Results 30,921-30,940 of 36,192 for speaker:Pearse Doherty

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Forthcoming ECOFIN Council: Discussion with Minister for Finance (8 May 2013)

Pearse Doherty: The Minister answered the question but took ten minutes to do so.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Forthcoming ECOFIN Council: Discussion with Minister for Finance (8 May 2013)

Pearse Doherty: Many people in this State believe there is a moral crisis at the heart of Europe, austerity is not working and Ireland would be in a better position if the commitment made last June had been fulfilled. That view was echoed this week by no less a person than the President. Will the Minister state at the ECOFIN meeting that the process is not working and a change of direction is needed to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Forthcoming ECOFIN Council: Discussion with Minister for Finance (8 May 2013)

Pearse Doherty: In that case, does the Minister believe there is no moral crisis in Europe?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Forthcoming ECOFIN Council: Discussion with Minister for Finance (8 May 2013)

Pearse Doherty: That which Europe is demanding of Irish people is morally wrong. The moral crisis arises from citizens being pushed to the brink to rescue financiers and large banks and from the transfer of wealth from some of the poorest in society to financial institutions in order that they can be bailed out for behaving recklessly. The European Union has advanced arguments for this course of action and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Forthcoming ECOFIN Council: Discussion with Minister for Finance (8 May 2013)

Pearse Doherty: The President stated that Europe is facing a moral crisis.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Forthcoming ECOFIN Council: Discussion with Minister for Finance (8 May 2013)

Pearse Doherty: I thank the Minister for his presentation. I will pick up on a couple of aspects of it. I will begin by focusing on the banking recovery and resolution process. One of the proposals ECOFIN will be dealing with is the bail-in proposal mentioned by the Minister. It is to be welcomed that depositors will not be given the same ranking as senior bondholders. I would like to focus on the role...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Forthcoming ECOFIN Council: Discussion with Minister for Finance (8 May 2013)

Pearse Doherty: Under any of these options, in respect of which the Minister for Finance is giving this group political direction and his own opinions, would the ESM recapitalise the banks before there would be a bail-in of depositors?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Forthcoming ECOFIN Council: Discussion with Minister for Finance (8 May 2013)

Pearse Doherty: I am interested in the political direction that the Minister is giving. Is it the position of this State that the ESM should recapitalise before depositors are asked to contribute to recapitalisation of the banks?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Forthcoming ECOFIN Council: Discussion with Minister for Finance (8 May 2013)

Pearse Doherty: I appreciate that. The Minister has set out the Government's overarching policy position. The bail-in is one of the outstanding issues that will have to be agreed at the ECOFIN meeting on banking recovery and resolution. The Minister outlined how the working group will take that process forward. As a member of this committee, I would like to know what the Irish position on this is. It is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Forthcoming ECOFIN Council: Discussion with Minister for Finance (8 May 2013)

Pearse Doherty: Is that a "Yes" or a "No"? If the Minister can answer in those terms, it will be quite clear.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Forthcoming ECOFIN Council: Discussion with Minister for Finance (8 May 2013)

Pearse Doherty: This is a hypothetical example.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Forthcoming ECOFIN Council: Discussion with Minister for Finance (8 May 2013)

Pearse Doherty: That is fair enough. I would like to focus on another aspect of this issue before I ask some other questions. We have seen the situation in Cyprus. I know we are dealing with the here and now in terms of the banking situation. At a later stage, the stress tests may or may not show that additional capital is required. When the ratios increase as a result of future directives, the banks...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid Provision (8 May 2013)

Pearse Doherty: 55. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade further to Parliamentary Question No.153 of 23 April 2013, if he will confirm the amount donated by Irish Aid to the Clinton Foundation in 2011 and 2012. [21599/13]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: NAMA Court Cases (8 May 2013)

Pearse Doherty: 62. To ask the Minister for Finance further to an affidavit filed in the High Court in Dublin in which the National Asset Management Agency was seeking a judgment against a person (details supplied), if he will confirm that NAMA has provided confidential details, both the par value of the loan and the NAMA acquisition value, to persons not directly connected to the borrowers; and if he will...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: NAMA Property Leases (8 May 2013)

Pearse Doherty: 63. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will outline the arrangement between the National Asset Management Agency and the National Association of Building Co-Operatives; the number of properties to which the arrangement relates; the length of the lease terms; if NAMA is charging market rents; the location of the properties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21636/13]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: NAMA Property Sales (8 May 2013)

Pearse Doherty: 64. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will confirm for each of 2010, 2011, 2012 and to date in 2013, the number of housing units sold by the National Assets Management Agency in the State for social housing; the number leased and the number presently being offered for sale or rent for social housing. [21637/13]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: NAMA Accounts (8 May 2013)

Pearse Doherty: 65. To ask the Minister for Finance further to the publication of the 2012 unaudited accounts for the National Asset Management Agency, the reason interest income increased in 2012 compared with 2011, despite loans decreasing by €3bn and the European Central Bank reducing its main interest rate from 1.0% to 0.75% in July 2012. [21638/13]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: NAMA Accounts (8 May 2013)

Pearse Doherty: 66. To ask the Minister for Finance further to the publication of the 2012 unaudited accounts for the National Asset Management Agency, if he will provide an explanation for the line item portfolio management fees which in 2012 amounted to a cost of €4,670,000 compared to €15,902,000 in 2011. [21639/13]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: NAMA Accounts (8 May 2013)

Pearse Doherty: 67. To ask the Minister for Finance further to the publication of the 2012 unaudited accounts for the National Asset Management Agency, the reason due diligence costs of €4,086,000 were recorded in 2012 in view of the fact that the last tranche of NAMA loans were acquired in March 2012; and if the due diligence costs are properly rechargeable to the banks from which the loans were...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: NAMA Accounts (8 May 2013)

Pearse Doherty: 68. To ask the Minister for Finance further to the publication of the 2012 unaudited accounts for the National Asset Management Agency, the staff costs excluding employer pension contributions and pay related social insurance in 2012; the average number of full time equivalent employees at the Agency during the year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21641/13]