Results 25,041-25,060 of 26,711 for speaker:John McGuinness

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Banking Issues: Discussion (27 Sep 2023)

John McGuinness: All right. As a final point, the banks are all making profits now. I know the witnesses'' views on them. I have a view too. Some of the levels of profit are just obscene. However, the banks are there to make a profit. The level of profit the banks are making might allow them, in different cases for different circumstances, to press the humanity and compassion button and look at clients...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (28 Sep 2023)

John McGuinness: 203. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if an exceptional needs payment will be approved for a person (details supplied). [41952/23]

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (28 Sep 2023)

John McGuinness: 248. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will confirm the number of contracts issued to property owners in County Kilkenny for the purpose of accommodating those fleeing the war in Ukraine and separately the number of contracts for the accommodation of asylum seekers; if he will state whether the contracts are for accommodation and food or...

School Transport 2023-2024: Statements (3 Oct 2023)

John McGuinness: I just want to mention the service from south Kilkenny to Waterford and from Gowran to Kilkenny. It requires immediate attention because of the number of families affected. I ask the Minister to bring before the Dáil the complete details of the school bus system, its costs and so on and I ask that we put the school bus system out to public procurement as soon as possible.

School Transport 2023-2024: Statements (3 Oct 2023)

John McGuinness: Of course we raise it at the parliamentary party.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (3 Oct 2023)

John McGuinness: 409. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the working family payment will be approved immediately for a person (details supplied). [42220/23]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Dental Services (3 Oct 2023)

John McGuinness: 583. To ask the Minister for Health if he will explain the reasons why the dental hospital theatre list at CUH was suspended on 7 April 2023; if the reasons that caused the suspension have now been rectified to the extent that another suspension will not occur; if those on the waiting lists, both children and adults, will be fast tracked for treatment and if so what plan is in place; if...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)

John McGuinness: We have received apologies from Senators Higgins and Sherlock. The minutes of the 27 September 2023 meeting were agreed in private session. I welcome Mr. Gary Tobin, assistant secretary at the Department of Finance; Mr. Gerald Angley, counsellor; and Ms Hazel Ryan, EU budget attaché. I remind members and witnesses of the note on privilege. Members are covered by full privilege...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)

John McGuinness: None of the members online have indicated they would like to speak. I will go back over some of the points Mr. Tobin raised in his opening statement. He said that the Commission has pointed to major challenges arising since the budget of 2020 and he spoke about Ukraine and Russia, inflation and so on. What other major challenges are there?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)

John McGuinness: The EU is experiencing the general costs which domestically we are all experiencing.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)

John McGuinness: In the context of the borrowings the EU has had to make, and therefore the rising interest rates, how are those borrowings structured? Are they fixed rates? Is it money on the short term from the markets? Who makes the decisions around that? What structure is there to say that the risk will be mixed and a set rate will be taken, as we would do in our own economy? Who looks at that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)

John McGuinness: The Department might provide us a note on the risk spread and the amounts of money involved.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)

John McGuinness: What is the function of the Commission’s equivalent of the Committee of Public Accounts? Does it engage with or examine the Commission? Who examines whether the Commission is getting value for money? Are there a number of such bodies to examine the various stages?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)

John McGuinness: Is that the only formal oversight group that examines all of the EU’s spend?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)

John McGuinness: What about the Members we elect? What oversight work do they do?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)

John McGuinness: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)

John McGuinness: Is that a forensic assessment or does the committee just take a general look at the figures?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)

John McGuinness: They are all robust examinations.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)

John McGuinness: There is to be an extra €100 billion in the budget from 2021 to 2027. The witnesses also mentioned the war in Ukraine and so on. Before I ask about those matters, from where does Ireland’s contribution to accommodating people who are fleeing the war in Ukraine come?