Results 13,581-13,600 of 20,099 for speaker:Brian Stanley
- Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (16 Dec 2020)
Brian Stanley: I agree with the Deputy. Of course, we do not want to restrict ourselves in terms of examining the finances or accounts of any organisation or Department where public money is concerned. The point I am making is that sometimes another committee may want to look at an issue from a different angle. If that committee invited a witness before us, we are not going to get into a jostling match...
- Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (16 Dec 2020)
Brian Stanley: We have come back to Standing Order 218 so we need to make a decision about what we are going to do about it.
- Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (16 Dec 2020)
Brian Stanley: I do not know but we can get the answer.
- Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (16 Dec 2020)
Brian Stanley: There are two separate strands here. We can decide on Standing Order 218 in a minute but a specific issue was raised relating to last week's meeting. Clarification has been sought as to whether the issue was specified on the invite and the answer is that we must check back. We will get clarification on that in the coming days. There is some uncertainty around it at the moment. It is...
- Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (16 Dec 2020)
Brian Stanley: We meet very intermittently.
- Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (16 Dec 2020)
Brian Stanley: I do not want to misrepresent the chairpersons of the other committees but to be honest, this has not become an issue for them.
- Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (16 Dec 2020)
Brian Stanley: Yes. The only committee that this will restrict is the Committee of Public Accounts. Our hands will be tied behind our backs in situations that are already arising, as was predicted. I suggest that we meet the Office of Parliamentary Legal Advisers, OPLA. Let us face it, there can be a lot of jostling and tussling when people from different political parties and none are involved but on...
- Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (16 Dec 2020)
Brian Stanley: Absolutely. Initially, we should seek a meeting with the OPLA. Members of the Committee of Public Accounts who are also members of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges, CPP, should flag this as an issue at the next meeting of the latter committee. They should indicate that we will be seeking to change it.
- Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (16 Dec 2020)
Brian Stanley: Deputy MacSharry was also a member at one stage.
- Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (16 Dec 2020)
Brian Stanley: He lasted for a day.
- Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (16 Dec 2020)
Brian Stanley: Back in August, I looked at the legal brief on what came out of the Kerins judgment, which other members may have seen too. To be honest, Standing Order 218 goes completely off that in terms of the work of this committee.
- Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (16 Dec 2020)
Brian Stanley: We have had cases where they have sought the protection of the Chairman not to answer a question and I have had to indicate to the member to try to put the question in a different way to get around that issue.
- Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (16 Dec 2020)
Brian Stanley: Yes, and I have done that as well. There were a couple of cases in the last few months in which I had to do that. I do not mind doing that but I would rather if I did not have to be creative about it but had the right to do it.
- Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (16 Dec 2020)
Brian Stanley: Yes.
- Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (16 Dec 2020)
Brian Stanley: I am not aware that that is provided for by way of a Standing Order. I cannot confirm whether it is or is not in a Standing Order but I am not aware of it if that is the case. I have not heard anybody say it is in a Standing Order. It may be just custom and practice. The committee secretariat will seek clarification on whether it is provided for in any Standing Order or other procedure...
- Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (16 Dec 2020)
Brian Stanley: We can arrange to meet the Office of the Parliamentary Legal Adviser to get an initial opinion.
- Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (16 Dec 2020)
Brian Stanley: It would be useful for members to read the legal brief on the outcome of the Kerins Supreme Court judgment. It would be very useful for them to apprise themselves of it to see exactly the points set out and recommendations therein. In my opinion, what has been put in place has gone beyond what was recommended. The clerk will make the brief available to each member of the committee....
- Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (16 Dec 2020)
Brian Stanley: Okay. Members can study the brief in the meantime. Is that agreed? Agreed. The next matter on the agenda is No. 3, financial statements and accounts, of which there were 11 sets laid before the Dáil between 30 November and 11 December 2020. The Comptroller and Auditor General issued a qualified audit opinion for the National Cancer Registry Board. He states that the accounts...
- Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (16 Dec 2020)
Brian Stanley: Yes.
- Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (16 Dec 2020)
Brian Stanley: I suggest that we seek an update from Tipperary ETB in regard to its €696,000 spend on procurement that did not go through proper procurement.