Results 69,841-69,860 of 74,100 for speaker:Bernard Durkan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Banking Issues: Discussion (27 Sep 2023)

Bernard Durkan: We will discuss that in a second. I am not so sure that it was not possible to predict, with a reasonable degree of accuracy, what the outcome was going to be. That point must be made. I agree with my colleague in relation to faulty blockwork and concrete, etc. I cannot understand why lending agencies did not take account of the fact that there were certain professional guarantees...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Banking Issues: Discussion (27 Sep 2023)

Bernard Durkan: It is not that simple. I built my house during that period. The various procedures were adhered to and there was insurance cover during and after construction and in relation to the payment of the various stages, etc. There had to be strict compliance and a sign-off by the engineer in charge of the site. It was very strict and you did not get the cheque unless that happened. A lot of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Banking Issues: Discussion (27 Sep 2023)

Bernard Durkan: Would it be fair to say that in some cases the customer who was originally the holder of the mortgage has been disadvantaged in the sense that their loan has been sold on and it has been administered in some way, shape or form that they do not know about? They only know that the mortgage has gone from them and the property is gone in many cases as well. The property is already repossessed...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Banking Issues: Discussion (27 Sep 2023)

Bernard Durkan: I do not buy that one.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Banking Issues: Discussion (27 Sep 2023)

Bernard Durkan: I respect Mr. Hayes’s views, but I have to say that I do not buy that one and I will tell him why. They voluntarily surrendered. Why was that the case? It was because they were hustled. They were hustled day and night and were told about their obligations. They were told that what would happen eventually would be that the house would be repossessed. I have an example from only...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Banking Issues: Discussion (27 Sep 2023)

Bernard Durkan: That is correct in the sense that it is more beneficial to the lending institutions to resolve it than it is to the person who expects to get compassion or understanding as to how they might resolve the problem from their point of view. Incidentally, I want to acknowledge that, following the crash, some banks were helpful and compassionate. Some banks engaged with the customers. Some...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Banking Issues: Discussion (27 Sep 2023)

Bernard Durkan: There are other questions that follow on from that but I will visit them again.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Spinal Surgery Issues at Children's University Hospital Temple Street: Children's Health Ireland (28 Sep 2023)

Bernard Durkan: I welcome our witnesses and the supporters and families who have been affected. We have to extend our sincere sympathy to the patients who were affected and to the families who are bereaved. Far too often, we find ourselves at this juncture, which is particularly sad when the lives of children are affected. I do not wish to blame anyone. I want to be factual about this. It is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Spinal Surgery Issues at Children's University Hospital Temple Street: Children's Health Ireland (28 Sep 2023)

Bernard Durkan: When it became obvious that something was wrong-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Spinal Surgery Issues at Children's University Hospital Temple Street: Children's Health Ireland (28 Sep 2023)

Bernard Durkan: But is there some control whereby the procedures proposed are approved by somebody in authority, or could the patient be part of an experiment? When this issue was first discovered, why was it not made known immediately to the Minister, the families and this committee, all of whom were asking questions? We know that the families were asking questions and were concerned. Why did that not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Spinal Surgery Issues at Children's University Hospital Temple Street: Children's Health Ireland (28 Sep 2023)

Bernard Durkan: Could it happen again?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Spinal Surgery Issues at Children's University Hospital Temple Street: Children's Health Ireland (28 Sep 2023)

Bernard Durkan: So the inadequacies of the measures that should be in place to protect CHI's measures have been corrected.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Sláintecare Reforms (27 Sep 2023)

Bernard Durkan: I welcome the witnesses. We all raise discretionary medical cards at these meetings from time to time. There has been some progress, albeit after a long haul. From the initial response, it appears the issues are being dealt with sympathetically but it has taken a hell of a long time. I do not know how many of the various patients in respect of whom I have made representatives have been...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Sláintecare Reforms (27 Sep 2023)

Bernard Durkan: Absolutely, and eyes are rolling to heaven as well. The point is we cannot run a show like that. If we attempt to run it that way-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Sláintecare Reforms (27 Sep 2023)

Bernard Durkan: It is not.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Sláintecare Reforms (27 Sep 2023)

Bernard Durkan: Wait a second, I have not finished yet. It is demand driven but it is possible to anticipate the demand to a large extent, with the exclusion of pandemics and so on. We understand that but we do not understand what happens year after year and why it should not be possible to put into the projections that, subject to X, Y and Z, this is what it is, so that instead of falling short of budget...