Results 11,141-11,160 of 21,157 for speaker:Mary Lou McDonald
- Public Accounts Committee: 2014 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 3: Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5: Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6: Office of the Chief State Solicitor (12 Nov 2015) Mary Lou McDonald: I know it is the tail end of the meeting. Let me paint the scenario and why I raise these questions. A farmer from County Tipperary attributes 500,000 litres of milk for which he has no quota to Clongowes Wood farm, which is also a school. The farmer concerned, as it happens, is connected to Glanbia. In so attributing the milk in this way, he avoids superlevies of €300,000. This...
- Public Accounts Committee: 2014 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 3: Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5: Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6: Office of the Chief State Solicitor (12 Nov 2015) Mary Lou McDonald: One of the responses I have states, "having regard to an opinion from the Chief State Solicitor's office and having considered all of the facts", the recommendation from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine was that, on balance, a prosecution was not warranted in the instance. Perhaps Ms Creedon might clarify that it is the decision of the Department, on receipt of her opinion,...
- Public Accounts Committee: 2014 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 3: Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5: Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6: Office of the Chief State Solicitor (12 Nov 2015) Mary Lou McDonald: It would go to Ms Creedon's office, perhaps the Attorney General and perhaps for the advice of counsel, but it would come back to her office.
- Public Accounts Committee: 2014 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 3: Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5: Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6: Office of the Chief State Solicitor (12 Nov 2015) Mary Lou McDonald: Can Ms Creedon tell me if that was the sequence of events in this case? Did that happen?
- Public Accounts Committee: 2014 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 3: Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5: Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6: Office of the Chief State Solicitor (12 Nov 2015) Mary Lou McDonald: Where would I find the answer to it?
- Public Accounts Committee: 2014 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 3: Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5: Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6: Office of the Chief State Solicitor (12 Nov 2015) Mary Lou McDonald: Yes, about this specific case. I do not propose to mention names.
- Public Accounts Committee: 2014 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 3: Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5: Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6: Office of the Chief State Solicitor (12 Nov 2015) Mary Lou McDonald: We have done that and, having regard to an opinion from the Chief State Solicitor's office and considered all of the facts, the Department decided that, on balance, a prosecution was not warranted. That does not answer the question I put to Ms Creedon, as to whether it went to the Attorney General for the advice of senior counsel and came back to her or whether it just landed in her office,...
- Public Accounts Committee: 2014 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 3: Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5: Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6: Office of the Chief State Solicitor (12 Nov 2015) Mary Lou McDonald: Would that be standard procedure?
- Public Accounts Committee: 2014 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 3: Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5: Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6: Office of the Chief State Solicitor (12 Nov 2015) Mary Lou McDonald: Ms Creedon does not have the detail of it with her today.
- Public Accounts Committee: 2014 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 3: Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5: Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6: Office of the Chief State Solicitor (12 Nov 2015) Mary Lou McDonald: Can she provide that detail for the committee regarding the sequence of events?
- Public Accounts Committee: 2014 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 3: Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5: Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6: Office of the Chief State Solicitor (12 Nov 2015) Mary Lou McDonald: If I wrote to the witnesses about this specific case - I would not ask about the substance of the advice, as it would be privileged and could not be provided for me - to ask what happened in it, whether it went to the Attorney General and so forth, could they write back and tell me "Yes" or "No"? Clearly, that information would be in Mr. O'Daly's office.
- Public Accounts Committee: 2014 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 3: Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5: Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6: Office of the Chief State Solicitor (12 Nov 2015) Mary Lou McDonald: The Department's representatives are not here, but Mr. O'Daly is. Perhaps he might answer on their behalf.
- Public Accounts Committee: 2014 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 3: Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5: Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6: Office of the Chief State Solicitor (12 Nov 2015) Mary Lou McDonald: Whether it came to the Attorney General directly or to that office, went to others and returned to that office, am I correct that ultimately it would have been the Department's call whether to prosecute and that this judgment is arrived at by the Department?
- Public Accounts Committee: 2014 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 3: Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5: Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6: Office of the Chief State Solicitor (12 Nov 2015) Mary Lou McDonald: Am I also be correct in saying that in the final analysis it would be for the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to make that call and that the decision would rest with him?
- Public Accounts Committee: 2014 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 3: Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5: Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6: Office of the Chief State Solicitor (12 Nov 2015) Mary Lou McDonald: What is Ms Creedon's view? What is the standard procedure?
- Public Accounts Committee: 2014 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 3: Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5: Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6: Office of the Chief State Solicitor (12 Nov 2015) Mary Lou McDonald: However, Ms Creedon is quite categorical that she gives an opinion and advice, but that the decision is taken by the Department.
- Public Accounts Committee: 2014 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 3: Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5: Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6: Office of the Chief State Solicitor (12 Nov 2015) Mary Lou McDonald: I am assuming, therefore, that it is taken by the Minister. I am making that assumption. Is that a matter the witnesses they clarify for me in this case also?
- Public Accounts Committee: 2014 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 3: Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5: Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6: Office of the Chief State Solicitor (12 Nov 2015) Mary Lou McDonald: I understand the office was consulted about this case in June 2014 and the opinion was given in September 2015 after one year and three months. Would it ordinarily take that long for an opinion to be furnished?
- Public Accounts Committee: 2014 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 3: Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5: Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6: Office of the Chief State Solicitor (12 Nov 2015) Mary Lou McDonald: Is a period of one year and three months not quite lengthy in the furnishing of a legal opinion?
- Public Accounts Committee: 2014 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 3: Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5: Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6: Office of the Chief State Solicitor (12 Nov 2015) Mary Lou McDonald: Again, if I write to Ms Creedon, can she clarify the timeframe for me and why it took one year and three months for the opinion to be given?