Results 1,581-1,600 of 34,618 for speaker:Seán Fleming

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Supplementary) (25 Nov 2020)

Seán Fleming: Again, I take the point. It is probably a matter that will be dealt with in pay talks concerning not just the Revenue Commissioners but also the public sector in general. It has been a big issue right across the public sector. Ministers have made comments on reducing the time people have to spend in offices. I assume that, for the coming year, the Revenue Commissioners will operate...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Supplementary) (25 Nov 2020)

Seán Fleming: I do not have that information today but I will ask the Revenue Commissioners to provide an information note to the committee on it. As I may have mentioned previously, approximately 600 staff were employed originally to work on customs as a result of Brexit. One hundred and seventeen of these people, who had come from other sections in Revenue, went back to their posts in the past year but...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Supplementary) (25 Nov 2020)

Seán Fleming: I agree completely with the Chairman, who has mentioned the principal concern. The big companies are geared up but the small companies are the ones that are going to have a difficulty. Some will get quite a shock in the first two or three weeks of January if they do not get ready between now and the new year. An example might be a garage that imports equipment to repair cars. It might...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Supplementary) (25 Nov 2020)

Seán Fleming: The Government and the Revenue Commissioners have the resources but the small businesses will not. Bearing in mind the example I gave, the problem will arise the first time a company that is not ready customs-wise to deal with Brexit tries to import something. For some companies, it could be the end of January or 1 February. For others, it could be 3 January or 4 January. The problem will...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Supplementary) (25 Nov 2020)

Seán Fleming: We are satisfied that the Revenue Commissioners are fully ready for Brexit in every respect. Our only concern is for those small businesses that are not ready. Revenue, customs and the ports, in terms of premises, additional parking and other facilities, are ready. For example, the animal border control post at Rosslare Port was completed last week. Dublin Port completed terminal 10 and...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Supplementary) (25 Nov 2020)

Seán Fleming: May I make a final comment?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Supplementary) (25 Nov 2020)

Seán Fleming: The committee will have received a letter from me yesterday providing additional information requested at the previous Estimates meeting. One of the requests was for a detailed note on the disabled drivers and passengers scheme, the Department's intention and policy direction and a breakdown of expenditure. The committee should have received the letter in the last day or two, which was...

Seanad: Credit Union Restructuring Board (Dissolution) Bill 2019: Second Stage (24 Nov 2020)

Seán Fleming: This Bill gives effect to the dissolution of the Credit Union Restructuring Board. In summary, the Bill provides for the dissolution of the Credit Union Restructuring Board, the transfer of certain functions of the Credit Union Restructuring Board to the Minister for Finance and makes the relevant amendments to the Credit Union and Co-operation with Overseas Regulators Act 2012. I will give...

Seanad: Credit Union Restructuring Board (Dissolution) Bill 2019: Second Stage (24 Nov 2020)

Seán Fleming: I thank Senators for their contributions and support of this legislation, which will formally dissolve the Credit Union Restructuring Board, ReBo. The Government recognises the importance of the role of the credit union sector as a volunteer and co-operative movement and the distinction between it and other types of financial institutions has been stated well by several Members. There were...

Seanad: Credit Union Restructuring Board (Dissolution) Bill 2019: Second Stage (24 Nov 2020)

Seán Fleming: I am nudging them into mortgage lending. It is the main message I have for credit unions. They should start giving mortgages to people, as those people would be happier taking a mortgage from a credit union than a bank which could sell the loan to an international vulture fund. I have never heard of a credit union doing that. I thank Senators for their input and I look forward to...

Seanad: Finance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2020: Second Stage (24 Nov 2020)

Seán Fleming: I appreciate the Seanad Éireann facilitating the taking of two Bills relating to credit union activities this evening. The Credit Union Restructuring Board (Dissolution) Bill 2019 has already gone through the Dáil and it should complete its passage through the Oireachtas next week. This Bill is starting here and will have to go to the Dáil but we want to ensure it is...

Seanad: Finance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2020: Second Stage (24 Nov 2020)

Seán Fleming: I thank the Senators for their contributions on, and support for, this legislative measure which will formally amend the Credit Union Act 1997 to allow for general meetings, which are prohibited under the current health restrictions, to proceed. Some of the amendments will be permanent and will continue to operate after the interim period early next year. The Bill also amends the Fiscal...

Investment Limited Partnerships (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage (12 Nov 2020)

Seán Fleming: I thank Deputies Ó Murchú, Redmond and Nash for their contributions. While I accept the point that this is a technical Bill, it deals with many significant issues. On beneficial ownership and who will be the ultimate owner, the provisions in this Bill strive to achieve the objectives mentioned. These amendments will ensure that the highest international transparency standards...

Investment Limited Partnership (Amendment) Bill 2020: Referral to Select Committee (12 Nov 2020)

Seán Fleming: I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach pursuant to Standing Orders 95(3)(a) to 181(1).

Investment Limited Partnerships (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage (12 Nov 2020)

Seán Fleming: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I welcome the opportunity to address the Dáil Chamber on the Investment Limited Partnerships (Amendment) Bill 2020 following progression of the previous Stages in the Seanad. This Bill fulfils a commitment in the Programme for Government - Our Shared Future to progress the revision of the investment limited partnership structure and...

Confidence in Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Motion (10 Nov 2020)

Seán Fleming: This motion raises two important issues from my point of view. The first of these is the issue of confidentiality and accountability on the part of Government. This brings me to what I want to see more of in Irish public life, namely, more openness and transparency at government level. The public want and are entitled to more openness, accountability and transparency on the part of the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Property Tax (10 Nov 2020)

Seán Fleming: I thank Senator Boyhan for raising this matter. He has given a very detailed list of properties that are exempt from the tax introduced in 2013 to provide a stable sustainable funding base for local authorities, broadening general taxation measures. It has raised approximately €3.5 billion to date. Approximately €473 million is raised by the tax per annum. This goes to fund...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Property Tax (10 Nov 2020)

Seán Fleming: I understand the gist of the argument and accept what the Senator said. He highlighted regarding Dún Laoghaire the large amounts of money that may be due to a local authority when the changes are made next year. They will flow into 2022. As I said, the figure nationwide will be approximately €32 million. The programme for Government includes the provision for fairness and most...

Seanad: Data Protection Regulations: Motion (6 Nov 2020)

Seán Fleming: I bring the motion to the House to seek a resolution to agree the draft Data Protection Act 2018 section 60(6) (Central Bank of Ireland) Regulations 2020, as provided for under section 6(5)(a) of the Data Protection Act 2018. Senators will have gathered from the gist of this that it is a technical matter. I have a detailed script but perhaps the best thing I can do is to explain what this...

Seanad: Data Protection Regulations: Motion (6 Nov 2020)

Seán Fleming: I welcome this opportunity and appreciate all the comments that have been made. As people noted, many of the comments were not specific to this statutory instrument. Data breaches in financial institutions are one big issue that has been mentioned here on a few occasions. Some asked about the resourcing of the Data Protection Commission and whether it has sufficient resources to do the job...