I have previously described to the Deputy the statutory procedures to be followed where an office holder such as a Minister or Minister of State, or a senior official, finds that they or a family member has a material interest such as that described by the Deputy in a function of their office that falls to be performed.
Where the statements to which the Deputy refers are required under the legislation he cites, these must be furnished, in the case of a Minister or Minister of State, to the Taoiseach and the Standards in Public Office Commission. Where the office holder concerned is the Taoiseach, he or she must furnish any such statement to the Chairman of the Standards in Public Office Commission. Any other office holder will furnish any such statement to the Commission. Special Advisers furnish their statements to the relevant Minister and to the Commission. Details of the statements received by the Commission are a matter for that body, which is independent the performance of its functions.
Senior officials are treated separately under the legislation. In their case, the statement at issue must be furnished to the relevant authority, which would be the Secretary General of the Department concerned. Details of any such statements are a matter for the relevant Department or office and my Department does not hold any centralised records in this respect. If the Senior Official is a Secretary General, the statement must be furnished to the Secretary General of my Department, and, where relevant, the Secretary General of my Department must furnish his statement to the Secretary General of the Department of Finance.
In the cases of statements made to the Secretary General of my Department, I am informed that no statements concerning the matters in the Deputy’s question have been made to the Secretary General since January 2020.
