Results 30,681-30,700 of 34,778 for speaker:Seán Fleming

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Seán Fleming: Through the Chair, I am only asking out of curiosity. We all know the Irish lotto is part of the EuroMillions lottery. I have no doubt the chief executive of the national lottery is a member of some European management committee for that outfit. Perhaps the Minister would clarify the current arrangements when we get to the next Stage.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Seán Fleming: When a person's term of office in the public sector is up, he or she cannot work in the private sector until a period of 12 months has elapsed. Will the person be compensated for not being able to earn an income during that period? Will he or she receive a golden handshake? How will that be factored in? When I spoke about the remuneration of such people on amendment No. 8, the Minister...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Seán Fleming: Who will give approval for such a person to take up a job after leaving his or her post? I understand the current position is that if a senior public official leaves to work in an area outside the public service, approval is required from a more senior Secretary General to say there is no conflict of interest. That is not covered in the Bill. What level of person can grant a former...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Seán Fleming: My point has been well made.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Seán Fleming: I move amendment No. 9: In page 8, line 33, after "Oireachtas" to insert "for the approval of such reasons by each such House". For the same reasons I already outlined, I would like this amendment to be accepted.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Seán Fleming: I move amendment No. 8: In page 8, line 22, after “term” to insert “and the salary of the Regulator shall be approved by both Houses of the Oireachtas”.This amendment relates to the term of office of the regulator. Section 11 provides that such office shall be for a period of seven years and allows for a second contract of seven years. The amendment seeks to...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Seán Fleming: The Minister appears to be saying that there is merit in the proposal but not only in respect of the regulator in this area.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Seán Fleming: It is a new position.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Seán Fleming: The Minister might set this as a test case and we will support him in amending all other relevant legislation to bring it into line with this proposal.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Seán Fleming: This Bill establishes the office of the regulator of the national lottery. The Minister indicates that an office is not a State body but a regulator. He stated that cases may arise whereby a regulator needs to continue in existence when he or she has something to regulate. I accept there are instances in which new agencies are required and his own document specifically notes that...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Seán Fleming: I propose that the Minister be required to accept parliamentary questions in respect of the regulator. The HSE is a separate agency from the Department of Health and when we submit a parliamentary question to the Minister for Health it is sent to the HSE for direct reply. It is not sufficient to make the regulator available to committee for an hour or two every year. We require ongoing...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Seán Fleming: I oppose the establishment of a new quango - the national lottery regulator. I oppose every section related to the establishment of that quango. The Government has made a great play of cutting the number of State agencies. Specifically, the legislation provides for the Minister to perform the functions of the regulator on certain occasions. There is, therefore, nothing in the Bill that...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Seán Fleming: The Minister brought it up. I did not.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Seán Fleming: In light of that-----

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Seán Fleming: I will not press the amendment on this Stage but unless I get clarification on Report Stage I will have no option but to push it to a division because I raised it on Second Stage and again here. I had intended pushing this to a division now but will not because the Minister seems to be listening. On Report Stage, however, I will not accept his saying that he is still reflecting on it. I...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Seán Fleming: When does the Minister expect to do that?

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Seán Fleming: Is there a significance in which items of legislation go through the Oireachtas first? This Bill will have passed through the Oireachtas before we deal with the freedom of information legislation.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Seán Fleming: Is the Minister making a commitment that the national lottery regulator will be subject to freedom of information legislation?

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Seán Fleming: I am withdrawing it.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2013)

Seán Fleming: I fully understand that the Minister cannot put a figure on what might come through. As a result, the Minister probably cannot indicate what proportion of what might come through will be put into it. However, will he indicate to us on Report Stage and state definitively that a fund will be opened for receipt of an amount? We realise no amount can be specified nor can exact dates at this...