Results 4,781-4,800 of 4,810 for speaker:Liam Twomey
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Credit Union Sector: Discussion (25 Nov 2015)
Liam Twomey: In other words, they can be done by regulation now?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Credit Union Sector: Discussion (25 Nov 2015)
Liam Twomey: Now?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Credit Union Sector: Discussion (25 Nov 2015)
Liam Twomey: Will the regulator decide whether the social housing fund can be established?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Credit Union Sector: Discussion (25 Nov 2015)
Liam Twomey: As there are no further questions, on behalf of the joint committee I thank all the witnesses who participated and for the material they supplied to the committee. They may be invited to return in view of the way the conversation is going. Do members agree that we make all of this material available on the website? Agreed.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Forthcoming ECOFIN Council: Minister for Finance (1 Dec 2015)
Liam Twomey: We are now back in public session.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Forthcoming ECOFIN Council: Minister for Finance (1 Dec 2015)
Liam Twomey: Thank you, Minister. I will now take questions from members, beginning with Deputy Michael McGrath.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (3 Dec 2015)
Liam Twomey: I remind members to ensure their mobile phones are switched off. This is important as it causes serious problems for broadcasting, editorial and sound staff. I welcome from the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council, Professor John McHale, chairman, Mr. Sebastian Barnes, Dr. Íde Kearney, Dr. Róisín O'Sullivan, Mr. Michael G. Tutty and Dr. Thomas Conefrey. As we approach the year end,...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (3 Dec 2015)
Liam Twomey: You can, although I wish to put some questions. Let us go back to the beginning and the conversation with Deputy Pat Rabbitte. The representatives of the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council have said there were echoes of where we were. We are not really dealing with the same figures as was the case in 2003 and 2004. The echoes do not correspond. I was a Member of the Parliament at the time...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (3 Dec 2015)
Liam Twomey: You want to spend like crazy. It is not at the level of what we are talking about or what is being budgeted for. The current position is nowhere near the scenario the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council representatives have referred to. The risk is very low for what they have referred to as the expansionary budget. This economy has come through seven years of austerity and as we often hear,...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (3 Dec 2015)
Liam Twomey: What if the expenditure is targeted? The members opposite will tell you that mental health, ambulance services and schools all need extra investment. We could double the salaries of doctors, nurses and teachers. In that case, maybe there would be a point to what you are saying. However, if we invested in the infrastructure of health, education and social services of the country, would it...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (3 Dec 2015)
Liam Twomey: I am concerned because sometimes the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council is so fixated on the pro-cyclical concern that those involved miss the main point, which is that we must also get this country out of austerity and start giving something back, if I can put it that way. It is as much about giving confidence after so many austerity budgets which cut expenditure. If we were to take the approach...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (3 Dec 2015)
Liam Twomey: If one were to plan for Deputy Boyd Barrett's scenario, one would be expected to have even more regression on expenditure.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (3 Dec 2015)
Liam Twomey: Too slow.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (3 Dec 2015)
Liam Twomey: To get an idea of Professor McHale's thinking on this, if he were using a system similar to the weather alerts, is the deviation at orange or red?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (3 Dec 2015)
Liam Twomey: The public feels that what we have done is the right thing.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (3 Dec 2015)
Liam Twomey: The trouble is Deputy Boyd Barrett would be looking to spend more. He thinks we do not spend enough.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (3 Dec 2015)
Liam Twomey: It has been raised.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (3 Dec 2015)
Liam Twomey: That is what we are doing.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (3 Dec 2015)
Liam Twomey: We have seen the context to the additional expenditure. It is important that the public knows what the delegates' view is on that matter, whether they consider it to be a red alert or an orange alert. They are saying there has been aggro between themselves and the Government. I do not really see where that aggro has arisen.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (3 Dec 2015)
Liam Twomey: It seems there has not been any aggro between the Government and the council on this issue. The delegates have a view which we accept.