SIPO appointment and lobbying concerns
Deputy Doherty attacked the planned appointment to SIPO, arguing the nominee's former lobbying role and the Tánaiste's alleged leak raised serious conflicts and demanded answers. The Chair repeatedly ruled him out of order and ended his contribution without a substantive reply.
Tuesday's business sees the Government trying to push through a motion to appoint Geraldine Feeney to the Standards in Public Office Commission, SIPO. Not only is it trying to force through that motion without any debate, last week I pointed out that the Government's appointee to the commission was a professional, paid lobbyist on behalf of the National Association of General Practitioners, NAGP. We know that the Tánaiste provided confidential documents to the president of that group, who at that time was his friend. We are now looking at an unprecedented situation that while the Act requires us to appoint a former Member of the Oireachtas, the Government believes we should actually appoint not only a former Member, but a paid lobbyist and someone who was registered as a lobbyist up until a couple of weeks ago. The Taoiseach is well aware of this because Geraldine Feeney lobbied the Taoiseach a number of years ago on the NAGP-----
Comment on this
He would have been aware of the fact that she provided that role when they decided to appoint Ms Feeney to the commission. Can the Taoiseach satisfy the House, before we deal with this issue, that Ms Feeney has actually made all the returns that are necessary to the Commission? Will the Taoiseach enlighten the House on Ms Feeney's role in relation to the lobbying activity-----
Comment on this
-----that was carried out here on 21 March 2018? Was Ms Feeney required to submit a submission to the Standards in Public Office Commission in that regard? Why is the Taoiseach afraid of a debate on this in the House? One of the first issues the commission will have to deal with is the official complaint-----
Comment on this
-----that has been made against the Tánaiste, Deputy Leo Varadkar, around leaking the document for the NAGP. In his wisdom, the Taoiseach believes that this House should, without debate, just pass a motion to appoint the paid lobbyist of the NAGP to that commission.
Comment on this
The arrogance of the Government is absolutely breathtaking.