Results 69,461-69,480 of 74,100 for speaker:Bernard Durkan

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Sovereign Wealth Funds: Discussion (Resumed) (5 Jul 2023)

Bernard Durkan: Of all the issues we need to future-proof, for instance, I do not agree with referring to the taxation from foreign direct investment as "windfall". That presumes it is limited in its happening. We should assume that it remains constant, unless and until - I hope - it will not be part of a removal from the country, by one means or another, of foreign direct investment, which we depend on....

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Sovereign Wealth Funds: Discussion (Resumed) (5 Jul 2023)

Bernard Durkan: Yes, such as ageing. I am worried about this - I should not be worried about anything at all - but I do occasionally get worried. For instance, it has become a goal on the part of some to ensure we do not retain the investment related to higher payments in corporation profit tax. If some people had their way, it would be long-since gone. We must recognise that a larger percentage of our...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Sovereign Wealth Funds: Discussion (Resumed) (5 Jul 2023)

Bernard Durkan: Did the Department factor in any way the impact and age profile of the country the number of young people coming into the country, which will have an impact of sorts on the age of the population in 2030 or 2035 or whenever?

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Sovereign Wealth Funds: Discussion (Resumed) (5 Jul 2023)

Bernard Durkan: That is right.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Defective Block Redress: Redress Focus Group for Banking and Insurance (5 Jul 2023)

Bernard Durkan: I thank the Deputy. Unfortunately, the Cathaoirleach has another engagement, so he had to go away and, unfortunately, you are left with the Leas-Chathaoirleach for the duration of the rest of the meeting. We have three speakers, including yours truly, and we are scheduled for a short break of two or three minutes, if that is enough. We will suspend the meeting for three minutes. Is that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Defective Block Redress: Redress Focus Group for Banking and Insurance (5 Jul 2023)

Bernard Durkan: I thank the representatives very much for coming before the committee and for giving their information. I dealt with something similar to this nigh on 40 years ago, when it was possible, without demolishment, to take the roofs off houses, as well as the walls, if necessary, and go right down to the base. We could have it fully reconstructed as it was, without any cost to the homeowner at...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Defective Block Redress: Redress Focus Group for Banking and Insurance (5 Jul 2023)

Bernard Durkan: I know.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Defective Block Redress: Redress Focus Group for Banking and Insurance (5 Jul 2023)

Bernard Durkan: I am aware of that. It is in that context that I am speaking about what the committee might be able to do. Otherwise, the witnesses would not be here. They are rightly here to have their grievances heard. If we cannot do something about it in the time that is available, then that is our failure. I think we all accept that. Does anybody else want to round off the discussion? I call...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Defective Block Redress: Redress Focus Group for Banking and Insurance (5 Jul 2023)

Bernard Durkan: As nobody has indicated they would like to make further closing remarks, I will conclude. We thank the witnesses again for coming before the committee. We realise the time constraints. We are aware of all that. In fact, I have discussed this many times with Deputy McHugh as I have done previously with Deputy English. I maybe take a different attitude to the resolution that comes at any...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Defective Block Redress: Redress Focus Group for Banking and Insurance (5 Jul 2023)

Bernard Durkan: Goalkeeper.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Defective Block Redress: Redress Focus Group for Banking and Insurance (5 Jul 2023)

Bernard Durkan: The Deputy is free to make a proposal. I am amenable to that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Defective Block Redress: Redress Focus Group for Banking and Insurance (5 Jul 2023)

Bernard Durkan: Yes. I forgot something. The mortgages that are being sold on to vulture funds or whatever enjoy the same rules and regulations that apply to the original lender. That was only clarified a week or ten days ago - twice in a couple of days - by the Minister responsible. We have access to those concerned who may have a worthwhile input to make. They all need to know the urgency of this...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Defective Block Redress: Redress Focus Group for Banking and Insurance (5 Jul 2023)

Bernard Durkan: I know.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Irish Dental Association Strategic Workforce Plan: Irish Dental Association (5 Jul 2023)

Bernard Durkan: I welcome our witnesses and thank them for their informative responses. They did not mention any effect that the lockdown had on the delivery of services. I would have thought it would have been fairly serious because nothing happened for two or three years. How would the witnesses refer to it? I acknowledge that the picture they paint is very serious. The dental service and orthodontics...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Irish Dental Association Strategic Workforce Plan: Irish Dental Association (5 Jul 2023)

Bernard Durkan: I wondered about that at the time. Of course, the time elapsed and it has a knock-on effect. Unfortunately, we were all under pressure at that time because of the lockdowns and Covid, and emergency upon emergency. It caused problems for us all. Regarding ongoing construction of an adequate dental policy nationwide, we are in a bit of difficulty. We only concentrate on one thing at a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Irish Dental Association Strategic Workforce Plan: Irish Dental Association (5 Jul 2023)

Bernard Durkan: How can the delegates initiate discussions themselves? To bring something of importance to the attention of Ministers and Departments, there needs to be a structure within which one can operate on an ongoing basis rather than waiting one's turn, which may never come.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Irish Dental Association Strategic Workforce Plan: Irish Dental Association (5 Jul 2023)

Bernard Durkan: I note the requirement on the recognition of specialties. Setting up a structure within which the association can operate on an ongoing basis means it does not have to wait forever to be called upon. Every Department receives hundreds or thousands of calls, sometimes in a week. Therefore, it is a matter of convergence. I, like everyone else around the table, have dealt with cases...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Irish Dental Association Strategic Workforce Plan: Irish Dental Association (5 Jul 2023)

Bernard Durkan: It is important. First of all, it is fundamental to children at school because of all the places they must go throughout their school life. Very often, coming to the end of their school life, they may still not have had access to treatment that was required five to ten years previously. I ask that a means be found to have children in need of orthodontic treatment examined systematically by...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Irish Dental Association Strategic Workforce Plan: Irish Dental Association (5 Jul 2023)

Bernard Durkan: The witnesses have presented an interesting and comprehensive set of documents and I commend them on that. However, we all know around this table that if we go to any Minister with a suitcase full of immediate and pressing issues, there will be priorities out of that and the Minister will set those priorities. Is it possible to identify the most fundamental and pressing measures that are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Irish Dental Association Strategic Workforce Plan: Irish Dental Association (5 Jul 2023)

Bernard Durkan: There are regions where a delayed or inadequate response at present affects many services by virtue of population increases and other things, including age – I should not mention things like that but I did.