Results 3,701-3,720 of 4,717 for speaker:Martin Mansergh

Seanad: National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (11 Nov 2009)

Martin Mansergh: This matter has already been debated extensively in connection with this Bill and otherwise. The issue is not one of ends - there is a fair degree of consensus in that regard - it simply is one of means. The Minister for Finance is opposed to the amendment. I will not rehearse all of the relevant material in that regard; I will merely summarise the key points. Including a provision such as...

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: From the Seanad (12 Nov 2009)

Martin Mansergh: Amendment No. 5 proposes that the board of the National Asset Management Agency establish a fourth committee, the finance committee, along with the three committees already envisaged in the Bill, namely, the audit, credit and risk management committees, respectively. Amendments Nos. 4 and 6 are consequential amendments. During the Seanad debates, the Minister listened to arguments that the...

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: From the Seanad (12 Nov 2009)

Martin Mansergh: I assure Deputy Burton that the only flowerpots in the boardroom will be in the centre of the table or in the windows and will not be around the table. The membership of the committee will be a matter for the board but will be confined to officers of NAMA and board members and, as has been said, at least two board members must be on the finance committee. I have been an unpaid member of...

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: From the Seanad (12 Nov 2009)

Martin Mansergh: There is no danger of NAMA becoming like FÁS, although I hasten to add that I have great respect for the activities of FÁS on the ground, notwithstanding what happened at board level. Deputy Burton has entirely legitimate concerns about the way corporate governance was carried out in many places, both public and private, in the past. People were sometimes put on boards because they...

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: From the Seanad (12 Nov 2009)

Martin Mansergh: This Seanad amendment arises from a commitment given by the Minister during the Committee Stage discussion in the Dáil to examine whether specific qualifications should be enumerated in this section of the Bill. The Bill, as passed by the Dáil, provides that in deciding whether a person is suitable for appointment to the valuation panel, the Minister must be satisfied "that the person has...

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: From the Seanad (12 Nov 2009)

Martin Mansergh: I hope I am correct in my understanding of what Members have said when I thank the House for supporting Government amendment No. 9. Deputy O'Donnell referred to taxation — I do not see how one can be an accountant without having a knowledge of taxation, and the same is true for most of the qualifications listed.

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: From the Seanad (12 Nov 2009)

Martin Mansergh: I understand. I do not mean to make a meal of this.

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: From the Seanad (12 Nov 2009)

Martin Mansergh: The function of the valuation panel is to valuate assets, and the qualification requirements in respect of potential appointees reflect that. There is no reason that people with the qualifications listed cannot also have a social policy perspective. The valuation panel will be appointed by the Minister for Finance, not by Fianna Fáil, as Deputy Burton suggested. This endeavour is far too...

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: From the Seanad (12 Nov 2009)

Martin Mansergh: I am tired of the propagandist mantras introduced at regular intervals by Opposition spokespersons. I wish the discussion was a little more serious. This is not based on optimistic assessments by non-office holding Members. If anything, the opposite is the case. Assets will be valued at market value but the Minister has noted yields are well above average, indicating prices are likely to...

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: From the Seanad (12 Nov 2009)

Martin Mansergh: Arising from the debate on Report Stage in the House on the need for transparency in the guidelines issued regarding lending practices of participating institutions, the Minister has introduced this amendment to require that guidelines issued under this section should be laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas.

Written Answers — Departmental Offices: Departmental Offices (12 Nov 2009)

Martin Mansergh: A table schedules leases with an annual rent of €10,000 or more that are leased by the Office of Public Works on behalf of all Departments in Cork City. Building Name Address Lease Name Annual Rent Department € Cork C&E Centre Park House Centre Park House, Centre Park Road Centre Park House, Ground Floor 48,000.00 NERA Cork C&E Centre Park House Centre Park House, Centre Park...

Written Answers — Road Network: Road Network (12 Nov 2009)

Martin Mansergh: The road works for the reconstruction of Mountjoy Cross in the Phoenix Park will be completed before the end of November and the introduction of Operation Freeflow. The Castleknock Gate will be removed at the same stage.

Written Answers — Road Network: Road Network (12 Nov 2009)

Martin Mansergh: The present works at Mountjoy Cross in the Phoenix Park will not include the resurfacing of the Main Road (Chesterfield Avenue).

Seanad: National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Motions (12 Nov 2009)

Martin Mansergh: These amendments extend the whistleblower protection provisions to employees of NAMA group entities. This amendment was proposed by Fine Gael in the Dáil earlier today and the Minister accepted it, as it is necessary that any employee of a NAMA group entity is fully protected by these provisions. I thank Fine Gael for its contribution.

Seanad: National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Motions (12 Nov 2009)

Martin Mansergh: I thank Senators for their co-operation in agreeing these amendments. Senator Norris has an extensive parliamentary repertoire of his own but there is nothing wrong, in the interests of good legislation, in using whatever procedure the rules and the Constitution allow, even if this procedure is very rare.

Seanad: National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Motions (12 Nov 2009)

Martin Mansergh: I endorse what Senator Butler said about the Bill not being guillotined in this House. I also agree there was a high standard of debate in the Seanad. This was reinforced for me this morning when I was listening to the Order of Business in the other House. The danger of open-ended debate is that it encourages Members, Ministers included I hasten to add, to divert from the main subject. It...

Seanad: Proposed Legislation (12 Nov 2009)

Martin Mansergh: The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform welcomes the opportunity presented by the Senator's initiative to debate this matter. It is clear that age limits or qualifications in many areas of modern day living can be very varied and perhaps we have not up to now given sufficient consideration to the rationale behind this. While these limits cover a wide range of issues across the...

Written Answers — Coastal Protection: Coastal Protection (17 Nov 2009)

Martin Mansergh: The Coastal Protection Programme for 2009 was formulated on the basis of OPW providing 90 percent of the cost of the funding for approved Coastal Protection Works. The balance of the funding i.e 10 percent is a matter for the relevant Local Authorities. No applications for funding for coastal works for 2009 were received from Co. Waterford. The OPW will be considering proposals from the...

Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (17 Nov 2009)

Martin Mansergh: The matter raised by the Deputy is currently under investigation by the Office of Public Works. I will write to the Deputy as soon as the results of the investigation are to hand.

Written Answers — Flood Relief: Flood Relief (17 Nov 2009)

Martin Mansergh: Kilkenny County Council in conjunction with the Office of Public Works commissioned a preliminary Flood Risk Management Study in respect of Thomastown, Graiguenamanagh and Callan. The study found that the impact of the weir at Thomastown on the flood levels is not significant and contains no recommendations in respect of the weir.