Results 1,441-1,460 of 10,460 for speaker:Gerry Horkan

Seanad: Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland (Amendment) Bill 2014: Second Stage (21 Jun 2017)

Gerry Horkan: It feels almost like we are at a finance committee meeting between Senator O'Donnell, Senator Conway-Walsh, Deputy Pearse Doherty and a former member of the committee and newly-appointed Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy D'Arcy. I congratulate him. We will see him at a different side of the table at future committee meetings. I wish him the best of luck in his new...

Seanad: Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland (Amendment) Bill 2014: Second Stage (21 Jun 2017)

Gerry Horkan: Senator Boyhan is sitting close to them as if he was one of them.

Seanad: Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland (Amendment) Bill 2014: Second Stage (21 Jun 2017)

Gerry Horkan: I do not know if that was the Minister of State's first speech following his appointment. Certainly, it was his first speech in the Chamber. He stuck to his time brilliantly and was within 30 seconds of the limit, for which I thank him very much. Long may that continue. Senator Conway-Walsh will conclude the debate. She has five minutes.

Seanad: Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland (Amendment) Bill 2014: Second Stage (21 Jun 2017)

Gerry Horkan: I thank Deputy D'Arcy for his attendance in the House for the first time as a Minister of State. I also thank Senators for their contributions to the debate.

Seanad: Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland (Amendment) Bill 2014: Second Stage (21 Jun 2017)

Gerry Horkan: When is it proposed to take Committee Stage?

Seanad: Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland (Amendment) Bill 2014: Second Stage (21 Jun 2017)

Gerry Horkan: When is it proposed to sit again?

Seanad: Criminal Justice Bill 2016: Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Jun 2017)

Gerry Horkan: Our party supported the Bill. We welcome the passing of the Criminal Justice Bill 2016. It is appropriate that we would congratulate the Minister on his appointment to the Department of Justice and Equality and wish him well in his new role and thank him for his efforts in his previous role as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Business of Joint Committee (27 Jun 2017)

Gerry Horkan: Apologies have been received from Deputy Sean Sherlock. I remind members to ensure their mobile phones are switched off. This is important as they cause serious problems for the broadcasting, editorial and sound staff. I propose we have a short private session to deal with housekeeping matters. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Fossil Fuel Divestment Bill 2016: Discussion (27 Jun 2017)

Gerry Horkan: I thank the deputations for their presentations. I engaged with Trócaire in advance of the meeting. I read much of the documentation provided. I have researched some of it. I thank Deputy Pringle for putting it down. It is probably the first time this committee has engaged with pre-legislative scrutiny on something that does not involve a member supporting it. It is indicative of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Fossil Fuel Divestment Bill 2016: Discussion (27 Jun 2017)

Gerry Horkan: Sometimes rural areas are more affected by climate change, for example, in respect of flooding. Deputy McGrath has an issue with flood insurance and the difficulties people in flooded areas have obtaining insurance cover. Those areas are more exposed to climate change yet when wind farms are proposed - Deputy Pringle will be familiar with this in his own constituency - how does one get...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Fossil Fuel Divestment Bill 2016: Discussion (27 Jun 2017)

Gerry Horkan: With regard to Trócaire, €131 million is a large sum but it does not equate to the national debt or anything like it. It is a relatively small amount to divest and potentially put into other companies. The Department and various other officials will put forward arguments. What message has Ms Finnan other than what was in her opening statement? People said the smoking ban could...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Fossil Fuel Divestment Bill 2016: Discussion (27 Jun 2017)

Gerry Horkan: I thank everyone and, in particular, the Trócaire representatives for all the work they have been doing for many years on various issues and, in particular, in flagging this issue. There are significant fines for not meeting the targets. There are many reasons we should move towards electric cars and reduce our carbon footprint generally. Similar to reduce, reuse and recycle, we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Fossil Fuel Divestment Bill 2016: Discussion (27 Jun 2017)

Gerry Horkan: I welcome Deputy D'Arcy as a Minister of State as opposed to a committee member, which he was up to several weeks ago. Although I was not here for his speech, I managed to see quite a bit of it on the monitor and I had read it in advance. He and the Department have reservations about the Bill. Earlier we heard that €131 million of investments are caught up in fossil fuel on a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Fossil Fuel Divestment Bill 2016: Discussion (27 Jun 2017)

Gerry Horkan: I do not know whether the Minister of State or his officials managed to see some of our earlier sessions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Fossil Fuel Divestment Bill 2016: Discussion (27 Jun 2017)

Gerry Horkan: The point was made that not only is there a moral argument for this but as coal and oil become less acceptable and as people move disruptive technology towards electric cars, solar power and wind, the commercial viability of these companies over time is likely to decrease. There is not just a moral argument as to why we might do this, but it makes sense, similarly to moving away from...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Fossil Fuel Divestment Bill 2016: Discussion (27 Jun 2017)

Gerry Horkan: Is it the argument, then, that this is unnecessary legislation because it is going to happen anyway?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Fossil Fuel Divestment Bill 2016: Discussion (27 Jun 2017)

Gerry Horkan: I take the point that we are very heavily reliant on fossil fuels but regardless of whether the Government invests or ISIF invests, we will still be reliant on fossil fuels. The argument about being very heavily reliant on fossil fuels does not mean that we have to invest in them, or does it? What is the logic?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Fossil Fuel Divestment Bill 2016: Discussion (27 Jun 2017)

Gerry Horkan: Effectively the Minister of State is saying that he expects, over the timeframe envisaged in the Bill, namely five years, that what the Bill is trying to do will happen anyway.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Fossil Fuel Divestment Bill 2016: Discussion (27 Jun 2017)

Gerry Horkan: I accept the point the Minister of State is making. Perhaps I should phrase this differently. Leaving aside the unintended consequences, is the Minister of State suggesting that what the Bill is trying to do, ISIF will be doing anyway over the next five years?

Seanad: Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Prohibition of Onshore Hydraulic Fracturing) Bill 2016: Committee and Remaining Stages (28 Jun 2017)

Gerry Horkan: The Minister of State is welcome back.