Results 9,841-9,860 of 12,388 for speaker:Paul Murphy

Other Questions: Human Rights (21 Sep 2017)

Paul Murphy: Justice delayed is justice denied which is the case for Ibrahim Halawa. It is, however, fair to say that many people in this country and around the world were delighted that his campaign was vindicated, he was found not guilty earlier this week. Unfortunately, of the 500 or so involved with him in the mass trial, up to 300 were jailed for varying lengths of time. My question is to know...

Other Questions: Catalan Referendum (21 Sep 2017)

Paul Murphy: It is precisely democratic institutions that are under threat from the Spanish Government. It is the democratically elected regional government of Catalonia that has called the referendum which is a democratic act. In Catalonia the vast majority of people from all backgrounds - measured at over 80% in a recent opinion poll - support the calling of the referendum. That is unlike the example...

Other Questions: Catalan Referendum (21 Sep 2017)

Paul Murphy: I am not asking the Minister to take a position on the referendum or the Irish Government to call for a "Yes" or "No" vote. I am calling on it to recognise that the people have the right to decide and that the referendum should go ahead without horrific repression by the Spanish state that is seeking to shut it down. There are coercive elements in the Spanish state constitution such as...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Human Rights (21 Sep 2017)

Paul Murphy: The notion that slow and steady progress is being made towards democracy in what was Burma is contradicted by what is happening to the Rohingya people. They are a severely oppressed ethnic minority and they are not recognised as such, unlike 135 recognised ethnic groups in Myanmar. They have been denied citizenship under the 1982 law. The government presents them as having come from...

Other Questions: Catalan Referendum (21 Sep 2017)

Paul Murphy: 6. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has received reports from the embassy and the consulate in Barcelona regarding the upcoming referendum on Catalan independence; if he has raised this issue with the Spanish authorities or at a European Union level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39779/17]

Other Questions: Catalan Referendum (21 Sep 2017)

Paul Murphy: Will the Government condemn what can only be described as Francoist repression on the part of the Spanish state against the people of Catalonia where there has been an effective occupation by the Spanish state police with the arrest of upwards of 20 government officials, the seizure of ballot boxes, ballot papers and more than 100,000 elections posters, the opening of post and the effective...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Human Rights (21 Sep 2017)

Paul Murphy: 4. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on whether stronger measures should be taken against the Myanmar Government in view of the violence and discrimination carried out against the Rohingya people; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39963/17]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Human Rights (21 Sep 2017)

Paul Murphy: Does the Minister agree that the Government should make a very strong statement of condemnation of the genocidal violence by the Myanmar Government against the Rohingya ethnic minority? Does she agree with the growing calls for Aung San Suu Kyi to be stripped of the Nobel peace prize and of the freedom of Dublin city?

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Human Rights (21 Sep 2017)

Paul Murphy: I thank the Minister of State for her response and for the Government's statement a few weeks ago. To describe what is happening as excessive violence by the Myanmar state is a significant understatement. What is happening appears to be ethnic cleansing carried out by the Myanmar military in collusion with Buddhist chauvinist mobs. The consequences are very shocking. More than 400,000...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Banking Sector in Ireland: Bank of Ireland (21 Sep 2017)

Paul Murphy: I thank the witnesses for the presentation. What was the thinking behind the hashtag advert which went, "Orla and her boyfriend stopped renting and moved back with their parents to save the deposit for their 1st home"?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Banking Sector in Ireland: Bank of Ireland (21 Sep 2017)

Paul Murphy: Would Mr. McLoughlin accept that the story the bank was telling, as described by Francis Doherty of the Peter McVerry Trust, that it pointed to a strategy by the banks to entice people to borrow as much as possible to buy houses that are as unaffordable as possible?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Banking Sector in Ireland: Bank of Ireland (21 Sep 2017)

Paul Murphy: Clearly, the narrative that the story is a part of is an expression of a part of the housing crisis in that people are unable to rent, are forced back to live with their families or parents in order to be able to afford to go on and rent or to get a mortgage. Does Mr. McLoughlin accept that it was ill-advised?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Banking Sector in Ireland: Bank of Ireland (21 Sep 2017)

Paul Murphy: I am not sure people like that one. It is fair to say that it did not go down well.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Banking Sector in Ireland: Bank of Ireland (21 Sep 2017)

Paul Murphy: It was viewed as reflecting an attitude taken by the banks and establishment generally of blaming young people or pushing them to take the drastic step of not living independently in order that they would be able to afford a home. That is how it was perceived by people.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Banking Sector in Ireland: Bank of Ireland (21 Sep 2017)

Paul Murphy: The flip side of that story is the degree to which homes are unaffordable. The witness stated the average income to price ratio for a first-time buyer shown in the questionnaire was 2.88. With the average house price in Dublin currently slightly more than €400,000, this means the combined income of two people seeking to buy a house would be €140,000. Obviously, this is not a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Banking Sector in Ireland: Bank of Ireland (21 Sep 2017)

Paul Murphy: On the buy-to-let market, the response to Question 8 indicates there were 234 assisted voluntary sales and surrenders of buy-to-let properties. Do the witnesses have figures on the number of these sales which resulted in a tenant being evicted to achieve vacant possession?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Banking Sector in Ireland: Bank of Ireland (21 Sep 2017)

Paul Murphy: Mr. Mason referred to receivers. In answer to Question 10, the bank indicated that, as of 30 June 2017, a fixed charge receiver had been appointed or approved to 819 properties. If one can adds the figure of 819 to the figure of 234 voluntary sales or surrenders, one arrives at a figure of more than 1,000 properties.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Banking Sector in Ireland: Bank of Ireland (21 Sep 2017)

Paul Murphy: Okay.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Banking Sector in Ireland: Bank of Ireland (21 Sep 2017)

Paul Murphy: I take Mr. Mason's point. Let us say the figure is 850 properties. Does the bank have no idea if there have been evictions?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Banking Sector in Ireland: Bank of Ireland (21 Sep 2017)

Paul Murphy: In that case, evictions could have taken place in more than 1,000 properties. However, the bank has no record of evictions and has no idea if any have taken place.