Results 20,021-20,040 of 36,355 for speaker:Pearse Doherty

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (16 Feb 2017)

Pearse Doherty: Okay. I know this has been delved into under subheading A4 in terms of the tribunal of inquiry. A total of €10 million has been allocated for 2017 for payments solely in regard to the Moriarty tribunal. Is that correct?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (16 Feb 2017)

Pearse Doherty: Many claims are outstanding.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (16 Feb 2017)

Pearse Doherty: The Taxing Master of the High Court will deal with the actual costs.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (16 Feb 2017)

Pearse Doherty: That brings me onto my next point. Where is his departmental Estimate for the tribunal of investigation that we are about to vote on later on today? I know the Taoiseach did not think that there would be a tribunal of investigation but we are dealing with Estimates for his Department for 2017, and there is likely to be a quite a large hole in them, given the-----

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (16 Feb 2017)

Pearse Doherty: I appreciate that. Has the Taoiseach's Department any indication of the costs that would be incurred over 2017, given that it is likely that the main part of the of the terms of reference of the inquiry will be concluded before the end of the year?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (16 Feb 2017)

Pearse Doherty: I was not here when previous tribunals of investigation were established by the Houses of the Oireachtas but I presume there would have been a forecast of their expected costs. Many of them ran way above those estimated costs but it is possible to estimate the costs involved.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (16 Feb 2017)

Pearse Doherty: I have asked the Taoiseach about a matter related to the Tribunals of Inquiry Bill 2005 on a number of occasions in recent days and previously in recent years. I am sure he is well aware of the contents of that Bill. Has he, his Department or the Cabinet, but more so he and his Department, considered introducing the cost-saving elements of that legislation in the form of emergency...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (16 Feb 2017)

Pearse Doherty: I will move on and we will pick up on this later. There is an urgency to it. Regarding the commissions of investigation, which are accounted for under subhead A5 of the Vote, €4.7 million is set aside for 2017, and it is referenced that this concerns the Fennelly and IBRC commissions of investigation. I am nearly sure - perhaps it is referred to somewhere in this document - that...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (16 Feb 2017)

Pearse Doherty: Where is that €10 million?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (16 Feb 2017)

Pearse Doherty: We are conflating two matters. The IBRC investigation is completely separate. The point I was raising is that I am nearly sure the Taoiseach or the Minister, Deputy Noonan - possibly both - has informed the Dáil that €10 million has been set aside for a commission of investigation into the establishment of NAMA. I apologise if I am incorrect. I do not have the transcript in...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (16 Feb 2017)

Pearse Doherty: No. Again, I apologise if I am misportraying what the Taoiseach has said, but the point is that I am 99% sure he has informed the House that €10 million has been set aside for the commission of investigation into NAMA. I am nearly certain of this but I do not have the record before me. Perhaps he can clarify the matter, as we are dealing with his Estimates. Is €10 million...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (16 Feb 2017)

Pearse Doherty: It is not accounted for in the Vote.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (16 Feb 2017)

Pearse Doherty: It is clear no money is set aside in the Estimates for the Department of the Taoiseach this year for a commission of investigation into NAMA.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (16 Feb 2017)

Pearse Doherty: The problem with this is that the amount of money we talked about is €10 million. That creates another €10 million hole in our budget. If the money is to be spent, it must come from somewhere else. We were led to believe that this was provided for.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (16 Feb 2017)

Pearse Doherty: I will finish with this question. The Taoiseach has on many occasions declared himself the Minister for Brexit. What is his position on the Revenue Commissioners' scouting for locations for customs posts in my county of Donegal and other counties? He told Deputy Adams yesterday, "I hope nobody is looking for sites along the Border." However, the Taoiseach's Minister for Finance was before...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (16 Feb 2017)

Pearse Doherty: I agree with the Taoiseach that it is a political-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Report on Cost of Motor Insurance: Minister of State at the Department of Finance (16 Feb 2017)

Pearse Doherty: I was breezing through the report and the page that is open in front of me relates to the Garda Síochána. Obviously we have been very much engaged with issues in respect of Garda and Garda accountability and how the Government handled the latest Garda controversy. Recommendation No. 26 is that the insurance industry actually funds a section of the Garda Síochána. I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Report on Cost of Motor Insurance: Minister of State at the Department of Finance (16 Feb 2017)

Pearse Doherty: Let me repeat that I am issuing a very clear warning shot that this is a very slippery slope. I understand the Minister of State is dealing with all the different recommendations and precedent and all the rest. At the extreme level it could be viewed as the privatisation to a certain nature of a certain section of the Garda. We know that in respect of the Central Bank, that regulation was...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Report on Cost of Motor Insurance: Minister of State at the Department of Finance (16 Feb 2017)

Pearse Doherty: The precedent is terrible. Do we allow big business to fund sections of the Garda Síochána that would be of benefit to big business if more resources were put into X, Y or Z? That is the difficulty.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Report on Cost of Motor Insurance: Minister of State at the Department of Finance (16 Feb 2017)

Pearse Doherty: With respect, a precedent has already been set. This is a Government document approved by Cabinet which recommends consideration by Government of allowing big business to directly fund a section of An Garda Síochána. We have not yet gone down the road of implementation and my advice to the Minister of State is to step back from that.