Results 16,501-16,520 of 26,653 for speaker:John McGuinness
- Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Public Sector Standards Bill 2015: Committee Stage (6 Apr 2017)
John McGuinness: That is a general absolution.
- Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Public Sector Standards Bill 2015: Committee Stage (6 Apr 2017)
John McGuinness: There is a balance between those who are wilfully involved in something -----
- Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Public Sector Standards Bill 2015: Committee Stage (6 Apr 2017)
John McGuinness: -----and those who are conducting their business in a proper manner, which is the majority of people in public life. The overall Bill is to strike that balance between one and the other and, at the same time, not frighten people off, particularly those who are doing their business in the proper manner.
- Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Public Sector Standards Bill 2015: Committee Stage (6 Apr 2017)
John McGuinness: Amendments Nos. 33, 38 to 41, inclusive, and 44 to 59, inclusive, are related and may be discussed together.
- Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Public Sector Standards Bill 2015: Committee Stage (6 Apr 2017)
John McGuinness: The investigation at that stage might only be a telephone call or a meeting with the member or the public official to ask if it is an error. There may be a perfectly reasonable explanation for an omission.
- Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Public Sector Standards Bill 2015: Committee Stage (6 Apr 2017)
John McGuinness: It is a huge departure, however, as the Minister has said. When it is related to local government and local councillors there is a large range of opportunities for the measures to cause trouble for public representatives who may be caught up innocently in some complaint. This is my difficulty with the proposed legislation.
- Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Public Sector Standards Bill 2015: Committee Stage (6 Apr 2017)
John McGuinness: I accept the explanation on that. Let me outline what concerns me about all this investigation and so on. An investigation will happen because there is a disagreement, misunderstanding or complaint of one kind or another. As one reads down through all this, one notes it is stacked against the member because the member, be he or she a local politician or national politician, is up against...
- Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Public Sector Standards Bill 2015: Committee Stage (6 Apr 2017)
John McGuinness: That would be helpful. On the step from the preliminary report, the emphasis in the legislation is on the ultimate investigation. I am expressing my concern about the suspected contravention. Section 38, in reference to the powers of the deputy commissioner, states, "the purpose of the proceedings concerned that appear to him or her to be reasonable". If we are going in this direction, it...
- Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Public Sector Standards Bill 2015: Committee Stage (6 Apr 2017)
John McGuinness: That is reasonable.
- Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Public Sector Standards Bill 2015: Committee Stage (6 Apr 2017)
John McGuinness: We will have to conclude on this section because we agreed earlier that we would finish at 1 p.m.
- Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Public Sector Standards Bill 2015: Committee Stage (6 Apr 2017)
John McGuinness: As it is now 1 p.m. I thank the Minister and his officials for attending. A request was made that the Members of the Dáil and Seanad and the representative bodies of the local public representatives be informed. Will that take place now?
- Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Public Sector Standards Bill 2015: Committee Stage (6 Apr 2017)
John McGuinness: A briefing was requested to be held in the audiovisual room for Members of the House, is that right?
- Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Public Sector Standards Bill 2015: Committee Stage (6 Apr 2017)
John McGuinness: Separate from that, I think one of the members suggested that maybe the Department would brief the Members of the Dáil and Seanad. Is that correct?
- Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Public Sector Standards Bill 2015: Committee Stage (6 Apr 2017)
John McGuinness: Will that be before Report Stage?
- Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Public Sector Standards Bill 2015: Committee Stage (6 Apr 2017)
John McGuinness: I am sure the Minister will peruse the transcripts to identify all of the queries. Deputy Calleary mentioned that the balance of rights in this Bill is heavily in favour of the commissioner. I ask the Minister to consider the matter.
- Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Public Sector Standards Bill 2015: Committee Stage (6 Apr 2017)
John McGuinness: Yes.
- Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Public Sector Standards Bill 2015: Committee Stage (6 Apr 2017)
John McGuinness: On a point of information, we will resume on section 43 on the next day the meeting is scheduled for. Members will have plenty of time to table amendments for Report Stage.
- Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Public Sector Standards Bill 2015: Committee Stage (6 Apr 2017)
John McGuinness: I thank the Minister and his officials for their attendance and assistance.
- Brexit: Statements (Resumed) (11 Apr 2017)
John McGuinness: The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine's description of having friends in court and his comments on the importance of the UK market and what its approach might be are in stark contrast to some of the language being used by other European member states in respect of Britain. The Government should be encouraged to take the line that the Minister has outlined because Britain, as our...
- Brexit: Statements (Resumed) (11 Apr 2017)
John McGuinness: It is true. If the Minister for State looks at the headlines he will see the financial services companies are going to Frankfurt and elsewhere and we are not at the races in terms of the forceful argument and position we need to take to get something out of this for this country. I am not convinced that we are as well-prepared as we should be in terms of agriculture. I admire the...