Results 101-120 of 3,220 for speaker:Marc Ó Cathasaigh

Select Committee on Social Protection: Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024: Committee Stage (8 May 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I move amendment No. 4: In page 35, lines 4 and 5, to delete “and the level of retirement savings in the State” and substitute “, the level of retirement savings in the State, the types of funds invested in”.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024: Committee Stage (8 May 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I have given consideration to the amendment tabled by Deputy Sherlock and it is another way of skinning the cat. Some of my later amendments go to the idea of divestment, particularly in respect of fossil fuels and the arms industry but amendment No. 13 is another way to skin that cat. Within a private pension I can avail of the option to invest in an ESG-friendly green pension product and...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024: Committee Stage (8 May 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I move amendment No. 16: In page 54, between lines 28 and 29, to insert the following: "(a) shall not invest those resources, directly or indirectly— (i) in equity or debt securities issued by a munitions company as defined in Part 4 of the Cluster Munitions and Anti-Personnel Mines Act 2008, (ii) or any financial derivative instruments, insurance policy, exchange traded...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024: Committee Stage (8 May 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I meant first to make the case for amendment No. 22, which I think is grouped as well.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024: Committee Stage (8 May 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: This is just an expansion of a provision that is in there already. We are looking at section 75(3). The amendment provides that: "An investment management contract shall include provision for enabling of the achievement of the obligations of the State under international agreements on environmental sustainability and climate change and national obligations under the Climate Action and Low...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024: Committee Stage (8 May 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I thank the Minister with regard to her taking amendment No. 18 back and having a look at it. It may look like throwing the dog a bone, in that it is the smallest and least consequential of these amendments. It is consequential, though, because strengthening this language can make a difference, even if it is only the substitution of a single word. I thank the Minister for taking this on...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024: Committee Stage (8 May 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I will again make the point I made at the outset. I do not, at the moment, get to legislate on anything else that is happening in the pensions industry. We are getting an opportunity to look at legislation to do with what will become a substantial part of our pension provision State-wide. I strongly feel that if we are looking at convergence, we should converge upwards and not downwards....

Select Committee on Social Protection: Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024: Committee Stage (8 May 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I think these amendments will live to fight another day, Cathaoirleach. I will withdraw it.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024: Committee Stage (8 May 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I move amendment No. 17: In page 54, between lines 28 and 29, to insert the following: “(a) shall not invest those resources, directly or indirectly— (i) in equity or debt securities issued by a fossil fuel undertaking as defined in section 49A of the National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Act 2014, (ii) or any financial derivative instruments, insurance...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024: Committee Stage (8 May 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I move amendment No. 18: In page 54, line 33, to delete “may” and substitute “shall”.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024: Committee Stage (8 May 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I move amendment No. 19: In page 55, after line 41, to insert the following: “ “best long term interests” means the highest possible value of the pension, as well as the best possible health of the environment and society in which the participants live;”.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024: Committee Stage (8 May 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I move amendment No. 22: In page 57, to delete lines 6 to 8 and substitute the following: “(3) An investment management contract shall include provision for enabling of the achievement of the obligations of the State under international agreements on environmental sustainability and climate change and national obligations under the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024: Committee Stage (8 May 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I think we would accept the amendments are quite different in ambition and scope. I have amendments later on which I am confident that the Minister will take a similarly dim view as she has of amendment No. 13. I do not suppose all my amendments will be as successful as these, in terms of going back to the Office of Parliamentary Counsel. I thank the Minister for taking it on board. It is...

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I thank the witnesses for coming in. I am looking at the growth of the organisation since 2019. It went from an expenditure of €600 million to more than €1.6 billion. It is right to acknowledge at the outset some of the NTA's achievements, particularly the bounceback of figures on public transport post Covid. Ireland was very much an outlier in the European sense. If one...

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: What is the NTA's current figure for outsourced placements?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: That needs to layered on top of the number of people outsourced for specific projects. The latest figure I have in that regard is 123 staff. What would be the NTA's more up-to-date figure for those outsourced for specific projects?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: Currently the NTA has 286 staff employed as core employees and 275 staff as outsourced placements. Is that the current standing?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: It is almost half and half. According to the briefing pack, staffing costs are €24 million. That staffing cost was for the 255 core staff. How much does it cost to employ the now 275 people who are outsourced?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: Yes. I have a figure for the core staff but I do not have one for the outsourced staff.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: Some €46.9 million is being spent on outsourced staff. What movement has there been since the 2022 figure of €24 million for in-house staff?