Results 2,501-2,520 of 7,789 for speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Third Report of the Citizens' Assembly: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Nov 2018)

Michael Fitzmaurice: What is the cost involved if there is a move to 80% wind, for example?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Third Report of the Citizens' Assembly: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Nov 2018)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I also asked about the volume of wind being produced this year. Has EirGrid statistics for that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Third Report of the Citizens' Assembly: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Nov 2018)

Michael Fitzmaurice: My understanding is that this year has been the second worst in history. I am not talking about the number of turbines.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Direct Provision System (14 Nov 2018)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Whether a person is refused or granted asylum, the process is taking far too long. Those people are kept locked up given the way it is done. Media reports from the last few days suggest that some people appear to be making a business of going around the country getting hotels to access the financial gain, to put it bluntly. When agreeing terms with a prospective person or company, does the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Direct Provision System (14 Nov 2018)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank the Minister of State for his reply. Is he or his Department concerned at what appears to be the concentration of contracts in the hands of certain providers? He is correct that it is not the fault of the Department and that people are free to tender for the contracts. Is there a concern that some providers are seeking the contracts for three, four or five centres? I welcome that...

Social Welfare, Pensions and Civil Registration Bill 2018: Second Stage (14 Nov 2018)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank the Acting Chairman. I will not hold the House too long. I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Bill. I welcome the increase that will apply to pensioners and others in receipt of social welfare. There are some worries, however. As every Deputy is aware, there are people in the State who might have worked for a few years and put up a few stamps or they may not have put up...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Rural and Community Development: Sustaining Small Rural and Community Business: Discussion (14 Nov 2018)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Very true.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Rural and Community Development: Sustaining Small Rural and Community Business: Discussion (14 Nov 2018)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank the witnesses for their presentation. I agree with much of what was said by Deputy Penrose. On shopping local, people may try to save a few cent by going to supermarkets but if they need something at night or at 7 a.m. in the morning they can phone their local shop to arrange to collect it. My mother has known Mr. Boland for many years. He is joined by Ms Lennon. Last Sunday...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Rural and Community Development: Sustaining Small Rural and Community Business: Discussion (14 Nov 2018)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Is it good for the Credit Union Development Association if we bring in officials from the Central Bank and explain where we are coming from in rural Ireland? We are all rural Deputies.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Rural and Community Development: Sustaining Small Rural and Community Business: Discussion (14 Nov 2018)

Michael Fitzmaurice: What about the interest rates?

Local Government Bill 2018: Second Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2018)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Bill. While I understand that most of the Bill is concerned with Cork, I see a small piece, perhaps an afterthought, put in for Galway. Galway should have its own identity. I heard people speak about Galway earlier. There is a huge problem with staffing in Galway. The Minister of State, Deputy Kyne, and Deputy Ó Cuív outlined it very...

Local Government Bill 2018: Second Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2018)

Michael Fitzmaurice: The Minister of State is correct. Fair play to him. Tipperary also touches it. There are a lot of people on the periphery who are concerned. Near Creggs, the guys who go along cutting the hedge will not cut it on the right-hand side for about 100 yards because it is in Roscommon. It worries people because they think if there is a merger of city and council they will be forgotten about...

Local Government Bill 2018: Second Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2018)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I did not say that.

Local Government (Water Pollution) (Amendment) Bill 2018: Second Stage [Private Members] (20 Nov 2018)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I commend Deputy Martin Kenny on the Bill he has put forward. We, in rural areas, understand where he is coming from. We all see week in, week out, the problems that counties, especially in the west, incur. In considering the current regulation, to put it simply, I would say the law is an ass. If one has an old house in the west, especially in Leitrim, and one goes to do it up, and...

Brexit: Motion (21 Nov 2018)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I welcome the opportunity to speak on the motion. There is no quick-fix solution to this as we have seen, even over the past week, what has happened. While it would be easier to criticise him, I have seen the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Coveney, over the past few months, especially with some journalists in England who would put one to the pin of one's collar...

Finance Bill 2018: Report Stage (Resumed) (22 Nov 2018)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I speak in support of the amendment. The hospitality sector in Ireland has two parts. While I am not saying it is has not picked up everywhere and it is doing well in the major cities, unfortunately, especially during the week, there is a problem filling beds and in the food sector in many parts of the country. The increase in the VAT rate for the sector will have an adverse effect and the...

Finance Bill 2018: Report Stage (Resumed) (22 Nov 2018)

Michael Fitzmaurice: There is something that has not been addressed yet, namely, the new tax rules for self-employed people. More people will be pushed into being subbies. As I have mentioned, doing the paperwork under the new rules will cost employers €450 per employee from next January. That will put a small business in trouble. I will tell the previous speaker something about the building sector....

Finance Bill 2018: Report Stage (Resumed) (22 Nov 2018)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I support the amendment. I agree with Deputies Pearse Doherty, Michael McGrath and Boyd Barrett. In recent days I heard Mr. Tom Parlon had been in Lithuania where we are supposed to be getting workers. People from the west to whom I have spoken go to England to work rather than Dublin because they can jump on an aeroplane in Knock and get accommodation in England. That is the reality....

Consumer Protection (Regulation of Credit Servicing Firms) Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages [Private Members] (22 Nov 2018)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I welcome the Bill and commend Deputy Michael McGrath. Vulture funds are a nightmare for many people. Those of us who have been representing people in mortgage difficulties have been going to middle men, with the issue then having to go on to the people who bought out the loans. In the past week, a report that the Government had mentioned claimed that the loans' owners had ticked all the...

Consumer Protection (Regulation of Credit Servicing Firms) Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages [Private Members] (22 Nov 2018)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank the Minister for the clarification. I will forward him an email on what some local authorities are doing. The one thing that we have not addressed is the situation I referred to in middle Ireland. There is nothing available if one is above the threshold. The banks try to tick boxes but after that there is no solution for many of those people. Ironically, I got a text while we...