Results 11,921-11,940 of 15,555 for speaker:Eoghan Murphy

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (12 Mar 2015)

Eoghan Murphy: My final question is intended to get Mr. McDonald's opinion on something because it is something I am trying to think through myself. In Mr. McDonald's opinion is there an ethical difference between a councillor taking money to vote a certain way and a Minister or a Government party introducing a tax incentive after receiving donations from someone who will then benefit from it?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (12 Mar 2015)

Eoghan Murphy: I thank Mr. McDonald.

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Reliefs Availability (11 Mar 2015)

Eoghan Murphy: 57. To ask the Minister for Finance his views on treating assistance-dogs for autistic children, in the same way as guide-dogs for blind persons, in terms of the taxation system. [10629/15]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Provision (11 Mar 2015)

Eoghan Murphy: 102. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide information on the following service delivery (details supplied) contracted out by the Health Service Executive. [10675/15]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (11 Mar 2015)

Eoghan Murphy: 123. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to provide additional resources and hours to children attending school in September 2015 who have been assessed and diagnosed with mild Down syndrome. [10630/15]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Television Licence Fee Collection (11 Mar 2015)

Eoghan Murphy: 148. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the person responsible for the administration of the television licence and the last time that the administrative operations of the licence were reviewed and-or audited; and his views on the records management and efficiency of the service and the cost of delivery. [10674/15]

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (11 Mar 2015)

Eoghan Murphy: I welcome Professor Farrell. In his opening statement he said the culture of the Parliament needs to be attuned to its role as a more equal playervis-à-vis the Government. Nowhere in the document does he mention Whip reform. Does the use of the Whip have a role in bringing balance and making Parliament able to hold the Government more effectively to account?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (11 Mar 2015)

Eoghan Murphy: Professor Farrell mentioned the powers committees have. If a committee is to effectively hold the Government of the day to account, does it need an Opposition Chairman to do so?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (11 Mar 2015)

Eoghan Murphy: In his answers to Deputy Doherty, Professor Farrell spoke about the role the Oireachtas might have played in the lead-up to the crisis and whether it played a contributory role. He mentioned it took its eye off the ball. Was it not more than this? A bad budgetary decision is ultimately made by Parliament. Is this not where ultimate responsibility then rests for decisions taken by government?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (11 Mar 2015)

Eoghan Murphy: Will Professor Farrell weight this blame? Are they equally responsible or is one more responsible than the other?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (11 Mar 2015)

Eoghan Murphy: When it comes to issues such as budgetary decisions, is it possible to distinguish between the Government and the Dáil?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (11 Mar 2015)

Eoghan Murphy: Professor Farrell believes it is possible to distinguish between the two and he can see a clear line.

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (11 Mar 2015)

Eoghan Murphy: When it comes to the budgetary process, Professor Farrell examined other jurisdictions. Does he believe the process here is unusual in that the decision is taken by the Government, and once it is taken it is debated by the Parliament? Is this sequence of events unusual vis-à-visother parliaments?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (11 Mar 2015)

Eoghan Murphy: Has Professor Farrell seen any significant changes to our budgetary process since the pre-crisis and crisis period?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (11 Mar 2015)

Eoghan Murphy: We know from the pre-crisis period that there was extraordinary access on the part of the banks to senior political figures. When we look at that context, does access necessarily mean influence in policy decision making? If we think it does, are we talking about limiting access or just monitoring it?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (11 Mar 2015)

Eoghan Murphy: Would good design mean limiting access or just monitoring it more effectively?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (11 Mar 2015)

Eoghan Murphy: In respect of the lobbying Bill, does Professor Hardiman think it is important that where an informal contact is made, there is a requirement that this be noted and published? It is coming back to this idea of a small society and people bumping into people, people knowing each other, meeting someone at the golf course and something getting raised in that context.

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (11 Mar 2015)

Eoghan Murphy: In respect of the idea of creating an environment for competition among ideas, is the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council, which Professor Hardiman mentioned previously, an example of how one creates that environment or could it be seen as an example of creating another agency or voice that may or may not be listened to?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (11 Mar 2015)

Eoghan Murphy: Coming back to the idea of institutional design and looking back to the pre-crisis years, does Professor Hardiman think that the Oireachtas was designed in a way that meant it could effectively oversee Government action or did it merely come down to the way it was used?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (11 Mar 2015)

Eoghan Murphy: At point 4 of the professor's letter of 12 February, the Official Report of 15 January, he notes that he has not attempted to correct inaccuracies or clarify ambiguities in the Official Report of what was certainly a very complex and fast-moving conversation. What inaccuracies is he talking about?