Results 2,301-2,320 of 35,540 for speaker:Pearse Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Facilities (28 Feb 2024)

Pearse Doherty: 186. To ask the Minister for Health the waiting time for a respite bed in a community hospital in Donegal (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9667/24]

Mental Health (Amendment) Bill 2023: Second Stage [Private Members] (27 Feb 2024)

Pearse Doherty: Níl dabht ar bith ach go bhfuil gá le níos mó infheistíochta agus níos mó a dhéanamh ó thaobh CAMHS de mar go bhfuil páistí na tíre seo á ligean síos mar gheall ar an Rialtas atá againn agus an teip atá air ó thaobh meabhairshláinte agus an tacaíocht atá á fáil ag páistí ar...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of the Access to Cash Bill 2024: Discussion (27 Feb 2024)

Pearse Doherty: I knew the Leas-Chathaoirleach would be here because he has been giving out so much over the past couple of years about the Oireachtas ATM being removed. That and the lotto have been his campaigns. I welcome the officials for its pre-legislative scrutiny of the general scheme, which came about as a result of the banking review. I have a couple of questions on the general scheme. I am...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of the Access to Cash Bill 2024: Discussion (27 Feb 2024)

Pearse Doherty: I appreciate that. I will come to that provision of the Bill at a later stage around the fees of ATMs. The point I wish to make is that in the North and Britain, 95% of the population live within one mile of an ATM in an urban area and within three miles in a rural area. Do we have any similar data here? There is a big difference between 10 km and one mile, as the witnesses will...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of the Access to Cash Bill 2024: Discussion (27 Feb 2024)

Pearse Doherty: Okay. Do the witnesses believe that 10 km is a reasonable amount? Obviously, a percentage of the population will fall outside of the 10 km. If a person is on the margins of the 10 km criterion, it is a 20 km round trip to get access to cash. That is quite a significant journey and not good for the environment. There is a cost burden as well. It would be helpful to me - I cannot speak...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of the Access to Cash Bill 2024: Discussion (27 Feb 2024)

Pearse Doherty: What is the penetration at 5 km? If Mr. Gilvarry has that data, can he provide it out of interest? He can provide the details later.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of the Access to Cash Bill 2024: Discussion (27 Feb 2024)

Pearse Doherty: Okay.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of the Access to Cash Bill 2024: Discussion (27 Feb 2024)

Pearse Doherty: Let us talk about local area deficiency. How will that be determined? How will that be actioned? What sections of the heads deal with that again?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of the Access to Cash Bill 2024: Discussion (27 Feb 2024)

Pearse Doherty: This allows for the Central Bank to determine if there is a local area deficiency and some people would make the point that if there is a criteria of 10 km in the legislation and if the bank is of the view that a person is within that 10 km, then it would be hard to argue that there is a local area deficiency. This may fall in on Tory Island if they decide to take away the ATM machine. It...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of the Access to Cash Bill 2024: Discussion (27 Feb 2024)

Pearse Doherty: I appreciate that and obviously you could have a situation where ATM machines were taken away or closed down in certain areas but within the overall region, the organisation is able to meet those criteria, so this could be invoked. The heads provide for it being prior to the deficiency taking place. That would be in a scenario where somebody closes an ATM, the bank moves out and there is a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of the Access to Cash Bill 2024: Discussion (27 Feb 2024)

Pearse Doherty: Of course, the most common scenario-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of the Access to Cash Bill 2024: Discussion (27 Feb 2024)

Pearse Doherty: We will stick with head 7 at the minute. Again, when we are dealing with legislation of this nature, which is enabling legislation, we have to place a lot of faith in the Central Bank. I do not know how this would be reported. Will it be a consumer watchdog that will perceive that there is a local deficiency or will it be a member of the public or a local community group? Could Deputy...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of the Access to Cash Bill 2024: Discussion (27 Feb 2024)

Pearse Doherty: We will revisit that section again. Going back to the criteria that were used, we have seen a limited number of ATM machines. The main street banks have closed a lot of them. We also have seen a lot of independent operators take some over and open new ATMs as well. Why would the Department not use that figure of 87% within 5 km? Why not use both figures? I live in a rural community and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of the Access to Cash Bill 2024: Discussion (27 Feb 2024)

Pearse Doherty: To take the criteria as they exist, however, with 87% of the population within 5 km, 99% of the population within 10 km and 83 ATMs per 100,000 population, that is more guaranteeing that access to cash remains at its current level. If it is decided not to include the 5 km criterion but the criterion in terms of the penetration per population, of 83 ATMs per 100,00 people, has to be met, it...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of the Access to Cash Bill 2024: Discussion (27 Feb 2024)

Pearse Doherty: Mr. Gilvarry can correct me if I am wrong, but he is basically saying the Department expects a reduction in access to cash services because demand may go in that direction in future. If a 5 km rule was to be inserted, that would better guarantee that access to cash will remain at the current level and there should, therefore, be no additional burden on a financial institution, unless...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of the Access to Cash Bill 2024: Discussion (27 Feb 2024)

Pearse Doherty: It has jumped since Covid. People still like to use cash. That does not really make sense because the heads of Bill, as far as I can see from my examination of them, allow the Minister for Finance to set the percentage. If a 5 km rate were set at the current level of 87.4% and the reduced demand scenario to which Mr. Gilvarry referred occurred, the Minister of the day could reduce that...