Results 1,321-1,340 of 3,652 for speaker:Michael Collins

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Public Health Advice (9 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: Are the witnesses aware that some laboratories in Ireland can give same-day Covid-19 results and should the HSE concentrate on those laboratories so we can speed up same-day testing and results?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Public Health Advice (9 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: Should our doctors and nurses be testing for Covid-19 to speed up detection in hospitals, nursing homes and clinics?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: My thanks to both gentlemen for being before us today. Small and medium-sized businesses throughout the country are haemorrhaging, especially those in rural parts but perhaps everywhere at this time. We have to try to reopen our communities in a safe manner. I sat in at a Zoom meeting yesterday with SMEs. They were mainly hairdressers and barbers. It gave me a clear indication of the...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: Do the organisations believe that basing grant aid in these times on business rates is wrong? My meaning for this question is that many struggling businesses do not necessarily pay rates but are still struggling at this time. They are finding it difficult to access grants to kick-start their business.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: Those supports are not in place at present for mobile businesses, are they?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: Are the banks making it more difficult? At the moment, from what I can gather, businesses are looking for loans but the banks are seeking a 12-month cash flow forecast.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: We have been calling for a zero VAT rate in the tourism and hospitality sectors. Do ISME and IBEC believe that would kick-start small businesses in these sectors?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: Many of the grants and aids available are based on rates a business has paid. While this may be fair for some businesses, others struggling as a result of Covid-19 are not paying rates but they are paying staff and paying to keep vehicles on the road. What can the Department offer these types of businesses in these times?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: There are still a good few people who want to start businesses, even at this very difficult time. I met a few of these individuals in the past few weeks. How accessible is it for new start-up businesses to get grants? Much of the criticism that comes from people who are trying to start businesses is that the grants do not exactly come straight to them to get their operations up and...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: Yes. Enterprise Ireland obviously will be very much at the forefront in any business recovery in these times, but politicians will also be at the forefront. How can we work together? It is not good enough for us to just be passing on phone numbers or email addresses. Is it possible that public representatives could have one-to-one contact with Enterprise Ireland going forward in order...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: I thank Ms. Sinnamon. I have another question. Young couples - mainly the employees of businesses - who had secured mortgage approval to buy their first homes have had it withdrawn by their banks because one of them is availing of the temporary wage subsidy scheme. This situation also means that they may not even get their deposits back. Couples are being told that the banks cannot now...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: I would greatly appreciate it if that was done because it is causing a lot of stress for people who were almost across the line with their mortgages and who have now been pulled back. Dr. Quinn mentioned the Safe Pass. Are we close to something being done about that because quite a number of people are looking to get a Safe Pass across the line and are struggling at this time.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: I appreciate that. I thank Dr. Quinn.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: World Health Organization: Public Health Advice (11 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: I thank Dr. Nabarro for joining us this morning. I have four questions. What is the WHO stance on social distancing at the moment? Should we be maintaining the 2 m distancing in Ireland or is 1 m sufficient? In Dr. Nabarro's view, are people who have had Covid-19 now immune to the virus in future? What is the most recent view of clinical trials on the safety of hydroxychloroquine? Does...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on the Fiscal Position (16 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: I thank the gentlemen and ladies who are with us today. We all know that we are moving towards a recession and the document from IFAC states that this recession could last for two to three years whereas the previous recession lasted 11 years. I sincerely hope the council is right about that. Will our witnesses please explain why I am reading the situation differently? In the most recent...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on the Fiscal Position (16 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: I thank Mr. Barnes. In the last week, and I presume it is the same for every other politician, I met people from the hotel, bed and breakfast accommodation and Airbnb sectors and the biggest issue emerging from these meetings is the lowering of the VAT rate to 0%. What is the lowest rate that Mr. Barnes can advise that would lead to a recovery in the tourism sector?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on the Fiscal Position (16 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: For SMEs to survive through this Covid-19 crisis now, the wage subsidy scheme will need to be reinvented. How would Mr. Barnes propose this could happen?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on the Fiscal Position (16 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: For businesses that are contemplating not reopening, what positive advice can Mr. Barnes give these businesses to encourage them to contemplate opening their businesses once more?

Supporting Inclusion and Combating Racism in Ireland: Statements (17 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: 11 o’clock In 1973, when Ireland joined the Common Market, every denomination and race was to be treated equally in Ireland. I wonder if the Irish were treated in this way all over the world. Have we now become so politically correct that we are going to knock down our statues and sculptures and erase our history? The next thing we know our books will be burned to censor our...

Climate Action and Low Carbon Development: Statements (17 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: I thank the Acting Chairman. Over the past number of years, we have had many discussions on climate action and low-carbon development. Time and again, we hear of action needing to be taken. While any self-respecting Deputy would know that climate action is of vital importance, action by this Fine Gael Government supported by Fianna Fáil has been minimal, to say the least, in the...