Results 24,581-24,600 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

Seanad: Personal Injuries Assessment Board Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (24 Nov 2003)

Mary Harney: I do not dispute the translation and I am sure it is correct. Obviously, we will have to comply with the Official Languages Act. The board is generally known as the Personal Injuries Assessment Board and that is the way it should be.

Seanad: Personal Injuries Assessment Board Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (24 Nov 2003)

Mary Harney: I think the answer is "Yes". Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Section 53 agreed to. SECTION 54. Question proposed: "That section 54 stand part of the Bill."

Seanad: Personal Injuries Assessment Board Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (24 Nov 2003)

Mary Harney: The book of quantum is a guide, it is not a bible. The impact of an injury on someone's capacity to carry out his professional work would have to be borne in mind. I understand that much information has been made available by the courts service. Tenders will shortly issue for someone to compile the book of quantum and IT systems and so on are being developed for that. The book of quantum will...

Seanad: Personal Injuries Assessment Board Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (24 Nov 2003)

Mary Harney: Is Senator Bradford asking if I think people get too much? In genuine cases I do not think that is so. When I attended a meeting of the Joint Committee on Enterprise and Small Business a couple of months ago almost every person at the meeting, from all parties, felt we should cap awards. I was surprised, but the view of the joint committee was that awards were excessive.

Seanad: Personal Injuries Assessment Board Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (24 Nov 2003)

Mary Harney: I agree with Senator Mansergh. It is now the custom and practice in both public and private bodies for the chief executive officer to be part of the board. It is good from the point of view of corporate governance and the smooth running of an organisation that the chief executive officer is given equality of treatment with other board members. A chief executive officer is placed in a...

Seanad: Personal Injuries Assessment Board Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (24 Nov 2003)

Mary Harney: I remind Senator McDowell that I am also the Minister with responsibility for consumer affairs. The PIAB will serve consumers, insurers, employers and employees, rather than barristers and solicitors. Professor Denis Cusack, a member of the board, is both a barrister and a doctor, while Frances Cooke, another member of the board, is a member of the Law Society who works as a lawyer with the...

Seanad: Personal Injuries Assessment Board Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (24 Nov 2003)

Mary Harney: I would love to see how the person would be selected. I will not accept the amendment because the board has not been established to have representatives of either branch of the legal profession. The PIAB will have in-house legal expertise and its board will have legal expertise. If Senator Henry was here – I hope I am not misrepresenting her – she could argue that the Irish Medical...

Seanad: Personal Injuries Assessment Board Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (24 Nov 2003)

Mary Harney: We are dealing with insurance as opposed to legal issues.

Seanad: Personal Injuries Assessment Board Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (24 Nov 2003)

Mary Harney: We have several people on the board representing the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and employers.

Seanad: Personal Injuries Assessment Board Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (24 Nov 2003)

Mary Harney: Lawyers have been appointed to the board, not in a representative capacity but as individuals who form part of an overall team. They have not been appointed to represent a particular branch of the profession as this would not be desirable.

Seanad: Personal Injuries Assessment Board Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (24 Nov 2003)

Mary Harney: I will not accept the amendment and I do not believe Senator McDowell expected me to do so. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Amendments Nos. 35 and 36 not moved. Sections 56 to 64, inclusive, agreed to. SECTION 65. Amendment No. 37 not moved. Question proposed: "That section 65 stand part of the Bill."

Seanad: Personal Injuries Assessment Board Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (24 Nov 2003)

Mary Harney: This obligation is fair in that it offers protection for the chief executive officer from being drawn into commenting on the policy of the Government on a day to day basis. He or she is there to account for the running of the organisation.

Seanad: Personal Injuries Assessment Board Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (24 Nov 2003)

Mary Harney: This relates to the Committee of Public Accounts. It relates to accountability for the organisation.

Seanad: Personal Injuries Assessment Board Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (24 Nov 2003)

Mary Harney: No.

Seanad: Personal Injuries Assessment Board Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (24 Nov 2003)

Mary Harney: The provision refers to the Committee of Public Accounts.

Seanad: Personal Injuries Assessment Board Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (24 Nov 2003)

Mary Harney: Subsection (1)(a) refers to ".audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General that the Board is required by this Act to prepare,". He or she comes before the committee in connection with that aspect.

Seanad: Personal Injuries Assessment Board Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (24 Nov 2003)

Mary Harney: This is the chief executive officer, not the chairperson. There is no limitation on the chairperson. The chairperson has been talking openly and freely. She is not the type of person one could gag even if one wanted to.

Seanad: Personal Injuries Assessment Board Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (24 Nov 2003)

Mary Harney: No.

Seanad: Personal Injuries Assessment Board Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (24 Nov 2003)

Mary Harney: The Senator's work for his constituents knows no bounds.

Seanad: Personal Injuries Assessment Board Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (24 Nov 2003)

Mary Harney: The Members have made reasonable points. It appears to be a standard provision in legislation such as this and I might look at it again before the Bill is passed. Question put and agreed to. Section 66 agreed to. SECTION 67. Question proposed: "That section 67 stand part of the Bill."