Results 42,401-42,420 of 50,916 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Appointments to State Boards (3 May 2011)

Micheál Martin: I have two questions, Nos. 2 and 3, on the same issue. While not wanting to get involved in party political point-scoring, for decades every Government, before its dissolution after a general election, appointed people to State boards as vacancies arose. On the Taoiseach's last day in office as Minister for Tourism and Trade he appointed a Fine Gael trustee to the board of Bord Fáilte.

Appointments to State Boards (3 May 2011)

Micheál Martin: We can all-----

Appointments to State Boards (3 May 2011)

Micheál Martin: While I welcome the change, I do not believe it is dramatic. I am conscious that even Sinn Féin, for example, had made comments-----

Appointments to State Boards (3 May 2011)

Micheál Martin: I have two. I am building up to them and will ask them if allowed without interruption. Although I heard Sinn Féin articulate concerns about this system, it was no slouch when it came to North-South bodies, for example. With regard to the Northern Ireland Executive-----

Appointments to State Boards (3 May 2011)

Micheál Martin: -----there was a Sinn Féin nominee and a DUP nominee and one could take one's pick. We should not have lectures across the House or be politically cynical about this.

Appointments to State Boards (3 May 2011)

Micheál Martin: The Taoiseach has admitted the vast majority of the 108 nominees were of good quality. I come to my point.

Appointments to State Boards (3 May 2011)

Micheál Martin: Does the Taoiseach agree that the reforms introduced by a Minister in the previous Government, Mr. Eamon Ryan, went further than those being proposed in that he actually gave authority to a committee to nominate individuals, particularly in the broadcasting arena? It was a novel approach that he adopted with the sanction of the previous Government. While what we are witnessing is welcome in...

Appointments to State Boards (3 May 2011)

Micheál Martin: Given that the policy and the parameters of any State agency are set by the Government and the Oireachtas in legislation, it does not fall within the remit of a new chairperson to dramatically change them. What one will be examining is the competence, qualifications and the capacity of the person to chair a board. In that instance, given the majority the Government has in the House and will...

Appointments to State Boards (3 May 2011)

Micheál Martin: The Taoiseach will agree that the committees already have the right to talk to the chairperson of a State agency and, indeed, they frequently do so. I ask the Taoiseach to reconsider the idea, even on a pilot basis in the case of some State agencies, of sharing the authority with committees of the House.

Constitutional Convention (3 May 2011)

Micheál Martin: Question 4: To ask the Taoiseach if he will outline details for the Programme for Government commitment to establish a constitutional convention; the legislative basis intended for the convention; and if the 12 month reporting deadline is from 9 March 2011 or from the date of establishment. [8191/11]

Written Answers — International Organisations: International Organisations (21 Apr 2011)

Micheál Martin: Question 29: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the role if any he will play in preparations for Ireland's chairmanship of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe in 2012; and the role if any he proposes to play in this chairmanship. [7684/11]

Leaders' Questions (20 Apr 2011)

Micheál Martin: The Nyberg report is a candid and clear assessment of the origins of the financial crisis and at its core is an analysis of the systemic failures, which is far more challenging than a more narrow approach. It confirms that one cannot simply take action against a number of individuals and expect that everything will be fine. It explicitly addresses the roles of the banks, regulators,...

Leaders' Questions (20 Apr 2011)

Micheál Martin: -----Departments, auditors, the media and commentators.

Leaders' Questions (20 Apr 2011)

Micheál Martin: I suggest to the Taoiseach that were Members to respond properly to the lessons of what went wrong, they must commit themselves to a much wider set of specific regulatory reforms. In this context, will the Taoiseach support the establishment of an Oireachtas regulatory oversight committee?

Leaders' Questions (20 Apr 2011)

Micheál Martin: Because the fundamental question-----

Leaders' Questions (20 Apr 2011)

Micheál Martin: The fundamental question remains as to who guards the guardians in such situations. The conventional wisdom historically and over the past decade or so advocated the independence of regulators from politicians and from the Oireachtas. That has been the conventional wisdom but when things collapse, conventional wisdom changes and Members need to endeavour-----

Leaders' Questions (20 Apr 2011)

Micheál Martin: -----to create alternatives to that approach. I suggest a proposal I have made previously, namely, the establishment of an Oireachtas regulatory oversight committee with the capacity to hire independent expert staff to assist it in its work. Members are in discussions on the establishment of committees and this presents an opportunity for this Dáil to establish such a committee to ensure...

Leaders' Questions (20 Apr 2011)

Micheál Martin: One can be highly partisan and political about this issue but that is not the point. The Nyberg report fundamentally is about a systemic failure across a range of issues and I have put forward a constructive proposal in the context of how, on an ongoing basis and in a systemic way, Members should change the way in which they do politics and business in the House by having a proper regulatory...

Leaders' Questions (20 Apr 2011)

Micheál Martin: -----in respect of what happened within the financial system is that Members should change systemically the manner in which they operate to ensure they can prevent other occurrences in the future.

Order of Business (20 Apr 2011)

Micheál Martin: The McCarthy report on State assets and companies will be published today. Will the Taoiseach agree to provide time for a debate on this when the Dáil resumes? We welcome the fact that it does not appear to recommend a fire sale of State assets; however, I have not seen the report. Commitments were made in the programme for Government by the parties in office to realise about €2 billion...