Results 6,701-6,720 of 16,492 for speaker:Ciarán Lynch

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Administration (3 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Lynch: 259. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 219 of 23 January 2014, if the figures are now available; if he has given consideration to the suggested adjustment to the medical card review system (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15866/14]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Departmental Services (3 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Lynch: 266. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the duration of the merchant agreement where payment by debit or credit card is accepted for services provided by his Department or bodies under the aegis of his Department to the public; when does the term end; if the merchant agreement is awarded by way of tender; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15745/14]

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Contracts (8 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Lynch: 45. To ask the Taoiseach the duration of the merchant agreement where payment by debit or credit card is accepted for services provided by his Department or bodies under the aegis of his Department to the public; when does the term end; if the merchant agreement is awarded by way of tender; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15969/14]

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Staff Safety (8 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Lynch: 293. To ask the Minister for Social Protection to set out the measures in place for the protection of staff in her Department's offices; if glass partitions are always provided; the training and support provided to staff to deal with customers who become physically or verbally aggressive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16268/14]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Human Trafficking (8 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Lynch: 413. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to introduce a requirement for special training for airline staff to enable them to identify victims of trafficking among passengers (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16203/14]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process: (Resumed) Ulster Bank (8 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Lynch: We will proceed with No. 7 on today's schedule, matters relating to mortgage arrears and the resolution process. Before commencing business, I remind members, witnesses and those in the Public Gallery that all mobile telephones must be switched off to avoid interference with the broadcasting of the meeting. I will move on to the formal part of the meeting and welcome the representatives of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process: (Resumed) Ulster Bank (8 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Lynch: I thank Mr. Brown. I propose to take the first round of questions in 15-minute slots, the second round of questions in ten-minute slots and subsequent rounds of questions in five-minute slots. I remind members to be concise in their questioning and witnesses to be concise in their responses. I will begin by asking Mr. Brown about Ulster Bank's commitment to the Irish market as a retail...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process: (Resumed) Ulster Bank (8 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Lynch: That commitment is to remain on the high street in Ireland.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process: (Resumed) Ulster Bank (8 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Lynch: The last time the Ulster Bank officials appeared before us, they referred to an earlier comment that I had made about how sustainable solutions are defined. There was a level of ambiguity at that time. There was a need for some clarity about the direction the Central Bank was giving to Ulster Bank, particularly in cases of people who are in arrears but might have positive equity on their...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process: (Resumed) Ulster Bank (8 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Lynch: In the course of our previous hearings on this issue, the position of the Governor of the Central Bank in his written correspondence to me seemed to be at variance with the views he expressed when he appeared before the committee. Has Ulster Bank sought a definitive position in this regard from the Central Bank?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process: (Resumed) Ulster Bank (8 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Lynch: What criteria or matrices does Ulster Bank use to determine whether a mortgage is or is not sustainable?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process: (Resumed) Ulster Bank (8 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Lynch: However, affordability can work on a cascading or waterfall scale. Is the assessment done on the basis of immediate affordability or is attention given to how that might cascade down over time?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process: (Resumed) Ulster Bank (8 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Lynch: Coming back to an earlier question, affordability takes on an entirely different meaning if it is possible to move the resolution into post-retirement, particularly for people who are in positive equity. There is some confusion in regard to the phrase "sustainable solution" in terms of a lack of appreciation that a solution will not be specific for the next 30 years but will, rather, have a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process: (Resumed) Ulster Bank (8 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Lynch: It is a welcome development that we are seeing resolution processes being developed by banks beyond the prescribed list set out in the Keane report. Ulster Bank's concession approach is a very innovative one which allows the distressed borrower to deal with both interest and capital in an affordable and manageable way. I note, however, that in the case of some of the options recommended in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process: (Resumed) Ulster Bank (8 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Lynch: I have some understanding as to why a person would opt for the concession approach rather than a split mortgage, but a mortgage-to-rent arrangement is in an entirely different category. Do the delegates have some expectation as to when they will begin reaching the figures that are being placed on the grid in this regard? There is nothing there at the moment.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process: (Resumed) Ulster Bank (8 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Lynch: In response to a parliamentary question I tabled recently, I was told that the amount in mortgage interest supplement that has been paid out by the State since 2008 is just under €313 million. This means that every bank, whether or not the State bailed it out, has been assisting its customers in one fashion or another. This brings me to the point that some 30% of distressed borrowers...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process: (Resumed) Ulster Bank (8 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Lynch: Mr. Brown indicated in his opening comments that this cohort accounts for some 14% of the total.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process: (Resumed) Ulster Bank (8 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Lynch: If customers are not engaging, there has to be a process to encourage them to engage. However, although the percentage of non-engagers has reduced from 30% plus to 14%, the bank's legal positioning is still at more than 30%.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process: (Resumed) Ulster Bank (8 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Lynch: At that time, the bank had issued letters to more than 4,000 people.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process: (Resumed) Ulster Bank (8 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Lynch: Am I correct that the intention in that regard was to prompt a response from customers in terms of engagement?