Results 20,001-20,020 of 35,829 for speaker:Pearse Doherty

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report Stage (15 Dec 2016)

Pearse Doherty: That is the point I am making to the Minister.

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report Stage (15 Dec 2016)

Pearse Doherty: If I can put the question, then the Minister will have the chance to answer it. In amendment No. 68, under the proposed section 24C, it states "where a tenancy commenced before the relevant date". The relevant date under section 19(7) is the date on which section 32 of this Bill will come into effect, which is a date in the future. What about tenancies that have already commenced? This...

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report Stage (15 Dec 2016)

Pearse Doherty: I ask the question because section 24C is about tenancies that have commenced before the relevant date, which is the tenancies that have already started. What about other tenancies that will start after this enactment, which section 24C does not cover? What prevents landlords from reviewing the rent of such tenancies every six months, three months or whatever? The Minister's formula,...

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report Stage (15 Dec 2016)

Pearse Doherty: I am trying to be helpful in order that we can move on. Let us say a landlord rented an apartment to me, I moved out and six months later the apartment was rented to Deputy Ó Broin. Under this provision, the landlord would be allowed to increase the rent by 4% on what I was paying six months ago but under the original amendment, that would not have happened. Under the original...

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report Stage (15 Dec 2016)

Pearse Doherty: Usually on Committee Stage, the Minister takes time to go through the amendment and explain it in detail. If the Minister wants me to take him at his word, I am baffled by the suggestion that this was a drafting error or an unintended consequence. Can he explain why he or his officials went to the bother of putting t/12 into the original amendment he proposed? It is not a dot somewhere or...

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report Stage (15 Dec 2016)

Pearse Doherty: We need to discuss the amendment now.

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report Stage (15 Dec 2016)

Pearse Doherty: Can I add to that?

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report Stage (15 Dec 2016)

Pearse Doherty: I support Deputy Ó Broin's proposal and commend him on pointing out the error. I disagree with the Minister's suggestion that this was a "drafting error". I believe it and its consequences were intended.

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report Stage (15 Dec 2016)

Pearse Doherty: The Government was found out because of the scrutiny of this legislation by Deputy Ó Broin. I put it to the Government and the party which claims to lead the Opposition that this is what real Opposition parties do. They scrutinise legislation instead of throwing power puffs across the floor in respect of issues that are not as substantial as those found by Deputy Ó Broin. In my...

Questions on Proposed Legislation (15 Dec 2016)

Pearse Doherty: Guím Nollaig shona ar gach éinne fosta. As with the previous two years, 2016 saw dramatic increases in motor insurance for drivers. Last month, the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, committed to producing the Government's report on the insurance industry before the end of the year. Given that we are in the last days of the Dáil's sitting...

Questions on Proposed Legislation (15 Dec 2016)

Pearse Doherty: Tomorrow is the day for that.

Leaders' Questions (14 Dec 2016)

Pearse Doherty: The Taoiseach does not want to think about it.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Administration (14 Dec 2016)

Pearse Doherty: 227. To ask the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Donegal will receive an appointment in Our Lady's Hospital, Crumlin following the HSE directing such a referral as necessary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40402/16]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Status (14 Dec 2016)

Pearse Doherty: 228. To ask the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Donegal will receive an appointment for surgery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40431/16]

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (13 Dec 2016)

Pearse Doherty: I welcome Professor McHale and his colleagues to the meeting. I note this is his last appearance before the committee and I wish him well. He may be able to speak more freely in the future instead of having to represent the strict mandate under the terms of the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council. I welcome his comprehensive and detailed report. He mentioned that using unexpected tax revenue...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (13 Dec 2016)

Pearse Doherty: The council says that the Government is taking risks with the Irish economy in certain areas, breaching the rules it championed. I have no love for those rules, as Professor McHale knows. We campaigned against them but we are very satisfied that every party in the Houses wants the rules changed in one way or another. Now, however, there is a false debate because nobody wants to comply with...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (13 Dec 2016)

Pearse Doherty: The report points out that along with the Government announcing budget 2017, it announced half of budget 2018 by eating into more than half of the fiscal space for 2018. This has left the Government with approximately €530 million, according to its calculations. Since his previous appearance before us, Professor McHale has provided us with difference in the council's assessment of...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (13 Dec 2016)

Pearse Doherty: That is not related to the old debate about non-indexation of tax rates, which is a discretionary Government policy, or increases in social welfare payments or public sector wages. These are unavoidable demographic and price pressures in the council's view. Am I correct that this is inflation kicking in?

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (13 Dec 2016)

Pearse Doherty: I understand. I am trying to draw the distinction with a discretionary policy which the council has put forward previously. To maintain purchasing power, social welfare rates and wages would have to increase. This relates to non-wage pressures or price pressures.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (13 Dec 2016)

Pearse Doherty: I appreciate that. The starting point of any discussion needs to be where we would be standing still this time next year and then deciding from there what needs to be done in terms of what is available. While the Government says there will be €530 million in fiscal space, the council has argued it is miscounting and there is a discrepancy of approximately €600 million, which...