Results 2,041-2,060 of 2,156 for speaker:Tom Parlon

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Bill 2002: Committee Stage. (1 Jul 2003)

Tom Parlon: I understand fully the reason Members of this House would want their own head of staff to be a member of the commission. It is very laudable.

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Bill 2002: Committee Stage. (1 Jul 2003)

Tom Parlon: It is laudable, I will go no further than that. It reminds me of situations in the GAA where people want their own team member on the team, regardless of the job.

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Bill 2002: Committee Stage. (1 Jul 2003)

Tom Parlon: I did not get a chance to respond when the Leader of the House was taking great affront at the deliberate attempts to downgrade the House. As a spokesman for the Government I would not dream for a minute of attempting—

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Bill 2002: Committee Stage. (1 Jul 2003)

Tom Parlon: Whoever who comes in here in a wearisome manner, it is not I. I have never felt under an obligation to come. I have always been fascinated and delighted with the opportunity to come to this House. The Clerk of the Dáil will act as Secretary General of the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission and I am sure the Leader of the House will accept that one person in that capacity is quite...

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Bill 2002: Committee Stage. (1 Jul 2003)

Tom Parlon: In terms of the experiment suggested, it would not suit the case here. We could keep on adding to the commission until it was bigger than this House or the Dáil, under the proposals that have been made. As far as partnership is concerned, the staff in this House work very long hours depending on the legislation that is going through. This week is an example. There is a suggestion that as...

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Bill 2002: Committee Stage. (1 Jul 2003)

Tom Parlon: The word "furnished" may be missing, possibly after the words "shall be" on line 26.

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Bill 2002: Committee Stage. (1 Jul 2003)

Tom Parlon: However, as I am not certain, I wish to check with my officials.

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Bill 2002: Committee Stage. (1 Jul 2003)

Tom Parlon: To clarify, the subsection makes sense if one omits paragraph (a) as well as paragraph (b) up to and including the words paragraph (a) on line 33. It then reads: (3) In each year a statement of estimates of the Commission shall be– . furnished by the Secretary General to the Minister not later than 30 days before the presentation by the Minister to Dáil Éireann of the Estimates of the...

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Bill 2002: Committee Stage. (1 Jul 2003)

Tom Parlon: The word is required in paragraph (b) to explain the timing of the furnishing of the statement of Estimates to the Minister, in other words, when Dáil Éireann has taken note of the statement in accordance with paragraph (a).

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Bill 2002: Committee Stage. (1 Jul 2003)

Tom Parlon: Yes.

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Bill 2002: Committee Stage. (1 Jul 2003)

Tom Parlon: No. Question put and agreed to. Section 14 agreed to.

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Bill 2002: Second Stage. (26 Jun 2003)

Tom Parlon: I am a recent recruit to parliamentary life. Like some other Members, I celebrated my first anniversary in the last week or so.

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Bill 2002: Second Stage. (26 Jun 2003)

Tom Parlon: I thank the Senator. It did not take me long to notice that most of us have to cope with working long hours here during the legislative and committee sessions and with the insistent demands, in all seasons and on all days, of supporters and organisations, locally and nationally. Neither I nor the Minister for Finance ever held out the promise that if this Bill is enacted, the everyday...

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Bill 2002: Second Stage. (26 Jun 2003)

Tom Parlon: The phrase "Office of the Houses of the Oireachtas" is a bit of a mouthful for ordinary conversation, but what it describes in practice is the administrative and support machine that provides the back-up of essential services to serve and sustain these Houses and their Members in discharging their public functions here. The essence of the Bill is that it provides for the Houses of the...

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Bill 2002: Second Stage. (26 Jun 2003)

Tom Parlon: I thank all the Senators for their contributions which were well thought out. Opposition speakers have received the Bill warmly and been quite generous in their praise for the contribution of the Minister for Finance, Deputy McCreevy, in improving facilities for staff and Members of the Houses.

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Bill 2002: Second Stage. (26 Jun 2003)

Tom Parlon: Senator White and the Leader of the House are two very forceful ladies, as are some other Members—

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Bill 2002: Second Stage. (26 Jun 2003)

Tom Parlon: The issues raised by the Senators will be dealt with by the commission. The make-up of the commission will be vital. We know who three of the members will be and I suspect that the remaining seven will be decided before next January. Obviously that is an important decision to take. I have the utmost faith in both Houses in selecting the right people and that those individuals, when appointed,...

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Bill 2002: Second Stage. (26 Jun 2003)

Tom Parlon: The independence of the commission will be very important for the future. Senator Higgins referred to decoupling which is a very "in" word at present. I did not receive a full report on the outcome of what happened last night, but I am sure—

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Bill 2002: Second Stage. (26 Jun 2003)

Tom Parlon: —I will hear all about it in the coming days.

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Bill 2002: Second Stage. (26 Jun 2003)

Tom Parlon: The decoupling of the input of the Minister for Finance in terms of administration and passing it back to an independent commission is positive and should lead the way.