Results 13,441-13,460 of 21,498 for speaker:Mary Lou McDonald

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Committee Stage (25 Nov 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: That is a mistake.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Committee Stage (25 Nov 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: I move amendment No. 38: In page 8, to delete lines 18 to 22.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Committee Stage (25 Nov 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: I move amendment No. 41: In page 8, to delete lines 29 and 30.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Committee Stage (25 Nov 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: I wish to press the amendment. I do not understand and I am not convinced that a separate transparency code is as effective as simply capturing those communications and actions within the scope of the legislation. I understand the Minister does not wish to cause a logjam in the system, as normal business must continue, but where those communications are specifically focused on changes to...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Committee Stage (25 Nov 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: When does the Minister envisage the transparency code being ready?

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Committee Stage (25 Nov 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: Within what timeframe of the Bill being enacted will the code be published?

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Committee Stage (25 Nov 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: I move amendment No. 35: In page 7, to delete line 40, and in page 8, to delete lines 1 to 5.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Committee Stage (25 Nov 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: I move amendment No. 36: In page 8, to delete lines 6 to 10.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Committee Stage (25 Nov 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: Amendment No. 41 relates to page 8, section 5(7), and proposes the deletion of lines 29 and 30. It refers to “relevant matters”, which means any matters relating to the initiation, development or modification of any public policy or of any public programme, the preparation of an enactment, or the award of any grant, loan or other financial support, contract or other agreement,...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Committee Stage (25 Nov 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: If one reads the Bill again, it is not purely matters of a technical nature. The reference is specifically to relevant matters being those related to the initiation, development or modification of a public policy or programme, preparation of an enactment, the award of a grant, loan or financial support, contract or other agreement or of any licence, apart from matters relating only to the...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Committee Stage (25 Nov 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: I thought the Minister indicated in his initial response that the measure referred only to technical matters or information.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Committee Stage (25 Nov 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: I move amendment No. 32: In page 7, to delete lines 31 to 34.The gist of this amendment is that I remain to be convinced that lobbying by commercial and non-commercial semi-State companies should be excluded from the transparency and scrutiny provisions. I propose that lines 31 to 34 be deleted.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Committee Stage (25 Nov 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: I thought the Minister might say that. There is the ebb and flow of communication between these entities and the shareholder on behalf of the State which should be exempt from this legislation. The definition of what constitutes lobbying activity is set out in the legislation-----

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Committee Stage (25 Nov 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: I move amendment No. 34: In page 7, to delete lines 35 to 38.I remain to be convinced that lobbying, including inter-member lobbying, by Government appointed members of other public bodies for the purpose of reviewing, assessing or analysing any issue of public policy with a view to reporting to the Minister or public service body should be exempt.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Committee Stage (25 Nov 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: I know, but I very much doubt that Ruhama which has lobbied me very effectively would be naming individuals or-----

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Committee Stage (25 Nov 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: -----disclosing or breaching data protection provisions.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Committee Stage (25 Nov 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: Would that not be a matter for An Garda Síochána?

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Committee Stage (25 Nov 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: The Minister must give this issue more consideration. I will also give it further consideration, but I do not believe the Minister appreciates the point I am making.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Committee Stage (25 Nov 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: I would be more positively disposed to considering these things in that spirit were the Minister in a position to give concrete examples of where that might happen. I will give him another example. Were there to be corporate lobbying of some individual, Department or public official on the arming of the Defence Forces or something like that, there might be an argument on one side to the...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Committee Stage (25 Nov 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: My concern is that, depending on their interpretation, it just might.