Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 1 Jul 2003

Vol. 570 No. 2

Written Answers. - CIE Board Member.

Róisín Shortall

Question:

466 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Transport if his attention has been drawn to the position held by a person on the board and as part of the corporate team of a company (details supplied) and in the context of their position in CIE; if, in the context of CIE's ownership of a telecommunications infrastructure, its involvement in telecommunications through the ESAT deal and its further potential in that business, he views the person's role with that company to pose a conflict of interest in view of the conflict of interest provisions of the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995 and the Companies Act and the provisions of the Department of Finance Circular, Code of Practice for the Government of State Bodies, in particular the provisions of Appendix B relating to the requirements to be complied with by employees from the point of view of assuring integrity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18815/03]

Minister for Transport (Mr. Brennan):

I am advised by CIE of the following. The person referred to in the Deputy's question has complied with Appendices A and B of the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies in that he has disclosed at all times his chairmanship of a telecommunications company licensed by the Commission for Communications Regulations. This information has been disclosed in CIE's register of directors and secretaries as required under section 195 of the Companies Act 1963. This information has been disclosed in the CIE chairman's statements of annual interests for the relevant years as required under section 17 of the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995. This information has been disclosed to the Standards in Public Office Commission as also required under section 17 of the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995 and has never been queried. The chairmanship of the telecommunications company does not conflict with the ESAT contract, the terms of which were completed by CIE in 1998. The person in question did not become a CIE board member until March 2000. The person's role in the telecommunications company has not given rise to a conflict in any way with his role in CIE.