Results 6,681-6,700 of 8,015 for speaker:Jonathan O'Brien

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 9: Office of the Revenue Commissioners
Chapter 17: Revenue's Progress in Tackling Tobacco Smuggling
Chapter 18: Management of High Wealth Individuals' Tax Liabilities
Chapter 19: Corporation Tax Losses (15 Nov 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: I appreciate that.

Finance Bill 2018: Report Stage (20 Nov 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: As I do not have the amendment in front of me, that is why I clarified it with Deputy Boyd Barrett before I spoke. My understanding is that it would be based on individual income, not household income.

Finance Bill 2018: Report Stage (20 Nov 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: It would not apply if somebody was earning €60,000 and his or her spouse was earning €40,000. Perhaps Deputy Boyd Barrett might clarify the matter. I completely understand the principle behind it, but I do not think it would be the right way to go for a number of reasons. Some 28% are already exempt from USC. We need to continue to take lower paid workers out of the USC net...

Finance Bill 2018: Report Stage (20 Nov 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: We will withdraw amendment No. 12 in light of the fact that the Minister has committed to commissioning a full report before the next budget. On amendment No. 11, the Minister said that he could not have foreseen the inequity in this when the cap was first lifted. I have to say that he was warned at the time. Deputy Pearse Doherty highlighted this in his speech on the Finance Bill 2015...

Finance Bill 2018: Report Stage (Resumed) (22 Nov 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: I move amendment No. 39:In page 145, between lines 32 and 33, to insert the following:"Report on trade union tax relief 62.The Minister shall, within 6 months of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before Dáil Éireann a report on the re-introduction of Trade Union Tax Relief.". The amendment call for a report on the reintroduction of trade union tax relief to be prepared and...

Finance Bill 2018: Report Stage (Resumed) (22 Nov 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: This is a relief that was available to members of the trade union movement and subsequently abolished. We are not asking the Minister to reintroduce it today but to publish a report on the benefits that could accrue if it were reintroduced. We seek only a report, which would not cost the Minister anything. Nobody should be afraid of what would be in that report. It may uphold the...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Banking Sector (22 Nov 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: 51. To ask the Minister for Finance if the rainy day fund codified in the National Surplus (Reserve Fund for Exceptional Contingencies) Bill 2018 could be used to recapitalise the banks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48650/18]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Collection (22 Nov 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: 52. To ask the Minister for Finance if steps will be taken to lower the threshold of high wealth individuals from those holding €50 million worth of assets to €10 million; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48651/18]

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 15: Hepatitis C Treatment in Ireland
Management of Medical Negligence (22 Nov 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: What is the waiting time between the assessment and the beginning of treatment?

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 15: Hepatitis C Treatment in Ireland
Management of Medical Negligence (22 Nov 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: Would that be longer for people outside a hospital setting, for instance, within the prison service?

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 15: Hepatitis C Treatment in Ireland
Management of Medical Negligence (22 Nov 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: When we identify risk groups and, obviously, intravenous drug users are a high-risk group, how are we targeting those individuals? I presume it is through drug addiction centres but very few intravenous drug users will get to the stage where they are in addiction centres, and some will end up in prison. Therefore, there is a cohort of people who may not engage with services. Are we...

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 15: Hepatitis C Treatment in Ireland
Management of Medical Negligence (22 Nov 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: I want to stay on this area. If an intravenous drug user is diagnosed with hepatitis C, and Professor McCormick said we are waiting about two months to begin treatment-----

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 15: Hepatitis C Treatment in Ireland
Management of Medical Negligence (22 Nov 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: Yes. What is the issue? I know, not from personal experience but from family experience, that those individuals share needles. How prevalent is that and how are we trying to address the issue? We have the needle exchange programme running in 120 or 130 pharmacies throughout the State. Although Professor McCormick cannot comment on policy, one of the policy areas that could really bring...

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 15: Hepatitis C Treatment in Ireland
Management of Medical Negligence (22 Nov 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: Screen them.

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 15: Hepatitis C Treatment in Ireland
Management of Medical Negligence (22 Nov 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: I want to highlight it because when we talk about safe injecting centres, which I fully support and would like to see rolled out beyond Dublin, we talk about fatalities and how, internationally, there has never been a fatality in a safe injecting centre. There are other health benefits such as preventing hepatitis C from spreading. I want to put that on the record. My understanding is...

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 15: Hepatitis C Treatment in Ireland
Management of Medical Negligence (22 Nov 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: I have two more brief questions. In cases where a diagnosis has been made, do we have figures for how many people contracted hepatitis C outside the State? I am talking about the immigrant population who may be seeking asylum here or in direct provision who we know have hepatitis C. Do we look at that to try to identify potential risk groups?

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 15: Hepatitis C Treatment in Ireland
Management of Medical Negligence (22 Nov 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: Do we treat-----

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 15: Hepatitis C Treatment in Ireland
Management of Medical Negligence (22 Nov 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: Direct provision centres.

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 15: Hepatitis C Treatment in Ireland
Management of Medical Negligence (22 Nov 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: If I can-----

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 15: Hepatitis C Treatment in Ireland
Management of Medical Negligence (22 Nov 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: Okay. I obviously did not do my homework. I will turn to the Comptroller and Auditor General's report. I am not being critical in any way. I am being genuine because I have an interest in the area. In terms of the amber recommendations - there is only one red one, which is positive - which are only partially implemented, most are in the education area. Many concern the provision of...