Results 47,401-47,420 of 49,836 for speaker:Stephen Donnelly

Housing Provision: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (1 May 2014)

Stephen Donnelly: I am delighted to be one of those proposing the motion. I very much welcome the opportunity to talk on the growing housing and homelessness crisis. The motion recognises that we are dealing with a crisis and provides real solutions. I was disappointed when I read the Government's amendment, because it was not really an amendment. It did not try to amend a very sensible proposal but began...

Issue of Writ: Dublin West By-election (1 May 2014)

Stephen Donnelly: I add to my voice to those who praised the late Deputy, Nicky McFadden. It was my great honour to get to know her, however briefly. She was an extraordinary person and I would like to extend my sympathy to her family and to the family of Patrick Nulty on the passing of his father. It is regrettable that the Government has taken until the last possible day to announce these by-elections....

Order of Business (1 May 2014)

Stephen Donnelly: A few weeks ago Deputy Finian McGrath introduced a very worthy Bill, the Down's Syndrome (Equality of Access) Bill, which the Government accepted on Second Stage. This morning some constituents asked me the current situation with that Bill. When will it come before the committee?

Order of Business (1 May 2014)

Stephen Donnelly: Is there a planned timetable for it to go to the committee?

Written Answers — Department of Finance: IBRC Liquidation (1 May 2014)

Stephen Donnelly: 39. To ask the Minister for Finance further to the statement by the special liquidators of Irish Bank Resolution Corporation on 25 April 2014 in which they stated a sum of money will be set aside to facilitate the provision of termination payments to certain IBRC employees who were employed by IBRC on 7 February 2013, if he will confirm the sum of money in question; and if he will make a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Redundancy Statistics (1 May 2014)

Stephen Donnelly: 79. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide in tabular form for the years 2009 to 2013 the annual number of companies that have applied for statutory redundancy payments; the number of persons to which these applications related; and the number of persons to whom statutory redundancy payments were made. [19746/14]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process (Resumed): Central Bank of Ireland (30 Apr 2014)

Stephen Donnelly: I agree that a suite of solutions is needed but the unfairness and the inconsistency-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process (Resumed): Central Bank of Ireland (30 Apr 2014)

Stephen Donnelly: That is well in theory but that is not what is happening on the ground. What is happening on the ground is that the banks are coming in with their financial, legal and procedural expertise and they are more or less bullying these borrowers into solutions, although not in every case and not in every bank. I believe a level of leniency is being allowed by the Central Bank which has resulted...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process (Resumed): Central Bank of Ireland (30 Apr 2014)

Stephen Donnelly: To give an example, in terms of legal proceedings Bank of Ireland is two to four times the rate of the others. That is the data.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process (Resumed): Central Bank of Ireland (30 Apr 2014)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank Professor Honohan.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process (Resumed): Central Bank of Ireland (30 Apr 2014)

Stephen Donnelly: There is anecdotal evidence, but let us focus on the lack of consistency. We are all aware of anecdotes and we must be extremely careful with regard to surmising conclusions from them. However, there are far more than anecdotes available. The banks came before the committee and we know that there is inconsistency because it is their stated policy. Is it acceptable to Professor Honohan, as...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process (Resumed): Central Bank of Ireland (30 Apr 2014)

Stephen Donnelly: Why? There is an obvious problem here in that there is a substantive unfairness in how people are being dealt with by the different banks. The Central Bank can solve this. It has power under the Acts we passed last year to insist on consistency of solutions. Why is it not insisting on consistency? What is the downside to consistency?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process (Resumed): Central Bank of Ireland (30 Apr 2014)

Stephen Donnelly: I am not suggesting that there should be one solution for everybody. I understand that a certain amount of variance is required, but what is the downside to informing Bank of Ireland that, just like everybody else, it must charge 0% on the shelved portion of split mortgage debt?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process (Resumed): Central Bank of Ireland (30 Apr 2014)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Governor for his time today. I begin by referring to the judgment yesterday in the Anglo Irish Bank case. I understand there are constraints in what we can say, but not in respect of the particular point I wish to make. Judge Nolan said in court yesterday, "It would be most unjust to jail these two men when I feel that a State agency had led the two men into error and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process (Resumed): Central Bank of Ireland (30 Apr 2014)

Stephen Donnelly: On the basis that the judge in this case has publicly stated that the Central Bank led people to break the law, does Professor Honohan expect the Garda to look at prosecuting the bank?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process (Resumed): Central Bank of Ireland (30 Apr 2014)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Governor. Before making my next point, I emphasise that I have the height of respect both for the position the Governor holds and for him as an individual holding that position. However, in light of the testimony we have heard from the banks and from organisations which are trying to help borrowers in distress, and from everything I have seen come through my own door and through...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process (Resumed): Insolvency Service of Ireland (30 Apr 2014)

Stephen Donnelly: I accept that. However, Mr. O'Connor has been asked by several members about the nature of the mechanisms to which he referred. He indicated in his opening statement that if the banks do not play ball, there will be mechanisms in play to address that. The reality, of course, is that the banks have explicitly stated that they will not play ball and some of them have never played ball. The...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process (Resumed): Insolvency Service of Ireland (30 Apr 2014)

Stephen Donnelly: I am sorry to cut across Mr. O'Connor, but the time remaining to me is limited. Mr. O'Connor is staying within his own parameters, but I am asking him to think outside those parameters. If the Minister for Finance came to Mr. O'Connor and asked for 40,000 cases to be resolved by the end of the year instead of 4,000, what would it take to achieve that? I am envisaging a situation where the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process (Resumed): Insolvency Service of Ireland (30 Apr 2014)

Stephen Donnelly: I am going to push Mr. O'Connor on this because I do not know whether he really cannot think of any changes that might be made or whether he is reluctant to do so. Certainly, every member of this committee could name two or three things straight off that they would like to see done. Can Mr. O'Connor genuinely not think of anything that would double, treble or quadruple the numbers, or does...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process (Resumed): Insolvency Service of Ireland (30 Apr 2014)

Stephen Donnelly: The Acting Chairman took up some time, so I would appreciate if the Chairman would allow me some leeway.