Results 2,501-2,520 of 9,814 for speaker:Steven Matthews

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Heritage Council: Chairperson Designate (23 Nov 2021)

Steven Matthews: That is the end of our questioning. Do the witnesses wish to ask us anything as a committee or to put anything on the record?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Heritage Council: Chairperson Designate (23 Nov 2021)

Steven Matthews: I thank Dr. Moloney. I add my congratulations to those of the members. She has significant experience in local government as well and that is very important. She will have heard the great support for heritage and the work of the Heritage Council from committee members. The Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, will come before the committee in three weeks' time to give us an update on work he...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Withdrawal from Irish Banking Market: Engagement with KBC (1 Dec 2021)

Steven Matthews: May I interrupt Mr. Blažek, as I am unclear about what has been said? In the case of mortgage and deposits, it will be 60 days prior to the migration. That is the minimum notice. KBC intends to give longer notice but it cannot say when that will be and I did not catch what KBC awaits.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Withdrawal from Irish Banking Market: Engagement with KBC (1 Dec 2021)

Steven Matthews: In how many other countries in Europe does KBC operate in?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Withdrawal from Irish Banking Market: Engagement with KBC (1 Dec 2021)

Steven Matthews: I am sure that Mr. Blažek can appreciate the difficulty that this may cause for people. I mean that people have become very used to using the KBC app and now will have to transfer. Will KBC assist its customers with the transfer to the Bank of Ireland app?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Withdrawal from Irish Banking Market: Engagement with KBC (1 Dec 2021)

Steven Matthews: Did Mr. Blažek say that current account holders will have a choice in where they wish to go?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Withdrawal from Irish Banking Market: Engagement with KBC (1 Dec 2021)

Steven Matthews: What actions do mortgage customers need to take to transfer their mortgage to the Bank of Ireland? Do they just need to wait for this communication, which Mr. Blažek has said will come and will give 60 days or more notice? Is that the advice that Mr. Blažek would give?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Withdrawal from Irish Banking Market: Engagement with KBC (1 Dec 2021)

Steven Matthews: The KBC customer mortgage holders can opt out of time-bound contracts. If the terms of service are changing dramatically, will they be able to switch to another bank other than Bank of Ireland?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Withdrawal from Irish Banking Market: Engagement with KBC (1 Dec 2021)

Steven Matthews: KBC customers benefit from zero banking fees if their current and saving accounts meet some basic balance criteria. Will these benefits be carried over to the Bank of Ireland? Is there an option for them to carry over some of those benefits?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Withdrawal from Irish Banking Market: Engagement with KBC (1 Dec 2021)

Steven Matthews: Some KBC customers benefit from zero banking fees if their accounts meet certain basic criteria. Can existing KBC customers carry over these benefits to the Bank of Ireland or must they meet the Bank of Ireland's set of criteria and that is it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Withdrawal from Irish Banking Market: Engagement with KBC (1 Dec 2021)

Steven Matthews: I apologise because I realise that Mr. Blažek has covered this and did say that. Many of our constituents who are KBC customers are contacting us about banking matters or concerns. Would the bank consider setting up a facility for Oireachtas Members to liaise directly with KBC on behalf of its customers who may be experiencing difficulty?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Withdrawal from Irish Banking Market: Engagement with KBC (1 Dec 2021)

Steven Matthews: I suggest to the Chairman that the committee liaise with KBC on the setting up of an Oireachtas liaison line for the period of transfer for, say, the next 12 months. That might be helpful for all of us. I thank Mr. Blažek and Mr. D'Arcy for their time today.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary)
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (25 Nov 2021)

Steven Matthews: I ask the Minister of State to comment on a few figures that are in here. On the €25 million underspend on cycling and walking programmes, what is the cause of that underspend because there is definitely demand around the country and the ambition also that the Government partners share in cycling and in active transport? Is it purely down to Covid-19 delays or is it down to having...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary)
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (25 Nov 2021)

Steven Matthews: I thank the Minister of State. With the popularity and widespread use of electric cycles and scooters, the Minister of State is correct in that the catchment for active transport has now become much larger because of those electric vehicles and we need to take that into account. My second question is on the warmer homes schemes. It states that the average time from application to...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary)
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (25 Nov 2021)

Steven Matthews: The Minister of State answered my next question, which was on the energy efficiency national fund and what measures will be put in place to support households with rising energy prices. We need to keep in mind that rising energy prices are a result of oil price rises across the planet and geopolitical reasons. Carbon tax is not causing the increases about which I hear many people talking....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Withdrawal from Irish Banking Market: Engagement with KBC (1 Dec 2021)

Steven Matthews: I thank Mr. Blažek and Mr. D'Arcy for their attendance. Customers do not normally change banks during the course of their banking life. It is rarely that people change from one bank to another, so when something is forced on them it causes concern and difficulty. I get contacted a lot of the time by bank customers because KBC is not the first bank to close down branches. We have had...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Withdrawal from Irish Banking Market: Engagement with KBC (1 Dec 2021)

Steven Matthews: How many countries is KBC going through this process with at the moment? Is Ireland the first or has KBC done this in other countries? I mean where KBC is leaving a country and transferring to a national bank within that country.