Results 46,281-46,300 of 49,836 for speaker:Stephen Donnelly

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 32 - Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (22 Sep 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: To return to the point that Senator James Reilly and I talked about in terms of streamlining regulation, the initial efforts on the website for workers' permits should be acknowledged. Is it possible to commission a report to look systematically at the various pieces of regulation and compliance that different types of business deal with? It is welcome that individual pieces are being...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Current and Capital Expenditure: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (21 Sep 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: I welcome the Minister and his officials. Before I get into some of the aggregate figures, I want to mention four segments for consideration. The first is the voluntary sector and specifically section 38 organisations. As the Minister is aware, workers in section 38 and section 39 organisations took the same public sector pay cuts and more, but they have not had any restoration. The...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Current and Capital Expenditure: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (21 Sep 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: I do not think so.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Current and Capital Expenditure: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (21 Sep 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: Can I come back on that one?

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Current and Capital Expenditure: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (21 Sep 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: On that point, we will have to agree to disagree. It is not credible for the State to say that while it provides 100% of the funding for essential services which are provided by voluntary organisations in the community, the wages have nothing to do with the State because the employees of those organisations are not public sector employees. They obviously do. During the recession, serious...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Current and Capital Expenditure: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (21 Sep 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Minister. That leads me very well to my next question.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Current and Capital Expenditure: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (21 Sep 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: Yes, please.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Current and Capital Expenditure: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (21 Sep 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: The history of regulation from ComReg is atrocious. It may be that we will learn how to regulate better, but I doubt it. I move to the next question I have which is around the balance. There has been a great deal of focus on the €1 billion fiscal space and the €660 million that comes under the Minister's consideration. Less time is given to the other 99% of public spending,...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Current and Capital Expenditure: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (21 Sep 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Minister and wish to respond briefly to what he has said. On the indexation point, I agree with the Minister. I do not think it should be automatic and that is not the point I was making. I believe it is a political decision, so we are agreed on that. The point I was making is that, regardless of whether it is an annual budgetary decision, the figures we have from IFAC clearly...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Revenue Raising Proposals: Minister for Finance and Revenue Commissioners (20 Sep 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Minister and everyone who has attended. I will focus on the use by vulture funds of section 110 companies and the Minister's proposed amendment. My calculations suggest that if we shut this down and stop the vulture funds avoiding capital gains and very significant profits on interest payments, we could double the fiscal space for next year. There could be €10 billion to...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Revenue Raising Proposals: Minister for Finance and Revenue Commissioners (20 Sep 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: I appreciate that. If we shut down this option we could double the fiscal space next year. It is a very material issue. I thank the Chairman.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Revenue Raising Proposals: Minister for Finance and Revenue Commissioners (20 Sep 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Minister.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Revenue Raising Proposals: Minister for Finance and Revenue Commissioners (20 Sep 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: I appreciate that.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Revenue Raising Proposals: Minister for Finance and Revenue Commissioners (20 Sep 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank Mr. Howard and the Minister. I am sorry to hear Revenue's position. At this point Revenue should be able to give some sort of a scale. A very small number of companies are involved in this matter. About ten companies have bought practically all of the NAMA assets, these vulture funds and most of them have now released their accounts. As an example, Cerberus took in interest...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Revenue Raising Proposals: Minister for Finance and Revenue Commissioners (20 Sep 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: Yes. How can we ensure that the Oireachtas does not vote through an amendment to the Finance Act that allows these companies to mark their assets to current market value? It is something that is not afforded to any other individual or company in this country. I refer to years of capital gains being ignored. How can we make sure that the Finance Act does not just apply to property? If it...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Revenue Raising Proposals: Minister for Finance and Revenue Commissioners (20 Sep 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Minister.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Revenue Raising Proposals: Minister for Finance and Revenue Commissioners (20 Sep 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: On section 110, Mr. Howard alluded to some advice he had received regarding the mark-to-market clause. I appreciate he cannot share the Attorney General's legal advice. I ask the Minister and/or his departmental officials and the Revenue officials to provide to the committee whatever rationale they have on the existing amendment. It sounds as if they have a rationale on mark to market....

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Office of Public Works Projects (16 Sep 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: 871. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the Office of Public Works has appointed a building contractor with regard to the new Greystones Coast Guard station; if a timeframe has been put in place for the delivery of the station; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24922/16]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Alcohol Advertising (16 Sep 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: 1023. To ask the Minister for Health if, with regard to changes to the display of alcohol products on business premises contained within the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill, to indicate the evidence that this will cause a reduction in the abuse of alcohol; if his Department has estimated the cost to retailers entailed in enacting these proposals; and if he will make a statement on the matter....

Written Answers — Department of Health: Maternity Services (16 Sep 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: 1270. To ask the Minister for Health the status of the implementation of the national maternity strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25513/16]