Results 7,581-7,600 of 18,851 for speaker:Fergus O'Dowd

National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2014)

Fergus O'Dowd: That is good.

National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2014)

Fergus O'Dowd: I do not think Deputy Higgins and I will ever agree on issues such as this, but we might. A number of Deputies on the opposite side of the House have acknowledged the principle that if we have money to put into developing our economy, it is a big plus. This is money that is not in the country at the moment but will be brought back here and used in the way the legislation allows. The key...

National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2014)

Fergus O'Dowd: The word "regional" refers to all areas including Dublin. It means it must be geographically balanced and proportionate to the areas' populations and their needs. The point is that everybody would get a fair crack.

National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2014)

Fergus O'Dowd: We all know what the regions are.

National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2014)

Fergus O'Dowd: I know the region in which I live. One of the key features of NewERA is that, in consultation with various Government Ministers, it can develop proposals for investment in sectors to support economic activity and employment, specifically energy, water, telecommunications and forestry. The legislation could create a very positive, constructive fund which is available to promote balanced...

National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2014)

Fergus O'Dowd: The purpose of the fund is to make commercial investments to support economic activity and employment. If the money is used to pay for what one might call normal Government expenditure, however worthy that might be, the fund is simply another source of funding for the Exchequer and one must borrow it and pay interest on it, which means that Government expenditure elsewhere must be cut back...

National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2014)

Fergus O'Dowd: I think I have made my case.

National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2014)

Fergus O'Dowd: I move amendment No. 23:In page 45, between lines 14 and 15, to insert the following:"Report and information to Minister relating to operation of Fund 49.The Agency shall in each report under section 13(1) of the Act of 1990, subject to preserving confidentiality in regard to commercially sensitive information, include the following information in relation to the Fund for the year to which...

National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2014)

Fergus O'Dowd: I move amendment No. 25:In page 64, to delete lines 20 to 23 and substitute the following:"21. Any direction given to the Commission under section 19A, 19AA or 19B of the National Pensions Reserve Fund Act 2000 before the Fund constitution date shall have effect on or after that date (until revoked) as if given to the Agency under section 42, 47(4)(b)or(c)or 43, respectively.".

National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Fifth Stage (9 Jul 2014)

Fergus O'Dowd: The Bill involves the dissolution of a number of bodies as part of the process of restructuring the NTMA. These are the NTMA advisory committee, the National Pensions Reserve Fund Commission, the State Claims Agency policy committee and the National Development Finance Agency and its board. On behalf of the Minister for Finance, I have been asked to thank all those who have served over the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Fisheries Protection (9 Jul 2014)

Fergus O'Dowd: I propose to take Questions Nos. 296 and 300 together. Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) is the state agency responsible for the protection, management and conservation of Ireland's inland fisheries and sea angling resources. As each of Ireland’s 143 salmon rivers has its own unique stock of salmon IFI manages salmon stocks on an individual river basis. IFI is supported in its...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Tellus Border Project (9 Jul 2014)

Fergus O'Dowd: The Tellus Border Project is a regional mapping project collecting geo-environmental data on soils, water and rocks in the six border counties of Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Cavan, Monaghan and Louth. The project acquired airborne geophysical data using specially adapted planes and chemical data from sampling and detailed analysis of streams and soils. The project follows a similar one that...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Water Services Provision (9 Jul 2014)

Fergus O'Dowd: The Geological Survey of Ireland, which is a division of my Department, is the National geoscience centre and provides objective geological advice and information. The Survey, with circa 60 permanent and contract staff, is relatively small by comparison with other surveys internationally (e.g. BGS circa 1,000 staff, USGS, circa 10,000 staff) and participation in international fora and...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Betting (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Jul 2014)

Fergus O'Dowd: I move amendment No. 1: In page 6, to delete lines 12 to 14. The main changes as published are based on this group of amendments. I would like to set out the background to the amendments and what is proposed. As Members will know, the Bill as published made it unlawful for a person, other than a licensed operator, to act as a bookmaker and the Minister for Justice was tasked with...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Betting (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Jul 2014)

Fergus O'Dowd: I move amendment No. 2: In page 7, to delete lines 32 to 37 and substitute the following:“(2) A person (other than a licensed remote bookmaker) who carries on the business of, or acts as, a remote bookmaker from a place outside the State shall not communicate or attempt to communicate with a person in the State by remote means for the purpose of the making of a bet or bets with the...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Betting (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Jul 2014)

Fergus O'Dowd: I move amendment No. 3: In page 7, to delete lines 38 to 44 and substitute the following:“(3) A person (other than a licensed remote betting intermediary) who carries on the business of, or acts as, a remote betting intermediary from a place outside the State shall not communicate or attempt to communicate with a person in the State by remote means for the purpose of the making of a...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Betting (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Jul 2014)

Fergus O'Dowd: I move amendment No. 4: In page 7, lines 45 and 46, to delete “Minister for Justice and Equality” and substitute “Revenue Commissioners”.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Betting (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Jul 2014)

Fergus O'Dowd: I move amendment No. 5: In page 8, to delete lines 17 to 23 and substitute the following:“(8) Summary proceedings for an offence under this section may be brought and prosecuted by the Revenue Commissioners.”.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Betting (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Jul 2014)

Fergus O'Dowd: I propose to take amendments Nos. 6 and 7 together. Section 9 of the Bill provides that an applicant must make his or her intention to make an application for a certificate of personal fitness known through the publication of a notice in two daily newspapers. The onus is on the applicant to advertise the application in a daily national newspaper. In addition, the Minister for Justice and...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Betting (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Jul 2014)

Fergus O'Dowd: I take the point the Deputy has made. As he has said, all of the gambling issues in the State can be examined in an holistic way in the context of the forthcoming gambling control Bill. I remind the committee when one applies for planning permission, one has to place a notice in a local newspaper as opposed to the council's website. I know it is a different area. I take the Deputy's...