Results 1,361-1,380 of 2,674 for speaker:John Moloney

Seanad: Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Jul 2009)

John Moloney: The Senator's amendment would remove from the Bill provisions aimed at protecting the position of the consumer in respect of advertising and the provision of information concerning health insurance contracts. The thrust of the related amendment to the preceding subsection put forward by the Senator's colleagues in the other House was accepted on the basis that it enhanced the provision of...

Seanad: Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Jul 2009)

John Moloney: I acknowledge and respect the concerns expressed by Senators about the increase in the costs of private health insurance. However, to accept the Senator's viewpoint would fillet the Bill and prevent the proper functions of the tax system. The increases implemented by insurers reflect the issue of medical inflation and, more importantly, the absence of intergenerational solidarity. The...

Seanad: Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Jul 2009)

John Moloney: Section 22 primarily provides for the granting of credits for the system to work effectively. Sections 20, 21, 23, 24 and 25 were drafted and prepared on the basis that they are necessary and for that reason I cannot accept the amendments. If the Senator so wishes, I will outline the overall structure and purpose of each of the sections that have been proposed.

Seanad: Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Jul 2009)

John Moloney: As to why it is not in the legislation, I do not think it was intended even to take it into consideration. It was presumed that there was protection there by way of intergenerational solidarity. In the first instance, health insurance premiums are charged on a net premium basis, after the reduction of credits to all persons, irrespective of their level of income. I do not think that would...

Seanad: Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Jul 2009)

John Moloney: The short answer is "No". Section 22 inserts a new section 470B into the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997. This new section provides for additional age-related tax credit in respect of health insurance premiums paid to authorised insurers, excluding restricted membership undertakings, within the meanings of section 2(1) of the Health Insurance Act 1994, under relevant contracts renewed or...

Seanad: Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Jul 2009)

John Moloney: I take the point the Senator has raised. The levy is on insurance companies, not specifically on the customer or purchaser. Tax credits are granted at source in the same way as the levy or existing relief. Elderly people are securing a tax relief of 20% but the levy is on the company not on the specific customer. The companies would have to recognise their customers' age profile, while...

Seanad: Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Jul 2009)

John Moloney: Yes. That is what they are doing.

Seanad: Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Jul 2009)

John Moloney: That is exactly what I am saying. The levy is clearly on the companies which will make up the shortfall by whatever means they decide, and they will pass on that charge.

Seanad: Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Jul 2009)

John Moloney: No, they do not have to do so. If the companies are living up to their own standards by protecting the elderly, they clearly should not be tempted to pass that on. The bottom line is that I cannot say for definite. I presume that if a levy is added to existing charges to an insurance, the possibilities are that those charges will be passed on, or at least the temptation will be there to...

Seanad: Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Jul 2009)

John Moloney: To respond to Senator Twomey first, this is not an attempt to fatten up the VHI for whatever ulterior motive may be down the road. Neither is it a quick-fix solution. I would prefer to call it an interim measure.

Seanad: Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Jul 2009)

John Moloney: There is a bit of a difference. Sitting over there on the Opposition benches, it is a quick fix. Over here on the Government side, it is an interim measure. It was well thought out by the people to whom we referred in previous amendments, such as expert advisers and son on. Section 26 provides for the application of the levy on the health insurance companies. It has been amended since...

Seanad: Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Jul 2009)

John Moloney: I was not aware of the issue mentioned by the Deputy. I will take it on board.

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (8 Jul 2009)

John Moloney: As the Deputy's question relates to service matters I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (8 Jul 2009)

John Moloney: As this is a service matter the question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.

Written Answers — Equality Issues: Equality Issues (8 Jul 2009)

John Moloney: I refer the Deputy to my reply to his Question No. 93 of 14 May 2009. The position remains that the decision taken on each of the applications made under the Equality for Women Measure will be made known in the near future.

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Jul 2009)

John Moloney: I thank Senators Mullen, Regan and O'Donovan for their specific contributions. I hope I can be equally specific in my response. I will start by referring to the points raised by Senator Mullen. I wish to put on record that I am a pacifist also. I want to be clear, however, that I do not think that issue comes into it. I hasten to add that I am not a killjoy either, which was the word...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Jul 2009)

John Moloney: That is his initial point and I will come to it in a few minutes. The Minister also said that any basic research on practical shooting will see that it considers itself an extreme sport. In his opening response, the Minister also said that this is an imported gun culture and has nothing to offer Irish society. The Senators said that experts attached to the Olympic movement have no...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Jul 2009)

John Moloney: I accept there is a skill involved, but the difficulty in moving from the skill to the sport element is if the additional marking involves accreditations based on the power of the gun used. I wonder about the sporting element of that. Either way, only seven of 70 votes were in favour of granting membership to the IPSC, based on the notion that they did not respect the fact that practical...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Jul 2009)

John Moloney: I have never had the privilege to take part in either activity. The style of play in both paintball and airsoft is completely based on the low range of the device, which is about 40 metres for airsoft. It is far removed from real combat, due to the limitations of the devices themselves. This is a world away from practical and dynamic shooting, where 9 millimetres is the minimum calibre...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Jul 2009)

John Moloney: I do not think we can presume the future when we are trying to deal with a current issue.