Results 23,881-23,900 of 26,705 for speaker:John McGuinness

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Summer Economic Statement: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (13 Jul 2022)

John McGuinness: It is just the budgets that I am interested in. I can never fathom how an increase in a budget can be agreed without knowing the full facts of how the money allocated in the previous year or the year before that was spent. It seems that the only thing the Government is doing is throwing money at what is a big black hole. There is no measurement of real outcomes. It is difficult to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Summer Economic Statement: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (13 Jul 2022)

John McGuinness: I have just three questions. The first relates to the members who have contributed and Mr. Barnes referring to various papers in response. I ask him to send us the links to those documents.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Summer Economic Statement: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (13 Jul 2022)

John McGuinness: We can then read them at our own leisure and understand them. Turning to the issue of halving our greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and the impact of that on public finances, the council has stated that this impact has not been fully assessed or factored in. Is the council talking about the agricultural sector, for example? The Irish Farmers Association has proposed a cut of 22% in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Summer Economic Statement: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (13 Jul 2022)

John McGuinness: It will be announced in the next few weeks what figures will apply to each sector concerning cuts in emissions. If we take a major part of this context, agriculture, and the suggested 22% cut in emissions there, whole industries are based on this sector. I refer to our beef and milk production. Jobs and exports rely on this and so on. In the past ten years or more, farmers have been...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Summer Economic Statement: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (13 Jul 2022)

John McGuinness: IFAC has not carried out analysis of it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Summer Economic Statement: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (13 Jul 2022)

John McGuinness: Before Mr. Carroll comes in, Mr. Barnes mentioned other countries. Is Holland an example? It is ahead of us in this regard. Is it an example of how things might go, or might go wrong?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Summer Economic Statement: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (13 Jul 2022)

John McGuinness: Is there not sufficient information from the experience in Holland to tell us how a reduction of 22% in terms of agriculture can be achieved, to take just one set?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Summer Economic Statement: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (13 Jul 2022)

John McGuinness: My final question relates to how much the country owes in debt. What is the view of the witnesses on that? Have we borrowed appropriately and for a length of time that will give us some sort of comfort in dealing with the debt issue?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Summer Economic Statement: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (13 Jul 2022)

John McGuinness: I ask Mr. Barnes to explain that. We owe €240 billion.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Summer Economic Statement: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (13 Jul 2022)

John McGuinness: What kind of cash assets are those?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Summer Economic Statement: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (13 Jul 2022)

John McGuinness: In monetary terms, what amount of cash does the Government have on hand?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Summer Economic Statement: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (13 Jul 2022)

John McGuinness: Is what we are doing this year really an option? Is it better to have it as a once-off than to repeat it next year or the year after?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Summer Economic Statement: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (13 Jul 2022)

John McGuinness: What is the normal debt ratio? What would IFAC like to see that at?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Summer Economic Statement: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (13 Jul 2022)

John McGuinness: Was he talking about Europe?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Summer Economic Statement: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (13 Jul 2022)

John McGuinness: There are a lot of things that we have to be concerned about. Prudent management is going to be essential.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Summer Economic Statement: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (13 Jul 2022)

John McGuinness: I thank the witnesses for coming along today. That is all very interesting. I thank the members for their contributions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Banking Issues: Discussion (14 Sep 2022)

John McGuinness: I ask members to ensure their mobile phones are switched off. I ask speakers to identify themselves by name for the record of the committee. At the previous meeting we approved the minutes of the meeting of 13 July 2022. We are meeting with representatives of AIB to discuss ATM services, branch banking and other matters. I welcome Dr. Colin Hunt, Mr. Jim O'Keeffe, Ms Helen Dooley and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Banking Issues: Discussion (14 Sep 2022)

John McGuinness: I thank the chief executive and call Deputy Barry.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Banking Issues: Discussion (14 Sep 2022)

John McGuinness: For the information of members, Deputies Richmond, O'Callaghan, Doherty, Durkan, Danny Healy-Rae and Senator Higgins have all indicated. Please be conscious of your time. We have a particular slot for this meeting. I call Deputy Richmond.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Banking Issues: Discussion (14 Sep 2022)

John McGuinness: I call Deputy O'Callaghan.