Results 4,501-4,520 of 9,252 for speaker:Jim O'Callaghan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Ombudsman and Information Commissioner: Commissioner Designate (9 Dec 2021)

Jim O'Callaghan: Under that system, does Mr. Deering envisage this operating in terms of Departments such that meetings between Ministers or officials and other parties would by course go up on the website as minutes of the meetings and would be available without individuals having to request them subsequently?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Ombudsman and Information Commissioner: Commissioner Designate (9 Dec 2021)

Jim O'Callaghan: Mr. Deering talked about own initiative investigations. What principles would guide him if he is trying to decide whether to establish an information of his own initiative? Is he going to be swayed by what is in the media? How can people interpret how he comes to his own initiative?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Ombudsman and Information Commissioner: Commissioner Designate (9 Dec 2021)

Jim O'Callaghan: That is probably not something that legislation is required to introduce because it is available to any entity at this stage to provide that information if it decides to do so without the necessity of being compelled by legislation.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Ombudsman and Information Commissioner: Commissioner Designate (9 Dec 2021)

Jim O'Callaghan: Mr. Deering mentioned there is an ongoing review of the freedom of information legislation and said he thought a review of the Ombudsman legislation would be beneficial. The primary legislation dates from 1980 and we had an amending Act in 2012. In what way does he think the Oireachtas could improve the legislation for the benefit of his office?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Discussion (16 Dec 2021)

Jim O'Callaghan: I welcome the Minister of State. I share his objective in that I am hopeful that the committee can complete pre-legislative scrutiny of this important legislation today and that we can get the legislation onto the floor of both Houses of the Oireachtas early in the New Year. I have a number of questions in regard to heads 3 and 8. As outlined by the Minister of State in his opening...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Discussion (16 Dec 2021)

Jim O'Callaghan: The Minister of State did answer the question. I am not suggesting that the legislation should apply retrospectively but consideration should be given to introducing legislation that will apply prospectively. All we are doing in the legislation is requiring the data to be collected by the Central Bank and for the consumer to be informed of the deduction. The Minister of State could...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Discussion (16 Dec 2021)

Jim O'Callaghan: It is a consequential provision and it will be interesting to see how it plays out. Previously insurers or the insured would only disclose documents that they intended to rely on in court proceedings but here there is a requirement to disclose documents even if they are not going to rely on them and, more important, if they are of disadvantage to the claim they are making.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Insurance Issues: Engagement with Insurance Companies (15 Dec 2021)

Jim O'Callaghan: Does Mr. Thompson envisage that there will be further reductions in premiums? Obviously, the personal injuries guidelines have reduced awards by more than 10%. I am not saying there should be an absolute correlation between a reduction in the awards and a reduction in the premium, but is it envisaged that the RSA Group will have greater reductions it will be able to pass on to the consumer?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Insurance Issues: Engagement with Insurance Companies (15 Dec 2021)

Jim O'Callaghan: If we find ourselves, say, a year from now and the guidelines have reduced awards down by 50%, would we not be confident in seeing a greater reduction in premiums than the 10% that has happened to date?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Insurance Issues: Engagement with Insurance Companies (15 Dec 2021)

Jim O'Callaghan: Can I take it that from the point of view of this committee, Mr. Thompson is not telling us we will not see further reductions than those of 10% that have taken place to date?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Insurance Issues: Engagement with Insurance Companies (15 Dec 2021)

Jim O'Callaghan: I will ask Mr. O'Midheach a similar question. I believe he indicated that there has been a reduction of 10% since the guidelines came in. Is that correct?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Insurance Issues: Engagement with Insurance Companies (15 Dec 2021)

Jim O'Callaghan: I will again ask a similar question. If it is the case that in a year from now we see that awards have been consistently reduced by, say, 40% or 50%, will we see a greater reduction in premiums than we have seen to date?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Insurance Issues: Engagement with Insurance Companies (15 Dec 2021)

Jim O'Callaghan: I will ask Mr. Connaughton the same question. Has AIG Ireland reduced it by 10% as well?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Insurance Issues: Engagement with Insurance Companies (15 Dec 2021)

Jim O'Callaghan: That will cause some concern to people in the political world. I am not saying Mr. Connaughton gave this assurance but the political world was given an assurance that if personal injuries guidelines were introduced and imposed, there would be an immediate change in premiums. I am slightly concerned that Mr. Connaughton is saying there are other imponderables and factors that must be taken...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Insurance Issues: Engagement with Insurance Companies (15 Dec 2021)

Jim O'Callaghan: The Oireachtas-enacted Judicial Council Act gave powers to the Judicial Council to bring in guidelines. It has resulted in a reduction implemented by the courts. I expect to see premiums come down significantly as a result of those new personal injury guidelines. We are only nine months out from the introduction of the guidelines but I want to see on behalf of the consumer a greater...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Insurance Issues: Engagement with Insurance Companies (15 Dec 2021)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank the representatives of the insurance industry for appearing before us this afternoon. The only issue I wish to raise is that of the impact that the personal injuries guidelines have had upon insurance premiums. As I am sure the representatives will be aware, the Oireachtas went through the considerable decision to enact legislation to give guidelines to the Judiciary under the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Insurance Issues: Engagement with Insurance Companies (15 Dec 2021)

Jim O'Callaghan: Is there any reason AIG appears to be more cautious - that is a more complimentary way of putting it; one could say not as generous - in passing on the 10% their colleagues have passed on? Why has AIG not done likewise?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Discussion (16 Dec 2021)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank the Minister of State. Head 7 is an interesting provision. It deletes section 16(10) of the Consumer Insurance Contracts Act 2019 and puts in a new section, section 16A. Under it, there is a requirement on the insurer and consumer to disclose any document to the other side after a claim is made. That could be of benefit or of disadvantage to that claim. A similar provision was...

Violence Against Women: Statements (19 Jan 2022)

Jim O'Callaghan: The killing of Ashling Murphy was not just a brutal crime that shocked the whole nation. It was also an event that has highlighted the fear that exists among women in our society for their personal safety. The shocking killing of Ashling Murphy has enabled and encouraged women to talk openly about that fear. More important, it has forced society to listen to that fear. I regret to say...