Results 13,721-13,740 of 21,096 for speaker:Charles Flanagan
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Court of Appeal Appointment: Discussion (28 Jun 2017)
Charles Flanagan: I would not wish to give any Member of the House a history lesson but going back over several decades, referenced in academic sources, the practice has been that the Minister for Justice, in consultation with the Taoiseach, brings a name to Cabinet for nomination. It has always been the case that the personal privacy of applicants, for obvious professional reasons as well as, dare I say,...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Court of Appeal Appointment: Discussion (28 Jun 2017)
Charles Flanagan: Additional to what?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Court of Appeal Appointment: Discussion (28 Jun 2017)
Charles Flanagan: The Deputy said I had made reference to additional expressions of interest. I am not sure what he means by that.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Court of Appeal Appointment: Discussion (28 Jun 2017)
Charles Flanagan: Sorry?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Court of Appeal Appointment: Discussion (28 Jun 2017)
Charles Flanagan: Expressions of interest, in the shape of numbers, identities or their nature, have never been published.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Court of Appeal Appointment: Discussion (28 Jun 2017)
Charles Flanagan: I am not going to depart from the current legal position on that. As I said to Deputy O'Callaghan and in response to questions in the House, the Government reserves the power to, and is entitled to, nominate a person of its choosing provided two conditions are fulfilled, namely, that the person is eligible and that he or she is qualified. That has been the position and it is the position in...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Court of Appeal Appointment: Discussion (28 Jun 2017)
Charles Flanagan: I am sure the Deputy will be aware of section 18.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Court of Appeal Appointment: Discussion (28 Jun 2017)
Charles Flanagan: They would have to be a suitable candidate, be eligible and exhibit certain expertise. In the case of the appointment recently made by Government, these were evinced in a totally appropriate way. If an eligible person does not apply to the board there is still nothing, constitutionally or otherwise, to prevent or interfere with Government nominating that person as long as the person is...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Court of Appeal Appointment: Discussion (28 Jun 2017)
Charles Flanagan: The Government acted entirely within the law and the powers, functions, obligations and duties that are applicable in these circumstances.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Court of Appeal Appointment: Discussion (28 Jun 2017)
Charles Flanagan: I am not getting into hypothetical situations as to what might happen if an Attorney General is in any form of opposition. The board may or may not make certain recommendations. In this case the formal letter from the appointments board, dated 16 May to my predecessor, noted that the board had decided not to make any recommendation for the vacancy in the Court of Appeal.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Court of Appeal Appointment: Discussion (28 Jun 2017)
Charles Flanagan: I attended the meeting of Cabinet.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Court of Appeal Appointment: Discussion (28 Jun 2017)
Charles Flanagan: I would not have expected to have any previous or prior notification in my capacity as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Court of Appeal Appointment: Discussion (28 Jun 2017)
Charles Flanagan: No, I would not have expected to have knowledge.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Court of Appeal Appointment: Discussion (28 Jun 2017)
Charles Flanagan: I had no knowledge nor would I have expected to have knowledge.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Court of Appeal Appointment: Discussion (28 Jun 2017)
Charles Flanagan: I do not have any knowledge nor, indeed, would I have any reason to have knowledge as to the proceedings within JAAB. I would point to what I said earlier, which is that the deliberations of the board are conducted in a way that is very much removed from Government, which, in the circumstances, is perfectly understandable and is prescribed by law under the 1995 Act. As Minister for Foreign...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Court of Appeal Appointment: Discussion (28 Jun 2017)
Charles Flanagan: I am not in a position to disclose any detail that might place me in a position of contravening Cabinet confidentiality.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Court of Appeal Appointment: Discussion (28 Jun 2017)
Charles Flanagan: I am quite satisfied, as I said in response to the same question from Deputy O'Callaghan, that the former Attorney General behaved appropriately at all times during the process and that Government followed the matter of this judicial appointment in accordance with the law.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Court of Appeal Appointment: Discussion (28 Jun 2017)
Charles Flanagan: The letter indicated that they decided not to make any recommendation. Reasons for such recommendation or going behind anything that might disclose the process leading to a decision are not issues that I would be apprised of or would expect to be involved in as a member of the Executive.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Court of Appeal Appointment: Discussion (28 Jun 2017)
Charles Flanagan: I acknowledge that I as a member of Government have duties under the law and under the Constitution and I am satisfied that I have at all times discharged these duties fully in accordance with the law.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Court of Appeal Appointment: Discussion (28 Jun 2017)
Charles Flanagan: Of course I do. I am responsible to the public in the same way as every member of the committee and every Member of the House.