Results 1,281-1,300 of 49,836 for speaker:Stephen Donnelly

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Disposal of State Assets and Quarterly Review: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (19 Jun 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: Ms Fitzpatrick is very welcome. She has an exciting and challenging job and I wish her the best of luck with that. The news from the Minister on Coillte is fantastic. I am delighted. Obviously, the Labour Deputies knew ahead of time, and we had heard bits and pieces, but it is fantastic to hear the Minister formally say it. The Minister referenced repeatedly that it is an economic...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Disposal of State Assets and Quarterly Review: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (19 Jun 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: We take our trees very seriously, Chairman. I am delighted. Is it possible to release the economic analysis now that the decision has been made and therefore there is not commercial sensitivity around it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Disposal of State Assets and Quarterly Review: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (19 Jun 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: It would be welcome to look at that. Specifically, I want to draw a distinction between financial analysis and economic analysis. I have done both in my past. Essentially, the financial analysis is a net present value, NPV, calculation. It considers the various options, that is, sell, do not sell, a hybrid or whatever. It looks at a discounted future cash flow and comes up with the best...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Disposal of State Assets and Quarterly Review: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (19 Jun 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: I referred to economists. The field of economics can take a decent stab at putting financial values on non-financial items. I have had the same debate with NAMA on how it conducts its valuations. Consequently, I wish to ascertain whether this was purely a financial analysis or a broader economic analysis that would include public value, private value and so forth. I will not go back into...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Disposal of State Assets and Quarterly Review: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (19 Jun 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: Sure, and I appreciate that for the Minister, it is not ideological. However, I ask him to bear in mind that for me and for many others, it is. There is no right or wrong to it; it simply is. The next question is probably for Ms Fitzpatrick. I am glad the company is being reconfigured. I learned a lot through the debate regarding what was and what was not working within Coillte, as well...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Disposal of State Assets and Quarterly Review: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (19 Jun 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: Great. I guess my point is that it needs a change because while Coillte could claim it also knew that, when one compares Ireland's infrastructure with foreign infrastructure, it is not matched by reality. While it is wonderful for Coillte to make this point, there is an opportunity for investment, which probably would be at a low cost or would not be capital intensive. Did I hear the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Disposal of State Assets and Quarterly Review: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (19 Jun 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: Was that the one being referred to about there being, in time, a borrowing facility?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Disposal of State Assets and Quarterly Review: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (19 Jun 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: Yes, sure.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Disposal of State Assets and Quarterly Review: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (19 Jun 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: Yes. Will that be off-balance sheet?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Disposal of State Assets and Quarterly Review: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (19 Jun 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: That is good. It is convenient. I have a concern with the semi-State organisations regarding the costs involved. For example, in the ESB, we have some of, if not the best paid, utility workers in the world and to pay for these salaries, the Irish people pay some of the highest prices for electricity in the world. While that is great if one is in the ESB, it is bad for everyone else....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Disposal of State Assets and Quarterly Review: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (19 Jun 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: On the €3 billion target for the sale of State assets, the Minister indicated that the second half of it will underpin additional lending. It sounds like a good plan. Is the idea that it would be some form of co-investment fund for matters such as the European Investment Bank and micro-finance funds? How will such underpinning of additional lending happen?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Disposal of State Assets and Quarterly Review: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (19 Jun 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: Could I add quickly to the mix?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Disposal of State Assets and Quarterly Review: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (19 Jun 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: The issue we did not talk about was the second because we all were here for-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Disposal of State Assets and Quarterly Review: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (19 Jun 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: It is not even a question.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Disposal of State Assets and Quarterly Review: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (19 Jun 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: I congratulate the Chair on pushing this and the Minister on engaging on it. All I wanted to say is it would be good to have a meaningful engagement on this. Would it be possible in the future to get this kind of data a few days in advance?

Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs Expenditure (20 Jun 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: Yesterday the National Council for Special Education announced a cut of 10% in support hours for children with special needs. This brings the total in cuts per child to 25% since 2010. The INTO has argued that the cuts are even worse than this figure suggests because the Department of Education and Skills and the council are hiding the true extent of cuts from parents. The needs of these...

Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs Expenditure (20 Jun 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: I know the Minister of State did not make this decision, but it is very difficult to speak calmly and with parliamentary language about what is happening in the country. Listening to what the Minister of State said, one would not know anything was wrong. He said the Government was maintaining funding. Let us at least do the children and their parents the decency of being honest about this...

European Council Meeting: Statements (25 Jun 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: I am sorry the Taoiseach had to leave because I intended to congratulate him on the EU Presidency which he and his Cabinet have held for the last six months. I was in Brussels recently where I spoke to MEPs and officials. They complimented the Irish officials on being very professional. They spoke in particular about the officials in the Department of Finance. I was delighted to hear it....

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Coillte Teoranta Harvesting Rights Sale (25 Jun 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: 324. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will release the analysis carried out on the potential sale of the Coillte harvesting rights, which led to the decision not to proceed with the sale; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30603/13]

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Copyright Legislation Review (25 Jun 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: 334. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation his views on whether the High Court order requiring UPC, Vodafone, O2, Imagine, Digiweb and 3 to block a website (details supplied) conflicts with the stated opinion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30353/13]