Results 9,661-9,680 of 27,019 for speaker:Michael Noonan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-ECOFIN Briefing: Minister for Finance (4 Nov 2014)

Michael Noonan: Do not put words in my mouth. I said what I said. Deputy Murphy does not have to interpret what I said.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-ECOFIN Briefing: Minister for Finance (4 Nov 2014)

Michael Noonan: No, we understand the enhanced co-operation provisions in the treaties. The countries that use enhanced co-operation to make an advancement in any area of policy where there is not unanimity are quite entitled to do so. We will not get involved in a legal challenge which is fundamentally challenging their right to move forward in this way. To get back to Deputy Murphy's original point on...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-ECOFIN Briefing: Minister for Finance (4 Nov 2014)

Michael Noonan: There is no central collection system in Europe. Money is collected by the sovereigns, and if there are payments to Europe, they are remitted. I have no information that the participating states are thinking along any other lines, but I am not a participating state. There are wide differences of opinion on how the proceeds should be used and I am sure Deputy Murphy is familiar with some of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-ECOFIN Briefing: Minister for Finance (4 Nov 2014)

Michael Noonan: Actually, the door only opens on 8 December. While there are legal provisions being put in place this week, the actual opening of the ESM for business is on 8 December. It is only after that date that action can be taken. Of course we are doing evaluation work, as we always do in the Department, but it is a matter of judgment on when and how to proceed. As I have said to Deputy Doherty...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-ECOFIN Briefing: Minister for Finance (4 Nov 2014)

Michael Noonan: It is a very good point.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-ECOFIN Briefing: Minister for Finance (4 Nov 2014)

Michael Noonan: I do not.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-ECOFIN Briefing: Minister for Finance (4 Nov 2014)

Michael Noonan: No, I am the shareholder.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-ECOFIN Briefing: Minister for Finance (4 Nov 2014)

Michael Noonan: Maybe because I live here and my children and grandchildren live here, I have a stronger interest than someone who lives in Luxembourg.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-ECOFIN Briefing: Minister for Finance (4 Nov 2014)

Michael Noonan: The Deputy is losing the debate when he starts throwing dirt.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-ECOFIN Briefing: Minister for Finance (4 Nov 2014)

Michael Noonan: Deputy Doherty has been searching for four years for a good case to illustrate bank evictions but has not come up with one yet.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-ECOFIN Briefing: Minister for Finance (4 Nov 2014)

Michael Noonan: I do not agree with the Deputy's narrative that right-wing governments in Europe caused and deepened the crisis. When Greece went under, it was ruled by the socialists. They were far to the left of the social democrats we know commonly in European governments. When Portugal went under it was ruled by the left and the extreme left, so the people-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-ECOFIN Briefing: Minister for Finance (4 Nov 2014)

Michael Noonan: When the rescue commenced in Portugal, the Government had changed but the people who caused the crisis and drove the country under were part of an extreme left Government. The Deputy should check the facts.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-ECOFIN Briefing: Minister for Finance (4 Nov 2014)

Michael Noonan: The Deputy should look at the data that were published today and check the composition of the governments in countries where the economies are growing and the composition of the governments in countries where the economies are not growing. In terms of the big countries, namely, France and Italy, and particularly France which has a left-wing Government, they do not seem, so far, to be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-ECOFIN Briefing: Minister for Finance (4 Nov 2014)

Michael Noonan: There are issues about the manner in which the UK authorities were informed. I understand there was a leak to one of the business newspapers and this caused much difficulty. The additional amount in respect of Ireland is small enough and we will pay it on the date because we are familiar with the rules and their basis. We understand the UK now has a difficulty, some of it political, and if...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-ECOFIN Briefing: Minister for Finance (4 Nov 2014)

Michael Noonan: ESA95.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-ECOFIN Briefing: Minister for Finance (4 Nov 2014)

Michael Noonan: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-ECOFIN Briefing: Minister for Finance (4 Nov 2014)

Michael Noonan: It is an ongoing process but this is the payment requested on 1 December. It is analogous to the newspaper reports on the UK's €2.1 billion payment. I have seen other figures attributed to the UK, which would be less than €2 billion.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-ECOFIN Briefing: Minister for Finance (4 Nov 2014)

Michael Noonan: At ECOFIN, 28 countries sit around the table. I have had no contact from the British authorities on this issue. It is Tuesday evening and we will be there on Friday. I met George Osborne last Wednesday in Berlin and spoke to him for a little while. He did not raise the issue with me. I assume that on Thursday night or Friday morning we will have some level of contact. The purpose of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-ECOFIN Briefing: Minister for Finance (4 Nov 2014)

Michael Noonan: The debate is settled from the Irish perspective. We do not want to open it up. I have had no official communication from the UK authorities.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-ECOFIN Briefing: Minister for Finance (4 Nov 2014)

Michael Noonan: That is not my point. I am relying on newspaper reports on the UK position. They seem to state the first objection was to the amount. It then seemed to move from this and timing was the issue, and then the issue was that the question of calculation might be opened. I do not know whether this is background briefing or a policy position. I do not want to comment on the UK position until I...