Results 1,321-1,340 of 1,683 for speaker:Derek McDowell

Seanad: Official Languages Bill 2002: Report and Final Stages. (13 May 2003)

Derek McDowell: Nuair a thosaíomar leis an mBille seo is é a bhí á dhéanamh againn ná cearta a leagan síos do dhaoine comhfhreagras a dhéanamh tré mheán na Gaeilge le comhlachtaí Stáit, gnó a dhéanamh tré mheán na Gaeilge os comhair na cúirte agus ar uile. Is léir anois go bhfuil an tAire ag brath go mór ar rialachán agus ar riarachán. Tuigim cén fáth go bhfuil sin á dhéanamh agus na...

Seanad: Official Languages Bill 2002: Report and Final Stages. (13 May 2003)

Derek McDowell: Ní thuigim an bhaint idir an leasú agus an méid atá ráite ag an Aire. Ní thuigim an difir idir an leasú agus an méid a bhí ann cheanna féin.

Seanad: Official Languages Bill 2002: Report and Final Stages. (13 May 2003)

Derek McDowell: An leagan nua a bheidh ann as Gaeilge ná "a chinntiú go bhfreastalófar ar na riachtanais áirithe teanga" a bhaineann le seirbhísí shólathair i limistéir Gaeltachta.

Seanad: Official Languages Bill 2002: Report and Final Stages. (13 May 2003)

Derek McDowell: Is dócha an rud is túisce an rud is tábhachtaí. Agus sinn ag breithníu ar an mBille seo i gceann cúpla bliana, tá súil agam go mbeidh sé níos fusa ag saoránach sa Stát glaoch a chur ar Roinn Stáit agus labhairt le seirbhíseach agus freagra a fháil tri Ghaeilge. An mbeidh sé indéanta nó níos fusa dúinne plé le Roinn Stáit, leis an Stát Seirbhís nó leis na comhluchtaí...

Seanad: Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Bill 2003: Second Stage. (16 Apr 2003)

Derek McDowell: I welcome the Minister of State. As other speakers said, this Bill is a long time coming but it is welcome nonetheless. I listened with interest to the passionate defence by Senator O'Toole of what he obviously regards as his "baby" and I share much of his philosophical approach to this issue. He is clearly used to the process of partnership practised here for some years, whereby one talks...

Seanad: Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland Bill 2002: Report and Final Stages. (9 Apr 2003)

Derek McDowell: I apologise for my absence from the House last week. Unfortunately, as I was abroad I missed Committee Stage. I want, therefore, to resist the temptation to repeat what might have been said already by other Senators.

Seanad: Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland Bill 2002: Report and Final Stages. (9 Apr 2003)

Derek McDowell: I second the amendment.

Seanad: Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland Bill 2002: Report and Final Stages. (9 Apr 2003)

Derek McDowell: A Leas-Chathaorligh, am I prohibited from speaking? Was my formal seconding my sole contribution?

Seanad: Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland Bill 2002: Report and Final Stages. (9 Apr 2003)

Derek McDowell: That is all right. I will find some other opportunity to say what I want to say.

Seanad: Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland Bill 2002: Report and Final Stages. (9 Apr 2003)

Derek McDowell: I second the amendment. As it refers to the Director of Consumer Affairs, or Consumer Director as will be, perhaps I can say what I would have said in response to the previous amendment. The structure being developed is ingenious, although I am not totally convinced it will work. I was never completely persuaded that it was not possible to have the exchange of information to which the...

Seanad: Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland Bill 2002: Report and Final Stages. (9 Apr 2003)

Derek McDowell: I second the amendment and wish to ask the Minister of State two questions. One relates to the nature of the levies that will be imposed to recover costs. Is it intended to equalise this in some way between institutions or is it intended to make some assessment of the cost of regulating a certain institution or type of institution? I presume, for example, it would not be intended to levy a...

Seanad: Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland Bill 2002: Report and Final Stages. (9 Apr 2003)

Derek McDowell: Is it intended to be on a break even basis? Is it intended to cover the costs?

Seanad: Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland Bill 2002: Report and Final Stages. (9 Apr 2003)

Derek McDowell: I second the amendment.

Seanad: Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland Bill 2002: Report and Final Stages. (9 Apr 2003)

Derek McDowell: I second the amendment. I understand that it deals with the strategic plan to be presented by the consumer director on an annual basis. It seems reasonable to include the provision contained in Senator Higgins's amendment. One of the difficulties with financial services is that those who use them – I refer to individual consumers rather than institutions – frequently have a limited notion...

Seanad: Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland Bill 2002: Report and Final Stages. (9 Apr 2003)

Derek McDowell: Perhaps the Minister of State might indicate when he intends that the legislation will be enforced. I understood from his earlier comments that the Minister intends to appoint the board in a few months or perhaps even sooner. This legislation is an extremely important departure in the regulation of financial services and the industry is concerned that it should work well. Nonetheless, we...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2003 [ Certified Money Bill ] : Committee and Remaining Stages. (26 Mar 2003)

Derek McDowell: I move recommendation No. 3: In page 13, before section 1, to insert the following new section: 1.–In respect of the year of assessment 2003 and subsequent years of assessment, section 461 of the Principal Act is amended by substituting '€2,000' for '€1,250'.". I did not move recommendations Nos. 1 and 2 because the intended effect of all four recommendations is to remove the minimum...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2003 [ Certified Money Bill ] : Committee and Remaining Stages. (26 Mar 2003)

Derek McDowell: I have been over this territory many times and am not sure I have the energy to do so again but I will try. Shortly after the 1997 election the removal of the minimum wage from the tax net did become part of Government policy. It was restated in the programme for the millennium and restated again last year as Fianna Fáil policy. It is again in the draft of the Sustaining Progress programme...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2003 [ Certified Money Bill ] : Committee and Remaining Stages. (26 Mar 2003)

Derek McDowell: That should be done through the social contribution or PRSI system rather than the taxation system. I feel the freedom to say in this House that it would not trouble me if, for example, we looked at the exemption from PRSI or at the €100 threshold in PRSI. However, we should not take income tax from people on the minimum wage. That is the purpose of the recommendations.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2003 [ Certified Money Bill ] : Committee and Remaining Stages. (26 Mar 2003)

Derek McDowell: The Minister said he would not increase tax rates.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2003 [ Certified Money Bill ] : Committee and Remaining Stages. (26 Mar 2003)

Derek McDowell: There is no point in prolonging the debate because the Minister will not accept the recommendation. Is he committed to completing this measure within the period of Sustaining Progress? Does he accept the principle that we should not take money from people who earn less than the minimum wage?