Results 27,761-27,780 of 27,945 for speaker:Michael McGrath

Seanad: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Senator for her consideration of the application of the Fossil Fuel Divestment Act to these new funds. I know this was discussed on Committee Stage. The first amendment proposes to remove the mechanism to allow the investment to proceed where the agency is satisfied that it is in line with the achievement of the national climate objectives. Section 31(3) of the Bill and the...

Seanad: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Michael McGrath: I can put some further information on the record of the House. I note that this de minimis approach has worked well in the experience of ISIF. For example, at the end of 2023, the percentage of fossil fuel exposures in pooled vehicles in which ISIF was an investor ranged from 0% to just under 10%. Further to this, many of the higher exposures relate to emerging markets, for example, India...

Seanad: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Senator for this amendment, which also formed part of the debate on Committee Stage in the House. I appreciate that the Senator's intention is, primarily at least, to attempt to ensure that State funds are not invested by the NTMA in occupied territories, including the occupied Palestinian territories or Western Sahara and, where they are invested, that the NTMA would divest from...

Seanad: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Senator. The legislative basis for all of the investments made by ISIF is the NTMA Act 2014. Those investments are provided for within the investment policy and strategy. I have no evidence to suggest that any investment ISIF has in its global portfolio is illegal or does not have a sound legal basis. I wish to be clear on that point. As the Senator has acknowledged, the...

Seanad: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Michael McGrath: I thank Members of the House for their consideration of the Bill in recent weeks. I thank the House for the broad support - it was not unanimous but there was broad support from the House. It would be remiss of me not to thank the officials in my Department and the Attorney General's office. This was complex legislation. It is unusual that a Bill brought forward can go through the...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: EU Meetings (12 Jun 2024)

Michael McGrath: In the period requested (27 June 2020 – 7 June 2024) the following meetings of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) have taken place: - Physical Virtual Total Formal ECOFIN Meetings 27 4 31 Informal ECOFIN Meetings 8 10 18 ...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Flexible Work Practices (12 Jun 2024)

Michael McGrath: I wish to inform the Deputy that my Department has achieved the Government mandated public sector remote working target of 20%, in line with Government commitments. My Department launched its Blended Working Policy on 1st July 2022, which was developed in line with the key principles and parameters of the Civil Service Blended Working Policy Framework. However, blended and remote working has...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Reliefs (12 Jun 2024)

Michael McGrath: The Disabled Drivers & Disabled Passengers Scheme provides relief from VRT and VAT on an adapted car, as well as an exemption from motor tax and an annual fuel grant. Depending on the nature of the Primary Medical Certificate holder as a disabled driver or a disabled passenger, and on the nature of adaptations, the maximum allowable limit of VRT and VAT reliefs provided across four...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (13 Jun 2024)

Michael McGrath: I thank Deputy Doherty. I join him in wishing our colleague Deputy Jennifer Whitmore all the best. I did not realise she had taken ill. All our thoughts are with her today. Briefly, I want to congratulate the fantastic 4x400 m relay team of Sophie Becker, Phil Healy, Rhasidat Adeleke and Sharlene Mawdsley that had phenomenal success winning a silver medal at the European Championships....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (13 Jun 2024)

Michael McGrath: A full investigation is under way. It has been under way for a number of weeks. The abattoir where the slaughtering is taking place is a regulated environment. I want to be clear that the animal welfare rules apply everywhere. They apply also in the holding area even if that is not the area where the inspection was actually taking place, which is in the slaughterhouse itself. In the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (13 Jun 2024)

Michael McGrath: I can assure Deputy Smith that any legal practices will be dealt with using the full force of the law. I agree with him that the highest standards must apply throughout the equine industry. I know he has not done this and it would be wrong for anyone to seek to portray what we witnessed last night on RTÉ "Prime Time Investigates" as representative of the wider equine industry because I...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (13 Jun 2024)

Michael McGrath: I wish to make clear that the funding that is provided by the State is primarily for thoroughbred horse racing, a very important part of our economy and a really important part of the fabric of regional and rural Ireland. I do not for a moment believe that what we witnessed on RTÉ's "Prime Time Investigates" is representative of the wider equine industry. It is important that we all...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (13 Jun 2024)

Michael McGrath: I thank Deputy Naughten for raising what is a very important issue. The first point I want to make is that the Government is committed to ensuring that patients in Ireland get timely access to new and innovative medicines. In my time in the Department of public expenditure and reform, this was an issue on which we consulted and worked very closely with the Minister for Health, Deputy...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (13 Jun 2024)

Michael McGrath: This is a priority area for the Government. It is one that I am very familiar with. I know very well of companies, such as BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc., which operates in my constituency in Cork and which focuses on the manufacturing of drugs for rare diseases, namely orphan drugs. We engage with it and others in the industry on an ongoing basis because we want to ensure that people who...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (13 Jun 2024)

Michael McGrath: I thank the Deputy. First, looking to the medium to long term and the need to ensure there are adequate facilities and infrastructure at University Hospital Galway, as the Deputy knows, we are making progress on the delivery of major capital projects that are planned for the hospital. A formal project board has now been established. We are finalising a master plan for the development of...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (13 Jun 2024)

Michael McGrath: The facilities at University Hospital Galway are not fit for purpose. I have been there in recent months and I am very much aware of the ambitious capital investment plans, which we will support. They need to happen because the scale of demand for services there is only going to go in one direction, and we have to ensure we have not just the staffing but the physical infrastructure to meet...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (13 Jun 2024)

Michael McGrath: I join the Ceann Comhairle, Deputy Doherty and others in thanking Martin for his service over all of those years. He has been a thorough gentleman to everyone and I wish him the best in his retirement. Thankfully his boxing skills were not called upon here. It may have seemed to come close a few times across the floor but thankfully he never had to intervene in that way. I am not...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (13 Jun 2024)

Michael McGrath: It is a pity we will not be at the Euros but we will enjoy the football nonetheless. The Government is fully committed to supporting the development of football in Ireland. There will be an announcement of a record allocation of sports capital grants in the next number of months by the Minister, Deputy Martin, and the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne. Football will be a major beneficiary of...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (13 Jun 2024)

Michael McGrath: I welcome the appearance of Paul Reid before the first meeting of the new Oireachtas committee which will examine and respond to the report of the Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use. We await the outcome of that with huge interest and the Government will be prepared to make decisions arising from that. Drugs are an absolute scourge and we need to have a serious debate as a society about...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (13 Jun 2024)

Michael McGrath: I apologise that I do not have that information to hand but we will follow up and make sure a reply is issued to the Deputy and, more importantly, that there is full clarity on the continued provision of what is a vital service. We agree with the Deputy on that so we will respond promptly.