Results 281-300 of 372 for speaker:Edward Timmins

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Engagement with the Taoiseach (9 Jul 2025)

Edward Timmins: I am talking about physical budgets.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Engagement with the Taoiseach (9 Jul 2025)

Edward Timmins: I understand the difficulty and the limitations but it gets you thinking and focused on the problems that are going to hit us in ten years' time and in 15 years' time. If you do not project the numbers out that far, you will not be conscious of them.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Engagement with the Taoiseach (9 Jul 2025)

Edward Timmins: That will mean €200 million for ten years, or whatever it is.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (9 Jul 2025)

Edward Timmins: So we do not have up-to-date figures.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Engagement with the Taoiseach (9 Jul 2025)

Edward Timmins: This could all help to contribute.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Engagement with the Taoiseach (9 Jul 2025)

Edward Timmins: It is another bit of soft power. The Taoiseach mentioned in his bullet points about engaging with the formulation of Government policy through Cabinet committees. As someone who was a county councillor for more than 20 years in Wicklow, could I ask that we look at ways of improving communication between councils and Departments? That is something I feel, just from my interactions here in...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Tax Collection (15 Jul 2025)

Edward Timmins: 96. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will review the operation of property tax. [39675/25]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Tax Collection (15 Jul 2025)

Edward Timmins: I welcome some aspects of the revised calculation of property tax and the calculation of the amount retained by counties. I recognise that the expected average increase of 5% is way below the inflation rate of 16.7% over the past four years. However, more needs to be done to make it a more equitable tax. In particular, some counties do not retain all of the tax collected in their county.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Tax Collection (15 Jul 2025)

Edward Timmins: I thank the Minister. In my county, Wicklow, €3 million of the €23 million tax raised will not be kept locally next year. This is an improvement on the €5 million in 2025 but it needs to be eliminated. I do not suggest it be taken from the other counties which receive more than what is collected but that it ultimately comes from Exchequer funding. Two aspects of the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Tax Collection (15 Jul 2025)

Edward Timmins: The legislation states the property tax must be reset to the base rate every year. This means if a council has a rate above the base rate, for example, 6%, as it is in Wicklow, it has to restate every year the rate is increasing whereas in actual fact the rate is not increasing. Could the legislation be changed to eliminate the requirement to return to the base rate each year and have the...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (16 Jul 2025)

Edward Timmins: The birth rate in Ireland fell from 75,000 in 2010 to 55,000 in 2023. We now have the lowest birth rate ever. This low birth rate has clear negative impacts on sustaining our economy and public services. It will lead to a lower tax intake and inevitable cuts to our welfare state. Will the Government look at strategies to help increase the birth rate? This could be done by financially...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (16 Jul 2025)

Edward Timmins: 137. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when the development of 106 social houses in Blessington will commence, having been halted earlier in June 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39937/25]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (17 Jul 2025)

Edward Timmins: 12. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if there is long-term financial planning for capital infrastructure projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40182/25]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (17 Jul 2025)

Edward Timmins: I have met people working for State bodies involved in asset procurement for long-term infrastructure projects. One of the points they constantly raise is the lack of long-term financial planning and commitments on projects that take a long time to deliver, for example, ten years. They say that more certainty is needed and this would help improve the efficiency of delivering the projects...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (17 Jul 2025)

Edward Timmins: I want to emphasise how spending on infrastructure is an investment, in that it gives a return. For example, I recently attended the opening of the new wastewater treatment plant in Arklow, County Wicklow, which cost €140 million and came in on budget. Much of that €140 million comes back to the State immediately through taxes. This plant has a capacity of 24,000 population...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (17 Jul 2025)

Edward Timmins: Regarding delivery, a new infrastructure division group has recently been established. For the current national development plan, a delivery board was set up in 2018. The national development plan envisages five or four - it is not clear - additional outside experts being added. It only meets every two to three months, which seems way too seldom. I wonder how successful it has been....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Schemes (17 Jul 2025)

Edward Timmins: 93. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to the roll out and installation of solar panels in schools, if there are plans to work the ESB in relation to prioritising schools for installation or adjusting the payment rate for schools without smart metres to sell electricity back into the grid (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40201/25]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Schemes (17 Jul 2025)

Edward Timmins: A little over a year ago, as the Minister knows, the Government started to roll out a scheme of supplying free solar panels to schools. This is a very worthwhile initiative. However, there is a problem. Many schools do not have smart meters, which means they cannot sell excess electricity back to the grid. This installation is taking way too long. I know of a school that will not get a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Schemes (17 Jul 2025)

Edward Timmins: I thank the Minister. The schools are currently given a 25% credit at, say, 18 cent per kilowatt hour. The schools are closed most of the year. Their generation during this time is huge, and more so since they are closed during much of the peak solar times in the summer. The other issue is that the 10 kW roll out is too small for many schools. They require a much greater coverage of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Schemes (17 Jul 2025)

Edward Timmins: On a related matter, this programme can help with the running costs of primary schools. Schools have severe financial difficulties. Many schools are in deficit. I have seen how the ancillary grant, for example, does not cover the cost of caretaking. Could this be increased to match the cost? Additionally, I believe we need to look at increasing the capitation grant further from the new...