Results 1,621-1,640 of 45,510 for speaker:Simon Harris
- Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)
Simon Harris: No. I am just clarifying the situation. It is fair to say that certain Ministers, including the Deputy's then senior Minister, the current Leader of Fianna Fáil, did not bring their wives on official business and when they were accompanied abroad on St. Patrick's Day by their spouses, they paid for them. The point I am making is that it was not that under the guidelines the Department...
- Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)
Simon Harris: Therefore, the Deputy himself made the choice that his wife's costs of travelling abroad should be met by the Department.
- Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)
Simon Harris: Okay. In hindsight, does he regret that?
- Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)
Simon Harris: That is all we can have.
- Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)
Simon Harris: I wish to ask some brief questions. On how many occasions did the Deputy travel abroad with his spouse in his role as a Minister of State?
- Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)
Simon Harris: Were they all paid for by the taxpayer?
- Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)
Simon Harris: Were each of the trips St. Patrick's Day trips?
- Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)
Simon Harris: So it was not a St. Patrick's Day trip.
- Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)
Simon Harris: Does Deputy McGuinness know what it was?
- Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)
Simon Harris: My understanding of the guidelines from reading the pretty comprehensive freedom of information file is that the view at the time was that the Department could pay if one's spouse travelled abroad on a St. Patrick's Day trip but the Department did not pay for trade trips. Then there is the vague area of exceptional circumstances.
- Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)
Simon Harris: I am looking at the correspondence. I am referencing from the e-mail trail on 16 August. There seems to be a view within those e-mails that St. Patrick's Day trips could be paid for, if was deemed appropriate, but on trade missions one should not bring one's spouse regardless of whether one paid for them. I think the Taoiseach of the day had a degree of discretion. I am wondering which...
- Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)
Simon Harris: Perhaps the Deputy could get the details. As Deputy McGuinness was the Minister of State at the then Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment with responsibility for trade and commerce, presumably there was a significant amount of travel. Who else accompanied him on foreign trips as a Minister of State?
- Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)
Simon Harris: So the Deputy would have travelled with his private secretary on occasion.
- Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)
Simon Harris: Were there any other officials from his own private office?
- Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)
Simon Harris: That is fine.
- Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)
Simon Harris: I think the issue that caused us concern and caused some public concern were the Deputy's comments on "Morning Ireland" which are not historic, having been made on Monday last. May I discuss them with the Deputy? In terms of trade missions he said that: "The protocol is that the wife does not travel." We all accept that. He then said, "but there are circumstances that should be considered...
- Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)
Simon Harris: These are Deputy McGuinness's words. He said there are circumstances that should be considered where Ministers are away on State business for long periods of time and where, if they want to pay for their spouse to accompany them, that is fine. He then said that there may be other circumstances where the Minister can then make a case, within a new set of guidelines, where he believes the...
- Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)
Simon Harris: Yes, but-----
- Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)
Simon Harris: Yes.
- Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)
Simon Harris: Yes.