steven Matthews: We can come back to that at the end. I would like to proceed now to the Sinn Féin slot, which is Deputy Gould. I ask Deputy Gould to put questions to the witnesses and we can wrap up at the end with Deputy Ó Broin, time permitting.