Written answers

Thursday, 21 January 2016

Department of Justice and Equality

Tribunals of Inquiry Recommendations

Photo of Tommy BroughanTommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

92. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the resources within her Department, including staff and the budget, she will allocate to following up on the issues raised in the report of the Flood-Mahon tribunal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2535/16]

Photo of Tommy BroughanTommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

93. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the resources within her Department, including staff and budget, she will allocate to following up on the issues raised in the report of the Moriarty tribunal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2536/16]

Photo of Frances FitzgeraldFrances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 92 and 93 together.

As the Deputy will be aware, the respective reports of the Moriarty Tribunal and the Mahon Tribunal made a number of recommendations which related to the responsibilities of different Government Departments.

In relation to my own remit, the Tribunals Bill is under review in my Department and, in this regard, I can assure the Deputy that all appropriate resources are available. Detailed consideration has had to be given to the full suites of recommendations made by the Moriarty Tribunal in its Report of March 2011 and by the Mahon Report in March 2012, to the relevant judgments delivered by the Supreme Court in July 2011 and October 2012, and to the developing experience regarding the operation of Commissions of Investigation. The review will be completed as soon as possible, but is dependent on other legislative priorities. Accordingly, the likely timeframe cannot be indicated with any certainty at this point.

The Criminal Justice (Corruption) Bill is at an advanced stage of development and my officials are working with the Attorney General's Office to finalise the Bill. The Bill makes provision for a number of recommendations of the Mahon Tribunal including: the creation of a criminal offence concerning the misuse of confidential information for private gain; the creation of an offence of making payments to a third party while knowing or being reckless as to whether that third party intends to use the payments to pay bribes; the extension of presumptions to cover payments or gifts to family members and close associates of public officials; and certain recommendations on the liability of corporate bodies for corruption.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.