Category The Big Interview
Putting Perjury on the Statute Books Senator Pádraig Ó Céidigh
Talk us through your career and what has led you to this point? I received my third level education in NUIG before having careers in accountancy with KPMG; as a secondary school teacher; and as a solicitor in my own law practice. I am a Harvard University Alumni and adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship and Business in NUIG. In 2010, I was elected by Harvard Business School to be the subject of an entrepreneurship leadership case study. My business interests are many and varied. I founded Aer Arann Express and Aer Lingus Regional. I started, and have grown businesses in various industries such as publishing, music, aircraft maintenance, outsourcing, homecare, and nursing homes In 2003, I was named Ernst and Young Irish Entrepreneur of the Year and went on to represent Ireland in the World Entrepreneur of the Year. I am also the former Chair of the EY Entrepreneurial Alumni Board, chaired the Judging Panel for the Irish Entrepreneur of the Year until 2014, and was a member of the EY World Judging Panel in 2004 and 2005 - the only person ever to do this for two years running. I was NUIG Business Alumni of the year in 2002 for my contribution to the Irish economy and entrepreneurship and as Galway Person of the Year in 2004. I am currently a board member of Croke Park Teo.
Senator Pádraig Ó Céidigh
The key areas of focus for me as a Senator include influencing policy and introducing significant legislation in relation to SMEs, entrepreneurship, education, Irish language, community and culture. Another objective in this role is to create SME policy documents and present this directly to government ministers. As a fluent Gaelic speaker and Connemara native, the Irish Language and Culture is also hugely important to me and this has also been my focus in the Seanad. Tell us about your work in drawing up the amendments to the Perjury & Related Offences Bill 2018? We carried out detailed legal research about this issue, and in doing so amended over 100 pieces of existing legislation for the purpose of consolidating and streamlining the law on perjury. I engaged with stakeholders and the input I received was used in the formulation and drafting of this Bill. I worked with my colleagues in Seanad Éireann, the Minister of Justice and his departmental officials, in order to ensure that this legislation was correct. Cross party support has been very important and significant in developing this Bill through the Seanad.
The key areas of focus for me as a Senator include influencing policy and introducing significant legislation in relation to SMEs Why is this Bill so important and how does it impact businesses? Perjury is currently a common law offence in Ireland and, it is rarely prosecuted. Placing perjury on the statute books is not just about penalising those who commit perjury, but it is primarily about preventing those from doing it in the first place. Tough sanctions may make someone think twice about lying and diverting the course of justice. I hope that this Bill will have a practical impact on business especially SMEs. Over the years I have personally known scores of small business owners who suffered significantly, because someone knowingly lied
in court. In some cases, their businesses went under
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Tell us about your role as a Senator?
