Results 2,441-2,460 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jan 2014)

Alan Shatter: Government amendments Nos. 56 and 58 are again designed to remove any perception of ministerial influence or real ministerial influence over the authority with regard to the matters concerned and cite the joint committee, where appropriate. I am therefore opposing amendments Nos. 54, 55, 57 and 59. In subsection (2), the annual report will now be in such form and include information in...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jan 2014)

Alan Shatter: The legislation was framed in a certain manner as it was always intended that the authority would operate as an independent body. The Bill was prepared with extraordinary speed; Deputies will recall that the Government was formed on 9 March 2011 and operated under an agreement entered into by the previous Government with the troika. The legislation was supposed to be published by the end of...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jan 2014)

Alan Shatter: We will all stay away from that.

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jan 2014)

Alan Shatter: I was only joking. The Deputy should not look so serious.

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jan 2014)

Alan Shatter: I move amendment No. 56: In page 23, subsection (2), line 16, to delete "or as the Minister may direct".

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jan 2014)

Alan Shatter: I move amendment No. 58: In page 23, to delete lines 19 and 20 and substitute the following: "(4) The Authority shall give to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality, or any Oireachtas Joint Committee that may replace that committee such other information it may require in respect of—".

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jan 2014)

Alan Shatter: It is important to point out, for emphasis of context, that section 15(1) is a safeguard provision prohibiting the disclosure of confidential information obtained in the performance by specified persons of their functions on behalf of the regulatory authority. The thrust of the entire section is to prohibit unauthorised disclosure of information but it is important to retain certain...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jan 2014)

Alan Shatter: I moved amendment No. 45: In page 22, between lines 28 and 29, to insert the following subsection:“(4) Nothing in subsection (1) shall prevent the disclosure of information by a person in the circumstances referred to in section 35(2) of the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995.”.

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jan 2014)

Alan Shatter: Government amendments Nos. 47, 49 and 52 are part of a suite of amendments aimed at removing any perception of ministerial influence over the authority by way of required consent or otherwise in relation to the matters concerned. The new provisions also refer to joint committee instead of the Minister and effectively achieve the objectives of the Deputy.

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jan 2014)

Alan Shatter: That is what I am saying. The body will report to the Oireachtas joint committee, not the Minister in the manner as it was originally framed in the Bill. I come back to the point that there are all sorts of interesting and exciting motives attached to the way we approached this originally. The way we approached it was based on the precedent of similar bodies. The Deputy knows that there...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jan 2014)

Alan Shatter: I move amendment No. 36: In page 17, subsection (1)(a), line 35, to delete “functions.” and substitute the following:"functions, but in each year shall hold not less than one meeting in each period of three months.".As this is the first meeting of the new year, without wishing to be accused of rambling, I wish all members of the committee a happy new year. To deal directly...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jan 2014)

Alan Shatter: I move amendment No. 37: In page 17, lines 40 to 43, to delete subsection (2) and substitute the following:"(2) The quorum for a meeting of the Authority shall be 5, of whom not fewer than 2 shall be lay members, and not fewer than 2 shall be members other than lay members.".

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jan 2014)

Alan Shatter: I move amendment No. 38: In page 18, subsection (3), line 1, to delete "The Minister shall, in consultation with the Chairperson," and substitute "The Chairperson shall".This amendment removes any ministerial involvement from determining when and where the authority should first meet. The chairperson will determine this alone within three months of the authority's establishment day. This is...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jan 2014)

Alan Shatter: I move amendment No. 39: In page 18, subsection (1)(c), line 28, to delete "to that Parliament to fill a vacancy" and substitute "to be a member of the European Parliament". This is a technical, drafting amendment which I am told by the Parliamentary Counsel is necessary.

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jan 2014)

Alan Shatter: I move amendment No. 40: In page 19, subsection (2)(a), line 27, to delete “committee,” and substitute “committee, and”.This is a technical drafting amendment recommended by Parliamentary Counsel.

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jan 2014)

Alan Shatter: I move amendment No. 41: In page 19, subsection (5), line 39, to delete “the Minister given with the consent of”.The proposed amendments to sections 21 and 27 are part of a suite of amendments aimed at removing ministerial influence, or any perception of ministerial influence, over the authority, while retaining a role for the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform with a...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jan 2014)

Alan Shatter: I move amendment No. 42: In page 20, subsection (1), lines 13 and 14, to delete “the Minister and”.

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jan 2014)

Alan Shatter: I move amendment No. 43: In page 20, subsection (2), lines 22 and 23, to delete “the Minister given with the consent of”.

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jan 2014)

Alan Shatter: I have proposed that section 14 be deleted. The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has requested that section 14 be deleted from the Bill because it duplicates provisions contained in the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995. The authority and tribunal will fall within the scope of the 1994 Act, the first Schedule of which, in section 1(12), provides that a body, organisation or group...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jan 2014)

Alan Shatter: I am aware of the concerns that have been expressed about this section. I am, however, opposed to this amendment. While I am happy to consider any concerns the Deputy may have about aspects of section 15 of the Bill as published, I am still considering this section, along with section 17, in response to concerns that have been expressed by the Law Society. I will, therefore, revert to the...