Results 2,481-2,500 of 26,705 for speaker:John McGuinness

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Concrete Block Levy: Discussion (26 Oct 2022)

John McGuinness: As indicated I call Deputy MacLochlainn, Deputy Barry, Deputy Farrell, Senator Sherlock and Deputy Durkan, in that order.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Concrete Block Levy: Discussion (26 Oct 2022)

John McGuinness: I thank Deputy Durkan. I think that was more a passionate statement than a question. We will note it. That brings us to the end of this part of the meeting.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Concrete Block Levy: Discussion (26 Oct 2022)

John McGuinness: If you have any information, could you pass it on to the committee?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Concrete Block Levy: Discussion (26 Oct 2022)

John McGuinness: I thank everyone for attending. I want to say to Ms Hone that it is refreshing to have someone before us who tells it as it is and who demands the type of action that the Government and the politicians who make up that Government should take. I hope that this morning's hearings were listened to and that her voice, along with the constructive contribution made by the four people beside her,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Concrete Block Levy: Discussion (26 Oct 2022)

John McGuinness: We will continue to examine the defective concrete block levy. This session is with Department officials. I welcome all today. From the Department of Finance we are joined by Mr. Timmy Hennessy, principal officer, Mr. Pat McColgan, assistant principal officer, and Ms Leona Cantillon, administrative officer. From the Revenue Commissioners we are joined by Ms Jackie O'Callaghan, principal...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Concrete Block Levy: Discussion (26 Oct 2022)

John McGuinness: I thank Mr. Hennessy. I understand that there is just one opening statement.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Concrete Block Levy: Discussion (26 Oct 2022)

John McGuinness: As this was a budgetary measure can I presume that there was no consultation on how the levy might work in the industry?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Concrete Block Levy: Discussion (26 Oct 2022)

John McGuinness: At an earlier session representatives of the SCSI made the point that the expert group who prepared the Defects in Apartments Report earlier this year highlighted that, "the concept of an industry levy requires careful policy, legal and public scrutiny and should be considered as an option in particular in the context of other similar industry levies under consideration." The expert group...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Concrete Block Levy: Discussion (26 Oct 2022)

John McGuinness: Does the Department of Finance plan to proactively engage with them? Mr. Hennessy has said that the industry or the CIF has contacted his Department. Has the Department taken the initiative to involve the sector?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Concrete Block Levy: Discussion (26 Oct 2022)

John McGuinness: There is time between now and the time that the levy is implemented to look further into the matter.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Concrete Block Levy: Discussion (26 Oct 2022)

John McGuinness: Does that take an instruction from the Minister or can the Department automatically take a look at the issue?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Concrete Block Levy: Discussion (26 Oct 2022)

John McGuinness: Would the Department seek submissions from the industry, the SCSI and the lady who was here earlier and made a very comprehensive submission? From the point of view of the levy working, is it not worthwhile to reach out to those who have come to this meeting who are central to this issue and to the collecting of the 5% or whatever it might be? Would it not be worthwhile for Department...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Concrete Block Levy: Discussion (26 Oct 2022)

John McGuinness: Is it the case that the Department is not going to trigger that from its side but will allow others to make the case to the Department?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Concrete Block Levy: Discussion (26 Oct 2022)

John McGuinness: If I was one of the householders who had to rebuild their home then I would be very upset that that is the case. This is not the fault of officials but I would expect that a Department that is about to levy 5% on an industry, which will result in costs that the SCSI has set out for us here, would mean that the Minister and the officials would interrogate the proposition to a far greater...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Concrete Block Levy: Discussion (26 Oct 2022)

John McGuinness: Would any of the officials or representatives of the delegations present disagree with the table on the increased costs that was provided to us by the SCSI today?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Concrete Block Levy: Discussion (26 Oct 2022)

John McGuinness: Did Mr. Hennessy and the officials hear the committee discuss the table as they were here? No. Let me go into details. A SCSI representative said that a three bedroom semi-detached house that is block built, and excluding soft costs, would cost €1,200 per unit. Do people agree or disagree with that figure?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Concrete Block Levy: Discussion (26 Oct 2022)

John McGuinness: Do people agree or disagree with that figure?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Concrete Block Levy: Discussion (26 Oct 2022)

John McGuinness: So Mr. Armstrong disagrees with the figure?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Concrete Block Levy: Discussion (26 Oct 2022)

John McGuinness: That is what it says here. It says excluding soft costs.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Concrete Block Levy: Discussion (26 Oct 2022)

John McGuinness: It said €1,200.