Results 12,721-12,740 of 21,096 for speaker:Charles Flanagan

Seanad: Civil Law (Missing Persons) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (18 Oct 2017)

Charles Flanagan: Yes. I acknowledge the Senators' comments and applaud them for their work in this regard. The situation this Bill seeks to address is not one the majority of people will ever have to encounter. I agree with Senator Ó Clochartaigh, however, in that for those who do encounter it, I can only imagine the consequent pain and grief that arise and, unfortunately, will continue. As a...

Seanad: Civil Law (Missing Persons) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (18 Oct 2017)

Charles Flanagan: It is only an indicative date.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (18 Oct 2017)

Charles Flanagan: I thank the Chairman and members. I welcome the commencement of the Committee Stage debate on this important piece of legislation, the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017. Let me emphasise that this major piece of legislation arises from public consultations in 2014 on the widespread appreciation of the necessity to reform the system for the appointment of members of the Judiciary. ...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (18 Oct 2017)

Charles Flanagan: Yes.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (18 Oct 2017)

Charles Flanagan: I hope to be here until after 12 noon. There are other commitments in the Seanad and the Dáil, but they are somewhat fluid in terms of the scheduling of business. We will meet for three or three and a half hours, or more if the intention of the committee is to sit all day. I have a commitment after lunch in the Seanad and a Dáil commitment at some point around lunchtime....

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (18 Oct 2017)

Charles Flanagan: What is the committee's thinking?

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (18 Oct 2017)

Charles Flanagan: I may be in some difficulty at around 12 noon or 12.15 p.m., but I am ultimately in the hands of the committee.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (18 Oct 2017)

Charles Flanagan: If members are satisfied with that, I would not have a difficulty. We all have busy schedules, but I am keen to get as much work done as possible.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (18 Oct 2017)

Charles Flanagan: The first group of amendments relates to an expressed desire on the part of members to take out or eliminate any reference to the office of the new commission and its proposed director. The amendments, taken together, would eliminate the administrative support office established under Part 5 of the Bill in sections 32 to 34. The Deputy also intends to delete sections 32 and 34 in their...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (18 Oct 2017)

Charles Flanagan: As a member of Government, I am very conscious of the need to ensure that there is value for money, not only on these issues but across Government. I find it difficult to accept the basic premise of Deputy O'Callaghan's amendment when he said that the entire cost of the current regime is €5,000. I would imagine that a couple of advertisements in a newspaper would amount to €5,000.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (18 Oct 2017)

Charles Flanagan: I fail to see that that is the entire cost-----

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (18 Oct 2017)

Charles Flanagan: -----of running the current process.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (18 Oct 2017)

Charles Flanagan: I have certainly formed the view that it is more than €5,000.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (18 Oct 2017)

Charles Flanagan: The Deputies have said that the entire cost of the current process is €5,000. I find that very difficult to accept and, in fact, I do not believe that is the case. The cost is considerably more than the sum of €5,000. In any event, this is a completely different structure. It is a completely different body. It is a body that is empowered in a way that the current Judicial...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (18 Oct 2017)

Charles Flanagan: In terms of actual expenditure on or on behalf of the current Judicial Appointments Advisory Board, the money comes from the Courts Service. It is not effectively expenditure that is accountable in the Justice and Equality Vote. I am sure I will be in a position at an early date to provide the Select Committee with a breakdown of costings from the Courts Service. I would be very surprised...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (18 Oct 2017)

Charles Flanagan: The overall purpose of these provisions is to exclude from the definition of "lay person" a person who is currently employed in the service of the State in a role where it was a requirement to have been a practising barrister or solicitor. I am not inclined to accept that there is any need for this refinement of the definition. I am satisfied that the definition is sufficiently wide to...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (18 Oct 2017)

Charles Flanagan: I am sure that Deputy Daly will contribute in any event lest I in some way misinterpret or misconstrue the import of her amendment. Its purpose seems to be to insert into section 2, which deals with definitions, a modification of the definition of "lay person" to allow for nominees to the commission from FLAC and the ICCL to be considered as lay persons. This relates to amendments Nos. 33...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (18 Oct 2017)

Charles Flanagan: That would be amendment No. 69.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (18 Oct 2017)

Charles Flanagan: I am open to further consideration of the issues Deputy Daly has raised on the matter of the categories of members of the commission. In section 15 of the Bill, which deals with the selection categories, there is specific reference in subsection (7) to the categories of people having experience in human rights, equality or issues concerning diversity among members of society; commerce,...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (18 Oct 2017)

Charles Flanagan: Yes. I will respond to Deputy O'Callaghan first. My political views are entirely in accordance with the programme for Government, as a Member of the Government that agreed the programme. This legislation is an important component of the programme for Government. It is challenging to sustain a position that a member of the Judiciary who for one reason or another steps down from that role...