Results 15,421-15,440 of 18,736 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2018)

Michael McDowell: The Bill states, "but shall not enable the person, consultant or adviser, for the purpose of performance by the Commission of that function, to do any other thing". It would be fine if it stopped there. The only thing it can do is set out in paragraphs (a) and (b) and it is very simple. However, after the words, "to do any other thing", the Bill adds, "(other than a thing which facilitates...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2018)

Michael McDowell: It is much more important than that. It would, for instance, enable the construction by the procedures committee of its policy documents. These tasks can be delegated to assist in the preparation of these things. Therefore, this wholly independent commission now becomes a brokerage for the services of third parties and nothing more. It will, of course, have to take ultimate responsibility...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2018)

Michael McDowell: As I was saying before the quorum was called, it seems to me that this House is entitled to a clear picture of what the sponsoring Minister, the Department of Justice and Equality and the Government, on whose behalf this Bill is being moved, envisage will be involved in being a member of the commission, what remuneration will be offered to members and what kind of expenditure is envisaged for...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2018)

Michael McDowell: We are entitled, as I will continue to repeat until we get a satisfactory answer, to know what kind of remuneration the Department proposes to give to people who are commissioners. The role of commissioner is a highly responsible job. It is not the same as sitting at a board meeting of Aer Lingus or some such company and making decisions once a month. It is taking responsibility for the...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2018)

Michael McDowell: That is a very simple question. The Bill, as currently devised, does not make that clear and seems to suggest the Government would not be told that. It is an alarming proposition that the Government would be given three names, graded one, two and three, and its members would sit down at the Cabinet table unaware that the most intelligent woman solicitor or the most brilliant senior counsel...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2018)

Michael McDowell: The House should be aware of section 53(4). It reads that in the preparation of the statements referred to in subsection (1), which is a statement setting out the selection procedures and a statement of requisite skills and attributes - this is pretty central to the functions - the procedures committee, which is to be established, shall avail, not "may avail", itself of the advice and...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2018)

Michael McDowell: -----have a clear set of straight answers on this issue. It comes down to what kind of remuneration will be offered to the lay members of the commission. I want to hear this. If it is to be €9,000 then it is a joke. If it is €40,000 it is getting serious. I want to hear from the Minister, on behalf of the Government, what kind of remuneration will be offered to these...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2018)

Michael McDowell: Distracted.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2018)

Michael McDowell: What does that mean?

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2018)

Michael McDowell: It is to evaluate.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2018)

Michael McDowell: That is what I have been worried about from the get-go. It means that the Government will receive three names in the order of the commission's recommendation and never learn who else was interested. It, therefore, cannot exercise its prerogative in separately advising the President that it thinks Mary or Joe Bloggs is the kind of person it wants and is head and shoulders above the three...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2018)

Michael McDowell: It may never know, but the Minister is arguing that the Government's prerogative remains unaffected.Any sensible Government confronted with a list of three people would send its attorney out to tap somebody else on the shoulder and say, "By the way were you not in the running, or if you are not in the running, would you consider being appointed by us because we are disappointed not to see...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2018)

Michael McDowell: The Minister did not. He said it would be on the lines of any semi-State board.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2018)

Michael McDowell: It means nothing.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2018)

Michael McDowell: State boards cover a huge range, as the Minister knows. The chairman of one company and the ordinary members of some other companies can range in multiples of each other's remuneration. I deeply regret the Minister will not tell us that each commissioner will get remunerated at the senior end of State part-time appointments. If he is not willing to give them €30,000 or...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2018)

Michael McDowell: Why can the Minister not give us an indication of which end of that spectrum it will be on? It would be simple for the Minister to say which end of that scale he would asking for the remuneration of his commissioners. It makes a hell of a difference if it is €8,000 because, after tax, that will be €4,000. If there are 15 or 20 meetings a year, that becomes a negligible sum of...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2018)

Michael McDowell: I do not want to lose Senator Ruane's support.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2018)

Michael McDowell: I have to attend a Seanad reform implementation group meeting now. If the House wants to put this amendment to a vote, I am quite happy to do so.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2018)

Michael McDowell: I would be loath to cross swords with Senator Bacik. I know that what she is attempting to do is in the interests of gender balance. What she is effectively suggesting is that the Bar Council should not nominate one person but two persons.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2018)

Michael McDowell: Are we speaking about section 13 or 14?