Results 8,341-8,360 of 27,945 for speaker:Michael McGrath

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Budget Management and Control of Health Expenditure in the context of Budget 2020: Discussion (9 Jul 2019)

Michael McGrath: Does Mr. Desmond accept that an additional €385 million was required as of May according to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform?

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Budget Management and Control of Health Expenditure in the context of Budget 2020: Discussion (9 Jul 2019)

Michael McGrath: Can Mr. Desmond come back to the committee with that breakdown?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: No Consent, No Sale Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Michael McGrath: I will start with a general remark. It is something I wish to say and I do not care whether it is in public session or private session. I do not think the way the committee is handling this issue reflects well on it. I do not believe it is satisfactory and I do not believe the procedures have been fair. A hard copy of the draft report was circulated at our meeting on Thursday morning. A...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: No Consent, No Sale Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Michael McGrath: If I could respond to that, to be fair, I remember when the draft report was circulated on Thursday at the meeting and Deputy Pearse Doherty gave some initial feedback about what was missing. He made some fair points. I tried to tease out how those would be added in. It seemed to me that there would be an addendum and that we could start preparing amendments to the first draft of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: No Consent, No Sale Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Michael McGrath: I reject out of hand what Deputy Pearse Doherty has said. The aim of the process we are involved in here is to assess the evidence we heard and come to a view on it. The Bill passed Second Stage, and anyone can read the speeches I and others made on that occasion. The purpose of a scrutiny phase is for people to listen carefully to the evidence and test it. We are getting into discussion...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: No Consent, No Sale Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Michael McGrath: If we are to be practical about this, the House is about to go into recess for two months. If we agree to nothing today, then nothing will happen. No assessment will be done. We will come back in the autumn and will still be looking for an independent assessment to be done. The best way for Deputy Pearse Doherty to advance his Bill is for him and the committee to agree today to have an...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: No Consent, No Sale Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Michael McGrath: The reality is that the report is not complete and it is not going to be completed this side of the recess. As we can see in the suggested terms of reference that I put forward in the amendment in respect of the independent impact assessment, it relates to, among other things, consumer protection, the protection of mortgage holders and so on. Given that the report will not be completed this...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: No Consent, No Sale Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Michael McGrath: When?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: No Consent, No Sale Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Michael McGrath: Thursday's meeting is a select committee meeting.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: No Consent, No Sale Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Michael McGrath: Through the Chair-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: No Consent, No Sale Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Michael McGrath: What is the benefit of the report coming before the House this side of the recess? What is the advantage of that? There can be no Committee Stage anyway until the House resumes after the recess.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: No Consent, No Sale Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Michael McGrath: Or unless Deputy Doherty does not want an independent assessment.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: No Consent, No Sale Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Michael McGrath: Great. Let us agree to it so. Let us get it done.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: No Consent, No Sale Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Michael McGrath: The Bill will not progress until September anyway. That is the whole point.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: No Consent, No Sale Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Michael McGrath: Deputy Doherty does not want the Bill tested. That is the reality.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: No Consent, No Sale Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Michael McGrath: The scrutiny is not completed until we have finished and agreed a report. Every member of this committee is entitled to table amendments to that report and have them duly considered in the normal way. To be fair, the Chairman is upholding the rights of members in that respect. We have that right and no report can be agreed until those amendments have been adjudicated upon. To answer...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: No Consent, No Sale Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Michael McGrath: What are the time constraints on Thursday?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: No Consent, No Sale Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Michael McGrath: The meeting of the select committee could be deferred to later in the day.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: No Consent, No Sale Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Michael McGrath: Is a deadline of close of business tomorrow for amendments acceptable to the secretariat, which will need to process the amendments?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: No Consent, No Sale Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Michael McGrath: That is fine. Is there a facility for further amendments to be submitted? If so, what is the deadline?