Results 1,001-1,020 of 5,148 for speaker:Mairéad Farrell

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Test (14 Jul 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: 59. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there are persons whose driver theory tests have been postponed multiple times; his views on whether this is fair; if a person (details supplied) in such circumstance could be permitted to sit their test at the earliest possible opportunity; and if he will make a statement on the matter....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Procurement Contracts (15 Jul 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: In public procurement, social clauses are legal obligations which require contractors to create some form of added value as part of the contract. That can come in the form of labour activation, promoting the participation of SMEs, an obligation to provide a living wage and so on. What consideration has the Minister's Department given to the role that social and labour procurement clauses...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Procurement Contracts (15 Jul 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: I am aware the Minister's Department has done work on social clauses. It is one of only seven Departments to have done so. The Minister has mentioned the involvement of social enterprises in the provision of sensory facilities and equipment in public libraries. I welcome and acknowledge that. I also acknowledge that a public body under the Minister's Department, Pobal, has also done work...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Procurement Contracts (15 Jul 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: Hopefully, in the post-Covid world, we will try to rebuild the economy on a regionally balanced basis and people who have moved back into rural areas as a result of Covid-19 will contribute to that. Community wealth-building and the inclusion of social clauses would be key to that. It is something I have an interest in and, as the Minister said, if we spend public money, it should have a...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (15 Jul 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: 74. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide a support package for sheep farmers on animal welfare grounds. [38162/21]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff (15 Jul 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: 419. To ask the Minister for Health the number of workers in section 39 agencies that are currently earning below the living wage; and the estimated annual cost of bringing them in line with this. [32879/21]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Banking Matters: AIB (30 Jun 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: Gabhaim buíochas leis na finnéithe as teacht os comhair an choiste. Tá go leor ceisteanna curtha cheana féin, so I will try not to repeat questions members have already asked. If I do, I ask the Chairman to let me know and I will move on to other questions. I thank the witnesses for coming before the committee. I know that about four years ago AIB's northern business...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Capital Investment: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (1 Jul 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: Gabhaim buíochas leis na finnéithe. I apologise for being a bit late coming to the meeting because of another commitment. I hope I will not go back over what other members raised but the Chairman might let me know if I do. Is there any projection at this point as to what capital carry-over for 2021 could be? If so, based on current trends, which Departments are likely to have...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Capital Investment: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (1 Jul 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: Obviously, we all hope there will be no capital carry-overs but there are a few issues. The phase 1 report on the national development plan states that we need to be cognisant of supply-side capacity constraints and that the public sector has a limited capacity to deliver investment in any given year, regardless of how much funding is made available, which is concerning. The Minister,...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Capital Investment: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (1 Jul 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: That is interesting. We have heard for some time that there is an issue with the supply side. Under the prevailing conditions, the State procures for capital works mainly via private developers. Senior officials in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment recently stated that bid-rigging has enabled companies to extract a higher price for work, given that rival bidders that had...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Capital Investment: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (1 Jul 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: That is fair enough. Following on from all that, there is a long-held view that in a situation where there is a market failure such that the market is unable to meet what is needed, the State must step in and help with a solution and that this is not only acceptable but often necessary. Would the officials accept that view?

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Capital Investment: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (1 Jul 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: I thank Mr. Downes. On the capacity constraints, not so long ago we had the OECD before this committee as well as representatives from the Think-tank for Action on Social Change, TASC. I asked them for their views on the role of State-owned enterprises and correcting market failures and cited the example of housing in the context of an area in which a State-owned enterprise could play a...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Capital Investment: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (1 Jul 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: I thank Ms Costello. To make my point a little clearer, we are seeing concerns there is going to be capital carry-over because the concern is the private sector cannot meet the demand or be able to actually use all that money and build all the different projects. I could have said that in a much more fluid way but my question was what would be the view on having a State-owned enterprise...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Capital Investment: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (1 Jul 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: I thank Ms Costello. As we have an unemployment rate of 16%, we must deal with that as well as trying to meet what we want to spend and the infrastructural deficit and all that. We should be looking at seeing whether there is some other way where the State intervenes more to try to deal with that variety of issues because we know how important the capital spend will be in dealing with the...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Capital Investment: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (1 Jul 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: On the National Training Fund, the money seems to have been largely invested in Exchequer notes. Is there a problem with the sound? I am hearing a lot of feedback.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Capital Investment: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (1 Jul 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: The money seems to have been largely invested in Exchequer notes at zero percent, rather than being used to invest in training and education. The money seems to be used to provide interest-free loans to the Exchequer rather than for the purpose of training and education. What is the rationale for this? If there is an issue with the sound, the officials can respond in writing.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Double Taxation Agreements: Minister for Finance (14 Jul 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: Many of the questions have already been asked but I have two. The OECD's multilateral instrument, MLI, was obviously an attempt to provide common minimum standards for all existing and future double tax agreements. The minimum standards set out in the MLI have been designed to close tax avoidance loopholes. Article 12 of the MLI relates to defining when a multinational corporation has a...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Double Taxation Agreements: Minister for Finance (14 Jul 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: No problem. The UN, the World Bank, IMF and OECD all recommend the double tax treaties with developing countries should include anti-abuse provisions. This is to stop aggressive tax avoidance by multinationals through the use of double tax treaty provisions. What progress has Ireland made on this? Is such an anti-abuse provision included in the treaty with Kosovo, which the World Bank...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Double Taxation Agreements: Minister for Finance (14 Jul 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: As the Minister will be aware, if we are discussing this tomorrow, we will need the time to take a look and have those questions ready. These things always takes time to examine properly. Obviously, we would like to see that as soon as possible. If the Minister wants to bring it to us first before he brings it to Government, that is no problem either.