Results 11,741-11,760 of 74,100 for speaker:Bernard Durkan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of the Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2020: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Bernard Durkan: I welcome the members and viewers who may be watching these proceedings of the public session of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and the Taoiseach on television or on the Oireachtas TV channel. The purpose of today's meeting is to begin a detailed scrutiny of the Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2020, which is a Private Members' Bill....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of the Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2020: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Bernard Durkan: I have a couple of questions from this vantage point, if that it is okay. First, I agree entirely on the necessity for openness and transparency and that everybody should be represented, and the citizen has that particular right. As Members of the Oireachtas, and even as members of local authorities, we have all promoted ideas at one time or another that became the law eventually. I wonder...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of the Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2020: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Bernard Durkan: I was not necessarily referring to this particular legislation, but to the amalgam of all legislation, some contemplated and some perhaps not.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of the Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2020: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Bernard Durkan: I should tell the witnesses that some of us have had experiences over many years. For example, it is not at all unusual to put down a legitimate parliamentary question on some subject regarding an activity or individual in some Department to deal with an issue which may have lain dormant for some time. The question, though, may be refused as inappropriate under this heading and it may be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of the Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2020: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Bernard Durkan: I thank Professor Murphy. Would anybody else like to contribute? I call Senator Higgins.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of the Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2020: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Bernard Durkan: I thank the Senator. Which of our guests wishes to run with that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of the Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2020: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Bernard Durkan: I thank the witnesses for attending and members for participating. The committee will briefly suspend to allow the second group of witnesses to enter. I look forward to our next meeting with our guests.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of the Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2020: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Bernard Durkan: We will continue our consideration of the Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2020, which is a Private Members' Bill, with Ms Sherry Perreault, head of ethics and lobbying regulation in the Standards in Public Office Commission - a very useful person to have at this meeting - and Mr. Anthony Murray, assistant principal in its lobbying regulation unit. You are both very welcome. We will...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of the Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2020: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Bernard Durkan: I thank Ms Perreault for that. I call Mr. Murray.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of the Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2020: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Bernard Durkan: You have nothing to add to that yet. I have no doubt you will be inspired as time moves on.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of the Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2020: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Bernard Durkan: Our first questioner is Deputy Farrell. Vice Chairman: Possibly so.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of the Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2020: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Bernard Durkan: The rule that applies is that we should not name "any person or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable" in the course of the debate.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of the Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2020: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Bernard Durkan: The Deputy raised individual cases previously, which is outside the bounds of what the committee is about. I am obliged to make that point.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of the Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2020: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Bernard Durkan: I am obliged to make that point and await the answer.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of the Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2020: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Bernard Durkan: We accept the regulations that might apply to remunerative positions post employment. Are non-remunerative positions equally controlled?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of the Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2020: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Bernard Durkan: My next question relates to positions taken by public representatives in the normal pursuit of public business. Lobbyists or members of the public may come on-stream in support of the position taken by the public representative. Does that impose any restrictions on the public representative?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of the Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2020: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Bernard Durkan: I referred to this earlier. Public representatives usually raise questions about an issue and regard it as within our remit to do so. It may well happen that some of the issues we raise of our own volition may, from time to time, also fall within an area also covered by lobbyists. We may not know that at all and have the need to pursue our business independently. Does that create problems...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of the Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2020: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Bernard Durkan: Would anybody else like to come in? No. In that case, I thank our guests for their attendance. The meeting was informative and will be of benefit in the pursuit of this particular legislation in the future.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: National Development Plan (12 Oct 2021)

Bernard Durkan: 7. To ask the Taoiseach the extent to which projects that fall within the aegis of his Department and are within the revised National Development Plan are at an advanced stage at present or are in course thereof; the extent to which preliminary work has taken place or on-site works are in hand or proposed; and the expected delivery date of each. [49262/21]

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: National Development Plan (12 Oct 2021)

Bernard Durkan: 26. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the extent to which projects that fall within the aegis of his Department and are within the revised National Development Plan are at an advanced stage at present or are in course thereof; the extent to which preliminary work has taken place or on-site works are in hand or proposed; the expected delivery date of each; and if he will...