Results 11,401-11,420 of 16,492 for speaker:Ciarán Lynch

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Jun 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: I am trying to tease out the detail, as this is going to be a very-----

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Jun 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: Is it the default position that a person ends up pleading the fifth and saying that he or she cannot answer a question as to do so would breach Cabinet confidentiality?

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Jun 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: That is not the question I am asking, with respect. If a Minister or former Minister were to come in here under an investigation or inquiry, is it within his or her discretion to answer a question with regard to what actually happened in Cabinet? While he or she can invoke Cabinet confidentiality, is the default position that even if he or she might like to tell the committee what happened,...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Jun 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: Under the legislation, the proposal process will accommodate such an individual.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Jun 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: On a point of clarification, Standing Order 83 on the powers of select committees notes that the committee has the power to engage, subject to the consent of the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission, the services of persons with specialist or technical knowledge to assist it, or any of its sub-committees, in considering particular matters. Basically, therefore, we do not need legislation. We...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Jun 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: The person can demand information on the committee's behalf. The Standing Order states that a select committee is empowered to send for persons, papers and records, and may report its opinions and observations together with the minutes of evidence taken before the Dáil and also make a special report on that. Therefore, the committee actually has that power. The person working for the...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Jun 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: I think he is drawing on his experience of that structure, but it does not apply in this case.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Jun 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: Amendments Nos. 30 and 31 are related and may be discussed together.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Jun 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: Amendment No. 31 has already been discussed with amendment No. 30.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Jun 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: Amendments Nos. 32 to 34, inclusive, are related and may be discussed together.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Jun 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: In certain investigations in the House of Commons, the Comptroller and Auditor General may sit in on committee meetings and almost act in the capacity of a member. He or she may even ask questions directly of witnesses that appear before the committee. One can have an expert resident in that case. With a view to being as neutral as possible, let us assume that the balloons of a balloon...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Jun 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: I have one additional question. In respect of tribunals, for instance, there was a forewarning that if someone was going to act in a belligerent manner, the costs would be waived and the person concerned would be obliged to meet them him or herself. In such a scenario, the costs then would be picked up by the person who sought legal advice. The Minister should clarify this point.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Jun 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: Amendments Nos. 26 and 27 are related and will be discussed together.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Jun 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: I will revert to the Minister to see whether he has the right answer.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Jun 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: Given that any proposal to have an inquiry would require the permission of a House, my view is that any person's request for a proposed investigation, the duration of which might remotely extend for two years, would not even get off the floor of the House. Even if an Administration fell, it would be within the gift of the new Administration to recommence an investigation by seeking the...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Jun 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: Yes, because the Government would have collapsed and those who were members of the committee may not be re-elected, but the facility is in place for the new Administration to seek the papers from the previous Administration and recommence the investigation. I am advised that was done by the committee previously in the case of an Ombudsman report. How stands the amendment?

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Jun 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: I cannot put the question in the form of whether we think this is a good amendment.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Jun 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: Amendments Nos. 23 and 24 are related and they will be discussed together.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Jun 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: Amendment No. 21 has been discussed with amendment No. 20.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Jun 2013)

Ciarán Lynch: The censure is with the Parliament.