Results 6,501-6,520 of 18,851 for speaker:Fergus O'Dowd

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Non-Use of Motor Vehicles Bill 2013: Committee Stage (16 May 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: They can use the off-road declaration form like everyone else.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Non-Use of Motor Vehicles Bill 2013: Committee Stage (16 May 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: The owner does not have to give a reason. If a vehicle is off the road, the owner simply declares that it will be off the road; he or she does not have to give a reason. This is a difficulty if there are certain numbers of vehicles that are only used for certain periods.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Non-Use of Motor Vehicles Bill 2013: Committee Stage (16 May 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: The Department has advised me that the Bill will not change that position, but I accept the Deputy is raising it as a point to be considered in the future.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Non-Use of Motor Vehicles Bill 2013: Committee Stage (16 May 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: Car hire companies also have an issue in that they can have a certain number of cars but if the business is not available, they face a significant loss.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Non-Use of Motor Vehicles Bill 2013: Committee Stage (16 May 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: At any time during the relevant month the company can declare a vehicle is off the road.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Non-Use of Motor Vehicles Bill 2013: Committee Stage (16 May 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: Yes. It does not have to be a calendar month.

Topical Issue Debate: Third Level Grants (21 May 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. Up to 2011, students applied to their local authority or VEC for their grants. Some 66 grant awarding authorities were involved, all using a variety of application, assessment and payment processes. SUSI replaces all of these with a centralised and online system of application. While there were problems in the first year of the new...

Topical Issue Debate: Third Level Grants (21 May 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: We all accept that there were problems. They are now being addressed. Substantial progress has been made in dealing with outstanding applications. There were problems with the new grant-awarding system in its first year. SUSI has made substantial progress. Some 99.5% of applications are now complete. The final 447 cases, most of which are awaiting final elements of documentation from...

Topical Issue Debate: Homeless Persons Supports (21 May 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: I thank Deputy Ó Snodaigh for bringing this matter before the House. I am responding to him on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Burton. The €100 rate of jobseeker's allowance was introduced for claimants under the age of 20 in April 2009. This rate was applied to claimants up to the age of 21 from December 2009. A rate of €144 applies to claimants between the ages of 22...

Topical Issue Debate: Homeless Persons Supports (21 May 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: I assure Deputy Ó Snodaigh the Minister will be given a copy of his comments for direct reply. The kernel is that the Minister has met with Focus Ireland and the Department continues to engage with it on the issues the Deputy has raised today.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Fisheries Protection (21 May 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: I am advised by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) that surveys of eel stocks were carried out in the Waterford estuary in 2009 and 2011. The surveys indicated probable high levels of movement within these waters which made estimating the population difficult. Preliminary analysis of samples taken from the Barrow Transitional Water indicates a mean eel age of 9 years ranging from 4 to 15 years...

Non-Use of Motor Vehicles Bill 2013: Order for Report Stage (23 May 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: I move: "That Report Stage be taken now."

Seanad: Criminal Justice Bill 2013: Second Stage (28 May 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: Táim ag tógáil an Bhille seo thar ceann an Aire Dlí agus Cirt agus Comhionannais. Tugaim leithscéal ar son an Aire nach mbeidh sé in ann freastal sa Teach seo inniu. The Bill was originally published as the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) (Amendment) Bill 2013. However, as it was amended to include a number of provisions unrelated...

Seanad: Non-Use of Motor Vehicles Bill 2013: Second Stage (28 May 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: Is cúis áthais dom é an díospóireacht seo a oscailt sa Seanad. The primary purpose of this Bill is to provide for a system of declaring vehicles off the road in advance for motor tax purposes. This will close a loophole whereby owners can declare retrospectively that a vehicle has not been in use on the public road, which is unverifiable. Under the existing system,...

Seanad: Non-Use of Motor Vehicles Bill 2013: Second Stage (28 May 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: Ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil le gach duine a ghlac páirt sa díospóireacht seo. I wish to respond to some of the questions, and others can be responded to on Committee and Report Stages, which will be taken later. The primary purpose of the Bill is to close off evasion. Tax evasion hurts the compliant. Failure to pay tax imposes a greater burden on all...

Seanad: Non-Use of Motor Vehicles Bill 2013: Second Stage (28 May 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: Of course, as I want to make perfectly clear. In the case of vintage cars, it will not be possible to avoid exemptions from the requirement to pay arrears on some categories of vehicles as the provision of exemptions for one group will inevitably lead to calls for other groups to be recognised. This legislation has been well flagged and there is effectively a four month period in which...

Seanad: Non-Use of Motor Vehicles Bill 2013: Second Stage (28 May 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: We recognise the need for a transition period to allow motorists the time to put their affairs in order. Senator Sean D. Barrett raised the question of commercial and private users. The arrangements are straightforward and not designed to inconvenience compliant taxpayers. Those who need to take a vehicle off the road will be permitted to do so, but it will be necessary to notify the...

Confidence in the Minister for Justice and Equality: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (29 May 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: It is clear where those on this side of the House stand. There is no division over the Government's commitment to proceed with solving the economic crisis. Of all the Ministers in government, the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Shatter, is the most determined, resolute and fearless. He has tackled all the issues that have arisen in his Department with absolute clarity. He has...

Seanad: Criminal Justice Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (29 May 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: Ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil leis na Seanadóirí go léir a labhair ar an ábhar tábhachtach seo. Tá na leasuithe atá á dhéanamh ag an mBille seo bunaithe ar eolas atá ag na gardaí agus ag an Roinn le trí bliana anuas. We must constantly strive to ensure that the provision in our law to combat money laundering is of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Hydraulic Fracturing Licence Applications (11 Jun 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: I propose to take Questions Nos. 501 and 502 together. As the Deputy may be aware, in February 2011 my Department announced that it was offering Onshore Petroleum Licensing Options to: - Tamboran Resources PTY Ltd over 986 km2 in the Northwest Carboniferous Basin; - Lough Allen Natural Gas Company Ltd over 467 km2 in the Northwest Carboniferous Basin; and - Enegi Oil Plc over 495 km2 ...