Results 21,221-21,240 of 26,624 for speaker:John McGuinness
- Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)
John McGuinness: Since 21 April, I have been looking at what has been written about me in the newspapers and wondering where it all came from and how far it is away from the fact that we have travelled. There is the fact about the office and the fact about the toilet roll which have been dealt with.
- Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)
John McGuinness: I do not think it is proper for me to ask the FOI officer if further requests have been made. I am not sure one can do that. If it is the view of the committee that I should make such contact, I have no difficulty doing so. I have never contacted members of the committee with a view to influencing their direction in any way. I have always allowed things to happen in a public, transparent...
- Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)
John McGuinness: In comparing me with Rody Molloy, Deputy Harris is comparing chalk with cheese. I want to be absolutely clear about that. The guidelines are set down by the Department and have been followed by past and current Ministers. Ministers do not sign off on their own foreign travel, including hotel arrangements and so on.
- Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)
John McGuinness: Ministers do not do that. I suggest that the Deputy needs to look closer at what happened in regard to FÁS and the gentleman about whom he has spoken, before comparing me with him.
- Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)
John McGuinness: The Deputy asked a question, which I would like to answer. The Department makes all of the Minister's travel arrangements, including payment of same and so on. I did not do that. I can only answer for myself. I cannot answer for anybody else. The Deputy asked how having done what I did I can chair the Committee of Public Accounts. I put it to him that I was appointed as a Minister of...
- Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)
John McGuinness: No. I am anxious that the committee apply the same level of scrutiny to me as it would to any other person. I do not expect anything short of that.
- Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)
John McGuinness: Go ahead. The Taoiseach of the day nominates his Cabinet. The Cabinet handbook - I did not receive a copy of it as I was not a Minister - sets out how things are to be conducted. As I said in my opening remarks, in 2007 I was nominated to travel on a St. Patrick's Day mission. I brought my wife with me and, yes, the State paid. That was part of what was agreed could be done at that time....
- Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)
John McGuinness: I did not say "every Minister".
- Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)
John McGuinness: The simple request at the end of July was that if I was going on a trade mission, could I pay for my wife to come with me, or I will pay for my wife to come with me.
- Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)
John McGuinness: No, just one second.
- Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)
John McGuinness: The Vice Chairman asked me the question. Could he allow me to answer it?
- Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)
John McGuinness: I am going to explain it to the Vice Chairman. He is incorrectly interpreting what is in this correspondence. I asked whether it was possible to pay for my wife to go on a trade mission. I said all of this in my earlier remarks and the Vice Chairman is now referring to this which I referred to as the 27th but which is actually the 29th.
- Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)
John McGuinness: It says here in the e-mail you will be able to establish that it was always my intention to pay for my wife relative to this trade mission the Vice Chairman is speaking about. Once it was explained to me, then my wife did not go.
- Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)
John McGuinness: I will deal with that in a second.
- Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)
John McGuinness: The protocol is that wives do not travel on trade missions and I accepted that. The Vice Chairman asked me if I accepted that. Yes, I do.
- Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)
John McGuinness: That I accept it. I accepted it then and I accept it now.
- Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)
John McGuinness: I am giving the Vice Chairman a simple an answer. I accepted it then and I accept it now.
- Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)
John McGuinness: Is that clear?
- Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)
John McGuinness: As I said in my earlier remarks, there are two issues here. One has to accept clearly that I accepted the first issue and my wife did not travel. It is important for me to state that even though I was going to pay.
- Public Accounts Committee: Statement by Chairman (13 Jun 2013)
John McGuinness: That was a discussion we were having in relation to these e-mails and my response and I accepted that could not happen, that would not happen and that did not happen.