Results 25,961-25,980 of 35,894 for speaker:Pearse Doherty

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (11 Mar 2015)

Pearse Doherty: Does Professor Farrell believe that politicians have the ability to reform parliament to the degree he believes it needs to be reformed? It would mean ceding power from Government to the Oireachtas. Does he believe that is possible? Does he believe it is not possible?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (11 Mar 2015)

Pearse Doherty: The professor mentioned that since 2011 there have been attempts at Dáil reform and went on to say they were little more than cosmetic. What did he mean? Why have the changes been little more than cosmetic?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (11 Mar 2015)

Pearse Doherty: The professor has mentioned, as he did in his opening statement, that one useful innovation has been the introduction of pre-legislative scrutiny. All of us on this committee are familiar with the way scrutiny works. Under the terms of reference of this committee of inquiry, we can look at IBRC and its liquidation. The professor may know that the legislation to liquidate the IBRC passed...

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (11 Mar 2015)

Pearse Doherty: I am not sure if the professor followed yesterday's evidence from Mr. Carswell but he told the committee the following: Individuals who worked in the political arena afterwards took up highly paid roles representing and lobbying on behalf of the construction and financial industry. Easy and ready access to politicians brought easy and ready access to policy and decision-making that drove...

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (11 Mar 2015)

Pearse Doherty: I wish to raise the issue of the Irish budgetary process. Professor Farrell mentioned in his statement that there is a "tightly controlled, highly secretive budgetary process." Can he explain what he meant by that comment? Who benefits and does anybody benefit from such a secretive process?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (11 Mar 2015)

Pearse Doherty: The professor said that to have an effective parliamentary democracy there are three key factors and one of them is the culture of open and transparent government, a culture that is lacking in this State. In this module we are here to deal with the relationship between property, finance, politicians, developers and so on. Would a culture of open and transparent government hinder or help...

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (11 Mar 2015)

Pearse Doherty: Professor Farrell said earlier, I think in response to Senator O'Keeffe, that the Oireachtas is not an actor that matters. In terms of framing economic policy, apart from Government, which he has mentioned, I ask Professor Farrell to outline the actors that matter, if any?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (11 Mar 2015)

Pearse Doherty: Framing economic policy.

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (11 Mar 2015)

Pearse Doherty: Professor Farrell is very hard on himself. That is a fair enough answer to it. He spoke at length about removing the Whips from committees. Let me quote to him a statement in recent weeks by a Deputy who called a vote at a committee. He stated:What happened subsequently was that members of the Select Committee who were absent had to be substituted so seven substitutions were made. Seven...

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (11 Mar 2015)

Pearse Doherty: The current configuration in the Dáil has a large number of Independents. We have a Technical Group which has been a feature of, I think, the four most recent Dáileanna. Within that period for a number of years there was no ability to establish a Technical Group because the numbers were below seven. Indeed it was my election to the Dáil in a by-election that allowed a...

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (11 Mar 2015)

Pearse Doherty: Who agrees the Dáil Standing Orders at this point in time?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (11 Mar 2015)

Pearse Doherty: We have had the conversation about power, relinquishing power and empowering the Parliament. Is there a role or has there been a role for an independent authority in any of the areas Professor Farrell has studied to look at this issue and make recommendations, such as an electoral commission to look at constituency boundaries? If there is a failure in what Professor Farrell says to reform...

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (11 Mar 2015)

Pearse Doherty: Professor Hardiman made reference to groupthink in the run-up to the crisis. Has she identified traces of groupthink currently within our parliamentary system?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (11 Mar 2015)

Pearse Doherty: Does Professor Hardiman believe it is a thing of the past or not? Has it been confined to the immediate post-crisis period? She talked about three areas, but does she think it is just a post-crisis issue or is it still an issue today?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (11 Mar 2015)

Pearse Doherty: On page 2 of her statement Professor Hardiman argues that "privileged groups should not be able to gain preferential access to decision-making in ways that would distort considerations of public interest." I ask her to enlighten the committee on how to define this; how the public would know and how we can protect ourselves in that type of scenario, that is, where there is privileged access...

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (11 Mar 2015)

Pearse Doherty: Professor Hardiman quoted the World Economic Forum report of 2014 which highlighted "favouritism in decisions of Government officials". Could she explain what this phrase means? Has she any evidence to back up this statement?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (11 Mar 2015)

Pearse Doherty: Does Professor Honohan think it appropriate that a potential likely witness to this inquiry, a committee investigation set up by the Houses of the Oireachtas, should contact another witness to the inquiry to suggest the evidence he has given is untrue?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (11 Mar 2015)

Pearse Doherty: Does Professor Honohan not think it is more appropriate that the information be related to the committee?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (11 Mar 2015)

Pearse Doherty: Did Professor Honohan not have the conversation?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (11 Mar 2015)

Pearse Doherty: On four occasions - once in response to a question from Senator O'Keeffe and three times in response to me - Professor Honohan attributed comments and direct quotes to a conversation that he now acknowledges did not happen. Is that the correct position?